day 37.5: you are the reason

"If I ran out of the plane or airport, do not stop me," I warned Jerrain. It was so difficult to get on the British Airways flight back to Singapore from London. I had so much fun and learnt lots. There are still a million and one places I have not visited, and another million and one I wished I had spent more time in.

I came back. And there were eight good reasons waiting for Jerrain and I once we touched down:

1. Adele
2. Jaso
3. Thomas
4. Siew Huey
5. Keith
6. Jalene
7. Kevin
8. Lester

We had a scrumptious eight-course dinner at a Chinese restaurant along East Coast Road. It seemed like they had just as much to share with us - new jobs, gatherings while we were away, and more! We agreed to meet up again to show them the over 2000 photos we took, but I think what they really want are the presents!!

Home. It is where my family and friends are.

day 37: my favourite things

New friends I met along the way often asked me what my favourite destination was. There were definitely places where I felt like I have come home, more than others. But at each stop, there was always something distinct that stood out.

Here is a summary of my favourite or most memorable thing at each stop:

• London: Seeing so much history in a city is a new experience coming from young Singapore. Meeting Singaporeans in a club. Hanging out in a local bar.
• Warwickshire: Visiting Serene and Gavin, and meeting Nicholas and bunch. Cotswold is lovely with small cottages and lots of green meadows. English breakfast, scones and tea are the best!
• Paris: I will never forget being on the streets for a night, and how Norie stayed out with us even when she had a nice warm bed waiting.
• Brussels: Having mussels at La Cotelette and being served by Nabil, who went the extra mile to make our meal so enjoyable - singing and offering massages.
• Amsterdam: I love how the canals are everywhere! Although we did not get stoned (contrary to popular belief), we had the best pub crawl by Ultimate Party!
• Berlin: Doing a reflective tour at the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe. Seeing the Berlin Wall and East Side Gallery reminds me of the need for world peace.
• Prague: As much as it is touristy, it is a beautiful city. I love the view from the castle and the roast rabbit!
• Krakow: The most eventful day was the trip to the A&E department at the hospital! Besides that, I was intrigued by the place. I definitely want to return to Poland and explore other parts of Eastern Europe.
• Vienna: The entire city felt artsy and musical. It certainly deserved more time, to go for an opera or art exhibition. I enjoyed the walk around town seeing the intricate and sophisticated historical buildings.
• Munich: Having an afternoon picnic at the English Garden and meeting more than three really friendly locals who initiated help.
• Interlaken: The mountains and lakes were unbelievable. I think it is the most romantic place in the world! And the friends we have met were awesome! Nothing beats having a club just downstairs too.
• Venice: Water everywhere! I love that about Venice. And there is always something relaxing about taking boats and crossin bridges.
• Rome: Magnificent architecture and art. I love the Vatican museum, one of the few museums we visited on this trip; I was glad we picked this one. I would highly recommend the Sisteen Chapel.
• Bodo: It was the best ending I could ask for, spending time with friends who were extremely hospitable. I loved the fact that the mountain and the sea was so close. I would love to go back and spend more time.
• Oslo: Although we did not get into the city, we had a taste of how expensive Norway is. And the long twelve-hours wait at the airport was certainly more bearable than the one I remembered in Doha.

And the wall of fame:

• Food: There is a tie on this one. It is either the English Breakfast by Gavin and Serene; or the baked Norwegian salmon with vegetables by Oyvind's mum.
• Party: Amsterdam Ultimate Party pub crawl! Free shots throughout the night as much as you can drink, a t-shirt to prove you survived, great music and bunch!
• New friends: The girlies we met in Berlin and our Carlos Armano! JinSha was the sweetest!
• Hostel: Tom & Greg in Krakow had both Jerrain and my vote for the best hostel in Europe! Free breakfast, snacks, dinner, friendly staff, homely atmosphere - I could stay there for a month or longer if they let me!
• Gadget: Caleb, my iPhone wins hands down on this one! He recorded my feelings of every day and kept me in touch with the world through emails and Facebook.
• Clothing: Black denim skirt - casual and comfortable for all occassions
  
• Snack: Definately Knoppers! Jerrain and I went crazy everytime we find this chocolate nutty waffle in the supermarket.
• Blonde moment: Jerrain asked me which sense I would give up if I had to choose, and I chose sense of taste.
  
• Romantic: Sitting by Lake Brienz in surrounded by the alps at Interlaken Switzerland
• Fun: Playing the card game 'Kings' with our Zach, Dan and Adam from USA, having to end every sentence with the phrase 'in my bed'.
• Glam moment: Putting on the safety suit on our way to the Summer House. We looked at least triple our size!

day 36: the entertainer

From the beginning, we have assigned roles. I was the planner, and Jerrain the entertainer.

But in these 37 days, Jerrain has proven herself to be more than that. I could not have enjoyed myself more without her. If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely get her as my travel buddy.

Here are the reasons why:

1. 1. She carried my 15 kilogram backpack when I twisted my right foot.
2. She wakes up first every morning.
3. I am not the only and most blonde person around.
4. We can speak in languages no one can understand - mandarin, f-language, and blondish.
5. Unlike me, she can count.
6. Her watchful eyes never leave me when we are clubbing.
7. Despite being 'Legally Blonde', she thinks of the most ingenious ideas like pushing the train station trolley on to the streets of London so our shoulders need not hurt from our oversized backpacks.
8. She volunteered her scarf for us to lie on when we did not have a mat in the park.
9. She is a great drinker and an excellent party buddy.
10. We make the perfect pair of Asian hot chicks!
11. We can chat about events that happen 14 years ago because we go way back.
12. She really entertains.
13. She wears her heart on her sleeve.
14. I do not need to worry that she is bored (as long as she has her iPhone).
15. She lets me decide where to go.
16. Her contagious laughter tickles me every time.
17. She calls my name in the sweetest voice and tone.
18. Her advice about relationships is wise and often timely.
19. She brought me home.

The list can go on. I am thankful for having a friend I have known and kept in touch for more than a decade. I am really happy I could share my one month adventure with someone so special and close to my heart.

day 35: also oslo

I must be going gaga over the Kings card game because I cannot stop rhyming, which explains the title.

We left Bodo extremely early this morning at 6.50am after having breakfast. I had my last 'Chocolate Therapy' cookie and said goodbye to Oyvind, his lovely home, our new Norwegian friends, and all the food and snacks I tried and loved.

Jerrain and I were supposed to drop our luggage when we arrive in Oslo at 9am to explore the city. We were so exhausted that the hour long train ride into town seemed like too big a task for the day. We decided to take it easy and hang out at the airport for 12 hours! There was a row of comfortable couchettes, but sleeping on it for five hours straight left me with a very numb butt.

Since we were going to be in London for just 23 hours, we decided to stay at one of the airport hotels, Yotel. It is a cool mini hotel with cabins that could fit two people, but really just comfortable for one. Jerrain and I needed to stay on the bed just so we had sufficient
standing and moving space.

• Location: Oslo Norway and London Britain
• Cost: 68nok pasta at airport, 12nok crisps, 20nok hot chocolate, 35nok orange juice, €4.60 chicken salad sandwich and water, €30 chocolates from Thorntons, €20 tea, €8 M&S
• Highlight: It was not easy waiting at an airport for 12 hours, but having Jerrain with me made it a lot more bearable. I particularly enjoyed our HTH (heart-to-heart) chat - one of many throughout this trip - about what we learnt and experienced in the last 30 over days.

day 34: farewell dinner party

Leaving Ilsoya, the summer house, was swift, but not painless. By this time, we were more experienced with putting on the water safety suits and Oyvind had a softer dock with the small boat. While everything was going a lot smoother, I was not as happy as when I first arrived. I felt like the little green monster who appears at the end of every episode of Gag and screams "Mommy, it's over!!". Jerrain and Oyvind managed to coax me into leaving Soranoy, or South Eagle Island, without being dragged on to the boat.

We caught a quick nap during the one hour ferry ride to Bodo and gathered enough energy to do some light trekking on Keiservarden. We strolled pass two small lakes which Oyvind used to spend a lot of time at as a child. There was a drizzle but we strived on to the peak which took us about an hour. It felt great to be at the summit although the views would have been better if it was not as cloudy.

The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing for the dinner party. Oyvind invited his good friends, Tom, Frida and Arild over for dinner, wine and Rock Band. I helped prepare dinner by doing lots of chopping (and dancing to Lady Gaga). For dinner, we had:

• Bruschetta with chorizo sausage and feta cheese
• Beef roast with mixed vegetables and thyme potatos
• Vanilla ce cream with raspberry purée and chocolate sauce drizzle
• Four and a half bottle of wine

Location: Bodo, Norway
Cost: 99nok ferry back to Bodo
Highlight: Sharing lives and travel stories with our new Norwegian friends over a home-cooked dinner and wine. It warmed my heart to see how we could easily share a joke despite our cultural differences. And I do not know anyone who did not enjoy jamming on Rock Band!

day 33: the summer house

The maroon house sat right by the water. It had a wooden platform just in front which would be perfect for barbeques on warm(ish) summer afternoons. The living room and kitchen were bright and spacious, with unobstructed views of the sea and mountains. There was more than enough rooms for each of us.

While I made the bed, Jerrain and Øyvind prepared dinner. They obviously did not trust my cooking skills, probably the wisest decision for the day. We had oven roasted pork, baked carrots and garlic butter mashed potatoes.

The short walk around the island earlier in the day worked up an appetite it seemed - we finished all the food, even I did. During the walk, we passed the other few houses on the island which belonged to Oyvind's relatives. We spotted a duck and her nest of eggs. While we frightened most of the sheep away, one of them was a little more friendly. We needed to watch where we walked because there was poop scattered around. I do not think the sheep were toilet-trained.

The ferry ride to the island was challenging. We faced fierce currents on the open sea almost immediately after leaving Bodo. The boat rocked so hard we were flung up off our seats a couple of times.

• Location: Soranoy, Norway
• Cost: 99nok boat to Ilsoya
• Highlight: Lunch with Oyvind's parents at their lovely home. Oyvind's mum baked salmon and mixed vegetables which were absolutely delicious. We finished the meal with strawberries, covered with sugar and double cream.

day 32: up in the air

It felt great to check in my backpack (still 15 kilograms) and travel in style and comfort. We left Rome Italy for the eleventh and last country, Norway. Øyvind was excited to show us his home. Jerrain and I are equally - if not more - thrilled to be in Norway for the first time.

We transitted in Oslo airport for a couple of hours where I had one of my most expensive lunches on this trip. For 190nok (approximately €24), I had two chicken legs, mashed potato and a bottle of lemon tea.

Finally, we landed in Bodo. After a quick detour to the supermarket and a short tour of Oyvind's home, we went up to a mountain just five minutes away to enjoy the midnight sun. At 12.30am in the morning, it was bright enough to see the mountain across the sea. We could not see the sun because it was too cloudy but it was fascinating just being in daylight when it was so late. To top the amazing view, we enjoyed a bottle of Riesling and crisps while we sat on the mountain.

At that moment, I knew Bodo stole my heart. With the moutain and the sea, it was difficult to stay faithful to Interlaken as my favourite stop in Europe. And this was just the first evening.

• Location: Rome Italy and Bodo Norway
• Cost: €14 train to FCO airport, €1.10 crisps, €5.90 baci chocolates, €4.90 sandwiches, 190nok lunch at Oslo Airport
• Highlight: Sharing breathtaking views with Oyvind and Jerrain over Riesling (and coke for Oyvind who was driving).

day 31: romantic rome

No shorts. No sleeveless tops. No short skirts. No recording devices. And no talking. The glorious Sistine Chapel, demanded respect from its visitors. Regardless of its restrictions, I would comply because it was an awesome experience.

I could not imgine how Michelangelo could have painted the chapel in four years. And today, I was admiring something so spectacular that was done in 1512. It was breathtaking.

Our Italian guide, Andrea, brought us through the Vetican Museum and showed us many excellent tapestries, sculptures, and paintings. My favourite was the ceiling paintings that looked three dimensional.

We were starving after the three-hour tour. We jumped into a taxi and found a pizzeria in the middle of the market square at Campo de Fiori.

A slow stroll to the Colosseum passed several other beautiful key architecture, some half ruined.

We walked nine hours today. My feet hurts.

• Location: Rome, Italy
• Cost: €40 Vatican tour, €13.80 pizza and sprite, €9.50 taxi, €2 isotonic drink, €2 orange juice, €17 dinner, €12.50 muscato.
• Highlight: We ventured around Trastevere, a less touristy area across the river. Cozy restaurants lined the small alleys, with lovely alfresco seating under trees and surrounded by flowers. I had Coda alla Vaccinara, which was a braised tail in tomato and vegetable gravy. It was very delicious.

day 30: gone gondola-ing

Venice is beautiful. I love being on and around water all the time, finding little old bridges at every corner, and staring down long narrow lanes. It was beautiful last night on the water bus but Venice during the day is absolutely romantic.

The gondola ride was spectacular. Sebestiano, whose gondola we picked, was a young twenty-ish year-old guy who showed us several significant historical and interesting buildings, such as Cassanova's house or the canal-side villa which was used in the filming of 'The Italian Job' movie. It was lovely being on a private boat. I especially loved navigating around the smaller and quieter canals, and going under the bridges. Some bridges were so short Sebestiano had to bend down.

After the relaxing gondola ride, we strolled through the main road to Rialto bridge and San Marco square. We realised then that we were a little short on time before our 4.27pm train. We thought we could take the water taxi back until we found out that it was €60! So we took the water bus instead which was a pleasant (but stressful) 40 minutes ride down the canal to the rail station.

Fortunately we made it in the end, by a pretty good margin I must say. We ran 300 metres across a crowded square and bridge, picked up our bags from the hostel and sprinted to the train station.

The four hour train ride flew by. Oyvind taught me some simple phrases in Norwegian in preparation for our stay in Bodo. With Oyvind's iPad, we screened South Park and the House of Flying Daggers.

After checking into Legends Hostel and meeting our New York room mates, we went for authentic Roman food to celebrate. Jerrain got news that she graduated with first class honours!! I am so proud of her!

• Location: Venice and Rome, Italy
• Highlight: The 40-minute water bus ride, enjoying the wind and sights.
• Cost: €2.50 hot chocolate, €7.90 spaghetti carbonara, €40 gondola, €11 reservation fee for train to Rome, €6.50 water bus, €3 orange juice on the train, €31 hostel, €30 dinner, €6 drinks.
• Train: Venezia Santa Lucia to Roma Termini 4 hours.

day 29: a promise

It was heart wrenching to say goodbye. A part of me would never leave Interlaken, now my favourite destination in Europe. It is the most romantic place I have been to.

The drizzle and gloomy skies in the morning reflected both Jerrain's and my reluctance as the train pulled off. We said goodbye to the beautiful surrounding and our hostel mates.

I promised the mountains and lakes that I would be back.

The only consolation was having Jerrain and Oyvind by my side. We drowned our sorrows in a shot of absinth and countless shots - one per bridge we crossed to be exact - on the pub crawl.

• Location: Venice, Italy
• Train: Interlaken to Brig 1 hour, Brig to Venezia S. Lucia 5 hours
• Cost: €1 ice cream, €10 Nussel "Marinara", €1.20 ice cream, €10 pub crawl, €38 hostel, €10 drinks
• Highlight: Yes! Finally Oyvind and I meet again, after almost half a year. It was good to be able to pick up where we left off. After travelling and meeting more people in the past four weeks, I have learnt to appreciate our friendship. It is rare to find a great friend whom I can keep in touch and travel with.

day 28: say cheese fondue

Our last full day in Interlaken. Jerrain and I were determined to keep it as relaxing as possible. So no more seven-hour cycling or heavy partying.

We skipped breakfast at our hostel for a full spread at the main square in town. Des Alpes, a restaurant recommended by our hostel, had seats facing the field where many paragliders land. We had:

• Cheese fondue with bread - 28.50chf
• Sirloin steak 180 grams - 35.90 chf
• A bottle of Ramseier's Apfel Schorle (sparkling apple juice) each - 4.50chf

We saw at least 15 paragliders while we had lunch. Paragliding is now on my bucket list, so is canyoning and sky diving! Especially after seeing Mike's video and photos of his dive over dinner.

The highlight of the day was discovering Tally Weijl! Jerrain bought a pretty black dress and a white top, and I could not resist a pair of white shorts.

We were all ready for bed about 9pm when the inviting 'Happy Hour' gong went off. (Actually I had been watching the time and wondering why the daily gong had not gone off yet). I had a last 10chf note in my wallet for emergency, and we concurred that it seemed like one. So we hurried down to the bar in our pyjamas for our final two vodka cranberries.

As we were heading to bed (again), Dan and the guys came by with their 1chf beer. Xport pizza just next door was celebrating its second birthday and offering beers at this crazy price. Stocks were out by the time we got there so the boss gave us a 0.50chf discount off our 3.50chf local beer. We shared a salami and cheese pizza with the guys before (successfully this time) going to sleep.

• Location: Interlaken, Switzerland
• Highlight: Hard to believe, but it was shopping at Tally Weijl and trying all the pretty dresses! And drinking at Metro Bar in our PJs.
• Cost: 1.90chf postage per post card, 36.70chf lunch, 15chf white shorts, 8.35chf chocolates and shower foam, 9chf vodka cranberry, €10 chicken cordon bleu, 3chf beer, €4 pizza.

day 27: extreme cycling

Hearing our hostel mates boast about their paragliding and canyoning experience, Jerrain and I decided a little adventure could do us some good. Most would not consider this extreme sport, but this seven-hour bicycle ride left us exhausted with two very sore buttocks.

Lake Brienzersee, a 14 kilometre lake stretching between the village of Brienz and Bönigen, was about 20 minutes away by bicycle. Gustevo (our roommate from Argentina), Jerrain and I rented bicycles and set off at 10ish in the morning.

After a few lucky turns, we were face to face with the magnificent lake. The wind was strong, stirring up currents across the lake. We had a quiet short stretch to ourselves, took photos and dipped our feet into the cold water till they got numb.

The journey to Iseltwald, a small village by the lake, took much longer than we expected. The never-ending up slopes meant we had to push our bicycles for quite a distance. But it was all worth it. The views of peaceful cottages lining Lake Brienz and the 2137 metres tall Augstmatthorn in the background were amazing! We rewarded ourselves with carbs-heavy lunch at a small restaurant in Iseltwald.

All that adrenaline-pumping action in the day left us yearning for more. Fortunately, Balmers hostel housed one of the most popular clubs in Interlaken. Thursday night was quieter than Wednesday 'Beach Party' themed night. But we had a blast playing Kings with our three roommates from Washington DC - Dan, Zac and Adam.

• Location: Interlaken, Switzerland
• Highlight: Feeling the cold water of Lake Brienz in the morning. I am deeply in love with the mountains and lakes. I definitely want to come back!
• Cost: 25chf 4-hour bicycle rental, 20chf sausage and rosti for lunch, 32chf drinks at Metro bar
• Injury: I can hardly feel the pain when I walk. It hurts a little when I apply gel to the injured area. 8/10
• People: Big Mike who is always friendly and never fails to say hello; Gustevo, my neighbour from Argentina who took the bed right next to me; Dan, Zach and Adam from Washington who taught us the best drinking game ever!

day 26: i am in love

I am in love. Today, the lucky guy is... Interlaken! Here are the reasons why:

1. I woke up in the middle of the Bernese Oberland Alps and the magnificent view melted my heart.
2. I took a nap by Lake Thun, a beautiful Alphine lake which is 17.5 kilometres in length.
3. Everywhere I looked, there was blue sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds.
4. Drivers always gave way to padestrians. Always.
5. The bus drivers and local people were amazingly friendly and helpful. And the bus trips were free with my visitor card!
6. At 27 degrees celcius, it was warm enough to be in my summer dress but cool enough to walk a mile without perspiring.

Ask me again tomorrow. I might still be deeply in love.

• Location: Interlaken, Switzerland
• Cost: 15.80chf hooters wings for lunch, 4.45chf chicken caesar sandwich, 1chf choco milk, 1.20chf moisturiser
• Highlight: Waking up in the tent right in the middle of the mountains. I would do that again any time. Only short of wifi.
• Injury: I was no longer limping and could walk at regular pace. The injured foot only hurt slightly when I walked for more than 45 minutes. 7.5/10

day 25: camping in the alps

Balmers Tent Village is right in the heart of the Swiss Bernese Oberland Alps. It had a row of twelve tents - each housing two to six beds - and a lawn with hammocks and sun chairs to relax on.

Jerrain and I enjoyed sleeping in the tent at Mount Ophir so much we could not resist another opportunity. We booked Mexico City, one of the twelve tents, for the first of four nights in beautiful Interlaken.

Mexico City had two comfortable big beds, a full length mirror (which was the first thing Jerrain noticed), a table, two chairs and a gas heater I could not seem to operate. Common hot showers and toilets were just a few tents away and the main tent had free coffee and tea all day.

Situated 800 metres from the main hostel, the only hassle was the need to take a bus for breakfast, free wifi or the famous Metro Club at the hostel. After a few drinks (too many), Jerrain and I trekked two bus stops in the dark and cold at two in the morning. Fortunately, we did not get lost and found the Tent Village quickly.

Only thing we missed was Siew Huey - the third blonde tent buddy to reenact our Mount Ophir night out under the stars.

• Location: Zurich and Interlaken, Switzerland
• Cost: €1 hot chocolate, €1 salami bagette, €10 burger and fries, 4.50chf wine, 28.50chf per night at balmers, 14chf drinks at Metro club
• Train: Munchen hbf to Zurich 4 hours, Zurich to Luzern 40 minutes, Luzern to Interlaken 2 hours
• Lost and found: Grey Cotten-On scarf and Blondi. I cannot believe I left Blondi behind at the train station! I hope he finds a good owner.
• Injury: Walking with the backpack is still a struggle. I can feel that the injured area on right foot is still soft and sore, it hurts a little when I am applying the prescribed gel.
• Highlight: The scenic two-hour train ride between Lucern and Interlaken is extremely popular. Today we saw why. Passing mountains and lakes, we were not the only passengers in the cabin snapping away.

day 24: munching munchen

Huge sausages, mega ribs, juicy roasted chicken, big leg of ham and more. Besides these glorious meat stalls, carts selling fresh fruit and vegetables surrounded the Viktualienmaekt Beer Garden. I held my breath in anticipation as I wait for Jerrain to complete the Sandrmans New Munich Tour.

Instead of joining the tour, I decided to wander around with my map. That way, I could pace myself (and my recovering right foot). Starting at the magnificent Neues Rathaus at Marienplatz, my first stop was the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) and its tower. After 82 steps and an elevator ride, I stood at 86 metres overlooking the city. Before heading to Viktualienmaekt, I also checked out the Royal Residence, Theatinerkirche, Siegestor, bronze sculpture of Romeo's heart-throb
Juliet, and the Hofgarten.

The highlight of the day was the afternoon at the Englisher Garten. Viktualienmaekt had everything we needed for our picnic. We were spoilt for choice, and after 30 minutes of circling the shops and beer garden, our basket was filled with:

• 2 Knusprig Gegrillte Schweinshax'n (pork knuckles)
• Kabanossi-Pfanne (potato salad with salami)
• Bread stick with sea salt and herb
• Bag of Kelly's paprika potato crisps
• Nutella chocolate waffle
• Sporto chocolate milk
• Bottle of Coca-Cola

The Englisher Garten, which stretched across several train stations, had endless fields and streams running between them. We ate, listened to music, read, and chatted. Several dogs dropped by to sniff us out.

The park was everything we expected it to be and more. Except, we read from guidebooks and heard from our roommate Ben that there were people sunbathing in the nude. But we spotted none of that.

We headed back to the hostel early to prepare for tomorrow's 7am train. We decided to shorten our Munich stay by a day so we could spend more time in Interlaken. We needed to get away from the city.

• Location: Munich, Germany
• Cost: €2.20 roasted chicken leg for breakfast, €3 entrance to Turn Tower, €1 tea at Subway, €5.50 pork knuckle, €0.80 500ml chocolate milk, €1.30 bread stick
• Highlight: Friendly and extremely helpful locals! More than three people came up to me asking if I needed help with the map or to take a photo. A guy near the Englisher Garten even walked with us for a distance to make sure we did not get lost, when he was actually
  heading the opposite direction.

day 23: my best 55 minutes

I gave 55 minutes to Paul Clarke and he rocked it!

On the way to Munich, I listened to him while I ate my kebab (pictured). Speaking on a highly controversial topic 'Is Jesus the only way?', Clarke wrestled this issue in a clear, concise, logical and engaging manner.

Some questions which he intelligently discussed included:

• My close friends who are Muslims and Buddhists live sinless and selfless lives, are you saying they will go to hell?
• Why can't all religion be right? We could be all walking towards the same mountain peak, just that each religion is a culturally unique route.
• How do we know the bible is true?
• Many (mad) people have claimed that they are God, what makes Jesus different?

If these are questions you do not have answers for, I strongly recommend you hear this talk, easily downloadable to your laptop or iPhone. It might just be your best 55 minutes too.

• Location: Munich, Germany
• Cost: €4 kebab, €20 Jaeger Hostel, €9 dessert and drink in beer garden
• Highlight: 200-metre dash for the only Kentucky Fried Chicken in Vienna, near the Westbahnhof train station before our 10.20am train. But the hunt was fruitless as that KFC only opned at 11am. The hunt for original KFC chicken and coleslaw continues...
• People: Our two pretty and party-crazy roommates. Kamilla and her friend, from Salzburg
• Injury: Walking speed has increased slightly. I had less people staring at me since the limp was not as obvious. I could place some weight (not my full weight though) across the entire foot but it would hurt when I walked more than 200 metres. 5.5/10
• Train: Wien West to Munchen Hbf 4 hours

day 22.5: spot the difference

Guess which is the injured foot.

I cannot promise any reward for getting it right because my backpack is bursting. And I really should not be carrying any more weight in this condition.

I would like to introduce Blondi. He has been my pillar of support for the past three days since I twisted my foot. I picked him up from Krakow's Old Town Market Square and we have since been inseperable.

He is a little camera shy, so I respect his request not to be photographed in this blog. (But if you must insist, he looks like an average maroon umbrella.)

Blondi is named after Hitler's dog. Interesting fact I learnt in Berlin - the command to put Blondi to sleep was the most difficult decision Hitler made.

My sprained ankle has been recovering at lightning speed. Besides Jerrain's constant concern and my friends' well wishes from afar, I suppose the prescribed Lioton 1000 gel did some good.

Here is a progress report. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being fully recovered:

Day 1 after the accident: 2.5/10
Limped and needed the assistance of Blondi, unable to put any weight on the injured right foot at all.

Day 2: 4.5/10
Less reliant on Blondi, able to place some weight on my toes and nearer the ball of my foot. Could rotate my foot but swell has spread to the entire foot.

Day 3: 5/10
Able to limp around and for a longer distance without Blondi. Walked for at least 4 kilometres today. Right heel started to hurt after 40 minutes because I placed much of my weight on it as I walked. Injured foot still looked suspiciously bigger than my other foot.

Watch out for status report in subsequent posts.

day 22: artsy wien

My expectation of Vienna was sky high. Many travellers I met along the way have crowned it their favourite city in Europe. So naturally I was excited to explore, even if it meant having to drag my twisted right foot.

Jerrain and I hopped on to Tram 1 from Schwedenplatz which was supposed to loop around the city centre, giving us a drive-by view of the main sights. Unfortunately it was running just half a loop today.

Alighting at Schottentor, we strolled the rest of the way. We caught Blasmusikfest, a marching music festival of young musicians dressed in what looked like traditional costumes, right in front of the grand Rathausplatz. Other sights included an old university, City Hall, the magnificent Parliament, which were all accompanied by gorgeous parks.

The chill and artsy MuseumsQuartier (pictured) was the perfect place to rest my screaming foot. We sat at the Leopold cafe for ages. After surviving 40 minutes of walking under the sun, Jerrain and I each had a tall glass of Eiskaffee, iced coffee with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream topped off with two chocolate waffle rolls.

As usual, Jerrain concentrated on perfecting games on her iPhone while I catch up on some reading and blogging. I learnt about Queen Sheba's visit and the fall of King Solomon in Chapter 10 and 11 of 1 Kings in the bible.

Before the cafe manager threw us out, we thought it best to leave gracefully after hoarding the table for close to two hours.

We managed to have a quick peak at the manicured gardens in Belvedere before heading back to our hostel.

• Location: Vienna, Austria
• Cost: €5.50 curry seafood noodle, €4.40 Eiskaffee at Leopold cafe, €1 nachos with cheese and salsa for dinner
• Highlight: Veganmania fair outside the MuseumsQuartier. An open space with lines of stalls selling vegan food and pro-vegan t-shirts, magnets and stuff. Tables were set up for people to eat and hang out. A crowd gathered where a band was playing.

day 21: hang me up

Or tumble me dry. I love dryers.

After an exhausting eight-hour overnight train journey and a painful five hours wait for our room, I decided that the most therapeutic thing to do was my laundry.

The spin and wash took an hour and €2. Then my favourite part - tumbling the clothes dry. It was definitely worth parting with my €2.50.

Top five reasons why I must get a dryer when I have my own home:

1. I dread hanging up wet clothes.
2. It is always the bottleneck and the most time cosuming activity in the entire laundry process.
3. I love the feel of warm dry clothes fresh out of the dryer.
4. My clothes can dry in the wettest season.
5. I can name it and it can be my washing machine's bestfriend.

So when I do throw a house warming party in future, you know what to get me!

• Location: Vienna, Austria
• Cost: €10 taxi from Wien Meidling to Wombats, €3.50 breakfast at the hostel, €20 per night at Wombats Hostel, €4.50 laundry, €8.50 dinner, €3.10 snake bite (beer, cidar and grenadine
• Highlight: Tradional Austrian dinner at Mozart-Stube, an old Viennese restaurant open since 1945. I had wiener schnitzel with fried potato and Mozart's Symphonie in weiss (white wine only available at the restaurant)

day 20.5: renaming the blonde

Among the four blonde sisters, Jerrain holds the title 'Legally Blonde'. Today, she deserves an additional one for outstanding and selfless service.

She normally whines - and ocassionally swears - about how heavy her bag is. Any where more than 100 metres and she starts to survey the area for a trolley.

We had the help of Magda from Tom & Greg hostel with my backpack to the Krakow Glowny train station, which was five to ten minutes walk away from the hostel (it was more like half an hour in my present condition).

But from the train platform to our train cabin, it was all Jerrain's effort. She carried both my 15 kilogram backpack and her 12 kilogram backpack at the same time along the platform (which was definitely more than 100 metres), and into our cabin!! For a petite 43 kilogram lass, that would easily make a Guiness World Record.

I will never see Jerrain in the same light again. For now, I cannot decide between 'Super-' or 'Wonder-' Blonde.

• Location: Vienna, Austria
• Train: Krakow Glowny to Vienna Meidling 8 hours

day 20: somebody, call the ambulance!

Okay, I was exaggerating. There was way less drama.

I twisted my right foot last evening at the Old Jewish Quarter. I was coming out of a bar and did not see the uneven ground.

For those of you who are wondering (I can so read your minds), I had only two drinks and was extremely sober! Might I also add that it was a really graceful fall; Jerrain thought I just bent down to pick up something.

The optimistic (and lazy) me did not bother icing the area when I got back. So it was no surprise that I woke up this morning to find a numb right foot which I could not even stand on. Any weight would cause me to bounce back to the other foot in pain.

I was rushed to the A&E department of Szpital Uniwersytecki w Krakowia, a hospital ten minutes drive away. Anne Asenko, a young Polish lady doctor who could speak English, sent me on my way after examining two x-ray images of my swollen right foot. "There is no broken bone, just rest your foot and you will be walking in one to two weeks," she assured me. Only other instruction was to not run after the night train I needed to catch tonight for Vienna. After that, I was released back into the streets of Krakow!

We had to pick up the muscle relief cream Dr Asenko prescribed from a pharmacy ten minutes away by taxi. And after grabbing an overpriced umbrella off the Old Town Market Square, I was (almost) back on my feet - at a crawling speed of 1 kilometre per hour - and ready for lunch.

• Location: Krakow, Poland
• Cost: 40 zl return taxi ride to hospital, 20 zl umbrella turn walking stick, 25 zl lunch, 20 zl muscle relief cream, A&E medical expenses unknown (will be billed to Singapore)
• Highlight: Sitting on the wheelchair at the hospital.

day 19: absorbing krakow

The problem with staying at Tom & Greg, my favourite hostel in Europe so far, is that you never want to leave. Proper (instead of bunk) beds in a spacious room, full spread of breakfast, all day cereal and milk, fresh fruit and nuts in the cosy lounge and the most friendly and helpful staff - they give you no reason to leave at all.

After breakfast at 10am, I hung out in the hostel for five prime hours, when the sun was out and the temperature perfect. Somehow the hostel was more appealing than the unexplored streets of Krakow. I painted my nails fairy-tale pink, updated this blog, read about Solomon's God-given wisdom (the book of 1 Kings chapter 3 and 4 in the bible), showered, chatted with Bok Hwee on MSN, and washed my socks. After accomplishing so much, I left the hostel at 3pm.

U Babci Maliny restaurant, just around the corner from the Old Town Market Square, is a typical peasant's house serving authentic Polish food. I had fried Pierogi dumplings filled with minced meat for 15.50 zl. I tried the boiled ones which Jerrain ordered which had mushroom and cabbage filling. They tasted a little like Chinese 'Guo Tie', just with thicker skin. My deep fried Pierogi were crispy and tasted like Japanese gyoza, but again with thicker skin and meat filled to the brim.

We worked off all that carbs with a slow stroll around the Old Town, to see St Mary Church (pictured), the outside of the Cloth Hall which is currently under renovation, and the Town Hall Tower.

The fifteen minutes walk to the Jewish Quarter (Kazimierz) passed several other churches and the Wawel Royal Castle, which probably deserves a few hours in the late morning tomorrow.

There were quite a number of sights in the Jewish Quarter - Old Jewish Cemetary which you can only peek into from a window, Old Synagogue built at the end of the 14th century, the grand Corpus Christi with intricate sculptures and huge old paintings inside, and an original old Jewish house used for Talmud lessons for adult Jews.

The lovely garden cafes - turn bars come evening - scattered around this aged and quaint neighbourhood draws a local crowd, according to Justin from our hostel. As I sat in one of them sipping my Latte, I can see why the locals love this place.

I have another day in Krakow tomorrow. Once I visit Wawel Castle, I have covered majority of the tourist spots. It seems like there is not much to see (besides Auschwitz, which alone justifies a trip to Europe), but Krakow has a unique appeal. I cannot put my finger on it - whether it is the cheap food, rough appearance or the raw energy - but Krakow has sparked the desire to move East. I need to plan a trip to Eastern Europe, whether it is another 37 day adventure, or longer, I do not know yet.

• Location: Krakow, Poland
• Cost: Fried perogi with meat 15.50 zl, Latte 8 zl, mojito 15 zl, muscat white wine 7.50 zl
• Highlight: Fairy-tale pink nails!! Finally get to use my nail polish which I rather blondely brought along and added to my already overweight and oversized backpack.
• People: Met Thierry and Dave from a UK or French HR software company. We sat in a bar in the Jewish Quarter that was lighted only by candles.

day 18: time has no power over these memories

The three-level wooden bunk beds look recently abandoned. So do the sanitary barracks, wagon and what is left at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau. Twenty-five times the size of Auschwitz I or the main camp, everything which stands there today is original.

Walking on the uneven stone ground in the rain and chilling wind at 13 degrees celcius, I could not imagine how the prisoners could have survived in their torn striped jacket uniform which never fitted them. The uniform would have hung loosely on their frail and malnourished body. Surviving on watery rotten vegetable soup and scraps of stale bread, they were forced to work till they die. 'Arbeit macht frei' -work did set them free.

I suppose the unseasoned look of the remains at Auschwitz represents how fresh the memories of the event are for those affected. Time has no power over these memories.

• Location: Krakow, Poland
• Highlight: Learning so much at Auschwitz
• Cost: 130 zl two night hostel stay, 90 zl (€22.5) Auschwitz tour, 8 zl hot choco and snack, 25 zl vodka tasting
• Hostel: Tom & Greg Junior. It is right next to the train station. We were welcomed when we reached at 7am with a lovely breakfast spread. Justin was an excellent host, she gave a brief introduction of Krakow and answered all our questions. There is food all the time, cereal and fresh fruit in the kitchen and louge all day long, and special dinner for free.
• Fun: It was strange to have fun immediately after the trip to Auschwitz but we were just in time for the vodka tasting session once we got back to Tom & Greg's at 8pm. We went to a bar in the Old Town called Wodka and tried four flavoured vodka shots - cherry, honey, lemon and mint. Met many new friends from Britain, USA and Canada.

day 17: stowaway to krakow

The train conductor came by. He motioned to us to draw the cabin door and window curtains which we had earlier drawn so we could watch the shadows of the passing trees.

He reminded us to keep quiet before handing me a thick chain and lock. We had to chain our cabin door in addition to the two locks already latched.

This was my first night train in Europe. I felt like a stowaway. But stuffed in my right jeans pocket is the €27 train ticket, so I am legal.

I had a good nine hours of sleep before the loud abrupt knock on our door. I am in Krakow Poland!

• Location: Prague, Czech Republic
• Highlight: Instant noodles with sausages, home-cooked by Jerrain.
• Cost: 55 czk hot chocolate, 62 czk groceries for instant noodles and sausages dinner and snacks for night train, 45 czk ice cream.

day 16: i ate peter rabbit

I could not resist the roasted home-bred rabbit with garlic, cabbage, bacon on the menu. Going at 210 czk (approximately €8.40), this traditional Czech dish can be found in most restaurants beside beef or deer goulash.

After letting Jerrain have a bite to taste, I finished the 300-gram meaty plate which came with sauerkraut on the side. It tasted like chicken breast, while the more tender parts had a duck-like texture. It went perfectly with the sauerkraut, red wine and brown bread.

A hearty dinner at Starmomacek Rearaurant near the Old Town Square was a spledid way to end a full day of sight-seeing. We joined the Sandemans New Prague Free tour. Our guide, Colin who was from Scotland, showed us the Astronomical Clock, Statue of Jan Hus, St Nicholas Church, Old Jewish Quarter, Wenceslas Square, House of the Black Madonna and told us lots of stories!!

Jerrain and I spent the rest of the afternoon getting lost in Prague Castle and taking loads of photos.

• Location: Prague, Czech Republic
• Cost: 45 czk hot chocolate, €5 tip for Colin from the New Europe Prague tour, 90 czk soup and hot chocolate, 270 czk traditional Czech dinner
• Highlight: Roasted rabbit
• Hostel: Prague Square Hostel right around the corner of the Old Town Square - Definitely one of our least favourite hostels on this trip. Bathrooms are not only shared, but gender neutral. The bathing cubicles do not have locks so anyone can open the plastic door or peep over the wall while you bathe. Only saving grace is my bed! A ladder in the room leads to a two-metre wide platform above the door, enough for a mattress and some space for my stuff.
• Health: After a day or two of sore throat, I now have a cough. Hope it will go away soon.

day 15: rail relax

I am starting to really enjoy these long relaxing inter-country rail journeys.

Today, Jerrain and I left Berlin for Prague. Setting off at 10.37am, I had five hours on my hand to spare before our arrival into Prague-Hlavni nadrazi at 3.27pm.

What did I get up to?

• 10.37am: Finished my half-eaten breakfast, ham sandwich from Kamps@
• 11.00am: Read about Sheba leading a rebellion against King David which eventually led to his death, and how Joab killed Amasa, in Chapter 20 of 2 Samuel (the bible)
• 11.30am: Listened to the sermon 'How could God send to hell' by Paul Clarke
• 12.00nn: Fell asleep
• 12.30pm: Still napping, by this time I looked really unglam, mouth opened and drooling
• 1.30pm: Read up on Prague, Krakow, and Vienna and snacked on chocolate waffle, honey cashew nuts, and cheese croissant
• 2.30pm: Gazed out of the window - mountain and river running by on our left, and trees and occasional houses on our right
• 2.40pm: Fiddle around with my stuff, took out my iPhone to blog

Location: Berlin Germany and Prague Czech Republic
Cost: €5.60 sandwich and juice for breakfast, €2.30 bread to go for the ride, €17 five bed mixed dorm
Train: Berlin hbf to Praha 5 hours

day 14: black out!!

We ate in complete darkness. I tried waving my right hand in front of my face and I could see nothing. Not even shadows.

When I was told that we were eating in the dark, I had no idea it was going to be pitch black. In fact, I do not think I have been in such a dark room before.

The restaurant, Unsicht-Bar, had a well-lit lounge where we first chose our drinks and type of meat - fish, beef or poultry - from a set menu. Our waitress then led us in a row, hands on the shoulders of the person in front, into the main dining hall.

Our €43 four course meal was served by a friendly and professional visually impaired waitress. We had:

• Starter: small selection of fish pralines with a sauce of honey and dill and leaf salad
• Entree: fried pike perch under a crust of sauerkraut served with saffron-fennel and risotto out of vegetables, on white wine foam
• Dessert: cream of passionfruit in a mini-preserving jar and fresh couls of raspberries

I always wondered what it was like to be blind. I think I had a 'glimpse' of how it was like this evening.

• Location: Berlin, Germany
• Cost: €1.40 sweet flat doughnut for breakfast, €6.10 day trip train ticket, €43 dinner
• Activities: Topographie des Terrors, East Side Gallery 1.3km of graffiti and art

day 13.5: dance craze in berlin

My trusty Lonely Planet guide describes Berlin as a city with night owl stamina. So we did not need much persuasion before signing up for the €12 Sandemans New Europe Pub Crawl.

The new friends we met from our hostel and the New Berlin tour quickly caught our contagious enthusiasm. And we made even more new friends along the way!!

• Ben from Canada: Taught me how to say 'ey' at the end of every sentence
  
• Tim and Chris Smith and Steve from Texas: Tim and Chris are brothers, Chris hates it that everyone thinks he is the elder brother
  
• Jin Sha from Hunan: Grabbed attention with her alluring eyes once the spectacles came off
• Ariana from Brazil: She had the best party hair that night
• Diana from Columbia: She did not look like a party regular but she danced and drank as hard as me when we got it going!!
• Carlos, our 'Arrmano' or big brother: He made sure the guys we do not want to dance with are behind the wall, there was like a 'death zone' which he was guarding. He is the best!
• Kelly and Sarah from Kansas USA: Hot babes!!

The bars we covered were:

1. Zapata
2. Silberfisch
3. Ruderclub Mitte
4. XO Berlin
5. Matrix Club

day 13: and then there was silence

Jerrain and I did not exchange many words this afternoon. No, we did not fight. We were moved and deep in thought after visiting the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

Walking through the memorial was like passing a massive cemetary with oversized tombs. I guess that was the idea. The 2711 tomb-like concrete stelae represented the innocent deaths of more than six million European Jews between 1933 and 1945. Unlike a regular memorial, the 19,073 square metre field of stelae of varying heights must be walked through. Nobody could pass through that memorial without being engaged on a certain level. It does not leave you a choice.

The information centre in the basement put faces and names to the rather impersonal memorial right above. It was sad to hear personal accounts and track the stories of families.

This was not an easy day. But I am sure Auschwitz will be worse.

• Location: Berlin, Germany
• Highlight: The free New Berlin tour is excellent. Finn, our enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable guide brought us around twenty over key sights in three and a half hours.
• Cost: €5 tip for free Berlin tour, €2.90 muffin and tea for breakfast, €2.80 croissant and coffee for lunch, €2.60 train, €3 computer in the hostel lobby, €3 currywurst
• People: Met many new girl friends - Our roommate Gougou or Madelaine from Nanjing China now studying in France, another roommate Kelly from Kansas USA, Jin Sha from Hunan China, and loads of Singaporeans!! Rachel who is studying in UPenn and her two girl friends, and four more people who are studying in Hamburg.

day 12: journey to berlin

We gave ourselves the much deserved rest after last night's Ultimate Party pub crawl. We woke up just in time to check out of the Heart of Amsterdam, our hostel in the centre of the Red Light district.

The seven-hour train ride to Berlin had two legs. We took the first train for about twenty minutes to Hilversum, before switching to the opposite platform for the train to Berlin.

The seven-hour train ride turned out to be a pleasant and comfortable one. Jerrain and I had a four-seat cabin (almost) to ourselves. A German lady joined us briefly. It was great we had the time to relax, nap, read, listen to our iPod and play games.

The trains are efficient and easy to figure out. For majority of the trains, we did not need to make reservations. Just turn up at the designated time according to the train schedule, fill in the date on our Eurail Global Pass, and just wait for the train conductor to come by and punch a hole in the pass below the date. I am thankful we got the Eurail pass.

• Location: Berlin, Germany
• Cost: €1.50 hot chocolate, €3.80 brownie and orange juice, €3.60 snacks for the seven-hour train ride, €7 dinner at Asian Gourmet
• Train: Amsterdam Centraal to Berlin seven hours

day 11.5: i survived leidseplein

The Leidseplein pub crawl organised by Ultimate Party gets a full 10/10 score from me!

For €20, we got entry to six clubs, your choice of beer, wine or shot at each club, a 'I survived' t-shirt, unlimited mouthfuls of some sweet vodka concoction, and non-stop dancing with 50 to 60 other partyheads!

The pubs we went to are pretty much alike, differing only in the music they play. They were all in the Leidseplein area, which is in the centre of Amsterdam nightlife (besides the Red Light district). The clubs were:

• The News
• Pirates
• Amsterdamned
• The Cooldown Cafe
• Royalty!

The bunch of pub crawlers were amazing. We met three girls from Germany, Gohan from Southern France, Joe from England with an English accent so strong I almost could not understand him, Joel and two friends from Canada who stayed in the same hostel as us, just a floor below. They were obviously high from something, and we lost them in the middle of the crawl. Fortunately when we went back and passed their room, they were already in bed.

Jerrain and I surrendered after the fifth club and headed to Burger King for wings and twister fries.

• Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  
• Cost: €20 pub crawl, €8.50 vodka lemonade, €6.20 Burger King supper wings with twister fries, €8 taxi back to hostel

day 11: the movable bookcase

Jerrain wanted to sleep in so I ventured out on my own at 8 in the morning. The streets were empty, except with the few drunkards who have not found home or the locals cycling to work. It was nice to be out early (ask me again in a few hours after fatigue kicks in, and I might say otherwise).

First - and my priority - stop was Anne Frank Huis. Despite being 15 minutes early (it opens at 9am), there were already three American tourists in the queue.

No photography was allowed. But none was required. I would never be able to capture the Secret Annexe as well as Anne had described in her diary. The unfurnished house demonstrated how moving her words alone are. I cannot imagine how scary it must have been. And I pray that no one would ever have to go through that type of fear again. *world peace \V/*

To lift my spirits, we decided to get some authentic Dutch food. Open since 1945, Van Dobben serves excellent Kippensoep (chicken noodle soup) €6.50, Broodje Croquet €2.50, Broodje Pekelvlees (ham sandwich) €3.25, and others which we had no stomach space for.

I took a quick stroll around the Bloemenmarkt (flower market) and an endless shopping street before heading back to the hostel. It is our last night in Amsterdam and we were determined to check out the clubbing scene.

• Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Cost: €8.50 Anne Frank House, €6 Dutch lunch, €2.50 hot chocolate in a cafe.
• Highlight: Visiting Anne Frank Huis, and relating to a lot of what she wrote in the book

day 10.5: how much is that doggie in the window

Can living in the red light district ever be a good thing? In Amsterdam, we paid premium for that and are enjoying it! Our hostel, Heart of Amsterdam, is right in the centre of the action. A quick walk along the canal just outside and behind the line of windows were near naked prostitutes in neon bikinis. Some sat, some stood, some danced. They would tap the window to attract the attention of men walking by. And those who liked what they saw went closer to negotiate terms.

Every now and then, the pattern broke from these dressed up windows, and what greeted us were colourful sex shops, sex shows, and erotic clubs.

We did not want a part of the action despite several distant invitations, so after a quick drink at Cafe Bar de Stoof, the bar beside our hostel, we headed back to rest.

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Train: Brussels Midi to Amsterdam Centraal 3 hours
Cost: €20 six bed mixed dorm, €5.60 fried chicken and fries for dinner
Highlight: Walking through the most colourful red light district.

PS: I do not mean to offend with the title. Several of them have stopped and now make a living by giving tours of the red light district during the day, giving accounts of what went on behind the scene when they used to work as prostitutes.

day 10: hunt for the moules

A hot bowl of mussels with fries sealed the deal this afternoon. It was easy deciding what to eat, but it was another matter when it comes to choosing where. The entire stretch of Rue des Bouchers was lined with restaurants. Waiters stood at the entrances urging you to enter.

The first restaurant we sat at unpleasantly asked us to leave because we did not order a drink to go with our food.

We skipped right next door to La Cotelette which not only did not require us to buy drinks, the boss offered complimentary drinks. The €12 set lunch started with creamy fish soup and warm bread, followed by mussels and fries, and completed with buttery waffles with sugar and chocolate fudge.

Nabil, the restaurant manager, taught us French, offered a shoulder massage, sang for us, and wanted to hold back the bill just so we stayed longer.

A day in Brussels is short, but we managed to cover the key sights, such as Sainte Catherine Cathedral, The Stock Exchange, Saint Nicolas Church, Brussels Town Hall, Grand Place, and the Manneken Pis Fountain.

It was difficult saying goodbye to the hotel. At €55, Hotel Queen Anne offered a private double room en suite with television and hairdryer (I have learnt to appreciate these little luxuries), breakfast with excellent scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, selection of bread and cereal, and the experience of riding in its super vintage lift!

Location: Bussels, Belgium
Cost: £12 set lunch, €27 hotel, €1 orange juice on the train, €5 black netted stockings
Highlight: Meeting Nabil the friendly restaurant manager
Train: Paris Gare du nord to Brussels Midi in 1.5 hours