Reaching the end... A perfect and tiny bit of Berlin.

We took the train from Prague to Berlin, crowded; I had to stand most of trip as it was difficult to find places for us to sit together.  We survived the last train journey, we were tired, and soon ready to go home, but we arrived in Berlin to enjoy two quiet days, with no intention to do tourist stuff.  We stayed at my friends flat in Simon-DachStreet in  Friedrichshain, a vibrant neighborhood in the East side of Berlin, full of life, cafes, restaurants, and eccentric  and alternative looking people. I enjoyed immensely going to the shopping market, making food, sitting in a living room and hearing the wind touch those big trees behind my friend’s flat, the afternoon thunder, lightning and rain that came to freshen up our overheated backpacking experience in the other parts of Europe.  

 

We felt home in Berlin, in the way it allowed us to fit in, in the way people spoke German at us assuming we could speak it despite our looks, and in the kindness  given to us once we disclosed we were tourist and just passing by.  How refreshing I thought, how wonderful experience just being there, to see no landmarks and just observe life among these eclectic mix of people none of them wearing straw hats.

We spent the following  day at one of the Berlin lakes, something I wished to do very much and Berliners seem to greatly enjoy. We took the efficient metro and tram system to the other side of the city in search of lake Muggelsee,  it was a great experience and we spent most of the day there, swimming and lying under the sun. My friend Sam invited her friend Karianne from Stavanger, who also lives in Berlin, a very down to earth person who both Aleksander and I enjoyed meeting. Seldom it is in fact to meet a woman so kind and fun to be around that seems so unaware of her physical beauty, the tall Viking woman from Rogaland with her long strawberry blond hair, piercing blue eyes and freckles like grains of sand splashed all over her made people turn their heads to catch a glimpse of her.  

Despite our age difference, I can still recognize something about me in both Karianne and Sam, and the similarities of our lives, both of them are young women in their 30’s, looking for meaning elsewhere; I have walked longer than them, and I have found my place for now, the place where I can tap from my reality in Norway a greater meaning to my life, but the seeker of new experiences that lives inside of me is neither dead or dormant. I feel alive and vibrant.

The days since we arrived home in Stavanger have been hectic with visits from Namsos and Bergen, my home is full of life, there has been no time to sit down and digest in silence the end of this journey, find a thought, a small but personal meaning in which this trip has redefined me.

As to us, a son and a mother, the journey was unique, busy, it was hard work and it was also fun. We learned to trust each other more; we learned to compromise, we both have grown much individually and as a family. I have seen sides of my son that have made me very proud. I have seen sides of him that also tell me we are doing something right in the way we both, his father and I are raising him.  I have also seen the sides of me that need to improve as a parent, but for those sides I have apologized to him when necessary, and have corrected my ways.

To forgive is to love, and to love is to live. There is no doubt, we are living! And that is perhaps the greatest realization of this trip.

With a special dedication to Geir Arne Aarre father of my #youngbackpacker and supporter of our adventures.

 Thank you Sam for the perfect and tiny bit of Berlin

Distre Backpacker Europe
From Stavanger 25.07.2015

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Prague: Kid, friend and a missing lover.

By the time we entered Prague my ability to keep patient and focus on finding the way had been largely reduced to the bare minimum. The trip until now had been stimulating but also challenging for the mind, body and any other virtue that makes us civil.

As we entered the train station, I had no money, so we withdrew from the mini bank at the station, the notes were 1000, and 2000’s notes, no one wanted to change us money to responsible buy our metro ticket, and with the stress of it all I didn’t see that one of the metro offices was open just behind me, and selling tickets. I managed to buy a bunch of crap in a convenient shop in order to get change and get my money thrown at me by the shop clerk, she realized her rudeness when all the coins she gave me back landed on the floor, then she sincerely apologized to me, I didn’t speak or get angry, I picked my money and I dismissed her with my seldom used but ultimate arrogant hand gestures.  The frustration I saw in her eyes was easily recognizable, she hated her job but I was not going to make her hate it more.

If it wasn’t for dear Aleksnader, my ten year old, we would have continued searching for line B going in circles that only accentuated my mental state of stupidity, me cursing words in Norwegian and he telling me to stop.  At the end he managed to solve my directional myopia and found the way to the right Metro.  It seems that the lessons I thought him in the cities before Prague were absorbed properly. Good!  I thought after we sat finally in the Metro and I held him, whispering thank you to him and telling him how proud I was of him helping me gaining control and helping me see what was impossible for me to see.

We arrived to our hostel, Downtown hostel Prague, as backpackers it was a dream of mine to stay in one and having the experience. The hostel had amazing reviews online and with reason, the staff was great, the place was funky and it offered accommodations for three, as my friend Sam was joining us from Berlin for the weekend.  According to my travelled hostel experienced friend Sam, the hostel standards were very high. We settled in the top floor, the room and toilet were specious and were very clean. We had a few windows we could climb out and stand at the edge of the roof; we spent a lot of time there, enjoying the views of Prague, enjoying the cool breeze of Prague and catching up with the past (my favorite spot this holiday was that roof).  

Prague was full of children and I surprised Aleksander  with a 2:30 hour tour of Prague on Segway, we were too tired to walk and he loved the experience, and we saw a lot of places in a short time, it was money well spent.  As any other major famous city, there is nothing new I can contribute that hasn’t been shared, plenty of things to do and experience with kids, here is the article that helped us identify some of the activities we did.

My favorite place during the stay was Petrin Park, we returned to it twice, the views of the city are very pretty, and is not crowded, one can take a picture without having thousands of people in view; the nature is beautiful and one can find pear, apple, plumb and cherry trees. As we walked down slowly from the top of the hill to the city, absorbing the undeniable magic of a city, I could not help but to think, that Prague can make anyone long for a hand holding lover and not the insisting clinging of a child and an accident prone chatter box female friend whom Aleksnader adores.

Nevertheless, both Sam and Aleksander  brought  me back to my relaxing self and sense of humor. I could not wish anyone else to see Prague for the first time, as for the second…



 

From Berlin, 22.07.15

Vienna with kids - prepare to spend money

Ariving to Vienna felt like a breeze of relief from stressful Rome. The noticeable organization and order can be perceived from the moment we boarded the Austrian train to Vienna, arriving to the station and using the metro.

We settled in our accommodation, a functional and central Airbnb with good facilities. The only issues was sharing the toilet and the lack of a fan. The two nights we spent there were the most uncomfortable ones due to the heat. Vienna is an expensive city, but  is full of options for children and adults. 

 
This is what we decided to do with our two days in Vienna:

My son wanted to take the horse carriage sightseeing tour for 80 Euros (40 minutes  ride) this was out of our budget, although it broke my heart to say no, life is not about getting what you want but understanding that not getting it is not the end of the world. We then took tram no 1 which allowed us to orientate ourselves and  see some landmarks in a charming old fashion tram for less than 4 euros for both of us.

Haus der Musik

We visited Kunsthistorisches Museum Armour and Weapons collection which my son really got engaged with and I also liked it a lot.  Then visited the State Hall at  National Library open to the public area, a magnificent building, and later on, we visited the House of Music in which we spent a good amount of time enjoying the not so crowded and fun museum, finalizing with conducting an orchestra, we both tried several times until we managed!

We visited t ST. Stephen’s Cathedral  located only 2 minutes’ walk from our Airbnb, great opportunity to see a gothic masterpiece, in addition we paid  7 euros for both of us, and took the elevator to  one of the towers,  great views of the city. 

Choosing a concert was based on reviews and length, we attended a quartet concert in StAnne Kirche, a beautiful baroque church with amazing acoustic. A short concert of 1:10 minutes that is easy for parents to persuade children to try to enjoy. It was a beautiful concert and great experience for me, as my son fell asleep.

We visited Damel coffee shop to have a look at the cakes with the intention to return if my taste and sense of smell were to recover. I took my son to eat Sacher cake at the Sacher café,  and used the afternoons to  walk the streets of Vienna, absorbing  its vibrant, organized life and its grandeur. We concluded our days in Vienna with a walk around the museum quarters, continuing to walk to Naschmarkt and dinner at a restaurant recommended by the owner of our Airbnb called Neni. The Naschmarket gave us the very much needed change of scenery of the tourist crowds, and we enjoyed very much seeing the Austrians enjoy their Friday evening among friends. The food was also very good.

From the train to Prague and a hostel window in Prague

18.07.2015/19.07.15

Vence and Saint Paul de Vence

Vence

We left Aix on the direction to Nice,  and upon arriving in Marseille I lost my tickets on a trip to the toilet (maybe they were stolen), so we ran to the ticket center to re issue new ones, standing in line with 15 minutes to go before departure, it seemed like an eternity until our turn came to speak to one of the ticket service employees, no problem, we reached our train, it was a big double decker train and it was full, we sat next to a young man who immediately started talking to us, a French/American young man of 22 with Norwegian roots.  

Villa Bellebo, Vence

We arrived in Nice and we took the tram and walk in order to find the buss that for 1.5 Euro takes you on a 40 minute trip to Vence and St Paul de Vence. We were tired and from Vence to to the B&B we took a taxi 16 Euros.

We arrived in Villa Bellebo ran by a Flemish couple that simply made our experience amazing. The right place to come when you have been hanging with your kid for many days and in need of grown up conversations. You can read here my review on theirguesthouse on TripAdvisor (not published yet)

Here youcan read more about Vence the 12th century medieval city  

And also by buss from Vence, only 4 km away you find the impressive and beautiful place of St Paul de Vence, here you can read about St. Paul de Vence history

There is much to see, and it is true that the area is better explored by car, however, this should not stop other travlers like us to not venture to such beautiful places as Vence and St. Paul de Vence, both worth visitng and spending more time, which we didn't have. 









After our sightseeing trip we returned to our Villa Bellebo, we used the swiming pool, and enjoy a little bit of sun and later shared a  nice dinner with the owners and other guests. The night prolonged itself until 1 AM,  the company, the good food, the conversations, the laughs and the fresh evening atmosphere of the south of France gave me a short but serene night,  and the conviction that I had chosen well converting a simple French summer night into a magical French summer night in Vence. 


From Nice, 10.07.15

London for free?

Not entirely! But one of the goals of this trip is to enjoy the attractions that are offered for free in each city we will visit. London has plenty to offer. With a 5£ donation one can -with  a good conscious- enjoy several of the free admission museums in the city. And who in the right mind wouldn't do so, I order to support the work to keep such wonderful places.

We visited yesterday the Natural History Museum (buy the 5£ child interactive book, worth it) and the Science Museum (Extra cost to dress as an austronaut, try the simulators or the iMax movie) We used around 6 hours in both places and we loved it. Absolutely wonderful to get lost in time in those two places.

Later we visited the Hard Rock Cafe London, walked around Covent Garden stopping to see the street shows, drop in at a hairdresser for my son for a 12£ scissors hair cut and later in the evenning attended the Stomp show, which I knew was going to be a hit with my boy. Frankly I loved it too, being a fan of percussions, it's amazing how delicious the sound of stomping can be. A thrill!

From London  3.07.15