Clubbing – SteveWhittythoughts1965

November 12, 2013November 12, 2013

Balkans Day 5, 12 September – Maybe I Should Say No More

Today I felt like a real traveller as I was leaving for Dubrovnik. I had enjoyed my time in Split and the hostel. I felt sad not being able to say goodbye to Josko. Having arrived at the coach station I was greeted by a scene of organised chaos. So many people looking to leave by coach. Got on my coach though was shocked to having to pay to put my luggage in the hold.

The journey itself started with no problems. However, by the afternoon the weather had turned. I could see the lightning hovering above the coach and soon after the heavens opened. I had not seen rain like this in a long while. It was that bad the local police closed the main road and the coach was diverted through a single track village. This delayed the coach. I arrived into Dubrovnik nearly two hours late. The journey though did have some highlights, namely the stunning views when the weather was good.

When I arrived into the hostel I think Neno the owner was a little annoyed with me arriving so late. However, he did not show it. The hostel itself was underground which meant it felt cool and it was only about 200 metres from the old town.

I went into the old town for a bite to eat. Back at the hostel I was enjoying the company of the the other travellers. We were listening to music and playing games. It was like the United Nations with America, Belgium, UK, Germany and Uruguay being represented. I was enjoying myself. This is why against my better judgement I was persuaded to go clubbing. It was an experience that ultimately left me cold. The night had started out alright. We were drinking in the Irish bars. I noticed that the menu in one bar was offering Chicken Nuggets. In a town full of restaurants they appeared not to be trying.

The night started to turn with the introduction of vodka. One of the party had smuggled in a bottle and proceeded to empty into our glasses. Fortunately someone brought some 7up to dilute the taste. We made our way to the nightclub. There one of the party (not me) seemed to lose control of themself. The atmosphere inside the club did not feel right. I was glad to leave.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

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March 20, 2013March 21, 2013

Vienna & Budapest – Day 6, 11 March 2013

I spent rather a comfortable first night in my hostel. I also enjoyed another filling breakfast. By the time I got ready for the day I had made up my mind on what I planned to do. When checking in I noticed the free walking tour. It is something I always take advantage of as a solo traveller it is a good way of meeting people.

It was a beautiful day, a chance not to wear a coat. I made the slow walk towards the meeting point in Vörösmarty Square. As usual I arrived way too early. While waiting for the tour group to come together I was approached by a man who wanted to sell me a I-Phone. Noticing that he was holding the box I politely decline. I suspect there was nothing inside the box.

As I registered myself with the group I met a couple of girls. One Brazilian, the other Canadian who were happening be studying in Brighton. We were getting along well. The tour started with a brief history of Hungary. With its recent poor record in choosing sides in 20th century wars I figure it has been unlucky. We started off in Pest passing St. Stephen Basilica before crossing Szechenyi Chain Bridge into Buda climbing Castle Hill towards the Royal Palace.

The tour ended at the Mathias Church Fisherman’s Bastion. We were recommended a restaurant that we should try for some lunch. By this time several more people had joined us. Bree from San Francisco who was studying in Paris, Marion from Paris, Ceylan from Istanbul who is studying medicine in Poland and Martin from Poland. I chose a pork and potato dish with red cabbage washed down with a bottle of local beer. An enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.

After lunch we may our way to the National Gallery. Myself, Ceylan and Marion decided to go inside. Not before agreeing with everybody else that we should meet up later in the evening at the Szimpla Kert ruin bar.

After leaving the National Gallery we made our way back towards Pest and our hostel. It was the slow route going first via the Parliament building. Marion commented that it looked like the Houses of Parliament in London. I had to agree. Carrying on further into the city I noticed a statue of Imre Nagy, the Prime Minister of Hungary during the 1956 Uprising. He is looking towards the Parliament building. It was a moving site to see.

Going further we all agreed that we needed to drink coffee and ended up at the Hutte Cafe Bar. It was unusual that it was housed inside an inflatable building. Probably explains why the coffee was so expensive.

After arriving back at the hostel we agreed that we should go for something to eat before going to the Szimpla Bar. We ended up in a restaurant called “Frici Papa”. It served traditional Hungarian fare. I chose the Beef Goulash. When in Hungary as they say.

After the meal we met up with everybody else at the Szimpla Bar. It is known as a ruin bar because it is housed in an old building that has seen better days. It is a bar containing different floors that played music or you could go to rooms to escape and chat. Martin met up with a friend he knew called Kasia a French girl and another person from Slovakia. It was a great evening even if I was starting to feel tired. It must be my old age. Ceylan and Marion agreed that we should all meet up for breakfast in the morning.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

November 25, 2012

Prague – A Reflection

What can I say about the city of Prague. It is beautiful, historic, full of fun and crowded. It was always a city that I wanted to visit for a long time. Twenty three years since the full of Communism would Prague fail to live up to expectations. The answer was that I fell in love with the city. There is something for everybody be it culture vulture or party animal.

Everything in Prague is compact and easy to reach by foot. However, I recommend that you start your day early if wish to avoid the crowds particularly if you are looking to cross the Charles Bridge. I was in Prague during September and there were a lot of visitors. Suffice to say it would be best to avoid Prague during July and August.

The best way of gaining your bearings is to go on a walking tour. Once you see the landmarks it is easy to remember where you are going. Plenty of companies organise walking tours. I was lucky the my hostel operated a free one. As a solo traveller I found it a great way of meeting people. Walking is not the only way of seeing Prague. There were carriage tour and even a Segway tour too.

Here are a list of must see attractions in Prague:-

Prague Castle
Charles Bridge
The Astronomical Clock
Old Town Square
Wenceslas Square

All of these attractions can be visited in a day, something I managed to achieve. Admittedly it meant crossing the Charles Bridge at 09:30.

As I mentioned earlier Prague has a reputation of being a party town. Starting with organised pub crawl from the hostel I explored the bars and clubs the city had to offer. What I liked about the nightlife in Prague was how relaxed they were about the house rules concerning attire. I was wearing casual clothes with black training shoes and had no problem in gaining entrance. This is so different to the UK. I ended up at Karlovy Lazne (5 Story Club) apparently Europe’s tallest nightclub. A tip is the further you climb the cheesier the music becomes. This is pleasing for an old fart like me.

Then there is always the beer. It is true that it is cheaper than buying soft drinks. However, the reputation of beer’s quality is such that it represents real value for money. There was a bar on spirits over 20% proof while I was in Prague. This was due to poisoned alcohol being sold in the street which had claimed lives. There are plenty of small bars that sell absinthe the strong aniseed flavoured spirit. If that sounds too much for you then you can try the absinthe flavoured ice cream.

I was made extremely welcome in Prague. It is a safe city to walk around. Whatever you choose to do I am sure that you will have a good time.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

October 8, 2012October 8, 2012

Prague & Bratislava – Day 5, 14/09/2012

For a lot of people in the hostel today was their final day in Prague. The plan was to explore the area around Prague Castle. This seemed a good idea at the time. So a couple of us decided to head to the Old Town Square. The weather was good so we checked out what was going on. There were plenty of wedding parties. Of course the brides looked beautiful. There was a dixieland jazz band playing in the background. Plenty of people were soaking in the atmosphere. Some even brought the CD. I am not sure it would sound the same back home.

Dixieland Jazz Band in The Old Town Square

Eventually, we climbed the Astronomical Clock Tower. Once at the top space was tight due to the amount of people there. However, it did offer excellent views of the Prague skyline.

We decided that we need to head up to the castle. So after crossing Charles Bridge and having something to eat we caught a tram up to the top of the castle hill. We did not plan to go inside but just potter around. We saw the absinthe shop and it was selling ice cream flavoured with the drink. One of us could not resist. I tried some, it tasted foul but then again I do not like the taste of aniseed. So I started to drink beer instead. Drinking in the castle grounds did not seem right with the tourists milling around but I felt relaxed about it.

Slowly we made our way back to the city centre and I eat the sloppiest burger that I had ever tasted. At the hostel it was decided as it was the last night for the majority of us we should go out and celebrate. Always keen to follow I went to my dorm, got showered and changed. We made our way to the nearest club. I am surprised how relaxed clubs are in mainland Europe are about letting people in. I was wearing a shirt, jeans and trainers and the doormen were happy to let me in.

While relaxing with a beer you could see panic behind the bar. The Czech government had during the day banned the sale of alcohol over 20% proof due to recent cases of people dying from drinking contaminated booze. So it was beer all night, no hardship.

The atmosphere turned ugly when a group of locals decided to move around us. I had my arse slapped then another person started dancing in front of one of the girls. Her boyfriend naturally to exception to this and made his feelings known. He was ignored and a fight broke out which was a shame. Still it did not stop our fun and we continued to drink and dance. I am better at drinking than dancing. At the end of the night we said our goodbyes and wished one another safe travels.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve