travel
Sunday, 26 August 2018
Utravelling - We Plan Your Trip
Today's post is short and simple. I'm bringing you something I'd been working on and I'm very excited about. You should know by now I'm crazy about travelling and my wonderings are always planned to the minimal detail - such as times we take on each attraction and so on.
And I decided to create an online company that does exactly what I love doing before travelling: planning the trips! At Utravelling (english version website here), we search for the flight/accommodation most suited to your needs (and a 10% discount on Booking) and create daily itineraries to your taste: what transport to use, travelling times, places to visit and points of interest all planned according to your needs. If you also wish, we offer Traveler's Consultation and tell you if you need any specific medication/vaccines for your destination.
So what differentiates Utravelling from other agencies? It's a company dedicated to providing you the best vacations tailored to your taste and budget. We carry out unique travel itineraries, developed and adapted to the expectations of each client.
Do you want to help me get started? Follow Utravelling on Facebook and Instagram and most important, spread the word everytime someone needs to plan a trip!
And I decided to create an online company that does exactly what I love doing before travelling: planning the trips! At Utravelling (english version website here), we search for the flight/accommodation most suited to your needs (and a 10% discount on Booking) and create daily itineraries to your taste: what transport to use, travelling times, places to visit and points of interest all planned according to your needs. If you also wish, we offer Traveler's Consultation and tell you if you need any specific medication/vaccines for your destination.
So what differentiates Utravelling from other agencies? It's a company dedicated to providing you the best vacations tailored to your taste and budget. We carry out unique travel itineraries, developed and adapted to the expectations of each client.
Do you want to help me get started? Follow Utravelling on Facebook and Instagram and most important, spread the word everytime someone needs to plan a trip!
Sunday, 12 August 2018
A Day Trip to Berlengas
Localizado a cerca de 10km de distância do Cabo Carvoeiro, o arquipélago das Berlengas é composto por 3 grupos de ilhéus: Berlenga Grande e recifes adjacentes, Estelas e Farilhões-Forcadas, todas de natureza geológica diferente da costa continental próxima. A Berlenga Grande, com 4km de perímetro, apresenta a forma de um "8" recortado por numerosas reentrâncias. A parte mais considerável da ilha, situada a oeste, chama-se simplesmente "Berlenga" e compreende dois terços da superfície total da ilha. A outra parte, a leste, separada da primeira por um estrangulamento resultante da erosão marítima sobre uma importante falha geológica, é a "Ilha Velha".
Devido à sua localização geográfica, a Berlenga benefícia de dois tipos de influências climáticas: a atlântica, nas áreas mais exposta a norte, e a mediterrânica, nas expostas a sul. Isto proporcionou ao arquipélago características faunisticas e florísticas que fizeram dele um ecossistema único, tanto a nível marinho como terrestre. Por isto, as Berlengas integram a Rede Nacional de Áreas Protegidas, constituindo uma Reserva Natural e é ainda considerada Reserva Mundial da Biosfera da UNESCO, tendo o mais antigo estatuto de protecção integral de que há memória, desde 1465 com o rei Afonso V.
Confesso que estava ligeiramente apreensiva em relação à viagem em si e tinha ouvido que as gaivotas eram problemáticas mas todos esses receios revelaram-se em vão. Saímos de Lisboa às 8h com tempo nublado e chegámos a Peniche um pouco antes das 9h30. Fizemos a travessia para as Berlengas pela companhia Berlenga Live às 10h00 (com regresso às 15h00) e apesar de ter sido uma viagem com solavancos uma pessoa acaba por se habituar. Sabem aquelas montanhas russas suavezinhas nos parques de diversões? É mais ou menos a mesma coisa.
Claro está, português que é português tem sempre aquele atrasozinho ou não seríamos conhecidos pelo nosso "quarto de hora académico". Não saímos exactamente às 10h com as pessoas a entrar e acomodarem-se no barco mas diria que a viagem durou cerca de meia hora entre Peniche e a ilha, com paragem para apreciação do Cabo Carvoeiro. Tivemos algum tempo para recuperar dos solavancos da viagem até à ilha no "Bairro dos Pescadores", na encosta sul da "Ilha Velha", e às 11h tivemos novo barco à espera para vermos as grutas da ilha, passeio incluído no bilhete que tínhamos pago. Um barco diferente do que nos tinha levado, com fundo de vidro, fez-nos o tour pelas grutas e vimos a cabeça do Elefante, a Cova do Sono onde os pescadores antigamente prenoitavam por se situar na zona sul e não ser atingida pelos ventos fortes vindos do norte, a Gruta da Flandres, a Gruta Azul, o Furado Pequeno onde apenas podem atravessar barcos pequenos e com muito cuidado por ser tão estreita e devido à corrente, e atravessámos a gruta do Furado Grande que atravessa a ilha de um lado ao outro, num túnel com 70 metros de comprimento.
Fomos deixados no Forte de São João Baptista para que pudessemos fazer o trajecto de volta a pé e conhecer a ilha. Este forte foi ordenado por D. João IV para servir de fortaleza na ilha, com o objectivo de reforçar a defesa da cidadela de Peniche. Em 1835 foi desartilhada, o que levou ao seu gradual abandono mas na década de 50 do século XX foi restaurada para posterior adaptação do espaço a pousada, o que se verifica hoje em dia. Facto curioso: não há canalização de água quente no forte por isso as pessoas deixam os garrafões ao sol o dia todo e, no final do dia, tomam banho com essa água quente.
Depois de visitarmos o forte seguimos pelo Trilho das Berlengas, sempre a subir até atingirmos o planalto da ilha (o que, com sol e calor do meio dia acaba por não ser a actividade mais fácil e envolve algumas paragens para descansar). Virando à esquerda temos acesso às Cisternas e à parte mais a oeste da ilha. Seguindo para a direita vamos ter até ao Farol do Duque de Bragança, com 29m de altura e cuja construção data desde 1841, durante o reinado de D. Maria II. A luz emitida pode ser vista a mais de 50 km de distância, um feito impressionante, considerando que a estrutura usa apenas energia solar e baterias. Como o farol se localiza no ponto mais elevado da Berlenga Grande, a partir daí a viagem é sempre a descer, passando pelo Carreiro dos Cações até ao Bairro dos Pescadores.
É possível acedermos à praia desde o Bairro dos Pescadores mas é um areal pequeno para tanta gente (e a água estava ligeiramente fria) e a ilha tem muito pouca sombra para quem não quer fazer praia. Como fomos no final Julho, apanhámos sol forte o suficiente para me provocar um escaldão apesar de ter posto três vezes mais protector solar que o grupo enquanto almoçávamos e aguardávamos pelo barco de regresso. Recomendo absolutamente uma visita às Berlengas, especialmente durante o Verão, mas aconselho que levem marmitas porque o único restaurante/bar da ilha acaba por inflaccionar bastante os preços devido à falta de concorrência. Para não variar, as fotos aqui são apenas uma pequena amostra, se ficaste com curiosidade podes sempre ir ao meu Instagram.
Devido à sua localização geográfica, a Berlenga benefícia de dois tipos de influências climáticas: a atlântica, nas áreas mais exposta a norte, e a mediterrânica, nas expostas a sul. Isto proporcionou ao arquipélago características faunisticas e florísticas que fizeram dele um ecossistema único, tanto a nível marinho como terrestre. Por isto, as Berlengas integram a Rede Nacional de Áreas Protegidas, constituindo uma Reserva Natural e é ainda considerada Reserva Mundial da Biosfera da UNESCO, tendo o mais antigo estatuto de protecção integral de que há memória, desde 1465 com o rei Afonso V.
Confesso que estava ligeiramente apreensiva em relação à viagem em si e tinha ouvido que as gaivotas eram problemáticas mas todos esses receios revelaram-se em vão. Saímos de Lisboa às 8h com tempo nublado e chegámos a Peniche um pouco antes das 9h30. Fizemos a travessia para as Berlengas pela companhia Berlenga Live às 10h00 (com regresso às 15h00) e apesar de ter sido uma viagem com solavancos uma pessoa acaba por se habituar. Sabem aquelas montanhas russas suavezinhas nos parques de diversões? É mais ou menos a mesma coisa.
Claro está, português que é português tem sempre aquele atrasozinho ou não seríamos conhecidos pelo nosso "quarto de hora académico". Não saímos exactamente às 10h com as pessoas a entrar e acomodarem-se no barco mas diria que a viagem durou cerca de meia hora entre Peniche e a ilha, com paragem para apreciação do Cabo Carvoeiro. Tivemos algum tempo para recuperar dos solavancos da viagem até à ilha no "Bairro dos Pescadores", na encosta sul da "Ilha Velha", e às 11h tivemos novo barco à espera para vermos as grutas da ilha, passeio incluído no bilhete que tínhamos pago. Um barco diferente do que nos tinha levado, com fundo de vidro, fez-nos o tour pelas grutas e vimos a cabeça do Elefante, a Cova do Sono onde os pescadores antigamente prenoitavam por se situar na zona sul e não ser atingida pelos ventos fortes vindos do norte, a Gruta da Flandres, a Gruta Azul, o Furado Pequeno onde apenas podem atravessar barcos pequenos e com muito cuidado por ser tão estreita e devido à corrente, e atravessámos a gruta do Furado Grande que atravessa a ilha de um lado ao outro, num túnel com 70 metros de comprimento.
Fomos deixados no Forte de São João Baptista para que pudessemos fazer o trajecto de volta a pé e conhecer a ilha. Este forte foi ordenado por D. João IV para servir de fortaleza na ilha, com o objectivo de reforçar a defesa da cidadela de Peniche. Em 1835 foi desartilhada, o que levou ao seu gradual abandono mas na década de 50 do século XX foi restaurada para posterior adaptação do espaço a pousada, o que se verifica hoje em dia. Facto curioso: não há canalização de água quente no forte por isso as pessoas deixam os garrafões ao sol o dia todo e, no final do dia, tomam banho com essa água quente.
Depois de visitarmos o forte seguimos pelo Trilho das Berlengas, sempre a subir até atingirmos o planalto da ilha (o que, com sol e calor do meio dia acaba por não ser a actividade mais fácil e envolve algumas paragens para descansar). Virando à esquerda temos acesso às Cisternas e à parte mais a oeste da ilha. Seguindo para a direita vamos ter até ao Farol do Duque de Bragança, com 29m de altura e cuja construção data desde 1841, durante o reinado de D. Maria II. A luz emitida pode ser vista a mais de 50 km de distância, um feito impressionante, considerando que a estrutura usa apenas energia solar e baterias. Como o farol se localiza no ponto mais elevado da Berlenga Grande, a partir daí a viagem é sempre a descer, passando pelo Carreiro dos Cações até ao Bairro dos Pescadores.
É possível acedermos à praia desde o Bairro dos Pescadores mas é um areal pequeno para tanta gente (e a água estava ligeiramente fria) e a ilha tem muito pouca sombra para quem não quer fazer praia. Como fomos no final Julho, apanhámos sol forte o suficiente para me provocar um escaldão apesar de ter posto três vezes mais protector solar que o grupo enquanto almoçávamos e aguardávamos pelo barco de regresso. Recomendo absolutamente uma visita às Berlengas, especialmente durante o Verão, mas aconselho que levem marmitas porque o único restaurante/bar da ilha acaba por inflaccionar bastante os preços devido à falta de concorrência. Para não variar, as fotos aqui são apenas uma pequena amostra, se ficaste com curiosidade podes sempre ir ao meu Instagram.
Sunday, 1 July 2018
Trip to Belgium & The Netherlands (Part 2: Or the Land of the Windmills)
Today I bring you part 2 of my trip to Belgium and The Netherlands, all about the land of the windmills! You can check out, if you haven't before, the first half of our journey in part 1: the land of the waffles where I talk about what we visited while in Belgium.
So I left the first part when we were in Antwerp and that's where we caught the train to Amsterdam. We were counting on being able to buy our tickets using the machines in Antwerpen-Centraal but apparently those self-service machines only sell national train tickets so we ended up having to wait in a long line for international trains and spent around 70€ for the two of us. The journey was around two hours and when we arrived in Amsterdam Centraal we walked all the way until the Nova Hotel, where we checked in. The whole hotel staff is very friendly and helpfull and it they serve a good breakfast with plenty of offer. There's a supermarket (Albert Heijn) a few meters away where we bought our dinners and a pharmacy in the back street. Our first impression is of how many people were in the streets, that avenue was absolutely crowded.
From the hotel we walked to the Dam Square where we saw the Royal Palace of Amsterdam and the National Monument. From there we walked to the New Church (De Nieuwe Kerk), the Old Church (De Oude Kerk) and the Church of Saint Nicholas (Sint-Nicolaaskerk). We then walked back to the hotel through the Red Light District and that's completely different from any other reality and totally normal for the citizens living in that district.
On our second day in Amsterdam we woke up early because we had our visit to Anne Frank's House scheduled for 9h, which is the first spot in their timetable. You have to buy your tickets online two months ahead and while you have a time to get inside the museum you don't have a specific time to get out so I believe the best time to see it properly is the first time in the morning where there aren't a lot of people inside. I had reread Anne Frank's Diary to prepare myself for this visit but I was honestly a bit disappointed since it doesn't have any furniture (Otto Frank's decision) and for someone who has the diary very fresh in her head, the visit in the house doens't add a lot of information. It is, however, interesting to see how they lived. The last part of the visit shows us a few testimonials from people who knew Anne and her family, their destiny after being found and some pages from her diary. After the visit, we looked at Westerkerk and walked towards the Van Gogh Museum (where we didn't go because of how expensive it is) and the I Amsterdam Sign, which was absolutely packed with people and is pretty much impossible to take a picture without having someone next to you (I didn't even try). From there, we went to the Magere Brug, the Bridge of 15 Bridges (where Reguliersgracht meets Herengracht) and the pretty Bloemenmarkt where we bought tulip seeds as souvenirs.
We spent the third day in the Netherlands roaming outside Amsterdam by train. The tickets are not very expensive but you have to pay an extra fee for the ticket (I didn't quite understand what that fee was all about, only that I had to pay it), which makes them 1€ more expensive and you have the option to pay with card only (and, in some of the machines with coins and they don't give you change). We went north first and got out in Haarlem (20 minutes journey) where we visited the Town Hall, the Grote Markt, the St. Bavo Church and the Molen De Adriaan, a pretty 18th-century riverside windmill. From the station, we headed towards Utretch, which is about 45 minutes away by train, and is a very picturesque little town. We visited the Dom Tower (Domtoren), and St Martin's Cathedral (Domkerk) and roamed around for a while. Even though we ended up not going there, I recommend Zaanse Schans in Zaadam and if you go around March/April, the Keukenhof in Lisse where you can see multicolored Dutch spring flowers (it was unfortunately closed by the time we got to the Netherlands, so do check their schedule before booking the trip).
We spent the morning before departing to the airport in a boat tour through the canals of Amsterdam. We bought our ticket in the hotel, where we got a nice discount, and caught the boat in Prinsengracht, near Anne Frank's House. They had an audio tour so it makes it a nice way to get to know the city, learn a bit about its history and take pretty photos. Once again, our flight to Lisbon was delayed by over one hour so we ended exactly as we started the trip.
Overall, despite being a very pretty city, we were surprised by the amount of bicycles we saw in Amsterdam (even though we knew well ahead how they bike everywhere) and how dirty the canals were. People in Amsterdam must be very used to the type of rain that doesn't really make them wet because it was a constant while we were there and they didn't even bother using the umbrella. Our debit card didn't work on the supermarket but it worked when withdrawing cash in the ATMs so we're not exactly sure what happened with it - I would be cautious anyway and bring extra money just in case. Also, let me just add how pretty most tourists goes there to freely smoke weed and it gets annoying having to deal with the smell (it got stuck in my hair for days). As always, the pictures here are just a small sample so if you're curious about the places I've mentioned you can check my instagram.
Sunday, 10 June 2018
Trip to Belgium & The Netherlands (Part 1: Or the Land of the Waffles)
For this year's trip the boyfriend and I decided to do a combo in a week: Belgium and the Netherlands. We chose May because the weather is usually nice without it being too hot (sweet summer children) and it's not crowded with tourists yet. So we booked our flights (to Brussels and from Amsterdam), our hotels, packed our bags and spent a week doing the Benelux thing without Luxembourg because honestly, it didn't even occur to me we could also add Luxembourg until we had everything planned.
Our flight from Lisbon to Brussels was supposed to take off at 11h but by that time we hadn't even begun boarding and were later informed the plane had arrived late and we were waiting for a crew member to show up. Needless to say, we actually took off one hour after the scheduled time and instead of landing at 14h45, we landed at 15h30. We caught the train heading to Knokke and climbed off in Gare du Nord where we caught the metro (line 3) to Bourse and checked in at Hotel Atlas. The hotel has an amazing location, very central, you can easily walk to most of the sights in the center of Brussels and, as it is located between two metro stations, it's possible to reach the more remote places very quickly. It has a LIDL on the back street and the Carrefour Express is relatively close too (can you guess where we had our meals while there?). We then proceeded to use the rest of the afternoon to visit the Zinneke Pis, Grand Place, Manneken Pis and Jeanneke-Pis (which ended up being a disappointment because it's behind bars), St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral, Parc de Bruxelles, Palais de Bruxelles and the Triumphal Arch. We did most of them walking from the hotel except the last one, where we caught the metro.
We went to G(h)ent on the second day in Belgium by train from Bruxelles Central. The trains are very reliable in Belgium and it costs around 6€ (<25 years old) to travel anywhere. The trip took us about 30 minutes and when we got there we realised their metro only accepts coins and it doesn't even give you the change. After buying something to eat so we could change our notes to get coins, we caught the metro towards Saint Bavo's Cathedral (Sint-Baafskathedraal) and from there roamed around and walked to the Belfort, Saint Nicholas' Church (Sint-Niklaaskerk), Sint-Michielsbrug, Sint Veerleplein and Gravensteen. Gent is a very picturesque little town and I would totally recommend you to visit for half a day if you have the time.
On our third day we caught the train again, this time past Gent towards Bruges where I met a friend who's studying there. We didn't have a lot planned for this day because she took charge of our itinerary, and who's better than a local? We walked from the station to the main square (it's about 1.5km) where we met her and she began her tour. So, from the Grote Markt you can see the Historium and the Belfort, which we didn't go into. We then headed to the Basilica of the Holy Blood, the pretty City Hall. We also visited two abbeys, one hospital and the lake Minnewater but mostly we roamed around in the pretty streets, bridges and canals and she knew where the best spots were, so it was very nice! We almost took a boat tour (and they're supposed to be worth it) but the weather was absolutely DISGUSTING that day, with a terribly icy wind so we decided not to. Bruges was, without any doubt, the prettiest city I visited in Belgium and it's an absolute must if you go there.
Our stay in Brussels wouldn't be complete if we didn't try their waffles, which was exactly what we did on the fourth day. Before that, we went to Place Sainte Catherine and took the metro to the Atomium. Back to the center, we chose a little place near the Manneken Pis called Le Funambule to eat our chocolate waffles (which are amazing and I can't recommend enough). We then headed to check out in our hotel and catch a train towards Antwerp, the land of the diamonds and with the prettiest central train station I've ever set my feet in, where we stayed in the Astoria Hotel. The location is very good, you can easily walk from the central train station, and the rooms are large and spacious with very good variety at breakfast time, despite being sort of an old hotel. Since we arrived before the check in time we decided to leave our luggage in the store room and explore the city. We walked to Saint Carolus Borromeus Church (Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk), Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp, the City Hall (which was being renovated, unfortunately) in the Grote Markt with Brabo's Monument and descended into St. Anna's Tunnel to walk 500m to the other side of the river. This tunnel was opened in 1933 and you can still access it using the authentic wooden escalators which were unique at the opening. Honestly, I didn't find Antwerp as pretty as Bruges or Gent but the main square is worth a visit. You can easily do Antwerp in one morning and then head to the Netherlands instead of spending the night there like we did, in my opinion.
Overall, I enjoyed Belgium but, in my opinion (and I believe the boyfriend shares it), the food is too expensive and they have a weather problem (so do pack accordingly). One never knows what they should wear when leaving the house because they manage to have the four different seasons in one day: it's winter in the morning, spring starts around the middle of the morning peaking at summer around lunch time and then we have autumn with rain and sometimes we go back to the winter during the afternoon as well. One never knows...
As always, the pictures here are a small sample of the hundreds I took while there so if you're curious about the places I've mentioned you can check my instagram. Now, since we went to two countries and this post is already long enough, I decided to split into two parts. So don't miss part 2 of our trip: the land of the windmills!
Sunday, 6 May 2018
Hallo Deutchland! (Or: Four Days in Berlin)
Me and a friend decided to break the routine and take two days off to travel somewhere. We ended up choosing Berlin, in Germany, because neither of us had been there yet and the flights were cheap compared to the other options. We booked the flights and the hotel and last Saturday took off to Germany's capital and stayed there for four days.
So where did we stay while there? We chose the H2 Hotel Berlin-Alexanderplatz via Booking.com and I seriously couldn't recommend it enough because it seriously exceeded our expectations. It's marketed as a two-star hotel but it definitely doesn't look like it! It's very clean, the staff was very nice and the breakfast had lots of food to choose from. Besides that, it's a five-minute walk from Alexanderplatz so you couldn't be more central and the bus from the Tegel airport (TXL) goes straight there. You can also find a supermarket behind the hotel and, if you feel like eating typical german food, do visit the restaurant next to it. It's called Hofbräu München Tavern and it's where we, on our last night there, ate a delicious sausage the size of my arm, the Hofbräu Currywurst.
Let me now tell you about what we did. We got ourselves in the 9am flight with a stop in Munich and landed in Berlin at around 15h. We got into the first TXL bus we saw (after buying a 7€ daily ticket), which took us to Alexanderplatz, dropped our stuff at the hotel and left immediately for the Tv Tower (Berliner Fernsehturm), a symbol of the communist power of the German Democratic Republic, where we looked at Berlin from 203m high. We then caught the S-bahn, Berlin's railway system, to the East Side Gallery where we walked around 1km following the remnant of the Berlin Wall covered in art from artists all over the world.
On the second day, we took a bus to the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) and walked to the Reichstag. We initially wanted to visit the Reichstag's dome as we heard it has a very nice 360º view of Berlin. However, it is only open to visitors with prior registration (which we didn't have) so we looked around for a few minutes and walked back to the gate towards the Holocaust Memorial. After that, we kept walking until the Potsdamer Platz and caught a bus to Checkpoint Charlie and from there, caught another bus to the Jewish Museum. I was honestly a bit disappointed with the museum, since the permanent exhibition is under reconstruction and we could only access the basement of the Libeskind Building, the Garden of Exile, and the Voids. While the Memory Void is pretty powerful, the basement is mostly abstract art. After the Jewish Museum we went to the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), climbed to the top (it's a lot of steps, be prepared) and then decided to take a boat trip on the river. We went on the one in front of the DDR Museum (which we decided we weren't really interested in, since it was 10€) and it had a really nice and funny guide, I totally recommend.
On the third and last full day we went all the way to Charlottenburg Palace (Schloss Charlottenburg) but we decided not to go inside since the tickets are around 20€. It's about 45 minutes from the center of Berlin and we took the S-bahn and then the bus to there. After that, we took the bus to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Victory Column but we didn't climb to the top, walked to the Bellevue Palace and then took a bus to the Topography of Terror (Topographie des Terrors) which is a free outdoor and indoor history museum in the former headquarters of Gestapo. On the last day, we slept in, ate a big breakfast and decided to walk a bit around the Alexanderplatz to check a few places we hadn't yet: The Neptune Fountain (Neptunbrunnen), the Red Town Hall (Rotes Rathaus), the St. Nicholas Church (Nikolaikirche) and the St. Mary's Church (St. Marienkirche).
As last thoughts, Berlin isn't very a pretty city but it's mostly full of history and you can totally get the hang of the city in four days, like we did. We found the transportation system (at least the S-Bahn) a bit confusing since we never knew which side to stand on and buses were easier to understand and very reliable. It's easier to buy the 7€ daily ticket than walking everywhere because it's a big city, and it's totally worth it if you're planning to take at least two trips in the day. Do validate your ticket if you buy it in the S-Bahn/U-Bahn stations instead of the bus because you will get caught by the controllers and they will fine you (60€), even if you're a tourist and don't know you need to validate. Trust me on this, it's not very pleasant (and neither are they).
So where did we stay while there? We chose the H2 Hotel Berlin-Alexanderplatz via Booking.com and I seriously couldn't recommend it enough because it seriously exceeded our expectations. It's marketed as a two-star hotel but it definitely doesn't look like it! It's very clean, the staff was very nice and the breakfast had lots of food to choose from. Besides that, it's a five-minute walk from Alexanderplatz so you couldn't be more central and the bus from the Tegel airport (TXL) goes straight there. You can also find a supermarket behind the hotel and, if you feel like eating typical german food, do visit the restaurant next to it. It's called Hofbräu München Tavern and it's where we, on our last night there, ate a delicious sausage the size of my arm, the Hofbräu Currywurst.
Let me now tell you about what we did. We got ourselves in the 9am flight with a stop in Munich and landed in Berlin at around 15h. We got into the first TXL bus we saw (after buying a 7€ daily ticket), which took us to Alexanderplatz, dropped our stuff at the hotel and left immediately for the Tv Tower (Berliner Fernsehturm), a symbol of the communist power of the German Democratic Republic, where we looked at Berlin from 203m high. We then caught the S-bahn, Berlin's railway system, to the East Side Gallery where we walked around 1km following the remnant of the Berlin Wall covered in art from artists all over the world.
On the second day, we took a bus to the Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) and walked to the Reichstag. We initially wanted to visit the Reichstag's dome as we heard it has a very nice 360º view of Berlin. However, it is only open to visitors with prior registration (which we didn't have) so we looked around for a few minutes and walked back to the gate towards the Holocaust Memorial. After that, we kept walking until the Potsdamer Platz and caught a bus to Checkpoint Charlie and from there, caught another bus to the Jewish Museum. I was honestly a bit disappointed with the museum, since the permanent exhibition is under reconstruction and we could only access the basement of the Libeskind Building, the Garden of Exile, and the Voids. While the Memory Void is pretty powerful, the basement is mostly abstract art. After the Jewish Museum we went to the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), climbed to the top (it's a lot of steps, be prepared) and then decided to take a boat trip on the river. We went on the one in front of the DDR Museum (which we decided we weren't really interested in, since it was 10€) and it had a really nice and funny guide, I totally recommend.
On the third and last full day we went all the way to Charlottenburg Palace (Schloss Charlottenburg) but we decided not to go inside since the tickets are around 20€. It's about 45 minutes from the center of Berlin and we took the S-bahn and then the bus to there. After that, we took the bus to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Victory Column but we didn't climb to the top, walked to the Bellevue Palace and then took a bus to the Topography of Terror (Topographie des Terrors) which is a free outdoor and indoor history museum in the former headquarters of Gestapo. On the last day, we slept in, ate a big breakfast and decided to walk a bit around the Alexanderplatz to check a few places we hadn't yet: The Neptune Fountain (Neptunbrunnen), the Red Town Hall (Rotes Rathaus), the St. Nicholas Church (Nikolaikirche) and the St. Mary's Church (St. Marienkirche).
As last thoughts, Berlin isn't very a pretty city but it's mostly full of history and you can totally get the hang of the city in four days, like we did. We found the transportation system (at least the S-Bahn) a bit confusing since we never knew which side to stand on and buses were easier to understand and very reliable. It's easier to buy the 7€ daily ticket than walking everywhere because it's a big city, and it's totally worth it if you're planning to take at least two trips in the day. Do validate your ticket if you buy it in the S-Bahn/U-Bahn stations instead of the bus because you will get caught by the controllers and they will fine you (60€), even if you're a tourist and don't know you need to validate. Trust me on this, it's not very pleasant (and neither are they).
Sunday, 8 October 2017
A Muggle's Magical Musings: A Guide to the WB Harry Potter Studio Tour
As a great big Potterhead since childhood, my visit to London would not be complete had I not visited the studios that brought the books to life. I have lost count of how many times I reread the books and reviewed the films and how much of my childhood (and adolescence) was spent waiting for a letter to Hogwarts so obviously visiting the Warner Bros. Studio Tour was the highlight of my trip, I am not going to lie.
If you are as big of Harry Potter fan as I am, I guarantee the visit to the studios will be the best memory of the trip. And why? Because we can see with our own eyes the magical world becoming real with all the sets, clothing and real props used in the movies! Here is a summary of my experience as well as some tips and information for someone who wants to visit:
* TICKETS *
The first step is to book your tickets online in advance through the Warner Bros. Studio Tour website. They do not sell tickets at the entrance so this step is essential. Then just print out the booking confirmation and get the tickets when you arrive there. A regular adult ticket (>16 years) costs 39£ and there are some package options with additional souvenirs and/or guides included. In my opinion, however, the standard ticket is more than enough.
You should also book the visit as early as possible because there is no time limit to be there and the sooner you arrive, the more you can enjoy with less people getting in the way! I spent almost 4 hours there and I don't think it was enough!
* TRANSPORTATION *
The studios are in the outskirts of London and the nearest train station is Watford Junction. From London Euston station you can catch the train to that station for 9.9£. There are two types of trains departing from this station which stop at Watford Junction: the Overground (the local train, which stops at all stations until it arrives there, taking between 50 minutes to 1 hour) and the Express (which has only two or three stops between the two stations and takes 20 minutes). Since we had arrived at Euston with more than enough time we chose to catch the slow train but we picked up the fast one afterwards, coming back to London.
From Watford Junction there are buses to the studios every 20 minutes and it takes about 15 minutes to get there. The ticket costs 2.5£ roundtrip and has to be paid in cash. They are big buses full of Harry Potter pictures so you absolutely can't miss them!
* THE MAGIC BEGINS *
After we passed through security we found the closet under the stairs where Harry slept before entering a dark room with several posters of the movies. While we are queuing to get in, I recommend here asking someone for the tour passport, it's more a free souvenir! They are flexible regarding the check in time. In our case, my enthusiasm was so big that I had booked the visit for 11h30 but by 10h we were already there. We went to the queue and got in at around 10h15.
After the room with the posters we see a small movie where the actors introduce the tour. The screen goes up, we face the door to the Great Hall and this is where the experience truly begins! The studios are divided into two parts, separated by the Backlot where you can eat, experience the so famous Butterbeer and see Privet Drive, Knight Bus and more! Personally, I did not think the taste of the drink was that good but I ended up buying just to try it and it comes with a souvenir cup if you want to (but you have to pay more for that, of course). I advise you to take food instead of buying it because of the confusion, time lost waiting in line and the money you save that can later be used in the final souvenir shop!
Here are some of my highlights of this first part because I can not express it by words and the pictures are worth more than words:
The second part is made up of special effects, the Diagon Alley and Harry Potter Art Work. Here the highlights are definitely the Diagon Alley and the giant Hogwarts model at the end of the visit:
The second part is made up of special effects, the Diagon Alley and Harry Potter Art Work. Here the highlights are definitely the Diagon Alley and the giant Hogwarts model at the end of the visit:
The tour ends up with a visit at the souvenir shop and guys, the strugle is real. It was very hard not to spend all the pounds we had brought and my whole bank account there! The trick has to be coming up with a certain budget and not exceeding it. Because, let's face it, even though that store is the biggest dream of any Potterhead, it's all pretty expensive! I ended up buying a necklace with a snitch (and I didn't go over the budget).
I may have never gotten my Hogwarts letter but I sure have been to Hogwarts! In short: one of the best days of my life!
I may have never gotten my Hogwarts letter but I sure have been to Hogwarts! In short: one of the best days of my life!
* Mischief Managed *
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