Well the week in Spain turned out to be an interesting part of the trip. With the low point being the massive amounts of train travel and unbearable heat the high point was Sunday night in Madrid, bullfights and typical Spanish fare...
After two days in Barcelona - one of which was spent climbing a mountain multiple times until I found the correct route - I took the night train to Bilbao and then immediately got on the next train to A Coruna. But by 22:00 I was just plain tired of trains - so I got off. I ended up in Santiago de Compostela, the most beautiful city in Spain. The town was packed with pilgrims and tourists but I managed to get the very last bed in a hostel and I spent two days in town exploring and photographing the old city.
Once again the train schedule screwed me over and I spent another 12 hours during the day on a train to get to Madrid. On the upside I used this time to read 8 books, catch up in my journal and I also started writing poetry. (Which I've always thought I'd hate, but it was on my To do list from Dara and I seem to have kept a lot of poetry in my head that needed the be written down and Spain was definitely an inspirational place.) From the capital I intended to do a number of day trips, but after a rather unsuccessful one to Sevilla, the unbearable heat this far south and my diminished bank account I ended up spending three days in Madrid.
Sevilla was beautiful - I got lost in the old city and wandered the deserted narrow alleyways. By the time I found the touristy area it was 40 degrees and I had to stop for lunch just to take advantage of the air conditioning. The tourist area was not quite the same as the back alleys so I walked along the river and through the shopping streets back to the train station - a 3km walk in 40 degree weather. Needless to say, watching Alvin and the Chipmunks in Spanish on the air conditioned train was a highpoint...
I had had to upgrade to first class in order to get back to Madrid and that combined with booking the 50 euro ticket to Switzerland for Tuesday was my funds for the week and so I spent my time in Madrid on strict budget. I went to the art museum, explored the city, saw the major plazas and sites, found a used book store, and even went to the movies to get out of the sun one afternoon - Sexo en Neuva York...
Sunday night I went to Las Ventas to see the Bullfight. Three matadors fought 2 bulls each while the crowd whistled and booed and chose a final winner of each round. The third matador -who was only 17!! - was definitely the best and won the first round. In the second round the bull flipped him over his head and knocked him out - he had to be carried away and the first matador finished the fight. (another man was trampled and the other matadors both had their own embarrassing moments as well).
After the fight I met up with two American guys I had met at the hostel and we went to see the major sights by night and then found a little bar near the hostel for a very late dinner. Ordering a variety of Tapas - small portions of food - are a typical Spanish meal, and the guys ordered a lot. We had calamari, deep fried shrimp, coquettas, stuffed peppers, olives, spicy potatoes and a pitcher of Sangria. We stayed until the bar closed and then I fell asleep exhausted while they waited for their taxi to take them to the airport.
Next update will be of Switzerland and my journey home... I can't believe it's almost over and yet I'm counting down the days!
July 17, 2008
How to sweep a a girl off her feet
France again was definitely a good decision. I almost skipped out on visiting an old friend, thinking I’d be saving time by getting to Spain and possibly avoiding some awkwardness. But, as it turned out things worked out great. Immediately we hit it off after ending things quite oddly four years ago. We have both changed in drastic and not all that differently of ways. We spent hours talking and then three days exploring Bordeaux and the nearby beach town of Arcachon. Once kind of dating – ‘getting to know one another better’ back in our super pious days we were now picking out attractive guys together – ok so he has changed more than I have.
We were staying with a French friend of his and her mother in their apartment in the outer part of the city. Besides spending lazy days wandering the city we also spent lots of time lazing around her place, I finally got to shower! And sleep in a bed again! This time I felt I was truly experiencing France – the long drawn out meals which each included Rose, bread and cheeses and chocolates for desert whether it was our picnic on the beach or a huge dinner of leftovers from a work party of goose pate and cold meats and cheeses with raspberry cake for desert.
For the first time ever I also had someone to see me off at a train station. We took photos in the photomaton and they waved as the train departed. It was while here that I also decided it was time to come home and changed my plane ticket. However I still have two weeks to go. Since leaving things have been much less pleasant. With lots of trains, getting stuck in odd places, cancelations and rude people. Being on my own again doesn’t seem as ideal now that I spent time with such wonderful people in France and it doesn’t help that my newly learned French seems to have replaced all the Spanish vocabulary in my memory. As I write this I am on a train in Spain that I had no intention of being on but the man at the train station was really rude and I got so frustrated I left Bilbao without seeing a thing. Meaning, I’ve now been on a train (or series thereof) for the past 22 hours… and counting. Hopefully when I finally get off I’ll be able to find a place to sleep for the night and don’t end up on a night train for the mere convenience of it…
We were staying with a French friend of his and her mother in their apartment in the outer part of the city. Besides spending lazy days wandering the city we also spent lots of time lazing around her place, I finally got to shower! And sleep in a bed again! This time I felt I was truly experiencing France – the long drawn out meals which each included Rose, bread and cheeses and chocolates for desert whether it was our picnic on the beach or a huge dinner of leftovers from a work party of goose pate and cold meats and cheeses with raspberry cake for desert.
For the first time ever I also had someone to see me off at a train station. We took photos in the photomaton and they waved as the train departed. It was while here that I also decided it was time to come home and changed my plane ticket. However I still have two weeks to go. Since leaving things have been much less pleasant. With lots of trains, getting stuck in odd places, cancelations and rude people. Being on my own again doesn’t seem as ideal now that I spent time with such wonderful people in France and it doesn’t help that my newly learned French seems to have replaced all the Spanish vocabulary in my memory. As I write this I am on a train in Spain that I had no intention of being on but the man at the train station was really rude and I got so frustrated I left Bilbao without seeing a thing. Meaning, I’ve now been on a train (or series thereof) for the past 22 hours… and counting. Hopefully when I finally get off I’ll be able to find a place to sleep for the night and don’t end up on a night train for the mere convenience of it…
Love is an exploding cigar we willingly smoke (anon)
Roskilde Festival... The most wonderful musical week. We arrived Sunday afternoon and set up our tent – the first few nights were freezing and the last few were too hot to sleep-in in the mornings.
From Sunday to Wednesday were the ‘warm up’ where it was all about the ‘more than music’ part of the festival. Every camping area had a theme and activities at the agora. "When thousands of festive festival guests move into their tents in a matter of days outside of Roskilde, an intoxicated confusion of crashed festival colours, bright banners and pavilions ready to drop is created - a unique patchwork of tent pegs, heads-on approaches and miles of duct tape."
We were staying in “Quiet and Clean” although really – maybe that was just in comparison to the other Agoras… Things to keep one entertained at the other agora’s were a plastic skating rink (really! It actually works – you can ice skate on plastic), a lake (it was freezing but it kept me clean), a cinema (where we saw I’m not there and then also saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show – everyone was dressed up and dancing in the aisles and they gave us survival kits complete with stuff to throw at the screen). At other places were a skate park, video games, fishing lake, and more. Everywhere was lots of food stalls and people lounging around, drinking and partying. A small part of the festival ground was also open and on the smallest stage they showed up and coming Scandinavian bands. Of the three I saw – two were good.
Thursday to Sunday was the music festival with dozens of awesome bands. With 6 stages there was almost always more than one band playing at a time.
Cat power, radiohead, duffy, kate nash, jose gonzalez, neil young, girltalk, black mountain, black seeds, band of horses, chemical brothers, solomon burke, goldfrapp, judas priest, babylove and the van dangoes, juan formell y los van van, tokyo police club, lupe fiasco, the raveonettes, cadence weapon, nicole atkins and the sea, Digitalism, swollen members, holy fuck, when saints go machine, Jay-z, the streets, tina dico, Hot Chip,
and a couple dozen more...
Duffy was the first on Thursday afternoon. I fell in love during the Radiohead concert Thursday night - a miraculous performance. And the next three days were exhausting - dancing to every type of music, walking through the festival grounds going from one concert to another. Sometimes I'd wait and be there front and center when they started sometimes I'd be laying on the grass outside the tents listening and enjoying the music. (the grass which by Sunday was just dusty packed dirt).
Saturday I discovered the wonders of dance music - teh Ting Tings and Girltalk were both amazingly fun. I also supported all the Canadian Bands present then and even met Josh Hook - the guitarist of Tokyo Police Club - after their performance.
Sunday night was Hot Chip - where I was right up front dancing my heart out, trying to avoid the naked guy about two people away... Afterwards it was pouring out - the first time in 8 days. Just in time for Jay-z. The only concert when there was nothing else going on simultaneously, he didn't really fit with the rest of the music and it was the first time that the field in front of the main stage wasn't full. But not to miss an opportunity I was determined to dance - if anything the mud just made it slippery and more fun. Soaked in my new hoodie i left half way through and waited for Digitalism to end the weekend off properly.
In all it was an amazing week of hyperactivity, music, dancing, highstrung nerves, dancing, dust, music, tents, and tall danish people. It was absolutely wonderful!
From Sunday to Wednesday were the ‘warm up’ where it was all about the ‘more than music’ part of the festival. Every camping area had a theme and activities at the agora. "When thousands of festive festival guests move into their tents in a matter of days outside of Roskilde, an intoxicated confusion of crashed festival colours, bright banners and pavilions ready to drop is created - a unique patchwork of tent pegs, heads-on approaches and miles of duct tape."
We were staying in “Quiet and Clean” although really – maybe that was just in comparison to the other Agoras… Things to keep one entertained at the other agora’s were a plastic skating rink (really! It actually works – you can ice skate on plastic), a lake (it was freezing but it kept me clean), a cinema (where we saw I’m not there and then also saw the Rocky Horror Picture Show – everyone was dressed up and dancing in the aisles and they gave us survival kits complete with stuff to throw at the screen). At other places were a skate park, video games, fishing lake, and more. Everywhere was lots of food stalls and people lounging around, drinking and partying. A small part of the festival ground was also open and on the smallest stage they showed up and coming Scandinavian bands. Of the three I saw – two were good.
Thursday to Sunday was the music festival with dozens of awesome bands. With 6 stages there was almost always more than one band playing at a time.
Cat power, radiohead, duffy, kate nash, jose gonzalez, neil young, girltalk, black mountain, black seeds, band of horses, chemical brothers, solomon burke, goldfrapp, judas priest, babylove and the van dangoes, juan formell y los van van, tokyo police club, lupe fiasco, the raveonettes, cadence weapon, nicole atkins and the sea, Digitalism, swollen members, holy fuck, when saints go machine, Jay-z, the streets, tina dico, Hot Chip,
and a couple dozen more...
Duffy was the first on Thursday afternoon. I fell in love during the Radiohead concert Thursday night - a miraculous performance. And the next three days were exhausting - dancing to every type of music, walking through the festival grounds going from one concert to another. Sometimes I'd wait and be there front and center when they started sometimes I'd be laying on the grass outside the tents listening and enjoying the music. (the grass which by Sunday was just dusty packed dirt).
Saturday I discovered the wonders of dance music - teh Ting Tings and Girltalk were both amazingly fun. I also supported all the Canadian Bands present then and even met Josh Hook - the guitarist of Tokyo Police Club - after their performance.
Sunday night was Hot Chip - where I was right up front dancing my heart out, trying to avoid the naked guy about two people away... Afterwards it was pouring out - the first time in 8 days. Just in time for Jay-z. The only concert when there was nothing else going on simultaneously, he didn't really fit with the rest of the music and it was the first time that the field in front of the main stage wasn't full. But not to miss an opportunity I was determined to dance - if anything the mud just made it slippery and more fun. Soaked in my new hoodie i left half way through and waited for Digitalism to end the weekend off properly.
In all it was an amazing week of hyperactivity, music, dancing, highstrung nerves, dancing, dust, music, tents, and tall danish people. It was absolutely wonderful!
July 04, 2008
I don't want to harm ya, i am not your armour, i am your friend
Scandinavia...
To get from Germany to Denmark the train enters a ferry and while we cross it is required that all passengers disembark – as if we mind! The ferry ride wasn’t long and I ate as I sat at the very front of the boat and watched the far shore approach. And only a few more hours to Kobenhavn…
Yet again I spent one afternoon in a capital city and seem to have exhausted things to do here. Granted I didn’t make it far enough along the coast to see the royal families palaces and gardens, and I didn’t go to any museums or galleries – so I’m sure I could enjoy the city if I cam back but I had no qualms with going to be at about 8. Don’t get me wrong – the city was great, lots of pedestrian streets and people walking about and the river and canals just lined with ships and colourful sails.
But off again and we were in Sweden by the end of the next day!
Stockholm was one of my favourite cities. Full stop. It had the atmosphere of the kind of city you could live in, the vibrancy and beauty of a city both steeped in history and a very up and coming place.
Immediately decided to stay longer and I spent the next three days exploring. The city is actually on a bunch of islands all connected by huge bridges. First explored was the old city on Gamla Stan for its photographic opportunities. South of there was a more bohemian neighborhood which I still didn’t even manage to pass the border of (I guess I’ll need to come back!) To the north of gamla stan was the city centre where we explored and bought a tent for the Roskilde Music fest. To the north east was the un-identifiable area where I stayed. To the west was a little island with the Modern Art Museum (amazing!) and the architecture museum (not so amazing…) Further west still was the huge island of – all parkland where we set up our tent – just to practice. Mostly I walked around the city with my camera photographing people, old buildings and alleyways. The art museum was up there with the Guggenheim in Venice and the Louvre and L’Orangerie as my favourite museums yet.
We decided to skip Helsinki and stopped in Gothenburg on the way back towards Denmark. We got there late afternoon and explored the park outside the hostel where there was a blues festival starting up. We headed back early to do laundry but stopped first for sushi. Although it was vegetarian sushi it was the first sushi I’d ever had – and it was partially good, partially I could do withoutish.
And continuing on in Scandinavia we returned to Denmark to go to the music festival at Roskilde… (also, Roskilde is a very nice old town. A medieval Viking town with the old ships in the river and very busy along the main street with the festival goers)!
To get from Germany to Denmark the train enters a ferry and while we cross it is required that all passengers disembark – as if we mind! The ferry ride wasn’t long and I ate as I sat at the very front of the boat and watched the far shore approach. And only a few more hours to Kobenhavn…
Yet again I spent one afternoon in a capital city and seem to have exhausted things to do here. Granted I didn’t make it far enough along the coast to see the royal families palaces and gardens, and I didn’t go to any museums or galleries – so I’m sure I could enjoy the city if I cam back but I had no qualms with going to be at about 8. Don’t get me wrong – the city was great, lots of pedestrian streets and people walking about and the river and canals just lined with ships and colourful sails.
But off again and we were in Sweden by the end of the next day!
Stockholm was one of my favourite cities. Full stop. It had the atmosphere of the kind of city you could live in, the vibrancy and beauty of a city both steeped in history and a very up and coming place.
Immediately decided to stay longer and I spent the next three days exploring. The city is actually on a bunch of islands all connected by huge bridges. First explored was the old city on Gamla Stan for its photographic opportunities. South of there was a more bohemian neighborhood which I still didn’t even manage to pass the border of (I guess I’ll need to come back!) To the north of gamla stan was the city centre where we explored and bought a tent for the Roskilde Music fest. To the north east was the un-identifiable area where I stayed. To the west was a little island with the Modern Art Museum (amazing!) and the architecture museum (not so amazing…) Further west still was the huge island of – all parkland where we set up our tent – just to practice. Mostly I walked around the city with my camera photographing people, old buildings and alleyways. The art museum was up there with the Guggenheim in Venice and the Louvre and L’Orangerie as my favourite museums yet.
We decided to skip Helsinki and stopped in Gothenburg on the way back towards Denmark. We got there late afternoon and explored the park outside the hostel where there was a blues festival starting up. We headed back early to do laundry but stopped first for sushi. Although it was vegetarian sushi it was the first sushi I’d ever had – and it was partially good, partially I could do withoutish.
And continuing on in Scandinavia we returned to Denmark to go to the music festival at Roskilde… (also, Roskilde is a very nice old town. A medieval Viking town with the old ships in the river and very busy along the main street with the festival goers)!
June 28, 2008
Never mistake motion for action (hemingway)
Another night train (they just get better and better) and half a day of traveling and we’re back in Germany. First stop – Frankfurt.
Two nights in Frankfurt allowed us an evening to explore the city, and see the major squares and monuments. The next day we took a train and bus and walk out to the Baha’i House of Worship (there’s one per continent so this was not to be missed and is now the third I’ve visited)
Once we got back to the city we visited the Museum of Modern Art and the OTHER ART MUSEUM. Both fantastic and not to be missed.
Nest was Hamburg – although, I’ll admit now - I didn’t really see it. Chandra’s sister Penny lives in Othmarschen outside of the suburb of Altona outside of Hamburg. So we headed straight there, and although the intention was to kick back for the weekend as well as going back in to see the city, it didn’t happen. I had a cold and spent the first few days recovering and getting caught up on some much needed sleep. I did however find the time to explore Altona and Othmarschen. Mostly though I listened to my audio book of Harry Potter and discovered the wonders of television – specifically Veronica Mars and Doctor Who which they had the complete seasons of. (How had I lived without seeing these previously? In blissful ignorance). We also celebrate Luke’s’ first birthday on the Sunday afternoon and I got my own birthday cake as well.
Monday we made a day trip from Penny’ and David’s to see Berlin. I walked the entire city, seeing the various monuments, churches, squares, plazas, and museums. I also went to the museum at the site of the original Gestapo headquarters. I met up with Chandra later in the afternoon, explored a little of the other side of the river where the TV tower and an older quarter are and then caught the train back to Hamburg.
The next morning we headed off for Copenhagen… But Munich is yet to come. (Hopefully!)
Two nights in Frankfurt allowed us an evening to explore the city, and see the major squares and monuments. The next day we took a train and bus and walk out to the Baha’i House of Worship (there’s one per continent so this was not to be missed and is now the third I’ve visited)
Once we got back to the city we visited the Museum of Modern Art and the OTHER ART MUSEUM. Both fantastic and not to be missed.
Nest was Hamburg – although, I’ll admit now - I didn’t really see it. Chandra’s sister Penny lives in Othmarschen outside of the suburb of Altona outside of Hamburg. So we headed straight there, and although the intention was to kick back for the weekend as well as going back in to see the city, it didn’t happen. I had a cold and spent the first few days recovering and getting caught up on some much needed sleep. I did however find the time to explore Altona and Othmarschen. Mostly though I listened to my audio book of Harry Potter and discovered the wonders of television – specifically Veronica Mars and Doctor Who which they had the complete seasons of. (How had I lived without seeing these previously? In blissful ignorance). We also celebrate Luke’s’ first birthday on the Sunday afternoon and I got my own birthday cake as well.
Monday we made a day trip from Penny’ and David’s to see Berlin. I walked the entire city, seeing the various monuments, churches, squares, plazas, and museums. I also went to the museum at the site of the original Gestapo headquarters. I met up with Chandra later in the afternoon, explored a little of the other side of the river where the TV tower and an older quarter are and then caught the train back to Hamburg.
The next morning we headed off for Copenhagen… But Munich is yet to come. (Hopefully!)
June 20, 2008
"I am Dracula, and I bid you welcome . . . "
"We are in Transylvania, and Transylvania is not England. Our ways are not your ways, and there shall be to you many strange things."
Transylvania and the search for vampires in Romania led to no long awaited fulfillment of dreams but to some interesting discoveries nonetheless.
From Paris we took a night train to Munich and then continued on to spend an afternoon in Vienna Austria. After a few hours exploring the downtown and the ‘Fan zone’ set up for the UEFA EURO 2008 championship it was another night train to Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Sunday morning we awoke on the train and had another half day to go through the country before we made it there.
Bucharest, only recently escaped from communist rule is a city showing signs of a rough passing. The ancient architecture is mixed with the high-rises and tenements of the 60s concrete convenient building style. The parliament building is the second largest building in the world (after the Pentagon) and the road leading up to it was constructed to be another Champs D’Elysees – it’s obviously failed. The opposite end of this road is a little times square of traffic and billboards although everything else seems to be missing to give it any energy. And just behind those billboards and the endless arrays of parked cars (anywhere and everywhere is a parking space in Bucharest) is the Old City. Ripped up for materials and political statement it is in complete disarray. The dirt roads have piles of cobblestones sporadically around the planks laid down as make shift sidewalks. Bars lay out additional planks in the dirt to create patio space since the roads are not usable. Only the first floor of the majority of the buildings is still usable – the upper floors hollowed out or missing. No remaining surface is clean of graffiti and yet it has more charm than the remainder of the city.
The region north of the capital, crossing the mountains is known as Transylvania. Dracula – once known as Prince Vlad or Vlad the Impaler – was born in the city of Sighasora. I took the train up to Sinaia on a day trip from Bucharest where there was meant to be an old castle. But, alas, I got lost and hiked up the mountain alongside a narrow highway. Still it was interesting to see the people living there and the variety of houses and architecture out in these more peasant towns.
Tuesday – my birthday, although no one knew it (or remembered) – we left Bucharest for the university town of Brasov. From here we took a bus out to Bran. This area of Transylvania felt like being in the center, dry hot areas of Honduras – similar people, vendors and public transportation as well as scenery. In bran we easily found the castle and discovered it to be that of Queen Maria of Romania who was a Baha’i. (I was traveling at this point with a Baha’i from Australia and a Scottish girl from the hostel). The castle was far from the intimidating medieval castles of vampires and gothic stories but a real fairytale home complete with the flapper fashions of the queen and her daughter. So in conclusion – I still want to be a vampire, I also want to wear vintage clothing and live in a little white castle in the mountains and eat Romanian pastries (tiny bite size little pastries, each a surprise in variety of flavours – from apricot or chocolate to potato, or sesame)
No man knows till he has suffered from the night how sweet and dear to his heart and eye the morning can be.
Transylvania and the search for vampires in Romania led to no long awaited fulfillment of dreams but to some interesting discoveries nonetheless.
From Paris we took a night train to Munich and then continued on to spend an afternoon in Vienna Austria. After a few hours exploring the downtown and the ‘Fan zone’ set up for the UEFA EURO 2008 championship it was another night train to Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Sunday morning we awoke on the train and had another half day to go through the country before we made it there.
Bucharest, only recently escaped from communist rule is a city showing signs of a rough passing. The ancient architecture is mixed with the high-rises and tenements of the 60s concrete convenient building style. The parliament building is the second largest building in the world (after the Pentagon) and the road leading up to it was constructed to be another Champs D’Elysees – it’s obviously failed. The opposite end of this road is a little times square of traffic and billboards although everything else seems to be missing to give it any energy. And just behind those billboards and the endless arrays of parked cars (anywhere and everywhere is a parking space in Bucharest) is the Old City. Ripped up for materials and political statement it is in complete disarray. The dirt roads have piles of cobblestones sporadically around the planks laid down as make shift sidewalks. Bars lay out additional planks in the dirt to create patio space since the roads are not usable. Only the first floor of the majority of the buildings is still usable – the upper floors hollowed out or missing. No remaining surface is clean of graffiti and yet it has more charm than the remainder of the city.
The region north of the capital, crossing the mountains is known as Transylvania. Dracula – once known as Prince Vlad or Vlad the Impaler – was born in the city of Sighasora. I took the train up to Sinaia on a day trip from Bucharest where there was meant to be an old castle. But, alas, I got lost and hiked up the mountain alongside a narrow highway. Still it was interesting to see the people living there and the variety of houses and architecture out in these more peasant towns.
Tuesday – my birthday, although no one knew it (or remembered) – we left Bucharest for the university town of Brasov. From here we took a bus out to Bran. This area of Transylvania felt like being in the center, dry hot areas of Honduras – similar people, vendors and public transportation as well as scenery. In bran we easily found the castle and discovered it to be that of Queen Maria of Romania who was a Baha’i. (I was traveling at this point with a Baha’i from Australia and a Scottish girl from the hostel). The castle was far from the intimidating medieval castles of vampires and gothic stories but a real fairytale home complete with the flapper fashions of the queen and her daughter. So in conclusion – I still want to be a vampire, I also want to wear vintage clothing and live in a little white castle in the mountains and eat Romanian pastries (tiny bite size little pastries, each a surprise in variety of flavours – from apricot or chocolate to potato, or sesame)
No man knows till he has suffered from the night how sweet and dear to his heart and eye the morning can be.
June 17, 2008
There is no love sincerer than the love of food. - shaw
Two weeks in France was amazing, as well as being more than enough time.
My first week was spent sharing a small apartment in Paris with Chandra, and her sister Penny and family (Partner David, 11 month old son Luke, and crazy mother-in-law Katie). As much as they yelled to make up for my annoying quietness and pushed me to be bold I learned to appreciate the amounts of free food they forced on me and the amount they taught me about fine foods. Plus the conveniently located flat near the Bastille put everything within walking distance.
More than anything, I have learned to appreciate food in this country. I know the difference between a loaf of French bread that looks much like a baguette and a real baguette. Am learning about cheeses - having doubled the amount of types of cheeses I'd previously experience. Am a connoisseur of Parisian pastries. And have never had so many different types of chocolate as Penny has bought for a single week in Paris.
There was so much to do here as well that I didn't make it to the Louvre until our very last day. Before that was days filled with sites (the Arc de Triomph, Eiffel Tower, Champs d'Elysees, and everything in between was one day) and days dedicated to exploring smaller areas (the catacombs, a cemetery, or some markets and gardens) On the sunday all the museums were free and after returning from Versaille I made it to the Musee d'Orsay and the L'Orangerie where I saw the most wonderful of Monet's masterpieces.
After Paris, France went quickly. The day we left Paris we saw his gardens in Giverny and then spent the night in the wonderful little town of Orleans. And whether or not this is how one may want to spend time in France we then saw Jackpot at the local cinema. a guilty pleasure. And still funny in French. The next day was Amboise and its chateaux and a night in a local community center on an island. Then a long train trip to get to La Rochelle -the white city - on the Atlantic Coast. A quite touristy, but still pleasant quaint town on the Atlantic coast. Centered around an old harbor with medieval towers and turreted walls the city has a couple small beaches and lots of expensive restaurants. We had a small ‘studio’ – a room with a bed, a desk and a stove – which was right in the centre and provided us with the means of cooking our own dinners. In the morning we rented bicycles and followed the coast past the yacht club, the beach, through the park and along the fields and increasingly rock coastline. Eventually we turned in to come back into town and realized we were completely lost and seemed to be in a different suburb or town all together. But we managed to find our way back, and worn out spent the rest of the day on the windy beach.
Although hoping to leave La Rochelle early in the morning and making good time… we spent an entire day getting from there to our next stop – Biarritz – mostly waiting in train stations.
Biarritz is a surfing town further along the coast in Basque country where French and Spanish culture mixes. From there we also took the bus to St-Jean-de-Luz, a small fishing town.
Traveling next along the south, the Mediterranean coast we went through Arles, Marseille and from Toulon –Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, and Nice. Arles, my favorite place in France, was poor and dirty. The streets were largely empty, with locals wandering and biking through the narrow streets. Knowing that Van Gogh had lived there, although the house is gone and he did most of his paintings in the countryside, added to the mystery and splendor of the town.
From Toulon we did a series of day trips, and spent the time in Toulon exploring at night, and doing laundry in the morning. We were meant to go to Chamonix next, and when we made reservations the only train we could take left at 4:30 in the morning, but we found upon arriving then that there was a strike and the first train to leave the station would be at 5:30 –for Paris. So we got on the train for lack of anything else to do and figure things out from there. We had to spend a day in Paris, and then we took a night train to Munich, another train to Vienna where we spent an afternoon, and then another night train to Bucharest Romania…
My first week was spent sharing a small apartment in Paris with Chandra, and her sister Penny and family (Partner David, 11 month old son Luke, and crazy mother-in-law Katie). As much as they yelled to make up for my annoying quietness and pushed me to be bold I learned to appreciate the amounts of free food they forced on me and the amount they taught me about fine foods. Plus the conveniently located flat near the Bastille put everything within walking distance.
More than anything, I have learned to appreciate food in this country. I know the difference between a loaf of French bread that looks much like a baguette and a real baguette. Am learning about cheeses - having doubled the amount of types of cheeses I'd previously experience. Am a connoisseur of Parisian pastries. And have never had so many different types of chocolate as Penny has bought for a single week in Paris.
There was so much to do here as well that I didn't make it to the Louvre until our very last day. Before that was days filled with sites (the Arc de Triomph, Eiffel Tower, Champs d'Elysees, and everything in between was one day) and days dedicated to exploring smaller areas (the catacombs, a cemetery, or some markets and gardens) On the sunday all the museums were free and after returning from Versaille I made it to the Musee d'Orsay and the L'Orangerie where I saw the most wonderful of Monet's masterpieces.
After Paris, France went quickly. The day we left Paris we saw his gardens in Giverny and then spent the night in the wonderful little town of Orleans. And whether or not this is how one may want to spend time in France we then saw Jackpot at the local cinema. a guilty pleasure. And still funny in French. The next day was Amboise and its chateaux and a night in a local community center on an island. Then a long train trip to get to La Rochelle -the white city - on the Atlantic Coast. A quite touristy, but still pleasant quaint town on the Atlantic coast. Centered around an old harbor with medieval towers and turreted walls the city has a couple small beaches and lots of expensive restaurants. We had a small ‘studio’ – a room with a bed, a desk and a stove – which was right in the centre and provided us with the means of cooking our own dinners. In the morning we rented bicycles and followed the coast past the yacht club, the beach, through the park and along the fields and increasingly rock coastline. Eventually we turned in to come back into town and realized we were completely lost and seemed to be in a different suburb or town all together. But we managed to find our way back, and worn out spent the rest of the day on the windy beach.
Although hoping to leave La Rochelle early in the morning and making good time… we spent an entire day getting from there to our next stop – Biarritz – mostly waiting in train stations.
Biarritz is a surfing town further along the coast in Basque country where French and Spanish culture mixes. From there we also took the bus to St-Jean-de-Luz, a small fishing town.
Traveling next along the south, the Mediterranean coast we went through Arles, Marseille and from Toulon –Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, and Nice. Arles, my favorite place in France, was poor and dirty. The streets were largely empty, with locals wandering and biking through the narrow streets. Knowing that Van Gogh had lived there, although the house is gone and he did most of his paintings in the countryside, added to the mystery and splendor of the town.
From Toulon we did a series of day trips, and spent the time in Toulon exploring at night, and doing laundry in the morning. We were meant to go to Chamonix next, and when we made reservations the only train we could take left at 4:30 in the morning, but we found upon arriving then that there was a strike and the first train to leave the station would be at 5:30 –for Paris. So we got on the train for lack of anything else to do and figure things out from there. We had to spend a day in Paris, and then we took a night train to Munich, another train to Vienna where we spent an afternoon, and then another night train to Bucharest Romania…
May 22, 2008
a perpindicular expression of a horizontal desire. - shaw (of dancing)
Imagine the perfect little english town - a sleepy place, at the very end of the underground line - as far from London as you can be without being inaccessible. The narrow laneways all lined with small brick houses, overflowing gardens both out front and back. Neighbours talking along the high street where the children address their school teacher as miss and are visibly stealing from the local market. People sit reading the local paper, others pass walking the dog, all with a friendly hello. You catch snippets of conversation - all including the latest soap, the royal family, gardening, and neighbouring villages.
But then you realize that you must be playing into some sort of stereotype and can English towns really be That different from Canadian ones? And if anything - there can't be that much to say about the royal family!
But then you come to Chesham - indeed the end of the metro line, settled snuggly on the hill between Amersham and Berhamstead - the perfect little sleepy English town. Where the neighbours do have you over for dinner, and I eating more than I've eaten in the past week sleepily listened to conversation about Gardening, their family and neighbours, the best markets and restaurants in the dozen surrounding villages and of course the Royal Family (And the weight they have lost!).
And not far from London, its made for a good weekend. Two days to catch up on sleeping and journaling in Chesham, and a weekend of royal gardens, art museums (the tate was Amazing!) and theatre in the city. Saturday was Havana Rakatan - a night of Cuban dancing, and Monday will be the matine of the ballet of Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Opera House and for the evening we are going to see Wicked! Plus tonight we are going to "Shake your booty" at the local pub George and Dragon for the bank holiday. All the pubs here have two names - george & dragon, the booth & slipper, and rabbit & hare.... but I'll be getting my true English pub experience!
But then you realize that you must be playing into some sort of stereotype and can English towns really be That different from Canadian ones? And if anything - there can't be that much to say about the royal family!
But then you come to Chesham - indeed the end of the metro line, settled snuggly on the hill between Amersham and Berhamstead - the perfect little sleepy English town. Where the neighbours do have you over for dinner, and I eating more than I've eaten in the past week sleepily listened to conversation about Gardening, their family and neighbours, the best markets and restaurants in the dozen surrounding villages and of course the Royal Family (And the weight they have lost!).
And not far from London, its made for a good weekend. Two days to catch up on sleeping and journaling in Chesham, and a weekend of royal gardens, art museums (the tate was Amazing!) and theatre in the city. Saturday was Havana Rakatan - a night of Cuban dancing, and Monday will be the matine of the ballet of Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Opera House and for the evening we are going to see Wicked! Plus tonight we are going to "Shake your booty" at the local pub George and Dragon for the bank holiday. All the pubs here have two names - george & dragon, the booth & slipper, and rabbit & hare.... but I'll be getting my true English pub experience!
May 20, 2008
Detour to Hungary
I met a girl from Halifax in Venice last Saturday who was staying in the same hostel, which hasn't technically opened, and due to a series of odd coincidences and mishaps we ended up spending the Saturday together. Someone gave us a bottle of wine that night and we had a very entertaining walk home across Venice convinced that we'd most likely fall into a canal and die - but since it was the ideal way to go, we ventured out and eventually did make it through the winding streets to our hostel where for the first time ever we managed to get the old door open (we were staying in a little apartment above a pharmacy).
Venice - the city of winding narrow cobblestone streets and criss crossing canals is the most beautiful city in the world. The narrow streets are either full of tourists, or completely empty with only rare sightings of locals. Never knowing what your going to come across around the next corner - a canal, dead end, small courtyard, running water pump, streets filled with hanging laundry or bustling market - it was the perfect city to just wander and get lost in. In the outer districts, the melancholic streets are even narrower, often reaching dead ends at a canal. With no grassy area the only plant life is the abundance of flowers and ivy spilling over the walls or the wrought iron balconies and window boxes. There's definitely no lack of colour and life. The buildings, packed together, are all deep colours and the ground floors filled with small gelaterias, snack bars and cafe's. The islands nearby that I visited - Burano and Mozzorpo are reminisce of small retirement/fishing villages. Every building is brightly painted - pinks, purples, red, green, blues, orange, or yellow. The little old couples sit outside their front doors, and people stroll along the shoreline.
After Venice we decided that since we were both worried about whether we are going to get to Hungary later on in our travels we would just go there on Tuesday. so we took an overnight train to Budapest. Which was really incredibly fun. Except for the border crossings at Slovenia and Croatia where they woke us up at 4 in the morning to check our passports. My favourite thing about Budapest is the surprising find that it is made up of two main districts - Buda and Pest! (as well as a third called Obuda, the hilly suburbs). I spent the two days here just wandering and coming across the monuments interspersed throughout the large city. Also exciting here was our lunch on the first day - we actually sat down in a restaurant and ordered food which was quite different from the usual panini or pizza on the street. Parts of Budapest look like any commercial city, parts are filled with old medieval lanes and Gothic architecture wonderful for wandering through. From the high castle hill I watched the sun set over Buda and had a wonderful view of the light reflecting off the commercial district of Pest across the river.
Since Budapest I've been traveling a lot, and spending less time in places, we came back to Italy on another overnight train, spent one night in Verona - the city of Romeo and Juliet, then went to Bologna, Pisa, and spent a disastrous night in Sienna.
Venice - the city of winding narrow cobblestone streets and criss crossing canals is the most beautiful city in the world. The narrow streets are either full of tourists, or completely empty with only rare sightings of locals. Never knowing what your going to come across around the next corner - a canal, dead end, small courtyard, running water pump, streets filled with hanging laundry or bustling market - it was the perfect city to just wander and get lost in. In the outer districts, the melancholic streets are even narrower, often reaching dead ends at a canal. With no grassy area the only plant life is the abundance of flowers and ivy spilling over the walls or the wrought iron balconies and window boxes. There's definitely no lack of colour and life. The buildings, packed together, are all deep colours and the ground floors filled with small gelaterias, snack bars and cafe's. The islands nearby that I visited - Burano and Mozzorpo are reminisce of small retirement/fishing villages. Every building is brightly painted - pinks, purples, red, green, blues, orange, or yellow. The little old couples sit outside their front doors, and people stroll along the shoreline.
After Venice we decided that since we were both worried about whether we are going to get to Hungary later on in our travels we would just go there on Tuesday. so we took an overnight train to Budapest. Which was really incredibly fun. Except for the border crossings at Slovenia and Croatia where they woke us up at 4 in the morning to check our passports. My favourite thing about Budapest is the surprising find that it is made up of two main districts - Buda and Pest! (as well as a third called Obuda, the hilly suburbs). I spent the two days here just wandering and coming across the monuments interspersed throughout the large city. Also exciting here was our lunch on the first day - we actually sat down in a restaurant and ordered food which was quite different from the usual panini or pizza on the street. Parts of Budapest look like any commercial city, parts are filled with old medieval lanes and Gothic architecture wonderful for wandering through. From the high castle hill I watched the sun set over Buda and had a wonderful view of the light reflecting off the commercial district of Pest across the river.
Since Budapest I've been traveling a lot, and spending less time in places, we came back to Italy on another overnight train, spent one night in Verona - the city of Romeo and Juliet, then went to Bologna, Pisa, and spent a disastrous night in Sienna.
May 16, 2008
Only Me
OK, I'm ready to blog - For finally the anxiety has subsided and slowly been replaced by the adventurous spirit. That said there was definitely cause for anxiety. Upon arrival in Paris I had a complete panic attack in the airport because I mistakingly thought that I had left my eurail pass at home. It took me well over an hour to make it into Paris, and the series of mishaps continued... the trains were full for the next couple days so I was stranded in Paris and wouldn't make it to Italy. The hostel was on the sketchiest of corners and I picked up a stalker who found me every time I left the place and refused to leave my side. When not with me - he sold Marlborough's on the street corner. (in all fairness - after wandering Paris the next day I did decide I enjoy the city)
I spent all of Tuesday on a train to Florence Italy. Upon arriving I was lost, misdirected by the police officer and about five others. Eventually I found my hostel and for once relaxed being able to speak english when I met girls from Vancouver. My last day in Florence, after getting up early to go to the Uffizi so I could skip the long lines I was kicked out of my hostel. Luckily I did find another hostel for my last night, but it was far from the Florence train station, and because of my late start i ended up waiting for 3 hours to get into the gallery.
Once I reached Venice I needed to be anxiety free, so I planned on staying there for quite a while. Luckily things worked out surprisingly well and it is here that the anxiety began to subside. Although the Sospiri hostel was under construction and not technically opened, I managed to get checked in when someone met me at the hostel. When another girl showed up no one met her but I happened to be walking by and together we got a drunken man to figure out how to use my key to get in and called the main hostel - a venice fish.
And besides our difficulties getting into the hostel (every time) and the shower that was held together with masking tape, Venice was the most amazing city I've ever visited...
I spent all of Tuesday on a train to Florence Italy. Upon arriving I was lost, misdirected by the police officer and about five others. Eventually I found my hostel and for once relaxed being able to speak english when I met girls from Vancouver. My last day in Florence, after getting up early to go to the Uffizi so I could skip the long lines I was kicked out of my hostel. Luckily I did find another hostel for my last night, but it was far from the Florence train station, and because of my late start i ended up waiting for 3 hours to get into the gallery.
Once I reached Venice I needed to be anxiety free, so I planned on staying there for quite a while. Luckily things worked out surprisingly well and it is here that the anxiety began to subside. Although the Sospiri hostel was under construction and not technically opened, I managed to get checked in when someone met me at the hostel. When another girl showed up no one met her but I happened to be walking by and together we got a drunken man to figure out how to use my key to get in and called the main hostel - a venice fish.
And besides our difficulties getting into the hostel (every time) and the shower that was held together with masking tape, Venice was the most amazing city I've ever visited...
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