Long overdue then this one! Seventeen years ago this week I was backpacking in the North Island of New Zealand. Across a brace of trips to New Zealand, I have backpacked the North Island and the South Island but not yet Stewart Island. I ended up in Rotorua where I have backpacked through twice. I stayed at Crash Palace Backpackers in the days when I was only a hobby blogger, so I never reviewed it. While based there, I roomed with Andy and Ali from England who were going to the Maori Village night for the Tū Te Ihi night at Tamaki.
Backpacking in New Zealand🇳🇿: My Night As Chief At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori Village
Organising a Tū Te Ihi night at Tamaki
It’s easy to backpack in New Zealand. Hostels have all these tours and make it so easy to sort. I’d almost argue that New Zealand is the easiest country in the world to backpack in. I booked my ticket through the Crash Palace Backpackers Hostel in Rotorua.
Backpacking in Rotorua Crash Palace Backpackers
I was placed in the WEKA bus group to be picked up by a driver called Eden around 5 p.m. I was backpacking with Andy and Ali and the WEKA was actually a big bus with about 20 other backpackers on it. I got a yellow ticket.
Backpacking in New Zealand🇳🇿: My Ticket for Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori VillageBackpacking in New Zealand🇳🇿: My Night At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori VillageBackpacking in New Zealand🇳🇿: My Night At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori Village
What Is Tū Te Ihi? (Winter Matariki Celebration)
“Tū Te Ihi” evokes the energy and passion inspired by the Matariki star cluster and the promise they symbolize. Matariki brings to mind the ancestors of the Tamaki Maori tribe, prompting the familes (and us tourists) to remember their legacy and reflect on the past year.
Backpacking in New Zealand🇳🇿: My Night At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori Village
Tū Te Ihi 2024 is held in an 1800s Aotearoa setting, in a small pā (village) called Te Pā Tū, Tamaki, located just south of Rotorua. The ihi—passion, energy, and sense of celebration—is palpable.
The evening came in 6 parts:
1.Bus journey there.
2.Arrival at Tamaki and Greeting with Fire Ceremony.
3.Video introduction to Tū Te Ihi.
4.Hangi Food / Kai Horotai Dinner.
5.Dancing and Music Event.
6.Presentation and Goodbyes.
7.Bus journey home.
The bus trip there
Back in 2007, I didn’t even travel with ANY mobile phone at all and have only these photos from an old digital camera. On the bus there we each had to sing a song and tell a joke. I didn’t know they were using that to decide on a prize of a tribe chief (leader). I was surprised then, that I was chosen as the chief of my tribe! This meant I had to go up at the start and end to be greeted to the village.
Arrival at Tamaki
Then we had the opening ceremony and welcome through a white wooden door. This include dancing, the Haka, music and quite a performance!
Arrival at TamakiBackpacking in New Zealand🇳🇿: My Night At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori VillageBackpacking in New Zealand🇳🇿: My Night At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori VillageBackpacking in New Zealand🇳🇿: My Night At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori VillageBackpacking in New Zealand🇳🇿: My Night At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori Village
Up next we are taken to a hut style room which has a big screen and we watch a presentation which is in English.
The screen that showed the video
Then it’s dinner time and we eat Hangi food which was prepared partly under the ground in the soil, and partly on the barbecue.
The barbecue for Hangi FoodPreparing the foodOur table At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori VillageOur table At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori Village
The dinner was excellent. The vegetables had been steam cooked underground – potato, carrot and turnip. There were three meats – I think it was chicken, pork and beef with gravy. And a side salad. Water was included but I bought a beer also.
My Maori Dinner At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori Village
Pudding was a chocolate style cake with custard. I’m really not sure how Maori that one actually is, but I devoured it!
Maori Pudding At Tū Te Ihi, Tamaki Maori Village
After the dinner, I had a craft beer (MATA) and was called up as chief of my tribe to accept a gift. I was delighted to get a souvenir necklace which I still cherish to this day.
Local Craft BeerUp accepting my gift at Tamaki Maori VillageUp accepting my gift at Tamaki Maori Village
Then we enjoyed the rest of the music and beer before Andy, Ali, myself and our Weka Bus headed in the darkness back to Rotorua.
My gift as chief of my tribe at Tamaki Maori VillageMy gift as chief of my tribe at Tamaki Maori VillageWith Andy and Ali and My gift as chief of my tribe at Tamaki Maori Village
I did actually make a few videos of this evening including the dancing and the dinner but they have probably been lost down the years.
Thirsty Thursdays: My Top 12 Bars When Backpacking In North Korea
While North Korea is hardly world renowned as a wacaday “party country” or somewhere to get ridiculously drunk and go on pub crawls, of course there are bars and restaurants there that are open to foreigners. Anyone who believes the biased western media excrement is stupid – the country has bars and they know their stuff here, plus it has a few breweries and wineries. Again – if you haven’t backpacked North Korea, you don’t have a clue. I loved backpacking in North Korea and although I covered my best bars in Pyongyang before, now it’s time for my best bars in the whole country, on the whole trip. We flew into Pyongyang then backpacked through Kaesong and the DMZ and all the way back up north before boarding the party train to Dandong, China.
Backpacking in North Korea: downtown PyongyangBackpacking in North Korea: Kaesong Away
I was on tour with Young Pioneer Tours (you can get 5% off future tours if you tell them you saw them through Don’t Stop Living). YPT took us to a load of cool bars and restaurants while in Pyongyang and also while backpacking Kaesong. Unless things change, you’ll be accompanied to these bars at all times by your guides, but that makes partying in Pyongyang a unique experience. Here are my favourite bars in North Korea…MY top 12 from my visit, of course I don’t know the country inside out as I was merely scratching the surface in a 6 day trip, but when Thirsty Thursdays comes round, I’m up for a North Korean beer!
Thirsty Thursdays: Cheers! Loving my beer in North Korea’s capital city, Pyongyang.
1.Revolving Restaurant, Pyongyang
When you are backpacking in North Korea (at least when I was there), you are accompanied by tour companies, the best of which is Young Pioneer Tours of course. This means they usually organise your accommodation for you and there are only a small choice of hotels here. There are not really any backpacker hostels in evidence and we ended up in the swanky 5 star Yanggakdo Hotel.
Revolving Restaurant, Pyongyang, North KoreaRevolving Restaurant, Pyongyang, North Korea
The top floor of the Yanggakdo Hotel has a magnificent revolving restaurant. This offers commanding views over Pyongyang city. We had a buffet lunch here and of course a North Korean beer!
Thirsty Thursdays: Cheers! Loving my beer in North Korea’s capital city, Pyongyang.Revolving Restaurant, Pyongyang, North Korea
2.Taedonggang Diplomatic Club (“The Diplo”), Pyongyang
Taedonggang Diplomatic Club, nicknamed “The Diplo” is an ice cool swanky, state of the art venue which seems to mix a leisure centre with a nightclub with a sports centre. It’s a meeting place for foreigners, ex-pats and a few local richer North Koreans. This was the only nightclub I was in in North Korea and what a cool place.
Top 5 Bars in Pyongyang – Taedonggang Diplomatic Club, “The Diplo”
If you can get this on your tour as an option, take it. It’s all a bit surreal. There I was playing pool with a North Korean guy (and I beat him) in a posh bar in downtown Pyongyang. The weird thing is they serve a load of foreign products and not local ones. You can get Heineken beer, Baileys Irish Cream and Johnnie Walker Whiskey. All this while R.E.M. hit “The One I Love” pumps out, followed by Madonna’s “Like A Virgin”.
Thirsty Thursdays: Top Bars in Pyongyang, playing pool at the Diplo
You can talk to locals freely here, and some of them will speak English. We also met an expatriate from Pakistan who was chilling out there. English is used on some of the signs within the club which is unusual. Swimming, games room and karaoke are also options. I loved it. It was the nearest thing we got to a “nightclub in Pyongyang”. Plus there are a lot of bars here in one complex! Let your hair down, it ain’t strict here.
The Nightclub in “The Diplo” in Pyongyang.The Nightclub in “The Diplo” in Pyongyang.The Nightclub in “The Diplo” in Pyongyang.At one of many bars inside “The Diplo” in Pyongyang.
3.Chilson Restaurant, Pyongyang
We attend North Korea’s annual parade on National Day (9/9) and what a magnificent parade it was! Nearby we pass an ice cream shop and a pizzeria, but our choice for lunch is the trendy Chilson Restaurant.
Chilson Restaurant, Pyongyang, North Korea
Lunch here was the only time we had non-Korean food in North Korea. It was chicken wings, sausages and chips! I also had a local beer on tap in here, a really top spot The Chilson!
Chilson Restaurant, Pyongyang, North KoreaChilson Restaurant, Pyongyang, North KoreaChilson Restaurant, Pyongyang, North Korea
4.Cold Noodles Restaurant, Pyongyang
They say you haven’t really backpacked in North Korea if you haven’t tried cold noodles. We headed to the Cold Noodles restaurant in Pyongyang and it was served in a silver bowl. I had one beer in here, but even though I am smiling, neither the beer or the cold noodles were my favourite dish from my time in North Korea.
Cold Noodles Restaurant, Pyongyang, North KoreaCold Noodles Restaurant, Pyongyang, North KoreaCold Noodles Restaurant, Pyongyang, North KoreaCold Noodles Restaurant, Pyongyang, North Korea
5.Koryo Restaurant, Kaesong
After touring the DMZ, the sights of Kaesong and the post office (where I was able to buy stamps and post postcards), we went to the Koryo Restaurant for lunch. I was surprised to find a bar in here for my only ever beer in Kaesong! I was able to take one away for the bus as well. Food was a range of Korean small silver dishes which included kimchi and vegetables.
After checking out of our hotel, The Yanggakdo Hotel, we head to Pyongyang Central Train Station. From here, we will take the long train ride north towards the China border. It must be stressed that you NEED a double entry visa for China when backpacking North Korea. The reason is – you enter North Korea and leave it via China.
The “Party Train Bar” Pyongyang To Dandong
After leaving Pyongyang behind, we find out there is an actual bar and restaurant on this train, as well as a local lad who is selling some beer. I prefer the local beer to the dreaded Heineken, but we all dive in, grab some food and beer and it is time for a party as we leave behind the farms and fields of North Korea.
Rowan and I In The “Party Train Bar” Pyongyang To DandongOur Group In The “Party Train Bar” Pyongyang To DandongWindow Beer In The “Party Train Bar” Pyongyang To DandongFood In The “Party Train Bar” Pyongyang To DandongNorthern Ireland flag In The “Party Train Bar” Pyongyang To Dandong
7.The Brewery Bar, Yanggakdo Hotel, Yanggak Island, Pyongyang
Yes, there is a brewery in a hotel in Pyongyang that brews their own beer. And shock horror, it’s good!! I love knocking back a cold pint of “Yanggakdo Beer”. There were two varieties – a lager and an ale so I tried both. I was there in 2013 so I’d imagine there is a bigger selection now.
Thirsty Thursdays: Top 5 Bars in Pyongyang – the Brewery Bar
Live sports is also shown on the television there. This is on Floor 2/By the reception of the Yanggakdo Hotel, where we stayed in Pyongyang. Beers are standard price of 22 RMB ($3 US Dollars, £3). North Korean Won is officially not allowed to be used by foreigners while in the country.
Buying the locally brewed beer in the Brewery Bar, Pyongyang.Buying the locally brewed beer in the Brewery, Pyongyang.Buying the locally brewed beer in the Brewery, Pyongyang.
8. Barbecued Lamb Restaurant and Bar, Pyongyang
The Barbecued Lamb Restaurant and bar is an odd place. At the front entrance, you arrive at a “local bar” with what looks like a load of hard working locals sipping cold beer and eating after a long day of work. It has the feel of a pub! You can talk to them no problem, and language may be the only barrier.
Thirsty Thursdays – the front bar at the Lamb Barbecue Restaurant in Pyongyang
Meanwhile out the back, live music is accompanied by dancing. You are readily encouraged to join in while you get barbecued lamb, squid and duck. I asked our guide Chen if the restaurant had a name and the reply was “Barbecued Lamb Restaurant“, so we’ll go with that. I’m sure that’s not the real name of the bar and restaurant.
Thirsty Thursdays: Dancing in the Lamb Barbecue Restaurant in Pyongyang
And also – we had barbecued lamb in here and it was good! You cook it yourself at your table on a barbecue.
Thirsty Thursdays: The Lamb Barbecue Restaurant in PyongyangThirsty Thursdays: The Lamb Barbecue Restaurant in PyongyangThirsty Thursdays: The Lamb Barbecue Restaurant in PyongyangThirsty Thursdays: The Lamb Barbecue Restaurant in Pyongyang
9. Karaoke Bar, Yanggakdo Hotel, Yanggak Island, Pyongyang
North Korean people, like their nearby Asian counterparts love karaoke, it was also a thing for me when backpacking Taiwan and South Korea. North Korea offers a load of places to sing, but our tour was action packed from 7 a.m. until midnight each day we were busy! If you run out of time, you can get your group together and simply sing karaoke in your hotel. Both the Koryo Hotel and Yanggakdo Hotel have karaoke bars. I got up and did a rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Black or White”. It completed a double for me, as I had sang it in South Korea in a Noraebang in 2011. Beers are as cheap as 10 RMB by the way ($1.50 US Dollars / £1 Northern Irish pound) and they have a full English list of songs which came as a surprise. Especially when I got up and sang Common People by Pulp. Epic.
Thirsty Thursdays: Get a karaoke bar on your list – local beer and English songs!Thirsty Thursdays: Get a karaoke bar on your list – local beer and English songs!
10.Pyongyang Casino Bar, Pyongyang
The casino doesn’t allow photography inside, like most casinos the world over but I nabbed a quick photo at the door and on the pokies/fruities which was quiet and permitted. The beer was sold in the bar opposite and was also as cheap as 10 RMB ($1.50 US Dollars / £1 Northern Irish pound).
Pyongyang Casino Bar, PyongyangPyongyang Casino Bar, Pyongyang
11.Barbecued Duck Restaurant, Pyongyang
You might think I was getting greedy here backpacking through the barbecue bars of the Yang, but it’s because the tours include ALL the food so you might as well take it, plus we were generally eating and drinking in different restaurants and bars each time (except for breakfast which was always in the hotel).
The barbecued duck restaurant was quite sociable and we had some shots of North Korean Soju here as well as the local beer. We cooked all the duck ourselves on the barbecue.
12. Bowling Bar, Yanggakdo Hotel, Yanggak Island, Pyongyang
The first beer I paid for in North Korea was actually in the Bowling Bar in the Yanggakdo Hotel. We had previously got a beer included as part of our lunch in a downtown restaurant, but here at the bowling bar they have a good range of beers and spirits – mostly local. It was only 8RMB for a beer here, and served cold from the fridge. This was my cheapest beer in the country at $1 US Dollar (80 pence). You’ll also have the option of going ten pin bowling. We were so busy on this trip that we turned it down, in fact that’s the only thing we turned down, and it was because I wanted to get my travel blog up to date and relax with a beer.
Thirsty Thursdays: this is the bowling bar on the bottom floor of the Yanggakdo Hotel.The Bowling Bar, Pyongyang, North KoreaThe Bowling Bar, Pyongyang, North Korea
There is currently no Irish Bar or British Bar in Pyongyang however…I invented one…
13.Pyongyang Ulster Irish Pub
Are you kidding me? There’s an Ulster Irish Pub in Pyongyang??? Yes, there is but it’s very much a DIY type bar. You simply bring a few tins of Guinness into the country and burst the beer open in your hotel room…I also had a mini bottle of Bushmills Irish Honey with me. I also had a Guinness at the North Korea to South Korea border at the DMZ. I brought in 8 cans of Guinness to North Korea – 1 I drank in my hotel room, 1 I drank at the border with my mate Robert from Republic of Ireland. The other six cans I gave to my North Korean guides – they were loving it!
Thirsty Thursdays – The Guinness Ulster Irish Pub in Pyongyang – OK so I brought the beer myself and drank it on my own…Bushmills Honey at the DMZTin Of Guinness at the DMZTin Of Guinness at the DMZ with RobertTin Of Guinness at the DMZ on the North Korea sideGuinness in my Hotel Room in PyongyangThirsty Thursdays: My Top 5 Bars When Backpacking In North Korea
Backpacking in Pyongyang is special and different for many reasons – I especially loved the lack of external advertising, very few imports and how it is much more authentically Korean than the southern part (South Korea). South Korea is drenched in imports, globalisation and western propaganda like Ratsbux and DickMonalds from USA. North Korea rises stronger than all of that. Here are a few other photos of bars and drinks in North Korea.
Thirsty Thursdays: My Top 12 Bars When Backpacking In North KoreaThirsty Thursdays: My Top 12 Bars When Backpacking In North KoreaThirsty Thursdays: My Top 12 Bars When Backpacking In North KoreaThirsty Thursdays: My Top 12 Bars When Backpacking In North KoreaThirsty Thursdays: My Top 12 Bars When Backpacking In North KoreaThirsty Thursdays: My Top 12 Bars When Backpacking In North KoreaThirsty Thursdays: My Top 12 Bars When Backpacking In North KoreaThirsty Thursdays: My Top 12 Bars When Backpacking In North Korea
Drinking in Pyongyang and North Korea offers a lot less variety than some other capital cities, but trust me, that’s a good thing. Enjoy your nights out in Pyongyang. Try the local beer, chat to a few locals and savour the spirit of a self proud country which has kept the communist dream alive a century after it all began. Share your beer and party the night away. Pyongyang will shock you. Get your North Korea visa, fly into Pyongyang and enjoy yourself!
Here are some of my videos from the bars of North Korea:
Top 5 Bars in Pyongyang, Bowling Bar:
Top 5 Bars in Pyongyang, Barbecued Lamb Restaurant:
Top 5 Bars in Pyongyang, The Diplo:
Top 5 Bars in Pyongyang, Karaoke Bar:
Thirsty Thursdays is an ongoing regular feature on Don’t Stop Living – a lifestyle of travel. If you have a bar, pub, drink, restaurant, brand or idea that you would like featured on Thirsty Thursdays, please get in touch via my contacts page or my advertising page. I’d love to hear from you, and I’d also love a free North Korean blueberry wine or a beer! Slainte!
“You come in on your own and you leave on your own” – Richard Ashcroft.
Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At Autobrew England’s First Self-Service Bar
My latest trip back to England threw up undoubtedly more surprises than my backpacking glory days in that country. I spent a few days back in Birmingham. It’s a city I’ve been to many times of course, mostly to visit and hang out with Lock In Lee Adams. Indeed Lee, and Birmingham have featured manys a time on my blogs and books from Europe’s (former) longest bar to an 8-0 away win at Birmingham City FC to touring the nearby hat-trick of West Bromwich Albion, Halesowen and Shell Corner. Here are a few of those memories…
Thirsty Thursdays: Beers and Lunch in Europe’s “Longest Bar”, The Square Peg, Birmingham, England8-0 and a hat with the number 8 on it.Backpacking In England: Lookman and Touring West Bromwich, Halesowen and Shell Corner
One of my best friends here for a hat-trick of decades is Lock In Lee Adams, who I met while studying at Bournemouth University. We were in The Lock In (a spoof Big Brother) together. That story did feature a bit on my blogs down the years and is also a Chapter in Don’t Look Back In Bangor.
Glory Days Loyal: April 2008 All Blog PostsThe Lock-in (University Big Brother), Bournemouth
Again we met up in 2023 on this jaunt, including an epic Black ⚫️ Sabbath Pub crawl on Black ⚫️ Friday 2023, the day I launched my new book, The Black ⚫️ Volume. As well as eating Black pudding, I opted again for a pint of black ⚫️ 🍺Guinness and this was a special one. We poured it ourselves at Autobrew. Yes, we visited the UK’s first EVER self-service bar! It’s housed in the building below…where those arrows are on the left hand side (or you can also enter from the Custard Factory side).
Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At England’s First Self-Service Bar
What Is Autobrew?
Autobrew is the UK’s first self service bar. You don’t need to talk to anyone. You just walk in, buy your beer, then pour it yourself. Here’s their website and their craic.
Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At England’s First Self-Service BarThirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At England’s First Self-Service Bar
Getting To Autobrew
We walked it from Central Birmingham. It’s an easy 15 minute walk from the centre to the quirky neighbourhood of Digbeth. It’s actually also not far from Birmingham Coach station, and is also on route to Birmingham City FC. Eventually, at Saint Andrew’s. Also nearby are the quirky districts known as The Chinese Quarter and Gay Village. We backpacked them both as well on route as they are art and have dozens of murals to admire.
Backpacking route from Central Birmingham to Digbeth
Once you arrive in Digbeth, prepare to be charmed by its art and calm. This is yet another part of Birmingham that many backpackers avoided. Digbeth in short, is an artistic neighbourhood, with streets full of quirky art, murals and pubs in every nook or cranny. Courtyards spring up out of nowhere from US president murals to Spiderman to scrap metal crushed cars against a wall. Not surprisingly, there’s also an art college here, never mind a load of bars, cafes and of course the UK’s first ever self-service bar, Autobrew.
Art in Digbeth, Birmingham, EnglandArt in Digbeth, Birmingham, EnglandArt in Digbeth, Birmingham, England
Plus, it’s also the home of custard! You can tour The Courtyard at the Custard Factory here. Which is opposite Autobrew!
Digbeth, Birmingham: The Home of CustardDigbeth, Birmingham: The Home of Custard
How Autobrew Works
You walk in through the door (opening hours listed below) and you simply collect your card from the bar, top it up (cash or card payments are accepted) and then you easily pour the drinks yourself. There was a staff member working here at the time, and it was the cool artist Robbie Jeffcott. Rob has created a few of the murals nearby, including the classic Ozzy Osborne one in the courtyard by the pub. I caught up with Robbie for a chat.
Artist Robbie Jeffcott and I in Autobrew, Digbeth, BirminghamBy one of Robbie’s murals – Ozzy Osborne (Black Sabbath)
If you don’t feel confident to pour your own beer, a staff-member can deliver them to your table via their order system. Cans and bottles from the Craft Fridge are also available for drinking inside or takeout, but it’s always cooler to pour your own. Plus you can grab your own coffee and snacks too using the card system.
Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At England’s First Self-Service BarThirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At England’s First Self-Service Bar
We were only having a pint each so we paid the exact price of one pint of Guinness, and one pint of Ale on the card. You stick the card above the taps and pour away! I was with my Polish friend Rafal and we just decided to have one chilled out beer here, for the memory, for the quirk. Prices will obviously vary depending on the beer. My Guinness was £6.80, Rafal’s was slightly cheaper. Of course my Guinness was easy to pour given my backpacking barwork experience in 5 countries.
Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At England’s First Self-Service Bar
For those who have never poured a beer before, it’s six easy steps written above the taps, so enjoy!
Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At England’s First Self-Service BarThirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At England’s First Self-Service Bar
The novelty won’t wear off. This is a cool new thing! I loved it!
Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At England’s First Self-Service BarThirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At England’s First Self-Service Bar
Slainte! Cheers! Na Zdrowie!
Here are the details of Autobrew, England’s first Self-Service Bar:
Located in: Custard Factory
Address: The Custard Factory, 10-11, Greenhouse, Gibb St, Birmingham B9 4DJ, England
“From feudal serf to spender, this wonderful world of purchase power” – Manic Street Preachers.
The Day I Scored A Goal At The Home Of The World’s Worst International Football Team
Sark – Europe’s Last Feudal State
Sark is one of the coolest and most mindblowing places I have ever backpacked to. This is a mini country with its own island(s), borders, laws, prison, pub and even an international football team. It is Europe’s last feudal state. It doesn’t have an airport – it has a heliport and it’s not part of the UK, or of England. It’s a raised island off the coast of France and Guernsey. Getting here means a ferry from Guernsey and you’re living the dream. I previously wrote about my ferry trip from Guernsey to Sark and the best backpacking sights in Sark.
Backpacking in Sark: Europe’s Last Feudal State
Cars Are Illegal Here in Sark
Sark is one of the few remaining places in the world where cars are banned from roads and only tractors, bicycles and horse-drawn vehicles are allowed. When you go backpacking here after getting the ferry in from Guernsey, your first “port” of call is a jetty where you are met by a tractor which tows a trailer to take you up the hill to the capital city. Cars are completely illegal but tractors are permitted. It’s all a complete dream for any backpacker. I loved it. I need to big it up more – Sark is magical!
My ferry ticket for SarkThe ferry from Guernsey to SarkArrival in SarkArrival in Sark and on the back of the trailer, towed up the hill by a tractor.Arrival in Sark and on the back of the trailer, towed up the hill by a tractor.Arrival in Sark and on the back of the trailer, towed up the hill by a tractor.Arrival in Sark and on the back of the trailer, towed up the hill by a tractor.Arrival in Sark and on the back of the trailer, towed up the hill by a tractor.
Backpacking In Sark: World’s Smallest Prison
In 2011, Sark was designated as a Dark Sky Community and the first Dark Sky Island in the world. From above at night, you won’t see any lights despite a population of 600. There’s actually more than one bar here as there’s a pub, a hotel and a guest house. I enjoyed backpacking the sights and having a beer in the Bel Air Inn, cycling all around the island and visiting both parts of Sark – Little Sark (where even bicycles are illegal and I had to walk there) and the main part of Sark. The capital city of the country is The Avenue, which is where the shop, bank, pub, prison and tourist information centre all sit.
Backpacking in SarkBackpacking in SarkThe ferry to SarkThe ferry to SarkBackpacking in Sark: World’s smallest prisonBackpacking in Sark: Guinness Pint and PostcardCycling in SarkThe Little Shop in Sark. Amazing Place.Backpacking in Sark
Channel Islands Football History
“Football is an entertainment industry” – Matthew Le Tissier.
In history, players from Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey have all played international football and for a number of other countries as well as their native Channel Island nations. Here are a few of the most famous Channel Islands football players…none on this list are Sarkers, Sarkarians.
Matthew Le Tissier – Guernsey (played for Guernsey under 16s, England full level)
Graeme Le Saux – Jersey (played in the World Cup for England)
Trevor Wood – Jersey (capped by Northern Ireland full level and B level)
Davy Wells – Jersey (capped by Northern Ireland under 21s)
Gordon Barker – Alderney (capped by New Zealand full level)
Bill Whare – Guernsey (played in an FA Cup Final for Nottingham Forest, uncapped)
Ryan Zico Black – Guernsey (scored at the Maracana Stadium in Brazil, capped by Northern Ireland under 21s and Guernsey full level)
Brett Pitman – Jersey (AFC Bournemouth legend who hoped one day Jersey would get UEFA/FIFA membership)
“It’s only Matthew Le Tissier who can score goals like that” – BBC commetator after his goal v. Blackburn Rovers in 1995.
Matthew Le Tissier – Guernsey and England
Sark’s Football History
Records state that before World War II there were a few matches between a Sark team and teams from Guernsey and Alderney. However, it appears that organised football was first played on Sark in the 1950s, with islanders typically playing friendlies against visiting ships crew members and seasonal staff coming to work in the summer. It still wasn’t very official but they had a yellow and black shirt.
The main football pitch is in the grounds of Sark Primary School and I visited the country in 2009. In terms of national football teams, that first happened for Sark in 2003 although, before that, there was Sark FC…
Sark FC – the club side (2001 onwards)
In 2001, an official football club, Sark FC, was created. Having joined the Guernsey FA, Sark FC played in the GFA Cup for three years and regularly played against social club teams from Guernsey. There is a great blog by Pat McGuinness which covers this. It’s also important NOT to confuse Sark FC with the Sark international team which played at the 2003 Island Games – some players might be the same but Sark FC themselves have been more successful than the 2003 Island Games side, as you’ll read later…
SARK FC v HMS CATTISTOCK 01-08-08 – photo credit from Pat McGuinnessSARK FC v MOORINGS FC, GFA CUP – photo credit from Pat McGuinness
Sark International Team for the 2003 Island Games
By 2003, the best players from Sark formed the Sark international football team and wanted to play in the Island Games. Below, this photo is the main pitch in Sark which I took in September 2009, the day I scored a goal here. I called it a stadium, although there were not really any seats or a stand there on my visit, although it’s possible they move in a temporary stand/seating when there’s a big match.
The Day I Scored A Goal At The Home Of The World’s Worst International Football TeamThe entrance to Sark School – The Day I Scored A Goal At The Home Of The World’s Worst International Football TeamThe pitch at Sark SchoolThe building at Sark schoolFlying my Northern Ireland flag at the National football stadium in Sark
Sark International Football Team
Sark are not affiliated with FIFA of course but as I wrote, they have fielded an international football team before. They played in the Island Games, only once, in 2003 when it was held in Guernsey and Alderney. As far as I can tell, as a country they have only played those 4 tournament matches…they play in yellow and black stripes.
Sark – worst international football team in the world
With a population of just 600, at The Island Games, Sark were seen as outsiders against the likes of Greenland, which boasts 55,000 inhabitants, and Guernsey with a population 65,000. Sark’s first match in the tournament resulted in a 19–0 loss to Gibraltar. That was their first ever match and even that 19-0 is NOT their biggest ever defeat! For the three matches that followed, Sark were badly affected by injuries, on top of their inexperience and the lack of fitness in a squad that included some players aged in their 50s! Seriously!
The Official Sark Flag.
Following the defeat against Gibraltar, Sark lost 20–0 to the Isle of Wight, their record defeat. They then lost 16–0 to Greenland, and 15–0 to Frøya, a small Norwegian island of 4,000 people. In all, Sark conceded 70 goals and scored none. Yes, you read that right. In their international history, Sark have played four matches, scored ZERO (0) and conceded SEVENTY (70). It’s the worst international record for any team in history.
The Sark international team lost all four matches by at least 15 goals, having the unenviable and ridiculous record of scoring ZERO (0) goals and conceding SEVENTY (70) goals from just four matches.
The scored ZERO, conceded SEVENTY record of the worst ever international football team – Sark
The island made games history by becoming the first team ever to fail to score a goal. They haven’t played a match since. I visited the only football pitch on the island. I cycled here, parked my bike up and headed to the pitch. There was nobody else here and the nets were up. By surprise there was a football just sitting there. So I placed the ball on the penalty spot and scored a goal at Sark FC/Sark international football stadium! I hit it straight down the middle into an empty net with no goalkeeper. It didn’t matter to me. I scored a goal at the international stadium of the worst country in international football history.
The Day I Scored A Goal At The Home Of The World’s Worst International Football Team
Here is a video of me scoring a goal at Sark:
As there is not much information about football in Sark online, here are some links I used to form this article –
I’ll have some more stories about my trips to Sark, Herm, Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney. I loved them all – and also visited Lihou (uninhabited). Here’s me in a Guernsey shirt when I worked for Condor Ferries. Oh and that day when I inadvertently and by chance met Matt Le Tissier’s brother Kevin – a great lad!
Memories of Guernsey in 2009In a taxi with Kevin Le Tissier in Guernsey – Matthew’s brother
And to finish it off, Guernsey’s Matthew Le Tissier was on a different level:
“It’s a weird and wonderful world if you come from Wimbledon” – John Motson.
Reminiscing The 1990s: The Time Wimbledon Played Real Madrid
Being in lockdown and not having travelled to ANY new city/town/village in 13 months now, and no new countries or even a leaval of this country (Poland) has certainly given me time to release 4 books (a fifth one is almost done), get more sleep than ever before and reminisce on football. This week I had a flashback to the 1980s and 1990s when I used to follow and enjoy watching Wimbledon FC. Wimbledon won the FA Cup in 1988 just 2 years after gaining promotion to the top flight in 1986. They were a fantastic fairytale and I am actually pretty surprised that I don’t support Wimbledon. I guess the lure of Colin Clarke’s World Cup goal in 1986 and the fact that George Best’s last English league matches were for AFC Bournemouth were the main catalysts for me in finally choosing to become a Cherry. Indeed my first visit to the seaside town of Bournemouth in 1994, is still forever an inspiration for my life. I couldn’t forget it. Around the same time, the mighty Wimbledon were invited by European Cup Champions (the most times) Real Madrid to a random friendly tournament in Spain.
Reminiscing The 1990s: The Time Wimbledon Played Real Madrid
When I searched online, I couldn’t find much (any) information about this match. I know it happened for 2 reasons – one is that I watched a TV documentary about it in the 1990s, another is that I read about it in an old football magazine in the 1990s. In those pre internet days, that was how I followed football. That and Teletext and Ceefax, when we finally had those on our TV.
Reminiscing The 1990s: The Time Wimbledon Played Real Madrid
The 1988 FA Cup Final, I watched it and remember it so vividly. Wimbledon finished 7th in the league that season and were up against Liverpool who finished 1st. So while it wasn’t really a big cup shock, it was the first time that Wimbledon had won a major trophy. To date, it is their only major trophy and only major final.
“The crazy gang have beaten the culture club” – John Motson.
Wimbledon FA Cup Final Day 1988 – 1-0 win over Liverpool
Dave Beasant saved a penalty from John Aldridge while Northern Ireland international Lawrie Sanchez scored the winner. It still ranks for me as one of the defining football matches in history. I loved it! It was magic. Those FA Cup Final days were great.
Reminiscing The 1990s: The Time Wimbledon Played Real Madrid
Fast forward to the mid 1990s and Wimbledon FC still had that Crazy Gang mentality. Plough Lane was a hard place to go to and when the club was forced to relocate to Selhurst Park to groundshare with Crystal Palace, it must have been tough for Wimbeldon – every match was now an away match.
Reminiscing The 1990s: The Time Wimbledon Played Real Madrid
Yet Wimbledon FC survived in the top flight in three different decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s). They finally succumbed to relegation in 2000 and it was the beginning of the end for the original Wimbledon FC.
Reminiscing The 1990s: The Time Wimbledon Played Real Madrid
By 2004, the club had been sold to the devil – they were renamed, recoloured and relocated to Milton Keynes and a fake club called “Milton Keynes Dons” was formed. Franchise FC – MkDons/McDonalds. Same thing…
Franchise FC MK Dons MK Donalds
A few years after that, I went to watch the real Wimbeldon, AFC Wimbledon, which was formed by hardcore fans of the original Wimbledon FC. My London mate James Condron is an AFC Wimbledon supporter. We watched the 3-0 FA Cup win over Oxhey Jets at Kingstonian Stadium…
AFC Wimbledon mascot – James Condron and Jonny Blair 2006
And since the lockdown began, I have written quite a few wacaday football articles, stuff I never wrote or had time to write when I was too busy whackpacking the world. Here are some of those articles –
Reminiscing The 1990s: The Time Wimbledon Played Real Madrid
And so today when I got reminiscing about the time that Wimbledon played Real Madrid in the 1990s, I was so shocked there was no online match report about it, or a Twitter post or a Facebook post, so I found the YouTube video of that match as part of the original documentary I watched back in the 1990s – “The London Programme” (go to 19 minutes 30 seconds for the Wimbleon v. Real Madrid match).
Reminiscing The 1990s: The Time Wimbledon Played Real Madrid
The story is that Wimbledon went 2-0 down in the first half against Real Madrid in Spain.Then they fight back to draw 2-2. A goal from Dean Holdsworth and a bullet of a free kick. A later winner gave the victory to Real Madrid, who won 3-2. Those were glory days for Wimbledon FC. They truly lived the dream. What a magical time!! Once again…
“It’s a weird and wonderful world if you come from Wimbledon” – John Motson.
Extra Information added by a reader and a Wimbledon fan, Mike T –
Here’s the report in El Pais:
El Racing de Santander ganó ayer su trofeo triangular de medios tiempos tras vencer al Real Madrid y al Wimbledon inglés, ambos por 1-0. El Madrid, que apenas se esforzó y sólo jugó con su primer equipo en el medio partido ante el Wimbledon, pasó también apuros para ganar, 3-2. Prosinecki jugó los dos medios partidos tras reconocer que Benito Floro le había multado con 200.000 pesetas por “bajo rendimiento”. El técnico lo negó el domingo.
Translation:
Racing Santander won their triangular halftime trophy yesterday after beating Real Madrid and English side Wimbledon, both 1-0. Madrid, who made little effort and only played with their first team in the half game against Wimbledon, also struggled to win, 3-2.
Robert Prosinecki played both half-matches after acknowledging that Benito Floro had fined 200,000 pesetas for “poor performance.” The technician denied it on Sunday.
“Precious time is slipping away; but you’re only king for a day” – (East Belfast child) Van Morrison.
Morgan Day: How an Oklahoma Lady Became The Queen of East Belfast in Northern Ireland
The last two weeks have been a little manic for an Oklahoma based Marketing and Social Media lady by the name of Morgan Day. You see, as a Glentoran fan, on the 23rd April every year, we celebrate a “Morgan Day”, a Day with dedications to Chris Morgan. It dates back to Saturday 23rd April 2005 when Chris Morgan scored a late winner in a 3-2 win over arch-rivals Linfield which led to my team, Glentoran FC winning the Irish League that year. That season, Glentoran won the league and Chris Morgan was the top goalscorer. The added buzz of irony is that we signed him from Linfield!
Morgan Day: How an Oklahoma Lady Became The Queen of East Belfast in Northern Ireland
Morgan Day is a lady from Oklahoma in the USA who did not even support Glentoran FC, or had even heard of them, or had even been to Northern Ireland or Belfast before. But by way of a retweet, multiple hashtags and some Twitter interaction, suddenly Morgan Day was the most popular phenomenon on Morgan Day itself. The story gets better though. Morgan Day herself did not shy away and ignore the Morgan Day madness like many people would. She not only became part of it, but she retweeted, tweeted, got in touch with Glentoran fans and by the end of the day, she had been announced as the Queen of East Belfast. It’s all true. By this stage her story was on the BBC, and the BBC again, Belfast Live, Belfast Telegraph and beyond…
Morgan Day: How an Oklahoma Lady Became The Queen of East Belfast in Northern Ireland
An Oklahoma based Glentoran fan Alan aka gravel doc then got in touch with Morgan Day, presented her with a shirt and scarf, which she donned with minimum fuss. Local team OKC Energy FC also got in on the act and have now formed a football friendship with Glentoran FC! One day maybe a friendly match will be possible and will our new homecoming Queen Morgan Day make it to the Oval someday to celebrate this phenomenom…this journey ain’t over yet. It’s all a bit wacaday…
“We got a love that ain’t got no name. We kiss our love with lips like pain. I said Oh Ho” – Brett Anderson (Suede).
The Day I Met My Ex-Girlfriend in Antarctica
OK so…on my travels I often told this story to people who were somehow fascinated. But now, almost 8 years on, it’s not such a fantasy or a dream any more. That’s all been and gone. But, yes, I met my ex-girlfriend, Panny Yu, the travelling Hong Kong girl in Antarctica back in 2010.
You met your ex-girlfriend in Antarctica?
Yes, and we even met the very night we first stepped on Antarctic land. Whether it was love over staring at penguins or at being so far away from the busy boring office world or whatever, we met each other in Antarctica. We both boarded a boat to Antarctica in November 2010 and had never met before or had any idea where life was taking us. On the first night after landing in Antarctica for the first time, we were sitting at the same table together over dinner and got talking and introduced. She was travelling alone and I was too. As fate would have it we were both heading to Montevideo in Uruguay where we met up later. That was November 2010. Only the Gods know how this all came together.
“There’s four and twenty million doors on life’s endless corridor” – Noel Gallagher.
Touring Barrientos in Antarctica in 2010Yeah baby – arrival in Antarctica at Barrientos in 2010. One of my best travel moments from a decade of nomadery.
It’s thanks to my ex-girlfriend also that I brought you the story on how to get to Antarctica on the cheap, as she did it on the cheap. I wasn’t jealous that she had got the trip for $2,000 US dollars less than me, I was just happy for her. After all I had paid extra for the comfort and advantage of knowing I was definitely going. I booked my trip 6 months in advance from cash gained while harvesting broccoli 12 hours a day for over a month.
The beach and landscape at Barrientos Island, Antarctica
Looking back, the memories of the night I met Panny Yu are distant and hazy but the date was clear. The date we first met and spoke was November 8th 2010. In fact, I officially saw Panny on the 6th November 2010 but only on the boat as she walked past me with a green jumper, and later was in my drilling club for life jacket safety as we were leaving behind the port of Ushuaia. At the time, I had recently turned 30 and was about to live out a dream of having visiting 50 countries and all 7 continents by the age of 30 (though Africa had to wait 3 more months – it was actually my final continent). I was single and I was still torn by the Hungarian dancer Noemi, who rarely ever leaves my mind in a day, and probably never will. I had no plans for new love and certainly hadn’t been kissing or flirting with girls. I was into backpacking and football and trying to meet honest and nice people. I was eager to visit Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay and Uruguay on that trip. I had no plans but I was blogging almost every day.
Arrival in Antarctica at Barrientos. Panny Yu, unmet.
Then she came along…Panny Yu.
Panny Yu, The travelling Hong Kong girl I met in Antarctica and dated for 5 years
After our first ever landing on Barrientos, Antarctica the whole boat was buzzing. We had lived out that dream and could now concentrate on enjoying the rest of the trip knowing we had stepped on Antarctic land. The $5000 US I spent on it had been worth it – money I worked hard to earn on the broccoli fields of Tasmania. It was dinner time on board our ship, the MS Expedition. One table had an empty seat. So…I sat in it. And this was the table and the night when I first met Panny Yu. Just before that we had a champagne reception to celebrate our landing. I wasn’t dressed up for this. As ever, I wore my Northern Ireland football shirt.
“Don’t ever change” – Ian Brodie.
The champagne dinner on board the boat, the night I met Panny YuThe champagne dinner on board the boat, the night I met Panny Yu
I had been drinking champagne with tour mates Scott and Suman just minutes before I met Panny Yu.
The champagne dinner on board the boat, the night I met Panny Yu
And so I walked over to this table…
The table where I met Panny Yu in Antarctica
and this is the table where Panny Yu and I first chatted, first exchanged eye contact, first looked at each other, first laughed together.
Also on the table was John, our excellent guide and Paul Gray, who was to become a friend who I also met later in Poland and England on my journeys.
“Funny how it always goes in love, when you don’t look, you find” – Rita Coolidge.
The Captain’s champagne dinner on board the boat, the night I met Panny Yu
Here’s what Panny Yu and I ate that night…
Dinner the night I met Panny Yu in AntarcticaDinner the night I met Panny Yu in AntarcticaDinner the night I met Panny Yu in AntarcticaDinner the night I met Panny Yu in Antarctica
The comedy?
There was a funny moment though – at first I thought Panny’s name was Penny!! Yes, really! But later that night, I had a cocktail and a beer and it was now Panny, it was clear I had misheard her. I had a new friend, from Hong Kong. I didn’t know that then we would end up living together, getting engaged, and visiting EVERY continent together and 44 countries. But that’s what later happened. Just look at what we did together – mind blowing
– hiked the highest peak of Central America
– did our diving certificates in Honduras
– got engaged in Sai Kung, Hong Kong
– watched the Mass Games in North Korea
– hiked the world’s 20th highest mountain, Mount Kinabalu
– visited all 7 continents together (we finished with Africa in March 2015 – we had both finished all continents separately by 2010-2011)
– visited 44 countries (the last of these, was to be Tunisia, in fact…)
Panny and I hiking in GeorgiaPanny and I at a marvellous viewpoint in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia
Panny and I mutually split in 2015, around 5 years to the day that we got together. I had lived in Hong Kong and Asia for so long and was glad to be back in Europe. I needed to be in Europe and she needed to be in Asia. Our relationship filtered out and we stayed friends for the first 13 months after the split. Then she decided to block me, so I blocked her contact back and decided never to see her again.
November was the month where I met 5 of my ex-girlfriends and lovers. It was always November and I remembered the dates when I met these five girls – Lauren, Noemi, Panny, Ola, Monika.
Weirdly that night, in November 2010 at the captain’s dinner, we found out that the captain was Bulgarian and my drinking buddy that night, was Lukasz who was Polish.
Four years later, while I was backpacking in Romania (and still in a strong relationship with Panny Yu) I was to meet a Bulgarian based Polish girl who somehow worked her way into my life, later ruining this blog and my story with her lies. Of course at the time, that girl would only be a travel friend and to clear up any situation on here, I had no interest of dating anyone else or splitting from Panny Yu until November 2015. She didn’t either. I don’t even remember the date we agreed to split, but it was mutual and both of us were single and would remain single and dateless for at least 7 months.
We cannot rewind time.
Panny and I parted ways, but we stayed honest and true. That’s all I ever want in life from people – honesty.
Perhaps one day, the liar that later ruined my life will come clean and admit her lies and apologise. That’s all I live for.
Love with Panny has been and gone…thanks Panny!
Panny trying Semla in Stockholm, SwedenPanny and I meet Mr. Pat Tayto himself.Panny Yu and I deep sea diving off the coast of Honduras.Just Panny and I in BelizePanny and I in our kayaks ready to sail on Lago Atitlan, Guatemala.Panny delivers the perfect Guinness in Dublin!Panny Yu and my travelling Northern Ireland flag in Azerbaijan watching Northern Ireland in 2013Panny and I relaxing enjoying the Kaluts desert in Iran.Panny Yu and I in Delaney’s Hong KongAll ready to go at the National Park entrance – Panny Yu (Travelling Hong Kong girl) and I!Caught on camera – myself and Panny Yu photographed in the main square in Shuhe Old Town by a passer by!First proper date with Panny in Montevideo, Uruguay (November 2010)Panny in the front row for the parade in Pyongyang, North Korea
Stripping Off in Bavaria: My Afternoon of Nudity in Englisch Garten, Munich
Although I don’t normally care about the weather, yes, this time, it was lucky and nice that I had clear blue skies on the day I stripped off in Munich’s Englisch Garten.
Nice day for a spot of nudity
Legal Nudity in Englisch Garten, Munich
Being naked here at Englisch Garten is completely legal but only in some sections of the park. Alcohol is generally accepted, sexual activity is forbidden and most drugs are also off limits. But taking your clothes is totally fine and locally approved.
It’s legal to get your kit off here.
With thanks to this link on nudity in Munich, here are some more details: According to Bayerische Nacktbadeverordnung 361 (Bavarian nude bathing order number 361), nudity is allowed in the followed designated areas besides the oval bridleway:
1. Two spots at the southern part along the Isar River (Marienklause and Brudermühl bridge)
2. South-western part of Feldmoching Lake
3. A northern section of the Englischer Garten (Schwabinger Bucht)
4. Isar Island Oberfö Hring in the northern part of Isar River
Most Munich residents do not find public nudity in the park to be anything special. For most nudists, getting naked is a way for people to allow themselves to be who they are and to get away from the stress of urban Munich, which is why designated naked zones are put up legally.
Touring English Garden in Munich
How to Find the Nudist Section of the Englisch Garten in Munich
At first it can be confusing as the Englisch Garten is huge. I ended up asking some girls about where the nudist section was and they told me it’s near the Eisbach. On the map inside the Englisch Garten, it is not actually marked for some reason. But when you look at this map, it is the green area between 7 and 11.
The legal nudist spot is not marked on this map, but it’s near 7
One side of the river it is totally fine to be naked, and this is clearly marked with a sign, see below. There is no visa, no passport checks and it’s a separate country. Although at times, I felt it was different. As the busy city rocks on outside, here is a free and liberal park area, for some reason, I felt it was almost like the Christiania of Munich.
The sign for the nudist section by the Eisbach
On route you can check out locals surfing in the river and a cool set of waterfalls. This is all refreshing and part of the crazy nude experience in Munich. Plus, there is a brilliant beer garden in the middle of the English Garden too.
Locals surfing at the EisbachCool waterfalls at the EisbachThe Chinese monument and the beer gardenBeer and lunch at English GardenBeer and lunch at English Garden
Showing My Willy at the Englisch Garten in Munich
It was time to lose my pants. I simply headed to the green grassy area near the Eisbach and took my clothes off. Most people bring a towel or rug to lie on. I’m often spontaneous and I travel with a Northern Ireland flag, so that became my rug to lie on and bathe in the sunshine. I’ve been far too open and revealing before on my travels, so this time, I’m editing my photos so you can’t see my penis, I’m totally covering my willy for you, ha ha!
Stripping off at English Garten in Munich, Bavaria, Germany
I found a quiet spot to myself, with one naked guy about 20 metres to my left, a naked lady about 20 metres in front, a fully clothed couple about 10 metres from there. People came and went in the few hours that I lay here.
Stripping Off in Bavaria: My Afternoon of Nudity in Englisch Garten, MunichStripping Off in Bavaria: My Afternoon of Nudity in Englisch Garten, Munich
The most exciting time of the nudity experience was when a young fully clothed German girl walked about a metre from me, without any facial reaction but evidently staring at my willy. I actually enjoyed it and I got a slight erection briefly, I have no idea if she photographed me or not.
The sign saying nudity is fine
I know for sure that many people are actually embarrassed to take their clothes off, and some people walk past laughing at the nudists. But for me, this is a totally cool, relaxing and liberating thing to do in Munich.
On route to the nudist garden
The only real downside I guess is that nobody from my hostel (the excellent 4You Hostel) or tour wanted to do the naked thing with me. I’d like to go with some friends next time – yes male and female, have some beers in the buff and listen to some music. Sometimes peeping Toms go to check out the bare naked people, and take some cheeky photos. If any of the photographers out there who walked past with their lenses that day have photos, please send them in to me, jonny (at) dontstopliving (dot) net. While in Munich I also did a Bicycle Tour and a Beer Crawl Tour.
Here are some other crazy posts, some also involve nudity:
“I don’t mind seeing you naked Jonny, I think you’re so positive and crazy!” – Vicky.
I like the freedom of it all. So if you find yourself in Munich, go and take your clothes off and relax. I have a friend who actually does groovy nude pictures, with a different spin on them, her name is Ilona, you can find her art here: Ilona’s Art.
In the meantime, happy stripping!
“Keep on stripping in the free world”.
Here is a video of me nude at the Englisch Garten:
