Mia and her (past) travels and other various interests of hers.

 A few of you might know already that I’ve been a bit low over the last few days. I don’t know whether it’s Amsterdam itself or just a low after the initial high of leaving, arriving etc..

Hard to pinpoint it. But the fact is I’ve been really homesick over the last 2 days. So what do you do when that happens….why you go to Poland of course!!

So that’s what we’re doing. Going to Poland for a few days (don’t try to talk me out of it Mum, I’ve already paid for the sleeper train reservation) then back to Amsterdam for the Ani concert. Which by the way I have tickets for now. Hallelujah!!

Sounds a bit crazy but I need to get out of this place.

So, I’ll see you in Gdansk!

(pictures of Amsterdam are coming!!)

I am possibly in one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been to.

 

    

It’s called Böbing and it’s in the Bavarian region of Germany. South of Munich. About 30 mins from the Austrian border.

 I’ve spent a glorious 3 days here riding into the town, riding to the lake and walking up hills. The weather has been cool but fine and lovely in the sun.

Alas today we leave for Amsterdam. The next part of our journey. We are going to see Ani Difranco in concert. I’m slightly stressed (even though Davina tells me not to be) because our tickets never arrived at their place in Böbing. So as it stands we have a receipt that we bought them but no tickets. Just ever so slightly stressed.

 We’re travelling on the train overnight to get to Amsterdam. Dee is very excited. I am very excited. We have much excitement!

I didn’t want to go. They said that because I am in Munich at Oktoberfest time it’s a crime not to go. I told them I woudn’t be drinking.Oktoberfest is very strange. Everybody dresses up in traditional German clothes (Dirndels for girls and overall things for boys). Then they go to a big show ground. In the show ground there are lots of rides and pretzels and gingerbread hearts with icing. There are also the beer gardens which are indoors and huge and stuffy and smoky and seriously overcrowded. Everybody says ‘Cheers’ and sings and sometimes dances (in the very small amount of space that there is) and a band plays traditional German music up on a platform that you can’t see. Sound like Mia’s scene? I got a taxi home early. What a party pooper!

    

      

   

   

   

  

  

    

Spot Germans internationally:

They wear

-Denim and Denim

-Black and black or

-anything and cargo or camoflage pants.

This ‘wild rice’ isn’t actually rice. It’s a grain. So why do they call it rice? It’s like it was rice once but then it partied too hard.

    

    

   

Arrived in Munich about 2 hours ago after a 9 hour flight to Bangkok, an 11 hour flight to Frankfurt and a 3 hour train to Munich.

As per the title I have just eaten a traditional Bavarian breakfast whilst trying to soothe my swollen calves with litres of water. This was possibly counter-acted by the amount of salt in the pretzel and sausage.

Arriving at Munich station I was surrounded by girls in Derndels and boys in german overalls. Good old Oktoberfest. I´ve been told we are celebrating it tomorrow night. Eek.

It’s foggy as the train ploughs through the German countryside. The train is from Frankfurt to Munich. I find that Germans are not self conscious of their gaze lingering on something of something of curiosity. I get a few stares with my huge backpack and daggy airplane clothes.

The Bangkok-Frankfurt flight was truly cattle class. The obese French man behind me was granted 2 seats because he couldn’t fit into one.

I think I slept quite a lot because I don’t remember most of the flight. Thank you to over-the-counter sedatives, the best friend of those in cattle class….

It stretches on endlessly and is like a mobius strip of perfume, cosmetics and liquor.

I am exhausted because my body thinks it’s 2am and hasn’t slept yet. The fluorescent lights don’t help.

My terminal is at the end of the end and by the time I get there I’m sure that I have come full circle because it all looks the same.

The travelators talk and the security women are silent.

I have one 11-hour leg to Frankfurt and then a 3hour train to meet Davina. Must sleep on this leg.

It’s just over a week before my departure and one day until I finish work for 3 or 4 months.

My super-highly-organised friends gasp in fright that I’ve barely thought about what I’m packing.

My plans on arrival are changing on a weekly basis. The plan right now is to meet Davina in Frankfurt and to on to Berlin with her from there before departing for Amsterdam.