As the Acropolis pretty much encompasses what Athens is, we wasted no time hopping on a ferry to a nearby island. Little beknownst to us, we got a lot more than we bargained for when booking our short 1 hour 15 minute ride to Poros. After sleeping through our alarm clock, frantically tearing through the apartment gathering our belongings and rinsing the dirty dishes in the sink, and hailing down some taxis, we just made it to the port in time to step on our ferry. Phew--hectic morning, but we were on board and ready for sailing. As the attendents started handing out complimentary puke bags shortly into our trip, however, our stomaches started to feel a little nervous (the birthday boy was looking the worst!) The rest of the trip was a nightmare. The rainy, windy weather outside tossed the ferry everywhere, and stomachs were turning as the boat leapt throught the air. The boat quickly began ringing withe the sounds of people using their previously distributed puke bags and for the first time I actually saw what green sea sick faces looked like! People were dropping like flies and the smell in the boat made it that much more nauseating. The waves were unrelentless, it honestly felt like a nightmare! All I could do from getting sick was put my headphones on full blast to drown out the sounds, close my eyes, and just pretend it was a carnival ride haha. I actually held myself together (barely!), and when we finally arrived in Poros we needed a nap after that adventure! After the nap, we grabbed a really delicious Greek dinner and then walked around in the rain with our makeshift plastic tablecloth raincoats the restaurant gave us free of charge :) The rain cleared up just in time to let the sun peek through to paint the sky with some nice colors for sunset...beautiful. We grabbed some supplies to cook dinner back in our apartments and spent the night relaxing in.We had two little apartments for our stay with 3 people in each, both equipped with kitchen and a bathroom! They were wonderful, and right across from this Greek family selling "local cheap wine" that they poured straight out of barrels in their basement when we bought it.
The island was adorable overall--it really was tiny, but with so much character, beautiful beaches, and amazing landscapes. We rented 4 wheelers for a day (SO FUN! and pretty cheap too!) and were able to cruise around the entire island, capturing some views from some pretty steep heights we wouldn't have traversed to by foot. We were able to stumble across tome quiet deserted beaches, do some mild rock climbing, and see all that Poros had to offer--all thanks to our trusty 4 wheelers! We spent some time soaking in the sun on the beautiful beach, but the water was pretty icey so we didn't dare more than a quick jump off the rocks. We had a wonderful and relaxing time together, and it was off to the next island Hydra! Heather and Jesse had to part ways with us before venturing onward which was sad, but getting some of the gang back together again brought some good times...everything is just that much better with your best friends :)
The island of Hydra, you must know, has no motor vehicles besides the occasional garbage trcuk. The terrain is incredibly rocky and there are few roads other than ones for the garbage trucks. Donkeys, instead, serve as the main form of transportation and they actually line the port when you step off the ferries! I wasn't prepared to see that many donkeys, it was quite humorous. After bartering our way to a 20 euro a night hostel (they wanted so much at these places!), we decided why not start our trip off the right way--with a little donkey ride. We quickly learned the power of language barriers and savvy greek business men, as it came to our attention that our "50 minute 10 euro" donkey ride was actually a 15 minute ride. Wow-what a little trick of the tongue can do! Of course this guy knows what he's doing, he rips tourists off all day long...its just our fault for not clarifying in the beginning! Oh well, we had a good laugh about us being stupid tourists and opted to traverse the island on foot for the remainder of our stay.
We began a hike that we assumed was a medium long loop around the island (why we assumed, I'm not sure), only to reach a gate saying "keep out" 2.5 hours into our uphill hike. We captured some great views on the way, however, it hardly seemed worth it when we reached this gate!! We reluctantly turned around and prepared for the descent (much easier than the hike up). Later did we discover that our looped hike we were anticipating was actually just a neverending (basically) path to all the monasteries on the island...at least we got our religion in on the hike! Another minor loop hole in the day, but at least this one was free :)
We were able to watch the sunset, grab some dinner at a quaint Greek family diner, and enjoy a bottle of wine by the port with our shoes off and our feet hanging over the edge. It was beautiful weather and there was lively music drifting from the nearby diners and bars--it was a really simple, perfect night. We slept well after our long day hiking outside.
Saturday we just walked around a bit, relaxed in the sun on the beach (the beaches in Hydra are just big rocks and cement made flat for sunbathing.) They don't have sand beaches which is different, but the "rock beaches" were actually kind of cute with umbrellas and cafes and such. We grabbed an afternoon ferry back to Athens after an incredible stay on two islands. The Greeks were allround friendly, genuine, hopsitable people who really take time to slow down and enjoy life. I am completely satisfied with my stay there and always felt very taken care of! (minus the donkey escapade)
Overall, I had such a relaxing and refreshing time, a perfect way to cap off my vacation. Each destination had something completley different to offer and it was the perfect mix of relaxation and sight seeing. Hard to believe all I have seen and experienced the last two weeks, pretty sweet.
Now its back to reality. Final exam coming up!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Athens, Greece
The Acropolis is UNBELIEVABLE. I arrived in Athens late on the 19th with just enough time to catch a glimpse of the acropolis lit up at night from the corner by my hostel and crawl into bed. Even at night it looked amazing.
In Madrid I parted ways with Clair and Megan and joined up with Oz, Heather and Jesse from Madison and Bobby and Bennett (his friend from Hastings and Brussels) in Athens. We had a good crew, and it felt so good to be back with old friends! I was excited for the adventures ahead.
Thursday morning the 20th we got up early and headed to the Acropolis. It really was unreal being in the presence of these ancient parts of history...these buildings were built in the 5th century BC! There is so much to see on the grounds of the Acropolis, we toured for about 3 hours! The weather was gorgeous which only added to the awe of what I was actually experiencing...seeing the Parthenon, the erecthin, the various ancient theatres, and taking in the breathtaking views of the sprawling city of Athens lying below us. So cool. After our self-guided tour we grabbed lunch at an outdoor cafe at the foot of the acropolis and headed over to the travel agencies to book some ferry tickets for the islands!! A few roadblocks later, we stumbled upon a few great people to help us book and plan our ferry rides! We decided on the "tiny, cute, beautiful" island of Poros as our first destination (said in a really high, cute voice by our wonderful lady we found at the tour office), followed by the bigger, more touristy island of Hydra. We couldn't make it to the famous Santorini due to different flight departure dates and time constraints, but we were optimistic for our travels!!
Thursday night we celebrated Oz's 21st with a dinner cooked in our apartment we had for the night, a few bottles of wine, and a night out at a local Athens bar with our hostel! Really great night overall--a definite 21st success! We finally wandered home at about 3:30 in the morning and had a ferry to catch at 9 the next morning! Excited to see the islands!!!
In Madrid I parted ways with Clair and Megan and joined up with Oz, Heather and Jesse from Madison and Bobby and Bennett (his friend from Hastings and Brussels) in Athens. We had a good crew, and it felt so good to be back with old friends! I was excited for the adventures ahead.
Thursday morning the 20th we got up early and headed to the Acropolis. It really was unreal being in the presence of these ancient parts of history...these buildings were built in the 5th century BC! There is so much to see on the grounds of the Acropolis, we toured for about 3 hours! The weather was gorgeous which only added to the awe of what I was actually experiencing...seeing the Parthenon, the erecthin, the various ancient theatres, and taking in the breathtaking views of the sprawling city of Athens lying below us. So cool. After our self-guided tour we grabbed lunch at an outdoor cafe at the foot of the acropolis and headed over to the travel agencies to book some ferry tickets for the islands!! A few roadblocks later, we stumbled upon a few great people to help us book and plan our ferry rides! We decided on the "tiny, cute, beautiful" island of Poros as our first destination (said in a really high, cute voice by our wonderful lady we found at the tour office), followed by the bigger, more touristy island of Hydra. We couldn't make it to the famous Santorini due to different flight departure dates and time constraints, but we were optimistic for our travels!!
Thursday night we celebrated Oz's 21st with a dinner cooked in our apartment we had for the night, a few bottles of wine, and a night out at a local Athens bar with our hostel! Really great night overall--a definite 21st success! We finally wandered home at about 3:30 in the morning and had a ferry to catch at 9 the next morning! Excited to see the islands!!!
Madrid, Spain..the city that doesn't sleep
My first impression of Madrid: huge city, lots of action, busy streets, and much more cosmopolitan than Lisbon. Madrid is known for its bustling nightlife, heavy cultural and artistic offerings, and for housing the Governemnt, Spanish parliament, and Spanish royal family. It's hard to be still in a busy city like Madrid!
And we didn't waste anytime after arriving at our hostel early evening. We walked our way over to Plaza Mayor, one of the main, large plazas in Madrid with beautiful buildings and welcoming diners and cafes.. It seems to be the center of festivities and was really crowded with people just hanging out and relaxing the following day when we visited. On our way to the plaza, we stopped to watch a Spanish band entertaining in the streets, and tossed them a few coins before heading on our way. They were pretty good! We walked around a bit more, but it was already getting late and really cold, so we grabbed some dinner and drinks from the supermarket and headed back to our hostel. I was feeling awful (I had some sort of flu/cold I couldnt seem to shake) so I opted to crawl in bed early while the rest of the gang went out for a bit. Disappointed, but I had to get better sometime!
Tuesday March 18, we woke up and headed out with our sights set on some museums. Much to our dismay, the famed Reina Sofia was closed for the day, but we stopped by the next day instead. The museum was temporarily housing Picasso's work moved from the Louvre in Paris and the exhibit was amazing! Definitely worth the visit times a million. The museum also had other really fantastic Spanish artists.
After seeing the long line forming for the Prado Museum (in part due to Reina Sofia being closed that day) we decided to take some time and wander through the Royal Botanical Gardens right next door. Beautiful landscaping, but the flowers definitely weren't close to full bloom, so they weren't too spectacular yet.
After the gardens, we strolled over to the famous Retiro Park. I cannot explain how gigantic this park is...its like a small city! We got lost wandering around and saw some amazingly gorgeous sights! Spent over an hour and a half in the park, and left only because we were starving!
Had a really traditional "menu del dia" large, late-afternoon, Spanish lunch. Bascially its a lunch of the day and you can choose a drink, starter (ours was a salad, rice dish, or cheesy vegetables dish), main course (we had fish, omelette, and some other kind of meat), and a dessert (ice cream, chocolate crepe, fruit, coffee, or cake!) The meal also comes with bread to start. It was so much food and so delicious! I see why the spanish can wait until 10 at night to eat dinner....
We stopped by a few more sights in the afternoon...saw a bizarre, yet interesting exhibit in casa de americanas (i think that was the name?), Palacio Real (Royal Palace), the beautiful Almudena cathedral next to the royal palace, and just gave ourselves a general walking tour of the city. The architecture of the city is pleasing and it was enjoyable to just walk around and take in the sights...plus it was a beautiful day :)
Tuesday night we had big plans for tapas and drinks, but they were squashed when we found out El Tigre (the recommended place) was closed. By this time it was getting late so tapas were no longer in order. I was then looking to head to Kapital, one of Madrid's most famous discotecas (night clubs), but this was closed too!! I wasn't having much luck with my plans! I guess it was a Tuesday, but Madrid is supposed to be the city that doesn't sleep. I ended up taking these roadblocksa as signs that my night was meant to end early and after hanging out at our hostel's bar for awhile I went to bed again without going out...at least I saved myself some money!
Wednesday we visited the Reina Sofia like I mentioned, grabbed some lunch, and it was time to head to the airport already! Although I think I would have enjoyed my stay more if I had a little more time and I wasn't sick the first night, I could tell the city had a lot to offer and definitely a worthwhile place to visit. I would love to come back and get a better taste of the nightlife and enjoy a few more museums, as I didn't find enough time to pack everything in. Didn't quite become home like Lisbon did, though :)
OFF TO GREECE!!!!!
And we didn't waste anytime after arriving at our hostel early evening. We walked our way over to Plaza Mayor, one of the main, large plazas in Madrid with beautiful buildings and welcoming diners and cafes.. It seems to be the center of festivities and was really crowded with people just hanging out and relaxing the following day when we visited. On our way to the plaza, we stopped to watch a Spanish band entertaining in the streets, and tossed them a few coins before heading on our way. They were pretty good! We walked around a bit more, but it was already getting late and really cold, so we grabbed some dinner and drinks from the supermarket and headed back to our hostel. I was feeling awful (I had some sort of flu/cold I couldnt seem to shake) so I opted to crawl in bed early while the rest of the gang went out for a bit. Disappointed, but I had to get better sometime!
Tuesday March 18, we woke up and headed out with our sights set on some museums. Much to our dismay, the famed Reina Sofia was closed for the day, but we stopped by the next day instead. The museum was temporarily housing Picasso's work moved from the Louvre in Paris and the exhibit was amazing! Definitely worth the visit times a million. The museum also had other really fantastic Spanish artists.
After seeing the long line forming for the Prado Museum (in part due to Reina Sofia being closed that day) we decided to take some time and wander through the Royal Botanical Gardens right next door. Beautiful landscaping, but the flowers definitely weren't close to full bloom, so they weren't too spectacular yet.
After the gardens, we strolled over to the famous Retiro Park. I cannot explain how gigantic this park is...its like a small city! We got lost wandering around and saw some amazingly gorgeous sights! Spent over an hour and a half in the park, and left only because we were starving!
Had a really traditional "menu del dia" large, late-afternoon, Spanish lunch. Bascially its a lunch of the day and you can choose a drink, starter (ours was a salad, rice dish, or cheesy vegetables dish), main course (we had fish, omelette, and some other kind of meat), and a dessert (ice cream, chocolate crepe, fruit, coffee, or cake!) The meal also comes with bread to start. It was so much food and so delicious! I see why the spanish can wait until 10 at night to eat dinner....
We stopped by a few more sights in the afternoon...saw a bizarre, yet interesting exhibit in casa de americanas (i think that was the name?), Palacio Real (Royal Palace), the beautiful Almudena cathedral next to the royal palace, and just gave ourselves a general walking tour of the city. The architecture of the city is pleasing and it was enjoyable to just walk around and take in the sights...plus it was a beautiful day :)
Tuesday night we had big plans for tapas and drinks, but they were squashed when we found out El Tigre (the recommended place) was closed. By this time it was getting late so tapas were no longer in order. I was then looking to head to Kapital, one of Madrid's most famous discotecas (night clubs), but this was closed too!! I wasn't having much luck with my plans! I guess it was a Tuesday, but Madrid is supposed to be the city that doesn't sleep. I ended up taking these roadblocksa as signs that my night was meant to end early and after hanging out at our hostel's bar for awhile I went to bed again without going out...at least I saved myself some money!
Wednesday we visited the Reina Sofia like I mentioned, grabbed some lunch, and it was time to head to the airport already! Although I think I would have enjoyed my stay more if I had a little more time and I wasn't sick the first night, I could tell the city had a lot to offer and definitely a worthwhile place to visit. I would love to come back and get a better taste of the nightlife and enjoy a few more museums, as I didn't find enough time to pack everything in. Didn't quite become home like Lisbon did, though :)
OFF TO GREECE!!!!!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Lisbon, Portugal
Spring Break Greetings! I´m rounded out my 4 day trip to Lisbon, Portugal and am now on to my first morning in Madrid! This really is quite the spring break trip I´m havinhg...Lisbon, Madrid, Greek Islands.
After a full night of traveling Wednesday (transferred in the London airport, stayed there overnight...sleeping in an airport is basically impossible), Clair, Megan and I arrived to Lisbon Thursday March 13 around 9:30 am, greeted by sunshine, blue skies, palm trees, and temps in the high 60s...amazing. We weren´t in Copenhagen anymore!!
The sleepless night wasn´t going to get us down, and after checking into our hostel we wasted no time before heading out to explore some of the city. We grabbed lunch at an outdoor cafe and were beside ourselves that we were actually sitting outside eating lunch in Lisbon, Portugal. WE decided to trek to St. George´s Castle, situated on the highest hill of the historic part of the city, which offered the best views of Lisbon. I will get my photos up when I get back to Copenhagen (around the 25th), but it was a really amazing way to start the trip. The sights were gorgeous and the castle was entertaining to explore. We also got a taste of Lisbon´s nieghborhoods on the hike towards the castle, strolling our way through winding cobbled streets, taking in the sights of the cozy villages. Laundry was blowing in the breeze, people dined on rooftops, and charming houses in every color lined the streets. This part of the city, called Alfama, is the oldest and most historical part of the city, fun to wander through and really feel the history of Lisbon. Every house seems to tell a story. This is also where they have many Fado bars, places to hear the melancholy sounds of Fado guitar, a popular form musical entertainment in Portugal which we unfortunately ran out of time before getting to enjoy some.
Thursday night--soccer game! We decided to do as the locals do and embrace all that is important in Europe and brave it out at a Portuguese soccer match. I felt like quite the local. The game was exciting complete with clouds of green smoke billowing in the air, Portuguese flags waving in all directions, and crazy cheering fans. We tried to clap and cheer along but couldn´t quite catch on to the Portuguese songs :)
Friday we hoppeed on a tram and saw some of the sights of Belem, an important district from Portugalºs Golden Age. The tower of Belem was our first stop, an importatnt historical sight built in the age of discoveries for defense of the city, which has served a multitude of roles since then and now serves as a must see attraction when visiting the city. We saw some other sights in Belem, including the monastery of Jeronimo which was breathtaking and the monument of the discoveries, a monument built in 1960 for the 500th-year celebration of Henry the Navigator's birth who founded the Portuguese tradition of maritime discoverers. We rounded out the trip at the famous pastry shop "Pasteis de Belem" where we sampled some delicious treats. Belem also offered some beautiful parks, gardens and views along the river. It was really peaceful just sitting along the river, closing my eyes and feeling the warm breeze blowing.
Friday night our hostel offered free tasting of the popular Portuguese liquor, ginginha, a sweet cherry liquor. Some guys who work at the hostel then brought w bunch of us staying in the hostel out to Bairro Alto for some Portuguese nightlife. The streets were packed with young people--realy fun night and we got to meet a bunch of new friends from our hostel!
Saturday was amazing...my favorite day here. Our destination was Sintra, a district right outside Lisbon housing hte fabulous Pena Palace (19th century) and the Castelo dos Mouros (reconstructed 19th century). Both places offered a breath-taking view of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park--stunning. The day was a peaceful getaway from the city as we wandered our way through forests listening to birds chirping and feeling the sun beaming through tree tops. This was also the sunniest, warmest day of our trip...I even got a little sunburned! (exciting when you haven´t seen the sun in months!) The pictures I got were beautiful, I´ll make sure to put them up soon. Saturday night we grabbed some dinner at a local Portugues restaurant recommended by our hostel owner called San Antonio´s. My dinner was delicious, but when the bill came we were a little confused. Apparently, the restaurant owner brought us out some baskets of bread and some cheese for appetizers which we were unaware of that we had to pay for! He just brought them out to our table and then we footed the bill for them haha..I don´t know if this is common here but it was quite different!
Sunday we were all a little tired, and we opted for a relaxing day on the beach. Although sunday was our least sunny day in Lisbon, it was relaxing hearing the waves crash on the beach and watching the surfers ride the tide in. I napped on the beach for a little bit, watched the sun sink lower in the sky, but had to leave before sun set because it was getting reallly chilly! Monday morning we had our last walk around the city before heading to the airport. I bought a neat painting, had a good experience trying to barter (I´m horrible at it haha!), but ended up getting the painting for 7 euro so that wasn´t too shabby. Overall, AMAZING trip to Lisbon...couldnt be happier with the way it turned out. Now on to explore Madrid!!!!
-Cheers :)
After a full night of traveling Wednesday (transferred in the London airport, stayed there overnight...sleeping in an airport is basically impossible), Clair, Megan and I arrived to Lisbon Thursday March 13 around 9:30 am, greeted by sunshine, blue skies, palm trees, and temps in the high 60s...amazing. We weren´t in Copenhagen anymore!!
The sleepless night wasn´t going to get us down, and after checking into our hostel we wasted no time before heading out to explore some of the city. We grabbed lunch at an outdoor cafe and were beside ourselves that we were actually sitting outside eating lunch in Lisbon, Portugal. WE decided to trek to St. George´s Castle, situated on the highest hill of the historic part of the city, which offered the best views of Lisbon. I will get my photos up when I get back to Copenhagen (around the 25th), but it was a really amazing way to start the trip. The sights were gorgeous and the castle was entertaining to explore. We also got a taste of Lisbon´s nieghborhoods on the hike towards the castle, strolling our way through winding cobbled streets, taking in the sights of the cozy villages. Laundry was blowing in the breeze, people dined on rooftops, and charming houses in every color lined the streets. This part of the city, called Alfama, is the oldest and most historical part of the city, fun to wander through and really feel the history of Lisbon. Every house seems to tell a story. This is also where they have many Fado bars, places to hear the melancholy sounds of Fado guitar, a popular form musical entertainment in Portugal which we unfortunately ran out of time before getting to enjoy some.
Thursday night--soccer game! We decided to do as the locals do and embrace all that is important in Europe and brave it out at a Portuguese soccer match. I felt like quite the local. The game was exciting complete with clouds of green smoke billowing in the air, Portuguese flags waving in all directions, and crazy cheering fans. We tried to clap and cheer along but couldn´t quite catch on to the Portuguese songs :)
Friday we hoppeed on a tram and saw some of the sights of Belem, an important district from Portugalºs Golden Age. The tower of Belem was our first stop, an importatnt historical sight built in the age of discoveries for defense of the city, which has served a multitude of roles since then and now serves as a must see attraction when visiting the city. We saw some other sights in Belem, including the monastery of Jeronimo which was breathtaking and the monument of the discoveries, a monument built in 1960 for the 500th-year celebration of Henry the Navigator's birth who founded the Portuguese tradition of maritime discoverers. We rounded out the trip at the famous pastry shop "Pasteis de Belem" where we sampled some delicious treats. Belem also offered some beautiful parks, gardens and views along the river. It was really peaceful just sitting along the river, closing my eyes and feeling the warm breeze blowing.
Friday night our hostel offered free tasting of the popular Portuguese liquor, ginginha, a sweet cherry liquor. Some guys who work at the hostel then brought w bunch of us staying in the hostel out to Bairro Alto for some Portuguese nightlife. The streets were packed with young people--realy fun night and we got to meet a bunch of new friends from our hostel!
Saturday was amazing...my favorite day here. Our destination was Sintra, a district right outside Lisbon housing hte fabulous Pena Palace (19th century) and the Castelo dos Mouros (reconstructed 19th century). Both places offered a breath-taking view of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park--stunning. The day was a peaceful getaway from the city as we wandered our way through forests listening to birds chirping and feeling the sun beaming through tree tops. This was also the sunniest, warmest day of our trip...I even got a little sunburned! (exciting when you haven´t seen the sun in months!) The pictures I got were beautiful, I´ll make sure to put them up soon. Saturday night we grabbed some dinner at a local Portugues restaurant recommended by our hostel owner called San Antonio´s. My dinner was delicious, but when the bill came we were a little confused. Apparently, the restaurant owner brought us out some baskets of bread and some cheese for appetizers which we were unaware of that we had to pay for! He just brought them out to our table and then we footed the bill for them haha..I don´t know if this is common here but it was quite different!
Sunday we were all a little tired, and we opted for a relaxing day on the beach. Although sunday was our least sunny day in Lisbon, it was relaxing hearing the waves crash on the beach and watching the surfers ride the tide in. I napped on the beach for a little bit, watched the sun sink lower in the sky, but had to leave before sun set because it was getting reallly chilly! Monday morning we had our last walk around the city before heading to the airport. I bought a neat painting, had a good experience trying to barter (I´m horrible at it haha!), but ended up getting the painting for 7 euro so that wasn´t too shabby. Overall, AMAZING trip to Lisbon...couldnt be happier with the way it turned out. Now on to explore Madrid!!!!
-Cheers :)
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Just a 2-and-a-half hour train ride from Brussels, I had to check it out while I was in the neighborhood. Unbelievable city. Stepping into Amsterdam is stepping into a different world. The city itself is beautiful (see some of my pictures in my album!)--I'll try and describe how this city is laid out. A combination of factors give the city a sort of fairy tale feel to it. The city is built around canals and every time you turn a corner there is a new line of beautiful canals to greet you. Lining the water are storybook-looing houses/buildings all stacked up close to eachother in a rainbow of pastels. Very cute :) There are cobbled streets, weeping willows, and tons of inviting parks, benches and sights to see! The canals are also littered with houseboats (I loved them) and Oz and I took a took a canal boat tour so I was lucky to get some good shots of the houseboats from the water. Overall, very attractive city with neverending sights to see. The transportation system there seemed a little messy to me, though! They had trams and cars and bikers and pedestrians and boats in the canals and every form of transportation basically sharing the same space--it made crossing the street a little difficult at some points!
Aside from the striking sights, Amsterdam is notorious for two things: soft drugs are legal and its red light district. The red light district is also just a fun place for going out, housing most of the bars and nightlife of the city. Although their liberal policies probably seem very taboo to many, the dutch philosophy is along these lines: allow alternative ways of living or build more prisons. They believe in curbing the sale of street drugs and educating youth about drugs rather than striclty saying don't do them. They have few problems with drug abuse or crimes in general, which may or may not stem from their lenient views and laws. So that being said, it was a really interesting learning experience being in a place so different from the US!!!
Aside from taking in the awe of the red light district, we did a lot of strolling the streets and admiring the canals and views. We toured the Anne Frank House which was a really sobering experience. The tour was really interesting and did a really stunning job of helping you understand what really happened during the Holocaust. The tour walked you through details of the 8 people in hiding in the Anne Frank House--how they lived, what they looked like, how they were found, etc. Worth the money.
Like I mentioned earlier, we also took a relaxing canal tour right before leaving, allowing us to see the city from a whole new vantage point :) It was quite a nice way to end the trip--it wound us through the canals, took us out to the harbor and showed us some of the sights we had missed along the way. We hit a few tourist souvenier shops on the way out (I got a keychain--a dutch shoe with amsterdam written on it haha--and some postcards) and borded the train Saturday late afternoon. Fascinating city, fun people and an overall successful trip!!
Aside from the striking sights, Amsterdam is notorious for two things: soft drugs are legal and its red light district. The red light district is also just a fun place for going out, housing most of the bars and nightlife of the city. Although their liberal policies probably seem very taboo to many, the dutch philosophy is along these lines: allow alternative ways of living or build more prisons. They believe in curbing the sale of street drugs and educating youth about drugs rather than striclty saying don't do them. They have few problems with drug abuse or crimes in general, which may or may not stem from their lenient views and laws. So that being said, it was a really interesting learning experience being in a place so different from the US!!!
Aside from taking in the awe of the red light district, we did a lot of strolling the streets and admiring the canals and views. We toured the Anne Frank House which was a really sobering experience. The tour was really interesting and did a really stunning job of helping you understand what really happened during the Holocaust. The tour walked you through details of the 8 people in hiding in the Anne Frank House--how they lived, what they looked like, how they were found, etc. Worth the money.
Like I mentioned earlier, we also took a relaxing canal tour right before leaving, allowing us to see the city from a whole new vantage point :) It was quite a nice way to end the trip--it wound us through the canals, took us out to the harbor and showed us some of the sights we had missed along the way. We hit a few tourist souvenier shops on the way out (I got a keychain--a dutch shoe with amsterdam written on it haha--and some postcards) and borded the train Saturday late afternoon. Fascinating city, fun people and an overall successful trip!!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Brussels, Belgium
Home to the best beer, chocolate, waffles, and french fries "frites" around--needless to say it was a weekend of indulgence!! I boarded a 6:45 pm plane Thursday evening to Brussels and the 1 hour 20 minute flight arrived seamlessly. I was greeted at the airport by Oz at the other end :) (The other end of the longest airport ever haha---I thought I would never find my way out!)
The train/metro ride back to his apartment was a bit of a transition from what I am accustomed to in Copenhagen. It was much more crowded (most likely due to the fact that the Copenhageners are obsessed with their bikes and don't use public transportation quite as heavily as people in Belgium), and the people seemed more hurried. Although Brussels and Copenhagen are similar in size, the atmosphere of the two cities are very different. Brussels is tall buildings, dirtier streets and metro stations, more impersonal and a whole eclectic mix of people--definitely much more city feel than "cozy" Copenhagen. The fact that Brussels is an international city, housing the EU and people employed there from all parts of Europe (and commuting each day) probably translates into a more impersonal big city feel (or the fact that I only spent a few days there could be a factor as well!) I have to say, I really did enjoy my time in Brussels-- it was nice breathing some city life for the weekend! (OK-Brussels isn't really that big city, it just seemed so compared to what I am used to in Copenhagen--I'm sure once I go to London or an actual big city I will retract my words about Brussels haha)
It was getting late by the time we got back to Oz's apartment, so we grabbed some dinner to go on our way home, got ready quick and headed out to experience a little of the Brussels nightlife. I was anxious to sample this famous Belgian beer everyone had been raving about! We went to two different bars, Celtica was the first one--had a dance floor on the top and then a funny guy playing sing-a-long (Tom Petty-ish) songs with a guitar downstairs, which was really entertaining. We then went to "Delirium"--although really smokey, GREAT bar overall. They have over 2000 beers on tap, and serving beer here is an art--each beer is served in its own distinct glass (drinking beer out of stemware-classy!), they pour the beer in one quick pour and it overflows, then they lop the head of the beer off with a knife and slide it across the bar. I was impressed with the beers-delicious! The night was pretty laidback overall, and I really enjoyed myself--we didn't do anything too crazy because we were catching a train to Amsterdam in the morning!
Friday (and part of Saturday):
Amsterdam--great!!! (see other blog)
Sunday:
I forced Oz to be my running buddy Sunday morning--It was my excuse to eat more waffles and chocolate and beer haha :)
Our first stop after the run--The Atomium. The Atomium is a 103 meter (335 feet) tall monument originally built for Expo '58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, and was intended to stay standing for only 6 months. It gained quick popularity and became a modern symbol of architecture and Brussels and still remains standing (obviously!!) It is in the shape of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times (cool huh?) and you can go all the way to the top and get a stunning view of the city. Check out my pictures--they explain a little better what I'm talking about! :)
Following the adventure at the atomium, we popped open our umbrellas (its always raining in Brussels), and took a walk through a big park to explore some more sights. We came across the Royal Palace, a King Leopold memorial, and a beautiful chinese pavillion bought/built by King Leopold. We walked through Grand Place (main square in Brussels-really beautiful), and the saw the famous Manneken pis (dutch for little man pee)--a small statue (61 cm) of a little boy who is continually peeing into the fountain that once supplied drinking water to the city. There are a few legends behind the statue and he is often dressed in funny costumes including elvis, saint nicholas, mozart, and tons of others! Not much to see, but there was a constant crowd around the little guy claiming their space to snap a photo with the legendary pee-er.
After a day of sightseeing, Oz took me across the street from Mannekin to a bar called Poechenellekelder--funky decorations, fun environment, and an authentic atmosphere to it. I tried two beers-"La Divine" and "Triple Karmeliet"--both very tasty. I also tasted Oz's "Rochefort 10" and "chimay Bleu" (I think??). Although the service was ridiculously slow, it was one of my favorite times of the weekend--just relaxing, talking, slowing down for a bit and sipping a delicious drink. It was refreshing to just get a break from all the running around and just be with eachother and catch up--really perfect end to a great day!
Monday:
REALLLLLY rainy and windy. Horrible, terrible weather! I got a very brief showing of the European Union buildings (just snapped a few pictures haha), before jumping back on the metro to visit the Justice Palace. The Justice Palace is Brussels' enormous, beautiful court house. The inside is really impressive, with great architecture and incredibly high, intricate ceilings. The outside is being renovated so I couldnt get a good view, but overall it was an interesting building to get a glimpse of.
The weather was awful for sightseeing, so we opted to take a quick tour of the Brussel's mall, exciting! We walked around for a bit, grabbed a few groceries for dinner, and headed back to his place to relax, watch a movie and hang out for a bit before I had to catch my plane home! It was sad leaving him again, but we will be in Greece in a week for spring break so I don't have too much to cry about!!
I left Brussels feeling spoiled (chocolate, waffles, beer, fries!!!!) and satisfied from an amazing weekend. Off to spring break (Lisbon, Portugal--Madrid, Spain--Greek Islands)...update you when I get home. CHEERS!!!!!
The train/metro ride back to his apartment was a bit of a transition from what I am accustomed to in Copenhagen. It was much more crowded (most likely due to the fact that the Copenhageners are obsessed with their bikes and don't use public transportation quite as heavily as people in Belgium), and the people seemed more hurried. Although Brussels and Copenhagen are similar in size, the atmosphere of the two cities are very different. Brussels is tall buildings, dirtier streets and metro stations, more impersonal and a whole eclectic mix of people--definitely much more city feel than "cozy" Copenhagen. The fact that Brussels is an international city, housing the EU and people employed there from all parts of Europe (and commuting each day) probably translates into a more impersonal big city feel (or the fact that I only spent a few days there could be a factor as well!) I have to say, I really did enjoy my time in Brussels-- it was nice breathing some city life for the weekend! (OK-Brussels isn't really that big city, it just seemed so compared to what I am used to in Copenhagen--I'm sure once I go to London or an actual big city I will retract my words about Brussels haha)
It was getting late by the time we got back to Oz's apartment, so we grabbed some dinner to go on our way home, got ready quick and headed out to experience a little of the Brussels nightlife. I was anxious to sample this famous Belgian beer everyone had been raving about! We went to two different bars, Celtica was the first one--had a dance floor on the top and then a funny guy playing sing-a-long (Tom Petty-ish) songs with a guitar downstairs, which was really entertaining. We then went to "Delirium"--although really smokey, GREAT bar overall. They have over 2000 beers on tap, and serving beer here is an art--each beer is served in its own distinct glass (drinking beer out of stemware-classy!), they pour the beer in one quick pour and it overflows, then they lop the head of the beer off with a knife and slide it across the bar. I was impressed with the beers-delicious! The night was pretty laidback overall, and I really enjoyed myself--we didn't do anything too crazy because we were catching a train to Amsterdam in the morning!
Friday (and part of Saturday):
Amsterdam--great!!! (see other blog)
Sunday:
I forced Oz to be my running buddy Sunday morning--It was my excuse to eat more waffles and chocolate and beer haha :)
Our first stop after the run--The Atomium. The Atomium is a 103 meter (335 feet) tall monument originally built for Expo '58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair, and was intended to stay standing for only 6 months. It gained quick popularity and became a modern symbol of architecture and Brussels and still remains standing (obviously!!) It is in the shape of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times (cool huh?) and you can go all the way to the top and get a stunning view of the city. Check out my pictures--they explain a little better what I'm talking about! :)
Following the adventure at the atomium, we popped open our umbrellas (its always raining in Brussels), and took a walk through a big park to explore some more sights. We came across the Royal Palace, a King Leopold memorial, and a beautiful chinese pavillion bought/built by King Leopold. We walked through Grand Place (main square in Brussels-really beautiful), and the saw the famous Manneken pis (dutch for little man pee)--a small statue (61 cm) of a little boy who is continually peeing into the fountain that once supplied drinking water to the city. There are a few legends behind the statue and he is often dressed in funny costumes including elvis, saint nicholas, mozart, and tons of others! Not much to see, but there was a constant crowd around the little guy claiming their space to snap a photo with the legendary pee-er.
After a day of sightseeing, Oz took me across the street from Mannekin to a bar called Poechenellekelder--funky decorations, fun environment, and an authentic atmosphere to it. I tried two beers-"La Divine" and "Triple Karmeliet"--both very tasty. I also tasted Oz's "Rochefort 10" and "chimay Bleu" (I think??). Although the service was ridiculously slow, it was one of my favorite times of the weekend--just relaxing, talking, slowing down for a bit and sipping a delicious drink. It was refreshing to just get a break from all the running around and just be with eachother and catch up--really perfect end to a great day!
Monday:
REALLLLLY rainy and windy. Horrible, terrible weather! I got a very brief showing of the European Union buildings (just snapped a few pictures haha), before jumping back on the metro to visit the Justice Palace. The Justice Palace is Brussels' enormous, beautiful court house. The inside is really impressive, with great architecture and incredibly high, intricate ceilings. The outside is being renovated so I couldnt get a good view, but overall it was an interesting building to get a glimpse of.
The weather was awful for sightseeing, so we opted to take a quick tour of the Brussel's mall, exciting! We walked around for a bit, grabbed a few groceries for dinner, and headed back to his place to relax, watch a movie and hang out for a bit before I had to catch my plane home! It was sad leaving him again, but we will be in Greece in a week for spring break so I don't have too much to cry about!!
I left Brussels feeling spoiled (chocolate, waffles, beer, fries!!!!) and satisfied from an amazing weekend. Off to spring break (Lisbon, Portugal--Madrid, Spain--Greek Islands)...update you when I get home. CHEERS!!!!!
Sunday, March 2, 2008
NEW LINK TO PICTURES!
So I am being very techy and I have created a link to all my pictures on the side of my blog--so check them out!! I decided it takes up too much room to post them directly to my blog and also I am not able to put as many as I would like!!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Not much to do in Malmo, Sweden!
Friday,I had a big day. A group of friends and I decided to trek it all the way across the Oresund Bridge and venture into the city of Malmo, Sweden. The 35 minute train ride to the city centre was quite enjoyable, and although the city itself didn't have a whole lot to offer, we really enjoyed ourselves on our day trip :).
Malmo is kind of the "sister city" to Copenhagen in a few ways. The Oresund bridge, finished in 1999, is the first and only bridge connecting Denmark to Sweden! Before that people always had to travel by ferry! A lot of people that live in Malmo commute to Copenhagen for work as well and the number of commuters continues to rise.
Although Malmo was nice, it really was just a smaller, less beautiful, more boring version of Copenhagen. I guess it is the commercial center of southern Sweden, however, it is undergoing a sort of transtition culturally and just opened Malmo University in the last 10 years to assist in this transition. They have some museums to offer and a few historical sights, but mostly it was just shopping, restaurants (I hear they do have fabulous places to eat), and some interesting architecture.
So, we arrived at the central station in Copenhagen around 10, purchased our tickets (we got a group discount!-YAY!), and arrived in Malmo around 11. When I stepped out of the Malmo station, I felt like I hadn't really left Copenhagen...the buildings, weather, people, streets are all very similar. We tapped into our touristy nature and grabbed some maps with labels "34 Must Sees of Malmo" bolded across the top. We were pretty psyched that there were actually 34 must sees in Malmo! (In all honesty, most of the must sees really weren't much to see at all, but we still had fun:)
We started by venturing to the "new" part of the city which supposedly had impressive architecture and a beautiful park. We sort of took a back alley, so our journey there wasn't all that appealing for the eyes, but we did make it to the famous Turning Torso. The Turning Torso is the tallest building in Scandinavia and the top most floor is actually twisted around 90 degrees in comparison to the bottom floor. It was quite pleasing to look at, but was actually the only impressive building we found in this so-called new part of the city. I'm sure we just took a wrong turn or slightly missed the interesting part of the city, but we reluctantly moved on back to the older city centre to do some more historical sight seeing.
A short walk, and a few funny touristy pictures later, we arrived in the older part of the city. Some pretty landscapes and parks dotted the way along our walk, but we had to really search for some of the important "must sees", sometimes missing them all together. We ventured to the Malmohus Castle, the oldest renaissance castle in Scandinavia, but opted not to go inside due to the fee and our lack of interest in the city itself haha. We continued on, and shortly after stumbled on a store bursting with American goodies!! YAYYYYYY! The store was dedicated entirely to American food, drinks, candy, etc...it was a little piece of heaven. But after glancing at the $10 box of cake mix, even our ridiculously overpriced Copenhagen food sounded appealing! We scooted out before anyone had the chance to accidentally impulse buy any $8 box of mac n cheese.
We were all getting a little grumpy as our stomaches started to growl, so we searched out a Swedish atm for some cash and found a cute little cafe for lunch. A $10 chicken sandwich later (although not worth 10 bucks, it was really gourmet and was served with unlimited fresh bread and dipping oil, so it was allright!), we were satisfied and ready for some more exploring.
We saw some old churches, splurged at the local Espresso House (starbucks equivalent in Malmo, they were everywhere), and posed with a giant rose at the Malmo Folkets Park (amusement park), and ventured to Malmo's famous chocolate factory/museum. This museum has quite the story behind it, let me tell you. We were totally pumped for this and were picturing some Hershey sized extravagant factory with oozing chocolate fountains and massive machinery churning out chocolate. Check out my pictures for an inside look and description at this stunning landmark...it really was just a room with some old chocolate wrappers and paraphanalia as the "museum", a small room in the back served as the factory, and the shop was simply a counter selling chocolate--and all this took place in the same room. It was quite disappointing, but we had a good laugh about it, and I have to say the chocolate was magnificent!
A pound of chocolate later and our bellies full once again, we had a few more stops before hopping on the train back to our beloved copenhagen. We stopped at the city hall which was quite beautiful and admired the statue of King Karl, the king who took Skane (southernmost part of sweden) from the Danes.
The city was enjoyable , the day was really nice, and more than anything a good bonding experience among us! I think we all left Malmo with an even greater appreciation of this city we are studying in (I know i did!), and were glad to be back "home" in Copenhagen. I was so anxious to hop on my bike from the central station and pedal home along the lakes to my apartment before getting ready to head off to my campus bar's "birthday party"!
Malmo is kind of the "sister city" to Copenhagen in a few ways. The Oresund bridge, finished in 1999, is the first and only bridge connecting Denmark to Sweden! Before that people always had to travel by ferry! A lot of people that live in Malmo commute to Copenhagen for work as well and the number of commuters continues to rise.
Although Malmo was nice, it really was just a smaller, less beautiful, more boring version of Copenhagen. I guess it is the commercial center of southern Sweden, however, it is undergoing a sort of transtition culturally and just opened Malmo University in the last 10 years to assist in this transition. They have some museums to offer and a few historical sights, but mostly it was just shopping, restaurants (I hear they do have fabulous places to eat), and some interesting architecture.
So, we arrived at the central station in Copenhagen around 10, purchased our tickets (we got a group discount!-YAY!), and arrived in Malmo around 11. When I stepped out of the Malmo station, I felt like I hadn't really left Copenhagen...the buildings, weather, people, streets are all very similar. We tapped into our touristy nature and grabbed some maps with labels "34 Must Sees of Malmo" bolded across the top. We were pretty psyched that there were actually 34 must sees in Malmo! (In all honesty, most of the must sees really weren't much to see at all, but we still had fun:)
We started by venturing to the "new" part of the city which supposedly had impressive architecture and a beautiful park. We sort of took a back alley, so our journey there wasn't all that appealing for the eyes, but we did make it to the famous Turning Torso. The Turning Torso is the tallest building in Scandinavia and the top most floor is actually twisted around 90 degrees in comparison to the bottom floor. It was quite pleasing to look at, but was actually the only impressive building we found in this so-called new part of the city. I'm sure we just took a wrong turn or slightly missed the interesting part of the city, but we reluctantly moved on back to the older city centre to do some more historical sight seeing.
A short walk, and a few funny touristy pictures later, we arrived in the older part of the city. Some pretty landscapes and parks dotted the way along our walk, but we had to really search for some of the important "must sees", sometimes missing them all together. We ventured to the Malmohus Castle, the oldest renaissance castle in Scandinavia, but opted not to go inside due to the fee and our lack of interest in the city itself haha. We continued on, and shortly after stumbled on a store bursting with American goodies!! YAYYYYYY! The store was dedicated entirely to American food, drinks, candy, etc...it was a little piece of heaven. But after glancing at the $10 box of cake mix, even our ridiculously overpriced Copenhagen food sounded appealing! We scooted out before anyone had the chance to accidentally impulse buy any $8 box of mac n cheese.
We were all getting a little grumpy as our stomaches started to growl, so we searched out a Swedish atm for some cash and found a cute little cafe for lunch. A $10 chicken sandwich later (although not worth 10 bucks, it was really gourmet and was served with unlimited fresh bread and dipping oil, so it was allright!), we were satisfied and ready for some more exploring.
We saw some old churches, splurged at the local Espresso House (starbucks equivalent in Malmo, they were everywhere), and posed with a giant rose at the Malmo Folkets Park (amusement park), and ventured to Malmo's famous chocolate factory/museum. This museum has quite the story behind it, let me tell you. We were totally pumped for this and were picturing some Hershey sized extravagant factory with oozing chocolate fountains and massive machinery churning out chocolate. Check out my pictures for an inside look and description at this stunning landmark...it really was just a room with some old chocolate wrappers and paraphanalia as the "museum", a small room in the back served as the factory, and the shop was simply a counter selling chocolate--and all this took place in the same room. It was quite disappointing, but we had a good laugh about it, and I have to say the chocolate was magnificent!
A pound of chocolate later and our bellies full once again, we had a few more stops before hopping on the train back to our beloved copenhagen. We stopped at the city hall which was quite beautiful and admired the statue of King Karl, the king who took Skane (southernmost part of sweden) from the Danes.
The city was enjoyable , the day was really nice, and more than anything a good bonding experience among us! I think we all left Malmo with an even greater appreciation of this city we are studying in (I know i did!), and were glad to be back "home" in Copenhagen. I was so anxious to hop on my bike from the central station and pedal home along the lakes to my apartment before getting ready to head off to my campus bar's "birthday party"!
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