So there I was, scheduled to leave the country on the 31st of July. Before I left I had to organize an event in Islamabad on the 30th. Reached Islamabad for the event worried sick that I still hadn’t received my passport back and hadn’t event started packing for the trip yet. Fortunately, though, I breathed a sigh of relief when I got my passport back a day before I left. After the event on the 30th July in Islamabad i rushed back to Lahore on the 31st, quickly packed my bags and reached the airport in the evening to catch my flight to Dubai in the evening. As soon as I entered the airport for the first time I had the fleeting feeling of finally starting my holiday! Usual immigration-story cut short, i arrived at Dubai airport where i was greeted by the sudden gloomy realization that I had a 10 hour layover at the airport. After checking in my baggage at the Emirates counter I started aimlessly window-shopping at the airport, trying desperately to pass my time. I bought Dan Brown’s latest offering – The Lost Symbol, which proved to be quite a fun tool to pass the long hours at the airport. My wait was finally over when at 6:30 am the next morning I caught the flight to Zurich – Europe here I come!

I landed in Zurich after a 6 and a half hour long flight. However, this wasn’t my first destination. Instead, I had to catch a third flight to Berlin straight from Zurich. After landing in Berlin, the real fun began!

The Berlin Tegel Airport (German for Airport = Flughafen) lacked the grandeur I was expecting. I didn’t care much as I was glad that my journey was finally over. Little did I know that i was just about to be hit by a nightmare. At the airport I realized that the airline (Airberlin) had lost my baggage! All my clothes, toiletries, shoes etc were in my bag and I felt extremely lost as what to do now. Deciphering the German signboards I made my way to the lost and found department and lodged a complaint with them. After that, I left the airport and took my first bus and metro from the ‘main train station’ (German main train station = Hauptbahnhof) to meet my host.

Before I proceed, I should tell you what I believe to be one of the most valuable things that I discovered before this trip: Couch Surfing (www.couchsurfing.com). For those of you who are not acquainted with this valuable phenomenon, Couch Surfing is this international network of travelers and hosts around the world where you create your own profile and register yourself as a traveler and/or host. So if you are traveling anywhere in the world you will find hundreds of people who are willing to host. You can lodge a request with them and if they are free and willing, they will accommodate you free of cost!

I couchsurfed in Berlin. My host was very welcoming and kind and I was made to feel at home instantly. After dinner the first night I spent mostly recovering from a hectic, eventful journey. I spent two days in Berlin and saw some of the historical sights, ate out every night and went clubbing. The city is extremely clean, with an extremely efficient public transport system and a general modern architectural feel to it. The city, compared to other European cities, is also not very expensive.

- Hauptbanhof has a beautiful glass building that is a must see

- The Berlin Cathedral is bewitching

- TV Tower

- Charlie’s Check Point

- Berlin Wall

- Parliament House

- Alexa is one of the largest shopping malls in Berlin at the Alexander Platz Metro station

- KaDeWe is like the Selfridges of Berlin

- Walking around on the streets of Freidrichstrase you find tons of stores

- Wurst (Sausages) is the staple cuisine in Germany. Several variations are available. The non-pork options can be quite tasty

- Berlin has several Indian/Pakistani restaurants as well for those of you who want to stick to the home cuisine

- Berghain by far is the best nightclub in the city. It has a selective entry policy so be sure to dress up nice when you turn up in the queue!

- Panorama Bar at Berghain is a chilled out place to hangout at.

From Berlin Schonfeld Airport i took the Easy Jet flight to Paris. The moment I got out onto the streets of Paris I felt the magic in the air. It was as if the air was alive – laden with romance. Whether it is the fact that we have always been brought up to believe that Paris is the most romantic city in the world or it actually is true, this is definitely one city in the world you want to visit with your better half. Paris is starkly different from the contemporary Berlin. It has a lot more culture, art and history visible anywhere and everywhere that you go. The streets are generally narrow and the buildings are towering and old. I was staying on Rue de Frances Bourgeois, sharing an apartment with friends. I noticed how people are extremely well dressed and there are so many brands to choose from. However, the city is extremely expensive. I don’t remember seeing any sales in Paris (even though I went to Europe when sales were in full swing all over the continent).

The best thing about Paris is the mobility the city provides you. I saw most of the city on bicycles that you can rent out from stands installed all over the place. It was a great experience exploring new places on bikes, stopping where ever you wanted and most importantly, in an extremely cheap way. The streets of Paris are over flowing with cafes and restaurants. It’s only when you try them out is when you realize how divine the French cuisine actually is. The galettes and omeletes, the grilled duck, the assortment of cheeses, the bread, the crepes and the orgasmic desserts (creme brulee, chocolate fondue) – it is hard to control yourself!

There’s a lot to do and see in Paris. A day and night visit to the Eiffel Tower is normally the highlight of a trip to Paris or a tour of the majestic Louvre. There are several other places that one should visit in order to complete the Parisian experience (refer below). The nightlife in Paris is bustling. Even during the weekdays people are out on the streets, having a good time. Bars and nightclubs are entertaining till wee hours in the morning.

- Eiffel Tower day and night visit. During sun down, the entire tower is lit up with sparkling lights. For those of you who have enough patience to wait in hours of queue to go all the way up the tower he experience is worth it and to make the experience extra special and with a big dent in your wallet there’s nothing like having a romantic dinner date with your better half on top of the tower from where you can see the entire city.

- Arc du Triumph

- Champs Elysee

- Notre Dame

- Walk down the Seine River

- The Louvre. Be sure not to miss the famous Mona Lisa painting!

DON’T SHOP IN PARIS! If you’re visiting another destination you’d be better of saving up for it as Paris is super expensive. But for those of you who don’t mind spending that extra buck to get the Parisian quality, there are several options available all over the city

- Delicious cuisine in all street cafes

- Try out the following: Crepes, Galettes, Omelettes, Assortment of Cheeses (Brie, Camambert, Blue cheese etc), Chicken, Beef and Duck is done to perfection. The bread is really good. And the perfect end to the meal is the various desserts they have. Creme Brulee is the absolute must-try in Paris!

- Even though slightly expensive, Moulin Rouge for all it’s historical value is a must-see!

- Several clubs and bars are quite good in Paris. Try the Bastille street which is full of bars and is bustling through out the week.

- Le Queen, La Loco and Les Bains are some of the biggest and best ones