US-bound: The Epilogue

(Written in the airport) Honestly, I'm not in much of a writing mood, but I have about 3 hours until my plane takes off and I need to do something. I also need to catch up on what I did so I don't forget.

There was nothing quite as glorious as the last Friday on the farm when it rained. Apparently it never rains on the farm during the months June-August. We were all surprised when the menacing clouds actually produced large drops for well over a couple hours. The cracks that had formed in the ground like a desert had actually disappeared. I'm not gonna lie, it was also nice to not have to prune trees for another 3+ hours that afternoon.

I would definitely do wwoofing again. Maybe in a different country next time so I can see different crops and avoid screaming babies. But really, I learned so much from that family. It made me re-discover small pleasures in life: eating a fresh berry from the vine, enjoying bread from flour that you ground yourself, and smelling freshly-picked mint. There's also that satisfying feeling of putting in a full day of physical labor; I'm usually in front of a computer or a book most of the day.

Luckily, we got to see a little more of Italy before we left. We went to Bologna Saturday night and on Sunday we took the train to Venice, where we wandered to St. Marc's Square and back. I wish I could have enjoyed it more, but it was hot and humid, I had to drag my backpack along, and there were so many people! The night was much better though. We wined and dined alfresco in Milan. Of course, we were next to a canal and I think the mosquitos took more bites out of me than I did my dinner. The remedy? A little frozen dacquiri con anana (pineapple) on amazing animal-print sofas. The perfect ending to an awesome trip.

I'm trying to enjoy the fact that I'm in Italy right now, because I know in several hours when I'm home, I'll miss it. I might even think this whole trip was a blur. That would be awful- please don't happen!

There's a small part of me that is ready to go home, especially since I'm getting tired of taking trains, lugging my bags around, and not understanding what people are saying. I also miss talking to friends and family, since I've been cut off. There's the other part of me that is dreading having to job search and figure out what I'll be doing for real. Although if I've learned anything from this trip, it's that life's all what I make of it. I mean, I could have wimped out on some things, like climbing that mountain in the Alps, or biking the 20 km back from Amsterdam when I was about to pass out. Also, some credit goes out to Kate for pushing me to do things out of my comfort zone.

When all is said and done, I'm quite impressed with myself. Despite the fact that I have a slight uneasiness when it comes to change, I wasn't phased by all of the traveling. The fact that I tackled this adventure so well makes me confident that my adventure into the working world will be a piece of cake. Of course, I need to land myself a job first :)

Highlights
moment that I laughed the hardest: when Kate and I were delirious after traveling for 18 hours by train to get to Kandersteg
when I felt most at home: singing karaoke at the bar in Germany hahaha
most awkward moment: sitting next to a creepy (and drunk) Italian guy in a train
most shocking fact I learned: there's a 70% income tax in Germany!
favorite museum: El Prado in Madrid
best view: from the top of the mountain in Kandersteg
place I need to visit again asap: the Louvre
city I'd most likely live in: Madrid or Milan
regrets: none.

Dieci giorni in Italia

The solitude of farm life was quite a change from our new fast-paced lifestyle. It took a day or so to adjust to the fact that we'd be staying in the hills of Bologna without civilization, a computer, or a TV- not that we watched much anyway. Instead we were surrounded by chestnut trees, fields of hay and thorny bushes, deer that made the loudest mating calls I've ever heard in my life, and screaming babies. A far cry (pun intended) from honking car horns!

The family we were wwoofing with (willing workers on organic farms) was extremely nice. It was a young family, with Eszter the mother from Hungary, and Fabrizio the father from Italy. They had Stella, 2 years, and Flavio, 2 months. The good news with Stella was that I could practice my broken Italian and understand most of what she was saying. I'm jealous of her, though, since she can speak both Italian and Hungarian. She's already bilingual!

It's amazing how self-sufficient this family is. They grow and make all their own food, and the rest they get locally from friends (like wine, cheese, meat, etc.). They are happy without owning or doing much. The parents are around to watch the kids grow up. No one worries about high fuel costs, crazy housing markets, or even war.... although I don't know how they would find out about anything since they never see or read the news. I'm already antsy since I don't know what's been going on in the US. What if a giant herd of elephants invaded Boston and ate all of the cannolis in the North End? I have no idea.

After the sixth day, Kate and I got quite into the swing of farm life:

7:30- wake up

8:00- breakfast of yogurt and cookies and home-made jams

8:30-12:00- getting firewood, picking red currants, baking breads and pizza

12:30- lunch (biggest meal of the day)

13:30-16:00- nap time!

16:00-19:00- pruning the chestnut trees, picking and drying mint/herbs/figs

20:00- dinner

20:30-22:30- reading (I was excited because they had 1984 and Agatha Christie novels!)

23:30- bedtime

I should also take a moment and mention that they are amazing cooks. Unfortunately I wasn't a huge fan of their bread since it was dense and dry, but everything else was to die for. Because of their heritage, we had a mixture of Hungarian and Italian cuisine. Eszter made Hungarian cakes with apricots and plums from the trees outside. She also made lentil and barley soups. Fabrizio made pasta fagioli, pasta in pesto, pizza, and insalata caprese. It was great to get a little home cooking during our trip. I think I'm still drooling a bit.

Evaluations (so far)

food: if I HAD to pick a dish? the pasta fagioli! *****

coffee: mmmm espresso ****

beer: Peroni ****

Vespa to person ratio: 1 to 5

language hilarity: if only you could have heard me speaking broken Italian to Stella ****

would I return? over and over again! (I've already been before)

The Swiss Miss

Switzerland was gorgeous. I think I could get used to waking up every morning with a view of the Swiss Alps out my window. I felt like I was living in a commercial for Folgers coffee, Swiss Miss hot cocoa, or Riccola - those throat losenges. Any second I was waiting for the dude in his knickers to blow that horn.

We stayed with Kate's friend Dan, who was working close by at a Boy Scout camp. Basically, what anyone and everyone does in Kandersteg is hike. The first day we took a small hike to a glacial lake. It was so foggy and cold we could hardly see anything, and I'm really glad we didn't go swimming like we planned because I may have lost a limb to frostbite.

The second day we were much more adventurous and took a 2.5 hour hike up into Gasterntal Valley. After grabbing a drink at a cafe (yes they have cafes, restaurants, hotels on the trails haha) we decided to keep going and try to reach the glacier. Basically, we went from our nice wandering hike, to an 800 meter ascent. It got a little miserable for me when my head started imploding because of the high altitude and the "Climb Every Mountain" song from the Sound of Music wouldn't get out of my head. Nevertheless, I perservered with a little encouragement from Kate and Dan, and we reached the top! I can see why people get a rush from hiking. There's nothing more self-satisfying than staring out over what you just climbed and taking in the breath-taking view. If it wasn't for my headache, I would have stood there for hours with a silly grin on my face.

Our last day in Switzerland, we went to Bern (the capital) and Thun. The "cities" were so small and very pedestrian. We just wandered around and saw the Albert Einstein house. We also saw many parks and gardens, glacier lakes, and those typical Swiss houses. Once again, I like Switzerland.

Evaluations

food: we didn't eat out much because it was pricey... but you can't beat that Swiss cheese! **
coffee: cafe latte in a bottle ***

beer: Gurten beer was good, but the "special dark" beer in the pub was surprisingly delicious and not too bitter ****

bikes: too hilly for them

language hilarity: over 4 official languages haha *****

would I return? when I get the courage to go hiking again, yes

Ahhh wine country (aka Bordeaux, France)

I've got nothing but good things to say about Bordeaux. By night, the big town by the river is illuminated and crawling with twenty-somethings trying to get to a club. By day, it was old and majestic with stone buildings and cobble-stone streets lined with cathedrals and shops. Despite not knowing the language, I felt like I could live in Bordeaux too if I wanted.

We stayed with a friend, Gaelle, whom I met in Mexico. She lived on the other side of the river and took us on a quick tour of the city on the first night. The next day was 4th of July!! Um, we were in France, so we did nothing, but here's a pic of a US and France flag outside an army store. THAT'S something you don't see everyday. Besides that, Kate and I roamed the streets, climbed towers, and did a lot of shopping, both at flea markets and this one street in particular that's littered with shops. Now I'm not much of a shopper, but how could I not get shoes that were only 5 euros??

The following day, Gaelle took us to a famous wine town, Saint Emilion. It was the prettiest little French town I've ever seen in my life (ok I know I haven't seen many French towns but it was pretty damn cute). I guess it was also pretty touristy. There were soooo many wine shops with tastings that would leave the amateur's wallet empty. We, however, chose to sip a glass of white wine and take a tour of a Chateau that made the best Merlot known to man. They gave us two tastings at the end of it and if I had $50 and luggage space, those bottles would be mine!

Evaluations

food: galette (like a crepe) with Ratatouille, bacon, and cheese ****

coffee: not too strong ****

beer/wine: Merlot - to die for *****

bike-to-person ratio: 1 to 15 maybe?

would I return? yes, with more money and suitcase space!

Finalmente en Madrid!

I don't know HOW long I've wanted to go to Madrid for. Forever maybe? Well I was finally there! We stayed with my sister's friend Isma, who was as awesome as she made him out to be. (I'm crying on the inside that I never got a photo of him!) He took us out the first night to a couple places for some vino (wine), which was really cheap and gooood.

The next day we went to the Prado Museum which was paradise for me. There were works by El Greco, Goya, Velasquez, Fra Angelico, Peter Paul Ruben, etc. I've learned about these works in my art classes, but standing in front of them was like my dream come true. I think I could have stood in there for days. I even felt tears coming to my eyes. I'm pathetic :)

After that, we just went to a bunch of gardens and parks. We also went to the Plaza Mayor at night and spent 8 euros on a tapa called "patatas brevas" which were basically hash browns I could have cooked myself. I guess you pay for the outdoor ambience. At least the sangria was worth boring a hole in my pocket.

In summary, I can see why my sis likes Madrid so much. I felt very at home here, with all the mom & pop shops and finally understanding the language didn't hurt. From 9pm-12am at any night of the week, people are out on the streets having dinner, playing soccer, drinking some wine or beers, etc. It was a great vibe of people just going out and enjoying life. I think I caught the Spain bug...

Evaluations

food: paella is good, but I've heard it's not authentic. Gazpacho was awesome. And oddly enough, we had the BEST Indian food there! ****

coffee: yummy ****

beer: no good breweries, but I fell in love with that cheap rueda vino ***

bikes: not too many, but VERY few cars in this walking city

would I return? of course!

Me encanta Barcelona!

I can't even describe how beautiful Barcelona was! It was a gorgeous mixture of wooded parks, rolling hills, breath-taking architecture, and a great beach. We stayed in an awesome hostel which used to be a castle, so even the architecture of that was amazing.

We saw soooo many museums- 5 in one day! Gaudi, City of Barcelona, Picasso, Chocolate (which had amazing scultpures), and walked into one of Gaudi's creations, the Pedrera. The Pedrera looked like a cave with crazy rock scultpures on the roof. It was pretty much what I'd want my house to look like!

Lucky for us, we were in Barcelona when Spain won the Euro cup! Unfortunately, Barcelona is not as patriotic as the rest of Spain, so we were not trampled on the streets and cars were not turned over. There was just some yelling and people dancing on their balconies...


Evalutations
food: good gnocchi ***
coffee: from hotel machine **
beer: had some canned beer on the beach :) ***

bikes: it might be too hilly for that
language hilarity: frustrating cuz it was Catalonian and not Spanish... so slightly different **
return? I really hope so!

C'est la vie en Paris!

Paris in 5 hours? No problem with Kate and Sarah! We had a little train layover in Paris so we locked up our luggage and went on a quest to view the Eiffel Tower. We weaved our way around streets, saw the Notre Dame, walked on the Pont Neuf (which wasn't really all it was hyped up to be), and glimpsed the outside of the Louvre and those awesome triangle sculptures. We finally got to the Eiffel Tower and it really was majestic. The line to go up was wayyyy too long so we just walked underneath and then to a patch of grass in front to ogle at it.

I really think the only reason I would return is to see the inside of the Louvre. Paris to me feels about as impersonal as NYC. Also I guess it's because I don't know the language either and it's touristy.

Evaluations
Since I was here only 5 hours, I don't have much to report. It was all so rushed that I didn't have time to sample the good food or coffee. And we all know the French language is fun to listen to. Anyway, I'm in Madrid today and Bordeaux, France is tomorrow so maybe I'll have more to report. Adios!

The City of "Coffee Shops": Amsterdam

What I neglected to mention after my previous post was that I was to the point of fainting. Kate and I biked about 20km to the city of Amsterdam and 20km back to Haarlem in the same day. I don't think I drank enough during the day and so I almost suffered dehydration. The ride was gorgeous though, so I can't regret it. We rode by the train tracks past fields of cows, sheep, squacking swans, and wind turbines. I think a lot of tourists only see the crazy parts of Amsterdam and miss the beauty around which is Holland.

It was my first couchsurfing experience and I loved it. Half of traveling, besides the obvious sight seeing, is experiencing the different cultures and people. Couchsurfing allows you to stay with people on their couch for free- no strings attached. Automatically, you get people who are very open and inviting. Our hosts, Janneke and Wouter, were no different. They were very welcoming to us and even cooked us dinners and took us around Haarlem and to the sand dunes at night. We were able to ask them lots of questions about life in Holland and they were able to ask us questions about the U.S. I definitely want to couchsurf again and will seriously consider opening my own couch to travelers. I had such a great experience!

The actual heart of Amsterdam was not what I would have pictured. The cobble stone streets and winding canals were unassuming, until I turned to face a window and a woman wearing a bikini struck a pose on her stool. Classy. While some streets were old and quaint, others were full of coffee shops (aka the home of space cakes and other druggie desserts) and other um, dirty things.

Kate and I were probably the lamest tourists to ever pass through. Sorry to all you pot addicts, but I wanted to actually remember my trip!! We only stayed the day and enjoyed the van Gogh Museum, various old buildings and parks, and the Anne Frank House. The Anne Frank House was amazing. I'll admit, I totally entered with the wrong attitude- I thought the building was so cute- but by the end I was nearly crying. This girl was only 13 years old and already learned to appreciate the concept of freedom. Here I am, 23 and going on this amazing trip throughout Europe on my own dime because I can afford it. If that isn't freedom, I don't know what is (and I'm 10 years older). Sometimes we just need a little kick in the behind to remind us that we've got it good. I need the Anne Frank House.

Evaluations
food: mashed potatoes, greens, cheese, and bacon (yes I had it!) was good ***
coffee: extra-dark and delicious- they gave me these awesome coffee candies too *****
beer: the Heineken brewery was closed! *

bikes: a LOT... we got to ride on the back of J&W's!
language hilarity: very similar to English **
would I return? hopefully!

Some Thoughts about Bremerhafen and Germany

I am in Holland right now, well Amsterdam to be exact, but I never got a chance to reflect on Germany yet. We stayed with Kate's cousin in Bremerhafen for four days with his puppies, Snoopy and Lucy- any reference to the Peanuts characters is NOT coincidental. It was a very relaxing visit as we spent time just hanging out at his house and taking small trips to the harbor (what hafen stands for) and the zoo.

We went to the German Emigration Museum where we assumed the identity of an emigrant- I was a 17 year-old named Martha Hurer- and followed his/her journey to America. You know it's a good museum when you can sit on a toilet in a mock ship and learn all about the sanitation conditions on a TV.

I also discovered a new sport- mudflatting! The 5 of us (dogs included) took a two hour walk on the water where we artfully dodged angry crabs, sharp clam shells, and some other interesting objects. We made it as far as a deep river and decided not to forge the pond for fear that Timothy would contract malaria and die (kidding of course- just a lame allusion to Oregon Trail).

It was also an exciting time in Germany since the Euro 2008 game was being played our last night there and Germany beat Turkey. We walked outside and heard what sounded like the happiest traffic jam ever. It was a good thing that Germany beat Turkey since there are a lot of Turkish emigrants in Germany and apparently there would be quite an uproar if they won.

Evaluations
most interesting food: potato pancakes with applesauce - ordered from a kid's menu hehe ***
coffee: not too strong but good ****
beer: a mix of wheat beer and banana juice is exquisite! *****
bike to person ratio: 1:12 uh-oh
language hilarity: ausfahrt = exit *****
would I return? honestly... I have no need to and no language or family ties so probably not. Fun though!

Prologue

To introduce, this is my graduation trip to myself: a backpacking trip across various cities in Western Europe with my good friend Kate. This blog is written to give others an overview of what I am experiencing and also to remind myself in the future of what an awesome trip I had (fingers crossed).

NOTE: not every detail will be given, because then when I come back and you ask "how was your trip?" I won't have anything else to tell you besides what I wrote here. And I WANT to be able to tell you my epic tales. Hopefully this blog will leave you hungering for more. Consider this the appetizer...

Copenhagen: An Overview

I arrived in Copenhagen on the 19th and had 12 hours to kill by myself. It pretty much was the longest day of my life since I hadn't slept since the previous morning and I was nodding off in the airport like a homeless person. I think I would have paid 100 kroner for a bed. I eventually managed to drag myself out into the city where I attempted to navigate while not get run over by the millions of bikes that were on the streets. Did you know there are more bikes in Copenhagen than actual Danes? And there's hardly any car traffic. It's amazing. Boston really needs to "jump on the bandwagon" or "off the station wagons and on the bikes," I should say...

Copenhagen is very expensive, and therefore, Kate and I only went to the free museums (art and history museums) and had falafel about three different times. Now I love falafel, don't get me wrong, but I'm just freaking sick of it now.

Our second day we also went to Tivoli, an amusement park right smack in the middle of the city. We enjoyed a beer in a reusable plastic cup (which we got reimbursed for) before riding the largest swing ride I've ever seen in my life. It was well over 150 ft in the air but I'm bad at estimating these things. Since I have a slight fear of heights, I was really surprised that once I got on the ride I was totally cool and it was great to see Copenhagen and its windmills in the distance from a bird's point of view. Or maybe an orbiting satellite's point of view...

Danish people are very sophisticated, stylish, fit, and chill. They were really friendly too, and spoke English which was helpful. I was very calm there, but also felt very under-dressed! Not to mention I was wearing my sweatshirt since it was freeezing.

Evaluations (to be done at each city)
Pizza: more like pizza-bread... delicious **** (out of 5 stars)
Coffee: not too strong, little bitter ***
Beer: nut brown ale at Brewery ($7 OUCH) ***
Bike to person ratio: 12:1
Language hilarity: **** (Danish is a language I could invent as a 5 year-old trying to sound German. They add 'g's to about everything... mandag = monday, fredag = friday, etc.)
Would I return? YES, but wearing black tights and Converse shoes since apparently they're hip there.