Cologne

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Did you know that Pope Johannes Paul II was buried in Cologne? Because I didn’t. That’s why you go to church! (And go to the basement)

I dedicated my only day in Cologne to the past. First stop was the cathedral. Besides being bigger (actually a lot bigger) than the other churches I have visited on this trip, it was nothing more than a church. It’s a big like taking the ferry north along the Norwegian coast – rocky coastal line and mountains have a certain “wow”-effect for a limited time. It is what it is. Rocks.

Sorry.. back on track. Next stop – Walraf-Richartz Museum to see the exhibition “1912” about the modernists of that time. I can describe this exhibition with one word: Manifique! (Pardon my French) ;) No, but seriously. The exhibition is actually a remake/tribute to the exhibition in 1912 and the stories, anecdotes and explanations, they have written on the walls in every room (the exhibition consists of 8 rooms) are really informative and help you get the full picture of the era. They have paintings by Munch, Cézanne, Gauguin, Picasso and last but certainly not least – van Gogh. Bonus fact: In the museum’s collection of old pictures, they have a more than 750 year old painting (actually it’s an icon) – pretty impressive, huh?

Back at the hostel I met up with the other guys. Sam was taking it easy, but the three Chinese were scribbling one postcard after the other. I am not lying when I say that they probably had at least 50, if not 60.

The next morning, I was up early and had more than enough time to get to the pick-up point of my ride to Munich. Not having felt great the last days, I did not want to stand at the roadside in potentially crappy weather looking for a ride, so I had fixed that through Mitfahrgelegenheit (a German carpooling site). But of course the trains had a problem and I was stranded at two different stations for some time, which led to me being 5-10 minutes late. Stupid as I was (and still am!), I did not have the driver’s number, so I could only hope that they would wait for me… They did. Soon the two German girls and I were on our way to Munich. About one hour into the trip, the girl on the passenger seat opens the glove compartment and takes out a CD. This is not just any CD – it’s David friggin’ Hasselhoff!! My immediate reaction was laughter and the following sentence “You DON’T hassle the Hoff.” Unfortunately, I had to sit through track after track of half American half German schlager constantly thinking about where the hell I put my earplugs. I even tried to locate my multitool as I actually wanted to cut my ears out. Damn that guy is bad! Fortunately, I survived the drive to Munich and I was dropped off a bit out of town quite close to a big forest/park. As I had arrived one day before the others, I did not have a place to stay, I decided to go ancestral and camp in the forest.

It did not take long before I had found a suitable place in the forest and had started building my shelter. I had bought some plastic bags as a backup (something I greatly appreciated later that evening!). At about 19:30-20:00 I was in my sleeping bag under my shelter listening to the rain. Of course it had started raining. Why wouldn’t it?

At about 23:00, my back was cold and sore as I did not have a mat to lie on and my make-shift bedding of moss did not provide enough insulation. Not sure if my slanting health was due to bad eating and sleeping habits of the days prior or because of all the David Hasselhoff “music”, I decided to pack up start walking towards town. I did not know how far from the city centre I was, but after about 1,5 hours walk (with my backpack) I was in a Burger King getting some coffee and power on my phone. At 01:30 they closed and I had to continue. The partying people dressed in traditional Oktoberfest clothes I had seen, when entering the Burger King, had left and the area was now totally deserted. At about 02:30, I reached the city centre and entered another Burger King situated in the train station. People were having the time of their life and I was having coffee. Time passed and the sun eventually rose as I left the train station and headed for a new place to sit. Starbucks had opened and it was now only a matter of hours before I was meeting up with Giannis from the summer school in Helsinki.

Brussels

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Woke up in Brussels and had whole day of exploring a completely new city (and country) ahead of me.

I barely knew anything about Brussels, so I just jumped into head first. After a quick visit to the Saint Michael’s Cathedral, I found myself in the very centre (and most touristy part) of Brussels. It’s just north of the Grand Place/Grote Markt and consists of several small streets and alleys. It is full of restaurants and cafés with waiters trying to persuade you to come inside. Very very touristy. However, I did find one small dead-end alley that led to Delirium Café but I’ll come back to that. I just walked around the city taking in all the impressions. This is actually what I mainly do on this trip. Walk around and look. It’s interesting and free. :)

I was amazed by the ornamentation of the facades. It’s just such a big difference to what I am used to back in Denmark. Feeling like taking a break, I found a coffee place that look like they knew what they were talking about. And they sure did. I had a BIG cup of single estate unwashed coffee. Yuuuum – so fruity! Without really noticing, I had spent more than 3 hours at that place and it was time to move on. The day was spent on seeing the tourist sights; Manneken Pis, the Beurs, different buildings, the Grand Place etc. Sightseeing really takes its toll on you, so I was in need of a magic elixir. Went back to Delirium Café and ordered a glass of the magic potion: Delirium Nocturnum. Wow – what a beer!

Although hostels can be very nice places to stay and to meet new people, I really enjoy staying with locals. Until now, I had only stayed with people I knew, but this evening I had been invited to stay at my friend’s big sister’s place. You really experience life of that city or country, when you stay with locals and I can strongly recommend it. I have tried to contact people on Couchsurfing.org but as I decide where and when to go on more or less a day to day basis, it is quite difficult to get a place to stay through this service. The next day I felt it was time to move on. A couple of sights, a Belgian waffle and some fries later, I set course for the highway out of Brussels towards Cologne (Köln). This showed to be harder than I had thought. It is not easy to find a suitable spot to hitch a ride from Brussels, but luckily a friendly woman gave me a ride to the on-ramp. Soon I had a ride from Brussels to a place just outside Liège. From here I got a ride with a guy that didn’t speak English, but a bit of sign language, German and French later I was in Eupen. It was getting really chilly and windy now. It seemed as if I was in the middle of nowhere (which I actually was!) and nobody stopped. I was standing by the on-ramp towards Aachen (30 km from where I was) with a sign that said “Aachen”, yet nobody stopped. Just as I was convincing myself to take down my sign and put on my jacket a young guy stopped. Saved! A short ride later, I was a Aachen train station boarding the train to Cologne.

In Cologne, I found a hostel in the city centre and as I entered, I heard yelling and loud speaking. I thought somebody was drunk and/or having a party/fight, but the guy in the reception informed me that they were recording a scene for a film. Interesting. I checked in, bought some groceries and made new friends in the kitchen. Amir (from Pakistan), who has a great passion and vision: A cultural change among the youth in Pakistan. He wants to liberate them. It was amazing to listen to this guy speak about his history, experiences and vision for the future. Then I met Sam (from England), who flew to Pakistan with his bike and cycled to Europe via China, Uzbekistan, other -stans, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey etc. Yet another fascinating story! Last, but not least, I met Stephanie, Stephanie and Aaron (from China) who all quit their jobs to travel around Europe. Although this can be quite common in Europe and the US, it is quite rare in China.

Next up: A day in Cologne, carpooling to Münich with two German girls and a David Hasselhoff cd, and camping in the woods!

Antwerpen

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The IT guy was kind enough to drop me off in central Antwerpen although he was going to Gent. It is amazing how simple and easy life can be, when you hitchhike. However, the opposite can certainly also be the case. Luckily, I’ve been spared the worst.

After walking only a bit around the city centre, I headed to a bar to get out of the blazing winds. This place turned out to be a tiny room with a little bar in the corner. I think it was run by the woman in the bar, who, by the way, gave me samples of the different beers on tap, when she saw the confused look on my face when faced with the choice of beers. I went with a De Koninck (a dark local beer) and I did not regret it. Especially when I think of the price; 1,8 € for a draught beer (the Belgian wine glass-shaped beer glass). Mere minutes had passed after I sat down, when it started raining. Buckets. Pouring. Cats and dogs…. and then the thunder came. Although the beer was good and cheap, and the local patrons seemed friendly, though all over 60 (at least), I decided to defy the weather and search for a new place to explore. After passing a university building, I found another bar, which was actually a student bar. It was probably due to the weather that I felt like moving on to Brussels, so I ordered a La Chouffe and sat down. The feeling kept a firm grip on me even after emptying my beer, so I set course for the railway station, but first I had to eat something. The choice fell on a moroccan restaurant and boy was I in for a treat. A Duvel and a big plate of lamb chop, sausage, steak and kebab later, I was happy and ready to go to Brussels.

I entered the beautiful Antwerpen train station (really – it is magnificent!). The time had passed 22.00 (10 pm for you Americanos ;) ) and the ticket sales had closed. I headed for the ticket machines. They neither took cash or card! COME OOOOON?? European train station? After walking around the station and becoming more and more desperate, I found someone who looked a bit official. She told me that I should just board the train and find an official there. I found my platform and boarded, but no controller ever came. Win! But seriously? Why the f**k don’t they just allow the machines to take cash and/or card?

Minutes to midnight, I arrived in Brussels and I had NO clue about where to go, so I just went. Chose a direction and walked. Even in the dark of the night I could see that Brussels were much bigger and more beautiful than Antwerpen. I was looking forward to waking up the next day. I asked a couple of people on the way, if they knew where I could find a hostel, but they kept talking about hotels. Yeah right, I’m not going back to Le Méridien, I thought as I smiled at them and said thanks. A few minutes later, I heard coughing and sniffling behind me. A guy was walking behind me. He looked quite “casual” (to say the least), so I asked him if he knew a hostel in the area. He did. Actually he was going there. Within minutes I was checked in. Before going to bed I sat in the common room/café/bar and checked my mail/Facebook, while youngsters around me were partying (I feel so old sometimes…). Like in Antwerpen, I had only sat down (this time in my bed) when I heard thunder and saw massive lightning. I guess that the storm had turned and followed me to Brussels! I fell asleep within minutes.

Utrecht and Amsterdam

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Daniel and I decided to visit his brother, Benjamin, in Utrecht. After arriving in the afternoon, Daniel left me to go to Rotterdam and I was now all alone with this Dutch stranger. Daniel would not be back until the next day… However, a beer and a chat later Benjamin and I were already getting along quite well. (I guess brothers aren’t that different by the end of the day) ;)

The next day Daniel came back and we toured the city. It did not take long before the local dudes led me to a cool bar down by one of the grachts (the river canals) for a beer. I really like the grachts. They add something very special to the Dutch cities. Back home, the river that flows through the town is the most central and popular place to be, but it has none of atmosphere and charm of the Dutch grachts. A true Dutch speciality!

Now it was time for the three dudes to check out Amsterdam. After getting used to all the tourists, my eyes were focused on the characteristic Amsterdam architecture; tall narrow houses with pointy roofs. I was wandering why this became the predominant architectural style for Amsterdam and luckily my two “local” guides were able to enlighten me: Back in the days they put a tax on how many windows your house had. Building houses this way optimized the amount of living area, while keeping costs down.

We had dinner at a cool (kind of hipster) place (Canvas) on top of an old newspaper building. The terrace had a panorama view of Amsterdam. Very nice place and not too expensive. After dinner, we still had about three hours to spend before we could to the club just opposite Canvas. This club (Trouw) was situated in another old newspaper building (the major rival of the one where Canvas is situated). We went back to the city centre and had a look at the town by night. Quite reluctantly, the guys agreed to go through the Red Light District. I had to see this place. I’m not endorsing the practices taking place in the area, but you cannot go to Amsterdam without seeing it! After a game of pool and a couple of beers, we decided to go back to Trouw. When we arrived, we realized that entering that night without a pre-booked ticket would be impossible, so we headed back to Utrecht. Quite a lot of traveling that day! We arrived in Utrecht and checked out a local club. Nice place where they play electronic music (I’m not that well-educated in the difference of these genres). I was not the typical music being played in Danish clubs, but it was cool.

The next morning Daniel left us again, but that did not stop Benjamin and I from having fun. After an awesome breakfast in the sun on the roof terrace, we went for a walk around Utrecht, which included visiting the market. I had to try the Dutch delikatesse Hollandse Nieuwe, which is a raw or lightly marinated herring with raw diced onions. It was quite an experience (nice, but filling and with a distinctive taste that lasted for a while!). We decided to rinse with a beer. Benjamin took me to a church that had been turned into bar. Absolutely amazing place! And great beer.

The next day, I decided that it was time for me to move on and I took the bus to the outskirts of town, where I hitched a ride to Antwerpen with a guy. Another IT guy. (Second ride with an IT guy on this trip! Cudos and respect to IT guys) ;)

Groningen

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I was really feeling like drinking a beer with a friend, so seeing Daniel at the train station was a much welcomed sight. After the long trip with a lot of uncertainty, I felt home and safe (especially with that cold beer in my hand). What a feeling.

Groningen is an old city. There are still many old buildings including their university in the city centre. What a beauty! Just opposite of it is the main university library. Supposedly, that’s a place for picking up girls/guys. I don’t really see how that is possible, but it sure is a place for checking out people. (Bonus fact: People actually dress up to go to the library because of this!!)

That night we decided to check out the nightlife although it was a Tuesday. Though the majority of the places were closed, the cheapest and sleaziest places were packed. It was certainly a fun sight, but I prefer the cozy jazz bars (unfortunately I missed the live performances).

When they say that Groningen is a student city, they are not exaggerating. Every fifth person is a student, the city is packed with bikes (it felt like China in the 90s!), the university campus just outside the city center in big and quite new. Further, it seems like the architects have had no restrictions. They certainly do not look anything like the new minimalistic glass and steel university buildings in my home town, Aarhus. But this is actually very nice. The facilities are good and spacious – despite the many students. A cool thing I encountered while walking around campus was a solar-powered dumpster/trash bin that compresses the trash. Preeeetty cool, huh?

Local tip: When you have been having fun in the bars and clubs in Holland and you feel hungry, go to one of the many kebab places and order a “Kapsalon“. Don’t ask what is in it – it’s basically a mix’n'match of components of your average kebab/grill bar dishes.

Berlin to Groningen

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I had decided to move on. Berlin was no longer the place to be…

My new friend, Nils, had dropped me off at the station and I was now on my way through “currywurst und pilsner”-land. Despite German efficiency, I almost didn’t make my transfer in Oldenburg. Maybe the calming effects of the liberal cannabis laws in the Netherlands had to do with it. I don’t know, but I do know that they waited for us (the arriving passengers – thumbs up, DB bahn!)

PS. I think everyone should be able to speak English. I was amazed to meet people in the service sector, who didn’t speak English. Come oooooon!! We live in the 21st century. In Europe. It’s part of being a citizen on this planet. Learn English…. or lock yourself in a dungeon. Thank you.

PPS. I arrived in Groningen without a scratch. ;)

Berlin

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Still not having the slightest clue about where I was, I woke up to blue skies and a beautiful, shining sun. Yay! The rough winds and lower temperatures of the North had stayed behind me and I was now enjoying the climate of the “South”. ;)

I didn’t have to walk for long before I encountered my first interesting site: Topography of terror (Ps. It’s free!) Here I walked along about a hundred meters of the old wall. Before I knew it, I had spend an entire hour by the wall reading about the terrors of the Nazis. Actually, the very site itself gave me goosebumps when I saw the wall. (Check the pictures) After a couple of deep breaths, I moved inside the newly-built museum (Also free). This building actually sits on top of the site, where some of the most important institutions of the Nazi regime were housed. This included Gestapo, the Reich SS Leadership, the Security Service of the SS and the Reich Security Main Office. Amazing. In total I spent 1,5 hours there and it was worth it.

Then I continued up north through the Holocaust monument and the memorial to the homosexuals, who were persecuted during the Nazi era.

Berlin offers a lot of interesting experiences if you “get off the beaten track”. In its very literal sense this is of course difficult, however, taking a random right or left turn once in a while can yield some very nice experiences. One of these random turns got me to Mauer Park. This showed to be the coolest place to be on a sunny Sunday. (Berlin is completely shut down on Sundays.) I went through the “park”, which is actually more like a half-barren grass field, and immediately felt like I was at Roskilde Festival (except Mauer Park doesn’t smell like a dirty toilet). Moving on, I found myself in a market (usually on squares) again and again. This is apparently how the Berliners like to spend their Sundays, when all the shops are closed. (Really cool!)

Luckily, Berlin wasn’t completely demolished during the war. There are still many beautiful (old) buildings to visit. One of them is the Zionskirche, which is in very bad condition (inside – see pictures) but has a beautiful view from the tower. (Can be accessed for 1€)

Another of my random turns led me into a backyard, where a photo gallery was situated. I had just missed the gay exhibition but the place was still stacked with very very cool photos. (They were not all about gay people) :)

Berlin has much to offer. My current trip is about trying new things and following the flow. I don’t plan much and I trust in randomness. This way of life possible (and interesting) in Berlin. But the city also offers big shops, department stores, trendy cafés and restaurants, if that is the purpose of your stay. Berlin surely has a lot of diversity.

Here is a small anecdote about staying alert and not trusting too much in people:

I was approached by a young girl (probably 12-13 years old) who didn’t talk. She pointed to a block of paper (the ones you use when filling out surveys) and some text stating that she was from an organization of deaf/mute children. They would like a donation. I didn’t give anything and wasn’t sure if I was just being cheap and selfish. I walked on, but looked back and saw the girl being joined by two other youngsters. They talked to her and she answered. The girl continued on “asking” people for money, but quickly hid her block of paper, when a police car drove by. I guess sometimes the truth is just 20 seconds ahead.

Germany is really a cake and wurst country. They sell cake and German sausages everywhere. :)

I decided to go to Groningen (Netherlands) to visit a friend from the summer school in Helsinki. I felt like drinking a beer with a friend. After checking out I went to the area where “my” turkish place was, but I wanted to try something new. I went around the corner and found a place that served Nepalese food. I asked a guy, who was sitting outside, what he was having and he invited me to join him. On the evening of leaving Berlin, I had made a new friend. He even gave me a ride to the train station. Amazing how friendly and open people are sometimes!

I was now on my way to Groningen

Aarhus to Berlin

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After returning to my home from a great time in Gothenburg, I was eager to leave ASAP.

I decided to try something new (it’s kind of the main theme for this journey), so I was dropped off by my dad at the on-ramp to the motorway south of my home town. I got out my sign with the text “SOUTH” and hoped for the best. The time was approx. 12:00.

After only 5-10 minutes a mother and her daughter pulled over! YAY! However, their destination was 50 km south of my town. Well… Every little bit helps. But wow, they were so kind – when they dropped me off at an on/off-ramp, they gave me their number and told me I should call if I didn’t get a ride by that evening. The time was 12:34.

Not knowing what to expect I took out my sign and after 3 minutes a young woman and her little daughter pulled over. (Did I sleep on a mattress of four-leaved clovers the night before or what??) They were also just about 50 km from their destination, but I was happy. They dropped me off at an on/off-ramp (which is your best choice when hitchhiking close to the motorway) The time was 13:12.

I actually didn’t know what to think now. I had gotten to Kolding in just about an hour, but stories from my friends about 6 hours of waiting just kept lurking in the back of my head. The area I was standing at was not as good as the two first. The cars didn’t really have a place to stop, but I got my sign out and kept a positive attitude (and a SMILE on my face). I stood there for 5 minutes! Come oooooon! What is up with people? :) A woman picked me up and she was going to a town very close to the border. She even did a detour to drop me off at a more attractive spot. The time was 14:00.

I was on a roll now – three times in a row with practically NO wait. I was confident…. But after some time, I realized that this spot might not be as good for hitching a ride to Hamburg or Berlin (which was the text on my sign now). I started walking with my backpack on and the sign in my hand. After 30-40 minutes I was at the LAST on-ramp to the motorway before Germany and there were no cars. What to do, what to do?, I asked myself. It’s illegal to walk along the motorway, so that wasn’t really an option, but then I found a small road leading to some farms just by the border. I went down the road and into the fields following the motorway, which was just on the other side of some bushes. As I was walking and quickly getting closer to the Danish-German border, I felt like a real explorer (and kind of like a fugitive at the same time!) – especially when I had to crawl through bushes and trees to get to the first parking lot past the border. Finally in Germany! Now I just had to find a ride.. Looked around. Only busses. Crap! And there was no on/off-ramp in sight. But then I saw a man exiting the cafeteria and getting into his car (how could I have missed that?). I quickly got my sign out and he stopped. HE STOPPED! He was going to Hamburg. *snif snif* Aaah – I just love the smell of success! The time was 15:35.

After a very nice trip (with a lot of 70′s music on high volume) through northern Germany, I reached my initial goal: Hamburg. Our journey through the musical universe was rounded off by the first half of Adele’s album. What a change of genre. Anyway… The man dropped me off at a very big roundabout, where all cars driving to(wards) Lübeck and Berlin would be passing through. Perfect! The time was 17:15.

I was about to hitch my first ride in Germany (although the ride from the border technically was from Germany, it doesn’t count.) Standing in a busy roundabout for 25 minutes not knowing if it would be possible to get a ride a saturday evening and realizing that the temperatures were dropping, I suddenly had a new shiny black Mercedes Benz in front of me with two guys in it. They were going to Berlin but their English skills weren’t that good. What the heck, I thought to myself, a ride is a ride (and vice versa! – Right dad?) ;)

Having thought that I probably wouldn’t get to Berlin that day, I hadn’t actually been doing any “home work” about the city. Consequently, I arrived in Berlin without the slightest clue about where I was or where they were taking me. I then saw myself in Schöneberg waiting with one of the guys for the other to get his girlfriend. After a little while the guy came back (without the girl) and we were ready to go. I still didn’t have ANY clue about which part of the city I was in or where we were going, so I was on the edge of my seat (In a good way though) and just had to trust them. They dropped me off in Kreutzberg at a hostel called Metropolis, where the Kebab/Döner place just outside had a 100 meter queue. This had to be good! The time was 20:20.

I was here. In BERLIN! After just 8 hours (and we even got stuck in a traffic jam around Berlin) Wauw!!

After checking in I walked around the area and asked a waiter at a café, if they had food. Only snacks but if I was interested in really good Turkish food he knew a place just around the corner. And geeh! Was he right. I hadn’t eaten since 10:00 that morning, so getting some chow and a beer took me to paradise and back. WOW.

Finished my walk around the block and went to bed. In a dorm. For the first time. In my life.

Zzzzz….

 

PS. If you are going to stay at a hostel, there are several ways to get some sort of discount. Usually you save money by booking online. Registering at the booking sites can sometimes grant you a “no booking fee” discount. However, if you, like I did, arrive without a reservation walk around in the reception (as ninja-like as you can) and check if they have flyers that gives you a discount. Metropolis has them at the desk and they give you 10%. If the above is not working for you use your mouth. Talk! Try everything. Student, traveling for a long time, had the place recommended by friend, returning customer, your pet is sick. What ever you can think of.. and for Xanus sake (if you don’t get it, check my “random things” page) SMILE!!

The hostel I stayed at (Metropolis) had comfy beds and breakfast included. It kept me full all day and the things to choose from were numerous – even for a person who, like me, doesn’t eat grains. Yes, that includes bread. And cereal. Correct.