Sunday, November 29, 2015
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Poland: Krakow and Auschwiz, Czech Republic: Prague and Brno
Out of Rome we flew straight into Poland and headed to Krakow.
Photos: Views of Krakow.
The hostel in Krakow was absolutely gorgeous! It only cost about 5€/night and everything was clean, safe, and comfortable.
Photos: Left, wonderful Polish food. Right, Polish currency (zlotys!)
We ate some wonderful Polish food and then headed to see the Krakow salt mines.
Photos: Salt mines!
From there we headed back to hostel for the night to get some sleep before seeing Auschwitz the next morning. In a very befitting sort of way, the train to Auschwitz took forever. It was long, slow, and painful.
Photos: Original train tracks and car to Auschwitz. You can see where the line ended.
The tour of Auschwitz was mind blowing. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and truly gave the experience the full gravity that it deserved. Since ours was the last tour of the day, by the time we were finished (it's almost a 5 hours tour, mind you) it was already getting dark outside. The train back to Krakow, then, was really creepy.
Photos: Left, shoes taken from prisoners. Right, famous "Work will set you free" sign.
That night we took a night train from Krakow into Prague, sleeping on the train.
When we got to Prague, we spent a few hours running around and looking at the different sights: St Charles' bridge and, of course, the biggest castle in Europe.
Photos: Left, St. Charles Bridge. Right, Prague.
From there, we took a train to Brno where we met up with my old friend Jan (a former exchange student to the US) and got to see the old workplace of Gregor Mendel.
Photos: Left, Home of Gregor Medel, father of Genetics. Right, Brno.
Then, from Brno, we returned to Prague and headed home via Paris.
Photos: Views of Krakow.
The hostel in Krakow was absolutely gorgeous! It only cost about 5€/night and everything was clean, safe, and comfortable.
Photos: Left, wonderful Polish food. Right, Polish currency (zlotys!)
We ate some wonderful Polish food and then headed to see the Krakow salt mines.
Photos: Salt mines!
From there we headed back to hostel for the night to get some sleep before seeing Auschwitz the next morning. In a very befitting sort of way, the train to Auschwitz took forever. It was long, slow, and painful.
Photos: Original train tracks and car to Auschwitz. You can see where the line ended.
The tour of Auschwitz was mind blowing. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and truly gave the experience the full gravity that it deserved. Since ours was the last tour of the day, by the time we were finished (it's almost a 5 hours tour, mind you) it was already getting dark outside. The train back to Krakow, then, was really creepy.
Photos: Left, shoes taken from prisoners. Right, famous "Work will set you free" sign.
That night we took a night train from Krakow into Prague, sleeping on the train.
When we got to Prague, we spent a few hours running around and looking at the different sights: St Charles' bridge and, of course, the biggest castle in Europe.
Photos: Left, St. Charles Bridge. Right, Prague.
From there, we took a train to Brno where we met up with my old friend Jan (a former exchange student to the US) and got to see the old workplace of Gregor Mendel.
Photos: Left, Home of Gregor Medel, father of Genetics. Right, Brno.
Then, from Brno, we returned to Prague and headed home via Paris.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Italy: Milan, Parma, Pisa, and Rome
France has about a week and a half of vacation time for Toussaint (All Saint's Day), so my friends Amy and Sergio and I decided to take advantage and see a little more of Europe!
It was the first time for either of them to stay in a hostel or travel with only a backpack, so I took the initiative to plan a great deal for the group: the route, the hostel reservations, the plane flights, the train schedules, etc. Of course, I love planning these things, so I was glad to do it!
Photo: Left, Pigeons at the Cathedral in Milan. Right, the three of us in Parma.
Our first stop was Milan, Italy. We flew into the airport from Paris, dropped off our things at our hostel, and headed straight out to the city. I didn't really have many expectations for Milan- but it was beautiful nonetheless. We saw a gorgeous cathedral and let the street solicitors cover us in corn so that the pigeons would flock around for good photos. Yes- I know! It's super touristy. But sometimes you have to give in to the tourist traps if you want to have your body covered by dirty, mite infested birds. I don't regret it!
Photos: Left, stuffing it in! Right, cappucino and croissant breakfast.
One thing I definitely learned about traveling with others (since last time I backpacked alone) is that everything goes A LOT slower. Whether waiting while they rangle with their backpacks on the floor, trying to stuff in that last sweater, or explaining for the fifth time why you know that a certain metro is, in fact, the correct one, everything takes a bit more time.
Nevertheless, it's always a bit more enjoyable to share your experiences with friends... and sometimes you get to do things you would never get to otherwise- like meeting locals!
After Milan, we headed to see Amy's ex-exchange student brother, Andrea, in Parma.
Photos: Left, Andrea. Right, raw horse meat for dinner!
Andrea took us to a nice local restaurant and suggested one of the finest local dishes for us to try... raw horse meat!!! Only a little disturbing and a tad tasteless, I enjoyed trying something truly different-- and truly particular to the region.
After Parma, we headed to Pisa for the night.
Photos: The Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Pisa is one of those cities that gives exactly what it promises, though little more. The leaning tower really leans an incredible amount and makes for great trick photography. Beyond that and the charm of being in another Italian city, I wasn't terribly impressed.
The highlight of our stay there, perhaps, was Amy's offhand comment to Sergio when the server could not understand her as she tried to place an order in English--
"Sergio, come help me!" she said.
"I don't speak Portuguese!"
The decision to spend a full 3 nights in a hostel in Rome, however, was definitely a good one. Though I'm not usually a fan of gigantic cities, Rome definitely deserves some attention.
Photos: The colosseum.
Sergio helped us to meet up with a wonderful Mexican woman who lives and works in Rome as a tour guide. She gave us a personal tour of the city, showing us everything from the Colosseum to the Patheon to the Trevi Fountain.
Photos: Left, the Patheon. Right, the Trevi Fountain.
The next day we headed to the Vatican.
Photo: Left, the Sistine Chapel. Right, a square in Rome at night.
I will admit: I thought the Vatican would be more impressive. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of beautiful and old objects there to see-- lots of nice sculptures and paintings by famous artists. But I guess it just lacked something more. Vatican city is a religious center for millions of people, and while I don't consider myself to be Catholic, I am a spiritual person.
Photo: Left, dipping souvenirs in holy water at the Vatican. Right, guards at the Vatican.
Rather than feeling happy, or amazed, or at peace, I felt a constant sense of being hurried, of being one of several in a giant flood of people, rushing to take a cheap photo to post on facebook or swarm through the masses to see the Sistine Chapel.
Even when I tried to slow down and enjoy the sights, I felt sickened and cross-eyed at the sheer magnitude of objects and people around me.
Perhaps the pope is in Rome, but peace is more likely to be found in your hometown church, somewhere quiet where meditation is possible.
Nevertheless I joined the mobs and took many photos of beautiful, nameless things that I dare not post online lest someday someone actually asks me about them.
Photos: Left, with Peruvian singers in Rome. Right, amazing pizza outside the Vatican walls.
One of the greatest joys of traveling is food. In my opinion, there are two types of good restaurant food while traveling--
1. The tourist trap. Exactly what you dreamed the country would have, exactly what you read about online. Expensive, classy food.
2. The hidden find. The cheap, local variety that you only get with a bit of good luck by accidently walking into a run-down looking shop or by meeting up with a local who decides to show you the real thing.
Both can be good. And in Rome, we found both. Our last day there, Amy and I stumbled across an amazing and amazingly cheap pizza place just outside of the Vatican City walls. Then, for dinner, we ate high and mighty nearby the hostel at an expensive joint with traditional touristic Italian music... only to be pleasantly surprised to hear the musicians speaking Spanish!
I greeted them, learned they were from Peru, and we proceeded to get a very special (however still incredibly touristic) personalized serenade in Spanish, that I was proud to be able to sing along to!
After Italy we headed to Poland and the Czech Republic... those posts are coming soon!
It was the first time for either of them to stay in a hostel or travel with only a backpack, so I took the initiative to plan a great deal for the group: the route, the hostel reservations, the plane flights, the train schedules, etc. Of course, I love planning these things, so I was glad to do it!
Photo: Left, Pigeons at the Cathedral in Milan. Right, the three of us in Parma.
Our first stop was Milan, Italy. We flew into the airport from Paris, dropped off our things at our hostel, and headed straight out to the city. I didn't really have many expectations for Milan- but it was beautiful nonetheless. We saw a gorgeous cathedral and let the street solicitors cover us in corn so that the pigeons would flock around for good photos. Yes- I know! It's super touristy. But sometimes you have to give in to the tourist traps if you want to have your body covered by dirty, mite infested birds. I don't regret it!
Photos: Left, stuffing it in! Right, cappucino and croissant breakfast.
One thing I definitely learned about traveling with others (since last time I backpacked alone) is that everything goes A LOT slower. Whether waiting while they rangle with their backpacks on the floor, trying to stuff in that last sweater, or explaining for the fifth time why you know that a certain metro is, in fact, the correct one, everything takes a bit more time.
Nevertheless, it's always a bit more enjoyable to share your experiences with friends... and sometimes you get to do things you would never get to otherwise- like meeting locals!
After Milan, we headed to see Amy's ex-exchange student brother, Andrea, in Parma.
Photos: Left, Andrea. Right, raw horse meat for dinner!
Andrea took us to a nice local restaurant and suggested one of the finest local dishes for us to try... raw horse meat!!! Only a little disturbing and a tad tasteless, I enjoyed trying something truly different-- and truly particular to the region.
After Parma, we headed to Pisa for the night.
Photos: The Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Pisa is one of those cities that gives exactly what it promises, though little more. The leaning tower really leans an incredible amount and makes for great trick photography. Beyond that and the charm of being in another Italian city, I wasn't terribly impressed.
The highlight of our stay there, perhaps, was Amy's offhand comment to Sergio when the server could not understand her as she tried to place an order in English--
"Sergio, come help me!" she said.
"I don't speak Portuguese!"
The decision to spend a full 3 nights in a hostel in Rome, however, was definitely a good one. Though I'm not usually a fan of gigantic cities, Rome definitely deserves some attention.
Photos: The colosseum.
Sergio helped us to meet up with a wonderful Mexican woman who lives and works in Rome as a tour guide. She gave us a personal tour of the city, showing us everything from the Colosseum to the Patheon to the Trevi Fountain.
Photos: Left, the Patheon. Right, the Trevi Fountain.
The next day we headed to the Vatican.
Photo: Left, the Sistine Chapel. Right, a square in Rome at night.
I will admit: I thought the Vatican would be more impressive. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of beautiful and old objects there to see-- lots of nice sculptures and paintings by famous artists. But I guess it just lacked something more. Vatican city is a religious center for millions of people, and while I don't consider myself to be Catholic, I am a spiritual person.
Photo: Left, dipping souvenirs in holy water at the Vatican. Right, guards at the Vatican.
Rather than feeling happy, or amazed, or at peace, I felt a constant sense of being hurried, of being one of several in a giant flood of people, rushing to take a cheap photo to post on facebook or swarm through the masses to see the Sistine Chapel.
Even when I tried to slow down and enjoy the sights, I felt sickened and cross-eyed at the sheer magnitude of objects and people around me.
Perhaps the pope is in Rome, but peace is more likely to be found in your hometown church, somewhere quiet where meditation is possible.
Nevertheless I joined the mobs and took many photos of beautiful, nameless things that I dare not post online lest someday someone actually asks me about them.
Photos: Left, with Peruvian singers in Rome. Right, amazing pizza outside the Vatican walls.
One of the greatest joys of traveling is food. In my opinion, there are two types of good restaurant food while traveling--
1. The tourist trap. Exactly what you dreamed the country would have, exactly what you read about online. Expensive, classy food.
2. The hidden find. The cheap, local variety that you only get with a bit of good luck by accidently walking into a run-down looking shop or by meeting up with a local who decides to show you the real thing.
Both can be good. And in Rome, we found both. Our last day there, Amy and I stumbled across an amazing and amazingly cheap pizza place just outside of the Vatican City walls. Then, for dinner, we ate high and mighty nearby the hostel at an expensive joint with traditional touristic Italian music... only to be pleasantly surprised to hear the musicians speaking Spanish!
I greeted them, learned they were from Peru, and we proceeded to get a very special (however still incredibly touristic) personalized serenade in Spanish, that I was proud to be able to sing along to!
After Italy we headed to Poland and the Czech Republic... those posts are coming soon!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sevilla, Spain
My next stop was in Sevilla.
Sevilla is a smaller city in the south of Spain known for the flamenco.
Photo: Flamenco dancer; a beautiful bridge in Sevilla at night
I stayed next to La Plaza de la Encarnación. This plaza was traditionally used as a market until they found that it contained the remains of ancient Roman ruins. So, in order to preserve the ruins and keep the area in use, they built a beautiful huge sculpture with three floors. On the bottom floor you can see the ruins, preserved in a little underground museum. On the top floor you can walk atop the sculpture and see the whole city from up high. The middle floor was converted into a shopping center.
Photos: Chocolate and churros with a hostel friend; La Plaza de la Encarnación
At my hostel I met a fellow American searching for a place to live in Sevilla. He hadn’t tried the traditional Spanish chocolate y churros (hot chocolate with pastries called churros—they are a bit like funnel cake in flavor), so we went out and tried them together.
Photos: Gardens of the Alcázar
In Sevilla I saw Santa María de la Sede, the cathedral with the largest area according to the Guinness Book that also contains the tomb of Christopher Columbus. I also went to see the Gardens of the Alcázar, which are these beautiful, extensive gardens which include Spain’s first tennis court and a real labyrinth.
Photo: Tomb of Christopher Colombus
Then I went out to a tapas bar to try Spain’s famous tapas and see a little flamenco.
Gibraltar
In Gibraltar I decided to try something a little different. Instead of staying in a hostel, I signed up for something called “couchsurfing.” Couchsurfing is an online community where you can find people living all over the world who have free couches available for you to spend the night, obviously with a bit of advance planning and the promise of company and good conversation in return.
Photos: Gibraltar - the rock!
I spent the night at the home of a Spaniard, originally from Madrid. He had a roommate also from Spain, and while I was there he also had two other couchsurfers spend the night, a gay couple from Italy. We had a really great time! I made American hamburgers for dinner and the Italians made homemade tiramisu. The next day, I went with the Italians to spend the day at the rock. We saw all the little caves inside the rock that British soldiers carved out so they could attack from up high. We also saw lots of cute monkeys, a small Moorish castle, and lots and lots of sun. I came back considerably sunburned.
Photos: Gibraltar - the monkies!
After Gibraltar, I returned to Sevilla briefly to see the Plaza de España and stay at a different hostel where I met an immigrant from Senegal who was working there. Since I am going to Senegal in January, I had a great time talking with him (in Spanish since that was our best common language).
One downside to hostels is this: although you meet lots of great people, you also meet some creeps. As I was walking into my hostel room in the middle of the day, there was a guy in the bed underneath mine jacking off. He saw me come in, was a little startled, and then just decided to… continue! Thankfully, my new friend let me and all the girls from my room spend the night in hammocks on the roof until they could kick the guy out the next day.
Lisbon, Portugal
I knew I wouldn’t really have time to see Portugal, but I thought I would wander over to Lisbon for a day before heading back to France.
Photos: Lisbon! Party 'til sunrise!
Since I had such a great time in Gibraltar, I decided to try couchsurfing again. I ended up staying with a nice Portuguese guy who had grown up his whole life in Lisbon. Since the city of Lisbon was destroyed in 1755 due to a combo earthquake, fire, and tsunami, it has much less to show for itself than other areas in Europe.
Photos: Couchsurfing friends and Lisbon's proud invention: pull-top beer
My couchsurfing buddy directed me well: the thing to see in Lisbon is the nightlife. It was amazing to me to see how the streets just filled with people. It seemed like nobody drank in the bars at all—they all preferred the streets!
On my way back from Lisbon I had to stop in Madrid for a day and a half. In that time I had the chance to see everything I had missed—the botanical gardens, the Parque del Retiro (Retiro Park), the museum Thyssen, and two exhibits in the cultural center CaixaForum: one for the earthquake in Haíti and one for the culture of Teotihuacan. Then... back to France to start my studies abroad and learn some French!
MY BLOG FOR FRANCE HERE!
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