Thursday, October 28, 2010

Brussels...

Dear G,
I really hate seeing kids pee in public.
Ok bye.

(picture from weheartit.)

I am walking along minding my own business when suddenly my eyes are a forced to view an image of something urinating in public. A dog? No, it’s actually a child. I find a child squatting in public disgusting. I have seen them pee on and in; car parks, poles in the street, plants, pavements and pool areas. I understand that they are just children and desperate times call for desperate measures but come on! I saw a little girl squatting on a pole along a major shopping street in Berlin.

In the last few weeks I have come from Berlin, a city that doesn’t mind if you relive yourself in public, to Amsterdam which is completely against it and finally to Brussels who's national monument is of what I despise - A little boy pissing.

(This is charming)

At least they have the decency to clothe him. This little boy statue has around 800 outfits to choose from, can you imagine have that many outfits??

In Brussels I tried nutty bakery treats, was briefly robbed in Mcdonalds, had all you can eat Pizza Hut, wondered around looking at shops and street art and found a beer that I actaully liked. All in all it was an eventful day!

Best nut snacks in the world.


Moeder Lambic - The beer specialists.

46 beers on tap and as the guide map says “these guys are walking beer encyclopedias.” This is no exaggeration. The bartender could describe and talk about every beer on tap, its flavour and before during and after tastes. Or you could describe what flavours you like and he will suggest something.

I had a Fruitee sucree – sweet & fruity and it was delicious.

Lachie had Blanches – White and wheat.

It had a hint of passion fruit or lyche but a horrible beer taste. Very sour.

We were given these to chew with our beer. They taste like nothing at first but have a kind of nutella after taste... not too bad.

Famous.


Dear G,
Read my guest blog.
Ok bye.


(picture from we heart it.)

Friday, October 22, 2010

Other than pot.

For 50 Euros you get 15 minutes, that is, if you can go the distance? The average male can apparently only last eight. So make that 50 Euros for eight minutes and she won’t even take her top off. They don’t do it for fun. They are businesswomen! Businesswomen that make around 30,000 Euros a month. Our dramatic tour guide Michael couldn't stress enough that sex workers in Amsterdam are businesswomen and nothing more.

Amsterdam is universally known for its openness to prostitutes and pot; their conservative government however does not like being seeing in this light. So I thought I might help them with a little list of things worth remembering Amsterdam for that doesn’t involve a suck and a fug or getting stoned.

(we heart it)


Febo.

Amsterdams version of fast food! Kind of like a vending machine for hot food and surprisingly not the worst burger I have eaten!


Bike riding – Amsterdam was made for bikes!

(we heart it)


Museums – The Van Gogh museum or visit the house where Anne Frank lived and wrote in her diary while hiding from the Nazis.

(we heart it)


Monuments such as churches and bridges.

In Amsterdam sailors stopping over for the night who did not have time to go to confession the morning of departure could go and see the priest the night before, pay a sum of money and confess any sins they were planning to commit before actually committing them and leave the next day with a clean slate.


Shopping glory

(excuse the language but the picture made me laugh)

(we heart it)

My favourite shops:

The American book centre… The most amazing book store I have ever been in.. As the coco boys would say. You want it? I got it!

Van de Kaart - a shop dedicated to post cards and paper craft. SO cute.!


Pancakes! – I had the most expensive yet most delicious pancake ever! The cafĂ© is called Pancake! and yes that is right they only sell pancakes. Not just ordinary pancakes, pancakes in all different shapes and colours including pancake pie!!

This has inspired me to one day own my own pancake house! Mmm…


Cheese

(we heart it)

(OK absolutely nothing to do with cheese but came up when I searched 'cheese')


Street Art



Dumplings!

(we heart it)

Had the best steamed prawn dumplings ever – however the service was shite but apparently that is Amsterdam for you, you can’t rush a waiter/waitress.


Pee deflectors - Amsterdam does not tolerate urinating in public for which I commend them!

This is to stop intoxicated men coming out of pubs and clubs late at night looking for a dark corner to relive themselves in. If they do they will find themselves covered in their own pee! eww

On the weekends they bring out an array of portable urinals for men, (which, mind you, STINK!) but what what about the ladies?? Basically, too bad! The women of Amsterdam once protested at the lack of public toilets for women. They gathered on a bridge, lifted their skirts, squatted and peed! How could anyone ignore that! Not long after public toilets were installed for women. VICTORY!

Unfortunatly people started using them to sleep in and would rob and attack women with bursting bladders. So they closed them.

(Ladies public toilet - now just advertising space (my picture))

As long as you abide by Amsterdam’s three rules you will have an amazing time exploring, shopping, eating, learning, relaxing, partying, whatever tickles your toes.

1. Be discreet - don't go making an idiot of yourself in public

2. Do not harm anyone - obvious

3. Be good for business - Being a tourist you are doing just that!



Sunday, October 17, 2010

Invader

and his space invaders..

Dear G,

A reality game. Find Space Invaders all over the globe and earn points on line.

I saw one in Paris as well on the side of the river while on a boat but I was too slow with my camera... devoooo

Ok bye.


Berlin.

BerlinBerlinBerlinBerlin...

Dear G,
Some more bits and bops from Berlin.
Ok bye.


Stickersstickersstickersstickers...

Sticker Gallery. I have never seen so many stickers! I had no idea such galleries existed!





Ok so this is awesome, there is a car yard across the street and at night a light shines the shadow of a flag in the yard on to the wall where the hand is... Not that I got to see it. But still Whoaa!




There are 6 like this painted all over Berlin. They say that it is do to with the grading system 1 being the highest and 6 being the worst. Therefore he paints a 6 on things that are broken or fail to work anymore. Apparently he has been arrested over 400 times but only charged once because he only ever paints over posters or things that are already broken.




I have mentioned Banksy before. I love that you know this a fake as the same guy that paints the 6 has painted 'faked' above it. Plus if it was a real Banksy I doubt it would still be there.




This is where European Pimp my ride took place.. YEww.


It's not always about how it looks but sometimes about how hard it would have been to do.


Don't take it personally.


MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU



Blu

Dear G,
more street art.
Ok Bye.







Alias.

Dear G,
More street art.
Ok bye.







El Bocho.

Dear G,

Some street art.

Ok bye.








My favourite was Little Lucy and the cat. Based on an old TV series with a twist. Wherever you see Lucy, nearby will be a dead cat.

Squatters in Berlin

Dear G,

Kunsthouse Tacheles, an artist squat. Yes is smelled like piss and pot but it was still a cool place to see.

Ok bye.


Located in the former Jewish quarter. Tacheles has had many purposes. Entrance to a shopping mall, marketing space, administration space by the Nazi party, storage and shortly after the fall of the Berlin wall the building was discovered and taken over by a group of young artists, becoming an illegal squat.


They entered into a 10 year lease agreement with the building owner which ended in December 2008. Artists refusing to vacate are now squatting again.

Tacheles also houses studios, gallery space, bar, restaurant and a shop selling artist’s work.

I found a video on youtube that gives a little inside guided tour so you can see for yourself.HERE

Schindler's list

Dear G,

I present Haus Schwarzenberg.

Ok bye.



In and amongst a busy street populated with shops such as MAC and Ben Sherman there is a section the remains unchanged. A little piece of old Berlin that exists amongst the new remembering and preserving a real live ‘schindlers list’.

Otto Weidt saved the lives of deaf and blind Jewish workers from death camps by employing them in his broom and brush workshop. The workshop is now a museum. There is also a gallery to commemorate Anne Frank.

The workshop was the right behind the scaffolding.