Winter Wonderland, London...

It seems that Christmas markets can't elude me, and I am like a fly attracted to their bright lights. After experiencing the original German ones, Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland wasn't high up on my to do list. Especially not since I was there last year as well. Going with the flow, I told myself to put on new eyes with the new year.

Without fail, the smell of hot drinks and desserts once again grasp my attention and I was soon taking out my pennies to spend on crepes and waffles. A band entertained the crowd in a cute little hut, welcoming people with itchy feet to dance to their tunes. Just before the park closed, I went up on a ride - my first in the UK and first in a rather long time - spun upside down and inside out, screamed my lungs out and had a thoroughly amazing 5 minutes. 

I won't discount Winter Wonderland again.

Maybe its because my father is an engineer, and he gets excited every time he sees an engineering feat (and points it out to us, of course), but this ferris wheel's structural veins fascinates me. I really wished I was with my family, either them with me, or me back home basking in the warm humidity that I will never take for granted again.

ich bin ein Berliner, Germany...

Before you go forward, I must warn you that the collection of photos that follow make no coordinated sense as they are more a random disorganised set of what is left from the blurry images found on my memory card. It reflects somewhat my own mindset roaming through Germany's capital, a little frazzled in the mind coming of intense train tripping of around 15 hours within 3 days.

In comparison to Munich and the other tiny towns we visited beforehand, Berlin was like a large maze much more vast with more secrets hidden in between junctions and corners waiting to be discovered by adventurous souls. It is also less photogenic due to its history with war and destruction. People often come here to reflect on the horrible incident that affected so much of us the world round. The Topography of terror, Checkpoint Charlie, and of course the Berlin Wall comes to mind at the mention of the city. We visited a concentration camp armed with an amazing tour guide who was both knowledgeable and interesting. The weather was a completely different story! During our 3-day stay in Berlin, the weather continued to rain on our parade, but it was manageable, after all we were a bunch of students calling North East England our temporary home where gloom and drizzle are two things we have become well acquainted with. On the day of our concentration camp visit, it rained, it poured, it snowed, and it even managed to hail. 

It was then I discovered how severe the holes in both my shoes were, with ice water seeping in to freeze my feet numb as snow continued to fall so fervently from the sky. It somehow painted a more believable picture of the camp transporting us back to a time where it was still in use. Without, the camp looked pretty much as it was, a now deserted operation for people to visit and imagine its life in the past. In other words, unused. Everyone was pretty much freezing with the chill burning us right down to our bones, we were soaking wet and shivering in the cold, but we were also layered up with modern day technology-infused winter wear. Whereas the prisoners back in the day only had their striped uniform that could hardly keep out any cold, or keep in any warmth. It is no wonder many of them succumbed to exhaustion and brutality of the natural environment.  

Two things that stand out in my memory now back from the trip is the Berlin Cathedral and the Christmas market in Charlottensburg, probably due to the change in menu in contrast to our usual meal consisting of some sort of pork meat variation. There, we feasted on a salmon bun and walked around our very last Christmas market in Deutschland before heading back. The Berlin Cathedral is a sight to be savoured. Unfortunately, we knew not of it and therefore did not get a chance to see the insides, though the exterior was enough to satisfy. 

I think Germany is a magical country. I also think my opinion is biased. But we encountered many beautiful sights and sounds, food and beer, and great wonderful people. Beyond that, they have a deeply meaningful history. Whether bad or good it is all so relevant to modern day life, particularly because of the significance of the country as a whole in the past as well as today. 

ps try the famous Berliner - a jam filled doughnut. 

Schloss Neueschwanstein the fairytale castle, Germany

Schloss Neueschwanstein was a must see on our German voyage for my friends and me. After all, it is this very castle that inspired the creation of Sleeping Beauty's castle now visible through tv screens and amusement parks of Walt Disney's doing.

The town where castle is situated in is a fairytale town of Hohenschwangau. The mist from the mountains adds to the surreal valour that seems to wasp in and out of the atmosphere. A day trip here is sufficient, stopping in Fussen from Munich first, hitching a ride on a bus next to Hohenschwangau. All possible using a single Bavaria ticket, with even lower prices if travelling with company up to five people. The castle itself can only be visited with a tour guide, advisable to be booked in advance to get the preferred tour slots (here). Do allow sufficient time for lots of photos of the picturesque surroundings and of course the castle itself.

Schloss Neueschwanstein, as with many other things in Germany, is accompanied by a fascinating back story. It sits atop a beautiful mountain, with windows that frame picture perfect sceneries from the interior. The castle, built by the tragic King Ludwig II of whom we found out from our guide 2 days earlier had homosexual urges and was utterly adversed to war and violence. Instead, preferring the arts and literature spending much of his days studying them. The King prayed to the Lord to fight his tendencies to no avail and was accused by the public of being too spendthrift. His expenditure towards Schloss Neueschwanstein and Hohenschwangau totalled 34 million in the currency used in those times. King Ludwig II died alone of unknown causes. 

Today, the mystic and beauty of his two works bring millions of visitors, not to mention an annual revenue equal to the amount he spent on their construction. 

 

If you find yourself anywhere nearby, don't miss the chance to step into the pages of a story book and be amazed if nothing less by the architecture of the castle. 

Nuremberg, Germany...

Our curious feet and Christmas-market-whetted-appetite brought us to make a pilgrimage of sorts to the birthplace of all Christmas markets. Taking advantage of cheaper fares with group travel Bavaria ticket, we spent another day trying new foods and getting plump on wurst and mulled wine. 

Nuremberg turns out to be the second largest city in the Bavarian region (who knew?). It also looks like a city out of the pages of a fairy tale. From the train station, it isn't difficult to follow the trail leading to the markets. Not even the dampness of the rain could stop us from reaching peak energy skipping our way through the town. 

This shish kebab was absolutely divine. The curry sauce over the kebab itself was sumptuous and tingled every last tastebud on your tongue. And the pork meat... fall apart tender juicyness, what more can I say without reminiscing with drool threatening to spill over my keyboard? 

At the of the day, we were exhausted and our pockets ran a little shallower. But we loved it, something magical intoxicating us. Maybe we just needed the break from our quaint university town, and the festiveness of Bavaria served as a perfect cure. Nevertheless, I'm sure a visit here would make any heart flutter just a little quicker. 

ps lack of photos due to hands busy occupied eating food! Germans know their way around these things :)