Madrid

I've got to admit that I didn't have huge expectations of Madrid and wondered if three days here was a bit long - and whether I should spend one of those days in nearby Toledo.

Alas, the convoluted train reservation system in Spain wiped out any possibility of hoping on the train for a day trip to Toledo as well as the prospect of absolutely murderous afternoon heat.

Just as well as Madrid is a wonderful city in its own right. It's not as touristy as Barcelona so it actually feels like a normal city. It is a bit like Vienna - it doesn't seem worth visiting at first but once you get to know it, you love it; whether its being at point zero at Puerta del Sol, whether it's admiring the Royal Palace and the Goyas at the wonderful Prado. Or just enjoying free tapas with your cervezsa.

Ah Madrid.. You have really surprised me!

Sevilla & Cadiz

Turns out summer is the best time to visit Sevilla. Why? Because it gets too hot in summer in the south of Spain meaning people are actually trying to flee the 40'C dry heat rather than visit it.

Of course, being Sevilla, there will always be visitors especially from the US, Australia and NZ. Why not? It's an insanely beautiful city and it's heart and soul are pumping just like the feet of those flamenco dancers.

And highly religious too. While in NZ you have Indian dairy shops on every corner, here you have an icon dedicated to the Virgin Mary or Jesus.

Finally the food's pretty cheap although you don't quite get the free food with drink like in Granada or Madrid.

Oh yes, Cadiz. Well I had to flee the heat of Sevilla didn't I? Plus I was in Spain in summer - I had to go to a beach.

Cadiz is the Mount Maunganui of Spain but with 1000 years of history. A long stretch of beach stretching to the city where Christopher Columbus set off for the New World and near the site of the famous Battle of Trafalgar.

So there you have it, Andalucia - paradise in Arabic. Next time I'll have to do Granada.

Barcelona

Could this be the most popular city in Europe?

It's got a wonderful medieval Gothic district, the sea and so many beautiful casas. And of course all the Gaudi works littered all over the city.

Passeig de Gracia has got to be the most beautiful avenues in Europe ahead of Avenue des Champs-Elysses, & Unter den Linden. After all it's got Casa Batilo and Le Pedrera - two of Gaudi's most famous casas - along with numerous other beautiful casas.

And it's certainly not as hot as the rest of Spain. Yes it's still averaging over 30'C in the day but the sea cools it down greatly. Everyone of course is close to the sea in summer on the beach at Barceloneta.

Then there's Les Ramblas of course - a bit of a tourist trap really. I prefer El Raval; it's a bit rough but has some secrets inside - and the food is better and cheaper than Les Ramblas.

Fact is, is Barcelona a definite no. 1? Alas this is Spain..

Languedoc-Rossilion, Ariege & Toulouse

I can safely say that once you leave Paris, you get to see the real France - one that seems cold at first but once you get to know it is rather relaxed and certainly more so than the capital.

Ok perhaps places like Toulouse and Narbonne have some Catalan influence - Toulouse is officially bilingual, a bit like a southern Brussels. But the air is distinctly French.

Carcassonne's old city is a bit like a bigger version of the other medieval citadel in the north, Mont St Michel. Both have become equally touristy ; the old medieval streets are now surrounded by souvenir shops and stalls which are a bit more pricey than in the newer side of the city across the river. Nevertheless, there's a magic just walking around the narrow streets and old walls that you can't really get anywhere else.

Another part of France that is actually worth seeing is Ariege just under the slopes of the Pyrenees. Foix is lovely too and not very touristy at all unless the Tour de France is in town. There are a few nice villages too like Tarascone and Latour de Carol near Andorra.

South of France - be it the east or west. Always tres Bon.

Paris

I love Paris.

Even if there seem to be more tourists than locals - which there aren't I'm reassured.

Even if the weather isn't what it's supposed to be in summer.

Even if you always have to queue to get something.

There is just that hugely alluring factor that draws people to Paris so many times. And to be fair, it's a first class city with a lot of first class museums, restaurants, bars, galleries and metro system.

And then there's Paris at night - easily the most beautiful & magical city in Europe and the world under night lights.

In spite of the crowds and debris left behind, Paris also always seems to look pretty shiny and swanky.

And that's why people come back to Paris even if the weather is not as great as it could be.

Belgium

Sorry it's taken this while to update my blog - it's just I've been busy and also been exhausted when I've had a moment to post. Plus I haven't had to take any long train rides so haven't really had any spare time to post a blog.

Plus I think with the fatigue I'm experiencing on my trip, I've lost my motivation a bit to keep blogging. Add to the fact that I'm already posting photos on facebook and I sometimes wonder if there is really any need to blog.

But I'd like to say that well I quite liked Belgium especially Bruges. Yes it's very touristy but it's just so beautiful and surreal. Ghent and Antwerp are pretty nice too and Brussels does have its charms in certain ways - I still don't really know what to make of Brussels to be honest though, it feels so international to the point that I'm not really too sure that I'm in Belgium.

Actually you could really say the same about Belgium - a country divided by two languages. At least the beer is the best in Europe by far especially its Trappists.

The Rest of Holland

It tends to be true that you don't really see a country properly until you leave it's biggest city. I mean Auckland is not really New Zealand, France is not epitomized by Paris and likewise Amsterdam with its Red Light District and coffee houses, does not give a true picture of Holland.

Yes it has the canals, houses, women wearing skirts with their long hair down riding on bikes, but there are too many tourists walking around to really give you a true picture of the Dutch.

Hence, why I went to Haarlem - an equally pretty city in my opinion and a bit like Siena to Florence. It happened to be the day of the Rose Festival and the day relationships of all sorts was celebrated. Indeed, Haarlem was the place to be if you love pink or salmon as I'd rather call the color.

Speaking of fish, herring of the raw kind is actually not bad at all with pickles and onions. I was nervous at first but it was actually pretty good.

Another Dutch thing I've found pretty effective - serving most of your beer in small glasses. It means your beer is never flat and always stays good. Only trouble is 0.25l of beer in Holland costs the same as 0.5l of beer in Germany - and German beer is still pretty good at the halfway mark of the stein. Oh and Heineken tastes the same no matter where you go.

Finally of course the windmills. No they're not just a Dutch stereotype - they ruled the world because of them and they're the reason why we have Indonesia and Suriname. There are plenty in the countryside but of course if you were a tourist, you wouldn't know where to go. Thankfully there's Zaan Schade not far from Amsterdam which has not one, not two but 6 windmills! And a village too with cheese and sugar waffles! How touristy can you get!

Oh well at least I've seen a windmill here!

By the way, Zandvoort is worth seeing on a nice day. It looks like Blackpool but the sand is pretty good.

In conclusion, I love Holland and I could see myself living in Amsterdam. After all, who wouldn't love a place with canals, houses with hooks to pull up stuff and bikes and places to see.

Amsterdam - Days 1 and 2

Facebook won't let me upload loads of photos but since it's Amsterdam I've gotta show you some photos, so here they are..