I arrived at Wombat's Hostel in Berlin at noon on Friday, dropped my luggage off, and took a long walk around the city. I didn't know where anything was but saw the huge GDR television tower in the near distance, so I headed that way. As I walked I came across a variety of street artists and musicians followed by a very alternative crowd that was already sloshed from day drinking. I met a bulldog on a skateboard which made me laugh out loud. Then I discovered a...

I had the most wonderful time in the east German city of Leipzig. The hostel I stayed at was a steal, in a four bed dorm with a private bathroom and free breakfast. It's so small that I found most of the highlights could be explored in just a couple of days. Though the town is tiny, Leipzig is packed with culture and history. It was the home of such great cultural influences as Bach, Mendelssohn, and Goethe. Leipzig is also said to be the birthplace of the civi...

Months ago I arranged to meet Kim as a travel companion for the German cities of Hamburg and Leipzig. Kim is a native German who has been living in the UK for the past decade or so. Although he grew up in Germany, he had never explored these two cities and looked forward to seeing them from a tourist perspective. Kim made his fortune in the tech industry, and agreed to book lux accommodation in my name at his expense. When we made the plans, the clearly defined...

When my suitcase was half packed the next morning, Baby found it perfectly suited for her and climbed right in. Kicking her out of there was perhaps the hardest thing I've had to do thus far since leaving home. I took the train out and walked the rest of the way to Copenhagen Downtown Hostel, where I would spend the next three nights. After I settled in I took a free 90 minute Christianshavn tour, during which I saw mostly the same things Nanna had showed me, bu...

My host Nanna met me at my bus stop in Copenhagen. When she offered to pick me up at my bus stop, I assumed she had a car and appreciated that she was going out of her way. When I realized she must have taken the bus to come meet me and bring me back to her place, I was especially touched by the kindhearted gesture. We went back to her beautiful apartment about 30 minutes out of the city. When her precious cat came out to meet us I greeted her with an emphatic "...