Happy twenty-ten!
I love Germany. My people are the nicest we've encountered so far! Great food, even better beer.
After a crazy train ride we promptly got some sleep shortly after checking into InterCity Munchen Hotel (not nearly as nice as the one in Dresden). Actually, Sean slept, I got BurgerKing from next door. I've definantly gained back my appetite, and most likely a couple pounds as well. I've eaten more fast food in the past two weeks than I usually do at home in two months, crazy!
New years eve day we hit the streets, our main mission: find the haufbraushaus. The marinplatz center was crazy! So many people, high end shopping and street bands galore. Sean became mezmarized with one in particular. Three gentlemen sitting in a hallway- acoustic tribal regee music almost, they were amazing. The sounds bounced and danced all across the rounded dome of the hall. It was pretty magical.
We eventually found the 600 year old bar that is infamous by name, and lives up to it's reputation. Hostesses in Germany are scarce and the place was packed. Unfortunantly there was no room to sit and have a drink, but we were able to walk through the massive hall with the heard of other people...
Planning on going back later on we left, not dissapointed.
With a open air street market to explore, and more churches to be photographed we wandered through the streets, still in awe of the grandor. Walking long distances for longer periods of time has become second nature, well end up walking for three or four hours and not even realize it. Our boots were made for walking... Thank goodness.
Finally feeling a bit thirsty we ducked into a nice looking bar with an open table around 6. Two beers later we heard American accents from a couple tables over- we had to introduce ourselves. We met some great airforce guys with their wives and spent the rest of the evening with them. We'll just say it was a new years to remember, lots of beer, a ton of fireworks and a little bit of drama. God bless lowenbrow beer!
We napped the next morning, and checked out of our hotel as late as possible- our overnight journey to Amsterdam didn't disembark until 10pm. We ended up walking around a bunch more, and found a movie theatre that uses it's old fashioned cinema to show movies all in English! Halallula! We took in a double feature, with 'The Rebound' and a second round of 'Avatar' this time in 3D! So amazing!
Stopping for dinner at the Lowenbrow brewery we were bummed to find a packed house. Fortunantly the resturant manager motioned us over to what appeared to be a community table. We were seated on the inside, with a few older gentlemen already sipping out of their custom beer steins on the other side of the table. Little did we know, these gentlemen, the 'strammfisch' have been coming to this brewery every day for the past who knows how many years. They didn't speak much English, but we were able to converse with 'Charlie' fairly well about our travels as well as his younger days which involved an adventure in Mexico among many others. When we told him that Germany had the best beer, he even insisted on buying our next round! Quite an experience! The food was a little strange (we took a chance with an all german menu and ended up with green pasta with mayo and Alfredo sauce), but the beer and good company made up for it tenfold.
We made our way back to the train station, retrieved our luggage from it's locker and picked up a couple fabulous souviners. Feeling jovial and a bit buzzed we conversed with a few fellow travelers. One in particular was on our tain, he made his distaste for americans known after giving us a couple cans of warm beer and warned of the crazy pickpocketers. His explination of his home city was this: " everyone there is a tourist, or wants to take advantage of the tourists". Thanks for the heads up, guy!
Our compartment was a double bunk with all of two feet of floor space. Super tight, but an experience, to say the least. Something I'll never forget was getting to watch the country side pass by in the dark as the snow slowly littered the ground. Even though I don't tolerate it like a champ, I do love the snow.
The bunks were not too uncomfortable, even still, neither of us slept well, even with the constant rocking of the train. The swaying put me to sleep, but I kept waking up forgetting where I was. Being on the top bunk, I was greatful for the safety net keeping me from falling off.
We were rudely awoken by a very loud alarm as a nice little wake up call. Going back to sleep 'just for 5 more minutes...' only lasted for two due to the loud rapping on our cabin door. The very grumpy stewedars alerted us to the fact that somewhere on the train breakfast was avaliable. She actually came back twice, just shouting 'breakfast' ... I think she either hates her job, or was dealing with a crazy bout of PMS, or both. We used the washbin in the cabin to brush our pearly whites and were ready to hit the streets of Amsterdam!
Sean hit the nail right on the head when he quoted "Amsterdam is europes Vegas". It's dirty, obnoxious and over priced. We were not impressed. Attempting to check into our hotel we were plesantly suprized with a nice, clean lobby. We were offered a check in at noon and the option to leave our luggage there. We accepted both offers.
Not knowing what exactly to do we did what we've learned to do best, walk the streets and soak in the sights. We ended up way on the outskirts of town after a long trolley ride that took us to 'the end of the line' waiting for another driver to finish their smoke break and get off their lazy butts to do their job, we spent 20 minutes standing in the cold. Two trolly changes later we were back at the hotel, well after noon.
Honestly, I'm getting upset just thinking about it, so I'll attempt not to go off on a tangent about our check in process. Recoeving the keys was easy, making it to the 5th floor not so much. Apparently there was a small fire, so the elevators were disabled- no one informed us of this. After waiting for the comotion to die down we took the lift to our room, only to discover we could not reach it from that point. We had to ride the death trap of an elevator back to the reception area to hunt someone down to find out where to go. As we soon found out- there were actually two hotels, joined together. We had to use another elevator to reach 'the newer, 4 star hotel, sir' said the very nice gentleman who could have easily informed us of this SIMPLE fact at the point of check in, or in the 20 minutes we spent waiting in the lobby for the fore alarm to be lifted. 4 stars, my ASS! Expedia, hotwire, and travelocity will all be notified of a fabulous review.
Finding our room was a complete adventure in itself, it was a maze just getting there. The hotels only saving grace were it's amazingly soft matresses accompined by oversized pillows. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I think I logged in a total of about 14 hours of sleep in that bed. No joke.
We went for dinner, then called it a night. Amsterdam just wasn't our scene.
I think I might have found my calling- I'm not gonna lie- I'm pretty good at hand washing clothing. Especially under garments. With half our clothes stolen it's been a bit tight- we pretty much look like we wear the same thing every day. Besides my family, obviously, I miss my bed and my thintwin washing machine the most.
Late check out, we went to our home base, the train station, stashed our luggage- in two lockers this time- and took off... But what to do? The red light district and a coffee shop, of cours! Oh my... There really are ladies wearing next to nothing hanging out in windows... And although not officially legal, weed is everywhere. I swear I could have gotten a contact high just being on the streets!
A little grumpy, and over the city we decided to check out the highly advertised 'neit normal' exibition. Wow... Talk about abstract art on steroids! It was very interesting and a little disturbing at the same time. They had documentary films, photos, abstract pieces of art- and all of it 'with a message against humanity'. Very entertaining.
Argentenian cuisine sounded great for dinner, and it was right across the street from the exibition, even better. An onion hamburger, and chicken salad later we were ready to hit the train station... Again.
So, as we coast along the track for one of the last times we are slowly making our way to The Hook of Holland to board the Stenaline Britanica for our overnight trip to Harwich in the U.K. God willing, and the creek don't rise, well make it. We have a reservation, and a confrimation, but no tickets- and were cutting it close on time. I guess even the most extensive planning isn't always the best plan of action. With a tickle of fear in my tummy that plans will fall through, again, my travel companion is calmly watching a snowboard video on his iTouch. You have to love technology.
With anxiety, and peace,
-Janiece & Sean
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Happy Twenty-Ten!
Happy twenty-ten!
I love Germany. My people are the nicest we've encountered so far! Great food, even better beer.
After a crazy train ride we promptly got some sleep shortly after checking into InterCity Munchen Hotel (not nearly as nice as the one in Dresden). Actually, Sean slept, I got BurgerKing from next door. I've definantly gained back my appetite, and most likely a couple pounds as well. I've eaten more fast food in the past two weeks than I usually do at home in two months, crazy!
New years eve day we hit the streets, our main mission: find the haufbraushaus. The marinplatz center was crazy! So many people, high end shopping and street bands galore. Sean became mezmarized with one in particular. Three gentlemen sitting in a hallway- acoustic tribal regee music almost, they were amazing. The sounds bounced and danced all across the rounded dome of the hall. It was pretty magical.
We eventually found the 600 year old bar that is infamous by name, and lives up to it's reputation. Hostesses in Germany are scarce and the place was packed. Unfortunantly there was no room to sit and have a drink, but we were able to walk through the massive hall with the heard of other people...
Planning on going back later on we left, not dissapointed.
With a open air street market to explore, and more churches to be photographed we wandered through the streets, still in awe of the grandor. Walking long distances for longer periods of time has become second nature, well end up walking for three or four hours and not even realize it. Our boots were made for walking... Thank goodness.
Finally feeling a bit thirsty we ducked into a nice looking bar with an open table around 6. Two beers later we heard American accents from a couple tables over- we had to introduce ourselves. We met some great airforce guys with their wives and spent the rest of the evening with them. We'll just say it was a new years to remember, lots of beer, a ton of fireworks and a little bit of drama. God bless lowenbrow beer!
We napped the next morning, and checked out of our hotel as late as possible- our overnight journey to Amsterdam didn't disembark until 10pm. We ended up walking around a bunch more, and found a movie theatre that uses it's old fashioned cinema to show movies all in English! Halallula! We took in a double feature, with 'The Rebound' and a second round of 'Avatar' this time in 3D! So amazing!
Stopping for dinner at the Lowenbrow brewery we were bummed to find a packed house. Fortunantly the resturant manager motioned us over to what appeared to be a community table. We were seated on the inside, with a few older gentlemen already sipping out of their custom beer steins on the other side of the table. Little did we know, these gentlemen, the 'strammfisch' have been coming to this brewery every day for the past who knows how many years. They didn't speak much English, but we were able to converse with 'Charlie' fairly well about our travels as well as his younger days which involved an adventure in Mexico among many others. When we told him that Germany had the best beer, he even insisted on buying our next round! Quite an experience! The food was a little strange (we took a chance with an all german menu and ended up with green pasta with mayo and Alfredo sauce), but the beer and good company made up for it tenfold.
We made our way back to the train station, retrieved our luggage from it's locker and picked up a couple fabulous souviners. Feeling jovial and a bit buzzed we conversed with a few fellow travelers. One in particular was on our tain, he made his distaste for americans known after giving us a couple cans of warm beer and warned of the crazy pickpocketers. His explination of his home city was this: " everyone there is a tourist, or wants to take advantage of the tourists". Thanks for the heads up, guy!
Our compartment was a double bunk with all of two feet of floor space. Super tight, but an experience, to say the least. Something I'll never forget was getting to watch the country side pass by in the dark as the snow slowly littered the ground. Even though I don't tolerate it like a champ, I do love the snow.
The bunks were not too uncomfortable, even still, neither of us slept well, even with the constant rocking of the train. The swaying put me to sleep, but I kept waking up forgetting where I was. Being on the top bunk, I was greatful for the safety net keeping me from falling off.
We were rudely awoken by a very loud alarm as a nice little wake up call. Going back to sleep 'just for 5 more minutes...' only lasted for two due to the loud rapping on our cabin door. The very grumpy stewedars alerted us to the fact that somewhere on the train breakfast was avaliable. She actually came back twice, just shouting 'breakfast' ... I think she either hates her job, or was dealing with a crazy bout of PMS, or both. We used the washbin in the cabin to brush our pearly whites and were ready to hit the streets of Amsterdam!
Sean hit the nail right on the head when he quoted "Amsterdam is europes Vegas". It's dirty, obnoxious and over priced. We were not impressed. Attempting to check into our hotel we were plesantly suprized with a nice, clean lobby. We were offered a check in at noon and the option to leave our luggage there. We accepted both offers.
Not knowing what exactly to do we did what we've learned to do best, walk the streets and soak in the sights. We ended up way on the outskirts of town after a long trolley ride that took us to 'the end of the line' waiting for another driver to finish their smoke break and get off their lazy butts to do their job, we spent 20 minutes standing in the cold. Two trolly changes later we were back at the hotel, well after noon.
Honestly, I'm getting upset just thinking about it, so I'll attempt not to go off on a tangent about our check in process. Recoeving the keys was easy, making it to the 5th floor not so much. Apparently there was a small fire, so the elevators were disabled- no one informed us of this. After waiting for the comotion to die down we took the lift to our room, only to discover we could not reach it from that point. We had to ride the death trap of an elevator back to the reception area to hunt someone down to find out where to go. As we soon found out- there were actually two hotels, joined together. We had to use another elevator to reach 'the newer, 4 star hotel, sir' said the very nice gentleman who could have easily informed us of this SIMPLE fact at the point of check in, or in the 20 minutes we spent waiting in the lobby for the fore alarm to be lifted. 4 stars, my ASS! Expedia, hotwire, and travelocity will all be notified of a fabulous review.
Finding our room was a complete adventure in itself, it was a maze just getting there. The hotels only saving grace were it's amazingly soft matresses accompined by oversized pillows. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I think I logged in a total of about 14 hours of sleep in that bed. No joke.
We went for dinner, then called it a night. Amsterdam just wasn't our scene.
I think I might have found my calling- I'm not gonna lie- I'm pretty good at hand washing clothing. Especially under garments. With half our clothes stolen it's been a bit tight- we pretty much look like we wear the same thing every day. Besides my family, obviously, I miss my bed and my thintwin washing machine the most.
Late check out, we went to our home base, the train station, stashed our luggage- in two lockers this time- and took off... But what to do? The red light district and a coffee shop, of cours! Oh my... There really are ladies wearing next to nothing hanging out in windows... And although not officially legal, weed is everywhere. I swear I could have gotten a contact high just being on the streets!
A little grumpy, and over the city we decided to check out the highly advertised 'neit normal' exibition. Wow... Talk about abstract art on steroids! It was very interesting and a little disturbing at the same time. They had documentary films, photos, abstract pieces of art- and all of it 'with a message against humanity'. Very entertaining.
Argentenian cuisine sounded great for dinner, and it was right across the street from the exibition, even better. An onion hamburger, and chicken salad later we were ready to hit the train station... Again.
So, as we coast along the track for one of the last times we are slowly making our way to The Hook of Holland to board the Stenaline Britanica for our overnight trip to Harwich in the U.K. God willing, and the creek don't rise, well make it. We have a reservation, and a confrimation, but no tickets- and were cutting it close on time. I guess even the most extensive planning isn't always the best plan of action. With a tickle of fear in my tummy that plans will fall through, again, my travel companion is calmly watching a snowboard video on his iTouch. You have to love technology.
With anxiety, and peace,
-Janiece & Sean
I love Germany. My people are the nicest we've encountered so far! Great food, even better beer.
After a crazy train ride we promptly got some sleep shortly after checking into InterCity Munchen Hotel (not nearly as nice as the one in Dresden). Actually, Sean slept, I got BurgerKing from next door. I've definantly gained back my appetite, and most likely a couple pounds as well. I've eaten more fast food in the past two weeks than I usually do at home in two months, crazy!
New years eve day we hit the streets, our main mission: find the haufbraushaus. The marinplatz center was crazy! So many people, high end shopping and street bands galore. Sean became mezmarized with one in particular. Three gentlemen sitting in a hallway- acoustic tribal regee music almost, they were amazing. The sounds bounced and danced all across the rounded dome of the hall. It was pretty magical.
We eventually found the 600 year old bar that is infamous by name, and lives up to it's reputation. Hostesses in Germany are scarce and the place was packed. Unfortunantly there was no room to sit and have a drink, but we were able to walk through the massive hall with the heard of other people...
Planning on going back later on we left, not dissapointed.
With a open air street market to explore, and more churches to be photographed we wandered through the streets, still in awe of the grandor. Walking long distances for longer periods of time has become second nature, well end up walking for three or four hours and not even realize it. Our boots were made for walking... Thank goodness.
Finally feeling a bit thirsty we ducked into a nice looking bar with an open table around 6. Two beers later we heard American accents from a couple tables over- we had to introduce ourselves. We met some great airforce guys with their wives and spent the rest of the evening with them. We'll just say it was a new years to remember, lots of beer, a ton of fireworks and a little bit of drama. God bless lowenbrow beer!
We napped the next morning, and checked out of our hotel as late as possible- our overnight journey to Amsterdam didn't disembark until 10pm. We ended up walking around a bunch more, and found a movie theatre that uses it's old fashioned cinema to show movies all in English! Halallula! We took in a double feature, with 'The Rebound' and a second round of 'Avatar' this time in 3D! So amazing!
Stopping for dinner at the Lowenbrow brewery we were bummed to find a packed house. Fortunantly the resturant manager motioned us over to what appeared to be a community table. We were seated on the inside, with a few older gentlemen already sipping out of their custom beer steins on the other side of the table. Little did we know, these gentlemen, the 'strammfisch' have been coming to this brewery every day for the past who knows how many years. They didn't speak much English, but we were able to converse with 'Charlie' fairly well about our travels as well as his younger days which involved an adventure in Mexico among many others. When we told him that Germany had the best beer, he even insisted on buying our next round! Quite an experience! The food was a little strange (we took a chance with an all german menu and ended up with green pasta with mayo and Alfredo sauce), but the beer and good company made up for it tenfold.
We made our way back to the train station, retrieved our luggage from it's locker and picked up a couple fabulous souviners. Feeling jovial and a bit buzzed we conversed with a few fellow travelers. One in particular was on our tain, he made his distaste for americans known after giving us a couple cans of warm beer and warned of the crazy pickpocketers. His explination of his home city was this: " everyone there is a tourist, or wants to take advantage of the tourists". Thanks for the heads up, guy!
Our compartment was a double bunk with all of two feet of floor space. Super tight, but an experience, to say the least. Something I'll never forget was getting to watch the country side pass by in the dark as the snow slowly littered the ground. Even though I don't tolerate it like a champ, I do love the snow.
The bunks were not too uncomfortable, even still, neither of us slept well, even with the constant rocking of the train. The swaying put me to sleep, but I kept waking up forgetting where I was. Being on the top bunk, I was greatful for the safety net keeping me from falling off.
We were rudely awoken by a very loud alarm as a nice little wake up call. Going back to sleep 'just for 5 more minutes...' only lasted for two due to the loud rapping on our cabin door. The very grumpy stewedars alerted us to the fact that somewhere on the train breakfast was avaliable. She actually came back twice, just shouting 'breakfast' ... I think she either hates her job, or was dealing with a crazy bout of PMS, or both. We used the washbin in the cabin to brush our pearly whites and were ready to hit the streets of Amsterdam!
Sean hit the nail right on the head when he quoted "Amsterdam is europes Vegas". It's dirty, obnoxious and over priced. We were not impressed. Attempting to check into our hotel we were plesantly suprized with a nice, clean lobby. We were offered a check in at noon and the option to leave our luggage there. We accepted both offers.
Not knowing what exactly to do we did what we've learned to do best, walk the streets and soak in the sights. We ended up way on the outskirts of town after a long trolley ride that took us to 'the end of the line' waiting for another driver to finish their smoke break and get off their lazy butts to do their job, we spent 20 minutes standing in the cold. Two trolly changes later we were back at the hotel, well after noon.
Honestly, I'm getting upset just thinking about it, so I'll attempt not to go off on a tangent about our check in process. Recoeving the keys was easy, making it to the 5th floor not so much. Apparently there was a small fire, so the elevators were disabled- no one informed us of this. After waiting for the comotion to die down we took the lift to our room, only to discover we could not reach it from that point. We had to ride the death trap of an elevator back to the reception area to hunt someone down to find out where to go. As we soon found out- there were actually two hotels, joined together. We had to use another elevator to reach 'the newer, 4 star hotel, sir' said the very nice gentleman who could have easily informed us of this SIMPLE fact at the point of check in, or in the 20 minutes we spent waiting in the lobby for the fore alarm to be lifted. 4 stars, my ASS! Expedia, hotwire, and travelocity will all be notified of a fabulous review.
Finding our room was a complete adventure in itself, it was a maze just getting there. The hotels only saving grace were it's amazingly soft matresses accompined by oversized pillows. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I think I logged in a total of about 14 hours of sleep in that bed. No joke.
We went for dinner, then called it a night. Amsterdam just wasn't our scene.
I think I might have found my calling- I'm not gonna lie- I'm pretty good at hand washing clothing. Especially under garments. With half our clothes stolen it's been a bit tight- we pretty much look like we wear the same thing every day. Besides my family, obviously, I miss my bed and my thintwin washing machine the most.
Late check out, we went to our home base, the train station, stashed our luggage- in two lockers this time- and took off... But what to do? The red light district and a coffee shop, of cours! Oh my... There really are ladies wearing next to nothing hanging out in windows... And although not officially legal, weed is everywhere. I swear I could have gotten a contact high just being on the streets!
A little grumpy, and over the city we decided to check out the highly advertised 'neit normal' exibition. Wow... Talk about abstract art on steroids! It was very interesting and a little disturbing at the same time. They had documentary films, photos, abstract pieces of art- and all of it 'with a message against humanity'. Very entertaining.
Argentenian cuisine sounded great for dinner, and it was right across the street from the exibition, even better. An onion hamburger, and chicken salad later we were ready to hit the train station... Again.
So, as we coast along the track for one of the last times we are slowly making our way to The Hook of Holland to board the Stenaline Britanica for our overnight trip to Harwich in the U.K. God willing, and the creek don't rise, well make it. We have a reservation, and a confrimation, but no tickets- and were cutting it close on time. I guess even the most extensive planning isn't always the best plan of action. With a tickle of fear in my tummy that plans will fall through, again, my travel companion is calmly watching a snowboard video on his iTouch. You have to love technology.
With anxiety, and peace,
-Janiece & Sean
Thursday, December 31, 2009
The ultimate selfish act.
I've been at the lowest of lows, thinking things could never get better, and this life isn't worth it. But Then you witness miracles such a a new life being brought into the world, or a babies giggle that is so infectious, no one in a mile radius can resist smiling as well. These every day occurances make any thoughts of taking your own life irrelevant and invalid. Family, friends, ambitions, goals and happy moments make it all worth it. They make waking up in the morning a blessing rather than 'just another day'.
Even having been in that dark place, i'm still unable to fathom what selfish motives someone could have for throwing themselves infront of a high speed train.
Without a scheduled stop on the itenerary our train from Vienna to Munich came to an abrupt stop. After much movement from the crew we were informed that there was an accident on the train, or track and we would be delayed about two hours. Emotions are not effected by the language barrier, we knew something bad had happened- even though there were not many details. My tolerance for high pitched noises is not exactly high- the crew members had opened one of the train doors that sounded the emergency alarm, only in our first class compartment. After about half an hour Sean and I agreed to move to the next cart up where the sound is still audiable, just not at that awful in your face volume. After a message from the conductor in German, the nice gentleman behind us translated. He also conveyed the news of the suspected suicide to us. Were currently waiting for the police and ambulence to arrive.
Update: after waiting for over two hours, were still sitting here. Moved a bit, but then someone pressed the emergency button...? Have a new driver, but I guess the police need to make sure the train is ok. Headed to the nearest station, and might have to switch trains. I pray for the victims soul, and family.
Even having been in that dark place, i'm still unable to fathom what selfish motives someone could have for throwing themselves infront of a high speed train.
Without a scheduled stop on the itenerary our train from Vienna to Munich came to an abrupt stop. After much movement from the crew we were informed that there was an accident on the train, or track and we would be delayed about two hours. Emotions are not effected by the language barrier, we knew something bad had happened- even though there were not many details. My tolerance for high pitched noises is not exactly high- the crew members had opened one of the train doors that sounded the emergency alarm, only in our first class compartment. After about half an hour Sean and I agreed to move to the next cart up where the sound is still audiable, just not at that awful in your face volume. After a message from the conductor in German, the nice gentleman behind us translated. He also conveyed the news of the suspected suicide to us. Were currently waiting for the police and ambulence to arrive.
Update: after waiting for over two hours, were still sitting here. Moved a bit, but then someone pressed the emergency button...? Have a new driver, but I guess the police need to make sure the train is ok. Headed to the nearest station, and might have to switch trains. I pray for the victims soul, and family.
Weiner...
I don't know if I'll be able to ever attend the.movement again, there are no marble statues, or baraque paintings. It's just not up to my standards anymore... Totally kidding. Really, the Catholic church liked to over do it back in the day! Jesus was a big deal- and they couldn't take the chance of anyone being ignorant to the fact. I think they ensured this with the ornate churches constructed back in the day.
Prague was amazing! Beautiful city! We got in a fabulous final morning of extended sight seeing after having a couple days of much needed rest. It was a great couple hours. Lots of walking, lots of pictures taken and so many images soaked into my memory.
We arrived in Vienna safely on the 27th, another three night stay- just enough time to explore the city without getting too comfortable. We attempted to use the public transit to The Marriott Rennisance, but failed due to the fact that I had printed walking directions from the wrong train station! Silly me! One more taxi ride later we were 'home'.
Oh thank goodness for a bed with a pillowtop mattress and fluffy pillows! They even had an indoor pool and spa... Which we never saw, I didn't think we'd need swimsuits in Europe in December...
We settled in and set out for some dinner. Being a Sunday evening, not much was open- we ended up at an Italian resturant near our hotel. We ordered beer, wine (the color of my jacket, not the tablecloth), 2 garken salads (no, I didn't spell it wrong), and a pizza that we knew had cheese on it, but the rest of the contents were unknown. It ended up being a fabulous meal! The salad was actually just a huge plate of sliced cucumbers with a very watered down ranch on it- first time we had ranch in two weeks! I had never had corn on a pizza before, but along with meat, onions and garlic it was pretty darn good! Sometimes ordering the unknown can be a great experience, if not- I've got a stockpile of cliffbars in my backpack.
We woke up at a reasonable hour the next morning and headed into the town center. We probably walked 5 miles that day, at least. Wandering through the streets of downtown we found century old churches next to newer buildings selling high fashion clothing, and men acting like a Grecian statues next to starbucks.
Searching for a resturant in our budget, with food I would eat and in a non smoking environment took a short period of time. We finally walked into a foodcourt type of place, that was three stories under ground! It was simmilar to a souplantation, but classier. You paid after loading up your plate, but before eating. They had a huge salad bar, along with stations with everything from goulash to fillets of fish, ready to be fried to your liking. Different stations had different pricing, not knowing this, Sean loaded up his plate with a smorgashborg of food. The poor gal at the checkout just looked at him like, what the heck am I supposed to charge you for...? She eventually called over a manager. Awesome experience, and some greens were much needed after all the crap I've been eating lately!
We walked off lunch by meandering through the streets, without a map. We had no fear of getting lost, it's just nice to get off the beaten path a bit. Not be such an extreme tourist. I can't even name all the museums and cathedrals we saw. Our pictures will prove we saw too much to remember.
Needing a change of pace we did a bit of research and reserved train tickets for the next day to Semmering, Austria. The nearest ski resort to Vienna.
With an early morning we decided to stat close to the hotel for dinner, there was a bar across the street that caught our attention. Unfortunantly smoking inside is legal in most European countries. My right foot went in the door as the left took two steps back. It was like walking into a Vegas casino times ten due to the cramped space. ( I think I've forgotten to mention I lost my inhaler while throwing my tantrum in Prague...) Thankfully there was a pub on the next corner over, smoke free! We esch had a form of schnitzle accompanied by beer, of course, and called it a night. Awesome day.
We were on sensory overload, and I think stepping into one more ancient church would have done us in. Getting out of the city, and into the mountains was exactly what we needed. The train ride was only an hour and a half, which I slept through, and stopped at the base of the mountain. Following the local snowboarders, who looked like they belonged in California, onto a taxi bus that dropped us off half-way up the mountain, right at the base of the lifts, and in front of a rental shop!
I'm so spoiled! I've only been boarding six times, in six different mountains, in two states, two countries. And I own all my own equipment. Haha. Renting isn't the most pleasant experience, but it did the job.
The resport was small, with mostly man-made snow... Which equals ice, with equals a bruised tush and sore knees. But it was a blast! I am awful! I can baerly even force my body into the correct form. Sean is an awesome teacher though, so I'm picking the sport up slowly, but surely. I do enjoy it. There's just something about how the snow feels under your board as you glide over it. The fear of falling isn't a huge issue in powder considtions, you just get up and dust yourself off. It's exizilerating and freeing. Even if I do suck, I still have a blast.
Not sure when the train went back into the city, we left the mountain when we were both completly exausted (and my knees were compley bruised). Thankfully a train came in the right direction shortly after we arrived at the ghost-like train station. Unsure if it was what we needed, and with a conductor who spoke only German we took a chance. Anyways, a warm train was better than sitting in the cold! Changing trains once, we made it! Problem solved, easy as eating pie.
The concierge at the hotel was amazing! Very helpful and gave us great directions. With a strong reccomendation we headed out to a local micro-brewery. It could be compared to our Karl Strauss. Awesome beer, and Seans spare ribs where served with a heaping portion of potatos on a wooden plate! Fantastic! We started the meal with the most amusing salad, ever. It not only contained sourkraut and corn, but boiled potatos. Odd, but strangly very tasty. I had beer and cheese dunblings with a plate full of 'American dressing' the super watered down ranch again. Stepped out of my food bubble a little, but it was so good! We pretty much had to help carry each other out of the resturant- full of food, and beer.
Got to sleep in this morning which was glorious. Then enjoyed pizza served to us by an old Austrian man wearing leather pants. Totally normal Wednesday morning... At least I think it's Wednesday... That's when you know you're really on vacation!
With love, sore muscles, and a couple extra pounds on our bodies,
- Sean & Jae
Prague was amazing! Beautiful city! We got in a fabulous final morning of extended sight seeing after having a couple days of much needed rest. It was a great couple hours. Lots of walking, lots of pictures taken and so many images soaked into my memory.
We arrived in Vienna safely on the 27th, another three night stay- just enough time to explore the city without getting too comfortable. We attempted to use the public transit to The Marriott Rennisance, but failed due to the fact that I had printed walking directions from the wrong train station! Silly me! One more taxi ride later we were 'home'.
Oh thank goodness for a bed with a pillowtop mattress and fluffy pillows! They even had an indoor pool and spa... Which we never saw, I didn't think we'd need swimsuits in Europe in December...
We settled in and set out for some dinner. Being a Sunday evening, not much was open- we ended up at an Italian resturant near our hotel. We ordered beer, wine (the color of my jacket, not the tablecloth), 2 garken salads (no, I didn't spell it wrong), and a pizza that we knew had cheese on it, but the rest of the contents were unknown. It ended up being a fabulous meal! The salad was actually just a huge plate of sliced cucumbers with a very watered down ranch on it- first time we had ranch in two weeks! I had never had corn on a pizza before, but along with meat, onions and garlic it was pretty darn good! Sometimes ordering the unknown can be a great experience, if not- I've got a stockpile of cliffbars in my backpack.
We woke up at a reasonable hour the next morning and headed into the town center. We probably walked 5 miles that day, at least. Wandering through the streets of downtown we found century old churches next to newer buildings selling high fashion clothing, and men acting like a Grecian statues next to starbucks.
Searching for a resturant in our budget, with food I would eat and in a non smoking environment took a short period of time. We finally walked into a foodcourt type of place, that was three stories under ground! It was simmilar to a souplantation, but classier. You paid after loading up your plate, but before eating. They had a huge salad bar, along with stations with everything from goulash to fillets of fish, ready to be fried to your liking. Different stations had different pricing, not knowing this, Sean loaded up his plate with a smorgashborg of food. The poor gal at the checkout just looked at him like, what the heck am I supposed to charge you for...? She eventually called over a manager. Awesome experience, and some greens were much needed after all the crap I've been eating lately!
We walked off lunch by meandering through the streets, without a map. We had no fear of getting lost, it's just nice to get off the beaten path a bit. Not be such an extreme tourist. I can't even name all the museums and cathedrals we saw. Our pictures will prove we saw too much to remember.
Needing a change of pace we did a bit of research and reserved train tickets for the next day to Semmering, Austria. The nearest ski resort to Vienna.
With an early morning we decided to stat close to the hotel for dinner, there was a bar across the street that caught our attention. Unfortunantly smoking inside is legal in most European countries. My right foot went in the door as the left took two steps back. It was like walking into a Vegas casino times ten due to the cramped space. ( I think I've forgotten to mention I lost my inhaler while throwing my tantrum in Prague...) Thankfully there was a pub on the next corner over, smoke free! We esch had a form of schnitzle accompanied by beer, of course, and called it a night. Awesome day.
We were on sensory overload, and I think stepping into one more ancient church would have done us in. Getting out of the city, and into the mountains was exactly what we needed. The train ride was only an hour and a half, which I slept through, and stopped at the base of the mountain. Following the local snowboarders, who looked like they belonged in California, onto a taxi bus that dropped us off half-way up the mountain, right at the base of the lifts, and in front of a rental shop!
I'm so spoiled! I've only been boarding six times, in six different mountains, in two states, two countries. And I own all my own equipment. Haha. Renting isn't the most pleasant experience, but it did the job.
The resport was small, with mostly man-made snow... Which equals ice, with equals a bruised tush and sore knees. But it was a blast! I am awful! I can baerly even force my body into the correct form. Sean is an awesome teacher though, so I'm picking the sport up slowly, but surely. I do enjoy it. There's just something about how the snow feels under your board as you glide over it. The fear of falling isn't a huge issue in powder considtions, you just get up and dust yourself off. It's exizilerating and freeing. Even if I do suck, I still have a blast.
Not sure when the train went back into the city, we left the mountain when we were both completly exausted (and my knees were compley bruised). Thankfully a train came in the right direction shortly after we arrived at the ghost-like train station. Unsure if it was what we needed, and with a conductor who spoke only German we took a chance. Anyways, a warm train was better than sitting in the cold! Changing trains once, we made it! Problem solved, easy as eating pie.
The concierge at the hotel was amazing! Very helpful and gave us great directions. With a strong reccomendation we headed out to a local micro-brewery. It could be compared to our Karl Strauss. Awesome beer, and Seans spare ribs where served with a heaping portion of potatos on a wooden plate! Fantastic! We started the meal with the most amusing salad, ever. It not only contained sourkraut and corn, but boiled potatos. Odd, but strangly very tasty. I had beer and cheese dunblings with a plate full of 'American dressing' the super watered down ranch again. Stepped out of my food bubble a little, but it was so good! We pretty much had to help carry each other out of the resturant- full of food, and beer.
Got to sleep in this morning which was glorious. Then enjoyed pizza served to us by an old Austrian man wearing leather pants. Totally normal Wednesday morning... At least I think it's Wednesday... That's when you know you're really on vacation!
With love, sore muscles, and a couple extra pounds on our bodies,
- Sean & Jae
Guilty as charged; American.
As I lay my head to sleep....
This is honestly the furthest away from home I have ever been. I currently staying at the Rennisance Marriott, Vienna, Austria.
As I watch the movie, 'The Village' on one of the only English speaking channels, I can't help but feel like I was held in a bubble simillar to Ivy's. I know my Christian faith, but accept no others as valid reasoning. My English language should be spoken throughout the globe, and my superiority should be recognized by all others. Wow. Such an American standardized way of thinking.
The subtitless are in a language that looks to be a form or Arabic, this in itself coupled with the recent attempted attack on my American soil gives me the feeling of the right to be an American and feel better than anyone who understands these foreign words. Just my birth in my home country gives me the right to speak my mind, be an independent female and do as I please, and to perdue a future as I see fit for myself. These so-called rights are coupled with such a jaded perspective on our surrounding world. A jaded perspective that so many of us 'Independent Spirits' see as a privlage to be born into, and not earned.
To say I'm a little bit jaded is an understatementd. My parents were by no means 'well off' while I was growing up, but I always had a full tummy, a roof over my head and clean clothes. I was raised with strong morals, deeply rooted in my mothers steadfast faith and my fathers strength. We were taught to give, and never judge. Enjoy life without going overboard. Explore our world using all senses, and never be scared to ask questions or turn the most simplistic outting or item into a learning experience.
I find it hard as a young adult, as I attempt to navigate my own path and define my personality as an individual to hold true to these believes that have been instilled deep within me. As I wander the dreary and dank streets of Prague, or Paris, I cannot help to feel that American superority that is so sterotypical of our peers. That because I speak English and come from a country that stands for democracy, I am better than those who walk and live these streets. The bums who sleep on the streets of San Diego are better than those kneeling in front of the national monuments near the great church of Notre Dame, or the Chatles bridge. What in the world is wrong with me?
Laying here, on the other side of the globe, for the first time in my existance is helping to pull me back to the ground. I'm travelling the world, a dream I've had since I was a little girl. I should not only be greatfull for the opportunity, but also be thankful for the many people who speak 'a little bit of English' rather than expecting them to be fluent. I can not be upset when there are no onion rings on the menu to satisfy my craving. These desires are minute when you compare them to the 'big picture'.
We come from a culture of want, need, and instant gratification. I've always prided myself on being able to know the difference between want and need... I feel that every day away from home and each step further outside my comfort zone that line gets fuzzier and less defined. I think this little adventure of ours is opening my eyes to more things than the amazing sights we've seen and experienced.
As in previous year, in a completly different time in my life I experienced the thrill and wonder of this brillant movie for the first time , never knowing what was really around the corner. I feel as if I'm experiencing the world, my world, for the first time. I may only be a legal citizen of America, yet I am a child of the globe. I have the right and privlage to explore each nook and cranny each city has to offer. This all thanks to that wonderful word we take so much for granted... FREEDOM.
This is not my country, or continent, it's time to set aside my American arrogance and be a true visitor of the awesome cultural experiences I have the honor of being a part of.
This is honestly the furthest away from home I have ever been. I currently staying at the Rennisance Marriott, Vienna, Austria.
As I watch the movie, 'The Village' on one of the only English speaking channels, I can't help but feel like I was held in a bubble simillar to Ivy's. I know my Christian faith, but accept no others as valid reasoning. My English language should be spoken throughout the globe, and my superiority should be recognized by all others. Wow. Such an American standardized way of thinking.
The subtitless are in a language that looks to be a form or Arabic, this in itself coupled with the recent attempted attack on my American soil gives me the feeling of the right to be an American and feel better than anyone who understands these foreign words. Just my birth in my home country gives me the right to speak my mind, be an independent female and do as I please, and to perdue a future as I see fit for myself. These so-called rights are coupled with such a jaded perspective on our surrounding world. A jaded perspective that so many of us 'Independent Spirits' see as a privlage to be born into, and not earned.
To say I'm a little bit jaded is an understatementd. My parents were by no means 'well off' while I was growing up, but I always had a full tummy, a roof over my head and clean clothes. I was raised with strong morals, deeply rooted in my mothers steadfast faith and my fathers strength. We were taught to give, and never judge. Enjoy life without going overboard. Explore our world using all senses, and never be scared to ask questions or turn the most simplistic outting or item into a learning experience.
I find it hard as a young adult, as I attempt to navigate my own path and define my personality as an individual to hold true to these believes that have been instilled deep within me. As I wander the dreary and dank streets of Prague, or Paris, I cannot help to feel that American superority that is so sterotypical of our peers. That because I speak English and come from a country that stands for democracy, I am better than those who walk and live these streets. The bums who sleep on the streets of San Diego are better than those kneeling in front of the national monuments near the great church of Notre Dame, or the Chatles bridge. What in the world is wrong with me?
Laying here, on the other side of the globe, for the first time in my existance is helping to pull me back to the ground. I'm travelling the world, a dream I've had since I was a little girl. I should not only be greatfull for the opportunity, but also be thankful for the many people who speak 'a little bit of English' rather than expecting them to be fluent. I can not be upset when there are no onion rings on the menu to satisfy my craving. These desires are minute when you compare them to the 'big picture'.
We come from a culture of want, need, and instant gratification. I've always prided myself on being able to know the difference between want and need... I feel that every day away from home and each step further outside my comfort zone that line gets fuzzier and less defined. I think this little adventure of ours is opening my eyes to more things than the amazing sights we've seen and experienced.
As in previous year, in a completly different time in my life I experienced the thrill and wonder of this brillant movie for the first time , never knowing what was really around the corner. I feel as if I'm experiencing the world, my world, for the first time. I may only be a legal citizen of America, yet I am a child of the globe. I have the right and privlage to explore each nook and cranny each city has to offer. This all thanks to that wonderful word we take so much for granted... FREEDOM.
This is not my country, or continent, it's time to set aside my American arrogance and be a true visitor of the awesome cultural experiences I have the honor of being a part of.
Vienna, or bust...
I'm spoiled.
I don't like laundry-mats.
I don't like 2nd class. At least not on the train!
Were currently en route to Vienna, Austria! Prague was amazing! I can say I'm completly satisfied with our visit to the 6th most visited city in the world!
Some highlights:
Got some much needed R&R.
We got completly ripped off by a taxi drive- very common in these parts.
Drank local beer and dined on their fine cuisine.
Explored the streets on foot, and mastered the underground metro system.
Experienced and explored the largest castle in the world.
Stayed in two seperate hotels.
Took a million pictures.
Shared Christmas eve with a lovely American couple, and some green fairies.
Almost got kicked out of a laundrymat.
Washed a pair of jeans and three scarves by hand.
Bought volcom jeans in a board shop where American rap was playing over the radio.
Walked over / an UNISCO World Heritage site (Charles Bridge).
It was a Christmas I'll never forget, that's for sure!
I don't like laundry-mats.
I don't like 2nd class. At least not on the train!
Were currently en route to Vienna, Austria! Prague was amazing! I can say I'm completly satisfied with our visit to the 6th most visited city in the world!
Some highlights:
Got some much needed R&R.
We got completly ripped off by a taxi drive- very common in these parts.
Drank local beer and dined on their fine cuisine.
Explored the streets on foot, and mastered the underground metro system.
Experienced and explored the largest castle in the world.
Stayed in two seperate hotels.
Took a million pictures.
Shared Christmas eve with a lovely American couple, and some green fairies.
Almost got kicked out of a laundrymat.
Washed a pair of jeans and three scarves by hand.
Bought volcom jeans in a board shop where American rap was playing over the radio.
Walked over / an UNISCO World Heritage site (Charles Bridge).
It was a Christmas I'll never forget, that's for sure!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Merry Christmas Eve / Day from Prague!
Merry Christmas eve! It's 5:30 our time so everyone is probably just getting up and starting their days. I won't lie- I'm so ok with not working today. I remember last year I almost had a meltdown!
Were safely in Prague, known for their beer and shady, overpriced taxi drivers. Having yet to experience the beer, we learned the hard way about the taxi fare. You live and you learn.
Our hotel last night was nice, and cheap. Breakfast was included in the rate, trying to make up for the splurge on transportation we ate till we couldn't take another bite. Just being economical!
After packing our bags up (which weve actually gotten really good at...) we headed out from Hotel Seven Days where we booked that day to find our next 'home'. It was actually only a few blocks away, an easy walk. Hotel Rafello is where we will rest our heads for the next three nights here in Prague. It's nice to know packing everything up again tomorrow isn't an issue.
Prague is full of one way streets, so taking a cab, or driving somewhere can take forever, but on foot were pretty close to all the main sights. We've been doing a lot of walking so far, which is great since running in cold weather isn't exactly my idea of a jolly good time.
With all the stress of traveling a day of rest was exactly what we needed. Napping is one of my not-so-secret pleasures so it was glorious to be able to indulge without worrying about a train to catch, or sights to see.
Finally hungry after our gigantic breakfast we made our way to the 'beer factory'. Sean read about it on google before we came- it's a bar where each table has it's own tap of draught beer. You pour your own beverages, and the meter on the spout keeps a running total of how much you've drank. Genius. Only downfall, it was more of a club, less resturant- only thing on the menu was the Christmas special, carp and fish soup... No thank you.
Still needing sustenance we moved on to a small resturant down the street. They had typical bar style tables- but must have had giants in mind when designing the height... I literally had to hop up to reach the seat. Quite comical.
To our complete delight the gal sitting at the next table over commented on how ridiculous the barstools were... In an American accent! She and her husband are traveling a similar journey to ours and had been in Prague a few nights already. We hit it off instantly! Great people from lousiamna, young and fun.
They had plans to meet in the main square with a couple from holland they had met the night before, we couldn't resist an invitation. The square was decked out to the nines in Christmas lights. An amazing tree stood in the center, outlined in the background by gothic stlye churches. Walt Disney himself couldn't have designed anything better.
Not ready to call it a night, our new friends decided to find a bar. We stumbled (literally) into one of the smokiest, hole in the wall places you could imagine. It was classic.
Two beers turned into twenty... Add a shot of abstnth, and you have one very drunk, very unreasonable Janiece. There's a reason why the stuff is illegal in the USA. It's all a bit comical after the fact... Apparently I threw a temper tantrum in the street... While it was raining... We got lost trying to make it back to the hotel and thought my passport had gone missing. Wow. Not exactly my most dignified moment... Bruised and missing some of my self respect the inevitable scar on my left palm from a deep gash only God knows how I acquired will remind me next time of the possible consequences of not knowing your limits.t
I thank God for my patient and understanding travel compainion. He is more of a Saint than he will admit. I love him dearly and feel very blessed to have him in my life.
Slept in and had a relaxing Christmas Day. Topped it off with a showing of Avatar (in English, Czech subtitles). And dinner on the walk home at McDonalds. Overall a very interesting Christmas. One for the books, to be sure.
So as our Christmas day is ending, you're all preparing for lunch / dinner.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Were safely in Prague, known for their beer and shady, overpriced taxi drivers. Having yet to experience the beer, we learned the hard way about the taxi fare. You live and you learn.
Our hotel last night was nice, and cheap. Breakfast was included in the rate, trying to make up for the splurge on transportation we ate till we couldn't take another bite. Just being economical!
After packing our bags up (which weve actually gotten really good at...) we headed out from Hotel Seven Days where we booked that day to find our next 'home'. It was actually only a few blocks away, an easy walk. Hotel Rafello is where we will rest our heads for the next three nights here in Prague. It's nice to know packing everything up again tomorrow isn't an issue.
Prague is full of one way streets, so taking a cab, or driving somewhere can take forever, but on foot were pretty close to all the main sights. We've been doing a lot of walking so far, which is great since running in cold weather isn't exactly my idea of a jolly good time.
With all the stress of traveling a day of rest was exactly what we needed. Napping is one of my not-so-secret pleasures so it was glorious to be able to indulge without worrying about a train to catch, or sights to see.
Finally hungry after our gigantic breakfast we made our way to the 'beer factory'. Sean read about it on google before we came- it's a bar where each table has it's own tap of draught beer. You pour your own beverages, and the meter on the spout keeps a running total of how much you've drank. Genius. Only downfall, it was more of a club, less resturant- only thing on the menu was the Christmas special, carp and fish soup... No thank you.
Still needing sustenance we moved on to a small resturant down the street. They had typical bar style tables- but must have had giants in mind when designing the height... I literally had to hop up to reach the seat. Quite comical.
To our complete delight the gal sitting at the next table over commented on how ridiculous the barstools were... In an American accent! She and her husband are traveling a similar journey to ours and had been in Prague a few nights already. We hit it off instantly! Great people from lousiamna, young and fun.
They had plans to meet in the main square with a couple from holland they had met the night before, we couldn't resist an invitation. The square was decked out to the nines in Christmas lights. An amazing tree stood in the center, outlined in the background by gothic stlye churches. Walt Disney himself couldn't have designed anything better.
Not ready to call it a night, our new friends decided to find a bar. We stumbled (literally) into one of the smokiest, hole in the wall places you could imagine. It was classic.
Two beers turned into twenty... Add a shot of abstnth, and you have one very drunk, very unreasonable Janiece. There's a reason why the stuff is illegal in the USA. It's all a bit comical after the fact... Apparently I threw a temper tantrum in the street... While it was raining... We got lost trying to make it back to the hotel and thought my passport had gone missing. Wow. Not exactly my most dignified moment... Bruised and missing some of my self respect the inevitable scar on my left palm from a deep gash only God knows how I acquired will remind me next time of the possible consequences of not knowing your limits.t
I thank God for my patient and understanding travel compainion. He is more of a Saint than he will admit. I love him dearly and feel very blessed to have him in my life.
Slept in and had a relaxing Christmas Day. Topped it off with a showing of Avatar (in English, Czech subtitles). And dinner on the walk home at McDonalds. Overall a very interesting Christmas. One for the books, to be sure.
So as our Christmas day is ending, you're all preparing for lunch / dinner.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
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