La Bodega in Croatia

Set in the rustic Roman streets of Split, we came across La Bodega. Thinking it must be half decent if there was a queue outside, on our second night we finished up dinner a little earlier to get a table; although it was filling up quickly, and some were reserved, we still got a good spot. The great thing about Croatia is that even the best bars are free entry and drinks are reasonably priced, so judging your company is good, you're bound to have a good night.

                              There are 3 things that make a good bar, a great bar

Atmosphere

When it’s busy enough you feel jammy getting a good table, but there’s enough room to actually move. The type of people around you can affect your experience too – in La Bodega it was a slightly older crowd, with the average age about 30 and a combination of groups and couples, the surroundings were good and you felt comfortable. Also when you’re on holiday and the bar is packed with, usually slightly rowdy, English crowds you may as well be back in the UK, so I liked that there was a mix of people, probably a lot being locals. La Bodega definitely had a feel good ambience!

Music
Chilled house music – think Café Mambo in Ibiza – creates the best vibe. La Bodega played good remixes of recent chart music but also mixed it up with live saxophonists and lesser known dance music that admittedly called for Shazam.. (defo adding to the Gym         playlist).

Quality but Affordable

In every bar, especially when abroad, my eyes have a natural tendency to avert to the cocktail menu.. For a Caiprioska (vodka, fresh lime, crushed ice) it was 65kn (approx. £6.50) which wasn’t too bad – I mean it’s double the price of a ‘Mojito on the Go’ that you can get on the streets in Croatia – but you’re also paying for the atmosphere in La Bodega, so I couldn't complain.. and 2 or 3 later it was just fine..

We were only in Split for a few nights, and wanted to try out other places, so my eyes lit when we came across another La Bodgea a week later in the beautiful and historic Old Town in Dubrovnik. I was a bit clueless that this place was such a popular chain – the ones in the UK are more Tapas bars, and a lot are known for their breakfasts and coffees also, but I would definitely recommend the Croatian ones for their cocktails and, depending on your type of night, it's great for a few drinks to get you in the mood before heading out out ;)

Old Town Dubrovnik

Writing this post has got me in the mood for sitting outside sipping Pimms and Mojitos on balmy summer evenings; but as it's October and so basically officially Autumn in the UK now, maybe time to move on from that little daydream. But if you're heading away for some winter sun, keep a look out for a La Bodega!

When in Amsterdam

So it’s been over a year since that post about setting off on a trip around Europe.. and I figured, better late than never, I'd write a post on each country!

Most inter-railers would start their venture by train, but we took the slightly easier, and actually cheaper (you can’t use your interrail ticket within your home country), option to fly from London to Schippol, Amsterdam. Flying also eases you in, as you come to find that 70% of the trip is spent on trains!

Shock number one? The bag. Oh my I had way over packed. The thought of having to lug the beast around with me for 3 weeks filled me with dread, and we hadn’t even got out the airport.

TIP: Make use of launderettes - pack for 3 days/nights and wear everything 7 times!

First stop: Amsterdam

First impressions

Despite its controversial reputation, Amsterdam is one of the nicest cities. It's so pretty and aesthetically it was actually my favourite city, and one I will definitely go back to. Canals run through just about everywhere in the centre, there are plenty of green spaces, and little streets with quirky looking houses surround you. Needless to say, it was a relaxed atmosphere and the people were pretty friendly, quickly learning the difference between a café and a coffee shop! 

We used the first day to wander around and get our bearings. The good thing with Amsterdam is that everyone is either walking or biking, so we walked.. everywhere. We chose not to cycle because the huge volumes of 2-wheeled traffic meant you had to be some sort of expert, or at least have a bike licence, to navigate the streets.

Main attractions

TIP: Walk everywhere - it's a small enough city to do so, and you never know what you might stumble across.

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     Museumplein - the walk through the streets to get here was nice in itself, and then the pretty buildings and cafes/bars dotted around were worth it when you arrived.

    The infamous signs - we didn't realise there were 2. Definitely worth the 'climb awkwardly and take a picture quick before I actually fall' just to say you've been there done that. 

Museumplein: Rijksmuseum

Vondelpark

-   Vondel park - basically a huge space with lakes, woodland, fountains cafes etc. People generally chilling out, walking, sunbathing, cycling. Loved it. 

-      Anne Frank House - we queued for nearly 3 hours, and on a hot day, but it was worth it. You can't really go to Amsterdam and not come here - it's a massive part of history (setting us up nicely for Berlin). Unfortunately you can't take pictures inside, but it was surreal to see where the family lived and get even just a tiny feel for how it must have been. I would highly recommend, no actually insist, that if you go to Amsterdam you go here. 

Anne Frank's House from the outside

    Red Light District  - again you can't really go to Amsterdam and not go there; I wouldn't exactly put it in the same category as Anne Frank's house, but it's worth a visit. I didn't take any pictures but yeah, it was a bit of an experience. You won't feel out of place, I mean there were families with small children walking along like it was your average high street. And there was me looking at what I thought was a manikin 'oh that's a nice bikini', and then she moved. We experienced it for all of 5 minutes - that was enough. Another been there done that excursion.

Accommodation

I think the term 'hostel' has some pretty negative connotations, but in Europe a decent hostel is more like a 2* hotel, and this one was nice and modern.

Amsterdam was one of the 2 places we were in a mixed/shared dorm, mainly because the budget was tight and Amsterdam, alongside Berlin, were most expensive in terms of accommodation. 

One of our roommates was a chatty New Zealander, the other chap didn't speak at all and the other was a Canadian who was into 'trying new things' that didn’t end too well and kinda ruined our stay. Obviously much depends on your budget, but I would rather have spent a bit more and had a private room - but that may have been because our first night was tainted by the Canadian throwing up all over the place. Yeah, nice. 

We couldn't walk to the centre from the hostel, but because the station was only 100 yards away and trains were regular so this wasn't a problem in the slightest.

TIP: If there's the option to, then always have breakfast included - that way you can fuel yourself to last all morning, and take the bread/cheese/meats with you = lunch sorted! We did this at every single place and it saved us so much money.

Food & Drink

The first night we stumbled across some cobbled back streets that were full of little restaurants and boutique shops. Sometimes you come across the best finds when you’re not intentionally looking. Sorry no foodie pictures, but I remember having a veggie bean burger and I remember it being good.
Although known for its nightlife, the bars are filled with big groups and stag do's - I think everyone will have a different experience of Amsterdam by night. 

Second night we saved some penny’s and opted for a Chinese take-away-in-a-box and ate it on the steps in the main square. The rest of the time we fuelled ourselves with regular waffle/coffee/beer stops (warning: the coffee is v strong) which kept us going!

TIP: Take regular drink stops to just take in your surroundings - it's a unique place!

Seeya again Amsterdam!