Seven Top Experiences in 2014

Although 2014 has been a very tough year for me personally (amongst other things I lost my father unexpectedly in June), I have still enjoyed some wonderful experiences at home and travelling abroad. Here are my top experiences in 2014.  


1. Playing Golf in Freetown, Sierra Leone

My most enjoyable Saturday for my whole Sierra Leone experience was playing golf at Freetown Golf Club which sits right on the Atlantic Ocean. It was particularly interesting due to the fact there are 'browns' rather than 'greens' (browns being sand mixed with oil) which took a couple of holes of getting used to. It was also nice to have a caddy for the equivalent of £2. He definitely helped! 

   

2. My First Flying Lesson - Oban, Scotland

Laura and I had the most amazing three week holiday driving around Scotland in the summer. One of the highlights was my birthday present from Laura, a flying lesson. I was so lucky to have such a clear day - it really was amazing.

3. Highland Games, Portree - Isle of Skye, Scotland 

I have previously blogged about the Highland Games (http://travelhappinesslife.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/travelling-scotland-skye-highland-games.html). It really was a fabulous spectacle and something else to tick off the bucket list. 

Used with permission from www.lauracookphotography.net

4. Back to the Future Secret Cinema 

Back closer to home I attended my first 'secret cinema' which was for one of my favourite films - 'Back to the Future'. The production in which they created a full scale 1955 Hill Valley in the Olympic Park in Stratford which was their most ambitious to date and hit the news when the first few performances were cancelled. My mate Sam and I enjoyed visiting Lou's Cafe for burgers, attending the Enchantment Under the Sea dance and we even recorded a tv show at Hill Valley TV. All the while key scenes from the movie were being played out around us. We saw Marty's audition at cafe 80's and the famous cafe scene just before the chase. After all that excitement we settled down to watch the movie which was projected onto the town hall. Key scenes were played out throughout the movie too including using the Delorean. A thoroughly entertaining and unique experience. 

5. Trabi Safari in East Berlin 

This was an unexpected highlight of our trip to Berlin in October but driving the famous (or infamous) Trabant car around the streets of East Berlin provided a real hands-on experience of the history of Berlin. 

6. Visiting Camp Nou and Watching FC Barcelona

Being a football fan this is definitely something I have always wanted to do. The reality didn't disappoint.

7. Spending Time with Family & Friends 

This has been a year where love from our wonderful family and friends has meant even more than normal. Thank you for loving us. We love you all so much.   

Five Highlights of Barcelona

Laura and I have just returned from a city break in the wonderful city of Barcelona, the first time either of us had visited. 

Don't tell anyone from Barcelona that they live in Spain, Barcelona is in Catalonia and they are fiercely proud of this. As recently as last month 80% of Catalonians voted for independence from Spain. 

From the Airport 

We got a train (RENFE) from the airport (terminal 2) into the centre of Barcelona and got off at 'Sants Estacio' station which is well connected to the metro. Tourist information in the airport sells public transport tickets - we bought a 4 day travel card for approx 27 Euro rather than plumping for the Barcelona Card which was approx 44 Euro. We did not intend to visit many of the museums and certainly not enough to warrant the extra 17 Euro of savings. The train took 25 minutes and we had a 10 minute journey to our metro stop of Paral-lel (a great central place to stay). 

Highlight 1   
Tapas Tour (http://www.tapastoursbarcelona.com)

What better way of starting a trip to Barcelona than enjoying a tapas tour! We researched this company on trip advisor and found it was well regarded and by far the cheapest on offer. We visited 4 very different types of tapas establishments and learned about the history of tapas (originally small plates to cover drinks from flies). We were joined on our tour by a lovely family and our guide Carla was wonderfully enthusiastic. Well recommended! 

With permission from www.lauracookphotography.net

With permission from www.lauracookphotography.net

One of the most fascinating parts of the tapas tour was walking through the Christmas market which opened our eyes to quite a quirky part of their culture - an obsession with shit. Hear me out. 

Firstly there were many wooden logs with faces (a la Thomas the Tank Engine) for sale and upon our query about what they were, we discovered that parents stuff said logs with sweets and at Christmas the children sing to the log to 'shit' them some sweets. 
We then saw some figures of men 'shitting' for sale. According to Carla, every nativity scene has a 'shitting' person in it to signify we are all the same. You could get 'shitting' football players, Star Wars characters and even presidents. I saw a shitting Barack Obama. I didn't see a David Cameron. Maybe he was sold out.  

Highlight 2 
FC Barcelona - Camp Nou Tour & Game

Football and particularly FC Barcelona dominates city life. Being one of the biggest clubs in the world I was excited to visit the stadium but we had also bought tickets for the Saturday game. Tours are not available on game days so we did the Camp Nou tour on Friday. As is our custom, we utilised the tourist hop-on, hop-off bus for the day to see the city at ground level - with two companies operating we went with the original company who offered a red and a blue route. Camp Nou was our first hop-off and we got a small discount for the tour with our bus ticket. 

The Nou Camp is an amazing stadium with a capacity of nearly 100,000 (98,787) which is bigger than Wembley. The self guided tour takes you from a spectator's view through the press room and post match interview areas, into the away dressing room, pitch side by the dug outs and finally into the museum. 

Chapel

      
We also spent far too much on photos from our tour experience, although how else would I get a photo as captain of Barcelona? 

Match day was fun too, Barcelona winning 5-0 with two goals from Messi. 

Messi makes it 4-0

Highlight 3 
Basílica de la Sagrada Família

Started in 1882 with Gaudi taking over the project in 1883, the church is still unfinished. Gaudi knew he would not be alive to see the finished Basilica and when asked about the longevity of construction he famously answered "My client in in no hurry". Even unfinished, it is breathtaking. 

 

Highlight 4

Font màgica de Montjuïc

The Magic Fountain display takes place between Thursday and Sunday in summer and Fridays and Saturdays in winter. We found it to be a wonderful end to our very busy first day. 

  

Highlight 5

Port Cable Car

There are two cable cars in Barcelona, the 'Transbordador Aeri del Port' which transfers people between the port and Montjuïc and  more modern and shorter one on Montjuïc itself. We chose the older cable car from the port on a one way journey. A pleasant ride with awesome views of the city. 

 

TRAVEL - Top 10 Tips for Berlin

The largest section of the wall still standing

I love Berlin. It really is a brilliant city. Laura and I spent a couple of days there as part of our inter-railing honeymoon in 2008 and last week spent a further three days there researching sustainability in Berlin for our respective  businesses. Here are some tips:

Getting Around (From Schonefeld)

Public transport is efficient and cheap in Berlin, the prices in particular put London to shame. It is well worth downloading the public transport app onto your phone (MX data is good) and get familiar with it. 

U-Bahn Train

Budget airlines like Easyjet fly into Schonefeld which is to the south east of the city. From exiting arrivals door, turn immediately right within the terminal and buy your public transport ticket. We bought the Berlin Card which also gets you discounts in museums and attractions. 3 days for approximately 25 Euros. The quickest way into the centre of Berlin is then to turn left out of the terminal building and then turn right down the path (under the roof) to the train station. The RB19 train (10 past each hour) takes to directly to Potsdamer Platz in the heart of Berlin which is where you can get a U-train (underground) or a S-train to your destination. MAKE SURE YOU VALIDATE YOUR TICKET by stamping it in the red box. You only need to do this once.    

1. Brandenburg Gate

The most iconic building of Berlin is the Brandenburg Gate and it became a symbol of freedom with it's role in the breakdown of the wall in 1989. Brandenburger Tor is the train stop on both S-line and U-line. During the division of Berlin, the gate was only accessible by East Germans as this picture below shows.

2. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Just down the road from the Brandenburg Gate on the west side is the Holocaust Memorial. This memorial contains 2711 slabs of concrete of varying heights which can be explored on foot. It opened in 2005. 

3. The Reichstag

Another short walk from the Brandenburg Gate is the Reichstag, an impressive building that was reconstructed by Norman Foster after German reunification in 1990. A highlight is the glass dome that sits on top of the building.

   

4. Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie was the best known border crossing between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. It is situated on the main road of Friedrichstrasse and the nearest station is Kochstrasse (U6). 

5. Trabi Safari

Just a short walk from Checkpoint Charlie is my favourite activity in Berlin - driving a Trabi around East Berlin on the Trabi Safari! The Trabant was the car manufactured in East Germany which was made of duraplast, a tough plastic, and not cardboard which was the joke at the time. The hour drive around old East Berlin has you follow a lead car who delivers commentary via radio as you drive. I loved it. (Discount with Berlin Card)

6. The East Side Gallery

Described as an international memorial for freedom the gallery is in fact a 1.3km stretch of the Berlin Wall that has 105 paintings by artists from around the world. We took the U2 to Schlesisches Tor, crossed the river and walked down. There is no charge to see the gallery.

7. Ritter Chocolate

A small walk from Französische U station is chacolatier Ritter. this place is brilliant. Firstly for under 4 Euro you can create your own chocolate bar with a choice of milk or dark chocolate and three special ingredients of your choice (e.g. gummy bears, a range of nuts, smarties etc). Secondly it has an amazing shop with a great range of chocolate bars and gifts. We spent a lot of money there. (Discount in cafe with Berlin Card)

See Laura's blog on chocolate creation at Ritter here:

http://thethingwithfeathers.net/2014/10/08/chocolate-at-ritters-sport-in-berlin/

Used by permission from Laura Cook Photography

8. The Currywurst Museum

Berlin is famous for its' currywurst snack - basically a sausage and curry sauce accompanied by bread or chips. It's cultural significance means it has its' own museum which is colourful and alternative. At the end of the tour you can sample some currywurst - delicious!

9. The Olympic Stadium 

One of my favourite stadiums in the world is the Berlin Olympic Stadium which was used for the 1936 Olympics, an event that brought Hitler and the Nazism to an international audience and where Jesse Owens performed heroics on the track to win 4 gold medals. The stadium has also hosted the Champions League Final, World Cup Final and World Athletics Championships. Usain Bolt set both his 100m and 200m world records at this stadium. U Olympia-Stadion can be found on U2 and you can receive discount for entry with your Berlin Card.

10. Schoneberger Sudgelande Nature Park

If you catch the S25 or S2 train to Priesterweg you will find a wonderful nature park which was once railway sidings. After they were decommissioned in 1952 the area was left for nature to take over which in 50 years has created a "diverse, species-rich natural oasis developed in the heart of a major city, with rich dry grassland, jungle-like woodland and herbaceous vegetation" (http://www.gruen-berlin.de/parks-gardens/suedgelaende-nature-park/)

To prevent graffiti on the wildlife, young people have been given this stretch of wall to illustrate