the rest of antwerp was a good time. outside the huge mall area there are beautiful plazas (including the plaza of brabo and the town hall), an impressive church (directly across from our hostel), a port and riverwalk, and some good antique shops. and we happened to be there on the last wednesday of the month, which meant that rubenshaus (where Rubens used to live, now an art museum) was free. the house itself was really cool, and the museum was great as well. i recommend it you are ever in antwerp (especially if its the last wednesday of the month). we also stopped in a few times at a bar called veurleste, where the bartender, Ivan Stuzts, was in the middle of "The Longest Bartending Marathon". He already held the guinness world record for longest bartending (84 straight hours in 2008) and now he was attempting to set a new record of 90 hours. we stopped in numerous times to show our support (http://www.veurleste.be/fotoboek.php?id=8655&winscroll=0), but the marathon didnt end until we had left antwerp.
we had been undecided about going to gent, but after numerous recommendations from antwerp locals, we decided to stop there for the day on our way to brugge. it was a really cute little city, without the crowds of people that were in antwerp (and we knew would be in brugge and brussels). we visited some churches, and scammed our way into the gravensteen castle for free (22 years old is close enough to 17 and 18, right?). it was really interesting and had different rooms explaining prison life, torture, weapons, and the middle ages in general...
we also had lunch at a place called Tasty, the best "quick-bite" restaurant ever! it was a little "resto"that sold veggie burgers and freshly blended smoothies!! we were in heaven (hannah is also a vegetarian)! i had never had so many different options of veggie burgers (spicy, texas, soy, schnitzel, garden, etc...) and they were delicious!
then we had some REALLY delicious belgian beers at Chat Noir, a bar in one of the plazas. we talked to the bartender for a while, who gave us free t-shirts for each of our respective beers, and we tried not to laugh as the old man a few tables down from us had a conversation with someone who was not there (seriously, the chair was empty and he was alone. but his "friend" did have a glass of beer and the man made sure to toast him each time he took a sip).
all in all, gent was small but pleasant - stopping for the day ended up being a really good decision.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
continued
july 27th:
- wandered through a huge market
- hannah went to the anne frank museum while i got some coffee and sent emails
- at night we went out to a bar and met some nice dutch people. we tried our first shot of jenever (the "real" gin) and some good dutch beers, recommended by our new friends. we also learned about the unique christmas traditions in amsterdam and "life as the locals live it". then jeffrey came back to hang out at the hotel for a while
july 28th:
- after an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the PERFECT amsterdam mask to add to my collection (they were adamant that the alien mascot mask was not for sale), hannah and i made our way to the train station and caught a train to antwerp.
- upon walking out of the [beautiful] train station in antwerp, i remarked that i had not expected antwerp to be so urban. it is the second biggest city in belgium, but i had heard very little about it... we walked through the main city area and quickly understood why antwerp is known as a fashion capital (right after paris and milan, the biggest fashion center in europe). it reminded me of a giant outdoor mall. at first i really liked that it was so lively, but i quickly realized that the only for me to really enjoy the city would be to get out of the (huge) shopping center. that night we enjoyed a drink on a beautiful terrace, wandered around the city, found some good pizza for dinner (cheap with a student discount)and had our first taste of belgian chocolate! yumm.
- wandered through a huge market
- hannah went to the anne frank museum while i got some coffee and sent emails
- at night we went out to a bar and met some nice dutch people. we tried our first shot of jenever (the "real" gin) and some good dutch beers, recommended by our new friends. we also learned about the unique christmas traditions in amsterdam and "life as the locals live it". then jeffrey came back to hang out at the hotel for a while
july 28th:
- after an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the PERFECT amsterdam mask to add to my collection (they were adamant that the alien mascot mask was not for sale), hannah and i made our way to the train station and caught a train to antwerp.
- upon walking out of the [beautiful] train station in antwerp, i remarked that i had not expected antwerp to be so urban. it is the second biggest city in belgium, but i had heard very little about it... we walked through the main city area and quickly understood why antwerp is known as a fashion capital (right after paris and milan, the biggest fashion center in europe). it reminded me of a giant outdoor mall. at first i really liked that it was so lively, but i quickly realized that the only for me to really enjoy the city would be to get out of the (huge) shopping center. that night we enjoyed a drink on a beautiful terrace, wandered around the city, found some good pizza for dinner (cheap with a student discount)and had our first taste of belgian chocolate! yumm.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
a dam good time!
again, i have been lacking internet....and when i do have it, i lack time to sit and update, so these will be short as i attempt to catch up...
july 24:
i met hannah at our hotel, Hotel Groenendael. during our stay there i fell in love with the run-down, laid-back hotel (more like a motel for young backpackers) right in the center of the city. when i had called to make the reservation the guy had asked which nights and how many people. when i told him 2 nights for 3 people he said ¨great! see ya then!¨. i asked if he needed my name. ¨sure, why not - whats your name?....ok kerri see ya on the 24th!¨. i had been a bit worried that he had even made the reservation - he hadnt asked for a last name or a credit card number or anything. so i called the weekend before arriving. ¨yeah, kerri right? 3 people; 2 nights - see ya then!¨ very low key, very easy, very chill... very amsterdam!
that first day hannah and i wandered around the entire city - around dam square, through the red light district and coffee bars and sex shops, along countless canals (they call it ¨the venice of the north¨), all the way across town toward towards the quiter Vondel Park area. then we went to the van gogh museum - a major let-down. it was really expensive and kinda unimpressive - despite being the largest van gogh collection in the world, it lacked key pieces like Starry Night or the Cafe Terrace. later we caught some interesting street performances, including a middle aged man performing acrobats in nothing more than a neon green thong! gotta love it.
afterwards we went back to the hotel to meet up with dave and begin the evening! a fun night of coffee shops (not your typical starbucks, if ya catch my drift), falafel, and drinks. but it was a pretty early night - hannah was jet-lagged and i hadnt gotten any sleep on my 12 hour train ride, so we were exhausted.
July 25:
- dave and hannah discovered Bagels and Beans, which they really enjoyed... cheap bagel
sandwiches! yumm
- live jazz in vondel park
- more wandering around the redlight district
- a visit to the Bulldog, the oldest coffee shop in amsterdam
- tibetan food for dinner - delicious!
- out to a few bars
- grabbed some supplies and headed back to chill at the hotel
July 26:
- we went back to Bagels and Beans for breakfast
- saw part of a beach soccer tournament in dam square
- caught the madrid vs. egypt soccer game in a pub near the redlight district
- HANNAH GOT A TATTOO!!!!!
- dave left, but we had a fun weekend together!
- vegetarian dinner for kerri and hannah
- some drinks and cards and an early night
july 24:
i met hannah at our hotel, Hotel Groenendael. during our stay there i fell in love with the run-down, laid-back hotel (more like a motel for young backpackers) right in the center of the city. when i had called to make the reservation the guy had asked which nights and how many people. when i told him 2 nights for 3 people he said ¨great! see ya then!¨. i asked if he needed my name. ¨sure, why not - whats your name?....ok kerri see ya on the 24th!¨. i had been a bit worried that he had even made the reservation - he hadnt asked for a last name or a credit card number or anything. so i called the weekend before arriving. ¨yeah, kerri right? 3 people; 2 nights - see ya then!¨ very low key, very easy, very chill... very amsterdam!
that first day hannah and i wandered around the entire city - around dam square, through the red light district and coffee bars and sex shops, along countless canals (they call it ¨the venice of the north¨), all the way across town toward towards the quiter Vondel Park area. then we went to the van gogh museum - a major let-down. it was really expensive and kinda unimpressive - despite being the largest van gogh collection in the world, it lacked key pieces like Starry Night or the Cafe Terrace. later we caught some interesting street performances, including a middle aged man performing acrobats in nothing more than a neon green thong! gotta love it.
afterwards we went back to the hotel to meet up with dave and begin the evening! a fun night of coffee shops (not your typical starbucks, if ya catch my drift), falafel, and drinks. but it was a pretty early night - hannah was jet-lagged and i hadnt gotten any sleep on my 12 hour train ride, so we were exhausted.
July 25:
- dave and hannah discovered Bagels and Beans, which they really enjoyed... cheap bagel
sandwiches! yumm
- live jazz in vondel park
- more wandering around the redlight district
- a visit to the Bulldog, the oldest coffee shop in amsterdam
- tibetan food for dinner - delicious!
- out to a few bars
- grabbed some supplies and headed back to chill at the hotel
July 26:
- we went back to Bagels and Beans for breakfast
- saw part of a beach soccer tournament in dam square
- caught the madrid vs. egypt soccer game in a pub near the redlight district
- HANNAH GOT A TATTOO!!!!!
- dave left, but we had a fun weekend together!
- vegetarian dinner for kerri and hannah
- some drinks and cards and an early night
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
back to bern!
the next day i woke up early and went on a canyoning trip with some guys from arizona. canyoning, for those of you who may not know, is basically hiking down the inside of canyons by walking, climbing, jumping (my favorite), rappeling, and swimming. very fun!
when i got back, i grabbed my pack and caught an afternoon train to bern, only an hour away. when i got there, i found my hostel and headed out. i planned to go to Neuchatel the next day, which left me only the night in bern. i walked towards the rose garden to check it out, but when i got to the bottom of the hill leading up to the entrance, i was exhausted. i started up the hill, got half way, and literally turned around! i couldnt make it, i was so exhausted! very unlike me - i must really need sleep. so i changed my plan: get a glass of wine in town, go back to the hostel to make dinner, read, and fall asleep. and that was about all my poor body could handle that night, unfortunately.
the next day i checked out, locked up my pack at the train station, and caught a train to neuchatel. the reason i was going to neuchatel was because on the train from paris to bern we had passed through it, and my mother decided right then that neuchatel was a magical, wonderful place. she talked about it through the rest of her time in europe, and sent e-mails about the swiss utopia, encouraging me to go there. i figured i could spend a day there to make her happy and get a look for myself...
well neuchatel was a small, but lovely city. i went up to the cathedral and took a tour of the castle (a functioning castle that seems modern, despite its age). then it was raining so i ducked into a small local cafe for lunch. when it cleared up i headed down to the huge lake and took a long stroll.
and then it was time to be heading back to bern - i had to board a 12-hour night train to amsterdam to meet dave and hannah!
when i got back, i grabbed my pack and caught an afternoon train to bern, only an hour away. when i got there, i found my hostel and headed out. i planned to go to Neuchatel the next day, which left me only the night in bern. i walked towards the rose garden to check it out, but when i got to the bottom of the hill leading up to the entrance, i was exhausted. i started up the hill, got half way, and literally turned around! i couldnt make it, i was so exhausted! very unlike me - i must really need sleep. so i changed my plan: get a glass of wine in town, go back to the hostel to make dinner, read, and fall asleep. and that was about all my poor body could handle that night, unfortunately.
the next day i checked out, locked up my pack at the train station, and caught a train to neuchatel. the reason i was going to neuchatel was because on the train from paris to bern we had passed through it, and my mother decided right then that neuchatel was a magical, wonderful place. she talked about it through the rest of her time in europe, and sent e-mails about the swiss utopia, encouraging me to go there. i figured i could spend a day there to make her happy and get a look for myself...
well neuchatel was a small, but lovely city. i went up to the cathedral and took a tour of the castle (a functioning castle that seems modern, despite its age). then it was raining so i ducked into a small local cafe for lunch. when it cleared up i headed down to the huge lake and took a long stroll.
and then it was time to be heading back to bern - i had to board a 12-hour night train to amsterdam to meet dave and hannah!
Monday, July 27, 2009
lack of internet...
hallo hallo. i have not had internet in a while, hence the gap in updates.
so i left salzburg and my midnight train ended up being a 2am train due to delays...and in zurich i decided to go straight on to interlaken, only i had to take a train to bern and transfer there to my final train, which would have been fine, had i not slept through my transfer in bern and continued on toward geneva...bummer. oh well. i hopped off and cought the next train back to bern, and transferred to the right train. i got to interlaken by 2pm... not too much of an inconvenience.
interlaken is a huge draw for backpackers from arround the world because of its' adventure sports! ice climbing, sky diving, bunjee jumping, canyoning, paragliding, rafting....you name it, interlaken has it...for a price. i was immediately faced with the major dilemma of what to do, how much to spend, how long to stay! i immediately made friends with a couple guys from michigan and southern illinois (one of the guys had the same exact voice as dan the man... quite odd, especially once i realized that they had very little else in common). they tried to influence me to go glacier climbing the next day, and canyoning the day after that. i decided i would take the brochures, find myself a beer and a bench, and ponder over my different options alongside one of the peaceful rivers nearby.
$250. that is what i decided to allow myself to spend. it was a lot, but i would choose activities that i could not do in the states, things that i may never have the option to do again. what would they be? well... i've been sky diving and bunjee jumping and paragliding and rafting... so those were all out. ice hiking and glacier climbing? that sounds pretty unique. canyoning was one of the most popular activities, and people seemed to love it.
so by that evening, i had booked one more night in interlaken, a glacier climbing adventure, and a canyoning trip, with an extra day allowed for hiking (the only free activity... IF you don't take the tram back down). ha... ya only live once, right?
the next morning i woke up really early and hopped in the van that picked us up for glacier climbing. i was with the guys i had met the day before, plus a couple of guys my age from texas (they had just graduated from UT), and some aussies! a fine group! and an excellent guide. it was an hour trip out and a 45 minute hike up to the glacier. wow. i think i got my money's worth just after the hike. the view was spectacular, and we were hiking a real, moving glacier! what?! really really cool. when we got to our base we had a picnic lunch in the ice, and then got ready to climb! our guide (a liberal, middle-aged, jack daniel-drinking swiss guy with a dirty sense of humor) had decided that i would be the model for the trip. so i was used as a prop to show everybody else how to do things properly. this was all fine, until i realized that i would be the first to descend into the depths of the glacier. oh dear! fortunately, the first climb was an easy one, and i set a fine example!
throughout the course of the day we did a whole bunch of different climbs. some were pretty simple, and others were really difficult! a couple times i was convinced i would NEVER back it back to the top! my upper body strength is limited, and some of the ice was very slippery! luckily my belay was really encouraging and patient (one of the aussie guys, named matt). the climbing was really fun! but also very challenging and exhausting! by the end of the day i had added to my collection of bruises, ripped my pants, cut my skin, but most importantly, climbed a glacier! it was all worth it! and i cannot explain how cool the view was... and i'm sure the pictures will not do it justice either. by the end of the day, when the clouds hid most of the sun, the glacier - this live piece of ice making its way through the alps - was a bright blue! it radiated blue from each crevice... really, really amazing.
that night i hung out around the hostel (which had one of the most happening bars in interlaken) and chatted with my new friends, while meeting even more.
the next day was my hiking day! i got a good night sleep and then met some friends for breakfast. (all of the guys i had gone glacier climbing with the day before were going on an all-day canyoning trip. i was a bit disappointed i had not booked the same trip, since the group had been so fun). we made a picnic lunch and set out for Harder Kulm, a 5-hour hike away. the hike was challenging - each step up-hill - but interesting, with great views of interlaken below us. when we reached the top, we sat and took in the beautiful city and enjoyed the conversation. our group was pretty diverse - mayank from india, tressa and devon from University of Georgia, and kevin and pete from Wheaton College in Illinois... a christian college. it made for interesting conversation - kevin, mayank, and i talked about culture and religion for a couple hours... each of us coming from a different background with different beliefs. very interesting.
back at the hostel, we made a big dinner of potatoes and other vegetables, and bought a few bottles of wine. later, pete and i went for a long walk and had some interesting conversations about our pasts and distinct spiritual beliefs. it was a good time... though i have to admit after a while i just wanted to go back and hang out with some of the other people i had met during the day. oh well.
more updates to come!
so i left salzburg and my midnight train ended up being a 2am train due to delays...and in zurich i decided to go straight on to interlaken, only i had to take a train to bern and transfer there to my final train, which would have been fine, had i not slept through my transfer in bern and continued on toward geneva...bummer. oh well. i hopped off and cought the next train back to bern, and transferred to the right train. i got to interlaken by 2pm... not too much of an inconvenience.
interlaken is a huge draw for backpackers from arround the world because of its' adventure sports! ice climbing, sky diving, bunjee jumping, canyoning, paragliding, rafting....you name it, interlaken has it...for a price. i was immediately faced with the major dilemma of what to do, how much to spend, how long to stay! i immediately made friends with a couple guys from michigan and southern illinois (one of the guys had the same exact voice as dan the man... quite odd, especially once i realized that they had very little else in common). they tried to influence me to go glacier climbing the next day, and canyoning the day after that. i decided i would take the brochures, find myself a beer and a bench, and ponder over my different options alongside one of the peaceful rivers nearby.
$250. that is what i decided to allow myself to spend. it was a lot, but i would choose activities that i could not do in the states, things that i may never have the option to do again. what would they be? well... i've been sky diving and bunjee jumping and paragliding and rafting... so those were all out. ice hiking and glacier climbing? that sounds pretty unique. canyoning was one of the most popular activities, and people seemed to love it.
so by that evening, i had booked one more night in interlaken, a glacier climbing adventure, and a canyoning trip, with an extra day allowed for hiking (the only free activity... IF you don't take the tram back down). ha... ya only live once, right?
the next morning i woke up really early and hopped in the van that picked us up for glacier climbing. i was with the guys i had met the day before, plus a couple of guys my age from texas (they had just graduated from UT), and some aussies! a fine group! and an excellent guide. it was an hour trip out and a 45 minute hike up to the glacier. wow. i think i got my money's worth just after the hike. the view was spectacular, and we were hiking a real, moving glacier! what?! really really cool. when we got to our base we had a picnic lunch in the ice, and then got ready to climb! our guide (a liberal, middle-aged, jack daniel-drinking swiss guy with a dirty sense of humor) had decided that i would be the model for the trip. so i was used as a prop to show everybody else how to do things properly. this was all fine, until i realized that i would be the first to descend into the depths of the glacier. oh dear! fortunately, the first climb was an easy one, and i set a fine example!
throughout the course of the day we did a whole bunch of different climbs. some were pretty simple, and others were really difficult! a couple times i was convinced i would NEVER back it back to the top! my upper body strength is limited, and some of the ice was very slippery! luckily my belay was really encouraging and patient (one of the aussie guys, named matt). the climbing was really fun! but also very challenging and exhausting! by the end of the day i had added to my collection of bruises, ripped my pants, cut my skin, but most importantly, climbed a glacier! it was all worth it! and i cannot explain how cool the view was... and i'm sure the pictures will not do it justice either. by the end of the day, when the clouds hid most of the sun, the glacier - this live piece of ice making its way through the alps - was a bright blue! it radiated blue from each crevice... really, really amazing.
that night i hung out around the hostel (which had one of the most happening bars in interlaken) and chatted with my new friends, while meeting even more.
the next day was my hiking day! i got a good night sleep and then met some friends for breakfast. (all of the guys i had gone glacier climbing with the day before were going on an all-day canyoning trip. i was a bit disappointed i had not booked the same trip, since the group had been so fun). we made a picnic lunch and set out for Harder Kulm, a 5-hour hike away. the hike was challenging - each step up-hill - but interesting, with great views of interlaken below us. when we reached the top, we sat and took in the beautiful city and enjoyed the conversation. our group was pretty diverse - mayank from india, tressa and devon from University of Georgia, and kevin and pete from Wheaton College in Illinois... a christian college. it made for interesting conversation - kevin, mayank, and i talked about culture and religion for a couple hours... each of us coming from a different background with different beliefs. very interesting.
back at the hostel, we made a big dinner of potatoes and other vegetables, and bought a few bottles of wine. later, pete and i went for a long walk and had some interesting conversations about our pasts and distinct spiritual beliefs. it was a good time... though i have to admit after a while i just wanted to go back and hang out with some of the other people i had met during the day. oh well.
more updates to come!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
salzburger
yesterday while clint was at work i took a walk into the old town and explored the tiny city. salzburg is really nice and quiet, with a small city center. when clint got off work we went back to town to have a drink. then we had dinner back at the castle. after dinner, i sat in on the seminar. the theme was globalization and consumer capitalism... i found it to be quite interesting.
Salzburg Global Seminar invites academics from all different cultures and institutions to come and discuss global issues. its actually a pretty cool organization, and the presentation i saw was really intriguing. afterwards we were able to just mingle and chat with the participants in the courtyard.
then clint and i went to the other side of the pond to enjoy the whiskey we had bought at the store (and today i have a headache, to say the least).
today we woke up late and went on a hunt for a pharmacy....in the rain. then we went up to the top of untersberg (an intimidatingly huge mountain nearby) for lunch. now we are back at the castle - clint is napping while i update the blog and do laundry (which i desperately needed to do). and tonight we will have dinner here and then i am leaving on a midnight train to georgia.... i mean, switzerland. i have a hostel booked for tomorrow night and the next night in interlaken, and i am debating whether i should stop in zurich on the way there...the train to interlaken stops in zurich, so it would be cool to check it out. the problem is that it gets in there at 6:30am... so there prob wont be much to do. so most likely i will just continue on to interlaken.. i'll let ya know.
okok hope kyle's birthday was good. i sent him a message on facebook.
laterr.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
czech me out!
...and i slept. for 12 hours! i had planned on getting out early and doing a walking tour at 9:30, but i awoke to a huge thunder storm, so i stayed in bed and waited it out. at about 11:30 the rain had pretty much stopped, and i headed out along the river to the narodni divadlo (the national theater) and then crossed medieval Charles Bridge over the vtltava river to mala strana.
i went up to the prague castle (where i watched the Changing of the Guard) and through the third courtyard towards St. Vitus's Cathedral, a truly stunning building.
i went up to the prague castle (where i watched the Changing of the Guard) and through the third courtyard towards St. Vitus's Cathedral, a truly stunning building.
i had decided that st. nicholas' s church would be the one place that i was going to suck it up and pay the entrance fee (luckily, most of the other places were free). so i reluctantly paid my 70 crowns (a little under $4, i think) and went in. built by the jesuits in the 18th century, the baroque church is huge and ornate. definitely worth the money.
then i visited wallenstein palace, now occupied by the czech senate. it is known for its formal garden, which claims to be one of the finest in all of europe. i enjoyed a walk all around the pond and garden, and took some time to read up on the czech involvement in the EU.
finaly, i visited the church of our lady of victory, where the wax figurine known as the "Bambino di Praga" is housed. people come from all over the world to see this small figurine... frankly, i just don't get it. its pretty small, not very impressive. its like a doll, that they dress up in different clothes and put in a glass box in a church...
ok, time for a beer, and then a visit to strelecky ostrov (an island in the middle of the vltava) and home to finish my pizza leftovers and hang out with people at the hostel!
7/16: i was planning on catching an early train to salzburg to meet up with clint, but he was going to see harry potter at night, so i opted for a later train (i don't get the whole harry potter thing...) i checked out, went to the train station to lock up my bag, and decided to take advantage of my extra day in prague (my train didn't leave until 5:15)! i hiked all the way up to the vysehrad (High Castle). when i got there, i realized that the real attraction was the church and the cemetery. i was a little bummed (another church?! and a cemetery? we have those in the states)...until i actually entered the grounds. the church was beautiful ... aren't they all? but the cemetery was unlike any i have ever seen before in my life. the czech National Cemetery is where the country's great and good (and rich!!) have been buried since the late 19th century. each grave had a statue or a monument or a work of art or a tree.... it was amazing... as odd as that sounds. i walked up and down each row multiple times. these people put a lot of thought (and money, i presume) into their tombstones! it was like being at a unique and diverse art gallery.
afterwards i strolled through the park and enjoyed some spectacular views of the city and river.
eventually i made my way back towards the old town, and found my czech mask (!!!) at a small store on the way. with another hour to kill, i decided to enjoy a liter of pilsner while people-watching in the heart of the city. at 5:15 i boarded my train (it was a 7 hour ride to salzburg)... a very old train, but not umcomfortable. there were cabins with 6 seats each. and no AC, but all the windows were open. for the first 45 minutes i stood and watched the passing countryside with my head out the window.. then i slept for a couple hours.
we had a half hour layover in some town, so i grabbed a beer and some crackers and got back on quickly (i'm extra nervous ever since missing the train in milan). when we took off i again stood with my head out the window, but now watching the most spectacular sunset. i never would have thought 7 hours on this train would be so enjoyable.
at midnight i arrived in salzburg, where clint was waiting for me. it was so good to see him! we took a taxi back to his place, Schloss Leopoldskron (you know, the castle...seriously) and he showed me around. we took a walk around the pond and caught up.
back in his apartment, we hung out and called pete via skype! it was good catching up with him as well. he is going to be working in austin, TX starting in august. i will have to make a trip out to visit him (austin city limits, perhaps??)
today clint is working, and i am using internet to book hostels and trains and basically plan the rest of my trip. i can't believe i will be home in less than a month! time is going by so fast.
good times, bad shape.
first off, a couple random comments:
1) i am in bad shape. for a person who rarely bruises, i look like i have an abusive boyfriend. my legs are visibly bruised in like 8 different places and my arms as well. i think this is mostly from being a tourist and not watching where i'm walking (either because my head is in a map or mesmerized by the striking european architecture across the street) and i keep slamming into things (posts, benches, garbage cans, people...)
2) i think my german roots are most reflected in my physical appearance... or maybe i just dress like a german girl? because in all of the countries i have been to, germany seems to be where i fit in the most. i have been asked for directions from germans so many times! and when waiters or sales people address me they assume that i speak german (even when i hear them address the tourist couple next to me in english). hmmm...
anyway, felix and i had a great day on monday! it was so nice to have my personal tour guide, who knew all the places to go, and was also on a tight budget. we started off the day biking to the monument to the battle of nations, an impressive, massive, and intimidating monument built to mourn the deaths that occurred during the battle in 1913 between the prussians, austrians, and swedes on one side, and napoleon's army on the other. although it was built to mourn the deaths, the monument has a complicated history. during the era of extreme nationalism, it was used by the nazis as a sign of german strength and power. now it is a bit controversial: on the hike up to the top we saw numerous signs arguing that the monument should not be renovated, but should be allowed to fall, since it serves to glorify war. regardless of what it stands for, however, the edifice really was remarkable - the huge statues are intimidating, while at the same time quite calming. we hiked all the way to the top to experience the best views of all of leipzig.
afterwards we explored all around the city, including the Neues Rathaus Südansicht, where i had entirely too much fun playing on the posternoster. if you do not know what a posternoster is, google it immediately. and then find the closest one to you. and go ride it. i don't even know, do we have them in the states? or post-1700 anywhere?
1) i am in bad shape. for a person who rarely bruises, i look like i have an abusive boyfriend. my legs are visibly bruised in like 8 different places and my arms as well. i think this is mostly from being a tourist and not watching where i'm walking (either because my head is in a map or mesmerized by the striking european architecture across the street) and i keep slamming into things (posts, benches, garbage cans, people...)
2) i think my german roots are most reflected in my physical appearance... or maybe i just dress like a german girl? because in all of the countries i have been to, germany seems to be where i fit in the most. i have been asked for directions from germans so many times! and when waiters or sales people address me they assume that i speak german (even when i hear them address the tourist couple next to me in english). hmmm...
anyway, felix and i had a great day on monday! it was so nice to have my personal tour guide, who knew all the places to go, and was also on a tight budget. we started off the day biking to the monument to the battle of nations, an impressive, massive, and intimidating monument built to mourn the deaths that occurred during the battle in 1913 between the prussians, austrians, and swedes on one side, and napoleon's army on the other. although it was built to mourn the deaths, the monument has a complicated history. during the era of extreme nationalism, it was used by the nazis as a sign of german strength and power. now it is a bit controversial: on the hike up to the top we saw numerous signs arguing that the monument should not be renovated, but should be allowed to fall, since it serves to glorify war. regardless of what it stands for, however, the edifice really was remarkable - the huge statues are intimidating, while at the same time quite calming. we hiked all the way to the top to experience the best views of all of leipzig.
afterwards we explored all around the city, including the Neues Rathaus Südansicht, where i had entirely too much fun playing on the posternoster. if you do not know what a posternoster is, google it immediately. and then find the closest one to you. and go ride it. i don't even know, do we have them in the states? or post-1700 anywhere?
then we went to the stasi museum, housed in the old headquarters of the secret police. the museum was interesting, but all in german :(
afterwards we biked out towards the river. then we stopped at Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof to have a taste of Gose beer, a beer brewed in leipzig that does not follow the strict german beer purity law (it includes coriander and salt). it was really tasty and really refreshing after riding around in the sun all day long!
at night we went shopping for food to make a "traditional (although, vegetarian) german dinner". we ended up making Knödel (delicious) with sauerkraut and apple streudel for desert! then we went out to rent and rented a german movie (Herr Lehmann) and drank some good german beers! all in all, a great, german day!
yesterday morning i thanked felix for a great time and we said our goodbyes and i caught a train to prague! i got to my hostel (Dizzy Daisy) at about 4 o'clock, dropped my bag and headed immediately out. since i had stayed an extra night in leipzig, i would only have 2 nights in prague, and i was determined to see as much as possible. and i did fit a lot in! i did all of the east side of the river, including the old town, the astrological clock, and King Wenceslas square, where i stopped and had my first half liter of Pilsner Urquell (a czech beer, in case ya didnt know). for dinner, i stopped and had really good pizza (which i had been craving)! by the time i got home i was exhausted and went straight to bed.
afterwards we biked out towards the river. then we stopped at Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof to have a taste of Gose beer, a beer brewed in leipzig that does not follow the strict german beer purity law (it includes coriander and salt). it was really tasty and really refreshing after riding around in the sun all day long!
at night we went shopping for food to make a "traditional (although, vegetarian) german dinner". we ended up making Knödel (delicious) with sauerkraut and apple streudel for desert! then we went out to rent and rented a german movie (Herr Lehmann) and drank some good german beers! all in all, a great, german day!
yesterday morning i thanked felix for a great time and we said our goodbyes and i caught a train to prague! i got to my hostel (Dizzy Daisy) at about 4 o'clock, dropped my bag and headed immediately out. since i had stayed an extra night in leipzig, i would only have 2 nights in prague, and i was determined to see as much as possible. and i did fit a lot in! i did all of the east side of the river, including the old town, the astrological clock, and King Wenceslas square, where i stopped and had my first half liter of Pilsner Urquell (a czech beer, in case ya didnt know). for dinner, i stopped and had really good pizza (which i had been craving)! by the time i got home i was exhausted and went straight to bed.
Monday, July 13, 2009
walk, walk, walk
7/11:
i woke up late and then set out to discover berlin in the daylight. first stop: checkpoint charlie, a former berlin wall crossing point. i spent a couple hours just wandering around and learning more about the recent history of berlin, and the (literal) divide that occured during the cold war, separating friends, family, and neighbors.
then i made my way over to potsdamer platz. built on the former death strip, it is now a very popular, busy plaza with shops, restaurants, clubs, and hotels. there are remnants of the wall still in place, covered in interesting grafiti, of course.
then i walked up to the holocaust memorial. it is a park of almost 3,000 concrete blocks of all different sizes built atop rolling ground. from outside it looks stark, but interesting. almost like each block is a tomb. as you wander through, the columns become taller than the people, and most kids had begun a game of tag or hide-and-go-seek in this concrete maze.
further up the street was the wall victims memorial, commemorating all the people who died during their attempts to cross from east to west.
then the famous brandenburg gate and down Unter den Linden, stopping for a vegetarian kebap along the way...
after lunch i walked alll the way up to the berlin wall documentation center, a museum about the wall with a viewing tower overlooking a memorial across the street. this museum was free, but the view was not really that great and most everything was in german...too bad i had walked 25 miles to get there.
i finally made my way back to the hostel, made some dinner, and passed out. i was exhausted!
7/12:
check out was at 10am so i woke up early, showered, locked up my bag downstairs, and headed out. i was determined to see as much as i could before catching my 5oclock train to leipzig.
first i walked a long way to the east side gallery, the longest surviving stretch of the berlin wall, covered in grafitti and other art. it was completely worth the hike over there (through some sketchy neighborhoods). for 1.3 km i experienced some of the best graffiti i'd ever seen, and and some of the best other forms of art as well. from trippy scenes, to cries for freedom, to revolutionary depictions, to political cartoons...this is the kind of art that appeals to me. it tells the story of berlin's history, germany's history, and in many ways, the history of the world as a whole.
after the emotional experience provided by the east side gallery, i wandered up to alexanderplatz, through the parliament building, the university and the art museum, and finally back to the hostel to collect my bag and head to the train station.
i caught the train to leipzig and met my friend felix, whom i had met at my hostel in brazil this march. he had offered to show me the city and let me stay at his flat for a couple nights. and honestly i was really excited to be staying in a "home" for a couple nights.
his flat is really nice. he lives with his 18 year old brother brother, and the flat is actually owned by his parents who had to move to another city recently for work, but the boys stayed in leipzig to study.
felix showed me my room and then we went on a bike tour of leipzig, a very lively city (due in part to the university's presence, i believe) with a long history and beautiful old town. felix was really an excellent guide... would i know this much about chicago?
we stopped for dinner and made it home just as the rain began. then we made a cake! ha it was really nice to be able to do normal home activities.
today we will go to some museums and then i will help felix and his friend begin their "at-home wine production".
i woke up late and then set out to discover berlin in the daylight. first stop: checkpoint charlie, a former berlin wall crossing point. i spent a couple hours just wandering around and learning more about the recent history of berlin, and the (literal) divide that occured during the cold war, separating friends, family, and neighbors.
then i made my way over to potsdamer platz. built on the former death strip, it is now a very popular, busy plaza with shops, restaurants, clubs, and hotels. there are remnants of the wall still in place, covered in interesting grafiti, of course.
then i walked up to the holocaust memorial. it is a park of almost 3,000 concrete blocks of all different sizes built atop rolling ground. from outside it looks stark, but interesting. almost like each block is a tomb. as you wander through, the columns become taller than the people, and most kids had begun a game of tag or hide-and-go-seek in this concrete maze.
further up the street was the wall victims memorial, commemorating all the people who died during their attempts to cross from east to west.
then the famous brandenburg gate and down Unter den Linden, stopping for a vegetarian kebap along the way...
after lunch i walked alll the way up to the berlin wall documentation center, a museum about the wall with a viewing tower overlooking a memorial across the street. this museum was free, but the view was not really that great and most everything was in german...too bad i had walked 25 miles to get there.
i finally made my way back to the hostel, made some dinner, and passed out. i was exhausted!
7/12:
check out was at 10am so i woke up early, showered, locked up my bag downstairs, and headed out. i was determined to see as much as i could before catching my 5oclock train to leipzig.
first i walked a long way to the east side gallery, the longest surviving stretch of the berlin wall, covered in grafitti and other art. it was completely worth the hike over there (through some sketchy neighborhoods). for 1.3 km i experienced some of the best graffiti i'd ever seen, and and some of the best other forms of art as well. from trippy scenes, to cries for freedom, to revolutionary depictions, to political cartoons...this is the kind of art that appeals to me. it tells the story of berlin's history, germany's history, and in many ways, the history of the world as a whole.
after the emotional experience provided by the east side gallery, i wandered up to alexanderplatz, through the parliament building, the university and the art museum, and finally back to the hostel to collect my bag and head to the train station.
i caught the train to leipzig and met my friend felix, whom i had met at my hostel in brazil this march. he had offered to show me the city and let me stay at his flat for a couple nights. and honestly i was really excited to be staying in a "home" for a couple nights.
his flat is really nice. he lives with his 18 year old brother brother, and the flat is actually owned by his parents who had to move to another city recently for work, but the boys stayed in leipzig to study.
felix showed me my room and then we went on a bike tour of leipzig, a very lively city (due in part to the university's presence, i believe) with a long history and beautiful old town. felix was really an excellent guide... would i know this much about chicago?
we stopped for dinner and made it home just as the rain began. then we made a cake! ha it was really nice to be able to do normal home activities.
today we will go to some museums and then i will help felix and his friend begin their "at-home wine production".
Saturday, July 11, 2009
on to berlin!
7/8: cordoba
this morning we woke up early (though im pretty sure i could have slept all day. traveling always gets exhausting after a while... i will have to take a rest day soon) and went to the mezquita, the main point of interest in cordoba. originally there was a church on the site, but after the muslim occupation it was confiscated and turned into a mosque. over the course of 200 years it was expanded until it became the second-largest mosque in the world. then after the Spanish Reconquista, it was transformed back into a church, with a cathedral right at in the middle of the huge muslim edifice.
so obviously there is a very mixed and interesting history to this building. and i have to say, after being in muslim north africa last summer and visiting countless mosques (including the renowned mosque of kairouan) this was the most spectacular, largest, and interesting religious building i have ever seen.
afterwards, we walked around a bit but there wasnt much else to do in cordoba, so we made our trek back to madrid. i had emailed our hostel to see if we could come one night earlier, but i had yet to hear back from them. we decided to take our chances and head there. so after taking the metro to the nearest stop, and caitlin lugging her entire life up 19 flights of stairs (i think she might regret having packed so much at this point) we arrived to find out all the rooms were full. bummer.... but they directed us to a different hostal, a mere 5 minutes walk away (or thats what they claimed anyway.... in reality more like 15) with all of our luggage (my back is about to break at this point). when we got there we walked by the hostel without noticing it (it was not marked at all) 3 times before we had to stop and take a breather... and a jarra of sangria, of course. then i made one last effort to find it and succeeded, and they had 2 beds open! excellent. and the hostel was even referenced in my guide book, so it couldnt be that bad right?...wrong.
a four hour lockout in the middle of the day, bad breakfast, uncomfortable room - hot, smellllllyy (almost unbearably), cost for internet and expensive laundry, not very nice staff, early check out, cost for luggage storage, not very fun - no social activities. the worst hostel of this trip for sure. and i cant think of any off hand that i have ever stayed at that i disliked more.
7/9: toledo
we took the half hour train ride out to toledo, a UNESCO world heritage site. we only had a few hours there, but we had heard that it would be plenty. it was reallly hot but we wandered through the medieval streets of old toledo to the cathedral, stopping for drinks and to shop a bit.
back in madrid we planned our final night of spain! i didnt want to be out too late, since i had to leave for the airport by 8:30am. we decided to go for tapas and then to see more flamenco! the show was longer and way more formal and elaborate than what we had seen in sevilla. i am so happy we got to have both experiences- the show ended up being amazing, the perfect to end our spanish experience (in total i had spent 16 days in spain, far more than i will be spending in any other place).
7/10: moving on...
off to the airport for my first EasyJet experience. not so easy, i found out... as check-in took about an hour. good thing i had left early.
we arrived in berlin on time and i navigated my way via bus and the U-bahn to the hostel, Meininger Hostel. it was cold and rainy and i was happy to arrive. aaand good news: they had made a mistake and overbooked so i had been upgraded to 6-person dorm instead of 9-person, at the same price, aannnd i found out that because i have a eurail pass i get 10% off the cost! sweet! aaand all my roomies are nice (two girls from texas, two boys from england, one guy from mexico)!
at night i hung out with will and robbie (the english guys) and molly (a new austrailian friend) around the hostel until about 12:30. then we decided to take bikes out to a cool area recommended by molly's friend who lives in berlin. this was a good idea except we only had two bikes, which meant i was on the back of robbie's (who was already pretty drunk... not the safest bike to be on) and will was on the back of molly's. and molly and will were both bigger than robbie and myself... so they had a bit of difficulty. but the situation made for a hysterical and frightening ride out to the bars. (though on the way home, we opted for a cab)
we ended up (in one piece, luckily) at a very nice bar ! great conversation and ambiance and german beers! we got back around 4am i think...
this morning we woke up early (though im pretty sure i could have slept all day. traveling always gets exhausting after a while... i will have to take a rest day soon) and went to the mezquita, the main point of interest in cordoba. originally there was a church on the site, but after the muslim occupation it was confiscated and turned into a mosque. over the course of 200 years it was expanded until it became the second-largest mosque in the world. then after the Spanish Reconquista, it was transformed back into a church, with a cathedral right at in the middle of the huge muslim edifice.
so obviously there is a very mixed and interesting history to this building. and i have to say, after being in muslim north africa last summer and visiting countless mosques (including the renowned mosque of kairouan) this was the most spectacular, largest, and interesting religious building i have ever seen.
afterwards, we walked around a bit but there wasnt much else to do in cordoba, so we made our trek back to madrid. i had emailed our hostel to see if we could come one night earlier, but i had yet to hear back from them. we decided to take our chances and head there. so after taking the metro to the nearest stop, and caitlin lugging her entire life up 19 flights of stairs (i think she might regret having packed so much at this point) we arrived to find out all the rooms were full. bummer.... but they directed us to a different hostal, a mere 5 minutes walk away (or thats what they claimed anyway.... in reality more like 15) with all of our luggage (my back is about to break at this point). when we got there we walked by the hostel without noticing it (it was not marked at all) 3 times before we had to stop and take a breather... and a jarra of sangria, of course. then i made one last effort to find it and succeeded, and they had 2 beds open! excellent. and the hostel was even referenced in my guide book, so it couldnt be that bad right?...wrong.
a four hour lockout in the middle of the day, bad breakfast, uncomfortable room - hot, smellllllyy (almost unbearably), cost for internet and expensive laundry, not very nice staff, early check out, cost for luggage storage, not very fun - no social activities. the worst hostel of this trip for sure. and i cant think of any off hand that i have ever stayed at that i disliked more.
7/9: toledo
we took the half hour train ride out to toledo, a UNESCO world heritage site. we only had a few hours there, but we had heard that it would be plenty. it was reallly hot but we wandered through the medieval streets of old toledo to the cathedral, stopping for drinks and to shop a bit.
back in madrid we planned our final night of spain! i didnt want to be out too late, since i had to leave for the airport by 8:30am. we decided to go for tapas and then to see more flamenco! the show was longer and way more formal and elaborate than what we had seen in sevilla. i am so happy we got to have both experiences- the show ended up being amazing, the perfect to end our spanish experience (in total i had spent 16 days in spain, far more than i will be spending in any other place).
7/10: moving on...
off to the airport for my first EasyJet experience. not so easy, i found out... as check-in took about an hour. good thing i had left early.
we arrived in berlin on time and i navigated my way via bus and the U-bahn to the hostel, Meininger Hostel. it was cold and rainy and i was happy to arrive. aaand good news: they had made a mistake and overbooked so i had been upgraded to 6-person dorm instead of 9-person, at the same price, aannnd i found out that because i have a eurail pass i get 10% off the cost! sweet! aaand all my roomies are nice (two girls from texas, two boys from england, one guy from mexico)!
at night i hung out with will and robbie (the english guys) and molly (a new austrailian friend) around the hostel until about 12:30. then we decided to take bikes out to a cool area recommended by molly's friend who lives in berlin. this was a good idea except we only had two bikes, which meant i was on the back of robbie's (who was already pretty drunk... not the safest bike to be on) and will was on the back of molly's. and molly and will were both bigger than robbie and myself... so they had a bit of difficulty. but the situation made for a hysterical and frightening ride out to the bars. (though on the way home, we opted for a cab)
we ended up (in one piece, luckily) at a very nice bar ! great conversation and ambiance and german beers! we got back around 4am i think...
Friday, July 10, 2009
updates!
sorry about the delay.. but i have arrived in berlin and the internet cafe next door is cheap (and its raining so i dont mind wasting an hour here), so hopefully i can get all cought up..
7/4- fourth of july, seville style!
so there were no fireworks. but our true american colors did show - caitlin and i bought some fo'ties and drank them in the center of a Plaza. when we got there we realized we didnt have a bottle opener so i had to squat down while all dressed up to go out and bust the tops off on the side of a bench...very classy. a man who was setting up his makeshift bed on a bench nearby even started laughing at us. if the homeless population is laughing at your ghettoness, you know you are classy...
then we met some sevillan municipal workers as they came to clean the park. i am having trouble remembering their names, but im pretty sure one of them was named after some sort of desert. flan, perhaps? unsure of the legality of boozing on public monuments, we made a lame attempt to shade our drinks. they laughed... and then we chatted for a while. later on in the night, we would run into them again. and the people we were with (other americans) found it odd and hysterical that as the garbage truck came by and the people jumped out to clean a street, caitlin and i were greeting them by name!
6/5 - cadiz
an awful travel day.. we checked out of our hostal in seville (which i ended up really liking and would recommend) and headed to the bus station. after a long, hot walk, we still had to wait a half hour for a bus. and then a long wait for a train and a long train ride. when we finally arrived in cadiz. i called the hostal to get directions and they recommended taking a cab... it would be 4 euro. so we get in the cab and start going.... 25 minutes later we are on the expressway headed back towards seville! wtf?! at this point we were certain there has been a misunderstanding and pulled over to call the hostal again. well, there was a misunderstanding - a misunderstanding about where the hostal was and what train stop to get off at. apparently our hostel was in a suburb of cadiz called el puerto de santa maria, where we had just passed a half hour before on the train... bummer.
when we finally arrived (30 euro later) at Costa Luz (more like a motel than a hostel) we threw on our suits and headed straight for the beach!
then out to explore the downtown area, filled with restaurants and clubs and bars and ice cream stores! very cute little town, with fun for everyone. in fact, the thing that stood out most to me about El Puerto de Santa Maria was how safe it was! it may be because i am used to traveling in third world countries, where beach towns are sometimes the worst places for petty crime, but this was nothing like that. i kept expecting to turn down a street and have to turn around, or to babysit my purse instead of heading into the water, but there was no need for that here. not once was i in any questionable situation, even though i was in a completely foreign town. it was really refreshing!
another thing about the town is that there were very few international tourists... it seemed to be more of a vacation destination for spaniards (like lake geneva for many chicagoans). it was very family friendly, but also with plenty to do for people my age.
6/6 - happy birthday mom!
today we spent all day at the beach! (and caitlin is a whole mix of different colors ...some white - where the sunscreen was applied, much RED - where she missed, and some brown - where the freckles have just blended into each other)
then outtt!
7/7 - we had planned on heading to granada today, but apparently the only trains out of cadiz go to madrid, seville, and cordoba.. so cordoba it was then! but the train didnt leave til 530 so we had lunch, went on an ice cream hunt (for as many ice cream stores as there are in the town, none of them were open during the middle of the day at the peak of the heat...) until we finally had to settle for ben and jerrys (american, but delicious!), and then we headed to the station a couple hours early (we had already checked out of the hostel and didnt have many other options).
at the train station, we were entertained for literally two hours by a series of events i cannot even explain. words will not do it justice.. i will post pictures when i can. but essentially, there was one very large, very unattractive, very neon-clad, very close-talking, mullet-sporting guy that kept harrassing people and asking for money (including us). and every ten minutes or so this old man would march inside waving a cane and screaming at this boy to leave everybody alone. he would sit down on a bench for a couple minutes until the man left, and then start again. this went on the whole time, one time the old man almost hit him with the cane! hahahahahahaha.
and a couple times he squeezed through the turnstile with another passanger and made it out to the platform. then the old man would come running and the boy was dragged back outside! haha but other than the old man everybody was oddly low-key about the whole situation, laughing at him, and not threatening to call cops or arrest him or even kick him off the property all-together. soo odddd. like, was this just a big skit? are we on candid camera right now? hahahaha i cant explain how funny this all was, especially for caitlin who couldnt even understand what was being yelled.
on to cordoba!
our hostel was arabic themed, but we spent very little time there. when we arrived we threw our bags down and went out for tapas, the best tapas we had the whole trip! so good. and there had been no vegetarian food in cadiz, so i had been craving the grilled veggies that i was finally able to order.
ok now i need a break from the computer... i hope to get up to date in the next couple of days.
cheers! (or greets! as my german friend keeps saying)
7/4- fourth of july, seville style!
so there were no fireworks. but our true american colors did show - caitlin and i bought some fo'ties and drank them in the center of a Plaza. when we got there we realized we didnt have a bottle opener so i had to squat down while all dressed up to go out and bust the tops off on the side of a bench...very classy. a man who was setting up his makeshift bed on a bench nearby even started laughing at us. if the homeless population is laughing at your ghettoness, you know you are classy...
then we met some sevillan municipal workers as they came to clean the park. i am having trouble remembering their names, but im pretty sure one of them was named after some sort of desert. flan, perhaps? unsure of the legality of boozing on public monuments, we made a lame attempt to shade our drinks. they laughed... and then we chatted for a while. later on in the night, we would run into them again. and the people we were with (other americans) found it odd and hysterical that as the garbage truck came by and the people jumped out to clean a street, caitlin and i were greeting them by name!
6/5 - cadiz
an awful travel day.. we checked out of our hostal in seville (which i ended up really liking and would recommend) and headed to the bus station. after a long, hot walk, we still had to wait a half hour for a bus. and then a long wait for a train and a long train ride. when we finally arrived in cadiz. i called the hostal to get directions and they recommended taking a cab... it would be 4 euro. so we get in the cab and start going.... 25 minutes later we are on the expressway headed back towards seville! wtf?! at this point we were certain there has been a misunderstanding and pulled over to call the hostal again. well, there was a misunderstanding - a misunderstanding about where the hostal was and what train stop to get off at. apparently our hostel was in a suburb of cadiz called el puerto de santa maria, where we had just passed a half hour before on the train... bummer.
when we finally arrived (30 euro later) at Costa Luz (more like a motel than a hostel) we threw on our suits and headed straight for the beach!
then out to explore the downtown area, filled with restaurants and clubs and bars and ice cream stores! very cute little town, with fun for everyone. in fact, the thing that stood out most to me about El Puerto de Santa Maria was how safe it was! it may be because i am used to traveling in third world countries, where beach towns are sometimes the worst places for petty crime, but this was nothing like that. i kept expecting to turn down a street and have to turn around, or to babysit my purse instead of heading into the water, but there was no need for that here. not once was i in any questionable situation, even though i was in a completely foreign town. it was really refreshing!
another thing about the town is that there were very few international tourists... it seemed to be more of a vacation destination for spaniards (like lake geneva for many chicagoans). it was very family friendly, but also with plenty to do for people my age.
6/6 - happy birthday mom!
today we spent all day at the beach! (and caitlin is a whole mix of different colors ...some white - where the sunscreen was applied, much RED - where she missed, and some brown - where the freckles have just blended into each other)
then outtt!
7/7 - we had planned on heading to granada today, but apparently the only trains out of cadiz go to madrid, seville, and cordoba.. so cordoba it was then! but the train didnt leave til 530 so we had lunch, went on an ice cream hunt (for as many ice cream stores as there are in the town, none of them were open during the middle of the day at the peak of the heat...) until we finally had to settle for ben and jerrys (american, but delicious!), and then we headed to the station a couple hours early (we had already checked out of the hostel and didnt have many other options).
at the train station, we were entertained for literally two hours by a series of events i cannot even explain. words will not do it justice.. i will post pictures when i can. but essentially, there was one very large, very unattractive, very neon-clad, very close-talking, mullet-sporting guy that kept harrassing people and asking for money (including us). and every ten minutes or so this old man would march inside waving a cane and screaming at this boy to leave everybody alone. he would sit down on a bench for a couple minutes until the man left, and then start again. this went on the whole time, one time the old man almost hit him with the cane! hahahahahahaha.
and a couple times he squeezed through the turnstile with another passanger and made it out to the platform. then the old man would come running and the boy was dragged back outside! haha but other than the old man everybody was oddly low-key about the whole situation, laughing at him, and not threatening to call cops or arrest him or even kick him off the property all-together. soo odddd. like, was this just a big skit? are we on candid camera right now? hahahaha i cant explain how funny this all was, especially for caitlin who couldnt even understand what was being yelled.
on to cordoba!
our hostel was arabic themed, but we spent very little time there. when we arrived we threw our bags down and went out for tapas, the best tapas we had the whole trip! so good. and there had been no vegetarian food in cadiz, so i had been craving the grilled veggies that i was finally able to order.
ok now i need a break from the computer... i hope to get up to date in the next couple of days.
cheers! (or greets! as my german friend keeps saying)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
sorry!
sorry about the abrupt halt in posting... i have not had sufficient internet access for a while. i fly from madrid to berlin today and should have access at my next hostel... updates to come!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
sevilla!
yesterday we woke up late ....noon. we had missed our 11 oclock check out, and breakfast. they were not too happy.
then we headed to the train station and boarded a 3oclock train to seville.
seville, we quickly learned, is the hottest city in madrid. when we got off the train, it was roughly 104 degrees. damn...
our hostel, el nuevo suizo, is right in the heart of the city. it is a really old building with a lot of character. the only downside is that we were sharing a room with 8 other people....without air conditioning.. bummer.
but the roomies were really nice, a few from north carolina, the rest european.
we walked around for a few hours exploring. caitlin's feet were destroyed by that point, and she was determined to buy some new shoes. fortunately, 95% of spain's blocks are occupied by shoe stores (seriously, its really odd..).
then we had our afternoon jarra of sangria.
at night we went to a packed flamenco club and got our first taste of the intensely emotional spanish dance, and an interesting drink called the Agua de Sevilla...
sleeping was rough in the heat, but bearable.
today we are going to the flamenco museum and to the bullfighting arena!
then we headed to the train station and boarded a 3oclock train to seville.
seville, we quickly learned, is the hottest city in madrid. when we got off the train, it was roughly 104 degrees. damn...
our hostel, el nuevo suizo, is right in the heart of the city. it is a really old building with a lot of character. the only downside is that we were sharing a room with 8 other people....without air conditioning.. bummer.
but the roomies were really nice, a few from north carolina, the rest european.
we walked around for a few hours exploring. caitlin's feet were destroyed by that point, and she was determined to buy some new shoes. fortunately, 95% of spain's blocks are occupied by shoe stores (seriously, its really odd..).
then we had our afternoon jarra of sangria.
at night we went to a packed flamenco club and got our first taste of the intensely emotional spanish dance, and an interesting drink called the Agua de Sevilla...
sleeping was rough in the heat, but bearable.
today we are going to the flamenco museum and to the bullfighting arena!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
today
so we were able to book an extra day in madrid!
woke up - hip still hurting a lot.
prado - goya - hip doing wayyy better.
plaza de santa ana - we had some sangria... we reaalllly enjoy the plazas.
teleferico! we did the teleferico up to a cool park. very peaceful. a good rest.
casa luz.. we visited keelin´s favorite spot. good food and cold drink. they knew who keelin was and his friends, and david comp´ed most of our food. good call!
back to hostel for a nap
outtttttt.
woke up - hip still hurting a lot.
prado - goya - hip doing wayyy better.
plaza de santa ana - we had some sangria... we reaalllly enjoy the plazas.
teleferico! we did the teleferico up to a cool park. very peaceful. a good rest.
casa luz.. we visited keelin´s favorite spot. good food and cold drink. they knew who keelin was and his friends, and david comp´ed most of our food. good call!
back to hostel for a nap
outtttttt.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
july
7/1:
i woke up this morning and booked my flight to berlin! 11:30 am, july 10th, madrid to berlin! hoozah! kinda expensive, not the best airline, but a plan! cant wait! berlin will be amazing.
anyway, after that i woke caitlin up for breakfast. then we got dressed and walked to the prado. unfortunately she was suffering from some jetlag, dehydration, and bad orange juice (for breakfast) so we never actually made it inside. she was actually pretty sick, so we found some shade and chilled for an hour or so... and then decided we might as well head back to the hostel. she could sleep for a few hours and i could do my own thing.
i walked down towards gran via and chueca, and discovered that madrid´s gay pride festival was begining tonight! there were people everywhere, and bars, and kegs being filled, and taps being set up, and stages and decorations! having been sad about missing the gay pride parade in chicago this past sunday, i was really happy to find a madrileno substitute!
i went back and woke cait up, but she was still tired. i worked out for an hour and a half and woke her up again. i was eager to show her the places i had discovered. we walked towards puerta del sol (which was packed by that point, beacause of the festival) and we shared a jarra of sangria at plaza mayor. afterwards we had some tapas and headed back.
we were planning on going out but i am having some major problems with my hip (in addition to my ever-present knee problems...damnit why am i a 72 year old grandma. seriously...). it started bothering me in lisbon on saturday, and i ignored it. now it is really bad... seems to be not in the right place. so i am not going out and hoping that tomorrow it will be better. we are hoping to switch our hostel reservation in seville so we can spend an extra day here and do all the things we had planned on doing today...we´ll see..
okok goodnight.
i woke up this morning and booked my flight to berlin! 11:30 am, july 10th, madrid to berlin! hoozah! kinda expensive, not the best airline, but a plan! cant wait! berlin will be amazing.
anyway, after that i woke caitlin up for breakfast. then we got dressed and walked to the prado. unfortunately she was suffering from some jetlag, dehydration, and bad orange juice (for breakfast) so we never actually made it inside. she was actually pretty sick, so we found some shade and chilled for an hour or so... and then decided we might as well head back to the hostel. she could sleep for a few hours and i could do my own thing.
i walked down towards gran via and chueca, and discovered that madrid´s gay pride festival was begining tonight! there were people everywhere, and bars, and kegs being filled, and taps being set up, and stages and decorations! having been sad about missing the gay pride parade in chicago this past sunday, i was really happy to find a madrileno substitute!
i went back and woke cait up, but she was still tired. i worked out for an hour and a half and woke her up again. i was eager to show her the places i had discovered. we walked towards puerta del sol (which was packed by that point, beacause of the festival) and we shared a jarra of sangria at plaza mayor. afterwards we had some tapas and headed back.
we were planning on going out but i am having some major problems with my hip (in addition to my ever-present knee problems...damnit why am i a 72 year old grandma. seriously...). it started bothering me in lisbon on saturday, and i ignored it. now it is really bad... seems to be not in the right place. so i am not going out and hoping that tomorrow it will be better. we are hoping to switch our hostel reservation in seville so we can spend an extra day here and do all the things we had planned on doing today...we´ll see..
okok goodnight.
coincidences, and caitlin!
6/30: so i boarded my train last night and found my "room". there were two canadian girls already in there, sarah and sabrina. turns out they were pretty awesome, and we had a lot in common, including musical tastes. sarah had just graduated from queens, and sabrina had graduated a year ago and had been working and living in barcelona for a year. AND we were staying in the same hostel in madrid! crazy, eh?
then our fourth roommate came in. she was a bit older but very friendly. she was brazilian and had recently moved to madrid (and was still struggling with the spanish). she didn´t speak any english but sabrina and i are pretty fluent in spanish so we were able to communicate just fine. she was really sweet and invited us to hang out by the pool at her house in madrid! she said her 26 year old son would love to hang out and show us around (oh would he??) she gave us her address and phone number - we may just have to take her up on the offer!
then she was talking about how on the way to lisbon (she had gone for the weekend for a convention) she was stuck in a seat and how cold it had been. after i started making the same complaints, we both did a double take and realized that we had been sitting right next to each other on our trip from madrid to lisbon! weirdddd. too bad we hadn´t talked more on that trip (i had assumed she only spoke portuguese and she had assumed i only spoke english).
after a surprisingly great night sleep (there is something peaceful about the rhythmic sound of a train), we woke up in madrid. i went to the hostel with sarah and sabrina to check in. we dropped off our bags and went out for coffee and then to retiro park, the largest park in madrid. we hung out by the lake for a few hours until it was time for me to go meet caitlin at the airport.
at the airport i ended up having to wait for nearly two hours because the flight was delayed a bit and caitlin had had some issues with her bag (which was so big, it made my mom´s bag look tiny! and she was only there 10 days! oooh caitlin). then we went back to the hostel, showered, and went out for tapas and sangria.
caitlin was really jetlagged so we came back early, did some more trip planning, and now off to bed!
ps. caitlin´s arrival also meant the arrival of my debit card! i had made it the whole time with very limited cash! i will have to go out for a nice dinner this week!
then our fourth roommate came in. she was a bit older but very friendly. she was brazilian and had recently moved to madrid (and was still struggling with the spanish). she didn´t speak any english but sabrina and i are pretty fluent in spanish so we were able to communicate just fine. she was really sweet and invited us to hang out by the pool at her house in madrid! she said her 26 year old son would love to hang out and show us around (oh would he??) she gave us her address and phone number - we may just have to take her up on the offer!
then she was talking about how on the way to lisbon (she had gone for the weekend for a convention) she was stuck in a seat and how cold it had been. after i started making the same complaints, we both did a double take and realized that we had been sitting right next to each other on our trip from madrid to lisbon! weirdddd. too bad we hadn´t talked more on that trip (i had assumed she only spoke portuguese and she had assumed i only spoke english).
after a surprisingly great night sleep (there is something peaceful about the rhythmic sound of a train), we woke up in madrid. i went to the hostel with sarah and sabrina to check in. we dropped off our bags and went out for coffee and then to retiro park, the largest park in madrid. we hung out by the lake for a few hours until it was time for me to go meet caitlin at the airport.
at the airport i ended up having to wait for nearly two hours because the flight was delayed a bit and caitlin had had some issues with her bag (which was so big, it made my mom´s bag look tiny! and she was only there 10 days! oooh caitlin). then we went back to the hostel, showered, and went out for tapas and sangria.
caitlin was really jetlagged so we came back early, did some more trip planning, and now off to bed!
ps. caitlin´s arrival also meant the arrival of my debit card! i had made it the whole time with very limited cash! i will have to go out for a nice dinner this week!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
sintra!
9/29:
this morning we woke up to rain, lots of rain. but anne claire and i decided that we were still up for doing sintra, even if it meant getting wet. so we headed to the train station and took a 45 min trip out there. it poured the entire way there, but by the time we got off it had slowed to a tolerable drizzle. we went to the national palace. i wasn´t sure that it was worth paying the 5 euro to get in, but anne claire is a journalist and flashed her press card to get free admittance for the both of us! sweet!
afterwards we hiked up to Quinta da Regaleira, a historic estate consiting of a palace, chapel, park, grottoes, wells, caves, and a lake. we hiked around the property for over 3 hours, but we could have stayed 8. it was really extraordinary! and huge! i especially enjoyed hiking through the underground caves.
at the top of the mountain in sintra is the Castle of the Moors. it looked spectacular from the bottom (despite the fog), but i had heard that it was pretty cheesy up top, and i was short on time since i had to get back to the hostel and pack before heading to the trainstation to catch the night train to madrid. so we never made the hike all the way up. instead we stopped for a quick bite and a quick beer, and explored the small town. i also had to make a quick stop to try the pastel de nata (the cream-filled pastry that portugal is famous for!) then i headed back to lisbon, and anne claire headed to the beach at cascais (the sun had finally made its way out at that point).
now i am back at the hostel about to leave for the train! see ya back in madrid!... caitlin comes tomorrow :)
this morning we woke up to rain, lots of rain. but anne claire and i decided that we were still up for doing sintra, even if it meant getting wet. so we headed to the train station and took a 45 min trip out there. it poured the entire way there, but by the time we got off it had slowed to a tolerable drizzle. we went to the national palace. i wasn´t sure that it was worth paying the 5 euro to get in, but anne claire is a journalist and flashed her press card to get free admittance for the both of us! sweet!
afterwards we hiked up to Quinta da Regaleira, a historic estate consiting of a palace, chapel, park, grottoes, wells, caves, and a lake. we hiked around the property for over 3 hours, but we could have stayed 8. it was really extraordinary! and huge! i especially enjoyed hiking through the underground caves.
at the top of the mountain in sintra is the Castle of the Moors. it looked spectacular from the bottom (despite the fog), but i had heard that it was pretty cheesy up top, and i was short on time since i had to get back to the hostel and pack before heading to the trainstation to catch the night train to madrid. so we never made the hike all the way up. instead we stopped for a quick bite and a quick beer, and explored the small town. i also had to make a quick stop to try the pastel de nata (the cream-filled pastry that portugal is famous for!) then i headed back to lisbon, and anne claire headed to the beach at cascais (the sun had finally made its way out at that point).
now i am back at the hostel about to leave for the train! see ya back in madrid!... caitlin comes tomorrow :)
Monday, June 29, 2009
wandering around
6/28: happy birthday dad!
today i woke up late and enjoyed my free hostel breakfast (i always eat a ton of the free breakfast so i can skip lunch and just buy one meal a day, even if its from the grocery store). then i was going to go with my new turkish friend, hulya, around lisbon, but she wanted to go up the castle where i had already been, so i took a pass.
the weather was not great, but i grabbed my umbrella and walked to a few museums. even though i dont love museums, most places are closed on sundays and that is the one day most museums are free. then i hiked to the top of Eduardo VII Park, where there was the postcard view of the city of lisbon. afterwards, i walked to the Basilica Estrela, one of the most famous churches in the area - it was beautiful, and the adjacent park made for a very nice stroll. then i took a break for a glass of wine and stopped at the grocery store on my way back to the hostel (i was not going to munch on bread for dinner tonight). i picked up some eggs, yogurt, and a bottle of wine. i was eager to meet more people tonight, and figured a bottle of wine might help.
i arrived at the hostel at about 5 oclock, riiight before the rain got really bad. i relaxed and read for a few of hours. then i connected with caitlin online and booked our hostel for our first two nights in madrid. that meant i knew exactly where i would be sleeping for the next FOUR nights (i had already booked a BED on the train back to madrid for tomorrow night)!! wow. it was kinda nice.
later, i made some dinner and split my bottle of wine with Anne Claire, a new friend from france. we talked for a few hours and made plans for the next day to go to sintra, a nearby town.
all in all, a good, relaxing, day :)
today i woke up late and enjoyed my free hostel breakfast (i always eat a ton of the free breakfast so i can skip lunch and just buy one meal a day, even if its from the grocery store). then i was going to go with my new turkish friend, hulya, around lisbon, but she wanted to go up the castle where i had already been, so i took a pass.
the weather was not great, but i grabbed my umbrella and walked to a few museums. even though i dont love museums, most places are closed on sundays and that is the one day most museums are free. then i hiked to the top of Eduardo VII Park, where there was the postcard view of the city of lisbon. afterwards, i walked to the Basilica Estrela, one of the most famous churches in the area - it was beautiful, and the adjacent park made for a very nice stroll. then i took a break for a glass of wine and stopped at the grocery store on my way back to the hostel (i was not going to munch on bread for dinner tonight). i picked up some eggs, yogurt, and a bottle of wine. i was eager to meet more people tonight, and figured a bottle of wine might help.
i arrived at the hostel at about 5 oclock, riiight before the rain got really bad. i relaxed and read for a few of hours. then i connected with caitlin online and booked our hostel for our first two nights in madrid. that meant i knew exactly where i would be sleeping for the next FOUR nights (i had already booked a BED on the train back to madrid for tomorrow night)!! wow. it was kinda nice.
later, i made some dinner and split my bottle of wine with Anne Claire, a new friend from france. we talked for a few hours and made plans for the next day to go to sintra, a nearby town.
all in all, a good, relaxing, day :)
lisboa! finally!
6/27:
well that was not fun. dave had called as i was just leaving madrid and advised me to go hang out in the bar to pass time. unfortunately, i was short on cash... and the bar was pretty empty anyway, surprisingly. for 10 hours i was cold and uncomfortable and my neck will surely hurt for days. note to self: book a bed on the return train immediately after arriving in lisbon!
but anyway, at 7:30am, i arrived in lisbon!!! of course, i still had no idea where i was going to sleep and did not want to wander around town looking with my pack on my back. so i sat in the cafe at the train station, drank some coffee, charged my nearly-dead phone, and consulted hostelworld.com (my hostel bible) via blackberry browser. the trickiest part was finding a hostel that was not too expensive, and that accepted credit cards. hardly any of the hostels accepted cards. finally i discovered Lisbon Old Town Hostel, which advertised "the newest hostel in lisbon!". perfect! and i was able to reserve a room online! (to avoid getting all the way there and finding out that they were full) it was a bit more than i was hoping to pay (22 Euro), but that was fine. after a short ride on the metro, i hiked about a half mile to my new home.
as i arrived, they were painting the outside wall... a beautiful mural of the city of lisbon! i have to remember to take a picture before i leave. i walked in and the guy at the desk was very friendly. in fact all the staff was very friendly... and all about 24 year old, and male, and portuguese, and cute. sigh..
the hostel was way smaller than in barcelona, and way more quiet... and generally nicer. i was booked in an all girl, 8 bed room, but only a couple of girls were in the room. it was very clean and had a lot of personality. beautifully painted walls, and art everywhere. even the blankets on the beds were stylish (the fact that the beds had blankets... or even two sheets, says a lot about how nice this place was, as far as hotels go). our room also had an adjacent living room!
it was quiet and peaceful and very nice, i loved it. but i had noticed that there were not really any americans anywhere and many people were speaking various other languages. no problem, i kinda wanted to do my own thing for a couple days anyway.
as tired as i was, i only had three days here so i took a shower and headed to downtown lisbon. i wandered around, up the streets and into the shops, and then i decided to hike up the mountain to the cathedral and the St. Jorge Castle. the view from atop the mountain was spectacular, and i spent a few hours just wandering around and getting lost and re-finding my way. exhausted, i returned to the hospital at about 5 and passed out until 8. then i found some bread to munch on for dinner, had some beer with a few people and chatted for a couple hours, and went back to sleep.
well that was not fun. dave had called as i was just leaving madrid and advised me to go hang out in the bar to pass time. unfortunately, i was short on cash... and the bar was pretty empty anyway, surprisingly. for 10 hours i was cold and uncomfortable and my neck will surely hurt for days. note to self: book a bed on the return train immediately after arriving in lisbon!
but anyway, at 7:30am, i arrived in lisbon!!! of course, i still had no idea where i was going to sleep and did not want to wander around town looking with my pack on my back. so i sat in the cafe at the train station, drank some coffee, charged my nearly-dead phone, and consulted hostelworld.com (my hostel bible) via blackberry browser. the trickiest part was finding a hostel that was not too expensive, and that accepted credit cards. hardly any of the hostels accepted cards. finally i discovered Lisbon Old Town Hostel, which advertised "the newest hostel in lisbon!". perfect! and i was able to reserve a room online! (to avoid getting all the way there and finding out that they were full) it was a bit more than i was hoping to pay (22 Euro), but that was fine. after a short ride on the metro, i hiked about a half mile to my new home.
as i arrived, they were painting the outside wall... a beautiful mural of the city of lisbon! i have to remember to take a picture before i leave. i walked in and the guy at the desk was very friendly. in fact all the staff was very friendly... and all about 24 year old, and male, and portuguese, and cute. sigh..
the hostel was way smaller than in barcelona, and way more quiet... and generally nicer. i was booked in an all girl, 8 bed room, but only a couple of girls were in the room. it was very clean and had a lot of personality. beautifully painted walls, and art everywhere. even the blankets on the beds were stylish (the fact that the beds had blankets... or even two sheets, says a lot about how nice this place was, as far as hotels go). our room also had an adjacent living room!
it was quiet and peaceful and very nice, i loved it. but i had noticed that there were not really any americans anywhere and many people were speaking various other languages. no problem, i kinda wanted to do my own thing for a couple days anyway.
as tired as i was, i only had three days here so i took a shower and headed to downtown lisbon. i wandered around, up the streets and into the shops, and then i decided to hike up the mountain to the cathedral and the St. Jorge Castle. the view from atop the mountain was spectacular, and i spent a few hours just wandering around and getting lost and re-finding my way. exhausted, i returned to the hospital at about 5 and passed out until 8. then i found some bread to munch on for dinner, had some beer with a few people and chatted for a couple hours, and went back to sleep.
travel travel travel
6/26:
i woke up at 7am, just in time to throw a shoe across the room at mau and tell him he was going to miss his train, and fall back asleep. i didnt wake up until 10:30, but it was okay because they dont charge you unless you check out after 11. still unsure of my plan, i packed quickly and headed downstairs. MY EURAIL HAD COME!!! excellent. i knew that the train from madrid to lisbon was not until night but i was antsy to leave and a little anxious about not having tickets or knowing where to go...and madrid was still a 3.5 hour train ride from barcelona...so i went to the train station. i caught a 2:00 train to madrid and when i arrived (about 5:30)i immediately bought my ticket to lisbon. the train did not leave until 10:30pm from a station on the other side of the city, and i would have to be seated because all the beds were full. bummer. but at least i would be in lisbon by morning! since i had 5 hours to kill, i left the station and found a nearby (i did not want to travel too far, since i had my heavy pack to drag along) cafe to have a beer. it was a beautiful day, and i sat and read for a couple hours near the art museum reina sofia. then i cought the metro across town to the other train station to wait for my other train. i was wayyy too early and nearly drove myself crazy sitting there for 2.5 hours, but i was nervous about getting lost. at least i had kindle to keep me company.
at 10:30 i boarded the crowded train and settled in... i had a long night ahead of me. maybe since i had gotten no sleep the night before, i would be able to pass out in the uncomfortable seat...
i woke up at 7am, just in time to throw a shoe across the room at mau and tell him he was going to miss his train, and fall back asleep. i didnt wake up until 10:30, but it was okay because they dont charge you unless you check out after 11. still unsure of my plan, i packed quickly and headed downstairs. MY EURAIL HAD COME!!! excellent. i knew that the train from madrid to lisbon was not until night but i was antsy to leave and a little anxious about not having tickets or knowing where to go...and madrid was still a 3.5 hour train ride from barcelona...so i went to the train station. i caught a 2:00 train to madrid and when i arrived (about 5:30)i immediately bought my ticket to lisbon. the train did not leave until 10:30pm from a station on the other side of the city, and i would have to be seated because all the beds were full. bummer. but at least i would be in lisbon by morning! since i had 5 hours to kill, i left the station and found a nearby (i did not want to travel too far, since i had my heavy pack to drag along) cafe to have a beer. it was a beautiful day, and i sat and read for a couple hours near the art museum reina sofia. then i cought the metro across town to the other train station to wait for my other train. i was wayyy too early and nearly drove myself crazy sitting there for 2.5 hours, but i was nervous about getting lost. at least i had kindle to keep me company.
at 10:30 i boarded the crowded train and settled in... i had a long night ahead of me. maybe since i had gotten no sleep the night before, i would be able to pass out in the uncomfortable seat...
Sunday, June 28, 2009
beach!
6/25: today i went to the beach alll day long. my family was gone, and i was finally able to take advantage of the topless beaches! after about 6 hours, we were fried and decided to rehydrate and head back to the hostel. we grabbed some dinner and then hung out at the hostel until about 12:30. i had not been planning on going out because of my lack of funds, but my dorm-mates were very persuasive. we headed to the gothic area and hit up a few bars. i even led everybody back to sincopa, the bar that i had liked so much when my parents came out. people were very nice and somehow i ended up drinking a sufficient amount even without any money...the perks of being a girl, i suppose.
while we were out, we got the news: michael jackson had left us.
a moment of silence.
it really was crazy though, because michael jackson is a universal superstar, and EVERYBODY in barcelona knew who he was and that he had died just as soon as we did.
after the bars we headed to the beach. after a while a bunch of us separated, and people eventually headed back to the hostel. mau and i managed to be the last ones back at about 5:30, which was great because he had to catch a train at 8am, and i had to check-out by 10... ugh. and i still didnt know if/when my eurail pass would get there - would i have to book another night? or try to get to madrid/lisbon?
while we were out, we got the news: michael jackson had left us.
a moment of silence.
it really was crazy though, because michael jackson is a universal superstar, and EVERYBODY in barcelona knew who he was and that he had died just as soon as we did.
after the bars we headed to the beach. after a while a bunch of us separated, and people eventually headed back to the hostel. mau and i managed to be the last ones back at about 5:30, which was great because he had to catch a train at 8am, and i had to check-out by 10... ugh. and i still didnt know if/when my eurail pass would get there - would i have to book another night? or try to get to madrid/lisbon?
guadi, gaudi, gaudi ... and a minor mishap
6/24: this morning i went with some of the girls to Parc Guell, a park containing many stone structures, fascinating buildings, and other statues by antonio gaudi. it was a decent hike up to the park, but when you arrived you entered into a beautiful, colorful, magical world! i will post pictures shortly (if i can figure out how to do that), but it was truly amazing how every single thing - from the seats to the pillars to the houses to the bridges, were intricate pieces of art. one could spend an entire day just exploring this whimsical universe! also, for anybody who watches americas next top model, one of the runway shows apparently took place here - and i admit that when somebody pointed it out to me it did look familiar (must have been one of those damn marathons that can consume you on a rainy sunday - my mom knows what im talking about)
Afterwards we took a crowded train back to the gothic center, where we stopped for some sangria. this is when i noticed that my wallet was gone...bum bum bum.... it was my own fault - i had taken it out to buy a train ticket and had put it back in my purse right on top of everything else, and then boarded a very crowded train.
bad luck, first my eurail gets sent to the states, now my wallet is gone. :(
luckily, i had taken some precaution. i had kept my credit card and my passport locked up in the room, just for this reason. still, i had no cash, and no access to cash because my debit card was gone.
i went immediately back to the hostel and called my bank. they cancelled my card and fast-tracked one to my parents house - they said they were not able to send a new card internationally. on top of that, they were not able to issue me a pin number for my credit card for 7 days...what a dilemma.
no reason to freak out, there were ways to get by. caitlin could bring me my debit card when i meet her in madrid on the 30th. and if i REALLY needed to, i could get a cash advance from a local bank, but that would include a fee and high interest. i also remembered that i had about 45 dollars with me. if i exchanged that, i could probably get about 30 euro? still, not enough. so, i asked my new friends for a favor. since we were going out to eat anyway, could i please put everything on my credit card and have them give me cash? of course, they would! great! as long as i can charge everything and keep my small amount for when i really need it, i should be able to make it! right? and there is also the exchange option, and the cash advance option if i REALLY need to. okay, problem solved, but it would be a tricky 6 days...i would have to spend as little money as possible.
luckily i had not lost anything else in my wallet, about 20 euro, my debit card, and my license. it could be way worse! no reason to let it stop me or get distressed. shit happens. i will be more careful from now on.
Afterwards we took a crowded train back to the gothic center, where we stopped for some sangria. this is when i noticed that my wallet was gone...bum bum bum.... it was my own fault - i had taken it out to buy a train ticket and had put it back in my purse right on top of everything else, and then boarded a very crowded train.
bad luck, first my eurail gets sent to the states, now my wallet is gone. :(
luckily, i had taken some precaution. i had kept my credit card and my passport locked up in the room, just for this reason. still, i had no cash, and no access to cash because my debit card was gone.
i went immediately back to the hostel and called my bank. they cancelled my card and fast-tracked one to my parents house - they said they were not able to send a new card internationally. on top of that, they were not able to issue me a pin number for my credit card for 7 days...what a dilemma.
no reason to freak out, there were ways to get by. caitlin could bring me my debit card when i meet her in madrid on the 30th. and if i REALLY needed to, i could get a cash advance from a local bank, but that would include a fee and high interest. i also remembered that i had about 45 dollars with me. if i exchanged that, i could probably get about 30 euro? still, not enough. so, i asked my new friends for a favor. since we were going out to eat anyway, could i please put everything on my credit card and have them give me cash? of course, they would! great! as long as i can charge everything and keep my small amount for when i really need it, i should be able to make it! right? and there is also the exchange option, and the cash advance option if i REALLY need to. okay, problem solved, but it would be a tricky 6 days...i would have to spend as little money as possible.
luckily i had not lost anything else in my wallet, about 20 euro, my debit card, and my license. it could be way worse! no reason to let it stop me or get distressed. shit happens. i will be more careful from now on.
the solo adventure begins!
6/23: so, like i mentioned, my dads plan to have the nicest hotel at the end just made my transition to hostel-jumping all that more difficult. nonetheless, i was really excited for it all to begin! after they left i stayed at the hotel until about 2 oclock, sucking up my last bit of pure luxury and free food and drink. but by then i was anxious to cross town and get settled into my 10-person dorm room at Centric Point, a huge 400-person hostel. everybody was out when i got there so i dropped my bag, locked up my valuables, and headed out. i had some errands to run to finish preparing for my back-packing trip... i had a get new lock for my locker (i had forgotten mine), a new water bottle (also forgot it, and i CANNOT travel/live without one), a satchel, and an all-inclusive European travel book. after finding a lock and bottle at an outdoors store, the bag at a cute store in El Born, and "Europe on a Shoestring - big trip on small budget" Lonely Planet guide in a small book shop, i headed back to the hostel. still, nobody was there, so i headed up to the terrace on the 7th floor which i had yet to check out. wow. it was really sweet up there! my hostel was in a great location, on a main road and in the middle of a bunch of gaudi architecture - you could see much of his stuff from the roof! and their was a bar and tables and chairs and even a place to lay out and catch some rays! so i sat down and read for a while while sipping on a sangria.
that night was the festival of san juan, the reason that i had decided to stay an extra day... so i headed to the beach with two girls from the room, sara and su. it was absolutely packed all night long, with fireworks going off continuously and music playing on the boardwalk, and of course, guys walking around selling 1 euro beers. all in all, a really fun time.
ps. i had realized soon after my parents left, that my Eurail pass had returned with them to the states. bummer. looks like i might be in barcelona a night or two longer than expected...
that night was the festival of san juan, the reason that i had decided to stay an extra day... so i headed to the beach with two girls from the room, sara and su. it was absolutely packed all night long, with fireworks going off continuously and music playing on the boardwalk, and of course, guys walking around selling 1 euro beers. all in all, a really fun time.
ps. i had realized soon after my parents left, that my Eurail pass had returned with them to the states. bummer. looks like i might be in barcelona a night or two longer than expected...
Saturday, June 27, 2009
barcelona!
when we showed up at the Hotel Arts, we immediately assumed our VIP status. with champagne in hand, we checked in "upstairs" - up in the lounge that is. we were treated like royalty, and that was before we even saw our rooms, or the beach or the pool or the fitness area. my dad said he planned it that way, the nicest place at the end, when people might be most antsy to get home. and it was a good call on his part - it is hard to be homesick when then alternative is the ritz in barcelona! .... (unfortunately this had the reverse affect on me, because intead of going home to my own bed afterwards, i would be downgrading drastically to the cheapest hostel i can find in whatever city i decide to sleep in..)
day 1) we took advantage of the food in the lounge and rested. until midnight that is. it was saturday night and keelin, kyle, and i were not going to miss our one weekend night in barcelona! we headed out to El Born.... El Born was great because there were bars on either side of the street, and people hung out in between them, creating a "street-party", complete with guys walking around selling 1 euro beers ! we had a few beers at a casual bar and met some girls from denmark that were very nice. they had been in barcelona for four days and offered up some good suggestions of things to do. we also talked about politics and food (lea was a vegetarian as well) and the possibility of me visiting them in denmark if i get a chance.
Then we met some other girls, who brought us to a club. they knew the bouncer and got us all in for free !! clubs arent usually my scene, but we were in barcelona! it was hot and sweaty and lots and lots of peoople and dancing and bad music (just like an american club)... but it was a necessary experience!
then we headed home...sort of. keelin was following me and i was following him and before we realized it we were really far from the hotel. when we finally turned around and got close, i realized that the sun would be coming up soon and it was the solstice! so we HAD to go watch the sunrise. after a big debate about where the sun actually rose ... we headed to the beach! there were other people there, and there were still guys walking around selling euro beers! exactly what you want at 6 in the morning, hehe.
day 2) sleep. after passing out at 7am, we were kinda useless for most of the day. we did make it out to the beach for a couple of hours... and then back to sleep. we did get up eventually to go upstairs and eat food... in the lounge. and then we went out for a drink to celebrate fathers day!
day 3) we planned on taking a bus tour but the buses were on strike (strikes just follow us around europe) so we did a walking tour instead. we checked out some of the buildings by gaudi, a spanish architect who created some really cool dr. seuss like work! his stuff is all over barcelona, including the sagrada familia, a giant whimsical temple! we also walked by the hostel that i had booked to stay in when the fam leaves....
at night, mom and dad come out for a few drinks in the gothic district to a small little bar called sincopa, great music and ambiance!
day 4) family leaves, what an amazing time. most families cant spend this much time together, away from home and friends and distractions. but we really had a great time with each other. thanks to my dad especially, for working so hard to make this trip possible for all of us. it was such a great experience to share with the five people closest to me in life...
thanks also to aunt pris who helped with alll the planning!
now the family is home, and my trip is just at the beginning... seperate posts to come!
day 1) we took advantage of the food in the lounge and rested. until midnight that is. it was saturday night and keelin, kyle, and i were not going to miss our one weekend night in barcelona! we headed out to El Born.... El Born was great because there were bars on either side of the street, and people hung out in between them, creating a "street-party", complete with guys walking around selling 1 euro beers ! we had a few beers at a casual bar and met some girls from denmark that were very nice. they had been in barcelona for four days and offered up some good suggestions of things to do. we also talked about politics and food (lea was a vegetarian as well) and the possibility of me visiting them in denmark if i get a chance.
Then we met some other girls, who brought us to a club. they knew the bouncer and got us all in for free !! clubs arent usually my scene, but we were in barcelona! it was hot and sweaty and lots and lots of peoople and dancing and bad music (just like an american club)... but it was a necessary experience!
then we headed home...sort of. keelin was following me and i was following him and before we realized it we were really far from the hotel. when we finally turned around and got close, i realized that the sun would be coming up soon and it was the solstice! so we HAD to go watch the sunrise. after a big debate about where the sun actually rose ... we headed to the beach! there were other people there, and there were still guys walking around selling euro beers! exactly what you want at 6 in the morning, hehe.
day 2) sleep. after passing out at 7am, we were kinda useless for most of the day. we did make it out to the beach for a couple of hours... and then back to sleep. we did get up eventually to go upstairs and eat food... in the lounge. and then we went out for a drink to celebrate fathers day!
day 3) we planned on taking a bus tour but the buses were on strike (strikes just follow us around europe) so we did a walking tour instead. we checked out some of the buildings by gaudi, a spanish architect who created some really cool dr. seuss like work! his stuff is all over barcelona, including the sagrada familia, a giant whimsical temple! we also walked by the hostel that i had booked to stay in when the fam leaves....
at night, mom and dad come out for a few drinks in the gothic district to a small little bar called sincopa, great music and ambiance!
day 4) family leaves, what an amazing time. most families cant spend this much time together, away from home and friends and distractions. but we really had a great time with each other. thanks to my dad especially, for working so hard to make this trip possible for all of us. it was such a great experience to share with the five people closest to me in life...
thanks also to aunt pris who helped with alll the planning!
now the family is home, and my trip is just at the beginning... seperate posts to come!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
munchen!
i liked munich! when we got in, we were all kinda exhausted, generally exhausted. so we were thrilled to find that the hotel was equipped with a huge spa and pool (kyle finallly got the pool he'd been hoping for!), a fitness room, and internet. it was one of the nicest hotels i've ever stayed at - very modern on the inside but housed in a very old, interesting building.
so my mom and i went out for a short walk while every one else rested and enjoyed the accomodations, for dinner we went to hofbrauhaus - a beer hall near marienplatz that keelin recommended (he had been when he visited for oktoberfest). on the way we stopped and saw some good music on the street. then my mom and i stopped for a glass of wine, and the boys went out for beers on the street. the next day was rainy and cold, which kinda sucked since it was our only full day in munich. but we made an effort- equipped with six umbrellas, we walked around munich....until the rain won the battle. we headed indoors for more german beers and pretzels, and headed back to the hotel. i finally got in a really good workout and relaxed for a couple hours before keelin and kyle and i went out. the night was really really fun - my favorite nightlife so far! we stopped for a liter at a beerhall. then we were looking for recommendations in our book, but the guide book was from 2000 and lacked sufficient directions so we were not too confident. but one bar stuck out to me (jurgenwaltz i believe? no thats probably not right....) it said that it was more of a local place with live music and cozy atmosphere. i didn't think we would actually find it (it could have closed or changed hours it nine years...) but i headed where i thought it might be, and sure enough on a lonely corner we saw the sign for the bar. we walked in and saw that all the lights were out and chairs stacked...but we could hear music from somewhere. we looked up and saw a light on and people singing. and upon further inspection, spotted stairs going up. we went up, but the door was closed with a sign in german that we could not read.. was this a private party? we were pretty unsure and almost didnt even bother opening the door. good thing we decided to go for it! the bar was tiny and packed, but we were able to squeeze 3 seats on a bench with a bunch of local guys. we sang and swayed and stayed for way longer than expected. it was a ton of fun! and the music was great and the people were just so happy and nice! we all loved it, but kyle especially wanted to stay as long as possible!
but after a few beers we moved on (we did only have one night out, and so much to see) we went to a smaller bar for our night cap, and headed home, stopping for drunk food on the way! yummm
onto barcelona, time is flying wayyy too fast!
so my mom and i went out for a short walk while every one else rested and enjoyed the accomodations, for dinner we went to hofbrauhaus - a beer hall near marienplatz that keelin recommended (he had been when he visited for oktoberfest). on the way we stopped and saw some good music on the street. then my mom and i stopped for a glass of wine, and the boys went out for beers on the street. the next day was rainy and cold, which kinda sucked since it was our only full day in munich. but we made an effort- equipped with six umbrellas, we walked around munich....until the rain won the battle. we headed indoors for more german beers and pretzels, and headed back to the hotel. i finally got in a really good workout and relaxed for a couple hours before keelin and kyle and i went out. the night was really really fun - my favorite nightlife so far! we stopped for a liter at a beerhall. then we were looking for recommendations in our book, but the guide book was from 2000 and lacked sufficient directions so we were not too confident. but one bar stuck out to me (jurgenwaltz i believe? no thats probably not right....) it said that it was more of a local place with live music and cozy atmosphere. i didn't think we would actually find it (it could have closed or changed hours it nine years...) but i headed where i thought it might be, and sure enough on a lonely corner we saw the sign for the bar. we walked in and saw that all the lights were out and chairs stacked...but we could hear music from somewhere. we looked up and saw a light on and people singing. and upon further inspection, spotted stairs going up. we went up, but the door was closed with a sign in german that we could not read.. was this a private party? we were pretty unsure and almost didnt even bother opening the door. good thing we decided to go for it! the bar was tiny and packed, but we were able to squeeze 3 seats on a bench with a bunch of local guys. we sang and swayed and stayed for way longer than expected. it was a ton of fun! and the music was great and the people were just so happy and nice! we all loved it, but kyle especially wanted to stay as long as possible!
but after a few beers we moved on (we did only have one night out, and so much to see) we went to a smaller bar for our night cap, and headed home, stopping for drunk food on the way! yummm
onto barcelona, time is flying wayyy too fast!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
venezia.
so kelly's 13th bday was celebrated between two countries - she woke up in switzerland and fell asleep in italy. the way there though, was a bit rocky. the train was the longest we've been on so far, and also the least comfortable. and no food!... or so we thought. so at milan when we had a 15 minute stop, keelin, my mom, and i jumped out and went to buy food. we were already cutting it close, and up at the register the cashier did not know how to work the register and had to look up every single item code.... keelin went to the train to make sure it hadn't left. when we finally paid, my mom grabbed the food and took off while i waited for change and ran. keelin barely made it. my mom and i- not so much. bummer...
neither my mom nor i had grabbed our purse. we looked at each other, reached into our pockets and she pulled out a credit card (with my dads name on it) and i pulled out my cell phone. no ID, no cash - phone, credit card, and a bag full of food. LUCKILY, that was all we needed. we were able to get tickets at a reasonable price for the next train to venice - only a half hour behind the one that we had been on, and more comfortable! so as stressful as it was at the time, it ended up only being a minor glitch...
venice was unlike any place i've ever been. extremely touristy! but really interesting as well. it took a while for me to realize that this is a real town, not a theme park. people actually live with river streets. no cars at all, but boats! seems like quite the mode of transportation! especially for our boat-loving family! i think kyle is considering moving there to become a 'taxi' driver!
the next day we went to murano - the island known for its glass blowing. and we saw a demonstration, and bought some really interesting art! later, we took a 3 hour tour of venice - 1 hour on boat, two hours walking. and while it was all really interesting, and good to get away from the touristy areas for a while, 3 hours was a long time, especially for me who usually hates formal tours at all costs.
besides glass, venice is also known for its masks! so, naturally, as a mask collector, i was in heaven! before leaving the next morning, i found a great typical venetian harlequin mask that i can't wait to add to my collection...
onward to alemania!
ciao bellas!
neither my mom nor i had grabbed our purse. we looked at each other, reached into our pockets and she pulled out a credit card (with my dads name on it) and i pulled out my cell phone. no ID, no cash - phone, credit card, and a bag full of food. LUCKILY, that was all we needed. we were able to get tickets at a reasonable price for the next train to venice - only a half hour behind the one that we had been on, and more comfortable! so as stressful as it was at the time, it ended up only being a minor glitch...
venice was unlike any place i've ever been. extremely touristy! but really interesting as well. it took a while for me to realize that this is a real town, not a theme park. people actually live with river streets. no cars at all, but boats! seems like quite the mode of transportation! especially for our boat-loving family! i think kyle is considering moving there to become a 'taxi' driver!
the next day we went to murano - the island known for its glass blowing. and we saw a demonstration, and bought some really interesting art! later, we took a 3 hour tour of venice - 1 hour on boat, two hours walking. and while it was all really interesting, and good to get away from the touristy areas for a while, 3 hours was a long time, especially for me who usually hates formal tours at all costs.
besides glass, venice is also known for its masks! so, naturally, as a mask collector, i was in heaven! before leaving the next morning, i found a great typical venetian harlequin mask that i can't wait to add to my collection...
onward to alemania!
ciao bellas!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
bern victim.
GO TO BERN! it is officially my favorite place i've visited in europe so far. as i emerged from the train station the first thing i noticed was bikes. everywhere. bikes! they weren't even locked up. were these people not afraid of getting their bikes stolen? don't they know that an abandoned bike will not last 7 minutes unlocked?? oh wait, this isn't chicago....
somebody immediately offered to help us find our hotel, and to help us figure out how to get a bus ticket, and what restaurants had the best deals. these people were so nice and friendly, and coming from france it was a very, very refreshing!
besides the amazing population of bern, the city is beautiful. set in the alps, it provides breathtaking views of the mountains as well as a river through the town. the weather was good, and i felt at home among these friendly bikers and hikers!
the hotel was awesome as well... and really close to the small town. and since i was so
anxious to take advantage of every minute i had in bern, i dropped my bag and grabbed a bike (which was rented to us for free) and went into town for a stroll, a beer, and a snack.
the next day the weather was a little overcast but i was determined to get some hiking in. so i convinced keelin to hike up to gurten with me; it was a short, moderate hike, but really enjoyable - plus there was some really good grafiti art along the way. at the top was a spectacular view of the mountainous city of bern and its surrounding villages.
at night we went for some fondue (we were in switzerland, afterall) and out to check out the night life. while the first few places we went seemed pretty dead, on our way home we went to a bar called Cuba, and although it was a weekday night, Cuba was packed! and open til 3:30! so, naturally, we stayed longer than we had intended. but i had a great time, met some locals, met some fellow travelers, danced a bit, and exchanged some contact info...
the next morning we left for venice early....
but i was so drawn to this small mountain town, that i am considering working it into my trip later on this summer! i really would like to come back and explore for a few more days!
ok... venice updates to come!
ciao!
somebody immediately offered to help us find our hotel, and to help us figure out how to get a bus ticket, and what restaurants had the best deals. these people were so nice and friendly, and coming from france it was a very, very refreshing!
besides the amazing population of bern, the city is beautiful. set in the alps, it provides breathtaking views of the mountains as well as a river through the town. the weather was good, and i felt at home among these friendly bikers and hikers!
the hotel was awesome as well... and really close to the small town. and since i was so
anxious to take advantage of every minute i had in bern, i dropped my bag and grabbed a bike (which was rented to us for free) and went into town for a stroll, a beer, and a snack.
the next day the weather was a little overcast but i was determined to get some hiking in. so i convinced keelin to hike up to gurten with me; it was a short, moderate hike, but really enjoyable - plus there was some really good grafiti art along the way. at the top was a spectacular view of the mountainous city of bern and its surrounding villages.
at night we went for some fondue (we were in switzerland, afterall) and out to check out the night life. while the first few places we went seemed pretty dead, on our way home we went to a bar called Cuba, and although it was a weekday night, Cuba was packed! and open til 3:30! so, naturally, we stayed longer than we had intended. but i had a great time, met some locals, met some fellow travelers, danced a bit, and exchanged some contact info...
the next morning we left for venice early....
but i was so drawn to this small mountain town, that i am considering working it into my trip later on this summer! i really would like to come back and explore for a few more days!
ok... venice updates to come!
ciao!
Friday, June 19, 2009
ooh pariee - what a louvre-ly city!
we took the train into paris and a cab to the hotel ... we were all surprised at how nice the hotel was! it was so modern and different from our hotel in london, which had been more traditional.
after settling in and taking a quick nap, we left the hotel and maneuvered our way through the streets of paris for the first time. and as we crossed the seine and turned the corner and caught our first glimpse of the eiffel tower, i was awestruck. i mean, i knew it was there, the symbol of france - we have all seen the postcards and the keychains and the romantic scenes in the movies, so i was surprised to find myself speechless. it was just a tourist site, right? the cliche thing to do when visiting paris? well yes, it is that. and maybe that is why i wasn't expecting it to affect me so much. but standing 300 meters high, lit up and beautiful in the twilight, it really is incredible. so i recommend it to all those who travel to paris: be the tourist, take the pictures, head straight to the eiffel tower and let it consume you.
afterwards we went to Diet and had a delicious vietnamese dinner (or so i hear.... the vegetarian pickins were slim)
the next day we went to the louvre. the building really is magnificant, and a bit overwhelming. buttt we made the mistake of taking a tour... and while i didn't hate it, i did not louvre it either (sorry, i can't stop myself). no, but seriously, it was pretty painful. personally, i'm not a big fan of guided tours, and this one was pretty bad. by the end, we had taken off our headphones and begun wandering around on our own.
then we headed to the metro station to get to sucre-coeur. at the station we had our first experience of that French rudeness you hear so much about. the guy working in the information office (yes, it said information in english right above the window) refused to deal with us at all when we asked to buy tickets. no french? no help! he refused to even look at us, and waved us away from the window. yeah, he was a jerk. but we eventually figured it out on our own.
when we got to sucre-coeur, we did the hike up the hill to montmartre, a little neighborhood with markets and cafes and local art. it was a beautiful day and we took our time exploring before stopping for wine and dinner. sucre-coeur may have been my favorite area of paris that we visited. it was quaint - a great spot to walk around and just observe...
the next day we took the train to EuroDisney. and although this trip was mostly for kelly, i think we all enjoy Disney (at least in small doses). that night, back in paris, keelin and kyle and i went out to a few bars, rode an abandoned bicycle with flat tires, missed the last train, and cought a cab back to the hotel.
so overall, we had a good time in paris. the city really is amazing: beautiful buildings, beautiful people, beautiful streets, cafes and art - and fine wine, of course. the downside: the people were generally not the most welcoming. yes, that is a generalization. and not every parisian was a jerk, but we encountered quite a few people who did not have the best attitude, especially toward us american tourists.
i would really like to visit other parts of france and see if the vibe is different outside of paris. hopefully i will get the opportunity! perhaps a trip to nice after barcelona? ha, we'll see....
au revoir!
after settling in and taking a quick nap, we left the hotel and maneuvered our way through the streets of paris for the first time. and as we crossed the seine and turned the corner and caught our first glimpse of the eiffel tower, i was awestruck. i mean, i knew it was there, the symbol of france - we have all seen the postcards and the keychains and the romantic scenes in the movies, so i was surprised to find myself speechless. it was just a tourist site, right? the cliche thing to do when visiting paris? well yes, it is that. and maybe that is why i wasn't expecting it to affect me so much. but standing 300 meters high, lit up and beautiful in the twilight, it really is incredible. so i recommend it to all those who travel to paris: be the tourist, take the pictures, head straight to the eiffel tower and let it consume you.
afterwards we went to Diet and had a delicious vietnamese dinner (or so i hear.... the vegetarian pickins were slim)
the next day we went to the louvre. the building really is magnificant, and a bit overwhelming. buttt we made the mistake of taking a tour... and while i didn't hate it, i did not louvre it either (sorry, i can't stop myself). no, but seriously, it was pretty painful. personally, i'm not a big fan of guided tours, and this one was pretty bad. by the end, we had taken off our headphones and begun wandering around on our own.
then we headed to the metro station to get to sucre-coeur. at the station we had our first experience of that French rudeness you hear so much about. the guy working in the information office (yes, it said information in english right above the window) refused to deal with us at all when we asked to buy tickets. no french? no help! he refused to even look at us, and waved us away from the window. yeah, he was a jerk. but we eventually figured it out on our own.
when we got to sucre-coeur, we did the hike up the hill to montmartre, a little neighborhood with markets and cafes and local art. it was a beautiful day and we took our time exploring before stopping for wine and dinner. sucre-coeur may have been my favorite area of paris that we visited. it was quaint - a great spot to walk around and just observe...
the next day we took the train to EuroDisney. and although this trip was mostly for kelly, i think we all enjoy Disney (at least in small doses). that night, back in paris, keelin and kyle and i went out to a few bars, rode an abandoned bicycle with flat tires, missed the last train, and cought a cab back to the hotel.
so overall, we had a good time in paris. the city really is amazing: beautiful buildings, beautiful people, beautiful streets, cafes and art - and fine wine, of course. the downside: the people were generally not the most welcoming. yes, that is a generalization. and not every parisian was a jerk, but we encountered quite a few people who did not have the best attitude, especially toward us american tourists.
i would really like to visit other parts of france and see if the vibe is different outside of paris. hopefully i will get the opportunity! perhaps a trip to nice after barcelona? ha, we'll see....
au revoir!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
rachel, got ya` bracelets?
sorry, kinda bad at this so far...
updates, eh?
first and foremost: it turns out, the london bridge never fell down. it is, in fact, standing quite sturdily. and i crossed it on my way from the tower of london to a rally to raise awareness of hiv/aids issues worldwide. afterwards, we had a much-needed wyman (plus dave) frisbee hour (or two) and some drinks along the river, where we encountered peter "douchebag"(a name my mother gave to to our waiter after some intense rudeness on his part).
the weather in london was colder than expected, and it rained a couple of days, but we still had a great time- visited the british museum, the tate modern (i was personally a big fan), walked through many neighborhoods (including some quite interesting ones....) and parks, strolled the river, went out in soho with kyle and keelin, hit up pubs all over, and spent a day with dave who came in from birmingham.
the day before we left london, the Underground went on strike. at 6:59pm all of the underground staff got up and walked out, whether they were working ticket booths or conducting a train. the strike was held because of disagreements over wages between the rail/transportation union and the city and because the mayor (boris johnson) was planning to cut around 1,000 jobs. during the day before the strike there was lots of speculation whether it would be averted at the last minute. apparently negotiations took place and some compromises were made, but they were unable to come to an agreement about the impending job cuts...
so by 5:45 the rush to get home began... it was a tuesday night and a ton of people had to get home from work before 7pm, or risk being stuck on an abandoned train, or stranded without any train home at all. though we weren`t coming home from work, we got caught in the same rush at about ten after 6, as we attempted to make our way back to our neighborhood before it was too late. all five of us (kelly had stayed back at the hotel) took a deep breath in and piled into an already overflowing train (somehow). it was sweaty and uncomfortable and even painful, and i loved it. this is the kinda social expression and uprise that it is really interesting to experience even in the most 'outsider' sort of way. real political and social issues in a different society happening all around me (literally) - the reaction of the people, the impact on local, daily, life, etc. yeah, so, that was pretty cool to experience. (the next morning, however, it kinda sucked trying to find a way to the chunnel station all the way across the city without undergroud service, and with everybody else looking for a cab , and 3 times as many cars on the street....but we made it!)
and so, for now, 'chip chip cheerio!'
updates, eh?
first and foremost: it turns out, the london bridge never fell down. it is, in fact, standing quite sturdily. and i crossed it on my way from the tower of london to a rally to raise awareness of hiv/aids issues worldwide. afterwards, we had a much-needed wyman (plus dave) frisbee hour (or two) and some drinks along the river, where we encountered peter "douchebag"(a name my mother gave to to our waiter after some intense rudeness on his part).
the weather in london was colder than expected, and it rained a couple of days, but we still had a great time- visited the british museum, the tate modern (i was personally a big fan), walked through many neighborhoods (including some quite interesting ones....) and parks, strolled the river, went out in soho with kyle and keelin, hit up pubs all over, and spent a day with dave who came in from birmingham.
the day before we left london, the Underground went on strike. at 6:59pm all of the underground staff got up and walked out, whether they were working ticket booths or conducting a train. the strike was held because of disagreements over wages between the rail/transportation union and the city and because the mayor (boris johnson) was planning to cut around 1,000 jobs. during the day before the strike there was lots of speculation whether it would be averted at the last minute. apparently negotiations took place and some compromises were made, but they were unable to come to an agreement about the impending job cuts...
so by 5:45 the rush to get home began... it was a tuesday night and a ton of people had to get home from work before 7pm, or risk being stuck on an abandoned train, or stranded without any train home at all. though we weren`t coming home from work, we got caught in the same rush at about ten after 6, as we attempted to make our way back to our neighborhood before it was too late. all five of us (kelly had stayed back at the hotel) took a deep breath in and piled into an already overflowing train (somehow). it was sweaty and uncomfortable and even painful, and i loved it. this is the kinda social expression and uprise that it is really interesting to experience even in the most 'outsider' sort of way. real political and social issues in a different society happening all around me (literally) - the reaction of the people, the impact on local, daily, life, etc. yeah, so, that was pretty cool to experience. (the next morning, however, it kinda sucked trying to find a way to the chunnel station all the way across the city without undergroud service, and with everybody else looking for a cab , and 3 times as many cars on the street....but we made it!)
and so, for now, 'chip chip cheerio!'
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
el salvador.
so i graduated may 9th and headed down to central america that weekend. i spent most of my time in el salvador, a country about the size of massachusetts that was consumed by a brutally violent civil war between 1980 and 1992. this immersion trip had special meaning for me, since i had devoted much of my senior year to writing my Honors paper on human rights in el salvador, specifically about the practice of torture during the civil war. this trip allowed me to meet the survivors and experience how the country has recovered, and understand that in some ways the war has not yet ended.
here are some fragments from the journal i kept while i was there:
"I had written about the death squads and government-sponsored murder, so it is extremely interesting for me to be here and see/hear first-hand what I have been researching. It affected me on a totally different level actually being here and visualizing the death squads, than simply reading descriptions and statistics."
"Radio Balsamo is dedicated to promoting democracy in the community [Zaragosa] and offers people a forum to voice their concerns and to organize. They asked if Danny and I would go on-air for a few minutes and explain who we were and why we were there and then answer some questions, since Danny and I are the only two in the group who really speak Spanish. It was a bit nerve-wracking and I know I made some mistakes but it really was exciting!"
(during my homestay in Zaragosa):
"Esmeralda made us coffee and eggs and we were able to talk with her. She told me about her life - about the war and how it had affected her family, about torture, and about having to start over. I translated all of this to Jacob, which felt a little strange because I knew she felt comfortable relating her painful past to me, but I wasn't sure about him...
She told me that during the war her father was suspected of being a guerrilla (even though, in reality, he was not). For that reason her mother and father were arrested and jailed, and her family was separated for eight years. Her father was tortured because they thought he had valuable information about the guerrilla forces and could give up key names and locations. Meanwhile, her brother, who WAS a guerrilla, was brutally murdered. They still do not know what happened to his body
When the family was reunited (save her brother, whose name she did not share), her father was still in danger, so they fled to Zaragosa for refuge. They had to leave their house, all their cultivated land, and everything else they had known. They even had to change their names. They traveled to Zaragosa and had to start from scratch. They built a new house, and cultivated new land.
Then Esmeralda began to tear up as she began to recount the story of her older sister. Her sister had not gone with the family to Zaragosa. She was married and had stayed with her husband and father-in-law. The armed forces captured them and tortured them. They killed her husband and his father. They raped and tortured her, and left her for dead in a ditch. Somehow, however, she managed to get up - bleeding and wounded all over - and walk. She walked until she reached a small pueblo, where she was admitted into the hospital. She was there for a few months, and had begun to heal, when the armed forces found out she was there. She was warned by somebody working at the hospital that they would be coming for her, and he helped her escape the day before they came. Now her sister lives in Zaragosa with the rest of her living family."
...
"Esmeralda makes $60-70 a month, which is not enough to live on, but is better than the $15 she used to make...
She said that since the war, the economic situation has not really improved... few jobs...low pay.."
(During our visit to the Liberation Museum in Perquin):
"After our visit, we had a talk with Mario, who is in charge of the museum and a former guerrilla. During the discussion, he said some really profound things that I would like to remember:
- He said that for each year of war, it takes 20 years to recover
- He said that the people responsible for the war crimes must be brought to justice - the impunity must be reversed. Then, they could be FORGIVEN and the country could begin to heal.
- He said that in war, there is not one good side and one bad side. Both sides made many errors.
- Although the Peace Accords were signed in 1992 the war is not over yet. People are still hurting. Those responsible should step forward and apologize so they can be forgiven and the country can heal.
**Mario was such a jolly and sweet man. Despite his experiences and the destruction of his country, he was happy and proud and optimistic about the future of El Salavdor."
(During the visit to El Mozote)
"El Mozote is where the biggest massacre of the war occurred. They estimate that 1100-1300 people died at El Mozote. Many remains were never identified, and it is impossible to give each perished soul a name.
The Church in El Mozote is standing just as it was at the time of the massacre. You can see the dents from bullets on the ground and in the entrance and in the garden, as well as the stain of blood that has not washed away in 28 years. On the outside walls on either side are beautiful murals. On the right side is the happiest depiction I have ever seen. It was an image of kids playings (silhouettes of young children), stars, rainbow, sun. The colors are just so bold and bright and the kids seem so innocent and joyful.
Standing there, I could not help but feel genuinely HAPPY! Even though, at the bottom of the mural were plaques with the names of 146 children, 140 between the ages of 2 days and 11 years, who on one dark day in 1981, were locked inside and brutally murdered. The babies were thrown in the air and caught with machetes.....
...And I am in awe, as I have been so many times throughout this trip, at the ability of these people to remain hopeful - to remember the children as they were when they were alive and at their happiest, to believe that in heaven, they have returned to that joyful, innocent state.
...
Later, we walked to another part of town, into a foresty area where we could identify the remains of a house. That house was where many women of El Mozote were locked inside and bombed - Fragments of their bones still lie in the soil...."
(After our visit to the Aragon Foundation):
"Alas! I am in love. jaja. This morning we visited the Aragon Foundation, where we met Guillermo (or Guie as he told me to call him), the founder of Aragon. Aragon foundation provides education to elementary and high-school-aged kids in El Zaite, an area of Zaragoza controlled by gangs. The foundation also offers various weekend activities for the children to keep them occupied so they are less likely to get caught up in the gang-life. There are also classes for the adults of the community (i.e., about hygiene and carpentry). Many of the parents are gang members, and some of them really do want the best for their children. Nonetheless, their home-life is very dangerous. Guie has meetings with the gang-leaders every month to negotiate terms and help assure that the school and students are kept safe (He admitted that he does get quite nervous before each meeting and the short meetings are always extremely stressful). Many of the students are at school from 6am to 7pm or 8pm, and some even stay overnight because going home is too dangerous. For those that do go home, the school has a private bus that picks them up and drops them off, so they do not have to walk. Each child is also given a uniform, (including shoes, which many of them have never previously owned).
Aragon is funded by Belgian donors. Guie's parents died during the civil war, and he was adopted by a Belgian family. He spent most of his youth there, and then moved back to Zaragosa to start Aragon. The donors are all connections he has back in Belgium, whom he reports to throughout each year.
Even though Guie speaks like 6 languages fluently, spoke to us only in Spanish (I think he was self-conscious about his English). I was so impressed by this whole organization and how it was really offering theses children an alternative future (saving hundreds of kids from the gang-life), that I spoke to Guie for a long time after the presentation. Bob and I were both interested in the possibility of returning to work with the organization, so I asked Guie if that would be a possibility. He said he would love for me to return, but if I were to stay longer than a month it would be quite dangerous. If I were to stay for up to a month I could sleep at the school, but I would still need to sacrifice any "partying" or night-life outside of the organization, due to the gang presence.... Either way, I have his contact information. I would really like to help out in the future, in some way."
so these are just a couple reflections i had during my time in central america. i am off to europe in a couple days to begin another adventure, this one of a completely different nature. updates to come...
here are some fragments from the journal i kept while i was there:
"I had written about the death squads and government-sponsored murder, so it is extremely interesting for me to be here and see/hear first-hand what I have been researching. It affected me on a totally different level actually being here and visualizing the death squads, than simply reading descriptions and statistics."
"Radio Balsamo is dedicated to promoting democracy in the community [Zaragosa] and offers people a forum to voice their concerns and to organize. They asked if Danny and I would go on-air for a few minutes and explain who we were and why we were there and then answer some questions, since Danny and I are the only two in the group who really speak Spanish. It was a bit nerve-wracking and I know I made some mistakes but it really was exciting!"
(during my homestay in Zaragosa):
"Esmeralda made us coffee and eggs and we were able to talk with her. She told me about her life - about the war and how it had affected her family, about torture, and about having to start over. I translated all of this to Jacob, which felt a little strange because I knew she felt comfortable relating her painful past to me, but I wasn't sure about him...
She told me that during the war her father was suspected of being a guerrilla (even though, in reality, he was not). For that reason her mother and father were arrested and jailed, and her family was separated for eight years. Her father was tortured because they thought he had valuable information about the guerrilla forces and could give up key names and locations. Meanwhile, her brother, who WAS a guerrilla, was brutally murdered. They still do not know what happened to his body
When the family was reunited (save her brother, whose name she did not share), her father was still in danger, so they fled to Zaragosa for refuge. They had to leave their house, all their cultivated land, and everything else they had known. They even had to change their names. They traveled to Zaragosa and had to start from scratch. They built a new house, and cultivated new land.
Then Esmeralda began to tear up as she began to recount the story of her older sister. Her sister had not gone with the family to Zaragosa. She was married and had stayed with her husband and father-in-law. The armed forces captured them and tortured them. They killed her husband and his father. They raped and tortured her, and left her for dead in a ditch. Somehow, however, she managed to get up - bleeding and wounded all over - and walk. She walked until she reached a small pueblo, where she was admitted into the hospital. She was there for a few months, and had begun to heal, when the armed forces found out she was there. She was warned by somebody working at the hospital that they would be coming for her, and he helped her escape the day before they came. Now her sister lives in Zaragosa with the rest of her living family."
...
"Esmeralda makes $60-70 a month, which is not enough to live on, but is better than the $15 she used to make...
She said that since the war, the economic situation has not really improved... few jobs...low pay.."
(During our visit to the Liberation Museum in Perquin):
"After our visit, we had a talk with Mario, who is in charge of the museum and a former guerrilla. During the discussion, he said some really profound things that I would like to remember:
- He said that for each year of war, it takes 20 years to recover
- He said that the people responsible for the war crimes must be brought to justice - the impunity must be reversed. Then, they could be FORGIVEN and the country could begin to heal.
- He said that in war, there is not one good side and one bad side. Both sides made many errors.
- Although the Peace Accords were signed in 1992 the war is not over yet. People are still hurting. Those responsible should step forward and apologize so they can be forgiven and the country can heal.
**Mario was such a jolly and sweet man. Despite his experiences and the destruction of his country, he was happy and proud and optimistic about the future of El Salavdor."
(During the visit to El Mozote)
"El Mozote is where the biggest massacre of the war occurred. They estimate that 1100-1300 people died at El Mozote. Many remains were never identified, and it is impossible to give each perished soul a name.
The Church in El Mozote is standing just as it was at the time of the massacre. You can see the dents from bullets on the ground and in the entrance and in the garden, as well as the stain of blood that has not washed away in 28 years. On the outside walls on either side are beautiful murals. On the right side is the happiest depiction I have ever seen. It was an image of kids playings (silhouettes of young children), stars, rainbow, sun. The colors are just so bold and bright and the kids seem so innocent and joyful.
Standing there, I could not help but feel genuinely HAPPY! Even though, at the bottom of the mural were plaques with the names of 146 children, 140 between the ages of 2 days and 11 years, who on one dark day in 1981, were locked inside and brutally murdered. The babies were thrown in the air and caught with machetes.....
...And I am in awe, as I have been so many times throughout this trip, at the ability of these people to remain hopeful - to remember the children as they were when they were alive and at their happiest, to believe that in heaven, they have returned to that joyful, innocent state.
...
Later, we walked to another part of town, into a foresty area where we could identify the remains of a house. That house was where many women of El Mozote were locked inside and bombed - Fragments of their bones still lie in the soil...."
(After our visit to the Aragon Foundation):
"Alas! I am in love. jaja. This morning we visited the Aragon Foundation, where we met Guillermo (or Guie as he told me to call him), the founder of Aragon. Aragon foundation provides education to elementary and high-school-aged kids in El Zaite, an area of Zaragoza controlled by gangs. The foundation also offers various weekend activities for the children to keep them occupied so they are less likely to get caught up in the gang-life. There are also classes for the adults of the community (i.e., about hygiene and carpentry). Many of the parents are gang members, and some of them really do want the best for their children. Nonetheless, their home-life is very dangerous. Guie has meetings with the gang-leaders every month to negotiate terms and help assure that the school and students are kept safe (He admitted that he does get quite nervous before each meeting and the short meetings are always extremely stressful). Many of the students are at school from 6am to 7pm or 8pm, and some even stay overnight because going home is too dangerous. For those that do go home, the school has a private bus that picks them up and drops them off, so they do not have to walk. Each child is also given a uniform, (including shoes, which many of them have never previously owned).
Aragon is funded by Belgian donors. Guie's parents died during the civil war, and he was adopted by a Belgian family. He spent most of his youth there, and then moved back to Zaragosa to start Aragon. The donors are all connections he has back in Belgium, whom he reports to throughout each year.
Even though Guie speaks like 6 languages fluently, spoke to us only in Spanish (I think he was self-conscious about his English). I was so impressed by this whole organization and how it was really offering theses children an alternative future (saving hundreds of kids from the gang-life), that I spoke to Guie for a long time after the presentation. Bob and I were both interested in the possibility of returning to work with the organization, so I asked Guie if that would be a possibility. He said he would love for me to return, but if I were to stay longer than a month it would be quite dangerous. If I were to stay for up to a month I could sleep at the school, but I would still need to sacrifice any "partying" or night-life outside of the organization, due to the gang presence.... Either way, I have his contact information. I would really like to help out in the future, in some way."
so these are just a couple reflections i had during my time in central america. i am off to europe in a couple days to begin another adventure, this one of a completely different nature. updates to come...
Sunday, May 31, 2009
some of my favorite quotes about seeing the world...
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” - St. Augustine
“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” - Jack Kerouac
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” - Lao Tzu
“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J. R. R. Tolkien
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” - Maya Angelou
“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” - Jack Kerouac
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” - Lao Tzu
“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J. R. R. Tolkien
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” - Maya Angelou
"I love my country… but I think we should start seeing other people." - Bumper Sticker
“Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you’ve got to keep moving”- Albert Einstein
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