A hotel as a museum? The Adina Checkpoint Charlie has got nothing against being considered one. The apartment hotel in the heart of Berlin permanently exhibits around 40 works of art by Australian artists in its rooms. With contemporary images from Aboriginal art and warm colours, the graphics, wall hangings and photographs in the lobby, restaurant and even in the apartments convey an authentic Aussie feeling.

“Which side of the Danube would you like to be on, Buda or Pest?” Peter, the patron saint of bookings, asked, when he was planning our itinerary. He had never been to Budapest, and it had been more than a decade since my last visit, so we sat down together at the computer and poured over the map of the city on Google Earth.