Hard Rain

We'd fallen so in love with the bucolic charms of Bacharach, that the next stop was always going to have a tough time competing on the aesthetic front. Luckily for Munich, we'd planned to spend most of our time in town drinking beer, eating lard and playing cards. That this compact, funky little city had some beautiful parks and architecture as well was an added bonus.

The weather during our three days in town was singularly foul; so much so, that we looked forward to the moments when the rain was fairly light to hang our washing out. Sunday afternoon actually offered up an afternoon of sun, though, so we took advantage and walked round much of the city, and strolled through the vast Englischer Gardens. German trading laws mean that virtually no shops are open on a Sunday, which while no bad thing in itself does render city centres eerily quiet. When you added in all those pesky church services, which kept picture taking tourists like us out of most places of worship, and our sight-seeing options were a little limited.

We did, however, scale the 36, 000 (give or take a few thousand) steps to the top of the St Peterskirche tower. The vistas of Munich that the circular  balcony at the top afforded us were worth the visit alone; churches dotted residential areas, industrial developments cropped up out of nowhere, rivers and rivulets duelled throughout, the whole view hemmed in by the dark, looming Bavarian ranges in the distance. I only hope that the ample Japanese lady we saw gasping for breath on our way down – she was about a tenth of the way up – lived to tell the tale.

The real gem of our stay, though, was perhaps the most unlikely - “The Tent” campsite and bunk space that we stayed in for three nights. Located a 20 minute tram ride from the centre of town, it somehow managed to be both endearingly bohemian and laid back, while at the same time offering the cleanest facilities, cheapest and best food and warmest of welcomes we've enjoyed thus far. A bit like a mini-Glastonbury, with hanging lights, nightly camp fires and a familial party atmosphere, I kept smiling even though we were camping for three nights in near hurricane. Which is more than I manage most days.

Such was the welcome, that we only tore ourselves away from their bar and into a Bavarian Beer Garden one evening – though what an evening it was. Huge steins of amber, laughing tables of all ages, smoked sausages and fish and the German Foster & Allen trotting through folk songs and hits of the day, including (and I shit you not) Shine A Light by the stones. What more could you ask for?

The honest answer was “not much”, so we duly packed up the tent in a force ten gale, bid farewell to “The Tent” and jumped on a train to Vienna.

Lotsa love

Luke and Louise

(Posted by Luke)

I want to see the bright lights tonight

DSC01883, originally uploaded by Louise and Luke.

What. A. Bloody. Brilliant. City.

It wasn't just arriving after the mediocrity of Xi'an that did it. It wasn't the sunnier weather that had us discarding coats and thinking about sun tan lotion (albeit slightly prematurely). It wasn't even the "cake terrorists" (scary men who make money to overthrow the Chinese Government by... er... selling really pretty cakes on the street) that Ammy, our lovely and amusingly Chinese local guide, pointed out to us shortly after our arrival.

No, it was the delicious marriage of daft skyscrapers that look like spaceships with old colonial townhouses, the drinks that cost the earth but were served 88 floors above ground level in the Cloud Nine bar, the fantastic food at Grandma's Kitchen, the parks, the history. It was Shanghai, and the two days we spent in China's second city was nowhere near long enough, such was the wealth of things to do, see, eat, drink and absorb.

On our first night there, we strolled through the Old City shopping area, ignoring offers for knock off Rolex watches and Gucci bags, opting instead to barter furiously for some new shoes for Lou with a local stall holder. Just walking down the street was a joy in a city that felt so alive, vibrant and combustible in a way that made Beijing seem almost sedate in retrospect. We also tasted some of the best food since our time in the Capital at the famous Grandma's Kitchen, something of a Chinese institution. We finished off the night with a few beers at a backstreet bar that, somehow, afforded wonderful views of the city skyline across the Bund as a cool breeze blew across the terrace. It was almost good enough to give up voting for...

We started day two with a personal highlight, namely my successful consumption at breakfast of a an entire, runny fried egg... (drum roll please)... using chopsticks. The fact that the day managed to get better from there on in is a true testament to Shanghai's greatness. We spurned the metro, choosing to traverse much of the city by foot, and in doing so were rewarded with some truly magnificent open spaces such as the massive, magical "People's Park". These places also told a darker story, though, with the occasional statue of former leader and all round murderous shitbag Chairman Mao still standing, and an eerie lack of little brothers or sisters for the steady succession of cute Chinese kids to play with. After a few hours strolling through the glorious former French Concession, including memorable visits to the home of former (and actually quite sound) Communist guru Zhou Enlai and that of democratic trailblazer Sun Yat Sen, we zipped through the very grand though sterile Shanghai Museum.

The undoubted highlight, though, came with our evening visit, along with a few travelling companions, to the New Shanghai Circus. The show contained such feats of contortion, strength, grace and skill that would dazzle any visitor, but the final act, where seven full size motorcycles drive at full pelt round a 360 degrees metal cage-ball has to be seen to be believed. Look on Youtube - it's bound to be on there. Better still, book a flight and go see it for yourself.

We rounded off the night, and our last proper day in Shanghai, with a obscenely expensive cocktail on the 88th floor of Shanghai's second tallest building, but her still tallest bar. Since you ask, we had to use plastic, and mine was a Cyberlady, hers a Mai Tai. And yes, they were worth every bloody penny.

Stay warm,

Luke and Louise

(Posted by Luke)