Sunday, April 12, 2009
Happy Easter from Paris!
In spite of no Easter Bunny coming to the hostel, it turned out to be a great Easter in Paris. Nikki, Eldon, and I went to Notre Dame cathedral for Mass this morning. It was completely packed with people sitting and standing, with not even room for everyone to enter who wanted to, but it was neat to see so many people celebrating Easter Mass at once. Notre Dame was beautiful, especially the gardens outside of it. All of the flowers here are in full bloom, and the colors are just magnificent! I can definitely see now why people flock to Paris for Easter. After Mass we went for a picnic in a big park not far from our hostel. It turns out we had the right idea as far a picnic on Easter, as the park was just packed with Parisans enjoying picnics and strolls. When I go back to the States I will definitely miss the European habit of taking long leisurely strolls and relaxing in public parks on weekends. After our picnic we went to the Montemarte district of Paris, which is an area where many artists live and there are lots of little cafes. Lots of people were out and about in this area as well, and we followed the crowds and ended up on some steps that look out over the whole city of Paris. There were a couple guys singing and playing guitar on the steps. They were performing popular American acoustic songs, and they were really good! I am definitely worn out from the day, but it was a great day. Tomorrow night I leave Paris and head for Florence to meet my mom and brother. I probably won't have wireless for a while after this, but I will update you all when I have the chance.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Paris at Eastertime
I arrived in Paris this afternoon, and Eldon and I met up with our friend Nikki who was studying with us in Florence. She has been in Poland for the last week or so, and it has been very interesting to hear her stories. After checking into our hostel and getting situated we went to the Eiffel Tower at night. I wasn't quite sure if the Eiffel Tower would be all that it is hyped up to be, but it turned out to be AMAZING when it is lit up in the dark! It really was breathtaking. Tomorrow we plan to go to Easter Mass at Notre Dame then go on a picnic for Easter lunch. Paris is really busy with people visiting for their long Easter weekends, but the atmosphere is very festive. I am definitely glad to be here, but of course it is a bit strange to be celebrating Easter away from home. I doubt that the Easter bunny visits hostels. But, on the upside, in just two more days my mom and brother are coming! I've been counting down the days.
Ireland
04/09/2009
Within the past few days I believe I have spent more time riding public transportation than on the ground. Ever since leaving Munich on Monday, life has pretty much been constant travelling. When Eldon and I got to London from Munich all we had time to do was find our hostel, check in, walk around trying to find an ATM, and go to bed. The next morning we woke up at 7:00 a.m. to get an early start on our journey to Londonderry/Derry in Northern Ireland where our friend Katie is studying. We thought that we’d be able to arrive in Derry the same day that we left, but our expectations were thwarted. Our train left at 9:10 a.m. from London, and our ferry did not get into Dublin until around 6:00 p.m. The bus from Dublin to Derry takes about four hours, and the next bus did not leave until 7:45 p.m. That would mean that we’d get into Derry around midnight, and our hostel did not accept check-ins after 10:00 p.m. I guess we were just spoiled by Italy’s public transportation system. So we ended up having to cancel our hostel in Derry for the night and got a hostel in Dublin. In Dublin I did get to experience some Guinness and “chips” in an Irish pub, but that’s about all I did besides sleep in the hostel. The next morning (Wednesday) we got up early again to catch a 7:15 a.m. bus to Derry. I slept most of the way to Derry, but when I did open my eyes I was able to see the beautiful Irish countryside. It is obvious why Ireland is called the Emerald Isle because everything is a vivid shade of green. I also saw two rainbows during the bus ride, which called to mind Irish leprechauns and pots of gold.
When we finally did get to Derry we found out that our friend Katie didn’t get off work until 5:00, which is pretty much what I expected. I decided that I needed some major alone time, so I went for a long run in the rain (it seems to always be raining in Ireland) around the medieval city walls that enclose the city center. We finally met up with Katie around 5:30, and she took us back to her dorm to make dinner. Eldon and I had brought pasta and wine from Italy so we could make a nice dinner, and it was really nice to be able to cook again and to just be with an old friend. Katie is one of the friends who I’ve known since freshman year of college, and she is going to be one of my village-mates next year. I’ve come to really appreciate the group of friends that I met freshmen year, and after being away for a semester it is really nice to reconnect.
Today (Thursday) Katie had to work until 5:00 again, so Eldon and I took a day trip to Giant’s Causeway, which is a national park area on the northern coast of Ireland. It is a really beautiful area and contains a lot of volcanic rock formations that are really something to see. Ever since I saw Katie’s pictures of the area I had wanted to go, and I really enjoyed this day. After we got back we met back up with Katie and went out to dinner. It was one of her roommates’ birthdays, so we celebrated by going out to an Italian restaurant. It was kind of strange to eat Italian food in Ireland, as it wasn’t at all like the Italian food in Italy. It was still good food…just different. We also did some laundry, which was much needed for me. I have a limited supply of clothes, since I am living out of a backpack, and I must admit that certain articles were getting pretty foul smelling. It will be so nice to have clean clothes to wear again!
Tonight I am not staying in a hostel. Instead we are catching the 12:45 a.m. bus from Derry to Dublin, which gets into Dublin at 4:10 a.m. Then we take an 8:45 ferry and get into London around 3:00 p.m. It will be a long day, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. I am definitely looking forward to getting back to Italy next Tuesday and being with my mom and brother and doing some things that I am familiar with. It has been challenging to figure everything out during this week or so of travelling, but it has also been a great confidence booster. I feel like I could travel anywhere now and get along alright, and I really feel like I have developed an ability to think on my feet and to stay calm in stressful situations. These are two traits that you really need to have when you travel. You just have to trust that everything will be okay, and you also have to use your resources and ask for help when you need it.
Within the past few days I believe I have spent more time riding public transportation than on the ground. Ever since leaving Munich on Monday, life has pretty much been constant travelling. When Eldon and I got to London from Munich all we had time to do was find our hostel, check in, walk around trying to find an ATM, and go to bed. The next morning we woke up at 7:00 a.m. to get an early start on our journey to Londonderry/Derry in Northern Ireland where our friend Katie is studying. We thought that we’d be able to arrive in Derry the same day that we left, but our expectations were thwarted. Our train left at 9:10 a.m. from London, and our ferry did not get into Dublin until around 6:00 p.m. The bus from Dublin to Derry takes about four hours, and the next bus did not leave until 7:45 p.m. That would mean that we’d get into Derry around midnight, and our hostel did not accept check-ins after 10:00 p.m. I guess we were just spoiled by Italy’s public transportation system. So we ended up having to cancel our hostel in Derry for the night and got a hostel in Dublin. In Dublin I did get to experience some Guinness and “chips” in an Irish pub, but that’s about all I did besides sleep in the hostel. The next morning (Wednesday) we got up early again to catch a 7:15 a.m. bus to Derry. I slept most of the way to Derry, but when I did open my eyes I was able to see the beautiful Irish countryside. It is obvious why Ireland is called the Emerald Isle because everything is a vivid shade of green. I also saw two rainbows during the bus ride, which called to mind Irish leprechauns and pots of gold.
When we finally did get to Derry we found out that our friend Katie didn’t get off work until 5:00, which is pretty much what I expected. I decided that I needed some major alone time, so I went for a long run in the rain (it seems to always be raining in Ireland) around the medieval city walls that enclose the city center. We finally met up with Katie around 5:30, and she took us back to her dorm to make dinner. Eldon and I had brought pasta and wine from Italy so we could make a nice dinner, and it was really nice to be able to cook again and to just be with an old friend. Katie is one of the friends who I’ve known since freshman year of college, and she is going to be one of my village-mates next year. I’ve come to really appreciate the group of friends that I met freshmen year, and after being away for a semester it is really nice to reconnect.
Today (Thursday) Katie had to work until 5:00 again, so Eldon and I took a day trip to Giant’s Causeway, which is a national park area on the northern coast of Ireland. It is a really beautiful area and contains a lot of volcanic rock formations that are really something to see. Ever since I saw Katie’s pictures of the area I had wanted to go, and I really enjoyed this day. After we got back we met back up with Katie and went out to dinner. It was one of her roommates’ birthdays, so we celebrated by going out to an Italian restaurant. It was kind of strange to eat Italian food in Ireland, as it wasn’t at all like the Italian food in Italy. It was still good food…just different. We also did some laundry, which was much needed for me. I have a limited supply of clothes, since I am living out of a backpack, and I must admit that certain articles were getting pretty foul smelling. It will be so nice to have clean clothes to wear again!
Tonight I am not staying in a hostel. Instead we are catching the 12:45 a.m. bus from Derry to Dublin, which gets into Dublin at 4:10 a.m. Then we take an 8:45 ferry and get into London around 3:00 p.m. It will be a long day, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. I am definitely looking forward to getting back to Italy next Tuesday and being with my mom and brother and doing some things that I am familiar with. It has been challenging to figure everything out during this week or so of travelling, but it has also been a great confidence booster. I feel like I could travel anywhere now and get along alright, and I really feel like I have developed an ability to think on my feet and to stay calm in stressful situations. These are two traits that you really need to have when you travel. You just have to trust that everything will be okay, and you also have to use your resources and ask for help when you need it.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Kudos to Obama...I couldn't have said it better
President Obama recently spoke before the Turkish parliament during his tour of Europe after the G20 convention. During his speech he discussed repairing ties between the U.S. and the Islamic world and also Turkey's desired accession into the E.U. One of the main holdbacks from Turkey becoming an E.U. nation is their failure to acknowledge the Armenian genocide. There are also issues in Turkey with freedom of speech and the treatment of Kurdish citizens. Obama's words on this matter are especially relevant to my last post about Dachau and coming to terms with one's national history while taking a stand on human rights.
According to Tuesday's Financial Times:
Mr Obama said "the United States is still working through some of our own darker periods" - slavery, its treatment of native Americans and human rights abuses during the "war on terror."
"I say this as the president of a country that not too long ago made it hard for someone who looks like me to vote," he sid. "But it is precisely that capacity to change that enriches our countries ... Every challenge that we face is more easily met if we tend to our own democratic foundation. This work is never over. That is why, in the United States, we recently ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, and prohibited , without exception or equivocation, any use of torture."
...
"Each country must work through its past," he said. "I know there are strong views in this chamber about the terrible events of 1915...The best way forward for the Turkish and Armenian people is a process that works through the past in a way that is honest, open and constructive."
End quote.
Obama is quite the man of words, and he knows how to use his words sensitively to inspire people to action. I am very grateful that we have a president who can communicate respectfully with other nations and can begin to repair international relations that have been strained in recent years. Hopefully with this leadership Americans can begin to recognize mistakes made in the nation's recent past and can address the damage done as a result of these mistakes.
According to Tuesday's Financial Times:
Mr Obama said "the United States is still working through some of our own darker periods" - slavery, its treatment of native Americans and human rights abuses during the "war on terror."
"I say this as the president of a country that not too long ago made it hard for someone who looks like me to vote," he sid. "But it is precisely that capacity to change that enriches our countries ... Every challenge that we face is more easily met if we tend to our own democratic foundation. This work is never over. That is why, in the United States, we recently ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, and prohibited , without exception or equivocation, any use of torture."
...
"Each country must work through its past," he said. "I know there are strong views in this chamber about the terrible events of 1915...The best way forward for the Turkish and Armenian people is a process that works through the past in a way that is honest, open and constructive."
End quote.
Obama is quite the man of words, and he knows how to use his words sensitively to inspire people to action. I am very grateful that we have a president who can communicate respectfully with other nations and can begin to repair international relations that have been strained in recent years. Hopefully with this leadership Americans can begin to recognize mistakes made in the nation's recent past and can address the damage done as a result of these mistakes.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Munich: I think I could live here!
As I prepare to head out for London, I can't help but think that my time in Munich has gone by way too fast. I haven't had much time to blog during my time here, so I'll take you through day be day to let you know what I've been up to.
Friday:
We arrived in Munich at 6:30 a.m. and couldn't check into our hostel until 1:00 p.m., so, although we were tired, we went on a free walking tour of Munich. Our guide, named Luke from England, was really good; he was humorous, yet very informative on historical matters. We learned a lot about the history of Munich and how Hitler came to power here. We also saw the infamous glockenspiel! I really like the layout of the city of Munich. The streets are wide, people follow traffic laws, and it is very friendly towards bikers and pedestrians. This all probably has something to do with the fact that Munich is a fairly modern city, with much of it being rebuilt after WWII. It is actually very similar to a U.S. city, but after Italy it is nice to get back to some sanity.
Saturday:
During our tour on Friday Luke really encouraged us to make a visit to the Dachau concentration camp memorial site during our time in Munich. He was leading a tour today, so we decided to go on it. It was a very informative experience, and actually being inside a concentration camp made that history I have always learned about seem more real. It is just unbelievable what humans can justify doing to other humans. We say that we would never let something like that happen again, but there are gross human rights violations going on in many places in the world right now, but we turn a blind eye. Our tour guide made it clear that Germany is one of the best countries in the world as far as recognizing and coming to terms with their dark past. Many countries have had similar things happen in their history, but many do not even admit it, let alone memorialize it. Think of the Armenian genocide in Turkey or even Guantanamo Bay for example. Those things just tend to get pushed under the rug. There is no doubt that the Holocaust was one of the worst events in the recent history of the world, and for many years Germans were ashamed of this history. Just recently have Germans began to show pride in their country again. For example, last year's world soccer cup was the first time Germans have waved their flag proudly in public since WWII. Overall Dachau was an experience that really made me think about things that are hard to think about but must be thought about nonetheless.
After getting back from Dachau we went to the Hofbrauhaus, the most famous beer hall in Europe. It was sort of touristy, but there were still lots of Germans there, including many wearing leiderhosen. Munich is the home of leiderhosen, so we have seen quite a bit of it since being here. The beer was really good at Hofbrauhaus, probably the best I've ever had! German beer is very strong though--about three times the strength of American beer by volume--and it is served by the liter! After getting back from the Hofbrauhaus we spent some time at the bar in our hostel, and it was a really great time. I am really enjoying the hostel experience. At the bar I met people from all over the world and some from the U.S. It is really interesting to hear stories of people's travels and just to meet some new people. I talked to a German guy for a while, and he gave us some pointers on what we should see in Munich.
Sunday:
Today we started the day with Palm Sunday Mass at the Munich cathedral, and, let me tell you, it was quite the ceremony. The Mass began with the entire congregation outside of the church, and the bishop and priests processed in and said a few words. Everyone in the congregation was carrying pussywillow branches for some reason unknown to me. After the bishop blessed the congregation with holy water, there was a little parade with a brass band, children singing, men carrying a large wooden cross, and men and women dressed in traditional German wear (inclduding leiderhosen). The entire congregation joined the parade and processed around the church, then filed into the church. The entire cathedral, which is huge, was filled, and people had to stand in the aisles. The mass was projected up on big screens on each side of the church. The whole ceremony lasted two hours, which is a testimony to the German Catholic tradition of always using the long reading (as Fr. Meyer always used to say).
After Mass we headed to a castle called Nympfenburg, which is a place the German I met at the bar last night recommended we see. It was a really neat place, with huge grounds which have been converted into a park where lots of people walk. I will put up some pictures on facebook for you to see later. It turned out to be a very nice thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.
After spending a few hours at the castle, we went to the English Gardens, which is another place the German recommended to me. The English Gardens is a huge park in Town, but it is so huge that it feels like you are outside of town. There are lots of deciduous trees, and there is a river that flows through it. Overall, the landscape here reminds me a lot of Minnesota, and I can definitely see why many Germans chose Minnesota as their place of residence when immigrating to the U.S. In there English Gardens there is a huge beer garden. When we got there it was absolutely packed with Germans enjoying their evening beers. This seemed like a much more authentically German experience than the Hofbrauhaus. I had a drink called a Radler, which is beer mixed with lemonade. It sounds really weird, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. It is especially good with food. To eat I had a bratwurst, sauerkraut, and a giant pretzel...now that's my kind of meal! As we ate a brass band played in a nearby tower, and it was just a really great atmosphere.
Monday:
Today has been a pretty low key day. We packed everything up and checked out of our hostel this morning, then we went to climb up St. Peter's tower, which is a tower attached to a church. This was yet another recommendation of the German guy, and I am very thankful that I talked to him because this ended up being another great experience. We climbed up 306 stairs, and at the top we could see the entire city of Munich. It is a very flat city, so we could see the whole thing. There seems to be a lot of industry here, which is different than Italy where the main commerce seems to be fashion. On our way back from the tower we saw some street performers doing some traditional Mongolian singing and instrumental performance. They could make crazy sounds with the voice boxes, and it was really something to see. There have been many great street performers in Munich who have provided lots of free entertainment for us.
Now it is almost time to say goodbye to the homeland of my ancestors, but I really hope I get the chance to return here someday. I think I could live here and fit in just fine if I learned German. I don't know if I ever will, but I could definitely see myself here more so than I could ever see myself in Italy. Italy was just getting too hectic and touristy for me, and this has been a very much needed reprieve from that.
Friday:
We arrived in Munich at 6:30 a.m. and couldn't check into our hostel until 1:00 p.m., so, although we were tired, we went on a free walking tour of Munich. Our guide, named Luke from England, was really good; he was humorous, yet very informative on historical matters. We learned a lot about the history of Munich and how Hitler came to power here. We also saw the infamous glockenspiel! I really like the layout of the city of Munich. The streets are wide, people follow traffic laws, and it is very friendly towards bikers and pedestrians. This all probably has something to do with the fact that Munich is a fairly modern city, with much of it being rebuilt after WWII. It is actually very similar to a U.S. city, but after Italy it is nice to get back to some sanity.
Saturday:
During our tour on Friday Luke really encouraged us to make a visit to the Dachau concentration camp memorial site during our time in Munich. He was leading a tour today, so we decided to go on it. It was a very informative experience, and actually being inside a concentration camp made that history I have always learned about seem more real. It is just unbelievable what humans can justify doing to other humans. We say that we would never let something like that happen again, but there are gross human rights violations going on in many places in the world right now, but we turn a blind eye. Our tour guide made it clear that Germany is one of the best countries in the world as far as recognizing and coming to terms with their dark past. Many countries have had similar things happen in their history, but many do not even admit it, let alone memorialize it. Think of the Armenian genocide in Turkey or even Guantanamo Bay for example. Those things just tend to get pushed under the rug. There is no doubt that the Holocaust was one of the worst events in the recent history of the world, and for many years Germans were ashamed of this history. Just recently have Germans began to show pride in their country again. For example, last year's world soccer cup was the first time Germans have waved their flag proudly in public since WWII. Overall Dachau was an experience that really made me think about things that are hard to think about but must be thought about nonetheless.
After getting back from Dachau we went to the Hofbrauhaus, the most famous beer hall in Europe. It was sort of touristy, but there were still lots of Germans there, including many wearing leiderhosen. Munich is the home of leiderhosen, so we have seen quite a bit of it since being here. The beer was really good at Hofbrauhaus, probably the best I've ever had! German beer is very strong though--about three times the strength of American beer by volume--and it is served by the liter! After getting back from the Hofbrauhaus we spent some time at the bar in our hostel, and it was a really great time. I am really enjoying the hostel experience. At the bar I met people from all over the world and some from the U.S. It is really interesting to hear stories of people's travels and just to meet some new people. I talked to a German guy for a while, and he gave us some pointers on what we should see in Munich.
Sunday:
Today we started the day with Palm Sunday Mass at the Munich cathedral, and, let me tell you, it was quite the ceremony. The Mass began with the entire congregation outside of the church, and the bishop and priests processed in and said a few words. Everyone in the congregation was carrying pussywillow branches for some reason unknown to me. After the bishop blessed the congregation with holy water, there was a little parade with a brass band, children singing, men carrying a large wooden cross, and men and women dressed in traditional German wear (inclduding leiderhosen). The entire congregation joined the parade and processed around the church, then filed into the church. The entire cathedral, which is huge, was filled, and people had to stand in the aisles. The mass was projected up on big screens on each side of the church. The whole ceremony lasted two hours, which is a testimony to the German Catholic tradition of always using the long reading (as Fr. Meyer always used to say).
After Mass we headed to a castle called Nympfenburg, which is a place the German I met at the bar last night recommended we see. It was a really neat place, with huge grounds which have been converted into a park where lots of people walk. I will put up some pictures on facebook for you to see later. It turned out to be a very nice thing to do on a Sunday afternoon.
After spending a few hours at the castle, we went to the English Gardens, which is another place the German recommended to me. The English Gardens is a huge park in Town, but it is so huge that it feels like you are outside of town. There are lots of deciduous trees, and there is a river that flows through it. Overall, the landscape here reminds me a lot of Minnesota, and I can definitely see why many Germans chose Minnesota as their place of residence when immigrating to the U.S. In there English Gardens there is a huge beer garden. When we got there it was absolutely packed with Germans enjoying their evening beers. This seemed like a much more authentically German experience than the Hofbrauhaus. I had a drink called a Radler, which is beer mixed with lemonade. It sounds really weird, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. It is especially good with food. To eat I had a bratwurst, sauerkraut, and a giant pretzel...now that's my kind of meal! As we ate a brass band played in a nearby tower, and it was just a really great atmosphere.
Monday:
Today has been a pretty low key day. We packed everything up and checked out of our hostel this morning, then we went to climb up St. Peter's tower, which is a tower attached to a church. This was yet another recommendation of the German guy, and I am very thankful that I talked to him because this ended up being another great experience. We climbed up 306 stairs, and at the top we could see the entire city of Munich. It is a very flat city, so we could see the whole thing. There seems to be a lot of industry here, which is different than Italy where the main commerce seems to be fashion. On our way back from the tower we saw some street performers doing some traditional Mongolian singing and instrumental performance. They could make crazy sounds with the voice boxes, and it was really something to see. There have been many great street performers in Munich who have provided lots of free entertainment for us.
Now it is almost time to say goodbye to the homeland of my ancestors, but I really hope I get the chance to return here someday. I think I could live here and fit in just fine if I learned German. I don't know if I ever will, but I could definitely see myself here more so than I could ever see myself in Italy. Italy was just getting too hectic and touristy for me, and this has been a very much needed reprieve from that.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Pictures from Follonica, Orvieto, and Roma!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026095&id=173301949&l=bb3971b193
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