We woke up the next morning and hopped on the train from Rome Termini to the Rome airport which apparently has two different names. Our plane left at 1:30pm and we got in to London Heathrow at 3:30. Our plane didn't leave until the next day (since there are only 2 flights to Houston per day) so we planned to stay in Terminal 1 like the lady at the service counter had suggested.
We stayed over in Terminal 1 which was not the best nights sleep, but at least I slept. Our plane was supposed to leave at 1:30pm. We sat on the plane until around 3:30pm when they finally decided to take us off of the plane because power was out somewhere in the cabin. We go off the plane and were given a new departure time of 7:30pm. After our 6 hour delay and our 8.5 hour flight we finally arrived in Houston around midnight. After a quick spin through customs we finally grabbed our bags. Tom met as at the airport (which was a huge lifesaver) and took us back to his house to get some sleep before we had to get back to San Antonio. Thanks Tom!
The next morning we hopped in the car and drove back to San Antonio adding another 2.5 hours to our lengthy travel time.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Roma two: Jordan
The next morning we woke up and headed out to see Piazza Navona, Campo de Fiori, and the synagogue. On the way over to Piazza Navona and Campo de Fiori we stopped into some of the little churches scattered around Rome. This probably wasn't the best idea given that it was Sunday.
Piazza Navona is taken over by an incredible fountain. Behind that is the church of Saint Agnes in Agony which, despite its name, is quite beautiful. I found it odd there are actually multiple churches in one piazza. The piazza is scattered with local artists and tourists looking to buy their works. There are cafes and people scattered around hoping to find refuge from the over hot sun.
After Piazza Navona we went to Campo de Fiori which is a small square that somehow holds both new and old. On the one hand the campo is made of cobblestones and buildings that have obviously been around a while, but on the other hand there is a one room cinema currently playing Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (no, I did not go see it).
After Campo de Fiori we headed to the old Jewish ghetto. There are two main synagogues and a museum in the ghetto and the security is surprisingly strict. At the gate entrance to the synagogue our bags were searched and a semi menacing looking guard told us no pictures were allowed on the other side of the gate. We went in and headed down to the museum. First, we took a tour of the two synagogues. One is a small Sephardic synagogue and the other is a large beautifully decorated Italian synagogue that Pope John Paul II once came to. The history of the Jewish community in Rome and the current state of the Rome's Jewish community are really interesting. For example, when the Jews were first ordered into the ghetto they were told they could only have one synagogue. They built only one synagogue building but it held 5 different synagogues. Today there are 13 synagogues in Rome and the system of membership is really unique. You belong to the Jewish Community not to any one synagogue.
After visiting the synagogues we stopped at a Kosher fast food restaurant because, well, it was a kosher fast food restaurant. Then, we went back to the hostel. At the hostel we met our two new roomates Kirsten and Lisa, from Germany. The four us went out to dinner at this little restaurant whose tables spilled out into the cobbled street. We enjoyed, as is normal in Italy, way too much food.
After dinner we decided to find a place to go out. We wandered back to Via del Corso (one of Rome's main drags). We heard loud music and a lot of people up ahead and decided to check out. We ended up at some Irish pub that was packed with people. The music was really good, mostly classic rock and everyone knew all of the songs, even our German roomates.
We found out that all of the people were actually on a Pub Crawl and when they left, the party pretty much left with them. We decided to tail the Pub Crawl and see what was up. When we got to the next club/bar they told us it would be 10 euro to join the pub crawl for the night. Figuring that was where all of the people were, we went ahead and joined. We ended up having a really good time and hanging out until 4:30 am.
The next morning we slept in a little bit then hopped on the metro and headed to Vatican City. The first thing you see of Vatican City is the huge imposing stone walls. You follow those around the corner to get to the museum entrance. We skipped the line (since we had reserved tickets) and went in without any problem. My first stop was to go see the Sistine Chapel. I wandered through all of the incredible rooms, apartments, and chapels that lead to the Sistine Chapel. One of my favorite things about all of these rooms were the ceilings. The design and detail of each ceiling was different ranging from statue to frescoe and my neck was sore by the time I was done. My favorite three rooms were the map room, the Raphel rooms and of course the Sistine Chapel. As you walk towards the Sistine there are signs everywhere saying (and showing) no photos and no flash. I walk into the Chapel, saddened by the fact that I will not get to take any pictures when I see a crowded room of about 300 or more people all taking pictures, both with and without flash. What a relief.
After that I went into some of the different areas of the Vatican Museum. I really liked the paintings collection which ranged from 13th century altar pieces to Renaissance paintings by Carvaggio, Raphael, and other great artists. Sadly the only DaVinci hanging in the Vatican Museum is under restoration. The museum of early christian artifacts was also pretty neat.
From the museum we headed out for St. Peters Square and Basilica. The Basilica is incredible. Richly decorated in gold and marble, it seems to go on forever. The art and architecture of the Basilica are absolutely incredible. Sun pours in from high set windows making the Basilica glow. The floor is tiled marble and the ceiling are all vaulted and domed. The paintings, frescoes, statues and mosaics are all beautiful. Even the tombs are wonderfully done. I honestly think it is impossible to describe. Its much easier to see in pictures (which will be up on facebook soon).
From the Basilica we headed down into the Vatican Grottoes where all of the Popes (and some cardinals) are buried, including Pope John Paul II. Its a little creepy down there with all of the marble tombs and the attempt at quiet by too many tourists. Its interesting though that this is how the Catholic church has chosen to honor its late Popes.
After the Basilica we walked over to Castel Sant Angelo which I only wanted to see because of Angels and Demons (dorky I know). It was just nice to be able to put a real place with the climax of that story.
From there we took the metro back to our hostel to get ready for another night with our German roomates. We went over to the Spanish steps to meet the Pub Crawl and ended up having a great night. It was a fun way to end an incredible trip!
Piazza Navona is taken over by an incredible fountain. Behind that is the church of Saint Agnes in Agony which, despite its name, is quite beautiful. I found it odd there are actually multiple churches in one piazza. The piazza is scattered with local artists and tourists looking to buy their works. There are cafes and people scattered around hoping to find refuge from the over hot sun.
After Piazza Navona we went to Campo de Fiori which is a small square that somehow holds both new and old. On the one hand the campo is made of cobblestones and buildings that have obviously been around a while, but on the other hand there is a one room cinema currently playing Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (no, I did not go see it).
After Campo de Fiori we headed to the old Jewish ghetto. There are two main synagogues and a museum in the ghetto and the security is surprisingly strict. At the gate entrance to the synagogue our bags were searched and a semi menacing looking guard told us no pictures were allowed on the other side of the gate. We went in and headed down to the museum. First, we took a tour of the two synagogues. One is a small Sephardic synagogue and the other is a large beautifully decorated Italian synagogue that Pope John Paul II once came to. The history of the Jewish community in Rome and the current state of the Rome's Jewish community are really interesting. For example, when the Jews were first ordered into the ghetto they were told they could only have one synagogue. They built only one synagogue building but it held 5 different synagogues. Today there are 13 synagogues in Rome and the system of membership is really unique. You belong to the Jewish Community not to any one synagogue.
After visiting the synagogues we stopped at a Kosher fast food restaurant because, well, it was a kosher fast food restaurant. Then, we went back to the hostel. At the hostel we met our two new roomates Kirsten and Lisa, from Germany. The four us went out to dinner at this little restaurant whose tables spilled out into the cobbled street. We enjoyed, as is normal in Italy, way too much food.
After dinner we decided to find a place to go out. We wandered back to Via del Corso (one of Rome's main drags). We heard loud music and a lot of people up ahead and decided to check out. We ended up at some Irish pub that was packed with people. The music was really good, mostly classic rock and everyone knew all of the songs, even our German roomates.
We found out that all of the people were actually on a Pub Crawl and when they left, the party pretty much left with them. We decided to tail the Pub Crawl and see what was up. When we got to the next club/bar they told us it would be 10 euro to join the pub crawl for the night. Figuring that was where all of the people were, we went ahead and joined. We ended up having a really good time and hanging out until 4:30 am.
The next morning we slept in a little bit then hopped on the metro and headed to Vatican City. The first thing you see of Vatican City is the huge imposing stone walls. You follow those around the corner to get to the museum entrance. We skipped the line (since we had reserved tickets) and went in without any problem. My first stop was to go see the Sistine Chapel. I wandered through all of the incredible rooms, apartments, and chapels that lead to the Sistine Chapel. One of my favorite things about all of these rooms were the ceilings. The design and detail of each ceiling was different ranging from statue to frescoe and my neck was sore by the time I was done. My favorite three rooms were the map room, the Raphel rooms and of course the Sistine Chapel. As you walk towards the Sistine there are signs everywhere saying (and showing) no photos and no flash. I walk into the Chapel, saddened by the fact that I will not get to take any pictures when I see a crowded room of about 300 or more people all taking pictures, both with and without flash. What a relief.
After that I went into some of the different areas of the Vatican Museum. I really liked the paintings collection which ranged from 13th century altar pieces to Renaissance paintings by Carvaggio, Raphael, and other great artists. Sadly the only DaVinci hanging in the Vatican Museum is under restoration. The museum of early christian artifacts was also pretty neat.
From the museum we headed out for St. Peters Square and Basilica. The Basilica is incredible. Richly decorated in gold and marble, it seems to go on forever. The art and architecture of the Basilica are absolutely incredible. Sun pours in from high set windows making the Basilica glow. The floor is tiled marble and the ceiling are all vaulted and domed. The paintings, frescoes, statues and mosaics are all beautiful. Even the tombs are wonderfully done. I honestly think it is impossible to describe. Its much easier to see in pictures (which will be up on facebook soon).
From the Basilica we headed down into the Vatican Grottoes where all of the Popes (and some cardinals) are buried, including Pope John Paul II. Its a little creepy down there with all of the marble tombs and the attempt at quiet by too many tourists. Its interesting though that this is how the Catholic church has chosen to honor its late Popes.
After the Basilica we walked over to Castel Sant Angelo which I only wanted to see because of Angels and Demons (dorky I know). It was just nice to be able to put a real place with the climax of that story.
From there we took the metro back to our hostel to get ready for another night with our German roomates. We went over to the Spanish steps to meet the Pub Crawl and ended up having a great night. It was a fun way to end an incredible trip!
Firenze Two: Nathan
The goal of the day was getting to the Uffizi Gallery early to avoid the immobile line of the day before. Jordan was a little upset we didn't get up early enough, but we still made it to the gallery in good time and didn't have to wait in the queue very long.
The Uffizi Gallery is a large U shaped structure. It houses many famous works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Raphael, among others. There is also a large collection of busts along the outer walls and portraits of famous and powerful contemporaries of the Medici family. Unfortunately, no pictures. Those kinds of museums make me angry.
For some reason, there's a gap in my memory between the Uffizi and the evening. I think we actually siesta-ed that day. Or I did and Jordan swam. So, I'll use this gap to talk about the awesome hostel we were at.
The hostel is called Plus Florence. It was one of the more expensive places we stayed but still only 23 euro per night. It was huge, clean, and had some very unexpected amenities. There was a restaurant on site and a bar on the top floor. They had a pool that was purple, a Turkish bath, and a workout facility. I even saw a flyer for massages, which I needed but couldn't afford.
We got ready to go to services that night and were looking forward to seeing some Jews and getting free food. But before services, we had to go back to the record shop we found. Jordan's copy of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band had sold, but I found an interesting version of Yellow Submarine I hadn't seen before and purchased that. The owner wrapped it up very well for me so that I could get it to Rome and then Houston (via London) safely.
We met some girls doing a study abroad program with a focus on choral music. Not going to lie, they were pretty cute. Unfortunately, they separated the men from the women inside, so I didn't get much time to talk. The service was short and sweet, like any Friday night should be. It was almost entirely in Hebrew without page numbers and in different books, so it was hard for me to follow along. Somehow I managed though. Dinner with Chabad was after and that was jam packed full of visitors from all over. I ran into one of the Chabadniks that I had met in Venice a couple days ago. Across from us were some Americans on a program, to the left some Israelis then Californians, and to the right some Germans.
Dinner was standard Chabad, like 5 courses: appetizers, fish, soup, turkey, and dessert. Of course, quite tasty. The talk was pretty standard - where are you from, what are you doing here, how long, stuff like that. There was ruach at random times and benching afterward. Makes me miss USY.
The Germans next to us were some of the most amazing people ever! Their names were Alex (Sasha) and Daniel. They were traveling and having a good time. We decided to go to a bar that sounded good, but first I had to drop my record off. The bar was cool, cheap drinks and good music, so we stayed and danced for a bit. Eventually, we went back outside to cool off and then I could finally talk to Alex and Daniel, because I hadn't been able to at Chabad. We decided to finally start heading back toward our hostels when it started thundering and began to walk toward the train station. Right across the street, we had to go into hiding because it actually started raining kind of hard.
Eventually it stopped, and Jordan and I had to go because we had an early train for Rome in the morning. In the meantime, Florence had placed itself high on my list of favorite cities we visited.
I'll try and continue posting and hopefully will get through Rome by the end of this week. Maybe Jordan will remember to post a little.
The Uffizi Gallery is a large U shaped structure. It houses many famous works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Raphael, among others. There is also a large collection of busts along the outer walls and portraits of famous and powerful contemporaries of the Medici family. Unfortunately, no pictures. Those kinds of museums make me angry.
For some reason, there's a gap in my memory between the Uffizi and the evening. I think we actually siesta-ed that day. Or I did and Jordan swam. So, I'll use this gap to talk about the awesome hostel we were at.
The hostel is called Plus Florence. It was one of the more expensive places we stayed but still only 23 euro per night. It was huge, clean, and had some very unexpected amenities. There was a restaurant on site and a bar on the top floor. They had a pool that was purple, a Turkish bath, and a workout facility. I even saw a flyer for massages, which I needed but couldn't afford.
We got ready to go to services that night and were looking forward to seeing some Jews and getting free food. But before services, we had to go back to the record shop we found. Jordan's copy of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band had sold, but I found an interesting version of Yellow Submarine I hadn't seen before and purchased that. The owner wrapped it up very well for me so that I could get it to Rome and then Houston (via London) safely.
We met some girls doing a study abroad program with a focus on choral music. Not going to lie, they were pretty cute. Unfortunately, they separated the men from the women inside, so I didn't get much time to talk. The service was short and sweet, like any Friday night should be. It was almost entirely in Hebrew without page numbers and in different books, so it was hard for me to follow along. Somehow I managed though. Dinner with Chabad was after and that was jam packed full of visitors from all over. I ran into one of the Chabadniks that I had met in Venice a couple days ago. Across from us were some Americans on a program, to the left some Israelis then Californians, and to the right some Germans.
Dinner was standard Chabad, like 5 courses: appetizers, fish, soup, turkey, and dessert. Of course, quite tasty. The talk was pretty standard - where are you from, what are you doing here, how long, stuff like that. There was ruach at random times and benching afterward. Makes me miss USY.
The Germans next to us were some of the most amazing people ever! Their names were Alex (Sasha) and Daniel. They were traveling and having a good time. We decided to go to a bar that sounded good, but first I had to drop my record off. The bar was cool, cheap drinks and good music, so we stayed and danced for a bit. Eventually, we went back outside to cool off and then I could finally talk to Alex and Daniel, because I hadn't been able to at Chabad. We decided to finally start heading back toward our hostels when it started thundering and began to walk toward the train station. Right across the street, we had to go into hiding because it actually started raining kind of hard.
Eventually it stopped, and Jordan and I had to go because we had an early train for Rome in the morning. In the meantime, Florence had placed itself high on my list of favorite cities we visited.
I'll try and continue posting and hopefully will get through Rome by the end of this week. Maybe Jordan will remember to post a little.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Firenze One: Nathan
So, funny thing. Americans have an amazing capacity to change the names of things. Florence and Firenze are very different names, yet indicate the same place. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
Anyway, we left Venezia (another name change) for Firenze early in the day and after dropping our stuff off at the hostel, we went to go look around the city. One of the first things I noticed upon arrival was something any passing Simpsons viewer should know about. I saw a six pack of Duff Beer. Of course, Jordan being who she is, didn't get the reference (not that she understood any Blues Brothers references at other times on the trip either).
After marveling at the Duff, we started walking around Florence. Florence isn't very big compared to many of the other cities we've visited and was very walkable and, unlike Venice, simple in design when it came to having to find things. We set off toward the bigger attractions: Il Duomo and the Uffizi Gallery, but first stopped in a market we passed between the Firenze train station and the hostel.
Firenze is known for its leather and tripe, bad place to be if you're a cow. In the markets, it's easy to find leather anything really cheap (although that's a matter of opinion, 50% of 400 euro is still 200 euro). Personally, I found some wallets as gifts.
The Uffizi Gallery is the more popular of the two stops so, we headed there first. On the way, we stopped at Il Duomo and the Baptistry across the street for some pictures. Of course upon arrival, we noticed just how popular the uffizi Gallery was. The line was long, but worse was that they weren't letting anyone in. We looked into ticket reservations, but they weren't worth the four extra euro that the Uffizi wanted, so we went back to the piazza and took pictures of all the statues, including a David (Florence has the real, 6 euro, and a couple fakes, free, to see). Then we headed back to Il Duomo.
Il Duomo is actually the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. Like seemingly every church, cathedral, basilica, whatever, it is very well decorated with some amazing artwork from the Renaissance era. Entrance is free, but to climb up to the dome costs money, something we didn't have with less than a week left.
After Il Duomo, we wanted to go check out the Jewish quarter of Firenze, something highly recommended by the Chabadniks in Venezia. We didn't really want to see the museum, we actually wanted to go to services the next night (being a Friday and all). Much to our surprise, the Firenze Synagogue allows visitors without a lot of the hassle other synagogues require visitors to go through. All we had to do was show up. We also noticed the Firenze Chabad was having a free dinner. Even better! The Jews' favorite word is "free" and the only way to make it better is if you put the word "food" after it (well, "dinner" in this instance).
On the way to the synagogue, we noticed a record shop. We stopped in for a peek and found a sight that's very difficult to find in the states. It was all records! Old ones, new ones, 78's, 45's, wall to wall. Jordan was on the hunt for the Sgt. Pepper's album, so we walked over to the Beatles section and started browsing. Lo and behold, we found like 3 copies ranging from 23 euro to 290 euro. The discrepancy has to do with when and under which label the album was made. The 23 euro one was much more attractive, but we were both indecisive on what to get and how we would get it home, so we decided to think about that and come back Friday before services.
We continued our walking tour of the city and headed for Piazzale Michelangelo across the Arno River. Jordan said the view was just as good as the dome in Il Duomo but 6 euro cheaper (here's that "free" again). After a decent climb up some half ramp half stair hybrid, we were treated to a panoramic view of the city, which is almost entirely north of the Arno River. We could see many cathedrals and even the synagogue, which is much more elaborate than it sounds.
It was staring to get dark and we were wiped from the walking, so we decided to start making our way back to the hostel. Not far up the river from Piazzale Michelangelo is the Ponte Veccio. The bridge is similar to Ponte Rialto in Venezia but it and the street continuing north are lined with jewelry shops. We also browsed the more touristy and expensive Central Market on the way back.
Next is day two in Firenze.
Anyway, we left Venezia (another name change) for Firenze early in the day and after dropping our stuff off at the hostel, we went to go look around the city. One of the first things I noticed upon arrival was something any passing Simpsons viewer should know about. I saw a six pack of Duff Beer. Of course, Jordan being who she is, didn't get the reference (not that she understood any Blues Brothers references at other times on the trip either).
After marveling at the Duff, we started walking around Florence. Florence isn't very big compared to many of the other cities we've visited and was very walkable and, unlike Venice, simple in design when it came to having to find things. We set off toward the bigger attractions: Il Duomo and the Uffizi Gallery, but first stopped in a market we passed between the Firenze train station and the hostel.
Firenze is known for its leather and tripe, bad place to be if you're a cow. In the markets, it's easy to find leather anything really cheap (although that's a matter of opinion, 50% of 400 euro is still 200 euro). Personally, I found some wallets as gifts.
The Uffizi Gallery is the more popular of the two stops so, we headed there first. On the way, we stopped at Il Duomo and the Baptistry across the street for some pictures. Of course upon arrival, we noticed just how popular the uffizi Gallery was. The line was long, but worse was that they weren't letting anyone in. We looked into ticket reservations, but they weren't worth the four extra euro that the Uffizi wanted, so we went back to the piazza and took pictures of all the statues, including a David (Florence has the real, 6 euro, and a couple fakes, free, to see). Then we headed back to Il Duomo.
Il Duomo is actually the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. Like seemingly every church, cathedral, basilica, whatever, it is very well decorated with some amazing artwork from the Renaissance era. Entrance is free, but to climb up to the dome costs money, something we didn't have with less than a week left.
After Il Duomo, we wanted to go check out the Jewish quarter of Firenze, something highly recommended by the Chabadniks in Venezia. We didn't really want to see the museum, we actually wanted to go to services the next night (being a Friday and all). Much to our surprise, the Firenze Synagogue allows visitors without a lot of the hassle other synagogues require visitors to go through. All we had to do was show up. We also noticed the Firenze Chabad was having a free dinner. Even better! The Jews' favorite word is "free" and the only way to make it better is if you put the word "food" after it (well, "dinner" in this instance).
On the way to the synagogue, we noticed a record shop. We stopped in for a peek and found a sight that's very difficult to find in the states. It was all records! Old ones, new ones, 78's, 45's, wall to wall. Jordan was on the hunt for the Sgt. Pepper's album, so we walked over to the Beatles section and started browsing. Lo and behold, we found like 3 copies ranging from 23 euro to 290 euro. The discrepancy has to do with when and under which label the album was made. The 23 euro one was much more attractive, but we were both indecisive on what to get and how we would get it home, so we decided to think about that and come back Friday before services.
We continued our walking tour of the city and headed for Piazzale Michelangelo across the Arno River. Jordan said the view was just as good as the dome in Il Duomo but 6 euro cheaper (here's that "free" again). After a decent climb up some half ramp half stair hybrid, we were treated to a panoramic view of the city, which is almost entirely north of the Arno River. We could see many cathedrals and even the synagogue, which is much more elaborate than it sounds.
It was staring to get dark and we were wiped from the walking, so we decided to start making our way back to the hostel. Not far up the river from Piazzale Michelangelo is the Ponte Veccio. The bridge is similar to Ponte Rialto in Venezia but it and the street continuing north are lined with jewelry shops. We also browsed the more touristy and expensive Central Market on the way back.
Next is day two in Firenze.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Roma one: Jordan
We arrived in Rome in the morning and set out to find our hostel. Our hostel was close, a nice 5 min. walk, but when we got there, no one was there, it was just a door to an apartment complex. We stood there confused until a woman camp up to us and asked if we were looking for Pink Floyd. We said yes, she rang the bell, then told us to wait. A man came up to us and walked us up the street a few doors and into a hotel where he checked us in. It was a little bit of a sketchy operation, but not too bad. We dropped off our bags and decided to make today ancient Rome day. We first headed over to the Colosseum where swarms of people lined up to see the ancient stadium. It was massive and imposing and impressive. You could see down into the area where animals would have been held. You could almost make out cages and see where the people used to sit. It was interesting to learn about the history of the Coloseum (eg. did you know the Colosseum floor was once flooded with water to stage naval battles?), and to see where major spectator sports took place for the Roman Empire.
After the Colosseum we decided to head out for lunch. We found this little place about 10 min. walking from the Colosseum. The place was tiny, but buzzing with locals and the food looked good. I ordered Penne with Salmon and, although simple, it was really good.
After lunch we went to the Paltine Hill and Roman Forum. The ancient ruins are amazing. We wandered around and ended up at what used to be a private stadium. I tagged along with an English tour group and found out that the stadium, and most of the buildings, were covered in marble. The marble, it turns out, ended up being used to build Rome including parts of the Vatican. The marble was recycled, which I found amusing.
If you walk around the stadium to Augustus's home you end up in his bedroom where the original marble flooring is still there, in fragments. I really enjoyed wandering the ruins. It is amazing what the ancient Romans were capable of doing. The are of the Palatine Hill and Roman forum also includes the curia, where you can barely see the outlines of anceint frescoes.
We continued our anceint Rome tour by heading over to the Pantheon. The Pantheon is massive and completely crowded with people. Walking in actually takes effort there are so many people. When you get inside, there is light streaming in from the hole in the dome. There are niches in every wall with beautifully done statues. Raphael is buried in the Pantheon, and people crowd around to see the master's tomb.
After the Pantheon we walked over to Fontana di Trevi or the Trevi Fountain. You can tell when you are getting close to the fountain by the combined thunderous sounds of gallons of falling water and hundreds of happy tourists. I made my way down through the crowds to the edge of the fountain and, according to tradition threw three coins into the water: one to return to Rome and two to fall in love there. The fountain is beautifully carved and very imposing. The hundreds of gallons of cascading water do nothing to detract from the imposing feeling.
After the fountain we went out to dinner and then headed back to the hostel.
After the Colosseum we decided to head out for lunch. We found this little place about 10 min. walking from the Colosseum. The place was tiny, but buzzing with locals and the food looked good. I ordered Penne with Salmon and, although simple, it was really good.
After lunch we went to the Paltine Hill and Roman Forum. The ancient ruins are amazing. We wandered around and ended up at what used to be a private stadium. I tagged along with an English tour group and found out that the stadium, and most of the buildings, were covered in marble. The marble, it turns out, ended up being used to build Rome including parts of the Vatican. The marble was recycled, which I found amusing.
If you walk around the stadium to Augustus's home you end up in his bedroom where the original marble flooring is still there, in fragments. I really enjoyed wandering the ruins. It is amazing what the ancient Romans were capable of doing. The are of the Palatine Hill and Roman forum also includes the curia, where you can barely see the outlines of anceint frescoes.
We continued our anceint Rome tour by heading over to the Pantheon. The Pantheon is massive and completely crowded with people. Walking in actually takes effort there are so many people. When you get inside, there is light streaming in from the hole in the dome. There are niches in every wall with beautifully done statues. Raphael is buried in the Pantheon, and people crowd around to see the master's tomb.
After the Pantheon we walked over to Fontana di Trevi or the Trevi Fountain. You can tell when you are getting close to the fountain by the combined thunderous sounds of gallons of falling water and hundreds of happy tourists. I made my way down through the crowds to the edge of the fountain and, according to tradition threw three coins into the water: one to return to Rome and two to fall in love there. The fountain is beautifully carved and very imposing. The hundreds of gallons of cascading water do nothing to detract from the imposing feeling.
After the fountain we went out to dinner and then headed back to the hostel.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
From Heathrow: Nathan
So, we're definitely sleeping in Terminal 1 on some plush red benches. Good night all. Back to Texas and reality in the afternoon.
Venice Followup: Nathan
Of all the cool things I saw in Venice, one of the greatest has to be this shop I found during our wanderings. Yes, the Doge's Palace and Piazza San Marco were amazing and full of history, but things like this shop just kind of take you by surprise.
I found a shop called Popcorner I think. Their website is and it's a great place for Beatles fans and pretty much anyone that likes rock from the 60's to the 80's. They had some a ton of memorabilia I had never seen before. Immediately, I tried calling home to see if the parents wanted anything cool. Unfortunately, the owner closed for siesta soon after stepping outside and realizing phone reception is horrible in Venice.
Jordan is correct about not being able to re-find anything in Venice that's not the Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco, Piazza Roma (where the taxis pick up), or Venezia Santa Lucia Station. However, on our walk away from the shop during the siesta, I noticed the address numbers increased for awhile. So, I figured we could use that to get back. After some wandering, it actually worked and we re-found the shop. I think my dad and her dad will like the gifts.
Next - Florence, if I need to say more.
I found a shop called Popcorner I think. Their website is
Jordan is correct about not being able to re-find anything in Venice that's not the Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco, Piazza Roma (where the taxis pick up), or Venezia Santa Lucia Station. However, on our walk away from the shop during the siesta, I noticed the address numbers increased for awhile. So, I figured we could use that to get back. After some wandering, it actually worked and we re-found the shop. I think my dad and her dad will like the gifts.
Next - Florence, if I need to say more.
Firenze AKA Florence: Jordan
We arrived in Florence in the morning and headed out to our wonderfully located hostel. We get there, and as we are checking in we find out that the hostel has a pool, a sauna, a turkish bath, and 2 bars. That works. We head up to the room, toss our stuff, create a game plan, and head out into Florence. We walk down the market street full of leather bags and wallets, jewelry, ceramics, scarves, and of course the wonderful trinkets that no one knows what to do with that say Firenze on them or have a very suggestive picture of the David.
From the market we headed down the major street to the Duomo, Florence's main basillica. We decide to skip the duomo for the day and head down to the Uffizi gallery instead. The line, though not abnormally long, was not moving. The gallery had reached capacity and people were not being let in. Frustrated, we decided to give it up and come back really early the next morning. We walked back towards the duomo and decided to go see that instead. The inside of basilica was cavernous and aside from the beautiful mosaic floors and altar, fairly sparse. I found it really odd that a building that was so incredibly detailed and ornate on the outside could be so simplistic on the inside. Its also possible that a lot of the original decoration was lost, damaged, or moved. The floor of the basilica, however, was decorated with beautiful marble in mosaic form.
After the Duomo we headed towards the Jewish quarter of the city to find the synagogue and find out about going to services the next night. On our way we stopped at the church at the Piazza SS. Annunziata. The church was absolutely incredible and contained incredible works of art and architecture. The frescoes, statues, and paintings of the semi- tucked away church were on par with works in the Louvre and Europe's other major art galleries. Everything was marble and gold, and all of the paintings and frescoes were vibrant.
After seeing the church, we continued down the street in search of the synagogue. On the way, we got distracted by a record store. An actual record store that sold some of the most incredible originals. My first stop was, of course, the Beatles and I was amazed to find original covers (and records) of Sgt. Peppers, Revolver, Yellow Submarine all worth anywhere from 25 euro to 950 euro. It was crazy.
We also wandered the streets of Florence a little bit, walking into only one random church. After sightseeing we walked over to the Jewish quarter of the city, passing an incredible, you guessed it, church a long the way. Check out facebook, the pictures are incredible.
We got to the Jewish quarter and made our way to the synagogue hoping to find out more about the Jewish community in Florence and attending services the next night (Friday). The woman told us just to show up at 8:00. As we were walking back towards the hostel we saw a sign for Chabad House and found out that they offered dinner to tourists and students on Friday nights after services. Since we actually fit both criteria, we decided that services and dinner seemed like a good plan.
After going to the synagogue we headed to the other side of the city to go to Piazzale Michaelangelo which is said to offer a stunning view of the city. After the walk across the city I turned a corner towards the park and found steep stairs leading up to the park. Slowly, we made our way up. When we got the top I walked over to the other side of the park. The view was incredible. It was just before sunset and the blazing sun lit up the entire city before us. The river burned gold, and all of the buildings stood out with their domes and towers. On the other side of the park you could see the countryside of Tuscany stretched out in a sea of neverending green. It was incredible.
The next morning we woke up super early and headed out for the Uffizi gallery. We got there as the line was just starting to form and figured that at least this way once it started moving we were sure to make our way in. Finally the doors opened and the crowd trickled in. We made it into the museum fairly quickly and immediately set out to see everything that we could. The gallery's collection is amazing. There are sculptures from multiple time periods. They mostly depict mythology and religion. The art collection is the most impressive I have ever seen when it comes to Renaissance masters (in much the same way that the Musee d'Orsay is the most impressive impressionist collection). There were a vast number of paintings by Boticelli (including the Birth of Venus), Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, Raphael, and many others some of whom I had at least heard of and others that were a complete surprise to me.
Suffering from sensory overload we decided to return to the hostel to rest a little bit. I decided to take advantage of the hostel's pool which was a great idea. The water was freezing which was a welcome change from the heat outside. Florence in summer is very similar to San Antonio in terms of heat and humidity.
After a swim and shower, with time left over before services, I headed back out to the market about a ten minute walk from our hostel. My stroll through the market included a quick stop at a little bakery almost hidden by the market booths. I picked up a citrus tart and enjoyed the quick snack as I headed back over to the hostel.
We changed for services and then headed out to the synagogue. The synagogue in Florence is incredible. It is done in a moorish style meaning stunning geometrical figures and designs. As expected services were Orthodox meaning women sat off to the side behind a mechitza, which in this case was more of a gate than a curtain. Services were short and followed by dinner at Chabad. There were so many people at the dinner, including a good number of students. One of the Chabad rabbis that was there had met a majority of the students in Venice just a few days before.
The dinner lasted over two hours, which is not a rare occurance with Chabad. After Chabad dinner Nathan and I headed out with two of the students we had met at dinner, Alexandra and Daniel. The two were from Germany and were taking the chance to explore Florence after working in a Jewish summer camp all summer. We had a really good time dancing at some random bar, wandering Florence, and getting caught in the rain.
Next up: Rome
From the market we headed down the major street to the Duomo, Florence's main basillica. We decide to skip the duomo for the day and head down to the Uffizi gallery instead. The line, though not abnormally long, was not moving. The gallery had reached capacity and people were not being let in. Frustrated, we decided to give it up and come back really early the next morning. We walked back towards the duomo and decided to go see that instead. The inside of basilica was cavernous and aside from the beautiful mosaic floors and altar, fairly sparse. I found it really odd that a building that was so incredibly detailed and ornate on the outside could be so simplistic on the inside. Its also possible that a lot of the original decoration was lost, damaged, or moved. The floor of the basilica, however, was decorated with beautiful marble in mosaic form.
After the Duomo we headed towards the Jewish quarter of the city to find the synagogue and find out about going to services the next night. On our way we stopped at the church at the Piazza SS. Annunziata. The church was absolutely incredible and contained incredible works of art and architecture. The frescoes, statues, and paintings of the semi- tucked away church were on par with works in the Louvre and Europe's other major art galleries. Everything was marble and gold, and all of the paintings and frescoes were vibrant.
After seeing the church, we continued down the street in search of the synagogue. On the way, we got distracted by a record store. An actual record store that sold some of the most incredible originals. My first stop was, of course, the Beatles and I was amazed to find original covers (and records) of Sgt. Peppers, Revolver, Yellow Submarine all worth anywhere from 25 euro to 950 euro. It was crazy.
We also wandered the streets of Florence a little bit, walking into only one random church. After sightseeing we walked over to the Jewish quarter of the city, passing an incredible, you guessed it, church a long the way. Check out facebook, the pictures are incredible.
We got to the Jewish quarter and made our way to the synagogue hoping to find out more about the Jewish community in Florence and attending services the next night (Friday). The woman told us just to show up at 8:00. As we were walking back towards the hostel we saw a sign for Chabad House and found out that they offered dinner to tourists and students on Friday nights after services. Since we actually fit both criteria, we decided that services and dinner seemed like a good plan.
After going to the synagogue we headed to the other side of the city to go to Piazzale Michaelangelo which is said to offer a stunning view of the city. After the walk across the city I turned a corner towards the park and found steep stairs leading up to the park. Slowly, we made our way up. When we got the top I walked over to the other side of the park. The view was incredible. It was just before sunset and the blazing sun lit up the entire city before us. The river burned gold, and all of the buildings stood out with their domes and towers. On the other side of the park you could see the countryside of Tuscany stretched out in a sea of neverending green. It was incredible.
The next morning we woke up super early and headed out for the Uffizi gallery. We got there as the line was just starting to form and figured that at least this way once it started moving we were sure to make our way in. Finally the doors opened and the crowd trickled in. We made it into the museum fairly quickly and immediately set out to see everything that we could. The gallery's collection is amazing. There are sculptures from multiple time periods. They mostly depict mythology and religion. The art collection is the most impressive I have ever seen when it comes to Renaissance masters (in much the same way that the Musee d'Orsay is the most impressive impressionist collection). There were a vast number of paintings by Boticelli (including the Birth of Venus), Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, Raphael, and many others some of whom I had at least heard of and others that were a complete surprise to me.
Suffering from sensory overload we decided to return to the hostel to rest a little bit. I decided to take advantage of the hostel's pool which was a great idea. The water was freezing which was a welcome change from the heat outside. Florence in summer is very similar to San Antonio in terms of heat and humidity.
After a swim and shower, with time left over before services, I headed back out to the market about a ten minute walk from our hostel. My stroll through the market included a quick stop at a little bakery almost hidden by the market booths. I picked up a citrus tart and enjoyed the quick snack as I headed back over to the hostel.
We changed for services and then headed out to the synagogue. The synagogue in Florence is incredible. It is done in a moorish style meaning stunning geometrical figures and designs. As expected services were Orthodox meaning women sat off to the side behind a mechitza, which in this case was more of a gate than a curtain. Services were short and followed by dinner at Chabad. There were so many people at the dinner, including a good number of students. One of the Chabad rabbis that was there had met a majority of the students in Venice just a few days before.
The dinner lasted over two hours, which is not a rare occurance with Chabad. After Chabad dinner Nathan and I headed out with two of the students we had met at dinner, Alexandra and Daniel. The two were from Germany and were taking the chance to explore Florence after working in a Jewish summer camp all summer. We had a really good time dancing at some random bar, wandering Florence, and getting caught in the rain.
Next up: Rome
Venezia AKA Venice: Jordan
We didn't actually stay in Venice. We got off of the train in Mestre, a mainland suburb of Venice and stayed there, which is a much cheaper option than actually trying to stay on the island. We went to the hotel, dropped off our stuff, and went to the train station to catch the next regional train to Venezia Santa Lucia. We decided that it would be great to walk Venice so we ignored the boat metro system (a whopping 6.50 euro for a one way trip.
We wandered the crazy winding seneless Venetian streets using the signs posted on street corners as markers since a map would have proved useless. We finally made it to the Piazza San Marco, Venice's only offical Piazza and home to its major basillica and Piazzale Ducale or Doge's Palace. The line for the Basilica looked painful so we decided to make an early morning of it the next day. We headed over to the Doge's Palace. You're sadly not allowed to take pictures, but the palace was incredible. The decoration of each room is so detailed and amazing it belongs in a museum. One of the rooms is so big it actually feels like an effort to walk from one end to the other. All of the walls of the Government rooms are decorated with scenes of Venetian history, or religious tales that depict the morals of the governing body that uses that room, or portraits of the members.
After Doge's Palace we tried to find our way back the Rialto, Venice's most recognizable bridge. We ended up getting lost and found ourselves at a little church off of a main road. We went inside and found out that it was one of the oldest in Venice. We went in and explored the elaborate and beautifully decorated little church. We even got the chance to do down into the crypt which thanks to venice and canals, is slightly under water.
After leaving the church we continued to make our way around Venice, stopping in a couple of other churches along the way. We took an 8:30 train out from Santa Lucia back to Mestre to enjoy the relative quiet of our suburban hotel.
The next morning we woke up early hoping to be the huge crowds headed for the basilica. We made it there before the basilica even opened and the line was still across the piazza. I went to go check our bags in and was told that we could skip the line with the baggage ticket. It sounded like a good deal so I left the bags and we skipped to the front of the line. The basilica in Venice is absolutely incredible! The mosaic work on the ceiling is stunning and makes you wonder just how much time and effort went into this building.
After that we headed back into the city to do some shopping. While we were walking we found this tiny little store called Pop Corner that sold some of the coolest collectors items. The Beatles stuff was awesome, but their whole collection was impressive. After our little shopping spree we headed over to the Jewish ghetto to try to see the synagogues.
It turns out that you can't get into the synagogues without paying, but we did get to spend some time talking to members of the Chabad House there in Venice. One of the students at the small Yeshiva told us a little about the history of the ghetto. It turns out that ghetto is actually a Venetian word meaning foundry which has something to do with metal or factories or both (I can't quite remember). Anyway, the Jews were moved into this area that used to be a foundry and thus term ghetto came into use.
After getting lost a few more times we made our way back to the train station and headed back to Mestre.
Venice is a strange city in that the minute you walk out of the train station you feel like you have stepped back a few centuries. There are boats, but other than that no other mode of transportation exists in Venice aside from walking. It makes the streets really quiet and makes you feel like the 21st century doesn't really exist anymore. That only thing that can bring you back to reality are the hordes and masses of toursits everywhere on the island.
Venice is also designed in a very peculiar way. The streets wind and twist with no real sense of purpose and the number system is useless for helping you find places. On one stree you can go from 1400's to 3000's to 2600's. There doesn't seem to be any real continuity. This made getting around Venice almost maddening, but it also added to the cities mystery and charm.
Next up: Firenze AKA Florence
We wandered the crazy winding seneless Venetian streets using the signs posted on street corners as markers since a map would have proved useless. We finally made it to the Piazza San Marco, Venice's only offical Piazza and home to its major basillica and Piazzale Ducale or Doge's Palace. The line for the Basilica looked painful so we decided to make an early morning of it the next day. We headed over to the Doge's Palace. You're sadly not allowed to take pictures, but the palace was incredible. The decoration of each room is so detailed and amazing it belongs in a museum. One of the rooms is so big it actually feels like an effort to walk from one end to the other. All of the walls of the Government rooms are decorated with scenes of Venetian history, or religious tales that depict the morals of the governing body that uses that room, or portraits of the members.
After Doge's Palace we tried to find our way back the Rialto, Venice's most recognizable bridge. We ended up getting lost and found ourselves at a little church off of a main road. We went inside and found out that it was one of the oldest in Venice. We went in and explored the elaborate and beautifully decorated little church. We even got the chance to do down into the crypt which thanks to venice and canals, is slightly under water.
After leaving the church we continued to make our way around Venice, stopping in a couple of other churches along the way. We took an 8:30 train out from Santa Lucia back to Mestre to enjoy the relative quiet of our suburban hotel.
The next morning we woke up early hoping to be the huge crowds headed for the basilica. We made it there before the basilica even opened and the line was still across the piazza. I went to go check our bags in and was told that we could skip the line with the baggage ticket. It sounded like a good deal so I left the bags and we skipped to the front of the line. The basilica in Venice is absolutely incredible! The mosaic work on the ceiling is stunning and makes you wonder just how much time and effort went into this building.
After that we headed back into the city to do some shopping. While we were walking we found this tiny little store called Pop Corner that sold some of the coolest collectors items. The Beatles stuff was awesome, but their whole collection was impressive. After our little shopping spree we headed over to the Jewish ghetto to try to see the synagogues.
It turns out that you can't get into the synagogues without paying, but we did get to spend some time talking to members of the Chabad House there in Venice. One of the students at the small Yeshiva told us a little about the history of the ghetto. It turns out that ghetto is actually a Venetian word meaning foundry which has something to do with metal or factories or both (I can't quite remember). Anyway, the Jews were moved into this area that used to be a foundry and thus term ghetto came into use.
After getting lost a few more times we made our way back to the train station and headed back to Mestre.
Venice is a strange city in that the minute you walk out of the train station you feel like you have stepped back a few centuries. There are boats, but other than that no other mode of transportation exists in Venice aside from walking. It makes the streets really quiet and makes you feel like the 21st century doesn't really exist anymore. That only thing that can bring you back to reality are the hordes and masses of toursits everywhere on the island.
Venice is also designed in a very peculiar way. The streets wind and twist with no real sense of purpose and the number system is useless for helping you find places. On one stree you can go from 1400's to 3000's to 2600's. There doesn't seem to be any real continuity. This made getting around Venice almost maddening, but it also added to the cities mystery and charm.
Next up: Firenze AKA Florence
Monday, July 20, 2009
(Not) A final note: Nathan
So, I have 9 minutes on the internet and 4 hours left in Rome as I type. What a trip it has been, technically 8 countries in 5 weeks, thousands of miles by plane, train, and automobile (and bus and foot).
I've met some amazing people, made friends, hopefully no enemies. Some I got contact for, the ones I didn't, I do regret it. I feel like I've seen so much but haven't been gone very long. It's all been a blur to be perfectly honest.
I know everyone is waiting eagerly to see and hear about most, if not all, of Italy. That'll have to wait until at the very least Heathrow where there might be some free wi-fi. My laptop has been horrible at uploading pics as well, so I'm getting behind, but the best is yet to come.
For a quickie, our last day we pretty much carpet bombed Vatican City with our cameras. They're surprisingly lax for all the priceless works of art that they had. Even where there were no pictures allowed at all, people were still taking them. I managed a blurry shot of Pope JP2's grave before being told to put my camera away, and everyone was taking pictures of the Sistine Chapel.
Only fitting, since there's a Hotel California down the street from the internet café, I'm checking out, but I don't think I can ever leave, and I know Jordan would say the same thing.
Until more detailed updates...
I've met some amazing people, made friends, hopefully no enemies. Some I got contact for, the ones I didn't, I do regret it. I feel like I've seen so much but haven't been gone very long. It's all been a blur to be perfectly honest.
I know everyone is waiting eagerly to see and hear about most, if not all, of Italy. That'll have to wait until at the very least Heathrow where there might be some free wi-fi. My laptop has been horrible at uploading pics as well, so I'm getting behind, but the best is yet to come.
For a quickie, our last day we pretty much carpet bombed Vatican City with our cameras. They're surprisingly lax for all the priceless works of art that they had. Even where there were no pictures allowed at all, people were still taking them. I managed a blurry shot of Pope JP2's grave before being told to put my camera away, and everyone was taking pictures of the Sistine Chapel.
Only fitting, since there's a Hotel California down the street from the internet café, I'm checking out, but I don't think I can ever leave, and I know Jordan would say the same thing.
Until more detailed updates...
Friday, July 17, 2009
Madrid Training Day: Nathan
So, I know not many people want to read about this one, but I figure I should write it for posterity. I spent a day in Madrid looking at trains, both full size and models.
I started the day at the Museo de Ferrocarriles in Madrid because they open and close early. The museum was well put together but kind of small. They had lots of interesting examples of locomotives powered by steam, diesel-electric, and electric technology. Some of the models were interesting, especially the American produced ones.
After the museum, I scouted out some hobby stores and went train hunting. I ended up with a RENFE diesel and a Von-Damm beer flat with trailer.
A successful day.
I started the day at the Museo de Ferrocarriles in Madrid because they open and close early. The museum was well put together but kind of small. They had lots of interesting examples of locomotives powered by steam, diesel-electric, and electric technology. Some of the models were interesting, especially the American produced ones.
After the museum, I scouted out some hobby stores and went train hunting. I ended up with a RENFE diesel and a Von-Damm beer flat with trailer.
A successful day.
Milan: Jordan
Not so much Milan as a stopover in Milan. A crazy stop over.
I get to the train station in Nice to find that the train strike is over. I hop on the train to Ventimiglia, change in Ventimiglia and arrive in Milan around 1:30pm. I hop on the metro and head over to where the hotel/hostel is supposed to be. It was quite a trek. I took the metro four stops, the bust about 10 stops and then walked about 15 min. to get to the hostel/hotel. When I get there the guy at reception says he can't find my reservation. Crap. It turns out that they had canceled our reservation since we had not showed up the first night. I tried to explain that I had been stuck in France, but there was nothing he could do.
Hot and frustrated I sit down to try to find a place to stay for the night. The guy looks at me and says that he can call a friend who owns another hotel and see if there is a room there for the same price we were planning on paying. There was, but the hotel was back on the opposite side of town from where I was now. I was so stressed and frustrated. The guy looked at me and asked if I wanted a drink. He told me I needed one. I explained to him that if I had anything to drink other than water I might pass out. He shrugged and handed me a nice cold bottle of water.
I get back on the tram going the other direction, then catch the bus to the area around the new hotel. I finally make it there and check in, thrilled to have a place to put down my stuff after 2 hrs of trying to get around.
Nathan finally makes it over to the new hotel and we head out for some retail therapy and food.
So, no I din't really get to see Milan.
Next up: Venezia (Venice)
I get to the train station in Nice to find that the train strike is over. I hop on the train to Ventimiglia, change in Ventimiglia and arrive in Milan around 1:30pm. I hop on the metro and head over to where the hotel/hostel is supposed to be. It was quite a trek. I took the metro four stops, the bust about 10 stops and then walked about 15 min. to get to the hostel/hotel. When I get there the guy at reception says he can't find my reservation. Crap. It turns out that they had canceled our reservation since we had not showed up the first night. I tried to explain that I had been stuck in France, but there was nothing he could do.
Hot and frustrated I sit down to try to find a place to stay for the night. The guy looks at me and says that he can call a friend who owns another hotel and see if there is a room there for the same price we were planning on paying. There was, but the hotel was back on the opposite side of town from where I was now. I was so stressed and frustrated. The guy looked at me and asked if I wanted a drink. He told me I needed one. I explained to him that if I had anything to drink other than water I might pass out. He shrugged and handed me a nice cold bottle of water.
I get back on the tram going the other direction, then catch the bus to the area around the new hotel. I finally make it there and check in, thrilled to have a place to put down my stuff after 2 hrs of trying to get around.
Nathan finally makes it over to the new hotel and we head out for some retail therapy and food.
So, no I din't really get to see Milan.
Next up: Venezia (Venice)
Nice: Jordan
I get to Nice, exhausted from traveling and in need of a place to put down my bag. I go to the tourist office and ask where there is a hostel becuase I had no where to stay for that night. I walk to the recommended hostel about 30 min. away to find that it is a members only HI hostel where rooms cost 22 euro and the membership is 15. No way. I leave, wishing that my backpack would just disappear and continue the hunt for a place to stay. I end up booking one night at a place that I should never have even walked in to by myself. The place was dark and smelled bad, but I was so exhausted I didn't even notice. I walk outside and realize that on top of the sketchy room I am now staying right next door to a sex shop. Not happening.
So I end up with a sketchy room, in a city I have never been to, by myself, with no internet. I called home hoping that they could find at least the name and address of a place in Nice. They find one and I go over there and they're full. Great. As I walk away I notice that there is another hostel on the fourth floor of the same building for 17 euro that has vacancy. I book the room which is not great, but is safe and head back to the other place to get my stuff figuring that 20 euro was not a big loss in this situation. I grab my bags and tell the owner that I have to leave. I tell him I've had a change of plans and that I have to meet someone and what does he do... he snaps at me. He demands to know if I don't like the room and why I'm not staying, he says he won't give me my money back (which I agreed to, anything to get out of there) and he continues to pelt me with useless questions that I have no obligation to answer. Feeling like I made the right decision, I bolted.
I settled in to the other place and decided to actually go see Nice, regardless of the horrible first impression. As I was walking down the stairs I ran into another girl traveling on her own. The two of us have no real plans, so we decide to go and grab a bite to eat together. We ended up at this great Tapas place where we ordered a two person sampler plate (about 7-8 different tapas) for 12 euro between the two of us. After dinner we decide that a club would be a lot of fun. We get dressed up and head out, each grateful that we don't have to be alone in Nice at night.
Nice and southern France in general are great if you are not a woman alone or even two women alone. The men can be very perverted and sketchy.
We head out to High Club, Nice's biggest dance club. We had a great time. The music was incredible. House music spun live including a nice little Michael Jackson tribute. At some point in the night the club introduces its new DJ a woman who at some point ended up DJing in nothing but stars and a pair of shorts (if I have to explain that then just don't worry about it).
Around 4 am we head out to go walk on the beach, running into some guys we had seen in the club earlier. It turns out they were from Finland. We walked on the beach with them and then headed back to crash.
The next morning Rosie and I met at the fountain in the old city and headed down to the beach. Although the beach was made of rocks and stones and not sand it was still amazing. The water is the bluest thing I have ever seen. It was incredible. All different shades of blue. We lazed about on the beach and then split up (sort of on accident) to get some stuff done.
The next morning I woke up early to catch my 7:46 am train to Milan to find out that its not coming. There was a train strike in Italy. I was stuck in Nice, again with no place to stay, and frustrated that they chose to strike today. I immediately head out towards a hostel that I knew about to see if they had room. They did and on top of that, they put me in Rosie's room. I spent the day in the park at the top of this really big hill writing, reading, and enjoying the view. I went back to the hostel and there was Rosie. We made a makeshift dinner using only a microwave since there was no stove. After dinner we wandered around Nice trying to find candy (or lollies as she kept correcting me).
I now know why women in France are so thin. 1. it is impossible to find junk food after 9:00 pm when the supermarkets close and 2. the stuff you find after 9:00pm is expensive. We bought just a few goodies to try and then decided that cheap gelato was the better way to go. We went and sat on the beach eating ice cream and listening to the most incredible street performer play violin. As we were eating on of the Finnish guys we had met the night before texted us to see if we wanted to meet up on the beach for drinks (yes, you can actually drink on the beach in France, public beaches).
We met up with them and chatted and had a few drinks before heading off to bed. I was hoping that I would get up early tomorrow and the strike would be over so that I could make it to Milan.
Next up: Milan?
So I end up with a sketchy room, in a city I have never been to, by myself, with no internet. I called home hoping that they could find at least the name and address of a place in Nice. They find one and I go over there and they're full. Great. As I walk away I notice that there is another hostel on the fourth floor of the same building for 17 euro that has vacancy. I book the room which is not great, but is safe and head back to the other place to get my stuff figuring that 20 euro was not a big loss in this situation. I grab my bags and tell the owner that I have to leave. I tell him I've had a change of plans and that I have to meet someone and what does he do... he snaps at me. He demands to know if I don't like the room and why I'm not staying, he says he won't give me my money back (which I agreed to, anything to get out of there) and he continues to pelt me with useless questions that I have no obligation to answer. Feeling like I made the right decision, I bolted.
I settled in to the other place and decided to actually go see Nice, regardless of the horrible first impression. As I was walking down the stairs I ran into another girl traveling on her own. The two of us have no real plans, so we decide to go and grab a bite to eat together. We ended up at this great Tapas place where we ordered a two person sampler plate (about 7-8 different tapas) for 12 euro between the two of us. After dinner we decide that a club would be a lot of fun. We get dressed up and head out, each grateful that we don't have to be alone in Nice at night.
Nice and southern France in general are great if you are not a woman alone or even two women alone. The men can be very perverted and sketchy.
We head out to High Club, Nice's biggest dance club. We had a great time. The music was incredible. House music spun live including a nice little Michael Jackson tribute. At some point in the night the club introduces its new DJ a woman who at some point ended up DJing in nothing but stars and a pair of shorts (if I have to explain that then just don't worry about it).
Around 4 am we head out to go walk on the beach, running into some guys we had seen in the club earlier. It turns out they were from Finland. We walked on the beach with them and then headed back to crash.
The next morning Rosie and I met at the fountain in the old city and headed down to the beach. Although the beach was made of rocks and stones and not sand it was still amazing. The water is the bluest thing I have ever seen. It was incredible. All different shades of blue. We lazed about on the beach and then split up (sort of on accident) to get some stuff done.
The next morning I woke up early to catch my 7:46 am train to Milan to find out that its not coming. There was a train strike in Italy. I was stuck in Nice, again with no place to stay, and frustrated that they chose to strike today. I immediately head out towards a hostel that I knew about to see if they had room. They did and on top of that, they put me in Rosie's room. I spent the day in the park at the top of this really big hill writing, reading, and enjoying the view. I went back to the hostel and there was Rosie. We made a makeshift dinner using only a microwave since there was no stove. After dinner we wandered around Nice trying to find candy (or lollies as she kept correcting me).
I now know why women in France are so thin. 1. it is impossible to find junk food after 9:00 pm when the supermarkets close and 2. the stuff you find after 9:00pm is expensive. We bought just a few goodies to try and then decided that cheap gelato was the better way to go. We went and sat on the beach eating ice cream and listening to the most incredible street performer play violin. As we were eating on of the Finnish guys we had met the night before texted us to see if we wanted to meet up on the beach for drinks (yes, you can actually drink on the beach in France, public beaches).
We met up with them and chatted and had a few drinks before heading off to bed. I was hoping that I would get up early tomorrow and the strike would be over so that I could make it to Milan.
Next up: Milan?
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Barcelona, Montpellier, Marsailles...: Jordan
As seems to be the case in July in Europe, I had some train issues trying to get from Madrid to Nice. All of the trains were full. I decided just to wing it on hop on a train to Barcelona, thinking it may be easier to get to France from there. I arrive in Barcelona, and immediately go to the ticket counter where I stood in line forever (or at least it seemed that way with the backpack). I reserved a ticket that said: Barceona to Montpellier arrives at 21:09. Well, what else was I going to do. I hopped on the six hour train to Montpellier thinking I would sleep or read the whole time, I wish.
On the train I sat across from two Brazilian guys who were on winter break (i was amused). We sat there watching as the two Norwegians and the French guy sitting next to us started going through beer like it was water. The more they drank the louder they got, naturally, and the next thing you know we were part of the conversation. After a while a few other people in the coach came up to join us figuring if they couldn't get us to shut up, they might as well enjoy the noise. One of the guys, Ashwin, had the name of a hostel in Montpellier which was great since I had nowhere to stay.
We got in to Montpellier and headed out to find the hostel. We found out that it was really far away and the tram going in that direction was down because of street work. We headed over to the nearest hotel hoping for a vacancy and a decently priced room. We walked up to one and looked at the price list when a voice behind us said, they're empty. We turned around and introduced ourselves to the girls who turned out to be in the same predicament. One of the girls was from Lithuania and the other from Germany who luckily spoke French. The four of us walked around hoping to find a hotel that would give us a decent deal for one night. We walked into a hotel about 5 min. walk from the train station and the German girl began negotiating with the hotel owner in French (its much easier to get things in France if you can speak French). Just as we were about to make a deal, two Finnish girls walk in (no, this is not the start of some really bad joke), looking for a safe place to hang for the night before their train in the morning. Sounds familiar. The hotel owner looks at the six of us and decides to give us two three person rooms for the price of two doubles meaning that each of us would pay 15 euro for a safe place to sleep for the night. Perfect.
After dropping off our bags and showering we headed out to find some cheap eats and maybe a drink (or two). We found some 3 euro sandwiches (a lifesaver all over Europe) and chatted as we ate. Then, we headed over to a bar that looked pretty popular. We ordered a round of Mojitos for a bargain of 6 euro (don't buy drinks in bars in Europe) and decided not to do that again. Instead we ordered a special of 2.5 L of beer which was served in its own tap that they brought to the table. Nifty huh?
We went back to the room and attempted a round of card games which didn't work because the rules for BS are apparently different in different parts of the world. I was so tired that I still don't understand what on Earth I was supposed to be doing.
The next morning I woke up, packed, and headed out for the train station hoping that the next train to Nice would not be full. I get to the ticket counter and ask the man if he speaks English. No. Fine, I switch to Spanish (which was such a lifesaver) and manage to book a ticket that leaves from Montpellier to Marseilles and then Marseilles to Nice. Fun stuff. I finally arrived in Nice around 2:00.
Next up: Nice
On the train I sat across from two Brazilian guys who were on winter break (i was amused). We sat there watching as the two Norwegians and the French guy sitting next to us started going through beer like it was water. The more they drank the louder they got, naturally, and the next thing you know we were part of the conversation. After a while a few other people in the coach came up to join us figuring if they couldn't get us to shut up, they might as well enjoy the noise. One of the guys, Ashwin, had the name of a hostel in Montpellier which was great since I had nowhere to stay.
We got in to Montpellier and headed out to find the hostel. We found out that it was really far away and the tram going in that direction was down because of street work. We headed over to the nearest hotel hoping for a vacancy and a decently priced room. We walked up to one and looked at the price list when a voice behind us said, they're empty. We turned around and introduced ourselves to the girls who turned out to be in the same predicament. One of the girls was from Lithuania and the other from Germany who luckily spoke French. The four of us walked around hoping to find a hotel that would give us a decent deal for one night. We walked into a hotel about 5 min. walk from the train station and the German girl began negotiating with the hotel owner in French (its much easier to get things in France if you can speak French). Just as we were about to make a deal, two Finnish girls walk in (no, this is not the start of some really bad joke), looking for a safe place to hang for the night before their train in the morning. Sounds familiar. The hotel owner looks at the six of us and decides to give us two three person rooms for the price of two doubles meaning that each of us would pay 15 euro for a safe place to sleep for the night. Perfect.
After dropping off our bags and showering we headed out to find some cheap eats and maybe a drink (or two). We found some 3 euro sandwiches (a lifesaver all over Europe) and chatted as we ate. Then, we headed over to a bar that looked pretty popular. We ordered a round of Mojitos for a bargain of 6 euro (don't buy drinks in bars in Europe) and decided not to do that again. Instead we ordered a special of 2.5 L of beer which was served in its own tap that they brought to the table. Nifty huh?
We went back to the room and attempted a round of card games which didn't work because the rules for BS are apparently different in different parts of the world. I was so tired that I still don't understand what on Earth I was supposed to be doing.
The next morning I woke up, packed, and headed out for the train station hoping that the next train to Nice would not be full. I get to the ticket counter and ask the man if he speaks English. No. Fine, I switch to Spanish (which was such a lifesaver) and manage to book a ticket that leaves from Montpellier to Marseilles and then Marseilles to Nice. Fun stuff. I finally arrived in Nice around 2:00.
Next up: Nice
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Madrid Part 2: Jordan
The next morning I woke up fairly early, given our 6:00am bed time, out of anxiousness. Today was registration day! I went out walking on Goya, a major shopping street in Madrid, just browsing and hoping to calm my nerves a little bit. I went back to the house about an hour before my registration period started and double checked the schedule I had made, and the class numbers. I sat down for lunch, still a little restless, and waited until it was time. I rushed over to the computer and imputed all of the information as fast as I could, checked it once, and just hit the submit button. Done. My class schedule came up and I was done.
I went on to check my email, to find a message from the guy I met at the club to meet up at Plaza Mayor at 9:00 pm. In San Antonio that would normally be considered late for meeting up, but just for the record, 9:00pm is still daylight in Madrid. Its actually dinner time. I got Plaza Mayor early to walk around and enjoy the street performers that range from wacky and weird, to interesting and intriguing. At 9:00 ish I went over to the statue in the center of the plaza, one of Spain's most popular meeting points.
We met up and chatted as we walked around the plaza looking for a place to eat. Its not exactly hard to find a restaurant in the Plaza Mayor, its about finding one that you can actually afford to sit in. We chose a small bar/Tapas bar and chatted away. After dinner, we just walked the city. Madrid is beautiful at night, especially the Palacio Real which is lit up from underneath with a pretty green park in front of it. It was a really nice night.
I woke up the next morning, exhausted, and packed my stuff to move from Nacho's house to a hostel. Nacho was moving his business and things were quite hectic without two guests staying there. The hostel we moved to had a good location, only a mile or so from the train station and museums. I decided to spend the morning at the Reina Sofia, Madrid's modern art museum. Its a neat collection with some pretty strange pieces in it. I really appreciated its collections of Dali, Miro, and Picasso, but some of its temporary and newer exhibits just confused me.
After the museum I walked over to the Retiro park, and sat down to read. The next thing I knew it was two hours later! It turns out the park is a great place for a siesta.
The next day we took it easy and decided to meander the Botanical Gardens. There were some great flowers, vegetables, and trees there that I had never seen. There were so many bright colors and everything was so green and shady, it was nice to spend a few hours there.
That night we wandered around the Plaza Mayor looking for a place to eat some Tapas. We ended up going to Bar La Terezza which, like its name, is a terrace and very little else. We ordered three different dishes and some sangria. Huevos Rellenos, which means stuffed eggs came as a shock to us for two reasons. One, it was cold, and two, we didn't know what it would be stuffed with. It was basically a hard boiled agg without the yolk, filled with Tuna, topped with something like Mayo and something crunbly I sadly could not identify. Next we had Patatas Bravas, a Spanish favorite. Think home fries, then add a spicy red sauce and some mayo. Then some stewed chicken wings. And of course, when in Spain, wash it all down with Sangria.
Overall I really enjoyed our time in Madrid. It was really nice to relax and recharge after a crazy couple of weeks before hand. I really love Spain and I'm very hesitant to leave, but I know that I'll be back and hopefully for a longer period of time (think a year or two, not a month or two).
Next up: Nice...
I went on to check my email, to find a message from the guy I met at the club to meet up at Plaza Mayor at 9:00 pm. In San Antonio that would normally be considered late for meeting up, but just for the record, 9:00pm is still daylight in Madrid. Its actually dinner time. I got Plaza Mayor early to walk around and enjoy the street performers that range from wacky and weird, to interesting and intriguing. At 9:00 ish I went over to the statue in the center of the plaza, one of Spain's most popular meeting points.
We met up and chatted as we walked around the plaza looking for a place to eat. Its not exactly hard to find a restaurant in the Plaza Mayor, its about finding one that you can actually afford to sit in. We chose a small bar/Tapas bar and chatted away. After dinner, we just walked the city. Madrid is beautiful at night, especially the Palacio Real which is lit up from underneath with a pretty green park in front of it. It was a really nice night.
I woke up the next morning, exhausted, and packed my stuff to move from Nacho's house to a hostel. Nacho was moving his business and things were quite hectic without two guests staying there. The hostel we moved to had a good location, only a mile or so from the train station and museums. I decided to spend the morning at the Reina Sofia, Madrid's modern art museum. Its a neat collection with some pretty strange pieces in it. I really appreciated its collections of Dali, Miro, and Picasso, but some of its temporary and newer exhibits just confused me.
After the museum I walked over to the Retiro park, and sat down to read. The next thing I knew it was two hours later! It turns out the park is a great place for a siesta.
The next day we took it easy and decided to meander the Botanical Gardens. There were some great flowers, vegetables, and trees there that I had never seen. There were so many bright colors and everything was so green and shady, it was nice to spend a few hours there.
That night we wandered around the Plaza Mayor looking for a place to eat some Tapas. We ended up going to Bar La Terezza which, like its name, is a terrace and very little else. We ordered three different dishes and some sangria. Huevos Rellenos, which means stuffed eggs came as a shock to us for two reasons. One, it was cold, and two, we didn't know what it would be stuffed with. It was basically a hard boiled agg without the yolk, filled with Tuna, topped with something like Mayo and something crunbly I sadly could not identify. Next we had Patatas Bravas, a Spanish favorite. Think home fries, then add a spicy red sauce and some mayo. Then some stewed chicken wings. And of course, when in Spain, wash it all down with Sangria.
Overall I really enjoyed our time in Madrid. It was really nice to relax and recharge after a crazy couple of weeks before hand. I really love Spain and I'm very hesitant to leave, but I know that I'll be back and hopefully for a longer period of time (think a year or two, not a month or two).
Next up: Nice...
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Madrid Part 1: Jordan
We got off of the train in Madrid and were greatful to finally find Nacho and his car and make it to the house. We go to the house and settled into a nice little room with two twin beds. After about 20 min. Nacho came in and had us move to seperate bedrooms, alright by me! It was actually really nice to have my own room for a couple of nights.
After settling in and getting everything in order we met Nacho's son and went out to see the Madrid gay pride parade which was on the wrong weekend, but still a lot of fun. The streets were packed and everyone, even the cops, were dancing and enjoying the crazy scene of the parade. The music was incredible and we had a good time. Other than the parade we kept the first night pretty chill.
The next day we slept in, had breakfast with the family, and headed out to El Rastro, the giant flea market open on Sunday mornings. It was slightly overwhelming actually. El Rastro is crowded with people and vendors yelling, shopping, playing music, and generally making a lot of noise. The market is also colorful and a lot of fun and sells things ranging from clothes, to music, to old fashioned keys (the giant kind that probably never fit any locks anyway). After the market we stopped off at a bar near Plaza Mayor for a beer and tapas. It was a very relaxing way to spend a Sunday.
After the market we took our siesta in El Parque del Buen Retiro, a gorgeous park about a 15 min. walk from the house. I took a nap and read while Nathan actually read a book!
From the park we headed out to the museums which are free on Sundays. I chose to go the Thyssen-Bornimsza Museum collection intead of the Prado, just to see something different. The Thyssen is basically a chronology of impressionism ranging from early to neo with a little mordern art and cubism thrown in for good measure. There were pieces by Matisse, Picasso, Dali, Miro, Renoir, and so many more incredible artists. After the Thyssen closed I went over to the Prado to find Nathan. I went ahead and wandered around the Prado since it was free and open for another hour. I saw some wonderful pieces by Titian and El Greco that completely blew me away. The El Greco pieces seem almost animated with their futuristic stlye and detail, and the Titian ones are just so beautiful.
We went back to the house and did some things before getting ready to go out. We decided to go to Teatro Kapital, a giant club over by Atocha station. It ended up being more of a trek than we ever thought possible. About three stops from Atocha (on the metro) the trains stopped running because of construction at Sol and Gran Via (other metro stops). We tried to walk, but it was actually really far. Finally we got over to the club and it was.... closed. Frustrated, we continued walking up Calle de Atocha, and found Gran Via, another hot area of the city. We ended up at Joy, a club that has apparently been around for ages in Madrid, and went in around 2:00.
The dance floor was small but the music was good and there were half naked dancers (male and female) up on the stage. I skipped the drinks (too pricy for me) and headed out to the dance floor by myself (hey, I have nothing to lose). About an hour or so in, I decided to just go for it and asked the guy dancing near me if he wanted to dance with me. We chatted a little and had a really good time. He told his name was Antonio (which I later found out its actually Antonin since he's French, which basically amouunts to Anthony). At the end of the night (well morning) he asked for my number. I would have given it to him except I don't actually know it, there are too many numbers and I never have to use it. I gave him my email instead.
After that Nathan and I decided to head back around 5:15. We got outside of the club and had to stop for a minute, confused as to where the metro stop actually was. While we were standing there some very drunk Spanish woman came up to us and tried to get us to the station, which really took a lot more time, energy, and flirting than you normally would have expected. By the time we made it to the station up the street, it was already 5:30 am and the metro started running again at 6:00. We decided to wait. We finally rolled into bed around 6:30.
After settling in and getting everything in order we met Nacho's son and went out to see the Madrid gay pride parade which was on the wrong weekend, but still a lot of fun. The streets were packed and everyone, even the cops, were dancing and enjoying the crazy scene of the parade. The music was incredible and we had a good time. Other than the parade we kept the first night pretty chill.
The next day we slept in, had breakfast with the family, and headed out to El Rastro, the giant flea market open on Sunday mornings. It was slightly overwhelming actually. El Rastro is crowded with people and vendors yelling, shopping, playing music, and generally making a lot of noise. The market is also colorful and a lot of fun and sells things ranging from clothes, to music, to old fashioned keys (the giant kind that probably never fit any locks anyway). After the market we stopped off at a bar near Plaza Mayor for a beer and tapas. It was a very relaxing way to spend a Sunday.
After the market we took our siesta in El Parque del Buen Retiro, a gorgeous park about a 15 min. walk from the house. I took a nap and read while Nathan actually read a book!
From the park we headed out to the museums which are free on Sundays. I chose to go the Thyssen-Bornimsza Museum collection intead of the Prado, just to see something different. The Thyssen is basically a chronology of impressionism ranging from early to neo with a little mordern art and cubism thrown in for good measure. There were pieces by Matisse, Picasso, Dali, Miro, Renoir, and so many more incredible artists. After the Thyssen closed I went over to the Prado to find Nathan. I went ahead and wandered around the Prado since it was free and open for another hour. I saw some wonderful pieces by Titian and El Greco that completely blew me away. The El Greco pieces seem almost animated with their futuristic stlye and detail, and the Titian ones are just so beautiful.
We went back to the house and did some things before getting ready to go out. We decided to go to Teatro Kapital, a giant club over by Atocha station. It ended up being more of a trek than we ever thought possible. About three stops from Atocha (on the metro) the trains stopped running because of construction at Sol and Gran Via (other metro stops). We tried to walk, but it was actually really far. Finally we got over to the club and it was.... closed. Frustrated, we continued walking up Calle de Atocha, and found Gran Via, another hot area of the city. We ended up at Joy, a club that has apparently been around for ages in Madrid, and went in around 2:00.
The dance floor was small but the music was good and there were half naked dancers (male and female) up on the stage. I skipped the drinks (too pricy for me) and headed out to the dance floor by myself (hey, I have nothing to lose). About an hour or so in, I decided to just go for it and asked the guy dancing near me if he wanted to dance with me. We chatted a little and had a really good time. He told his name was Antonio (which I later found out its actually Antonin since he's French, which basically amouunts to Anthony). At the end of the night (well morning) he asked for my number. I would have given it to him except I don't actually know it, there are too many numbers and I never have to use it. I gave him my email instead.
After that Nathan and I decided to head back around 5:15. We got outside of the club and had to stop for a minute, confused as to where the metro stop actually was. While we were standing there some very drunk Spanish woman came up to us and tried to get us to the station, which really took a lot more time, energy, and flirting than you normally would have expected. By the time we made it to the station up the street, it was already 5:30 am and the metro started running again at 6:00. We decided to wait. We finally rolled into bed around 6:30.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
To Milan? Nathan
My train to Nice was full, so I wandered around trying to find accommodations near Barcelona Sants. The advance ticket guy told me how to get to Milan but the train didn’t leave until tomorrow. Hostels were also full so I ended up giving up and checking into a nice hotel. Just somewhere to sleep and shower after one hell of a night in Pamplona and a hell of a night in Barcelona (good and bad hell respectively). In the morning, I went to the station and caught the train to Cerbere on the French side of the French/Spanish border. I met Natalie, Ottilie, and Katie from London and Otto and Sam from Indianapolis and we were chilling in Cerbere waiting for a train to Montpellier. Katie was nice enough to watch the bags while the rest of us went into town to grab lunch.
Cerbere is a very pretty town on the coast at the edge of the mountains. The Mediterranean is clear and the temperature wasn’t so bad either. It was nice to walk around considering all the train sitting I’m working on currently. I’d be more inclined to move on the Spanish side of the border in Portbou though.
We all have our stories and destinations, but we’re collaborating on traveling. Despite RENFE’s advice, I think I’ll get off with them in Montpellier and ask the SNCF to get me to Milan. Worst case, I’ll follow around with them until I can get to Milan. Complicating this is a strike on the Italian Railways. Hopefully I can get on a French train to Milan instead of an Italian train to Milan.
I made the mistake of staying on to Avignon instead of getting off at Nimes. Apparently my map isn't updated well and the TGVs from Nimes don't go through Milan. Oh well, looks like I had to go to Nice then. I reserved my tickets to Nice and Milan and joined my new friends on the train. They got off at Aix-en-Provence and I continued to Marseille where I caught a connecting train to Nice. By then I was exhausted even though I had done nothing all day long. Luckily I found a hotel in Nice that had a dorm room for 26 euros, great for last minute. Unluckily, they made a mistake and I was considered overbooked. The highlight of the story is that they gave me a private room for the night for their error. I slept well.
Lastly, the French still believe in Looney Tunes, although unfortunately they're in French. The voice overs do sound nearly authentic though. Daffy spits, Porky stutters, and Bugs Bunny sounds like a French Bugs Bunny. It is a good morning.
Cerbere is a very pretty town on the coast at the edge of the mountains. The Mediterranean is clear and the temperature wasn’t so bad either. It was nice to walk around considering all the train sitting I’m working on currently. I’d be more inclined to move on the Spanish side of the border in Portbou though.
We all have our stories and destinations, but we’re collaborating on traveling. Despite RENFE’s advice, I think I’ll get off with them in Montpellier and ask the SNCF to get me to Milan. Worst case, I’ll follow around with them until I can get to Milan. Complicating this is a strike on the Italian Railways. Hopefully I can get on a French train to Milan instead of an Italian train to Milan.
I made the mistake of staying on to Avignon instead of getting off at Nimes. Apparently my map isn't updated well and the TGVs from Nimes don't go through Milan. Oh well, looks like I had to go to Nice then. I reserved my tickets to Nice and Milan and joined my new friends on the train. They got off at Aix-en-Provence and I continued to Marseille where I caught a connecting train to Nice. By then I was exhausted even though I had done nothing all day long. Luckily I found a hotel in Nice that had a dorm room for 26 euros, great for last minute. Unluckily, they made a mistake and I was considered overbooked. The highlight of the story is that they gave me a private room for the night for their error. I slept well.
Lastly, the French still believe in Looney Tunes, although unfortunately they're in French. The voice overs do sound nearly authentic though. Daffy spits, Porky stutters, and Bugs Bunny sounds like a French Bugs Bunny. It is a good morning.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
How to spent 100 Euros in a night: Nathan
To do that, it used to be that I could just buy a model train easy. But, I learned a new way. The San Fermin Festival in Pamplona! I mean, I got into it. I met Andrew and Robert, an Aussie and Canadian respectively, on my bus to Pamplona. We ended up hanging out just about all night until Andrew got separated. But, I started the night off with 5 euros and decided I needed money. More like, I needed the white pants and the sash and a bandana and a white shirt. Then of course, food. And drinks (non-alcoholic of course). Then we all wandered the streets walking into random bars with music and danced a little and walked out. At one point, I had to take a nap, and I got a megaphone to the face after a little nap, then another little nap later and I was golden. The sun started lightening the sky around 6, so Robert and I attempted to get into position to watch. I decided the bullring would be a cooler place to watch and acquired tickets in. We watched the runners run into the stadium and then tried to watch them in the bullring toying with the bulls. Eventually it cleared enough for pictures and videos, I think the videos turned out better. They'll be on Youtube soon hopefully.
I noticed, I ended the day with 5 euros as well. 100 euros in a day.
As I type, I'm sulking in Barcelona and mourning the loss of my kidnapped iPod. It's an excuse to get an iTouch though.
I'm also stranded in Barcelona as my train to France and onto Milan was full. Hopefully I'll make it tomorrow.
I noticed, I ended the day with 5 euros as well. 100 euros in a day.
As I type, I'm sulking in Barcelona and mourning the loss of my kidnapped iPod. It's an excuse to get an iTouch though.
I'm also stranded in Barcelona as my train to France and onto Milan was full. Hopefully I'll make it tomorrow.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Things to bring back to the states: Nathan
From England:
Car washes in parking garages. Get your car washed while you shop.
Forks with knives on one of the prongs. Better invention than the spork.
From Spain:
Hard boiled eggs with tuna for the yolk. Tapas were good.
Car washes in parking garages. Get your car washed while you shop.
Forks with knives on one of the prongs. Better invention than the spork.
From Spain:
Hard boiled eggs with tuna for the yolk. Tapas were good.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Algeciras and Gibraltar: Nathan
Funny thing about night trains, you sleep on them. I did that a little too well and missed my stop in Cordoba and ended up in Malaga. And a funny thing about Malaga, their train station is called Maria Zambrano or something like that, it took me forever to figure out it was Malaga. So, I booked the next train back to Cordoba and luckily would get there in time to get THE train to Algeciras. The original plan was to stay in Cordoba and use my 3 hour layover to find a hostel, but with my little goof, my layover shrunk and was dominated by breakfast.
Algeciras itself is an interesting place. It has a very unique blend of cultures. There's the Spanish, then there's a French and Muslim influence from Morocco, and last there's all the Brits coming across from Gibraltar itself. Upon arrival, I learned there's a bus across the bay to La Linea that takes half an hour or so. The train back to Cordoba left in an hour, so I made an executive decision to stay in Algeciras and proceeded to the tourism office to ask about hostels. They gave me a map and a list and I chose the cheapest one on there, also great because it was a 5 minute walk to the train station. Private room for 12 Euro isn't bad at all as well.
I reshuffled everything and then proceeded to catch the bus to La Linea. We drove around the bay with the Rock of Gibraltar seemingly always in sight. It kind of dominates everything. Upon arrival, I had to walk into Gibraltar. First time I had ever walked across an international border. Also, as simple as flashing a passport, not even my picture, it could have been a crappy book with a passport cover. The first thing you get to on the British side is the airport. The runway crosses the road, so when A plane is landing, they shut the road down, and that was an interesting experience. A long walk later, and I was in the heart of Gibraltar. More English than I had heard in awhile, and lots of fish and chips places. But the whole point was to climb the rock, so continue I did.
I was considering walking up the rock on the roads, but I found the cable car lift instead and decided after all the walking to there and the walking I'd do up top, I could use the time to rest. The view was amazing from the cable car. I could see back into Algeciras and across the strait into Morocco. Once at the top, there were north and south outlooks at the main building that I took in for quite some time (pics on Facebook). Then I finally decided to walk around. The monkeys up there are supposed to be cool. It wasn't long before I ran into several. It looked like they had just been fed because they were all together chomping away at various fruits and vegetables. I read that they are given about half their daily nutritional needs and that forces them to find the rest themselves and not bother people as much. Smart thinking. I continued on, up rock stairs to old looking and deteriorating military structures, mostly foxholes and small one room buildings, and eventually got to a point where the British military put up barbed wire and said don't go any further. I met an Italian named Alessi (I think) who had a job in Gibraltar, which would explain the great English with the not-quite-British accent to it. He had walked up the rock in flip flops, crazy if you ask me. We walked back toward the main building, somewhere he hadn't been, and stopped to observe the monkeys more. While there, they started fighting over something only the monkeys understand and I caught a video. We stopped back at the main building for more pictures, then more monkeys, and then took the cable car back down.
Walking back toward Spain, we talked a little and I told him about the trip. He said he might be in Italy when we are and could show us around Rome, so we exchanged information. I await an email.
After a bus ride back and a long shower, it was time to search for dinner. Another cultural difference between Algeciras and the rest of Spain is that stuff closes early. I regretted not stopping for fish and chips and ended up just having two apples. Most nutritious dinner I've ever eaten. Woke up the next day and caught the 8:30 to Madrid.
Best executive decision ever.
Algeciras itself is an interesting place. It has a very unique blend of cultures. There's the Spanish, then there's a French and Muslim influence from Morocco, and last there's all the Brits coming across from Gibraltar itself. Upon arrival, I learned there's a bus across the bay to La Linea that takes half an hour or so. The train back to Cordoba left in an hour, so I made an executive decision to stay in Algeciras and proceeded to the tourism office to ask about hostels. They gave me a map and a list and I chose the cheapest one on there, also great because it was a 5 minute walk to the train station. Private room for 12 Euro isn't bad at all as well.
I reshuffled everything and then proceeded to catch the bus to La Linea. We drove around the bay with the Rock of Gibraltar seemingly always in sight. It kind of dominates everything. Upon arrival, I had to walk into Gibraltar. First time I had ever walked across an international border. Also, as simple as flashing a passport, not even my picture, it could have been a crappy book with a passport cover. The first thing you get to on the British side is the airport. The runway crosses the road, so when A plane is landing, they shut the road down, and that was an interesting experience. A long walk later, and I was in the heart of Gibraltar. More English than I had heard in awhile, and lots of fish and chips places. But the whole point was to climb the rock, so continue I did.
I was considering walking up the rock on the roads, but I found the cable car lift instead and decided after all the walking to there and the walking I'd do up top, I could use the time to rest. The view was amazing from the cable car. I could see back into Algeciras and across the strait into Morocco. Once at the top, there were north and south outlooks at the main building that I took in for quite some time (pics on Facebook). Then I finally decided to walk around. The monkeys up there are supposed to be cool. It wasn't long before I ran into several. It looked like they had just been fed because they were all together chomping away at various fruits and vegetables. I read that they are given about half their daily nutritional needs and that forces them to find the rest themselves and not bother people as much. Smart thinking. I continued on, up rock stairs to old looking and deteriorating military structures, mostly foxholes and small one room buildings, and eventually got to a point where the British military put up barbed wire and said don't go any further. I met an Italian named Alessi (I think) who had a job in Gibraltar, which would explain the great English with the not-quite-British accent to it. He had walked up the rock in flip flops, crazy if you ask me. We walked back toward the main building, somewhere he hadn't been, and stopped to observe the monkeys more. While there, they started fighting over something only the monkeys understand and I caught a video. We stopped back at the main building for more pictures, then more monkeys, and then took the cable car back down.
Walking back toward Spain, we talked a little and I told him about the trip. He said he might be in Italy when we are and could show us around Rome, so we exchanged information. I await an email.
After a bus ride back and a long shower, it was time to search for dinner. Another cultural difference between Algeciras and the rest of Spain is that stuff closes early. I regretted not stopping for fish and chips and ended up just having two apples. Most nutritious dinner I've ever eaten. Woke up the next day and caught the 8:30 to Madrid.
Best executive decision ever.
Barcelona: Nathan
So, I don't feel I need to say very much about Barcelona, Jordan pretty much covered it all except for the day she went to Valencia. I decided a night train to Cordoba was going to be more practical than a day train, so I ended up with the better part of a day still in Barcelona and a Metro pass to get me from place to place. The day itself started off late because I had to pick up laundry at 11:00 and I really didn't have much to do before then. Jordan had taken the computer for Brandeis stuff, so I couldn't do anything with that, so I checked out and walked around the area.
Being the nerd that I am, I tried to go to the railroad museum near Barcelona, but that late start killed me. I ended up in the right town just after 2 pm, but they stop admitting people at 2 pm, so I had made a trip for nothing, full gear on. Back to Barcelona I headed so that I could kill time until my train out.
I ended up eventually at Estacio Barcelona Sants, after getting off at the wrong place and waiting 15 minutes trying to figure out how to get out) and got the staff to let me through with my railpass and not a ticket (for the train I didn't need a ticket so I couldn't use that to get out). I decided I'd eat lunch, especially since I didn't have breakfast, find a locker for my bag, and go explore some more. With my brother so obsessed with FC Barcelona, I had to go take a picture of their futbol stadium. There was a concert that day and the music was enjoyable even from the outside of its expansive size. I bet at least 100,000 fans could stand in there and do all the stuff we see on TV that crazy futbol fans do. I also really wanted to see some of the Olympic leftovers and remembered there was an Olympic Museum there. Of course, one would naturally think: Olympic Museum is at the Olympic Village stop. And of course they would be as wrong as me (although the zoo is right there). The museum is actually built into the Montjuic Stadium in Montjuic Park on the other side of town. I picked a metro station because there weren't really any nearby, so it was going to be a walk anyway.
Montjuic Park is actually very cool in itself. There are a lot of museums there and a monastery in one part, along with the stadium. The walk was very pretty, but there were a lot of stairs. I got to the stadium finally and walked around because the museum was on the far side. Except it definitely wasn't. One of the signs nearby said it was under construction, so it seemed like a trip for naught. I continued walking around and discovered you could go inside the stadium for free. Maybe not such a bad excursion. While initially unimpressive, the stadium has a very unique history that upped my appreciation for it. Unlike most Olympic structures, this one was around prior to the Olympics for many years. It lived through the Spanish Civil War and was upgraded from time to time to host bigger and better events. For the Olympics, it got an extensive facelift and now can host some of the largest and most important futbol matches around, along with upcoming European Games events and other multinational athletic gatherings.
I walked back down from the park and hopped on the metro to go back to Sants. There, I picked up my bag and decided what to do for dinner. Unfortunately, McDonalds was cheap, hot, and had burgers so I opted for that instead of another tuna sandwich (that was very good) that I had for lunch. Let's just say McDonalds definitely isn't better in Spain.
I got on my night train, marveled at the stuff they gave me (a headset, a bottle of water, and a toiletries pack) and went to sleep. A little to well, but that's next post.
Sorry, that was more than I expected, even for not a full day. Algeciras and Gibraltar next.
Being the nerd that I am, I tried to go to the railroad museum near Barcelona, but that late start killed me. I ended up in the right town just after 2 pm, but they stop admitting people at 2 pm, so I had made a trip for nothing, full gear on. Back to Barcelona I headed so that I could kill time until my train out.
I ended up eventually at Estacio Barcelona Sants, after getting off at the wrong place and waiting 15 minutes trying to figure out how to get out) and got the staff to let me through with my railpass and not a ticket (for the train I didn't need a ticket so I couldn't use that to get out). I decided I'd eat lunch, especially since I didn't have breakfast, find a locker for my bag, and go explore some more. With my brother so obsessed with FC Barcelona, I had to go take a picture of their futbol stadium. There was a concert that day and the music was enjoyable even from the outside of its expansive size. I bet at least 100,000 fans could stand in there and do all the stuff we see on TV that crazy futbol fans do. I also really wanted to see some of the Olympic leftovers and remembered there was an Olympic Museum there. Of course, one would naturally think: Olympic Museum is at the Olympic Village stop. And of course they would be as wrong as me (although the zoo is right there). The museum is actually built into the Montjuic Stadium in Montjuic Park on the other side of town. I picked a metro station because there weren't really any nearby, so it was going to be a walk anyway.
Montjuic Park is actually very cool in itself. There are a lot of museums there and a monastery in one part, along with the stadium. The walk was very pretty, but there were a lot of stairs. I got to the stadium finally and walked around because the museum was on the far side. Except it definitely wasn't. One of the signs nearby said it was under construction, so it seemed like a trip for naught. I continued walking around and discovered you could go inside the stadium for free. Maybe not such a bad excursion. While initially unimpressive, the stadium has a very unique history that upped my appreciation for it. Unlike most Olympic structures, this one was around prior to the Olympics for many years. It lived through the Spanish Civil War and was upgraded from time to time to host bigger and better events. For the Olympics, it got an extensive facelift and now can host some of the largest and most important futbol matches around, along with upcoming European Games events and other multinational athletic gatherings.
I walked back down from the park and hopped on the metro to go back to Sants. There, I picked up my bag and decided what to do for dinner. Unfortunately, McDonalds was cheap, hot, and had burgers so I opted for that instead of another tuna sandwich (that was very good) that I had for lunch. Let's just say McDonalds definitely isn't better in Spain.
I got on my night train, marveled at the stuff they gave me (a headset, a bottle of water, and a toiletries pack) and went to sleep. A little to well, but that's next post.
Sorry, that was more than I expected, even for not a full day. Algeciras and Gibraltar next.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Valencia Day 2: Jordan
I woke up fairly early and headed out to once again explore the streets of Valencia, this time in the direction of el Mercado Central or the central market. I stopped at a pasteleria on the way to grab a quick breakfast and was told that they had a calabsita empanada. This is where the Spanish messed up in their language. Calabasita simply means squash, so me thinking that empanadas are usually sweet thought I was getting a pumpkin empanada to find that it actually had calabasitas, the little green squash. Now, of course it was good, it just threw me off guard to find my breakfast savory over sweet.
After breakfast I started in the direction of the Estacion del Norte and the old bullring. Sadly, the bullring is closed, but the glimpses I caught of the inside seemed really neat. After that, I started my trek towards the market. It was only a trek because I was in absolutely no hurry and decided that the map was useless. After wandering through stores, and churches and side streets I found the mercado. When I went inside I was completely overwhelmed.
There were booths full of fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, breads, salads, and seafood. It was huge and everything looked incredible. My first stop was to find me some famous Valencia oranges, which I did. I also grabbed a Valencia tomato (think of a beefsteak tomato heirloom cross) and some fresh mozzerela and headed back to the hostel for lunch.
After lunch I decided to go hunt down the mercado, the street version. I ended up in a little pueblo known as Benimaclet. The market had left, but the view was still there. There were tiny streets and quaint houses, shut up against the midday heat, with little balconies covered in flowers. The center of the pueblo had a little fountain and the streets were windy and narrow. Not long after my walk through Benimaclet I decided that it was just too hot. Hoping to avoid at least a little of the sun, I walked through the Jardin de Real or royal gardens towards the Museo de Bellas Artes, or fine arts museum. The museum created a perfect retreat from the heat, and the works of Spanish art were incredible and nearly tourist free.
After Bellas Artes, I walked back to the hostel, taking the scenic route through the riverbed garden. Feet aching, I stopped for a while on a nice shady grassy patch. One thing I love about the Spanish heat is that while it is scorching, if you walk into the shade somewhere the temperature automatically drops about 10 degrees.
I got to the hostel and took a little siesta, more of a do stuff that needs to be done on the internet kind of thing, and met my last roomate, Owen who happened to be a 6'7" civil engineer from Sydney Australia. Now that our room was complete, we could really enjoy ourselves.
The six of us made dinner and hung out in the common room until around 11:00 before deciding to go out for the night. We followed the crowd to a packed area of the city with people everywhere, sitting on benches, drinking at cafes and bars, and sitting on the sidewalk. We found a patch of empty space and sat down until it was finally late enough to hit a club. We found Radio City, said to be one of the more popular clubs in Valencia. It was ok, but we ended up having a good time anyway. We closed up the club wandering our way back to the hostel around 4:00 in the morning.
I don't know what it was about Valencia, but our little room of six had a great time, and got pretty close considering we were only there for a couple of days. I think it may have something to do with the fact that we were all traveling alone, and we all had similar ideas when it came to traveling and enjoying ourselves in Spain.
p.s. if you're ever in Spain, make the time to visit Valencia... all the charm of Spain with the stunning architecture of Paris and none of the obnoxious tourists!!!
Next up: Madrid
After breakfast I started in the direction of the Estacion del Norte and the old bullring. Sadly, the bullring is closed, but the glimpses I caught of the inside seemed really neat. After that, I started my trek towards the market. It was only a trek because I was in absolutely no hurry and decided that the map was useless. After wandering through stores, and churches and side streets I found the mercado. When I went inside I was completely overwhelmed.
There were booths full of fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, breads, salads, and seafood. It was huge and everything looked incredible. My first stop was to find me some famous Valencia oranges, which I did. I also grabbed a Valencia tomato (think of a beefsteak tomato heirloom cross) and some fresh mozzerela and headed back to the hostel for lunch.
After lunch I decided to go hunt down the mercado, the street version. I ended up in a little pueblo known as Benimaclet. The market had left, but the view was still there. There were tiny streets and quaint houses, shut up against the midday heat, with little balconies covered in flowers. The center of the pueblo had a little fountain and the streets were windy and narrow. Not long after my walk through Benimaclet I decided that it was just too hot. Hoping to avoid at least a little of the sun, I walked through the Jardin de Real or royal gardens towards the Museo de Bellas Artes, or fine arts museum. The museum created a perfect retreat from the heat, and the works of Spanish art were incredible and nearly tourist free.
After Bellas Artes, I walked back to the hostel, taking the scenic route through the riverbed garden. Feet aching, I stopped for a while on a nice shady grassy patch. One thing I love about the Spanish heat is that while it is scorching, if you walk into the shade somewhere the temperature automatically drops about 10 degrees.
I got to the hostel and took a little siesta, more of a do stuff that needs to be done on the internet kind of thing, and met my last roomate, Owen who happened to be a 6'7" civil engineer from Sydney Australia. Now that our room was complete, we could really enjoy ourselves.
The six of us made dinner and hung out in the common room until around 11:00 before deciding to go out for the night. We followed the crowd to a packed area of the city with people everywhere, sitting on benches, drinking at cafes and bars, and sitting on the sidewalk. We found a patch of empty space and sat down until it was finally late enough to hit a club. We found Radio City, said to be one of the more popular clubs in Valencia. It was ok, but we ended up having a good time anyway. We closed up the club wandering our way back to the hostel around 4:00 in the morning.
I don't know what it was about Valencia, but our little room of six had a great time, and got pretty close considering we were only there for a couple of days. I think it may have something to do with the fact that we were all traveling alone, and we all had similar ideas when it came to traveling and enjoying ourselves in Spain.
p.s. if you're ever in Spain, make the time to visit Valencia... all the charm of Spain with the stunning architecture of Paris and none of the obnoxious tourists!!!
Next up: Madrid
Valencia Day 1: Jordan
I arrived in Valencia after 5.5 hours on a Spanish low speed train at almost 3:00pm. First things first, I went to the station office and made reservations for the train to Madrid on the morning of the fourth, and then headed to the tourist office for a map. Unsure of where I was, I carefully followed the directions I saw on the map to a hostel that I had read about, but in true to me fashion, I hadn't made reservations. I walked up the beautiful streets and realized why Valencia was such a gem. A big city not quite on the beaten track, Valencia is beautifully constructed with marble sidewalks in their larger plaza and stunning architecture.
I finally found my way to the hostel with the help of a couple of very nice policemen along the way. I checked in to my six person dorm and headed up stairs to drop everything off. In the room I met my first roomate, Michael, a guy from Germany who was traveling about the same amount of time I am. Being the only two people in the room for the moment we talked a little bit about our trips and things until a second roomate walked in. Colin, a native New Yorker, had been studying in Granada and was now taking a little bit of time to travel Spain. After a while, the three of us parted ways as I headed out to explore the streets of Valencia.
I'm not quite sure where I was at all times. I think tourism is smaller in Valencia than in other cities and their map was very little help, mainly because it did not tell you what everything was. I didn't really mind though, every few feet was a beautiful building used either as a church, a cathedral, or a government building. I made my way over to the Tuleria (i think) park that runs through the entire city and used to be a river. It was really nice. I eventually ended up at what used to be an old Medieval tower. I climbed to the top of the tower and was greeted with a stunning view of the city. All I can say is: damn Valencia has a lot of churches.
After walking around for hours, I went back to the hostel, hungry and search of dinner. Michael, my German roomate, offered to cook together. It seemed like a good idea, so I went down to the supermarket (grocery store means nothing here) and grabbed some stuff to make a salad. I went back to the hostel and the two us made an excellent spaghetti, if I do say so myself. After dinner we met up with Colin and the other two roomates Dan and Sarah, Canadians traveling together for two years. The five of us decided to get out of the hostel and go find a place to chill out which we did.
I was really excited to have found good roomates because it is really hard to go out alone. Somehow our room just kind of clicked to create some strange dinner making, going out sort of travel group.
I finally found my way to the hostel with the help of a couple of very nice policemen along the way. I checked in to my six person dorm and headed up stairs to drop everything off. In the room I met my first roomate, Michael, a guy from Germany who was traveling about the same amount of time I am. Being the only two people in the room for the moment we talked a little bit about our trips and things until a second roomate walked in. Colin, a native New Yorker, had been studying in Granada and was now taking a little bit of time to travel Spain. After a while, the three of us parted ways as I headed out to explore the streets of Valencia.
I'm not quite sure where I was at all times. I think tourism is smaller in Valencia than in other cities and their map was very little help, mainly because it did not tell you what everything was. I didn't really mind though, every few feet was a beautiful building used either as a church, a cathedral, or a government building. I made my way over to the Tuleria (i think) park that runs through the entire city and used to be a river. It was really nice. I eventually ended up at what used to be an old Medieval tower. I climbed to the top of the tower and was greeted with a stunning view of the city. All I can say is: damn Valencia has a lot of churches.
After walking around for hours, I went back to the hostel, hungry and search of dinner. Michael, my German roomate, offered to cook together. It seemed like a good idea, so I went down to the supermarket (grocery store means nothing here) and grabbed some stuff to make a salad. I went back to the hostel and the two us made an excellent spaghetti, if I do say so myself. After dinner we met up with Colin and the other two roomates Dan and Sarah, Canadians traveling together for two years. The five of us decided to get out of the hostel and go find a place to chill out which we did.
I was really excited to have found good roomates because it is really hard to go out alone. Somehow our room just kind of clicked to create some strange dinner making, going out sort of travel group.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Barcelona Day 2 and Day 3: Jordan
Today was Gaudi day. After a semi-late start thanks to the night before, I didn't even head out until after 11:00. Nathan went to go run some errands, and I decided to head over to Park Guell, a natural park with pieces designed by Gaudi that I missed when I was in Spain with my Bobe in '05. After ditching my bike in a bike rack at the bottom of the hill leading up to the Park, I worked my way up the overly steep hill trying my best not to lose my footing or trip. After a tough trek up the hill I made it to the park to find that it was completely worth every minute of the walk up.
Gaudi or not, the park is gorgeous. It is situated on top of a hill that overlooks the entire city. Barcelona, I have to say is an interesting city to view from above. Surprisingly enough, none of the buildings are really that tall so things like the Sagrada Familia, stick out a lot. The view was made even more spectacular though by the shimmer of the Mediterranean at the very end. After working my way down from the view, I found myself at the famous park bench at Park Guell. Said to be the longest park bench in the world, it is an incredible display of tile and mosaic work designed by Gaudi. There are mosaics everywhere... on the bench, on the fountain at the entrance, on the vaulted ceiling supporting this giant park bench and so on (you get the idea). After walking around the park, I decided to find a grassy patch of park to write in my nonexistent journal.
Somehow I ended up talking to the guy who had a very similar idea (except his involved sleep) and we got to talking about our trips (a very popular topic among backpackers). There is even a standard list of questions:
1. the obvious, name
2. where are you from
3. how long are you staying "insert some european city here"
4. how long are you traveling
5. where have you been
6. where are you going
7. are you still at university
8. what are you/did you study
And then, depending on the person, you just kind of go from there. I found out that this guy was dutch, traveling for a year, and hitchiking, couch surfing, and genuinely spending as little money as possible. It sounded like a great trip, and it was really intersting to hear some of his experiences.
From Park Guell, I picked up my bike, rode it down what little hill was left and very slowly made my way back to the hostel. I had no idea where I was and the Park is actually on the other side of town from the hostel. It was a great ride. I saw a lot of the city and had very little worry of actually getting lost because I was following the city's bike lanes.
The next morning we woke up and headed straight for the beach. It was a beautiful, if not incredibley hot, day which made the Mediterranean look all the more inviting. I walked in the water hoping to avoid the heat, and was met with cold water. It felt great, after a while. The water is so clean and clear that where its shallow you can see the bottom and where its deep you can swim out without a worry of nasty jellyfish or seaweed. It was incredible and I spent way to long out there. I could tell because I was sunburnt the next day when I tried to put my backpack on.
Next up: Valencia?
Gaudi or not, the park is gorgeous. It is situated on top of a hill that overlooks the entire city. Barcelona, I have to say is an interesting city to view from above. Surprisingly enough, none of the buildings are really that tall so things like the Sagrada Familia, stick out a lot. The view was made even more spectacular though by the shimmer of the Mediterranean at the very end. After working my way down from the view, I found myself at the famous park bench at Park Guell. Said to be the longest park bench in the world, it is an incredible display of tile and mosaic work designed by Gaudi. There are mosaics everywhere... on the bench, on the fountain at the entrance, on the vaulted ceiling supporting this giant park bench and so on (you get the idea). After walking around the park, I decided to find a grassy patch of park to write in my nonexistent journal.
Somehow I ended up talking to the guy who had a very similar idea (except his involved sleep) and we got to talking about our trips (a very popular topic among backpackers). There is even a standard list of questions:
1. the obvious, name
2. where are you from
3. how long are you staying "insert some european city here"
4. how long are you traveling
5. where have you been
6. where are you going
7. are you still at university
8. what are you/did you study
And then, depending on the person, you just kind of go from there. I found out that this guy was dutch, traveling for a year, and hitchiking, couch surfing, and genuinely spending as little money as possible. It sounded like a great trip, and it was really intersting to hear some of his experiences.
From Park Guell, I picked up my bike, rode it down what little hill was left and very slowly made my way back to the hostel. I had no idea where I was and the Park is actually on the other side of town from the hostel. It was a great ride. I saw a lot of the city and had very little worry of actually getting lost because I was following the city's bike lanes.
The next morning we woke up and headed straight for the beach. It was a beautiful, if not incredibley hot, day which made the Mediterranean look all the more inviting. I walked in the water hoping to avoid the heat, and was met with cold water. It felt great, after a while. The water is so clean and clear that where its shallow you can see the bottom and where its deep you can swim out without a worry of nasty jellyfish or seaweed. It was incredible and I spent way to long out there. I could tell because I was sunburnt the next day when I tried to put my backpack on.
Next up: Valencia?
Barcelona Day .5 and Day 1: Jordan
Getting to Barcelona was quite a trek. It turns out everyone in Paris the weekend of the 26th wanted to go to Barcelona either the 28th or 29th. Luckily (sort of) we were able to manage two tickets on a day train from Paris to Montpellier and Montpellier to Barcelona. After 8 hours of traveling and 3 hours worth of layovers in train stations, we finally made it to Barcelona around 8:00. In most cities this would probably seem rather late, but in Barcelona this is when things are just getting started. With the Spanish siesta from 4 to 6 pm, dinner doesn’t even get started until around 8:00pm and goes until around midnight depending on what part of the city you are in.
With our hostel being on Carrer de Ferran, just a few feet from Las Ramblas (one of the major tourist areas in Barcelona) most restaurants were open until at least 11:00. After dropping our stuff off at the hostel that I had very luckily found during our layover in Montpellier, we headed out into the busy and crowded streets of Las Ramblas. We went to dinner at, oddly enough, a French restaurant called Las Qinze Nits. The funny thing is that the French food I had here, was better than the food I had in France. That may be because the cost of living (although still high in Barcelona) is lower than in Paris
The next day we went out and rented bikes, hoping that it would be a nice way to see the city. Turns out its not only a great way to se ethe city, but a great way to see the beach as well. Choosing to take the scenic route we rode along the beach as we made our way to La Sagrada Familia. I have been to Sagrada Familia before and can honestly say that I love it. The cathedral, designed by Gaudi in 1882, is still being built, and is an incredible masterpiece. It is probably on the strangest, and most modern looking churches I have ever seen. One of the spires is actually painted green and has white doves all over it. I was really excited to finally get to go inside the church, which has very little finished. The inside is covered in scaffolding and the ground is littered with work tools, stone, half finished mosaics, and workmen, still buzzing around working to put together Gaudi’s church.
After Sagrada Familia we biked our way back to the hostel. When I got to the room I decided that a walk on the beach was necessary. When we got back to the room we finally met one of our roomates, Jared, who hadn't been to the beach. The two of us went for a walk on the beach. The Mediterranean was beautiful around 6:30, not quite sunset, but the sun was in a strange enough place that it made the water look gold. When we got back from the beach we met our fourth roomate, Alistor from Melbourne Australia. After showering and changing we went downstairs with our roomates and met Jared's friends from Australia. The six of us then headed out to find food, which took a lot longer than it should because we were all chatting so much. After dinner we once again wandered around the overly crowded streets of Las Ramblas. I'm amazed at how many people were out on the street considering it was fast approaching midnight. You would never see that back home.
After dinner we were talked into going into this small little bar by a very nervous guy (who was most definitely not Spanish). The bar sucked, but it gave us a quick place to sit down and chill for a second. After more wandering (do you see the pattern) we finally settled on a club around 2:30am. Oddly enough the club was packed. I was surprised because it was 2:30am and it was a Monday night or technically a Tuesday morning. After closing down the club at 5:00am we headed back to the hostel to crash.
I cannot believe how many people were still on the streets as I walked home from the club. I drive home at midnight in San Antonio and the roads are completely empty. I walked down the street at 5:30am and was surrounded by people either going back to bed, or preparing to just stay out. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I had a really good time and was also shocked by the cultural difference that can even exist in the nightlife.
With our hostel being on Carrer de Ferran, just a few feet from Las Ramblas (one of the major tourist areas in Barcelona) most restaurants were open until at least 11:00. After dropping our stuff off at the hostel that I had very luckily found during our layover in Montpellier, we headed out into the busy and crowded streets of Las Ramblas. We went to dinner at, oddly enough, a French restaurant called Las Qinze Nits. The funny thing is that the French food I had here, was better than the food I had in France. That may be because the cost of living (although still high in Barcelona) is lower than in Paris
The next day we went out and rented bikes, hoping that it would be a nice way to see the city. Turns out its not only a great way to se ethe city, but a great way to see the beach as well. Choosing to take the scenic route we rode along the beach as we made our way to La Sagrada Familia. I have been to Sagrada Familia before and can honestly say that I love it. The cathedral, designed by Gaudi in 1882, is still being built, and is an incredible masterpiece. It is probably on the strangest, and most modern looking churches I have ever seen. One of the spires is actually painted green and has white doves all over it. I was really excited to finally get to go inside the church, which has very little finished. The inside is covered in scaffolding and the ground is littered with work tools, stone, half finished mosaics, and workmen, still buzzing around working to put together Gaudi’s church.
After Sagrada Familia we biked our way back to the hostel. When I got to the room I decided that a walk on the beach was necessary. When we got back to the room we finally met one of our roomates, Jared, who hadn't been to the beach. The two of us went for a walk on the beach. The Mediterranean was beautiful around 6:30, not quite sunset, but the sun was in a strange enough place that it made the water look gold. When we got back from the beach we met our fourth roomate, Alistor from Melbourne Australia. After showering and changing we went downstairs with our roomates and met Jared's friends from Australia. The six of us then headed out to find food, which took a lot longer than it should because we were all chatting so much. After dinner we once again wandered around the overly crowded streets of Las Ramblas. I'm amazed at how many people were out on the street considering it was fast approaching midnight. You would never see that back home.
After dinner we were talked into going into this small little bar by a very nervous guy (who was most definitely not Spanish). The bar sucked, but it gave us a quick place to sit down and chill for a second. After more wandering (do you see the pattern) we finally settled on a club around 2:30am. Oddly enough the club was packed. I was surprised because it was 2:30am and it was a Monday night or technically a Tuesday morning. After closing down the club at 5:00am we headed back to the hostel to crash.
I cannot believe how many people were still on the streets as I walked home from the club. I drive home at midnight in San Antonio and the roads are completely empty. I walked down the street at 5:30am and was surrounded by people either going back to bed, or preparing to just stay out. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I had a really good time and was also shocked by the cultural difference that can even exist in the nightlife.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Paris Day 2: Jordan
Our second day in Paris was really nice. We started out early hoping to avoid the mad rush of tourists that is Paris in summer. First we headed over to Notre Dam, which is actually located on a little mini island. We get to the cathedral around 9:30 thinking we are fairly ahead of the game, and find it packed. There are people everywhere, outside the cathedral. The square in front of the cathedral was packed with people and chairs, policemen and French boy scouts (which i thought was kind of funny). We walked around confused for about ten minutes until i finally decided just to ask one of the boy scouts what was going on. It turns out they were ordaining 10 new priests in a private ceremony. We figured we would come back later and made our way to the Musee d'Orsay.
We managed to make it to the Musee d'Orsay while it was still fairly quiet. The museum is a beautiful converted train station with a giant ornate clock on one end. The way the museum is designed you wander the ground floor, then go to the fifth floor and work your way down. The first floor had some absolutely incredible sculpture work set up in a style very similar to a sculpture garden. Branched off from the sculpture area are different galleries containing all different kinds of works. There was a really neat exhibit on Italian architecture and one on the French opera house which was probably the basis for the original Phantom of the Opera (which was in fact French).
The real gem of the Orsay, however, is its impressionist collection. The works by Van Gogh, Matisse, Pissarro, Gaugin (technically neo-impressionist i think), Manet, Monet, Degas (who i'd never heard of, but really enjoyed), and Renoir. It was absolutely incredible. I had never quite seen anything like it.
I finished up the museum first and decided to wander the area around the museum (its a bad habit, this wandering). I ended up running into the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Education which, me in all my nerdiness, thought was really cool. After my quick walk, we grabbed lunch at a little pastry shop (know i will not even attempt to write it in french) and grabbed a spot on the ground to eat before heading out. After lunch we decided to go to the Bastille. When we got off the metro the first thing we saw were rows of French national police. They're only slightly intimidating. Then we saw a car with a Palestinian flag on the front. Naturally we were both a little concerned and a little curious. We were even more curious when saw a man in the truck bed wearing a leather belt and pretty much nothing else, followed by a rainbow flag hanging out of the tail end of the truck.
Somehow we had ended up at the Paris gay parade. We figured it couldn't hurt to stay (unless of course the national police covered in riot gear got bored). It was crazy. There were people everywhere ranging from dressed normally, to half dressed, to completely costumed out. There were giant balloons, loud music, people everywhere. It was a lot of fun and something that was purely natural and Parisian, not touristy. We had a really good time.
I enjoyed Paris and I think its a beautiful city, but I feel the need to go back when it is not being invaded by giant tour buses. There were just too many tourists there, and yes I know I'm one of them, but still, I need to see it when the Parisians are still there and haven't gone to their summer getaways to escape the craziness.
Next up: Barcelona.
We managed to make it to the Musee d'Orsay while it was still fairly quiet. The museum is a beautiful converted train station with a giant ornate clock on one end. The way the museum is designed you wander the ground floor, then go to the fifth floor and work your way down. The first floor had some absolutely incredible sculpture work set up in a style very similar to a sculpture garden. Branched off from the sculpture area are different galleries containing all different kinds of works. There was a really neat exhibit on Italian architecture and one on the French opera house which was probably the basis for the original Phantom of the Opera (which was in fact French).
The real gem of the Orsay, however, is its impressionist collection. The works by Van Gogh, Matisse, Pissarro, Gaugin (technically neo-impressionist i think), Manet, Monet, Degas (who i'd never heard of, but really enjoyed), and Renoir. It was absolutely incredible. I had never quite seen anything like it.
I finished up the museum first and decided to wander the area around the museum (its a bad habit, this wandering). I ended up running into the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Education which, me in all my nerdiness, thought was really cool. After my quick walk, we grabbed lunch at a little pastry shop (know i will not even attempt to write it in french) and grabbed a spot on the ground to eat before heading out. After lunch we decided to go to the Bastille. When we got off the metro the first thing we saw were rows of French national police. They're only slightly intimidating. Then we saw a car with a Palestinian flag on the front. Naturally we were both a little concerned and a little curious. We were even more curious when saw a man in the truck bed wearing a leather belt and pretty much nothing else, followed by a rainbow flag hanging out of the tail end of the truck.
Somehow we had ended up at the Paris gay parade. We figured it couldn't hurt to stay (unless of course the national police covered in riot gear got bored). It was crazy. There were people everywhere ranging from dressed normally, to half dressed, to completely costumed out. There were giant balloons, loud music, people everywhere. It was a lot of fun and something that was purely natural and Parisian, not touristy. We had a really good time.
I enjoyed Paris and I think its a beautiful city, but I feel the need to go back when it is not being invaded by giant tour buses. There were just too many tourists there, and yes I know I'm one of them, but still, I need to see it when the Parisians are still there and haven't gone to their summer getaways to escape the craziness.
Next up: Barcelona.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)