Berlin and Barcelona!

After Christmas was well and truly done, on the 28th, Kel, Carrie and I flew out to Berlin to start our winter trip! It was cold when we left London and there were rumours of snow, but when we arrived in Berlin, it was freezing, and I mean really truly cold. It was already covered in snow and the daytime temp was roughly minus 5.
We thought it was brilliant to start with and frolicked while we looked for the hostel, which turned out to be easily the best Hostel any of us have ever stayed at! City Stay in Berlin, we salute you and your clean rooms, funky bar and spacious showers.

So on day one we went out for a wander and I got us lost and Caz recovered us and we froze, literally I froze. In the end I did a Carrie "its too late for me... go on without me, save yourselves"

I think it only fair to point out that before we left London I had mocked Carrie and Kellie for taking thermal underclothes and tights with them, saying 'c'mon guys don't be such wusses'. Within an hour and a half of walking around in the snow, I was whimpering and whining so badly that Carrie gave me her long johns to wear! It was cold man. Anyway once I had on, a pair of tights, longjohns, jeans, boots, two tops, a wooly cardi and my black coat, scarf gloves and hat on, it was bearable enough to go out exploring some more!

We went out to a Sushi and cocktail bar (possibly the best combination in the world??) and then went on to a beer hall, the oldest one in Berlin I think and had us some steins!

And outside in the beer hall, frolicking again!!

The next day we went out on a FOUR hour WALKING tour. Yes yes we clearly are mad, and it was even colder and this time the snow was really coming down. Unfortunately I don't have any satisfactory photos of how much we became like snowmen on that day, but we really really did. I even managed to make a 'face muff' and I'll post those photo's another day!

But we got to see loads of stuff, The Berlin wall, all the museums, Reichstag, SS headquarters, holocaust memorial, checkpoint Charlie and Hitlers bunker off the top of my head. It was well worth the Siberian type temperatures!

That night we did a pub crawl round East Berlin, and went to about four bars and one club that we would never have otherwise found! And yes we did all fall down in the snow by about pub three, but it was all good by that point! I love Berlin, I think its a beautiful city with loads to offer and very new and happening. The people there were lovely as well. But you know what bloody Australians everywhere. I swear anywhere you go in the world there we are, its like an invasion!

Onwards to Barcelona!! (This must be said very quickly and with a small lisp)

Loved Barcelona and had a fantastic time there. We flew in on the 30th and got ourselves in, to a very very average hostel with possibly the worst showers ever (If you discount showers that don't actually work)! However we were in the middle of everything and we had an absolute ball. The first night we went out to a little square and had dinner with gigantic beers and I had Paella that would later on make me sick as a dog. But it was worth it at the time!

Is it just me or does it always seem to be about the beer?

Anyway the next day Bench turned up and we did a mammoth day of sightseeing, which was great fun, and I was pleasantly surprised coz there is so much to see and do in Barcelona, we could have easily done it over a few days.

So here are a few of our sightseeing pics over the days that we were there;

Rach and Carrie biggin it up near the Olympic stadium

Us at Parc Guell

Then for New years we managed to get ourselves in to a restaurant and had a fantastic hundred course meal, we had champers, red wine, white wine and olives and then scallops and lobster and Skate and Filet steak and chocolate cake and grapes and this wierd sour thingy that freaked Rachel out! we had a great meal and saw in the New Year at the restaurant, then we witnessed someone propose which was just so romantic. Then we went on to a cave like bar and generally had ourselves a great night. No pictures of that evening as I don't trust myself out with a camera still.

I could go on, but I'm getting bored now. We had a great time and much fun. There was too much sangria taken, too many zoolander quotes *I'm so tired! No Todd!* A lot of Tapas and a man called Sancho (not his actual name)

So here are two of my fave pics to sum up the holiday to leave you with

"I am Sancho!"

We're still not sure what this was bout in hindsight but it just great! I give you Cazza Shazza wazza!

Happy New Year to everyone! Hope you all had a great time. To see the rest of the pictures from the holidays go to www.bugbitten.com/JennKelly

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