Londontown is fun. It’s a welcome relief to walk into a hotel or restaurant and actually understand what the people are saying or what is listed on the menu. We arrive at our first hotel – the Grapevine hotel – and promptly check right back out. The room was teeny tiny – smaller than a cruise ship – there was no way that we could get both of our suitcases in there and still have room to walk. The dirty hallways and lack of wifi sealed the decision. We went across the street to the New England Bed and Breakfast and found better accommodations for a similarly reasonable price. We headed to a local pub in the Victoria neighborhood and had some cottage pie. At this point things are a little strained, partially because I insisted on being alone in Amsterdam, but mostly because we were both sick of each other at that point. One week after being home, we’ve exchanged texts and im’s, made plans to go to a concert together, but have yet to see or speak to each other. Ordinarily I would be feeling a little insecure about that fact, but each time I study abroad and have to integrate into a new “group”, I am reminded of the fact that incessant communication does not equal belongingness. I know we’ll be friends way far beyond this. That strain made the itty bitty teeny tiny room that much more unappealing.
After cottage pie, we laid down in bed and attempted to decide what double decker bus tour to take tomorrow. Pretty much over being tourists, we were trying to find one that was not too expensive (London was more expensive than even Italy!), hit all the main spots, but still left us time for shopping in the afternoon. We finally found it – just in time too, because our eyelids were getting heavy. The next morning we hit all the big spots – Buckingham Palace, St. Pauls Cathedral, The Tower of London, etc etc. After the tour, we walked to the ½ price tkts booth and success – tickets to Chicago!!! I really wanted to see some Shakespeare, but the idea of standing at the Globe for 3 hours did not appeal to my travel-weary body. Then it was more health food for lunch and the British Museum. I really wanted to see the Egyptian exhibit, but was disappointed when I got there. They’ve loaned a lot out and it’s not assembled very well. Either that or I got spoiled by the really great museums I saw in the beginning of our trip. Then – topshop! Highlight of London!!! Meghan got boots and I got heels and headbands.
Back to the hotel, we laid down, showered, and got our game faces on for the evening. Fish and chips at a local pub plus a GOOD bottle of wine (Meghan tried to order the cheap one till I reminded her this was our last night in Europe and I refuse to drink cheap wine!) equaled great conversation, no more strain, and the perfect mindset for some Fosse. Our seats were PERFECT – 12 rows from the front with a clear view ! Wine in hand, we were ready for the show to start. SO ENJOYABLE! I grew up going to the theater, but haven’t been in eons and am reminded just how much I enjoy it. We both thoroughly enjoyed the entire production, and I even gave a standing ovation. Singing “and all that jazz” on the way home, we collapse in bed. We need to be fresh as a daisy for our 8 hour plane flight tomorrow.
Our last breakfast in Europe was at Café Nero – scones and pain au chocolate coupled with cappuccinos. We got through the airport very easily, and boarded the plane ready – and more than willing – to head home.
More reflection to come!!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Amsterdam.
Amsterdam – My Brain Turns Off
So, I made a vow, and I am sticking to it – it’s my turn to get my relax on and just go along for the ride while someone else figures out what to do and how to do it. I have only one thing I want to do while I am here, and there will be no problem achieving that goal.
We arrive at the Blue Orange guesthouse. If you ever want the PERFECT place to stay in Amsterdam, stay here. http://www.xs4all.nl/~conschul/ It’s in a residential area, right on a canal, easy to walk to from the train station and a welcome change from a typical hostel. Located in the basement of a family home, when you open the doors you’re greeted with a living room and a flatscreen, a kitchenette, a bathroom with a – gasp – full bathtub!, and separate sleeping area. It was just what we needed! The family who owns it was very kind and accommodating, providing us with some great guidance and information. That night we took it easy – coffeeshop, dinner (Italian, because Dutch food is gross!), Chianti and bed!!
The next morning, I decided to start my day off with a walk. I do it every day in Baltimore with the poochies, and needed to feel a little bit normal. It was nice to wander around before the city woke up on a Sunday morning. Even though my camera was dead, I snapped some shots with the iPhone. It was nice to be quiet again. When I returned, the big question loomed – what to do and how to do it? I handed off the copies of my tour books to Meghan and Rachel and volunteered to look anything up we may need and ended it there. Suffering from a bit of PMS combined with some un-vented frustration over always being in charge resulted in me coming off as a little bit of a bitch. At that point though, I was beyond caring. That doesn’t make it okay – I probably should have cared a little bit more about hurting peoples feelings – but like I said, I was just done. We all were a bit raw at that point.
The itinerary was set – coffeeshhop/lunch, van Gough museum, Anne Frank Huis, and then who knows? Off we went. After lunch we realized that we knew where the tram station was but no idea how to navigate the network. I did my damndest with an all Dutch map and snippets of suggestions from locals, and surprisingly enough I figured it out. It was laborious, but I felt triumphant at the end. Even Rachel said something along the lines of “damn LaRee you are a good traveler – I’ll go anywhere with you”. Maybe it was just the coffee talking, since I had been a pretty big bitch that morning, but it was definitely the nicest compliment I’d gotten yet.
The van Gough museum was disappointing. It was well laid out, chronicling the life of the troubled artist and showing how his work evolved and devolved over time. I had heard tell of some Chagall’s there, but couldn’t find anything. Overall, though, I did not find the museum fulfilling. The Anne Frank huis was a good way to continue our human rights path through Europe. It’s haunting, walking up that staircase behind the bookshelf and realizing just how small their secret annex really was. On an individual human rights level, the young children there were deprived of their childhood by being forced to live in hiding even before they were killed in the extermination and concentration camps. As a child, I never, ever debated the concept that one morning I may not be able to go play in my yard because our neighbors have decided they disagree with my fathers politics. While the latter may not be uncommon (my dad has a lot to say about politics, trust), we take for granted the ability to speak our mind wherever and whenever. Food for thought.
Then it was back to our mini-home at Blue Orange. We chillaxed for a bit longer, and then Meghan and Rachel decided they wanted to go watch World Cup soccer and I wanted more alone time. That night, I wandered. Everywhere. I stopped at a coffeeshop and read my book (the Eclipse novella – thank you Stephanie Meyers – I needed my vampire fix right about then). I got lost. Deliberately. I checked out the red light district from afar – the best way. I ventured down to the artsy “soho” area on the opposite side of the train station. I sat. I people watched. I listened to music. I stopped in another coffeeshop and read my book. I wandered through the residential areas and enjoyed the quiet along the canals. At about 2am, I was done. Off to bed, just in time for another 4-something a.m. wake up call. I forcibly fought my urge to ask them to be quiet, because I knew there was no way it would come out as anything less than “can you two drunk bitches please shut the f*ck up”.
The next morning, Meghan and Rachel set off with Rachel’s friend from Cologne, Germany, to the countryside to go see some windmills. I wandered some more – pretty much a repeat of all of yesterday’s activities, just in different parts of the city. My trip was winding down and I was sad for it to end, but also ready to be home. We said goodbye to Rachel who was headed back to Cologne, Germany with Christoph and then it was off to the airport – time to head to rainy Londontown.
So, I made a vow, and I am sticking to it – it’s my turn to get my relax on and just go along for the ride while someone else figures out what to do and how to do it. I have only one thing I want to do while I am here, and there will be no problem achieving that goal.
We arrive at the Blue Orange guesthouse. If you ever want the PERFECT place to stay in Amsterdam, stay here. http://www.xs4all.nl/~conschul/ It’s in a residential area, right on a canal, easy to walk to from the train station and a welcome change from a typical hostel. Located in the basement of a family home, when you open the doors you’re greeted with a living room and a flatscreen, a kitchenette, a bathroom with a – gasp – full bathtub!, and separate sleeping area. It was just what we needed! The family who owns it was very kind and accommodating, providing us with some great guidance and information. That night we took it easy – coffeeshop, dinner (Italian, because Dutch food is gross!), Chianti and bed!!
The next morning, I decided to start my day off with a walk. I do it every day in Baltimore with the poochies, and needed to feel a little bit normal. It was nice to wander around before the city woke up on a Sunday morning. Even though my camera was dead, I snapped some shots with the iPhone. It was nice to be quiet again. When I returned, the big question loomed – what to do and how to do it? I handed off the copies of my tour books to Meghan and Rachel and volunteered to look anything up we may need and ended it there. Suffering from a bit of PMS combined with some un-vented frustration over always being in charge resulted in me coming off as a little bit of a bitch. At that point though, I was beyond caring. That doesn’t make it okay – I probably should have cared a little bit more about hurting peoples feelings – but like I said, I was just done. We all were a bit raw at that point.
The itinerary was set – coffeeshhop/lunch, van Gough museum, Anne Frank Huis, and then who knows? Off we went. After lunch we realized that we knew where the tram station was but no idea how to navigate the network. I did my damndest with an all Dutch map and snippets of suggestions from locals, and surprisingly enough I figured it out. It was laborious, but I felt triumphant at the end. Even Rachel said something along the lines of “damn LaRee you are a good traveler – I’ll go anywhere with you”. Maybe it was just the coffee talking, since I had been a pretty big bitch that morning, but it was definitely the nicest compliment I’d gotten yet.
The van Gough museum was disappointing. It was well laid out, chronicling the life of the troubled artist and showing how his work evolved and devolved over time. I had heard tell of some Chagall’s there, but couldn’t find anything. Overall, though, I did not find the museum fulfilling. The Anne Frank huis was a good way to continue our human rights path through Europe. It’s haunting, walking up that staircase behind the bookshelf and realizing just how small their secret annex really was. On an individual human rights level, the young children there were deprived of their childhood by being forced to live in hiding even before they were killed in the extermination and concentration camps. As a child, I never, ever debated the concept that one morning I may not be able to go play in my yard because our neighbors have decided they disagree with my fathers politics. While the latter may not be uncommon (my dad has a lot to say about politics, trust), we take for granted the ability to speak our mind wherever and whenever. Food for thought.
Then it was back to our mini-home at Blue Orange. We chillaxed for a bit longer, and then Meghan and Rachel decided they wanted to go watch World Cup soccer and I wanted more alone time. That night, I wandered. Everywhere. I stopped at a coffeeshop and read my book (the Eclipse novella – thank you Stephanie Meyers – I needed my vampire fix right about then). I got lost. Deliberately. I checked out the red light district from afar – the best way. I ventured down to the artsy “soho” area on the opposite side of the train station. I sat. I people watched. I listened to music. I stopped in another coffeeshop and read my book. I wandered through the residential areas and enjoyed the quiet along the canals. At about 2am, I was done. Off to bed, just in time for another 4-something a.m. wake up call. I forcibly fought my urge to ask them to be quiet, because I knew there was no way it would come out as anything less than “can you two drunk bitches please shut the f*ck up”.
The next morning, Meghan and Rachel set off with Rachel’s friend from Cologne, Germany, to the countryside to go see some windmills. I wandered some more – pretty much a repeat of all of yesterday’s activities, just in different parts of the city. My trip was winding down and I was sad for it to end, but also ready to be home. We said goodbye to Rachel who was headed back to Cologne, Germany with Christoph and then it was off to the airport – time to head to rainy Londontown.
Pra-ah-ah-ah-ah
So Prague. Where to begin? We arrived in the evening, after the hottest train ride of the trip. Luckily we had a 6 seat cabin to ourselves, but the lack of airflow made it ridiculously uncomfortable. While Meghan and Rachel were able to sleep in the heat, I instead used the time to write 6-7 blog entries.( PS Apple - thank you for coming up with the 4.0 software upgrade for the iPhone with wireless keyboard support 3/4 of the way through my trip! My thumbs are uncannily strong now thanks to the massive amount of typing I've done on my phone.)
Anyhow, we arrive, grab a cab (who wanted way too much for the drive - luckily after being taken advantage of in Milan we knew better and talked him down to a way more reasonable price - and arrive at our hostel, the Downtown Hostel Prague. This is the first place I've been really disappointed with. The room was musty, construction started at 7am every morning (and since there was no ac it was a choice between breathing and not sleeping past 7 or suffocating slowly while you slept) and their towels for rent were the size of washcloths. I rather enjoyed watching Meghan and Rachel get creative with them, especially since we paid for an en suite bathroom and instead got exclusive use of a hall bath. For the price, I would not recommend this hostel at all.
After grabbing a snack and taking refreshing cold showers, everyones mood improved vastly and we headed out to watch the sunset over Charles bridge and grab my dinner. Prague is hedonistic in every way. The mix of gothic, baroque, classical and modern architecture creates an atmosphere that clashes to the point of blending. I was in love, quite possibly because it yet again appealed to my ADHD mind :-)
Sick of German food, we were on a mission for protein and veggies. We enjoyed a fah-bulous dinner right on the water, complete with homemade wine. Watching the sunset over te bridge and Prague castle was amazing!! We walked around for a bit longer, and then it was time for bed. I suggested a 6 hour tour by boat, bus and tram to the other girls, and although they were first opposed to the idea, they realized it was the best way to see the city for an amazingly reasonable price.
Prague Tours- our company of choice-meets in Wenceslas square every day at 10:30 am - just look for the yellow umbrellas. They have tours 2, 4 and 6 hours in length. They'll show you where the nearby ticket stand is - bring your brochure for 1/2 price tickets!! Led by locals, it was a really great experience. We started in the square, learning about the historical "velvet revolution" that freed the Czech Republic from communism. Our tour guide told us about her experience there. At age 8 she stood with her parents in that square at a rally, furiously waving two national flags. She didn't know why she was there, but she knew it was important. Sorta reminds me of another young woman, who accompanied her father to various political events and hammered yard signs supporting various political candidates. I didn't understand the reasoning behind it, only that this was part of being an American and that one day I'd be able to vote for people like those on the signs. I did know that my dad had very clear political values - I used to tell dinner guests I was going to grow up to be a "feminist environmentalist wacko" just to get a rise out of him. Little did he know I'd become a social worker - damn those McCuan genes :-) My dad loves women and the environment by the way - he just used terms like that to illustrate extremes and I knew how to chose my words well from a young age.
From there we walked through the new town, checking out the astronomical clock (amazeballs, as Meghan would say - I loved how it represents the approach to telling time from another point in history when we thought the sun revolved around the earth), a few different churches, and heading to our boat for the river cruise. It was here my camera battery died, and since I left the charger somewhere in Germany (sorry mom and dad!!) I was SOL. We saw Charles bridge, government houses, the former Stalin monument, (which also held the statue of Michael Jackson constructed for his first concert in Prague) . Now, a metronome stands in that place, but in general the Czech population still has negative feelings towards the monument location in general. From there, more walking, but with a purpose – lunch! We had traditional Czech food – meat and bread dumplings, before walking yet again. This time we toured the Jewish quarter where I found more stolpersteins (the plaques commemorating those taken away during the Holocaust), then we caught a tram to Prague Castle. The castle is….interesting. The sleek exterior clashes with the gothic churches enclosed in its middle – typical of Prague, but not quite blending as well as the rest of the city. That was the end of our tour, and we were definitely ready to go! We hiked back down the hill, back over Charles Bridge for some more shopping, and to our stuffy hostel room to take a load off before heading to dinner.
We ate at a great, modern café for dinner. Still craving veggies, we all had a salad with avocado and chicken on it. YUM! Then we went to check out a bar some people in Germany had told us about called Chapeau Rouge. Thank you google maps for getting me around Prague btw! It was a very eclectic place, with Vanilla Ice playing on the main floor as we entered and dark red walls decorated with random trinkets. We met some Americans who seemed pretty fun, hung with them for awhile, and then headed to another club – the famous five story dance club, apparently. I decided I was done for the night before we got there, and after working way too hard to convince Rachel that I would be fine walking home by myself, I headed back. Prague is pretty at night, if you can ignore the partiers from all over the world losing their cookies over the sides of fences and bridges. I did just that, and found a quiet spot on the river to enjoy some late night views. Mulling over the fact that this trip was drawing to a close soon, I realized it was time for me to relax. Taking the reins of planning for the past two and a half weeks (even though the class was planned, it was still up to oneself to take measures to get something out of it) was wearing on me. I vowed that when we got to Amsterdam tomorrow, my vacation would begin. In other words, I was no longer in charge of planning activities or figuring out how to get where.
Despite a brief wake up call at about 4:30am from Meghan and Rachel (RUDE! lol), I got a decent amount of sleep and was up ready to pack and head out the next morning. The other two, not so much! We had plenty of time that morning, and we visited the Lennon wall (amazing – got some GREAT pics with Meghan’s camera) and tried to get my camera battery charged at a local shop with no success. Then it was off to the airport for our first flight on easyjet. It was so nice to anticipate a 1 hour plane ride instead of an 8 hour train ride…except for the screaming baby on the plane part. The adventure continues….and boy was I ready for Amsterdam!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Anyhow, we arrive, grab a cab (who wanted way too much for the drive - luckily after being taken advantage of in Milan we knew better and talked him down to a way more reasonable price - and arrive at our hostel, the Downtown Hostel Prague. This is the first place I've been really disappointed with. The room was musty, construction started at 7am every morning (and since there was no ac it was a choice between breathing and not sleeping past 7 or suffocating slowly while you slept) and their towels for rent were the size of washcloths. I rather enjoyed watching Meghan and Rachel get creative with them, especially since we paid for an en suite bathroom and instead got exclusive use of a hall bath. For the price, I would not recommend this hostel at all.
After grabbing a snack and taking refreshing cold showers, everyones mood improved vastly and we headed out to watch the sunset over Charles bridge and grab my dinner. Prague is hedonistic in every way. The mix of gothic, baroque, classical and modern architecture creates an atmosphere that clashes to the point of blending. I was in love, quite possibly because it yet again appealed to my ADHD mind :-)
Sick of German food, we were on a mission for protein and veggies. We enjoyed a fah-bulous dinner right on the water, complete with homemade wine. Watching the sunset over te bridge and Prague castle was amazing!! We walked around for a bit longer, and then it was time for bed. I suggested a 6 hour tour by boat, bus and tram to the other girls, and although they were first opposed to the idea, they realized it was the best way to see the city for an amazingly reasonable price.
Prague Tours- our company of choice-meets in Wenceslas square every day at 10:30 am - just look for the yellow umbrellas. They have tours 2, 4 and 6 hours in length. They'll show you where the nearby ticket stand is - bring your brochure for 1/2 price tickets!! Led by locals, it was a really great experience. We started in the square, learning about the historical "velvet revolution" that freed the Czech Republic from communism. Our tour guide told us about her experience there. At age 8 she stood with her parents in that square at a rally, furiously waving two national flags. She didn't know why she was there, but she knew it was important. Sorta reminds me of another young woman, who accompanied her father to various political events and hammered yard signs supporting various political candidates. I didn't understand the reasoning behind it, only that this was part of being an American and that one day I'd be able to vote for people like those on the signs. I did know that my dad had very clear political values - I used to tell dinner guests I was going to grow up to be a "feminist environmentalist wacko" just to get a rise out of him. Little did he know I'd become a social worker - damn those McCuan genes :-) My dad loves women and the environment by the way - he just used terms like that to illustrate extremes and I knew how to chose my words well from a young age.
From there we walked through the new town, checking out the astronomical clock (amazeballs, as Meghan would say - I loved how it represents the approach to telling time from another point in history when we thought the sun revolved around the earth), a few different churches, and heading to our boat for the river cruise. It was here my camera battery died, and since I left the charger somewhere in Germany (sorry mom and dad!!) I was SOL. We saw Charles bridge, government houses, the former Stalin monument, (which also held the statue of Michael Jackson constructed for his first concert in Prague) . Now, a metronome stands in that place, but in general the Czech population still has negative feelings towards the monument location in general. From there, more walking, but with a purpose – lunch! We had traditional Czech food – meat and bread dumplings, before walking yet again. This time we toured the Jewish quarter where I found more stolpersteins (the plaques commemorating those taken away during the Holocaust), then we caught a tram to Prague Castle. The castle is….interesting. The sleek exterior clashes with the gothic churches enclosed in its middle – typical of Prague, but not quite blending as well as the rest of the city. That was the end of our tour, and we were definitely ready to go! We hiked back down the hill, back over Charles Bridge for some more shopping, and to our stuffy hostel room to take a load off before heading to dinner.
We ate at a great, modern café for dinner. Still craving veggies, we all had a salad with avocado and chicken on it. YUM! Then we went to check out a bar some people in Germany had told us about called Chapeau Rouge. Thank you google maps for getting me around Prague btw! It was a very eclectic place, with Vanilla Ice playing on the main floor as we entered and dark red walls decorated with random trinkets. We met some Americans who seemed pretty fun, hung with them for awhile, and then headed to another club – the famous five story dance club, apparently. I decided I was done for the night before we got there, and after working way too hard to convince Rachel that I would be fine walking home by myself, I headed back. Prague is pretty at night, if you can ignore the partiers from all over the world losing their cookies over the sides of fences and bridges. I did just that, and found a quiet spot on the river to enjoy some late night views. Mulling over the fact that this trip was drawing to a close soon, I realized it was time for me to relax. Taking the reins of planning for the past two and a half weeks (even though the class was planned, it was still up to oneself to take measures to get something out of it) was wearing on me. I vowed that when we got to Amsterdam tomorrow, my vacation would begin. In other words, I was no longer in charge of planning activities or figuring out how to get where.
Despite a brief wake up call at about 4:30am from Meghan and Rachel (RUDE! lol), I got a decent amount of sleep and was up ready to pack and head out the next morning. The other two, not so much! We had plenty of time that morning, and we visited the Lennon wall (amazing – got some GREAT pics with Meghan’s camera) and tried to get my camera battery charged at a local shop with no success. Then it was off to the airport for our first flight on easyjet. It was so nice to anticipate a 1 hour plane ride instead of an 8 hour train ride…except for the screaming baby on the plane part. The adventure continues….and boy was I ready for Amsterdam!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
A friend put this quote on my facebook page today
And it seemed fitting:
"People think chutzpah is in the genes. It isn’t…it’s in the needing and wanting and being willing to fall on your face. It isn't fun…who wants all that rejection, but life is sweeter if you make yourself do uncomfortable things."
-Helen Gurley Brown
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
"People think chutzpah is in the genes. It isn’t…it’s in the needing and wanting and being willing to fall on your face. It isn't fun…who wants all that rejection, but life is sweeter if you make yourself do uncomfortable things."
-Helen Gurley Brown
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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