Europe Trip II: Amsterdam, Germany, Brussels and Prague

..See Places Till You Have No Liabilities...And You Are Young..And Can Walk Miles in Your Own Shoes...

We decided to do central/eastern Europe as we had already covered some western ground. We decided to have a combination of villages, cities, medieval castles, local food...so Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic and Deutschland.

Trip Map

We traveled in Trains, taxi, bus, subways, trams and most importantly.....walked carrying heavy bagpacks!

Debut: After a long overnight flight from sweltering heat of Delhi to Amsterdam we were ready to start our trip. We checked our heavy luggage in Schiphol Airport left-luggage for our 9-day journey. We tried to keep bag-packs as light possible because miles of walking lay ahead!

Amsterdam - Centraal, Nl

Keukenhof - Tulips

A. Amsterdam, Netherlands - day 1 and day 2 - Culture, freedom, bikes, canals, weed, De Wallen

We took a bus to Keukenhof for Tulip Gardens (combi ticket comes with return travel from schiphol to keukenhof and back - €30). It is spring-time and this is the only time of the year you can see the Tulips blossomed to full extent. Tulip fields are a treat to your eyes. So try getting there in April-May. We tried the local delicacy and dutch snack - smoked raw herring.

Dutch Windmill, Keukenhof,Nl

Our stay in amsterdam was very close to Amsterdam-Centraal because we had to catch a train early morning. Everything is closeby - Dam Square, De Wallen. Every place here smells of weed (felt almost like home in LA). Amsterdam is a small city easily reachable by bike or by feet . Almost everybody speaks English because they teach English in schools. We decided to stay in Kuwadero-Bread and Breakfast (narrow stairs -typical of Amsterdam - 3 floors - carrying heavy baggage would have been impossible)


Dam Square- was just a block away! The square is filled with touristy stuff and a memorial to WWII victims. In the evening we went to De Wallen - the Red-light district, where prostitutes offer their services in glass displays - Amsterdam is really a free country. it does not feel awkward at all and the place is completely safe. Next day we did Rijk Museum (ideally full day needed also visit Van Gogh Museum). Saw the iconic Night Watch from Rembrandt and many other exhibits. After that Anne Frank museum, frankly I thought it is a tourist trap but there are folks waiting 2 hours in line.
Night life: streets are filled with restaurants, people and shops offering everything...... 


Next morning we took a train to Brussels-Midi Station (Not so good station  - put our baggage in lockers.) 

Deutsche Bahn- ICE,  fast and efficient

Bruxelle - Belgique

 

  B.Bruxelle, Belgium - day 3 - Chocolates, beer, fries

Chocolates at Les Galeries Saint Hubert

Then we took a tram to Grands-place (The big square). Then had our breakfast at birthplace of 'Le pain Quotidian' for a micro-breakfast on Aarthi's insistance. Grands-Place is a big square with

Hotel de Ville and many museums. It is a nice square to relax and have Belgian favorites chocolates, beer and fries. Mannekin Pis :The iconic pissing kid is just a little walk away. The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is definitely worth a visit.

Les Galeries Saint Hubert is a covered shopping plaza with hi-end shops- must buy chocolates everything is close by and walkable

Next morning, we took a train ICE (intercity express) from Bruxelle-midi to Frankfurt Hbf and rented a car. We booked car through gemut.com

(the website looks bad but service is recommended if you are renting. Beware of scams from thrifty and hertz,see in travel forums. We got a GM car (though of German origin - SUV -Opel Mokka). I wish I had my BMW there. Driving on German autobahns is pure joy! Contrary to the popular belief that there are no speed limits is not true. There are limits (80-120kmph) but in many stretches it is unlimited! I drove once at 210kmph (140mph) and BMWs overtook me at 240kmph+.  DE has the best Highway discipline in the world! Hands down.  Lack of Toyotas and Hondas amused me. All the Taxi's are Mercedes Benz E-class estate and all police cars are BMW 3-series estate. Europeans and their love for ugly estates is un-understandable)

Ratskeller - Wurzburg, De

Alte Mein Bruke - 
Wurzburg, De

C.  Bayern - Deutschland country side  - Romantic road - day 4, day 5 - Castles, scenic routes, bratwurst
We drove from  Frankfurt Hbf to Würzburg. (Took 3 hours for us to reach there. This is the start of famous Romantische Strasse developed to increase tourists. The route is scenic lined up by medieval Castles, scenic roads and farms.)
  
In Würzburg, a city destroyed in WWII, Alte Main Bruke (old main bridge), Residenz and Marienburg Festung are must see. We ate in highly rated Ratskeller - Bratwurst ( Pork Sausage) is famous in all places in De.

Then we drove to  Rothenburg ob der Tauber: A very well beautiful maintained medieval town. The town is  surrounded by walls on which we can walk . There is old town square, Kirsche and places for nice pictures!

Evening we drove to  Schwangau ( Hotel Landgasthof Zur Post, best breakfast) as next day we had planned to go to Neuschwenstein Castle. It was very beautiful as it started snowing. Part of our journey was in Austria! The snow will make castle even more beautiful. No doubt the most beautiful castle in the world (imitated by Disney world in Orlando and Paris).

Wurzburg, De

Next morning we went to the Neuschwanstein ticket center. Everything was covered in white melting snow.  Better book ahead of time as there are long lines! There is about a mile long walk to the castle. You can also go in a horse drawn carriage for €6. The snow made the king Ludwig II's castle even more beautiful. The castle is not too old built only in 1800's. There is a guided tour . Do book ahead of time. Do go to the bridge closeby to see most breathtaking views of castle. There are other castles too around. If time permits visit!

Rothenburg an der Tauber - feet giving away

Neuschweinstein Castle - Schwangau,De

My knowledge of little German did help but just to understand signs but understanding menus is so difficult with long German names. Driving is similar to US (US freeways took inspiration from Hitler's autobahns)

Afternoon we drove to the southern city of Munich (the place where Nazi's started)  to see the BMW museum near Olympic city.

D. München - Deutschland - day 6 - KZ, Beer, architecture

Dachau -KZ, - Dachau,De

Asams  Kirsche - Munchen, De

Probably the most beautiful German city, filled with gothic churches, breweries , beer gardens and  bikes.

Hofbrauhaus - Munchen, De

Next day we went to Dachau KZ , 15 kms from Munich. It is well worth half a day. Get a guided tour in English. Dachau was the 'showpiece' concentration camp (surprisingly, there are no extermination camps there, extermination camps were set-up only outside Germany). It makes you reflect on human savagery.
We went back to Munchen and had lunch in Hofbrauhaus one of the oldest breweries and world's most famous beer hall. Then we went to Marienplatz - It is the most famous square here filled with office going people and open cafes and restaurants.  The glockenspiel tower is also in the same square. BMW Museum that was saw was also good but not worth it unless you are big BMW fan and have time to spare. One thing Chinese tourists rule the roost in Europe.

Biking in the city is a very good way to see everything as places are not very far. Subways also have a very good connectivity.
Then we finished our Munich tour with Asam's Kirsche , one of the most ornate compact church ever seen!




We drove from Munchen to Prague - in 4 hours. There is no border checks. Currency is Crowns! though euro is widely accepted. (Now 1 € = Kr 27. Do not make conversion at borders, rates are very low Kr.21-22. Watch out for cops and get Cz pass for 10 days )

E. Praha - Czech Republik - day 7 - Castles, food, cobbled streets

Prague Castle - Prague, Cz

Charles Bridge - Praha, Cz

From Charles Bridge - Praha, Cz

Memorial to John Lennon - Praha, Cz

Prague is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Everything is intact as WWII battles did not reach its steps. We stayed in U Medvidku hotel: built in 15th century. (1466  A.D.- this is even before Mughal's entered India) It is highly recommended!
Prague old town is full of old builds and narrow cobble-stoned alleys! One can spend days in Prague just walking on the streets staring at different restaurants.

Prague castle - full day can be spent there easily! Do not miss golden alley, St Vitus church. It is a seat of Czech government.
Old town square and Charles Bridge are a must visit. We were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Czech president!


Next day morning, we drove to Berlin from Prague in about 3-4 hours to drop off our rental car back to Avis. 

 

Brandenburger Tor - Berlin, De

Von Dem Deutsche Volke - Bundestag - Berlin, De

F. Berlin, Deutschland - day 8 , day 9 - USSR, Parliament, Brandenburg gate
We made Berlin Hbf was our base. It has lockers, baths and lots of fast food options. It was amusing to see Indian PM Modi's campaign ads for 'Make-in-India' there. 

Berlin was cut in two parts before the fall of Berlin wall to West-Berlin and communist East-Berlin . You can still see remainants of wall near Berenden and 70's Soviet style buildings.

Afternoon, we took a sub-U55 to Brandenburg Tor.  Brandenburg gate is probably best known symbol of Germany ( just like Eiffel or Taj Mahal). It was built in 18th century as gate. It is must visit. the place is filled with tourists and is flanked by embassies everywhere.

Just walking distance is a museum to Murdered Jews. A concert monument of hundreds of blocks, visit it if possible
Just around the corner is Bundestag, the German parliament. You can visit it if you have advanced booking. There is also a guided tour which explains you how the German parliament works 

Checkpoint Charlie-Berlin, De

Pergamon Museum - Berlin, De

Last day in Europe: We went to  Checkpoint Charlie. It is the most famous border crossing between west Germany and former communist east Germany. ( Frankly I see this as a tourist trap..'solders' there charge €2/head). All tourists flock this place. After few minutes of clicks and small museum visit we headed for Pergamon Museum . This is one of the most underrated museums. Though it is not as good as Le Louvre it is definitely worth a visit atleast for the famous 'Ishtar gate'. It takes at-least a full day to see it fully.

We ended our trip with having a late lunch at the Sony Center at the Postdam Platz.
Next day we flew from Tegel airport to Amsterdam. We collected our left luggage and flew back to 'home' to Los Angeles.

Smart Tips:

• Get a nice 'no-foreign-transaction-fee' credit card, possibly Visa/Mastercard ( Amex is frowened upon everywhere). Credit-cards are used but not as heavily as in US. Carrying Euros is important and this is the best time to buy ( $1.08 = €1).

• It is also useful to have city maps   I had offline maps Ulmon Maps It was able to track me in airplane mode. Having data is also very useful in non-english speaking countries ( ove you Google maps -esp for EU transits!). I used roaming data from AT&T ($30 - 120Mb).  European power is mostly 240V-60Hz so converter is needed.

• Keep coin change: Restrooms are clean but need payment of €1-€0,50 almost everywhere. But people are same everywhere, I saw an old lady with Gucci bag go inside under the barricade without paying :D

• In restaurants: Water is never free of charge esp in DE/BE/CZ. When you ask for water you will get a measly 250ml for €2.5! No need for tipping 18% in restaurants. Just keep the remaining change coins, that is the norm.

• Trains are the best, cheapest and fastest method to travel. Pre-book train tickets and reserved seats online ahead of time. There is not even customs between Shengen countries. intra-city

• Gas is called 'Benzin' and you need to fill it yourself and pay it inside. Get Day City bus/Train/tram/subway passes they are cheap and useful.

What you need is passport, some amount of money and strong legs! It cost us around $8000 including the flight tickets for two people

2014: An Year to remember?

As every year, I like to fake retrospect. What went right, what went wrong....and ignore all!
Surprisingly, I became one year older this year and less wiser! WTF is this.....

Two thousand fourteen was like any other year with 80% moderation, 10% bouts of depression and 20% bouts of euphoria...(Yes, I live 110% of my life)

This year..Luckily I am out of Amazon addiction but hooked on to eBay. Buying shitty cheap Chinese electronic components became the aim of my life...
 When you are "flush with money and time" you search for hobbies.
... I rejoined with my lost love : Electronics - and Robotics, Nitro Engines..


Jan-Feb:
Hangover of 2013 just had gotten over. I got a free vacation in Phoenix, AZ. Not that I wanted to go there but desert somehow makes me high...

Hawaii: like any island I was surprised to see it being surrounded by water. Like any typical Indian Tourist I wanted to see everything.  And See I did.....O'ahu and Hawai'i. 

March: Things were not too good in office: There was a plan to move from Waterfall to Scrum. Instead .....we moved to Scum! Managers scratching your back is not good...but...what can you do...

April-May:  This was the time for great Indian election Circus. I was a firm and still am an admirer of Mr Kejriwal. But seeing the shit that he did during elections makes me puke! Feels guilty of abandoning him but life goes on.... 

June-July - Traveling Canada was an amazing experience. Vancouver is such a nice place. This is the place I would like to stay...with Banff and Jasper very close...Nice to see people with controlled waists

Aug-Sept:  Being Manager means only one thing...instead on being f**ed by one person you will be f**ed my multiple people from all the sides...
Cancelling my EU-India vacation felt like being hit by a stone!

Helena and Glacier National Park is beautiful but almost like Banff and Jasper...so nothing new here

Oct-Nov:The ghosts of my teeth came back to haunt me and my wallet! Dental haunting!

 Dec: Seeing your parents after almost two years is weird. You realize that they are not getting any younger...but luckily I am also not getting younger...

I would say this year for my family was good!

I will leave you with this song which I am still trying to master...Babe, I m gonna leave you

Learnt Following things  this year-

1. Zagg screen protector is the biggest scam on earth..so is Madame Tussauds , Swarovski crystals..
2. Quality of Music is shitty at the best this year...the year of "Anaconda"

Thats it!


31st Dec 2014, Two seconds to Midnight: Standing in a club in Sherman Oaks along with so called "deviants" of the society..I retrospect....This was a good year..no doubt..Happy New Year....next will be better....

6 Day Itinerary: Hawai'i and O'ahu

I am publishing my Six Day itinerary for the State of Hawaii

Here are some facts that confuse people:

• Hawaii became the 50th State of US only in 1959!
• Is the only place in US with actual king's palace.
• Hawaii is the name of state and also the name of Big island.
• There are 8 major islands viz.Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui and the island of Hawaiʻi

Initially, you will find names very confusing but at the end everybody just knows Aloha and Mahalo!

Suggestions:
1. Read some history of Hawai'i and King Kamehameha I. You will really appreciate its uniqueness
2. Carry an umbrella or raincoat ( weather is unpredictable)
3. Carry sunscreen
4. Buy snorkel gear if possible . You can get it for cheap $45 from any sports store.
5. Get both flipflops for the beach and heavy boots for hiking 


We decided to spend 6 Days in Hawaii because of Vacation constraints ( longer the time better it is..). I decided to do some island hopping too as I still consider myself young.


We decided to spend three days in Island of O'ahu and three days in Hawai'i ( also known as the Big island)

Vacation has different definitions for different people: For me its not about relaxation ( unlike my wife) but to explore places, food, hike around and talk to people.

O'ahu: O'ahu ( means gathering place) is the most crowded island of Hawai'i. The state capital of Honolulu has more than 900,000 population. It gives you an experience of Hawai'is History, Big city life, traffic jams and unparallel beauty!

Day 1:
We stayed right in the heart of Waikiki. Place is filled with skyscrapers and high-end shops

USS Arizona Memorial: Fee: Free. 2-3 Hours (if you go early). Must

USS Arizona on a cloudy day!

This place marks the resting place of sailors and civilians dies during the infamous Japanese attack of pearl harbor on 7th Dec 1941.
You have to go early to get the tickets or stand in the queue hoping that those who booked the tickets don't show up there. There is a short film about the attack (it was fairly neutral with no chest thumping). After that you are taken to the USS Arizona memorial a monument built over the sunk ship. We can still see the oil slick coming from the ships. I could see many people breakdown crying.

:http://www.nps.gov/valr/index.htm


Hanauma Bay: Fee: $7/Head.  3-4 Hours. Must.

Not so hidden paradise - Hanauma Bay

This is the most exciting place for snorkeling. You can also buy the snorkeling gear here. Water is never over your chest at least for 600 feet off coast. It is ideal if you don't know much swimming. Just look down and you will see an amazing range of fish and corals!

http://www1.honolulu.gov/parks/facility/hanaumabay/


Day 2

KCC - Farmers Market - Near Diamond Head: Fee: Free. 1-2 Hrs. Carry Cash. Optional. Only Sat/Tue
Go early. Hoards of Japanese tourists. But range of foods is simply awesome. Had my best pizza ever.....

@KCC Market Fresh Farm Produce

Best Pizza Ever!

Pali Lookout: Fee: $3 Parking. 1/2 Hr.
When we went it was foggy. But still it has nice views. It has also historical significance.

One of the turning points of Hawai'is history

Lankai Beach: Fee: Free: 1-4 Hrs.
I nice white sands beach with turquoise water. Good for paddle boarding.

Blue Lankai

Boyodo Temple: Fee: $3. 1 Hr
It is a replica of Japanese Buddhist temple in Kyoto. It is a peaceful place.

Peace at last!

Laie Point: Fee: Free. 1/2 Hr
Rugged lava flows and clear blue sea. 

rough blue seas

Sunset Beach: Fee: Free: 1-4 Hrs.
This place is for surfers. I could see 6 feet waves. The waves are much higher. It is the best spot in the world for surfing!

Best beach for surfing 6 feet waves!

Matsumoto's Shaved Ice: It is one of the landmark groceries. The most popular hawai'ian shaved ice.

All touristy things done!

Day 3

Leonards’s Bakery: It is one of the must do things in HNL. You should try Malasadas ( Portuguese doughnuts)

Diamond Head Hike: Fee: $2/Head.  2-3Hrs. Must
It is an easy hike. roads are well paved and have to go through tunnels to reach to the top of Diamond Head. You will get nice views of downtown Honolulu.

Top of Diamond Head!

Bishop Museum: Fee: $20 (is indeed high!).
If you are interested to learn the unique history of Hawai'i this is the place to come to. I would suggest read some history of Hawai'i.



We flew to the Big Island ( Hawai'i) to KOA. It is fully a rural setting (a stark contrast to Honolulu). We stayed in different places all 3 days ( all of them BnB's..and it was wonderful! We covered full island in 3 days..)

Day 4

We stayed in Captain Cook BnB. It was a nice experience with awesome views. The house owner used to stay in same place where we were staying in CA.

Morning coffee in Kona

Honaunau Bay(Two Step) and Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park: Fee: $5. 3-4 Hrs
Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park: It has all the artifacts like huts,idols ..a unique perspective. Worth your time. The two step is the best snorkeling place I have been to.  There are no services near this place. Bring your own snorkeling kit. It has two steps where you can go in this deep water. . It has  the most beautiful fish and corals I have ever seen! I will rank this as my highlight of the trip!

Ahh! I wish I was there again....

South Point (Ka Lae) and Green Sand Beach: Fee: Free, 2-3 Hrs. Must
It is the southernmost point in US (of the 50 states).

Green Sand beach: It is one of the must dos . It is very close to Ka Lae ( just a road bifurcation). You will reach a place beyond which normal cars cant go only 4X4 with high suspensions can go. There would be an illegal passenger transport car. He would charge $10-15 for the 3 mile hike. It is worth this money. The beach is amongst only 2-3 beach to have the olive green sand! 

Green Sand....

Day 5

Volcano National park: Fee: $5/Head. 4-5 Hrs. Must
One of the reasons why I chose to come to big island is to see volcano!
But unfortunately this year volcano is flowing not in the sea but in the woods owned by federal authorities. It was nearly impossible for us to see lava
kia iki trail: 4-5 miles trail

Crater with oozing gases

Waipio Valley Lookout - Fee: Free . 1/2-3 Hrs
It has a black sand beach awesome for surfing. The village down below is extremely isolated. You cannot go to the valley in your own car you need 4X4 car. The roads are so steep that even walking is difficult.We got a ride form a creepy local who was drinking beer! So watch-out for him..take lot of water..

Black Sand

Waipio Valley

We stayed in Jacarada Inn. A beautiful place but expensive. We paid $168/night.

Day 6

Mauna Kea VIS:  Mauna Kea is the highest peak in Hawai'i. It is snow-capped. you can drive up to Visitor information center but beyond that you will need a tour guided vehicle or 4X4 as the ascent is very steep. Try to advance book a night guided tour to the summit observatory

On the way to Mauna Kea

Pololu Valley Lookout: Fee:free.
Walk down the valley (1-2 Hrs). This place has nice views.

Picture Perfect

Hapuna Beach: Fee: Free ( Parking has fees but you can park outside free).
It is one of the top 10 beaches in the world.  Good for paddle boarding as waves are not very high.

End of the Trip :(

A Year Gone by 2013

It is amazing how humans try to find patterns in their lives however random events might be. Everything has to make sense right? That's the reason why we freaks  celebrate New Year!

This years was mostly non-descriptive for me. Really speaking nothing happened, nothing moved.

Health: Realizing that I am getting older and would not like to die of gluttony, starting of the year we decided that we would join L.A. fitness. To my amazement (however discrete)  we continued going to gym. Now I can see my feet with only some obstruction!

Besides health, watching "healthy" women workout is truly inspirational. Now I can pull-up my body 20 times at a stretch, which was never possible in my LIFE...... AND THERE WAS NO GYMINTIMIDATION!

Travel: This year was also the year of National Parks and my love for nature: We visited Joshua Tree National park, Yosemite National Park, Kings Canyon and Sequoia Tree National park and  most striking Alaskan National Parks : Denali and Kenai Fjord

Highlight of the year was the “Alaskan adventure”  : It was a trip of a lifetime. It was the time of many firsts: Helicopter ride, near mid-night sun, glaciers, whales and most beautiful nature. I will surely go back there again....if time and money permits...

Yosemite visit was most abrupt. Wildfires had filled the valley with dense smoke and made it unbearable. Hope my luck with Yosemite changes soon.

This is the age to travel and travel I will.

Materialism: This year, I crossed many heights of my own materialism. Brought things that I did not need, but I do not regret ( or do I ?)

Leica: Did I need to buy a $2000 “point and shoot” camera? -- NO, frankly speaking with so limited features, even $200 camera offers better value....

BMW 528i: I already had a working car but spending almost half of my annual salary was it worth it? -- NO. Frankly speaking, this car throws error even if you fart!

Professionally: Professionally almost everything changed and nothing changed but I am definitely in a better state than I was at the start of the year. The thing that jerked me awake on May 21 will remain on my mind forever.
But I am sure things are going to change for good :)

Personal: 

A new member was added to our family: Neev, my nephew. He was there with me for 2 days in December and I already miss him :(

My In-laws' visit to Los Angeles was other highlight of the year. The visit was filled with uncertainties right from the time they were about to leave India to the time they reached back home.

Epilogue:

This song from America was playing in my head throughout the year....It speaks of the area where I live...and reminds me of that SoCal spirit!  :)

 New Years Eve....

So here I stand in downtown LA, totally sober (unlike last year, marital life has made me sober). I stood in the line of 500 people to get Indian food from a food truck. By the time it was our turn it was 11:49pm  and we were one of the last people! Bit of a luck here!
Placed order for Saag Paneer in 2013, got our food in 2014....so all in all was a good year! 

Review: Leica X2

Leica X2: Front View

My SLR , Canon 450D, has become old. For 5 years it  has serviced me really good. It still functions well so no replacement was needed.

I wanted a general purpose camera to go along with SLR. Light weight with a small form-factor. For me image quality is really important. I brought few point-and-shoot cameras and was very disappointed with them. So I was searching for bit higher end mirror-less cameras. After months of research I finalized on Leica X2 - a hand “Made in Germany”  mirror-less camera.

Leica X2: Without Cap

If one word to describe this camera it would be “Beautiful”. It is mostly used for street photography as the lens is fixed to 24mm. People don't get intimidated like they do for SLR

Link to official website:

http://us.leica-camera.com/photography/compact_cameras/x2/

After using the camera for 3 months here is the review:

There are so many disturbing features:

1          Price: $2000. In this price you can get a medium format Canon or Nikon SLR body

2.       Fixed 24mm prime lens – But this is what you get for entry level Leica and this is not M9 ( Body itself will set you back by  $4500. Lenses can cost you up to $9000)

3.       Multi-point focus does not always work properly. At times the object you focus (auto) will be out of  focus! This is a big flaw!

4.       Simple thing like zooming on an existing photo during playback is not available! You have to remove the lens-cap  to see the photos! How dumb!

5.       At higher ISO ( anything above 6400) the noise is too much to bear!

6.       Low light performance is just “OK” for the price you pay.

7.       JPEG picture quality is miserable (as bad as any point and shoot)

8.       Leica is offering you just 16MP (but consider this M9 is just 18MP)

9.       The Leica EVF V2  viewfinder ( bought separately)  costs $500 ( more than most point and shoot cameras)

Leica X2: Rear View

You can live with those flaws if you see the pros:

1.       RAW Picture quality exceeds medium format camera ( compared it with Canon 5D). No doubt. For a camera this size it is really astonishing.

The APSC sensor is really good in this.

2.       It is light weight but feels sturdy. It comes in two colors silver and black. Silver gives it that classic look. It does not feel cheap like other “rival mirror less” cameras like Fuji X100 ( though Fuji  it costs $1000)

3.       A full charge will allow you around 400 RAW photos – But that is very common these days.

4.       Leica Glass: Elmarit 24 mm f/2.8 ASPH – the most prized thing – is no doubt one of the best I had. Extremely sharp pictures and vibrant colors. I feel saturation is bit bumped in X2.

5.       View Finder function is not available on any other camera  (AFAIK) . If you have time to focus this is the best way to focus on still objects.

6.       Can control Aperture, Exposure mode and shutter speeds just like M settings of SLR.

Leica RAW

Canon RAW

Leica JPEG

Is it value for money? Answer is NO. You pay for the red dot! Anyways value is what you perceive it is. Getting a Leica was a dream for me and it did meet my expectation.

I will rate it 4/5 just for image quality.