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.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
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.
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