• Road Trip 2016
  • Road Trip 2016

Tom W Backpacking Europe 2014

Un’avventura di 57 giorni di Road Trip 2016 Leggi altro
  • Krakow, Poland to Prague, Czech Republic

    13 ottobre 2014, Polonia ⋅ 🌫 14 °C

    Heading to Prague. I've been in Krakow 5 nights and that's a long time when your in a traveling groove. You get an itch to be on the road. Stayed in a private room last night at a different hostel. The scalding hot water (bump the terribly placed handle in the shower and receive a blast of the hottest water you can imagine) and the terrible WiFi for 4 nights was enough and it was 18 USD for a night at the Dizzy Daisy hostel near the train station. Last night I ate sausage soup and Placki ziemniaczane z gulaszem, a pot roast like stew with sour cream on a potato pancake. I have enjoyed Poland and especially liked the food but the infrastructure needs a lot of work. If that is improved I think many more would come here and I think this is important as I don't know if there is a more important place to see concerning WWII than Auschwitz - Birkenau. It was hard to get here and hard to leave, but worth it. I showed up at the train station this morning for a 10:34 am train that was on the schedule that got completely removed from today's schedule some how. I'm on a train to Katowice now and think I've got a way to Prague figured out putting me there about 830 tonight.

    For the first time on my journey missed my stop failing to get off at the right stop in Ostrava but got off on the very next stop and really lucked out as my train to Prague happened to be late and passing through the station I got off at. So back in track on the train pictured. The Czech train I am on is quite nice and has free WiFi.
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  • Prague, Czech Republic

    14 ottobre 2014, Repubblica Ceca ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    MadHouse Hostel. One of the greatest hostels in the world. Prague's famous atomic clock in picture 3. At Propaganda with others from the the MadHouse hostel including Rod pictured with me who is one of the owners.Leggi altro

  • Prague, Czech Republic

    18 ottobre 2014, Repubblica Ceca ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Last day in Prague.

    Nothing makes me think about buying crystal more than first passing by cheap plastic items from China.

    In the old town area small huts roasting large pork shoulders and then vats of stewing gnocchi, sauerkraut and chunks of pork. Absolutely fantastic meal.

    It is hard to get to eastern Europe by rail. It takes a long time to get in and out. Rather than travel for 2 days I took the easy way via Easy Jet. At just over 100 USD and 1.5 hours this was the best way and actually less expensive than using my rail pass when factoring in 2 days of costs.
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  • Paris, France

    20 ottobre 2014, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Switched from Hostels to Couch Surfing for this leg of my trip. The hostels are fun and inexpensive but often full of partying young people. I have had my fill of drunk Australians who crowd the hostels and leave Sydney and Melbourne empty. I am convinced they are all in europe. My Couch Surfing host in Paris is Natasha who has graciously provided me her spare bedroom for the week. She has also said she would like to see some of the sites with me as well.

    Pictures from her windows of her apartment which is near Rue De Ramponeau in the Belleville area. This pigeon deterrent seems to work well as I see them land nearby but not on these nails.
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  • Paris, France

    20 ottobre 2014, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Thank you to Travis Briggs for sending me information about Le Pain Boulangerie Lapelosa at 16 Avenue Rapp, Paris. Natasha helped me track this place down and we had some fantastic pastries. Natasha is Russian / Ukrainian but has lived in Paris for 20 years and she said it was an excellent bakery and not a typical tourist bakery. She also said it was a rich person bakery due to its location so they had to provide the best. Interestingly it was not at all expensive with most items 1-2 euros. I will be visiting it again before I return home and I suggest coming here if you visit Paris.

    Thanks again Travis!
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  • Paris, France

    21 ottobre 2014, Francia ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Dinner out with Patrice for a second night. This place Ma Pomme en Colimacon (My Apple Snail at Rue de Menilmontant, 75020 Paris) is right on the corner of the street he lives on. He knew the owner well and the service was great as well as the food fantastic. Pictured are Patrice and I and then my kangaroo steak and an au gratin style potato dish. Picture showing the cut kangaroo which looked just like beef steak. It tasted much like beef with similarity texture to London broil or flank.

    Another example of fantastic French food at a near by corner restaurant frequented by locals. This is so deep in real Paris you really get to taste the culture.
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    Fine del viaggio
    21 ottobre 2014