Wish you were here - Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Ahead of departing for my Year Abroad, I've been contemplating making a few changes to my blog. I'm hoping, at least, that the next twelve months or so will give me a huge amount of material to write about - if all goes to plan, I should have lots of interesting things to cover. Heck, if it all goes spectacularly awry, that'll be even more exciting, right?! In any case, I'm pleased to say that there are a few ideas in the pipeline, the first of which is to write a regular series on my blog to keep you updated on my travels.

You might already have seen my first Five Free Things post about our recent trip to London, but I've been thinking about a series in which I could tell you a bit about my more general whereabouts and share with you some of my favourite photos and just a few short captions - like postcards, if you will. That's the idea behind my Wish You Were Here posts, the first of which comes to you from Amsterdam.

Wanting to get away for a short break before the new term begins in earnest, we spent a few days there at the end of August after getting lucky on lastminute.com. We stayed at the gorgeous NH Barbizon Palace, whose staff were absolutely wonderful throughout, even giving us a free continental breakfast when we checked out at the ungodly hour of 5am! The hotel is directly opposite Centraal Station and just a short tram-ride from Amsterdam's main attractions, of which we took full advantage; over the course of our four-day stay, I'd hazard a guess that we averaged around ten museums, two canal cruises, and a generous glug of Heineken.

Top: A passenger ferry crosses the IJ in front of Amsterdam's futuristic EYE Film Institute, with A'DAM Toren in the background.

Above: Passing beneath Magere Brug on a canal cruise on the first day of our visit. City legend has it that the original bridge, built in 1691, was constructed for two wealthy sisters who lived on opposite sides of the Amstel. But the origins of the bridge's name are disputed; according to one story, it is derived from the sisters' surname, Mager. In another version, the sisters, though rich, could only afford to build a very narrow structure - hence its name, meaning 'Skinny Bridge'.

Top: Dancing houses at the Damrak. These beautiful buildings were on our route into the city each day. The Damrak runs from Centraal Station in the north to Dam Square in the south, and, along the way, is home to the famous De Bijenkorf department store.

Above: Wandering in Vondelpark. It's the largest park in the city and probably the nation's most famous, just a stone's throw from three of our favourite attractions at Museumsplein: Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, a museum of modern and contemporary art; the Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands' national museum; and the Van Gogh Museum. Though at one point we got caught out in a thundery downpour, our Vondelpark walkabout was one of the highlights of our trip - the green parakeets, who live wild in the park, and the art installation of singing swings were my personal favourites.

Top: Gazing up at the Royal Palace, or even Koninklijk Paleis op de Dam, if you fancy having a go at pronouncing that. Set on Dam Square at the heart of the city, the palace is right in the thick of it - it's not often you'll find an official royal residence opposite Madame Tussaud's on one side and a shopping mall on the other! If, like me, you're a bit of a geek and have a thing for European royalty, you'll love 'Journey in Time', an exhibition on six hundred years of Dutch history, including the story of the House of Orange at De Nieuwe Kerk, where reigning monarchs King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima tied the knot in 2002.

Above: We visited Amsterdam's Hortus Botanicus, which, at three-hundred-and-seventy-five years old, is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. It's one of a number of attractions we could access for free - yes, free - with the I amsterdam City Card. But more on that later...!

Above: A view over the city from Skylounge Amsterdam - a wonderful way to spend our final evening and round off our visit. The bar perches atop a hotel just a couple of minutes from the station, and it's the perfect place to relax with a glass of wine or a hot chocolate (or, indeed, both) while taking in breathtaking panoramic views across the city. You'd be forgiven for thinking it an expensive place to visit, what with it being attached to a Hilton, but we were treated to complementary nibbles, and even a second cup of chocolate at no extra cost. 

And, of course, the views are worth every cent.

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!

Goodbye Exeter, hallo Tübingen! A prelude to my adventures in Germany

As I've just received the dreaded email containing my second-year university exam results, this seems to be a suitable time to write a 'goodbye Exeter'-type post. You might be pleased to hear that I've passed and thankfully got all the grades I hoped for - even, by some miracle, in my Russian exams! This means, quite dauntingly, that I'm officially a third-year student. Eek!

You may also have noticed that I'm having a little bit of a change of scenery around here; I've got a new name, a new URL and hopefully, in the not too distant future, I'll have a new domain to match. That's because in September, I'll be flying off to Germany to start my Year Abroad, which I'll spend studying in the very pretty little town of Tübingen. 

Although I've found the idea of studying abroad frankly terrifying, I'm starting to look forward to the new and exciting opportunities that it will undoubtedly bring - not least where blogging is concerned! I'll endeavour to keep What Hayley Did up-to-date with as many pictures and anecdotes as I can manage. Over the course of my study placement, I'll also be writing 'Mole Diaries' for ThirdYearAbroad.com, and I may even make a foray into video-blogging, should the fancy take me...

There are a good few weeks yet before I depart for Deutschland, but if you want to keep abreast of all my pre-departure developments, such as finding out about accommodation, applying for language courses and choosing modules, you can track me down on the following social media pages:

Twitter - @HayleyJWrites

Facebook - What Hayley Did

Instagram - @chaoshayley

As always, I love to read your comments, so do let me know if there's something you'd like to read about preparing for a Year Abroad, or anything you'd like me to feature in a future blog post. Feel free to email me at hayley.johns16@gmail.com, or use the little box below this post.

Bis später!

Image: Rose Haidu via tuebingen.de

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.