VENICE - ITALY

 

PIRAN - SLOVENIA

Our stay in Piran was short but oh so sweet.  It was a last minute decision to drive our Mini Cooper from Kranjska Gora south to Piran and we were so glad we did... 

Located on the south-west of Slovenia and bordering Italy, Piran is a cute seaside town with all the charms of both countries.  

SALZBURG - AUSTRIA

FUSSEN - GERMANY

 

 

As soon as we stepped off the train, a feeling of happiness and awe washed over us.  Was this place for real?!  This quaint, little town immediately made us feel as though we were transported in to a story book... 

Perhaps best comparable to 'scene one' from my favorite childhood movie, Beauty & the Beast ("Little town, full of little people…").  

Even our hotel, aptly named Fantasia, was in theme and held a likeness to a Disney castle… complete with purple and pink beds!  Needless to say despite a 3.5 hour train ride, we couldn't wait to start exploring.  

We hired bikes from the train station (10 euro per day) and rode from the old town towards the mountains, greeted with a great number of treats and surprises along the way.  Our favourite sights were the River Lech, the Neuschwanstein castle and the Lechfall waterfall.  On top of the big landmarks mentioned, just walking around and exploring the churches, the unpaved streets and the mountain paths were an equally satisfying feast for the senses.  They don't call it the Romantic Road for nothing!  

Also worth mentioning was the scrumptious and mouth-watering Greek dinner we had at Restaurant Kelari.  With a huge, beautiful outdoor courtyard on top of old medieval style building, we devoured the most delicious Greek food we've ever had.   The Gyro pan and the octopus were simply divine.

All in all, Fussen is a place like no other.  From the adorable buildings, to the cute cobble streets, to the absolutely astounding mountain backdrops, Fussen  is truly a charming and beautiful destination, seemingly untouched by time and technology.

KRANJSKA GORA AND LAKE BLED - SLOVENIA

Breath-taking beauty.  Nature at its best.  A perfection junction of mountain, land and water.  

These are some things that came to mind whilst being seduced by Slovenia's Julian Alps and Lake Bled.  The landscapes provided the perfect backdrop for 4 days of relaxation and adventure...

BERLIN - GERMANY

 

Berlin was one of the most anticipated legs of the trip for me on a personal level.  Visiting this musical mecca was a long time dream.  Within me, it conjured up feelings comparable to those felt by a kid visiting Disneyland for the first time or a cop eating the first donut of the morning.  Excited!   

When it came to music, we were once again inundated with amazing options for every night... 

Our first afternoon, we enjoyed a few ales at Club De Visioanire soaking up the afternoon sun with a background of stripped back house. 

The next night we met a few Aussie friends for a drink and a boogie at a place called The Week End situated on the 14th floor of an office building downtown Berlin. Enjoying a beer to the sounds of Philip Bader, Sante and our amigo Siopis was a great way to ease into Berlin's night scene. 

Next stop …Watergate. Perhaps the most internationally renowned venue alongside Berghain, our mid week drop here was a great experience. Adam Shelton delivered first class house whilst we watched the sun rise over the water.  It was a pretty special vibe.

Friday was getting closer and this meant it was almost time for Pow! Pow! to perform at Golden Gate. It was our first show in Berlin and we were super excited to be able to do it at one of the city's most notorious and celebrated venues. Tailor made to the music we create & play, Golden Gate is a dark, intimate techno bunker filled top to bottom with serious people serious about their music. We were playing the close set from 10am to 1pm on Friday. To our surprise, the place was still jam packed when we started and the vibe was electric. The 3-hour set flew past! Playing the records you want to and to a crowd that wants to hear them was a picture perfect scenario. As 1pm struck and the lights finally came on, I pulled the headphones out of the jack with a satisfied feeling inside of me. I knew we had played one of our best gigs ever. It was a real inspiring moment and a big reminder as to why I do what I do.

As much as music reined top priority for our 10-day stay, we were also keen to see, experience, and absorb as much of Berlin as we could. Fuelling up for the day at Berlin Burger International was just what we needed. Referred to us by a friend, BBI delivered some of the most delicious and biggest burgers we have ever had (Pannierstraße 5, 12047, Neukölln).

For 10 euros each, we hired pushbikes and went on our own Tour De Berlin taking in a selection of landmarks.   Exploring the neighbourhoods, it was very apparent that this city was like no other. Coming from a country that has a lot of red tape, rules and laws, it was refreshing to be in an environment where freedom, individuality and self-expression were truly liberal.  E.g. the streets were lined with amazing street art and buildings were splattered with graffiti; public consumption of beer was insanely common even amongst those commuting on the train; clubs & bars weren't bound by trading or shut down hours and were often open all weekend long.  Things were different!  It was clear there was more onus on the individual to take responsibility and do the right thing.  There was an attitude amongst locals that you could do what you wanted as long as it isn't hurting anyone else. It seemed to work!

In hindsight I felt we left Berlin a little to early, leaving so much to still see and do. Who knows?! We may return to Berlin sooner rather than later...