Tag: tour

Soaring Above Luxor – Magic Horizon Hot Air Balloons Review
Luxor is the jewel in Egypt’s tourism crown. There are many ways to see it’s famous tombs and temples. The most exhausting being a traditional tour, on foot. The most magical, taking to the skies in one of Magic Horizon Hot Air Balloons! If you are looking to do something a little bit special during your time in Egypt then you should definitely get a Hot Air Balloon in Luxor.

This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.

Wakey Wakey

Too excited to sleep, I was awake before my 03:30 alarm even went off. Mr Fluskey had once been up in a hot air balloon but (despite being a Flying Fluskey) I had not.

We got ready and stumbled down the stairs for our 04:20 pick up. The waiting minibus drove us two minutes up the road to a small dock, right opposite Luxor Temple. The whole group was gathered by 04:40. This seems to mean, the further from the temple you are staying, the earlier your pick up will be.

Breakfast

We made our way carefully down the dark gangplank and onto the boat just as the morning’s first call to prayer rang out across the city. Laid out on the table was a selection of tea, coffee and fresh mint with a pot of hot water. Each passenger also had an XL Twinkie.

The Twinkies are served

Never in a million years would I have guessed that I would be given a Twinkie in Egypt! The Australian guy next to us had never tried one, and it was a beautiful moment to share his first time. He popped a bite of the oily, sickly sweet snack cake in his mouth and chewed contemplatively. “Well I couldn’t eat a whole one” he grimaced.

The Briefing

Our captain for the day, Bob, embarked and began his safety speech. Half the group was Chinese and I don’t know how much or little they understood of the talk. He explained the landing position, which was very important, and told us about how he expected the morning to go.

We all had to fill out a form with our name, hotel name and weight in kilos. At this point, you may be tempted to lie, but it is vital that you are honest or they may not have enough fuel for the flight.

The boat chugged across the Nile in the darkness and two minutes later we were back off and into another minibus.

The view from the back of the boat

Check out our Mount Sinai & Red Sea 3 Day Experience Review

Magic Horizon Balloons

There are lots of companies flying their balloons over Luxor, it’s pretty big business. I wanted to make sure we chose a company with a great safety record and an equally sturdy reputation. During my research I came across Magic Horizon Hot Air Balloons and this became my number one choice. Bob, the pilot not only has a hot air balloon license but pilot licenses in Egypt, the UK and the USA. (Turns out he lived just up the road from where I used to live in Sussex).

All the balloons that Magic Horizon own are made in Bristol, UK to the highest standard. They also own the largest basket in the world. It holds a whopping 28 people, and it was in this basket that we were to head skywards.

The Balloons

With sunrise fast approaching we arrived at the launch site. Four huge balloons were already semi-inflated and the jets of flame lit them up like huge Chinese lanterns.

Burn baby, burn!

Watching the balloons fill, feeling the heat radiate and hearing the burners roar from some distance away was exhilarating.

I was enthralled

Around the base of each balloon, the ground crew dashed. Baskets were brought on flat bed trucks and attached. Men shouted instructions at one another in between the burners bursts and as each balloon prepared to leave, they descended upon the basket yelling and straining to take the strain until it was ready to ascend.

So pretty

Taking Our Turn at Hot Air Ballooning in Luxor

The first balloons rose away from the launch site and were quickly replaced by the next four, including ours.

Up, up and away

We lined up in front of the basket and prepared to clamber in. There are little foot holes to help you but you have to be pretty sprightly when getting into the basket. It is about a metre deep and divided into nine sections. The outer four take four people each and the central section holds the pilot and the fuel canisters.

Ours is the red one

The burners are scorching! Every time they blow you feel a rush of heat above you. Obviously, if you are in one of the outer sections you won’t be as toasty.

The final filling

The Take Off

The ground crew waved us a cheery goodbye before we slowly bumped up into the sky. The balloons are held down by trucks and the crews have to time when to let it go. It all seems like a tussle, hot and noisy until, seconds later, you are floating away. As the world drops away beneath you, all the madness seems to drip from the basket and serenity takes over.

Trying to get us off the ground

As some of the other balloons had left, the occupants could be heard screaming at the height but our fellow passengers seemed to be made of stronger stuff.

Read Riding the Rails – The ERNST Night Train from Luxor to Cairo

Up In The Air of Luxor in a Hot Air Balloon!

One thing about hot air balloons that both makes complete sense, and yet I find baffling, is there is no wind. Well, there is, but as the balloon is guided by it, the basket feels very little air movement. It is incredibly strange to be high up in the air without a breeze whipping your hair into a frenzy. In fact, the whole experience of floating along is fantastically relaxing. The noise is little to none…until the burners make you jump and you remember that fire is what is keeping you up.

Other balloons drifting eastwards

The Sights Of Luxor from the Hot Air Balloon

Doing a tour of the West Bank of Luxor the previous day gave us a good idea of what it was we were looking at. I think it is a real bonus to know what you can see.

Behind the next set of balloons lies the Valley of the Kings, resting place for the Pharaohs, and Valley of the Nobles. You can also make out the Temple of Hatshepsut, a famous female Pharaoh. It looks like its built into the rock, but it’s just an optical illusion.

Bob pointed out the sights to us.

The Angry Man

The balloon began to descend slowly and we were all a bit giggly and nervous. We floated down at around 30 metres. The guy next to us piped up, “What are we doing?”

Skimming the fields

The pilot explained that he was taking us lower so we weren’t blown east too quickly, losing nice photos of the West Banks sights.

The angry man shouted that there must be something wrong with the balloon!

And so back into the sky we rose and began to drift east towards the Nile.

We were happier than angry man

The View

Other balloons

Well what can I say. The views from 300m were spectacular. The River Nile, that slices through Luxor, glistened in the rising sun. The minaret towers of numerous mosques pointed skywards. The whole scene was gorgeous. I thought it made a nice change from walking along the tout heavy street level.

The Nile

Did you know? The Nile is the only major river that flows South to North

The Sofitel Winter Palace hotel below us. Above, the pontoon pool at the Iberotel.

Luxor Centre

Luxor Centre

Where the flood plain ends

The Landing

As we came down lower, the wind had noticeably picked up. Whereas before, we had been 30 metres off the ground the lazily drifting sideways, now we were swimming along at some speed.

The pilots tried to find a landing spot for quite some time and finally the flying team shouted “LANDING POSITION”. We crouched down, noticing that our section of basket seemed much smaller as we all jostled for knee space. Each of us clung on to the handles in front of us, anticipating a bumpy landing. Peeking out of the foot holes, used for climbing in and out of the basket, we saw the ground crew running full pelt to try and keep up with the balloon.

Thump!

Air.

Thump.

Dust

Thump!

Aaaaaaaaand tip.

Turning the World Right Side Up

It was quite a bumpy landing, and honestly more intense than I was expecting. I found out later that we landed at 15 knots, way above the normal speed of around 2 or 3. The basket had dragged along the desert floor and then tipped over. We were fine but a little sandy. It was a stark contrast to the blissful peace of the flight. We clambered out into the sun-baked surroundings and dusted off.

Read about all our travels in Egypt

Afterwards

When everyone had composed themselves, angry man kicked off again, and so the pilots gave us a quick explanation. If there is no wind, you cannot fly at all. At the time we took off, the winds were light and favourable. Whilst in the air an unusual gust had started up below us. At that point, you just have to get on and land. Angry man looked like his whole day had been ruined, but it was just 10 seconds out of a very enjoyable hour and so I was pretty relaxed about the whole thing.

After a quick snap with our certificates, we were all assigned a minibus. How they made it to the landing site in time baffles me. The ground crew really earn their gratuities. We had a little doze and before we knew it, we were back at our hostel, and just in time for breakfast!

Check out 8.5 Reasons You Will Love Backpacking in Egypt

Top Tips About Getting a Hot Air Balloon in Luxor

Thinking of booking with Magic Horizon Hot Air Balloons? Here are my top tips:
- You can book your experience before you leave home through Magic Horizon’s website.
- Get a good night’s sleep. I was very over-excited and so I didn’t sleep all that well. It is a very early start.
- If you are planning to take a camera or video camera, make sure it has a wrist strap or similar. It would be heart-breaking (not to mention dangerous) to drop anything over the edge of the basket.
- We flew in summer but it can be chilly if you are doing so in the winter months Nov – Feb. Take a scarf or an extra layer.
- Don’t be like angry man. If you don’t understand what is going on, just ask the pilot, they have a wealth of knowledge.
- Magic Horizon has insurance for its passengers so you don’t need to worry about a thing.
This trip was sponsored by Magic Horizon Hot Air Balloons but all opinions are entirely my own.

Rosie xx

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24/09/2017
Entering Korea’s DMZ – A JSA, Imjingak and Third Tunnel Tour.
Whether you are a “dark tourist“, a patriot or just eternally curious, then this is for you; a day trip into the DMZ, where you actually get to step foot into North Korea.

This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.

The Morning

It was a very painful awakening when our alarms went off collectively at 06:00. Suddenly, a night of delicious sticky fried chicken and grapefruit soju didn’t seem like such a good plan (it was yummy though, read about it here). Four short, paranoid hours sleep didn’t equate to a happy morning. However, excitement was running high. This, our second day in Seoul, was the day of our tour north to the DMZ and North Korea.

We travelled to our pick up point, a subway stop on line 1 and prepared for tour bus roulette. Were we the first pick up; allowing us first choice of the seats but meaning we were an hour’s sleep short? Or were we last; allowing us more sleep but leaving us with separate seats or the middle back seat (surely the worst seat on a tour).

The lanyard we were given on the bus. “If lost, please return to…”

Turns out we were the first to board the bus and so spent the next hour and a half going between guest houses and hotels slowly accumulating fellow DMZers before heading north towards the border.

An Introduction to the Korean War

At the end of WWII Korea underwent the same kind of division that affected Europe, with the Soviet Union occupying the Northern regions, and allied forces in the South. The line that split the country was called the 38th parallel. The onset of the Cold War meant the two sides failed to reunite as relations between the US and the USSR worsened and they both claimed they should possess the peninsular.

After two years of bloody skirmishes the North made a huge move to take control in 1950 and a three year war ensued. The Chinese backed North (also supported by the Soviet Union) almost won, but the newly formed United Nations (led by the USA) pushed them back. Eventually an armistice was signed in 1953 and the two countries have been in a state of stalemate ever since.

So What is the DMZ?

As part of the armistice, a new border was created, which unlike the 38th parallel wasn’t just a straight line. For two kilometres in either direction is the demilitarised zone (DMZ). This doesn’t mean there are no soldiers, but rather there is a strict agreement on the number of soldiers, weapons and where they may go.

A lookout post on the drive North

Our Trip Begins

We drove North from Seoul towards the DMZ and our guide Lina introduced herself and the main story of the Korean conflict. Lina was a wonderful guide. She was bubbly and informative. As a young woman she doesn’t have personal memories of the war but she has still been affected.

Check out the latest price for the tour on seoulcitytour.net

Arriving at the DMZ

To enter into the DMZ, we had to cross the reunification bridge where we had to show our ID to a soldier. This was quite a casual exchange and so calmed any jingling nerves.

Driving across the bridge

The Video

The bus pulled into a large car park and we were shown into a small cinema. It was propaganda time! I don’t know why, but I hadn’t expected it to be this way on the South side of the border but it was an excellent piece of film.

A loud American voice over listed atrocities committed along with dramatic music and fake explosion graphics. There was also a strange bit about how nature was flourishing in the DMZ and would “…forever, until reunification”. I know that they were trying to make it all seem less scary, and see the silver lining but we were probably a bit too cynical for it all.

Next to the cinema was a collection of reunification statues and monuments. This was my favourite.

The Third Tunnel

Next we walked across the car park to “the third tunnel”. This is the third (duh!) of the infiltration tunnels that were discovered leading from North Korea into South Korea.

A defector from the North gave intelligence that these tunnels existed and investigations started from there. The North had been claiming that dynamite blasts had been for mining, and so the South decided to use the dynamite to their advantage. They dug 107 bore holes and filled them with water. The dynamite blast forced the water to erupt like a whale’s blow hole and this gave away the tunnels location. They dug an interception tunnel down to meet it, and it’s this that we now descended.

Our tour guide explaining the interception tunnel.

You are not permitted to take anything down with you, so I have no photos from underground.

I DO have this awkward delight

Check out the latest price for the tour on seoulcitytour.net

Down to The Third Tunnel

First you grab a couple of hard hats and then start the walk down. The tunnel descends at quite a steep angle and it’s only when you see people coming the opposite direction, puffing and red faced, that you start to wonder how far down you’re going. It’s 350m down, enough to make you slightly wobbly legged.

Once you are down there you can see the bore hole and then you are instructed to go down the infiltration tunnel itself. The walls here are much rougher and it’s a much tighter squeeze, but scaffolding and a floor have been constructed to make it easier. Karl and I aren’t the tallest human beings, but even we occasionally bumped our heads. Suddenly the hard hats made sense. Taller people were constantly banging their helmets against the ceiling. At the end of this section you can peer through one barrier, and to the next. There are three in total so that’s almost a glimpse into the North.

Dora Observation Point

Your next view of North Korea is a short bus ride away. There is one observation point open to the public. Here you can gaze across the DMZ and catch sight of not only the propaganda villages (more on those in a moment) but also the city of Kaesong.

The city of Kaesong in North Korea

Both countries try and top the height of the others flag pole. Here is North Korea’s.

Apparently there is a statue of one of North Korea’s leaders far in the distance, but only the eagle-eyed will see that. If you haven’t brought your own binoculars, don’t panic, there are coin operated versions (like you see at the British seaside).

It’s a very noisy place to stand. Several times a day, the North Koreans will play their propaganda broadcasts. These usually include traditional music and praise for the supreme leader, Kim Jong-un. In return, South Korea belts out a local radio station full of K-Pop and overly enthusiastic, seemingly hilarious DJs. We struggled to hear the North Korean patriotism but the wind was on South Korea’s side and it was carried away on the breeze.

The propaganda sound system

Read about all our travels in South Korea

The Villages

As well as propaganda broadcasting, each side has what is known as a propaganda village. Farmers live and work in the DMZ, but only in these two designated spots. On the South Korean side, to apply to live there, you must:
- have ancestors come from the area.
- spend eight months of the year here.
- stick to the paths that have been cleared, to avoid land mines.
- be accompanied by a UN soldier whenever you are out.
- never communicate in any way with the North Koreans (even when they are farming just metres from you)
So why would you want to live here? As well as reclaiming your family’s lost land, the residents pay zero tax. It must be an incredibly strange life with propaganda blaring over your lunch and a curfew in place every night.

Dorasan Train Station

In the 1990s, a policy called the sunshine policy improved relations with the North so much that they started doing business together. KIC (Kaesong Industrial Company) traded goods with the South through the DMZ. In 2008, a fancy new train station opened to help with exchange of goods, and a train line opened North to Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.

However, in 2008, a South Korean tourist was shot when she wandered into a restricted zone and the ties between the two sides worsened significantly. All trade halted and the station was shut.

It is now empty of all train traffic North. The place looks like a film set; shiny unused customs points and an unused ticket desk. You can stamp something with North Korean border stamps and purchase a ticket to stand on the Pyongyang platform.

There was once grand plans to join South and North Korea up to international train routes.

In one corner there is a souvenir shop and one thing caught my eye. They are selling wild grape wine from North Korea. This is one of the only places to purchase anything from North Korea and so I was sorely tempted. When I picked up the bottle, however, it was full of sediment and Mr Fluskey gave me such a disapproving look, that I put it down again.

Check out the latest price for the tour on seoulcitytour.net

Opposite the shop stood a grand piano. The strings had all been replaced by barbed wire to represented the discordant relationship between the Korea’s. We stood reverently behind the ropes but our tour guide bounded up and merrily thudded on the keys for us to hear.

Imjingak Park

This is where things got really surreal. There had been an atmosphere of slight solemnity over the tourists despite their excitement, but here, things are so mixed up. Not only are there monuments but exhibitions, restaurants and a fun fair!? Apparently it is sometimes called the Imjingak resort, and you can see why. This is where dark tourism becomes mass tourism. The whole thing was built in the 1970s. It is the furthest North that South Korean’s can travel legally.

After a delicious lunch of bulgogi (you can read about it here) we took a look around. We started by exploring the park full of monuments.

The Park

A collection of memorials around a small park commemorating those that were lost during the conflict. These range from small tablet style monuments to these huge statues.

The Roof Terrace

Back around to the main building and we went to the roof for the view. It is up on the third floor and from here you can see across the whole resort. It has all been decked to make it easier to get around and the views are superb.

Mangbaedda Alter (The Peace Monument)

Cross the car park and you arrive at the main monument for those who have been separated. Every New Year’s Day and Korean Thanksgiving (Chuseok), it is thronged by those who come to commemorate their loved ones. They are able to bow towards the North for their lost family, their ancestors and home towns.

The Bridge of Freedom

This bridge played a large part in the armistice agreements. Thousands of prisoners of war were traded across it. In fact, this foot bridge was built expressly for that purpose, all other land being dangerous and the bridges long destroyed during the war. These POWs walked home.

We also stopped to look at the brightly coloured ribbons fluttering on the barbed wire fence opposite. These are placed by those who have their ancestral family in the North and they display wishes, hopes and prayers. The rainbow of colour belies what a moving tribute this is.

The Train

Next to the park we had seen a train engine. We were astonished at the restoration work that they had done. We had read that the engine was riddled with bullet holes and left to rust…turns out it was the wrong one!

DOH!

Just North of the bridge of freedom sits the actual train. It is pockmarked with hundreds of bullet holes and shell marks. It is on display to demonstrate the horror of war. I find it amazing to think that people underwent that kind of barrage on a daily basis.

Check out the latest price for the tour on seoulcitytour.net

Other Sights

As well as this, they are extending the old railway bridge out over the valley so you can walk across towards the North (this costs £2.50/$3 more). There were also a few more exhibitions, one of war photos and one about the proliferation of nature in the DMZ.

Just around the corner is a temple, a spot to sit and contemplate, away from the crowds.

We enjoyed wandering around, and even found time for some dessert, before it was time to make our way to our new coach.

During lunch we had all been given a seat number for what we will call the breakaway coach. Some people were heading back to Seoul and so these coaches were a combination of all the tour groups that had descended upon Imjingak. After a quick toilet stop, we boarded the breakaway coach and took our assigned seats.

Camp Boniface

The soldiers who work in and around the DMZ are all taller than the average South Korean (they must be over 5’6″) have excellent spoken English and are awfully handsome. According to Wikipedia, they must also be a black belt in taekwondo or judo but I can’t confirm that as I didn’t get a chance to ask. This is not only to impress impressionable lady tourists but is another weapon in the propaganda arsenal.

We were welcomed to the camp by a very good looking young soldier with a strong American accent. It was time for another film. This one served a nice dollop of bias but also took us through the rules of entering the JSA.

Basically, follow instructions, wear clothes that cover you up and don’t even THINK of communicating with anyone on the other side. We all signed waivers to the effect that if we were shot, it was our own fault and then it was time to jump onto two new coaches. On the breakaway coach, we had all been screened and had our passports thoroughly checked. Everyone had to leave their bags on the breakaway coach and now we boarded two new coaches ready to drive into the JSA.

Entering The Joint Security Area

As we drove through yet another checkpoint the atmosphere on the coach got more excitable. People craned their necks to see the land around us. We drove past tank defences and a frisson shuddered through the tourists. In the distance you could see South Korea’s propaganda village.

My early morning caught up with me and my head dropped to my chest. I missed the rest of the five minute drive.

Check out the latest price for the tour on seoulcitytour.net

The JSA Main Spot

When we arrived the two coaches formed two lines and we walked single file behind our guide. One half was to spend five minutes on two steps outside South Korea’s building facing North Korea’s whilst the rest of us entered the central blue hut, the Military Armistice Conference Room. There are five huts, three blue and two white. The blue ones are maintained by South Korea and the white ones by the North. The central one is the only one that the public can enter and you can do so on a tour from the South or the North.

The JSA used to be an entirely neutral area, but in the 1970s, two American military personal were killed. After this, the Military Demarcation Line was drawn through the middle. This goes through the buildings where negotiations are held. Each hut has line markers through it, even going along the middle of the meeting tables.

It looks a little unimpressive, but this is the line.

Photo Time

We were informed there was a strict five minute time limit. We entered and spent a little time wandering the line between South and North Korea. It’s the only point where you can cross this line. It was a teeny bit thrilling. We took a super awkward photo with the UN guards who stand guard in front of the door out to the North’s side of the JSA. We were back of the queue for photos and the guard was insisting that five minutes were up. Pushing our luck maybe!?

The door to North Korea behind us!

My “please don’t tell me off” face!

We then had our five minutes outside. The group was not allowed to take a photo of the large South Korean building we were stood in front of, or to the left and right of the watch towers, only North to the building opposite.

Mr Fluskey and I were at the end of the line and so were in the wrong spot to catch a photo of the one North Korean guard on show. Our military guide informed us that they nickname him Bob. That’s my go-to nickname too! If you want to get a shot of Bob, place yourself to the centre or the right of the steps when it’s your- turn for the photo session.

I was surprised not see any American soldiers here but found out that it has been run by the South Korean’s alone since 2004.

Back to the Visitor Centre

We were taken back and given time to explore the small museum they have. We found out more detail about the armistice and things that happened in and around the DMZ. There was a grizzly exhibit about an axe murder that took place in the 1970s when North Korean guards attacked South Korean ones.

Check out the latest price for the tour on seoulcitytour.net

Final Thoughts

This was not a cheap tour by anyone’s standards but I really feel like it was worth every penny. I learned so much about the conflict, it’s background and aftermath. I was impressed at how much we saw, it was pretty non-stop. Originally I meant to book with another company but seeing their huge coach made me very happy that I had booked the tour with a smaller company. I would recommend taking this trip 100%.

Check out Are You a Dark Tourist? The Best Dark Tourism Places Around the World

Information

Booking – I booked through Viator, and there are various length and prices. Ours was run by Seoul City Tour and was called “DMZ & JSA(Panmunjeom) Tour”.

Cost – Around £100p/p depending on the exchange rate.

What to take –
- Passport – This is vital to enter the DMZ. Without it you won’t get past the reunification bridge.
- Clothes – Respectable clothing is required. Collared tops with no cleavage. Trousers and skirts must cover the knees. No sportswear. No ripped jeans or the like. Shoes must be closed, no sandals. There can’t be any offensive slogans. They really do a clothing check before you enter the JSA.
- Sun cream and water – if it’s sunny.
- Camera – You wouldn’t want to miss out on those all important snaps.
- Pillow -It is a long day and you may want a snooze on the way back, or just to ease the pain of a long coach journey on your back.
- Passport – I’m going to say it again because it is SO important!!
Rosie xx

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08/08/2017
Barcelona, Spain – La Merce Festival
Getting to Barcelona

Our flight from Rome to Barcelona only took us about an hour. The Terravision coach from the airport into town took us slightly longer. Barcelona Girona Airport is very far from the city, I believe it is just called Girona by the rest of the world, but Ryanair is still promoting it as Barcelona. Luckily, I am not fussy and it dropped us off at a metro station so we could continue our journey nice and easily.

Living in London, we are quite good at navigating with underground systems, but emerging into the sprawling station of Placa De Espana, we were baffled by the number of exits. A full ten minutes after arriving, we figured out the right direction and exited the station.
Booking a room in Barcelona had been surprisingly expensive. We had settled for a strange shared apartment a few streets over from Placa De Espana, that I booked through Hostelworld. The whole block smelt of deep fat frying, the decor was a collective smudge of brown and there was no reception to speak of.

The Festival

It turns out, we had arrived right in the middle of La Mercè, Barcelona’s largest festival, celebrating the Patron saint of Barcelona, Mare de Deu de la Mercè. Unfortunately, we had missed one of the biggest moments of the festival. It showcases the tradition of building huge human pyramids called castellers, or castles. These aren’t the ones we used to do in the playground, three layers of kneeling, squealing girls, but three or four tiers of standing men with people standing on their shoulders, topped by a standing child. Quite a feat.

The Fat Tire Tour

The success of our Fat Tire tour in Berlin inspired us to try it in Barcelona too. We didn’t regret it. We made our way through the throngs of people wandering slowly along the winding lanes of the old town, dinging our bells cheerfully.

The tour took in:
- Sagrada Familia – The immense and still unfinished church conceived by Antoni Gaudi. Unfortunately, this famous architect was hit by a bus and will never see his masterpiece completed.
- The Plaza de toros de las Arenas bull fighting ring that is now a trendy shopping mall, with the annual bloodbath of the January sales more to the modern taste.
- The marina that was built as part of the Olympics regeneration for the 1992 games where seafood restaurants abound.
- The Parc De Ciutadella with Gaudi’s famous fountain.
And many more.

Honestly, Fat TireTours are wonderful. There was a particularly thrilling downhill section that led down from the bull ring. I skirted a roundabout, gravity pulling me ever faster, with the wind whipping my hair into a frenzy. It was truly invigorating. My lack of driving license means I don’t get to go very fast in life. Being in someone else’s car, or a bus, or train is never as fun as when you’re in control. In Berlin we had stopped at a beer garden, here in Barcelona we stopped at a bar on the beach. Sitting, overlooking the beach, and sharing jugs of sangria, our aching muscles relaxed fully.

The Fireworks

We accidentally caught ‘the Parade of the Giants’. We went for dinner overlooking one of the squares in the old town and a parade of huge models came past. Women in peasant dresses, pious looking saints and men in strange robes bobbed past the window. Some of these models reached the widows there on the first floor. We scoffed our food and afterwards we squeezed onto the train to see the eagerly anticipated fireworks which were located, rather handily, right next to our hostel!

The Disaster

We sat waiting on the main roundabout of Placa De Espana, this has a bit of a slope and so we stood a chance of seeing (we are not tall). Swept up by the joyous atmosphere, I took my eye off the ball. We suddenly realised, the camera was gone. Some talented master thief (or cheeky little sod) had pickpocketed our Sony camera. I was gutted. If only there was a way I could find this person and just beg for the SD card full of our snaps from Berlin, Rome and Barcelona!

More Fireworks

Trying to put it behind us, we settled in to watch the firework spectacular. It was immense! The whole display took about 45 minutes and it was all timed to music, some of which we knew and some we didn’t. There were thousands of people in attendance and everyone was singing along loudly. I never thought I’d hear a huge crowd of people all singing the Teletubbies theme tune in glorious unison. Buoyed up by this wonderful occasion, losing the camera seemed less of a disaster.

The next morning we had to continue our trip in Spain as we were bound for Madrid.

(We are almost at the point in the trip where we managed to get some photos, but not quite.)

Rosie xx
07/02/2017
Berlin Germany Part 2 – Bikes, Barricades and Beers

After our disastrous first day trying to get into Berlin (including losing my passport, a nightmare which you can read about here) we had to see as much of the city as we could in 3/4 of a day.
(more…)

30/01/2017