Monday, June 11, 2007
Viva la France
I just posted my pics from France. I know I still owe a few more entries and my pics from Italy. I guess I'm just trying to drag this out as long as possible so I don't have to accept that I am back in the real world again.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Florence - the real story (well, most of it)
Okay, my previous entry on Florence was a little vague and skimped on detail, so I feel like I should at elaborate a little bit. Damn. my fans are demanding.
After leaving Cinque Terre (which was one of the best parts of the trip), we headed to Florence. For once, our hotel was right in the heart of the city and we were right in the middle of everything. So Sunday afternoon, a bunch of us headed to what is supposed to be the most famous statue of all time, David, at Accademia Gallery. It was actually pretty amazing, especially the detail - the muscles and veins were actually quite realistic. And he was huge... I didn't expect him to be so tall.
After gawking over David and trying to figure out if any of the body part ratio formulas were accurate, Andrea and I thought we would see if we could get into the Uffizi. It was but a pipe dream since it was about 4:00 pm, the line appeared to be about 2.5 hours long, and the museum closed at 6:35.
Instead, we took a stroll over the Ponte Vecchio and up to the Pitti Palace and the Giardino Boboli. Initially, the uphill nature of the gardens just looked to daunting for us. We were exhausted! So we lazily sat by the small pond and did some people watching. It was awesome to hang with Andrea. Most importantly, I think she was able to prove to me that there are still cool people in Texas.
After leaving Cinque Terre (which was one of the best parts of the trip), we headed to Florence. For once, our hotel was right in the heart of the city and we were right in the middle of everything. So Sunday afternoon, a bunch of us headed to what is supposed to be the most famous statue of all time, David, at Accademia Gallery. It was actually pretty amazing, especially the detail - the muscles and veins were actually quite realistic. And he was huge... I didn't expect him to be so tall.
After gawking over David and trying to figure out if any of the body part ratio formulas were accurate, Andrea and I thought we would see if we could get into the Uffizi. It was but a pipe dream since it was about 4:00 pm, the line appeared to be about 2.5 hours long, and the museum closed at 6:35.
Instead, we took a stroll over the Ponte Vecchio and up to the Pitti Palace and the Giardino Boboli. Initially, the uphill nature of the gardens just looked to daunting for us. We were exhausted! So we lazily sat by the small pond and did some people watching. It was awesome to hang with Andrea. Most importantly, I think she was able to prove to me that there are still cool people in Texas. One of the things I found funny about Florence was all of the rogue street vendors selling designer knock-off purses. They would carry all of the
bags in a sheet and set-up shop just about anywhere. Not really being on the right side of the law, every few minutes they would gather up the bags and run around the corner if they saw the police anywhere near by. I saw groups of these guys all of over the city, hovering around the corner waiting for the po' to go the other way. It was definitely interesting - kind of wish I would have bought a good Prada knock-off.
bags in a sheet and set-up shop just about anywhere. Not really being on the right side of the law, every few minutes they would gather up the bags and run around the corner if they saw the police anywhere near by. I saw groups of these guys all of over the city, hovering around the corner waiting for the po' to go the other way. It was definitely interesting - kind of wish I would have bought a good Prada knock-off.The rest of the night was pretty uneventful except for the awesome dessert we had with dinner. Let's see - when I think of Italian desserts, I think gellato, biscotti, tiramisu, tortoni, or cannoli. It was exactly like that, except instead, it was an orange.
Stuffed from the orange, I headed to bed early knowing I wanted to get up in time to for a bike tour the next day. Somehow, I just wasn't into seeing the leather factory with the group and wanted a little adventure of my own. The bike tour, I Bike Italy, didn't dissappoint. To be honest, the first 3 miles killed me. Tuscanny is not flat (which might qualify as the understatements of the year). If you have been reading all my entries, you now know my athletic prowess (stop laughing) has been challenged by Arhur's seat and a bike tour that includes wine with lunch.
Stuffed from the orange, I headed to bed early knowing I wanted to get up in time to for a bike tour the next day. Somehow, I just wasn't into seeing the leather factory with the group and wanted a little adventure of my own. The bike tour, I Bike Italy, didn't dissappoint. To be honest, the first 3 miles killed me. Tuscanny is not flat (which might qualify as the understatements of the year). If you have been reading all my entries, you now know my athletic prowess (stop laughing) has been challenged by Arhur's seat and a bike tour that includes wine with lunch.
Despite the tough start, the ride was beautiful. There is good reason that Florence is the epicenter of art and beauty. With a nice long lunch, a stop at a winery/olive grove, and downhill ride in the afternoon, it was the perfect way to spend the day in really seeing the outside of Florence. Thanks for the great ride Per - your knowledge of the terrain was superb!
I joined my friends for dinner at a restaurant that overlooked the whole of Florence. It was probably the funnest dinner we had together! There were loads of laughter and wine (I still can't believe the Texas sisters don't like wine. It would have been insulting to our host to let it go to waste, so no need to thank me for drinking your share!). The highlight of the evening was the piano player and the leg of pig served to the theme song of Star Wars. I don't want to brag, but when was the last time you had leg of pork rolled out on a cart with a sparkler in it? It was one of those nights I laughed so hard I cried. While everyone else went to the Space Disco, I met a local I had met earlier in the day for some gelato. I think that made the 4th or 5th day in a row eating gelato. I think my favorite combination was lime/dark chocolate, but choosing a favorite is like Sophie's choice.
It was a treat to be out with someone who really knew the city - it made me a little less like a tourist. One of the best parts was the scooter ride up to Piazzale Michelangiolo to overlook the city at night. It would be impossible to plan a more enjoyable evening. It also helped to have a cute tour guide! ;-)
Back at the hotel, my group had a real bonding moment when the fire alarm went off at 5 am and stayed on for an hour. Anyone see Yak?
Florence was beautiful and romantic, but somehow different than the way Paris is beautiful and romantic. I think the difference is that Firenze has a more organic beauty; less designed, yet no less inspirational. I'm sure there could be some great metaphor for the rich soil that grows the grapes and olives adding a richness to life; I'm just not able to quite capture it though. I think I was also finally getting to a place where I could really relax and thouroughly enjoy the slower pace of life. Even thinking back to my time in Florence, I feel calmer and seem to take deeper breaths.
Most regretably, our time in Florence had to end as we needed to make our way to the last official stop on our trip, Rome.
Luckily for me, it wouldn't be the last time I saw Florence on this vacation;-)
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Florence
Firenze was very, very, very good.
I'm finally at a place where the Marley song that says "don't worry about a thing, every little thing is going to be okay" is really resonating.
I'm finally at a place where the Marley song that says "don't worry about a thing, every little thing is going to be okay" is really resonating.
The leaning marathon
I dare someome to tell me one thing they know about Pisa besides they have a tower that leans. Anyone?
Well, don't feel badly because I've now been there and I don't know much more. Sunday morning we made it Pisa and had just a few hours there. The tower really is amazing - it leans much more than I thought it would. Then there are a bunch of churches as well, but between the Valley of the Fallen, Sagrada Familia, the Duomo, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Bascilia, I will have seen many more churches than any JAP should. The highlight of Pisa 
for me was that the Pisa marathon was happening that day. So instead of seeing another ornate church, I thouroughly enjoyed myself cheering for the marathon. It was the perfect amount of inspiration that I needed to get me ready for my own marathon training which starts right after I get back at a bit sooner than I would like. The only action my Asics have seen lately is when I pull them out of my luggage looking for flip-flops and then guiltily put them back in without any use.
for me was that the Pisa marathon was happening that day. So instead of seeing another ornate church, I thouroughly enjoyed myself cheering for the marathon. It was the perfect amount of inspiration that I needed to get me ready for my own marathon training which starts right after I get back at a bit sooner than I would like. The only action my Asics have seen lately is when I pull them out of my luggage looking for flip-flops and then guiltily put them back in without any use. Cinque Terre
At this point, I assume many of my friends and family are saying "enough already, I get it, you're having a great time, everything is beautiful or amazing or brilliant, now shut up already." I get it. I remember reading Heide and Mark travel blog with 75% enthrallment, and 25% unrelenting jealousy. But it also inspired me, so maybe you'll read this and the travel bug will bite you too. Or not, but this is also for me, so I'm sorry to go on and on, but I don't want to forget how spectacular this whole experience has been.
I digress. So we left Nice early this morning and headed for the Italian border.
We arrived at the train that took us to Cinque Terre and hopped on. I wasn't quite paying attention when our tour guide explained this part of the adventure, so I didn't know what to expect exactly - I was just going with the flow. Sometimes not knowing what's next allows for the best surprises. Cinque Terre was so cool and one of those places I would have never thought to go on my own. It is five little towns along the coast connected via train or walking path. We did a nice little hike between a few of the towns and then had lunch in Monterosso. And when I say lunch, I mean one of those lunches you dream about - Margaritas and the best gnocchi I've ever had with a spectacular pesto alongside the beach. The lunch was only topped by the best part 
of the vacation so far - the beach. The water was warmish and a bunch of jumped in regardless of not having towels. We had so much fun just being silly and playing in the water. It was a really great time. much before I was ready, we grabbed our things and jumped on a boat that took us to another port. We jumped off with just enough time to grab a gelatto (I had apple - delicious) and transfer to anther boat. The view of the western Italian coast was spectacular. None of could figure out how some of the houses were built there without roads. This is probably the second best day of the trip so far - but there is still Pisa, Florence and Rome.
I digress. So we left Nice early this morning and headed for the Italian border.
We arrived at the train that took us to Cinque Terre and hopped on. I wasn't quite paying attention when our tour guide explained this part of the adventure, so I didn't know what to expect exactly - I was just going with the flow. Sometimes not knowing what's next allows for the best surprises. Cinque Terre was so cool and one of those places I would have never thought to go on my own. It is five little towns along the coast connected via train or walking path. We did a nice little hike between a few of the towns and then had lunch in Monterosso. And when I say lunch, I mean one of those lunches you dream about - Margaritas and the best gnocchi I've ever had with a spectacular pesto alongside the beach. The lunch was only topped by the best part 
of the vacation so far - the beach. The water was warmish and a bunch of jumped in regardless of not having towels. We had so much fun just being silly and playing in the water. It was a really great time. much before I was ready, we grabbed our things and jumped on a boat that took us to another port. We jumped off with just enough time to grab a gelatto (I had apple - delicious) and transfer to anther boat. The view of the western Italian coast was spectacular. None of could figure out how some of the houses were built there without roads. This is probably the second best day of the trip so far - but there is still Pisa, Florence and Rome. Sunday, May 13, 2007
Monte Carlo Baby!!
The days are all starting to run together a bit.So Tuesday was a pretty uneventful day driving from Barcelona to Avignon. We stopped in Avignon, which is a pretty cute little town, but I could have lived without seeing it. Those who know me know I don't really do cute.
But Wednesday was awesome. Talk about checking things off a list in one day. Our first stop was Aix-En-Provence, a little town with great markets. I picked up some of the soap the town is famous for, but can't decide whether to be selfish and keep it for myself or give it as a gift. This was one of those areas you could wander around in for hours and hours. But there wasn't time to waste - we wanted to make Cannes by lunch. Cannes was beautiful - it reminded me a bit of Monterrey, CA but warmer and sand beaches.
After Cannes, we drove to Nice about 40 minutes away and checked in and got ready pretty quickly for a night out in Monte Carlo. The drive there was amazing - the hills are filled with beautiful houses overlooking the Cote d'Azur. The road was a bit terrifying as I'm afraid of driving on windy, narrow, mountain roads, but we survived. We had a quick stop at a perfumery and it was better than expected. Did you know that to be a "Nose" (which there are only 150 in the world) you need 7 years of schooling and can't smoke, eat spicy food or drink? Yeah, that sounds like a great job.
Smelling great, we all headed to Monte Carlo. We had a great dinner (I kept hoping someone would run by James Bond like) and then headed to the casino. Take a second and get a picture of what you think the Monte Carlo casino is like. Got it in your mind's eye? Ok.
You're wrong. It is the opposite of Vegas. No music, no ka-ching of slots, and worst of all, no free booze served by scantily clad women. It was very quiet and serious with maybe 20 tables going. Very, very serious. Had I tried hard, I might have left with a rich (but not so cute) husband. So what did I do? I ordered some champagne, bought some chips, and bellied up to a table. I went roulette - it seemed the easiest since all the dealers spoke French. First play - I lost 10 euros. Second - there went 10 more. But three the lucky number and I hit - now I was up 40 euros. I hit once again, but in the end, I sacrificed about 60 to the Museum of Gambling. I like to think of it as a steep admission fee for the chance to say "I've gambled in Monte Carlo." The bad news is I didn't get any pics because they don't allow you take pictures in the casino. Eric will vouch that I was there (and he even said I was good luck charm for the guy I was standing next to - which means I'm happy to be a good luck charm for anyone who wants to take me back to the French Riviera...I'm sweet like that).
All in all - a day that you shop at a provincial French market, lunch in Cannes, have dinner and gambling in Monte Carlo and then head to Nice for the night isn't so bad.
But Friday was the day had been looking forward
to for months. A full day in Nice. I'm sure there was some fantastic something or other to see and I missed an amazing opportunity to see it, but I had only one thing on my mind. The beach. I have never gone swimming in clear blue water and it was time change this. So I spent almost the entire day at the beach. The bad news is the beach wasn't all that great because it was a rock beach and it hurt to walk on it, but once you arranged correctly, it was fabulous to lay out on. And I braved the tough sea floor and went for a swim in the Mediterranean - chilly at first and then pretty refreshing. And really, really salty.Overall, a great day of eating and laying by the beach. Which brings me to the food. Mom - no worries about me being too thin anymore - I am happily eating my way through Europe. Tapas and wine in Spain. Crepes and wine in France. I'm sure everything and wine in Italy.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Tapas?
No, I said topless. That conversation usually goes the other way around. More on that later:-)
My heart is torn - in three pieces so far. Amsterdam, Paris and now Barcelona have me in a love triangle. I'll almost afraid to go to Italy in fear of adding to this tug of war.
After leaving Madrid, we had a very long bus ride on Monday. We stopped in a little town for lunch, but I forgot the name of it. We finally got to Barcelona around 5:30 pm and went to this the fort on the top of the south hill of the city. The view was great and it was a good way to see the whole city. - it was very, very dense. And it was my first time seeing the Mediterean. It was beautiful - the word that kept coming to mind is azure. It seems to describe more than the unique color of blue water, but something a little more majestic.
After a little tour of the city, checking into the hotel (with a new roommate - woo hoo!) We headed out into the city for a drink. We ended up at this great lounge where a good time was had by all - I'm really getting to like some of the people in my group. Special little shout out to the Texas siblings, Susan and Walter, Patrick, Christine and Melanie and lots others.
The bad news is I only had one full day in Barcelona and a list of about 30 things I wanted to see. I knew it was going to be tough, but I gave it a shot. Just like the night before where I gave myself a shot. Or two. Plus a few mojitos. - but I was up with dawn to get going. Fine, I'll tell the truth, I got up at the crack of 9.
Since I had such a good time on the Paris bike tour, I decided to do it again here. The thing I wanted to see the absolute the most was the Sagrada Familia - I think Spain was on my list almost solely to see this. I could try to explain it, but my words would never do it justice. The fact that it still won't be done for another 20ish years and that the final spire will be twice as tall as any of the already built is ones is beyond imagination. Also, I learned how the city is crazy (and justifiably so) about Gaudi. My regret in Barcelona is that I didn't get a chance to see his house.
I saw lots of other sites, but besides the Sagrada Familia, the highlight was the beach. We stopped and had a drink seaside and it another one of those moments you have to do a reality check. And yes, it was also a topless beach. I would go into further detail, but this is (mostly) a family friendly blog. Well, at least sometimes.
Side note, one of the guys on the bike tour looked so much like my cousin's cousin, Steve, that I kept calling him that. Thanks for putting up with it "Anthony."
After the bike tour, "Anthony" and I wandered around a stumbled on the famous Boqueria market. I'm a proud Washingtonian and Seattlite, but even I have to admit that Pike Place market had nothing on this one. I have never seen such large, brightly colored fruit - it looked (and tasted) delicious. It was almost out of Willy Wonka. If I lived here, I'd be there everyday and twice on Sundays.
After the market, we headed to the Gaudi park the north hill of the city - Parc Guell. Can someone do me a favor and send me list of synonyms for "amazing." I feel like I use to ofter and I don't water down some of the things I've seen. It was an aesthetic dream - everything was a little dreamy. Absolutely beautiful. Not even the steep climb up there could infect the experience.
Overall, a perfect, if not a bit rushed day that ended very late with tapas in Las Rambla with Audrey, a few overly friendly Scottish and two cute Canadians.
Like Paris, I definitely wish I had more time. But maybe its better this way. The more time I had, the more I would have loved it and the more my heart would break as I left it.
My heart is torn - in three pieces so far. Amsterdam, Paris and now Barcelona have me in a love triangle. I'll almost afraid to go to Italy in fear of adding to this tug of war.
After leaving Madrid, we had a very long bus ride on Monday. We stopped in a little town for lunch, but I forgot the name of it. We finally got to Barcelona around 5:30 pm and went to this the fort on the top of the south hill of the city. The view was great and it was a good way to see the whole city. - it was very, very dense. And it was my first time seeing the Mediterean. It was beautiful - the word that kept coming to mind is azure. It seems to describe more than the unique color of blue water, but something a little more majestic.
After a little tour of the city, checking into the hotel (with a new roommate - woo hoo!) We headed out into the city for a drink. We ended up at this great lounge where a good time was had by all - I'm really getting to like some of the people in my group. Special little shout out to the Texas siblings, Susan and Walter, Patrick, Christine and Melanie and lots others.
The bad news is I only had one full day in Barcelona and a list of about 30 things I wanted to see. I knew it was going to be tough, but I gave it a shot. Just like the night before where I gave myself a shot. Or two. Plus a few mojitos. - but I was up with dawn to get going. Fine, I'll tell the truth, I got up at the crack of 9.
Since I had such a good time on the Paris bike tour, I decided to do it again here. The thing I wanted to see the absolute the most was the Sagrada Familia - I think Spain was on my list almost solely to see this. I could try to explain it, but my words would never do it justice. The fact that it still won't be done for another 20ish years and that the final spire will be twice as tall as any of the already built is ones is beyond imagination. Also, I learned how the city is crazy (and justifiably so) about Gaudi. My regret in Barcelona is that I didn't get a chance to see his house.
I saw lots of other sites, but besides the Sagrada Familia, the highlight was the beach. We stopped and had a drink seaside and it another one of those moments you have to do a reality check. And yes, it was also a topless beach. I would go into further detail, but this is (mostly) a family friendly blog. Well, at least sometimes.
Side note, one of the guys on the bike tour looked so much like my cousin's cousin, Steve, that I kept calling him that. Thanks for putting up with it "Anthony."
After the bike tour, "Anthony" and I wandered around a stumbled on the famous Boqueria market. I'm a proud Washingtonian and Seattlite, but even I have to admit that Pike Place market had nothing on this one. I have never seen such large, brightly colored fruit - it looked (and tasted) delicious. It was almost out of Willy Wonka. If I lived here, I'd be there everyday and twice on Sundays.
After the market, we headed to the Gaudi park the north hill of the city - Parc Guell. Can someone do me a favor and send me list of synonyms for "amazing." I feel like I use to ofter and I don't water down some of the things I've seen. It was an aesthetic dream - everything was a little dreamy. Absolutely beautiful. Not even the steep climb up there could infect the experience.
Overall, a perfect, if not a bit rushed day that ended very late with tapas in Las Rambla with Audrey, a few overly friendly Scottish and two cute Canadians.
Like Paris, I definitely wish I had more time. But maybe its better this way. The more time I had, the more I would have loved it and the more my heart would break as I left it.
Ola
So I've started my grand adventure. I packed everything up from my flat on Friday, shipped it off, and say goodbye to Bethnal Green. I should have been a little sad to leave London, but I was so excited to start my holiday, nothing could bring me down. I caught my flight to Frankfurt and it all went pretty uneventfully. Yeah, right. This is me - there's no such thing. I headed the right direction for my connecting flight to Madrid, but made wrong turn somewhere and ended up where I started, except I had to go through passport control (my favorite place) and they gave me a little trouble, although the guy was really friendly, because when I was deported from the UK in January, my place of origin was Frankfurt because I had connected through there from Chicago. Somehow, they were able to see all this by the way the stamp was placed on my passport. It wasn't too much hassle, I just feel like you get deported once and you are on the Interpol list for life. On the good side, I got the German stamp in my passport.
Flying into Madrid, I could already tell that Spain was a beautiful country. The soil seems redder and it looked much different than anything I've flown over before..
I have to admit, I didn't even bother with figuring out the public transportation and just got a taxi to the hotel. It's the first time in my travels and although it was so much easier and only 22 Euros, I feel less authentic and much more like a "Turisto."
Now, the moment of truth was about to avail itself - was doing a 13 day trip with a huge group of strangers a really good idea or was it a really, really bad idea? After checking in, I went to my room and my roommate was there, but dead to the world she was asleep. I tried to wake her politely, but no luck. So I went out and got something to eat. When I got back, she was stirring and I introduced myself. Unfortunately, she doesn't speak English. She's from Tijuana. I'm not quite sure how she ended up on this tour because all of the lit and the website are pretty clear that everything is English for the whole trip. I feel badly because not only can we not communicate, but all the instructions and information are English. And then she asked to borrow my hairbrush. At first I thought I wasn't understanding until she walked over and gestured for my brush in my hand. I was kind of shocked and just handed it to her. Some of the guys reading this might not think this a big deal, but girls are you with me on this one? Unless I am somehow related to you, we're good friends, or you're a famous movie star and I think I could sell any stray hairs on ebay, I'm not exactly excited about sharing my hairbrush with you.
This wasn't really how I hoped this trip would start.
Despite the unfortunate roommate situation, the rest of my group seems cool. It is mix of college kids and some older adults like me:-) It is also a mix of Americans, Canadians, Aussies and a few other countries represented. We had the first dinner together near the hotel and then went out to Club. And when I say club, I mean disco in a way I have never seen before. This place puts any NY or Chicago club to shame. It was 8 floors and it was pretty hard-core. The Spanish love to dance. I was particularly fond of the Spanish men dancing without their shirts.
It was a pretty late night but that didn't stop us from a really early start to go see the palace. It was pretty cool, but I'm a little castled/palaced out. You can only see so much extravagance without becoming a bit immune to it. After the palace, some of us headed to the mountains to see the valley of the cross. It was really, really beautiful and a bit intoxicating to breathe mountain air. It strangely reminded me of home and the Cascade mountains and the Nye cabin because there was so many pine trees, which I wouldn't have expected in Spain if I had ever given it a thought. The cross was huge, but the really amazing part was the cathedral below. It was actually built in the hollowed out rock. Think about three football stadiums inside the rock hallowed out to make the church. It was really, really beautiful - one of those things I would have missed if I was visiting on my own and glad I didn't miss it.
After returning from the mountains, we walked around the city a bit, although many things were closed because it was Sunday. One of the best parts was sitting outside on at a cafe having tapas and Sangria with some of my new friends Patrick and Christine. Many of you know that my favorite restaurant in Chicago is a tapas place, so it was a treat to be having the "real" thing in Spain. Yum - it was delicious, especially my favorites - the manchengo cheese and potatoes bravas.
The sangria and the sun did me in and I called it an early night. It was great to get a good night sleep in preparation for the long, long bus ride the next day.
Overall, I liked Madrid and my first taste of Spain. I would take a day or two and visit if you can fit it in your travel plans, but probably not make a whole trip of it by itself. Next entry - Barcelona. Teaser... Topless beach.
Flying into Madrid, I could already tell that Spain was a beautiful country. The soil seems redder and it looked much different than anything I've flown over before..
I have to admit, I didn't even bother with figuring out the public transportation and just got a taxi to the hotel. It's the first time in my travels and although it was so much easier and only 22 Euros, I feel less authentic and much more like a "Turisto."
Now, the moment of truth was about to avail itself - was doing a 13 day trip with a huge group of strangers a really good idea or was it a really, really bad idea? After checking in, I went to my room and my roommate was there, but dead to the world she was asleep. I tried to wake her politely, but no luck. So I went out and got something to eat. When I got back, she was stirring and I introduced myself. Unfortunately, she doesn't speak English. She's from Tijuana. I'm not quite sure how she ended up on this tour because all of the lit and the website are pretty clear that everything is English for the whole trip. I feel badly because not only can we not communicate, but all the instructions and information are English. And then she asked to borrow my hairbrush. At first I thought I wasn't understanding until she walked over and gestured for my brush in my hand. I was kind of shocked and just handed it to her. Some of the guys reading this might not think this a big deal, but girls are you with me on this one? Unless I am somehow related to you, we're good friends, or you're a famous movie star and I think I could sell any stray hairs on ebay, I'm not exactly excited about sharing my hairbrush with you.
This wasn't really how I hoped this trip would start.
Despite the unfortunate roommate situation, the rest of my group seems cool. It is mix of college kids and some older adults like me:-) It is also a mix of Americans, Canadians, Aussies and a few other countries represented. We had the first dinner together near the hotel and then went out to Club. And when I say club, I mean disco in a way I have never seen before. This place puts any NY or Chicago club to shame. It was 8 floors and it was pretty hard-core. The Spanish love to dance. I was particularly fond of the Spanish men dancing without their shirts.
It was a pretty late night but that didn't stop us from a really early start to go see the palace. It was pretty cool, but I'm a little castled/palaced out. You can only see so much extravagance without becoming a bit immune to it. After the palace, some of us headed to the mountains to see the valley of the cross. It was really, really beautiful and a bit intoxicating to breathe mountain air. It strangely reminded me of home and the Cascade mountains and the Nye cabin because there was so many pine trees, which I wouldn't have expected in Spain if I had ever given it a thought. The cross was huge, but the really amazing part was the cathedral below. It was actually built in the hollowed out rock. Think about three football stadiums inside the rock hallowed out to make the church. It was really, really beautiful - one of those things I would have missed if I was visiting on my own and glad I didn't miss it.
After returning from the mountains, we walked around the city a bit, although many things were closed because it was Sunday. One of the best parts was sitting outside on at a cafe having tapas and Sangria with some of my new friends Patrick and Christine. Many of you know that my favorite restaurant in Chicago is a tapas place, so it was a treat to be having the "real" thing in Spain. Yum - it was delicious, especially my favorites - the manchengo cheese and potatoes bravas.
The sangria and the sun did me in and I called it an early night. It was great to get a good night sleep in preparation for the long, long bus ride the next day.
Overall, I liked Madrid and my first taste of Spain. I would take a day or two and visit if you can fit it in your travel plans, but probably not make a whole trip of it by itself. Next entry - Barcelona. Teaser... Topless beach.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Mind the Gap
So my time in London is coming to a close. I should be packing up as I write this.It has been an adventure. And a learning experience. And some fun. And lots of hard work.
I can't say I came without any expectations, but to be honest, I can't remember what they all were. I did expect to be spend a lot more time in pubs than I actually did, so although my social life was less than stellar, I am on very good terms with my liver...at the moment.
There are some things about London that I will really miss...
- The marketing team - Helen, Andrew, Bhav, Bruce, and sort of Paul - you made me laugh everyday and you put up with my "well, in the states, we do it like this..." every 20 or so minutes. Don't worry, they think I'm a know-it-all in the states as well. Most importantly, you taught me to swear properly. (Sorry for taking a piss at you Andrew instead of taking the piss out of you)
- Friends of friends - Budgie, Brad, Greg and Nicola, Laura - I met some really great people who took time out of their lives to keep me company and show me a bit of real London. Thanks!!
- The grocery stores - I don't know why, but I love British grocery stores, they're perfect for shopping for one.
- The accents - I'll never get tired of them and I can now tell the difference between an Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Aussie, Cockney, and regular London accent.
- The lady who did my nails and the one who helped me get to Ikea - the two nicest strangers I met in London
- The Tube (but it is also on the things I won't miss list) and double-decker buses - I like the signs telling you how long until the next train/bus, which is always just a few minutes because they come so often and seeing the city from the upper deck of the bus
- Spitalfields market - no particular reason, just loved it
- Being able to cross off "work in another country" on my life's TO DO list
- Proximity to the rest of Europe - and being able to visit places I have always said "someday" about
- Lots more - I'll add them as I think of them, probably once I get home and really get a chance to miss them
What I won't miss...
- The prices - Almost everything is 100% more expensive in London (except for allergy medicine). I never was able to just let go and stop converting everything to dollars. Don't even get me started on the cost of dry cleaning.
- The Tube in the morning and/or when it's warm outside - miserable
- The service - in restaurants it is pretty poor most of the time and in shops it is generally indifferent
- Mayonnaise/egg/onions in almost everything
- My tiny little kitchen and planning my life around getting my laundry done
- My less than full social diary
I would do it all over again, even if I couldn't change a thing. It has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am a very,very lucky girl.
-Michelle
P.S. So, what next? I'll be taking a real two week holiday for the first time in my life. I'm very, very excited. I'm doing a tour so that 1) I didn't have to plan squat and 2) I have other people to travel with - keep your fingers crossed for me that they're cool. So Saturday, I fly to Madrid and from there I head to Barcelona, Avignon, Nice/Monte Carlo, Pisa, Florence and then end in Rome before flying back to Chicago.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
An American Girl in Paris (Part Deux)
Bonjour!
Paris. I had heard mixed reviews about it lately (maybe Carrie’s disappointment in the city unconsciously lowered my expectations), so I went back and forth deciding whether to go or not, but I finally decided that I would go and make up my mind for myself.
I apologize in advance for all the clichés to follow – I just can’t help myself. I’m just not conceited enough to think that I actually had any original thoughts about Paris as it is one of the most written about cities in history.
I LOVED Paris. It was beautiful. It was romantic. The shopping was amazing (but I refrained). The croissants were buttery and the coffee strong. The men were flattering and the women confident. The banks of the Seine were decked with Parisians drinking wine and enjoying the weather. The city itself was at its peak with bright, blue sunny weather – around 80F/26C. I don’t think I could have hand picked a more beautiful weekend to explore Paris.
And not one single Parisian was rude to me!
If you read my last entry, you might note that my first night didn’t start my weekend the way I had hoped. But that is the beauty of traveling, the misadventures make for the best stories. I survived the nasty hostel on Friday night - you can even say it was a good inspiration to get an early start on Saturday morning.
After leaving my bag on the bed and hoping that karma has already had her way with me and wasn’t going to find a reason to steal my stuff, I headed out. Mission 1 in Paris – Croissants. Those of you in London know that I have established a bit of an addiction to the beautiful croissant. Those of you at home might notice I look a little thicker in some pictures. Those two things are directly related. I swore that this weekend was going to be my last hurrah with my addiction – and boy did I hit rock bottom. On the way to the Eiffel tower, I had 3 (two butter, one chocolate for those interested in the details).
Mission 2 – The Eiffel tower. I had caught a peak of it on the way through some buildings as was initially a bit disappointed as all I could see was the top and it looked a bit like a really tall power line. Then I entered the Parc du Champs du Mars and saw it completely. On second look, it was pretty amazing, as is the park. The bottom half is immense. Anyone who says “it was no big deal” is unimpressable.
Anyone following this blog along knows that I love myself a tour. To recap – Cambridge – bus tour, Edinburgh – bus tour, Amsterdam – canal tour, Prague – walking tour., London - bus tour. So why would Paris be any different? But it seemed like too lovely of a day for a bus and there was too much to see to do it all on foot, so I decided a bike tour was the way to go. I have to say, it was a great call. I had a blast riding through the city. We had a great tour guide, Mike – relaxed with just enough history/anecdotes to make you feel as though you were learning about Paris, but not so much as to bore you to death with dates and landmarks. To be honest, I can’t list everything we saw as the French names of places all sound a bit the same to me, but that is completely my ignorance speaking. I ended up doing 2 bike tours that day – the day and the night one. They were both great and if you are visiting Paris, I recommend Fat Tire Bike Tours.
Between tours, I picked my things up from the hostel (and everything stayed intact) and moved to a hotel. The hotel seemed five-starred to me by comparison. I even had my very own shower in my room and the bed had sheets on it. Talk about the lap of luxury! After I dropped my bag off in my version of the Ritz, I headed out again with my book and ended up spending a couple of great hours just laying in the
Parc du Champs du Mars (pictured to the right here), people watching, doing a little reading and napping. It was a perfect late Saturday afternoon in Paris. Oh, and I had a croissant. Yes, that made the grand total for the day 4. But I am officially off of them now and looking into programs (Helen can attest that I haven’t had one at work since!)
The bike tour Saturday night was spectacular. We saw Notre Dame and rode our bikes through the courtyard of the Louvre. That is one of those moments that you consciously log in your mind so as not to forget the feeling. I kept thinking “I’m in Paris, riding through the grounds of the Louvre on a beautiful spring night – don’t ever forget this feeling.” It was almost as good as riding down the Champs-Elysées and seeing the Eiffel tower at night with its twinkling lights through the trees. It was truly magnificent and I’m incredibly lucky to be seeing and doing all of this. I don’t take it for granted for a second.
I was a bit sore on Sunday morning saying I had spend about 8 hours on a bike the day before, but I had more missions! The Louvre was yet to be conquered, and sadly, I barely made a dent. I saw some of the mandatory stuff, but I was really most impressed by the ceilings. They’re amazing! Without a single piece of additional art, the ceilings could be the whole experience and still not disappoint.
But it was Paris and I couldn’t hang out in just one place, so the next stop was Sainte Chappelle – the church built to house the crown of thorns. It has floor to 100 ft ceiling of stained glass depicting 1000’s of biblical stories. I have never seen light like it indoors.
Then, it was sadly time to get back on the Metro, pick up my bags, and head to the train station. I thought I could do a lot in a weekend, but next I go back, I will spend a week. There is just so much to see. And to really enjoy Paris, you really have to spend some time not doing anything but watching the world go by.
I’ll have to say is if you ever had the thought “I think I would like Paris” then GO!
P.S. The batteries died on my camera the first half of the trip, so some of the pics in this entry I stole from Flickr, but all the ones in the slide show above are mine.
Paris. I had heard mixed reviews about it lately (maybe Carrie’s disappointment in the city unconsciously lowered my expectations), so I went back and forth deciding whether to go or not, but I finally decided that I would go and make up my mind for myself.
I apologize in advance for all the clichés to follow – I just can’t help myself. I’m just not conceited enough to think that I actually had any original thoughts about Paris as it is one of the most written about cities in history.
I LOVED Paris. It was beautiful. It was romantic. The shopping was amazing (but I refrained). The croissants were buttery and the coffee strong. The men were flattering and the women confident. The banks of the Seine were decked with Parisians drinking wine and enjoying the weather. The city itself was at its peak with bright, blue sunny weather – around 80F/26C. I don’t think I could have hand picked a more beautiful weekend to explore Paris.
And not one single Parisian was rude to me!
If you read my last entry, you might note that my first night didn’t start my weekend the way I had hoped. But that is the beauty of traveling, the misadventures make for the best stories. I survived the nasty hostel on Friday night - you can even say it was a good inspiration to get an early start on Saturday morning.
After leaving my bag on the bed and hoping that karma has already had her way with me and wasn’t going to find a reason to steal my stuff, I headed out. Mission 1 in Paris – Croissants. Those of you in London know that I have established a bit of an addiction to the beautiful croissant. Those of you at home might notice I look a little thicker in some pictures. Those two things are directly related. I swore that this weekend was going to be my last hurrah with my addiction – and boy did I hit rock bottom. On the way to the Eiffel tower, I had 3 (two butter, one chocolate for those interested in the details).Mission 2 – The Eiffel tower. I had caught a peak of it on the way through some buildings as was initially a bit disappointed as all I could see was the top and it looked a bit like a really tall power line. Then I entered the Parc du Champs du Mars and saw it completely. On second look, it was pretty amazing, as is the park. The bottom half is immense. Anyone who says “it was no big deal” is unimpressable.
Anyone following this blog along knows that I love myself a tour. To recap – Cambridge – bus tour, Edinburgh – bus tour, Amsterdam – canal tour, Prague – walking tour., London - bus tour. So why would Paris be any different? But it seemed like too lovely of a day for a bus and there was too much to see to do it all on foot, so I decided a bike tour was the way to go. I have to say, it was a great call. I had a blast riding through the city. We had a great tour guide, Mike – relaxed with just enough history/anecdotes to make you feel as though you were learning about Paris, but not so much as to bore you to death with dates and landmarks. To be honest, I can’t list everything we saw as the French names of places all sound a bit the same to me, but that is completely my ignorance speaking. I ended up doing 2 bike tours that day – the day and the night one. They were both great and if you are visiting Paris, I recommend Fat Tire Bike Tours.
Between tours, I picked my things up from the hostel (and everything stayed intact) and moved to a hotel. The hotel seemed five-starred to me by comparison. I even had my very own shower in my room and the bed had sheets on it. Talk about the lap of luxury! After I dropped my bag off in my version of the Ritz, I headed out again with my book and ended up spending a couple of great hours just laying in the
Parc du Champs du Mars (pictured to the right here), people watching, doing a little reading and napping. It was a perfect late Saturday afternoon in Paris. Oh, and I had a croissant. Yes, that made the grand total for the day 4. But I am officially off of them now and looking into programs (Helen can attest that I haven’t had one at work since!)The bike tour Saturday night was spectacular. We saw Notre Dame and rode our bikes through the courtyard of the Louvre. That is one of those moments that you consciously log in your mind so as not to forget the feeling. I kept thinking “I’m in Paris, riding through the grounds of the Louvre on a beautiful spring night – don’t ever forget this feeling.” It was almost as good as riding down the Champs-Elysées and seeing the Eiffel tower at night with its twinkling lights through the trees. It was truly magnificent and I’m incredibly lucky to be seeing and doing all of this. I don’t take it for granted for a second.
I was a bit sore on Sunday morning saying I had spend about 8 hours on a bike the day before, but I had more missions! The Louvre was yet to be conquered, and sadly, I barely made a dent. I saw some of the mandatory stuff, but I was really most impressed by the ceilings. They’re amazing! Without a single piece of additional art, the ceilings could be the whole experience and still not disappoint.But it was Paris and I couldn’t hang out in just one place, so the next stop was Sainte Chappelle – the church built to house the crown of thorns. It has floor to 100 ft ceiling of stained glass depicting 1000’s of biblical stories. I have never seen light like it indoors.
Then, it was sadly time to get back on the Metro, pick up my bags, and head to the train station. I thought I could do a lot in a weekend, but next I go back, I will spend a week. There is just so much to see. And to really enjoy Paris, you really have to spend some time not doing anything but watching the world go by.
I’ll have to say is if you ever had the thought “I think I would like Paris” then GO!
P.S. The batteries died on my camera the first half of the trip, so some of the pics in this entry I stole from Flickr, but all the ones in the slide show above are mine.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Friday Night no Lights
I knew I was pushing my luck. I should have been happy the first hostel experience worked out so well and left it at that. But nay, I thought I would try it again in Paris. So far, I am thinking this is a mistake.
Which brings me to my current hostel - 3 ducks. Well, let's start with the fact that check in as at the bar. And the court yard in the middle of the rooms is an extension of the bar. So as I lie in my bunk, I might as well be in the middle of the bar. When I came in the room, there were 5 people already sleeping, so I had to make my bed in the dark. That's when I remembered my blackberry. In case of emergency, it doubles as a flashlight - they should include that in their marketing materials. I'm sure I'm physically safe, but there are no lockers, so I'm hoping the best for my things.
So, to give you a clear picture, I am typing this in my bunk in a room with 8 beds, some full, listening to the bar at full blast. Two people just got into the bunk bed above me and I'm thinking it might collapse on me in me sleep, or worse, I'll hear more than the noise from the bar!
I'm thinking the dark might be a blessing because the cleanliness of the room is surely suspect. Can't say I'm expecting a great night sleep because now I have one thought that I can't get out of my head... bed bugs.
I'm too old for this. I'm checking into a nice hotel tomorrow.
Which brings me to my current hostel - 3 ducks. Well, let's start with the fact that check in as at the bar. And the court yard in the middle of the rooms is an extension of the bar. So as I lie in my bunk, I might as well be in the middle of the bar. When I came in the room, there were 5 people already sleeping, so I had to make my bed in the dark. That's when I remembered my blackberry. In case of emergency, it doubles as a flashlight - they should include that in their marketing materials. I'm sure I'm physically safe, but there are no lockers, so I'm hoping the best for my things.
So, to give you a clear picture, I am typing this in my bunk in a room with 8 beds, some full, listening to the bar at full blast. Two people just got into the bunk bed above me and I'm thinking it might collapse on me in me sleep, or worse, I'll hear more than the noise from the bar!
I'm thinking the dark might be a blessing because the cleanliness of the room is surely suspect. Can't say I'm expecting a great night sleep because now I have one thought that I can't get out of my head... bed bugs.
I'm too old for this. I'm checking into a nice hotel tomorrow.
London Baby!
Well, that's what Joey said on "Friends" and since this about friends visiting, well.....
It is hard to imagine a more beautiful weekend in London - unless you have great friends in town that make it even better! Sorry this entry is a bit late. I could think of a really good excuse, but it would be a lie. I got nothing.
So last Thursday, Kelley and her mom, Ellen, came to London to visit. However, they were slightly delayed at Heathrow at immigration. Just kidding, they were stalled at baggage claim. Or in Ellen's case, no baggage claim. Her bags didn't make the flight, so they hopped on the train and I met them on the way to my flat. After a scenic tour through the posh 'hood of Bethnal Green, I headed back to work and they slept off some jetlag. They were able to rally and meet me after work for a pint in a local pub and then some dinner. We took the long way home through the notorious Brick Lane and called it a night. Still no bags for Ellen.
Friday found me back at work (what a bother - always seems to get in the way) while Kell and Ellen headed down to the west where Kell had rented a room in the easy-to-find Best Western so that we would be central to all the things we wanted to do. This wasn't like any Best Western I had stayed at - our room was beautiful. After work, I met them and we headed out. Not sure if this is uniquely London, but it was pretty common to order a beer and then take it outside and drink it on the sidewalk, or in our case, then a dead end street. It looked like a regular Chicago street fair with everyone drinking in the streets. After, we decided that proper English fish and chips were in order. Then back to the hotel - still no bags.
Saturday was probably the prettiest day in London history - mid 70's and blue skies. Perfect for an open top bus tour (which I had been dieing to do since I got to London, but was waiting until I had the excuse of "tourists"). We also visited the famous Harrods for a little shopping and general ogling. There was a display of shoes that I might think about well into my nineties. To wrap a great day, we squeezed a little thee-ah-ter. "We will rock you" a musical based on the lyrics of Queen. It was a blast. Entertaining? Absolutely. Great music? Of course. Great plot? Umm, did I mention how great the music was?
Of course, all that being rocked made us hungry. So we headed for a little post theater meal. At this point, it might be pertinent to mention I had 3 glasses of wine during the show (only to catch up with Kell and Ellen who did a little pre-funking at the Manchester United game earlier).
Well, we thought we found a happening little Greek place for dinner, but there was so much going on, I think the waiters forgot they served food. It was like walking into a Greek wedding - within minutes, we were dancing on the chairs. The highlight was the belly dancer. The 3 of us were mesmerized. I have bad news for anyone who has vested time in helping me with my career - I'm quitting to become a belly dancer. Don't try and talk me out of it. It was the best free entertainment I've ever had! Although we tried, we never got around to ordering anything. And that's all I can write about the Greek place - all other details are property of an ironclad pact the 3 of us made as we left. But you think that was the end of the night? No way. Kell and I hit a couple of clubs in Soho to finish off the night. Much fun was had, but still no bags.
Sunday, we headed pack to my flat to drop some thhings and headed straight out again to do Spitalfields and the London Eye. We had some transportation challenges, but towards the end of the day, we happily ended up finding our way to the lovely convent garden area and some sublime dining. We were pretty wiped by early evening called it an early night. You guessed it, no bags.
Monday, work got in the way for me again, but they headed to Oxford Street and did some power shopping. Meeting me at St. Paul’s after work, we took in a scenic walk of the church and headed over Millennium Bridge. We had some wine at a place on the south bank of the Thames (which I have learned is pronounced Timmes). One thing that made itself obvious to all of us was that service in London is pretty bad. There is a reason tipping is not common here. Heaven forbid you need your server between the time they take your order and drop off the check.
So we get back to my place on Monday night and there is message on my machine from Kelley's dad "Hi girls. I just got a call from United. They found the bag. It's still in South Carolina." Of course it was found because they were heading home the next day!
It is hard to imagine a more beautiful weekend in London - unless you have great friends in town that make it even better! Sorry this entry is a bit late. I could think of a really good excuse, but it would be a lie. I got nothing.
So last Thursday, Kelley and her mom, Ellen, came to London to visit. However, they were slightly delayed at Heathrow at immigration. Just kidding, they were stalled at baggage claim. Or in Ellen's case, no baggage claim. Her bags didn't make the flight, so they hopped on the train and I met them on the way to my flat. After a scenic tour through the posh 'hood of Bethnal Green, I headed back to work and they slept off some jetlag. They were able to rally and meet me after work for a pint in a local pub and then some dinner. We took the long way home through the notorious Brick Lane and called it a night. Still no bags for Ellen.
Friday found me back at work (what a bother - always seems to get in the way) while Kell and Ellen headed down to the west where Kell had rented a room in the easy-to-find Best Western so that we would be central to all the things we wanted to do. This wasn't like any Best Western I had stayed at - our room was beautiful. After work, I met them and we headed out. Not sure if this is uniquely London, but it was pretty common to order a beer and then take it outside and drink it on the sidewalk, or in our case, then a dead end street. It looked like a regular Chicago street fair with everyone drinking in the streets. After, we decided that proper English fish and chips were in order. Then back to the hotel - still no bags.
Saturday was probably the prettiest day in London history - mid 70's and blue skies. Perfect for an open top bus tour (which I had been dieing to do since I got to London, but was waiting until I had the excuse of "tourists"). We also visited the famous Harrods for a little shopping and general ogling. There was a display of shoes that I might think about well into my nineties. To wrap a great day, we squeezed a little thee-ah-ter. "We will rock you" a musical based on the lyrics of Queen. It was a blast. Entertaining? Absolutely. Great music? Of course. Great plot? Umm, did I mention how great the music was?
Of course, all that being rocked made us hungry. So we headed for a little post theater meal. At this point, it might be pertinent to mention I had 3 glasses of wine during the show (only to catch up with Kell and Ellen who did a little pre-funking at the Manchester United game earlier).
Well, we thought we found a happening little Greek place for dinner, but there was so much going on, I think the waiters forgot they served food. It was like walking into a Greek wedding - within minutes, we were dancing on the chairs. The highlight was the belly dancer. The 3 of us were mesmerized. I have bad news for anyone who has vested time in helping me with my career - I'm quitting to become a belly dancer. Don't try and talk me out of it. It was the best free entertainment I've ever had! Although we tried, we never got around to ordering anything. And that's all I can write about the Greek place - all other details are property of an ironclad pact the 3 of us made as we left. But you think that was the end of the night? No way. Kell and I hit a couple of clubs in Soho to finish off the night. Much fun was had, but still no bags.Sunday, we headed pack to my flat to drop some thhings and headed straight out again to do Spitalfields and the London Eye. We had some transportation challenges, but towards the end of the day, we happily ended up finding our way to the lovely convent garden area and some sublime dining. We were pretty wiped by early evening called it an early night. You guessed it, no bags.
Monday, work got in the way for me again, but they headed to Oxford Street and did some power shopping. Meeting me at St. Paul’s after work, we took in a scenic walk of the church and headed over Millennium Bridge. We had some wine at a place on the south bank of the Thames (which I have learned is pronounced Timmes). One thing that made itself obvious to all of us was that service in London is pretty bad. There is a reason tipping is not common here. Heaven forbid you need your server between the time they take your order and drop off the check.
So we get back to my place on Monday night and there is message on my machine from Kelley's dad "Hi girls. I just got a call from United. They found the bag. It's still in South Carolina." Of course it was found because they were heading home the next day!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Graffiti
Everywhere. That was my first impression of Prague. It could have to do with the fact that I didn't plan well and didn't give any thought how to get to my hostel from the airport (and since my Czech is a little rusty and all of the signs were in Czech, I really blame myself for not doing one iota of research beforehand) so I ended up taking the very, very long route to get there. I'm sure I saw the worst first, because it proved to be a beautiful city. Many times I looked up towards the castle and thought that the city was built to look like a perfect postcard. Beautiful. The reason that Prague has such a medieval feel is that during WWII, it was captured early by the Germans, so there wasn't a lot of damage done by them, and it was too hard to get to (and really not a strategic target) so the allies didn't really bomb it either, so much of the ancient architecture remained in tact.
After getting to my hostel and taking a quick power nap, I then headed into the main part of the city to do a little sightseeing. As I was walking towards the Charles bridge, I met a couple of American guys going the same way and ended up hanging out with them for the next few hours while we saw the bridge and then retired to a patio near the bridge on the river Vltava. It was one of those great afternoons where you are sitting outside with a drink and just really enjoying the scenery. It would be wrong to not partake in the famous Czech beer, which I’ve heard to be the elixir of life. After a couple of beers, Lauren (an Aussie I had met on the bus from the airport) joined me and we continued to wander around for a couple of hours and grabbed some dinner. We then met up with another Aussie we had met on the bus and some of here friends. The rest of the evening is a bit blurry – I’m having vague memories of a cocktail ounge, meeting back up with the American guys from earlier, a Cuban place with great mojitos, and a scary tram ride back to my hostel. All in all, a pretty good first day.
So I stayed in a hostel for the first time and it wasn't so bad at all. Especially for the price - I think I paid $75 for 3 nights. The hostel is Plus Prague, and although it is a little out of the way, it is really, really clean. Probably because it opened last week. Despite the opening chaos, I would definitely recommend it. Part of the reason I chose to stay in a hostel was to find other people to hang with while in a strange city and it proved to be a good idea. There were all kinds of people, mostly traveling students. First time I've woken up to a strange man with zero guilt. I'm kidding Mom – just trying to be funny. One of the people in my room was a guy who wasn't there when I fell asleep on the first night, but when I woke up, he was in the bed next to me. We actually chatted for a couple of hours in the morning after the 2 Canadian girls woke up and left at 7 in the morning to go sightseeing. Damn Canadians. Anyway, he was the third Aussie I'd met in one day (yes, Ron, I know what you're thinking) and was quite a nice guy. I’m definitely glad I decided to go the hostel route on this trip.
But by far one of the coolest things I have ever seen is the third bar – Cross Club. It is almost indescribable, but I will do my best. I had seen it a few times passing by it on the tram, but I thought the entrance was just a random piece of art – it was this huge metal structure that sort of looked like the insides of a clock; I had no idea there was actually anything else back there. But there DEFINITELY was. The inside reminded me of some bar you would find in a Star Wars movie - I kept expecting to see Jabba the Hut in one of the many, many, many rooms of this place (what can I say, I was raised with all boy cousins and a brother, I know my Star Wars). I didn’t think I could get any decent pics that night, so I just stole some off of their site. I’m sure that I completely looked like a tourist because my mouth was probably gaping open the whole time. It was spectacular.
Feel as though you had your history lesson? Now the good stuff.
After getting to my hostel and taking a quick power nap, I then headed into the main part of the city to do a little sightseeing. As I was walking towards the Charles bridge, I met a couple of American guys going the same way and ended up hanging out with them for the next few hours while we saw the bridge and then retired to a patio near the bridge on the river Vltava. It was one of those great afternoons where you are sitting outside with a drink and just really enjoying the scenery. It would be wrong to not partake in the famous Czech beer, which I’ve heard to be the elixir of life. After a couple of beers, Lauren (an Aussie I had met on the bus from the airport) joined me and we continued to wander around for a couple of hours and grabbed some dinner. We then met up with another Aussie we had met on the bus and some of here friends. The rest of the evening is a bit blurry – I’m having vague memories of a cocktail ounge, meeting back up with the American guys from earlier, a Cuban place with great mojitos, and a scary tram ride back to my hostel. All in all, a pretty good first day.
So I stayed in a hostel for the first time and it wasn't so bad at all. Especially for the price - I think I paid $75 for 3 nights. The hostel is Plus Prague, and although it is a little out of the way, it is really, really clean. Probably because it opened last week. Despite the opening chaos, I would definitely recommend it. Part of the reason I chose to stay in a hostel was to find other people to hang with while in a strange city and it proved to be a good idea. There were all kinds of people, mostly traveling students. First time I've woken up to a strange man with zero guilt. I'm kidding Mom – just trying to be funny. One of the people in my room was a guy who wasn't there when I fell asleep on the first night, but when I woke up, he was in the bed next to me. We actually chatted for a couple of hours in the morning after the 2 Canadian girls woke up and left at 7 in the morning to go sightseeing. Damn Canadians. Anyway, he was the third Aussie I'd met in one day (yes, Ron, I know what you're thinking) and was quite a nice guy. I’m definitely glad I decided to go the hostel route on this trip.Saturday I was a bit lazy for awhile and played tourist mostly. I really needed some relaxation after the last 6 weeks of crazy hours. The good news is the project I was working on launched last Monday - my company has officially renamed ourselves globally - Cision! I’m happy about the rebrand because 1) I no longer work for a company named after a pork product 2) It will be much easier to work globally under 1 name instead of a dozen plus names 3) this project was part of the reason I got to work in Europe. Sorry to throw in that little bit of work.
So, on Saturday night, I went on a pub crawl with the people in my hostel.The first bar we went to was the first capitalist bar to open in 1989 after the fall of communism. Pretty cool, but besides the history and the eclectic, authentic characters, a regular kind of pub. The second pub was pretty unassuming as you enter, but deceptive. Head towards the back and go downstairs - it goes on forever. A sort of catacombs of rooms. I think it was appropriately called Cave bar. Very cool – and I think my beer cost about $1.60.
But by far one of the coolest things I have ever seen is the third bar – Cross Club. It is almost indescribable, but I will do my best. I had seen it a few times passing by it on the tram, but I thought the entrance was just a random piece of art – it was this huge metal structure that sort of looked like the insides of a clock; I had no idea there was actually anything else back there. But there DEFINITELY was. The inside reminded me of some bar you would find in a Star Wars movie - I kept expecting to see Jabba the Hut in one of the many, many, many rooms of this place (what can I say, I was raised with all boy cousins and a brother, I know my Star Wars). I didn’t think I could get any decent pics that night, so I just stole some off of their site. I’m sure that I completely looked like a tourist because my mouth was probably gaping open the whole time. It was spectacular.Prague is one of those cities that seem to have a dual personality. On one side, it is this very romantic, beautiful city that seems caught in a moment in time with its beautiful light and cobblestone streets. On the other side, it has this sort of seedy under belly from a history full of oppression and violence. Just as some people are very simple while others are incredibly complex, Prague strikes me as an incredibly complex place. I imagine that it would take a person years and years of living there to really understand it. I sure wouldn’t presume to have gotten more than a mere taste of it.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Girl off an old Brick Lane
Warning: lots of melancholy and little humor in this entry, read at the risk of needing a stiff drink afterward
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A little honesty. I would be enjoying London much more with some friends. I'm usually fiercely independent, but to be honest, I am a bit ill of my own company. I have been wandering around Spitalfields market which is absolutely brilliant and enjoying the sites (Great suggestion Laura!!), but I am having a little friend envy. I can be anti-social for weeks at a time back home and pass it off as charmingly reclusive (well, I know Kelley doesn’t find it at all charming, just reclusive :-).
But it's nice to have the option of calling a friend for brunch. There are some wonderful looking restaurants throughout the market, but I'm disinclined to get a table for one. Don't get me wrong, I know many you are saying "it's okay to sit at a table for one Michelle.".
It isn't that I think there is some kind social stigma or that I would care if there were, it's that I am just sick of my own stories and thoughts. It would be nice to hear someone else go on for awhile. I never really thought of myself as a person that needs too many others around, but I am learning that I am no Henry David and Bethnal Green isn't Walden. However, being the trained debater I am, I would argue that it might have been easier for him since he wasn't constantly surrounded by thousands of cheerful people. I know that I am using a bit of literally license by calling Londoners a cheerful lot. Well-dressed, polite, smart, lovely accents and vocabularies, and cosmopolitan? Yes. Excessively cheerful? No.
I digress. I'm a bit lonely in London. I guess stoicism isn't my mood du jour. I want to leave London hating to leave, but I am not exactly having that experience right now. Sorry to dribble a bit of real life into my normally hysterical journal -)
I blame it on Tennessee Williams. As I was a bit at odds last night, I thought I would go down to the theater district and see if I could grab a seat to something. I was in a hurry because I didn't really get to the area until about 7:35 and most curtain calls are 7:30 or 8. At about 7:58, I saw the awning for Cabaret, so I thought "perfect.". I went to the box office, bought a ticket and made it just in time. I sat down and looked at my ticket. Guess what it said? Glass Menagerie. The theatres are right next to each other and I went to the wrong box office!1 For the same uplifting experience, I could have counseled little boys who had just lost their puppies or had a drink with a bride recently left at the alter. Good times. The guy in front of me fell asleep. What's her name was in it. If anyone out there thinks that Mr. Williams is a genius, would you mind sending me an email and explaining why? Bueller, Bueller?
Ergo, I blame my disheartened state on Tennessee. Maybe someone will turn my blog into a play and I'll at least make loads of money.
I hope no one misconstrues the above as complaining, as it is really just a mix of a slight homesickness and melancholy. I really, really do appreciate what an awesome opportunity this is. I also don't want any of the lovely Brits I have met think that your hospitality isn't fully appreciated - exactly the contrary, it is GREATLY appreciated.
------------------------
1 Despite the evidence of almost every entry, I am not the dumbest person ever (Please, someone corroborate!), I just occasionally make silly mistakes and feel the need to publish them to the world! I'm not even going to go into how I locked myself out of my flat last week and had to call my brother in Seattle so he could google the number of a locksmith in London. And it gave me a excuse to meet one of my neighbors who lent me his yellow pages and keys so I wouldn't be locked in the stairwell - MUCH appreciated. Now three hours on your porch on a Saturday night - that's how we roll in London.
-----
A little honesty. I would be enjoying London much more with some friends. I'm usually fiercely independent, but to be honest, I am a bit ill of my own company. I have been wandering around Spitalfields market which is absolutely brilliant and enjoying the sites (Great suggestion Laura!!), but I am having a little friend envy. I can be anti-social for weeks at a time back home and pass it off as charmingly reclusive (well, I know Kelley doesn’t find it at all charming, just reclusive :-).But it's nice to have the option of calling a friend for brunch. There are some wonderful looking restaurants throughout the market, but I'm disinclined to get a table for one. Don't get me wrong, I know many you are saying "it's okay to sit at a table for one Michelle.".
It isn't that I think there is some kind social stigma or that I would care if there were, it's that I am just sick of my own stories and thoughts. It would be nice to hear someone else go on for awhile. I never really thought of myself as a person that needs too many others around, but I am learning that I am no Henry David and Bethnal Green isn't Walden. However, being the trained debater I am, I would argue that it might have been easier for him since he wasn't constantly surrounded by thousands of cheerful people. I know that I am using a bit of literally license by calling Londoners a cheerful lot. Well-dressed, polite, smart, lovely accents and vocabularies, and cosmopolitan? Yes. Excessively cheerful? No.I digress. I'm a bit lonely in London. I guess stoicism isn't my mood du jour. I want to leave London hating to leave, but I am not exactly having that experience right now. Sorry to dribble a bit of real life into my normally hysterical journal -)
I blame it on Tennessee Williams. As I was a bit at odds last night, I thought I would go down to the theater district and see if I could grab a seat to something. I was in a hurry because I didn't really get to the area until about 7:35 and most curtain calls are 7:30 or 8. At about 7:58, I saw the awning for Cabaret, so I thought "perfect.". I went to the box office, bought a ticket and made it just in time. I sat down and looked at my ticket. Guess what it said? Glass Menagerie. The theatres are right next to each other and I went to the wrong box office!1 For the same uplifting experience, I could have counseled little boys who had just lost their puppies or had a drink with a bride recently left at the alter. Good times. The guy in front of me fell asleep. What's her name was in it. If anyone out there thinks that Mr. Williams is a genius, would you mind sending me an email and explaining why? Bueller, Bueller?
Ergo, I blame my disheartened state on Tennessee. Maybe someone will turn my blog into a play and I'll at least make loads of money.
I hope no one misconstrues the above as complaining, as it is really just a mix of a slight homesickness and melancholy. I really, really do appreciate what an awesome opportunity this is. I also don't want any of the lovely Brits I have met think that your hospitality isn't fully appreciated - exactly the contrary, it is GREATLY appreciated.
Note added 20 minutes after post went live: The neighbor who helped me out on during my lockout adventure below stopped by to say hello. See - things are picking up already. Thanks for peaking in Patrick - look forward to grabbing a cuppa.
------------------------
1 Despite the evidence of almost every entry, I am not the dumbest person ever (Please, someone corroborate!), I just occasionally make silly mistakes and feel the need to publish them to the world! I'm not even going to go into how I locked myself out of my flat last week and had to call my brother in Seattle so he could google the number of a locksmith in London. And it gave me a excuse to meet one of my neighbors who lent me his yellow pages and keys so I wouldn't be locked in the stairwell - MUCH appreciated. Now three hours on your porch on a Saturday night - that's how we roll in London.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Equal
If I were a better person, I would probably be talking about rights. Alas, that's 
another blog another time. This time I'm talking about the sweetener - the one that will probably give me cancer. I miss it. I've always turned my nose up at Sweet n' Low and real sugar. My morning tea just doesn't taste the same without it. However, I have found comfort in another. I am having a brief affair with a new sweet sensation. The Choco Liebniz. Not since the double-stuff Oreo has there been such cookie perfection. And they come in Dark chocolate.
another blog another time. This time I'm talking about the sweetener - the one that will probably give me cancer. I miss it. I've always turned my nose up at Sweet n' Low and real sugar. My morning tea just doesn't taste the same without it. However, I have found comfort in another. I am having a brief affair with a new sweet sensation. The Choco Liebniz. Not since the double-stuff Oreo has there been such cookie perfection. And they come in Dark chocolate. Sorry for the trite diatribe. I would love to bore you with my weekend in some exotic place where I was the only blond for miles and high fashion is a grass skirt, but the extent of my travels this weekend were Richmond and Chelsea - and neither lacked blondes or exotic fashions. Although I didn't see much of Richmond because of the prime and proximate restaurant locale to the train station, it was lovely having dinner with Greg and Nicola. I think I followed the story of how they met, but I might need to see a visio doc showing the common friends so I get the story straight:-) Thanks for dinner - can't wait to see the markets or Mick Jagger's house.
Chelsea was nice and I had breakfast at a wonderful, but very yuppie, place called Baker & Spice http://www.bakerandspice.com/. It was much like being on the upper east side in Manhattan. It was also "Mum's Day" here on Sunday - so a belated shout-out to my Mum (although I really have until May, so please don't ask where your card is...postage is expensive here and the pub tab doesn't pay itself:-)
You might have noticed that I'm going on a bit without a whole lot to say. I am ever so slyly trying to conceal the fact that work has overwhelmed the last week and left me a bit too tired to do much exploring. Warning - brace yourselves for a lack of posts over the next few weeks as work will become all consuming. You like how I say that as if anyone is going to notice the lack of posts. Technorati doesn't even know I have a blog:-)
April 2nd is almost like a mantra that I and others in my company's marketing departments keep telling ourselves. "April 2, April 2, April 2" That is the launch date of this project I am working on and it can't get here soon enough.
Anyway, that's sadly all. If the next post proves to be as boring, I promise to just make crap up.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Luckiest girl in the world
City I most wanted to visit: Amsterdam Concert I most wanted to see: Dave Matthews
Preferred venue for afore mentioned concert: Small, renovated church that seats 1,000
Preferred format: accoustic
Despite all of the trouble I have gone through in the last few months, it is offically all worth it. Anything else from here is gravy. I had, by far, the most serendipitous experience while here in Amsterdam. After arriving Friday night, I heard that Dave Matthews was playing at a small venue on Saturday night, but that it was also the fastest selling ticket in Amsterdam history selling out in 5 minutes. I thought carma owed me a few favors for the last few months and since I had no real plans Saturday night, I thought I would walk over to the Paradiso and see if I could scalp a ticket. Now by nature, I'm an optimist, but I really didn't have any false expecations of getting a ticket - they were going for $450 on ebay.
For some of my older friends and family who might be wondering who Dave Matthews is, he is the Beatles of my, and many of my generation's, heart. If you replace the name Dave Matthews with Beatles when reading the entry, you might understand what a big deal this is. He sells out 60,000 seat venues across the U.S. every summer. He isn't a pop star by any means though since he's 41 and I have been listening to him for at least 12-13 years.
And I got a ticket. There were only 1000 to start. And I got a ticket.Not only was it my first Dave Matthews show (even though I have been trying for years, albeit half-heartly, and never been able to go to one) but it was the perfect place in the perfect city and it was accoustic. Just Dave on stage with Tim Reynolds and their guitars. I was about 50 feet away from the stage. If this were a major venue, it would have been like being row 10.
This beats going to a Scottish ball any day of the year.
Let me preface with what an understatement the next sentence is going to be. It was awesome. One of the best experiences in my life.
If you are ever in Amsterdam and one of your favorite musicians of all time happens to be there playing accoustically for an intimate audience, I highly recomend you go.
I keep thinking of the word serendipity. I once heard that serendipity is a berry 1000 times sweeter than sugar - that is what last night was. "Life is short but sweet for certain"
My video of the show didn't turn out great, but here is a great clip someone else posted on youtube...
P.S. It happened. I was outside the Paradiso waiting to get in and was talking to some people from Michigan and Florida. One of the women made a comment about how bad the food in Amsterdam (which is amazing compared to London - sorry London). She said "the hamburgers are awful, like sausage patties." And that's when I thought it... "That's so American."
Marry me Amsterdam
Do you remember when you were a little kid and you would say "I love ice cream" and then your smart-ass friend, brother, sister, etc would reply "why don't you marry it then?" Well, that's how I feel about Amsterdam. Not the smart-ass part, but the marrying part. I want to marry Amsterdam. I love this city!By far my favorite European city so far and hard to imagine another I will fall for as hard in my future travels. I can't explain exactly why - it just has an essence about it that makes me want to sell all of my things (except of course my shoes - that would be crazy talk), put the dogs on a plane, and move here. Most Americans just think of Amsterdam as the epicenter of legal vices, but that isn't it at all. (Ok - maybe a teeny,weeny little bit of it).
It is a beautiful city with a live and let live attitude. Without being even more dramatic, it was a bit like finding "the one." You don't know why they're the one, you just know it. That's how I felt. The only problem, of course, would be that it would feed my little addiction problem. My close and personal friends know the one. No, not the shoe one. The french fry one. The best french fries/pomme frites I've ever had were here (sorry I topped them with ketchup Stephen - I know I looked like an American).They also drive on the right side of the road, but if I move here, no car for me, I'm buying a bike and a rowboat. Now I've found the city I love, I just need to find a cute Dutchman with a big enough houseboat for me, Ithaca, and Avery. UK immigration has nothing to worry about now... If I were going to illegally migrate, it would be Holland all the way.
Some of the highlights: flower markets, the canals, red light district, pomme frites and pancakes, Dutch masters, houseboats, and liberals.
Check out my message at the Van Gogh museum (although the end got cut off)
http://vangoghen.bitmove.tv:80/bitmove/vangoghen/index.jsp?uid=32E02F21B518F666377ADB68AD8307BA&format=WMV
http://vangoghen.bitmove.tv:80/bitmove/vangoghen/index.jsp?uid=32E02F21B518F666377ADB68AD8307BA&format=WMV
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Funky Cold Medina
My first night in Amsterdam. To protect the reputation of all parties involved, here what I have to say about it:
No Comment.
If you want to know anything more, buy me a beer. I can't share the stories with anyone I wouldn't share a beer with.
Update to this post and to answer any future inquiries...despite the blurriness of this pic and the possible misconception this image might convey, the only vice I had partaken in was a couple of beers.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Thee..ah..ter
For some reason, I feel that just saying theater the normal way is inappropriate when talking about the London theatre scene. I have the need to say it like "thee...ah..ter". Regardless, I had the wonderful experience of going to see a show in the west end on Tuesday. I saw "Blood Brothers" http://www.theambassadors.com/phoenix/ which is the story of a set of twins separated at birth and have very different lives. My review, which I'm sure will make or break this 20-year running hit, is that all of the actors had wonderful voices and the musical part was better sung than the acting pieces were acted. Some of the acting looked liked acting. The story was really good, although predictable. And despite finding out hours before hand that it was written by an author that Neil loves and I couldn't get past page 12, was well-written. Sorry for the smart ass comments the other day Neil, I was wrong. Thanks for being my date Budgie - it was fun and I loved seeing the Soho area for the first time.
Despite many entries to the contrary, I'm trying to keep this one is short and sweet. I have to finish packing for my weekend in Amsterdam this weekend.
Despite many entries to the contrary, I'm trying to keep this one is short and sweet. I have to finish packing for my weekend in Amsterdam this weekend.
Monday, March 5, 2007
The American Woman who went up a mountain and came down a Hill
It is very nice to get out of the city center when visiting a new city, at least as time and transportation allows. Sometimes it is hard how to do that, but with lovely Edinburgh, it was quite easy.
After I arrived at the Waverly train stop. BTW- Thanks Allan for chatting with me on the second half of the train ride. I hope you and your fiancée had a lovely time at the ball. Had I been brighter, I would have asked if she had any single colleagues who needed a date as angling my way into a Scottish Ball would have made a helluva story.
I digress. After checking into the hotel, I promptly went straight for the City Sightseeing bus. I know bus tours are a bit cheesy, but I have found they are a good way to see a lot of a city quickly, get a sense of geography and direction, and occasionally meet other travelers. This one was bit disappointing, but functional. I jumped off at the Castle.
Aaahhh, the castle. I had been hearing about for ages. It was beautiful. And surprisingly huge inside. Aesthetically, it kicks the Stockholm castles ass. One thing I have been getting from being in places that are centuries old is a sense of humility - kings and queens and religious leaders come and go, and yet they barely scratch the surface of history. It takes some of the pressure of worrying about the day to day stuff away. It appears that I will have to order a beheading or poison my brother (sorry Chris) to make any real legacy.
After the castle and some wandering around the royal mile, I headed back to the hotel to take a quick nap and freshen up. I don't know about other single travelers, but what do you do with yourself at night? I think I'm pretty independent, but I'm a little lost what to do by myself in a new town on a Saturday night. Going to a pub by myself and just sitting there looking for someone to talk to is something I don't like doing. Any other suggestions?
I had seen some signs for a literary pub crawl, so I thought that would be right up my alley. Drinking with Lit geeks? Perfect! Unfortunately, it appears the other geeks couldn't put their books down and be bothered to show up. Not having found the other people for the tour, I moved on to plan B - a ghost tour. You see, Edinburgh has a dark history plagued with lots of crime and, well, plagues. It was jolly good fun hearing about the 9 layers of bodies in some graveyards as well as the fact that it is estimated that 2-5% of them were actually buried alive, and begot both the phrases dead ringer and saved by the bell. Overall, it turned out to be an entertaining way to spend the evening and I met some friendly locals.
Having gotten to bed at a reasonable time, I woke up refreshed and ready take on the day. On the city's edge was a huge hill called Arthur's Seat. On my tour yesterday I had seen people hiking to the
top and I thought it seemed like a good idea at the time. I started at what I thought was the base and just started going up. Now, I have run marathons and although I am not in peak training shape, I think I would have no trouble. Hiking is just walking, right? Uhh, no. After ten minutes, my heart was racing and I was having some trouble catching my breath. But I'm prideful and I wouldn't throw in the towel so soon (and then I saw a man and his two-year old coming down the path.) I persevered. It was one of those hikes that you think the top is just around the corner about a dozen times. And then the path started going downhill. WHAT? Where was the peak I saw people on yesterday? Again, I persevered. After I had gone on another ten minutes, I was in a sort of valley between the two peaks.
That's when I saw it, I'll never forget that feeling of defeat. The road that went parallel to the steep ledge I had just spent the last hour traversing. All of those people had just strolled their way around. However, this only brought you to the steps at the bottom of the real ascent. As I have made this entry too long already, I'll just say that I finally made it to the top. As soon as I made it, I was promptly almost blown off by the wind. A few pics, and I headed down the other side where all of the children, families, and pensioners were casually making their way up the easy side.
Advice - if we are ever out hiking together, and I say "this looks like a good way to go" for the love of God, drag me the other way.
After I arrived at the Waverly train stop. BTW- Thanks Allan for chatting with me on the second half of the train ride. I hope you and your fiancée had a lovely time at the ball. Had I been brighter, I would have asked if she had any single colleagues who needed a date as angling my way into a Scottish Ball would have made a helluva story.
I digress. After checking into the hotel, I promptly went straight for the City Sightseeing bus. I know bus tours are a bit cheesy, but I have found they are a good way to see a lot of a city quickly, get a sense of geography and direction, and occasionally meet other travelers. This one was bit disappointing, but functional. I jumped off at the Castle.
Aaahhh, the castle. I had been hearing about for ages. It was beautiful. And surprisingly huge inside. Aesthetically, it kicks the Stockholm castles ass. One thing I have been getting from being in places that are centuries old is a sense of humility - kings and queens and religious leaders come and go, and yet they barely scratch the surface of history. It takes some of the pressure of worrying about the day to day stuff away. It appears that I will have to order a beheading or poison my brother (sorry Chris) to make any real legacy.After the castle and some wandering around the royal mile, I headed back to the hotel to take a quick nap and freshen up. I don't know about other single travelers, but what do you do with yourself at night? I think I'm pretty independent, but I'm a little lost what to do by myself in a new town on a Saturday night. Going to a pub by myself and just sitting there looking for someone to talk to is something I don't like doing. Any other suggestions?
I had seen some signs for a literary pub crawl, so I thought that would be right up my alley. Drinking with Lit geeks? Perfect! Unfortunately, it appears the other geeks couldn't put their books down and be bothered to show up. Not having found the other people for the tour, I moved on to plan B - a ghost tour. You see, Edinburgh has a dark history plagued with lots of crime and, well, plagues. It was jolly good fun hearing about the 9 layers of bodies in some graveyards as well as the fact that it is estimated that 2-5% of them were actually buried alive, and begot both the phrases dead ringer and saved by the bell. Overall, it turned out to be an entertaining way to spend the evening and I met some friendly locals.
Having gotten to bed at a reasonable time, I woke up refreshed and ready take on the day. On the city's edge was a huge hill called Arthur's Seat. On my tour yesterday I had seen people hiking to the
top and I thought it seemed like a good idea at the time. I started at what I thought was the base and just started going up. Now, I have run marathons and although I am not in peak training shape, I think I would have no trouble. Hiking is just walking, right? Uhh, no. After ten minutes, my heart was racing and I was having some trouble catching my breath. But I'm prideful and I wouldn't throw in the towel so soon (and then I saw a man and his two-year old coming down the path.) I persevered. It was one of those hikes that you think the top is just around the corner about a dozen times. And then the path started going downhill. WHAT? Where was the peak I saw people on yesterday? Again, I persevered. After I had gone on another ten minutes, I was in a sort of valley between the two peaks.That's when I saw it, I'll never forget that feeling of defeat. The road that went parallel to the steep ledge I had just spent the last hour traversing. All of those people had just strolled their way around. However, this only brought you to the steps at the bottom of the real ascent. As I have made this entry too long already, I'll just say that I finally made it to the top. As soon as I made it, I was promptly almost blown off by the wind. A few pics, and I headed down the other side where all of the children, families, and pensioners were casually making their way up the easy side.
Advice - if we are ever out hiking together, and I say "this looks like a good way to go" for the love of God, drag me the other way.
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