This is long overdue, but I have been engrossed in A Fraction of the Whole, a 711-page piece of fiction that really blew my head over with philosophical rants and criminal idiosyncrasies. It was a great read, but I'd forgotten how often a book can take me away from very pressing matters.
Of course, blogging is not necessarily a "pressing matter," but it's a step up towards making progress towards actually being productive.
Anyway, I shall recount the last days in Europe briefly and then my long, long, LONG journey back to Hacienda Heights, Calif.
We had an awful travel day back to Belfast from Prague. We left at 7 a.m., arrived in Stansted at around 10:45 a.m., then hung about for a good 4-5 hours before we could check in for our flight to Belfast. It was a nice day, though, so we got a chance to walk around outside, within a few hundred meters of the entrance. Fun.
But oh! When we landed in Belfast, it was GORGEOUS weather! We didn't need jackets, we didn't have our heads blown off by wind, we didn't need hoods to cover soon-to-be-wet heads, and there was sunshine. Unbelievable.
Moreover, the weather continued to get better throughout the weekend. Every day was warmer than the previous one, which is apparently very strange for the island of Ireland in general. Everyone was telling us that during our two weeks of travel Ireland had awful weather of just cold, wind and rain, and the day we got back was the day it decided to get all nice and sunny. HAHA! Victory!
I was more thankful than anything, though, especially for the sun setting at 10 p.m., which meant that it didn't actually get really dark until after 11 p.m. Alan and I got to walk around along the coast every day, whether it be on sidewalks or along the beach. One day we had a picnic, another we got some whipped ice cream. I could not have asked for better last memories of Ireland. I really couldn't.
I wasn't ready for Tuesday morning. I think my flight itinerary had something to do with it, but, more than anything, I wasn't ready to leave Alan. I was looking forward to America, but I couldn't wrap my head around not being able to see this boy in person for a good 4 months at least. The drive to the airport was awful - we had nothing left to say, only all the dread to feel. He helped me with my luggage and waited with me in the departure lounge for a bit so I didn't have to wait long by myself. Alas, at 10:05, it was time for him to leave. He was already late to work and would have to make it up in the next few days. We parted ways, going towards our own realities, only being comforted that this wasn't the end.
It didn't help that the rest of the journey was an absolute nightmare. The Continental lady was nice enough to only charge me $50 for two oversized bags instead of $100. That was probably the only nice thing, in all truth.
My flight itinerary was as follows:
Belfast to Newark
Newark to Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. to Houston
Houston to Los Angeles
All of these departed less than an hour before the next one departed. What does this mean? This meant that I was running from airplane to airplane, from customs to domestic terminals, with pit stains growing disgustingly larger, all the while being paranoid that my luggage was going to go missing somewhere. Embarrassing, stressful, obnoxious.
When my plane finally landed in LAX, I was jetlagged and passing out in every flight (excluding the first two). Then, wonderfully, I found that my luggage misconnected! I would have to wait until the following morning to get it, adding on a few extra hours for delivery.
And that's what I did, except "a few extra hours" turned out to be more than 12 hours, and my luggage did not arrive at my doorstep until after 11 p.m. the next day. It was really nice to have it back because, to me, it signified the completiong of my hellish journey home. I was seriously a dud the day after I'd arrived, not even getting right to my errands, but just sitting around playing solitaire or reading A Fraction of the Whole.
Of course, I'm still doing that. Except! I've finished the book and now can begin living life normally once again. Maybe I can find a good cafe around here to sit, have a nice mocha, and do my work. Unfortunately, this sounds more European than anything, and I might get seriously disappointed that I will not find anywhere to do this.
Coming up next, culture shocks.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
One of the little joys in life
I'm not quite up to writing another full post, so this will do for now.
At the end of our two-week trip, I was able to make a list of cities I've visited and cities in which I've run. I'm fairly satisfied with the list, though I know I could probably have had more under my belt. That's okay, though. I don't want to go as far as to say that was my last chance in Europe.
Here goes! I will list Country and then City because I think every city is different, and visiting one or two or even five cities within a country never means that you've traveled the country.
Cities traveled
A. IRELAND
Dublin
Killarney
Annascaul
Dingle Peninsula
Dun Laoghaire
Drogheda
B. NORTHERN IRELAND, UK
Belfast
Londonderry
Ballymoney
Coleraine
Portrush
Portstewart
Portballintrae
Ballintoy
C. ENGLAND, UK
London
D. FRANCE
Paris
Orleans
E. SCOTLAND, UK
Glasgow
Edinburgh
Isle of Skye
Inverness territory
F. ITALY
Venice
Florence
G. AUSTRIA
Salzburg
Part of Vienna (yes, we did explore a bit of it while we were there!)
H. CZECH REPUBLIC
Prague
Where I've run (in my life, not just during this past semester)
Cerritos, CA, USA
Riverside, CA, USA
Hacienda Heights, CA USA
Boston, MA, USA
Dublin, Ireland
Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, UK
London, England, UK
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Drumnadrochit (of Inverness), Scotland, UK
Florence, Italy
Salzburg, Austria,
Prague, Czech Republic
I know how some people feel about lists, but it's a nice sense of achievement when you put it down and look at it. It always motivates you to keep going and adding on because there's really no limit, is there?
I liked running in Europe - it was a good way to see a lot of things and also take in the atmosphere. Least favorite place to run: Florence. Favorite place to run: Boston. Salzburg was a close second, though.
At the end of our two-week trip, I was able to make a list of cities I've visited and cities in which I've run. I'm fairly satisfied with the list, though I know I could probably have had more under my belt. That's okay, though. I don't want to go as far as to say that was my last chance in Europe.
Here goes! I will list Country and then City because I think every city is different, and visiting one or two or even five cities within a country never means that you've traveled the country.
Cities traveled
A. IRELAND
Dublin
Killarney
Annascaul
Dingle Peninsula
Dun Laoghaire
Drogheda
B. NORTHERN IRELAND, UK
Belfast
Londonderry
Ballymoney
Coleraine
Portrush
Portstewart
Portballintrae
Ballintoy
C. ENGLAND, UK
London
D. FRANCE
Paris
Orleans
E. SCOTLAND, UK
Glasgow
Edinburgh
Isle of Skye
Inverness territory
F. ITALY
Venice
Florence
G. AUSTRIA
Salzburg
Part of Vienna (yes, we did explore a bit of it while we were there!)
H. CZECH REPUBLIC
Prague
Where I've run (in my life, not just during this past semester)
Cerritos, CA, USA
Riverside, CA, USA
Hacienda Heights, CA USA
Boston, MA, USA
Dublin, Ireland
Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, UK
London, England, UK
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Drumnadrochit (of Inverness), Scotland, UK
Florence, Italy
Salzburg, Austria,
Prague, Czech Republic
I know how some people feel about lists, but it's a nice sense of achievement when you put it down and look at it. It always motivates you to keep going and adding on because there's really no limit, is there?
I liked running in Europe - it was a good way to see a lot of things and also take in the atmosphere. Least favorite place to run: Florence. Favorite place to run: Boston. Salzburg was a close second, though.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Catching up
Failed in getting Prague entry in, and now must do that as well as recount the last weekend in Northern Ireland, the journey back to California and readjusting to America.
1) PRAGUE
I can't say that we were exactly ready to get out of Salzburg when we had to, but it's all right. This trip was to get a good taste here and there of the different places of Europe, which it had served to do just rightly. We were pretty excited to see Prague, though weather forecasts were not providing cheery news. I guess there had to be an end to the sunshine and clear skies, and it looks like Europe was getting it in general, not just Prague.
Anyway, so the rain and the cold set us back a bit, since neither of us brought umbrellas (nuisances) and were getting physically exhausted from the entire trip. But we did get a good deal of walking around and exploring.
We were quite impressed with the city, actually. Not only is the transportation amazingly efficient--railway, bus, metro, surface-ground tram--the city itself is modern, trendy and clean. All the British designer stores are lined up nicely in every shopping complex we encountered (a lot), and there are plenty of the infamous icons of Western influence: KFC, McDonald's, Burger King and the like.
If there is one thing I regret, it would be that I did not fully appreciate the beauty of the gothic architecture there. Some of the buildings/monuments/tourist attractions are very impressive, looming over the city at intimidating and spiky heights.
A particular instance of "not fully appreciating" Prague came when we walked up to Prague Castle, known as a town within a town. Indeed it was like a miniature town and the actual palace is fascinating, but the sky chose to rain heavily during our time there, so we spent our time huddled under a little shelter waiting for it to get a little lighter.
But I digress. The point here is that as we were making our way to the castle, we saw a great view of Prague. I took pictures at a few angles - you know, the whole shabang - and then just went on, only realizing later that I didn't care. Alan had reached that point already, and I only remarked later, "Huh...we HAVE seen a lot of views haven't we?" Reply: "Yeah, and they all look the same."
Okay, they don't look EXACTLY the same, but city views are definitely similar. We still agreed that Salzburg was the best view because of the mountain ranges and the greenery all around. Prague had gorgeous gothic monuments sticking out here and there, and it was a lovely scene, but I guess...yes, it does look the same as everywhere else.
Even so, we had a great time in Prage. Food was ridiculously cheap, though clothes weren't. We got more international cuisine that was pretty decent, as well. Very good thing.
Oh oh! One more story from Prague visit....
2) Champions League Cup Final - Manchester Utd v. Barcelona
This happened during Prague visit, and there are a number of reasons why we had to watch this:
a. The Carsons have been lifelong avid fans of Manchester United
b. The Champions League Cup is one of the most coveted club titles in European football
c. Both teams playing are at the top of European clubs, so it promised to be a good game
d. No team had ever held onto the Champions League title two years in a row, and since Man. Utd won it last year, if they were to nab this one they would make history
Finding a Sports Bar wouldn't be too hard, we thought, so we just walked down our street and looked at the appropriate time. The first one we tried was a failure because it looked dingy outside and had the smallest TV screens. The second had good-sized screens and a table right in front of one of them, so we took it.
In the middle of the first half, a scantily clad girl jumps onto the bar counter and begins dancing at the pole. See, we hadn't even noticed that there was a pole there, though we did notice that the girl was dressed in a very revealing outfit. So then, we agree that if she's still doing her nonsense we'd leave at halftime.
Near the end of the first half, she's still doing her nonsense, which meant we were planning on leaving anyway. The next thing we knew, we looked at each other and said, "Her top is off."
And we left right then and there.
By the way, Czech beer may be cheap, but it tastes like it. Austrian beer is the way to go. Just a tip.
So this is long enough. I think I'll save the NI weekend and the trip home for a while later. I know this takes away from the accuracy of recounting my true feelings, but as I have been doing absolutely nothing with my life since I've gotten back to the States, I don't think there's much with which to replace those memories.
1) PRAGUE
I can't say that we were exactly ready to get out of Salzburg when we had to, but it's all right. This trip was to get a good taste here and there of the different places of Europe, which it had served to do just rightly. We were pretty excited to see Prague, though weather forecasts were not providing cheery news. I guess there had to be an end to the sunshine and clear skies, and it looks like Europe was getting it in general, not just Prague.
Anyway, so the rain and the cold set us back a bit, since neither of us brought umbrellas (nuisances) and were getting physically exhausted from the entire trip. But we did get a good deal of walking around and exploring.
We were quite impressed with the city, actually. Not only is the transportation amazingly efficient--railway, bus, metro, surface-ground tram--the city itself is modern, trendy and clean. All the British designer stores are lined up nicely in every shopping complex we encountered (a lot), and there are plenty of the infamous icons of Western influence: KFC, McDonald's, Burger King and the like.
If there is one thing I regret, it would be that I did not fully appreciate the beauty of the gothic architecture there. Some of the buildings/monuments/tourist attractions are very impressive, looming over the city at intimidating and spiky heights.
A particular instance of "not fully appreciating" Prague came when we walked up to Prague Castle, known as a town within a town. Indeed it was like a miniature town and the actual palace is fascinating, but the sky chose to rain heavily during our time there, so we spent our time huddled under a little shelter waiting for it to get a little lighter.
But I digress. The point here is that as we were making our way to the castle, we saw a great view of Prague. I took pictures at a few angles - you know, the whole shabang - and then just went on, only realizing later that I didn't care. Alan had reached that point already, and I only remarked later, "Huh...we HAVE seen a lot of views haven't we?" Reply: "Yeah, and they all look the same."
Okay, they don't look EXACTLY the same, but city views are definitely similar. We still agreed that Salzburg was the best view because of the mountain ranges and the greenery all around. Prague had gorgeous gothic monuments sticking out here and there, and it was a lovely scene, but I guess...yes, it does look the same as everywhere else.
Even so, we had a great time in Prage. Food was ridiculously cheap, though clothes weren't. We got more international cuisine that was pretty decent, as well. Very good thing.
Oh oh! One more story from Prague visit....
2) Champions League Cup Final - Manchester Utd v. Barcelona
This happened during Prague visit, and there are a number of reasons why we had to watch this:
a. The Carsons have been lifelong avid fans of Manchester United
b. The Champions League Cup is one of the most coveted club titles in European football
c. Both teams playing are at the top of European clubs, so it promised to be a good game
d. No team had ever held onto the Champions League title two years in a row, and since Man. Utd won it last year, if they were to nab this one they would make history
Finding a Sports Bar wouldn't be too hard, we thought, so we just walked down our street and looked at the appropriate time. The first one we tried was a failure because it looked dingy outside and had the smallest TV screens. The second had good-sized screens and a table right in front of one of them, so we took it.
In the middle of the first half, a scantily clad girl jumps onto the bar counter and begins dancing at the pole. See, we hadn't even noticed that there was a pole there, though we did notice that the girl was dressed in a very revealing outfit. So then, we agree that if she's still doing her nonsense we'd leave at halftime.
Near the end of the first half, she's still doing her nonsense, which meant we were planning on leaving anyway. The next thing we knew, we looked at each other and said, "Her top is off."
And we left right then and there.
By the way, Czech beer may be cheap, but it tastes like it. Austrian beer is the way to go. Just a tip.
So this is long enough. I think I'll save the NI weekend and the trip home for a while later. I know this takes away from the accuracy of recounting my true feelings, but as I have been doing absolutely nothing with my life since I've gotten back to the States, I don't think there's much with which to replace those memories.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Waltzing in Salzburg
I’m writing this in a Word document on the way to Prague, more accurately written as Praha, Czech Republic. I have failed in trying to finish my personal statement, over which I should begin to feel stress. No matter, what will happen will happen.
On to Salzburg.
When we first began planning our trip, we never thought of Salzburg, much less Austria. We talked about the south of France, Spain, maybe Croatia, and even Germany, but never Austria. Then for some reason, I remember seeing Salzburg on the map, and remembered that it was not only the home of Mozart, but also where The Sound of Music had taken place! After Google allowed us a few glimpses of the place, we decided that it could be a lovely place to visit.
We kept looking forward to it throughout our trip, especially after the sweltering heat and hoards of tourists in Italy. Those feelings of anticipation increased all the more after we got off that hellish train from Florence and then skyrocketed when we stepped into the Munich train station.
Beautiful station—clean, decent restaurants, more technologically advanced. Oh, such relief.
Side note: I don’t mean to put Italy down in any way, but it is not a really “nice” or relaxing place to visit – at least, the tourist-y cities, anyway. I’m so glad I went and had a great time, but I was very ready to be out of that country.
The OBB bound for Salzburg was also beautiful. It was clean, comfortable and smooth. Even the W.C. was a haven compared to the ones in Italy.
That is not even the beginning, though, only a prelude.
When we got off in Salzburg, we sighed with relief, Ahhh, we’re finally here! We asked for directions to the bus stop, and were immediately understood and pointed in the right direction. We initially got on the #3 bus going the other way, but the driver kindly told us that we needed to go across the street to the other bus stop. Once we were on the right bus going in the right direction, it was delightful seeing that the bus had a digitalized thing telling you what the next stop was and laid out the sequence of the ones following. Oh, SO easy! SO wonderful!
Our hotel gave us a great experience. Right off the bat the receptionist gave us suggestions of where to go and what to do during our time here. He also gave us a free hour of Internet, which had already stood at a cheap €1/hour. We got to store our luggage there hassle-free, and we got a pretty substantial breakfast included in our rate, which was only €176 for two nights. I can’t say much about the toilet design or the lack of air-conditioning, but we couldn’t have stayed in a better hotel in a better location. The Mozart Plaza was steps away, as were nice pubs and restaurants.
The Old Town of Salzburg – ADORABLE ADORABLE ADORABLE. All the stores had intricately designed signs hanging from the side of the buildings—even the McDonald’s looked pretty decent! The first night we had a walk around Mirabell Gardens, which was beautiful, peaceful and just what we needed after that horrid train ride.
**Oh, by the way. Our overnight train was a nightmare and we decided to never do it again. We groggily got to Salzburg and all we wanted was to get something to eat and then take a nap. You don’t save that much time on an overnight train because you just take extra time to take a nap to catch up on the rest you couldn’t have while facing three other passengers in a cramped, hot and uncomfortable 6-passenger compartment.
There was a really nice atmosphere around the entire town. It was tourist-y, of course, but there was more authenticity in the place. There was no fake national pride, I don’t think, which is surprising considering its history with the Third Reich. I think that was because they weren’t boisterous in the least bit. Americans and Irish are very “AMERICA! YEAH!” or “We are Irish, therefore HAHAHA we are fun drunkards!” Austrians have a reserved yet kind personality for some reason.
And yes, they all sound like Arnold. I love it. I apologize for being insensitive or ignorat or politically incorrect, but they really do! Though, to be fair to both, Arnold has mellowed out his accent a bit.
And yes, we took the Sound of Music Tour, something made for the Americans who went there to see the locations of the film. Interesting side note for the story: the first original film was in German, which included the real classic and folk music that the Von Trapp family sung. The success of it inspired the American film with Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews.
Okay, that all sounds so dorkily touristy, but I loved it. There’s something so special about listening to the Sound of Music Instrumental Suite while driving through the lake and mountain districts outside of Salzburg, where Julie Andrews ran and sang “The hills are aliiiive, with the sound of muuuusic” and “Doe, a deer, a female deer…” Priceless!
Interesting thing for any future Salzburg visitors: they’ll totally market that Salzburg was Mozart’s birthplace and hometown, but they’ll never tell you that he really hated it. He thought it was too simple and ordinary and kept dreaming of going to other more glamourous cities where all the geniuses and intellectuals gathered to cultivate tastes and masterpieces. It’s okay, though. I only knew this from my Music and Ideas course last semester.
Anyway, we finally had wonderful food from a hotel restaurant, which was SUCH a relief from having horrible food in Italy. We actually went there twice to try different things because we liked it so much! The strawberry ice cream dessert was also scrumptious! Not only did they serve us actual Vanilla bean ice cream, the massive amount of strawberries that came with it were SO fresh. Best meal by far.
And the beer! We had the Goldenbrau and something similar to the Eidelweiss beer, which were both great. The first one, the most standard in Salzburg, I think, was REALLY good. I mean, REALLY good. We had it twice, and both times it was exactly what we wanted and needed, so light and refreshing with extra hops in it.
We also stuck in a longer run because the weather was so nice, and there was so much space. We could get lost if we wanted and still feel safe, and that’s what we did. Absolutely lovely.
On our last day we hurried on up to Fortress (I need to Google the name), which was a good, hot walk up and up and up. Beautiful! I know I keep saying this, but the view that we got was the most beautiful out of all the views we’ve gotten so far. I think the mountain ranges and the trees had a lot to do with it. Salzburg isn’t a bustling, big city, which adds a lot of nature to its view. You might be able to credit the delicious Austrian Steigl beer to the view, but that's all part of Salzburg's lovely package.
So we still ended on a great note, with a train over to Vienna for the night before we headed to Prague the next morning. I'm more impressed with Salzburg than with Vienna, though I don't doubt that Vienna probably has better classical music concerts than Salzburg does. I would love to go back one day to catch a few of them, should money and timing work out.
Ohhh, goodbye Salzburg. Just for now, though, I'm planning on coming back to you in the future. =)
On to Salzburg.
When we first began planning our trip, we never thought of Salzburg, much less Austria. We talked about the south of France, Spain, maybe Croatia, and even Germany, but never Austria. Then for some reason, I remember seeing Salzburg on the map, and remembered that it was not only the home of Mozart, but also where The Sound of Music had taken place! After Google allowed us a few glimpses of the place, we decided that it could be a lovely place to visit.
We kept looking forward to it throughout our trip, especially after the sweltering heat and hoards of tourists in Italy. Those feelings of anticipation increased all the more after we got off that hellish train from Florence and then skyrocketed when we stepped into the Munich train station.
Beautiful station—clean, decent restaurants, more technologically advanced. Oh, such relief.
Side note: I don’t mean to put Italy down in any way, but it is not a really “nice” or relaxing place to visit – at least, the tourist-y cities, anyway. I’m so glad I went and had a great time, but I was very ready to be out of that country.
The OBB bound for Salzburg was also beautiful. It was clean, comfortable and smooth. Even the W.C. was a haven compared to the ones in Italy.
That is not even the beginning, though, only a prelude.
When we got off in Salzburg, we sighed with relief, Ahhh, we’re finally here! We asked for directions to the bus stop, and were immediately understood and pointed in the right direction. We initially got on the #3 bus going the other way, but the driver kindly told us that we needed to go across the street to the other bus stop. Once we were on the right bus going in the right direction, it was delightful seeing that the bus had a digitalized thing telling you what the next stop was and laid out the sequence of the ones following. Oh, SO easy! SO wonderful!
Our hotel gave us a great experience. Right off the bat the receptionist gave us suggestions of where to go and what to do during our time here. He also gave us a free hour of Internet, which had already stood at a cheap €1/hour. We got to store our luggage there hassle-free, and we got a pretty substantial breakfast included in our rate, which was only €176 for two nights. I can’t say much about the toilet design or the lack of air-conditioning, but we couldn’t have stayed in a better hotel in a better location. The Mozart Plaza was steps away, as were nice pubs and restaurants.
The Old Town of Salzburg – ADORABLE ADORABLE ADORABLE. All the stores had intricately designed signs hanging from the side of the buildings—even the McDonald’s looked pretty decent! The first night we had a walk around Mirabell Gardens, which was beautiful, peaceful and just what we needed after that horrid train ride.
**Oh, by the way. Our overnight train was a nightmare and we decided to never do it again. We groggily got to Salzburg and all we wanted was to get something to eat and then take a nap. You don’t save that much time on an overnight train because you just take extra time to take a nap to catch up on the rest you couldn’t have while facing three other passengers in a cramped, hot and uncomfortable 6-passenger compartment.
There was a really nice atmosphere around the entire town. It was tourist-y, of course, but there was more authenticity in the place. There was no fake national pride, I don’t think, which is surprising considering its history with the Third Reich. I think that was because they weren’t boisterous in the least bit. Americans and Irish are very “AMERICA! YEAH!” or “We are Irish, therefore HAHAHA we are fun drunkards!” Austrians have a reserved yet kind personality for some reason.
And yes, they all sound like Arnold. I love it. I apologize for being insensitive or ignorat or politically incorrect, but they really do! Though, to be fair to both, Arnold has mellowed out his accent a bit.
And yes, we took the Sound of Music Tour, something made for the Americans who went there to see the locations of the film. Interesting side note for the story: the first original film was in German, which included the real classic and folk music that the Von Trapp family sung. The success of it inspired the American film with Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews.
Okay, that all sounds so dorkily touristy, but I loved it. There’s something so special about listening to the Sound of Music Instrumental Suite while driving through the lake and mountain districts outside of Salzburg, where Julie Andrews ran and sang “The hills are aliiiive, with the sound of muuuusic” and “Doe, a deer, a female deer…” Priceless!
Interesting thing for any future Salzburg visitors: they’ll totally market that Salzburg was Mozart’s birthplace and hometown, but they’ll never tell you that he really hated it. He thought it was too simple and ordinary and kept dreaming of going to other more glamourous cities where all the geniuses and intellectuals gathered to cultivate tastes and masterpieces. It’s okay, though. I only knew this from my Music and Ideas course last semester.
Anyway, we finally had wonderful food from a hotel restaurant, which was SUCH a relief from having horrible food in Italy. We actually went there twice to try different things because we liked it so much! The strawberry ice cream dessert was also scrumptious! Not only did they serve us actual Vanilla bean ice cream, the massive amount of strawberries that came with it were SO fresh. Best meal by far.
And the beer! We had the Goldenbrau and something similar to the Eidelweiss beer, which were both great. The first one, the most standard in Salzburg, I think, was REALLY good. I mean, REALLY good. We had it twice, and both times it was exactly what we wanted and needed, so light and refreshing with extra hops in it.
We also stuck in a longer run because the weather was so nice, and there was so much space. We could get lost if we wanted and still feel safe, and that’s what we did. Absolutely lovely.
On our last day we hurried on up to Fortress (I need to Google the name), which was a good, hot walk up and up and up. Beautiful! I know I keep saying this, but the view that we got was the most beautiful out of all the views we’ve gotten so far. I think the mountain ranges and the trees had a lot to do with it. Salzburg isn’t a bustling, big city, which adds a lot of nature to its view. You might be able to credit the delicious Austrian Steigl beer to the view, but that's all part of Salzburg's lovely package.
So we still ended on a great note, with a train over to Vienna for the night before we headed to Prague the next morning. I'm more impressed with Salzburg than with Vienna, though I don't doubt that Vienna probably has better classical music concerts than Salzburg does. I would love to go back one day to catch a few of them, should money and timing work out.
Ohhh, goodbye Salzburg. Just for now, though, I'm planning on coming back to you in the future. =)
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The American Italy
We are now in
With our Eurail passes, we were able to reserve seats from
Before I get too ahead of myself with the night train, though, I have yet to blog about
But I’ll be honest. When we stepped out of the train station, I wasn’t all that impressed. Tiny streets lined by even tinier sidewalks, American accents drowning out all other sounds, and just grungy building after grungy building on our way to our B&B. Under my sweat and horrible journey from
Fortunately, our B&B was quite pleasant, with owners who kindly gave us a map and some suggestions about where to go. So we gave
In the city we walked through many piazzas and passed many cathedrals. The Duomo is quite stunning in it majesty, and the oldness of the city is very impressive, I’ll admit.
Then…THEN…we came out to the river, conveniently at sunset.
GORGEOUS!
I remember gasping as I saw the pink and purple tints of sunlight on the hills and bridges as we stepped into
I won’t detail every small thing we did – I’ll just mention other highlights.
On the second day there, we went out for an early run around the River Arno, which was not bad.
Michelangelo’s David sculpture was indeed something. The rest of the galleries in the Accademia weren’t very impressive, but you do get a wow-factor when you step into the hallway in which David is standing at the end. The detail of the body was so meticulous and the entire thing to the eye is magnificent. You really don’t think “OMG there’s a naked 9-foot man there!”; you can only stand there in awe of Michelangelo’s work.
On our last day we went to the Duomo dome to climb 463 steps to the top of the dome, rewarding ourselves with a lovely panoramic view of the city. It was also nice to get out of the sweltering heat, even though we were climbing endless steps, the stone walls do a nice interior cooldown.
Other than those things, it was not the easiest to enjoy
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Crossing Bridges
This is, to me, the most memorable thing about Venice - that and secret alleyways and surprise shops.
Venice, though always brimming with tourists, is definitely worth a visit. There's something amazing in the way that city keeps afloat. As Alan said, it seems as though one day of bad rain could flood much of the city, and I'm supposing that's true. The water of the canals lick the doors of Venetian buildings, churches and palaces, so closely that any more movement of water would sweep under the cracks. Yet there's something marvelously confident about the way the buildings remain there, still and tranquil in simple elegance.
Well, in a way. Perhaps I exaggerate. When you take more time along the canal, there is something pretentious about the way Venice is today. But it is breathtaking and delightfully unique. Everything is walkable, every alleyway has some surprise gelato store or pizzeria, and every little campo has some quaint church or clock tower. We've pretty much stumbled across the main tourist spots without knowing or intending to, which is pretty nice. Of course, we never know the name of the actual spot, but you can always tell. Europe knows how to sells its tourist attractions.
All the San Marco and Saint Mark's business is quite stunning. The architecture is beautiful, and the atmosphere is buzzing with excitement. In that way it's not always so bad to have so many tourists (mostly American) dawdling about around you. We were all in the same place, basically. No one was hugely annoyed at anyone for strolling and looking around at a leisurely pace since we were all doing it. In that way, it wasn't so bad that Venice is just a honeycomb of foreigners.
It's also nice, may I note, that we have finally received some sun without wind and scattered showers! We were frolicking around at night with skirt/shorts and t-shirts, reveling in the fact that we didn't need jackets! Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
And of course all the restaurants were a rip-off, but the supermarket is definitely the way to go when you really need that chilled drink. If you can't find one anywhere near you, don't give in and pay 2.20 euro for a 330mL drink. Find a grocery store that will sell it to you for 80 cent. It's so worth the wait.
All that said, though, I'm definitely looking forward to Florence and leaving Venice. One day was enough to stroll around and really enjoy Venice as a novelty town. I think even one more day would turn my experience sour because, really, it's so small and walkable. The map makes the place look ridiculously huge, but you'd be surprised that you could probably walk the entire thing in less than a day and then some. Have a small taste of it, is my suggestion. Don't spoil it with spending too much time here.
Other things happened, but sleep is more important. =)
Venice, though always brimming with tourists, is definitely worth a visit. There's something amazing in the way that city keeps afloat. As Alan said, it seems as though one day of bad rain could flood much of the city, and I'm supposing that's true. The water of the canals lick the doors of Venetian buildings, churches and palaces, so closely that any more movement of water would sweep under the cracks. Yet there's something marvelously confident about the way the buildings remain there, still and tranquil in simple elegance.
Well, in a way. Perhaps I exaggerate. When you take more time along the canal, there is something pretentious about the way Venice is today. But it is breathtaking and delightfully unique. Everything is walkable, every alleyway has some surprise gelato store or pizzeria, and every little campo has some quaint church or clock tower. We've pretty much stumbled across the main tourist spots without knowing or intending to, which is pretty nice. Of course, we never know the name of the actual spot, but you can always tell. Europe knows how to sells its tourist attractions.
All the San Marco and Saint Mark's business is quite stunning. The architecture is beautiful, and the atmosphere is buzzing with excitement. In that way it's not always so bad to have so many tourists (mostly American) dawdling about around you. We were all in the same place, basically. No one was hugely annoyed at anyone for strolling and looking around at a leisurely pace since we were all doing it. In that way, it wasn't so bad that Venice is just a honeycomb of foreigners.
It's also nice, may I note, that we have finally received some sun without wind and scattered showers! We were frolicking around at night with skirt/shorts and t-shirts, reveling in the fact that we didn't need jackets! Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
And of course all the restaurants were a rip-off, but the supermarket is definitely the way to go when you really need that chilled drink. If you can't find one anywhere near you, don't give in and pay 2.20 euro for a 330mL drink. Find a grocery store that will sell it to you for 80 cent. It's so worth the wait.
All that said, though, I'm definitely looking forward to Florence and leaving Venice. One day was enough to stroll around and really enjoy Venice as a novelty town. I think even one more day would turn my experience sour because, really, it's so small and walkable. The map makes the place look ridiculously huge, but you'd be surprised that you could probably walk the entire thing in less than a day and then some. Have a small taste of it, is my suggestion. Don't spoil it with spending too much time here.
Other things happened, but sleep is more important. =)
Monday, May 18, 2009
R.I.P.. Canon SD890IS
And in just one moment of absentmindedness, I lost it. In London.
I'm trying my best to..."move on." Strange, isn't it? It just felt like it was part of me, part of my abroad experience, and I lose it, at the end of the period during which I've been so careful to take care of it. It wasn't the most stellar of cameras, nor even the most stellar of point-and-shoots. But man, I loved that camera, and the more I think about it, the more it sucks that's it's...gone.
I won't dwell on it - I can't do anything about it now anyway. I've done everything I could to retrieve it but to no avail. Now I need to just make the best of the situation and move on, hoping that profuse apologies to my parents for all the money they forked over to get it for me will make up for what it cost them monetarily. Also, Alan still has his, and though it's not of the same quality, it will just have to do.
So...now with Italy, Salzburg and Prague to come, I have no camera. I will simply have to resort to writing about my experiences, my own angles in hopes of adequate compensation for what I lost today. It might be good, but right now, I'd rather be looking at my camera. In my hand.
That said, Les Miserables helped me through the day. The musical was amazing and definitely tops anything else on Broadway! To me, anyway. I think I would love the opera if I got the chance. There's something really fascinating about having the entire story sung rather than simply sprinkled with musical numbers. And, of course, there's something special about this old story. I don't think it's anything "new," per se, but it definitely digs deep into the subjects of justice, moral living, forgiveness, the meaning of redemption, salvation, God.
And there's definitely something in the line: "When you look at the face of someone you love you'll see the face of God."
I wholeheartedly stand behind that, in the way that I believe God reveals much about His character through our relationships with people. By what standards do we judge one's salvation? Who goes into Heaven? Jean Valjean, who ran away from the law all his life but helped and saved so many people? Fantine, who prostituted herself for money for her daughter - basically a selfish deed? Javert, who, hated though he was, wanted to be pure and just? Eponine, whose tragic, unrequited love sent her to death?
Who? Who walks through those pearly gates?
Well, to keep documenting my journey despite of having no camera to record along the way, I shall log in what we have done so far:
Saturday
1) Westminster
2) Big Ben
3) Buckingham Palace
4) St James's Park
5) Trafalgar Square
6) Piccadilly Circus
7) Wagamama
8) The Household Calvary
9) The Red Lion
Sunday
1) The British Museum
2) St Paul's Cathedral
3) Cafe Rouge
4) Halfway across the Millennium Bridge
5) Gym
6) Jaccuzzi
7) Synechdoche, New York
Monday
1) Hyde Park/Kensington Garden
2) Tower Bridge
3) Lost camera
4) Belgo for express lunch deal
5) Shopping around Covent Garden
6) Les Miserables!
By the way, I love how the Underground has an automated message for "Due to a person under the train, there are no trains going through Oxford Circus." Okay, not funny that someone was actually stuck under the train, but interesting how there's something for that particular situation. Makes me wonder what other bizarre messages were recorded.
Okay, so Venice tomorrow! I'm excited, yes! Very much glad for some sun soon!
I'm trying my best to..."move on." Strange, isn't it? It just felt like it was part of me, part of my abroad experience, and I lose it, at the end of the period during which I've been so careful to take care of it. It wasn't the most stellar of cameras, nor even the most stellar of point-and-shoots. But man, I loved that camera, and the more I think about it, the more it sucks that's it's...gone.
I won't dwell on it - I can't do anything about it now anyway. I've done everything I could to retrieve it but to no avail. Now I need to just make the best of the situation and move on, hoping that profuse apologies to my parents for all the money they forked over to get it for me will make up for what it cost them monetarily. Also, Alan still has his, and though it's not of the same quality, it will just have to do.
So...now with Italy, Salzburg and Prague to come, I have no camera. I will simply have to resort to writing about my experiences, my own angles in hopes of adequate compensation for what I lost today. It might be good, but right now, I'd rather be looking at my camera. In my hand.
That said, Les Miserables helped me through the day. The musical was amazing and definitely tops anything else on Broadway! To me, anyway. I think I would love the opera if I got the chance. There's something really fascinating about having the entire story sung rather than simply sprinkled with musical numbers. And, of course, there's something special about this old story. I don't think it's anything "new," per se, but it definitely digs deep into the subjects of justice, moral living, forgiveness, the meaning of redemption, salvation, God.
And there's definitely something in the line: "When you look at the face of someone you love you'll see the face of God."
I wholeheartedly stand behind that, in the way that I believe God reveals much about His character through our relationships with people. By what standards do we judge one's salvation? Who goes into Heaven? Jean Valjean, who ran away from the law all his life but helped and saved so many people? Fantine, who prostituted herself for money for her daughter - basically a selfish deed? Javert, who, hated though he was, wanted to be pure and just? Eponine, whose tragic, unrequited love sent her to death?
Who? Who walks through those pearly gates?
Well, to keep documenting my journey despite of having no camera to record along the way, I shall log in what we have done so far:
Saturday
1) Westminster
2) Big Ben
3) Buckingham Palace
4) St James's Park
5) Trafalgar Square
6) Piccadilly Circus
7) Wagamama
8) The Household Calvary
9) The Red Lion
Sunday
1) The British Museum
2) St Paul's Cathedral
3) Cafe Rouge
4) Halfway across the Millennium Bridge
5) Gym
6) Jaccuzzi
7) Synechdoche, New York
Monday
1) Hyde Park/Kensington Garden
2) Tower Bridge
3) Lost camera
4) Belgo for express lunch deal
5) Shopping around Covent Garden
6) Les Miserables!
By the way, I love how the Underground has an automated message for "Due to a person under the train, there are no trains going through Oxford Circus." Okay, not funny that someone was actually stuck under the train, but interesting how there's something for that particular situation. Makes me wonder what other bizarre messages were recorded.
Okay, so Venice tomorrow! I'm excited, yes! Very much glad for some sun soon!
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