This tale begins about a month ago after the conclusion of my final exams. Europe seemed to be heading back into lockdown and there was not much to do in most countries. Most people opted to stay at home for the time being, in hopes that the pandemic would end soon. I, however, longed for an adventure. Two negative COVID tests later and my girlfriend and I were good to go.

Berlin

We spent our Christmas in Berlin, playing Yahtzee and drinking Glühwein. It was my first time experiencing Christmas in Germany. Being from Singapore, it was enlightening for me to witness and partake in German traditions over the festive period.

I did not speak German myself but it was not hard to understand that Christmas played an important role here. In Germany, Christmas was a time to be surrounded by family, to exchange gifts while sharing a meal with loved ones. It was hard to have a big family get together due to the pandemic but no virus can keep family apart.

I really enjoy living on my own but I do miss my family too. This festive season, I was reminded of that. I may not have gotten the chance to spend Christmas with my own family but my girlfriend, Anna, was excellent company. There may be a virus going around but that is no reason to stop having a good time.

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This is Tempelhofer Feld, formerly an airstrip, where Berliners come to engage in wind-sports and enjoy the sun. The area is absolutely sprawling, capable of accommodating thousands of people without a problem. On this beautiful day, I felt the ground beneath my feet and the sun on my face as I walked along the runway. It was wonderful.

Anna and I were excited to be back in Berlin, where we first met before the pandemic. So much has happened since then but the important things have stayed the same; we were still having an amazing time together. I enjoy the way we live life, without stress, just good vibes. You can see beauty all around, all you need is the right mindset.

Flensburg

We went on a little road trip north, to Flensburg, where we spent New Year’s with Anna’s aunt. It would have been quite nice to drive up into Denmark and eat some hot dogs but I learnt to manage my expectations while travelling during COVID. We may not have gotten the opportunity to visit Denmark but I believe that the inability to do certain things frees you up to do the things you are meant to do.

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We went for walks by the beach and hiked through the woods. We made tiny paper boats out of leftover receipts and raced them down the stream. We breathed in the fresh air all around us and it was absolutely beautiful. The seemingly insignificant little things seemed to be bring me the most joy.

At the stroke of midnight, the fireworks lit up the night sky, ringing in 2021. It was interesting to me, how people in Germany purchased and set off their own fireworks whereas in Singapore the fireworks display was strictly managed by the government. Singapore always had such spectacular displays.

You could see the fireworks all over Flensburg and even across the border in Denmark. There was no particular order to them but there was a certain beauty to the irregularity. We popped open a bottle of champagne and lit up some sparklers. It was a wonderful celebration.

I am eternally grateful for the hospitality I received during my short stay and I would not have spent my New Years any other way.

Grünenbach

We were hankering to see some snow so we caught the train down to Bavaria. Our days were filled with morning hikes and snowball fights (which I won). Being surrounded by nature brought me so much happiness. I immensely enjoyed trekking through the snow, wandering among the trees in the forest. The wilderness has a calming effect on the soul.

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I also managed to become significantly more German during my stay in Bavaria, you can see from the beer and brezel pictured above. Spending time with little German kids allowed me to pick up key phrases of the German language. “Was geht ab?” I am only joking of course; German continues to elude me.

Valais

Our journey took an exciting turn as we ventured westward into Switzerland. I wanted to visit a place I had never been to before. My knowledge of Switzerland, however, was limited to its beauty. The idea was to select a random cabin we fancied on Airbnb and see where that would take us. This is all I will say for now. I would not want to spoil the story for the next post!

Riding the train through Switzerland is truly a feast for the eyes. As you zip through the country, past the various cantons, you are confronted with spectacular views of picturesque mountains and lakes. There is simply so much natural beauty wherever you look; one of the reasons why I absolutely love train travel. Take my advice and take the train through Switzerland.

Zürich

We headed to Zürich to visit my dear friend, Rao Ye. We last met a year ago, before the start of the pandemic. It is funny how an entire year had just passed us by. One can never truly tell what is about to happen in the world, which is why I try to live each day as if it were my last day.

I was utterly blissful to share an evening with my old friend. I have realised that it truly does not matter where you are in the world, geographically speaking; true friendship is not bound by distance. We spent the night drinking and playing Truth or Dare. It was a night of fun and laughter.

I am very glad to see that my friend is happy.

The city itself is astonishing. The Limmat river which flows from Lake Zurich, through the entire city is so clear that you could see right to the bottom. I had never seen anything like it before. I am no stranger to rivers but in my experience they usually adopted a shade of green. The birds seemed to be having such a good time in the water that I was quite tempted to take a dip myself.

Zürich even has its very own mountain. Uetliberg rises to a height of 870m, offering you a bird’s-eye view of the city and Lake Zurich. There are cruises from Bürkliplatz which take you on a pleasant tour of the lake. This was highly recommended to me by my friend Rao Ye. The city is known to be a little expensive but it is well worth it in my opinion. I would love to live in Zürich one day.

Cologne

En route back to Amsterdam we discovered that we were unable to return without obtaining a negative COVID test. I had never planned to visit Cologne but I guess fate intended for me to do so. The results of the test would only be available the next day, which meant that we needed a place to stay for the night.

This is where things got a little stressful; we were not permitted to stay in hostels or hotels as the government had disallowed travel for private reasons. We were in a sticky situation and I was fully convinced that we would have to spend the night on the streets. Thankfully, a kind Airbnb host accepted our request. In situations like this, I realise how important it is to have a roof over my head.

This was definitely a learning point for me about travelling during COVID. I had to be very sensitive to the constantly changing guidelines of different governments. Cologne turned out to be an interesting city. I marvelled at the abundance of gothic architecture all over the city. Unfortunately, nothing was open for visits. The food, however, greatly made up for this. I did not expect to discover so much delicious food right by the apartment.

This turned out to be an extremely long journey but thankfully I made it back to Amsterdam in one piece. The Netherlands is currently in lockdown so I will be staying put for a bit. I am quite content to be home, just writing in my studio. I am glad to be back.

Do subscribe and stay tuned for the next few posts about the cool things we did. Trust me, you do not want to miss it!