Just a quickie - a visit to Potsdam

As you may or may not be aware, depending on whether we're Facebook friends, I have arrived in Germany! My first few days in the south-western university town of Tübingen were something of a mixed bag - I'm sure that that'll eventually find its way into a blog post somehow - and so, before the start of Tübingen's semester in October, I've temporarily decamped about as far as it is possible to go while staying within Germany's borders. I'm getting away for a little while to see the sights of the German capital with my friend Rachel, who is spending part of her Year Abroad here in Berlin.

On Saturday, we went to Potsdam, the capital of Brandenburg, to the south of Berlin, visiting some of the city's many palaces - here are a handful of the pictures I took.

Five free things to see and do in London

We've just returned from another summer trip to the British capital, seeing some of the sights that we didn't manage to fit in last year. Although London is a vibrant and exciting place to visit, this can come with a hefty price tag; it's a city with a reputation for being stonkingly expensive, whether you're a hapless holidaymaker or a bona fide Londoner. But it doesn't need to be - having conducted extensive research, I've compiled a list of my top five things to do in London which don't need to set you back a single penny.

1. Browse at Borough Market - Admittedly, you'll need some serious willpower here; if you have as little self-discipline as me, you're likely to come away clutching a bunch of artisan goodies and an empty purse. It is, though, perfectly possible to enjoy the market's sights, sounds and smells for nothing. Many stallholders offer free samples of their wares - particularly if you ask nicely - such as honey, breads, oils and sweets, so that you can try before you buy. My absolute favourites have to be The Cinnamon Tree Bakery, who I first encountered last year at The Cake and Bake Show, and Bread Ahead, whose doughnuts are out of this world. To really make the most of the market, head to Borough High Street on a Friday or Saturday, when traders set up early and go home late.

Nearest underground station: London Bridge.

2. Visit the Imperial War Museum - One thing that pleases me immensely, as I've always been a bit of a history nerd, is that wherever you go in Britain, the museums are, more often than not, free. The Imperial War Museum is one such institution, and has been on our list for a while. It's only just reopened after undergoing massive transformation, including the construction of a state-of-the-art sunken atrium and brand-new terraces, and looks absolutely stunning - the entrance hall alone houses a Spitfire, a V2 rocket, a Harrier jet, and a T-34 tank, among other over-sized artefacts. Upstairs, the Family in Wartime follows the lives of a local family during the Second World War, while the refurbished Holocaust exhibition documents the rise of Nazism and its appalling culmination. It makes for sombre viewing, but is an absolute must-see.

Nearest underground station: Lambeth North or Elephant and Castle.

3. Take a Thames-side walk - If you want to see some of the main London attractions, but don't fancy shelling out for a bus tour, a great way to see the city is to walk along the banks of the Thames. Following the Thames footpath, you can take in such sights as the Shard, Southbank, the London Eye, and even - if you're not completely out of puff - the Houses of Parliament. One not to miss is the Tower of London, currently home to 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red', the installation of ceramic poppies commemorating the centenary of the outbreak of war in 1914. It's possible to walk from Tower Bridge right up to Westminster (though you might need frequent breathers!), but you'll have to cross the river at various points. This, though, is a good excuse to see - and set foot on - some of the city's famous bridges, like London Bridge, Westminster Bridge, and, for Harry Potter fans, the Millennium Bridge. Thankfully, in real life, it's still standing.

Nearest underground station: you can begin wherever you like, but I recommend starting from Tower Hill and heading west.

4. Wander through Regent's Park - despite being such a huge city, London has green spaces in abundance. I think that Regent's Park is one of the prettiest - even on a thundery day like the one pictured above! It's a pleasant mix of open grassy areas, perfect for little ones to run around and let off steam, and landscaped gardens, complete with manicured flowerbeds and fountains. There are a handful of places to eat within the park, including cafes, a restaurant and the Smokehouse, a barbecue takeaway, but make an afternoon of it by bringing your own snacks and eating al fresco - though perhaps hold out for better weather before you unfurl your picnic blanket!

Nearest underground station - Baker Street, Regent's Park, or Great Portland Street.

5. Take in the Tate Modern - if contemporary art is your thing, you definitely won't want to miss this off your itinerary. Although it's one of London's premier tourist attractions, entry is free, unless, as with most museums and galleries, you want to visit one of the special exhibitions, which are on throughout the year (Henri Matisse's cutouts are currently on show, as are works by Kazimir Malevich, created during one of the most turbulent periods of Russian history). However, with so much to see inside the old Bankside Power Station, a trip to the Tate Modern can be just as absorbing without seeing one of these, with free guided tours every day. You'll also find free displays on various themes, like 'Poetry and Dream', within which are mini-displays such as 'Beyond Surrealism' or 'Energy and Process', featuring Cy Twombly among others.

Nearest underground station: Southwark or Blackfriars

If you've enjoyed a free or budget day out in London recently and want to shout about it, or if there's anything at all you'd like to see featured on my blog, feel free to leave a comment below!

Returning to the Biggest Carrot Show and playing with my Nikon D3300 DSLR

In preparation for my Year Abroad, I've invested in a new camera to take with me to Germany. It's a Nikon D3300 DSLR, which my camera-savvy dad tells me is a nice little starter camera for somebody who, a year ago, was relying on an iPad for photographing purposes. It's considerably smaller than his own camera, and nice and light to carry around, which makes it perfect to take on any potential trips and outings at home and abroad.

Once I'd remembered to take off the lens cap, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy the D3300 was to use; at the moment, I have everything set to 'auto' while I learn what all of the different functions do, but I've still taken some nice pictures. The seven photos in this post were taken last week before, during and after the Latchley, Chilsworthy and Cox Park Show, which, as you may remember, I visited last year at the very start of my blogging escapades, way back when everything had to be Instagrammed to oblivion.

Editing-wise, I've not done a great deal to the photos I've taken with the D3300 so far, although I've enjoyed playing around with things like the contrast and gamma correction in IrfanView. I'm looking forward to experimenting with some of the camera's inbuilt settings once I get used to it a little more, so I'll keep updating as I learn more - and, of course, as I go on the trips to take the pictures in the first place!

Procrastination, apple strudel and Ultravox

Joy unbounded, exam season is upon us once again. I've already had three and have five more to come, so I ought to be chained to my desk in a frantic flurry of revision. Hence I'm writing this blog post.

To be fair, I've done three Russian practice papers today, so I'm not feeling too guilty. (Also, it's unlikely but possible that uni teachers may see this, so we'd better at least look busy).

Anyway, some of you might know already that I took a jaunt to Austria during the Easter holidays with some lovely pals at the University's German Society, and over the last few days as the enormity of end-of-year exams has hit me, I've been pining for the clear blue skies and gargantuan ice cream sundaes of Vienna. So here are a select few of the 328 pictures I took over the course of our three-day stay (yes, really).

Our first excursion of the trip was to Schönbrunn Palace, one of the Austrian Imperial Family's summer homes. The palace and its grounds are absolutely beautiful, and enormous; the estate is home to Vienna's Tiergarten, where I saw actual, real-life pandas for the very first time! Inside the palace itself, we saw such exciting things as Schönbrunn's answer to the Versailles Hall of Mirrors and Franz Josef I's deathbead. 

Here's Schönbrunn from the famous Gloriette, with the city of Vienna beyond. As you can see, we were blessed with some beautiful weather for at least the first part of our trip.

A view over Vienna and the mountains in the distance from Tiergarten Schönbrunn. In 2012, it was voted Best European Zoo, and it's easy to see why. Everything is very clean and well-kept, and there's more than enough to keep you occupied for a day; we spent the afternoon there, having explored the palace in the morning, and didn't manage to see everything, so I'll definitely be back for a second visit at some point!

As I've already said, there were some exciting animals that I hadn't seen in the flesh before, like the afore-mentioned pandas. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get a good picture of one, because it turns out that they eat bamboo at such a ferocious speed that every photo I took of them was blurry.

Inside the Monkey House at Tiergarten Schönbrunn. A lot of the original baroque buildings at the zoo are still standing - the Kaiserpavillon, below, and the Biedermaier Giraffe House were completed in 1757,  remain in use today, although they've been through many different guises since then. Of course, the animal houses have been thoroughly modernised, and it was fascinating to see how the old has been incorporated into the new; in spite of its age, the Tiergarten does feel very modern and up-to-date.

The Kaiserpavillon at Schönbrunn. It was originally built for the Imperial Family to entertain their guests, and it's now a rather posh tearoom, where I enjoyed sitting on the terrace with a Wiener Melange.

A rear view of Schloss Schönbrunn from its grounds (this is the last picture of it, I promise).

An U-Bahn platform at Westbahnhof. I'm very proud that I managed to successfully use the underground every day when we went into the centre of Vienna. Probably the most exciting part of this education in subterranean transport was making our friend, the Accordion Man, who boarded a train with us at Rathaus with a little red trolley, out of which came his accordion. To make things even more awkward, because as you can imagine, everybody's trying to avoid making eye contact with everyone else while A.M. is blissfully unaware of the hilarity he's caused, each time he received a bit of change, he'd play said accordion faster and faster.

Being serenaded once on the tube was quite amusing in itself, but after telling everybody back at the hostel about the performance earlier that afternoon, we got on the tube to go back into town for dinner and what should we see in front of us getting into a carriage but a little red trolley! Apparently our faces were a picture when we were trapped with him on a rush-hour train for the second time that day, but it made for some funny memories.

As well as a more amusing breed of busker, Vienna is home to such fine specimens of authentic Wiener Apfelstrudel as this one above. I think I had perhaps three rounds of strudel during the trip and this, in a small restaurant down a sidestreet in the city centre, was probably the best.

The second full day in Vienna and another palace (here we go again, I hear you sigh) - this time it's Belvedere, another of the Kaiser's summer homes. It's now an art gallery, home to Gustav Klimt's 'The Kiss', prints of which can be bought on tea towels, mugs, umbrellas and fridge magnets in any souvenir shop within a mile radius.

You've been spared a plethora of photos from inside, because we weren't allowed to take our cameras in. It's a shame, because you're missing out on a particularly dashing portrait of Napoleon, who's been made to look like a Heathcliff/Rochester hybrid. Not complaining.

(NB: boyfriend wants you to know that he finds the concept of fancying a portrait of Napoleon utterly ridiculous).

Walking through the gardens from Oberes Belvedere (or the huge, grand Upper Palace) to Unteres Belvedere (the slightly more modest Lower Palace). Belvedere is right in the middle of the city, so it's surrounded on all sides by ordinary buildings and offices etc, but the gardens still feel very tranquil and calm.

Unteres or Lower Belvedere. This is where the modern art lives, being looked after by the nicest cloakroom attendant I met on the whole trip: praise indeed. The 'Vienna-Berlin' exhibition was on while we were visiting (and runs until June 15th this year, so you've still got time to catch it if you happen to be in Vienna soon). 'The Art of Two Cities' showcases some of the most important 20th Century artworks of the German-speaking world, and is well worth a visit to see pieces by the likes of Conrad Felixmüller and Hannah Höch.

Naschmarkt, Vienna's most famous food market. Boyf. and I met everyone here for lunch after Belvedere, and there were some good deals and excellent vegetable noodles to be had in the narrow, meandering alleys. Just don't point out that a few of the traders are trying to rip off unsuspecting foreigners, because you'll be pursued through several stalls with indignant shouts of "TOURRRRRRRISTEN!" ringing in your ears.

Horses and carriages outside the cathedral, Stephansdom, perhaps for a richer and more refined type of tourist than us.

Looking down a narrow sidestreet near the Mozartshaus, just off Stephansplatz, in the first picture. The second shows a stark contrast between tiny sidestreets like this and the huge open squares: old and new showcased side by side in Stephansplatz, the heart of Vienna.

For a capital city, particularly one with the historical and cultural importance of Vienna, I thought it was a very relaxed place. Of course it was busy, but in the sense that there were a lot of people, rather than that we felt rushed or hassled. It's a vibrant, lively place, but we never once felt unsafe.

Inside the stunning Stephansdom. Visiting this and the square outside was definitely one of the highlights of the trip, so much so that I had to come back for a quick visit before we returned home.

It's also one of a number of things you can do in Vienna for free (although it costs a little to walk down the central knave, but you can go inside the cathedral to see the beautiful ceiling and stone carvings without paying a cent). Visiting the parks and the Rathaus, or the city hall, are other free activities. The city hall doubles up as the tourist information centre, and you're perfectly able to explore the halls and courtyards as you wish.

Outside the entrance to the Hofburg, yet another palace, this time in the very centre of the city. It houses the world-famous Spanish Riding School and a vast array of different museums, including Sisi's Museum, named after the Kaiserin Elisabeth, the longest-reigning Austrian monarch, who was on the throne for forty-four years.

The style of the place felt similar to Horse Guards Parade, with its inner courtyard reached through archways, although the Hofburg has two. On the other side of the palace, though, you emerge onto the Ringstraße, one of the main roads in the centre of Vienna, around which are situated lots of the most famous and beautiful tourist attractions, like the Kunsthistorisches Museum (the Art History museum), the Rathaus and the Parliament buildings.

The Kaiser's state apartments inside the Hofburg: we spent a leisurely hour out here in the courtyard having ice cream and yet more coffee. At home in Angleterre, I basically chain-drink tea and I'm sorry to say that, in lieu of PG Tips, I tried to do the same thing with coffee in Austria. It was a steep learning curve.

As an aside, do go and get an ice cream sundae from the little Hofburg cafe, they really are beautiful.

Waiting to go into Hotel Sacher for our Sachertorte! If you're going to Vienna, this chocolate cake is on the list of food and drink that you absolutely must try, along with probably Wiener Schnitzel, Kaiserschmarrn and Apfelstrudel. Actually, I've still not ticked Kaiserschmarrn off my list, so I'll definitely have to do that when I return to Wien (as it's definitely a case of 'when', not 'if').

In spite of my self-proclaimed vegetarianism, I must confess that I did actually have meat on all three of our nights in Austria. Before you shout at me, in my defence, it is pretty hard to be completely veggie in Germany and Austria. A couple of our group managed it, with boyf (no, I'm not allowed to say his name on the internet) opting for some unusual-looking 'eggy dumplings' on the second night. But I went all-out Viennese and had Schnitzel on the nights either side of Sausage Night, which really was a sight to behold.

The Sachertorte was worth every cent, by the way.

Graben, in central Vienna. This is where a lot of the posh shops live - Gucci, Prada and Dior were all nearby, as well as Cartier, the Queen's favourite jeweller. Sadly, by the time I'd got here, I had spent most of my holiday money so I didn't get my diamond tiara this time. The beautiful gold monument on the left is called the Pestsäule, or Plague Column.

A view over Vienna from the famous Ferris wheel at Wiener Prater, a permanent fairground to the east of the city. 

And there's the wheel itself, the Wiener Riesenrad, which is over a century old and famously starred in 'The Third Man' with Orson Welles. It was also built by an engineer from Devon, so ten points to us. (Sadly, it was North Devon, but I won't tell if you don't.)

Another lovely, shiny U-Bahn station, complete with fairground-themed mural. We couldn't believe how clean everything was - that was actually the thing that most impressed my grandparents when they had to sit through a forty-five minute slideshow of all my snaps. Apparently even a cathedral and a few palaces aren't as exciting as a well-polished station floor.

In all seriousness, though, the entire city centre is so well maintained; everything was clean and shiny, or in the process of being made so, like the Stephansdom, which looked to be undergoing a major spring cleaning operation. It's quite a rare thing, I think, to go to a city that's such a major tourist destination and come away thinking how well looked-after it looks. I think I could live here quite happily, and I don't say that easily about big urban centres.

Even higher up than the Prater wheel this time! This is from the viewing platform on the Donauturm, or the TV tower. We visited its revolving cafe and enjoyed ice cream and coffee at a lofty 529 ft. Proud girlfriend moment: boyfriend buying the tickets to go up the tower, plus asking for the bill in the cafe, both entirely in German, despite being a self-confessed monoglot. It did take twenty minutes to get our head around 'Entschuldigen Sie...', but we got there! The big plus is that he's been inspired to buy a German book to learn some more for when he visits me in Tübingen next year.

Looking up through the bars towards the exciting revolving bits of the Donauturm. It was only up here on our last day that I eventually gave in to all 80s new wave-related urges and decided to have a chorus of  'IT MEANS NOTHING TO MEEEE' atop the tower. (Link for your viewing pleasure).

A view of the UN buildings from the Donauturm viewing platform. The tower itself is set in this beautiful green park, in which we spotted Luke Skywalker and the Emperor, or at least their lookalikes, all dressed up and taking a Friday afternoon stroll.

As you do in Vienna, natürlich.

If you're interested in taking your own trip to Austria's capital, and I really do recommend it, there's loads of tourist information here. We were busy everyday and saw so many exciting and interesting things, but  there's so much more that we just didn't have time to do - but we'll have lots to entertain ourselves with on our next visit, hopefully in the not-too-distant future.

Blue skies and belated blogging

You may or may not have noticed that I've been taking something of a blogging hiatus since the New Year. Returning to university, exams and general hecticness have meant that I've not been able to do much in the way of writing blog posts, not to mention the weather - the UK's biblical storms have not exactly been conducive to my ramblings, as they've meant that I haven't been able to get out and about to take nice pictures of anything. 

However, this once-in-a-century/eight-in-two-months freak weather has got me reminiscing about the lovely weather that we had by chance when we visited St Ives, Cornwall, just after Christmas. By then, some of the country was already underwater and further destruction was already forecast, but somehow the far western tip of Britain managed to escape it for the most part. 

Taking advantage of a mid-winter deal, we booked to stay at Tregenna Castle, a beautiful hotel with views over the town and the Atlantic Ocean. Here are some of my favourite pictures from our brilliant mini-break - hopefully we'll be back in St Ives very soon.