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Bilkey 6 in Europe

March - April 2023
A 32-day adventure by Rowan, Sarah, Tom and 3 others Read more
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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 2

    Just getting there is a mission!

    March 31, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Taking a family of six from Newcastle on a three hour train ride, then a 15 hour flight, then a three hour stopover, then another six hour flight before landing in a country we've never been to, know nothing of the language, and are to be fair, a little under-prepared ....

    What could possibly go wrong...

    Well, as it happens, not too much so far. We set off on the 3:30pm train from Newcastle to Sydney Airport, arriving with ample time to check in and allow the boys to write the first pages of their journals while we waited to board.

    A 10pm departure was well timed; the boys were excited at the prospect of stepping foot in the Northern Hemisphere for the first time, and hungrily snapped up the dinner served on the plane. The individual entertainment systems had a workout, before we all tried to get some shut eye on the longest leg of our journey.

    We made it to Doha 15 hours later and were suitably impressed by the rainforest growing inside the terminal. Not sure if it was deliberate, or if the cleaners went on strike and a rainforest grew, but either way, they should probably run with it.
    There was also a playground for the boys to spend some energy before we boarded again, this time to travel from Doha to Berlin, a 5 hour journey.

    One or two movies later, we were gliding over Bavarian countryside and touching down in Europe. It was grey and wet, however our pre-arranged driver organised to meet us in the arrivals hall, next to what I can only imagine was a solid gold BMW. Fred asked if that was the car we were hiring. I wish kid.

    A mix up in the location of our BNB saw us dropped at the wrong site. No matter, a 15 minute walk to the correct site was probably a blessing, nice to get the legs moving. We could have done without the rain however. The driver said that if you waited for good weather in Germany to commit to doing something, you'd never get anything done. So just get out amongst it and expect to get a little wet from time to time. Good advice.

    Tom and I ventured out in the evening to find dinner for everyone. We ordered some pizzas and picked up a few must haves from the local market. Tom had a chance to try out his blossoming German, but buckled a little under pressure and just asked for "white bread". We'll work on that.

    It's a quiet evening, the boys have all crashed and I don't think Sarah and I are far off either. Tomorrow: Day 1 in Europe.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    11
    Day 3

    The sites in Berlin

    April 1, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Our first full day on the continent was a chance to take a walk through Berlin, seeing a number of the main attractions before heading to Leipzig to watch the football match.

    We had intended on walking to the metro station and catching the metro to Berlin Hauptbahnhof Station, however as we walked towards the city, we found there was just one more thing just up ahead we wanted to check out. Soon enough, we had walked the 7km to Central Station.

    Along the way we started our sites at Checkpoint Charlie. When East and West Germany was divided, this marked the point at which you left the American controlled West, and headed into Communist East. We chatted about the state of the world 50 years ago.

    We moved along and toward Friedreichstrasse and finally turned left to bring the Brandenberg Gate into view. It's a pretty impressive structure and we walked between its huge columns. We made our way past the Tiergarten park, largely cordoned off in preparation for the next day's half marathon, before coming upon the Reichstag Building. Tom was pretty amazed by the site of it. "You don't see stuff like this in Newcastle." Well, no you don't.

    At the main train station, we had time for a bite to eat. Train station food is not a huge attraction, however Jack was pretty keen to try the currywurst, a curried sausage chopped up and smothered in sauce. It comes accompanied by pomme frites, one of my favourites.

    The Germans are nothing if not efficient, and our train departed on time to the second. As we sat watching the countryside whizz past, Jack and I got chatting to the lady and her granddaughter with whom we were sharing a booth. They are travelling from Berlin to Munich together for the school holidays where 9 year old Maria will spend her Easter break with her grandma. I enjoyed listening to her casual chat about her life in Germany. We also found it quite amazing that Jack and Maria shared a birthday, exactly 12 months apart!

    The trip to the football filled the majority of the day, and by the time we got home, we were walking zombies. Even Jack was happy to skip dinner for bed!    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    21213
    Day 3

    RB Leipzig!

    April 1, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    RB Leipzig!

    Since the World Cup, the boys have been pretty obsessed with football. A premier match in Europe was a must. To afford tickets to a Chelsea game in London would have required us selling one of the boys, so the Bundesliga was a great option.

    We managed to get some great tickets to a match in Leipzig, which is about an hours' train ride from Berlin. The atmosphere as you walk from the train station to any sporting event is exciting, and this was no exception.

    Jack's spending money was burning a hole in his pocket, and he knew from the outset that his adopted team, RBL would be one place he'd spend it. A quick stop at the merchandise store and we looked like we'd be RBL fans for life. We then made our way into the 50,000 seat stadium and soaked up the chants, songs and pre-game hype.

    The game, while high quality and exciting, did not go as planned for the home side. Mainz, the visiting underdog, got the job done with a goal in the first half, and two more by full time. A 3-0 defeat was not ideal, but the experience for the Bilkeys was fantastic. As always, purely for research, we needed to test out the food and beverage offerings and were not disappointed. The Wurst hotdogs were the best, and the beers were excellent. I needed a few to make sure. I can now confidently order 1, 2 or 3 of something from a menu. As I don't know the numbers 4, 5 or 6, it forces us to diversify in what we order...

    On our walk back to the train station, Fred was pretty pleased to see that Germany accommodates for Fred sized people with their own doors. Either that or there are elves living in many of the buildings.

    After a long day, the train ride home was pretty quiet, and as I'm sure we'll discover more and more, anywhere is a good place to have a nap.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 4

    Berlin Wall

    April 2, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    I love the street art that is sprawled all over the city of Berlin, even the street art that clearly hasn't been commissioned by the local councils still attracted my eyes. There was an enormous apartment wall near where we stayed that was painted pale orange and then a beautiful painting of a brown bear hugging a child over that back drop - I loved looking at it each day we started our walking adventures through Berlin.

    Day 3 in Berlin we walked to the last part of the Berlin Wall left standing, on the eastern side of the wall there is amazing street art, created by artists from all over the world. We took our time absorbing and interpreting the message that each artist had created. Most of this artwork was painted in 1990, the year after the wall came down. They stand as a memorial to the reunification of Germany and to a broader moment of globally significant political change.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 4

    Berlin Day 3

    April 2, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Some big highlights in Berlin today. The day started by following a tip from Lucy to have the best breakfast in Berlin. It did not disappoint. Cafe Mugrabi near the East Side Gallery is an Israeli cafe. The boys were dubious to start with, but after trying a few bites of the humous, baked eggs and laffa bread, the boys were hooked. A clear standout meal amongst the pork knuckles and schnitzels.

    We then walked across Oberbaumbrücke, a stunningly ornate bridge leading to the Berlin Wall Eastside Gallery. After spending time examining the Wall, we wandered back towards the centre of town, stumbling on a bohemian village where the boys played on a wonky playground.

    We then headed towards the Memorial for Murdered Jews of Berlin. This was on the list for Tom in particular, and we were warned as we lined up that it would be quite confronting, the younger boys might find it quite heavy. We continued, Tom and Cam absorbed the information and we all felt the gravity of the site. It was a moving memorial, and a testament to Berlin's approach to remembering the Holocaust - respectful, no fuss, honest without glorifying nor shying away from the event.

    We needed a walk following the Memorial and headed across the road to Tiergarten, where we found another playground. It was here that Tom saw his first squirrel, and then continued to film it for the next 15 minutes straight. It was a strange obsession.

    When we booked our trip, one thing I had not considered, nor thought I would need to encounter is Tom being legally old enough to have a beer. In Germany, at 14 you can have a beer or wine in the company of your parents. So, when we sat down at Pauliner München Beerhaus for dinner, that's exactly what Tom did. As far as first beers go, I reckon it was a pretty good one.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 5

    Museums and Pork Knuckles

    April 3, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Berlin has a lot of green space, and the boys have been inspired to be world cup football players, so were keen to run out some energy. They got talking to a young dad at the playground, before they cajoled him into playing a game of mini soccer. Tom and I then joined in and things got a little competitive. The other dad and I stepped out after a while, and before long a throng of kids appeared from nowhere, forming a full on 10 on 10 game of soccer. Jack and Campbell were in their element.

    Campbell discovered a year or so ago, that the Melbourne Museum houses the most complete Triceratops skeleton in the world. When researching this trip, we then discovered the most complete T-Rex skeleton is in Berlin. We had to go. The Berlin Natural History Museum was outstanding, with a section devoted to explaining how taxidermy works. Some of Tom's squirrels' cousins were the unfortunate exhibit showing the gory details.

    We then made our way to Museum Island, a drop of land in the middle of the Spree River that houses some of the most amazing buildings. The Humboldt forum was spectacular, and we read the story about the building that was almost completely destroyed in the war, and the amazing rebuild they undertook to recreate it.

    Standing in the main plaza, the Berlin Cathedral is an imposing structure, so we headed over to have a look inside. Suffice to say it's a little fancier than the local church in Newcastle. We made our way through the main vault and tried to answer Fred's questions like - "but if God made Earth in a day, how did the big Bang happen?" Good question, kid.

    We saw the steps to the dome and decided to make the trek up the 267 steps to see the view. Jack was quite bullish to start with, but must have remembered halfway up that he's actually scared of heights, which came to the fore when we stepped outside. However he did terrific, as did the rest of the boys, and the view of Berlin was absolutely worth it.

    We finished the day with a few beers, pork knuckles and schnitzels. What a day.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 7

    Freddy Bear

    April 5, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    We knew when we started this European adventure that we'd be doing a lot of walking most days. Each day in Berlin we covered 14-17kms, making it about 25,000 steps according to my watch and I reckon for Freddy's little legs that would have been at least double that amount.

    Day 2, Fred spotted 'Blue Bear' and whilst we didn't take a photo of the Bear that day, we both commented on it's appearance (Mummy & Freddy both love blue) and how 'cute' it was. Further down the street we noticed Butler Bear and I suggested I take a photo of that bear and him. This then turned into a game, find a bear, Sarah would take the photo as Fred would do a pose with the Bear. Whilst I know we didn't spot all of them, it definitely helped Freddy achieve the walking that we needed to accomplish to soak up what Berlin had to offer.

    Side note: The Buddy Bears Berlin have become an integral part of Berlin's cityscape. They stand as a friendly, colourful symbol of tolerance in the streets (and as a landmark to Berlin).    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 8

    Bilkey 6 arrive in Paris

    April 6, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Our time in Berlin came to an end, we jumped on the train from Berlin Hauptbahnhoff, destined for Paris. The train meandered south from Berlin, through German countryside, before we changed at Karlsruhe. We then crossed the border into France at Strasbourg and headed west to Paris.

    We were met at Paris Gare de l'est by Richard and Charlie, great to see them after a long time. They led us onto the metro and then through the streets of Paris back to their apartment in the 3rd Arrondissement.

    When we arrived, we had a lovely lamb stew, followed by a happy birthday song, present and cake for Sammy's birthday. The boys were very excited to share a bedroom with their cousins, and fell asleep looking forward to adventures with the Paris Bilkeys.

    Our Paris leg had started.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 8

    Le Louvre et Notre Dame

    April 6, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We started the day taking Charlie, Sam and Teddy to their respective schools. None of the boys were happy to say goodbye, however there'd be plenty of time to come, to kick the ball with the cousins. We wandered down to the Siene and a rather heated match of soccer ensued in an upside down boat. Of course.

    As we continued our walk, Richard was most informative, giving information on the regions we were walking through, the buildings we were passing and the history of the city. We happened upon the Notre Dame, and Sarah and I recreated a photo that we took some 18 years prior. I don't think either of us had changed in all that time... much.

    The Louvre was next, as the boys had to see the Mona Lisa. We had a tip from Richard's mate at Le Peleton Cafe on where to go to skip the 2 hour queues to get in. Within 20 minutes of arriving we were inside and walking the halls. We viewed the Venus de Milo, before making our way to see the main attraction. We spent 2 minutes in the room, and the attitude from the boys was best summed up by Jack's reaction: "Meh."

    We wandered through for the next few hours and found the rooms, art, historical artefacts most interesting.

    On our way home I saw that a friend of mine, Michael was also in Paris. We hastily arranged a catch up and Sarah and I were able to leave the boys at home and head out for a nice beer at a cafe.

    Richard had also received an invitation from a friend to his restaurant for a supper club. Elise was not feeling 100% so I was fortunate enough to stand in. A wonderful degustation menu met us in a wonderful location, overlooking Jardin du Palais Royal.    Read more

  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Day 9

    Wandering Paris

    April 7, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    Today was a quiet stroll around some of the lesser seen sites of Paris. We rolled down to the Siene and across onto Ile Saint-Louis. We were reliably informed by our guide (Richard) that the island in the Siene is the smaller of the two, it's bigger sister being the more famous Ile de la Cite which houses the imposing Palais de Justice de Paris as well as, of course, the Notre Dame. The Notre Dame is under busy repairs following the fire that destroyed the steeple and large swathes of the building four years ago. The French are aiming to have it repaired and open for business by the time the Olympians somersault into town in 2024.

    Ile Saint-Louis is smaller, but no less impressive. It is home to the rich and famous, some of the most expensive real estate in Paris is here, and the people are the epitome of style. We stuck out just a little bit...

    We didn't stay long, as we crossed the river again and up the hill towards Arenes de Lutece. This 2000-year old amphitheater once housed gladiatorial battles in Roman days and the cages which housed lions and other animals can still be seen. We kicked a footy and felt every bit the gladiator.

    A short walk around the corner brought us to the beautiful Jardin Des Plantes, a huge garden complex that houses, amongst other things a labyrinth, a mob of kangaroos, red pandas, a queue of taxidermied animals to rival Noah's Ark, and a life size stegosaurus statue. We couldn't see it all, but enjoyed walking through the gardens and having a good play on the playground.    Read more

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