After 33 days...

Yes so I'm back after 33 days, 11 countries, 25 trains, 15 hostels and lots of sun! 

After we left Prague we headed to Krakow, Poland. Getting in pretty late at night, we then had to get sorted for the next morning as we were heading to Auschwitz. One if the biggest concentration camps the world has ever seen. It was a very interesting and hard day. Our guide told us so much, it was alot to take in as we walked around the two camps. We entered the building where they were forced to sleep, torrure chambers, stood in front of the death wall. We also entered the first chamber, it was so hard to comprehend the mass amounts of human beings that were murdered inside. Seeing two tonnes of human hair was slightly disturbing and tiny kids shoes. 

Afterwards we heading to Vienna, Austria next. I really liked Vienna and would love to see more of Austria. We spent most if the morning at Schonbrunn Palace. This was where Marie Antoinette was born. After walking around the palace and just visiting the first floor with 40 rooms, it really does intrigue me how anyone could possibly need such a large house! 

We walked around the city for a while, saw all of the huge and amazing buildings. Home to all of the different museums centred in Vienna. We walked down to the river and ate tea on some steps and watched the sun go down, gee that sounds romantic! Oh and there were heaps of jumping fish, everywhere!!  

Next city was Budapest, Hungary! Hot once again, but we walked up to the castle and old town area. Lots of reconstruction going in everywhere so it was hard to picture everything as it should be. The tiling on the churches was pretty cool, strong reds and yellows in colour. We walked across the oldest bridge and went towards the Houses of Parliament. It's all being redone so actually couldn't see much at all!! 

One last train, number 25, meant we finally ended up in Zagreb, Croatia. Only 2 hours later after our first ever border control passport check. It was not an amusing train ride, standing for nearly 3 hours as well didn't help. 

Imogen and I parted at the station, me onwards to my hostel for the night, she on her overnight train. Yesterday I travelled for about 12 hours, including trams, buses, planes and trains! 

So after a very full on 4 weeks, learning alot more about the world and myself I'm now awaiting mums arrival in England tomorrow!! Can't wait, we head to London on Monday and then off to Norway on Thursday. 

Thank you Imogen for letting me travel with you! And for reading the maps :D

Blown up Gas chamber at Auschwitz 

The carriage they would arrive in

Riverside in Vienna

Schonbrunn palace

That's me!!

Budapest by night

Our last night together in Europe!

Oh and the new additions to the family at home! 

Talk soon!! 

Molly xx

Heading East

So we have passed through Germany and are now in Prague, ready to head to Krakow tomorrow. Our overnight train to Munich was better than the first, mainly because I had a bed! I slept pretty well apart from the continuous snoring above me by old mate. We arrived in Munich at around seven in the morning then walked around for about two. It was early on a Saturday morning so all of the market stalls were being set up. Fresh produce, herbs and slices, meats, cheese and everything you could imagine! The train to Berlin then took another 7 hours so we arrived mid afternoon into extreme heat, yet again! We found the hostel which happened to be about ten degrees warmer due to lack of ventilation! So it was hot, very hot. 

Berlin was amazing though. The history behind the city was so interesting and fascinating considering so much of it has happened within the last century. Most of it was hard to believe or even try to put yourself in someone's situation at that time. We started in the square in the famous gate. Next to it was the hotel which Michael Jackson dangled his kid out of! I had no idea it was in Berlin. Anyway, we walked along to the Holocaust memorial which was unbelievable. Architecturally it is one of the most different memorials I've seen, but so fascinating. No one knows why it was designed how it was, so it really is left up to interpretation. Some day it represents the graves of the murdered Jews, but to cover the 6 million deaths you would need 2000 memorial sites. The walking tour took us around the east side of Berlin, to all the monuments. We also stood on top of hitlers bunker also where he commuted suicide. There is no memorial here though, as they don't want him to have one. I really loved Berlin, based on its history you could easily spend a week there! 

Next as moved onto Prague! Train number 18 if I've counted correctly. Prague is beautiful. So many different styles of architecture it is pretty amazing. I didn't know anything about the history here but after the walking tour I've learnt a bit! Our guide was Australian and put in some good humour too, which made the tour all the more interesting. The bridge connecting us to the old town is covered in artists, beggars and musical acts. We visited the John Lennon Wall, which he started, now a huge graffiti wall! 

Tomorrow we are off to Krakow, Poland for two nights to visit Auschwitz. Tomorrow is one week to go until I get back to school and leave my Europe travels with Immi! 

Holocaust memorial 

Prague from the Charles bridge

The Astronomical tower. One of the most overrated tourist attractions in Europe!

 

John Lennon Wall

Seeya 

Molly xx

Time flies

Yes time does fly when your travelling around Europe! Over half way of my mini travel around with just two weeks left to go. We are currently in Amsterdam the multicultural capital. It has the highest range of people from different countries, if that makes sense! 

After Bruges we headed to Brussels but stopped off at Ghent along the way. Coincidentally we arrived in Ghent on the last day of their ten day festival. Basically all the streets were lined with live music, pop up bars, street food and much more. It was great! Probably my favourite place in Belgium. We also visited a castle which had a display of weapons from the medieval times and also all forms of torture, it was pretty cool. Waffles again of course, what else would you eat in Belgium?!?

We spent two nights in Brussels after we left Bruges. It rained nearly all day when we were there! But we managed to spend a whole day wandering the city. We visited 'the pissing boy'. Which to be honest was a bit underwhelming. I expected him to be much bigger! We visited some churches and old bookshops that were hidden around the many little streets filled with cafe's and boutiques. For a nice view from the top of a carpark! And we went to the cinema and saw Monsters University!! Because it was raining we decided it was a great idea, and that it was!! 

After Brussels it was off to Antwerp we go! Antwerp was also a nice city. Reminded me a little of Hobart, probably nothing like it at all but it was nice. By then we were pretty much dead. Legs so sore from walking, lack of sleep because of snorers and being kept up at night is what you should expect when travelling across Europe. But we managed to make the most of it! We visited a few more churches, the big square, the riverside and went down into an eighty year old tunnel that took you from one side if the river to the other! It was cold and smelt a bit but we did get a pretty nice view of the city from the other side! 

And finally, Amsterdam! We arrived here at around 11 am, came to the hostel to drop our stuff off before going exploring! We decided to wander the main streets before heading down to the ruks museum. It was a beautiful building that had been under renovation for ten years apparently. It featured work from Van Gogh, Vermeer, Rembrandt and lots more. I took a photo with the all too famous 'I Amsterdam' letters and we got ice cream by the museum. The heat warmed up alot as we came further north so our came the sunscreen again! Tomorrow we are off to Anne Franks house! Which I am pretty excited about. Bike rides around the city too as we'll as stopping off at some markets along the way. 

Got a night train tomorrow night to Munich to then change to get to Berlin where we will be for 3 nights!! 

Unfortunately I have been a bit slack and haven't taken any more photos on my phone! So you will have to wait instead! 

See you later! 

Molly xx