European Leg Summary ( May 19th-Aug 10th 2010

Flew into Heathrow through a rain cloud and then had to wait 25mins to get a gate to exit the plane…ah back in the UK alright! As I sit this morning drinking coffee in a London flat the last three months seems a bit like a dream. Covered a lot of ground, from the plains of Iberia to the Swiss alps , down the coast of Anatolia and back up to the Fjords of Norway, every area had a different vibe and offered different experiences. Met some amazing people along the way, locals and fellow travellers, you all know who you are… thanks for helping to make the trip an experience of a lifetime! Overall I score the European leg of my voyage across the universe at 11 out of 10, far outweighed my expectations…so here are the top 5 lists I’ve been compiling….. look out for Evstival update next month and then the return of MDSU proper when I start the Asian leg of the tour later in the year. Many thanks to anyone who has been reading or has posted comments…..MD

Top 5 countries:

Ah the toughest to call…. it was close but Spain has just managed to hold onto the lead… maybe due to it being at the beginning of the trip (with Prima Vera Sounds included,) or maybe because I have always really loved the Spanish lifestyle, Turkey was a close second though…

1. Spain
2. Turkey
3. Italy
4. Switzerland
5. Norway/Germany joint


Top 5 Cities

1. Rome
2. Prague
3. Stockholm
4. Berlin
5. Paris/Budapest joint.

Most Friendly Locals.

1. Turkey
2. Germany
3. Netherlands
4. Switzerland
5. Bosnia H.

Top 5 Nights out

1. Berlin (folk gig then minimalist techno club)
2. Amsterdam ( minimalist techno cub)
3. Granada ( all night Balearic nightclub)
4. Barcelona ( Wichita Records Prima Vera Sounds warm up party)
5. Oslo ( Indie pub then rock club)

Top 5 Kebabs ( appropriately following top 5 nights out)

Germany took it right at the end …. a great Kebab in terms of portion and price…surprising that Turkey didn’t finish near the top …the price was great but no sauce and rarely spicy enough.

1. Germany
2. Spain
3. Switzerland
4. Greece
5. Turkey


Top 5 Hostels

Judged on comfort, facilities, atmosphere and price.

1. Funky Backpackers (Granada , Spain)
2. Mandela Hostel ( Budapest, Hungary)
3. City Backpackers (Stockholm, Sweden)
4. Hostel Santa Rosca (Venice, Italy )
5. BackPax (Berlin, Germany)


Worst 5 Hostels

1. A to Z ( Prague, Czech Rep.)……. Stank
2. Sarajevo Hostel (Sarajevo , Bosnia H.)…..Battery Hens
3.Aloha ( Paris, France )…..Bible Camp
4. Hotel Jacobsen ( Copenhagen, Denmark )…..Bathroom from “Saw”
5. Anil Hostel ( Cordoba, Spain ) …Hobbit hole


Most Amazing natural landscape

1. Cappadocia (Turkey)
2. Lake Geneva ( Switzerland)
2. Geilo area + Fjords ( Norway )
4. Fethyia to Olympos Coast ( Turkey )
5. Central Highlands ( Bosnia H )

Most attractive women (maybe a bit politically incorrect to produce this list ..but hey I’ve got eyes haven’t I?)

1. Sweden
2. Spain
3. Germany
4. Greece
5. Serbia