6 gigs of pictures
10 countries
18 cities
1 trip to the doctor
15 days of Eurail travel
4 flights
too many hostels
31 blog entries
and a whole host of other wonders are complete.
I am home downloading pictures, fighting jet lag and feeling a sense of great accomplishment having completed such a wonderful adventure.
As this is a "Julia in Europe 08" blog it doesn't look like there will be more entries. Unless by some random chance I head back in the next six months. I'll leave the blog up for awhile, but for those who became friends on the trip and need an email address go to the link for my art blog and find another link to my email there.
Thanks so much for reading.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Elizabeth and George
I arrived in London on Saturday morning and met up with my friend. We have had a fun weekend of catching up on the last six months since we both left Vancouver.
Yesterday we did some shopping and what looked good in £ does not look as good in $. Once thoroughly sick of shopping, we headed for Covent Garden and then on to Trafalgar Square. A great moment in the life of our family occured at Trafalgar Square many years ago. An event which has been retold many times and at least for my parents, sister and I causes great laughter.
We had just rented a car and Mom was going to drive us out to the countryside. We had to get out of London first and the difficulty of driving on the wrong side of the road got us into a bit of a pickle. Mom moved just too far to the left as we were passing a low curb and BOTH tires on the left side of the car came loose. (I don't think they actually popped. It was more like they got pushed off.) We pulled over near the Canadian embassy at Trafalgar sqaure and waited for three hours for someone to come and provide an extra tire. They only give you one spare, not TWO. Mom refused to let us take pictures. Mom wasn't with me last night so I took a few pictures of the spot we stood and waited. For good measure I randomly took a picture of a low curb as well.
Jude and I then made our way down to Buckingham Palace to see if the Queen was up for some tea. She was in, but not in the mood for commoners. We had noticed a lot of police activity while we were making our way to the palace from the square. As we walked back towards an underground stop an entire entourage of black SUVs, limos, motorcycles, and police cars zoomed by. The limos had a British flag and American flag on each. There I was on the other side of the Atlantic from the US and President Bush was driving by. He wasn't in the mood to have tea either.
Yesterday we did some shopping and what looked good in £ does not look as good in $. Once thoroughly sick of shopping, we headed for Covent Garden and then on to Trafalgar Square. A great moment in the life of our family occured at Trafalgar Square many years ago. An event which has been retold many times and at least for my parents, sister and I causes great laughter.
We had just rented a car and Mom was going to drive us out to the countryside. We had to get out of London first and the difficulty of driving on the wrong side of the road got us into a bit of a pickle. Mom moved just too far to the left as we were passing a low curb and BOTH tires on the left side of the car came loose. (I don't think they actually popped. It was more like they got pushed off.) We pulled over near the Canadian embassy at Trafalgar sqaure and waited for three hours for someone to come and provide an extra tire. They only give you one spare, not TWO. Mom refused to let us take pictures. Mom wasn't with me last night so I took a few pictures of the spot we stood and waited. For good measure I randomly took a picture of a low curb as well.
Jude and I then made our way down to Buckingham Palace to see if the Queen was up for some tea. She was in, but not in the mood for commoners. We had noticed a lot of police activity while we were making our way to the palace from the square. As we walked back towards an underground stop an entire entourage of black SUVs, limos, motorcycles, and police cars zoomed by. The limos had a British flag and American flag on each. There I was on the other side of the Atlantic from the US and President Bush was driving by. He wasn't in the mood to have tea either.
Friday, June 13, 2008
The end is nigh
Tonight is my last night in Europe. I fly to London tomorrow to see my former Regent roommate, Jude. I don't plan to do much sight seeing since I have been to London before and just want to hang out with my friend and enjoy the last few days of my trip. And even though they drive on the wrong side of the road, the blessed Brits speak English.
I'll keep this entry short since my last one may have scared away any readers.
I'll keep this entry short since my last one may have scared away any readers.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Berlin - today
Today was an exceptional day of travel.
I marvelled yesterday at how much this city has been through. Today I saw where events that shaped the last century took place.
I'm not a big fan of tours. They usually make me feel like the tour guide must think I'm an idiot because he or she sure talks to me like I am. Today was much different and it was a welcome relief that my FREE tour was much better than any I would have paid for. (Tips are a great motivation for making a living.)
I'll go over the biggies.
Checkpoint Charlie - There is currently a replica of the actual checkpoint in place where two men dressed in fake military guard allow people to take pictures for 1€. (Our guide informed us that this is their day job and at night, the two men are strippers. No surprise in Germany where prostitution is %100 legal.) The street I easily crossed was once the dead zone where people found there were shot first and no questions were asked later.
The wall - I saw a western portion of the wall, where I learned that the East had built the wall a foot or so within their territory so as not to instigate war by infringing on the West. Therefore, in West Berlin one could graffiti the wall with a police officer nearby and there were no consequences. The East didn't care what was painted on the side facing the West and the West had no jurisdiction on that one foot between the wall and West Berlin.
Stories of escape - The guide shared several of his favorite stories of escapes from East Berlin. I particularly liked the following: A man in West Berlin had a girlfriend in East Berlin. To get her out he searched for three years for someone in the West who looked like his girlfriend. He wooed the look alike and brought her to East Berlin for a fancy dinner. (It was possible to get into East Berlin for the Westerners, just not vice-versa.) When the look alike went to the restroom, the man steals her passport and picks up his girlfriend and they cruise over the border leaving Look Alike to convince the authorities of what had happened. It took her six weeks to get back.
Dirt parking lot - We stopped in a dirt parking lot surrounded by apartment buildings just a few blocks from Checkpoint Charlie. Our guide explained how the wall came down due to a mistake made by the press secretary for the East, who notified the public that travelers visas were going to be made available and when asked about when this would happen he said immediately. He had no idea when they were going to be made available and slipped up. The border was soon flooded with people trying to get across and the few soldiers to the thousands of desperate East Berliners were unable to stop them. As we soaked in this story, I should have been wondering why the guide was telling us this information in a dirt lot. It didn't occur to me at the time that this was odd. It turns out we were standing on the sight of Hitler's bunker. I have to say it was a chilling bit of information. On this trip I have stood on several famous spots where Hitler had given a speech or built a concentration camp, but the dirt lot immediately gave me the creeps. Until recently there was no reason to suspect that this spot was Hitler's bunker, but the government decided to put a sign up explaining the spot. This was likely done because the tours brought tourists through anyway.
Prohibitions - I also learned that there are several laws in Germany concerning Nazi articles and imitations. It is illigal to possess a copy of Mien Kampf unless you are authorized because your profession regitimizes the need for the book. A history teacher could have a copy, but a plumber could not. Swastikas are forbidden and until recently so was anti-nazi paraphernalia. The Nazi salute is also illegal. Despite all this and the work the German government has done to memorialize the dead and proceed towards a brighter future there are many Germans who feel a weight of guilt. You wouldn't want to ask someone what their grandfather was doing between the years 1939 and 1945.
Book Burning Square - I was very impressed with the memorial at the square where the Nazi's burned 20,000 books in one night. Under the square are empty white bookshelves, enough for 20,000 books. You can see the shelves through glass over the memorial. Across the street at the University where Einstein, Marx and Hegel all studied, there is a booksale 365 days a year. They sell copies of books that were burned.
Reichstag - The German parliament building is interesting because over where parliament meets is a glass ceiling and people are allowed on the roof. The idea is that never again will the government be able to work in secrecy.
Memorial to the Jews killed in WWII - This memorial impressed me most. The architect left the interpretation quite ambiguous, but did say he wanted it to resemble the Jewish cemetary in Prague. I just saw that cemetary and can say there is a resemblence. Large grey blocks some upright, some leaning, cover an area the size of three football fields. The ground is not level, but rolls up and down like hills. The blocks get taller and taller as you enter the memorial. I like the way our guide interpreted it. He said that anti-semitism starts as a small remark or feeling like the short blocks around the outer edge, but over time it gets deeper until a society is lost in the midst of it. The memorial is controversial for two important reasons. The first, it is a memorial to the Jews. Many other groups were systematically exterminated during the holocaust. The German government has promised memorials to them as well. The second, the paint on the blocks is anti-graffiti. This is a good thing in a city that is covered in spray paint as high as a tall person can reach. However, the paint was bought from the same company that once sold the Nazis the gas that was used in the concentration camps. First they profitted from killing the Jews, then they profitted from memorializing them. Controversial indeed.
There was much more but this has been a long blog entry. I hope if you made it this far that some of the impressions I had today came through clearly, spelling mistakes and all. :)
I marvelled yesterday at how much this city has been through. Today I saw where events that shaped the last century took place.
I'm not a big fan of tours. They usually make me feel like the tour guide must think I'm an idiot because he or she sure talks to me like I am. Today was much different and it was a welcome relief that my FREE tour was much better than any I would have paid for. (Tips are a great motivation for making a living.)
I'll go over the biggies.
Checkpoint Charlie - There is currently a replica of the actual checkpoint in place where two men dressed in fake military guard allow people to take pictures for 1€. (Our guide informed us that this is their day job and at night, the two men are strippers. No surprise in Germany where prostitution is %100 legal.) The street I easily crossed was once the dead zone where people found there were shot first and no questions were asked later.
The wall - I saw a western portion of the wall, where I learned that the East had built the wall a foot or so within their territory so as not to instigate war by infringing on the West. Therefore, in West Berlin one could graffiti the wall with a police officer nearby and there were no consequences. The East didn't care what was painted on the side facing the West and the West had no jurisdiction on that one foot between the wall and West Berlin.
Stories of escape - The guide shared several of his favorite stories of escapes from East Berlin. I particularly liked the following: A man in West Berlin had a girlfriend in East Berlin. To get her out he searched for three years for someone in the West who looked like his girlfriend. He wooed the look alike and brought her to East Berlin for a fancy dinner. (It was possible to get into East Berlin for the Westerners, just not vice-versa.) When the look alike went to the restroom, the man steals her passport and picks up his girlfriend and they cruise over the border leaving Look Alike to convince the authorities of what had happened. It took her six weeks to get back.
Dirt parking lot - We stopped in a dirt parking lot surrounded by apartment buildings just a few blocks from Checkpoint Charlie. Our guide explained how the wall came down due to a mistake made by the press secretary for the East, who notified the public that travelers visas were going to be made available and when asked about when this would happen he said immediately. He had no idea when they were going to be made available and slipped up. The border was soon flooded with people trying to get across and the few soldiers to the thousands of desperate East Berliners were unable to stop them. As we soaked in this story, I should have been wondering why the guide was telling us this information in a dirt lot. It didn't occur to me at the time that this was odd. It turns out we were standing on the sight of Hitler's bunker. I have to say it was a chilling bit of information. On this trip I have stood on several famous spots where Hitler had given a speech or built a concentration camp, but the dirt lot immediately gave me the creeps. Until recently there was no reason to suspect that this spot was Hitler's bunker, but the government decided to put a sign up explaining the spot. This was likely done because the tours brought tourists through anyway.
Prohibitions - I also learned that there are several laws in Germany concerning Nazi articles and imitations. It is illigal to possess a copy of Mien Kampf unless you are authorized because your profession regitimizes the need for the book. A history teacher could have a copy, but a plumber could not. Swastikas are forbidden and until recently so was anti-nazi paraphernalia. The Nazi salute is also illegal. Despite all this and the work the German government has done to memorialize the dead and proceed towards a brighter future there are many Germans who feel a weight of guilt. You wouldn't want to ask someone what their grandfather was doing between the years 1939 and 1945.
Book Burning Square - I was very impressed with the memorial at the square where the Nazi's burned 20,000 books in one night. Under the square are empty white bookshelves, enough for 20,000 books. You can see the shelves through glass over the memorial. Across the street at the University where Einstein, Marx and Hegel all studied, there is a booksale 365 days a year. They sell copies of books that were burned.
Reichstag - The German parliament building is interesting because over where parliament meets is a glass ceiling and people are allowed on the roof. The idea is that never again will the government be able to work in secrecy.
Memorial to the Jews killed in WWII - This memorial impressed me most. The architect left the interpretation quite ambiguous, but did say he wanted it to resemble the Jewish cemetary in Prague. I just saw that cemetary and can say there is a resemblence. Large grey blocks some upright, some leaning, cover an area the size of three football fields. The ground is not level, but rolls up and down like hills. The blocks get taller and taller as you enter the memorial. I like the way our guide interpreted it. He said that anti-semitism starts as a small remark or feeling like the short blocks around the outer edge, but over time it gets deeper until a society is lost in the midst of it. The memorial is controversial for two important reasons. The first, it is a memorial to the Jews. Many other groups were systematically exterminated during the holocaust. The German government has promised memorials to them as well. The second, the paint on the blocks is anti-graffiti. This is a good thing in a city that is covered in spray paint as high as a tall person can reach. However, the paint was bought from the same company that once sold the Nazis the gas that was used in the concentration camps. First they profitted from killing the Jews, then they profitted from memorializing them. Controversial indeed.
There was much more but this has been a long blog entry. I hope if you made it this far that some of the impressions I had today came through clearly, spelling mistakes and all. :)
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Berlin - 19 years later
It hit me as I was walking to dinner that I was on ground I could not have set foot on less than 20 years ago. I am in Berlin and staying on the Eastern side of the city. Major events have occured in several of the locations I have already been on this trip and some of them within my lifetime. There is a disctinct difference about being in Berlin. The first major world event I have any recollection of, albiet vague, is when the wall came down in 1989. I was six.
Tomorrow I will tour the city, see the wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandeburg Gate, Reichstag, Hitlers former bunker (which I hear is now covered with a parking lot) and more.
I've taken in a lot over the last 39 days and honestly find it difficult to take in much more. I feel saturated with information, images, and experiences. Museums are nearly lost on me at this point. Fortunately, Berlin has a lot of structures to see and some museums that I will enjoy, but none of the museums are must sees for me.
I find it comforting that a city with so much terrible history has become a thriving place of commerce, government, and of course, tourism. As any big city does, I am sure it has problems, but a place like this gives me hope for other cities and countries in turmoil around the world.
Tomorrow I will tour the city, see the wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandeburg Gate, Reichstag, Hitlers former bunker (which I hear is now covered with a parking lot) and more.
I've taken in a lot over the last 39 days and honestly find it difficult to take in much more. I feel saturated with information, images, and experiences. Museums are nearly lost on me at this point. Fortunately, Berlin has a lot of structures to see and some museums that I will enjoy, but none of the museums are must sees for me.
I find it comforting that a city with so much terrible history has become a thriving place of commerce, government, and of course, tourism. As any big city does, I am sure it has problems, but a place like this gives me hope for other cities and countries in turmoil around the world.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Stealing from Prague Metro
That's right, I am a criminal in the eyes of the Prague Metro. They just don't know about my crime.
Today I was going to visit the Jewish quarter, but to the shame of my ancestors I was unaware that today is a Jewish holiday and everything was closed. Instead I took the metro out to a far less tourist populated spot called Vysehrad. The metro in new towns is always intimidating because I never know what type of ticket to buy, but fortunately there were English directions. I bought my ticket and enjoyed the morning at Vysehrad.
After eating goulash soup and bread for lunch (people on Adkins would not do well in Prague), I went to the metro stop. Unfortunately there were no ticket stands! I hadn't thought ahead to buy my return ticket. In Hungary I saw this all the time at less busy stations and wondered what the controllers did with people who had no ticket and no way of buying one. I decided to risk it, I'd noticed no controllers on my way out to Vysehrad.
The metro stopped at the station I planned to transfer at, but I decided (out of terrible guilt) that I could walk the rest of the way back to my hostel. I went to exit the metro station and there were controllers checking tickets as people left!!! So I now write to you from a Prague prison. haha, just joking. I sidestepped the controllers by going over to a map on the wall and when I saw in the reflection that they were preoccupied I made my escape. In other countries, I've heard the fine can be really steep (see blog on Bern, Switzerland) and I know that controllers are not always willing to listen.
I don't think the Prague Metro is going to miss the 18 Czech Crowns ($1 US).
Today I was going to visit the Jewish quarter, but to the shame of my ancestors I was unaware that today is a Jewish holiday and everything was closed. Instead I took the metro out to a far less tourist populated spot called Vysehrad. The metro in new towns is always intimidating because I never know what type of ticket to buy, but fortunately there were English directions. I bought my ticket and enjoyed the morning at Vysehrad.
After eating goulash soup and bread for lunch (people on Adkins would not do well in Prague), I went to the metro stop. Unfortunately there were no ticket stands! I hadn't thought ahead to buy my return ticket. In Hungary I saw this all the time at less busy stations and wondered what the controllers did with people who had no ticket and no way of buying one. I decided to risk it, I'd noticed no controllers on my way out to Vysehrad.
The metro stopped at the station I planned to transfer at, but I decided (out of terrible guilt) that I could walk the rest of the way back to my hostel. I went to exit the metro station and there were controllers checking tickets as people left!!! So I now write to you from a Prague prison. haha, just joking. I sidestepped the controllers by going over to a map on the wall and when I saw in the reflection that they were preoccupied I made my escape. In other countries, I've heard the fine can be really steep (see blog on Bern, Switzerland) and I know that controllers are not always willing to listen.
I don't think the Prague Metro is going to miss the 18 Czech Crowns ($1 US).
Monday, June 9, 2008
Prague Day two
My theory on people who get into the hostel room late and make a bunch of noise because they are three sheets to the wind really have not recourse to complain when I wake up at seven in the morning to start my day of sight seeing. So far I have done well with that theory and keep my ear plugs snuggly in place until I wake up and set about getting ready for the day.
Today I awoke nice and early to get some pictures of Charles Bridge and some buildings before the tourists crowded around. I then made my way to Prague Castle where one of the most beautiful churches of this trip waited for me. That says a lot after visiting so many at this point of the journey. St. Vitus' Cathedral (the patron St. of Prague or Czech, I can't remember) is stunning. The stained glass windows were done by several different artists and therefore are very different from one another.
After touring the castle grounds, which were not too impressive after the cathedral, I headed to the Little Quarter of Prague and found the Church of St. Mary the Victorious. Inside there is a small statue of Jesus as a child, they call it the Infant Jesus. There are actually signs for you to donate money to Infant Jesus. There is a special prayer too written in several languages to Infant Jesus. I guess I have a hard time subscribing to a theology of Infant Jesus.
Next I went back to my hostel for a nap. Once I woke up I headed out for dinner, Beer Goulash! Yum! Then I went to the Museum of Communism, which told the story of the Czech struggle against the Soviets. It was really impressive with many artifacts set up like an actual room would have been instead of in cases like most museums. There was a video with footage of protestors on Wenceslas square and other squares around Prague. I then, naturaly, found my way to Wenceslass square and took in the fact that revolutions took place there. Violent activity and non-violent alike. What is known as the Velvet Revolution started there and memorials to two men who drew attention to the problems of communism exist on the square.
It was an exceptional day of learning for me and tomorrow looks to be the same as I will travel around the Jewish quarter of town.
For now, I'm off to do laundry.
Today I awoke nice and early to get some pictures of Charles Bridge and some buildings before the tourists crowded around. I then made my way to Prague Castle where one of the most beautiful churches of this trip waited for me. That says a lot after visiting so many at this point of the journey. St. Vitus' Cathedral (the patron St. of Prague or Czech, I can't remember) is stunning. The stained glass windows were done by several different artists and therefore are very different from one another.
After touring the castle grounds, which were not too impressive after the cathedral, I headed to the Little Quarter of Prague and found the Church of St. Mary the Victorious. Inside there is a small statue of Jesus as a child, they call it the Infant Jesus. There are actually signs for you to donate money to Infant Jesus. There is a special prayer too written in several languages to Infant Jesus. I guess I have a hard time subscribing to a theology of Infant Jesus.
Next I went back to my hostel for a nap. Once I woke up I headed out for dinner, Beer Goulash! Yum! Then I went to the Museum of Communism, which told the story of the Czech struggle against the Soviets. It was really impressive with many artifacts set up like an actual room would have been instead of in cases like most museums. There was a video with footage of protestors on Wenceslas square and other squares around Prague. I then, naturaly, found my way to Wenceslass square and took in the fact that revolutions took place there. Violent activity and non-violent alike. What is known as the Velvet Revolution started there and memorials to two men who drew attention to the problems of communism exist on the square.
It was an exceptional day of learning for me and tomorrow looks to be the same as I will travel around the Jewish quarter of town.
For now, I'm off to do laundry.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Prague
After a grueling day in Salzburg, I woke up early ready to head off to Prague. I had heard great things about this town and feared that it may not live up to expectations. Once I arrived and threw my bag in the locker at the hostel, I headed into the main Old Town. It is AWESOME here. Prague must be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. I am sad that I have only planned three nights here because I think it could make for a great two week stay. But I really am not up for two weeks more away from home.
I walked through the Old Town square and bought a garnet for myself (my birthstone and a very popular and natural stone here.) I got the super cheap version and took pictures of the nice expensive kind. I wandered down to the river and Charles Bridge, which is the first bridge on this trip that didn't disapoint. The Ponte Vechio in Florence and the Rialto in Venice were too tourist driven. Charles Bridge has its salesmen, but it isn't overrun. I took a hike up to the top of a tower at one end of the bridge and got some great shots of this amazing place. I was taken aback by how pretty this place is.
Once I was done with the view, I wandered across the bridge and found a place to grab some food. I had a Budweiser with dinner, but it was the legit beer not the US copy. :)
By this time it was getting towards sunset and I went back up the tower to see if the sunset would provide better pics.No luck. INstead I ended up watching the German v. Poland football match in the Old Town square on a gigantic screen. There were hundreds of people there and I met a few German girls and a Swedish girl who were pretty fun to talk to. The Germans went nuts when they scored and even more nuts when the game ended 2 to 0. What will this be like in Berlin? Yikes!
This computer has sticky keys and many hostel hostelers await my departure. One more week to go and Prague has given me a better attitude and rejuvenation for this traveling gig.
I walked through the Old Town square and bought a garnet for myself (my birthstone and a very popular and natural stone here.) I got the super cheap version and took pictures of the nice expensive kind. I wandered down to the river and Charles Bridge, which is the first bridge on this trip that didn't disapoint. The Ponte Vechio in Florence and the Rialto in Venice were too tourist driven. Charles Bridge has its salesmen, but it isn't overrun. I took a hike up to the top of a tower at one end of the bridge and got some great shots of this amazing place. I was taken aback by how pretty this place is.
Once I was done with the view, I wandered across the bridge and found a place to grab some food. I had a Budweiser with dinner, but it was the legit beer not the US copy. :)
By this time it was getting towards sunset and I went back up the tower to see if the sunset would provide better pics.No luck. INstead I ended up watching the German v. Poland football match in the Old Town square on a gigantic screen. There were hundreds of people there and I met a few German girls and a Swedish girl who were pretty fun to talk to. The Germans went nuts when they scored and even more nuts when the game ended 2 to 0. What will this be like in Berlin? Yikes!
This computer has sticky keys and many hostel hostelers await my departure. One more week to go and Prague has given me a better attitude and rejuvenation for this traveling gig.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Tired and traveling
I hate to complain, but I am exhausted from traveling. My patience for crowds is running thin and I happen to be in one of the host countries for the European Cup (football\soccer). I did the Sound of Music sights and for the most part haven't done a lot else here. Last night I went to a giant beer house and garden. It can seat something like 3,000 people. You pick up your own mug and bring it to the bar. You have your choice between half liter or a full liter mug. (I took the half.)
Today I went to the roof of Hotel Stein and had a glass of wine while overlooking the river and all the sights on the other side. My plan was to then do a few more toursit things, but when I left the hotel, several shots were fired up on the hill across the river announcing the start of the European cup. So I proceeded to try and find the sights I was after, but with all the people and the areas that were closed off and dubbed ''Fan Zone'' I couldn't get anywhere. So I went back to my littel zimmer (room) and relaxed the rest of the afternoon. I think I needed an afternoon off. I had read about needing vacations from your vacation, and now I know how true that is. I can't maintain the level of interest required for sight seeing everyday, all day.
I hope the long train ride to Prague will bolster my enthusiasm. I have only heard great things about Prague and look forward to seeing the place for myself. Then I'll go to Berlin and then London. Only a week and a half left on this adventure.
Today I went to the roof of Hotel Stein and had a glass of wine while overlooking the river and all the sights on the other side. My plan was to then do a few more toursit things, but when I left the hotel, several shots were fired up on the hill across the river announcing the start of the European cup. So I proceeded to try and find the sights I was after, but with all the people and the areas that were closed off and dubbed ''Fan Zone'' I couldn't get anywhere. So I went back to my littel zimmer (room) and relaxed the rest of the afternoon. I think I needed an afternoon off. I had read about needing vacations from your vacation, and now I know how true that is. I can't maintain the level of interest required for sight seeing everyday, all day.
I hope the long train ride to Prague will bolster my enthusiasm. I have only heard great things about Prague and look forward to seeing the place for myself. Then I'll go to Berlin and then London. Only a week and a half left on this adventure.
Friday, June 6, 2008
A quick update
1. Internet in Salzburg is expensive
2. I am embarking on a tour of Sound of Music sights today and if the kitsch doesn't kill me, I'll blog all about it.
3. Last night I saw a concert of Mozart and Strauss at Schonburgg Palace where Mozart first performed. Pretty cool.
4. During the concert I became friends with a guy from Poland who was sitting in back to make sure none of his group left or fell asleep during the concert. :)
5. While sipping coffee in a major Vienna square, someone declared that I looked very French because I was so chic. WHAT? I don't think I have ever been called chic in my life. PS - He was Italian.
2. I am embarking on a tour of Sound of Music sights today and if the kitsch doesn't kill me, I'll blog all about it.
3. Last night I saw a concert of Mozart and Strauss at Schonburgg Palace where Mozart first performed. Pretty cool.
4. During the concert I became friends with a guy from Poland who was sitting in back to make sure none of his group left or fell asleep during the concert. :)
5. While sipping coffee in a major Vienna square, someone declared that I looked very French because I was so chic. WHAT? I don't think I have ever been called chic in my life. PS - He was Italian.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
A day in Vienna
When the news broke that Bill Clinton had had an affair with Monica Lewinski, I was working at Mission Springs, a camp in the Santa Cruz mountains. When Princess Dianna was killed in a car crash, I was also at Mission Springs. Being at camp and secluded from 'the real world', meant that I found out a few days after the news became a world wide cover story. This time I'm not at camp, I'm in Vienna and only now have discovered that Clinton is 'suspending' her campaign. I think most Austrians knew before I did. I can't read the German headlines. It isn't the biggest event to find out about a few days after the fact, but it makes me feel very out of touch. And I'm not saying that is a bad thing.
Yesterday I toured the Hapsburg Imperial Apartments, checked out their massive silver collection and the Sisi museum. I also went to the Albertina museum, which houses the work of several impressionists. There was a great descprition on the wall concerning abstract expressionism, '' A work of art is determined by artistic inetention, improvisation, and accident.'' I identify with that a lot in my painting. More on the accident end I think though. :}
After the Albertina, I checked out St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vespers were going on so no one was allowed in the nave, but it was rather beautiful watching people worship in the cathedral. Not something you get to experience when all the tourists are gawking away. I found a small chapel to the side of the church that was open for prayer only. After pushing my way through two sets of massive sound proof double doors, I found about fifteen people on their knees in prayer. What a cool thing! People praying, in a church! I know this shouldn't surprise me, but it was of great relief after seeing so many churches overrun with tourists, to find one that preserved it's sacred character. I knelt in prayer thanking God that he does indeed prevent the sacred from being completely overrun by the secular.
Next I wandered down to a cafe for some food and then on to Cafe Sacher for what you might guess, a Sacher Torte. Now, let me be clear about this. I paid the 9€ for a coffee and famous piece of cake not for myself. I did this for my sister, who is a pastry chef and is studying culinary arts in Seattle. It was out of love for her and knowing that she would want me to have this experience, that I indulged in one of the best and most well known chocolate in the world. Too bad I don't have a jeweller for a sibling.
Yesterday I toured the Hapsburg Imperial Apartments, checked out their massive silver collection and the Sisi museum. I also went to the Albertina museum, which houses the work of several impressionists. There was a great descprition on the wall concerning abstract expressionism, '' A work of art is determined by artistic inetention, improvisation, and accident.'' I identify with that a lot in my painting. More on the accident end I think though. :}
After the Albertina, I checked out St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vespers were going on so no one was allowed in the nave, but it was rather beautiful watching people worship in the cathedral. Not something you get to experience when all the tourists are gawking away. I found a small chapel to the side of the church that was open for prayer only. After pushing my way through two sets of massive sound proof double doors, I found about fifteen people on their knees in prayer. What a cool thing! People praying, in a church! I know this shouldn't surprise me, but it was of great relief after seeing so many churches overrun with tourists, to find one that preserved it's sacred character. I knelt in prayer thanking God that he does indeed prevent the sacred from being completely overrun by the secular.
Next I wandered down to a cafe for some food and then on to Cafe Sacher for what you might guess, a Sacher Torte. Now, let me be clear about this. I paid the 9€ for a coffee and famous piece of cake not for myself. I did this for my sister, who is a pastry chef and is studying culinary arts in Seattle. It was out of love for her and knowing that she would want me to have this experience, that I indulged in one of the best and most well known chocolate in the world. Too bad I don't have a jeweller for a sibling.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Travelling thoughts
This trip is hard to describe. When I get back and get the inevitable, 'how was it?' question, I don't know how I will respond.
Some options:
1. It was really fun. - It has been really fun...sometimes. It has also been really challenging and made me wonder if I really want to be traveling anymore. I have met some amazing people and had some great laughs. Seeing beautiful places and artwork and churches qualifies as fun for me too, but there were a lot of ugly places and for every one great piece of art there were a hundred to sift through.
2. It was awesome. - haha, typical Californian answer. It has been awesome but it has also really been rough. Being sick was terrible and one or two cities made me feel unwelcome and written off as a tourist, or worse, an American.
3. It was tough. - for all the above complaints, this might sound like the best answer, but it's not because there have been some incredibly easy and relaxing days.
4. It was educational. - This answer sounds to me like the most boring of them all. Yet it rings most true. I learned about different countries, about both world wars, about churches, cathedrals, and basillicas. I learned that tourism is a tricky endeavor for the places that want the income, but don't want to sell out the special character of their town. I've learned to talk to people who don't speak English, to rely on the help of strangers to find my destination, to embrace the fact that I don't always get things right and often walk north when the map really says I should be going south. After this last week, I have stood in the same synagogue where Eichmann and Mengele seperated Jews for extermination or for labor. I have stood in the spot of a former concentration camp in Vienna and in a square that was leveled by the allies in WWII. And I still have two weeks left - the average American vacation - which will include Salzburg, Prague, Berlin, and London.
As odd as it sounds to me, I think educational is the best word to describe this trip. I'm pretty sure it has changed my life. Can't speak too soon though.
Some options:
1. It was really fun. - It has been really fun...sometimes. It has also been really challenging and made me wonder if I really want to be traveling anymore. I have met some amazing people and had some great laughs. Seeing beautiful places and artwork and churches qualifies as fun for me too, but there were a lot of ugly places and for every one great piece of art there were a hundred to sift through.
2. It was awesome. - haha, typical Californian answer. It has been awesome but it has also really been rough. Being sick was terrible and one or two cities made me feel unwelcome and written off as a tourist, or worse, an American.
3. It was tough. - for all the above complaints, this might sound like the best answer, but it's not because there have been some incredibly easy and relaxing days.
4. It was educational. - This answer sounds to me like the most boring of them all. Yet it rings most true. I learned about different countries, about both world wars, about churches, cathedrals, and basillicas. I learned that tourism is a tricky endeavor for the places that want the income, but don't want to sell out the special character of their town. I've learned to talk to people who don't speak English, to rely on the help of strangers to find my destination, to embrace the fact that I don't always get things right and often walk north when the map really says I should be going south. After this last week, I have stood in the same synagogue where Eichmann and Mengele seperated Jews for extermination or for labor. I have stood in the spot of a former concentration camp in Vienna and in a square that was leveled by the allies in WWII. And I still have two weeks left - the average American vacation - which will include Salzburg, Prague, Berlin, and London.
As odd as it sounds to me, I think educational is the best word to describe this trip. I'm pretty sure it has changed my life. Can't speak too soon though.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
From Bath to Opera
Today was a whirlwind. I was going to check e-mail and go straight to bed, but the front desk is giving me free internet! A luxury!
I started out at the city pool and bath. There were several pools all varrying in temperatures. I spent some time in the 35C pool, but a couple older people kept trying to tell me to go somewhere else. I never figured out why. I think they thought the water was too warm for someone young. I don't know. I went to the colder pool and then got my camera and wandered up to the balcony overlooking the whole place to snap some pictures. I didn't want to take pictures at pool level and look like some weirdo.
Unfortunately, the balcony ended up being the tanning area. Not so bad, you might think. Well it was a ladies only tanning area so when I opened the door I was ready for anything and I got an eye full of a lot of Hungarian skin. One woman seemed concerned when she spotted my camera (remember I wanted to avoid looking like a weirdo) so I quickly turned towards the pool area, took my pictures and left. Her concern was really unwarrented since the sight of all those naked Hungarian women left a permanent picture on my brain.
After the bath I stopped for some horse racing at a festival in the park. Then I went to the largest synagogue in Europe and took a tour. It was more like a lecture in the synagogue thought. Besides the sweeping historical critiques the guide made, it was pretty good information. The memorial outside to the Hungarian Jews killed in a nine month span when Germany deported and killed a few hundred thousand Jews was really impressive. It is a weeping willow with names of the dead on its leaves.
I took a quick sweep through the national museum and then took a nap before heading to my very first Opera. Thanks to a couple of American girls who had printed out the translation I gathered what the story was about. At first I wanted to try and see if I could sort it out, but found that my interpretation became very colored by my theological training. For instance, the first act takes place on a green stage and the ensemble is dressed in green and there are twigs all over. It gave me the impression of a tree. Then there was one character dressed in red and one in white and the way they interacted with another character made me think there was a good/evil struggle. And then I thought it was like the Garden of Eden. I realized this was totally off when several other players entered the scene, but thought it was pretty funny how I was interpreting the Opera. Turns out I wasn't the only one. I overheard some other people talking about how they thought it was symbolizing red and white blood cells and photosynthesis. Must have been science types.
I'm off to bed and hope for a slower day tomorrow. I'll see parliament and a basillica, but the rest of the day will be open for whatever. Then I'll be off to Vienna.
----
Also, if you find a lot of spelling and grammer mistakes in my writing, I'm sorry. I can't get the spell check to work on this blog and really don't have the energy or time to do edits most nights. I'm sure you won't hold it against me.
I started out at the city pool and bath. There were several pools all varrying in temperatures. I spent some time in the 35C pool, but a couple older people kept trying to tell me to go somewhere else. I never figured out why. I think they thought the water was too warm for someone young. I don't know. I went to the colder pool and then got my camera and wandered up to the balcony overlooking the whole place to snap some pictures. I didn't want to take pictures at pool level and look like some weirdo.
Unfortunately, the balcony ended up being the tanning area. Not so bad, you might think. Well it was a ladies only tanning area so when I opened the door I was ready for anything and I got an eye full of a lot of Hungarian skin. One woman seemed concerned when she spotted my camera (remember I wanted to avoid looking like a weirdo) so I quickly turned towards the pool area, took my pictures and left. Her concern was really unwarrented since the sight of all those naked Hungarian women left a permanent picture on my brain.
After the bath I stopped for some horse racing at a festival in the park. Then I went to the largest synagogue in Europe and took a tour. It was more like a lecture in the synagogue thought. Besides the sweeping historical critiques the guide made, it was pretty good information. The memorial outside to the Hungarian Jews killed in a nine month span when Germany deported and killed a few hundred thousand Jews was really impressive. It is a weeping willow with names of the dead on its leaves.
I took a quick sweep through the national museum and then took a nap before heading to my very first Opera. Thanks to a couple of American girls who had printed out the translation I gathered what the story was about. At first I wanted to try and see if I could sort it out, but found that my interpretation became very colored by my theological training. For instance, the first act takes place on a green stage and the ensemble is dressed in green and there are twigs all over. It gave me the impression of a tree. Then there was one character dressed in red and one in white and the way they interacted with another character made me think there was a good/evil struggle. And then I thought it was like the Garden of Eden. I realized this was totally off when several other players entered the scene, but thought it was pretty funny how I was interpreting the Opera. Turns out I wasn't the only one. I overheard some other people talking about how they thought it was symbolizing red and white blood cells and photosynthesis. Must have been science types.
I'm off to bed and hope for a slower day tomorrow. I'll see parliament and a basillica, but the rest of the day will be open for whatever. Then I'll be off to Vienna.
----
Also, if you find a lot of spelling and grammer mistakes in my writing, I'm sorry. I can't get the spell check to work on this blog and really don't have the energy or time to do edits most nights. I'm sure you won't hold it against me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)