Berlin Trip – Day Two – The Berlin Walking Tour

Berliner Dom

After a good night sleep, apart from a bit of sleepwalking, it was off for a quick breakfast.

The selection in the breakfast buffet was excellent with cold meats and cheeses but alas there was no black pudding.

With our nutritional supplements ingested we made the short walk over to Zoologischer Garten Station to meet our walking tour.

Insider Tours were the company we booked based on advice we have received from other people who have been to Berlin. In a nutshell it gives visitors to Berlin a whistle-stop tour of the main city centre sites.

The first part of the tour involved getting onto the subway system to Hackescher Markt. From there we walked to a little park near the River Spree, where our guide Penelope gave us a condensed history of Germany. Also it gave us an opportunity to witness a meeting of the Berlin branch of the wildbunch complete with their shopping trolleys.

Neue Wache

With the introductory talk over we made our way across the river to Berliner Dom and the Atles museum.

Berliner Dom or Berlin Cathedral was built in 1905 and apart from a place of worship, is also a museum and concert venue.

We then made the short walk down Unter Den Linden, which translates as under the linden tree. The first port of call on this grand boulevard was Neue Wache which serves as a memorial for all who have died through war and tyranny.

The second stop along Unter den Linden was Bebelplatz a public square overlooked by Alte Bibliothek and an underground memorial to the 30,000 books destroyed during the first book burning of the Nazi regime in 1933.

Our hardy tour group then battled through the rain showers to Gendarmenmarkt with two churches and Konzerthaus is located.

Gendarmenmarkt

After a quick break in a coffee shop, we continued onto the second section of the tour.

Next on the agenda was Checkpoint Charlie. During the Cold War this served as the main crossing point for the Allies and politicians between east and west Berlin. It’s slightly disappointing that the structure here is a reconstruction and mock American soldiers pose for photos with visitors.

Just down the road from Checkpoint Charlie, a small part of the Berlin Wall still stands. It was quite striking to see this infamous wall. What is ironic is that a fence has been erected in front of the wall to order to protect it from people trying to take away a souvenir.

Our guide then led us to what she described as the most visited car park in the world. It turned out it was the location of Hitler’s bunker where he spent his final days while the Soviets bombarded the city, before committing suicide.

The Berlin Wall

It was then time to visit the Memorial to the Murdered European Jews. It was created in 2007 and consists of 2700 concrete columns rising from the ground. This was a very sombre experience and it’s frightening to think of the number of people who lost their lives.

The final two stops were next up. Firstly the Reichstag, home of the German Government and the Brandenburg Gate. It’s hard to believe that only 22 years ago the gate stood in no-man’s land between East and West Berlin.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

What was even weirder was the fact that Yogi Bear and Darth Vader were posing for photos with the hoards of tourists that we gathered around the gate.

It was at this point our walking tour ended and we had developed quite a thirst and appetite.

My friend Jam, (a Trallwyn expat, who now lives in a secluded abode in the Australian outback) told me to try a currywurst during my trip to the Germany capital. So I located a kiosk near the Brandenburg gate and procured a currywurst and a beer.

The Brandenburg Gate

I didn’t know what to expect from this curry tinged sausage but it was excellent. I intend to subject another to my digestive system before I leave the city.

After walking all over Berlin, for our evening meal we decided to go to a Vietnamese restaurant close to the hotel. I opted for half a litre of Warsteiner, wantons for starters and ginger chicken for main. The food was easily one of the best I’ve had.

To view more photos from day two of my Berlin trip visit my Flickr Photostream.

Berlin Trip – Day One – Swansea to Berlin

Refreshments at Bristol Airport

After 6 weeks of waiting the big day finally arrived. I’m not referring to National Taco Day (which twitter claims is today) but the day of our departure to the city of Berlin.

The German capital with its history and reputation for good beer has always been a city I wanted to visit.

I always remember as a kid looking at pictures of the Berlin wall dividing the city in my Weetabix World Atlas. On that topic, I still can’t believe you had to save 6 tokens from the cereal box and also pay for postage and packaging for the publication.

With all necessary belongings packed , including my girlfriend’s five different pairs of footwear, we made our way to Bristol Airport.

We had some time to spare on the way up the M4 so decided to risk a trip into Newport for a Toby Carvery.

After getting the postcode for the establishment from the official Toby Carvery website, the SatNav led us all the way through Newport and to a dead end in a council estate. There was no restaurant in site.

What’s more there were two scruffy, stray canines blocking a place to turn around.

Franziskaner Weissbier

After managing to get the correct postcode off google maps we escaped from the estate. The famished hounds chose not to pursue.

After an average turkey dinner it was onto the airport.

When travelling from Bristol Airport I usually book the long stay car park. But after my recent trip to watch the Swans at Arsenal we chose to use a website called www.parkatmyhouse.com with the intention to save a few pounds.

The guy who we arranged the parking with had over 300 excellent reviews and lives less than 2 minutes from the airport. He met us at the terminal drop off point to pick the car up.

To be fair ‘Alfie’ as he liked to be known was very thorough and gave us the arrangements for the return trip. Based on the experience so far, I would use again.

The money we saved on parking was wisely spent on a bottle of white wine at the airport bar before eventually boarded the flight.

Holiday Inn Express, Berlin City Centre West

After the flight which only 1 hour 46 minutes long, our luggage literally came off the belt first and second respectively and we boarded a waiting taxi.

The taxi ride was quite amusing with the driver constantly beeping at other drivers and swerving in between lanes.

We arrived at the hotel at around 10.30pm and went down to the bar for a quick beverage. I opted for a pint of Franziskaner Weissbier, while the better half opted for a cocktail.

After a day of travelling we are looking forward to exploring Berlin tomorrow with a walking tour.

To view photos from day one of my Berlin trip visit my Flickr photostream.

Toronto Trip – Day Eight – The final day

Woofstock

Unfortunately this was the final day of our Toronto trip.

After checking out of our hotel we decided to make the most of our last few hours.

Walking away from the hotel, we found several of the adjacent roads were closed and marquees set up selling products for canines.

Hundreds of dogs were present too. Some large, some small, some with neck ties and others with coats.

It was all for an event called Woofstock, North America’s biggest festival for man’s best friend.

Toronto

Once we circumnavigated this and hurdled dog stools on the floor, the first real stop was St Lawrence Market. The mission being to sample some of the delicious looking foods we saw the other day.

The most notable for me was the spicy hot Ontario chorizo which nearly set my mouth on fire.

The market was heaving today with shoppers buying their weekend foods and buskers playing jazz music.

It was then off to the harbourfront for a stroll next to Lake Ontario.

The Harbourfront Centre takes up a large chunk of land here with outdoor stages and cafes.

PATH

Underneath Toronto are subterranean tunnels and shops called PATH. It is possible to walk across the entire city without going up to street level.

It was quite and odd experience venturing around PATH as most of the establishments were closed and walkways devoid of fellow humanoids.

When we exited this underground labyrinth we stumbled across an event called Luminato located on the public space next to Roy Thompson Hall.

A number of bands were scheduled to appear on stage throughout the day but the proceedings also include theatre, art, film and literature.

Luminato

After one last walk around the downtown area we made our way to the Steam Whistle Brewery to pick up some beers to take home.

To avoid eating at the airport we visited the Old Spaghetti Factory for a quick meal. Just at the right time too as when we left the queue was out of the door and stretching as far west as Vancouver.

While waiting for a taxi we had enough time for a quick beer at the hotel before heading to the airport. I went for a pint of Mill St. Tankhouse.

After months of anticipation I’m glad to say Toronto did not let us down. To stay for 7 days and still not have time to do everything says it all. I would definitely return to this great city in a few years.

To view photos from my final day in Toronto visit my Flickr photostream.

Toronto Trip – Day Seven – Toronto Islands and Toronto Blue Jays

View from Toronto Centre Island

On our last full day in Canada’s largest city we opted to visit the Toronto Islands.

We made our way to the ferry terminal and queued with hundreds of others to get on board for our second boat trip in as many days.

It was only a 15 minute journey across.

The Toronto Islands are green parklands with lakes, gardens, beaches and recreational facilities.

There is also an amusement park for visitors to enjoy.

Toronto Island

We walked 4km around the centre island to Hanlan’s point which gave great views of the city and Lake Ontario.

Back on the mainland and it was time for lunch. We found a place called Spring Rolls which serves a variety of Thai, Chinese and Japanese foods.

We took our seats on the patio and I ordered Misa soup, Bangkok wings and Chicken Satay with mango salad.

After lunch I was then forced to go shopping once again.

View from Hanlan's Point

After looking around a number of retail outlets, and with gifts and a Toronto FC shirt bought, it was back to the hotel for a quick rest.

The Rogers Centre was next on the list of venues to visit – the reason being baseball. Toronto Blue Jays were hosting the Boston Red Sox.

After getting our tickets we made our way into the stadium.

The amount of different food and beer outlets put any UK football stadium to shame. The only down side is that beers cost $10. But you can drink when watching the game.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays lost the game 5-1 but it didn’t impact on my enjoyment. They really know how to maximise fan involvement and we even made it onto the big screen!

It’s hard to believe tomorrow is our last day in this fantastic city.

To view more pictures from day seven of my Toronto trip visit my Flickr photostream.

Toronto Trip – Day Six – Niagara Falls and wine

Niagara Falls

It was up early today for a bus trip to Niagara Falls.

We departed the hotel and 8:30 am prompt and the bus made its way out of Toronto and down to the Niagara Peninsular.

The peninsular is teaming with vineyards and wineries and we were told that we would return at the end of the day for some tastings of red, white and ice wines.

The first stop was the Niagara Whirlpool, which has a cable car going across it.

Niagara Whirlpool

It was then onward to Niagara Falls.

I have seen the falls on many occasions on TV but I didn’t expect seeing them with my own eyes would be so spectacular.

The falls are essentially in two parts, the more impressive horseshoe falls and the American falls.

Walking along the viewing platforms was like going into a shower. Honestly, you could take some shower gel and have a wash. The mist was reaching at least twice the height of the falls themselves.

It was then time for the main event of the day The Maid of the Mist boat tour.

The Maid of the Mist

On the way down to the craft you are issued plastic ponchos to go on board with. They were definitely needed.

The mist generated was greater than both the shower I mentioned on the viewing platform and the one I took this morning.

But what an experience it was. The mist made photography difficult but taking a boat trip into the mouth of one of the world’s famous waterfalls was something I won’t forget.

Clifton Hill

We then had a walk around Clifton Hill, the road next to the falls. Unfortunately it’s very commercial with casinos and shops trying to maximise tourism spend.

All this excitement made us thirsty, so it was back on the bus and to one of the wineries in the Niagara Peninsular.

The winery in question was 20 Bees. A company with that Canadian actor Dan Aykroyd is a shareholder.

Free tasters were given out of white, red and ice wines.

20 Bees Wine

The ice wines were delicious but very pricy, so we purchased a couple of regular bottles of wine for later consumption.

We got back to the hotel about 6pm and got ready to go out for food. It seemed that most of Toronto had the same idea.

After unsuccessfully trying a few places we eventually found, after extensive walking, a bar called the Jersey Giant.

Toronto at night

I opted for a pint of Moosehead and halibut and chips which the menu claimed has been voted the best in town.

To be fair it wasn’t exaggerating, the fish was excellent, it was second only to the halibut I consumed in Campbell River, BC.

Back at the hotel we opened the wine from Niagara and planned tomorrow’s proceedings.

To view more pictures from day six of my Toronto trip visit my Flickr photostream.

 

Toronto Trip – Day Five – Casa Loma, Royal Ontario Museum, Bata Shoe Museum and food at the CN Tower

Casa Loma

After sleeping off that monster burger, I woke up to discover the temperature in Toronto would be a scorching 32c.

Our first order of business in the heat was to go onto the subway and head to Casa Loma.

Casa Loma was built in 1911 and is a mock medieval folly that was the former home of Sir Henry Pellatt. He was a wealthy financier who made his fortune from providing Toronto with electricity.

The mansion has 98 rooms including dining rooms, studies and bedrooms.

The view from the top of mansion’s tower is fantastic but a little hazy.

The grounds of the house are quite nice too with flowers, sculptures and fountains dotted around along with woodland walks.

Royal Ontario Museum

Sir Henry only lived in Casa Loma for 10 years however – he lost his fortune in land speculation.

A few stops down on the subway is the Royal Ontario Museum.

The subway station is fittingly decked out in First Nation and Egyptian decor.

The museum is Canada’s biggest national history museum and exhibitions include Chinese temple sculptures, dinosaurs, Egyptian mummies, Canada’s First Peoples and extensive world culture artefacts.

The First Nations and Chinese sculpture exhibitions ranked as my favourites, some of the displays were amazing.

Bata Shoe Museum

It was ironic that one display was dedicated to Ancient Cyprus where some of the artefacts were from sites around the island I had previously visited.

After finishing up in the museum we were about to visit another.

The Bata Shoe Museum was designed by Raymond Moriyama and showcases 10,000 items relating to footwear from all over the world.

Whilst the $14 entry fee is a bit steep, the museum hosts displays over 4 levels including footwear through the ages, 40 years of the JUNO awards, Native North American Footwear and shoes in art.

As much as we enjoyed the Bata Shoe Museum, it is more of a filler for itineraries and suitable for people who have an hour or two to spare.

Food at the CN Tower

After an hour or two relaxing in the hotel all the news channels were warning of severe thunder storms and hail stones in Toronto. A warning appeared on screens urging people to stay indoors as some of the hail was the size of golf balls.

We looked out of the window and the sky was black with lightning appearing every few seconds. But no hail or rain arrived in the downtown area.

It was then off to the CN Tower for food. Again we travelled up in the lift to the top.

The restaurant rotates 360 degrees, slowly giving diners great views of the city. I opted for a bottle of Steam Whistle beer to accompany my Canadian aged beef steak.

The city looked even better after dark from our table. It was definitely the best view I’ve had during a meal. It sets up our trip to Niagara Falls tomorrow quite nicely.

To view more pictures from day five of my Toronto blog visit my Flickr photostream.

Toronto Trip – Day Four – Dundas Square, City Hall, Chinatown, Kensington Market and defeat by food

Toronto City Hall

With a thunderstorm overnight (that we completely slept through) it was the first time we saw Toronto overcast.

This didn’t stop the humidity however when travelling around the city.

After a quick breakfast in Tim Horton’s our first port of call was Dundas Square.

This public space seems to be a mini version of Times Square, complete with luminous advertising hoardings, skyscrapers and water fountains.

A block over is the new City Hall and the old City Hall. It was interesting to see two contrasting buildings situated next to each other.

Dundas Square

The old City Hall has a central clock tower and is of traditional architecture.

The new City Hall is of modern design with twin buildings in semi circular shape facing each other. It kind of looks like a UFO.

My girlfriend was then nagging to go shopping so we walked into the Eaton Centre. It’s a huge selection of shops and eateries over four floors. My idea of hell.

With a purchase from the Lacoste shop thankfully complete it was time to visit Chinatown.

Dumpling House

On the way over the sun decided to come out which put the temperature up to 28.23c.

If the name doesn’t give it away, Chinatown is a district of Canada where a large population of Chinese people reside.

Shop fronts, restaurants, homes , signs and businesses are all of oriental design and lettering.

It’s here that we decided to partake in some lunch. On the advice of Lonely Planet we visited Dumpling House Restaurant, famous for its Chinese dumplings.

Chinatown

We opted for fried pork and chive dumplings with chicken fried noodles in soy sauce. With it we had a complimentary herbal tea.

The meal was excellent and with our hunger quelled we continued to explore Chinatown.

Adjacent to Chinatown is Kensington Market. This is one of Toronto’s more “colourful” districts with shops decked out in hippy style colours and interesting graffiti sprawled across some of the buildings.

Back in downtown I thought I was safe from any more shopping. I was wrong – I was forced to go around the Hudson Bay Company department store.

When this ordeal was finally over the Canadian Walk of Fame was next on the agenda.

Kensington Market

These are red stars set in the pavement dedicated to Canadian stars, even though some do not hail from Toronto. Jim Carrey was arguably the most notable, while Swansea celebrity Mal Pope and Arfon Haines Davies were absent.

Next up was a trip to St Lawrence Market. It hosts many varieties of food stalls including cheeses, bakers, fish, meats and wines.

The wine was all local to Ontario and the Niagara Peninsular. We purchased a white wine to sample back at the hotel.

Canada's Walk of Fame

With the wine ingested it was time for the evening meal. We decided to pay a visit to Bier Markt. This venue hosts 100 different beers from 24 countries (but no Albright). A reward to yours truly after suffering the indignity of shopping earlier.

I opted for a pint of Jupiler from Belgium, mushroom broth for starters and a T-bone burger for main.

The pint and starters were excellent. I then awaited the main course.

I became slightly concerned when our waiter brought me a bread knife and informed me “your t-bone burger isn’t tough but it’s quite tall, you may need this to carve it”.

St Lawrence Market

What was delivered to the table was worse than 8,002 trolls. It was a burger twice the height of the CN Tower and the width of Toronto to Narbeth.

I had to order a pint of Okanagan Pale ale to prepare me for battle.

I’m pleased to say that I triumphed and the burger was consumed eventually.

However some fries decided to take advantage of my dire situation and defeated me. Man v Food would definitely frown upon me.

A day of walking will have to take place tomorrow to work of the gargantuan burger that was consumed.

To view more photos from day four of my Toronto blog visit my Flickr photostream.