Vienna

Mel and I arrived in Vienna, Austria on a cold and dreary Wednesday afternoon. We checked into our hostel and went into town to do a little shopping.

The next day Mel and I visited the Summer Palace or Schönbrunn Palace. It is a former imperial 1,441-room summer residence built in 1642 for the Hapsburg family; an Austrian/Hungarian empire who ruled much of Europe up until World War 2. The Palace itself was very elaborate and the surrounding gardens resembled those of Versailles.



















Across the road from our hostel was one of Vienna's most famous markets; Naschmarkt.
Here you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables from around the world, exotic herbs, cheese, baked goods, meats and seafood. There are also a lot of small restaurants and stalls which offer clothes and accessories. Mel an I certainly took advantage of this opportunity, shopping for a range of ingredients and cooking meals back at our hostel. If ever in Vienna Naschmarkt is well worth checking out.

On Friday we visited Vienna's Museum of Modern Art which housed a Salvador Dali exhibition. It was interesting to say the least.



















We grabbed some vodka on the way home and planned for a big night out. Instead I ended up forcing Mel to drink water from a tea cup before she passed out at the hostel.

The Czech Republic

A new country, a new currency and some sterling experiences were waiting for Mel and I in the Czech Republic. We arrived in Prague on Friday afternoon and hit the drink right away.

We started off at a traditional beer hall not far from our hostel; Lokal. There was an abundance of beer, and it was cheap! We then made our was to the 'Beer Museum' which had hundreds of beers on tap. I sampled one of the local pilsners, needless to say it was exceptional. Later, much to Mel's delight we went to a cocktail bar where I tried the spirit of choice in Prague; absinthe. After drinking half a glass of the stuff I was feeling pretty good!

On Saturday we went on a walking tour and got all our 'sight-seeing' out of the way. We went to the Astronomic Clock, the Jewish quarter, a few churches and a cemetery. Later that day Mel and I visited Prague Castle, it really was like something out of a fairy tale; built in the Roman style, but with a Gothic twist. We were also rewarded with a stunning view of the city from the top of the Castle.

That night we visited the famous 5 story club, apparently the biggest club in Europe. Unfortunately like many popular clubs it was full of tourists and dickheads. It resembled something of a sauna, a real sweat-box and the smell was unbearable. When I looked up and saw condensation dripping from the ceiling I knew it was time to get out of there.

The next day Mel and I ventured out of the city to Staropramen Brewery where they served beer and traditional meals. We treated ourselves to some very hearty goulash. That night we went on a 'beer tour', where we taught the rules of drinking in the Czech Republic.

1. Always say cheers (nostrovia)

2. Look people in the eye when saying cheers

3. You must cheers everyone

4. You must put the glass on the table after saying cheers before you can drink

5. Never cross arms when saying cheers

6. Never leave beer behind

7. Don't sip, only big gulps

We also learnt that having a lot of head on a beer is a good thing, contradictory to what I previously thought; apparently a beer with a lot of head is a fresh one.

Our next stop was the beautiful Cesky Krumlov, a town south of Prague, still in the Czech Republic. The highlight was a pub crawl along the river that runs through town; Vltava. Everyone from our hostel was divided up onto rafts about midday. Each raft was given a bottle of traditional Czech moonshine before paddling down the river, stopping at various bars along the way. After 10 hours of solid drinking and falling into the river we made it to the final bar, greeted by some very unfriendly locals who weren't happy to see us walk in drunk and soaking wet.

On our last day we braved the rain and walked up the tower in the centre for town for some magnificent views.

The Czech Republic is certainly up there with my favourite countries in Europe. Prague is an exciting and beautiful city and still has a very traditional culture. Furthermore Cesky Krumlov was a small town, and we didn't know what to expect but with a quaint little village, a river running through town and a messy pub crawl it was nothing short of brilliant.

Berlin

Germany is a country with some grim history but it's capital, Berlin is fast becoming one of the most cultural cities in Europe. In 1961 Germany was divided into East and West by the Berlin Wall, but since it's destruction in November 1989 Germany and Berlin were given a chance to start over, to reinvent themselves, and it was evident that this took place.

Germany is no longer trying to forget their history; there are memorials scattered through Berlin, namely the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe and the East Side Gallery. It was surprising how tolerant and friendly everyone was. Also Berlin knows how to party and has an incredible nightlife. If your in Europe Berlin is a must.

Mel and I arrived in Berlin on a cold Tuesday afternoon. We checked into our hostel and went for a walk around the local area (Hackescher markt). We found a cheap sushi place and had a few beers.

On Wednesday we went on another free walking tour. Our guide took us to the Brandenburg Gates, past the massive TV Tower and to parts of the Berlin Wall. After the tour we went to the Pergamon Museum, which has one of the worlds largest collections of ancient art and sculptures from Greece and the Middle East.

Later that afternoon we went to visit the East Side Gallery; the longest part of the Berlin Wall still standing, it's covered in peace messages painted by various artists from around the world. That night we had a few drinks at out hostel before eventually making it out. 

On Thursday we went looking for a tent, which we needed for Oktoberfest. It took us the whole day, but we finally found one for 50 euros. On Friday we woke early and boarded a bus bound for the Czech Republic!

The Netherlands

I've been to Amsterdam twice now so I think it deserves a post.
Mel and I arrived there on a busy Saturday afternoon and got caught up in all the riff raff right away. Mel and I hit a few 'coffee shops' before feasting on the best thing Amsterdam has to offer while under the influence; Chinese, terrible I know, but as far as food goes Amsterdam doesn't have much.

We later checked out the Red Light District and the infamous Skinny Lane. It's an odd place, at Disneyland people line up to go on rides, in Italy people line up to get into museums, in Amsterdam people line up to have their way with women. Its sad, but it works.

Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands and most of it is concentrated in Amsterdam's Red Light District where it has enjoyed a long tradition of tolerance. Since October 2000, prostitutes have been allowed to legally ply their trade. Today, prostitutes in The Netherlands are also taxpayers. The Government makes money off prostitution, as they do with marijuana. They put tax on the drugs that we buy as tourists and therefore can raise revenue. It makes me wonder how they will do without it. Apparently as of 2016 tourists will no longer be able to purchase marijuana in The Netherlands. A bill passed earlier this year which explains that only people who have a membership to a coffee shop will legally be able to purchase drugs from there, and to gain a membership you have to be a local, much like that of a video store. Luckily I made it there a few times before this all comes to fruition.

The Red Light District 

Mel and I enjoyed a few days in Amsterdam visiting coffee shops, watching live sex shows, eating greasy food and sharing joints with people from all over the world.

I recently returned there with Joe. We soon realised that sitting in coffee shops all day was a waste of time and the relentless crowds of tourists were doing our head in. We went to a local skate shop and asked about parks we could skate. Later that day we caught a free ferry over to what Joe dubbed as 'skate island' and skated Amsterdam's indoor park. The park was perfect, fully equipped with a shop and bar. For the next few days we skated the park, and a gnarly pool which the locals had built , until we couldn't handle Amsterdam anymore. We then jumped on a train headed west for Rotterdam.

Rotterdam was much like Amsterdam with its beautiful canals and abundance of coffee shops, but without the hordes of tourists. Joe and I dropped our stuff off at our hostel and went skating. Within a few minutes at Rotterdam skate park we were chatting with the locals. They took us out street skating all day, and even offered to house us for free. Joe and I skated Rotterdam for the next few days, visiting various parks, filming clips and meeting up with different skaters and photographers.

After 3 days at our hostel we took up on the free accommodation offer. Joe and I caught a train 20 minutes north of Rotterdam to Delft. That morning we met up with Pep, who we previously skated with in Rotterdam. In the afternoon he took us to his house, which turned out to be a mansion that he'd been squatting in for the past year. He lived in an old nursing home which had about 30 different rooms. He allocated Joe and I each a mattress in the corner of a room in the bottom level of the house and that was that. For the next few days we slept until early afternoon, went skating, had BBQ's and learnt a lot about the Netherlands.

My Bed

Joe's Bed

Pep was broke and we didn't have much money but things worked out, he let us stay there for free, all we had to do was buy his weed and food. We enjoyed wandering around the huge house, watching his weed plants grow and coming across various people which turned out to be living there at the time. It was certainly an experience and one that Ill never forget, I can't thank Pep enough for his friendly and accommodating nature.

Pep himself

On Thursday Joe and I said our goodbyes to Pep and boarded a train bound for Metz, France.

Am I poor?

You know your poor, or at least look as such when your sitting on the ground and people throw you money.

We arrived in Prague a few weeks back. I felt a little tired so I decided to sit against the wall while Mel figured out where our hostel was. The next thing I knew, and old man had thrown me a coin! He smiled, almost showing pity. Never the less I laughed, put the 20 cents into my back pocket and carried on with my day.

Yesterday at a skatepark in Rotterdam some local kids shouted out "are you poor"? At first I was almost offended, but then I looked down and realised I had no shoes on, was sitting next to a plastic bag full of rubbish, my clothes were filthy and I had a joint in my left hand. Today I checked my bank account; they were right to assume I have no money. But as Shakespeare once wrote, "Poor and content is rich and rich enough", and God knows I am certainly content!

Through France and Belgium

Mel and I arrived in Paris after a 16 hour commute from San Sebastian. We got in about 11pm and went in search of food. The receptionist pointed out a lovely area in which to get a meal. We jumped on the metro and ended up in the sex district of Montmartre. We didn't mind too much, we had a good meal and a view of the Moulin Rouge!

Paris has some of the biggest flea Markets in Europe, so on Saturday I visited a few. I went to Marché aux Puces and Puces de Vanves. They were full of second hand clothes, antiques, bikes and stolen goods! I was in opp shop heaven!

On Sunday we wanted to get all our 'sight seeing' done so we got up early and started with the Louvre. We saw everything we needed to see, including the Mona Lisa. After that we went walking through Tuilleries park, down the Champs Elysee and eventually made it to the Arc de Triomphe.
Later that night we took the metro to the Eiffel Tower and watched the sun go down as the tower lit up. We finished off the day with a walk up to the church at Mon Martre to get a beautiful view of the city.

On Monday, much to Mel's delight we went to Disneyland Paris. We went on a few rides, went to see a show, watched the parade and did as any good tourist would do; bought souvenirs.
That night we returned to an interesting situation. An underage American had been sculling beers and I made the mistake of sitting in front of him. Seconds later vomit was spilling down my back. I made sure to had a shower that night.

The next day we went to Versailles with a friend from the hostel; Anthony. We enjoyed a sunny Parisian day laying in the endless gardens. On our final day in Paris we relaxed with a few baguettes at a park nearby our hostel with fantastic views of the Sacré-Cour.
Later we visited the Latin Quarter, made out way to Notre Dame and finished off the day with a delicious Vietnamese meal in China Town.

Overall Paris was so-so. It is all you expect it to be, and then again it isn't. There are of course all the beautiful sites and parts of the city but this is contrast with the dirty sidewalks and evident poverty on other areas. Paris is also very expensive.

Notre Dame

The Eiffel Tower

On Thursday our bus took us on a short journey 3 hours east to Brugge, Belgium. We checked in about midday and later that afternoon hired bikes. We rode past windmills and visited some parks before trying some traditional Belgium chocolate, fries and of course beer.

Frites

We had read about a city near Brugge; Ghent. Lonely planet had once dubbed it the most under rated city in Europe. They weren't wrong, it was scattered with medieval buildings and free flowing canals. That night Mel and I enjoyed a pizza and some beers by a canal back in Brugge.














Saturday was our final day in Brugge, but before we left Mel and I braved the 366 stairs to the top of Bell tower. When we made it to the top we were greeted with beautiful view of the city, a good way to spend our last moments in Belgium.

Viva España

Spain is on a different level to the rest of Europe. It's vibrant, full of colour and down to earth.

I'll start with the food and drink.

Alcohol is cheap. The beer of choice is San Miguel. For a pint of cerveza (beer) from a supermarket I'd only have to pay a mere €.60, and if I wanted it from a bar it would set me back about €1.50 but this would normally include some tapas such as chorizo or olives to nibble at. 

Tapas is very popular in Spain. Most commonly it's some sort of meat in a small dish, such as chorizo. Another popular tapas is 'patatas bravas'. They are basically wedges covered in a red and white sauce. Tapas hoping from bar to bar, eating one dish at each place is definitely the way to do eat tapas!

In the north of Spain it was more likely to see Pinchos served; very similar to tapas only smaller and eaten with toothpicks. Mel and I certainly ate our fare share of Pinchos in San Sebastian. We found a seafood bar; 'Mejillones', meaning mussels in English and ordered 'Tigres'; mussels covered in a spicy sauce served with bread. It was the best seafood I'd ever eaten. To me the bar opitimised the Spanish way of dining; people yelling over each other trying to order, loud, lively, fast and served with beer.

Now for the people and their way of life. Spain is on another schedule. People get up late, work for a few hours, sleep some more then work until about 8 or 9pm before eating dinner at about 10 or 11pm. It wasn't uncommon for Mel and I to walk down almost deserted streets during the middle of the day while the rest of Spain was having a siesta.

Spain also knows how to party, and of course they do this very late. Mel and I would go out for a meal at midnight, have a few drinks then head to a bar about 2am and before we knew it the sun would be coming up. The pub crawls in Spain don't even start until 1.30am! The Spanish are a very proud people. Wine is the best example of this. In Australia as you know we drink wines from all over the world, but the Spanish refuse to drink anything but Spanish wine. Even though they know its terrible wine, they still serve it everywhere but drink it with lemonade to make it taste better, even at the most fancy restaurants!

Finally Barcelona has some of the worlds best skate spots. I took a day off sight seeing to go skating. I traveled along the yellow metro line and went to 6 of the best spots Id ever skated in about 4 hours. I'm looking forward to skating a lot more of Barcelona with Joe and Ali!

Spanish cities are trying to be trendy or stylish, they are effortlessly cool and have more style than any other place I've ever been to. You walk down any street in Spain and hear chatter, the clinking of glasses, see bars pouring out on to the street with people and the smell of coffee brewing. Its a very lively country.

With trips to Barcelona, Madrid, San Sebastian and San Vincente Spain has been my highlight so far!

Local football, Madrid

Mel's Truffle 

San Miguel Markets 

Bull Fight, Barcelona

Barcelona

San Vicente 

Cafe boredom

San Vicente

3 nights in the Swiss Alps

Mel and I made a quick trip to Switzerland via bus from Nice. After Cinque Terre we stayed the night in Nice, France before making our way to Lauterbrunnen in the south west of Switzerland.

We arrived late on a Thursday night and fell asleep after playing a few rounds of cards with our Kiwi roommates. The next morning we woke up to a beautiful view of the Swiss Alps. Our campsite was in a valley, between two mountains and adjacent a waterfall.

It was a great change from the hot weather and at times eccentric Italians; we found the Swiss to be much more polite and conservative! Mel and I got the chance to go hiking, paragliding, to visit a waterfall (Trummelbach Falls) and of course buy Swiss Army Knifes!

The Mcdonald's Eurosaver Menu

What I've been surviving on



It's really a Godsend. Mel and I have spent many an evening dining on a €1 meal.

Ciao

Mel and I just finished up 2 weeks in Italy with visits to Venice, Rome, Florence, Milan and Lake Como, however there is one place in the north of Italy I cant speak highly enough of; the Cinque Terre region.

Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It´s in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of La Spezia city where our bus dropped us off. The region is composed of five villages; Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Mel and I had accomidation in Riomaggiore with an amazing view of the town and port. We stayed with another couple from Australia; Ali and Alex, who became good friends of ours.

Riomaggiore 

We spent the next few days swimming and jumping off rocks by the port, drinking beers on our balcony while watching the sunset and and hiking our way through the 5 towns along the coast with Ali and Alex.















Above is a  map of the region which shows the 5 towns we hiked through (Riomaggiore to Monterosso)

This hike ended up taking about 10 hours and covered some very rough terrain but the beach at the last town; Monterosso made it all worthwhile.

After spending time in Italy I've come up with some pros and cons for the country shaped like a boot.

PROS

• The Coffee! In most places you can get coffee for only €1 when you drink at the bar (if you sit down they charge about €4!), and this coffee is amazing. There is no water, just coffee and milk. There is certainly a 'coffee culture' in Italy and its evident when you walk into a cafe and its packed with Italian men lining up to get their fix.
• Free pouring of alcohol; they don't measure they just pour until they feel there is enough alcohol in the glass, and often its more than enough.
• Street drinking is legal, or at least I think so.
• Of course the pizza and pasta. There is an abundance of side markets selling slices of pizza big enough to feed a family; all for only €2.
• Late dinners; often Mel and I would go for a meal after 11pm.
• Beautiful piazzas (squares) in every city.

CONS

• Bad driving; Italian drivers are terrible! They certainly don't know how to park either.. many times I witnessed people double parking, parking people in or parking on a curb, this just wouldn't fly in Australia!
• Stairs. Italy is the land of stairs, you cant go anywhere without having to walk up about ten flights of stairs; the train station, hostels, and having a huge backpack on doesn't make it any easier!
• The main cities are packed with tourists, but I suppose you cant escape them in any major city in Europe. 
• Italy is expensive 

The view from Michelangelo's Piazza

A cafe in Orvieto

Gondola's on Grand Canal

We arrived in Athens dazed and confused after a two day commute from Dublin. Our first impression of Athens wasn’t great, there had been a taxi strike leaving us stranded at the airport. We eventually managed to jump on a bus headed for the Port, and our ferry to Santorini.














We arrived in Santorini on a Monday night where we were greeted by Stavros, who owned the hostel we were staying at; Stavros Villas. This place was great, we had a spacious room by the pool.

The next day we hired a quad bike, this would be our transport for the next few days. I really found it hard driving on the right side of the road! We then made our way into Fira, the centre of Santorini, and found a bar with a view of the coastline.

Later that day we drove up to Oia (north of Santorini centre) to get a good view of the sunset, unfortunately about 1000 other people had the same idea!

We spent our time in Santrorini visiting beaches and wandering around the Fira town centre admiring the coastline and the beautiful white buildings. Before leaving Mel described Santorini as 'one of the most beautiful places on earth', I'd have to agree.
































On Thursday morning we made our way to Ios, a.k.a Party Island. We checked into our hostel and had a few drinks by the pool. Again we hired out a quad bike and visited a few more beaches. In the afternoon we swung by Ios's main beach; Mytopolas, before having our first of many Souvlakis. If ever in Greece I highly recommend one!

We headed out later that night into the town centre where we drunk with hundreds of other people in Ios's main square. Unfortunately I peaked a little early that night.

The next day we relaxed at the beach before heading out once again. After plenty of shots and 3 souvlakis we made it home at 6am.

We had an early rise the next morning to catch our ferry back to Athens, where we spent that night. That was our Greek experience.

Galway, Killarney, Dingle and Dublin

Mel and I heard good things about Galway so decided to make this our next stop. We took a bus which passed through Dublin. On the journey however, Mel proceeded to projectile vomit twice! I ended up using my jumper to wipe the chunks up. It was a long trip.

We arrived in Galway a little after 7pm on Tuesday to a lively crowd drinking and partying in the many restaurants, bars and pubs and outside our hostel. We quickly headed down for a few beers and a bite to eat.

The next day we watched a German circus exhibition as part of the Galway Arts Festival, then made our way to Killarney in the South West of Ireland about 4pm. It was a shame we could only spend the 1 night in Galway, it was such a vibrant place full of musicians and street buskers!

We arrived at our quaint little hostel in Killarney; the Railway Inn, at about 10 pm. We went down to Tesco; the UK's version of IGA, grabbed some pasta and cooked dinner.

The next day we went on a tour of the Dingle Peninsula; west of Killarney. It covered Castle Maine, Dingle Bay, Dingle Town, Slea Head and Strand Beach. It was worth venturing into the countryside and seeing some of Ireland's stunning coastline.

On Thursday afternoon we made our way to Dublin, again via coach. We arrived at the 'Four Courts Hostel' at about midnight.

On Friday Mel and I went to the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 premier. It was obvious that Mel certainly enjoyed the movie, I wish I could say the same for myself. We then headed into the Temple Bar area for a few drinks.

The next day we went on a free guided tour of the city. We heard some very interesting stories and learnt a lot about Dublin's history.

Overall I found Dublin to be very pricey and quite frankly boring. In a city very different from the rest of Ireland, almost lacking in culture in comparison to the other parts of the country. My only highlight was Di Fontaine's New York Pizzeria, where I bought the biggest and best slice of pizza I'd ever had. Pay them a visit if your ever in Dublin. 

A great time to be in Northern Ireland

Mel and I ventured from Edinburgh to Glasgow on Friday; not without some terenchal rain on the way to the bus stop which resulted in Mel falling over, not once but twice before we made it on to the coach! It was a vision; being soaked and having her big backpack on didn't help either! I lost my sunglasses that morning as well so we didn't start the day out in the best fashion.

We got into Glasgow that afternoon; it's a pretty trendy place, with its new age bars, clubs and pubs. We spent our days wandering around the city and visiting the West End; a great place for a drink. We also caught up with some friends; Lucy and Michael in the city on Saturday night.

On Sunday the 10th we headed for Northern Ireland; Belfast, not knowing what was ahead of us. We caught the ferry from Scotland and docked at Belfast about 10 that evening.

For those of you who are unaware there has been conflict in Northern Ireland for centuries. The disagreement between Irish Catholics and the Irish Protestants still continues to this day.

Between 1921 and the mid 1960s Catholics in Northern Ireland faced many problems. After the War Of Independence, in 1919, the country of Ireland was divided into two parts;
1. The North had a large Protestant majority, each of the six Ulster counties had their own parliament and their own government.
2. The South was largely occupied by Irish Catholics, most opposed the idea of dividing Ireland.

In 1921 a group of Sinn Fein, and IRA members signed an treaty with the British, accepting the division of Ireland. This was when what's known as 'Northern Ireland' was created.

The Twelfth of July in Belfast marks a yearly Protestant celebration which begins with the burning of the Irish flag and often ends with riots.

Mel and I were in Belfast for this 'celebration'. At midnight on the 11th the burning of the Irish flag began, with many bonfires around Belfast. We headed into the city with our mates from the backpackers and witnessed some of this madness.

A Mural in Falls Road, Belfast

A young Protestant setting up a bonfire 

One of the many bonfires on July 11

From England to Scotland

Mel and I are now in Scotland. Edinburgh is quite different from London; without the fast paced lifestyle its a nice change. There were a few things that kept popping up in London, so I've made a little list.

1. Tourists; at times this can be a little overwhelming. Mel and I were constantly surrounded by a sea of tourists happy snapping away. If I had more time in England I'd try and travel to areas a little less populated by tourists, though I really shouldn't complain as I am one myself!

2. Hipsters; they are everywhere!


















3. Bikes; I think it's a great mode of transport for the city. In Australia we seem to be a little less tolerant to those riding along the side of the road, but in London the bikes co exist with the traffic. Mel and I experienced this when getting around the city on our 'Barclay's' bikes, riding along side cars and buses.

After a 9 hour over night bus trip from London Mel and I arrived in Edinburgh. We spent the first day pottering around the city. We went to the Castle of Edinburgh and had lunch at a pub in Grassmarket. Later that night we went out to a local club where I was downing coke and vodkas for 1 pound.

Today we went on a tour of the Scottish Highlands. It was a leisurely day out exploring the stunning scenery of Perthshire. We explored the Doune Castle; where Monty Python was filmed and went to the great William Wallace Monument; of whom the movie Bravehart was based on. There was also a visit to one of Scotland’s oldest whiskey distilleries.

Tomorrow we are making our way to Glasgow.

Photos from Brighton and the Scottish Highlands.

Wimbledon, Southbank, Tate Modern, The Lion King, Ministry of Sound, Wireless Festival, Camden and Soho

We have been busy.

Thursday morning was an early rise. Getting up at 3.30 am did not help our recovery from jet lag at all.

The only way to get into Wimbledon is to line up for a ticket before the days play. Mel and l woke before the sun rose and jumped on the Tube to Wimbledon Park Station. We weren't surprised to see hundreds of tents set up in the que; many people had camped the night before to get a ticket. We proceeded to the back of the line and were issued with a queuing card. After 3 hours of sitting in line we were finally on the move, only to find out we would be made to wait another 3 hours until 10.30am to be able to purchase a ticket. We were very proud to be number 115 and 116 through the Wimbledon Park gates that day! We wandered around the courts, saw some doubles then went to watch Maria Sharapova in her semifinal round match against Sabine Lisicki. Mel and I were so tired that we fell asleep about 10 minutes in! All in all it was a great day, the only thing we missed out on was the traditional 'Strawberries and Cream'; though I wasn't really prepared to pay 10 pound for it anyway.

On Friday we went to Southbank, along the Thames River. I went skateboarding and Mel wandered through the various shops and eateries. We then walked over to the Tate Modern Museum of Art; apart from some 1960's American Photography it wasn't that interesting.

We headed back to the hostel and geared up for The Lion King Musical at Lyceum Theatre. We downed a few beers and made our way there at 7pm. The musical was very impressive; I recommend it to anyone who has the chance to see it! Later that night we headed back to the hostel and met up with a group of Brazilians and Americans and made our way to the Ministry of Sound Club. I found it very over rated, it reminded me of Metro's Freo. We got back at 4am that morning and crashed.

The highlight of my trip so far would have to be the Wireless Festival which was on a Saturday; we saw Digitalism, Nero, Kesha; who was terrible, Chase and Status and The Chemical Brothers. Chase ans Status were insane; one of the best acts I've ever seen live.



Today we headed into Camden for lunch and a shop. It's such a lively little place, full of bohemians, markets and cafe's. At 10pm we went into Soho for dinner, this place was similar to Northbridge with it's bars, clubs and restaurants. Mel and I went to a quaint Italian place, and much like the rest of London the food was great.

Tomorrow morning we jump on the coach to Brighton.

The last few days have been a blur.

Mel and I arrived in London at 6am local time after a 5 hour flight to Brunei, then a further 17 hour flight into Heathrow. 

We caught the tube from Heathrow down the Piccadilly Line, crossed over at the Victoria Line and got off at Pimlico Station. We rolled into Astor Victoria Backpackers a little after 9am where we were greeted by an Aussie receptionist who informed us that check in wasn’t until 2pm. This gave us a chance to see some of London. We went to Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. We then stopped for a beer and went back to the hostel. We checked in and met our room mates, 4 Malaysian students.

We were invited out for a Pub Crawl later that night, but opted to cook dinner and have some beers at the hostel. We woke the next day at 7am to a sunny morning. We jumped on the train to Salisbury where we spent most of the day; exploring the town and the Cathedral. We then made our way to Stonehenge. It was an amazing experience, such a mystical monument.

We got back into London about 4pm. Mel had been wanting to ride a bike around the city, so we paid 1 pound and hired a ‘Barclays’ bike. We got lost and circled the city about 4 times. Getting lost turned out to be the best way to see London; we rode to Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Sq and Piccadilly Arcade and 5 hours later after an exhausting ride we got back to the hostel. Mel was absolutely buggered and fell asleep.

Tomorrow we are going to attempt to get into Wimbledon, which involves getting up at 4am, catching the tube to Wimbledon Park and then lining up for a ticket until 9.30am. Hopefully we make it, wish us luck!