I’m going to preface this post by saying that we are both very much beach people. As much as we have enjoyed Europe so far, our choice to explore inland areas has left us itching for the sound of waves and the smell of ocean air. One of the best parts of living in Australia was having a place practically on the beach. Being able to see the water each day and hear the waves each night made me so happy. That’s ideally how I want to live all the time, so vacation, to Andre and I, most definitely equals water. We need the water. We need our fix.

It also probably didn’t help that we were underwhelmed by our Airbnb. We have had really outstanding experiences with the places we have stayed prior, so this one was a let down. It was completely livable for sure, but compared to the homey experiences we had up until this point, it really lacked love and attention. It was the tolerated step-child that was fed and clothed and had his basic needs met, but goes to school with wildly unkempt hair, only gets hand-me-down clothes, and for some inexplicable reason was never taught how to use cutlery. I felt sad for our place. It had really good potential if the guy had just done a few basic things, like have a fridge that kept food at a cold enough temperature that we wouldn’t have to question whether we may get food poisoning, or more critically, would allow us to drink cold beer! It was also really hot while we were there. A fan was provided, however it emitted just enough of a breeze to be able to blow a feather off a table… provided the feather was within a few inches and the fan was angled just the right way. The overall feel of the place, aside from the bigger stuff like the bed and couch, was, “Well, that should be good enough.” I don’t think the owner ever spent a night there or tried to make a meal with the butter knife. The collection of random items throughout the place screamed “I was found in a free bin! I get a second chance! I knew it wasn’t my time!”

Other than the very basic dwelling, Leipzig itself was a really nice little place. It was a good spot to decompress a bit, since we’ve been moving quite quickly over the last 3 weeks, and plan our next stops. The center of town is pretty active but nothing insane. There are a lot of nice little shops that I didn’t go into because my bag is already too heavy and I’m trying to get rid of things. I have already unloaded a dress and a hoodie in Berlin. I expect to purge more in the coming months. The more I have to tote my bag around the less stuff I want. Funny how that works. When you start asking yourself “Can I get by with only 2 pairs of undies?” and they’re thongs, you know your bag is too heavy.

We went into the center a couple of times for beer and snacks, saw a few historical buildings, hung out in a park and fed the ducks, and found a great dinner spot that we ended up at every night. Everything about this restaurant (Il Mondo) was great. The owner, Singh, was super friendly (He moved to Germany from India ten years ago and has had the restaurant for the last three), the food was fantastic (everything from pizza to Indian to German cuisine and more), the wine was good, and it was right outside of a gym called McFit. There is something really enjoyable about eating schnitzel and drinking on a patio outside a gym. The less enjoyable part came after our meal, when we got home and realized that Andre’s body didn’t love the meal as much as he did. It was unbearable. I was certain at one point he had schnitzeled the bed. He didn’t. He’s not a quitter though, and decided to try the same meal again the next night, promising me he’d aim the super high power fan in a direction that would protect me while in bed. IT DID NOT.

We are heading to the Czech Republic next and are taking the bus. We have been traveling by train and bus, but mostly by bus as it is often less expensive and doesn’t take much longer because the bus is direct while the train often requires transfers. We have been using a company called Flixbus. It’s been really convenient. They have WiFi, and charging ports at each seat, air conditioning and a bathroom that Andre says is nicer than the ones on the trains because unless you’re a child you pretty much have to sit to pee. It’s like going into a crawl space, I imagine. I haven’t actually used the bus bathroom yet and couldn’t tell you where it is. This is because it is basically at the level where the bags are stowed under the bus, and you access it from the stairs near the center where you exit. That is another thing I like about the bus – no faffing with getting your bags up above your head. I should say, Andre doesn’t have to faff with getting the bags up. I’m useless. Super exciting transportation snorey. You’re welcome.

27 days in…

Prague is next up.