Thankyou and goodnight

Ok so now I'm home I have nothing to do for three weeks. So there will be nothing to write about, and despite the fact I am still in Europe technically there will be no interesting encounters unfortunately. I have woken up this morning with no idea what to do with myself. There are no floating pools to swim in, no interesting cities to explore and no beautiful parks to sunbathe in (that I know of). There is also no sun.

So I just want to thank you for reading and for your lovely comments. You have been a fantastic audience, I am Elena Dorling, good night!

Things I have loved

This is to counteract the other post. Firstly though,  I want it to be clear that despite everything I said in the last post I have loved basically every minute of this trip and it has been an amazing experience. Thankyou so much to everyone for chipping in and a massive thankyou to Grandma, as it was her suggestion in the first place and it was grandma that bought me the ticket for my 18th birthday - although I don't think she is reading this!

I have absolutely loved exploring all the different cities. Each was so different from the next and I have enjoyed every single one. Every city has a different vibe and a different feel. I have seen some beautiful buildings, learnt some new facts and met some awesome people along the way. Everyone I've met has had a different story and a different look on life. It's been fantastic.

I have loved the adventure of always being in a new place. No two days were the same and no two cities similar. I've had many new experiences and it's been incredible.

One thing I absolutely love about Europe,  or at least alot of it, are the squares at night. I love whole concept of having a square or squares where everything is happening. I've seen so many people just performing different things in the middle of a square and some have been a lovely impromptu performances. Like Freddie in Wenceslas Square, all that time ago back in Prague. He was great and entertained so many people.

I've loved the whole thing of getting on a train in one city in one country and a few hours later being ina completely different city, speaking a completely different language, using completely different currency, in a whole different country only a few hours later.

It has also been fun to see all the different hostels. I have definitely preferred the smaller ones though. The ones at Bled and Zadar, where for example there were less people in the room so you got more chance to speak to others. In massive dorms its easy to be isolated and independent because you aren't really forced into interacting. My favourite room was definitely the Aventura hostel in Budapest becaue of the way it was decorated and there were no bunks! But no complaints about going back to my own bed.

I was very tempted to accidentally on purpose miss my ferry. I am having too much fun! At least I have the Dorling family bbq this weekend to look forward to, and then some of the Abdullahs coming down later on, aswell as the Liverpool match. They will hopefully be fun, and its only 3 weeks until Peru!

Things I won't miss about interailing and europe

Sitting on the ferry, reflecting on my trip there has been some things I won't be sad to leave behind, both to do with Europe and to do with interailing or travelling in general. I've compiled a list so as you can imagine this is a moaney post. The ferry by the way is massive. Cafes galore and a shop that actually has things in it.

The main thing is random men trying to chat you up. I have been approached so many times by random guys complementing me, asking if I want to go with them, which you just don't get in England, where they at least pretend to be interested in what you have to say first. Yesterday morning in Vondelpark I walked past some guy and he just shouts out to me 'you want to come to bed with me?'. Erm.... no. I know Amsterdam has alot of prostitutes but they tend to stand behind windows with no clothes on, not wander through Vondelpark in the mornings. Although apparently it is legal to have sex in Vondelpark after dark. There's a fun fact for you.

Another thing I won't miss is living out of a rucksack. I like to have stuff strewn everywhere. Having to keep everything in one place in a bag that you are constantly having to pack and unpack and repack is annoying. I am looking forward to having a floordrobe again.

I am also looking forward to having a relatively secure house I can leave stuff in a not get it stolen. I've been constantly worrying someone is going to steal my dirty clothes and my phone charger. Or just anything really but those were the things I tended to leave in an unlocked locker during the day. I think my ipod cable was stolen last night too. I think it was plugged in to the same thing as my phone and now I can't find it.

One thing I definitely won't miss about hostels is not being able to just walk around naked. After a shower for example its really hard to get dressed and not flash people. Also at night when it gets so hot but you have to keep your clothes on.

I will love having my own plug sockets that are located near to my bed. Its not very sociable to set an alarm for half 6 in the morning when you have to get dressed before you can turn it off because the plug where your phone is charging is over the other side of the room.

I am majorly looking forward to mum's cooking. Having to always pay for meals is very expensive and what's cheap is generally not that great.

At home and at uni, I am always dressed in hoodies and trackies and if I'm not going out and not going to be seen I don't bother with my hair. When sharing a room and at a hostel you always have to be presentable as you never know when the next good looking guy, or even just a girl to make friends with, is going to turn up.

I will not miss one bit the whole curtain situation going on with some of these hostels. I cannot wait to get a good nights sleep without a blindfold (which was a godsend) and without an alarm going off at half 5 because someone has to get an early train, or someone banging around next to you or coming home at 3 in the morning and crashing around. Admittedly that last one never happened to me but still.

As Dorothy (?) says 'there is no place like home'.

Last evening in Europe

Amsterdam is such a relaxed place.  Everyone just seems so chilled. Except for the cyclists if you get in the way.

I've really enjoyed my time here and I wish I could stay longer. I haven't really explored much of it.

Tonight (last night) I went to find a postcard for less that 79cent as thats all the change I had.  Most shops were selling them for a euro so I was searching for a needle in a haystack but eventually I found one.

After I went to Vondelpark just for a stroll to relax and have a calm last evening. Clearly this is what the whole of Amsterdam does in the evening. Everyone was just sitting round chilling, bbq's galore, bikes everywhere. It was so nice. I just found a spot on the grass to write my blog and watch the world go by.

Then at half 8 english time I skyped with the parentals. It was a fairly relaxed last evening.

P.s there are still a couple more posts to come. Don't abandon ship yet

Bad Buiten

The hostel I am in has no air conditioning. I am in a room with 19 other girls and the windows don't open. Its like 25° at night and its made worse by all the people in the room. Even worse is the fact the lift is broken and I'm on the top floor. Its EVEN WORSE when I get all the way to the top and my key card doesn't work and I have to go all the way back down to fix it and then come all the way back up, as has happened three times now.

Apart from that its a nice hostel although there is no hot chocolate at breakfast.

Today I wandered round Vondelpark in the morning and saw bits I hadn't seen before. There was a really cute bandstand in a lake and a statue surrounded by beautiful flowers. Then this afternoon I went to 'Bad Buiten' (a swimming pool) which is near Amstel Station. It opened at 12 and when I got there at 11:39 there was already a queue. Its now 15:15. Its absolutely packed. There are people on all sides of the pool and people on all the seats and people covering the bar. Its clearly a popular place. If you look at my photos, you may see why. Its fantastic.
There's a dutch kid here with a woman I thought was his grandma but was actually his mum. He looked like an angry mini version of Patrick Swayze but without the wrinkles.

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I got home from the pool around 5 and got a very nice cold shower. Then I got dinner at the hostel bar. I had sweet and sour chicken with rice and salad which was nice. I am rather sunburnt. Some nice girl saw me struggling to reach my back with the aftersun and offered to help which was fab as I am not flexible at all in any shape or form.

I have pretty much packed up now. Just a few bits I'll need tomorrow to go in my rucksack. I'm not really sure what to do with my last evening.

Amsterdam day 2

Today has been a really relaxed day which means I don't really have much to say. This morning I just went to the beginhof and then Dam square to see the relatively unimpressive royal palace and then wandered around Amsterdam admiring the canals. This afternoon I just spent sunning myself (in the shade) in Vondelpark. It was really hot. When I was in Paris I had met a guy who said he would show me around Amsterdam and we met up this afternoon but since I had already seen most of it on the tour yesterday, we just chatted in the park. He had told me he lived two hours away and kept asking if I wanted to go back to his. I don't think so somehow.

I think tomorrow I'm going to go swimming if its close and possible. I will have to research options when I get back to the hostel as I am once again in Dam square, just people watching. Before I came to the square this evening I was sat with my feet in a fountain in Leidesplein which had loads of people (mainly adults) splashing around in it when I passed it earlier. It was nice.

Dad managed to get me some money so now I can afford lunch and dinner, for which I had tandoori chicken breast and potatoe wedges. I also picked out the lettuce from the salad and ate that. It also came with a drink for €6.75 so its all good.

Ok so whilst I was sitting in the square I got chatting to what turned out to be the world's most laid back, friendly Muslim. He was the complete opposite of the image the media presents. He invited me for a drink and insisted on paying for it. We sat chatting for a while and gave me his number and told me to message him if I wanted to go to the beach tomorrow,  then walked me back.

Now its a lot later than I had planned on staying up and I ache all over from walking. Only one day left. Can't believe its almost over already.

Sunny Sunday in Amsterdam

I am loving Amsterdam. The canals, the canal houses and the bikes that will run you over if you dont move out their way.

Its so hot today. Apparently it's not normal. Since its a Sunday everyone is out and about. The canals are full with topless fat men and old women on bikinis, beer in hand, sunning themselves on their boats and Vondelpark is packed

This morning I went on a free tour of Amsterdam with a tour guide called 'Lee' (a nickname). She was really good and funny and told lots of unusual stories about Amsterdam. That took around 3 hours and then she invited anyone who wanted to for a drink at a cafe that was clearly the tour guides hang out. Me and three austrialians went and we just chilled. The tour had gone through the red light district where there were a few ladies of all shapes and sizes sitting in windows. We were advised by the tour guide that the ladies do not react well to having their photos taken and may hurl a handily placed cup of urine at you. Either that or chase you down the street and  stamp on your camera. I'm not sure how true that was but no one dared test it.

After a drink in the cafe I wandered back to the hostel past the Palace of Justice which is not at all an impressive building. By this time it was about 4pm. So I just sat in Vondelpark with the rest of the entire dutch population.

The worst thing about not being able to top up my caxton fx card is that there are orange calipos and pepsi max everywhere and I can't afford them if I want dinner.

Interesting fact, the sign for Amsterdam is XXX. The tour guide mentioned it and I thought she was joking but then I saw some police men with it on their shirts.
She also said that 60% of the clientele in the red light district are British men on their stag do's.

For dinner I had fish and chips because for €7.50 I could also get a drink and there isn't anywhere else with anything cheaper. It was quite nice actually. I can't believe I only have 3 days left. Not even full days. In three days time I will almost be back in England. I wish I could slow time down.