Bayern

Back from a three day trip around Bayern, traversing across historical and culture-rich towns like Nuremburg, Wuertzburg and Bamberg :) It has been a refreshingly fun journey with Jack, Guo Chuan and Edwin, who turned out to be my RI/RJ seniors! One thing we share in common: the love of learning, the passion for thinking... thanks for giving me a blast to the past, where everyday brought a new discovery, a challenge for the mind :p Not forgetting Goldfish, who was constantly being bullied by us guys haha.

Nuernberg, probably our favourite destination, had a majestic, quaint old city that was surrounded by towering watchtowers and walls and gardens. Look out for the Gingerbread man, and try the sweet-and-spicy gingerbread cookies in local bakeries :) And grab some savoury beer in the quality breweries and pubs across the city. Once groggy, head up to the Imperial Castle of Nuremberg at the top of the walls for a good view of the cityscape that it has defended for centuries.

Wuertzburg, with its splendid Residenz and Court Gardens, lives up to its title as Europe's most beautiful palace. Plus it has a grungy medieval castle - the Marienberg Fortress, seat of the Bishop Princes - that offers a fun, exciting route climbing up to it!

Bamberg... a much smaller town with an excessive number of two things: breweries and churches. Which makes sense, since monks were the first ones who made beer here. And this renowned Raunchbier - we savoured it at Schlenkerla's Tavern, down at Dominikaner Strasse in Old Town - tastes and smells of smoked ham. The monks made it so they could get around their fasting comfortably... smartasses. Anyway, a must-try, together with the great Bavarian food found here :)

Anyway, just a few snippets before I set off tomorrow for a two weeks long Eastern Europe voyage!