Month: juni 2015

the classics in Berlin

Published by Katarina

Im not sure what the classic tourist places really are nowadays, it is not the 70s anymore when all tourists traveled to the same remote location to get red like a tomato and occasionally went on a guided tour to the city centre. The tourist buses still exist and frankly a bit tempting. I can see myself sitting there on the top with my sunglasses with a bit to much sunblock on the noose, just going round and around all day. We didn’t go in these buses but anyway, took the tour around on foot on what I guess is some of the classics in Berlin. (Due to the vast amount of photos an entire photo post will be dedicated to the Berlin Wall and East Side gallery.)          > Crossing the boarder at Check point Charlie  Martin and I were aiming at getting to Potzdamer platz but ended up close to checkpoint charlie so thats where we started our classics walk. We jumped of the subway by Kochstrasse and walked from there to the …

Ein currywurst in Berlin

Published by Katarina

Arriving in Berlin I told Martin that he had to have a currywurst, the true Berliner food. So first thing after dumping our stuff at the hotell we went for a currywurst, that and also walking down Kufurstendamm and checking out the Gedächtniskirche. The first wurst Martin was handed was over fried, so not a good start. The second thing was, the curry isn’t in the wurst but actually cheap old curry spice pored over the sausage. What? Not the best first impression. Or as Martin put it ”Germans seem to love yellow, the food is flavoured with turmeric, curry or mustard and the buildings including the subway is painted yellow”. Yesterday Martin gave the currywurst another try. It was better, but still, cheap old curry sprinkled over. A bit off a disappointment. But, still, the little sausage houses looks cute on photo, like a french old dancers house with red light lighting up the neighbourhood. Katarina Photo shot with Canon Eos M3 with 40 mm pancakelens and edited in lightroom app converting into black …

A hamburger in Hamburg

Published by Katarina

09.43 local time Tuesday 9th of June Martin and I hopped on the train to Berlin. For 178 euro we got a non refundable second class ticket to Berlin. This is the first we pay that the interrail ticket should have covered, since interrail just cover the cost outside your home country. This trainroute took us around 6-7 hours with a change of trains in Hamburg and included a 45 minutes ferry ride (with train!) from Rödby to Puttgarden. ”I must have a hamburger in Hamburg” Martin said so that is what we had, a hamburger in hamburg. That also coveres most part of this stretch, it was the journey where we had a hamburger in Hamburg. Katarina Shot with Canon Eos M3, 40 mm pancake from Canon and edited in Lightroom using the preset ”punch 2”.                                                 

3 hours in Copenhagen

Published by Katarina

The idea with staying in Copenhagen was simple. ”We need to stay somewhere to sleep, I will not travel with night bus” Martin said. So we booked one night at the Savoy hotel on Vesterbrogade 34, close to the Copenhagen centralstation, Kobenhavns Hovedbanegård.        Arriving in Copenhagen our plan was to buy the train tickets for Berlin via Hamburg, in the station, but after ending up in a queue in the station, longer than the bridge of Öresund, our plans changed and we bought the tickets online. This went well but the tickets where printed in German, not sure why since not that many people speak that language anymore!  Writing this me and Martin is on the train to Hamburg where we will have a 45 minutes stop and then head for Berlin. We will see what we can make of 45 minutes. Blogging from an ipad isn’t that bad after all since the time on the train now is spend trying to hit the right spot on the touchscreen. Martin sleeps, again, and he …

Trains in Bergslagen – from Grythyttan to Copenhagen

Published by Katarina

After a lot of thinking we never bought any interrail tickets for our traintravel in Europe. The main reason being that it in the end wasn’t going to be any cheaper, but also the fact that it wasn’t as comfortable as I thought, actaully, it was tricky.   Reading instructions on interrail homepage made it sound easy. But in the end when checking other sites and people who used it it seemed like you had to pay extra booking and reservation fees. I thought the whole point was that you don’t needed to do this? Checking more closely this was the case in almost all countries I checked so in the end we decided to go for buying one ticket at a time.  Price for ingerrail excluding booking/reservation fees, about 3500 sek/ 360 euro for Martin for 22 days (21 years of age) and 7500 sek/760 euro for me. (Seeing that, I realised I was old) So today when leaving our first tickets were booked and ready on the SJ webpage for Swedish trains. These tickets …

Upcoming Europetrip

Published by Katarina

tomorrow Martin and I head for Europe by train (and boat, yes we actaully managed to score a last minute boat trip in the mediterreanian.) From now and on I will be blogging from my ipad/phone/hotel/hostel or boat wifi.  This is a test blog from my ipad and a preparation post for the trip. Martin and I are in the middle of packing and haven’t even booked train or hotel yet. Oh my..  Well, as said when I entered the competition about the backpack seen in the photo, which I also as seen won, ”don’t plan to much, take it cool and leave space for unplanned things”, I have taken my own wise words seriously and left two weeks open for unplanned things. So are you ready for three weeks in Europe? Katarina We are traveling by train, bus and boat Stretch one will be Grythyttan – Copenhagen, Monday 8th Fixed date is only the boat cruise, 14th to 21th of June, from Venice to Istanbul We are buying tickets on the go leaving space …

Grythyttan graduation

Published by Katarina

And the day when Martins is graduating finally arrived. The time here in Grythyttan has passed somewhat to quick when thinking back. Feels like it was only yesterday Martin and me were driving from Vimmerby to Hällefors the first time to pick up our keys to the apartment we have been living in here in Grythyttan. And now, the last day for the third year students have arrived. The day started with two hours in Grythyttan church where scholarships where presented as well as speeches from teachers and students. Carl – Jan Granqvist attended and spoke about the importance of Grythyttan and what it means to be a student from Grythyttan, in the culinary world.There were many laughs and a lot of joy during the ceremony as well as after. Our friend Daniel Malm received Gjutjärnspriset in his folklore suit for his reflections about the craftsmanship of cooking and what it means to be a student here- now and in the future. The people attending was wearing their finest garments and the students wear dress suits or …

Graduation day begins

Published by Katarina

Just woke up and it is graduation day. Last night they arrived, the family. Our little two room apartment is turned into a a place for ten. I have no idea how it must be, living like this all the time. After some dinner Martins grandfather showed us some tricks, something with a hat and matches. Not sure what it was about but Lucia and Manne had their mind occupied. Later we walked with Martins grandfather and grandmother to their hotel, Gästis. Lucia then shot the photo of me and Martin hugging eachother. She is turning into a s mini – photographer and when checking the photos some that she shot was pretty amazing. Coming home I shot a photo of her shooting photos of me and now it is morning. I here them in the kitchen talking. I am far to tired to get out of bed, but I guess I have to. The graduation starts in an hour. Katarina