Went to the Salt Mine outside of Salzburg yesterday. A one time thing to go to, but quite fun. The slides were fun and there was even a boat ride in the salt caverns. Funny that there was an escalator back up down there. They also pass out white uniforms for us so our clothes don’t get dirty; reminds me of the outfits for the TV room in Willy Wonka. The mine itself causes me to recall the one the Delorean was stored in as well as causing me to think that Indy and Short Round would come flying past. The video was slightly odd as we learned about the kind who held the rights to the salt mines that are actually under Germany (we crossed the border 2x underground). The video ended by telling us about the 15 kids that the archbishop (or king) fathered. A lot of fun though.
Pre-story about the journey to the mines: On the train ride there we got off 4 stops too early and had to walk to Hallein for at least a mile and a half (felt like it). Bit annoying but luckily they held the tour for us (the next one would’ve made us late for the bus ride back).
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Salzburg 4/22/10
So we made it back taking the ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam and then various trains to Salzburg arriving at 10:30 pm last night. Big relief.
Newcastle, England 4/19/10
Arrived in Stranraer, Scotland yesterday from Belfast and spent the night there at a nice B&B called the Thistle Inn. Small town with a peaceful atmosphere, though I could see how the locals could get bored of it. Ended up in the bar next door run by the B&B with Francesca and Valerie. Got into a bit of karaoke and scored free drinks from the local police who came by to celebrate after a charity football match for someone’s daughter who has cystic fibrosis. The bartender was particularly nice and funny (wasn’t actually the bartender either). He performed Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire and gave us free drinks as well. A Scotish beer I tried was McLachlan’s. A drink mix that the cops (who actually weren’t supposed to be drinking after 5, but they are the law) introduced us to was a Scotch soda called Irn-Bru mixed with vodka. One of the cops drank Budweiser, which prompted me to inquire as to why. He answered that it was the poor man’s Carlsberg. I already enjoy Scotland; the people are hilarious and remind me of Craig Ferguson.
Woke up at 6 am to prepare for the start of our day’s train rides. The “bartender” was even up to see us off (although because we left early we couldn’t get the breakfast). Nicy guy. Luckily we made all our connections from Stranraer to Ayr Station, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and finally Newcastle. Scenary was beautiful. It was here that I found my green fields with sheep and cows. I laughed when I saw a golf course; reminded me of Robin Williams’ tirade about Scotland. I’ll have to come back someday. While walking from one station to Queen Station in Glasgow I didn’t notice any Glasgow smiles on the passersby.
After arriving at our hostel we immediately went to confirm out 16 hour ferry to Amsterdam for tomorrow since we hadn’t been sent confirmation emails and the phone lines were busy. Luckily we are confirmed. I will be much relieved when back in Salzburg; highly stressful each day making some connection or another. Good thing we’re doing this as our 2nd Ryanair flight to Berlin was canceled as Ryanair extended their Monday ban (originally took out our flight to Munich) to Wednesday.
Got lunch after the ferry business. Pizza Hut is a fancy restaurant here, somewhat comparable to CPK. Afterwards I decided to sightsee along the River Tyne. I saw the St. Nicholas Cathedral, Castle Keep and Black Gate before crossing the High Level Bridge. From there I saw the Swing Bridge, and Historic Tyne Bridge. Cool new structures on the river include The Sage Gateshead (a bubble-looking building) and the Millennium Bridge which rotates so sometimes you can’t cross it.
Woke up at 6 am to prepare for the start of our day’s train rides. The “bartender” was even up to see us off (although because we left early we couldn’t get the breakfast). Nicy guy. Luckily we made all our connections from Stranraer to Ayr Station, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and finally Newcastle. Scenary was beautiful. It was here that I found my green fields with sheep and cows. I laughed when I saw a golf course; reminded me of Robin Williams’ tirade about Scotland. I’ll have to come back someday. While walking from one station to Queen Station in Glasgow I didn’t notice any Glasgow smiles on the passersby.
After arriving at our hostel we immediately went to confirm out 16 hour ferry to Amsterdam for tomorrow since we hadn’t been sent confirmation emails and the phone lines were busy. Luckily we are confirmed. I will be much relieved when back in Salzburg; highly stressful each day making some connection or another. Good thing we’re doing this as our 2nd Ryanair flight to Berlin was canceled as Ryanair extended their Monday ban (originally took out our flight to Munich) to Wednesday.
Got lunch after the ferry business. Pizza Hut is a fancy restaurant here, somewhat comparable to CPK. Afterwards I decided to sightsee along the River Tyne. I saw the St. Nicholas Cathedral, Castle Keep and Black Gate before crossing the High Level Bridge. From there I saw the Swing Bridge, and Historic Tyne Bridge. Cool new structures on the river include The Sage Gateshead (a bubble-looking building) and the Millennium Bridge which rotates so sometimes you can’t cross it.
Belfast, Ireland 4/18/10
While stopped here we decided to lunch until our ferry leaves in 5 hours. At Burger King we saw 4 girls run out, one of whom was grabbed by a man and held outside for a good 10-15 minutes. Apparently his daughter ran away with two other girls and the one he grabbed was perhaps a friend. Bit of a struggle as she bit and kicked to get away, but he held her long enough till the cops came and took here away in an unmarked car. Originally we had thought that they stole something from him. Ridiculous scene to see outside the windows.
Walked around a little bit before catching the ferry to Stranraer. The Titanic monument was obstructed from view by a Ferris wheel that they were taking down next to city hall. Been there 2 ½ years as some kind of tourist thing. Odd in a city known for a sinking ship as our cabbie described Belfast.
Walked around a little bit before catching the ferry to Stranraer. The Titanic monument was obstructed from view by a Ferris wheel that they were taking down next to city hall. Been there 2 ½ years as some kind of tourist thing. Odd in a city known for a sinking ship as our cabbie described Belfast.
Dublin, Ireland 4/17/10
Bit of a stressful day (haven’t been this bad since getting to Krakow). I intended to go on a free walking tour of Dublin, but since we had to book ferries and buses in order to get back, I stayed in order to see that through. We only left to try and get a ferry/bus package at Heuston Station (Guinness Factory so close yet so far; reminds me of Wonka’s Factory) and then Connolly both of which failed. Mad day of online bookings, but our final journey is a train to Belfast where we’ll catch a ferry to Stranraer, Scotland then to Newcastle where we’ll have a day and a half before we’re taking an overnight ferry to Amsterdam and then trains to Salzburg after which we arrive at night on Wednesday. I finished the night with a comparison test of Guinness and Beamish at John Lynch’s Swan Bar. Beamish wins (pity it can’t be had outside of Ireland). I wish I had a map with a red line following me on my travels like Indiana Jones. Saw the spire of Dublin tonight (the only sight I’ve really since due to this volcano).
Dublin, Ireland 4/16/10
Not sure if we’ll be able to fly out Sunday due to the volcano in Iceland that’s spread ash across Europe. More smoke than 9/11 and Europe hasn’t seen this much smoke since WWII. According to Axelle, Ireland has been cleared tomorrow and I saw on the news that the UK is cleared at 7:00 am. Worst case there’s a ferry from Dublin to Paris and London to Amsterdam. Long as we get to the mainland with trains we should be fine. 3rd time in Dublin is the "charm."
Cork, Ireland 4/15/10
Took the bus to the Blarney Castle 8 km away, home of the Blarney Stone renowned for giving the “gift of gab” to those who kiss it. Winston Churchill falls into the list of renowned orators who kissed it. I’d heard beforehand that the locals piss on it so I was tempted to flip and coin, but ended up just kissing it. It’s an odd experience: The stone is on an overhand at the top by the floor, so they hold you, while you grip iron poles, bending over backwards to kiss it over a grated hole. Slightly reassuring that they have Windex or some cleaning agent and wipes on site. Afterwards we toured the grounds which were peaceful. Kinda reminded us of the Village as Val put it: walls and woods bordering. There were green fields as well surrounded by the trees.
Back in Cork we visited the Cork Butter Museum and learned more than we needed to know about how important the butter industry is to Ireland. Kinda a waste but hopefully we get reimbursed (Update: we didn’t). Afterwards we went to the Church of St. Anne Shandon right by our hostel. We got to climb up its clock tower known as “the four-faced liar” on account of all the times being slightly different on its faces. This is due to some of the clock numbers having been made of thicker wood than others so the hands stick, except at the hour when they all come together. The inside reminded me of Back to the Future as I don’t normally see the insides of clocks. We also got to ring the 8 bells (a full octave) and use them in sequences to play songs thanks to the sheet list provided (Amazing Grace, Walzing Mathilda). Great view of Cork from the top; it’s bigger than I expected.
Tried Beamish Irish Stout as it was brewed here before Heineken took over the factory. I’m in love with stouts, it’s official. Murphy’s is apparently less bitter than both Beamish and Guinness. Sweeter as well (so says Wikipedia). The foam is the best. Funny: Murphy’s is mentioned as a distant cousin of the milkshake, which goes along with Eric Anderson’s perception of what Guinness looks like.
Back in Cork we visited the Cork Butter Museum and learned more than we needed to know about how important the butter industry is to Ireland. Kinda a waste but hopefully we get reimbursed (Update: we didn’t). Afterwards we went to the Church of St. Anne Shandon right by our hostel. We got to climb up its clock tower known as “the four-faced liar” on account of all the times being slightly different on its faces. This is due to some of the clock numbers having been made of thicker wood than others so the hands stick, except at the hour when they all come together. The inside reminded me of Back to the Future as I don’t normally see the insides of clocks. We also got to ring the 8 bells (a full octave) and use them in sequences to play songs thanks to the sheet list provided (Amazing Grace, Walzing Mathilda). Great view of Cork from the top; it’s bigger than I expected.
Tried Beamish Irish Stout as it was brewed here before Heineken took over the factory. I’m in love with stouts, it’s official. Murphy’s is apparently less bitter than both Beamish and Guinness. Sweeter as well (so says Wikipedia). The foam is the best. Funny: Murphy’s is mentioned as a distant cousin of the milkshake, which goes along with Eric Anderson’s perception of what Guinness looks like.
Cork, Ireland 4/14/10
Cork reminds me of Salzburg (layout-wise, the river with city on both sides and not too big). Little bit of a walk for Axelle and I from the train station our main goal was to ask people where the Shandon Bells were as Kinlay’s House (our hostel) is right by there. Luckily everyone is very friendly. Nice to have a private 4-person room with a bathroom: Don’t have to worry about waking others up. Tried Murphy’s Irish Stout—excellent.
Galway, Ireland 4/14/10
Getting here literally took planes, trains, and automobiles. Caught the Tube yesterday to Liverpool for the Stansted Express train then caught our flight to Dublin. Axelle and I intended to use our railpasses for the train to Galway. Unfortunately, at the rate the bus was going we didn’t think we’d make it to Heuston Station from the airport in time. After all the Italians got off the bus, though, we found that we just missed the train by about 5 seconds. As a result we ended up taking the bus an hour after Francesca and Valerie, and arrived in Galway at 11:30 pm.
With the amount of time here we probably won’t get to see the cliffs as Axelle and I are leaving on the 6:05 pm train to Cork (6 hours). We have seen the ST. Nicholas’ Church where Columbus prayed before hitting the ocean blue. I just want to see fields that are “fucking green” (Death and a Funeral reference). Turns out it’s a zig-zag to Cork (back to Dublin, then catch a train there to Cork).
With the amount of time here we probably won’t get to see the cliffs as Axelle and I are leaving on the 6:05 pm train to Cork (6 hours). We have seen the ST. Nicholas’ Church where Columbus prayed before hitting the ocean blue. I just want to see fields that are “fucking green” (Death and a Funeral reference). Turns out it’s a zig-zag to Cork (back to Dublin, then catch a train there to Cork).
London 4/12/10
Got to Buckingham Palace just as the band began marching so got to see that, but wasn’t able to get a spot by the gate to see the actual changing of the guard.
Went to a cheap department store at Marble Arch called Primark. Got a shirt and it’s a good thing I’m a patient fellow since I’m traveling with girls. Following this we traveled to Victoria Station so that they could get tickets for Wicked tonight. I dropped by a nearby fish and chips place recommended by Rick Steves called Seafresh Fish Restaurant. Delicious.
After taking a nap at the hostel, I decided to go see Avenue Q around Leicestor Square. For ₤10 it was a great deal although I later found out that my leg room was limited. You get what you pay for. I had two hours to kill before the show. Leicestor Square is where all the movie premieres in London take place. I got to see one for “It’s a Wonderful Afterlife” from the same director as “Bend It Like Beckham.” Not too crowded and they had some kids perform Bollywood dances beforehand to “Thriller’ and the like before the celebs showed up. Mark Addy, Jimi Mistry, and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder from Heroes) were there and I’m pretty sure I saw John Landis. A couple guys were yelling all the celebs first names in hope of getting pics and autographs from them. It really is annoying and some other people in the crowd yelled the names just to make fun of the instigators. It really would deter me from signing if I was a celeb, as some of them did today. Pretty good time waster, though.
Followed this up with a free Monopoly meal at McDonald’s (Big Mac and apple pie). I’ve been picking up game pieces like I did in Switzerland and grabbed the apple pie sticker off an abandoned cup. Sweet deal.
Avenue Q is a riot. “The Internet is for Porn” is still the classic song, but the whole soundtrack is hilarious. “Schadenfreude” is a fitting “German” song. The British version tweaks certain things like mentioning unpopular prime minister Gordon Brown.
Went to a cheap department store at Marble Arch called Primark. Got a shirt and it’s a good thing I’m a patient fellow since I’m traveling with girls. Following this we traveled to Victoria Station so that they could get tickets for Wicked tonight. I dropped by a nearby fish and chips place recommended by Rick Steves called Seafresh Fish Restaurant. Delicious.
After taking a nap at the hostel, I decided to go see Avenue Q around Leicestor Square. For ₤10 it was a great deal although I later found out that my leg room was limited. You get what you pay for. I had two hours to kill before the show. Leicestor Square is where all the movie premieres in London take place. I got to see one for “It’s a Wonderful Afterlife” from the same director as “Bend It Like Beckham.” Not too crowded and they had some kids perform Bollywood dances beforehand to “Thriller’ and the like before the celebs showed up. Mark Addy, Jimi Mistry, and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Mohinder from Heroes) were there and I’m pretty sure I saw John Landis. A couple guys were yelling all the celebs first names in hope of getting pics and autographs from them. It really is annoying and some other people in the crowd yelled the names just to make fun of the instigators. It really would deter me from signing if I was a celeb, as some of them did today. Pretty good time waster, though.
Followed this up with a free Monopoly meal at McDonald’s (Big Mac and apple pie). I’ve been picking up game pieces like I did in Switzerland and grabbed the apple pie sticker off an abandoned cup. Sweet deal.
Avenue Q is a riot. “The Internet is for Porn” is still the classic song, but the whole soundtrack is hilarious. “Schadenfreude” is a fitting “German” song. The British version tweaks certain things like mentioning unpopular prime minister Gordon Brown.
London 4/11/10
Chinatown today for some Dim Sum! Oh how I’ve missed thee. The tasty custard filled dumplings were especially good. From there went to Abbey Road. ‘Nuff said. Then dropped by the Sherlock Holmes Museum but only went to the gift shop after seeing pics of the museum. Saw the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum (great building) before heading off to the National Gallery for some Rembrandt’s, Michelangelo’s, Van Gogh’s (Sunflowers were here, wonder if it’s permanent?), Da Vinci’s, and Monet’s. Then went to try and find the Temple Church stopping by St. Pual’s during a service; wish I could visit it more fully, but oh well. I trekked to Chimes English Restaurant and Cider Bar for their cider recommended by Rick Steves. Luckily afterwards I was able to make the 9:00 showing of Kick-Ass whose title does it justice.
Ciders tried: Chimes Traditional (better than wine), Merrydown Vintage Gold (Excellent, best, like Martinelli’s but with 7.5% abv), Biddenden Sweet (refrigerated, but like the Traditional), Henry Weston’s (not quite wine, slightly sparkly, but good).
In regards to Fabric from last night. A very good club (esp. Room 3 with the Glimmers), but European or maybe clubs in general are kidna weird. Some people just awkwardly stand at times and the age gap can be 25+ years. I was pretty tired and had to leave at 2:30. Decent 3 hours, but it would’ve been nice to push for 5 am. The club goes till 8 am. Ridiculous. Not a bad night, but I’ve decided clubs aren’t my thing.
Ciders tried: Chimes Traditional (better than wine), Merrydown Vintage Gold (Excellent, best, like Martinelli’s but with 7.5% abv), Biddenden Sweet (refrigerated, but like the Traditional), Henry Weston’s (not quite wine, slightly sparkly, but good).
In regards to Fabric from last night. A very good club (esp. Room 3 with the Glimmers), but European or maybe clubs in general are kidna weird. Some people just awkwardly stand at times and the age gap can be 25+ years. I was pretty tired and had to leave at 2:30. Decent 3 hours, but it would’ve been nice to push for 5 am. The club goes till 8 am. Ridiculous. Not a bad night, but I’ve decided clubs aren’t my thing.
London 4/10/10
Hit up Westminster Abbey today. Very impressive considering it’s the coronation site of all the kings and queens since William the Conqueror was crowned there. It has the tombs of various kings and queens, such as Mary of Scotland, as well as famous people responsible for England’s history. Chaucer (Paul Bettany in A Knight’s Tale) and Handel are buried here and Shakespeare has his own monument. Following this we rode the London Eye the world’s tallest Ferris wheel that gives a great view of parliament and Big Ben. We saw Buckingham Palace afterwards. The St. James Park on the way was beautiful especially in this weather. Will have to see the changing of the guard in the next few days. It’s interesting to note that the walls around it have no graffiti or gum at all. I can only imagine the fines. Went to Trafalgar Square and then to King’s Cross. Nice little thing to see the trolley in between platforms 9 and 10 marking 9 ¾. Ate at “My Old Dutch Pancake House” where I essentially got a large crepe with duck and Hoi sin sauce inside. Tasty.
I left the girls at this point to try and find Fabric before tonight. Found it luckily. Then hit up Waterloo Station where The Bourne Ultimatum was shot (reporter rendezvous). Couldn’t find the transition sign where the asset shot from, but I might have found the bathroom newsstand where the reporter hid. Saw London Bridge at night afterwards. Nice.
I left the girls at this point to try and find Fabric before tonight. Found it luckily. Then hit up Waterloo Station where The Bourne Ultimatum was shot (reporter rendezvous). Couldn’t find the transition sign where the asset shot from, but I might have found the bathroom newsstand where the reporter hid. Saw London Bridge at night afterwards. Nice.
London, England 4/9/10
Took a Ryanair (Southwest cheap-type) flight to London Stansted from Salzburg. Although pricey, it is nice to not have to take a night train and instead arrive within 2 hours. After checking into our hostel and picking up a weeklong Oyster metro pass (very convenient, all you do is slide the card to open the gate like Tom Cruise in Collateral), we headed to the Tower of London. It’s the site of many executions for the royal family in addition to being a wartime castle and a monarch’s residence in peacetime. The crown jewels were a rich sight to see. The tale of the “Bloody Tower” about the two princes killed by Richard III (my guess as to who did it) was pretty interesting. The Torture tower didn’t have much aside from 3 main torture devices. Traitor’s gate was something interesting to see (think Man in the Iron Mask). Afterwards we walked over London Bridge (didn’t fall down) and then briefly visited the Globe Theater (will tour sometime later). We actually saw the original site of the theater afterwards. Interestingly, the Brits really like to drink outside as evidenced by the mobs outside of pubs. We hit up the free Tate Moderne where we saw some Warhol’s, Picasso’s, Dali’s, Pollock’s, Monet’s, and Lichtenstein’s for free. Pretty slick. I hit up a St. Christopher’s pub at the end of the day for fish and chips. Alright, but I’ll find better. The first pint I got was a Kronenbourg 1664 lager: excellent for a non-dark beer. The “semi-dark” Bombardier was only alright, though.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Paris 4/4/10
Ventured to Disneyland Paris today. Got a park hopper so that we could go to both the original Disneyland Park and the Walt Disney Studios Park there. The Rock’n Roller Coaster was alright as was Tower of Terror (seems shorter in height here, but the bellhop was funny cuz he messed with everyone before we went up: stink eye look/scare). The shows were more interesting to me than anything else we saw in the studio park. Cinémagique was a cool show that put Martin Short into several movies starting with silent films. Animagique was also a pretty cool Disney show with all the main cartoon characters and some form the Disney Vault singing classic tunes. Note: all shows are presented in English and French. Ex. Mickey will speak French (seems “gayer” according to Val) while Donald Duck will speak English; Star Tours’ robots speak French, but everything else is in English.
The main Disneyland is much bigger than the studio park (smaller than California’s, though) and has its variations on rides and design. As Vincent Vega puts it, “Over there it’s just a little bit different.” The majority of the coasters have upside down loops, smoking is allowed, park staff is less friendly, and you can purchase beer. Adventureland’s entrance is Arabesque, Tomorrowland is called Discoverland, and Fantasyland even has an Alice in Wonderland maze. Pirates seems more modeled after the 1st movie with the outside resembling an island fortress, the pirates speak French, and the biggest bummer: the man with the shack at the beginning is gone. Indiana Jones has a mine car roller coaster instead that’s pretty fun for the time it lasts. Space Mountain is definitely superior here: you’re shot through a telescope and go through a more roller coaster-based ride (loop is awesome).
The Haunted Mansion is known as The Phantom Manor and resembles Norman Bates’ house. There is no French Quarter and so the Frontierland where it’s situated reminds me of Knott’s. The Knott’s influence can be seen on the ride by the abundance of skeletons that are more ghoulish. The layout of the building is the same, but the aesthetics aren’t. The stretching paintings differ; the narrator is gone; one corner resembles a route on Indiana Jones in California with all the skeletons; the bride theme is that of her suicide (seems like she lived a Miss Havisham life).
Surprisingly overall the experience, though enjoyable was different from the typical Disneyland.
The main Disneyland is much bigger than the studio park (smaller than California’s, though) and has its variations on rides and design. As Vincent Vega puts it, “Over there it’s just a little bit different.” The majority of the coasters have upside down loops, smoking is allowed, park staff is less friendly, and you can purchase beer. Adventureland’s entrance is Arabesque, Tomorrowland is called Discoverland, and Fantasyland even has an Alice in Wonderland maze. Pirates seems more modeled after the 1st movie with the outside resembling an island fortress, the pirates speak French, and the biggest bummer: the man with the shack at the beginning is gone. Indiana Jones has a mine car roller coaster instead that’s pretty fun for the time it lasts. Space Mountain is definitely superior here: you’re shot through a telescope and go through a more roller coaster-based ride (loop is awesome).
The Haunted Mansion is known as The Phantom Manor and resembles Norman Bates’ house. There is no French Quarter and so the Frontierland where it’s situated reminds me of Knott’s. The Knott’s influence can be seen on the ride by the abundance of skeletons that are more ghoulish. The layout of the building is the same, but the aesthetics aren’t. The stretching paintings differ; the narrator is gone; one corner resembles a route on Indiana Jones in California with all the skeletons; the bride theme is that of her suicide (seems like she lived a Miss Havisham life).
Surprisingly overall the experience, though enjoyable was different from the typical Disneyland.
Paris 4/3/10
Trekked to Versailles today to see the palace and all that jazz. I thought Disneyland Paris’ lines would be the worst we’d encounter this weekend. Apparently not. Arriving around 12, we waited in line for at least 70 minutes to get tickets and then another 40 to get through the main entrance and security. Once inside, though, we set a meeting point and time (Eiffel Tower 7:30 pm) in order to get together again since I had purchased a ticket for all the major sites in Versailles, while the girls had only purchased tickets for the Château. Once you get past all the paintings and into the rooms of the Château (especially the Hall of Mirrors) you really begin to understand how richly indulgent Louis XIV was with his dad’s former hunting lodge. Apparently, the girls only spent an hour there due to the crowds. I must’ve missed the major crowds as I wasn’t shoved (although it was busy). The grounds outside, particularly the gardens which stretch for a mile or two, are very grand. The palace from the back view with the steps is reminiscent to Wayne Manor in Batman Begins, but 1000 times bigger. Bering there on the weekend, I also got to see the Musical Fountains Show, which was period-esque. Wandering down the gardens I ended up at Marie Antoinette’s estate, a home away from the home away from home of the royal family. It’s alright to be honest; I felt like I could’ve skipped it after seeing the Château. Around here it started to pour and then got sunny (weather is wonky this trip). Nice rainbow over the grounds afterwards. The Trianon was another thing I stopped by on the way back.
Leaving Versailles I was lucky to catch the 6:50 pm RER back to Paris so I could make it to the rendezvous at the Eiffel Tower. It really is a cool structure. Skeletal and larger than I had imagined. We took the stairs up the south leg to the 1st level, after purchasing tickets for the top. After reading some displays and deciding to head up, I stupidly waited 10 minutes in the line to take the elevator back down. Didn’t matter for the crowd — the elevator was packed every time so they didn’t make much progress either. Felt bad because we’d told Francesca that we’d be down after 30 minutes; ended up being there for 70 minutes. After walking up yet another flight of stairs I met some Canadian girls on a class trip from the “redneck” (central) part of Canada. The friendly chat with them calmed my nerves with how pissed I was at Paris at that point. Finally made it to the top and got pictures. Quite freezing, windy, etc. Great view though. Had one of the Canadians try to get pics of me without flash, but they were very blurry due to the high winds. Getting back to Francesca around 9:20, we decided to get our crêpes we’d been craving. Nutella and banana. Delicious.
The girls decided to head back to the hostel, but I wanted to see more sights so I took the metro to the Arc De Triomphe (wasted 1.60 € by entering the wrong station). The thing is impressive, though. Walking down the Champ-Elysées (long walk, feet hurt: in the words of the philosopher Cash, “I’ve been everywhere.”) to the Obelisk and finally the Louvre (Jardin des Tuileries was closed, probably because of the bums at night) I can still see the thing. The Louvre at night was cool due to the lit up pyramid. I then headed to the Pont Neuf bridge (“New Bridge” so named because at the time it was the first built without houses on it) because Bourne sent Conklin there in The Bourne Identity. Wondered which building Bourne spied on him from. Got the metro back to Riquet and arrived at the hostel around 12:45 am. Long day, but fulfilling. I understand and am inclined to agree with Francesca about why she doesn’t like Paris. I’m done with Paris for awhile, but I will be back for the Musee d’Orsay Mom recommended.
Leaving Versailles I was lucky to catch the 6:50 pm RER back to Paris so I could make it to the rendezvous at the Eiffel Tower. It really is a cool structure. Skeletal and larger than I had imagined. We took the stairs up the south leg to the 1st level, after purchasing tickets for the top. After reading some displays and deciding to head up, I stupidly waited 10 minutes in the line to take the elevator back down. Didn’t matter for the crowd — the elevator was packed every time so they didn’t make much progress either. Felt bad because we’d told Francesca that we’d be down after 30 minutes; ended up being there for 70 minutes. After walking up yet another flight of stairs I met some Canadian girls on a class trip from the “redneck” (central) part of Canada. The friendly chat with them calmed my nerves with how pissed I was at Paris at that point. Finally made it to the top and got pictures. Quite freezing, windy, etc. Great view though. Had one of the Canadians try to get pics of me without flash, but they were very blurry due to the high winds. Getting back to Francesca around 9:20, we decided to get our crêpes we’d been craving. Nutella and banana. Delicious.
The girls decided to head back to the hostel, but I wanted to see more sights so I took the metro to the Arc De Triomphe (wasted 1.60 € by entering the wrong station). The thing is impressive, though. Walking down the Champ-Elysées (long walk, feet hurt: in the words of the philosopher Cash, “I’ve been everywhere.”) to the Obelisk and finally the Louvre (Jardin des Tuileries was closed, probably because of the bums at night) I can still see the thing. The Louvre at night was cool due to the lit up pyramid. I then headed to the Pont Neuf bridge (“New Bridge” so named because at the time it was the first built without houses on it) because Bourne sent Conklin there in The Bourne Identity. Wondered which building Bourne spied on him from. Got the metro back to Riquet and arrived at the hostel around 12:45 am. Long day, but fulfilling. I understand and am inclined to agree with Francesca about why she doesn’t like Paris. I’m done with Paris for awhile, but I will be back for the Musee d’Orsay Mom recommended.
Paris, France 4/2/10
After arriving in Paris from the night train, we set out to reserve tickets back to Salzburg as the office there wouldn’t allow us to do that. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get the train we wanted (it’s Easter weekend), but we did reserve a train to Stuttgart so hopefully from there we can make it back. We needed a subway ticket for the day, though, so we could get to our hostel and to all the sites we wanted to get to. Spent about an hour waiting for the one ticket machine at Gare de l’est that would take Visa or Mastercard as all others only took coins (we needed 9 € worth and I’m not Gringott’s) or European credit cards. Right when we got to the machine, conveniently the guy ahead of us got his card stuck in the machine. What a pisser. Fortunately, ended up getting tickets from the info desk.
Checked into the St. Christopher’s Hostel, which is a pretty nice chain in Europe. This one shares space with a Holiday Inn Express (located on the back). Decided to see some sites so we took the metro to Notre Dame and saw the outside of that (the Easter or tourist line was ridiculous). We then decided to see “the other Statue of Liberty.” It’s located on a small island under a bridge and is actually bigger than what I anticipated from National Treasure 2 (maybe there are two of them in Paris). It was raining pretty heavily at this point and I forgot my umbrella at the hostel so I was soaked (my head at least). Due to the weather we decided to hit up the Louvre. I used the Rick Steve’s iPod tour that I had downloaded earlier which gave me a pretty good overview of the important sites. Venus di Milo was cool and the Mona Lisa actually impressed me more than I thought it would. The painting seemed more colorful and she had more of a grin. The crowds taking flash photos king of shocked me. Maybe the guards have given up on trying to stop the crowd after so long. The girls weren’t able to find the connecting spires or w/e from the Da Vinci Code.
Tired we headed back to get rest, but ended up talking to the other occupants of our room: two Americans Michael and Gerard, whose respective friends were also arriving that night. I actually ended up talking to our roommate from Scotland more in depth than either. Andrew was traveling for business/pleasure from Scotland and we got to talking about Sean Connery (hypocrite for being a proper Scotsman, but living in a tax haven), Up in the Air (relating to Andrew’s lifestyle right now), beer pong (they don’t know of it), and Top Gear. Really cool guy and funny especially when he started messing with Axelle after she told him about Taken. Asking her to say “whatever” was a real kick to him.
Checked into the St. Christopher’s Hostel, which is a pretty nice chain in Europe. This one shares space with a Holiday Inn Express (located on the back). Decided to see some sites so we took the metro to Notre Dame and saw the outside of that (the Easter or tourist line was ridiculous). We then decided to see “the other Statue of Liberty.” It’s located on a small island under a bridge and is actually bigger than what I anticipated from National Treasure 2 (maybe there are two of them in Paris). It was raining pretty heavily at this point and I forgot my umbrella at the hostel so I was soaked (my head at least). Due to the weather we decided to hit up the Louvre. I used the Rick Steve’s iPod tour that I had downloaded earlier which gave me a pretty good overview of the important sites. Venus di Milo was cool and the Mona Lisa actually impressed me more than I thought it would. The painting seemed more colorful and she had more of a grin. The crowds taking flash photos king of shocked me. Maybe the guards have given up on trying to stop the crowd after so long. The girls weren’t able to find the connecting spires or w/e from the Da Vinci Code.
Tired we headed back to get rest, but ended up talking to the other occupants of our room: two Americans Michael and Gerard, whose respective friends were also arriving that night. I actually ended up talking to our roommate from Scotland more in depth than either. Andrew was traveling for business/pleasure from Scotland and we got to talking about Sean Connery (hypocrite for being a proper Scotsman, but living in a tax haven), Up in the Air (relating to Andrew’s lifestyle right now), beer pong (they don’t know of it), and Top Gear. Really cool guy and funny especially when he started messing with Axelle after she told him about Taken. Asking her to say “whatever” was a real kick to him.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Berlin 3/27/10
Today we visited the East Side Gallery, which is the longest section of the Berlin Wall left that is also used as a canvas for artists to work on. Pretty sick and I wonder if Banksy will ever take a stab at it. Following this we dropped by the Documentation Center which is another section of the wall that also has a nearby museum that gives more info on the topic of the wall than Checkpoint Charlie. It was really interesting to read and see the footage of the escape attempts over the wall. The 77-year-old woman who dropped out of a building after being simultaneously pulled back in and pulled down from the window. We then went back to Brandenberg Tor and went to the Stasi Museum which was all in German. Fortunately, I have seen The Lives of Others so I knew the significance of all the letters, cameras, and microphones. After this we went to the top of the Reichstag (parliament building) where there’s a cool glass structure up there that provides a great view. All the ramps remind me of the scene in X-Men where Xavier and Magneto first talk. We then met up with Francesca, her mom, and Valerie to eat at a beer hall. Unfortunately, it was full, but because of this we found an excellent European Chipotle called California Gourmet Burrito. Delicious.
Note: The traffic lights here use two types of walking people. The first is the standard stick figure, but the second is “Ampel Man” a comical walking figure with a hat. This originates from an East Berlin cartoon show designed for kids to promote the following of traffic signs while crossing streets. They worship him here so much that there are Hello Kitty type stores devoted to the character.
Note: The traffic lights here use two types of walking people. The first is the standard stick figure, but the second is “Ampel Man” a comical walking figure with a hat. This originates from an East Berlin cartoon show designed for kids to promote the following of traffic signs while crossing streets. They worship him here so much that there are Hello Kitty type stores devoted to the character.
Berlin, Germany 3/26/10
Arrived in Berlin late last night at about 11. Not quite sure how to get to Landsberger Allee station, which is right by our hostel, The Generator (the place can house 1000 and the hallways are bathed in blue lights). Luckily, a German man, who sat near us on the train coming here, caught up with Cambria and I while we looked at a map and had his American friend give us a lead in the right direction. Very fortunate. I really like cities with metro stations as well. Easy to get around.
After breakfast today, we decided to take the “free” tour of Berlin’s major sites with a tips for tour guide. We started at the Brandenberg Gate (the dividing point between East and West Berlin). Right near that is the Hotel Adlon which is where Michael Jackson “presented” his baby to the crowd. We then moved to Potsdamer Platz where we saw many cubic stones that formed a sort of maze. I, like other tourists I saw, started walking across them until the guide informed me that this was the Jewish Holocaust Memorial. Whoops.
We then walked to a dirt parking lot which turned out to be the ground above the bunker where Hitler married Eva Braun and committed suicide. It’s pretty well-overlooked if not for the tours that pass by there. There’s even a shabby park nearby. We then saw the Luftwaffe HQ which is one of the last Nazi-built buildings that is still standing. It’s now a financial office after once housing the Socialist government, ironic.
Checkpoint Charlie is like Disneyland: pretty much a replica of what it once was and high priced. There are some fake American guards in front of the checkpoint in the street, while towering pics of an American and Soviet soldier tower over, each staring at the opposing side. The sign announcing what sector we were leaving was also present. We didn’t stick around that long, but only about 20 minutes is probably needed to get a feel for it.
Afterwards, we saw a section of the Berlin Wall which was interesting. Other sites included the spot where the infamous book burning took place (there’s now a monument underneath with empty bookcases), and Gendarmen Markt (so named for the Swedish soldiers that occupied it). We ended on Museum Island where Lauren, Christina, Cambria and I decided to check out the nearby Berliner Dom for the “great” view of the city. It would be “great” had not we been restricted to seeing the city through windows because the outside walkway was closed.
We decided to take the S-Bahn to the Olympic Stadium, the site of the 1936 Olympics where Hitler refused to recognize Jesse Owens. It’s pretty plain and definitely Nazi-built, but now hosts the Berlin football team. Aside from the stadium, we saw the spot where the Olympic flame was lit, the old Nazi bell from the tower that was blown up, various statues, and other facilities like the pool with high dives. The stadium also is home to the largest screen…in Europe. America obviously subscribes more frequently to the philosophy of “bigger is better.”
On the U-Bahn back, a musician with a violin and his friend with hidden speakers in his bag started performing. Cambria and I made the mistake of applauding, however, so we were subject to give a tip. We took the U-Bahn to Alexanderplatz (Bourne meets Nikki here in Supremacy) which had various stands set up with shops and foods (probably due to the warm weather today, woot!). Therefore, it looks nothing like it did in The Bourne Supremacy. I got the currywurst from a stand which was actually tasty. Essentially, I just put curry-flavored ketchup on my brat. Earlier in the day I also got a brat from a seller with a backpack cooking contraption.
I decided to go to Friedrichstrasse station afterwards to see the bridge that crosses the river. Why you may ask? This happens to be the bridge that Bourne jumps off of onto the garbage barge while escaping the police. A fine capstone to my day and I was happy.
After breakfast today, we decided to take the “free” tour of Berlin’s major sites with a tips for tour guide. We started at the Brandenberg Gate (the dividing point between East and West Berlin). Right near that is the Hotel Adlon which is where Michael Jackson “presented” his baby to the crowd. We then moved to Potsdamer Platz where we saw many cubic stones that formed a sort of maze. I, like other tourists I saw, started walking across them until the guide informed me that this was the Jewish Holocaust Memorial. Whoops.
We then walked to a dirt parking lot which turned out to be the ground above the bunker where Hitler married Eva Braun and committed suicide. It’s pretty well-overlooked if not for the tours that pass by there. There’s even a shabby park nearby. We then saw the Luftwaffe HQ which is one of the last Nazi-built buildings that is still standing. It’s now a financial office after once housing the Socialist government, ironic.
Checkpoint Charlie is like Disneyland: pretty much a replica of what it once was and high priced. There are some fake American guards in front of the checkpoint in the street, while towering pics of an American and Soviet soldier tower over, each staring at the opposing side. The sign announcing what sector we were leaving was also present. We didn’t stick around that long, but only about 20 minutes is probably needed to get a feel for it.
Afterwards, we saw a section of the Berlin Wall which was interesting. Other sites included the spot where the infamous book burning took place (there’s now a monument underneath with empty bookcases), and Gendarmen Markt (so named for the Swedish soldiers that occupied it). We ended on Museum Island where Lauren, Christina, Cambria and I decided to check out the nearby Berliner Dom for the “great” view of the city. It would be “great” had not we been restricted to seeing the city through windows because the outside walkway was closed.
We decided to take the S-Bahn to the Olympic Stadium, the site of the 1936 Olympics where Hitler refused to recognize Jesse Owens. It’s pretty plain and definitely Nazi-built, but now hosts the Berlin football team. Aside from the stadium, we saw the spot where the Olympic flame was lit, the old Nazi bell from the tower that was blown up, various statues, and other facilities like the pool with high dives. The stadium also is home to the largest screen…in Europe. America obviously subscribes more frequently to the philosophy of “bigger is better.”
On the U-Bahn back, a musician with a violin and his friend with hidden speakers in his bag started performing. Cambria and I made the mistake of applauding, however, so we were subject to give a tip. We took the U-Bahn to Alexanderplatz (Bourne meets Nikki here in Supremacy) which had various stands set up with shops and foods (probably due to the warm weather today, woot!). Therefore, it looks nothing like it did in The Bourne Supremacy. I got the currywurst from a stand which was actually tasty. Essentially, I just put curry-flavored ketchup on my brat. Earlier in the day I also got a brat from a seller with a backpack cooking contraption.
I decided to go to Friedrichstrasse station afterwards to see the bridge that crosses the river. Why you may ask? This happens to be the bridge that Bourne jumps off of onto the garbage barge while escaping the police. A fine capstone to my day and I was happy.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Pisa, Italy 3/20/10
Today we visited the Galleria dell’ Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David. It is an impressive piece to say the least. One of the best marble sculptures I’ve seen. Some others got pics which I may have to steal later. Once done we made the drive to Pisa.
Arriving in Pisa, we instantly headed for the infamous Leaning Tower. Of course everyone did their various poses with the tower, and as Kymm pointed out it’s pretty funny to watch everyone as if they were part of a gigantic choreographed dance. I declined to climb to the top as Eva mentioned that it wasn’t really worth it. It is an odd sight to see, though. Came back at night to see it lit up, but they didn’t do it today, instead using floodlights. The walk to the tower is surprisingly crowded thanks to all the shops that line the main street in town. The tower really is the only claim to fame for Pisa, though.
Arriving in Pisa, we instantly headed for the infamous Leaning Tower. Of course everyone did their various poses with the tower, and as Kymm pointed out it’s pretty funny to watch everyone as if they were part of a gigantic choreographed dance. I declined to climb to the top as Eva mentioned that it wasn’t really worth it. It is an odd sight to see, though. Came back at night to see it lit up, but they didn’t do it today, instead using floodlights. The walk to the tower is surprisingly crowded thanks to all the shops that line the main street in town. The tower really is the only claim to fame for Pisa, though.
Florence 3/19/10
Today we started our walking tour by seeing the cloister of San Marco, Santissima Annunciata, Il Duomo, Casa di Dante (yes, that Dante, but we didn’t go in), and the Piazza della Signoria where we saw a lot of statues, including a fake David and Perseus holding Medusa’s head. Following this we visited the Uffizi Gallery where we saw Boticelli’s “Birth of Venus” among other works.
Florence, Italy 3/18/10
After checking into our hotel in Florence we started our walking tour seeing the churches of San Giovanni and San Lorenzo. I guess I should just not take pictures within Italian churches as I got a warning again. Outside San Lorenzo there was a protest from all the souvenir venders who left their stores, which are covered wagons, on the sides of the street. The scene looked like Oregon Trail.
We then got lunch at a nearby restaurant; these cover charges to sit are killer—6 € for 4 of us plus tip. Dammit Italy. After lunch we went to the Church of Santa Maria Novella which was decorated with a golden, pictorial mosaic of a ceiling. I kept thinking that the screeches we heard inside were bats, so I expected that Batman would fall from the ceiling and grab someone at any second. It was probably the sirens of the police outside trying to contain the protest.
The following is a list of odd things I’ve noticed in Italy: Italy has a thing for the Simpsons as I keep seeing Duff Beer shirts around and it’s always playing in restaurants during dinner. Italy also has a law requiring a passport or ID # in exchange for free Wi-Fi. The government can also apparently restrict when sales can occur during the year according to one shopkeeper we talked to (that could be BS though).
We then got lunch at a nearby restaurant; these cover charges to sit are killer—6 € for 4 of us plus tip. Dammit Italy. After lunch we went to the Church of Santa Maria Novella which was decorated with a golden, pictorial mosaic of a ceiling. I kept thinking that the screeches we heard inside were bats, so I expected that Batman would fall from the ceiling and grab someone at any second. It was probably the sirens of the police outside trying to contain the protest.
The following is a list of odd things I’ve noticed in Italy: Italy has a thing for the Simpsons as I keep seeing Duff Beer shirts around and it’s always playing in restaurants during dinner. Italy also has a law requiring a passport or ID # in exchange for free Wi-Fi. The government can also apparently restrict when sales can occur during the year according to one shopkeeper we talked to (that could be BS though).
Assisi 3/17/10
Not really any Irish pubs around here so I’m unsure how we’ll be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. It’s tranquil here anyway, but unfortunately I think we’ll be breaking that somehow. Just finished our walking tour of Assisi and went inside the Basilica of Saint Francis. The Giotto frescoes there were very beautiful. I got yelled at for taking pictures, whoops. Just depends on if they catch you I guess as others avoided this.
Found a quiet spot to read at the Hotel Ideale for about an hour until the owners had to leave and close the gate. Afterwards I walked up with a group to the Eremo delle Carceri Di S. Francesco which is the monastery of St. Francis. Bitch of an hour walk up off the map and my feet ached afterwards, but I did it. Overall only okay but w/e once in a lifetime I guess. When we got back we all got gelato and I headed over to the Basilica Di S. Chiara to see the remains of Saint Claire that are preserved in wax. Well-preserved but, honestly, they could have substituted a dummy and no one would be the wiser. Her feet were bare, though, which is a condition of the vow of poverty those in her order take. The cross that spoke to Saint Francis was unimpressive to me probably because they turned off the lights for closing so my view was obscured.
Found a quiet spot to read at the Hotel Ideale for about an hour until the owners had to leave and close the gate. Afterwards I walked up with a group to the Eremo delle Carceri Di S. Francesco which is the monastery of St. Francis. Bitch of an hour walk up off the map and my feet ached afterwards, but I did it. Overall only okay but w/e once in a lifetime I guess. When we got back we all got gelato and I headed over to the Basilica Di S. Chiara to see the remains of Saint Claire that are preserved in wax. Well-preserved but, honestly, they could have substituted a dummy and no one would be the wiser. Her feet were bare, though, which is a condition of the vow of poverty those in her order take. The cross that spoke to Saint Francis was unimpressive to me probably because they turned off the lights for closing so my view was obscured.
Assisi, Italy 3/16/10
Today we visited the Borghese Gallery where we saw sculptures by Bernini and works by other Italian artists. Very intricate and interesting. Afterwards we got on the bus heading to Assisi.
Assisi really is a beautiful little city. It’s so tranquil here. I took Jim’s advice and got lost in the city on my own. Definitely a peaceful experience. When I say it’s little I’m not exaggerating. Walking around I found myself crossing one end of the city to the other in what seemed like 5 minutes. I saw the outside of the Basilica of Saint Francis and the Rocca Maggiore among other sites. Odd thing I found in a shop: 5 Batmans in different colors packaged together as Power Rangers.
Assisi really is a beautiful little city. It’s so tranquil here. I took Jim’s advice and got lost in the city on my own. Definitely a peaceful experience. When I say it’s little I’m not exaggerating. Walking around I found myself crossing one end of the city to the other in what seemed like 5 minutes. I saw the outside of the Basilica of Saint Francis and the Rocca Maggiore among other sites. Odd thing I found in a shop: 5 Batmans in different colors packaged together as Power Rangers.
Rome 3/15/10
Today we took another walking tour around Rome visiting Sant’ Andrea (Bernini), San Carlino alle Quattro Fontane (Borromini), the Quirinal, Trevi Fountain (again), Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and the Castel Sant’ Angelo. If I remember correctly, I believe Sant’ Andrea is where the president of Italy lives. There were a few cars with security outside the building armed with Uzis. The Pantheon was pretty impressive as well and it was there that I saw Raphael’s grave.
After lunch we met back at Vatican City to visit the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. The chapel was actually more colorful than I thought it would be and I got away with some pics before security told others that photography was prohibited. Didn’t realize that there’s a guy holding his empty skin on the wall, as well. Odd, slightly disturbing, but overall it is impressive that Michelangelo did all this himself. The museum beforehand was okay. I’d be more enthusiastic if I hadn’t been walking around from 8:30 AM to 5 PM.
After lunch we met back at Vatican City to visit the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. The chapel was actually more colorful than I thought it would be and I got away with some pics before security told others that photography was prohibited. Didn’t realize that there’s a guy holding his empty skin on the wall, as well. Odd, slightly disturbing, but overall it is impressive that Michelangelo did all this himself. The museum beforehand was okay. I’d be more enthusiastic if I hadn’t been walking around from 8:30 AM to 5 PM.
Rome 3/14/10
Today we ventured to Vatican City. It’s really interesting that this one area by Rome is its own country (I’m assuming a no-fly-zone as well). There we visited St. Peter’s Basilica; the single most massive holy ground I’ve ever stepped foot in. The letters atop it are taller than the people at its steps who appear as ants. St. Peter’s Square is a wide expanse and I see why: All the people that come to see the pope fill it up (not quite so much today, but surely on holidays). The basilica is ornately decorated as most of the churches I’ve seen in Europe are. The height of the ceiling which gives an almost limitless amount of space for decoration makes the difference, however. It was here that I attended my first Catholic mass (I’ve previously only walked through during pancake breakfast ticket sales at Sacred Heart). The mass was in Latin so most of us who attended didn’t exactly know what was going on. There was one passage that was read in English amongst other languages though. I was grateful that I sat next to Betty, because she informed me on the procedure regarding the Eucharist: Open your mouth or take it with my right hand over my left. When I received it though, I didn’t immediately eat it so the man stopped me briefly with his hand and motioned that I do so. He was pretty nice to me about it, as opposed to Cambria who walked away to have her guy run and snatch it back from her angrily.
Right after mass we had to work our way through the crowds leaving to meet our group by the fountain in front of the building where Pope Benedict was to greet the crowd. I was impressed with how he spoke to be honest. He gave quite a few benedictions in many languages which was pretty awesome. His voice is softer than I expected. For some reason I’m still used to John Paul as the pope.
After the benediction, a few of us ventured to the tomb of the popes. Some of the graves have chiseled bodies atop the coffins. The only grave I couldn’t take pictures of was, of course, John Paul’s. There were a fair amount of people paying their respects to his grave. Since my trip to Graceland, in terms of famous grave I’ve seen, the pope ranks first and Elvis second. We’ll see how Jim Morrison goes.
After lunch we headed to the Coliseum with only an hour and a half left before closing. With that much time left we decided to decline the audio tour in favor of saving time avoiding yet another line. The building is impressive, although the arena floor is gone exposing the maze of hallways beneath. Gladiator helps me fill in the gaps of what the place used to look like. I really want to see Way of the Dragon now for the Lee vs. Norris fight that occurs there. I’m surprised the film Jumper got permission to shoot on the ruins of the floor.
After dinner we walked to the Spanish Steps and the Trinata Dei Monti behind it. It is quite a sight to see. Along the way we saw the four fountains of Via Delle Quatro Fontane where each is on the corner where two streets meet. Rome really is a beautiful city utilizing its ancient buildings with the modern ones. Eva told us of apartments today that are within the ancient buildings. It would be pretty cool to tell people that you live in the Coliseum.
Right after mass we had to work our way through the crowds leaving to meet our group by the fountain in front of the building where Pope Benedict was to greet the crowd. I was impressed with how he spoke to be honest. He gave quite a few benedictions in many languages which was pretty awesome. His voice is softer than I expected. For some reason I’m still used to John Paul as the pope.
After the benediction, a few of us ventured to the tomb of the popes. Some of the graves have chiseled bodies atop the coffins. The only grave I couldn’t take pictures of was, of course, John Paul’s. There were a fair amount of people paying their respects to his grave. Since my trip to Graceland, in terms of famous grave I’ve seen, the pope ranks first and Elvis second. We’ll see how Jim Morrison goes.
After lunch we headed to the Coliseum with only an hour and a half left before closing. With that much time left we decided to decline the audio tour in favor of saving time avoiding yet another line. The building is impressive, although the arena floor is gone exposing the maze of hallways beneath. Gladiator helps me fill in the gaps of what the place used to look like. I really want to see Way of the Dragon now for the Lee vs. Norris fight that occurs there. I’m surprised the film Jumper got permission to shoot on the ruins of the floor.
After dinner we walked to the Spanish Steps and the Trinata Dei Monti behind it. It is quite a sight to see. Along the way we saw the four fountains of Via Delle Quatro Fontane where each is on the corner where two streets meet. Rome really is a beautiful city utilizing its ancient buildings with the modern ones. Eva told us of apartments today that are within the ancient buildings. It would be pretty cool to tell people that you live in the Coliseum.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Rome 3/13/10
Today we went on a walking tour of Rome to the Capitoline Hill, the Roman Forum, and the Coliseum (only the outside today). The main side of Capitoline Hill had two statues of Castor and Pollux (Face/Off!) in the front, which was pretty well-decorated. A couple had even gotten married in the adjacent building when we arrived. We then headed to the ruins of the Roman Forum. There I have to say were very grand in scale and number. The whole area again brought the Raiders theme into my head. Apparently, the buildings that survived only did so because they were used as churches during the medieval era. We stopped outside the Coliseum afterwards, but I decided to go to it tomorrow so as to not rush myself. Instead we went souvenir shopping around the Coliseum for rosaries to be blessed by the pope tomorrow. Due to my “indecision” I even got one for cheaper without bartering!
After lunch we visited the Roman “ghost town” AKA the Ostia Antica archaelogic site where the ashes of the dead were stored. Really beautiful with all the greenery here. On the way back to the hotel, Kymm, Laurel, Cambria, and I decided to get a sit down meal at a restaurant. As sick as I may get of it, I may have to get pizza all the time for this trip as it’s cheaper and filling without the cover charge to sit down if you do take away. I was content with the sea food risotto and swordfish that Cambria and I shared though. Normally it wouldn’t have filled me up, but the pizza I had for lunch was still in my stomach. We then met up with Valerie and Francesca to see the Trevi Fountain at night. Very beautiful and unparalleled by anything Caesar’s Palace can come up with. We saw a rush of people at one point and saw the aftermath of a proposal there. On the way back I saw some Face/Off store that put your face into glass. They even had the movie poster in the back though.
After lunch we visited the Roman “ghost town” AKA the Ostia Antica archaelogic site where the ashes of the dead were stored. Really beautiful with all the greenery here. On the way back to the hotel, Kymm, Laurel, Cambria, and I decided to get a sit down meal at a restaurant. As sick as I may get of it, I may have to get pizza all the time for this trip as it’s cheaper and filling without the cover charge to sit down if you do take away. I was content with the sea food risotto and swordfish that Cambria and I shared though. Normally it wouldn’t have filled me up, but the pizza I had for lunch was still in my stomach. We then met up with Valerie and Francesca to see the Trevi Fountain at night. Very beautiful and unparalleled by anything Caesar’s Palace can come up with. We saw a rush of people at one point and saw the aftermath of a proposal there. On the way back I saw some Face/Off store that put your face into glass. They even had the movie poster in the back though.
Rome, Italy 3/12/10
Today we elft Venice for Rome. On the bus I noticed that at the end of From Russia With Love the characters can be found in Venice where prominent background footage of San Marco Square can be found. Fitting. Upon arrival in Rome we went to Saint Paul’s Outside the Walls. That place is massive for a holy ground. The statues situated around the place were quite impressive. St. Paul with his sword was quite intimidating out in the courtyard. Inside were multiple columns above which were 6’ tall portraits of all the popes, Benedict’s being the only one lit up as he’s active. Saw the ruins below as well. The city is wonderfully integrated with its past. Ancient walls suddenly disappear into buildings and the like. I’m really looking forward to the Coliseum tomorrow. I think Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris fought there once.
Venice, Italy 3/11/10
Headed out to Venice today at 6 AM. Slept for some of the ride, but read Swiss Family Robinson and watched From Russia With Love for the most part. Upon arrival at the Hotel Universo we took a “Vaporetto” (water bus) to the Piazza San Marco where we walked through the piazza and the Basilica of St. Mark. This city is so beautiful; definitely a better canal city than Amsterdam. Next time I’m here (and I will be) I’ll have to do a canal ride and visit Campo San Barnaba (the church/library from Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade). Really unfortunate that we only have a day here. I wish we had enough time to “get lost” as the guidebooks put it. We also saw the Ponte di Rialto Bridge which was interesting as part of it has shops and is more than just a bridge. At dinner I discovered that a can of Sprite can cost up to 4 €. What a gyp. Later tonight, we also briefly visited the Campo del Ghetto which is supposedly (according to a sign) is the first Jewish ghetto. A couple alleys looked like where Batman’s parents would be shot though. It’s a good thing the various sections of the city are designated with signs as it is fairly easy to lose yourself. The canals and architecture are really sick; the Venetian in Vegas ain’t got nothing on this. Definitely a Pirates of the Caribbean vibe here. Wish I could see where they used to hang people, but next time. Canals look short enough to wade across, albeit the color of the water. Watching Narnia in Italian currently: it still gets the message across, but lacks the power of Liam Neeson.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Interlaken → Salzburg 3/7/10
After checking out today, I trekked up to the top of the Metropole again to try and tape the girls who were paragliding today. Kinda hard to see people, but when I got back to ground level I apparently saw Axelle and Francesca land. I tried to see the clock by the casino start its mini show where the dwarves would strike the ‘shrooms in front of them, but I guess my watch is off by 5 minutes. Oh well. On the way back to Balmer’s to grab my bag I heard the sounds of a marching band. Thinking it was a parade and having time to kill, I traced the music to the front of the Victoria Grand Hotel where the Cooltur marching band of Interlaken played such songs as “My Happy Ending” by Avril Lavigne and “Holiday” by Green Day. A nice way to end my stay in Interlaken before rushing to the train.
So due to a “personal accident” (possibly someone jumping in front of a train according to another passenger) the line to Zurich closed down for our connecting train. Therefore, we missed our connection from Zurich to Salzburg and now our group of 16 is split into two groups: 6 bound for Salzburg (I’m in that group) and 10 headed for Munich. The train makes noises (probably from the ice on the tracks) that sound like Darth Vader trying to hawk up a loogie on the intercom. The train passes right next to the Alps and the lake again which is ominously large. I can see why we need reservations for this train, as these Rail Jets are more luxurious than the standard compartments we’ve occupied before.
Last note: the Swiss franc is essentially equivalent to the dollar right now, but everything in Switzerland is incredibly expensive. I’ve been to McDonald’s twice now and a meal costs about 12.30 francs. I might be okay with this if the Big Mac was at least American size, but alas no. I’ve been playing the McDonald’s Monopoly game, though, and won two free drinks in one sitting. I’m saving the game board with stickers as a souvenir. McDonald’s even has Triples in front Tim.
Interlaken 3/6/10
West to the top of the 18-floor Metropole Hotel (AKA the “concrete shame” of Interlaken according to Rick Steves). Great views of the city and the Alps at the top of the highest building around. Went back to the Schuh chocolate store to redeem my voucher chocolate. Delicious, but it turns out that 7 truffles can be expensive.
Headed out at 1 PM today to do my canyon jump at Grindelwald’s glacial canyon. Little bit of a hike up, but once we got to the top I was still pretty stoked. They didn’t have the pro photographers there today unfortunately, but luckily Kymm and Cambria did a fantastic job of capturing the moment for Laurel and I. There’s a great video of me that’s scarier to watch than the actual jump with only the 85 M rope to hold me. The first 3 seconds were fine; it’s the 5 seconds of freefall following that that are nerve-racking. After that the line gets taut and you swing through the canyon a couple times. Beyond that it’s pretty hard to describe, but basically it’s the closest I’ve been to being Batman jumping off the building in Hong Kong.
Kymm and I decided to do night sledding on the Alps. The guides took us up the mountain on a gondola to about 5,000 feet or so. Once there they gave all 30 of us red lights on lanyards to hang behind ourselves. Sledding consisted of us going back and forth on the mountain for an hour with only the red lights and the white of the snow to lead us. The guide said that white was good: anything dark was a tree, rock, or body. It’s funny to see the line of red lights going down the dark trail. Considering people sometimes crashed into each other, the experience was like Mario Kart as the guide put it, albeit no turtle shells and banana peels. There were times, though, when we weren’t getting good speed, which resulted in a lot of scooting forward on our butts, and eventually the ultimatum of simply getting up and walking to the next decent patch of powder. I crashed once when I went up the side of a bank. It was really cool going at night, though, because the trees conceal most of the scenery anyway and the chaotic nature of the ride is a thrill. Occasionally, the city lights will come into view and lone cars can be seen driving. Along the way, the trail also crossed alpine meadows and passed frozen waterfalls. Once I had no lights to guide me as we were all so spread out. Someone suggested that the guides could dress in Yeti costumes and jump out Matterhorn-style at us, but that sounds like a lawsuit. Afterwards everyone got fondue at the restaurant at the bottom of the mountain where we had picked up the sleds to begin with. Not a spread like mom prepares, but we got bread, hash browns, and a sunny side up egg. Going during the offseason the only other people who really travel around Europe are study abroad students, so we conversed with some studying in Madrid and Florence during dinner. It’s funny that Prague’s Tram 54 is so vehemently hated by everyone.
Headed out at 1 PM today to do my canyon jump at Grindelwald’s glacial canyon. Little bit of a hike up, but once we got to the top I was still pretty stoked. They didn’t have the pro photographers there today unfortunately, but luckily Kymm and Cambria did a fantastic job of capturing the moment for Laurel and I. There’s a great video of me that’s scarier to watch than the actual jump with only the 85 M rope to hold me. The first 3 seconds were fine; it’s the 5 seconds of freefall following that that are nerve-racking. After that the line gets taut and you swing through the canyon a couple times. Beyond that it’s pretty hard to describe, but basically it’s the closest I’ve been to being Batman jumping off the building in Hong Kong.
Kymm and I decided to do night sledding on the Alps. The guides took us up the mountain on a gondola to about 5,000 feet or so. Once there they gave all 30 of us red lights on lanyards to hang behind ourselves. Sledding consisted of us going back and forth on the mountain for an hour with only the red lights and the white of the snow to lead us. The guide said that white was good: anything dark was a tree, rock, or body. It’s funny to see the line of red lights going down the dark trail. Considering people sometimes crashed into each other, the experience was like Mario Kart as the guide put it, albeit no turtle shells and banana peels. There were times, though, when we weren’t getting good speed, which resulted in a lot of scooting forward on our butts, and eventually the ultimatum of simply getting up and walking to the next decent patch of powder. I crashed once when I went up the side of a bank. It was really cool going at night, though, because the trees conceal most of the scenery anyway and the chaotic nature of the ride is a thrill. Occasionally, the city lights will come into view and lone cars can be seen driving. Along the way, the trail also crossed alpine meadows and passed frozen waterfalls. Once I had no lights to guide me as we were all so spread out. Someone suggested that the guides could dress in Yeti costumes and jump out Matterhorn-style at us, but that sounds like a lawsuit. Afterwards everyone got fondue at the restaurant at the bottom of the mountain where we had picked up the sleds to begin with. Not a spread like mom prepares, but we got bread, hash browns, and a sunny side up egg. Going during the offseason the only other people who really travel around Europe are study abroad students, so we conversed with some studying in Madrid and Florence during dinner. It’s funny that Prague’s Tram 54 is so vehemently hated by everyone.
Interlaken, Switzerland 3/5/10
Took the 1:40 AM train to Zurich today. Surprisingly I got some sleep although I pissed off the other passenger in our compartment by asking her to turn on her overhead light so we could turn off the main light in the compartment. Oh well, majority rules. Had some close connections to Bern and Interlaken with 10 and 6 minutes in between respectively.
Interlaken is a nice little city. The people are pretty nice here; cars will actually stop for you. The scenery of the lake outside the train wasn’t bad either. After seeing the picture on a postcard, I realized that this is where they filmed the majority of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as Blofield’s base is the restaurant atop the mountain. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go up there, because it’s closed for the season. The Balmer’s hostel that we’re staying at is very nice. Definitely an improvement from Amsterdam. They also have a lot of products that are tempting to buy. I already know that I’m going to purchase a legit Swiss cowbell from the hardware store in town, instead of the touristy version found in most of the stores.
Went to the Schuh chocolate store today to see the show run by head chocolate maker, Chino. It includes free samples and a voucher for 8 francs worth of chocolate in the store so thanks to all that we consumed during the tour and what we purchased afterwards we did get our money’s worth. Swiss chocolate is definitely tasty and it was interesting to see how they made the various chocolate cows, bunnies, and sculptures for competitions. Looking forward to canyon jumping and night sledding tomorrow with included fondue dinner.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Delphi 2/20/10
Today we visited the upper portion of Delphi and the museum. Ruins are still somewhat interesting, but repetitive at this point. Heading back to Salzburg now and couldn’t be happier.
Delphi, Greece 2/19/10
Today after leaving Athens we stopped along the way to Delphi at a Byzantine Monastery at Hosias Loukas. The 1000 year old monastery was quite ornate and I even bought some of the honey made by the monks (although I wish they had beer). The stereotype that Americans are loud is absolute BS. A group of Greek middle or high schoolers were screaming out theirs lungs on the monastery grounds. Eva even yelled at them for disrespecting the solitude.
After lunch we passed the spot from Oedipus Rex where three roads meet. Unfortunately, now there’s just an overpass and two roads so it wasn’t quite like ancient times.
We didn’t trek up to the main Temple of Apollo on the upper portion of the Delphi ruins, but we did visit the Temple of Athena Pronaia, which was good, but still doesn’t beat the Acropolis. We also drank from the waters here which are said to cleanse or bring good fortune, etc.
After lunch we passed the spot from Oedipus Rex where three roads meet. Unfortunately, now there’s just an overpass and two roads so it wasn’t quite like ancient times.
We didn’t trek up to the main Temple of Apollo on the upper portion of the Delphi ruins, but we did visit the Temple of Athena Pronaia, which was good, but still doesn’t beat the Acropolis. We also drank from the waters here which are said to cleanse or bring good fortune, etc.
Athens 2/18/10
Today we went to the Acropolis and the ancient Agora. The Acropolis was pretty sweet. These are definitely the best ruins that I’ve seen despite the reconstruction that was going on. It is the “high city” after all. The view was spectacular as well. It was here that I saw the whole of Athens (which houses 1/3 of the population of Greece). The buildings in the distance resembled gravel spread about.
We also went to this viewing spot on Lycabettus Hill called the AG. Georgios. That view surpasses that of the Acropolis that I mentioned earlier. It’s cool to see the city lit up at night. There are veins of lights as opposed to geometrically ordered street lights of an American city. It’s also sick to see the Acropolis lit up in the distance. We had originally gone to catch the sunset, but as the trolley left at 6 and the sunset was at 6:07 we missed it by a few minutes. Oh well, it was smoggy anyway.
Athens, Greece 2/17/10
Visited the ruins of Corinth today. Repetitive in a sense, but still interesting. I can’t help but feel like Indiana Jones or like I’m in the Mummy when I’m around the ruins. Had a meat stick for lunch called Souvlaki, which was about 1.20 € per stick. From then on we drove to Athens. Dogs also followed us around Corinth and again in Athens. They must be able to smell that we’re Americans, they practically come in packs. Some are racist as well, I saw one bark only at a black and then an Indian guy, but not us.
Went to the National Archaeological Museum once we got in Athens. We also got to see Eva pull rank on the “security” (really just casually dressed people who sit in each room). She has a pass from the Greek Ministry allowing her to be a tour guide and one lady tried to get her to stop. Eva wasn’t having it though and the lady apologized. Hilarious. The museum also rushed us due to their “winter” hours (24°C outside mind you). Eva called the a guy by the door out on this as online the museum wasn’t supposed to close before 3 PM. His response: “Probably not myself, maybe the internet people.”
With the afternoon free, most of us toured the shops on the Plaka (the only nice place in Athens according to Jim).
Walking around at night we saw all the black guys (no other races were selling anything) selling their fake watches or Louis Vuitton bags on the streets outside of major shops. It’s funny because they carry everything in garbage bags so when they walk around in packs it looks like a protest or a hobo convention. At least the shops here close at 9 and not at 7 like Vienna. There is life at night here. At the first sign of the cops though, the salesmen pack up and move to a new site.
Athens is like the grimy side of New York without the skyscrapers in the distance.
Went to the National Archaeological Museum once we got in Athens. We also got to see Eva pull rank on the “security” (really just casually dressed people who sit in each room). She has a pass from the Greek Ministry allowing her to be a tour guide and one lady tried to get her to stop. Eva wasn’t having it though and the lady apologized. Hilarious. The museum also rushed us due to their “winter” hours (24°C outside mind you). Eva called the a guy by the door out on this as online the museum wasn’t supposed to close before 3 PM. His response: “Probably not myself, maybe the internet people.”
With the afternoon free, most of us toured the shops on the Plaka (the only nice place in Athens according to Jim).
Walking around at night we saw all the black guys (no other races were selling anything) selling their fake watches or Louis Vuitton bags on the streets outside of major shops. It’s funny because they carry everything in garbage bags so when they walk around in packs it looks like a protest or a hobo convention. At least the shops here close at 9 and not at 7 like Vienna. There is life at night here. At the first sign of the cops though, the salesmen pack up and move to a new site.
Athens is like the grimy side of New York without the skyscrapers in the distance.
Nafplion 2/16/10
Today we went to Epidauros to see more ruins such as the Sanctuary of Asklepios and the Ancient Theater. The theater was pretty cool as we could experience the power of the acoustics when Jim and Eva lectured from the central spot while all of us were spread out atop the structure. I’m really excited to see the Coliseum now. Reconstruction of some of the ruins was also taking place. Utilizing the remains of ruins they fill in the gaps with new pieces to rebuild the structures as they once were.
The dogs here really like us. One will follow you around for the whole day, such as “Coastas” who did just that with us.
Having already seen the castle yesterday, a few of us decided to go to the island fortress. Not bad. No formal tour really just a sight, but I wish that the boat that took us there would have given us more than 20 minutes.
Went out tonight to celebrate Kim’s B-Day. I got the Old-Fashioned cocktail. Not my favorite drink, but I felt inclined to get it because of Don Draper. Very strong due to that being the way it is, or the bartender at the restaurant we went to didn’t know what he was doing.
The dogs here really like us. One will follow you around for the whole day, such as “Coastas” who did just that with us.
Having already seen the castle yesterday, a few of us decided to go to the island fortress. Not bad. No formal tour really just a sight, but I wish that the boat that took us there would have given us more than 20 minutes.
Went out tonight to celebrate Kim’s B-Day. I got the Old-Fashioned cocktail. Not my favorite drink, but I felt inclined to get it because of Don Draper. Very strong due to that being the way it is, or the bartender at the restaurant we went to didn’t know what he was doing.
Nafplion 2/15/10
Drove to Mycenae today to tour the palace ruins that was home to Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. The Lion Gate, ruins, and tombs reminded me in a way of a primitive Petra. Someday I’ll trek there. We also walked into a pitch black cistern that the citizens of old used for water during the war. Very deep and dark. Reminded us of the caverns in The Goonies.
After we got back, the rest of the afternoon was free. Katie S., Christina, Lauren, and I decided to visit the Palamidi Castle on the mountain. The weather was perfect as this is the first time in Europe that I’ve just worn jeans and a t-shirt outside. The castle sits on a high hill accessible by road or about 1000 steps. Great views and a huge outdoor complex for what it is. It would be great to see a movie shootout take place here. The stairs on the interior remind me of that picture where the stairs in the room are upside down and leading in all sorts of directions. A spot with a bell also looked like where Elizabeth Swann and eventually Jack Sparrow fall off into the water. It is an endless castle it seems as every time we got higher up there were more parts to walk around to see.
Gyros for lunch and dinner: delicious and cheap.
Olympia → Nafplion, Greece 2/14/10
After checking out the museum above where we saw the ruins to see recovered statues, we started the drive to Nafplion over the mountains of the Peloponnesian Penisula. Before the winding four hour drive, though, we ate at the Taverna “Ta Pefka.” Much delicious Greek food was served including lamb, peppers, and a fried cheese in addition to the Greek salad served with a large slice of goat cheese.
Greece seems to me at certain points to be the Mexico of Europe. Imitation Rolexes branded with other names, umbrellas, and typical knockoff purses can all be purchased along the waters of Nafplion. Parts of the city also remind me of the French Quarter of New Orleans. We also arrived during Carnivale so Eva told us to watch out for gypsies who were out to pickpocket. Lots of kids were dressed as Spider-Man and one was dressed as Superman, but there were no Batmans. This country must favor blue and red.
Sat down tonight with some others to see Kevin’s deaf-mute friend that he met when he was a student here. Really interesting to see the Pictionary conversation. Most of it was probably lost in translation though.
Greece seems to me at certain points to be the Mexico of Europe. Imitation Rolexes branded with other names, umbrellas, and typical knockoff purses can all be purchased along the waters of Nafplion. Parts of the city also remind me of the French Quarter of New Orleans. We also arrived during Carnivale so Eva told us to watch out for gypsies who were out to pickpocket. Lots of kids were dressed as Spider-Man and one was dressed as Superman, but there were no Batmans. This country must favor blue and red.
Sat down tonight with some others to see Kevin’s deaf-mute friend that he met when he was a student here. Really interesting to see the Pictionary conversation. Most of it was probably lost in translation though.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Patras → Olympia, Greece 2/13/10
After arriving at the Port of Patras we went to our bus driven by Dimitrios who took us to Olympia. One thing I’ve noticed traveling in Europe is the scenery. It is definitely unlike anything in the U.S. Greenery with sporadic foreign buildings. The azul ocean to the right didn’t hurt either. Along the roads are little churches that look like mailboxes, but are actually spots for candles when accidents occur.
After checking in at the Hotel Kronion, we walked to the archaeological site of ancient Olympia. The ruins of the Temple of Zeus, workshop of Phidias, Temple of Hera, and the Stadium were really cool. I had the Raiders of the Lost Ark theme in my head at this point. The large column that is left from the Temple of Zeus reminded me of the statue’s foot in Lost. By the Temple of Hera we saw the spot where the Olympic torch is lit before going around the world. At the stadium, all the guys and some girls competed in two 200 M dash competitions on the ancient track. Quite difficult for me in hiking boots, but at least I wasn’t last.
Greek TV is one of the few I’ve seen that simply add their own subtitles to English shows instead of dubbing them. I feel like a little something is lost though when they replace the Massive Attack theme from House.
Senigallia → Patras, Greece 2/12/10
Currently onboard the Superfast ferry line to Greece. It is a small cruise ship with both cabins and seats on which some passengers opted to sleep on instead of paying for cabins (at least this vehicle doesn’t disconnect at various ports). There is also a Disco on the rear of the boat where we went dancing last night. The music was interesting to say the least. International dance hits with optional wigs that some dancers wore (red or black fros). That was odd. When we got to the Disco around 11:15 pm we basically took it over. The Europeans really like to stay on the sidelines while we Americans go all out on the dance floor.
I also finally finished Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry after having not read it in 7-8 years.
I also finally finished Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry after having not read it in 7-8 years.
Salzburg → Senigallia, Italy 2/11/10
Driving to Italy, we drove through the Alps. All the snow covered trees resembled car wash brushes covered with suds. Patches of the area would be devoid of standing trees calling to mind a massacre of snow vs. tree with only the remnants of stumps and logs lying amongst the powder.
Don’t know why but at the pit stops along the way the Italians creeped me out. One guy seemed eager in a different kind of way to use the WC.
Don’t know why but at the pit stops along the way the Italians creeped me out. One guy seemed eager in a different kind of way to use the WC.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Krakow → Salzburg 2/6/10
In transit to Wien (Vienna) now. This time I’m very relieved, though. We had to pay 26 € to get passage on this sleep car, but peace of mind is worth it as this is the only car destined directly for Vienna. I’m grateful that there was even space for all of us (I even have my own compartment to myself). I feel like a low cost Cary Grant at the moment. Ironically this car is noisier than the non-sleeping cars. Lesson learned from this trip: buy sleeping car tickets for night trains as standing cars aren’t not available (they should’ve told us this at the ticket office, but w/e).
Krakow 2/6/10
We visited Auschwitz today taking the high priced tour. We found out later we were mostly paying for the convenience of a tour bus with a movie about the camp that played along the way. After the train fiasco though we really didn’t care about shelling out a few more bucks. I’m happy I decided to go as this camp is different from Dachau that I had visited in Munich. The buildings were still up as opposed to the Dachau camp where mostly everything was leveled. This one definitely hit me as well. One of the rooms in the museum had all the shaved hair from the women that was used for clothing afterwards. About a 1/3 of the 7 tons of hair that was originally found was on display in huge piles behind the glass cases. The amount was definitely on a grand scale. Other room shad piles of luggage, clothes, etc. I couldn’t get any pictures of these rooms as photography is only allowed outside. We also traveled to the nearby Birkenau camp. It was very frigid and freezing here with the wind. It’s hard to imagine how cold the prisoners must have been at the time with what little clothing that they had if I was as cold as I was all bundled up.
Krakow, Poland 2/5/10
The sun shines on Krakow! No, really it does. This is the warmest and sunniest it’s been since I’ve been in Europe. This is also the most relieved I’ve been that we made it. This city is actually pretty decent for its small size. There are a fair amount of sights that we took in for the rest of the day after arriving. The buildings resemble those seen in most WWII era films that take place in Europe. One of the sights we saw was this dragon statue that breathed fire by the river in accordance with a local legend. Very hyped by our hostel, but a waste of time for the most part. There are many trolleys here as well, but they aren’t that modern. Slim, enclosed and entirely different from those in The Bourne Supremacy in Berlin as well as SF.
Our hostel Greg & Tom’s Junior Hostel is one of the best (out of two so far) that I’ve been to. Affordable rates and very modern (12.50 € a night). Multiple flat screen TVs in the lounge with movies and videogames (Wii, PS3). The shower even has a built in radio and seat with many hoses; too many buttons and complications for me personally, but quite nifty. I don’t recall how Katie S. found this place while researching, but props.
Win. I’m more organized than most of the girls I’m staying with by the way.
Our hostel Greg & Tom’s Junior Hostel is one of the best (out of two so far) that I’ve been to. Affordable rates and very modern (12.50 € a night). Multiple flat screen TVs in the lounge with movies and videogames (Wii, PS3). The shower even has a built in radio and seat with many hoses; too many buttons and complications for me personally, but quite nifty. I don’t recall how Katie S. found this place while researching, but props.
Win. I’m more organized than most of the girls I’m staying with by the way.
Salzburg, Austria → Krakow, Poland 2/5/10
What a bitch of a journey. To get here we bought tickets for Krakow from Salzburg with a changeover in Vienna. The first ride to Vienna was perfectly fine for the 2 hours that it took. The 9 hour ride from Vienna to Krakow was something else entirely. We found the train alright, but the only car labeled for Krakow was a sleeping car that we didn’t have reservations for. The reason we couldn’t just hop on any of the cars is because the trains in Europe disconnect various cars at certain stops and reconnect them to other trains heading in that direction. So started one of the most stressful times of my life. After presenting our tickets to the Russian conductor, he immediately pointed down the line of trailing cars attached to the train. We had a good 20 minutes before the train was to leave so we were fine time-wise. However every other car’s final destination was something else entirely (Warsaw, Prague, Berlin to name a few), or the conductor of the other train would send us back to the Krakow car. It didn’t help that the conductor of the Krakow car would only speak to us in fucking Sputnik and send us out because “the car is full.” This merry-go-round of passing from car to car was pissing everyone off to no end, especially after doors were locked behind us so we couldn’t return to various cars that we had just been in, or conductors like the Russian one would grab or push us (this happened to Katie S. and Laurel) so that we’d get off. They just didn’t care to help at all.
We finally settled on one of the cars labeled “Warsawa” figuring that one of the conductors who would check our tickets over the journey would be able to tell us when to switch cars so that we’d head toward Krakow. The conductors we asked in the beginning said the ride was fine and Christina and Katie S. sat with a guy from the Czech Republic who was a translator and believed that we were heading in the right direction. Hearing him speak English in the next compartment over was surprisingly comforting after the fucking musical chairs experience with the conductors that we’d had. His reassurance was really all we had to go on, but we hung on to it.
I slept from 11 PM to 12:30 AM taking the first shift while Lauren stayed awake (our group had divided ourselves into 3 two person groups for compartments so that no one would be alone with strangers). When I woke up we had apparently been at Brěclav for about 30 minutes before pulling out of the station and then pulling back in so that the cops could come abroad for some reason. Short of Lawrence of Arabia blowing up the tracks I didn’t know what was going on at this time.
I realized looking at my ticket later that morning that the stop we were at, Katowice, was the last stop listed before Krakow. I can only assume that this is where things went wrong what with us being in the wrong train car. Eagerly anticipating the arrival after 11 hours on trains, we waited for the Krakow station that was confirmed by our conductors at the last ticket check. As we entered the station, though, the sign read not “Krakow” but “Warsawa?” FUCK!! It was at this point that I wanted to start Red Dawn all over again. This is also pretty much my Amazing Race moment where we miss a crucial flight or in this case are in a completely different city. Cue commercial break…
Warsaw is north of Krakow and we felt it. It was ass-cold there, so much so that we didn’t even venture outside while we tried to rectify the situation. If there was ever an experience or a city that could turn me off from Eastern Europe, this would be it. We figured out that we had to pay around 25 €, on top of the 128 € we had already paid for the round trip tickets, in order to take an intercity train from Warsaw to Krakow. Well at least now we were for sure heading for Krakow.
We finally settled on one of the cars labeled “Warsawa” figuring that one of the conductors who would check our tickets over the journey would be able to tell us when to switch cars so that we’d head toward Krakow. The conductors we asked in the beginning said the ride was fine and Christina and Katie S. sat with a guy from the Czech Republic who was a translator and believed that we were heading in the right direction. Hearing him speak English in the next compartment over was surprisingly comforting after the fucking musical chairs experience with the conductors that we’d had. His reassurance was really all we had to go on, but we hung on to it.
I slept from 11 PM to 12:30 AM taking the first shift while Lauren stayed awake (our group had divided ourselves into 3 two person groups for compartments so that no one would be alone with strangers). When I woke up we had apparently been at Brěclav for about 30 minutes before pulling out of the station and then pulling back in so that the cops could come abroad for some reason. Short of Lawrence of Arabia blowing up the tracks I didn’t know what was going on at this time.
I realized looking at my ticket later that morning that the stop we were at, Katowice, was the last stop listed before Krakow. I can only assume that this is where things went wrong what with us being in the wrong train car. Eagerly anticipating the arrival after 11 hours on trains, we waited for the Krakow station that was confirmed by our conductors at the last ticket check. As we entered the station, though, the sign read not “Krakow” but “Warsawa?” FUCK!! It was at this point that I wanted to start Red Dawn all over again. This is also pretty much my Amazing Race moment where we miss a crucial flight or in this case are in a completely different city. Cue commercial break…
Warsaw is north of Krakow and we felt it. It was ass-cold there, so much so that we didn’t even venture outside while we tried to rectify the situation. If there was ever an experience or a city that could turn me off from Eastern Europe, this would be it. We figured out that we had to pay around 25 €, on top of the 128 € we had already paid for the round trip tickets, in order to take an intercity train from Warsaw to Krakow. Well at least now we were for sure heading for Krakow.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Vienna 1/30/10
Today we visited the Belvedere Gallery, which is a gigantic property with huge wrought-iron gates, a large decorative pool out front, and grand grounds (albeit snow-covered for the season) out back. There was a room inside where if you yelled the acoustics caused the echoes to sound like deep breathing or hushes. While checking out the art in another wing, I almost missed everyone as they headed back for the bus, but luckily made it back in time.
For lunch we went to the Naschmarkt, which is like the farmer’s market of Vienna. Kebabs for 3 € were especially tasty and filling Afterwards we toured the nearby Saturday flea market where I picked up an old butane lighter. The seller was asking for 5 €, but I bartered him down to 4.
For lunch we went to the Naschmarkt, which is like the farmer’s market of Vienna. Kebabs for 3 € were especially tasty and filling Afterwards we toured the nearby Saturday flea market where I picked up an old butane lighter. The seller was asking for 5 €, but I bartered him down to 4.
Vienna 1/29/10
At breakfast this morning I was happy to find out that my room wasn’t obliged with the presence of construction workers hammering away outside the window as others were. Much more peaceful. After breakfast we headed out on a medieval and imperial walking tour of Vienna with Jim, Betty, and Elizabeth (our professors). There are multiple cathedrals and we walked inside St. Stephan (I believe) which was quite nice and ornately decorated as most European buildings seem to be. One of the more interesting sights was this clock that changed to 12 different historical figures in Vienna’s history for every hour. Jim mentioned that Vienna has the real coffee, so we stopped at a coffee shop. Most of us ordered the “Cocochino” (coffee and hot chocolate). Lunch was on our own so some of us ventured to a mall where I got a calzone for 8.80 € (expensive). I got the large, not realizing how big it would be. (Guesstimating) Out of 16” I ate 14 ½ .”
After lunch we went to the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History). The museum was very elaborate in its design and reminded me of the final level in the videogame “Mafia.” We toured that for a good two hours before we were left on our own. I opted to go with part of the group to the Sigmund Freud Museum. The journey took a little bit due to map confusion and the length of the walk. I also had a wardrobe malfunction with my jacket’s zipper which was frustrating to deal with along the way. By the time we got to the Freud Museum where his office had been located, we had abour 30 minutes till closing—plenty of time. I’m not a big psychology fan (In my opinion Freud was just a regular perverted guy who wrote down his thoughts and published them, so sue me.), so I really wasn’t looking at everything in depth. There wasn’t that much there and the couch where Freud had sexytime with his patients had been moved to London. Particularly happy that we get reimbursed for this museum.
The walk back was scenic. Christina got a little confused on which cathedral she had seen, but the one we were at was identifiable on the map so I got to use the experience to hone my navigational skills while heading back. I’m not complaining as the experience will definitely come in handy later and we did see more sights of Vienna that hadn’t been on the tour.
I got dinner at Mr. Lee’s (Quick Lee was their slogan) down the street with the rest of the group. I didn’t know that Chinese fast food joints could serve spaghetti bolognaise which is what I got. Not bad actually for something with an Asian twist.
Notes about the “Hotel Post.” We’re probably staying here because it is on the site of a hotel that was frequented by Mozart back in the day, and is by a couple historic sites that are hidden pieces of history. The halls really remind me of The Shining though. Any second I’m expecting to see RED RUM written on the doors and a cascade of blood roaring down the hallway. The lock’s in Europe are annoying. There are no turn locks on the insides of the rooms. Instead one has to use the key to lock the door from the inside.
After lunch we went to the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History). The museum was very elaborate in its design and reminded me of the final level in the videogame “Mafia.” We toured that for a good two hours before we were left on our own. I opted to go with part of the group to the Sigmund Freud Museum. The journey took a little bit due to map confusion and the length of the walk. I also had a wardrobe malfunction with my jacket’s zipper which was frustrating to deal with along the way. By the time we got to the Freud Museum where his office had been located, we had abour 30 minutes till closing—plenty of time. I’m not a big psychology fan (In my opinion Freud was just a regular perverted guy who wrote down his thoughts and published them, so sue me.), so I really wasn’t looking at everything in depth. There wasn’t that much there and the couch where Freud had sexytime with his patients had been moved to London. Particularly happy that we get reimbursed for this museum.
The walk back was scenic. Christina got a little confused on which cathedral she had seen, but the one we were at was identifiable on the map so I got to use the experience to hone my navigational skills while heading back. I’m not complaining as the experience will definitely come in handy later and we did see more sights of Vienna that hadn’t been on the tour.
I got dinner at Mr. Lee’s (Quick Lee was their slogan) down the street with the rest of the group. I didn’t know that Chinese fast food joints could serve spaghetti bolognaise which is what I got. Not bad actually for something with an Asian twist.
Notes about the “Hotel Post.” We’re probably staying here because it is on the site of a hotel that was frequented by Mozart back in the day, and is by a couple historic sites that are hidden pieces of history. The halls really remind me of The Shining though. Any second I’m expecting to see RED RUM written on the doors and a cascade of blood roaring down the hallway. The lock’s in Europe are annoying. There are no turn locks on the insides of the rooms. Instead one has to use the key to lock the door from the inside.
Vienna 1/28/10
Woke up at 6:50 AM today to prep for splitting for a three day class trip to Vienna. I watched the rest of The Bourne Identity and started Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade on the bus ride, before we stopped at the Melk Abbey which is on the way to Vienna. Very nice, Baroque structures and lots of photos to be had. Our female guide kept pronouncing “v’s” as “w’s” (“wisit” instead of “visit”). This made me really want to ask her to say “nuclear vessel” but I refrained. Imagine her saying “Valentine’s Day”—now that’s a laugh. The snow covered woods along the way in the bus make me think that this is where that sample pic from Windows XP comes from. Interesting tidbit: Picking up from where I left off in Last Crusade I saw Indy go past Salzburg on the map on the way to grab his dad from the castle on the Austro-Hungarian border. Oddly enough as soon as we got into Vienna I got really tired when one of our professors, Elizabeth, just started to giving a brief tour of the city from the bus. I’ll find out more on the walking tour tomorrow anyway.
After arriving at the Hotel Post we had two hours before the Don Giovanni opera that we were going to see at the Wienert Staatsoper Operahouse. I opted to get dinner at “Happy Noodle” (Asians speaking German is very odd and reminded me of the French Asians in Rush Hour 3): Salmon with rice—okay, cheap food for 3.90 €.
Opera: Can’t say that I’m too much of a fan unless it’s a rock opera in the same vein as “Dracula’s Lament.” I was already tired to begin with and somhow struggled to stay awake until intermission. I really did not care after that as I was zoning out until Katie S. hit me with a paper. Unfortunately by that time I had missed the part where Don Giovanni had be dragged to hell, but whatever. The entire play is in Italian, so there were subtitle screens in front if all the seats, but it takes anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes to an eternity for the opera singers to express the feelings of one sentence that shows up on the screen. I equate the experience with the last act of the third Lord of the Rings: JUST END ALREADY.
Happy Noodle didn’t completely fill me up so I grabbed McDonald’s on the way back. I realized that I didn’t have any ketchup though and asked the cashier for some. Response: “30 cents.” Nope. This really is a weird country with their policy of no free ketchup and a lack of water tabs on the soda fountains.
After arriving at the Hotel Post we had two hours before the Don Giovanni opera that we were going to see at the Wienert Staatsoper Operahouse. I opted to get dinner at “Happy Noodle” (Asians speaking German is very odd and reminded me of the French Asians in Rush Hour 3): Salmon with rice—okay, cheap food for 3.90 €.
Opera: Can’t say that I’m too much of a fan unless it’s a rock opera in the same vein as “Dracula’s Lament.” I was already tired to begin with and somhow struggled to stay awake until intermission. I really did not care after that as I was zoning out until Katie S. hit me with a paper. Unfortunately by that time I had missed the part where Don Giovanni had be dragged to hell, but whatever. The entire play is in Italian, so there were subtitle screens in front if all the seats, but it takes anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes to an eternity for the opera singers to express the feelings of one sentence that shows up on the screen. I equate the experience with the last act of the third Lord of the Rings: JUST END ALREADY.
Happy Noodle didn’t completely fill me up so I grabbed McDonald’s on the way back. I realized that I didn’t have any ketchup though and asked the cashier for some. Response: “30 cents.” Nope. This really is a weird country with their policy of no free ketchup and a lack of water tabs on the soda fountains.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Salzburg 1/26/10
The snow has finally returned so we went sledding today on the hill by the house. Kevin told us that there’s frozen cow shit at the bottom, but no one ran into it to my knowledge. Mucho fun throwing snowballs and definitely the play for the afternoon.
Went to a Redbull’s hockey game tonight. Not really that packed, but fun nonetheless. Unfortunately there were no major fights, only minor scuffles. #79 known as “Oper” looked like Kris and actually responded to the crowd (AKA us, no one else was that enthusiastic). It was impressive what you could get away with there. Anthony was hanging off the glass to the point at which we were waiting for it to break. Only after he marched around with a trashcan lid banging it did a guy stop him just to get that back. At the end “Oper” mobbed the guys who waited by the Redbull’s box. Final score for Redbull’s vs. Polar Bears (Pretty sure that’s who they were): 8-3.
Salzburg 1/25/10
Visited the Augustiner Bäur brewery today in Salzburg. I realize that I’ve had their beer before and didn’t’ like it as much. A pity that they can’t fill my vice of dark beer, as they only had their original on tap.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Munich → Salzburg 1/24/10
The scenery looks like the Polar Express: snowy woods with many tall, bare trees where wolves could hide.
Munich 1/23/10
Today we took a “free” guided tour around Munich presented by a guide in association with Wombats. Our guide Ozzie (black but part German) took us past sites that have survived Munich for more than 60 years (4 total). Apparently Munich has covered over many of its Nazi roots (capital of Nazism after all). Some former Nazi headquarters are now a Coke factory or museums. The Hofbräuhaus even hosted the first Nazi meeting upstairs (or something to that effect). On the tour we stopped by the Frauenkirche, Glockenspiel, Karlsplatz, Marienplatz, Maximiliamstrasse, St. Michael’s, National Theatre, Odeonsplatz, St. Peters/Alter Peter, beer gardens (closed for the season though), Viktualienmarkt, and Beer Hall Putsch (Coup of 1923). Even had another bratwurst and hefeweizen (not as good though and it really froze my hand).
Due to time constraints I don’t think we’ll see the “Neuschwanstein” which is the castle Walt Disney used as a basis for his own at Disneyland. I tried to get back to the toy museum on my own, but got lost so I gave us and went back to the hostel. While seeing the automated show of the Glockenspiel, which is kind of like a giant cuckoo clock, I wondered if this is what Mom filmed on her camera. I declined to film it as my battery was low (I’m on my spare battery already, need to remember the charger next time). It’s probably on Youtube anyway.
Looking for a place to eat dinner, we walked past three Augustiner restaurants trying to find the “Stubl” brewery one that wasn’t a high priced restaurant. Along the way we started talking to Thomas Nielsen (yes, he is Danish) who is from Sydney, Australia and was also at our hostel. I told him about my trip 10 years ago there, and he talked about places he’d been and how TV shows come late to Australia unless you have some sort of fast pass service (maybe it was called Fast Forward?). He is actually on summer vacation (something I forgot about the situation Down Under). Eventually the group split after walking at least a mile one way and then another back to get to the restaurant we passed earlier (some were turned off by the prices and others just wanted to get the Augustiner beer. I was the latter). Thomas found it funny to watch the large group of us Americans be indecisive. At the restaurant I got two ½ liters of the Augustiner Dunken (Dark Beer). I really do like dark beer now, it is a new passion.
Thoroughly buzzed since I didn’t have any food at the restaurant, Thomas and I got pizza by Wombats which wasn’t bad. At the Wombats happy hour we met Andrew from Perth, Australia (first Australian Thomas had seen in awhile). Andrew is traveling with his brother over the break having already hit up the Seattle (A waste to travel to if you’re not 21, odd what the drinking age does to foreigners), Amsterdam, and was going to Tokyo the next morning. Looking for clubs with the rest of U of R, the Aussies and I went to the nearby Euro Hostel where other Australians were celebrating Australia Day. The one guy playing guitar was pretty good, playing mostly 90’s hits for the crowd at the hostel’s bar.
We finally did head out for clubbing again around 1 in the morning (when everything opens up after the pubs close). Lines were somewhat long and there were cover charges as high as 8-10 Euros. Along the way AMar and Katie W. decided to pretend to be Australian: “We’re twins who grew up in a kangaroo pouch!” Thomas found this hilarious and said they were giving Australia a bad name. After walking down the street with the clubs, Thomas and I settled on the Pimpernel (which had a reasonable cover charge of 3 Euros and 1.50 for jacket checking). Seth and Kris decided to walk back, all of us assuming that Anthony, Katie W., and AMar were already in along with the Kiwi we had met (James). The club wasn’t bad, but personally the hassle doesn’t seem worth it to me. I’d rather just go to a pub.
When I got back to the hostel, everyone asked me where Anthony was (this was at 3 in the morning). Katie, AMar, and Ryan were already back, but everyone assumed that he’d been with me. Scary stuff. So Jordan, Kris, and I backtracked around Munich to try and find him. After at least an hour we came back to find him in the lobby of Wombats. Apparently AMar and Katie W. had gotten into the 8 Seasons club, while Anthony, Ryan, and James had been denied. Anthony and James got hungry and went to Burger King and later some bars, while Ryan decided to wait for the girls. Much relief and case closed.
Munich 1/22/10
The train ride only lasted around an hour and a half. I was able to watch most of Back to the Future during the ride. The Thetas and a couple others jumped off a bit early from the train at München Ost instead of München Hbf. They had to take the S-Bahn to meet us, not as bad as it could have been though. Finally got a German sausage today even if it was at a train stand. We’re staying at the Wombat’s hostel which isn’t that bad. They provide sheets and there’s even a bar. The doors use a card key that you just hold up.
We went to the concentration camp at Dachau. Definitely depressing, but it hit others harder than it hit me. I met some Greece tourists while helping them find the crematorium on the map.
Visited the Hofbräuhaus as well. The dark brew was tasty. I got two ½ liters. Should’ve just gotten a whole liter, but then again it is cold when I get around to that 2nd one. Also got a gigantic pretzel for 3.40 Euros. Quite tasty. Also had the “Bockwurst.” I’m hoping I’m not sick of sausage after this trip.
The train ride back took about 30 minutes due to technical difficulties that caused us to be at a standstill at the station. Never since San Francisco have I been so cramped in public transit.
Salzburg 1/20/10
Today we did a walking tour of Salzburg. “The” Cathedral was pretty awesome. I emphasize “The” because when I asked the name to clarify which church or monastery in town this was (of which there are many) Eva got a little p.o.’d at me when I thought it was the St. Peter’s church, which was within the cemetery at the Cathedral. It was around here that Jim told us about when the castle was under siege and the archbishop paraded a bull back and forth on the walls, painting it a different color each time so that the enemies thought that they had a larger food supply and could thus hold out. One of the colors that the bull was painted was red. Hence this is where the name Red Bull comes from. I also discovered that the horse statue I walk by everyday on my way into town from the castle is actually a fountain that horses were walked through to bathe in. This is the same fountain seen in the Sound of Music.
I finally tried the B-52 shot today at O’Malley’s pub. I’ve wanted to try this for awhile as it’s a layered shot that I found on Wikipedia once. What I didn’t know about this particular shot was that it’s a bit of a show, hence the price of 5 Euros. Upon setting the glass on the bar, the bartender asked me a couple times (it was loud there for a Wednesday) if I had a lighter. I replied no, upon which he pulled one out along with a straw. He instructed me to drink the shot through the straw after it was lit. Intense. Christina was right that is a delicious shot. I also had a Hefeweizen while I was there known as Edelweiß. I really wish that I’d grabbed a glass from the bar for that drink instead of the Magners Irish Cider glass I stole (I’ll try that drink later). The Zipfer beer I had was better than American brews, but after the Hefeweizen it didn’t compare at all.
On the way back from the bar I ventured to the “Sausage Queen” a late night van that sells various meals of the sausage variety. Of course I didn’t know what the cheese-filled sausage, that everyone had raved about before, was called so I assumed that every sausage was there. I got a frankfurter which was two links served with a Kaiser roll…no cheese inside… I have resolved tonight to get one with some others who are heading down for karaoke night. I really need to get a European brat, it’s the thing I’ve been fixated on for awhile now. I even dreamed I had the damn thing after getting back from the bar.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Salzburg 1/16/10
Today we visited some glacier called the Salzkammergut, which was basically a frozen lake. We took an hour long bus ride to get there, afterwards stopping for lunch in one of the towns. I ordered the Cordon Bleu which was pretty good, although the meat and potatoes really appealed to me after I saw what it looked like. Everyone at my table was digging my French fries. I will admit that they did have a good color to them and didn’t look like they’d been pre-made. The Kaiser beer today was definitely a step up from that of yesterday. Alas it is the last of the free drinks that Jim and Eva are paying for.
Afterwards we went on a sleigh ride through the country. There were three sleighs with at least 11 of us each in them. After that ride I’m definitely happy that I brought a beanie with me. I was originally hesitant packing the thing as I’m not a hat person (I’m gonna have to get used to hat hair here) but now I’m thankful Mom suggested it to me. That ride was freezing. My face and fingertips were the coldest parts of my body, even though I am wearing full-fingered gloves. That ride has convinced me to get a scarf next chance I get. The scenery was very nice all blanketed with snow. It reminds me of those Christmas village models that people set up in their homes around the holidays with the buildings, trees and ice skaters that move. When we were done, we were dropped off where we had started and served warm wine. Took some getting used to, but not bad although I used it more for a hand warmer.
Afterwards we stopped at a supermarket to do weekend shopping since most stores are closed on Sundays for religious services (although Europe is less religious than the US). Apparently we have to weigh our vegetables ourselves to get a tag for the cashier as we found out. This was really weird to us.
Salzburg 1/15/10
While exploring Salzburg and taking photos, we got yelled at for the first time for being Americans. I decided to take a photo of the Hotel Salzburg, while snapping the pic I heard a lot of yelling and saw out of the corner of my eye some movement. I figured some crazy guy was having a panic attack or something and continued with my photo. My second glance revealed that I was actually in the path of 4 cyclists with my friends, all of us having clustered right in the middle. We immediately dodged out of the way while one of the cyclists yelled, “We speak German here!” (as translated by Katie S.).
For dinner we had schnitzel. I was disappointed because I had thought we were getting a sausage or brat of some sort. In reality the meal was just chicken-fried pork. I’d kill for a brat at the moment, it really is the food I’ve been looking for since I got here. The restaurant we ate at the Goldene Ente (Golden Duck) served the first European beer that I’ve gotten to try (Birst). Unfortunately this one sucked. There was some kind of aftertaste to it which some described as “metallic.” Nevertheless I finished the ½ liter I’d been given. Anthony even drank 2 more glasses donated by those who weren’t feeling it.
Salzburg 1/14/10
Upon arriving at the airport I quickly got my bags and went directly to the taxis (no customs or passport check at all for some reason). The first guy I asked to drive me was a dick. After jumping in and loading up my bags, I showed him the address that the “castle” was located at, before being told that I needed to take another taxi because his was “too big.” As explained to me by the second taxi driver, the man really didn’t want to take me because the distance was short and he wanted more money.
Zurich Airport 1/14/10
Flight was enjoyable from LAX. I’ve got a good 4 hours to kill waiting for my flight to Salzburg. On the flight I sat next to a guy around my age from Sweden. We made idle chit chat in Airworld (Up in the Air reference, which I’ve been reading this trip). He was visiting his sister who is abroad in the US at CSU Fullerton. The weather in CA exceeded his expectations from what he told me. I asked him if he had any recommendations on where to go. He recommended all the major cities that I planned to go to, but downplayed Sweden. In his words Sweden is like Canada—country, and not much to do.
Walking through the plane to the gate I felt the cold instantly. My breath was revealed to me as I walked through the passage connecting both. Zurich is completely covered in snow. Looking at the landscape while landing I felt like Dorothy, “Toto we’re not in Kansas anymore.” It’s currently 5 pm and already it feels like a blackout because of the weather. I’m sure that if I walked anywhere in Europe with snow as it looks to me outside, I’d feel like I’m in Let the Right One In.
Having not much else to do, I’ve taken a couple pictures in the Zurich airport. It would seem like they would keep holiday decorations up awhile here because of the glass chandeliers that have Christmas lights hanging from them. Overall this airport is pretty “glassy” and looks a lot cleaner and modern than US ones.
I’ve toured a couple shops so far. I probably spent the longest in the Duty-Free alcohol store. All that legally available booze that I can buy! Must be some sort of celebration going on as every bottle of whiskey is tagged “Whiskeyfest Jan-Feb 2010.” Switzerland’s wine bottle intrigued me. It’s literally as if the Swiss Army made a bottle that had attachments that popped out. Granted it doesn’t remove the cork itself, but the bottle pretty much looks like the knives. The Swiss Chocolate Knives gave me a laugh when I saw them.
Europe really doesn’t joke about smoking. Every pack has written on it in bold lettering, “Smoking Kills” or “Smoking seriously harms you and others around you.” A novelty to me, I snapped pics of the packaging before being told I couldn’t do that. Luckily I was able to keep them, though.
Pre-flight 1/13/10
Security was a breeze and I didn’t even have to pull out that bag with medicines and whatnot.
There is a Rick Steve’s lookalike sitting at the gate. The resemblance is uncanny.
There is a Rick Steve’s lookalike sitting at the gate. The resemblance is uncanny.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Commonplace Talk
It's funny the conversations you get into doing everyday things. Getting my blood drawn today at the hospital is evidence enough. After the physician asked me for my birth date he commented on the fact that this year will be my 21st. Instantly he started relating how he remembered getting to the bar on his, but not back. The guy to the left of me waiting for his bloodwork mentioned, "I was going to have a fun time, till I spent my 21st in county." The attendant continued with his tale of how he also took his sister to clubs in Hollywood for hers. "Sometimes it's funnier to be the sober guy and see everyone else get sloshed."
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