Kozhikode

If you want to go to Kozhikode, go through Wayanad. The tortuous road that starts from a few miles off Kalpetta will take you down the Western Ghat so quickly that you won't even have time to feel dizzy. We started on a whim for this beach town and in no time the gigantic wall of western ghat was looking at us from above.

The serpentine road, Kozhikode

Yelagiri

1st Jan trips are becoming a ritual. We were boozing hard late night on 31st and slept for not more than 2 hours before starting for Yelagiri early morning on 1st. Yelagiri is a small hill station on the way to Chennai from Bangalore - some three hours drive. 

There was a YMCA establishment in the outskirts which we visited. Rooms were economical at 500-800 a day. 

A small lake and a botanical garden are the major attractions of Yelagiri.  We walked around in the pleasant warmth of January sun. As we were hungry since morning we settled at a restaurant near the lake and ordered a massive lunch.

We learned from the locals that there is a waterfall nearby - Jalagamparai Waterfall was five miles by trek or 50 miles by drive. We chose to drive. It proved to be worthy. We had a bath in fresh cold water and then settled near a temple for chit-chat. An hour or so passed by quickly before we decided to return. It was another memorable 1st Jan with friends.

Cannes

Trip: Paris > Nice > Monte Carlo > Antibes > Cannes > Paris

Cannes is a beauty. No wonder some of the most beautiful people gather in this beach-town to celebrate the human creativity every year. The city has everything that French Riviera stands for. A crowded marketplace, long shore, a church with a view and the Cannes Film Festival.

Beach @ Cannes

Antibes

Trip: Paris > Nice > Monte Carlo > Antibes > Cannes

Antibes was a quiet and lazy beach town. We took an early train from Nice to Antibes as the day was long and we had to cover Cannes the same day. The train dropped us at the periphery of the town and we had to walk half a mile or so to stand in front of the beach.

Railway Station, Antibes

Monte Carlo

Trip: Paris > Nice > Monte Carlo > Antibes > Cannes

We arrived Monte Carlo late in the evening. Descending from the train when we came out in the open taking a flight of steps we realized the dense constructions of this city. It reminded me of Minas Tirith. The roaring sea in front was adding to our amazement.

Dock View, Monte Carlo

Nice

Trip: Paris > Nice > Monte Carlo > Antibes > Cannes

The dipping mercury level at Copenhagen was enough reason for me to plan my next trip down south of Europe. Hence I was standing on the massive coast of Nice in French Riviera on the first weekend of December. The beach town is small and walkable.

Morning on the beach, Nice

Venice

Trip: Copenhagen > Venice > Naples > Copenhagen

Happy couples walking hand-in-hand or laying comfortably on long boats (gondolas) would consider this island a heaven. Venice is not for loners. Even the fascination of sauntering through congested alleys and artful bridges does not compensate for the loneliness a bachelor feels in this ancient city of romance. 

Waterbus system@Venice

Vatican City

Trip: Zugspitze > Pisa > Rome > Vatican City

Next day we went straight for the Vatican the first thing in the morning. It is half an hour tram away from the central station of Rome. We were eager to see the smallest country that sat right in the middle of a bustling city.

In front of Basilica, Vatican

Rome

Trip: Zugspitze > Pisa > Rome > Vatican City

The original idea was to cover the five points of the cross decribed in Angels & Demons. However at 3PM the three of us were only checking into a hotel room. It was walking distance from Station. We now had exactly 24 hours in Rome  By 4 we had a definite plan which was bit different from the original one. Colosseum was the closest and hence we found ourselves walking towards the grand structure in no time.

The Colosseum@Rome

Paris

Trip: Paris > Nice > Monte Carlo > Antibes > Cannes > Paris

Paris has a charm that attracts wanderers and tourists alike. While the fashion capital of Europe may prove expensive, one has little choice considering the fact that Eurotrip without Paris is inconceivable.

The Eiffel Tower@Paris

Basel

Berlin - Grindelwald - Lucerne - Basel

The last two time I was in this city I was running around. The first one was when I ventured for Trination Point only to realize that I will miss my train if I don't rush. 

Tri Nation Point, Basel 

Grindelwald

Berlin - Grindelwald - Lucerne - Basel

A Harry Potter fan would expect something magical from a town that holds the name of Grindelwald. Hence when I was asked by a fellow passenger why I am going there I simply shrugged. I had to go.

Town Centre @ Grindelwald

Berlin

• Berlin is more than the Berlin Wall. The city is big for an Indian on foot as I was so do take help of the tubes to cover the length and breadth.
• Holocaust Memorial at the centre of the city is mostly around which things happen. The good thing is that it is walking distance from the station.
• Reichstag Building and Brandenburg Gate are other major points near the station that I was able to cover by foot.

The entrance to capital of Germany was as grand as was expected - three floors of mall space was bustling with a cosmopolitan crowd - between two floors allocated to railway station.

Berlin

Oslo

Copenhagen - Bergen - Voss - Flåm - Sognefjorden - Oslo - Stockholm

The capital city of Norway was as beautiful as I had left it two days ago. The city surprised me with a cosmopolitan crowd and busy streets. I was expecting a quieter capital of the north-most Scandinavian country.

Oslo at sunset

Booking a bed in Anker Hostel which is close and affordable in a super expensive Norway, I decided to take a walk towards the Oslo Opera. Designed to attract, what I admired most was the setting sun as visible from the top of this edifice.

Den Norske Opera@Oslo

Walking back quickly as the mercury was dropping fast, I grabbed a chicken burger from McD and went back to my hostel bed before 8.

Art on the streets of Oslo

The next morning I woke up fresh and took an early leave for a walk along the banks of Akerselva. The warm sun shining above and fresh feet helped me walk a couple of miles towards the dock area.

Pleasent noon beside Akerselva@Oslo

There again I settled in cool blazing sun and ate my last of Snickers while admiring the beautiful city. My train was due at 1 PM for Copenhagen and I had to double up to catch it.

Flåm

Copenhagen - Bergen - Voss - Flåm - Sognefjorden - Oslo - Stockholm

This blog would have less to do with Flåm and more to do with how I reached there. When I stepped out from the overnight train from Oslo to Myrdal at 4.45 AM I was in two minds. Either I wait for more than 5 hours and take the famous Flåmbana train or I walk the 15 miles to Flåm. I chose the latter.

At 7 AM I decided that it is enough light to walk on the railway track that would lead me to Flåm. 

Thanks to a local guy whom I met a couple of miles later I learned that the road to Flåm goes the other way. 

I retraced back my steps to find a huge waterfall going down a beautiful ravine just below the railway station. How the hell did I miss that?

The winning  road down to the valley was enough to convince me that I had taken the right decision. The next few hours kept surprising me with elements of nature I had only seen in wallpapers.

The seven hours of trek included hundreds of waterfalls, two tunnels, four wooden bridges, three gorges and a flowing river all along the trek.

I reached Flåm at 2 and immediately checked into the Youth Hostel. I needed a hot water bath. The hostel was beautifully placed between the river and a sky high mountain with Flåm station a couple of minutes away.

I decided to take a stroll later in the evening although my legs were still sore with the seven hour trek. The weather and view was rewarding enough and I ended up sitting at a wooden bench eating chips and drinking a hot cup of coffee.

I even trekked up the hill for a top view of Flåm  With enough pain to bear, I walked straight back to my bed and prepared for a long sleep. I was still not clear about tomorrow's plans.

Helsingor

Trip: Copenhagen > Helsingor > Copenhagen

We reached Helsingor at 4 PM. That may well be enough to tell what we were able to do there. What we managed was visit to a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a couple of miles walk in the windiest of conditions.

Kronborg for upgradation@UNESCO World Heritage site

Salzburg

Salzburg - Munich

Salzburg is home to the world's largest ice caves and we were going there for that exact thing. It is very close to Munich and hence we decided to cover it on our Oktoberfest trip. Taking an overnight train to Munich and then another one to Salzburg we managed to reach at 12 noon. 

View from Wurfen

Zermatt

Trip: Luxembourg > Brussels > Amsterdam > Bruges > Fredrichshafen > Zermatt

My first impression of Zermatt was that it is overcrowded and expensive. The roads were narrow and I had no clue where to go first. Wisely I decided to get settled in a Youth Hostel first and then go for exploration work.

Huts @ Matterhorn trail

Fredrichshafen

Trip: Luxembourg > Brussels > Amsterdam > Bruges > Fredrichshafen > Zermatt

I was woken up at Offenurg by the kind ticket checker. An hour of stay at the cold station and then I was again on move towards Konstanz. It was memorable peice of journey. Hills would rise at short notice, forests would cover the tracks and fog would hide everything for a while. The Black Forests reached their peak at Triberg and then subsided. The lakes were coming more frequently as the Rhine meandered between Germany and Switzerland - but not before swelling at the giant Lake Konstanz.

Lake Constanz, Fredrichshafen

Bruges

Trip: Luxembourg > Brussels > Amsterdam > Bruges > Fredrichshafen > Zermatt

I was alone and sleepy when I reached the sweet little town of Bruges when the clock was hitting noon. A small crowd of tourists was there to help me in direction and I moved with it. It was a Sunday after all.