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Jeoh posted:Also why go out of the way to visit Bruges? It's a fairytale loving town, innit?
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Feb 4, 2014 00:52
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Pieces posted:We're staying in hotels. More specifically, we'll be in Leopoldstadt so its going to be pretty far to Schobrunn, but city center & such will be walking distance. I am the wrong person to ask about the Opera, sorry. People do seem to rave about the standing place option that's only a few euros. To me, sitting through an opera is already a nightmare, but standing through it? If there's anything I can do locally to help you get tickets though, let me know.
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Feb 4, 2014 00:58
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So I've been through most of this thread and I haven't seen much mention of Madrid (or Spain in general). Is there much worth seeing in the capital? I'm planning on backpacking around Spain for 3 months in the middle of next year and I kinda wanna know what places are good to see. I definitely want a mix of the north, south and east coasts and the countryside. Also any cities with sweet art or history museums. Basically wanna drown myself in culture and forget I'm Australian for three months.
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Feb 4, 2014 01:01
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Every hostel will be 40-80% Australian. I am not even joking, its ridiculous sometimes how many of you guys are in europe at any one time.
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Feb 4, 2014 01:06
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Saros posted:Every hostel will be 40-80% Australian. I am not even joking, its ridiculous sometimes how many of you guys are in europe at any one time. No kidding, when I was in Europe every single Australian I talked to was staying for several months. Then again when the Sydney-Heathrow flight is 20+ hours, you can't just stay a few days 
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Feb 4, 2014 01:08
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Saros posted:Every hostel will be 40-80% Australian. I am not even joking, its ridiculous sometimes how many of you guys are in europe at any one time. Haha, this is true. I usually travel solo though and several times I've been adopted by groups of Australians and had a great time with them. There always seems to be one or two in the group who is an extreme extrovert looking to pull in some new people. I love that. sleepy gary fucked around with this message at 02:09 on Feb 4, 2014 |
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Feb 4, 2014 01:10
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Saros posted:Every hostel will be 40-80% Australian. I am not even joking, its ridiculous sometimes how many of you guys are in europe at any one time. Yea thats why I'm planning on spending the majority of my time in natives homes using helpx.com and trading work for a bed. I'll use hostels in the cities because thats the best way to find people to party with but hopefully outside of that I should be able to get cultured up.
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Feb 4, 2014 01:15
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Yeah plus us Aussies/Kiwi's have the tradition of the 'Big OE' where you take 6-12 months off in your early-mid 20's and just gently caress off around the world to see stuff. Like you said flights back home are so expensive and long if you are going to go on a trip you may as well do it properly. It is nice to have so many native english speakers around sometimes though and groups are generally happy to adopt people on the fly, even their much disparaged southerns cousins like myself. As for Helpx in Spain, my impression is that it is mostly used to take advantage of naieve hippie types by fairly cynical people (lots of farmers). I think a lot of that stems from the truly absurd unemployment in Spain right now so most of the people using it are just looking for people to take advantage of. Saros fucked around with this message at 01:29 on Feb 4, 2014 |
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Feb 4, 2014 01:25
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The Slippery Nipple posted:So I've been through most of this thread and I haven't seen much mention of Madrid (or Spain in general). Is there much worth seeing in the capital? I'm planning on backpacking around Spain for 3 months in the middle of next year and I kinda wanna know what places are good to see. I definitely want a mix of the north, south and east coasts and the countryside. Also any cities with sweet art or history museums. Basically wanna drown myself in culture and forget I'm Australian for three months. I was in Madrid in summer and I felt it was too hot and too big, or better said - over-sized. Want a palace? Here's a BIG loving PALACE! A fountain? Here, a BIG loving FOUNTAIN! Like it was trying too hard to impress. Also, there wasn't that much to see of the "real" Madrid as the locals abandon the city and go to the sea side. Having said that, I love Spain so I enjoyed it anyway. Had better time in Barcelona, though. As for culture recommendations, I only remember Park Guell and Prado (a BIG loving MUSEUM).
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Feb 4, 2014 01:28
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Saros posted:As for Helpx in Spain, my impression is that it is mostly used to take advantage of naieve hippie types by fairly cynical people (lots of farmers). I think a lot of that stems from the truly absurd unemployment in Spain right now so most of the people using it are just looking for people to take advantage of. Yea I figure it could be a bit hit and miss, but there are literally hundreds of ads up on helpx, a lot of them looking for people to help them practice english and help manage their property. To me the idea of working outdoors, practicing Spanish and checking out local villages and towns sounds pretty great so I'm not too worried about being taken advantage of in that respect as long as the people aren't assholes. Obviously I'll do a lot of research before committing. The rough plan so far is to stay about three helpx places for around 2 weeks each in different parts of the country and explore cities/touristy spots in between. Also going to chuck a few nights in Ibiza in there at some point as well.
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Feb 4, 2014 03:12
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The Slippery Nipple posted:So I've been through most of this thread and I haven't seen much mention of Madrid (or Spain in general). Is there much worth seeing in the capital? I'm planning on backpacking around Spain for 3 months in the middle of next year and I kinda wanna know what places are good to see. I definitely want a mix of the north, south and east coasts and the countryside. Also any cities with sweet art or history museums. Basically wanna drown myself in culture and forget I'm Australian for three months. Madrid: -Definitely check out the big three museums (Prado, Reina Sofia, and Thyssen). They are full of awesome poo poo (Guernica, Goya and Dali collections) and are free on certain days/to students. Be prepared for crowds which leads me to: -Pickpockets are everywhere, and target everyone, moreso if you are visibly foreign/speak English. Europe tends to have more pickpockets but Madrid has the majority of them. Always keep an eye on your personal things, especially in the metro and the city center, Puerta del Sol. Speaking of, -Puerta del Sol has lots of cool architecture/touristy food spots/street entertainers. It's close to Plaza Mayor, the old city center. More of the same there. -If you're into nightlife, Madrid runs between 1 and 6 AM, so be prepared to stay up. Clubs and bars are numerous, the students neighborhood Tribunal and Arguelles will have smaller and more inexpensive clubs than the ones off Sol. -Parque del Oeste looks out over the city near the back of the Royal Palace (open for tours on Sunday). It has a cool exhibit of the Templo de Debod which was flown over from Egypt as a gift. It's relatively close to Casa del Campo, a massive park in the corner of the city. Madrid is a great city filled with delicious food, cool sights, and good nightlife. I studied abroad there in 2011 and was just there for New Year's, so I can elaborate more on Madrid and some other places. PM me if you want more specific info on clubs and neighborhoods.
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Feb 4, 2014 07:03
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nozz posted:None of the stations in Berkshire are enough away from London for there to be any cheap "advance" fares available between them. This means that there won't be any advantage to buying tickets online in advance, though you can do so if you want. I would wait and ask at the ticket office for the correct ticket so that you can get the appropriate fare for your journey as UK ticketing is unnecessarily complex at times. If you do buy online I do not recommend thetrainline as they charge booking fees, instead you could use redspottedhanky.com or the train company's own website (which is in this case firstgreatwestern.co.uk). Thank you. I'll be arriving at heathrow about 7PM, but it's Air India so god knows when I'll actually land and get through the airport. Or if I'll make it there at all!
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Feb 4, 2014 09:52
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The Slippery Nipple posted:Yea I figure it could be a bit hit and miss, but there are literally hundreds of ads up on helpx, a lot of them looking for people to help them practice english and help manage their property. To me the idea of working outdoors, practicing Spanish and checking out local villages and towns sounds pretty great so I'm not too worried about being taken advantage of in that respect as long as the people aren't assholes. Obviously I'll do a lot of research before committing. The rough plan so far is to stay about three helpx places for around 2 weeks each in different parts of the country and explore cities/touristy spots in between. Also going to chuck a few nights in Ibiza in there at some point as well. I've not heard of Helpx but a lot of my friends have done WWOOfing so that might be worth considering too!
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Feb 4, 2014 10:37
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Big Grunty Secret posted:sweet info Thanks a bunch! Neris posted:I've not heard of Helpx but a lot of my friends have done WWOOfing so that might be worth considering too! Thanks I'll check it out 
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Feb 4, 2014 10:49
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FizFashizzle posted:Thank you. Just in case I can be of any extra help: where are you trying to get to in Berkshire?
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Feb 4, 2014 14:45
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nozz posted:Just in case I can be of any extra help: where are you trying to get to in Berkshire? Crossfit reebok reading. I might be staying at the Novotel but I'd rather something cheaper lol.
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Feb 4, 2014 15:34
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Ah ok, I guess the railair coach to Reading is all you need really! And I'm sure there are plenty of cheaper hotels or hostels in the centre of Reading if you don't need a 4* place.
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Feb 4, 2014 16:15
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I would like to apologise in advance for the shithole eyesore that will greet you when you exit Reading Station (although if you get the Railair coach, it'll be shielded behind an only slightly less ugly brown monolith). A large redevelopment has got stuck in limbo for a few years and left the town with a derelict concrete monstrosity. Reading station is part way though a redevelopment too. Any impressiveness of the massive new structure is ruined somewhat by the fact it lets all the rain and wind in. And the Novotel isn't what you would call sympathetic architecture.
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Feb 4, 2014 20:33
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Cwmagain posted:I was absolutely in love with Valencia. Definitely worth checking out. Well due to Seville having a crazy expensive airport, and me waiting too short before Easter, I ended up buying a flight out of Malaga. So now I know: Friday: Arrive in Madrid at 5pm. Friday one week later: Leave Malaga at 1:30pm. I'll have at least 3 nights in Madrid (Fri, Sat, Sun) but after that is open-ended. Getting to Valencia is pretty easy, I'll manage another time. My previous experience of Spain is limited to the area around Bilbao and the area around Barcelona... can't say I remember much about the month I spent in Madrid as a baby.
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Feb 5, 2014 18:03
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Saros posted:Every hostel will be 40-80% Australian. I am not even joking, its ridiculous sometimes how many of you guys are in europe at any one time. This is the truth. I'm amazed at how well the Aussies and Kiwi's travel, and all on a bottom of the barrel budget to boot.
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Feb 5, 2014 22:43
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Like I said upthread its a 'tradition' of sorts. Literally all of my friends have done a European OE (overseas experience) of some sort in their early/mid 20's. The bottom of the barrel budget is largely because most people are restricted more by money than time so stretch it as thin as possible. Also guys im stuck in Frankfurt for 5 days from the 8th (flights fuckery + wanting to catch up with someone) what the hell is there to do there?
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Feb 5, 2014 23:37
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One of these annoying Australians all over the place checking in: I'm looking to go to Ukraine with two (maybe three friends) before we head back home. Unfortunately the best time for this is literally 14 days time (maybe 16). The visa situation there is so highly confusing and I need help. I've read that you need a visa. I've read if you have your itinerary/hotel booking you can get one at the airport, I've heard you can get one sped in 7 days (double price) etc. Subnote: Currently residing in London What's the deal? Anyone? Halp! Edit: I know there's the 5 day transit visa. If our stay was limited to 5 days is that an easier path or is that the same hassle as a normal one? Also one friend is Italian. p.s. It's just called a gap year! Alkazard.exe fucked around with this message at 23:49 on Feb 5, 2014 |
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Feb 5, 2014 23:43
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Alkazard.exe posted:One of these annoying Australians all over the place checking in: If you are Australian, you will need a visa for entry into Ukraine. It seems the cost is 110AUD or 220AUD for express service. Info and application here: http://australia.mfa.gov.ua/en/consular-affairs/services/Visa+to+Ukraine edit: The transit visa costs the same so just get a legit tourist visa. Unfortunately, they're saying processing time is 15-30 days, or 7 days with express service. Your Italian friend does not need a visa. sleepy gary fucked around with this message at 12:07 on Feb 6, 2014 |
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Feb 5, 2014 23:49
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I'm in the UK. I ordered This travel adapter for a trip to Greece. Is this the right type? I believe there are 2 types of continental europe adapters, North and South, but I don't know which I bought.
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Feb 6, 2014 08:55
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Southern plugs are a bit tighter. This means you just need to push harder.
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Feb 6, 2014 10:46
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Visa requirement is delaying my Ukraine trip a month, sooooo.. Curveball! Vilnius -> Riga -> Tallinn Asking for opinions/advice on best things to do there mid February. Also suggestions on best way to split 3, 3 and 2 days (probably based on what has the best stuff to do). Xoxo
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Feb 6, 2014 20:50
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If you don't mind me asking: why the hell Ukraine? It was a crappy place even before recent events and now it's on the brink of a civil war.
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Feb 6, 2014 20:57
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Anyone have recommendation for guided walking tours in florence? Half a day would be nice.
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Feb 6, 2014 21:23
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For Tallinn just wander around Old Town and go into everything. It's awesome.
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Feb 6, 2014 21:41
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peak debt posted:If you don't mind me asking: why the hell Ukraine? It was a crappy place even before recent events and now it's on the brink of a civil war. Ukraine is a large country with plenty of cool and beautiful things to see.
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Feb 6, 2014 22:35
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What they said.. Chernobyl, Soviet era stuff (Balaclava, the monuments scattered all over the country, go to Odessa also, etc.), it's a beautiful place. Avoid the centre of the centre of Kiev and collect loot!
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Feb 6, 2014 23:43
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Sorry to nag but... Frankfurt? Anyone? Help? There appears to be not a lot to do and I have 5 days there hemmed in by flights. Maybe ill just get really drunk a lot and hit on girls in my 'only average at best' German.
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Feb 6, 2014 23:54
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Saros posted:Sorry to nag but... Frankfurt? Anyone? Help? There appears to be not a lot to do and I have 5 days there hemmed in by flights. This is super, super easy and I've recommended this several times: Go up the Rhine and go to smaller towns like Bacharach, Rüdesheim, and St. Goar. Right around Rüdesheim and going north to about Koblenz there are a series of a dozen or so castles. The best are in St. Goar (Rheinfels) and Braubach(Marksberg). For a day trip, it is really worth seeing Burg Eltz. Take a train to Koblenz and then switch to a train that takes you to Moselkern, then walk through Moselkern to get to Eltz. Look up pictures, it's (Burg Eltz) pretty cool and has some interesting family history. You can find train info at bahn.de. Super easy to learn to use if you've ever been on a train system. Rüdesheim has some interesting wine culture, kitschy tourist shops, and restaurants on Drosselgasse. Bike on the Rhine or take a cruise on the KD line ship. There is an old towpath that locals use now as a super easy way to bike up and down the Rhine. The KD ship stops at every little town between Rüdesheim and Bonn or Köln (can't remember, look it up). It is a little pricey, but if the weather is nice, it's worth the price. Along the way you will see the Loreley (there's a story there, look it up). Boppard has a 9th century (I think) church. The architecture and design give you an idea of what architecture and art looked like that many years ago, on a "locals" scale. Finally, for another day, take a trip up to Köln and see the town, tourist area, and Dom/cathedral. The Kölner Dom is one of my favorites in all of Europe (that aren't named St. Peter's in Rome). I think the history of it being built and it's rank as (at the time it was built) being the tallest building in the world are interesting. Würzburg is really freaking awesome. Cool old fortress at the top of a hill overlooking the Main River and The Residenz is cool too. Seriously, go here. I think it is super underrated for a tourist stop in Germany. One of the great tragedies, is that I've never been to the black forest (in my 4 trips to Germany, and won't this year either), but Heidelberg is close by and Freiburg is another 2 hours or so. If you want to go really crazy take an ICE train and go to Munich (expensive'ish and ~3 hours one way). Munich is pretty much my happy place (biking, biergartens, etc.). My wife and I go there every year. I'm a sucker for that city and the surrounding area (include Neuschwanstein if you go and spend your time there). Rick Steves has a really, really good introduction to the region in his books. You could easily blow 5 days just doing this stuff (minus Munich) and would be begging for more time. Don't stay in Frankfurt. You aren't missing anything there. Seriously... don't.
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Feb 7, 2014 01:04
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Oh wow that is great, thank you so much. I know frankfurt is a bit iffy for things to do but im somewhat constrained by meeting friends and flights. Munich is definitely for later in the trip but I will look into the rest.
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Feb 7, 2014 04:46
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Saros posted:Oh wow that is great, thank you so much. I know frankfurt is a bit iffy for things to do but im somewhat constrained by meeting friends and flights. Munich is definitely for later in the trip but I will look into the rest. If my meetings are taking place in Franfurt - I always stay in Mainz (or Wiesbaden). It's a short drive/train ride. The Mainz Hilton sits on the Rhine and the river cruises are right behind the hotel. Frankfurt is 'bleh' but you already know that. If you are driving from Frankfurt to Munich - Rothenberg is kinda sorta on the way and well worth a diversion to see. notaviking fucked around with this message at 22:15 on Feb 8, 2014 |
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Feb 8, 2014 21:58
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Old Crows posted:If my meetings are taking place in Franfurt - I always stay in Mainz (or Wiesbaden). It's a short drive/train ride. The Mainz Hilton sits on the Rhine and the river cruises are right behind the hotel. Frankfurt is 'bleh' but you already know that. If you are driving from Frankfurt to Munich - Rothenberg is kinda sorta on the way and well worth a diversion to see. Make sure it's Rothenburg and not Rothenberg!
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Feb 9, 2014 00:39
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While we are talking frankfurt, I should get this in: We have to spend an evening in or near Frankfurt as we have an overnight layover in Frankfurt, before our international flight back to Texas. We want a good outdoor biergarten, but an apfelwein garten with some good beer and traditional food would scratch the itch too. We want to stay close to the airport or the hauptbahnhof/center of town/sbahn connections. Give me a good place.
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Feb 9, 2014 00:41
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Saladman posted:Make sure it's Rothenburg and not Rothenberg! Rothenburg ob der Tauber to be exact. It has some interesting things, do the night watchman, go "to hell" or at least see it, and the crime and punishment museum is outdated but cool. Don't spend more than a day there.
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Feb 9, 2014 00:44
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maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Apr 28, 2019 |
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Feb 9, 2014 18:43
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Edit: doublepost
maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 02:03 on Mar 13, 2017 |
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