Budapest

Nina and I could not contain our excitement as we stumbled through the door of Bubble Hostel in Budapest only to find a warm atmosphere and cosy lounge room filled with hostel guests awaiting us.


After feeling like outsiders in our hostel in Vienna (which was characterised by the divisiveness of a hotel) we were overjoyed that we had found staff eager to build a relationship between themselves and the guests.


As backpackers, the small things quickly become objects of appreciation... Such as a kitchen, a couch to crash on and complimentary tea and coffee, all of which we found in the first few minutes at Bubble. Olga is also the incredibly friendly owner who manages, astonishingly, to go out every night of the week to ensure her guests get the most out of Budapest's nightlife.


After a few hours of relaxing in the hostel and the preparation of a much awaited home-cooked meal, we joined the others and went to one of the local bars for a drink. After an hour or so sitting in the courtyard among many other Hungarians, we then migrated to one of the famous ruin bars, 'Instant'.


The ruin bars are known for their extraordinary interior and slightly rundown appearance, all the while maintaining a very cool ambience.


In the early hours of that morning after some dancing and chatting with the others we returned to the hostel and went to sleep.


The following morning while much of the city remained closed (the typical European way on a Sunday) we ventured over to the Buda side of the river and climbed up the Gellert hill. At the top we sat for a few hours with Allen, an American whom we had befriended in the shade of the statue.


From the bottom of the hill we walked along the river on the Buda side and enjoyed the view back across to Pest where we were staying.


We stopped for a delicious pea soup with pea confi and ricotta-filled ravioli (pity you weren't there, mum!) in a great deli/restaurant called Baldaszti's that was filled with couples and families alike enjoying their Sunday outing.


Extremely satisfied we then climbed the hill up to the Palace where we were treated to a breathtaking view of Pest and the fascinating architecture of the Parliament House which has a prime position on the bank of the river. We then had a wander through the buildings to a little square which we were later informed is in fact the setting in Katy Perry's video for Firework!


After our brush with fame we wandered back along the river, this time on the Pest side, with a great view back towards Buda.


That evening we went to another of the ruin bars, Szimpla. This bar was much more interesting as we were able to enjoy our drinks amongst many others in a big courtyard, one of the many unusual rooms in the club. It also houses rooms with dancefloors and one with a movie screening, all the while waitresses wander around offering raw carrots for anyone who is hungry but doesn't feel like greasy food.


We finished the evening by visiting another hostel in the city to participate in karaoke night. However by the time we'd arrived most of the guests had left and those remaining had exhausted their singing ability.


The following day we spent in Budapest's famous baths. Filled with an interesting mix of overweight men in skimpy swimmers and tourists eager to wade off their hangovers, it is certainly a great spot for observing the crowds.


It was a nice way to get a sense of the Hungarian culture however the temperature in the main outdoor pools was far too warm for someone like me who likes a refreshing bite to the water.


In the evening we dined at a local eatery (one that had been highly recommended by all of the other people in the hostel) known as the Hummus Bar. Like it's name suggests, the bar serves dishes filled with variations of homemade hummus. Nina and I both got a delicious falafel pocket and glass of homemade lemonade for an affordable price, and it was delicious!


Back at the hostel everyone was ready to go out to Morrison's, the best place to mingle with locals and tourists on a Monday night.


We spent many hours dancing in the club and requesting our favourite songs with Lola, Brigid and Freya, three Canberra girls whom we had befriended at the Bubble.


On Tuesday, feeling like we hadn't seen much of the city, we went for a walk around the streets of Pest and ventured to the Grand Market. Much like many of the other markets we had visited in Europe, it was filled with fresh fruit and vegetables and other produce. For lunch we returned to the hummus bar for another delicious falafel pocket before joining the other girls for a free walking tour.


We were taken to many of the sites we had previously visited but this time accompanied with some interesting facts. Hungarians are famous for a number of inventions, the only ones that remain in my mind however are the underground train, the ballpoint pen and the rubix cube.


In the afternoon we had a coffee at an old coffee house at the top of Buda and then had a peaceful walk with our iPod back along the river while the sun set.


The agenda for our final evening in Budapest was to attend the weekly dress up party at a local club. Each week the hostel staff take their guests to the club to mingle with the others and check out the other costumes.
We (Nina, Brigid, Freya, Lola and I) had a fun evening with fifteen very posh Englishmen from Cambridge as well as many others for some karaoke and 'Beer Pong'.


The next day it was time to farewell Budapest and board another dreaded overnight train to Torino. Budapest was quite an interesting city, it's most unique feature being the grungy feel that could be felt when exploring the city. Our stay in the city was so enjoyable due to the helpfulness and friendliness of Olga and Sam, the cool and very relaxed stuff at the Bubble.

Prague

Our first views of Praha as the train neared the station were overshadowed by the dark sky and light rain which had been falling since we had left Cologne. We were pleasantly surprised as we were welcomed into Sir Toby's hostel with a free barbecue for all guests. As it was late and we hadn't had time to visit any shops to collect dinner items we joined the other people out in the courtyard for dinner.


After dumping our bags we went to the bar in the hostel and had a lovely few glasses of wine in the good company of two English lads- Barney and Ed. After a few drinks we decided at their suggestion to check out the five level club in the centre of Praha.


The rain had stopped as we took the tram into the city and we were overwhelmed with the beauty of the buildings and Charles' Bride which was decorated with lights.


We had an enjoyable night in the club, although there was some fairly shocking music being played (especially on the '80s' level), accompanied by some pretty shocking dancers. We made our way back to the hostel with the boys at around 6am and immediately collapsed into bed.


The following morning we had a delicious buffet breakfast and celebrated the fact that the sun was again shining.


We dressed and made our way to the beautiful castle that sits atop a hill on the outskirts of the city. The view from the top of the hill is spectacular... As one is able to admire Praha's iconic, medieval-style buildings.


We wandered through the the castle and then back down the hill to the Charles Bridge where we fought amongst tourists for a good snapshot of the river.


We had a Caesar salad for a late lunch in a great little cafe on the edge of the Jewish quarters. To watch the sunset for the evening we headed to the old section of town where the atmosphere was buzzing.


That evening we joined many others on a pub crawl of the city, and had a great conversation at one of the bars with a woman who was working for Amnesty International in the area of Women's Rights. We were very inquisitive and likewise jealous of her position and so bombarded her with questions for over an hour.


We ended our pub crawl early as the last stop was at the five level club which Nina and I agreed was definitely a 'once' experience.


The next day we went to the Jewish quarters but were unfortunately met with cold winds and rain. The rain created a very sombre and almost creepy mood as we wandered around the Jewish cemetery. Unlike most other cemeteries which have a very geometrical design, this one has layers of graves on top of one another and tombstones falling towards the centre.
This is due to the fact that for centuries the Jews were secluded to a ghetto and were therefore only given little space for each building.
The cemetery itself is very small, however we noticed on our information brochure that there is a separate summer and winter path advised for tourists. This is due to the fact that the cemetery is covered under layers of snow in the winter and imaginably is accompanied by temperatures well below zero.


For lunch that day we returned to Mistral cafe after we were so satisfied at the quality and price of the food.


The weather worsened that afternoon so we made our way back to the hostel and sat down in the bar to relax. We later met three girls- Kara, Kate and Elzy with whom we chatted and spent the following day together.


The weather was even more dreary the next day as we left the hostel to check out the flea market. It didn't take us long to realise it was just another market selling fake designer bags and other useless junk and so we headed back into the city.


We wandered around for a while however as the rain got heavier we again retired to Mistral cafe in the hope that it might clear in a few hours time.


After lunch we went to a great little bookshop Nina and I had found days before with an impressive collection of English books.


For dinner that evening we had a delicious pasta at a restaurant close to the hostel and went to bed early as Nina and I had a train at 9am the following day.


As much as I believe Praha to be a beautiful city, due to the poor weather I don't feel as if I got to know it like I did Paris and Berlin. Also, in all of the cities we had visited so far, Nina and I had always either sought out or stumbled upon the groovy, less touristy part of the city with the great shops and cafes, and we hadn't yet found this in Praha. I think that leaves nothing to say but that I will have to return in the near future to explore the city further.

Cologne

Our time in Cologne staying with Sarah, Andre and their kids Isabelle, Conrad and Felicia was luxurious to say the least.
Having been already told about the Peto-Madew mansion, we were both very excited to see it in the flesh. It is an amazing four storey, architectural wonderland that sits among edifices of the same size on the edge of the park.


I was overwhelmed not only by the interesting design of the house itself but also of the impressive collection of artworks from a range of well-known artists lining the interior walls of the house.


In the early evening Sarah took us for a bike ride through the park, a nice routine she has developed as it is the only spare hour in her day and it gives her a chance for a breath of fresh air.


Having not seen this family for many years, we spent the first evening catching up on the past few years and Nina and I shared many stories of our adventures so far.
Sarah and Andre also informed us of the best things to see in Koln.


Our morning began with another walk through the park, Nina and I both grateful for the opportunity for a nice place to exercise.


After taking the tram into the city, we went to the Roman-German Museum where we visited a number of exhibitions detailing the history of the Romans in Koln.


We then visited Cafe Perfetto after a recommendation from Andre that it was the best place in the city for a coffee. He was indeed correct- quick service and a delicious cappuccino.


I then farewelled Nina who was heading to Dusseldorf for the evening to see some of her family friends and made my way to the Friesenplatz area to have a wander around. There is clearly a strong art culture in this city as I discovered the wealth of little galleries hidden around every corner whilst walking around.


I decided to sit down for a nice lunch alone after stumbling upon a cute little cafe, Candia. I had a delicious aglio, olio and pepperoncino spaghetti and an Apfelshorle, a drink served everywhere in Germany.
For the hour or so I sat in the cafe I was provided with great entertainment as I watched the lady next to me give her little pooch the royal treatment.


Dogs are held in high esteem by their owners throughout much of Europe, and are welcome on public transport and in restaurants and cafes. She had her pup beside her and was feeding it individual fries and pieces of her leftover steak, all the while comforting it with compliments.


In the afternoon I visited the Ludwig Museum, the contemporary art gallery. There were some interesting works showcased in the gallery, but my favourite without question was Miro's 'Love'.


As soon as I stepped in the front door of the house that afternoon I was led by Felicia to her bedroom to start another game of monopoly. We continued to play for hours until it was time for dinner where Sarah kindly prepared us another delicious meal. We followed dinner with a cup of tea and spoke for hours, After which everyone retired to bed.


On Wednesday I walked into the city through the parks and met with Nina outside the city's amazing cathedral. We took a moment to go inside, and the most impressive aspect was the recently added mosaic glass window which was the work of Gerhard Richter, apparently the most highly paid artist alive.


We had an hilarious few hours as Nina and I were amazed at the amount of stories that can be shared having had only 24 hours apart.


We walked to St Ursula's church after lunch and visited the tiny room which is full of bones from the 11,000 virgins (apparently it had originally been 11 virgins but after the trade of their bones was bringing successes, so they conveniently changed the story to 11,000).


That afternoon, eager for some fresh air, Nina and I went for another ride through the park and on arriving back home were again persuaded into a game of monopoly by the charming Felicia. For dinner Sarah and Andre spoiled us with a very gourmet barbecue and accompanying salads.


Our last day in Koln we spent seeing a few more sites of the city. We went to the Kolumba Art Gallery and saw the new exhibition, but what is great about this building is that it stands on the original site of an old church and uses parts of the original edifice in it's contemporary design.


To celebrate our final night with the family Sarah prepared a typically Swiss dish of melted cheese on potatoes, a favourite of all of her kids.


We woke early the next morning and said goodbye to the family, extremely grateful to all of them for their hospitality and good company over the last few days. We said goodbye to Koln and prepared ourselves for the long day of travel as we made our way to Praha.

An Historian's Dreamland.

I am grateful to Germany for having such an interesting history, as it was perhaps the single thing that kept me sane in between the thousands of Maths equations and English essays.


As one of the four topics for modern history our class studied Germany from 1918 to 1939 which was perhaps the most crucial time in the country's history after the horrific First World War and during the rise of the Nazi party amongst other notable events. For this reason I was eager to get to the capital to see in the flesh the sites I had spent so long studying about. The high expectations I had of Berlin were not exaggerated, and somehow the city managed to exceed them.


The first two nights we stayed a fair way from the centre of the city near Treptower park. We arrived late on a Sunday and as everything was closed we were forced to dine amongst some strange types in a local pub. The food was very basic, and so we made it a very quick dinner and returned to our apartment.


As much of the city is closed on Monday, we decided to walk to the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall at the Eastside Gallery. As it began to pour on our way through the streets of the rather cool Kreuzberg, we stopped for an Apfelshorle in a great little cafe called Die FABRIK. It was a groovy joint filled with the appropriate people and had a very friendly waitress.


As the rain began to soften we made our way to the wall and took numerous photos of the graffiti that stretched the entire 1.3km. We also stopped and wrote our names where many others had done the same to mark our visit to the wall, in my case in the hope of returning soon to see it again.


We then made our way over to Checkpoint Charlie, the landmark that stands in the middle of the city and signals a very significant historical era as it was the busiest crossover point during the time when the wall divided the city.


We visited the museum and spent hours reading the very interesting attempted escapes of many Germans whose lives had been harshly disrupted after the construction of the wall.


As the sun had set for the day we returned home and cooked a quick meal before getting in to bed to read our books as the rain continued to fall outside.


Tuesday morning we moved into St Christopher's hostel in Rosa-Luxemburg Platz in the heart of the Mitte district, what immediately became my favourite area of the city.


The Mitte district is the cultural heart of Berlin- the streets are filled with thousands of galleries exhibiting the works of up and coming artists, there are groovy cafes on every corner and amongst all of this there is some of the best shopping I have ever experienced. In other words, I was in my very own heaven.


We filled the day very easily wondering around these streets soaking up the sun as well as the thriving atmosphere of Mitte. We found a great burrito/soup/salad bar 'Dolores' which became our little hangout for the rest of the week for it's amazing quality and backpacker prices.


We visited a great store of a local Berlin fashion designer named Esther Perbandt. After admiring all of her work, Nina purchased a fabulous black suede coat for a great price.


We arrived back at the hostel late that evening and made the most of happy hour sitting in the bar enjoying a few drinks. We were both happy as there were televisions around the room broadcasting various sports including the Rugby World Cup and more surprisingly, AFL.


We met two British guys, Will and John, who later introduced us to their other friends and who we joined on an expedition to a gay bar on the other side of the city. Had we known Tuesdays were the quietest nights in Berlin we probably wouldn't have bothered, as the bar was empty and the neighbourhood dead quiet. It was nice though to spend the evening in some new company.


Throughout much of North-Eastern a number of the concentration and labour camps used in the war still stand and are open to visit for tourists. We decided the following day to make the 90 minute journey to Sachsenhausen, one of the most important camps in Germany, with two other Australian girls, Penny and Ardy.


Sachsenhausen was a significant camp in Germany as it was one of the first built and was therefore used as a mould for other camps in the future. It was also important as, towards the end of the war when the Soviets where marching into Germany, many people from the camps were moved there and many stayed even after the end of the war.


It was certainly a moving experience, and much of the information we were told on our tour was hard to comprehend.


As Sachsenhausen was built in (1933), it was originally a place for the Nazis to send their political opposition- the communists. Therefore it is actually classified as a labour camp rather than a concentration camp as the people were forced into working.
As the years went by it continued to be filled with anyone who was considered opposition to the Nazis but it wasn't until about (1939) that the Jewish people started arriving.


We were given an insightful explanation about every element of the camp, and were told many figures about the number of fatalities in the camp, the most devastating being that of the 200,000 that resided there over the years, only about 38,000 survived.


We were invited by Penny and Ardy to join them for dinner at a nice restaurant they had discovered the previous evening. We had a great evening at 'Good Morning Vietnam' where we each enjoyed a traditional Vietnamese curry and I rejoiced in the fact that it had a bit of spice to it.
After dinner we returned to the hostel and sat down in the bar for some more drinks with the many other hostel guests.


On Thursday morning the rain had unfortunately returned along with the unexpected freezing temperatures and so we went to the Jewish Museum. Architecturally the building is fascinating, and the inside of the building is almost like a maze as one follows the different exhibitions around the room.


After the museum we went back to the hostel to meet Ardy who wasn't feeling well, and then ate lunch at Dolores. In the afternoon Nina and I were eager to explore the other side of Mitte which we hadn't seen yet and so we left the others and went for a wander. We found a nice little cafe called the barn where we sat down for a coffee, only to discover the entire staff were had Australian accents and were communicating in English. It did not come as a surprise as the entire four months we'd been travelling so far we'd met more Australians than any other nationality.


Whilst wandering around Mitte we stopped at every second window to admire the clothes and shoes on display, and resisted buying anything except a cardigan which I greatly needed as we were beginning to feel the cool Autumn Weather which would only get cooler for the rest of our days in Europe.


The next day the clouds and light rain that was falling outside reflected Nina's state as she felt unwell from the previous day.


I spent the morning enjoying the cold in my wool coat and spent hours walking and listening to my iPod. As the rain got heavier I stopped in at a little art gallery and had a look around and then had a coffee. For an hour or so I sat writing my blog and enjoying the time by myself. On the way back to the hostel I bought a cool necklace which I found in a great little shop in AuguststraBe.


In the afternoon Nina's state hadn't improved and neither had the weather so I caught the train over to Kreuzberg to further explore the district. I revisited Die FABRIK and to my surprise was recognised by the waitress who helped me translate the menu to find something to order.


We had another delicious dinner of papaya noodle salad and rice paper rolls at Good Morning Vietnam.


On Saturday we both eagerly made our way to the old Templehof airport for the Berlin Music Festival. We had a wander through the art display and had a quick curry for lunch before the acts started. Over the course of the evening we saw some fantastic live music including The Naked & Famous, Beirut, Boyz Noise, The Bloody Betroots, Tune-yards and Mogwai.


The next day we followed our tradition of seeking out the city's walking tour and made our way to the Brandenburg gate to meet the guide.


Our guide Tom from England was incredible! His knowledge of 800 years of German history and his ability to remember every name and date was impressive. It was slightly depressing though as his wealth of knowledge made me feel as if I knew nothing in comparison, although it did make me eager to continue studying German history in more depth.


On the tour we went to the many historical monuments including the Reichstag, the Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe, the site of Hitler's bunker, the remnants of the Berlin wall and the old Nazi Airforce building. We also spent a while in Paris square where we saw the famous Adlon Hotel and the American and French embassies. We noticed the American flag was flying half-mast and remembered it was the tenth anniversary of the Twin Towers attacks. Tom also told us that for the suite in the Adlon hotel it is only €15,000 per night with which one gets a personal butler and limousine.


We had to leave the walking tour early as Nina and I had an appointment at the Reichstag of which we had to be prompt.
We went up into the top dome of the Reichstag and had a great view over the city and it's many sites.


A few hours later as we watched the sky turn a freaky black we went back to the Museum at the Memorial to the Jews. If anyone has seen the Memorial they will understand that walking through there as the lightning and thunder continued above us would understand that it was a very eerie and rather creepy experience. The Museum was well worth the visit as it tells the story of individuals and families that were victims of the holocausts and therefore tries to put identities to the figures of which we sometimes throw around too loosely.


We celebrated our final night in Berlin with a delicious burrito at Dolores and both regretted the fact that we were leaving in the morning.


On our way to Koln I realised how much I loved Berlin, and I can see it as a city in which I would definitely want to live. Away from the touristy sites (such as in Mitte and Kreuzberg) I find it a very relaxing but at the same time very 'happening' place, and I could easily picture myself joining the thousands of others on bikes on their way to work each day.

Esslingen

We were now heading into the country I was most excited to explore for it's wealth of history and culture.


Our first stop in Deutschland was in the small town of Esslingen where we spent a quick two nights visiting Nina's lovely and very charismatic grandma, Omi.


We were given an enthusiastic welcome to her home as she waved us in from her fifth floor balcony. When I stepped in the door her warmth and eagerness to provide us with a comfortable hospitality was prevalent, as was her desire to practise her few English phrases.


Literally seconds after arriving at the apartment I was introduced to one of the many German traditions that is practiced in homes throughout the country, "kaffee und kuchen".
The Germans are famous for their sweet tooth, and I had first noticed this on the boat when there was a special cupboard assigned to sweets to satisfy the Germans and the Swiss on-board!


On the table was a selection of enormous slices of different German cakes... apricot cheesecake, chocolate cake, plum cake and a forest berry and chocolate sponge variety.
It is routine for each person to eat an entire piece each, and not being a fan of cakes made this a difficult task for me!


With absolutely no appetite for food have just scoffed down the last of the cake we returned to the table to share dinner together. Nina couldn't keep the smile off her face as her favourite German dish was laid out in front of her, Moultasshen soup. I sat at the table rather lost in the German conversation that was unwinding in front of me, catching perhaps one in every hundred words.


The following day Nina and I were eager to try and walk off the extra kilos gained from the following evening, so we woke early and left the apartment. We followed a little path up alongside a number of farms, again filled with apple trees. We stopped at the top and took a big bite from one of the apples from the tree and were overcome with happiness at it's crunchy texture.


When we retuned to Omi's she had already prepared us a breakfast of fruit, muesli and tea. We went into the city later that morning to have a look around and buy a gift for Nina's great Aunty who was celebrating her 95th birthday.


That afternoon together with all of Nina's German relatives we went to a local restaurant for a second round of kaffee und kuchen for the birthday party. It was a very overwhelming experience as I sat in a room of about fifty Germans who couldn't speak a word of English. There was a lot of nodding and smiling on my behalf over the following few hours.


In the evening we had dinner at a restaurant with a panoramic view of the town and spent the final hours sharing some drinks at a local bar in the centre with Nina's cousin and her partner.


After a few slow days and the excitement to get to Berlin I was eager to get back on the road, so on Sunday morning we prepared ourselves for another day travelling on trains.

Switzerland

As the train silently wound along the tracks we were immediately able to judge when we had crossed into Swiss territory due to the picturesque scenery and wealth of apple trees dotted around the landscape.

It was a nice contrast when we arrived into the small Swiss city of Zurich after having had a busy week in the French capital. After dumping our luggage, we met up with Anna Marie who took us for a stroll along the edge of the lake and through the old section of the city. The natural beauty and Zurich's immaculate cleanliness were certainly the most dominant characteristics of the city. 

As we sat beside the lake and watched the many birds playing in the water I was also given my first taste of a traditional Swiss/German food, Bratwurst.

That evening we went for a walk further down the river to Zurich's famous baths. Every few hundred metres on the river shore a public bath is stationed where people enjoy a swim in the clear water that flows through the city. 

As it was nearing the end of summer the baths were filled with young people enjoying their last hours of freedom. On our walk back to the apartment we watched as the same people migrated from the water to the groovy row of bars overlooking the river for a celebratory drink and good laugh.
We spent the night enjoying the privacy of our own apartment which had been kindly provided to us by Suzanne, another of Hans' friends.

The following day we were invited by Anna Marie to accompany her for a Swiss breakfast of fruit, cheeses, bread and coffee. After our meal Anna Marie took us for a walk to the woods which inhabit the higher regions of Zurich and provide a fantastic viewpoint of the city and the mountains on the horizon. As I walked along the path I felt like I was entering into a film setting... the surrounding environment seemed truly surreal.

At 12pm we met Daniella and Tanja for brunch at a thriving little cafe in the old district of Zurich, the Maison Blunt Tea Room. As it was a Sunday the cafe had a great atmosphere and was packed with friends and families catching up over a delicious meal.
We each ordered a serve of scrambled eggs with tomato and onion, and shared the Oriental Platter which Tanja insisted we order! It had a mixture of things... Hummus, yoghurt and fruit, olives, dried fruit and more.
We then walked together along the side of the lake to the city's annual cultural festival which was celebrating its last day.
After wandering around the lake for an hour or so we returned to the apartment and went for another walk through the woods, hoping to catch a view of the sun setting behind the city.

Our final day in Zurich we spent navigating our way around the old quarter. Nina purchased her much awaited Swiss Army knife after which we went to check out a highly recommended vegetarian cafe - Tibits - where we enjoyed a buffet of delicious vegetarian delicacies. We went with the intention of looking and doing a bit of food research for Maria however we couldn't resist trying the mass of gourmet food on offer. Switzerland is by far the most expensive country we have visited, and we were shocked to discover that for our two plates of mixed salads, it cost us 48 Francs!

That evening we had another walk through the woods and then a quiet dinner together in the apartment.
The following day we caught the train to St Gallen, a fairytale-like city in the North of Switzerland.

Again we were able to stay with one of Hans' friends, Masi. The three days we spent in St Gallen were very relaxing and we were treated to some delicious home cooked meals and movie nights together. Masi also cooked for us the traditional German tart known as zwetske kuchen- a delicious (but not sickly sweet) plum-filled pastry.

During the day we went for a walk to the lakes which sit at the highest point of the city and are a popular place for swimmers, musicians and sportsmen alike.

One evening we made the short journey through the stunning countryside to the shore of Lake Bodensee (or Lake Constance). As we wound down our windows to get a clearer view of the farms the car filled with the beautiful aroma of apples due to the thousands of trees that lined the road.

As we sipped on our glass of the regions famous Apfelshorle beside the lake we enjoyed a great view of the German towns on the other side. Had the following day been sunny we would have taken the ferry across the lake to German territory as it would have made for a more exciting journey, but unfortunately we woke up to the sound of pouring rain.

Our three days in St Gallen meant our last few days in Switzerland. It was an enjoyable week spent in the company of interesting Swiss friends and in what has to be the cleanest place on the planet.