Montenegro, my new favourite place

If you haven't already, please read my brother's excellent recounting of our night train from Budapest to Belgrade. As he mentions, we did not stay in the Serbian capital for long as we were only there to catch a connecting train down to Podgorica, in Montenegro.

Leaving Belgrade

This was the part of our trip we were least informed about. I knew I wanted to get to Montenegro - my favourite restaurant in Ixelles, where my dad lives, is run by two brothers from Montenegro. One autumn, when they had recently returned from their summer home, they showed me pictures that convinced me to visit this beautiful little country as soon as I had the chance. So I added it to the itinerary.

The thing about Serbia and Montenegro is that the trains do not run to a schedule. They arrive when they do, they take as long as they please, stop pretty much wherever they choose and pull into the final station at an undetermined hour...usually far later than expected. Our train journey was supposed to take 7 hours. In the end, I think we were on the train for just under 10. There is a very limited catering service on the train; this means plenty of booze with unfamiliar brands and very little in the way of food. At every stop, random people get on the train carrying rucksacks or sports bags offering you beer and mini liquor bottles. Great entrepreneurial minds in this part of the world!

Luckily, the countryside we were going through was absolutely stunning. Southern Serbia looks gorgeous, lush leafy valleys that seem completely untouched by the pollution that has affected a lot of Western Europe. The train went across bridges that were high up in the hills, meaning the view to either side was of a sheer drop, against a background of greenery. If you love the outdoors, this is the place for you. It was absolutely stunning.

Serbian hills and valleys

When we pulled into Podgorica just before 10pm, our journey wasn't over. There is hardly any budget accommodation in the Montenegran capital, and very little to see there to boot. So we hopped on the bus (very frequent and very uncomplicated) heading to Kotor. This was the best decision we ever made.

Kotor is a little town right at the top of Kotor bay at the southeastern end of the Dalmatian coast. The Old town is surrounded by medieval walls, in a similar fashion to Dubrovnik. The difference here is that there are far fewer tourists. And the tourists that do go tend to be Serbian, Croatian or Bosnian, making for a very different, but very friendly and laid-back ambiance.

From the bus station, we made our way to the hostel, at the center of the walled old town and were greeted by pumping techno music... It was Saturday night after all, and the crowds were still very much in holiday mode. We were completely exhausted from our sleepless night on the train to Belgrade and our 12 hour journey to Kotor, so we found our beds and crashed.

The next morning, I awoke to this:

This was the view from the hostel's reception. Kotor is nestled in between the mountains along the coast which are stunning in the morning light. To the other side of the town is Kotor bay, which we didn't get to explore but which provided absolutely gorgeous views as we walked around the harbour.

I found a bakery selling croissants and stuffed my face. The train ride the day before hadn't been too vegetarian friendly so, understandably I think, I was completely starving. When Sean woke up, we sat on one of the terraces and soaked up the sunshine. We had finally made it to the SUNSHINE! Later on, we took a little tour of the old town with one of the other guys from the hostel who introduced us to 'cat square' which was populated, not too surprisingly, by cats. I don't think that this is the actual name of the square, it's actually a plaza near St Mary's Church near one of the bridged entrance points to the town. But there sure were a heck of a lot of kitties around. It's the thing about Kotor that you won't learn in guidebooks. It is a city full of cats.

I love cats, so I found this to be a good thing. I'm guessing you wouldn't feel the same if you were a dog lover. In any case, one particularly fierce cat stood his ground, despite being surrounded by a guided group of tourists. He was sitting where he was sitting and nothing would move him. I felt very proud of this stubborn little feline. That was one tough little dude. Or lady. I didn't check.

We were leaving that afternoon, so we didn't get a chance to walk up the hill that overlooks Kotor to the fortress above. Apparently, it takes about an hour and a half and the views across the fjord from here are breathtaking.

We saw the church in the main square, whose bells had woken me up that morning.

I will definitely come back to Montenegro; after all, we only saw Kotor and the little bit of the coastline between this town and Dubrovnik, our next destination. There's so much more to see and do in this country. But I can highly recommend it to anyone wanting to visit the Montenegran coast on the cheap. Our hostel was just 13 euro a night and we were in the heart of the old town. Get here quick before the prices go up!

Sean emailed a friend...

My brother's friend asked for advice about planning a trip to Europe. This post is Sean's response--the pictures are what I felt corresponded:

If you want my personal feelings about the trip, listen up... or read up.

I started by moving to London, so that doesn't really count as a stop on the trip. Although, if you want to go there you should. It's pretty cool, but the weather is rough, and unless you have a lot of money, you're going to end up drinking wherever you are staying. (there is a bar near Oxford Circus called The Cock (not making it up), which is actually really cheap, go there!). The picture is of Little Venice, where my sister lived.

Things to see in London if you are touristy are Buckinham Palace, Parliament, the London eye, Covent Garden,  etc. Otherwise just take the Tube around the city and you'll find some cool places. Again, VERY expensive.

Next we went to Brussels, Beglium to see my dad. If you go there on a good day (weather wise) it is amazing. Great night-life if you know where to go (I recommend O'Reilly's, an Irish bar which also has a mini 'club' next door called Nua O'reilly's.) Cool people, good vibe, and you can sit on the terrace and look at some epically old architecture. I grew up there, so I love the place, but again, it's more about who you go with and when you go. Beer capital of the world!!!! Must see's are La Grand Place, Mond des Arts, and the maniquin pis... all spitting distance from each other.

Next stop was Berlin. Go with friends, and go to clubs, otherwise the place is BORING and not very scenic. I was there with my sister and was bored out of my mind. Avoid commercial hostels at allllll cost. Go to private ones, they're funner and better value. (That goes for everywhere if possible)

From there we went to Prague, which is pretty epic, has a nice Bridge and river, but again... not toooo much to do. (see blog for more details).

Budapest, Hungary is pretty sweet. First real fun I had on the trip since Belgium! Stay at the Maverick Hostel... it's AMAZING! I would live there if I could afford it. and go out to Buda (across the river) and see the old town... pretty stunning. At night, there is plenty to do, but I recommend a bar called Szimpla. It is the sweetest bar ever...trust me, if you are in Budapest... go there.

DO NOT GO TO SERBIA... (see my post on sister's blog)

There is a place in MonteNegro called Kotor which is beautiful and has a surprisingly good night-life, though I don't know if it's worth going to because it is out of the way. If you go, stay in the Old town. That's where its all at.

GO TO DUBROVNIK!!! It's in Croatia, and it's friggin sweet. Nough said. It is the most beautiful place on earth, and everything is dirt cheap.

OK, now I will go into some of the places you might actually go to haha.

ITALY:

Rome: go there. It is overwhelming, and go on a pub crawl... you will have the time of your life (they're illegal, but just meet at 9pm at the bottom of the Spannish Steps. EPIC.) Everything you see is older than time, and is still unbelievable. See the Vatican.. see the Sistine chapel... see the Colisseum. Trust me, it's a must see.

Florence: Unless you like art a LOT... skip it. It's only fun if you do what I did; find a group of Aussies, a group of Irishmen, some pretty girls, and roam the city at 4am.

Venice: Go. Don't argue, just go.

Now back to some more obscure places...

Milan is the fashion capital of the world, which means everything is very stylish, and too expensive... not my thing. Bologna is the food capital of the world, but be careful where you eat, because everyone there is competing for business, and we ended up somewhere rather disappointing.

Next, I went off with a bud to Nice, on the French Riviera. I was there two nights and it just kept getting better and better. Whoever claims that it is boring and filled with old people is an idiot. By that logic, avoid Florida while you're at it. I had an amazing time, both at night and during the day... it's awesome.

From there, we went to Toulouse to see some friends. It's kinda ugly, it's kinda dirty, there's not much to see, but I had a good time. I think the prettiest people in the world got collected up and thrown into Toulouse for an experiment... maybe to see if an ugly city could produce ugly people despite the best genes available.

Paris is Paris. I didn't go on this trip, but I've been before. Just ask anyone and they'll tell you you have to go. So listen to them, because my opinion is skewed by prejudice.

I went to the countryside in the South of France next. This was more of a necessity than a choice, because we have some family friends there that we had to see. It's really nice and quiet, but that's not really my thing either...

Spain! Spain is awesome and full of Spaniards... they don't speak English, they don't even speak French, and they don't like people who don't speak Spanish (understandibly... being from Florida where it's the exact opposite.) Just make an effort and they'll be nice enough. Didn't see Madrid, heard it's great, but it's landlocked... which is fine, unless you've heard of Barcelona.

BARCELONA! Go to Barcelona. I had never heard a bad thing about it, and I don't think I ever will. Go, stay wherever... best bet might be the Surf Hostel in Barceloneta, purely due to location. This is where I live, and I wake up with a smile on my face every... afternoon. (Living hours are rather strange here... wake up at 12, siesta at 2, then work til 11, go out at about... the next day). I love this city... walk around, it's not too big... see everything, or don't. Whatever, it's the chillest place on earth.

Places I didn't go to on this trip but have been to before are... well, several. I'll just mention Amsterdam because that's what you probably want to know about. It's ok. That's right I said it. If you're a pothead, you'll just appreciate the legality, not necessarily the quality of the weed. If you're not... well there's not much else to do. Drink... avoid hippies on their bikes, and try and find an umbrella to deal with the crappy weather. Night life is fine.

Umm... other places I would recommend  are Edinburgh, Scotland. It's really old and dark and scenic and I love it. I personally like Glasgow, but mainly because I have family there. Never been to Scandinavia... so I can't help you there. Dublin is cool... OH GREECE! Never been, but desperately wanted to. Shame, looks amazing. Haven't been to Portugal either, but I imagine that Lisbon is nice.

That's about it. If you have any questions, let me know. Have fun! Go with friends!   

Hell train

Hello readers, Sean here! As mentioned in previous entries, I (Stephanie’s younger brother) have been accompanying her on this epic quest into the unknown (to us, that is). Stephanie decided that I should make a contribution to her blog, and so here I am, typing away in the comfort of my own bed in my own room, spitting distance from the beaches of Barcelona. I mention this because in order to attain this luxury I had to endure a series of events which I could never have foreseen occurring. I am not suggesting that we had any life-threatening encounters; however, we did experience some excessive shadiness. 

Normal, happy people in Budapest before a night on the hell train

The particular event that I will share with you began late at night in a train station in Budapest. As you may already know, Budapest is rather notorious for hobo-theft. Before you ask, no, there is no epidemic of kidnapped homeless folk, but the occasional bench-dweller has been known to strip travellers of loose belongings in the city. For us, it was a drunk, frail old woman attempting to sneak a bottle of iced-tea from the side of my bag. I saw her and bravely exclaimed, “Umm... I can see you” before she cowered away in shame. Admittedly, it was rather sad, but alas, I was thirsty and on a strict budget. This particular narrative is simply a prologue in order to generate the mood for what was to happen next. 

As we sat, tired and anxious to be snuggled in our beds on board the overnight train to Belgrade, we finally heard a sound in the dark distance. Our train arrived. Stephanie and I approached our chariot with uncertainty due to the fact that there were no lights on in the carriages. We decided that this was, indeed, a NIGHT train and that sleeping might be difficult if lights were to come on at every stop (though I suppose the screeching sound of whistles wouldn’t disturb the comfortable passengers). We were wrong. As we stepped into the train, a man in no identifiable uniform approached us and kindly offered to show us to our compartment. All was dandy until he mentioned that we needed to leave our passports and Interrail tickets with him overnight; something about customs officers needing them in order to check everything without waking the passengers.  Needless to say, this seemed odd and slightly terrifying so we both shook our heads at the prospect and suggested, trying not to sound too rude (or American), that we would feel more comfortable if we kept them with us. Apparently this is not allowed, and so there we were, reluctantly giving our most valuable possessions to a man we had never met, praying that we were not the victims of the least subtle con-artistry of all time. But what could we do? (Other than NOT get aboard hell-train and instead spend another night in a hostel in order to leave Hungary with our documents, pride, and peace-of-mind). Helplessly, we wandered into our coach-class cabin. I must mention that I have been on a fair amount of trains, and even a few overnight ferries, so I had a rough idea of what to expect. Again, WRONG. We stood there peering into the dark of our cabin waiting for our eyes to adjust enough to stow our bags away and lock them up. We took our beds and sat there looking at each other, or at least trying to, with a mirrored look of bewilderment on our faces. Then, as if directed to, we both slowly looked up to see two eastern-European men peering down at us from the darkness of the bunks above. The cabin door was slid closed by the man with our lives in his hands, whose name we had insisted on knowing, as if somehow if this was a scam, we could always report “Henry!” or whatever he had said his name was.

Stephanie had once referred to me as her ‘trip bodyguard’ to a friend somewhere, and I had dismissed it with a chuckle until this very moment. Suddenly, my sisters’ life was possibly in my hands and so, reluctantly, I took the role of Man and pretended that all was gravy as I began to set up my ‘bed’ (which might as well have been a piece of plywood wrapped in cloth) in order to get some sleep. I did this all the while keeping a watchful and still-adjusting eye on our neighbours above. I put in my head-phones and tried to imagine myself in a more peaceful and tranquil place; the dentist’s perhaps. I soon removed the headphones in fear that I may doze off and not be able to hear the sound of my sister being stabbed two feet away from me. As I lay there, not sure if I was indeed already dreaming, I could hear a sound from Stephanie’s bed next to me. I was desperately afraid that she might be crying. Unfortunately, it was worse.

You see, my sister has always had a funny way of dealing with tough moments. When others would shout or cry or punch, Stephanie giggles. It is a very distinct giggle that I have learned to detect. I have seen her giggle away all sorts of bad situations by appearing to be the bigger person in the matter, thus inevitably forcing the other party to back down. The problem here was there was no other party. I tried to calmly explain that there was no reason to be afraid, and that it was “all going to be ok because your brother is here and he’s not going to let anything bad happen to you”. What I actually ended up whispering, however, was more along the lines of “Stephanie, shut the hell up. What are you laughing at? Lunatic!” 

Miraculously, at some point I fell asleep, probably due to the draining of adrenaline earlier in the night. I was awakened (at roughly too early in the morning) by customs officers shouting in some undecipherable language. Our passports and tickets were returned to us, as Henry had promised, and the daylight uncovered the faces of our fellow travellers, who looked just as alarmed as we did. We had survived the night! Stephanie and I later exchanged imagined scenarios that we had envisioned happening. We both had decided on escape methods in the event of a stabbing/robbery, and they were surprisingly similar. I would tackle the man with the knife as Stephanie unlocked the cabin door, enabling us to make a hasty escape. All very plausible, we decided. 

Stephanie recovering from her giggling in the light of day

The train was approaching our destination, Belgrade. I was not even aware of this city’s existence before Stephanie had added it to the list of “must-sees” on our itinerary, much less prepared for what we saw. Momentarily I suspected that we may have boarded a train for Bagdad by mistake, but was reassured only by the lack of time which had passed in the night. 

As the trained slowed along the last stretch, Stephanie and I sat staring out the window at a series of homes that looked more like Alabama chicken coops, with tin roofs and no walls. We passed tenement buildings and porta-potties...

We had finally arrived. We had escaped the clutches of the sketchy men, retrieved our belongings and had at long last arrived at our destination! Our next step? ...Leave!

PS: Note from Stephanie - after reading Sean's entry, I googled this trip to see if other people had similar experiences... why not try it yourself? The results are enlightening!

Budapest, Szimpla the Best.

Let me tell you what's fun about travelling on a budget: you get excited by the smallest things in the world. And despite being surrounded by impressive architecture, fascinating history and a whole different culture, sometimes finding a great bar is the single most important thing about a new city.

Well luckily for Budapest, there were lots of great things, it wasn't all about the bar. Still, it's the place I remember the clearest from our stopover in the Hungarian capital. We arrived in the evening again, after a long train ride from Prague and our hostel, the Maverick was fantastic. It´s located in a grand old mansion house where the rooms on the main floor are each named for a character in the Big Lebowski. That's when you know you're in a fine establishment...

The receptionist at the hostel was wonderful. She was incredibly friendly, told us all about the city and when we asked where the best place to go for a drink was she answered, 'That's easy. Szimpla. Definitely. It is the best bar in Budapest.' I gotta tell you, she was not wrong. 

This place is central, but it's hidden down a little side street in the Pest side of town. You walk through a dodgy looking door in what looks like the frontage of an old warehouse building and into possibly the best bar I've ever had the pleasure of spending an evening in. 

The atmosphere is great, the kitchy decor inside is perfect, the beer is cheap and there's a great big outdoor area with old cars converted into seating pods. 

My description cannot do it justice. You'll just have to go there yourself. It's easy to start chatting with new people in this place as everyone is in an instant good mood the minute they walk in! This was the first night my brother and I really talked to anyone other than each other and it was great to have a conversation with someone who wasn't related to me. Obviously. We ended up in a group with Dutch, American, Hungarian and Spanish and I'd say this was the night that I really started to enjoy my travels.

Obviously, the next day we did all the sightseeing. There is lots to be seen in Budapest, which I would go into great detail about if I were writing an article for the Times, but as this is my own personal blog, I will tell you instead about the chestnut. I dragged Sean out in the rain, across the river Danube into Buda, the older part of town, to see the Castle district, which sits at the top of a great big hill. It's true, you can ride a funicular up to the top. Or, if you are cheap like myself, you can walk up a long and winding and cobblestoned pathway which curves up the hill towards the Palace and Fortress above. I convinced Sean to walk with me, so up we went and on our way, we started kicking around a couple of fallen chestnuts. This is something our dad used to do with us, the point being to kick it back and forth, keep it ahead of you and not to lose it in the bushes. 

Well, we kicked one chestnut (bruised and battered as it was) all the way up and around to the very top of the hill! In the rain (note Sean's umbrella in the picture above)! I can't tell you what a fabulous sense of achievement I got from this act. Like I said, it's the little things.

We wandered around the Palace for a while and had fun with a statue:

And from up there the views were pretty spectacular, even in the rain and the fog, including a great vista of the Hungarian Parliament building through the walls around Buda Palace:

We liked Budapest, we both agreed it was the best stop on our travels so far. The only trouble was not having enough time to sample the baths which we had been told were amazing. The Hungarian girl we met at Szimpla told us about one of the most popular baths, The Szechenyi Spa in the East side of town in the middle of the city park, where you can sit in a bath outside and watch the sunset. It'll just have to wait until the next time I'm in Budapest...

Half a day and one night in Prague

Next stop on the 'Mad Dash through Europe' travel tour was Prague. There are direct trains from Berlin to Prague twice a day so we took the morning train and headed towards the Czech Republic. Sean and I knew we'd have some serious train journeys on this trip so we killed a lot of time playing cards and looking out the window at the rolling countryside. 

Prague's train station is pretty ancient but there are beautiful stained glass windows as you come off the platform and into the main station. It certainly felt like we were in Eastern Europe at last. We had booked Hostel Downtown, two minutes from the famous Wenceslas Square in the Nové Mesto (New Town) on the right bank of the River Vlatva. Definitely an improvement on the Berlin hostel with free internet and a far more comfortable sleeping arrangement. There was also a kitchen which meant we could cook in the evening - it's really the little things that make you happy when you're on a budget... and when you're in need of a bed to lounge on.

We knew we didn´t have long in Prague as we were planning on heading to Budapest around noon the next day so as soon as we dropped off our stuff we headed out to explore.

We strolled down to the riverside and made our way up to the Charles Bridge, which is a beautiful stone bridge lined with statues and is, in my opinion, the most impressive site in the city. 

On the other side of the bridge we grabbed a couple of Pilsner Urquell's (couldn't possibly be in Prague for more than an hour without indulging in some Czech beer) made our way up the narrow, winding streets towards Prague castle. Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of Irish pubs in Prague, and in every European city it seems, so we took advantage of the backdrop for a good ol' posed shot

!

The sunshine was coming out and after three days of rain, it was a welcome change! At the end of the climb, the view overlooking the city is stunning and even Sean was alright with looking slightly touristy as we took a few pictures from the top

After a quick bowl of pasta back at the house, we headed out to the Old Town square, Starometske namesti, a 12th century marketplace which is definitely a rival for Brussels' Grande Place. It really is stunningly beautiful, with a towering astronomical clock as the main feature. 

At the end of the night we found ourselves in (I'm ashamed to say it) an English pub, mostly because it was one of the first matches of Champions League. All in all, Prague is gorgeous. I could definitely see myself coming back at a later date, perhaps with a group of friends for a few nights out on the town, treating myself to a nicer meal than pasta and questionable tomato sauce in a hostel kitchen...

When it rains in Berlin...

So they tell me Berlin is the next big hotspot. Some even say it's been a big hotspot for years and if you didn't know about it, you weren't with it. Truth is, I think you need to know someone in Berlin to fully appreciate the place. It was our first stop; we had the backpacks and the excitement, we just didn´t get the weather...

We arrived in the evening and headed straight from the train station to our hostel in Friedrichshain. A friend had recommended the A&O Hostel as a good budget option... My verdict? Unless staying in a hostel overrun with German schoolchildren aged between 'just became a teenager and want to make sure everyone knows about it' and 'I'm far to cool for school but I sure do like to kiss my boyfriend any opportunity I get' is your idea of fun, stay far away from this hostel. Also, the only guy staying in our room was a Swiss didjeridoo player (provided some interesting entertainment) who became a bit of a tag-a-long. He was funny though and found an interesting way to stay dry in the rain!

The area around the hostel is quite good though, great for cheap places to eat and drink (we had a full meal with bread on the table for 2 euros each!) and home to a large student population. When we were there however, university term had not yet started and it was all strangely empty. Couple that with two days of solid rain and a very sick Stephanie and you get a pretty blah impression of Berlin. The trouble is there isn´t one 'easy to orient yourself from' centre. There are lots of interesting places to see, but I imagine a sunny day would make it less frustrating to walk around the city. Also, having spent the past four years in London where most of the museums are free, I just wasn´t prepared for the entry prices at galleries and museums around Berlin. We did make our way to Brandenburg gate however which was quite impressive and the public transport system is great!

Also, I met up with a friend of a friend's (thank you Daniela!) on our second night there and we went to a great little bar in Friedrichshain for herbal tea - highlight of my trip!

Final verdict: go with someone who loves to go clubbing and has thoroughly researched where to go, or go in the summer, or go with a friend who knows Berlin and can show you around.

Late in everything I do - including posting on the blog...

 I have now been from Brussels to Budapest, from Kotor to Croatia, over to Italy and into France. I've experienced the joys and terrors of night trains, beers from just about everywhere; chipped teeth and bruised arms and bums as well as delicious wine, food and beautiful sights. I originally said I'd update people via the blog but the truth is, when you're travelling around with only half an hour of internet use every few days, it does get complicated. Well, that and the fact that stupid blogspot has some kind of bizarre glitch whereby it defaults to the language of the country in which you find yourself, making Croatia, Montenegro and Hungary very hard places to blog in...
In any case, I promise to satisfy all (I know you wait with bated breath) with my first proper blogpost on Brussels, followed by Berlin, in the next week. Get excited people!

I have left the office

And now the serious work begins. Yesterday was my last day in the office, which was awfully strange and probably won't fully sink in until Tuesday when I don't have to wake up to go in to work. My wonderful colleagues bought me an amazing leaving present package (not to mention the excellent send-off drinks on Thursday night), which consisted of the Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget, a lock for my back pack, a very handy head torch and a sleeping bag liner. Yay for excellent friends!

This morning I decided to start searching for a few tips on Prague, one of our first stops on the trip, and found a great article on the Hostel Bookers website. Here's what it had to said about the Czech republic's capital city:

Prague

With charming cobbled streets and Gothic spires, it’s no surprise that backpackers think Prague is one of the best cities in Eastern Europe. Prague is enchanting. Winter months are spent popping in and out of cosy cafes for a steaming hot chocolate or sitting in bars with roaring fires. It might be a popular stag destination but there’s plenty of nightlife that avoids these crowds.
History: Wandering between the tombstones of the Old Jewish Cemetery (Starý Židovský hřbitov) can be both a haunting and peaceful experience.
Culture: For a miniature entrance fee of €3, marvel at artworks inside the Museum of Miniatures (Strahov Monastery). Some fit inside the eye of a needle and require a microscope.
Cafe: For that serious cup of steaming hot chocolate, Cukrkávalimonáda cafe (7 lázeňská) offers a gloriously rich 70% cocoa variety. Sip this devilishly delicious drink beneath an ornately decorated ceiling.

Bar: Beer is what the Czechs do best. Pivovarský dům (15 Ječná/Lípová) is a micro-brewery where you can sample an assortment of wonderful light, dark, sour cherry or banana beers. Inside, two large copper vats dominate the bar and the rest of the brewery is visible through a small window. If you’re feeling strong Prague is the place to visit the Green Fairy (drinking absinthe) and since this place is off the tourist route, the barman has time to show you how to prepare the 70% ABV drink.
Area: Laze on the grass beside the watermill in Kampa near Újezd and enjoy a cold and refreshing beer in summer months.
Top Tip: Hop on tram no. 9 (line 58 at night) for a cheap tour of the city. Take your pick of some of the best bars that pass by.
Youth hostel Prague: The brand spanking new St Christopher’s at Mosaic House is a budget traveller’s dream. Top reviews compliment the staff, cleanliness, live music, terrace garden and the historic city centre location. Private and dorm rooms from €12pppn.

Boxer Rebellion's film debut tonight

My friend Piers' band The Boxer Rebellion have been fighting the good fight for the past 10 years. Eighteen months ago they were approached with a proposal; to appear in a new Drew Barrymore film and record the lead single for the soundtrack. Tonight the film, Going the Distance, premieres in Leicester Square! To be honest, I don't care if it's awful or a revolution in the rom com genre, I'm so proud of the band.

You can listen to the single, If You Run here - http://www.myspace.com/theboxerrebellion or watch the video

My buddy Piers, the day after his wedding!
How many good things can happen to one dude in the same summer?

In other news, my friend Sarah has just confirmed that she will be joining me in Dubrovnik and Kotor in September. What was already a very exciting part of the trip just got even better!