Cologne, Germany

Dec 13 - 16

Cologne, famous for its array of Christmas markets, most certainly did not disappoint. I spent the vast majority of my four day getaway looking at the markets, some of them not even in Cologne!

I met Florian on Tuesday morning at my hostel, after a very early flight from London. We walked all morning in the rain, firstly exploring the old part of town. The cathedral is the main feature of Cologne and it is quite impressive!

Inside, I found it interesting that the stain glass windows were so contrasting. It took many centuries to build the church, so I assume that is why there is such a mixture of styles.

We walked across Hohenzollern bridge to get a view of the Cologne 'sky line' - although it's not like it's full of sky scrapers. With the fog and the rain, it was still nice but perhaps not the most impressive view.

After lunch, the rest of the day was dedicated to Christmas markets. First we wandered around the Rudolfplatz market, which has an old city gate for a backdrop, making it very pretty.

Just around the corner we found the gay Christmas market. Yes, apparently gay Christmas markets are a thing! All the stalls were wrapped in fluro foil, and inside I found items such as chocolate vaginas, chocolate penises and even chocolate boobies.

In the evening we went to the Christmas markets in the old city. We hit up four markets, each one just about across the road from the next, making it easy to bounce between them all.  Huemarkt was my favourite - not only was it full of lovely food, drink and gift stalls, but there was a massive ice skating rink and a game somewhat like curling. Throughout the night, I nibbled on roasted chesnuts (how very Christmassy!) and drunk lots of glühwein. I also discovered flammlach - salmon cooked on a fire. Delicious!

We spent the rest of the evening in a brewery with Florian's workmates. There, I was educated on how I am "just not experiencing German culture" if I don't drink the beer! Oops.

Given that four days is a fairly long time to spend in Cologne, we decided to do a little day trip the next day. First stop was Aachen, a small city about an hour out of Cologne by train. The charming cobble stoned streets were absolutely covered in Christmas markets. It had a very relaxed and friendly vibe. We also had a look at the church while there - lovely, but not as impressive as the one in Cologne. We both ate Gruenkohl mit Mettwurst (a kale-filled stew, with local sausage) for lunch before hopping on a bus into the Netherlands!

After a rather long bus ride, we made it to Maastricht, a small Dutch city somewhat similar to Aachen. And what did we find there? Christmas markets of course! However, the Dutch haven't got it quite as well set-up as the Germans. There were more toys and games, rather than crafts or homemade goodies. The beanies and scarves and other common Christmas market items all just seemed a little more cheap and a little less hand crafted.

But the town was beautiful. Many pedestrian streets covered in Christmas decorations and interesting shops and cafes.

Exhausted after the two and a half hour return journey back to Cologne, I thought I'd have a quiet night. But a few guys at the hostel convinced me to join them for more glühwein at a nearby market (really had to twist my arm..!) and then drinks at the hostel bar.

I joined a walking tour the next morning to get some insight into the history and culture of Cologne. Mostly, I learnt about the Romans that once settled there and the impact of WW2 on the city. There are little  memorials all over the city for those taken away from their homes and families and off to concentration camps during the war. But they are somewhat controversial. They are made of copper and people are therefore encouraged to walk all over them to keep them nice and shiny. However...some people find it incredibly disrespectful to walk on top of these memorials, understandably.

I spent most of the afternoon at more Christmas markets - Neumarkt and Stadtgarten. Again, salmon filled my belly...and I even had a pretzel! Risky. Delicious. Worth it.

In the evening I met Florian for more glühwein at the markets. This time we tried white glühwein - yummy, but very sweet!

My last day in Cologne was very relaxed. After a sleep in and a short run in the morning, I eventually made it to the EL-DE Haus, a museum located in the building that used to be the headquarters of the Cologne Gestapo (secret state police) in the 1930s-1940s. The basement floors were used as an interrogation prison. It has largely been kept the same as it was back then, meaning that you can walk through prison cells, the walls covered in writing from the inmates - some prayers, some letters to loved ones, some calendars counting the days of incarceration. It was quite haunting.

Unfortunately, the rest of the museum was only in German, so I didn't really gather what it was about.

I spent the afternoon wandering one last Christmas market and then walked by the river to watch the sunset.

Madrid: one last time

October 19 - 21

My last few days in Spain, and infact the last few days of my whole European summer adventure, were spent in Madrid. Yet another Spanish city that I am in LOVE with.

After a teary goodbye in Talamanca, I arived into Madrid early in the evening. I spent the night chatting to new friends in the hostel bar. Someone claimed to know a club we could get into for free, with an open bar til 1.30am... How could I say no to that?! I sipped on sangrias and had a little dance to some beloved raggaeton tunes.

In the morning I met Raphael. Over breakfast we gathered ideas for the day, the first of which was an art gallery - recommended by another traveller. La Neomudejar. The strangest art gallery I've ever been to. And yet...kinda cool!

It was in a run-down warehouse found on a backstreet a little bit away from the centre of town. We saw various videos made over the last 40 years, many of them with somewhat disturbing content! The setup of the place was funky - each video had just one chair facing it and most of the chairs were old and worn out.

Upstairs, there was an exhibition of contemporary art that included mostly paintings and sculptures. We were also allowed into the artists workshop to see what they were working on.

Walking back through town, we caught the 3pm carrillon show at the Plus Ultra building. The carillon, an instrument made up of various bells, was accompanied by five figures that move about on the balcony. Cute.

For lunch went to Museo de Jamon (translstes to 'museum of ham!') Not surprisingly, I had delicious ham and cheese. What was surprising was that it only cost €2.80! Why did I not discover this place sooner?!

Once our bellies were full of ham, we walked towards the Royal Palace. 

It's free for EU members for two hours each afternoon, so of course the queue was outrageous. Luckily, it moved fairly quickly and we were shepherded around the many stunning rooms. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, so you'll just have to take my word that it was ridiculously stunning. Every room was intricately decorated and had its own purpose - for example one room was the room set aside for the "routine of dressing the king." There were endless al fresco paintings and beautiful chandeliers hanging from every ceiling. Simply amazing. I can't imagine ever living somewehere like that. So fancy! Not so homely.

As we left the palace it started to rain, and so I decided that the best place to be would be in the shops! I headed to H&M and Primark, both enourmous, as well as some local shops, before going back to chill out at the hostel.

Raphael and I, along with Nicky who we also met at the hostel, went just down the road for a flamenco show that night! When booking this, I had been expecting an epic dance show. But what I hadn't taken into account was that flamenco is just as much about the music as it is about the dancing. Three singers, three dancers and one guitarist absolutely wowed us with their skills. An incredible night!

I spent my very last morning in this beautiful country roaming around the streets of the Lavapies area. This neighbourhood is best described as "full of life" but "rough around the edges." I liked it! 

I found a really cool market that was very quiet but I reckon around lunchtime it would be choccas full of locals grabbing a bite to eat, having a glass of sangria or picking up some fresh produce.

It makes me very sad to say goodbye to Spain...but new adventures await in London.

Workaway in Talamanca de Jarama, Spain

Oct 5 - 19

I could not have asked for a more kind and generous family to spend my last two weeks in Spain with. Inma, Raul, Nicolai and Daniela welcomed me into their home and made me feel like a part of the family immediately.

In the tiny town of Talamanca de Jarama, just 40km north of Madrid, I spent my days playing with the kids and attempting to improve my Spanish. It was relaxing and yet never boring.

I did a couple of Spanish lessons and had plenty of time to practice with the family. I gave Inma the occasional English lesson and helped Daniela with English homework when needed.

When the kids were at school I filled my days with exploring. Whether it be the local shopping centre (factory outlets!!) or just roaming around the cute little town. While Talamanca is tiny, it has actually been host to many films. I even saw a movie being filmed there one day! The Cartuja and Roman Bridge are beautiful historical places that make for perfect film sets.

Roman Bridge

Cartuja

Hermitage

Post office

I also took a little bike ride just outside of the town one morning. On a short one hour ride (including many stops for photos!) I was able to see a fair bit of the countryside.

A huge highlight for me was the Pico Peñalara hike. One sunny Saturday afternoon, Raul, Ashley (another workaway girl) and I drove about an hour north-west of Talamanca, where the land gradually changed from dry hills into green mountains. The five hour hike was incredible.

We passed many lakes. Some of them reflected the clear blue sky, making for stunning views. Eventually, as we got closer to the peak, we started scaling the mountain ridge; practically rock climbing to make it to the peak. At times I did genuinely think I might fall and die. I'm fairly certain there was a less dangerous route..but Raul the mountain goat likes to lead a dangerous life it seems! I joke, but I loved it.

There weren't many trees along the path, meaning that it was generally very open - constant views of the surrounding mountains. Amazing hike.

Two shots at the peak, looking in opposite directions

Daniela had her 8th birthday while I was staying with them. Some family came around for a feast before the party! Raul taught me how to make paella - with rabbit, how it is traditionally made. 

And Inma cooked a gluten free cake especially for me. These people are the best ❤️

Daniela and the delicious GF birthday cake!

The party was a few hours of madness, with 20-odd kids running a muck. There were three cakes throughout the day and an endless amount of party food. Needless to say, when the festivities were over, we were all exhausted.

Playing with the 'English Dictoonary' sticker book I gave Daniela for her birthday

I became incredibly attached to this family and I wish I could've stayed longer. But alas, Spain is not far from my new home - London. So I have promised to come visit again soon.