I just got back from what is possibly the best vacation I've ever taken. A year ago, my friends and I were planning to take a trip to Europe. The plan was to visit as many countries as possible, on a shoestring budget. A few weeks before we were to book our tickets though, for various reasons, my friends bailed out. I didn't want to let this opportunity go, however. I thought to myself - why not go to Europe solo! After giving this thought serious consideration and weeks upon weeks of planning the entire itinerary on my own, I booked all my tickets and hostel reservations. I was all set - to go on a solo trip for the first time in my life, to a continent I was almost completely unfamiliar with! I was excited, obviously, but not without an equal measure of trepidation. But, excited nonetheless!
I started my trip off in one of my most favorite cities in the world - Paris! I visited this city exactly a decade ago with my family, but discovering this city on my own was something else entirely. Walking along the tree-lined Haussmannian boulevards of this city, enjoying a scrumptious baguette sandwich and an omelet for breakfast, traveling around the city in the underground metro (something I got very comfortable with in every other city I visited), these were some of the quintessentially Parisian things I enjoyed doing every day of my stay here. I was also lucky to make close friends - both Parisians and travelers like myself - to travel around the city with. In my five days here, I got to visit popular attractions like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame (just a couple of weeks before the tragic fire broke out), the Louvre museum, and so on, and I got to do a few things I was personally interested in, like enjoying an evening stroll through busy Montmartre or visiting Jim Morrison's grave. Most European cities, in general, have impeccable public transit systems, but the one in Paris is probably the most convenient and travel-friendly. If you're lucky enough, like I was, you might even get to enjoy the music of an accordionist or guitarist whilst walking through the serpentine tunnels of Paris's underground! I might've only spent five days here, but I feel like I could've spent a lot more time here. It is true that Paris is the easiest city in the world to fall in love with. I'm definitely coming back again, and again!
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| The Eiffel Tower, Paris |
I then traveled to London on a bus, a journey that was fascinating for many reasons. Not only does this bus go through the Channel Tunnel, but it is also probably the first time I've ever taken a bus that crosses an international border and a time zone! I'd never been to London before and I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it's an understatement to say that I was blown away by this magnificent city. London, being the multi-dimensional city that it is, has something to offer to every kind of tourist, and that's something I got to explore during the three days I spent here. I got to visit the classic tourist spots like Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the British Parliament (I was fortunate to witness the House of Lords and House of Commons in session!), and such. I visited places of architectural brilliance, like St. Paul's Cathedral, The Tate Modern museum, and the many bridges of London, including and especially, Tower Bridge. As a cricket fan, I got to tour the historic Lord's cricket ground, which was fascinating: I got to see the famous Lord's long room, the dressing rooms, the famous Lord's balcony (where Sourav Ganguly infamously waved his shirt back in 2002), the ground, the stands, and the impressive Media Center opposite the Pavilion. The travel geek in me really wanted to visit the Greenwich Observatory, where I got to stand on top of the Prime Meridian line, which separates the world into the Eastern and Western hemispheres and is where the true Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT) is calculated. Perhaps my favorite part of the city was discovering London's rich pop culture history. I got an exclusive tour to the first Hard Rock Cafe that ever opened, in London, where I got to hold (and try my hand at playing) guitars that were once owned by legends like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and so on. I then visited the famous Abbey Road crossing, which is a zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios where the Beatles did a photoshoot for the cover of their eponymous album in 1969. The best part was when I visited No. 3, Savile Row, which is a non-descript building and today houses an Abercrombie & Fitch. But it was on the terrace of this building that the Beatles gave their final performance in 1969 before the band broke up a few weeks later. For a Beatles fan like me, this felt more like a musical pilgrimage: it was overwhelming! I hope this is the first of many visits to this city, and I can't wait to come back.
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| The Shard, London |
From London, I flew to Frankfurt - the Rheinpfalz region of Germany. I traveled to Kaiserslautern, a quiet town, where my cousin and his wife reside. With them, I traveled to the beautiful Heidelberg castle, nestled snugly on the hills that overlook the vast Rhine valley. The funicular trains we took to get to the top of the hill where the castle is situated were marvelous. From there, we traveled by bus (again, cross-country; I was getting used to this now) to Amsterdam. Amsterdam is one of those cities one doesn't go to visit tourist attractions; it's a city that one absorbs and takes in. Every street in this city looks like it came straight out of a Van Gogh or a Rembrandt painting. It's also a city of great contrast - on one hand, you'll find peaceful canals and small lanes that run alongside them, and on the other, you'll find the hectic main streets of the cities shared by cyclists (there are tons of them in this city), trams, cars, and pedestrians. It always feels like at any point in time, if you're not aware of your surroundings, you're at risk of getting run over by someone. I remember getting heckled at by a cyclist for coming close to the cycle lane; there are just so many things happening at once, it can drive you insane at times. It kinda reminded me of the chaotic streets of Bangalore, so I got used to it quickly during the four days I spent here. The Rijksmuseum and Museumplein right in front of it are vast and magnificent. I was really keen on visiting Anne Frank's house and the Van Gogh museum, but reservations had already been made all the way until the next month. So we decided to simply walk around the city center, visiting Dam Square, the National Monument in front of it, and the busy road leading all the way to Amsterdam Centraal Station. The Red Light District (or De Wallen) is close by and is probably one of the most appalling, but at the same time most captivating things I've seen so far. The Eye film museum and A'dam lookout tower on the northern banks of the IJ river were very picturesque; even sitting by the banks of the river was a sight to behold. We also got to travel outside the city and explore the countryside. The Keukenhof Tulip Gardens are a must visit. I'm usually not one to visit flower gardens, but the vast, rich, and colorful expanse of Keukenhof is truly a sight one should see in person to experience its beauty; you can spend a whole day here and feel like you haven't seen enough. Another town we visited was Zaanse Schans, a quaint settlement built in the 1960s along the banks of the river Zaan. This town is known for its many iconic windmills, built all along the river, to harness Holland's famously windy weather to generate renewable energy for the country. The Netherlands is a beautiful country with so much to explore, I simply loved my time here.
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| Heidelberg Castle |
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| Jordaan, Amsterdam |
I then traveled back to Germany to visit Berlin, where I had a whirlwind of a couple of days. Berlin's S-Bahn and U-Bahn railway system made it very easy for me to get around the city in little time. I got to visit Alexanderplatz, where Europe's tallest tower - the Berlin TV tower - is located. What really interested me though were the landmarks in central Berlin. My first stop was the iconic Brandenburg Gate, which is perhaps to Berlin what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. There's so much history at this place, it's incredible - Napoleon led a victory parade here, leaders like Ronald Reagan and JFK delivered politically-charged speeches here, and parts of the Berlin Wall were first torn down here. After spending a good amount of time here, I walked along the main boulevard through Tiergarten (a central park in the city) to the Victory Tower. This tower is cast of solid gold and was erected way back in the 19th century. I went all the way to the top of the tower and got a bird's eye view of the sprawling city. Unlike most European cities, Berlin is a vast expanse stretching farther than the eye can see. From there, I headed down to the French square of Gendarmenmarkt, and the nearby Checkpoint Charlie. This checkpoint is perhaps the only surviving border checkpoint between erstwhile East and West Berlin. It was fascinating to stand at what once was termed as the 'Iron Curtain' by Winston Churchill. What I remember was that just as you enter erstwhile West Berlin (the American side), you'll immediately find a KFC and a McDonald's, which I found hilarious! From there, I proceeded to the impressive Reichstag building, which houses the German parliament. Once again, I got to see the parliament in session, and sweeping views of the city at night. The next day I visited the East Side Gallery, which is essentially a one-kilometer long section of the Berlin Wall that still stands today with very interesting graffiti on it. Next, I headed to the Berliner Dom cathedral, which is probably one of the largest domed cathedrals I've seen. I then went to Potsdamer Platz which is a business district of the city, great for having a good meal. There were sections of the Berlin Wall here too, and I even got to visit the theater that hosts the Berlinale Film Festival annually. From there I visited the nearby Jewish Memorial Museum, which is perhaps one of the most somber, and heartbreaking experiences I had on this trip. My biggest takeaway was that close to six million Jews died under the Third Reich commanded by Hitler. All in all, Berlin to me felt like one big history lesson. In the short time I spent in this city, Berlin impressed me the most of all the cities I visited.
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| Brandenburg Gate, Berlin |
From Berlin, I flew to Copenhagen, where a cousin of mine showed me around the city. We started off at Copenhagen City Hall, which was massive, and had marble busts of some of the city's famous citizens like Neils Bohr and Hans Christian Andersen. From there we walked to Christiansborg Palace, and then on to the Church of our Savior, a church famous for its tall and iconic spire that offers incredible views of central Copenhagen. We could see not just the city, but even the windmills on the Oresund strait that separates Denmark and Sweden, and even the massive Oresund bridge that connects the two countries. After braving incredibly chilly winds at the top, we walked over to an interesting district of the city called Christiania. This is a neighborhood that has its own set of rules and regulations and is technically not a part of the EU. Walking around Christiania felt like walking in a different country, and needless to say, the air was filled with the stench of all kinds of intoxicants. After visiting a few cafes in the area and trying some Danish pastries, we walked towards Copenhagen's harbourside for lunch. Then, as we were walking to Nyhavn - one of the city's most photogenic neighborhoods consisting of beautifully painted buildings along a canal - the clouds above cleared up and we were met with brilliant sunshine and clear blue skies. This made Nyhavn look even prettier if it were possible. Then, we walked to Rosenburg Palace and took a bus to the harborside again, where we were greeted with the most beautiful sight of cherry blossoms. It was the first time I'd ever seen cherry blossoms, so it was quite the treat. Just a few hundred feet away was the famous Little Mermaid Statue of Copenhagen, which was commissioned by Carl Jacobsen of Carlsberg in the early 1900s. We then visited Amalienborg, which is the Queen's residence, and took the train to Norreport, which is a large sprawling part of the city lined with cobblestoned streets and upbeat markets, restaurants, and clothing stores. It felt like one of those fancy Scandinavian neighborhoods you'd find James Bond walking around. After spending a fleeting 24-hours in Copenhagen, I took a bus across the Oresund bridge to Sweden, leaving me wishing I had an extra day in this beautiful Danish city.
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| Nyhavn, Copenhagen |
My first stop in Sweden was at the seaside city of Gothenburg. One of my closest friends from college lives here and offered to show me around the city. I experienced a taste of impeccable Swedish hospitality when I learned that in every Swedish restaurant, coffee is free and unlimited! After a wonderful lunch, we climbed up the nearby Skansen Kronan hill that offered beautiful views of the city and had waffles at a cafe on top. We walked around the city more, took a ferry on the Gota river to the impressive Alvsborg bridge. We watched the sunset at a hillock right next to the bridge, walked around the peaceful suburbs of Majorna before taking the train back to my friend's house. All in all, it was a much-needed peaceful day in Gothenburg. The next day, I took an express train to Stockholm, my final stop on this magnificent trip. I first visited the Stockholm City Hall, right by the banks of the Norrstrom river. This is the building where the banquet for the Nobel Prize winners takes place. I then walked down to the Vasa museum, which is probably one of the most interesting museums I've been to. The museum houses only one artifact - a ship, and a massive one at that. It was a ship that took two years to build during the early 17th century and hailed to be one of the greatest ships ever built at the time. However, on its maiden voyage, it sunk after having sailed only a few hundred meters. It was recovered from the seafloor in the 1960s and was transported to the museum's current location, very close to where it sunk. I got to see the ship in close quarters, and an informative documentary film taught me a lot about not just the ship, but about Sweden during the early 1600s. From there I took a train close to the city center where I visited the Stockholm Concert Hall - the venue of the Nobel Prize ceremony! In the evening, I strolled down to Gamla Stan - the oldest part of Stockholm - located entirely on an island in the river. This part of town, is essentially, like Europe in a neighborhood: complete with cobblestone streets, narrow lanes in-between, tiny houses, cafes, and stores, and bustling crowds walking the streets and having a joyous time. Walking the streets of Gamla Stan, is in itself, one of the best experiences in Stockholm. The next day, I visited Storkyrkan (the oldest church in Gamla Stan), the Den Gyldene Freden, which is the oldest existing restaurant in the world, and the Nobel Museum. The Nobel Museum was a blast for a history geek like me - I got to see the original petri dish wherein Penicillin was discovered for the first time by Alexander Fleming, the original paper on the General Theory of Relativity published by Albert Einstein, and other interesting artifacts like letters written to Francis Crick, John Watson, and Einstein, among others, by the Swedish Academy, indicating the conferment of the award to them. After spending a few more hours in the beautiful Gamla Stan, it was finally time to pack my bags and catch my flight back home. I didn't feel like going back, it all happened too soon. But, as they say, c'est la vie!
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| Avsborg Bridge, Gothenburg |
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| Gamla Stan, Stockholm |
Making the decision to travel solo is probably one of the best things I did. Traveling across an entire continent for twenty days on my own on a tight budget has given me so much confidence, I now feel empowered to travel anywhere in the world. I got to see a city/country the way I wanted to see it, at a pace I was comfortable with, without the restraint of depending on someone else, ensuring I made the best use of my time. I also got to make new friends and met friends I never thought I'd meet again, and shared experiences with them that I will cherish for a lifetime. After coming back home, I really missed the life I lived for three weeks - waking up early in the morning, traveling around the city I was in for 12-14 hours straight, and coming back feeling exhausted, but in a good way, and with the promise of another day as exciting (and probably in a different city) on the morrow. I recommend traveling solo to those who have always wanted to try it, provided one has done enough preparation and research beforehand. It's safe to say that this is a trip I will remember for a long time to come.
