The trip of our lifetime: Germany

Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts

In the last 8 months we have lived a life that we never thought we would, here are some facts.

To travel around the world it took us 20 plane rides (16 hours being the longest ride and 45 minutes being the shortest ride), 7 ferry/boat rides, 7 overnight/day trains, 4 long haul busses, 2 car rentals, and 2 campervans, (sorry EMU didn't mean to kill you).

We visited 4 continents, 11 countries, and 34+ cities and slept on 48 different beds.

We had one big suitcase, small carry on, day pack and a purse for two people for 8 months.

I think it's safe to say, we adapted quickly and without hesitation.

How do you write the end to a journey that you can't summarize or explain. The only thing that lingers are the memories engrained forever.

I began thinking of a trip similar to this a while back, when I was broke and google by my side. It was only supposed to be a volunteer trip in Asia and by myself. Then I dreamt bigger and bigger and said why not? You live once? I have been saving for 5 years it was time for us to spend some money and run away from the stressful life.

That early morning on January 1st, 2013 our great friends Jason and Ashley drove us to the airport. All we had was a one way ticket to Melbourne and a hotel for 6 nights. With faint lines on what countries we wanted to visit. The rest came along on a day by day, week by week and even sometimes a month by month.

This trip changed us, in ways we weren't expecting. Our eyes opened to things we didn't know. It's impossible to say what was the favourite place, or the favourite part. The shitty days were just as important as the amazing ones. But if I were to choose a few places that I would come back to for sure it would be:

Chiang Mai, Thailand
Rothenberg, Germany
Prague, Czech
Singapore, Singapore
Great Ocean Road, Australia.

I could go on forever writing on this experience, but I want to keep it short and sweet, besides Ali already explained some great things.

I don't have any regrets about any places we went to. I miss it everyday and euphoria has not come off just yet, and I am hoping it will never come off. This trip gave me a travel bug the size of Russia, making me hungry for more. So stay tuned as this blog will be updated as another trip of our lifetime begins. But do give us some time, as the money needs to be replenished first.

Thank you all for reading, we enjoyed seeing our page views get higher and higher.

Anna <3

PS. Couldn't end this one without pictures!

Here is my selection of one favourite picture from every single country we visited (idea suggested by my travelling friend Elise).

12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Australia - January 2013
It was a windy day, and about 1000 people, but that couldn't take away the beauty of this place.

Matamata, Hobbiton, New Zealand - January 2013
It was a super warm and sunny day, we were with a group of 20 and our guide was absolutely hilarious.

Monkey Forest, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia - February 2013
It was a steamy hot day, we were surrounded by 100s of monkeys who terrified me.

Orchid Garden in the Botanical Gardens, Singapore, Singapore - February 2013
It was so hot my camera kept pausing from overheating, the mutant orchids were breathtaking.

Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - March 2013
It was a hot summer day, where the heat off the metal towers were felt, this tower made you feel tiny.

Elephant Sanctuary, Chiang Mai, Thailand - May 2013
This explains the moment when an elephant gets so happy and excited to have a bath, we bathed a few ourselves.

Café in Rothernburg o.d.t, Germany - June 2013
An awful freezing wet day but the beautiful little café was enough to get us excited.

Gothic Church, Vienna, Austria - June 2013
The way the sun streamed through the stained glass made me speechless.

Astronomy Clock, Prague, Czech - June 2013
The most unique clock I had ever seen. The detail in that is incredible.

Castle Region, Budapest, Hungary - June 2013
The horse and rider as one.

Cherhoness, Sevastopol, Ukraine - July 2013
The ruins that made me feel uber young, with the cold black sea.

All pictures were taken by me! (C) Anna B!! Don't steal, or I will use my genius skills to find you :)

Trying to summarize a trip like this is a daunting task. There were so many memories
that I can recall and so many more that I need to review all the blogs just to trigger. This
was by far the most amazing experience of my life and it wouldn't have even happened
if it wasn't for Anna, so a big shout goes out to her for that. The challenges of our trip
are recalled just as fondly to me as the joys if it. The intense heat of Malaysia and
Singapore; the overnight trains in Thailand; the crash in Wellington that claimed the life
of "Nathan The Emu" and the resulting events that it triggered. Almost every expectation
we had about the places we were visiting were completely dashed, and this isn't said
lightly as we did a lot of research before hand on each country. One question I get
asked a lot is this, "what was your favorite place you visited?". As you can imagine, this
is not a simple question to answer. There were so many wonderful moments that I can't
think of one place that really grabbed me more than the others. I can say my experience
in Ukraine was quite singular in that I was welcomed with open arms to the Anna's
clan and all the kindness and food that came with it had a huge impact on me. Since
each place and experience that went with it was unique it’s tough for me to pick one
over the other.

What I will offer is a list of the 10 that stand out for me in no particular
order.

Thailand
Singapore
Rothenburg OBT
Vienna
Prague
Bali
Great Ocean Road
Hobbiton
Kuala Lumpur
Melbourne

I’d go back to any of these places in a heartbeat! The one thing I can tell you is that
in all of the places we went we experienced many different religions from western
christianity to eastern buddhism to islam. All the places in the world are changing and
developing. The impact on me was astounding to see that my outdated perceptions
were completely wrong. It was a good thing to know that even though many places have
their old traditions, they are also embracing the new world as best they can. They all
love really good action movies and going out with friends and family and great food!
Standards of living were definitely not all equal, which made me very thankful I come
from Canada and quickly became very sympathetic to those who fight very hard to
come to Canada, United States, or any country that has a higher standard of living or
a middle class. Despite adversity in all these places we found the people were always
strong in spirit and happy for what they do have. No matter how little they had they were
always generous with food and accommodations.

Best country to drive in was definitely Germany. They have the best road system I
have ever seen. No traffic hangups. Lights for everyone from cyclists to pedestrians,
and great drivers who NEVER clog the left lane! The most beautiful and challenging
was New Zealand. Australia has the Great Ocean Road, but New Zealand was pretty
everywhere. So many sheep, undulating hills, valleys, rivers, and mountains. It's really
breathtaking to see. New Zealand also has the worst drivers of all the countries we
drove in. Sorry guys. Insurance isn't compulsory and the age of full licensing is very low.
Best country of nature exploration is Australia. It has the most unique ecosystem in the
world, and so many beautiful places to explore. We find ourselves constantly stopping
at the side of the road to explore trails, observe animals, and just enjoy the natural
beauty of it all.

Best country for sitting on a patio and having a coffee would be Vienna, with Germany
as a close second. Cafes are always full of people and the streets are always lively and
fun to observe. Germany was similar, but Vienna had a certain liveliness to it that was
hard to match. The sheer amount of places to see, festivals to experience, and cultural
activities happening at any given time are mind boggling. It makes Toronto look like the
North Pole in the middle of summer! We found some of the best parts of Vienna were
free to explore and enjoy. The only downside against it was that it was one of the most
expensive places to have a coffee as well.

Best place to eat besides with Anna's family on Datcha is Chiang Mai, Thailand. Why?
It's cheap and the curries are amazing! I couldn't get enough of them. So many varieties
and all of them taste incredible. We were rarely disappointed. Now this doesn't apply in
Bangkok or the islands. Chiang Mai spoiled us considerably. Behind Thailand, I'd say
Germany. Such high quality food and not nearly as expensive as you might expect. If
you hit up a grocery store you'll save a tonne while enjoying some great food.

Best place to appreciate modern architecture was Singapore. Europe has a lot of old
architecture, which is absolutely beautiful, but Singapore is the most forward looking
place of all we've been. Modern, unique, and very ambitious in all respects. Everything
from the Marina Bay Sands hotel to the airport to the alien trees are all statements of
innovation and creativity. Easy to get lost in it all. The city is special in that it offers so
much both during the day and in the evenings. The architecture takes on a whole other
life when the sun goes down as well.

Friendliest people: This one is very difficult. It is a tie between New Zealand and Bali.
The people of Bali are very spiritual and open. They always greet you with a smile and
are have overcome great adversity without affecting their beliefs and way of life. It is not
uncommon to end up in someone's dining room for dinner. New Zealanders were also
exceedingly friendly. There were times we needed help and they bent over backwards
to help us, many times at great expense to themselves. They really go out of their way
to be friendly. They're proud and outgoing, but not arrogant.

I can say we definitely learned a lot from our travels. Having seen all the countries we
have truly impacted how we see the world today. There is much beauty in the world and
diversity that you can't imagine until you see it for yourself. We're very lucky we live in a
time and in a country where we have access to travel and accommodations around the
world for relatively little money. In the past only the wealthy travelled, but today almost
anyone can, and should. Let yourself get lost in it and you'll see, like we did, that the
world and people in it are not nearly as different as you think. In fact, those differences
are fading with each passing day. One thing I've learned, is that I have a lot to learn.

Thank you all for following our blogs over the past year. I hope this isn't the last trip of
our lifetime that we take.

Stay tuned for Anna's last words
Ali

PS. Enjoy ...FOOD!

We stopped quickly in Munich for a few days before taking off to Vienna. Munich was vibrant, lively city filled with a lot of multiculturalism. We enjoyed the scenery and of course the beer! Who could forget about the beer! At any time of day the old town was packed with massive crowds.

We also checked out the BMW Welt (Museum). There were two parts to the museum, the showroom where you can pick up your brand new car straight from the factory, as well as marvel at the new cars for BMW, the second part is the actual museum, describing the history of the BMW brand and showcasing their old/new inventions.

The showroom was very much like being at the auto show, but only for BMW, and better since a number of these cars will never make it to North America. Ali fell in love with the latest 118d hatch. All the accoutrements of the 3 series, but smaller and more efficient. Than we saw the Mini section as BMW owns Mini. This is when Anna disappeared for a time. When we caught up with her she was seated in her Mini of choice, "The Baywater" and backup "The Hydepark". Back in Canada they have very different names so I'm hoping we can match them up.

We resisted the urge to buy BMW and Mini souvenirs like luggage and golf clubs, but it was hard. It turns out BMW makes motorbikes as well. They had an extensive display showcasing their motorbikes. They look very different from other motorcycles on the road, still sexy of course, but different.

From the show room we made our way to the actual museum. This is a fascinating building that is any architects dream. Huge walls of thick frosted glass with projections of images all over them. It is practically an art gallery. They did a great job of telling their story here. Turns out BMW started in 1918 building motorcycles well before making cars. The cars didn't come until the 1930's. They displayed many artifacts of their history here in such a creative and modern way that we were truly impressed and blown away by the execution. The interactive displays showcasing engines, their marketing over the years, their creative process and milestones in their designs and history. The best part of course was interacting with all these cars. The Z8 from the late 90's to the 1938 327. But wait!

There's more! BMW also owns Rolls Royce. The Rolls Royce museum is on top of the main one. We

made our way to see the history of one of the premium car brands in the world! We saw the origins of the brand and learned how they managed to get a lady in an elegant nightgown to be on the hood of all their cars, and who she was…scandalous it is!! Everyone from Queen Elizabeth to Winston Churchill have been part of the history of this upscale British brand.

After navigating bike lanes nicer than car lanes back home, a subway and train system that looks like colored spaghetti we can say we managed to have a good time in Munich.

Off to Vienna!

We had so many pictures we had to break this up into two parts! 1150 to be exact.

Our first stop is Landsberg am Lech!

We stopped over in a tiny town called Landsberg. It was a small charming town and it was also the first day the sun had come out to say hello. We took advantage of this by having a few teas and some cake with Mr. Moo in the market square. As always we walked the town and this time around checked out the super high river coursing through it due to the current flooding all over Europe from the heaviest rain fall Germany has seen in 500 years.

Next stop was Rottenbuch. This is one of the smallest towns we were going through. The town's main attraction was the huge Gothic Monastery Church. This church was nothing like the others, it was insane! Built in 1700 and completed in the 1750's. When you see it you'll know why. We couldn’t stop looking in every direction. I think the pictures speak for themselves, but they can only say so much without seeing it in person. There is also a very beautiful cemetery where generations of families would be buried together dating back to the 1800's.

Our final stop was Fussen.

You could spend a month here and not run out of things to do, mountains to climb, or hikes to explore. It is also the gateway welcoming you to the Bavarian Alps! We were excited as it was the closest to home we have felt since we left. Fussen is the last stop on the Romantic Road, and that is a great way to end it all. Why is Fussen so well known? Well for the castles of course. This is the home of Neuschwanstein Castle, the castle that Walt Disney modeled Disney World/Castle after. The castle was commissioned by King Ludwig II, he was nicknamed the mad king for his need to commission everything on a grand scale. You can fit an entire village inside the castle and still have room for parking, its that big. The second castle was Hohenschwangau which was built by King Ludwig II father Maximilian II. It wasn’t as grand as the previous castle but just as impressive. The views were to die for.

With our two discount cards that the hotel gave us we tried to see what we could do for free. Oh boy did that work out well! We did a luge run that was awesome minus the kids that were eager to run you off the track. The other fun thing we did was the chair lift to the top of one of the Alps. We were carried 1134 meters where we got an amazing view of the German alps. Anna might have been screaming half of the way up. On the top of the mountain we met some mountain goats. One of these horned and hairy pagan looking creatures was out to get us for simply looking at his goatly women. They all have beards so how were we supposed to know?

Our trip was an amazing discovery that showed us what we already knew, Europeans know how to live. They take the time to live their lives and enjoy themselves. This is something us Canadians can definitely do more of and minimize those work hours.

Cheers!

"Ve are on zee rhote" said the non Germans in a fake German accent.

Our Europe adventure was a last minute decision and in no way planned at all, so we leaned on all our friends for information. The Romantic Road was suggested by my friend Shawna and boy does she need my hugs and kisses!

"Romantic Road? What is that?" said the native Germany couple we met on a taxi ride in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

It is 385 km long road with 28 tiny cities, towns and villages that have been kept up from the 11th century. How did they not know? Seems barbaric!

Picture ref: http://www.guide-to-bavaria.com/en/Romantic-Road-Map.html

Here is our 6 nights, 7 days adventure.

First stop, Wurzburg!

Our first quick stop was a town called Wurzburg. It had a river running through it, dominated by the massive castle of Marienberg. It had majestic little wine hubs all over but it felt a little bit too commercial for us. We only stayed long enough to enjoy a local artist and buy his cds.

Next stop, Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

Can you say love at first sight? Because we fell head over heels with this tiny walled city. Walled City? Yes, there is a huge medieval wall that surrounds the entire city, this means you have to enter through one of four gates that horses used to use. Driving was tricky as it was only made large enough for carriages and people. The entire city is outfitted in cobble stones and the "newer" buildings were built in the 1500's.

We stayed at an amazing little restaurant, yes restaurant. They just opened 6 rooms above the restaurant and were amazing. They are brand new, and completely charming. The staff was super helpful and the breakfast delightful, not to mention the great dinner.

We explored the city day and night. Oh did we mention that this whole trip it was never above 7 degrees and it rained constantly. I guess we forgot to add that part. This little town is super famous for it's Christmas Market, and they don’t disappoint. They had at least 5 huge Christmas stores that put our one in Banff to shame, TO SHAME I SAY! It was in the beginning of June and we just kept wishing it would snow and Christmas would show itself. Most of the Christmas traditions comes from this town, not to mention all the decorations and cuckoo clocks, which are all hand made of course. They were amazing, the hand made art pieces, hand carved with music, singing animals, amazing beer steins. Anna was in tears half of the day.

One exciting thing we did was the Night Wachman Tour (that again our friend Shawna recommended). It was an authentic, hilarious night tour of the town. Describing everything from its history in the dark ages, to the family that still lives in the same building since 1600's and of course why going to hell is actually a good idea.

Following is our stop in Dinkelsbuhl, yes DINKELS.

A town similar to Rothenburg complete with the wall and towers. We walked the wall of the town which took about 2 hrs and it was incredible. The town was much more colourful and amazingly green. One point we got lost and a 5' old German man helped us out. We tried to explain to him we didn’t speak any German, but he didn’t mind talking to us the whole way.

There were of course a few others little towns we stopped in. Each charming in their own way. We saw so many churches, historic buildings and all the beer gardens on the way. We were driving in a VW Golf which was a very fun car. Driving the winding roads made us reminisce of Australia and New Zealand. Only change was that the drivers in Germany are amazing, and follow the rules except of course when on the Autobahn. Autobahn, what a great invention, go as fast as you want; we thought we were until we had everyone passing us at 180-200km/hr. We've never been so afraid to drive slow in our lives, it was GREAT!

Next Stops Landsberg am Lech, Rottenbuch, and of course the famous Fussen!

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