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Old 04-23-2005, 10:22 PM   #1
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I got back a couple of days ago from a 2 week trip to Madrid. It was sooo great to be there again and see some friends and my gf's family. FYI Strbucks is all over the place now. Anyways, the weather is nice ther right now, but the nights are pretty chilly. Bring a jacket if you're heading out there right now. June through sept should be a lot warmer during the night time.

It's was sooo go to be back in Madrid! To name a few things, the food is different, the architecture is incredible, you can walk all over the place (need a car in LA), and the people are really friendly. I have noticed that things are bit more expensive than they used to be, but only sightly than two years ago. Still affordable compared to what we're used to in the states...whatyagonnado...

Hamburg. We visited Hamburg for 5 days, cuz we have some friends up there. Man, that city is really nice. People riding bikes all over the place (as their mode of transportation), lakes, a harbor, happening districts with shops and cafes, a nice downtown, etc...We had the benefit of our friends living very close to the center of where it all happens, so we got the "locals perspective" on the city. We stayed in the St.Pauli area, which is pretty culturally diverse.
Our friends had a bunch of bikes in the garage, so we each grabbed one and did our own lil bike tour of Hamburg. That was awesome! Ate Kebabs (I love them things! cheap, but goooood.), went to the famous Reeperbahn (redlight district), took a boatride of the harbor, and had a party at our apartment with about 60 or so people, drank Absinthe for the first time (with the spoon, sugar (lit on fire), and water...just like the old days), and met a bunch of people from Germay, Denmark, and othe sporadic countries.

English is spoken alll over the place so don't fear not being able to communicate when going out to Germany.

For FYI, I priced out a ticket on Hotwire.com (7days advanced) for $483. They next day, it went for $659 (6days advanced). I ended up buying a ticket at STA for $803, just so that I could be on the same flight as my girlfriend.

Anyways, I couldn't do any meetups there because we were quite busy.

Originally, we were going to head up to Copenhage, Denmark and Malmo, Sweden, but we decided on doing that next year when our friends move there from Hamburg.

All in all, if you get the chance to go to Hamburg (or Madrid for that matter), I'd highly suggest that yo go. They are both beautiful cities with lot's of things to do!

Now, back in LA grind Westside!
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Old 04-23-2005, 10:43 PM   #2
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So you've seen the reeperbahn?! I hit Hamburg this past summer on my escapade. I had a blast in the city though I must admit the click at the hostel is what made the city for me. Still it was nice down by the river. The Reeperbahn. I saw this place beofore the red light district of Amsterdam. I'd have to give the opinion Hamburg seems raunchy compared to A-dam. I'm not really a "partaker" in these red light district deals but I like to "window Shop." (no, not literally) The problem is in Hamburg the girls that wait outside the windows converge on you....It's funny and sad. All of a sudden you are engulfed.....Anyway, i'm a little drunk right now, so to conclude this rant when in Hamburg I bough a kick ass soccer jersey of their club team...i wore it yesterday and had the unfortunate collison with a mustard stain.....good to see somebody mention the "Burg" though........(Hamburg was sandwiched between Berlin and Dusseldorf for me.......A nice northern German trifecta for anybody who might be in the area.......Still i reccomend the south. Munich, Heidelberg, Freiberg, etc.)........DRINK CROWN ROYAL, not to support Canada, but to make sure this guy always has his fix on some random liquer store shelf!
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Old 04-23-2005, 11:00 PM   #3
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That sounds great, Tony! Will you have pictures at the meet-up on Friday? Glad to have you back!
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Old 04-23-2005, 11:27 PM   #4
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Man, now your making me miss Madrid. Went there last summer for a couple of days and one the coolest things I saw was this group of kids breakdancing on this marble floor just outside of a big office building.
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Old 04-23-2005, 11:33 PM   #5
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Hey TP! Sweet trip - seems like you had a good mix of both partying and sightseeing, nice going!

Did you go to the Fischmarkt on Sunday TP? It's a pretty cool market for anyone that goes there.

Quote:
The problem is in Hamburg the girls that wait outside the windows converge on you....It's funny and sad. All of a sudden you are engulfed
clevercraig - how nuts are they?! I thought they were hot! Especially when they start yelling in German at you...

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Old 04-24-2005, 09:15 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally posted by travelpunk@Apr 23 2005, 10:21 PM
Ate Kebabs (I love them things! cheap, but goooood.)
I was so scared to try those when I was in Germany (you hardly see them here). But damn they're tasty!! They really hit the spot after a few beers!

Glad to hear the trip went well!

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DRINK CROWN ROYAL, not to support Canada
I thought Crown was American owned? Our whiskey is Canadian Club...
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Old 04-24-2005, 09:17 AM   #7
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Holy crap, sorry to double post.

Crown Royal is Canadian. Go us
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Old 04-24-2005, 10:12 AM   #8
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urOZm8---------------The girls were pretty nuts....Not only would the engulf you but they would grab on to you and stuff.....Saying no and walking away would not deter them, they were like pirhanas. Like I sad, it was both amusing and sad......................I found some of these girls to be attractive but many of them just plain skany looking. They were not made up like the girls in the windows. most of them had on heavy coats and their hair was all messed up.
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Old 04-24-2005, 07:42 PM   #9
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^ I must have come across a couple of the good looking batches then, lucky me... But yeah they started pulling my shirt and were hard to fend off!

I didn't get to see any of the girls in the windows as I didnt really stick around too long on the Reeperbahn. There was so many people around, I was by myself (hadn't met anyone at the hostel when I arrived just before dark) and felt a bit unsafe. The YHA had a curfew so I couldn't stay out either

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Old 04-26-2005, 12:38 PM   #10
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God Damn Starbucks. Europe is losing its charm bit by bit.
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