In a few hours, I head to Rome's Cimpriano airport to fly to London. I have a day in London and am going to see the show War Horse on the West End, wander around, and sleep. Then, tomorrow, I fly back to Boston and California.
I am sad for the adventure to come to an end. However, I am kind of in that weird middle state. I am sad to leave, but I am excited to sleep in a comfortable bed without six plus strangers in the room. I am looking forward to air conditioning, not carrying a backpack everywhere, access to toiletries and laundry, and a long break from sandwiches.
Rome is hard to get a pulse on. I will have to come back one day and form more coherent thoughts then. Rome is vast and there are a million things going on. I only have piecemeal observations like:
-There are cats everywhere. I've seen several around, including 3 at prominent tourist attractions. Wonder what the story is there.
-I am not a bus person, and thus I feel that public transportation kind of sucks. The Metro only runs to a few places, and while it could be worse, it could be a lot better. They also decided to construction on the main line, so the Metro closes at 9pm for the night. I found that out on day 2. They have a replacement bus, but you know how I feel about those...they are great if you know where you are going. I had no clue, and thus am lucky that I made it back unscathed yesterday. Maybe when Metro line C, the newest line, is up and running, I will feel differently.
-Traffic is insane. People never really stop all the way. The best you can do is to make eye contact with the drivers and make sure they see you, and then walk steadily across the street. The drivers may not stop, but they will swerve around you.
-If you want a quick "to go" food, it's going to be pizza. There aren't many sandwich options, and places really are much more sit down. Even coffee---most of it you order, and then drink at a bar in the shop. It's not the grab and go style of the US.
-If the gelato price isn't readily advertised, it's probably higher than what you think. And if you don't specify small, they will scoop you one of the larger sizes.
-There is a lot of poverty in Rome. I've seen a lot of people begging, especially outside of churches. Perhaps moreso than other countries.
-Every building has at one point or another been used for something by the Catholic church.
-There is water everywhere, which I love. There are fountains. There are drinking faucets. Sometimes, the drinking nozzles are part of fountains. It is wonderous. Rome understands that it is hot and people are thirsty. It is great to not have to fill a water bottle in the bathroom.
-Speaking of which...there are no bathrooms everywhere, except in museums that you pay for, which I hate. Is problematic with aforementioned faucet quota.
The list goes on. Overall, I think the city is great. It is exhausting---you are constantly moving, dodging traffic, dodging tourists, fighting the heat, scrambling to the next site. You have to walk everywhere, which I wouldn't mind but I also have a half an hour to an hour between my hostel and the metro. Which means it is a LOT of walking on top of a day of walking. I've realized my happiness in any one spot is directly correlated with how easy my hostel is to get too--if it is walkable or right next to a Metro. This one...not so much.
Anyway, I've seen a lot in Rome and am glad to be here. I'll be glad to come back, hopefully in off season.
Now, off to finish packing and to figure out how to get to this airport!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Roma!
I remember getting to Mexico City last summer and it was cool to see the layers of history. There was the Aztec history and archeological sites, the Spanish conquistadors and their history, and more recent history like Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Leon Trotsky. It was like an onion...everywhere we went, we'd peel back another layer and learn about another part of history.
Well, Rome REALLY is like an onion. Except instead of a few layers, there are like a million. Roman antiquity with the Colosseum and Pantheon. The beginnings of Christianity with Constantine. The subsequent growth and development of the church a la the Vatican. The Renissance. The unification of Rome into one country versus separate city-states. The rise and fall of families like the Borghese and Medici. The history of Facisim and Mussolini in World War II. Modern day.
So, needless to say, I'm feeling like it won't all quite "click" in the three days that I am here. Though I will do my best to dent it.
Today I crept out of my hostel at 7am and headed to the nearest Metro station. I had a 9am reservation, which is a must do if you actually want to get in, for the Borghese Gallery. The gallery is an art museum...orginally a cardinal's mansion in Rome's "Central Park," the private art collection is now on display for public viewing. I must say it is probably one of the BEST sculpture collections that I have ever seen in my life, in the beautiful backdrop of a gallery that was made for that specific purpose. The reservation system, though kind of annoying, is actually a blessing. They only let a certain number of people in the museum at any one time, so it's not that crowded and you have time to look at the art and enjoy it. Really, I kind of wish all museums were more diligent about creating such quality experiences for customers (I'm looking at you, Louvre).
The annoying part was that it actually took me most of the two hours to get there. My hostel is about a half an hour walk from the Metro station, which isn't super far but is far enough to be obnoxious. Since I can't "dart home" to change or whatever, I felt like I had to leave with everything I would need for the day on me at 7am. And then later today, at like 6:30pm when I started to feel the burn out of a busy day, it was less of an option to go back for a quick refresher and then head out again. I ended up just deciding to come back and call it an earlier night. Then between walking there, stopping to get food, wandering through the park to get to the gallery, waiting for the Metros and changing lines...yup, like an hour and a half. And the thing about the Rome Metro is that it is available and a good resource, but there are a LOT of places the Metro doesn't go in the city or isn't convenient to that make it more of a pain to use.
So the gallery is amazing and I recommend it. Great collection in like 12 rooms: lots to see, but manageable. I then walked around for a while and saw the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Piazza Navona. I tried to visit the Mausoleum of Augustus, but I couldn't actually find a way INSIDE the building and gave up. Weird, non?
Then...the Pantheon! It's free to enter and no one monitors anything, which is weird because the other churches were quite strict. I guess the fact that the Pantheon was a "pagan temple" before the Catholics got ahold of it makes it more of a gray area when it comes to women coming inside in tube tops. Nonetheless, it was cool to see. So many churches and buildings have been modeled after the Pantheon, and it's so impressive to realize the ancient Romans had such complex techniques and abilities to create things that continue to last so solidly.
Wander, wander, wander. Gelato. Souveniers. Leisurely lunch. Relatively little getting lost (aren't you proud?). Finally: the Colosseum.
The site is massive and surreal, and overall very cool. You can go inside and walk around the building on both the levels, but they don't let you in the middle where the reconstructed stage is and the exposed "basement" where different rooms and paths were. In spite of being raided many times by other buildings as a source of materials, it remains quite cohesive overall.
So, here's a question: the Colosseum is clearly a historical site with much background and significance. And certain it's presence plays a part of our contemporary awareness of the world. I'd bet most Americans could recognize the Colisseum and know what it was, if nothing else than due to fourth grade history lessons and the movie Gladiator. However, it is also a site of death and human barbarism. RIGHT??? I mean, the entertainment inside the venue was humans killing animals, animals killing animals, or humans killing humans. Yeah, later it was taken over by the Christian Romans and used for something, maybe services, I forget now [and really, where DIDN'T Christians conduct service?] But that's not why people go there. They go there for the ancient Rome piece of history, the violent history that demonstrates human cruelty and casual disregard of human life.
So...as tourists, what duty do people have to acknowledge that piece of history? I say this because everyone who went was taking smiley pictures of themselves kissing or giving thumbs up or jumping in the air. And while I get it, I do wonder: do those people stop to think about it? Really think? About what that place means?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Start side rant:
This plays into a larger ideological conversation I've been having with myself this whole trip. When I was doing the six hour walking tour of Berlin, one of my travel friends, Sam, mentioned the same thing about Checkpoint Charlie. It was a gap in the Berlin Wall where people would cross between East and West, usually used by Americans crossing back into West Berlin. Now it's a photo op with a reconstructed little military truck and people posing in military attire that you can pay to take pictures with. And it's all good fun, but do those people who are taking pictures understand what that place meant? How many families were ripped apart when the wall went up so abruptly or how many people risked their lives trying to cross?
If you take a picture with the Berlin Wall, yes I understand that it is a fun photo op and has some great history. When the wall came down in 1989, Berliners and the world celebrated. Some of the art on the wall is still amazing and displayed in galleries. But again: do people taking their cute pose in front of the wall also think about the history behind it? The death, the destruction, the oppression?
And at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, people don't get it at all. It's a really moving tribute to the six million Jews that were killed in the Holocaust. The memorial is tons of blocks, ranging from a few feet tall to like 8 feet tall, all the size of coffins spread out over this vast plot of land. And you walk through the blocks and each block varies in size and the land tilts...and you find a spot where you are alone and surrounded and you think. It's powerful and important, and I saw people climbing on top of the blocks or, if you can believe it, even making BUNNY EARS. Like it's some fun photo op. And the bunny ears people were on the walking tour with me and they were from Indonesia and maybe they didn't really get it.
But you know...SOMETIMES IT JUST MAKES ME SO EFFING ANGRY. Sometimes I just hate people.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alright, rant over...
Two questions, soliciting audience participation:
Last night I went to bed around 10:30pm, as did my bunkmate. One of our hostel roommates came back and turned on the light to get ready for whatever on two separate occasions. Normally I would say this was outright rude, as two of us were obviously trying to sleep. On the same token, there wasn't a smaller lamp in the room. She could have left the door open and used the hallway light, and my other hostel roommates did, but I also appreciate it wasn't like she had multiple options and could turn on her own personal light or something. What do you think? Rude or clueless?
Do you count the Vatican as its own country? This may decide whether or not I am able to brag about being in seven or eight countries this summer, so choose carefully...
Well, Rome REALLY is like an onion. Except instead of a few layers, there are like a million. Roman antiquity with the Colosseum and Pantheon. The beginnings of Christianity with Constantine. The subsequent growth and development of the church a la the Vatican. The Renissance. The unification of Rome into one country versus separate city-states. The rise and fall of families like the Borghese and Medici. The history of Facisim and Mussolini in World War II. Modern day.
So, needless to say, I'm feeling like it won't all quite "click" in the three days that I am here. Though I will do my best to dent it.
Today I crept out of my hostel at 7am and headed to the nearest Metro station. I had a 9am reservation, which is a must do if you actually want to get in, for the Borghese Gallery. The gallery is an art museum...orginally a cardinal's mansion in Rome's "Central Park," the private art collection is now on display for public viewing. I must say it is probably one of the BEST sculpture collections that I have ever seen in my life, in the beautiful backdrop of a gallery that was made for that specific purpose. The reservation system, though kind of annoying, is actually a blessing. They only let a certain number of people in the museum at any one time, so it's not that crowded and you have time to look at the art and enjoy it. Really, I kind of wish all museums were more diligent about creating such quality experiences for customers (I'm looking at you, Louvre).
The annoying part was that it actually took me most of the two hours to get there. My hostel is about a half an hour walk from the Metro station, which isn't super far but is far enough to be obnoxious. Since I can't "dart home" to change or whatever, I felt like I had to leave with everything I would need for the day on me at 7am. And then later today, at like 6:30pm when I started to feel the burn out of a busy day, it was less of an option to go back for a quick refresher and then head out again. I ended up just deciding to come back and call it an earlier night. Then between walking there, stopping to get food, wandering through the park to get to the gallery, waiting for the Metros and changing lines...yup, like an hour and a half. And the thing about the Rome Metro is that it is available and a good resource, but there are a LOT of places the Metro doesn't go in the city or isn't convenient to that make it more of a pain to use.
So the gallery is amazing and I recommend it. Great collection in like 12 rooms: lots to see, but manageable. I then walked around for a while and saw the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Piazza Navona. I tried to visit the Mausoleum of Augustus, but I couldn't actually find a way INSIDE the building and gave up. Weird, non?
Then...the Pantheon! It's free to enter and no one monitors anything, which is weird because the other churches were quite strict. I guess the fact that the Pantheon was a "pagan temple" before the Catholics got ahold of it makes it more of a gray area when it comes to women coming inside in tube tops. Nonetheless, it was cool to see. So many churches and buildings have been modeled after the Pantheon, and it's so impressive to realize the ancient Romans had such complex techniques and abilities to create things that continue to last so solidly.
Wander, wander, wander. Gelato. Souveniers. Leisurely lunch. Relatively little getting lost (aren't you proud?). Finally: the Colosseum.
The site is massive and surreal, and overall very cool. You can go inside and walk around the building on both the levels, but they don't let you in the middle where the reconstructed stage is and the exposed "basement" where different rooms and paths were. In spite of being raided many times by other buildings as a source of materials, it remains quite cohesive overall.
So, here's a question: the Colosseum is clearly a historical site with much background and significance. And certain it's presence plays a part of our contemporary awareness of the world. I'd bet most Americans could recognize the Colisseum and know what it was, if nothing else than due to fourth grade history lessons and the movie Gladiator. However, it is also a site of death and human barbarism. RIGHT??? I mean, the entertainment inside the venue was humans killing animals, animals killing animals, or humans killing humans. Yeah, later it was taken over by the Christian Romans and used for something, maybe services, I forget now [and really, where DIDN'T Christians conduct service?] But that's not why people go there. They go there for the ancient Rome piece of history, the violent history that demonstrates human cruelty and casual disregard of human life.
So...as tourists, what duty do people have to acknowledge that piece of history? I say this because everyone who went was taking smiley pictures of themselves kissing or giving thumbs up or jumping in the air. And while I get it, I do wonder: do those people stop to think about it? Really think? About what that place means?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Start side rant:
This plays into a larger ideological conversation I've been having with myself this whole trip. When I was doing the six hour walking tour of Berlin, one of my travel friends, Sam, mentioned the same thing about Checkpoint Charlie. It was a gap in the Berlin Wall where people would cross between East and West, usually used by Americans crossing back into West Berlin. Now it's a photo op with a reconstructed little military truck and people posing in military attire that you can pay to take pictures with. And it's all good fun, but do those people who are taking pictures understand what that place meant? How many families were ripped apart when the wall went up so abruptly or how many people risked their lives trying to cross?
If you take a picture with the Berlin Wall, yes I understand that it is a fun photo op and has some great history. When the wall came down in 1989, Berliners and the world celebrated. Some of the art on the wall is still amazing and displayed in galleries. But again: do people taking their cute pose in front of the wall also think about the history behind it? The death, the destruction, the oppression?
And at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, people don't get it at all. It's a really moving tribute to the six million Jews that were killed in the Holocaust. The memorial is tons of blocks, ranging from a few feet tall to like 8 feet tall, all the size of coffins spread out over this vast plot of land. And you walk through the blocks and each block varies in size and the land tilts...and you find a spot where you are alone and surrounded and you think. It's powerful and important, and I saw people climbing on top of the blocks or, if you can believe it, even making BUNNY EARS. Like it's some fun photo op. And the bunny ears people were on the walking tour with me and they were from Indonesia and maybe they didn't really get it.
But you know...SOMETIMES IT JUST MAKES ME SO EFFING ANGRY. Sometimes I just hate people.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alright, rant over...
Two questions, soliciting audience participation:
Last night I went to bed around 10:30pm, as did my bunkmate. One of our hostel roommates came back and turned on the light to get ready for whatever on two separate occasions. Normally I would say this was outright rude, as two of us were obviously trying to sleep. On the same token, there wasn't a smaller lamp in the room. She could have left the door open and used the hallway light, and my other hostel roommates did, but I also appreciate it wasn't like she had multiple options and could turn on her own personal light or something. What do you think? Rude or clueless?
Do you count the Vatican as its own country? This may decide whether or not I am able to brag about being in seven or eight countries this summer, so choose carefully...
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Roman Holiday!
Long time, no blog. I've been through Florence, spent today in Pisa, and arrived today in Rome by train. Florence was a trip: great art, lots of gelate, lots of climbing (the Campanile, Duomo, and the Piazze Michelangelo...one of the best parts of Florence is the view), and lots of tourists. Apparently cruise lines stop around this part of Italy because everywhere there were obnoxious groups of people with one guide talking into a headset microphone with a group trailing behind him or her with the headsets in and nodding. EVERYWHERE. Like, what happened to people looking at things and figuring it out for themselves? Can we not experience art or architecture or anything alone? And do you have to stand in front of everything and block everyone else's change to look at things or actually experience things? Sodding crowds.
Pisa: climbing the Leaning Tower was awesome. It is surreal to see in real life. It's not as big as you think it would be, the staircase is a crooked walk that is really hard to climb in some spots and kind of easy in the downward slant parts, and it's just a fun structure. The tower is part of a bigger complex with a church, a separate smaller church devoted to baptisms called the Baptistry, a cemetery, and two museums. I spent most of my time there, and then wandered through Pisa for the rest of my time. I thought I wasn't going to get to climb the tower because everything said you had to reserve in advance and by the time I looked online my date wasn't available, but there were lots of tickets available when I got there. Thankfully, I went early too so I got to climb up with a smaller group and have some silence. The complex was cool. The rest of Pisa is kind of quiet and worn down---apparently still feeling the downturn from the centuries when Florence conquered it and became the primary hotspot of Tuscany.
On the train to Rome, I sat next to an older Italian woman from Milan. I really should carry around guidebooks all the time...everytime people see me on transportation with a guidebook and a map, they seem to clue into the fact that something exciting is happening and ask me about my travels. The Italian woman knew some English from when she was in school at age 12 (see how amazing the rest of the world is? see how sad it is that Americans don't speak anything other than English?) and I communicated with some of my Spanish, and we got along famously. We talked about Rome, where to get the best gelato, where I should go on my next Italian trip (her vote was for Sardinia and Sicily, and the "heel and toes" areas of the two Italian feet...if you look at a map of the country, you will totally see it), and what my family thinks of my adventures (I told her that I think my dad is just grateful that I eventually come back). She was wonderful and I wished I had more words to say so. Sufficive to say, it was really sweet when she said goodbye and wished me the best of happiness and experiences in my life.
At the train station, I caved and got in a taxi. It's the first one I've used this trip...I always walk or take a Metro. However, the hostel directions said to board a bus from the train station and I just didn't have it in me to board a bus with my giant backpack after another long day. Plus, boarding buses when you don't know where you are going is the WORST. You never know what your stop is, and it's very anxiety-ridden. No.
So I took a taxi. I got in line at the kiosk and some fast-talking illegitimate driver starts talking to me. It was a moment of weakness. I knew he wasn't a certified driver...he was not in the official taxi lane and he wasn't standing with the correct drivers. But I was travel flustered and thought maybe he was okay? I don't know. He tried to charge me 30 Euros, which I told him was crap since my hostel directions said it was 10 minutes away. We haggled down to 20. Then he started to walk towards his taxi, which was an unmarked vehicle parked across the street from the station away from the legitimate taxi booth. And I kept going and going, hoping that this would appear to be okay (I did ask him for his identification and he showed it to me). Finally, it just felt too sketch. I told him that I was sorry but that I felt like this was a bad idea and started to walk back to the station. To his credit, he let me go pretty easily and just warned me that the official taxis were more expensive.
My legitimate taxi was actually cheaper. The driver spoke Italian, English, and Spanish, and kind of mocked me when I tried to use my Spanish at first (to be fair, he knew what I was talking about and they are really similar...). He was kind of a whackadoodle. The first thing he asked me was: "are you a lesbian?" Apparently, there is a Lady Gaga concert tonight and some pride events in the city. It was very strange. Then he told me that he was a gay man, and then he laughed and said that he loved the ladies and was just joking. This was later reaffirmed when he told me that he had dated a "chocolate woman" for 10 years and had moved to Columbia for his now ex-wife. I really wanted to have some educational conversations with him, but I also didn't want to be removed from the taxi and stranded on the side of the room. He, however, seemed quite overjoyed with himself and his apparent zest for life. He also kept calling me "my darling." In typing all of this, doesn't it sound extra sad that he was the less sketchy of my two potential cab drivers? Nonetheless, he only charged me 10 Euros for the trip which was WAY less then sketchy man haggled down too. I had that awkward moment where I only had 1 or 5 Euros in small bills to tip. I gave him the 5. I'm pretty sure cabby 1 was going to drive in circles or find traffic and claim it was Lady Gaga related (we hit NO traffic with my actual cab), so he deserved it. He then exclaimed "ooooh, this is why I love you Americans!"
My hostel is kind of on the edge of Rome, but is still really close (20 minute walk from the Colosseum...my CSSA friends, think like Beaverton and Portland and how they are kind of different but really kind of the same). I am going to try to get up early and wander before the museums open and my day really begins.
Ciao!
Pisa: climbing the Leaning Tower was awesome. It is surreal to see in real life. It's not as big as you think it would be, the staircase is a crooked walk that is really hard to climb in some spots and kind of easy in the downward slant parts, and it's just a fun structure. The tower is part of a bigger complex with a church, a separate smaller church devoted to baptisms called the Baptistry, a cemetery, and two museums. I spent most of my time there, and then wandered through Pisa for the rest of my time. I thought I wasn't going to get to climb the tower because everything said you had to reserve in advance and by the time I looked online my date wasn't available, but there were lots of tickets available when I got there. Thankfully, I went early too so I got to climb up with a smaller group and have some silence. The complex was cool. The rest of Pisa is kind of quiet and worn down---apparently still feeling the downturn from the centuries when Florence conquered it and became the primary hotspot of Tuscany.
On the train to Rome, I sat next to an older Italian woman from Milan. I really should carry around guidebooks all the time...everytime people see me on transportation with a guidebook and a map, they seem to clue into the fact that something exciting is happening and ask me about my travels. The Italian woman knew some English from when she was in school at age 12 (see how amazing the rest of the world is? see how sad it is that Americans don't speak anything other than English?) and I communicated with some of my Spanish, and we got along famously. We talked about Rome, where to get the best gelato, where I should go on my next Italian trip (her vote was for Sardinia and Sicily, and the "heel and toes" areas of the two Italian feet...if you look at a map of the country, you will totally see it), and what my family thinks of my adventures (I told her that I think my dad is just grateful that I eventually come back). She was wonderful and I wished I had more words to say so. Sufficive to say, it was really sweet when she said goodbye and wished me the best of happiness and experiences in my life.
At the train station, I caved and got in a taxi. It's the first one I've used this trip...I always walk or take a Metro. However, the hostel directions said to board a bus from the train station and I just didn't have it in me to board a bus with my giant backpack after another long day. Plus, boarding buses when you don't know where you are going is the WORST. You never know what your stop is, and it's very anxiety-ridden. No.
So I took a taxi. I got in line at the kiosk and some fast-talking illegitimate driver starts talking to me. It was a moment of weakness. I knew he wasn't a certified driver...he was not in the official taxi lane and he wasn't standing with the correct drivers. But I was travel flustered and thought maybe he was okay? I don't know. He tried to charge me 30 Euros, which I told him was crap since my hostel directions said it was 10 minutes away. We haggled down to 20. Then he started to walk towards his taxi, which was an unmarked vehicle parked across the street from the station away from the legitimate taxi booth. And I kept going and going, hoping that this would appear to be okay (I did ask him for his identification and he showed it to me). Finally, it just felt too sketch. I told him that I was sorry but that I felt like this was a bad idea and started to walk back to the station. To his credit, he let me go pretty easily and just warned me that the official taxis were more expensive.
My legitimate taxi was actually cheaper. The driver spoke Italian, English, and Spanish, and kind of mocked me when I tried to use my Spanish at first (to be fair, he knew what I was talking about and they are really similar...). He was kind of a whackadoodle. The first thing he asked me was: "are you a lesbian?" Apparently, there is a Lady Gaga concert tonight and some pride events in the city. It was very strange. Then he told me that he was a gay man, and then he laughed and said that he loved the ladies and was just joking. This was later reaffirmed when he told me that he had dated a "chocolate woman" for 10 years and had moved to Columbia for his now ex-wife. I really wanted to have some educational conversations with him, but I also didn't want to be removed from the taxi and stranded on the side of the room. He, however, seemed quite overjoyed with himself and his apparent zest for life. He also kept calling me "my darling." In typing all of this, doesn't it sound extra sad that he was the less sketchy of my two potential cab drivers? Nonetheless, he only charged me 10 Euros for the trip which was WAY less then sketchy man haggled down too. I had that awkward moment where I only had 1 or 5 Euros in small bills to tip. I gave him the 5. I'm pretty sure cabby 1 was going to drive in circles or find traffic and claim it was Lady Gaga related (we hit NO traffic with my actual cab), so he deserved it. He then exclaimed "ooooh, this is why I love you Americans!"
My hostel is kind of on the edge of Rome, but is still really close (20 minute walk from the Colosseum...my CSSA friends, think like Beaverton and Portland and how they are kind of different but really kind of the same). I am going to try to get up early and wander before the museums open and my day really begins.
Ciao!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Vienna is Love
Two glorious days in Vienna. Great museums, beautiful music, yummy pastry...why did I choose to spend three dazs in Prague and only two days here? Oh well. I guess that just means I must come back.
At some point, I am going to do a composite post of my Eurail experiences. I feel like they are very important and colorful moments, and I really want to do them justice. This last trip, I did not have the option when I booked online of booking a sleeping car. Instead, I had to book a seat. The fun part? The seat did not recline, did not have any leg room, and faced the seat across the way. Six awkward seats in a train car for a 7 hour train ride after the brush with death that was the Prague Holesovice (spelling check?) late at night.
When I got to Vienna, I was a bit grumpy to say the least. I also could not find a good map anywhere...I ended up ripping out a map from my guidebook and that worked until I lost it today. The hostel gave me a map that looked like it listed every street in Vienna in .025 font size. Finally I threw it away and tried the guide book maps, which was better than nothing.
So aside from a few setbacks, Vienna is a great city. Really, so much to do and see here. I went to a bunch of museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Natural History Museum, and the Albertina (which was originally the state rooms for Marie Antoinette's sister until a couple donated their private art collection to become a modern art museum). I toured the Opera House, and saw part of Eugin Onegin last night for a standing room ticket that cost onlz three euros. I also toured part of the Hofburg Palace, mainly the state rooms, and saw the horses for the famous Spanish Riding School.
I also ate a bunch of pastry, because Vienna is like the pastry capital of the world. Seriously, it is everywhere. I did try the famous Sacher Torte, a chocolate cake with apricot jam in the middle and a dollop of whipped cream, at his home of the Hotel Sacher. To be honest, I thought it was a bit bland. However, I am loving some of the other strudels and tarts that I have tried. Good thing I also visited St. Stephan's Cathedral and climbed the 342 steps to the top of the tower.
So it is with sad faces that I leave Vienna, but I am now bound for Florence and Italy! I am excited for gelato and art and the opportunity to use my Spanish and pretend it is Italian. Also, having learned from the crappy train experience, I upgraded to a sleeping car once again...it is a four person car, so I think it might be first class! High rolling! For those of you keeping track, I am going Florence, Pisa, Rome, and then back to London to fly home!
Ciao, bellos! See you in Italy!
At some point, I am going to do a composite post of my Eurail experiences. I feel like they are very important and colorful moments, and I really want to do them justice. This last trip, I did not have the option when I booked online of booking a sleeping car. Instead, I had to book a seat. The fun part? The seat did not recline, did not have any leg room, and faced the seat across the way. Six awkward seats in a train car for a 7 hour train ride after the brush with death that was the Prague Holesovice (spelling check?) late at night.
When I got to Vienna, I was a bit grumpy to say the least. I also could not find a good map anywhere...I ended up ripping out a map from my guidebook and that worked until I lost it today. The hostel gave me a map that looked like it listed every street in Vienna in .025 font size. Finally I threw it away and tried the guide book maps, which was better than nothing.
So aside from a few setbacks, Vienna is a great city. Really, so much to do and see here. I went to a bunch of museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Natural History Museum, and the Albertina (which was originally the state rooms for Marie Antoinette's sister until a couple donated their private art collection to become a modern art museum). I toured the Opera House, and saw part of Eugin Onegin last night for a standing room ticket that cost onlz three euros. I also toured part of the Hofburg Palace, mainly the state rooms, and saw the horses for the famous Spanish Riding School.
I also ate a bunch of pastry, because Vienna is like the pastry capital of the world. Seriously, it is everywhere. I did try the famous Sacher Torte, a chocolate cake with apricot jam in the middle and a dollop of whipped cream, at his home of the Hotel Sacher. To be honest, I thought it was a bit bland. However, I am loving some of the other strudels and tarts that I have tried. Good thing I also visited St. Stephan's Cathedral and climbed the 342 steps to the top of the tower.
So it is with sad faces that I leave Vienna, but I am now bound for Florence and Italy! I am excited for gelato and art and the opportunity to use my Spanish and pretend it is Italian. Also, having learned from the crappy train experience, I upgraded to a sleeping car once again...it is a four person car, so I think it might be first class! High rolling! For those of you keeping track, I am going Florence, Pisa, Rome, and then back to London to fly home!
Ciao, bellos! See you in Italy!
Monday, June 6, 2011
I have an overnight train to Vienna in three hours. Since the train station is only like 30 minutes away and the train stations don't tend to be super fun places to wait by yourself, I'm going to update you all instead!
Today, my feet became international celebrities.
I have a confession: originally I wanted to get out of Prague today after having kind of a shiteous day yesterday. However, the nearby castle turned out to be closed so I ended up in the city for day 3. You know what I decided? If I have to be here, I'm going to do whatever the heck I want to do.
That started with this Thai spa place I had seen on the Prague/Las Vegas strip that had the little fishies that eat the dead skin off your feet (sorry if that is too much information...it sounds really gross, but it really isn't). Well, I decided I wanted to do that. For only $30-ish dollars, I had a "fish massage" (the woman was very specific that this was NOT a pedicure). However, since a couple was in the fish tank in the salon, I sat on a chair and dipped my feet in the fish tank that was in the front window (they have a little chair set up). You are literally sitting in a display window while fishies swarm your feet and tourists literally stop by to stare at you and take pictures. Thus, if you see pictures anywhere of a woman in olive green and purple getting a fish massage in the Czech Republic dated today...yeah, that is me.
Then, Prague hailed.
Apparently Prague likes to change from warm sun to overcast to torrential hail i na matter of minutes. I was going to take a boat tour, but the weather abruptly changed. I sought refuge in this small cafe/ice cream shop/store/deli run by a vigorous older Czech woman. I was the only person in her cafe and she kept assuming that I spoke Czech, so I would smile and nod when she said something. Apparently I blend in well in Prague, or I just keep interacting with people who don't know English. Either way, I'm getting quite good at deciphering things through non-verbal cues. "Do you have smaller bills?" "Would you like a bag?" "Man, it's a busy storm outside!" Check, check, check!
When the hail subsided, I put the fun in funicular and climbed 400 stairs to the top of Petrin tower.
Just wait until I have my computer again and can upload all the pictures. Great view. Kate Normandin knows that I love a good funicular ride too, which made it easier to focus on climbing the 400 steps of the tower and not the giant hill that the tower is on.
Ended the day by shopping, strolling, and eating one of the top 5 Italian dishes I have ever had in my life...this perfectly creamy pasta al pollo.
And now, to end on an anecdote:
One of my newest roommates in the hostel is from Korea, but she studies currently in Georgia. She mentioned that in Korea it is common for women to travel by themselves, but she noticed it was far more rare in the United States. I agreed and told her that people gave me incredulous looks when I told them I was going alone. She then looked at me and said..."I think it is because of the movie Taken. In that movie, an American woman is traveling alone and she is kidnapped. I think people saw that movie and are afraid." What?
Today, my feet became international celebrities.
I have a confession: originally I wanted to get out of Prague today after having kind of a shiteous day yesterday. However, the nearby castle turned out to be closed so I ended up in the city for day 3. You know what I decided? If I have to be here, I'm going to do whatever the heck I want to do.
That started with this Thai spa place I had seen on the Prague/Las Vegas strip that had the little fishies that eat the dead skin off your feet (sorry if that is too much information...it sounds really gross, but it really isn't). Well, I decided I wanted to do that. For only $30-ish dollars, I had a "fish massage" (the woman was very specific that this was NOT a pedicure). However, since a couple was in the fish tank in the salon, I sat on a chair and dipped my feet in the fish tank that was in the front window (they have a little chair set up). You are literally sitting in a display window while fishies swarm your feet and tourists literally stop by to stare at you and take pictures. Thus, if you see pictures anywhere of a woman in olive green and purple getting a fish massage in the Czech Republic dated today...yeah, that is me.
Then, Prague hailed.
Apparently Prague likes to change from warm sun to overcast to torrential hail i na matter of minutes. I was going to take a boat tour, but the weather abruptly changed. I sought refuge in this small cafe/ice cream shop/store/deli run by a vigorous older Czech woman. I was the only person in her cafe and she kept assuming that I spoke Czech, so I would smile and nod when she said something. Apparently I blend in well in Prague, or I just keep interacting with people who don't know English. Either way, I'm getting quite good at deciphering things through non-verbal cues. "Do you have smaller bills?" "Would you like a bag?" "Man, it's a busy storm outside!" Check, check, check!
When the hail subsided, I put the fun in funicular and climbed 400 stairs to the top of Petrin tower.
Just wait until I have my computer again and can upload all the pictures. Great view. Kate Normandin knows that I love a good funicular ride too, which made it easier to focus on climbing the 400 steps of the tower and not the giant hill that the tower is on.
Ended the day by shopping, strolling, and eating one of the top 5 Italian dishes I have ever had in my life...this perfectly creamy pasta al pollo.
And now, to end on an anecdote:
One of my newest roommates in the hostel is from Korea, but she studies currently in Georgia. She mentioned that in Korea it is common for women to travel by themselves, but she noticed it was far more rare in the United States. I agreed and told her that people gave me incredulous looks when I told them I was going alone. She then looked at me and said..."I think it is because of the movie Taken. In that movie, an American woman is traveling alone and she is kidnapped. I think people saw that movie and are afraid." What?
Black Light Theatre
Yesterday, going with the theme of my day, I missed the National Theatre performance of the opera that I was going to see. I went to the theater where I had bought the ticket, but it was at a different venue across town and I didn't want to go super late. Especially because I was already right on the dot as it was.
When I was walking out, I spotted a sign proclaiming Black Light Theatre nearby. I had read about these in Rick Steeves and seen a few theaters around Prauge---apparently, they are pretty common. The stage is, you guessed it, black lit. Characters wear white or other clothing that pops out, and all of the props are doused in Day Glo paint. There are actors who dress in all black and maneuver the props around so things seem to be flying or magically appear or whatnot.
I saw a reproduction of Faust, which apparently is about a man who realizes that earthly possessions are limited and goes on a journey that reminds him what really matters. According to this production, that journey included dancing cats, an Arabian tales type of adventure with a belly dancer and camels, some fish, a few crocodiles, and more. His guide is a guy dressed in red that looked like an evil Robin Hood. At the end, the guy was chained and whipped by Satan until an angel rescued him.
It was very weird. There was also some sexual innuendos---lots of crotch grabbing and winks. I was in row 3, so I could occasionally glimpse some movement from the actors moving the props. Also, they used a plethora of fog machines that managed to make me watery eyed and have to sneeze every five minutes. On the whole, I felt like I probably should have been drunk or something before going.
It cost me 490 Czech Kroner to attend (approximately 25 US dollars) and lasted an hour. Not the best deal. At least I went and got the experience!
When I was walking out, I spotted a sign proclaiming Black Light Theatre nearby. I had read about these in Rick Steeves and seen a few theaters around Prauge---apparently, they are pretty common. The stage is, you guessed it, black lit. Characters wear white or other clothing that pops out, and all of the props are doused in Day Glo paint. There are actors who dress in all black and maneuver the props around so things seem to be flying or magically appear or whatnot.
I saw a reproduction of Faust, which apparently is about a man who realizes that earthly possessions are limited and goes on a journey that reminds him what really matters. According to this production, that journey included dancing cats, an Arabian tales type of adventure with a belly dancer and camels, some fish, a few crocodiles, and more. His guide is a guy dressed in red that looked like an evil Robin Hood. At the end, the guy was chained and whipped by Satan until an angel rescued him.
It was very weird. There was also some sexual innuendos---lots of crotch grabbing and winks. I was in row 3, so I could occasionally glimpse some movement from the actors moving the props. Also, they used a plethora of fog machines that managed to make me watery eyed and have to sneeze every five minutes. On the whole, I felt like I probably should have been drunk or something before going.
It cost me 490 Czech Kroner to attend (approximately 25 US dollars) and lasted an hour. Not the best deal. At least I went and got the experience!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
You had a bad day
I am sitting in a laundromat in Prague that just happened to have computers and free internet too! Yay for multi-tasking. Now I am just hoping that I will be able to finish these loads of laundry and book it over to the National Theater in time for the opera I have tickets for tonight.
The title of my post kind of sums it up. I had my bad day today...the kind that make you frustrated and frowny and wonder why you did not vacation by sitting at home and watching TV. It was not really that bad, but I think I needed the space to be frustrated for a second after such a busy couple of weeks.
It started out this morning when all of my roommates woke up to the alarm I set in order to wake up early. There are five of us sharing a room with one bathroom, so my hope was that I could wake up and get ready before they were up. Three of them stayed in bed, but one immediately hopped in the bathroom for half an hour before I could, um, sit up. That is definitely a long time when you are sharing a room with č other people who need to get ready. I kind of lost my shit when I heard her blow drying her hair, which she could have easily done in the hallway or unoccupied kitchen RIGHT NEXT DOOR. Not to mention that this same roommate was the one who spent half an hour in the bathroom last night when the other four of us were trying to get ready for bed.
I was pretty much awake at this point, but two of my other roommates were definitely trying to sleep. Nonetheless, my third roommate decides to make a phone call and then speak loudly into her phone. I felt bad and angry, and finally tapped her on the shoulder and said that I thought the other two were trying to sleep. She proceeded to lower her voice minutely, but still. Who does not go outside?
Eventually I got the hell out of the room and headed out for the city. My hostel is not a far walk, but the quicked route is through what I will dub the Las Vegas Strip of Prague. There are several casinos and cabaret shows and lots of drunk bachelor parties (at least, that is what I am assuming the large groups of drunk men were). It is not unsafe, but it is still a bit seedy for walking home after a long day. Unfortunately, the metro is not convenient to take from the places I want to go, so walking it is.
Today I went to the Prague Castle, which was pretty cool. Some of the exhibits were a bit ho hum, but I liked the museum that traced the history of the castle. The cathedral was closed in the morning for service, but I managed to catch it before I left. Apparently, both because it was closed and it is generally a tourist hotspot (not to mention the only free entry point in the castle, so it is where everyone goes for a free photo op), it was crammed to the brim. You have heard me rant about tourist claustrophobia and how it is really hard to enjoy things when you are being shoved about and trying to dodge five million photos from other tourists. Ah.
Then I went to the Jewish Museum, a collection of a few Jewish historical sites around the former Jewish ghetto and neighborhood in Prague. The neighborhood was at one point demolished and rebuilt, so the structures are actually gorgeous and French even though it does have a history of being a ghetto and the only area in Prague where the first Jews could live. I enjoyed the first exhibit a lot...it was an old synogogue (the word, I learned, means gather in Greek) that talked about Jewish history. On the third floor there was a museum that had Jewish children´s artwork from the holocaust. Basically, the children had been deported to a different ghetto before they were sent to concentration camps and a smart teacher had managed to create art classes to allow the children with a form of expression. Most of the children later died. It was a very moving museum.
I did not realize that I was supposed to exit someway through this museum to get to the Jewish cemetary. Because the land in the ghetto was restricted and the Jewish residents only had so much land to bury their dead (requests for more land was ignored), they ended up bringing in soil from the countryside and burying the dead on top of one another. The top level, 12 feet or so above ground level, is dotted with headstones from the multiple lazers.
Anyway, since I did not realize about the exit, I did not get to go in. I tried to reswipe my ticket and explain to the ticket man, but he was kind of an ass. He just kept repeating that I had already been there and I kept trying to explain that I did not know (it was not super clearly labeled...besides, my ticket was dated and timed from when I bought it. He could tell that it had not been very long). I thought about buying another ticket, but they were pricey and I was just a bit over that man.
Luckily, some of the other sites had some cool views so I could peer out nearby windows. I didn´t take any pictures, but it was a very moving and through provoking site.
Oh, and the ticket woman at the Jewish museum? She told me that I should take better care of my money because I handed her some crumpled bills on entry. Really, lady? She literally wiped them off and straightened them out when I handed them to her.
So yeah, I like Prague (and had fun yesterday wandering around, taking a 3 hour walking tour in the baking sun with a tour guide who never let us stand in the shade when he talked about things, and stumbling across a concert in a random park that was apparently part of Free Fest. The name did not lie-it was free, and I heard the set list for some band called Mako! Mako. From them, I learned that you can still be the lead singer of a band and jump around vigorously while like 8 months pregnant. I also learned that you can beatbox as a full time talent in a band. Not like once in a while---you can beatbox every song. Still, the exceeded my expectations. I am basically on the fence after I had to listen to a song called I Love to Love at the grocery store). But I don´t know if I LOVE Prague. Maybe that is more due to circumstance than the city itself. I will keep trying!
Tonight I am going to see Kátá Kabanová at the National Theater. It is an opera. I do not know what it is about and I am doubting that there will be English subtitles, but it will be an experience nonetheless.
ADDENDUM:
That laundromat turned part of my white jacket slightly orange and did not effectively dry anything. Ugh. At least I got a free book to read and some internet time. And at least my hair looks good for the first time this trip---I found some creme that makes it curl and not just poof into a wavy. Small victories.
The title of my post kind of sums it up. I had my bad day today...the kind that make you frustrated and frowny and wonder why you did not vacation by sitting at home and watching TV. It was not really that bad, but I think I needed the space to be frustrated for a second after such a busy couple of weeks.
It started out this morning when all of my roommates woke up to the alarm I set in order to wake up early. There are five of us sharing a room with one bathroom, so my hope was that I could wake up and get ready before they were up. Three of them stayed in bed, but one immediately hopped in the bathroom for half an hour before I could, um, sit up. That is definitely a long time when you are sharing a room with č other people who need to get ready. I kind of lost my shit when I heard her blow drying her hair, which she could have easily done in the hallway or unoccupied kitchen RIGHT NEXT DOOR. Not to mention that this same roommate was the one who spent half an hour in the bathroom last night when the other four of us were trying to get ready for bed.
I was pretty much awake at this point, but two of my other roommates were definitely trying to sleep. Nonetheless, my third roommate decides to make a phone call and then speak loudly into her phone. I felt bad and angry, and finally tapped her on the shoulder and said that I thought the other two were trying to sleep. She proceeded to lower her voice minutely, but still. Who does not go outside?
Eventually I got the hell out of the room and headed out for the city. My hostel is not a far walk, but the quicked route is through what I will dub the Las Vegas Strip of Prague. There are several casinos and cabaret shows and lots of drunk bachelor parties (at least, that is what I am assuming the large groups of drunk men were). It is not unsafe, but it is still a bit seedy for walking home after a long day. Unfortunately, the metro is not convenient to take from the places I want to go, so walking it is.
Today I went to the Prague Castle, which was pretty cool. Some of the exhibits were a bit ho hum, but I liked the museum that traced the history of the castle. The cathedral was closed in the morning for service, but I managed to catch it before I left. Apparently, both because it was closed and it is generally a tourist hotspot (not to mention the only free entry point in the castle, so it is where everyone goes for a free photo op), it was crammed to the brim. You have heard me rant about tourist claustrophobia and how it is really hard to enjoy things when you are being shoved about and trying to dodge five million photos from other tourists. Ah.
Then I went to the Jewish Museum, a collection of a few Jewish historical sites around the former Jewish ghetto and neighborhood in Prague. The neighborhood was at one point demolished and rebuilt, so the structures are actually gorgeous and French even though it does have a history of being a ghetto and the only area in Prague where the first Jews could live. I enjoyed the first exhibit a lot...it was an old synogogue (the word, I learned, means gather in Greek) that talked about Jewish history. On the third floor there was a museum that had Jewish children´s artwork from the holocaust. Basically, the children had been deported to a different ghetto before they were sent to concentration camps and a smart teacher had managed to create art classes to allow the children with a form of expression. Most of the children later died. It was a very moving museum.
I did not realize that I was supposed to exit someway through this museum to get to the Jewish cemetary. Because the land in the ghetto was restricted and the Jewish residents only had so much land to bury their dead (requests for more land was ignored), they ended up bringing in soil from the countryside and burying the dead on top of one another. The top level, 12 feet or so above ground level, is dotted with headstones from the multiple lazers.
Anyway, since I did not realize about the exit, I did not get to go in. I tried to reswipe my ticket and explain to the ticket man, but he was kind of an ass. He just kept repeating that I had already been there and I kept trying to explain that I did not know (it was not super clearly labeled...besides, my ticket was dated and timed from when I bought it. He could tell that it had not been very long). I thought about buying another ticket, but they were pricey and I was just a bit over that man.
Luckily, some of the other sites had some cool views so I could peer out nearby windows. I didn´t take any pictures, but it was a very moving and through provoking site.
Oh, and the ticket woman at the Jewish museum? She told me that I should take better care of my money because I handed her some crumpled bills on entry. Really, lady? She literally wiped them off and straightened them out when I handed them to her.
So yeah, I like Prague (and had fun yesterday wandering around, taking a 3 hour walking tour in the baking sun with a tour guide who never let us stand in the shade when he talked about things, and stumbling across a concert in a random park that was apparently part of Free Fest. The name did not lie-it was free, and I heard the set list for some band called Mako! Mako. From them, I learned that you can still be the lead singer of a band and jump around vigorously while like 8 months pregnant. I also learned that you can beatbox as a full time talent in a band. Not like once in a while---you can beatbox every song. Still, the exceeded my expectations. I am basically on the fence after I had to listen to a song called I Love to Love at the grocery store). But I don´t know if I LOVE Prague. Maybe that is more due to circumstance than the city itself. I will keep trying!
Tonight I am going to see Kátá Kabanová at the National Theater. It is an opera. I do not know what it is about and I am doubting that there will be English subtitles, but it will be an experience nonetheless.
ADDENDUM:
That laundromat turned part of my white jacket slightly orange and did not effectively dry anything. Ugh. At least I got a free book to read and some internet time. And at least my hair looks good for the first time this trip---I found some creme that makes it curl and not just poof into a wavy. Small victories.
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