Back to Paris

And so back to Paris, a bumpy ride would be an understatement and the Hotel we have booked at huge expense is so bad I could cry NEVER EVER stay in a Novotel it is such a rip off and the reason we chose it was for the swimming pool which is unusable, the bathroom is dirty and the room is so hot we have to sleep with the window open or cook how this ever got 4 stars is a mystery.. (After complaining got some money back)This is where I wish Emin was more adventurous as Ive seen so many lovely boutique hotels that look lovely and are probably the same price. Sadly Paris has become even dirtier than my last stay truly I have never seen so much filth. The New Year was a total washout no fireworks any where and the morning after left Paris buried under a sea of vomit, excrement, piss and broken glass everywhere.
I have become one of those hideous tourists traipsing from landmark to landmark to show Leyla the sites including a 3 hour wait just to get half way up the Eiffel Tower. If its picture is on a map shes had her photo taken in front of it NO GALLERIES allowed which is sad but lots of walking. the Marais and the Left Bank are looking very good and yes I still love the place which is obvious by the photo ratio.

Anselm Kiefer

How fantastic to visit gallery that lets you take photographs of anything and everything the space was fantastic beautifully laid out and curated.

A gallery at last Modern Art in a disused railway, fantastic work, only sad I could see but half of it as I got lumbered with Leyla who got bored and caused a scene so off I toddled back to base holidays can be so claustrophobic sometimes.http://www.hamburgerbahnhof.de/

Potsdam

Potsdam was recommended to us by some Americans we met on the train to Prague, and what a find this place is. Potsdam is so beautiful full of Dutch and Italian architecture its hard to believe you are in Germany. Totally unspoilt and one of the most beautiful parks Ive ever seen which is why the German Royal family came here. Add to this all the history and you have the perfect day out except a day is not enough sadly.

The view from here

Swissotel Berlin Cheaper than both the Hilton Prague and the hideous Novotel Paris and yet so wonderful including the view from the bath.

Berlin

Back to Berlin, as the Paris economic star waxes and wanes Berlins is very much on the ascendant it is 3 years since my last visit but the the changes are here for all to see. It has become a vibrant City with so much cultural heritage it can feel a little over whelming. Sadly no galleries as yet just walking walking walking. (One good scam to avoid the huge queue waiting to go to the top of the Reichstag take a small child and they let you in the side door) Norman Foster has done the Germans proud a beautiful piece of interactive architecture.

Prague

The journey to Prague was just stunning I loved taking photos on the train using the reflection. This was my favourite.

Yes I know, it looks lovely but.....

Back to Berlin and sadly no frost.

HOLY COW what an over priced dump. My mother spent 5 days here I wanted to leave after 5 hours. The Hotel was too far from the centre the usual compromise of swimming pool versus location. But it was not a pleasant stroll back it was the grimest walk ever, nasty dirty streets full of tramps and graffiti and dog crap. Everything was a rip off, the food was 3X what you would pay in Paris or Berlin or London everywhere was FULL of cigarette smoke so the only place you could have a quiet reasonably priced coffee was Mac bloody Donalds of which there were hundreds. Other shops were full of tourist tat like glass really nasty glass, babushkas and bloody puppets I guess this is where Pinocchio was born....I spent the entire trip feeling like an extra in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang expecting the child catcher to jump out at any minute. I hate that over wrought Baroque Gothic architecture NEVER again I never thought I would say this but it was a relief to get back into Germany, trust me that really is saying something. One small ray of exquisite aural beauty was the concert we went to in Bethlehem hall .That was magical and worth the trip...just.

Bonjour Paris

We had a day in Paris to kill whilst waiting for the night train to Berlin we walked from the Gard Du Nord all the way to the Pompidou much seedier than I remember, the day was a beautiful crisp winters day though and the newly cleaned Notre Dame looked stunning. As did the Seine and the riverside buildings. Going on holiday with Emin has good and bad points.
The good is he likes 5 star Hotels. When we go out I am unable to languish in shops and galleries but am made to walk and see the city. He likes to aimlessly catch trams to see what is at the other end so you see a side to a city that you might not look for.
The bad is that he will not eat in random cafes or restaurants so we end up eating either in the Hotel or Pizza Hut of Hard rock cafe. He resents wasting money on drink so we often eat dry so I am often parched at the end of the meal. I have learnt to travel with a couple of bottles of Port to ease me through the end of the day. Also he hates galleries and churches so it can seem a bit culturally dry.
Whatever the pros and cons a trip away is always a welcome respite from the endless drudgery at home so I have learnt to relax and go with the flow.