Berlin Trip 2014- Day 3

Sunday- Day 3


Again, like the day before we all regretted going to bed so late! We were tired. We all went to breakfast again and all felt pretty ruff. Especially this morning as we had to meet down stairs at 9:00. That morning I had decided to wash my hair and I was rushing like mad to get it dry and try and get out on time! I was a bit late. Again we got on a train and went to a museum called The story of Berlin. I must admit, I was not the most interested. I think my tiredness over came me and all I wanted to do was curl in a ball and sleep. We had a question booklet to fill out in the museum but our teachers were pretty relaxed about whether we filled them out or not which was good. Once we left the museum, we waited outside and got taken by a guide to the Bunker of Berlin. This was fascinating (although I could not stop yawning). The Bunker was deep under ground and can still be used today if there is a nuclear attack! There are many faults with it though. If a nuclear attack took place, it would take 2 weeks to prepare the bunker which would be pretty much useless. Even if the bunker was ready in time, when it was built (around WW2 time) it would only fit less than 1% of Berlins population. You can imagine how small the number would be now. Bearing in mind this place is humongous! I really enjoyed looking in this bunker as although I was already against war, it just enhanced my understanding of how dreadful a nuclear war would be. It was a beautiful day, and extremely hot! We got on a train and headed to a Market next to a beautiful building called the Museum Island. The market had lots of second hand/junk stalls but it did have a beautiful candle stall where the candles were molded into beautiful shapes including flowers. There was also a soap stand run by an American women. It reminded me of the store Lush. It was lovely and they all smelt amazing. Some of us went to go and get an ice cream and they were so nice. I loved lots of things about Berlin but one of them has to be the fact that the ice cream is so cheap there! In touristy places in London or any where else you can pay a fortune for ice cream! Here it was only 1 euro a scoop or about 1.70 at the most. We headed over to the grass area outside the Berlin Cathedral where some people from my school had seemed to get in a water fight with a load of Berliners. To say the least, they got soaked! They even manged to get one of our teachers soaked but luckily she took it well! Once everyone had met up again we took about a 20min walk and ended up at the Ampelmann shop. The Ampelmann have turned into mascots which resemble East Berlin. They are the little men on the traffic lights. They became famous because they are not boring or like the traditional ones. This may sound really dull/boring but these mascots are everywhere around Berlin. You can get them on t-shirts, mugs, hats and there are even sweets of them! I liked where this shop was as it was not very touristy and while walking around the surrounding area, you really got a feel of the real Berlin. After a bit more walking we got given 10 euros and were given 2 hours to go and eat and then meet at Alexandra Platz (a big square with shops and restaurants). To say the least, this was a horrible experience! We walked for an hour and a half and could not seem to find any where that everyone would eat or that was in our price range. It was a nightmare! Eventually we ended up in some pizza place which was part of the station. It was not the best but we were all so fed up of searching for so long that we were prepared to settle for anything! On Alexandra Platz, another protest was going on. I am not sure what for but there were loads of people on roller skates and loads of chalk on the floor where people could write what ever they wanted. Our group all met up again and we got back on the tram back to the hostel. We were going out bowling that evening so we went back to the hostel to get ready and get changed. At around 20:00 we headed out and walked to the bowling alleys. They were not far away, about a 15-20 min walk. When we arrived we put our bowling shoes on and got started! We had a great evening and had lots of fun. We were all buzzing the whole time! When we got out we skipped and sang the whole way home. AGAIN, it was past 11:00 so we had to head to our room. Our room chatted for a long time and we ate biscuits (well mainly me) and just chilled out. We also shouted at people from our window! A late night.....again!    

The Story of Berlin museum

Inside the museum 

Inside the bunker

A beautiful day near museum Island

Museum Island

(and where water fight took place)

Ampelmann shop

Alexandra Platz

Thank you for reading

Please comment any feedback/suggestions

Day 4 coming soon :)

Berlin 2014-Day 1

Berlin 2014-Day 2

  

Berlin Trip 2014- Day 2

Saturday- Day 2

That morning, we woke up at 8:00 am. After going to bed quite late the night before, we were all exhausted! We got dressed and my friend and I, headed to the communal bathroom on our floor as the queue for the bathroom in our room was getting desperate! After a quick face cleanse and a tiny bit of makeup, we grabbed the others and headed down stairs for some breakfast! The breakfast was pretty bog standard but for €2.50 it sufficed! It had bread roles, some cereals and yogurt! After breakfast was over, we all went upstairs to brush our teeth and pack our bags for the day ahead! We meet outside the Generator at 9:40. we took the 2 min walk to the Tram and headed for the Berlin wall memorial! A must for any person visiting Berlin. We first went into an exhibition which at first I was confused to the purpose of us being there as there was not much in there! But then we got directed into a room with a massive projection being played! We watched two videos which I found fascinating! Although I study history, and would conciser my self to be a person with quite a lot of knowledge from that time era (ww1-ww2), at school you study what went on (mainly) in Britain! Here being able to look at what went on in Berlin towards the lead up to ww2 was brilliant! The videos were predominantly about the Berlin wall. The immense amount of security the wall had, and the number of people that died trying to cross it was astounding! I was very touched after leaving the exhibition but being able to see the real thing was simply mind blowing! The scale of it was scary and the amount of no mans land in the middle was also a shock. At this point we were given a bit of free time to look around and explore! In this particular stretch of the wall, much of it remained so we were able to look at the graffiti and markings made! For me personally, this was an amazing experience! We proceeded on, and crossed the road to climb up a big viewing tower! We were able to see the whole memorial (which is much larger than the bit we had just seen)! Suddenly, while up there we heard the roar of loads of motorbike engines! Across the street which was separating us from the memorial a protest was going on about bikers against violence! As we headed down the tower it was still going on. After 20min (no exaggeration) of us waiting to cross the road, it was still going on! The colossal amount of bikers was amazing! Eventually as the last biker passed we headed to the second part of the memorial which I believe was representing the amount of no mans land! In the videos we had watched, it had said that they put down this special soil, which kept footprints in it! This soil was still there and seemed to be very effective for its original intent! We then went to the 3rd part of the memorial! The video had also explained that there was a church, which ran in the no mans land area so it was destroyed! There was a memorial church here to commemorate it surrounded by wild flowers and gardens! We jumped on to the train and arrived at Brandenburger Tor station. As we departed the station ahead of us we could see the Brandenburg gate. another must see if you are going to Berlin. It was massive and surrounded by hundreds of people! It was buzzing! I really wish we could have spent longer at the gate as I really felt like we came and then left! We were in a rush to eat lunch and arrive at our next appointment on time! We were let free with €10.00 to get lunch. My friends and I went to a cute little cafe which was reasonably cheap and sold pizza, burgers sandwiches etc. The service was brilliant but it was generally the worst pizza I have ever had! The cafe, looked out on the Holocaust memorial which again was something I really wanted to explore but did not get a chance to which at the time I found very disappointing but after talking to my teacher (a Berliner herself), she told me that there is not much to see anyway!  After that rather tasteless lunch, we headed to the Reichstag, This is the Berlin equivalent to Britain's Parliament i.e Government building. Although the exterior of the building is old and traditional, due to a fire, the inside was stripped out and is now extremely modern. To say the least it is beautiful! we had a tour guide bring us round who told very dry jokes but was still very informative! The building and its history was fascinating. After the tour, we were aloud upstairs on to the roof of the building where the view was amazing! The building is famous for its big glass dome which you are able to walk up! It was already a baking hot day but this glass dome was a sun trap! After exploring for a while we headed to the lifts and out of the building. 

We chilled out for a while on the green space out in front of the Reichstag, lapping up the sun as we did. For dinner that evening, we were going to Potsdamer Platz. A cool shopping/eating area in a cool sort of indoor and outdoor building surrounded by flats. The reason for us being there was because after we were going to the European cinema which showed films in English, lucky enough for us. That evening I binged out on a lot of food. We went to McDonald's which I know is not very cultural but it was just what we all wanted that evening! After waiting a very long time for our food in there, I then also went to Starbucks and got my favourite Chocolate Cream drink and a cookie! I was very hungry that day! My friends and I then just chilled out in this place! There was a fountain in the middle of it all and we sat round there! It was evening now so it was the perfect temperature where you can wear shorts and a top but still not feel cold! We all met back up again outside the cinema and went in. The cinema was massive but I was now so full that I did not buy any popcorn or drinks. We went to see Bad Neighbours which I was expecting to be dreadful (due to the reviews) but it was actually quite good. It was funny and Zac Effron was looking fine! Once the film was over, we all began to feel very tired, myself included. We got on the train and headed back to the Hostel. Again when we got back it was past 11:00 so we all had to go to our rooms! Unfortunately, you always seem to want to sleep when you don't have the chance to, but when you do, you are suddenly full of life and energy! That happened when we got back to the hostel so again we did not go to sleep till the early hours of the next morning! We never seemed to learn!

The Berlin Wall

(Memorial)

  These special cobbles run through out Berlin to show where the wall used to be

The Protest on Bikers against Violence

The sand used in no mans land

The Memorial Church

Brandenburg Gate

On top of the Reichstag 

Thank you for reading

Please comment any suggestions/feedback

Day 3 coming soon :)

Berlin 2014- Day 1

Berlin Trip 2014- Day 1

If you have read my last blog post, you will know that I was preparing to go to Berlin with school! I went last Friday for 5 night and had an amazing time! From visiting the sites and hanging out with my friends it was a brilliant trip! This is what I got up to! 

Friday-Day 1

I woke up at 6:40 (that is very early for me by the way) and had a quick chat with my mum who went on and on about being safe and looking after my possession extra extra! After a quick bite of breakfast I got changed and made sure my bag was packed! My friend Marie came over as my dad was going to drop both Marie and me of. As she lugged her 19.7 stone suitcase in (yes you heard me right) we both went upstairs and sorted ourselves out. We then headed for school to arrive at 9:00. It was a great feeling knowing that everyone else was in class and we were all on our way to Berlin. Our teachers arrived and then the coach at 9:30! As we got on the coach, most parents stayed to wave goodbye to there kids but  my dad dropped me of and left seemingly happy to get rid of me! We left school and headed for Southend airport! Southend airport is tiny! It was my first time flying from there and I was pretty shocked! It was also deserted! Barely any people were there and with only a couple of check in desks, a tiny shop claiming to be a duty free, a WHsmith and a little cafe it was not the most desirable place to be with a 2 hour wait ahead of us! But I can not complain! It was clean and efficient! Really that is all you need in an airport! After selfies were taken and  food pretty much all eaten it was time to board our flight! It was an easyjet flight to Berlin Schoenefeild. We all got on the plane last and I managed to sit with two of my good friends. The flight was an hour and a half long and I read some magazines and just chilled out! When we arrived in Berlin, we collected out luggage and took a quick 5 minute walk to get the S-bahn (train) to Landsberger Allee station which took about 30-40min. Once we arrived we looked to our left and could see our hostel. The generator. Although in the past I have never stayed in a hostel, from what I had heard they are not great, but I was pleasantly surprised with our one! It was modern, clean and massive! I had visions of a dark, dirty and cramped place but it really was quite the opposite! We sat in the reception/dinning area and got handed our keys and sent to our rooms to unpack! Our room was on the fourth floor, and because everyone had ran to the two very slow lifts, a couple of others and I decided to brave the stairs! Bad idea! Lugging up our suitcases four flights of stairs was hard work but I guess we may have burnt of all the rubbish we ate on the plane.....maybe. Our room (which I was sharing with five others) had three bunk beds, six lockers to put a couple of things in and a little bathroom which was a surprise! I was not expecting a bathroom and although it was tiny (I lifted my leg up in there and hit my knee of the sink which has left a big bruise) I really appreciated having it! We settled in a bit and then headed down stairs at around 6:30 to get dinner at the hostel. It was pasta with a bolognese sauce which although the portion size was quite small was very nice! At 7:30 we all met in the reception of the hostel and headed out for the evening! I'm sure our teachers intention was to tire us out as much as possible so we would sleep that night as we walked so far that evening! While we were in Berlin the weather was excellent except the first and last day! It was poring with rain while we were walking around so we were all quite miserable! We eventually ended up in a beer garden! It would have probably been nice but the weather was so bad it was hard to enjoy! We were given an hour to hang out at the beer garden and while most people tried to buy some beer, three others and I headed out to explore  the streets of Berlin! After trying to find an ice cream place and failing, we settled for a corner shop and bought some ice cream and snacks there! The weather picked up and it stopped raining which was good! We walked back to the rest of our group at the beer garden to find out that none of them got served (haha)! Once we left we had another very long walk! We walked along a tram line which I found out later would have taken us straight back to our hostel but instead we took a lovely two hour walk! Our feet were hurting quite a lot once we got back to the hostel (to say the least)! House rules at the hostel stated that under 16's must be in room by 11:00 and by the time we got to the hostel it was about 11:30! Although we had to be in our rooms, we did not have to go to sleep which was good! That night, we all probably stayed up until about 2:00 in the morning! Probably not the best idea thinking about it now! 

Before we left school

On the plane

The beer garden

Thank you for reading

Please comment any suggestions/feedback

Day 2 coming soon :)

Haul- Schuh, New Look, Primark, Superdrug and Boots

I am going to Berlin with school next week for 5 days, so obviously some serious shopping needed to be done! I was looking for a pair of converses and some summery tops/dresses as the weather is supposed to be really good when we go! I went to Westfeild Stratford City in London and although it has loads of shops which yes, you would expect to find everything you needed, it really is rather a hideous experience! The immense number of people and the stuffiness of the place makes it hard to bare! I would conciser myself a keen shopper but even I cant bear the crowds! Anyway, enough complaining, this is my first Haul so I hope you like it. As usual please comment any suggestions/feedback. I really do appreciate people reading my blog and giving any feedback!

I started of my shopping trip in Schuh and bought a pair of size 10 (yes I know I have very big feet) converses in Navy. Because of the immense size of my feet, I have to buy men's converses which is ordinarily fine as they are pretty much the same but there is less choice in colour unfortunately. But I do like the navy ones as they do go with pretty much any outfit!

Navy converses- Schuh 

£45

I then headed to New Look which you could ordinarily say is one of my favourite shops but I was very disappointed! Out of the 12 items I picked up only one top looked nice! I picked up tops, dresses and shorts but nothing seemed to sit right or look nice! Very disappointed! I did get one top though which was a Aztecs design! I like it as it is cropped slightly but not to much, it is also not tight fitting so good for the summer and warm weather! I have a feeling that this will be one of my tops that I wear non stop!  

Aztec top- New Look

£12.99

In Primark I first bought this pair of pyjamas! I am not to keen on the top but I love the little shorts, they are very cute and good old Primark, nice and cheap! 

Robot Pyjamas- Primark 

£5

I also bought Primark face wipes! You can't go wrong with these! With two packs for £1, they are a bargain! I bought the sensitive skin ones because although my skin is not to sensitive my mums is very and they just feel nicer! 

Facial Cleansing Wipes- Primark

£1 (for two)

These again are some of my essentials! I seem to always be losing hair bands so although they are not the best quality they are still very good for the price! 

Hairbands- Primark

£1

Finally I bought this lovely shirt! I really like the buttoned up front and the colour of the blue! It is slightly see through but not enough to see anything under neath! I really like this top and it was at a great price   

Shirt- Primark

£5

Next I headed to Superdrug. First of all I picked up a bottle of Shampoo and Conditioner. It was by Aussie my favourite brand! I love the smell and the way it leaves my hair! Lovely and soft! Although it is not the cheapest brand, I think the price is worth it. Also there was a deal on which was 2 for £10...Bargain!

Shampoo- superdrug

Conditioner- Superdrug

Originally £5.99 each but with deal (2 for £10) £5 each

Next, I bought some Nivea Deodorant. I bought one called Invisible for black and white and the other was called Double effect. I sweat quite badly, so finding a decent deodorant is hard (especially as I do quite a lot of sport). these both do seem to be quite good though! I am very happy with them, they smell good and seem to work well!

Nivea Deodorant Invisible- Superdrug

£2.29 (or 2 for £3)

Nivea Deodorant Double effect- superdrug

£2,29 (or 2 for £3)

I am not one for fake tan but this Dove tinted moisturiser is very good! I only get the fair to medium skin one so I don't look like an orange but it just adds a very light tint to your skin! The moisturiser is also very good! Leaves your skin smooth and soft!

Dove tinted moisuriser- Superdrug

£2.48

I needed a new mascara desperately so I bought this Rimmel London one. I am still not convinced about how good it is as it comes out slightly clumpy, but I have still not used it loads yet so will have to see.

Rimmel London Mascara Black- Superdrug

£4.99

Finally from Superdrug I got a spray from Impulse! Its called tease and i really like it! I have had it before and it smells really fresh! I am not normally keen on impulse fragrances but this one I do really like!

Impulse Tease- Superdrug

£0.98

The last shop I went into was Boots. The Boots in Westfeild is massive with lots of beauty company's based inside such as Clinique, Channel, Benefit ect. I bought a Clinique Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser which I have got before! I put it on in the mornings and before I go to bed and it works miracles! It is expensive but worth it! 

Clinique Foaming Cleanser- Boots

£17.00

Thank you for reading

Please comment any suggestions/feedback

My Olympic Flashback

I am from London, East London to be precise. In 2012 one of the most magical events of probably my life took place! The London Olympics of 2012. Best of all, the action was tacking place practically on my door step! Although it was extremely hard to get tickets my family and I did get tickets to Hockey and Basketball.

The Olympic Stadium 

The Basketball arena

The Hockey Pitch

(weather wasn't great typical England)

The Olympic park (Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park) has only just really opened! In my local area we have a borough run cycle group, where on the first Sunday of each month one member organises a cycle ride. I have been on cycle rides from just 10 miles to 30! This Sunday, it was my dads turn to organise a ride and seeming as the park is nearly all open we decided to all go down there. What a transformation! It is stunning. The wild flowers and immaculate gardens. It is truly magical. Going back there brought so many happy memory's of my Olympic experience. The park is massive so going by bike is definitely the way to do it. Things have been taken away like the basketball arena, but many things added like amazing children playgrounds and new cafes. 

We started of our journey by visiting the velodrome. Tickets during the Olympics for cycling were sort after and although on our list of preference, we did not get them! Although I have driven past the velodrome many times, being so close made me catch my breath. The pure immensity of it is scary! It is massive! When I went inside my heart stopped! It really is amazing in there! In most of the venues, they are pretty relaxed about spectators coming in for a look. There were cyclists cycling, and from up close you could see how hard the sport really is. The sides are so steep and with no breaks it is probably quite scary! I felt the same buzz that I did during the Olympic stepping in there.

Inside the Velodrome

Outside the Velodrome

(although it does not look it, it was actually a really nice day)

Next we headed to the Copper Box. An arena used in the Olympics for handball, fencing and in the Paralympics used for Goalball. Now it is a multi-use venue which can hold loads of sports! From basketball, Handball, Netball, Volleyball, Badminton and even Gymnastics! Although we could not go into the actual venue, we could look through the glass as the arena.

  From the Outside

There was quite a lot of us

After that we went for Lunch to a lovely place called the Timber Lodge. Although it is not in the centre of all the action, it was still very busy! It sold nice freshly made baguettes, cakes and a range of hot food. Although not the cheapest place, the food was very good and the situation lovely. We sat outside as the weather was so good! As we started to gradually get further and further into the park, the busier it got! There were lots of cyclists and pedestrians of all ages!    

  

The Timber Lodge

Once we had all ate, we saddled up and headed for the aquatic centre. Getting their involved us cycling through the main part of the park which was very busy! Lots of children playing in the playgrounds and playing in the little water fountains. Again Swimming and diving were sort after events during the Olympics and were on our preferred list of events! Although I was not there during the Olympic my friends dad was not well enough to go to the swimming in the Paralympics so I was asked to go! It was amazing! Although we were up very high you could still feel the atmosphere and the buzz! Going to the pool again for the first time in two years (after a lot of work being done to it) was great! Unfortunately we could not go in as an event was tacking place! We could pay £2 each but we would not see much as we would not get to properly look around. That was a bit disappointing! 

   Outside the entrance to the pool 

Finally we went to the orbit! A red sculpture in the Olympic Park which is 114.5m high and designed by Anish Kapoor. You can actually go up it although we did not. This sculpture can be seen from miles away including from my friends balcony who lives round the corner to me!

The Orbit

(and some of our cyclists)  

I had a really good day today! It brought back so many good memory's! I cant wait to come here with my friends in the summer to chill out and have picnics! I would recommend every one to go down there and have a look! I will also be back for a swim and maybe even another cycle! You could easily spend a good day down there (especially if you include a  bit of shopping in Westfeild)! 

Olympic Park Website

Hope you liked this post! Comment any suggestions or feedback!

My Empty Smells

Probably like any girl, I like to smell good. Here are some of my empty perfume/fragrance bottles... 

Impulse True love 75ml

Boots £1.99

This cheap spray with a fruity twist is a lovely scent as not to strong but has a fresh light feel to it. Not to over powering although you could say that that is its downfall as the scent does not last for a very long time. I would buy this product again though.

 Beyonce Midnight Heat 50ml

Perfume Shop £14.90

I received this as a present from a friend a couple of years back. I loved this perfume a lot! As it says in the name its a fiery scent. It was a gift pack which contained a body lotion and shower gel. For the price I think this is a bargain! The scent lasts and is not sickening! I would definitely get this again.

 Charlie Black 30ml

Boots £6.35

This was one of the first perfumes I even had (its quite old)! For what it is i.e price it's a good buy. A nice fresh original scent, which I did not get sick of. It came with a hand lotion which although was not the best quality did the job.  Although I would not buy this again for a first perfume it was a good buy.

Impulse Very Very Pink 75ml

Boots £1.99

I really did not like this spray. It was extremely strong and made me cough and splutter. The name should have been Very Very Strong! It also smelt very mainstream! I am sure I have smelt a similar scent before. As I am sure you can guess, I will not be buying this again.

Nina Ricci Nina 50ml

Selfridges £40.00

This was a present from my parents two years ago. It has lasted this long and I loved it! It had a fruity scent which lasted a very long time. It may be the most expensive of my collection but by far the best. I hope to repurchase this as this is my favorite scent (when I can afford it)! 

Hope you liked this post! Comment any suggestions or feedback!

Here We Go....

So.....my name is Eleanor....I decided to make a blog. As I am sure you can guess I am going to do a little bit of everything. I am 14, living in London and enjoying life if you exclude exams and non stop homework. I enjoy watching random documentaries and programme's on Iplayer so will be doing reviews on them and telling you guys what's the best things to watch. I will also look into the best beauty products for the time and price! I may do some best and worst films or helpful tips for your everyday life! Basically what ever I feel like and what you guys respond well to! I am also a dancer, maybe not the best one but I feel an immense amount of aesthetic appreciation watching brilliant dancers! I will share with you guys videos or links to videos where I feel the dancing is to perfection! Finally I will just share some stuff with you about my life and what I get up to. I really hope you guys respond well to what I write and would really appreciate the support. Finally I would like to thank a big friend of mine who gave me the idea to write a blog. She helped me set up this page and I think her blog is brilliant! You should all check it out. Charlottebehappy So hopefully I will be seeing you guys all soon.