Back in Spain for one last night!
I just flew in to Madrid from Geneva, Switzerland, just as a landing point for the night before my flight back to the U.S. tomorrow morning! The past few days have been a blur-- between leaving Interlaken (I didn't want to leave it at all!), train to Geneva, crashing in Geneva for a night to catch my flight there this morning, then landing in Madrid, metro-ing around the city trying to find my hostel, just to go back to the airport tomorrow morning. The I will head BACK north, to my connection in Frankfurt, Germany, and will land in Dulles around 7 tomorrow night! So excited!
More adventures to post about from Interlaken (like perhaps bungee jumping), but now is not the time. Now is the time to crash, before another 16 hours of travel tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
I Came to Germany For a Guy By the Name of Justin Vernon
The sole reason I took a night train to Hamburg from Vienna was to see Bon Iver, one of my absolute favorite bands. And the night did not fail to impress me by any means. I shared a few drinks and some great entertainment with a couple of friendly Germans, ensuring an amazing night. The show was held at Grosse Freiheit 36, a club in Hamburg's red light district (although to me, it was more like a neon light district), where the Beatles played one of their first gigs ever. I basically felt a soul connection. You could say I'm practically friends with the Beatles now.
Opening band: The AcornPretty good, worth checking out, especially considering 4/6 of the band members were wearing plaid.
Finally the much anticipated Bon Iver
A video of one of my favorite songs: sorry for the crappy quality, I had my camera sitting on the balcony, and didn't realize it was in the frame. Also, you may or may not be able to hear me sing around 1:08. Apologies.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Canyoning in Interlaken, Switzerland
CANYONING: Traveling in canyons using a variety of techniques that may include walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling, and/or swimming. Frequently involves jumping down water falls, sliding down natural rock slide formations, and cliff jumping.
I took a trip with Alpin Raft, an outdoor adventure sports company here in Interlaken, to go canyoning for about seven hours-- five hours actually in the water. The water was 50 degree F glacier water, fresh from the melting glacier. One of the most amazing adventures of my life!
The trip guide, Rich
I took a trip with Alpin Raft, an outdoor adventure sports company here in Interlaken, to go canyoning for about seven hours-- five hours actually in the water. The water was 50 degree F glacier water, fresh from the melting glacier. One of the most amazing adventures of my life!
The trip guide, Rich
Brian, a travel buddy and I
I jumped down that. And that was one of the smaller jumps.
The 45 ft jump. One of the biggest ones of the day
Saturday, May 23, 2009
A video tribute to Vienna, Austria
A friend of mine that I met in Vienna put together this great little video, commemorating my time there. Unfortunately, there were copyright issues with the song she put it to, so it is silent, but you can just sing something pretty to yourself as you watch!
Shout outs to Rae...thanks!
Shout outs to Rae...thanks!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wachau Valley Bike Tour
When I made arrangements to stay with Doris, she told me about this bike ride she was planning on going on, organized through some of her CouchSurfing friends. She invited me to go alone, considering it was going to be on one of the days that I was staying with her, and it couldn't have worked out any more perfectly. We spent day two together with a group of about 20 Vienna CouchSurfing friends riding bikes along the Danube River in the Wachau Valley.
Famous blue church in one of the towns we rode through
Eismarillenknöde - I will name my firstborn after this delicacy
This guy named Dominick organized the entire thing-- from buying the train tickets, to having a bike rental company meet us at the train station in Krems, to planning lunch at a restaurant in Spitz, to giving us a tour of Krems, his hometown.
We met the group at the train station in Vienna early in the morning, and took the train to a smaller city called Krems, where we began. We rented bikes, and hit the road, riding along the Danube River the entire way. After riding a leisurely five miles through vineyards, apricot fields, and beautiful mountains, we reached Spitz, where we stopped for lunch before crossing the river on the ferry and turning around back to Krems.
Doris and I on the Danube River
Crossing the Danube River on the Ferry
We met the group at the train station in Vienna early in the morning, and took the train to a smaller city called Krems, where we began. We rented bikes, and hit the road, riding along the Danube River the entire way. After riding a leisurely five miles through vineyards, apricot fields, and beautiful mountains, we reached Spitz, where we stopped for lunch before crossing the river on the ferry and turning around back to Krems.
Doris and I on the Danube River
Crossing the Danube River on the Ferry
Famous blue church in one of the towns we rode throughAt the end of the day, we got back on the train to head back into Vienna around 7 pm. Doris had one other treat that she insisted I had to experience in Vienna. We took the metro to this popular ice cream shop called Tichy, where they make a traditional Viennese dessert, called Eismarillenknödel-- a ball of ice cream with apricot mousse in the center, rolled in cookie crumbs. Literally the best thing I had in Vienna. In face, I went back on my own the next day and made lunch out of it.
Eismarillenknöde - I will name my firstborn after this delicacyCouchSurfing, please!
Before you freak out, let me give you a solid education and background on this thing called CouchSurfing.
It is a website with over 1 million members (myself included) who have similar interests in travel and cultural exchanges. The site was launched in 2000, as a hospitality network, to connect people who are looking for a free place to stay with people who are willing to host travelers.
The site's mission statement says "CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance and facilitate cultural understanding. As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to create a better world, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. CouchSurfing is not about the furniture, not just about finding free accommodations around the world; it's about making connections worldwide. We make the world a better place by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!"
I first heard about it about a year ago from a friend at JMU, and since then, I knew it was something I wanted to check out while traveling through Europe. So my first CouchSurfing stay was in Vienna, Austria. I searched for hosts about a month before I arrived, and found this girl named Doris, who seemed to be a great fit: 20 year old student, from Germany, attending university in Vienna, lives in an apartment with two other students (who also are CouchSurfing members). After a few messages back and forth, all was set up for me to stay with her!
I spent that first night in a hostel, because my itinerary had changed slightly from when I originally made plans with her, but on that first morning, I left the hostel and made my way to her apartment. She is highly involved in the CouchSurfing community in Vienna-- in fact, she was hosting a pancake breakfast that morning that I got there. I was greeted by chocolate chip pancakes, a whole spread of fresh fruit, and about 10 other people. The crowd was from all over, but all united through involvement with CouchSurfing-- there was Megan from Chicago, Rae and her roommate who are from Seattle but studying in Vienna, a girl from Ecuador, a couple from Quebec, and a few other people originally from Vienna. Little did I know, I wasn't going to be alone in Vienna at all.
After breakfast, Doris took me and about 5 other people from breakfast to the market-- outdoor stands selling everything from bras and underware to zucchini, eggplant, and fresh eggs. We bought bags and bags of fresh veggies to make a quiche for dinner later that night (which ended up being amazing). Then I somehow found my way following her to her friend's apartment (another CouchSurfing friend) for a beginners guitar group lesson organized through none other than...CouchSurfing! Yeah, she's super active in the Vienna network. I met this girl's roommate, named Meaghan, who is a student from New York City, working on getting her Masters in Cello in Vienna. She put on a little performance for us while we were just hanging out-- I found myself thinking "How did I even get here? I'm sitting in a complete stranger's bedroom, in a historic apartment with huge ceilings in the 1st district of Vienna, Austria, listening to her sing her heart out while beating on her cello. How did this happen?" It was a pretty epic moment. Here's her MySpace if you want to hear what I was hearing.
Doris and I eventually left the apartment around 6, got back to her place, and began the dinner adventure. She was also hosting two people from Quebec named Simon and Katherine, so with the four of us in her tiny kitchen, we threw together a quiche in no time, popped it in the oven, and sat out on the roof terrace while it baked. Katherine brought a guitar out and we just sat around outside singing together as she played every song she could think of, and sang in English with her thick French accent. I don't think I've ever heard a Sheryl Crow song sound so French.
That night, Vienna was hosting the largest AIDS fundraiser event in Europe, called the Life Ball, so of course we headed in to the City Hall to try and sneak a peek. We obviously hadn't bought tickets to enter, but we found a spot to sit on a railing, and had a great view of the entire thing. It was complete madness. A big part of the event was centered around guests dressed up in water-themed costumes, walking down a catwalk. I saw way more man-flesh then I ever needed to see that night. The event also features a ton of celebrities-- we saw Bill Clinton, Eva Longoria, Ivana Trump, Katy Perry, and Pamela Anderson. What a night! Here is an okay quality video of the event, put to a really obnoxious song (fair warning), if you want to check it out:
And so it went, day two in Vienna, Austria.
It is a website with over 1 million members (myself included) who have similar interests in travel and cultural exchanges. The site was launched in 2000, as a hospitality network, to connect people who are looking for a free place to stay with people who are willing to host travelers.
The site's mission statement says "CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance and facilitate cultural understanding. As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to create a better world, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. CouchSurfing is not about the furniture, not just about finding free accommodations around the world; it's about making connections worldwide. We make the world a better place by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!"
I first heard about it about a year ago from a friend at JMU, and since then, I knew it was something I wanted to check out while traveling through Europe. So my first CouchSurfing stay was in Vienna, Austria. I searched for hosts about a month before I arrived, and found this girl named Doris, who seemed to be a great fit: 20 year old student, from Germany, attending university in Vienna, lives in an apartment with two other students (who also are CouchSurfing members). After a few messages back and forth, all was set up for me to stay with her!
I spent that first night in a hostel, because my itinerary had changed slightly from when I originally made plans with her, but on that first morning, I left the hostel and made my way to her apartment. She is highly involved in the CouchSurfing community in Vienna-- in fact, she was hosting a pancake breakfast that morning that I got there. I was greeted by chocolate chip pancakes, a whole spread of fresh fruit, and about 10 other people. The crowd was from all over, but all united through involvement with CouchSurfing-- there was Megan from Chicago, Rae and her roommate who are from Seattle but studying in Vienna, a girl from Ecuador, a couple from Quebec, and a few other people originally from Vienna. Little did I know, I wasn't going to be alone in Vienna at all.
After breakfast, Doris took me and about 5 other people from breakfast to the market-- outdoor stands selling everything from bras and underware to zucchini, eggplant, and fresh eggs. We bought bags and bags of fresh veggies to make a quiche for dinner later that night (which ended up being amazing). Then I somehow found my way following her to her friend's apartment (another CouchSurfing friend) for a beginners guitar group lesson organized through none other than...CouchSurfing! Yeah, she's super active in the Vienna network. I met this girl's roommate, named Meaghan, who is a student from New York City, working on getting her Masters in Cello in Vienna. She put on a little performance for us while we were just hanging out-- I found myself thinking "How did I even get here? I'm sitting in a complete stranger's bedroom, in a historic apartment with huge ceilings in the 1st district of Vienna, Austria, listening to her sing her heart out while beating on her cello. How did this happen?" It was a pretty epic moment. Here's her MySpace if you want to hear what I was hearing.
Doris and I eventually left the apartment around 6, got back to her place, and began the dinner adventure. She was also hosting two people from Quebec named Simon and Katherine, so with the four of us in her tiny kitchen, we threw together a quiche in no time, popped it in the oven, and sat out on the roof terrace while it baked. Katherine brought a guitar out and we just sat around outside singing together as she played every song she could think of, and sang in English with her thick French accent. I don't think I've ever heard a Sheryl Crow song sound so French.
That night, Vienna was hosting the largest AIDS fundraiser event in Europe, called the Life Ball, so of course we headed in to the City Hall to try and sneak a peek. We obviously hadn't bought tickets to enter, but we found a spot to sit on a railing, and had a great view of the entire thing. It was complete madness. A big part of the event was centered around guests dressed up in water-themed costumes, walking down a catwalk. I saw way more man-flesh then I ever needed to see that night. The event also features a ton of celebrities-- we saw Bill Clinton, Eva Longoria, Ivana Trump, Katy Perry, and Pamela Anderson. What a night! Here is an okay quality video of the event, put to a really obnoxious song (fair warning), if you want to check it out:
And so it went, day two in Vienna, Austria.
Flying Solo
So I ditched my friends in Rome, and we went our separate ways. I somehow ended up on the night train to Vienna, Austria. There's something to be said about how bizarre it is to wake up and be in a different country. Still kind of weird me out.
When I got in to Vienna, it took me a day or so to adjust to the fact that I was now on my own. I had just spent three and a half months with 30 friends, then two weeks with 3 friends, and now I was embarking on my last two weeks, flying completely solo. Kind of a drastic change. The hardest change to accept was that my Hearts crew was no longer by my side! What was I to do when I felt like playing cards?
I got to my hostel early in the morning, straight off the night train, and crashed there almost the entire day. With the exception of going out to a Vietnamese restaurant to treat myself to a giant bowl of pho. There are certain things in life that should always be enjoyed with my mother, and pho is one of them. That was my first bowl of pho without her, and it just felt wrong. I then spent the rest of the evening trying to get lost, just wantering around the city-- I found the Hofburg Palace, Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral), and then eventually made my way back to the hostel and crashed.
One of the girls in my room was from Canada-- and so began my first negative experience with a fellow traveler. From the moment I said I was from the U.S., she started quizzing me on my knowledge of our friendly neighboring country. No, I ignorantly didn't know the capital of Canada, but it's not like I was competing in a geography bee. In the most accusative and pompous tone, her ranting went something like this:
"Well at least you admit that you are ignorant. I don't blame you, I blame your government and your schooling system. I took U.S. history in school, but it's not like you would ever take Canadian history. I just think that you should take some sort of personal responsibility to know about your bordering countries."
All because I didn't know the capital was Ottawa.
When I got in to Vienna, it took me a day or so to adjust to the fact that I was now on my own. I had just spent three and a half months with 30 friends, then two weeks with 3 friends, and now I was embarking on my last two weeks, flying completely solo. Kind of a drastic change. The hardest change to accept was that my Hearts crew was no longer by my side! What was I to do when I felt like playing cards?
I got to my hostel early in the morning, straight off the night train, and crashed there almost the entire day. With the exception of going out to a Vietnamese restaurant to treat myself to a giant bowl of pho. There are certain things in life that should always be enjoyed with my mother, and pho is one of them. That was my first bowl of pho without her, and it just felt wrong. I then spent the rest of the evening trying to get lost, just wantering around the city-- I found the Hofburg Palace, Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral), and then eventually made my way back to the hostel and crashed.
One of the girls in my room was from Canada-- and so began my first negative experience with a fellow traveler. From the moment I said I was from the U.S., she started quizzing me on my knowledge of our friendly neighboring country. No, I ignorantly didn't know the capital of Canada, but it's not like I was competing in a geography bee. In the most accusative and pompous tone, her ranting went something like this:
"Well at least you admit that you are ignorant. I don't blame you, I blame your government and your schooling system. I took U.S. history in school, but it's not like you would ever take Canadian history. I just think that you should take some sort of personal responsibility to know about your bordering countries."
All because I didn't know the capital was Ottawa.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Things are coming to a close on this adventure: 8 days left!
Updated itinerary is as follows:
20: Hamburg, Germany- Bon Iver concert, aka best night of my life
21: Hamburg
22: Hamburg to Interlaken, Switzerland
23: Interlaken - white water rafting on the Lütschine River
24: Interlaken - canyon jumping
25: Interlaken to Lausanne, Switzerland
26: Lausanne to Geneva, Switzerland
27: Geneva to Madrid
28: Madrid to Frankfurt to Dulles
Not gonna lie, I'm anxious to get home after being gone for almost 5 months, but I'm equally as anxious for my last few adventures here!
Updated itinerary is as follows:
20: Hamburg, Germany- Bon Iver concert, aka best night of my life
21: Hamburg
22: Hamburg to Interlaken, Switzerland
23: Interlaken - white water rafting on the Lütschine River
24: Interlaken - canyon jumping
25: Interlaken to Lausanne, Switzerland
26: Lausanne to Geneva, Switzerland
27: Geneva to Madrid
28: Madrid to Frankfurt to Dulles
Not gonna lie, I'm anxious to get home after being gone for almost 5 months, but I'm equally as anxious for my last few adventures here!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Through the lens
Trastevere
View of Rome from Trastevere
St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican
The Roman Forum
The Coliseum
The Coliseum
Bike tour through Tuscany
Bike tour through Tuscany
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