Berlin

Took an early morning train from Amsterdam to Berlin and arrived in the afternoon with plenty of time to explore. Very cool city, I (Mary) had never been before and immediately loved its vibe. On the first day we wandered around and checked out one of the remaining sections of the Wall and got a feel for our new surroundings. Sarah and I are both big walkers, we love just cruising around with no particular destination to see what's around.

The hostel was very nice and we were fortune to have 2 awesome Australian roommates, Johanne and Peter, who we immediately hit it off with. We became partners in crime and went pretty much everywhere together. Along the way we also met 2 Brits, Sam and James...how cliche - 2 Americans, 2 Australians, and 2 Brits cruising the streets of Berlin. We loved just having a few beers and talking about our travels - it's so great to be in Europe in the summer when everyone is on holiday and traveling all around. So many people we bumped into along the way have similar paths as us and we have all been so excited to share our experiences so far and give advice/suggestions where we can.

As for the city of Berlin itself - love it. We walked around a ton and also did a bike tour led by Mike, an American who has lived in Berlin for 3 years and does tours in his spare time to support his art career. He knew so much about the city and was so enthusiastic about sharing his thoughts and observations about the history and how much it has changed even since he moved there. Sarah was in Berlin several years ago and was amazed at how different the city looked and felt in the short time she had been gone. The city seemed more alive, loads more cafes and shops through out the city then the last time Sarah was here. So much is being built up, we counted at least 10 cranes along the skyline from the hostel rooftop bar. We both said that we'd love to come back in a few years to see how much more developed it becomes.

There is such a huge art influence, graffiti is everywhere, but it is done in such a way that it gives the city a certain feel of youth and innovation. We spent some time at a contemporary art museum and in the Tacheles, a factory-like art house that serves as a studio for young artists to develop and explore their techniques. Mike told us that it costs them less than 1 Euro for a month's rent to stay at the studios, pending their acceptance of course. As much as we love seeing the Renaissance paintings it was a nice change to be surrounded by modern art - even though Berlin is an old city that has been through so much it is still young and constantly growing and changing.

During our stay were were even fortunate enough to meet some of Sarah's friends who currently live in Berlin for drinks and had a great time discussing our travels and cultures. For us meeting friends and fellow travellers along the way has already been the highlight of the trip...Peter and Johanne - we will definitely be taking you up on your offer to stay with you in Melbourne, see you down under sometime early next year. Cheers mates.

Prague is up next.