We got of the metro at the Bastille stop and noticed a lot of police officers blocking the streets in a line. So we decided to chill and see what was going on. I kid you not, the next thing I saw was pretty shocking. It was an insignificant looking small truck with people on it. On the truck were flags of Islamic countries and then the rainbow colored flag that is the international symbol for the homosexual community.
I have to give those guys guts. Christians can be bad about their attitude for unnatural unions, but it seems like Islam has even harsher sentences*. This was followed by a similar truck with similar decorations, but cutout human figures hanging in nooses instead of the rainbow flag. It took another couple of things to go by, but then I realized we were at a Gay Pride Parade. Personally, I have nothing wrong with gays. The whole turn of events though was very amusing*. Don't worry, there will be lots of pictures for all to see soon. Just one of those things I don't get to see in San Antonio. Or College Station.
*This statement was not intended to inflame attitudes with anyone of any nation, religion, or background. If you want to have a civilized discussion, email me at natankman@sbcglobal.net
Monday, June 29, 2009
Paris: Nathan
The train to Paris from Frankfurt was pretty uneventful, but I met a very nice couple sitting in the compartment with me. They were from Topeka, Kansas and the husband works for a company that does a lot of scoreboard displays and stuff for stadiums. So I asked him if he did anything in San Antonio and he said yes. Then I asked if he was doing the new NEISD stadium, and he said yes too. He also mentioned Round Rock, and I commented on how awesome their jumbotron was, so we're getting a good deal on this. They were visiting the office outside Frankfurt and had just finished so they were making the trip into a vacation and going to Paris.
I met up with Jordan again in Paris. She had beat me there by several hours and was already doing stuff near the Champs-Elysses. After depositing my stuff at the hotel on the other side of town, we met up and saw some sights. First thing I saw was the Arc de Triomphe and then immediately back on the metro to the Eiffel Tower. The 3rd deck was closed so, we decided not to go up. We ended up having ice cream and basking in the sun at the base of the Eiffel Tower and taking a quick nap. Next, we went to the Louvre. The cool thing about the Louvre, aside from the whole Da Vinci Code, is that it stays open late until 22:00. Of course I saw all the stuff you had to see, including the Mona Lisa, but I forgot my camera so I'll have to steal Jordan's photos.
The next day, we went to Notre Dame early to try and beat the crowds. Unfortunately for us, they were ordaining some ministers that morning, so we had to wait until 16:00. The other big to do on the list for the day was to go to the Musee d'Orsay and saw their collection. I found a new artist I like. He made lots of caricature clay heads and drawings, in addition to more serious stuff. I do forget his name though, I'll have to post that later. I did have my camera that day and took lots of pictures of the art and sculptures and anything else that captured my fancy. Apparently the Musee d'Orsay used to be a railroad station as well.
After that, we walked up and down the Seine before I decided to go to the Bastille, but that requires a post in itself.
I met up with Jordan again in Paris. She had beat me there by several hours and was already doing stuff near the Champs-Elysses. After depositing my stuff at the hotel on the other side of town, we met up and saw some sights. First thing I saw was the Arc de Triomphe and then immediately back on the metro to the Eiffel Tower. The 3rd deck was closed so, we decided not to go up. We ended up having ice cream and basking in the sun at the base of the Eiffel Tower and taking a quick nap. Next, we went to the Louvre. The cool thing about the Louvre, aside from the whole Da Vinci Code, is that it stays open late until 22:00. Of course I saw all the stuff you had to see, including the Mona Lisa, but I forgot my camera so I'll have to steal Jordan's photos.
The next day, we went to Notre Dame early to try and beat the crowds. Unfortunately for us, they were ordaining some ministers that morning, so we had to wait until 16:00. The other big to do on the list for the day was to go to the Musee d'Orsay and saw their collection. I found a new artist I like. He made lots of caricature clay heads and drawings, in addition to more serious stuff. I do forget his name though, I'll have to post that later. I did have my camera that day and took lots of pictures of the art and sculptures and anything else that captured my fancy. Apparently the Musee d'Orsay used to be a railroad station as well.
After that, we walked up and down the Seine before I decided to go to the Bastille, but that requires a post in itself.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Paris Day 1: Jordan
I arrived in Paris semi well rested after a full night on the train. I have to say this about night trains, they're very cramped. I slept in a tiny third tier bunk in a room of 6 people, two really nice Swedes about my age who loved music and theater, a French grandmother, and her two grandchildren. Somehow I made it in one piece.
After arriving in Paris I quickly found my way to the hotel where the reception desk asked me if I minded a non smoking room and if a cemetery view was ok. Yes, to the non smoking, no to the cemetery. So I get to the new room, unpack, and immediately decide to go exploring. I spent a couple of hours just wandering the unknown (to me anyway) streets of Paris, until I met up with Nathan. After that we went to the Eiffel tower, a must see in Paris. The tower is huge and very imposing, along with touristy and expensive. It was really cool to see though.
After the Eiffel tower we headed over to the Arc de Triomph a beautiful monument to French servicemen and the location of the French "tomb of the unknown soldier." I would have liked to have gone up to see the view from the top, but the flood of tourists made that nearly impossible. After enjoying the relative shade of the Arc we walked down the Champs Elysee towards the Louvre, which turned our to be a much longer walk than I thought. We ended up pulling over at the metro (hooray for student metro tickets) and taking that to the Louvre stop.
The Louvre is absolutely massive, and incredible. The building itself is a work of art. Word of advice: when you go to the Louvre look up, the ceilings are incredible. The Mona Lisa was small, but it was really cool to see. I felt really bad though because everyone crowded around the small glass case and completely ignored the exhibition hall full of incredible Italian works. I can now say that I have seen the Mona Lisa, the Venus d'Milo, Michaelangelo's Dying Slave, and Ishtar's gate. Aside from those famous works, there were other incredible works. My favorites were the Italian artists, the sculpture work, and the ceilings of the Louvre itself. (I want to post all of the pictures I took on facebook, so keep an eye out for that).
We left the Louvre at 9:30 pm (sunset in Paris), and I was amazing by how beautiful the buildings and pyramids were when the sun hit them just right. After a nice dinner down the street (which was good, but not Paris good), we headed back to the hotel for the night.
After arriving in Paris I quickly found my way to the hotel where the reception desk asked me if I minded a non smoking room and if a cemetery view was ok. Yes, to the non smoking, no to the cemetery. So I get to the new room, unpack, and immediately decide to go exploring. I spent a couple of hours just wandering the unknown (to me anyway) streets of Paris, until I met up with Nathan. After that we went to the Eiffel tower, a must see in Paris. The tower is huge and very imposing, along with touristy and expensive. It was really cool to see though.
After the Eiffel tower we headed over to the Arc de Triomph a beautiful monument to French servicemen and the location of the French "tomb of the unknown soldier." I would have liked to have gone up to see the view from the top, but the flood of tourists made that nearly impossible. After enjoying the relative shade of the Arc we walked down the Champs Elysee towards the Louvre, which turned our to be a much longer walk than I thought. We ended up pulling over at the metro (hooray for student metro tickets) and taking that to the Louvre stop.
The Louvre is absolutely massive, and incredible. The building itself is a work of art. Word of advice: when you go to the Louvre look up, the ceilings are incredible. The Mona Lisa was small, but it was really cool to see. I felt really bad though because everyone crowded around the small glass case and completely ignored the exhibition hall full of incredible Italian works. I can now say that I have seen the Mona Lisa, the Venus d'Milo, Michaelangelo's Dying Slave, and Ishtar's gate. Aside from those famous works, there were other incredible works. My favorites were the Italian artists, the sculpture work, and the ceilings of the Louvre itself. (I want to post all of the pictures I took on facebook, so keep an eye out for that).
We left the Louvre at 9:30 pm (sunset in Paris), and I was amazing by how beautiful the buildings and pyramids were when the sun hit them just right. After a nice dinner down the street (which was good, but not Paris good), we headed back to the hotel for the night.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
More Frankfurt: Nathan
So, over the course of a day, I've determined that Frankfurt is a very modern city without much for tourists. But that's ok, I came because it was cheap and was on a direct route to Paris tomorrow. However, there is still stuff to do here.
There is a river running through the city, the Main River, hence the full name Frankfurt am Main. It's a very nice river, with the city sprawling around it. Frankfurt seems to be a city founded on finance as well. There are a ton of skyscrapers here, and all seem to be owned by a bank of some sort. The tallest is owned by Commerzbank and 6 of the 10 skyscrapers are owned by banks (Wikipedia). With more time, I would have investigated going to the top for the views on a couple.
The big historical attraction is the Romer, which is the Frankfurt City Hall among other things. It is built in the stereotypical German architecture with all the wood beams. It reminded me of the German part of Fiesta Texas.
I think I actually got everything done today I needed to. I got the phone working again. I washed my already sweated through clothes again. And booked my ticket to Paris.
I need to drink more wheat beers because those do fill me up quicker. And they don't taste bad either.
Kaufman out.
There is a river running through the city, the Main River, hence the full name Frankfurt am Main. It's a very nice river, with the city sprawling around it. Frankfurt seems to be a city founded on finance as well. There are a ton of skyscrapers here, and all seem to be owned by a bank of some sort. The tallest is owned by Commerzbank and 6 of the 10 skyscrapers are owned by banks (Wikipedia). With more time, I would have investigated going to the top for the views on a couple.
The big historical attraction is the Romer, which is the Frankfurt City Hall among other things. It is built in the stereotypical German architecture with all the wood beams. It reminded me of the German part of Fiesta Texas.
I think I actually got everything done today I needed to. I got the phone working again. I washed my already sweated through clothes again. And booked my ticket to Paris.
I need to drink more wheat beers because those do fill me up quicker. And they don't taste bad either.
Kaufman out.
Berlin: Nathan
I guess in the rush, I never really talked about Berlin. We got in a little late to do much the first day, but we met an Australian named Saul who took us over to the Eastside Gallery. The Eastside Gallery is a 1.3 km section of the Berlin Wall still standing with lots of art on it. In places, it has been chipped away or covered with tourist graffiti, but in others they are having the original artists repaint their works in preparation for the 20 year anniversary of when the wall fell (presumably in November). The artists originally painted the elaborate murals in 1990.
After what turned out to be a late night, we woke for a free walking tour the next day. Our guide was a short red-headed Scottish woman. Not gonna lie, loved the accent. The tour started at the Brandenburg Gate and then spent most of the time in East Berlin at places like the former Luftwaffe Headquarters, Checkpoint Charlie, this cool square near Humboldt University, and ended up on Museum Island. I wish we had more time to go to a museum that day, but plans were to go to the Jewish Museum and then do the pub crawl. Plans are always doomed to fail though, and we got as far as the Jewish Museum before hunger took over Jordan and we had to get back and eat. We were debating whether to go to a club, Matrix stood out, and to wash clothes or not, and again just ran out of time.
I woke the next day, zipped up my bags, and left Berlin. I left behind a ton of things to do the next time I'm there. I'm also starting to think it may have been better just to book overnight trains instead of hostels so we wouldn't be wasting time in the mornings taking the train places.
This is Kent Brockman signing off.
After what turned out to be a late night, we woke for a free walking tour the next day. Our guide was a short red-headed Scottish woman. Not gonna lie, loved the accent. The tour started at the Brandenburg Gate and then spent most of the time in East Berlin at places like the former Luftwaffe Headquarters, Checkpoint Charlie, this cool square near Humboldt University, and ended up on Museum Island. I wish we had more time to go to a museum that day, but plans were to go to the Jewish Museum and then do the pub crawl. Plans are always doomed to fail though, and we got as far as the Jewish Museum before hunger took over Jordan and we had to get back and eat. We were debating whether to go to a club, Matrix stood out, and to wash clothes or not, and again just ran out of time.
I woke the next day, zipped up my bags, and left Berlin. I left behind a ton of things to do the next time I'm there. I'm also starting to think it may have been better just to book overnight trains instead of hostels so we wouldn't be wasting time in the mornings taking the train places.
This is Kent Brockman signing off.
Trial Separation - Marklin and Frankfurt: Nathan
So Jordan didn't want to come to Goppingen, so we decided it would be best to go our separate ways and meet in Paris. Time to strategize. I found a cheap hostel and and direct train to Paris in Frankfurt, so I figured that could be home base. I thought I missed the train early though which would have screwed up the whole day, but in fact the train was late, one time that actually paid off. Late trains seemed to be a recurring theme though, don't know what was going on that day.
Marklin Museum - For those that know anything about me, this is considered a Mecca. For those that don't, here's a little background. Instead of wasting my money on alcohol and drugs and other things of that nature, I waste it on model trains. I sell model trains in San Antonio when I'm not at school. Sometimes I even go home for a weekend and some extra cash to work a couple days.
Marklin is one of the oldest companies, and probably the oldest still in existence to produce model trains. Their first was a wind up in 1895 and it's been history since. The museum had examples of their oldest all the way up to their latest and greatest with the fancy digital systems. Needless to say, I basically killed my camera there. I learned though that they started off doing doll houses and tea sets. They some small appliances too. Good stuff to know. They have a lot of parts for stuff at the shop too, and it looks like LGB could make a comeback as well. Not that 99% of you know what half of that stuff meant. That's alright with me.
Frankfurt - I got in kind of late last night. The city itself looks very modern though. I'm in a hostel right across the street from the main train station. Made finding it very easy, too easy I couldn't find it when I got here. The hostel is lively and the rooms are big. Today I'll probably be running errands because I have the impression that there isn't much tourist type stuff to do. It's more of a place to stage me for my trip to Paris tomorrow.
This trial separation is good for when I go to Pamplona to watch the bulls run. And as much as I wanted to stay in Berlin and do a couple more things, the museum was important to me enough.
See you space cowboy...
Marklin Museum - For those that know anything about me, this is considered a Mecca. For those that don't, here's a little background. Instead of wasting my money on alcohol and drugs and other things of that nature, I waste it on model trains. I sell model trains in San Antonio when I'm not at school. Sometimes I even go home for a weekend and some extra cash to work a couple days.
Marklin is one of the oldest companies, and probably the oldest still in existence to produce model trains. Their first was a wind up in 1895 and it's been history since. The museum had examples of their oldest all the way up to their latest and greatest with the fancy digital systems. Needless to say, I basically killed my camera there. I learned though that they started off doing doll houses and tea sets. They some small appliances too. Good stuff to know. They have a lot of parts for stuff at the shop too, and it looks like LGB could make a comeback as well. Not that 99% of you know what half of that stuff meant. That's alright with me.
Frankfurt - I got in kind of late last night. The city itself looks very modern though. I'm in a hostel right across the street from the main train station. Made finding it very easy, too easy I couldn't find it when I got here. The hostel is lively and the rooms are big. Today I'll probably be running errands because I have the impression that there isn't much tourist type stuff to do. It's more of a place to stage me for my trip to Paris tomorrow.
This trial separation is good for when I go to Pamplona to watch the bulls run. And as much as I wanted to stay in Berlin and do a couple more things, the museum was important to me enough.
See you space cowboy...
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Berlin Day 2 :Jordan
Today Nathan went to Goppingen to visit the Marklin Museum (trains), and I stayed here in Berlin.
I woke up this morning, checked out of the hostel, checked right back in, moved my stuff to my new room and left. I went down to the train station, bought a quick breakfast and lunch at this cool little sandwich place, and then went over to the DB Deutchse Bahn office to figure out how I am going to get to Paris by Friday morning. I spoke the woman behind the counter and found a train leaving Berlin tomorrow night at 8:00 and getting to Paris at 9:30. Perfect. I reserved my spot on the train, and then went to hunt down the S Bahn (above ground public transport that I use for free with my euaril pass) I needed to take to get to Museum Island. It was a surprisingly painless task. I found my train, hopped on, and was on Museum Island in ten minutes.
I didn't exactly have a plan so I headed up the steps of the Berliner Dom, and for 3 euro, decided it was worth a visit. I walked inside and could have sworn that I had just entered one of the great catholic cathedrals of Spain or Italy. Instead, I found out from the very nice English speaking guide that it was a protestant church built for the Kaiser in 1894 and finished in 1905. The church has a history as interesting as Berlins. During WWII a bomb fell through the huge dome of the church. Because the church is located in what was then East Berlin, ther area became communist after the war, and following their atheist ideals, the communist government refused to fix the church. For ten years, the main sancuatary of the church and part of the crypt below were left totally open to the elements which nearly destroyed all of the beautiful plaster and mosaic work. Finally in 1977 the rebuilding and restoration of the church were finished.
The church is beatiful with ornate gold and beautiful mosaic work. The stained glass is different than in most churches, but still adds to the beauty of the altar. After my tour of the main sanctuary I walked down into the crypts which was a little eerie. I didn't stay long. Instead I climbed up a million flights of stairs (Germany doesn't really have public elevators or escalators), some windy and hidden, up to the dome gallery. The view from the dome was well worth the ridiculous climb. The 360 degree panoramic view of the city is stunning. You can see everything. After hanging out on the dome and enjoying the view I climbed back down and found a comfortable spot on the grass in the square outside of the Berliner Dom. I ate a quick lunch and enjoyed the warmth and wonderful breeze. Afterwards, I headed to the Pergamonmuseum, a museum that house works of ancient Greek and Roman origin, Islamic art, and a reconstruction of temples, gates, and city areas using the actual found remnants.
I have to admit I was not all together that excited about coming to Berlin. The Germanic culture has never really interested me, and I saw very little reason to come. I now see how horribly wrong I was. Berling is an increcible city with a crazy history. What I love most about it here is that while they remember, commemorate and memorialize their twisted past, they are also working to move into the future to become a great city. I have found the German people to be kind, helpful, and understanding even if they have no clue what I am saying, and they have no clue what I am saying. I found out that if I just followed people hand motions and voice inflections as they talked I could get the gist of what they were saying. I've really enjoyed it here and I'm glad I still have one more day to explore.
Next up: Paris
I woke up this morning, checked out of the hostel, checked right back in, moved my stuff to my new room and left. I went down to the train station, bought a quick breakfast and lunch at this cool little sandwich place, and then went over to the DB Deutchse Bahn office to figure out how I am going to get to Paris by Friday morning. I spoke the woman behind the counter and found a train leaving Berlin tomorrow night at 8:00 and getting to Paris at 9:30. Perfect. I reserved my spot on the train, and then went to hunt down the S Bahn (above ground public transport that I use for free with my euaril pass) I needed to take to get to Museum Island. It was a surprisingly painless task. I found my train, hopped on, and was on Museum Island in ten minutes.
I didn't exactly have a plan so I headed up the steps of the Berliner Dom, and for 3 euro, decided it was worth a visit. I walked inside and could have sworn that I had just entered one of the great catholic cathedrals of Spain or Italy. Instead, I found out from the very nice English speaking guide that it was a protestant church built for the Kaiser in 1894 and finished in 1905. The church has a history as interesting as Berlins. During WWII a bomb fell through the huge dome of the church. Because the church is located in what was then East Berlin, ther area became communist after the war, and following their atheist ideals, the communist government refused to fix the church. For ten years, the main sancuatary of the church and part of the crypt below were left totally open to the elements which nearly destroyed all of the beautiful plaster and mosaic work. Finally in 1977 the rebuilding and restoration of the church were finished.
The church is beatiful with ornate gold and beautiful mosaic work. The stained glass is different than in most churches, but still adds to the beauty of the altar. After my tour of the main sanctuary I walked down into the crypts which was a little eerie. I didn't stay long. Instead I climbed up a million flights of stairs (Germany doesn't really have public elevators or escalators), some windy and hidden, up to the dome gallery. The view from the dome was well worth the ridiculous climb. The 360 degree panoramic view of the city is stunning. You can see everything. After hanging out on the dome and enjoying the view I climbed back down and found a comfortable spot on the grass in the square outside of the Berliner Dom. I ate a quick lunch and enjoyed the warmth and wonderful breeze. Afterwards, I headed to the Pergamonmuseum, a museum that house works of ancient Greek and Roman origin, Islamic art, and a reconstruction of temples, gates, and city areas using the actual found remnants.
I have to admit I was not all together that excited about coming to Berlin. The Germanic culture has never really interested me, and I saw very little reason to come. I now see how horribly wrong I was. Berling is an increcible city with a crazy history. What I love most about it here is that while they remember, commemorate and memorialize their twisted past, they are also working to move into the future to become a great city. I have found the German people to be kind, helpful, and understanding even if they have no clue what I am saying, and they have no clue what I am saying. I found out that if I just followed people hand motions and voice inflections as they talked I could get the gist of what they were saying. I've really enjoyed it here and I'm glad I still have one more day to explore.
Next up: Paris
Berlin Day .5 and Day 1 :Jordan
We hopped on the morning train from Amsterdam towards Berlin. About two hours into the ride we had to switch trains. Originally Nathan had said that we had a one hour transfer at this stop whose name starts with a D that I will never remember. When we got off the train we checked the stations time table just in case and saw that our train left in five minutes. We hopped on the train and sat for another four hours until we finally got to Berlin.
From Berlin's Ostbahnhof (train station) we easily found our hostel and checked in. We spent a good portion of the evening doing the necessary laundrz, logistics planning and dinner. While we were making dinner (or should I say while I was making dinner) we met a really nice Australian guy named Saul who told us a little more about what to do in Berlin. He mentioned that the East´Side Gallery is a great thing to see and open all night. He asked if he could come with us and of course we said yes. We went down about 11:00 right after it had gotten dark. We walked past the train station and down towards the river to an section of the Berlin Wall that is still standing.
The East Side Gallery is an open art gallery with street art from 1990 that was put there after the Berlin Wall fell as a sign of freedom and liberation. Some sections of the wall have been left completely open to the public and as such have been tagged to the point where you can't always find the original art. There are some sections, however, that have not only been roped off, but are being restored in commemoration of the 20th anniverssary of the wall coming down.
The next morning I woke up early and went for walk back along the East Side Gallery to see it in daylight. Its incredible. The millions of people from all over the world that have signed the wall and the artists who created the original depictions of freedom share the same wall space that once they would not even have been able to get close to.
At 11:00am we met the New Europe Free walking tour to get a chance to see more of Berlin. We went to the Brandenberg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the largest remaining piece of the Berlin wall, and some interesting stops in between we never would have found on our own. The history of it all is incredible. I honestly did not know much about Berlin coming in, but now I'm glad to say I understand the city a lot better (I'll explain that more later).
After the tour we went over the Jewish museum. The museum has information and artifacts dating back to medieval times. It was an interesting and very interactive museum. There was always something to listen to, watch, or answer. There was also an area in the back of the museum called the memory void. When I heard that I was really intrigued, so I went back there. It is literally a void that runs the entire length of the museum. The ground floor of the void has been filled with flat faces made of metal to signify the Jewish population that Europe and Germany lost.
From Berlin's Ostbahnhof (train station) we easily found our hostel and checked in. We spent a good portion of the evening doing the necessary laundrz, logistics planning and dinner. While we were making dinner (or should I say while I was making dinner) we met a really nice Australian guy named Saul who told us a little more about what to do in Berlin. He mentioned that the East´Side Gallery is a great thing to see and open all night. He asked if he could come with us and of course we said yes. We went down about 11:00 right after it had gotten dark. We walked past the train station and down towards the river to an section of the Berlin Wall that is still standing.
The East Side Gallery is an open art gallery with street art from 1990 that was put there after the Berlin Wall fell as a sign of freedom and liberation. Some sections of the wall have been left completely open to the public and as such have been tagged to the point where you can't always find the original art. There are some sections, however, that have not only been roped off, but are being restored in commemoration of the 20th anniverssary of the wall coming down.
The next morning I woke up early and went for walk back along the East Side Gallery to see it in daylight. Its incredible. The millions of people from all over the world that have signed the wall and the artists who created the original depictions of freedom share the same wall space that once they would not even have been able to get close to.
At 11:00am we met the New Europe Free walking tour to get a chance to see more of Berlin. We went to the Brandenberg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the largest remaining piece of the Berlin wall, and some interesting stops in between we never would have found on our own. The history of it all is incredible. I honestly did not know much about Berlin coming in, but now I'm glad to say I understand the city a lot better (I'll explain that more later).
After the tour we went over the Jewish museum. The museum has information and artifacts dating back to medieval times. It was an interesting and very interactive museum. There was always something to listen to, watch, or answer. There was also an area in the back of the museum called the memory void. When I heard that I was really intrigued, so I went back there. It is literally a void that runs the entire length of the museum. The ground floor of the void has been filled with flat faces made of metal to signify the Jewish population that Europe and Germany lost.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Amsterdam: Jordan
Amsterdam started on kind of a strange note while we were still in London. Thanks to our night at the Fabric which got us back to the hostel at 2:30 neither Nathan or I heard our alarm and overslept 15 min. which wouldn't have been a problem except Eurostar, we found out, requires you to check in to your train 30 min. before hand. We run to the train station to find that our train has left. Not knowing when the next train will be or if we will have to pay for it we run to the ticket office and tell them we missed our plane. The attendant hands us two tickets and says, "don't miss this one or you will be charged". You don't have to tell us twice. We went back and checked in, even though we had an hour, there was no way we were missing this one. We finally got on the train and were really excited to be on our way when, about half an our in our train loses power for almost an hour. Our two hour ride turned into a three hour one. But thats ok, we made it to Brussels and then didn't know what to do with our rail passes. We walk all the way across the station to the service center where the waiting line is about one hundred people (at least) long. Unsure of what to do, we get a number to wait and then go over to the open information desk to find out if we actually need to wait. The guy tells us that he can validate our passes. We then asked him how we get to Amsterdam and he tells us that the next train leaves in five minutes. I guess train travel really is that easy, we rushed to the platform hopped on the train and prayed it was the right one (not really but for dramatic effect it sounds pretty good).
We did get on the right train and we did make it to Amsterdam. From the station we walked to the HotelBoat which is a cute little boat with a very nice owner and his girlfriend. The rules of the boat: Quiet time starts at 11:00, There is no smoking in the rooms, and you may roll a joint on the front deck. Yep, thats right, we're in Amsterdam. We drop our stuff at the boat and go find a place to rent bikes. The biking system here in Amsterdam in incredible. There are seperate bike lanes, pedestrian lanes, and car lanes on most major streets along with seperate traffic lights. On smaller streets there are very few cars and most people choose to bike or walk. There are also seperate bus lanes if you prefer that. We rented bikes and decided to go to the Anne Frank House. It took us way too long to find it but at least the view and the weather were nice.
The Ann Frank House is set along a canal and from what I could tell always has a huge line. As we were waiting, at the very back of this long line, a woman comes and stands behind us with her family. She then turn me and asks me if I speak English (she was from the states) I say of course and she tells us that she accidently bought too many tickets online and if we would like to buy them we could skip the line and go on in. Of course we took her up on the offer. Inside the house is a strange experience. All of the rooms were completely unfurnished at Otto's request after the war. It was really hard to get a sense of what went on there because all of the rooms were so empty. The original warehouse part has been turned into the reception area and gift shop. I am really glad we went, it was just different than I thought it would be. After that we rode around Amsterdam until we found a place to eat. We chose a small place by the boat that sold Shwarma, I think it was more of a novelty than anything, but it was good. The room in the boat is small, which is kind of an understatement, but the couple that owns it are great and there is free breakfast, which you can't argue with.
Today we tried to wake up fairly early and beat the crowd to the Van Gogh Museum. We made it there about 10 min. after it opened and there was already a line. The museum was great. It showed all of the different phases of Van Gogh as an artist. I didn't realize just how different all of his phases were. His Dutch phase he used a lot of browns and blacks, very dark with minimal detail. in Antwerp he did a lot of protraits. In the Siene region of France he did beautful pointalist landscapes and there was even a phase where he copied the style of Japanese art. There were also images by Gaugin, Rodin, Cezanne, Bernard, Millet, and other famous artists and graphic artists.
After the museum we walked across the street to a place called House of Bols, which is a cocktail and bartending museum. We were curious. It was way to early to go through the museum since it includes drinking (oddly enough they open at 12pm and people are there right when they open). Instead we spent about twenty or thrity minutes talking to the two people that worked there. It was actually a fun discussion. We talked about the differences in transportaion, liquor laws, drug laws, and that fact that whenever you say Amsterdam all people think of is pot.
After our little discussion we chose to avoid any more museums and ride around the city enjoying the 65 degree weather and the stunning canal view. We made our way back towards the boat and I thought it would be a good idea to stop in the very large public library located about 3 min. from our boat since we both needed the internet. Let me just say ( and I know I'm going to sound like a nerd here) the library is incredibly beautiful and modern. There are about five stories each with their own personality. Each floor has a set of tables with fifteen free computers (with free internet! which is why we came). There are macs in the music section that you can use to download stuff for ipods, edit, and things like that. There are also study pods, which are a great idea. I hate to say this but if we had a library like this, I probably would have studied more. The huge wall of windows on every floor looks out over the canal and Amsterdam city center.
Tonight is our last night in Amsterdam, an interesting city with a very unique culture.
Next up: Berlin
We did get on the right train and we did make it to Amsterdam. From the station we walked to the HotelBoat which is a cute little boat with a very nice owner and his girlfriend. The rules of the boat: Quiet time starts at 11:00, There is no smoking in the rooms, and you may roll a joint on the front deck. Yep, thats right, we're in Amsterdam. We drop our stuff at the boat and go find a place to rent bikes. The biking system here in Amsterdam in incredible. There are seperate bike lanes, pedestrian lanes, and car lanes on most major streets along with seperate traffic lights. On smaller streets there are very few cars and most people choose to bike or walk. There are also seperate bus lanes if you prefer that. We rented bikes and decided to go to the Anne Frank House. It took us way too long to find it but at least the view and the weather were nice.
The Ann Frank House is set along a canal and from what I could tell always has a huge line. As we were waiting, at the very back of this long line, a woman comes and stands behind us with her family. She then turn me and asks me if I speak English (she was from the states) I say of course and she tells us that she accidently bought too many tickets online and if we would like to buy them we could skip the line and go on in. Of course we took her up on the offer. Inside the house is a strange experience. All of the rooms were completely unfurnished at Otto's request after the war. It was really hard to get a sense of what went on there because all of the rooms were so empty. The original warehouse part has been turned into the reception area and gift shop. I am really glad we went, it was just different than I thought it would be. After that we rode around Amsterdam until we found a place to eat. We chose a small place by the boat that sold Shwarma, I think it was more of a novelty than anything, but it was good. The room in the boat is small, which is kind of an understatement, but the couple that owns it are great and there is free breakfast, which you can't argue with.
Today we tried to wake up fairly early and beat the crowd to the Van Gogh Museum. We made it there about 10 min. after it opened and there was already a line. The museum was great. It showed all of the different phases of Van Gogh as an artist. I didn't realize just how different all of his phases were. His Dutch phase he used a lot of browns and blacks, very dark with minimal detail. in Antwerp he did a lot of protraits. In the Siene region of France he did beautful pointalist landscapes and there was even a phase where he copied the style of Japanese art. There were also images by Gaugin, Rodin, Cezanne, Bernard, Millet, and other famous artists and graphic artists.
After the museum we walked across the street to a place called House of Bols, which is a cocktail and bartending museum. We were curious. It was way to early to go through the museum since it includes drinking (oddly enough they open at 12pm and people are there right when they open). Instead we spent about twenty or thrity minutes talking to the two people that worked there. It was actually a fun discussion. We talked about the differences in transportaion, liquor laws, drug laws, and that fact that whenever you say Amsterdam all people think of is pot.
After our little discussion we chose to avoid any more museums and ride around the city enjoying the 65 degree weather and the stunning canal view. We made our way back towards the boat and I thought it would be a good idea to stop in the very large public library located about 3 min. from our boat since we both needed the internet. Let me just say ( and I know I'm going to sound like a nerd here) the library is incredibly beautiful and modern. There are about five stories each with their own personality. Each floor has a set of tables with fifteen free computers (with free internet! which is why we came). There are macs in the music section that you can use to download stuff for ipods, edit, and things like that. There are also study pods, which are a great idea. I hate to say this but if we had a library like this, I probably would have studied more. The huge wall of windows on every floor looks out over the canal and Amsterdam city center.
Tonight is our last night in Amsterdam, an interesting city with a very unique culture.
Next up: Berlin
Update: Nathan
So, London ended on a great note. Amsterdam started on an iffy one. Currently, we're in Amsterdam, staying on a Hotelboat. The couple that owns it is very nice, they say sometimes they take the boat and cruise with it, but we were lucky enough to catch it in port and, I must say, it's a unique experience.
Back to traveling though first. We ended our stay in London by visiting the club Fabric with Daniel and Tony from Switzerland. I've never encountered something with this great music or this much popularity across the pond, but I would suspect it rivals the superclubs of New York or Los Angeles. Long night, and unfortunately we had to start the day early. My phone didn't wake me up in the morning, so we scrambled to pack and check out and catch our 6:57 Eurostar to Brussels and our connection to Amsterdam. We did miss the train, but on the upside, the Eurostar people gave us a new ticket on the next one out. En route before the Chunnel, there was an overhead problem, so we sat for awhile until it was rememdied. We arrived in Brussels an hour late. All in all, I love the Eurostar, must have been a bad day for them. Should have grabbed a pic though...
In Brussels we validated our railpasses and discovered how easy it was to use them: just get on a train and flash it instead of having a ticket. Surprisingly easy! The train departed 5 minutes after our validation, so more scrambling, but we made it.
Amsterdam: I would move here just to ride bikes. It is a biking paradise, with paths all over the city and drivers that are more understanding to our quirky ways. We rented bikes and have covered most of the area between the station and the first major ring canal (look at a map and it makes a little more sense). We've visited the Anne Frank Museum, the Van Gogh Museum, Vondelpark, and as I type, I'm in the amazing Amsterdam Library. It's several stories tall, all white on the inside. Lots of windows and other bright lights. I've never been, but I would guess it beats the hell out of San Antonio's Red Enchilada.
We met up with Johannes Schoondergang, my USA Trains representative, and he was very nicely bought us a nice dinner. He really didn't have to, but I'd like to thank him here for that, as well as the many thanks in person.
For the occasion, I'll post this, but there are explicit lyrics. The link is to the Youtube video ''I'm on a Boat'' featured on SNL. http://tinyurl.com/pqvk3f
So, tonight, going out, but more chill than Fabric. Tomorrow, Berlin. Stay posted...
Back to traveling though first. We ended our stay in London by visiting the club Fabric with Daniel and Tony from Switzerland. I've never encountered something with this great music or this much popularity across the pond, but I would suspect it rivals the superclubs of New York or Los Angeles. Long night, and unfortunately we had to start the day early. My phone didn't wake me up in the morning, so we scrambled to pack and check out and catch our 6:57 Eurostar to Brussels and our connection to Amsterdam. We did miss the train, but on the upside, the Eurostar people gave us a new ticket on the next one out. En route before the Chunnel, there was an overhead problem, so we sat for awhile until it was rememdied. We arrived in Brussels an hour late. All in all, I love the Eurostar, must have been a bad day for them. Should have grabbed a pic though...
In Brussels we validated our railpasses and discovered how easy it was to use them: just get on a train and flash it instead of having a ticket. Surprisingly easy! The train departed 5 minutes after our validation, so more scrambling, but we made it.
Amsterdam: I would move here just to ride bikes. It is a biking paradise, with paths all over the city and drivers that are more understanding to our quirky ways. We rented bikes and have covered most of the area between the station and the first major ring canal (look at a map and it makes a little more sense). We've visited the Anne Frank Museum, the Van Gogh Museum, Vondelpark, and as I type, I'm in the amazing Amsterdam Library. It's several stories tall, all white on the inside. Lots of windows and other bright lights. I've never been, but I would guess it beats the hell out of San Antonio's Red Enchilada.
We met up with Johannes Schoondergang, my USA Trains representative, and he was very nicely bought us a nice dinner. He really didn't have to, but I'd like to thank him here for that, as well as the many thanks in person.
For the occasion, I'll post this, but there are explicit lyrics. The link is to the Youtube video ''I'm on a Boat'' featured on SNL. http://tinyurl.com/pqvk3f
So, tonight, going out, but more chill than Fabric. Tomorrow, Berlin. Stay posted...
London: Jordan
What an amazing city! London is the perfect mash up of old and new. When you walk around you can find classic and gothic architecture right next to an all glass sky scraper. Our first day in London we went to the Tate Modern a collection of modern art that ranges from trippy to minimalist, to just plain weird. The art was also less censored than it is here in that artists use their bodies as part of their art, and not just in the form of paintings. One of the art pieces was a giant set of table and chairs (large enough for me to walk under without ducking) another was a door in the exhibition room that an artist had filled with dry layered bricks. The Andy Warhol room of the museum was hard to look at it was so bright, but it echoed the artists style really well. Another strange exhibit (one that I did not get at first) was a room that look liked an artists studio while he/she was in the middle of working. There were things everywhere. Pizza boxes, tools, buckets, wood, paintbrushes, cleaner. When I read the plaque I realized why it was a work of art: all of the pieces had been made from polyethene (sorry if thats wrong) foam to mimic the artists work space.
After the Tate we walked or should I say wandered around London for a few hours enjoying the scene. There are beautiful churches, incredible facades and buildings that now house stores and businesses, the red telephone booths that everyone expects to see, and the double decker busses. I also found it funny that at every crosswalk the ground is painted with the words ''look right' or ''look left' so that you know where to look before you cross the street. This was a huge help for us since we were still getting used to the driving on the wrong side of the street. One thing I noticed about walking around London is that it is very difficult to get lost. The city is built around the Thames on both side, find your way back to the river (which is connected to most major streets) and you've found your way back to wherever you need to go.
Our second day in London was a whirlwind of tourist attractions and adventures. We woke up early and got to the Tower of London before all of the tour groups arrived. We saw the crown jewels in the Jewel House, climbed the White Tower where there was an awesome exhibit on the armor and weapons used by Henry VIII and his court, and enjoyed the relative quiet of the compound. The Jewel House was more of a vault than a house, as you could imagine. There are knives, crowns, the royal ring and scepter and of course, the Grand Punch Bowl (I wish I were kidding about that but there really is a giant bowl and ladel in the vault called the Grand Punch Bowl). The exhibit featuring Henry VIII was funny because as Henry VIII got older his body changed and so did his armor. At every different suit of armor the description tags showed Henry VIII's measurements so you could tell the difference. There was also all of the armor for the horses (which looked very uncomfortable) as well as various weapons used in Henry's wars. Afterwards we walked towards Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben and the Parliment building.
There isn't really much to say about the palace. Its gorgeous but similar to the White House it is set far behind a gate and you can't go in. I enjoyed Westminster Abbey a lot more. It is a beatifully designed church in both architecture and decoration. It also the home of every royal birthday, wedding, coronation, and funeral. Kings, Queens, and other noblemen and women (including Oliver Cromwell which I thought was interesting) are buried in incredible monuments and tombs in the chapels and hallways of the Abbey. Although this may sound odd the tombs were beautiful. The time and effort that went into the design and building of these monuments is unimaginable. The colors, the details, and the way the effigies create such great likenesses of the people the tomb contains is incredible. In another section of the Abbey there is an altar with two monuments on either side. The intriguing thing about these monuments is that one is for Newton (who is buried in the Abbey) and the other is for Darwin. I saw that and couldn't help but wonder what a monument to Darwin was doing on a christian altar. I am really upset that I couldn't take pictures in the Abbey because I really wish you all could see it.
After the Abbey we walked across the street to Big Ben and the Parliment building. Its massive. The detail in the buildings architecture makes the building even more impressive. I felt so small standing next to it and even smaller when I tried to fit the whole thing into one camera frame and realized that I couldn't until I walked to the other side of the bridge. The security is also incredible
After our day of touring we stopped for Chinese food at a little restaurant about two doors down from our Hostel. We went inside to rest for a little bit, not really sure what we were gonna do at night, but planning on possibly going to Ministry of Sound, a recommended club in our area. I walked out of the room to call home because it'd been a couple of days when I ran into two other people sitting in the hallway on the phone (which is why I didn't talk for very long). I went inside and the two people in the hallway came too (don't worry, it was their room). Well it turns out the two people were guys from Switzerland, Daniel and Tony who had come to London for the weekend. They said they were going to Fabric ( http://www.fabriclondon.com/ )(another club) and that we should join them. We did, which was a great idea. The club spun live Drum and Bass which is actually a lot of fun. Its music I have never heard, but its neat if you can hear it on the website give it a shot.
I really enjoyed London and wished we could have spent more time there. We missed so much, but its ok because (earmuffs mom and dad) I am going to go back.
Next up: Amsterdam
After the Tate we walked or should I say wandered around London for a few hours enjoying the scene. There are beautiful churches, incredible facades and buildings that now house stores and businesses, the red telephone booths that everyone expects to see, and the double decker busses. I also found it funny that at every crosswalk the ground is painted with the words ''look right' or ''look left' so that you know where to look before you cross the street. This was a huge help for us since we were still getting used to the driving on the wrong side of the street. One thing I noticed about walking around London is that it is very difficult to get lost. The city is built around the Thames on both side, find your way back to the river (which is connected to most major streets) and you've found your way back to wherever you need to go.
Our second day in London was a whirlwind of tourist attractions and adventures. We woke up early and got to the Tower of London before all of the tour groups arrived. We saw the crown jewels in the Jewel House, climbed the White Tower where there was an awesome exhibit on the armor and weapons used by Henry VIII and his court, and enjoyed the relative quiet of the compound. The Jewel House was more of a vault than a house, as you could imagine. There are knives, crowns, the royal ring and scepter and of course, the Grand Punch Bowl (I wish I were kidding about that but there really is a giant bowl and ladel in the vault called the Grand Punch Bowl). The exhibit featuring Henry VIII was funny because as Henry VIII got older his body changed and so did his armor. At every different suit of armor the description tags showed Henry VIII's measurements so you could tell the difference. There was also all of the armor for the horses (which looked very uncomfortable) as well as various weapons used in Henry's wars. Afterwards we walked towards Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben and the Parliment building.
There isn't really much to say about the palace. Its gorgeous but similar to the White House it is set far behind a gate and you can't go in. I enjoyed Westminster Abbey a lot more. It is a beatifully designed church in both architecture and decoration. It also the home of every royal birthday, wedding, coronation, and funeral. Kings, Queens, and other noblemen and women (including Oliver Cromwell which I thought was interesting) are buried in incredible monuments and tombs in the chapels and hallways of the Abbey. Although this may sound odd the tombs were beautiful. The time and effort that went into the design and building of these monuments is unimaginable. The colors, the details, and the way the effigies create such great likenesses of the people the tomb contains is incredible. In another section of the Abbey there is an altar with two monuments on either side. The intriguing thing about these monuments is that one is for Newton (who is buried in the Abbey) and the other is for Darwin. I saw that and couldn't help but wonder what a monument to Darwin was doing on a christian altar. I am really upset that I couldn't take pictures in the Abbey because I really wish you all could see it.
After the Abbey we walked across the street to Big Ben and the Parliment building. Its massive. The detail in the buildings architecture makes the building even more impressive. I felt so small standing next to it and even smaller when I tried to fit the whole thing into one camera frame and realized that I couldn't until I walked to the other side of the bridge. The security is also incredible
After our day of touring we stopped for Chinese food at a little restaurant about two doors down from our Hostel. We went inside to rest for a little bit, not really sure what we were gonna do at night, but planning on possibly going to Ministry of Sound, a recommended club in our area. I walked out of the room to call home because it'd been a couple of days when I ran into two other people sitting in the hallway on the phone (which is why I didn't talk for very long). I went inside and the two people in the hallway came too (don't worry, it was their room). Well it turns out the two people were guys from Switzerland, Daniel and Tony who had come to London for the weekend. They said they were going to Fabric ( http://www.fabriclondon.com/ )(another club) and that we should join them. We did, which was a great idea. The club spun live Drum and Bass which is actually a lot of fun. Its music I have never heard, but its neat if you can hear it on the website give it a shot.
I really enjoyed London and wished we could have spent more time there. We missed so much, but its ok because (earmuffs mom and dad) I am going to go back.
Next up: Amsterdam
Thursday, June 18, 2009
London: Nathan
London. What a city! We left the Horwitzes in Reedham and took the train to London today. We got in about 1 pm and dropped our bags off at the hostel. The Tate Modern and Globe Theater were nearby so Jordan and I scoped those out. I learned I have to tell her when she's going the wrong direction or she'll keep walking straight until she sees a random open doorway or spiral staircase.
The Tate Modern hurt my head. There was an exhibit called 'Stutter' that reminded me of Churchill's marching band show: Symphonic Schizophrenia. The other big exhibits covered basically everything from Picasso on to now. Some of the works were interesting. There was a VW Bus with sleds coming out of it and survival equipment on the sleds. There was a cool work where the artist stapled a bunch of aluminum strips together and twisted them around. And there was a huge table. I could walk under it. Unfortunately, I couldn't climb on it or take a picture of it. You have to see it to believe it. Then there were the weird ones, ones that the artist had to be really famous to pull something like that off. One was a mirror. That's it, a mirror. Another was a canvas with a rip in it. If I were painting and I ripped my canvas, I'd say oops and get a new one. Apparently this guy is famous enough to pull it off. I definitely don't understand modern art.
We continued our wandering around London while staying near the Thames. We visited St. Paul's Cathedral and then continued down the street until we got to Fleet Street, location of Sweeney Todd's barbershop. I would have gotten a trim, but I was the kind of out-of-towner he's kill and turn into meat pies.
Learning from my previous experience earlier that day, I subtly directed us back toward the hostel and we basically made a big circle. We saw some good stuff today and will be going out later tonight.
Until next time.
P.S. I'm watching cricket and I think it's sinking in.
The Tate Modern hurt my head. There was an exhibit called 'Stutter' that reminded me of Churchill's marching band show: Symphonic Schizophrenia. The other big exhibits covered basically everything from Picasso on to now. Some of the works were interesting. There was a VW Bus with sleds coming out of it and survival equipment on the sleds. There was a cool work where the artist stapled a bunch of aluminum strips together and twisted them around. And there was a huge table. I could walk under it. Unfortunately, I couldn't climb on it or take a picture of it. You have to see it to believe it. Then there were the weird ones, ones that the artist had to be really famous to pull something like that off. One was a mirror. That's it, a mirror. Another was a canvas with a rip in it. If I were painting and I ripped my canvas, I'd say oops and get a new one. Apparently this guy is famous enough to pull it off. I definitely don't understand modern art.
We continued our wandering around London while staying near the Thames. We visited St. Paul's Cathedral and then continued down the street until we got to Fleet Street, location of Sweeney Todd's barbershop. I would have gotten a trim, but I was the kind of out-of-towner he's kill and turn into meat pies.
Learning from my previous experience earlier that day, I subtly directed us back toward the hostel and we basically made a big circle. We saw some good stuff today and will be going out later tonight.
Until next time.
P.S. I'm watching cricket and I think it's sinking in.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
British Airways, Norwich, and Reedham: Jordan
British Airways: Well, as far as the flight goes I can't really complain. As expected it was 8.5 hours long and aside from there being one or three to many little kids, the flight was relatively painless. Not to mention 8.5 hours is totally worth the 5 weeks we will be spending here.
Norwich: Was much better the second time around. Our first trip through Norwich was our attempt to find the train station from the bus station which ended up being half an hour (actually forty minutes if you consider we went the wrong direction first). Today we went to Norwich and it was incredible. The town has a castle and too many churches to count and architecture that has been around for a really long time. It very different than you see here. I love the idea of pedestrian streets though, it made for a really relaxing walk around. We also stopped at a church about 15 min. outside of Norwich which has an amazing view of the countryside (that is if you climb the 89 ridiculously steep and uneven steps, climb 2 ladders, and brave the wind), but let me tell you, the view was completely worth it. Its green all around and the houses have thatched roofs with either goats or horses in the backyard. Not to mention everything is green as far as the eye can see. After that we went into Acle (another village) to pick of Jack (Ann's son) and grab Indian food from a new take out (fine, take away) place called Acle Spice.
Reedham: Reedahm is about the smallest town I've ever seen, and also one of the prettiest. Everyone has gardens in front of their houses which are all brick and unique. You can walk in the middle of the street and not really run the risk of getting run over by a car (in fact, you probably won't even see one). After dinner at the Horowitz's house we went down to a pub called Lord Nelson's (which of course being the nerd I am made me think of that one chapter in Ulysses where we talked about Nelson's Pillar) where we listened as the owner sang folk music (along with a very upbeat version of Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues) and drank guiness with black currant (something I highly recommend). It was a nice relaxing way to start our trip and the area is absolutely gorgeous which makes it even better. Our hosts have been absolutely incredible and have made this part of the trip all the more enjoyable.
Next stop... London
Norwich: Was much better the second time around. Our first trip through Norwich was our attempt to find the train station from the bus station which ended up being half an hour (actually forty minutes if you consider we went the wrong direction first). Today we went to Norwich and it was incredible. The town has a castle and too many churches to count and architecture that has been around for a really long time. It very different than you see here. I love the idea of pedestrian streets though, it made for a really relaxing walk around. We also stopped at a church about 15 min. outside of Norwich which has an amazing view of the countryside (that is if you climb the 89 ridiculously steep and uneven steps, climb 2 ladders, and brave the wind), but let me tell you, the view was completely worth it. Its green all around and the houses have thatched roofs with either goats or horses in the backyard. Not to mention everything is green as far as the eye can see. After that we went into Acle (another village) to pick of Jack (Ann's son) and grab Indian food from a new take out (fine, take away) place called Acle Spice.
Reedham: Reedahm is about the smallest town I've ever seen, and also one of the prettiest. Everyone has gardens in front of their houses which are all brick and unique. You can walk in the middle of the street and not really run the risk of getting run over by a car (in fact, you probably won't even see one). After dinner at the Horowitz's house we went down to a pub called Lord Nelson's (which of course being the nerd I am made me think of that one chapter in Ulysses where we talked about Nelson's Pillar) where we listened as the owner sang folk music (along with a very upbeat version of Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues) and drank guiness with black currant (something I highly recommend). It was a nice relaxing way to start our trip and the area is absolutely gorgeous which makes it even better. Our hosts have been absolutely incredible and have made this part of the trip all the more enjoyable.
Next stop... London
Metric vs. English
Nathan:
So it took me awhile to figure it out, but Britain is still on the English system. Their speeds are mph, measurements in feet and inches, so yeah. It also still throws me that the drivers sit on the right and drive on the left. "Shotgun!" takes on a whole new meaning here.
So it took me awhile to figure it out, but Britain is still on the English system. Their speeds are mph, measurements in feet and inches, so yeah. It also still throws me that the drivers sit on the right and drive on the left. "Shotgun!" takes on a whole new meaning here.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Day One
Nathan:
Day one actually encompasses two days. Jordan and I left Houston at approximately 8 pm on Monday, June 15th and arrived in London at 11 am on Tuesday, June 16th. It took a 9 hour flight and 6 hours of time zones, but we were finally in Europe. I was quite honestly amazed at how quickly we breezed through security in Houston and customs in London, but I'm definitely not complaining.
From London, we immediately boarded a bus for Norwich, England, a 3 hour drive east from Heathrow. Our host family actually lives about 20 minutes outside of Norwich in Reedham, so we walked from the bus station to the train station. We arrived in Reedham and were greeted by Mrs. Horwitz. She drove us to her nice little house and introduced us to her sons Jack and Sam. We all talked and got to know each other over a nice dinner, my first sit-down meal since Sunday night. Anyway, it's getting late, I'm tired from traveling, and I smell like a plane + a bus + a train. But I can fix that tomorrow morning. G'night y'all from Reedham, England.
P.S. Jordan will be gaining access rights to the blog to post her own stuff shortly, probably tomorrow.
Day one actually encompasses two days. Jordan and I left Houston at approximately 8 pm on Monday, June 15th and arrived in London at 11 am on Tuesday, June 16th. It took a 9 hour flight and 6 hours of time zones, but we were finally in Europe. I was quite honestly amazed at how quickly we breezed through security in Houston and customs in London, but I'm definitely not complaining.
From London, we immediately boarded a bus for Norwich, England, a 3 hour drive east from Heathrow. Our host family actually lives about 20 minutes outside of Norwich in Reedham, so we walked from the bus station to the train station. We arrived in Reedham and were greeted by Mrs. Horwitz. She drove us to her nice little house and introduced us to her sons Jack and Sam. We all talked and got to know each other over a nice dinner, my first sit-down meal since Sunday night. Anyway, it's getting late, I'm tired from traveling, and I smell like a plane + a bus + a train. But I can fix that tomorrow morning. G'night y'all from Reedham, England.
P.S. Jordan will be gaining access rights to the blog to post her own stuff shortly, probably tomorrow.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Last Supper
So today is my last full day stateside. I'm making final preparations for the trip, basically collecting papers, packing stuff I won't need today, and a couple other things.
We still have some days where we don't know exactly what's happening. Something involves Switzerland and the CERN Large Hadron Collider (go watch the rap on Youtube!) and another involves Jordan and me splitting up so I can go watch some bulls gore drunken idiots in Pamplona, Spain.
That's it for now. First stop, Heathrow and after gathering our luggage, we'll head to Norwich to stay with a member of the Katims family.
We still have some days where we don't know exactly what's happening. Something involves Switzerland and the CERN Large Hadron Collider (go watch the rap on Youtube!) and another involves Jordan and me splitting up so I can go watch some bulls gore drunken idiots in Pamplona, Spain.
That's it for now. First stop, Heathrow and after gathering our luggage, we'll head to Norwich to stay with a member of the Katims family.
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