I have been horrible about keeping up with this blog lately. I found a good book so all of my (little) free time is now spent reading. How horrible...
Im in Paris and loving it much more than I was expecting to, thats for sure. It really is the city of lights. Okay, I know they call it the city of love but its second name is the city of lights and I think that is much more applicable considering the only love Im seeing is a distgusting amount of PDA (public display of affection)...but when that term is used its never in the good 'aww how cute' but 'eww get a room' kind of way. So everything is lit up and beautiful.
I never realized how HUGE paris is. It really is a very large city and not walkable like other cities Ive been to. I actually have to use the Metro...how annoying. But I like the metro...you always meet interesting people and go exactly where you want to be, which is nice.
Rewind with me for a moment to the most amazing day of my entire trip so far. It was a crisp, cold day in Zurich, Switzerland. I had just spent the night before enjoying a few adult beverages (okay, more than a few) and spent the morning taking a long, hot shower, hanging around in my towel (who doesnt love that), reading a good book and just taking it easy. I packed my luggage and was preparing to move on to a new host when I received a call from my current host (he was at his girlfriends place so we hadnt seen him all day) saying that it looked like a good enough day to go for a flight. (He has his pilots license, you see, and access to a number of small, personal planes). Would we like to go for a flight over Zurich? Well I had to think about that for about two milliseconds before almost screaming YES! So Karissa, our new host (who we had meet up with us at the hanger...seems like a great way to first meet a person), our old host and myself took a small plane up into the air and, get ready for this, FLEW OVER AND THROUGH THE FREAKING SWISS ALPS. The sun was setting, there was a layer of clouds below us that looked like the softest of soft, powdered snow that everyone loves to jump in as a kid and there were, of course, the alps. Those gorgeous snow-capped Alps peeking through the clouds. Because it was a nearly windless day, we were able to get incredibly close to the actual mountainsides. AND I got to fly!! How cool is that. I flew of freaking plane through the swiss alps.
no big deal
too bad this place wont let me upload pictures...until next time...
From Zurich to Lucerne, where I met some really cool girls Im going to meet back up with in Amsterdam in a few days, to Paris and having a wonderful time. November 19 is almost here....unbelievable.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
finally, a post and some pictures
finally...i know its been a while and i wont promise tons of information but ill do my best to update. Its been an amazing time since I last wrote. I have fallen so in love with Europe and traveling in general I dont know how Ill ever leave it. From the people to the history to the amazing things ive been up to...its all so hard to give up for a day job in america.
But enough of that...Ive been having a blast here in Europa. I went to Nice, France and stayed in the awesome hostel that is a converted monastery. It is really special place because every single person that works there is a traveler who ran out of money and got a job doing odd things there and then in a few months will move on to another city. a lot of hostels around europe have one or two foreign travelers and mostly locals, but this place is a melting pot. plus, it had free breakfast and free internet. but the internet was super slow and always busy so i didnt really get to use it. the hostel also arranges excursions for you so i decided to go canyoning, which was AMAZING.
first i have to tell you about melanie and alana, two australians who met each other on busabout and who then met karissa and i and we have become very close and started to travel with each other. its been great...we do things with them during the day and cook big dinners together in the hostel every night so we end up eating very healthy(besides the copius amounts of wine) and having tons of fun.
so mel and I went canyoning and becuase it involves wet suits and just trudging straight through water i have no pictures of the actual event. but let me tell you, it was incredible. We jumped off of cliffs into aqua blue water and slid down mossy rocks into deep watery pits. it was like an adventurous water hike. really really cool. one of the coolest things ive done this entire trip.
we visited monaco, the richest nation in the world. apparently just to be considered for citizenship there you have to pay a non refundable 1,000,000 euro deposit...you read correctly. 1 million euros...just to be considered. apparently both tina turner and michael jackson were refused. that money is lost and gone forever. the yachts - huge, the egos- even bigger. it was a pretty ridiculous little town that i wish i didnt waste a day on. except that the grand prix was taking place and that was cool to see. i dont think it was the real thing but a trial...still had tv crews everywhere. saw the monte carlo casino...very ritzy.
next we headed to the swiss alps and stayed in lauterbrunnen. AMAZING, WONDERFUL, GORGEOUS, OHMYGOSH. LOVE LOVE LOVE switzerland. it is seriously a beautiful place. Lauterbrunnen is this tiny, tiny town in the middle of a glacier pass made a long time ago. mel, alana and i spent five hours in basically an adult playground. you are strapped in to harnesses, given a short instruction and then let loose... and there are five courses you can accomplish. the hardest one being extremely difficult. we were swinging from tree tops and ziplining down long paths through the forest and working our way through tunnels in the sky 20 meters off the ground. all the while the trees are turning a beautiful orange. it was such a fun day. the hardest course required a lot of strength and has left me sore until this moment, even. there was this one tarzan swing thing that required you to jump from a platform and make it across to this net ladder, which if you missed left you dangling helplessly in the middle. well, mel and alana made it across but of course i missed the net ladder and was left...helpless in the middle.mel and i were laughing so hard i couldnt move. my arms were extremely sore and i was laughing so hard it was really debilitating (sp?). I was just stuck there...cracking up. so i finally calmed down and pulled myself to the net ladder and made my way around but it was an interesting few minutes just hanging in limbo. a really fun day.
then i made a stupid, yet wise, yet stupid decision. the next day mel, alana and i rode mountain bikes up a swiss alp. you know how people say they do things that are hard but really rewarding and totally worth the incredible effort? this wasnt like that. it sucked. royally sucked. i ended up pushing hte damn bike all the way up. okay,..im glad i did it because we had some incredible views until we were up so high that we were in a could (literally) and couldnt see a thing. and we enjoyed some delicious soup at the top. but it was miserable the whole way up. really beautiful...but really, really painful. I have some bruises and definitely sore muscles from that ordeal. but how many people can say they biked/hiked up a swiss alp? not many.
so ive been mentioning mel and alana a lot. karissa during all this time wanted to see the french countryside on her own and practice her language skills so she stayed with some servas members out in draguinan. dont even ask me where that is. she enjoyed delicious meals and scottish-irish traditional dance.
so karissa and i are reunited and i was sad to have to say goodbye to my new ozzie friends who taught karissa and me a lot of great ozzie slang that i reckon ill be using for some time now. (just did) busabout is coming to a close and this was the last leg for a lot of the people weve met along the way so we had to say goodbye to all of them this morning as we left for zurich. leaving cities and new friends every week is a very hard part of traveling.
but now were in zurich with our new host, manuel meier. hes a 28 year old economist who lives in the most bachelor pad of bachelor pads. has three roommates...all economists...all young...its like college again. alcohol bottles on top of the kitchen cabinetsand whole pile of beer bottles in the corner ready for recycling. very homey. we cooked fondu (a traditional swiss meal) for manuel tonight and tomorrow we are making a big pasta dinner for all the guys and then going out.
will update more later...enjoy the pics
hi to karissas grandparents :)
But enough of that...Ive been having a blast here in Europa. I went to Nice, France and stayed in the awesome hostel that is a converted monastery. It is really special place because every single person that works there is a traveler who ran out of money and got a job doing odd things there and then in a few months will move on to another city. a lot of hostels around europe have one or two foreign travelers and mostly locals, but this place is a melting pot. plus, it had free breakfast and free internet. but the internet was super slow and always busy so i didnt really get to use it. the hostel also arranges excursions for you so i decided to go canyoning, which was AMAZING.
first i have to tell you about melanie and alana, two australians who met each other on busabout and who then met karissa and i and we have become very close and started to travel with each other. its been great...we do things with them during the day and cook big dinners together in the hostel every night so we end up eating very healthy(besides the copius amounts of wine) and having tons of fun.
so mel and I went canyoning and becuase it involves wet suits and just trudging straight through water i have no pictures of the actual event. but let me tell you, it was incredible. We jumped off of cliffs into aqua blue water and slid down mossy rocks into deep watery pits. it was like an adventurous water hike. really really cool. one of the coolest things ive done this entire trip.
we visited monaco, the richest nation in the world. apparently just to be considered for citizenship there you have to pay a non refundable 1,000,000 euro deposit...you read correctly. 1 million euros...just to be considered. apparently both tina turner and michael jackson were refused. that money is lost and gone forever. the yachts - huge, the egos- even bigger. it was a pretty ridiculous little town that i wish i didnt waste a day on. except that the grand prix was taking place and that was cool to see. i dont think it was the real thing but a trial...still had tv crews everywhere. saw the monte carlo casino...very ritzy.
next we headed to the swiss alps and stayed in lauterbrunnen. AMAZING, WONDERFUL, GORGEOUS, OHMYGOSH. LOVE LOVE LOVE switzerland. it is seriously a beautiful place. Lauterbrunnen is this tiny, tiny town in the middle of a glacier pass made a long time ago. mel, alana and i spent five hours in basically an adult playground. you are strapped in to harnesses, given a short instruction and then let loose... and there are five courses you can accomplish. the hardest one being extremely difficult. we were swinging from tree tops and ziplining down long paths through the forest and working our way through tunnels in the sky 20 meters off the ground. all the while the trees are turning a beautiful orange. it was such a fun day. the hardest course required a lot of strength and has left me sore until this moment, even. there was this one tarzan swing thing that required you to jump from a platform and make it across to this net ladder, which if you missed left you dangling helplessly in the middle. well, mel and alana made it across but of course i missed the net ladder and was left...helpless in the middle.mel and i were laughing so hard i couldnt move. my arms were extremely sore and i was laughing so hard it was really debilitating (sp?). I was just stuck there...cracking up. so i finally calmed down and pulled myself to the net ladder and made my way around but it was an interesting few minutes just hanging in limbo. a really fun day.
then i made a stupid, yet wise, yet stupid decision. the next day mel, alana and i rode mountain bikes up a swiss alp. you know how people say they do things that are hard but really rewarding and totally worth the incredible effort? this wasnt like that. it sucked. royally sucked. i ended up pushing hte damn bike all the way up. okay,..im glad i did it because we had some incredible views until we were up so high that we were in a could (literally) and couldnt see a thing. and we enjoyed some delicious soup at the top. but it was miserable the whole way up. really beautiful...but really, really painful. I have some bruises and definitely sore muscles from that ordeal. but how many people can say they biked/hiked up a swiss alp? not many.
so ive been mentioning mel and alana a lot. karissa during all this time wanted to see the french countryside on her own and practice her language skills so she stayed with some servas members out in draguinan. dont even ask me where that is. she enjoyed delicious meals and scottish-irish traditional dance.
so karissa and i are reunited and i was sad to have to say goodbye to my new ozzie friends who taught karissa and me a lot of great ozzie slang that i reckon ill be using for some time now. (just did) busabout is coming to a close and this was the last leg for a lot of the people weve met along the way so we had to say goodbye to all of them this morning as we left for zurich. leaving cities and new friends every week is a very hard part of traveling.
but now were in zurich with our new host, manuel meier. hes a 28 year old economist who lives in the most bachelor pad of bachelor pads. has three roommates...all economists...all young...its like college again. alcohol bottles on top of the kitchen cabinetsand whole pile of beer bottles in the corner ready for recycling. very homey. we cooked fondu (a traditional swiss meal) for manuel tonight and tomorrow we are making a big pasta dinner for all the guys and then going out.
will update more later...enjoy the pics
hi to karissas grandparents :)
Friday, October 17, 2008
staying here forever, never cpming back, better buy a plane ticket if you want to see me again
probably not entirely true
but i love it too much to leave
plus, i dont have much lined up back in the states and here...theres so much to explore
sorry for being so cryptic
hope life is going well wherever you are
but i love it too much to leave
plus, i dont have much lined up back in the states and here...theres so much to explore
sorry for being so cryptic
hope life is going well wherever you are
Thursday, October 16, 2008
blah blah blah in Italy
You know how when you get those really bad fortunes from bad chinese restaurants or a friend (or just you) tells a bad story but if you end it with 'in bed' or 'and then I found $20' it makes the story automatically better? Okay so a lot of you probably dont know that, but its something us younguns do and I've decided that ending bad stories (which I have quite a few of) and boring fortunes with 'in Italy' it automatically makes the entire story amazing. This is truth.
I don't remember what I wrote about last and Im too lazy to check but Ill give a bit of an update on whats been happening so far. I am in Cinque Terre...my favorite place in Italy so far...and my last place in Italy as well :(. It is just gorgeous. There are these 5 (cinque) little towns/villages (and I stress little) on the edge of this amazing mountain ridge by the water. Between each village is a hike. I am staying at one end, Riomaggiore, where the trail starts with Lovers Lane - a very easy, paved stroll. The hike to the first two towns is very simple but by the middle town, Corniglia, the hike starts to get really intense. Massive sets of steep stairs and narrow pathways next to major dropoffs and all the while a spectacular view out into the ocean. We met up with some other busabout girls and did the hike together. It was an overcastish day when we did the big part of the hike and you literally could not tell where ocean met sky. It was incredible. I love each and every little town and the hike between is a great workout and just a fun trip. I could really live in one of these little villages. There is so much to do too! The last town has a great beach and beautifully clear water (actually, its all pretty water - a turquoise, blue, clear, fresh looking water). There are mountain biking paths, horseback riding trails, scuba diving spots, kayaks and boats are out every day. Its wonderful. I really love this place the most of all.
We were originally only going to spend two nights here, but from the moment I got off of the train in Riomaggiore and saw that view of the ocean I knew I needed more time so weve got a total of four nights. We leave tomorrow morning for Nice, which I am also excited about, but it will be really hard to leave Italy. Im only holding out for Switzerland and the view of the Alps, which directly follows three nights in Nice.
Sorry I cant post pictures at this spot, but I will soon.
Food update - I eat a gelato every day...like taking medicine. The pizza here is as good as you would think it should be. Especially in Cinque Terre where they put it on foccacia bread...delicious!!
Ill update wiht pictures and more specifics of my travels next time.
Ciao
I don't remember what I wrote about last and Im too lazy to check but Ill give a bit of an update on whats been happening so far. I am in Cinque Terre...my favorite place in Italy so far...and my last place in Italy as well :(. It is just gorgeous. There are these 5 (cinque) little towns/villages (and I stress little) on the edge of this amazing mountain ridge by the water. Between each village is a hike. I am staying at one end, Riomaggiore, where the trail starts with Lovers Lane - a very easy, paved stroll. The hike to the first two towns is very simple but by the middle town, Corniglia, the hike starts to get really intense. Massive sets of steep stairs and narrow pathways next to major dropoffs and all the while a spectacular view out into the ocean. We met up with some other busabout girls and did the hike together. It was an overcastish day when we did the big part of the hike and you literally could not tell where ocean met sky. It was incredible. I love each and every little town and the hike between is a great workout and just a fun trip. I could really live in one of these little villages. There is so much to do too! The last town has a great beach and beautifully clear water (actually, its all pretty water - a turquoise, blue, clear, fresh looking water). There are mountain biking paths, horseback riding trails, scuba diving spots, kayaks and boats are out every day. Its wonderful. I really love this place the most of all.
We were originally only going to spend two nights here, but from the moment I got off of the train in Riomaggiore and saw that view of the ocean I knew I needed more time so weve got a total of four nights. We leave tomorrow morning for Nice, which I am also excited about, but it will be really hard to leave Italy. Im only holding out for Switzerland and the view of the Alps, which directly follows three nights in Nice.
Sorry I cant post pictures at this spot, but I will soon.
Food update - I eat a gelato every day...like taking medicine. The pizza here is as good as you would think it should be. Especially in Cinque Terre where they put it on foccacia bread...delicious!!
Ill update wiht pictures and more specifics of my travels next time.
Ciao
Sunday, October 12, 2008
the more you see...
Im now more than ever learning the meaning of the adage: The more you learn the less you know.
Ive heard that in several forms but it basically means that the more you learn and the wiser you become, the more you realize how little you actually know and how much more is out there to learn. The same can be said about traveling. The more places I see and things I do I become more and more aware of how much more is out there for me to explore and discover and how I so wish I could experience it all. The more I see, the more I know I have missed along the way. The more I do, the more I want to do. Its horrible and wonderful all at once.
I cant believe how fast this trip is flying by. Im incredibly nostalgic already about the things I have done. When I think about that first week and that first servas host I get those mushy feelings inside and miss those moments. I feel like Ive hardly been away, but when I begin to go through all that Ive done I think WOW, I really have accomplished a lot. I keep thinking about the things I need to come back to do and it makes me feel like Ive done hardly anything. But I know thats not true...its just that, well, the more you learn the less you know...
I went horseback riding today! Incredible! I booked through busabout and it was so much fun. I took a two hour horse ride through Tuscany and then ate a delicious meal and sampled some wines at this tiny castle village where there are only 45 residents...with great views. Ive got plenty of pictures to show you so get ready to wait for them to load (sorry about all of that) because theyre all great.
Ive heard that in several forms but it basically means that the more you learn and the wiser you become, the more you realize how little you actually know and how much more is out there to learn. The same can be said about traveling. The more places I see and things I do I become more and more aware of how much more is out there for me to explore and discover and how I so wish I could experience it all. The more I see, the more I know I have missed along the way. The more I do, the more I want to do. Its horrible and wonderful all at once.
I cant believe how fast this trip is flying by. Im incredibly nostalgic already about the things I have done. When I think about that first week and that first servas host I get those mushy feelings inside and miss those moments. I feel like Ive hardly been away, but when I begin to go through all that Ive done I think WOW, I really have accomplished a lot. I keep thinking about the things I need to come back to do and it makes me feel like Ive done hardly anything. But I know thats not true...its just that, well, the more you learn the less you know...
I went horseback riding today! Incredible! I booked through busabout and it was so much fun. I took a two hour horse ride through Tuscany and then ate a delicious meal and sampled some wines at this tiny castle village where there are only 45 residents...with great views. Ive got plenty of pictures to show you so get ready to wait for them to load (sorry about all of that) because theyre all great.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
feeling better, moving on
so karissa and I are feeling much better and out of the sickhouse in Rome, which we LOVED. We stayed with the sweetest woman in Rome named Francesca and had such a fun time with her and we were all sick together. We were all coughing and snotty...it was pretty funny and somehow Karissa and I managed to repair our immune systems.
You know how they always say that youll wait in line all day at the Vatican? Well, I waited for 30 minutes to see the Vatican and Sistine Chapel (my number one) - thats it. How great. It was INCREDIBLE. I ran through the museum, past the tour groups, and into the sistine chapel where guards tell you no picutres and no video...of course i took both. whoops! Once again, no picture can describe its beauty and my neck still hurts from craning upwards to stare at the painting for an hour. I loved it and was surprised that nobody ever mentions how great the floor is in there! It is a mosaic tile with a basic design, but its really pretty and I never knew that!
I also saw St. Peters Basilica...it was nice but sooo extremely gaudy...just gold and opulence everywhere I have a hard time believing people pray there. I guess theres a lot to look at when youre bored during services...
We took a trip d0wn to Naples from Rome and am so glad we did so. Cant believe how dirty and almost industrial Naples is. Also, its really, really cheap. I wish I had room in my pack for shopping because they had such cheap clothing there. Oh well. I did, however, get my nosed pierced! I have to have a stud in for a bit, but will soon change it to a thin, gold ring. Cant wait for that. And dont think I was the only one...Karissa got a piercing too! Right under the bottom lip. Check out the pictures..theyre not great but youll get the idea.
Our host in Naples was a family: Vivianna (24), Sergio (19), and the Italiano momma, Anna Rosaria, who has the most beautiful hair ever. When I imagine myself at her age that is exactly how I see my hair. Full and mostly dark with white sprinkled in. She doesnt color it and it is just so nice. The pictures really suck on this one. Anna Rosaria took us to a fantastic pizzaria where we got real Napoli pizza and some gelati later on. Delicious. She was so nice and her house had an absolutely gorgeous rooftop view of Naples. I could live on her roof for a year - seriously.
I visited the Amalfi coast while down in Naples and was awed by the magnificence of the entire area. The busride there was magical. Seriously magical. blue/green water that gave way to tiered housing up the mountainside...it was just so beautiful. I find myself searching for words to describe it but I have none. I thought New Zealand was the most beautiful place ever, but the Amalfi coast gives NZ a run for its money. Magnificent.
Karissa went to Pompei for the day and I hear she had a great time. Saw very well preserved frescos and got a free necklace from a shopowner! Sorry I have no pictures for that one.
So now we are back in Rome for the night and will catch the busabout bus tomorrow morning for FLORENCE. Im very excited about this one.
I cannot believe I am more than halfway through with my trip. I could do this for years. I feel that Ive done so much and yet so little, seen so many sites and missed so many more. Its so hard to realize Ill be done soon. I now, more than ever, realize I need a job that allows me to do this for the rest of my life, because I dont know how Ill survive otherwise.
You know how they always say that youll wait in line all day at the Vatican? Well, I waited for 30 minutes to see the Vatican and Sistine Chapel (my number one) - thats it. How great. It was INCREDIBLE. I ran through the museum, past the tour groups, and into the sistine chapel where guards tell you no picutres and no video...of course i took both. whoops! Once again, no picture can describe its beauty and my neck still hurts from craning upwards to stare at the painting for an hour. I loved it and was surprised that nobody ever mentions how great the floor is in there! It is a mosaic tile with a basic design, but its really pretty and I never knew that!
I also saw St. Peters Basilica...it was nice but sooo extremely gaudy...just gold and opulence everywhere I have a hard time believing people pray there. I guess theres a lot to look at when youre bored during services...
We took a trip d0wn to Naples from Rome and am so glad we did so. Cant believe how dirty and almost industrial Naples is. Also, its really, really cheap. I wish I had room in my pack for shopping because they had such cheap clothing there. Oh well. I did, however, get my nosed pierced! I have to have a stud in for a bit, but will soon change it to a thin, gold ring. Cant wait for that. And dont think I was the only one...Karissa got a piercing too! Right under the bottom lip. Check out the pictures..theyre not great but youll get the idea.
Our host in Naples was a family: Vivianna (24), Sergio (19), and the Italiano momma, Anna Rosaria, who has the most beautiful hair ever. When I imagine myself at her age that is exactly how I see my hair. Full and mostly dark with white sprinkled in. She doesnt color it and it is just so nice. The pictures really suck on this one. Anna Rosaria took us to a fantastic pizzaria where we got real Napoli pizza and some gelati later on. Delicious. She was so nice and her house had an absolutely gorgeous rooftop view of Naples. I could live on her roof for a year - seriously.
I visited the Amalfi coast while down in Naples and was awed by the magnificence of the entire area. The busride there was magical. Seriously magical. blue/green water that gave way to tiered housing up the mountainside...it was just so beautiful. I find myself searching for words to describe it but I have none. I thought New Zealand was the most beautiful place ever, but the Amalfi coast gives NZ a run for its money. Magnificent.
Karissa went to Pompei for the day and I hear she had a great time. Saw very well preserved frescos and got a free necklace from a shopowner! Sorry I have no pictures for that one.
So now we are back in Rome for the night and will catch the busabout bus tomorrow morning for FLORENCE. Im very excited about this one.
I cannot believe I am more than halfway through with my trip. I could do this for years. I feel that Ive done so much and yet so little, seen so many sites and missed so many more. Its so hard to realize Ill be done soon. I now, more than ever, realize I need a job that allows me to do this for the rest of my life, because I dont know how Ill survive otherwise.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
a little of this, a little of that
Venice was really beautiful...as beautiful as all of the pictures show it to be. Some places you go and you see very pretty things, but overall the place isnt spectacular. But in Venice, everywhere you turn you see beauty - the architecture, the people, the water even (surprise...its not completely a dump).
I spent Rosh HaShana in the old Jewish Ghetto with one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. For all of you Karissa fans out there, Rosh HaShana is the Jewish new year and a major high holy day for Jews. Woohoo 5769! Services were long, but afterwards we were treated to a free dinner put on by the local Kosher restaurant. It was delicious and FREE. Always a good thing to a backpacker. I met some nice people and had a great experience.
Our host in Venice was actually about an hour train ride outside of Venice in a town called Padua (or padova). He is a professional chef and a very nice guy. He also loves to windsurf, which is really cool. The first night we arrived at his place he had prepared this HUGE feast because a friend of his was bringing over 25 Brazilians! They were on a trip through Italy for free because they all had Italian decent (like a birthright but for Italians). They were a lot of fun and the food was so so so so good. We went salsa dancing after the party and I cant even describe how cool that was. Older nebbishy (dorky) looking men who look like that dirty uncle no one really likes and doesnt know the meaning of a regular shower would step onto the dance floor and suddenly become sauve gentlemen. It was incredible. The way these people moved is something I truly believe is innate and cannot be taught. The steps can be learned but to actually dance the dance is something you must be born doing. Good times in Venice.
After waking up at 4:30a to catch a bus from Padua (where we were staying near venice) to the venice airport and then taking an overpriced taxi to pick up the busabout bus and sitting on the busabout bus allll day long and doing a really bad job of finding our servas host here, we finally arrived in Roma. There is so much to see Ill never see it all. The saying "a lifetime isnt enough" when referring to Rome is so true. So Karissa and I, both feeling under the weather (snotty, sore throats, bed bug bites everywhere), decided we had to see what we could and woke up to start another adventure. We accomplished a lot I must say - The Colosseum, The Pantheon, Some other ruins (theyre everywhere), Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps...and a new blog post! whew.
The Colosseum - amazing. Seriously amazing. The wait in line is completely worth it. It is so magnificent to think that actual Romans "romed" (haha i crack myself up) through the same spaces as we did. Im a bit embrarrassed to say but I didnt even know I was in the Pantheon when I was there. Its actually called the Basilica de something somethign and I got slightly confused. It doesnt look anything like I thought it would. I dont know what I was thinking, but not that. Anwyay, it is really pretty and there is an opening at the top so if it rains the rain actually comes straight through the to beautifully tiled floor and if it is sunny (like today) it spills into the building and lights it up. Pretty cool. Im glad its not raining because it turns out Im a bit of a klutz and Im pretty sure Id have fallen over a million times today had the stones paving the ground been even the slightest bit damp.
Moving on...ruins were cool, but I was fortunate enough to see several roman ruins when I was in Israel and once youve seen one Roman bath youve seen them all so I was ready to move on to other sites like the Trevi fountain which is sooo gorgeous. I cant wait to see it at night all lit up.
Roma has been great so far and impressive. I love the way the ruins and ancient architecture are incorporated within the modern city of Roma. And its TRUE what they say about Italian men...they appreciate beauty - with all five senses. Ciao bella! Its something we hear a lot just walking down the street and what woman doesnt like to hear that on a regular basis?
Our new host is also a sweetheart. We feasted on fresh cheeses last night - always a favorite for Karissa and me. She works with handicapped children in school - an honorable job - and she is into homeopathy - and she smokes. haha...very funny and very sweet woman. her husband, whom we havent met yet, is a photographer, which is pretty cool.
Still loving Italy and drinking lots of orange juice in an attempt to get better soon.
Enjoy the pics.
I spent Rosh HaShana in the old Jewish Ghetto with one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. For all of you Karissa fans out there, Rosh HaShana is the Jewish new year and a major high holy day for Jews. Woohoo 5769! Services were long, but afterwards we were treated to a free dinner put on by the local Kosher restaurant. It was delicious and FREE. Always a good thing to a backpacker. I met some nice people and had a great experience.
Our host in Venice was actually about an hour train ride outside of Venice in a town called Padua (or padova). He is a professional chef and a very nice guy. He also loves to windsurf, which is really cool. The first night we arrived at his place he had prepared this HUGE feast because a friend of his was bringing over 25 Brazilians! They were on a trip through Italy for free because they all had Italian decent (like a birthright but for Italians). They were a lot of fun and the food was so so so so good. We went salsa dancing after the party and I cant even describe how cool that was. Older nebbishy (dorky) looking men who look like that dirty uncle no one really likes and doesnt know the meaning of a regular shower would step onto the dance floor and suddenly become sauve gentlemen. It was incredible. The way these people moved is something I truly believe is innate and cannot be taught. The steps can be learned but to actually dance the dance is something you must be born doing. Good times in Venice.
After waking up at 4:30a to catch a bus from Padua (where we were staying near venice) to the venice airport and then taking an overpriced taxi to pick up the busabout bus and sitting on the busabout bus allll day long and doing a really bad job of finding our servas host here, we finally arrived in Roma. There is so much to see Ill never see it all. The saying "a lifetime isnt enough" when referring to Rome is so true. So Karissa and I, both feeling under the weather (snotty, sore throats, bed bug bites everywhere), decided we had to see what we could and woke up to start another adventure. We accomplished a lot I must say - The Colosseum, The Pantheon, Some other ruins (theyre everywhere), Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps...and a new blog post! whew.
The Colosseum - amazing. Seriously amazing. The wait in line is completely worth it. It is so magnificent to think that actual Romans "romed" (haha i crack myself up) through the same spaces as we did. Im a bit embrarrassed to say but I didnt even know I was in the Pantheon when I was there. Its actually called the Basilica de something somethign and I got slightly confused. It doesnt look anything like I thought it would. I dont know what I was thinking, but not that. Anwyay, it is really pretty and there is an opening at the top so if it rains the rain actually comes straight through the to beautifully tiled floor and if it is sunny (like today) it spills into the building and lights it up. Pretty cool. Im glad its not raining because it turns out Im a bit of a klutz and Im pretty sure Id have fallen over a million times today had the stones paving the ground been even the slightest bit damp.
Moving on...ruins were cool, but I was fortunate enough to see several roman ruins when I was in Israel and once youve seen one Roman bath youve seen them all so I was ready to move on to other sites like the Trevi fountain which is sooo gorgeous. I cant wait to see it at night all lit up.
Roma has been great so far and impressive. I love the way the ruins and ancient architecture are incorporated within the modern city of Roma. And its TRUE what they say about Italian men...they appreciate beauty - with all five senses. Ciao bella! Its something we hear a lot just walking down the street and what woman doesnt like to hear that on a regular basis?
Our new host is also a sweetheart. We feasted on fresh cheeses last night - always a favorite for Karissa and me. She works with handicapped children in school - an honorable job - and she is into homeopathy - and she smokes. haha...very funny and very sweet woman. her husband, whom we havent met yet, is a photographer, which is pretty cool.
Still loving Italy and drinking lots of orange juice in an attempt to get better soon.
Enjoy the pics.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Bella Italia
Oktoberfest was a BLAST!!! We went to a beer tent at 11am and left at 11pm. I completely lost track of how many beers I drank or pretzels I ate, but Ill tell you it was a lot. I have some really funny videos that I wish I could show you but youll have to wait until I make a video when I get back to America. These pictures will have to suffice. People in Munich are really serious about their beer. And their Liederhosen. We sang drinking songs, slurred classic American hits, and clanked many a mug as big as your torso - seriously. It was too fun to put into words, but Oktoberfest is definitely an experience not to be missed. It also happens to be a fair all lit up at night including rides and games. I went on the ferris wheel and enjoyed beautiful views from the top of Munich in the evening.
Brief sauna update...wonderful! Very relaxing and not akward at all because it was just Karissa, our host, and me. Perfect.
I love that Im meeting so many travelers here. A lot of them are on their second or third year of traveling. They started with a few months and couldnt stop. Id like to join them. If only money were no object...
Ive compiled a small list of things I love about Europe. I left it in my room, but Ill try to remember some of it:
-everyone smokes and no one judges...it doesnt seem weird or disgusting here. So European
-you can buy just one cup of coffee and sit in a coffee shop all day long without being bothered. Prime people watching time and a great relaxation.
-city centers! It is so nice to know that there is a big square where everything happens and then work your way out from there. It makes sightseeing and museum hopping much easier and is fun to wander through.
-in an hour you can be immersed in a completely different country, landscape, and language than you were an hour before whereas in the US it takes hours upon hours of travel to see a completely new place.
-so much to do, so much to see. The history is so rich here you are never bored and the architecture is always something gorgeous to look at if you just feel like taking a walk.
-Europeans are cultured. They know so many languages and understand what being Kosher is without judgement. In America, I just tell people Im vegetarian because they have no clue, but here if you say you are Kosher they get it and accommodate accordingly. Its so nice to be understood.
-art appreciation. In America, when budgets are low, arts are the first thing to go. But here, they are a priority.
o there were sooo many more but I cant remember them all now. More to come later.
I went to Dachau yesterday and was moved by being in the area, but it was a bit too museumy for me. I wanted to just be in the place and it doesnt feel like youre really there when you have two maps and an audioguide with you. But it is still heavy and Im not prepared to elaborate on the entire experience.
Today we took the bus from Munich to Venice, Italy!!! I love it already. so warm, so beautiful. The bus ride was breathtaking with the mountains and the mist and just everything about southern Europe is great. I know I havent seen that much of it, but I know I love it already. We are staying at a hostel tonight and tomorrow because hosts in Venice are hard to come by and we havent actually ventured into the city but will tomorrow. Im excited to celebrate my Rosh HaShana (Jewish new year) in one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. Im going to find this great old synogogue tomorrow and hopefully theyll let me attend services without needing a ticket or anything.
I was going to go to Greece but I decided I have been looking too forward to seeing it to only give it a few days so Im going to save that for another trip. If Im in Israel next year I wont be too far from it anyhow.
Not much to report...beautiful views and great beer...thats about it. But its a lot. enjoy the pics. Happy Birthday papa mcdermott
Brief sauna update...wonderful! Very relaxing and not akward at all because it was just Karissa, our host, and me. Perfect.
I love that Im meeting so many travelers here. A lot of them are on their second or third year of traveling. They started with a few months and couldnt stop. Id like to join them. If only money were no object...
Ive compiled a small list of things I love about Europe. I left it in my room, but Ill try to remember some of it:
-everyone smokes and no one judges...it doesnt seem weird or disgusting here. So European
-you can buy just one cup of coffee and sit in a coffee shop all day long without being bothered. Prime people watching time and a great relaxation.
-city centers! It is so nice to know that there is a big square where everything happens and then work your way out from there. It makes sightseeing and museum hopping much easier and is fun to wander through.
-in an hour you can be immersed in a completely different country, landscape, and language than you were an hour before whereas in the US it takes hours upon hours of travel to see a completely new place.
-so much to do, so much to see. The history is so rich here you are never bored and the architecture is always something gorgeous to look at if you just feel like taking a walk.
-Europeans are cultured. They know so many languages and understand what being Kosher is without judgement. In America, I just tell people Im vegetarian because they have no clue, but here if you say you are Kosher they get it and accommodate accordingly. Its so nice to be understood.
-art appreciation. In America, when budgets are low, arts are the first thing to go. But here, they are a priority.
o there were sooo many more but I cant remember them all now. More to come later.
I went to Dachau yesterday and was moved by being in the area, but it was a bit too museumy for me. I wanted to just be in the place and it doesnt feel like youre really there when you have two maps and an audioguide with you. But it is still heavy and Im not prepared to elaborate on the entire experience.
Today we took the bus from Munich to Venice, Italy!!! I love it already. so warm, so beautiful. The bus ride was breathtaking with the mountains and the mist and just everything about southern Europe is great. I know I havent seen that much of it, but I know I love it already. We are staying at a hostel tonight and tomorrow because hosts in Venice are hard to come by and we havent actually ventured into the city but will tomorrow. Im excited to celebrate my Rosh HaShana (Jewish new year) in one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. Im going to find this great old synogogue tomorrow and hopefully theyll let me attend services without needing a ticket or anything.
I was going to go to Greece but I decided I have been looking too forward to seeing it to only give it a few days so Im going to save that for another trip. If Im in Israel next year I wont be too far from it anyhow.
Not much to report...beautiful views and great beer...thats about it. But its a lot. enjoy the pics. Happy Birthday papa mcdermott
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Munching in Munchen
cheesy title, I know. So in case you didnt guess Im in Munich (munchen in German). Its Oktoberfest!! woohooo
I wrote a haiku while celebrating the festivities and although its elementary, at best, I think it really portrays some truths about life and love and....beer
beer beer beer beer beer
beer liederhosen beer beer
beer drunk blogging beer
appropriate considering the occasion...
Anywho, back to real life. Its Karissas birthday!! yay!! and we plan on celebrating with...beer (maybe more haikus to come later)
We just spent a wonderful and relaxing few days an hour outside of Salzburg in a little, country village called Maria Schmolln. Very beautiful and relaxing - we sat by the fire and read and crossworded and ate tons of organic, biodynamic food. The couple we stayed with is really into biodynamic food, which i dont fully understand but i know it has something to do with no chemicals whatsoever not only not on the vegetables but not even anywhere in the soil so everything is really pure. When they see this post they can correct me where I am wrong and elaborate.
Because of Oktoberfest, the busabout bus to Munich was full and we couldnt get a booking on it so we had to take the train there. Gotta love public transportation. Our host here is this wonderful 60-70ish year old woman who is a fabulous painter and showed us a ton of her artwork last night. We liked one so much she put it out in the living room by our bed so we could look at it. We are cordially invited to go to a naked, co-ed sauna/ice bath/garden (yes all naked and all coed and all mostly over 66 years old) with her this afternoon and despite my many discomforts with that situation I may actually attend. Karissa is all for it...surprise. When in...Munich.
no pictures today...maybe after the sauna
I wrote a haiku while celebrating the festivities and although its elementary, at best, I think it really portrays some truths about life and love and....beer
beer beer beer beer beer
beer liederhosen beer beer
beer drunk blogging beer
appropriate considering the occasion...
Anywho, back to real life. Its Karissas birthday!! yay!! and we plan on celebrating with...beer (maybe more haikus to come later)
We just spent a wonderful and relaxing few days an hour outside of Salzburg in a little, country village called Maria Schmolln. Very beautiful and relaxing - we sat by the fire and read and crossworded and ate tons of organic, biodynamic food. The couple we stayed with is really into biodynamic food, which i dont fully understand but i know it has something to do with no chemicals whatsoever not only not on the vegetables but not even anywhere in the soil so everything is really pure. When they see this post they can correct me where I am wrong and elaborate.
Because of Oktoberfest, the busabout bus to Munich was full and we couldnt get a booking on it so we had to take the train there. Gotta love public transportation. Our host here is this wonderful 60-70ish year old woman who is a fabulous painter and showed us a ton of her artwork last night. We liked one so much she put it out in the living room by our bed so we could look at it. We are cordially invited to go to a naked, co-ed sauna/ice bath/garden (yes all naked and all coed and all mostly over 66 years old) with her this afternoon and despite my many discomforts with that situation I may actually attend. Karissa is all for it...surprise. When in...Munich.
no pictures today...maybe after the sauna
Friday, September 19, 2008
Greetings from your old friend the Apricot Tree
Ahoy there. Karissa and I are currently in sunny Salzburg, Austria. Austria has turned out to be such an amazing country. I had no idea I would enjoy it this much, but I really like it here. It also turns out that I have family from both Vienna and Salzburg...cool! Going vineyarding was relaxing and just what Karissa and I needed. It was a rainy, cold day but we trekked the 3.5 km to the vineyard and had a pleasant afternoon. The title of this blog is from the cheesy movie they made us watch as part of our tour. The old apricot tree, with a bad old man british accent, took us on a journey through the vineyard and the wine-making process. Exciting - I know. But we drank a ton of samples and brought one back to our host in Krems, who by the way went to Nicaragua and Africa and decided something needed to be done for the poor people there so she started an organization that has these shops called Welt Larden, which translates into World Shop, that sells art at no profit to themselves from around the world. How cool is that? She casually mentioned this to us over a home-made curry dinner and followed with, "We all try to change the world." How true.
We returned to our intriguing hosts in Vienna and were priveledged to spend two more nights with them. Renate, the trekking matriarch of the family, told us she was going to Hungary one morning for a massage and facial and asked if we wanted to ride along for the experience and of course we said yes. So we go to visit this cute, little town in Hungary called Sopron. We walked around (in the coooold) for a bit and enjoyed the view. The bus doesnt go to Hungary so that was really a special trip. Vienna is a wonderful city I just didnt get enough time in and really want to return to. Someday I will...
Our last night in Vienna was kind of crazy...we ended up at a club called Flex where you can just dance as crazy as you want and dress and weird as you like and no one cares (mostly because theyre all on something or really drunk or probably both). It was great...I have bad blisters from that night. So this morning we got on the bus to Salzburg and even though my body was saying SLEEP, all I could do was stare out the window. Driving from Vienna to Salzburg was one of the prettiest (straight 3 hours of magnificence) landscapes weve had on this trip so far. I really love Austria...a lot.
Salzburg is amazing. There was some pre oktoberfest austrian style state fair thingy happening today and everyone was dressed up in their liederhosen and dirndles and I think I saw some kilts and definitely lots of beer and fried food and it was amazing. All of this with the mountains as the backdrop - just perfect.
Enjoy the pics
We returned to our intriguing hosts in Vienna and were priveledged to spend two more nights with them. Renate, the trekking matriarch of the family, told us she was going to Hungary one morning for a massage and facial and asked if we wanted to ride along for the experience and of course we said yes. So we go to visit this cute, little town in Hungary called Sopron. We walked around (in the coooold) for a bit and enjoyed the view. The bus doesnt go to Hungary so that was really a special trip. Vienna is a wonderful city I just didnt get enough time in and really want to return to. Someday I will...
Our last night in Vienna was kind of crazy...we ended up at a club called Flex where you can just dance as crazy as you want and dress and weird as you like and no one cares (mostly because theyre all on something or really drunk or probably both). It was great...I have bad blisters from that night. So this morning we got on the bus to Salzburg and even though my body was saying SLEEP, all I could do was stare out the window. Driving from Vienna to Salzburg was one of the prettiest (straight 3 hours of magnificence) landscapes weve had on this trip so far. I really love Austria...a lot.
Salzburg is amazing. There was some pre oktoberfest austrian style state fair thingy happening today and everyone was dressed up in their liederhosen and dirndles and I think I saw some kilts and definitely lots of beer and fried food and it was amazing. All of this with the mountains as the backdrop - just perfect.
Enjoy the pics
Monday, September 15, 2008
Old pictures, new city
So here are some belated pictures. We finally found a place to use our SD cards yay! After another long bus ride and passing through Cesky Krumlov, we arrived in Vienna. Our host made us a wonderful Asian stir fry that was healthy and delicious. We hung out with his children, Francisca (16) and Kristophe (19) and his girlfriend. It was fun to talk with Viennese youth. Kristophe and his girlfriend traveled with Servas last summer through Boston and Chicago so they understood our circumstances. The next morning we left for another host in Vienna whose home I can only begin to describe!
You have to be here to really get the feeling of this house but Ill start by saying it was built by our hosts (Frank) father and finished by Frank himself - using his own two hands. It is BEAUTIFUL and UNIQUE and just amazing. Forget museums, this entire house is a work of art. From the red, iron fence that surrounds the home to the wooden floors, to every piece of art in and out of the house to even the stove that heats the entire house, this entire place is made by hand with love. And the people who inhabit it are just as interesting as the house itself. Besides being a crafty man, Frank teaches biotechnology at the local university. Renate, his wife, treks hundereds of kilometers (entirely on foot - seriously) into the mountains or into forests with a group of people who just like to get up and go whenever they so choose. She told us a beautiful story about seeing a poignant piece of art in a little monastery in the middle of the forest only accesible on foot she saw on her most recent trek. Their youngest daughter makes shoes and has contributed to the beautiful stained glass throughout the house, among other things. One of their daughters is a sculptor who made pieces for a local park besides the ones that line the walls of their home. These are the only two children I met, but I have a feeling their entire family is talented in similar ways.
Karissa and I agree that even though these words about our hosts give you a taste of who they are and how we feel about them, it is nearly impossible to really convey the energy you feel while being in their presence. Our hosts have truly made our trip amazing and to be able to put into words the euphoria of their company would never work...but we try.
Besides the amazing people, Vienna has been great. Even though the weather is pretty sucky (cold and rainy), we like what weve seen so far. We went to a modern art museum yesterday and I felt so rushed (because everything in Europe closes so early! everything is closed by 6pm..no joke) to see all of the pieces because each one demanded several minutes of my time and there were 8 levels! I plan on returning.
Today we ventured out a little bit to see some wineries and are staying in a charming town called Krems with another wonderful host. We will return to our friends in Vienna tomorrow. More to come and enjoy the pics.
I almost forgot! After hearing a cellist on the street yesterday we were inspired to go to the Vienna Orchestra. Another experience I can hardly put into words, but it was the first time where I honeslty felt that I have really felt another culture. The opening number gave me chillbumps. It was incredible. The guitarist was playing two parts just by himself. I think he is really famous or something because people kept clapping for encores and he kept coming out and playing more. So beautiful...so moving...
You have to be here to really get the feeling of this house but Ill start by saying it was built by our hosts (Frank) father and finished by Frank himself - using his own two hands. It is BEAUTIFUL and UNIQUE and just amazing. Forget museums, this entire house is a work of art. From the red, iron fence that surrounds the home to the wooden floors, to every piece of art in and out of the house to even the stove that heats the entire house, this entire place is made by hand with love. And the people who inhabit it are just as interesting as the house itself. Besides being a crafty man, Frank teaches biotechnology at the local university. Renate, his wife, treks hundereds of kilometers (entirely on foot - seriously) into the mountains or into forests with a group of people who just like to get up and go whenever they so choose. She told us a beautiful story about seeing a poignant piece of art in a little monastery in the middle of the forest only accesible on foot she saw on her most recent trek. Their youngest daughter makes shoes and has contributed to the beautiful stained glass throughout the house, among other things. One of their daughters is a sculptor who made pieces for a local park besides the ones that line the walls of their home. These are the only two children I met, but I have a feeling their entire family is talented in similar ways.
Karissa and I agree that even though these words about our hosts give you a taste of who they are and how we feel about them, it is nearly impossible to really convey the energy you feel while being in their presence. Our hosts have truly made our trip amazing and to be able to put into words the euphoria of their company would never work...but we try.
Besides the amazing people, Vienna has been great. Even though the weather is pretty sucky (cold and rainy), we like what weve seen so far. We went to a modern art museum yesterday and I felt so rushed (because everything in Europe closes so early! everything is closed by 6pm..no joke) to see all of the pieces because each one demanded several minutes of my time and there were 8 levels! I plan on returning.
Today we ventured out a little bit to see some wineries and are staying in a charming town called Krems with another wonderful host. We will return to our friends in Vienna tomorrow. More to come and enjoy the pics.
I almost forgot! After hearing a cellist on the street yesterday we were inspired to go to the Vienna Orchestra. Another experience I can hardly put into words, but it was the first time where I honeslty felt that I have really felt another culture. The opening number gave me chillbumps. It was incredible. The guitarist was playing two parts just by himself. I think he is really famous or something because people kept clapping for encores and he kept coming out and playing more. So beautiful...so moving...
Thursday, September 11, 2008
whatever you do: Paddleboat in Prague
So I don't think I have enough time or money (because all internet time is money) to recount what's been happening since I last posted, but I'll do my best to give you the highlights. As I said, I loved Bernlin. The personal style of each citizen of Berlin is something beautiful to see and definitely not a sight accessible where I'm from. One of our last nights in Berline was one of the best. We ended up going to Friday night Shabbat services at the Neue Synagogue, which is a famous museum/synagogue in Berlin and met there two distinctly different but amazing characters. One: Jeremy, a gay man originally from somewhere in the US whose niece actually goes to IU but who sold everything he had in America to move to Berlin and hasn't looked back since, and Pat. Okay, so its name is Hilly but if you've ever seen the movie "It's Pat" that is who we met. Pat! Google it...its hilarious and I seriously have not a clue to this person's gender. But he/she was very nice and had just moved to Berlin to start a study abroad program. After services we enjoyed another delicious meal with our hosts and then went out to a club called the BANG BANG CLUB. Every person in there was so into themselves I couldn't hold my laughter in. I love these little bars in Berlin that each have their own 'flavor.' The club was okay, but the great thing was on the way to the club we met two German girls while they were trying to get their beer open. You are allowed to just carry a beer onto the S-bahn at any point in the day...its great. So they were trying to open their second one because they didn't bring an opener so then I tried to help out by hitting it against things only to finally have it opened by a bum with his lighter. They were such fun girls and we ended up spending the rest of the evening with them and it turns out they are moving to London and we are going to meet up with them when we get there.
From Berlin we went on to Prauge and even though we had a rough start there, its great. Today we went paddleboating on the river and it was fantasic. Absolute perfection...a beer, a paddleboat, the sun, and some crappy renditions of classic American songs playing in the background. Prague castle was an adventure to say the least. The place is HUGE and although beautiful, it was an exhausting day. We went the first afternoon we were in Prague and it turned in to a joke between Karissa and I during our stay in Prague that the damn Prague castle is keeping us in and ruining our day with its intricate mazes and stairs that lead nowhere. It really is a nice place, but a bit much. Great view from the top though.
Last night we went to a local pub right by where our Servas host lives. We didn't feel like bothering with taking buses and trams into the city so we stayed close by and ended up having a BLAST. It started with two beers and a cigar and ended up with more alcohol and beers than I can count, all the locals wanting to give us the 'czech speciality drink' (which consists of crap and cinnamon I believe), and meeting a gay techno DJ who throws these big, illegal techno parties that he invited us to. We are unfortunately going to be in Vienna at the time of his next one, but just spending the night talking and drinking and laughing with him was enough. We really had a great time.
By the way, as if I need to mention it, we had another lovely host. She is actually quite interesting. Her name is Klara and she is neutral as far as I could tell on the Middle East issue, but speaks both Hebrew and Arabic and has visited both Israel and Palestine and loves both. I wish I could have talked to her more about the topic, but we didn't spend a lot of time on Middle Eastern politics...probably a good thing. But one day we'll meet again in Israel and chat about it.
I would update with pictures but I can't upload here and my time is about to run out.
I almost forgot: the FOOD...i eat mostly bread, cheese, cheese, bread, and more cheese....with bread. its cheep and delicious....i don't need more. (Until pasta in Italy...can't wait)
AND Klara told me that its Gickwee...not Dickwee...oh well.
From Berlin we went on to Prauge and even though we had a rough start there, its great. Today we went paddleboating on the river and it was fantasic. Absolute perfection...a beer, a paddleboat, the sun, and some crappy renditions of classic American songs playing in the background. Prague castle was an adventure to say the least. The place is HUGE and although beautiful, it was an exhausting day. We went the first afternoon we were in Prague and it turned in to a joke between Karissa and I during our stay in Prague that the damn Prague castle is keeping us in and ruining our day with its intricate mazes and stairs that lead nowhere. It really is a nice place, but a bit much. Great view from the top though.
Last night we went to a local pub right by where our Servas host lives. We didn't feel like bothering with taking buses and trams into the city so we stayed close by and ended up having a BLAST. It started with two beers and a cigar and ended up with more alcohol and beers than I can count, all the locals wanting to give us the 'czech speciality drink' (which consists of crap and cinnamon I believe), and meeting a gay techno DJ who throws these big, illegal techno parties that he invited us to. We are unfortunately going to be in Vienna at the time of his next one, but just spending the night talking and drinking and laughing with him was enough. We really had a great time.
By the way, as if I need to mention it, we had another lovely host. She is actually quite interesting. Her name is Klara and she is neutral as far as I could tell on the Middle East issue, but speaks both Hebrew and Arabic and has visited both Israel and Palestine and loves both. I wish I could have talked to her more about the topic, but we didn't spend a lot of time on Middle Eastern politics...probably a good thing. But one day we'll meet again in Israel and chat about it.
I would update with pictures but I can't upload here and my time is about to run out.
I almost forgot: the FOOD...i eat mostly bread, cheese, cheese, bread, and more cheese....with bread. its cheep and delicious....i don't need more. (Until pasta in Italy...can't wait)
AND Klara told me that its Gickwee...not Dickwee...oh well.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Missing Berlin
Well, I miss Berlin already. It's my first night in Prague and so far its not as great as I've been expecting, but I'm ready to give it a better chance in the daylight. Busabout is the way I have been getting from country to country. Its way cheaper than the eurail pass and it lasts longer. Plus, you meet people your age wanting to do the same sort of things you do along the way. I have really enjoyed getting to know these people and hang out with them, besides our host families - who have been more than wonderful.
I neglected to take a picture of our first Servas host in Berlin. Her name is Isolde and she is a sweatheart. She once hitchiked her way from NYC to San Francisco. How cool is that? I wish it weren't so taboo these days to do such a thing. Our second host was a family: Muni, Claud, Melina, and Goldie the dog. They made us a delicious dinner including a cheese spread, wine, and desert (from 'splatch') every night. On top of that, they were just so delightful to be around and really made Karissa and I feel like we were part of a family, which is a great feeling to have when you're traveling so far away from home for so long.
I saw Terezin, the holding camp used by the Nazis, today. It was intense and if I had such a strong reaction to a holding camp I can't imagine what going through an actual concentration camp must be like. I'll definitely make it a point to visit one while I'm over here.
I don't have loads of time to write but I want to share SOME of the things I've learned while traveling so far:
-Australians are crazy
-always say 'hello' and 'thank you' to personell in their country's language
-learn as many european phrases as possible...don't be that dumb american that only knows english
-ask the locals for art museums you wont find on tourist maps..they're always better
-go to the touristy stuff too...you'll regret it if you dont
-dont be afraid of looking like a tourist with your map out on a street corner...if it helps you find your way do it no matter what (just maker sure your purse is close by while doing so)
-always count your change...european shopkeeps almost always try to cheat the tourists out of their change
-learn the currency before using it
-meet as many new people as you can
-stay out all night at least once in a while...youll have a blast and meet some fun people along the way
-write down your travels along the way...youll probably forget them later otherwise
-stay in touch with friends while gone...youll need them when you return to tell all your fabulous european adventures to (and bc you love them of course)
I'm sure there are so many more.
pictures when I can
p.s.
hello in prague is 'ahoy'
thank you in prague is 'dickwee'
this is fact
I neglected to take a picture of our first Servas host in Berlin. Her name is Isolde and she is a sweatheart. She once hitchiked her way from NYC to San Francisco. How cool is that? I wish it weren't so taboo these days to do such a thing. Our second host was a family: Muni, Claud, Melina, and Goldie the dog. They made us a delicious dinner including a cheese spread, wine, and desert (from 'splatch') every night. On top of that, they were just so delightful to be around and really made Karissa and I feel like we were part of a family, which is a great feeling to have when you're traveling so far away from home for so long.
I saw Terezin, the holding camp used by the Nazis, today. It was intense and if I had such a strong reaction to a holding camp I can't imagine what going through an actual concentration camp must be like. I'll definitely make it a point to visit one while I'm over here.
I don't have loads of time to write but I want to share SOME of the things I've learned while traveling so far:
-Australians are crazy
-always say 'hello' and 'thank you' to personell in their country's language
-learn as many european phrases as possible...don't be that dumb american that only knows english
-ask the locals for art museums you wont find on tourist maps..they're always better
-go to the touristy stuff too...you'll regret it if you dont
-dont be afraid of looking like a tourist with your map out on a street corner...if it helps you find your way do it no matter what (just maker sure your purse is close by while doing so)
-always count your change...european shopkeeps almost always try to cheat the tourists out of their change
-learn the currency before using it
-meet as many new people as you can
-stay out all night at least once in a while...youll have a blast and meet some fun people along the way
-write down your travels along the way...youll probably forget them later otherwise
-stay in touch with friends while gone...youll need them when you return to tell all your fabulous european adventures to (and bc you love them of course)
I'm sure there are so many more.
pictures when I can
p.s.
hello in prague is 'ahoy'
thank you in prague is 'dickwee'
this is fact
Saturday, September 6, 2008
BERLIN
So I just uploaded a ton of pictures and have no time left to really write but I'll just tell you that Berlin is our favorite city so far. It has so much to do and even though we have spent the most amount of time here so far, I feel like I have accomplished the least because of the wonderful things this city has to offer. From underground music scenes, to graffiti art on almost everything, to emo clubs, Jewish museums, nice hosts, nice people and so much more, it's easy to understand why I haven't had much time to write and why we love this city so much.
I'll write soon I promise. Enjoy the pics.
I'll write soon I promise. Enjoy the pics.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Amsterdam
Brussels was really beautiful as I said before. I was surprised at how much there was to do there. I'm glad we chose to spend our time in Belgium there instead of in Bruges because while Bruges is cute, the two and a half hours we spent there were long enough. If I had my shopping shoes on I would have done some major damage so far. These places are tourist ready. Good thing I only have a mind to explore at the moment, which there is a lot of opportunity to do. Cute little cobblestone streets that lead to cuter and littler ones. With a map in hand you can turn just about anywhere and still be able to find your way back, if not with the map by the smells and music that come from the city centers.
Sundays are great days in big cities in Europe because there is always something going on. Street Bazaars and festivals seem to be the norm here. There was an Indian culture festival in Dam Square yesterday. Great music, great food and women in beautiful traditional and modernized Indian garb. Amsterdam really isn't as crazy as people make it out to be. (Sure there is the red light district where women stand in the window wearing next to nothing propositioning passerbys with that "come hither" look they've perfected over the years. I would provide pictures, but a fellow traveler told me that if they see you with your camera out they will bite your camera and throw it in the gutter. It happened to a friend of his so I didn't want to take the chance. Although it would have been pretty amusing to get in a street fight with a Dutch prostitute. ) Generally, though it is just another European city with a laid back atmosphere and lots to do. I ate lunch yesterday by canal and watched people on their boats taking a Sunday 'cruise' float by.
And then there are the coffee shops where people can buy a single joint, a bag of weed or hash, space cakes, and in some places different teas and baked goods all with one key ingredient: weed. Because it is legal, it isnt such a big deal here. most of the people you see in these shops are tourists. The locals definitely dabble but they dont make a big deal about it. Just sit on the street, smoking a joint, as the cops bicycle past. It's an interesting city I'm not done exploring. Today I'm going to the Anne Frank House and then maybe an art museum and then we'll see. I wish I had pictures to show you but this computer doesn't have a port for my camera card so next time...
I have to say that traveling with Servas is seriously turning out to be one of the greatest things about this trip. It's not just hostels and partying and college kids. On my first night in Amsterdam Karissa and i stayed up for two and half hours talking to our host after he cooked us a delicious tofu and vegetable meal. Robyn Kool is a 55 year old tango dancing, neural psychologist or something like that. He is so interesting. His life experiences and opinions about the world are fascinating. So instead of getting plastered or really really really high, I ate tofu in an attic space reminiscent of the one in the movie 'The Little Princess' (watch it and you'll know what I mean except where we are staying is about 5 times smaller than that in the movie) and talked about life. This is how it should be.
Ill post pictures as soon as I can.
Sundays are great days in big cities in Europe because there is always something going on. Street Bazaars and festivals seem to be the norm here. There was an Indian culture festival in Dam Square yesterday. Great music, great food and women in beautiful traditional and modernized Indian garb. Amsterdam really isn't as crazy as people make it out to be. (Sure there is the red light district where women stand in the window wearing next to nothing propositioning passerbys with that "come hither" look they've perfected over the years. I would provide pictures, but a fellow traveler told me that if they see you with your camera out they will bite your camera and throw it in the gutter. It happened to a friend of his so I didn't want to take the chance. Although it would have been pretty amusing to get in a street fight with a Dutch prostitute. ) Generally, though it is just another European city with a laid back atmosphere and lots to do. I ate lunch yesterday by canal and watched people on their boats taking a Sunday 'cruise' float by.
And then there are the coffee shops where people can buy a single joint, a bag of weed or hash, space cakes, and in some places different teas and baked goods all with one key ingredient: weed. Because it is legal, it isnt such a big deal here. most of the people you see in these shops are tourists. The locals definitely dabble but they dont make a big deal about it. Just sit on the street, smoking a joint, as the cops bicycle past. It's an interesting city I'm not done exploring. Today I'm going to the Anne Frank House and then maybe an art museum and then we'll see. I wish I had pictures to show you but this computer doesn't have a port for my camera card so next time...
I have to say that traveling with Servas is seriously turning out to be one of the greatest things about this trip. It's not just hostels and partying and college kids. On my first night in Amsterdam Karissa and i stayed up for two and half hours talking to our host after he cooked us a delicious tofu and vegetable meal. Robyn Kool is a 55 year old tango dancing, neural psychologist or something like that. He is so interesting. His life experiences and opinions about the world are fascinating. So instead of getting plastered or really really really high, I ate tofu in an attic space reminiscent of the one in the movie 'The Little Princess' (watch it and you'll know what I mean except where we are staying is about 5 times smaller than that in the movie) and talked about life. This is how it should be.
Ill post pictures as soon as I can.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Brussels, Beglium
Well, I dont have much time to write and even if I did I couldnt because this keyboard is all backwards and it makes typing go verryy slowwlllyy. Brussels has been great. After much ado, we finally found our Servas host. Servas is an organization that Karissa and I joined that allows you to stay with local people for free on two conditions: you have to be open minded and kind hearted. (I would have used hyphens there if I could find them.) Our first Servas hosts were a young couple named Selma and Baptiste. They were great...they showed us where to go, things to see, took us out for drinks, and most importantly, gave us a place to sleep. They truly hrlped make our stay.
Brussels is a really cool city with great architecture and a surprising amount of culture. There are Turkish, French, Flemmish, and of course Belgians all in one city block. Today Karissa and I explored the city and went to an art museum exhibiting the artistic works of several famous ,usicians. It was an interesting show including Pete Doherteys drawings made from his own blood. The castles and statues and churches are magnificent and my pictures dont do them justice but peruse away.
Brussels is a really cool city with great architecture and a surprising amount of culture. There are Turkish, French, Flemmish, and of course Belgians all in one city block. Today Karissa and I explored the city and went to an art museum exhibiting the artistic works of several famous ,usicians. It was an interesting show including Pete Doherteys drawings made from his own blood. The castles and statues and churches are magnificent and my pictures dont do them justice but peruse away.
Monday, August 25, 2008
The Calm Before the Storm
It's my 26th hour awake and I'm admittedly nervous. I don't think what I'm about to do will really hit me until I'm there. There...seems so far away, yet it's 26 more hours until it becomes here. I've had such a hectic summer that the plans to plan this trip went out the window with my normal sleep habits, eating habits, workout habits, and pretty much anything else I've become accustomed to over the past year. Never live the same day twice.
I'm not worried about finding fun things to do or meeting new people. I'm worried about not seeing enough and not experiencing enough and not meeting enough new people and just not fitting it all in. "Worry is a waste of imagination." Karissa, my travel buddy, is great and she'll keep me grounded for sure. Actually, the more I think about it the more excited I am. I think I've just been too caught up in all of my responsibilities here to really embrace the moment.
So the first place I'm off to is Brussels, Belguim. It turns out my one-way-freedom-from-life-go-with-the-flow-youthful-reckless-abandon-ticket is no good in Europe. In order to deboard, I have to have proof that I plan on returning to my country of origin. So, I guess I'll be buying a ticket back to the states tomorrow. But the purchase of a return ticket is all they need...no one said anything about actually leaving....
Just kidding, Mom. Maybe.
I'm not worried about finding fun things to do or meeting new people. I'm worried about not seeing enough and not experiencing enough and not meeting enough new people and just not fitting it all in. "Worry is a waste of imagination." Karissa, my travel buddy, is great and she'll keep me grounded for sure. Actually, the more I think about it the more excited I am. I think I've just been too caught up in all of my responsibilities here to really embrace the moment.
So the first place I'm off to is Brussels, Belguim. It turns out my one-way-freedom-from-life-go-with-the-flow-youthful-reckless-abandon-ticket is no good in Europe. In order to deboard, I have to have proof that I plan on returning to my country of origin. So, I guess I'll be buying a ticket back to the states tomorrow. But the purchase of a return ticket is all they need...no one said anything about actually leaving....
Just kidding, Mom. Maybe.
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