Frankfurts in Frankfurt!

25-27 August 2006:

I cannot believe this is my last weekend in Europe! The trip of a lifetime is winding down. Honestly, I am tired. I am sad to have to get back to the real world and the tedium that it is, but I am welcoming not having to change locations every two days, not having to worry about pickpockets, knowing that I can have clean laundry whenever I need it, and not carrying my passport everywhere. Clean beds, healthy food, normal life...it has its appeal!

I am in Frankfurt, the Manhattan of Germany. It is, actually, a very beautiful city! It does not have the "big city" feel that I thought it would. There is a beautiful old part of town. The sad thing is it was leveled during WWII and everything has been rebuilt. So, while the buildings are beautiful, there isn’t the "old world" feel that there normally is in Europe.

I arrived on Friday after an uneventful train ride from Paris. I met up with my Danish friend, Kristian, at the train station. He’s a good travel companion...does all the leg work like booking hostels, figuring out the in-city transportation, and speaking German...because I sure don’t!

Saturday, we went to Mainz, a small town outside of Frankfurt with the intent of taking a Rhine River cruise...but we didn’t make it in time :( I really had hoped to go on one! But, the weather was questionable...half rainy/half sunny anyway. We just walked around, saw a beautiful church with stained glass done by Chagall, the artist and saw a "Scottish" wedding leaving the church. It was kinda strange...almost like one of those medieval dress-up weddings. There weren’t many guests, but those that were there were dressed up in renaissance dress and the guys were all wearing kilts. Strange. It was a nice, relaxing day, though.

Today, I ate a real Frankfurter in Frankfurt. It’s the little things, like real Danish in Denmark, real Swedish fish in Sweden, real Weiner Schnitzel in Wein (Vienna) and now, a Frankfurter in Frankfurt. Too bad I didn’t eat a hamburger in Hamburg.

Tomorrow I head out. I want to go to Köln and see the cathedral there. It is supposed to be incredible! And then on to Brussels. I will be in Belgium for 2 days, then head to London for an evening and fly out on Thursday.

I cannot believe how fast it goes. If I don’t post until I come home, I apologize. But, I appreciate all you that have followed along on my little journey and I promise to put some good photos with some excellent captions in soon after I get home!!

Perhaps my next post will be from the States!

Crazy French Keyboards!

22-24 August 2006:

Oi! Oi! I left the Eternal City (Rome) and am now in the City of Lights (Paris) enjoying more pastries than a girl of my size should. As far as I am concerned, the French can keep their language, their pride, and their courtesy (or lack thereof) but they gotta share their pastries! For all of you who have ever studied for a graduate school exam, you may recognize one of these: France is to Pastries as Italy is to Gelato.

Enough said.

All right, I will elaborate a bit. In Italy I had the poor habit of eating gelato 2 or 3 times a day (I blame it entirely on my Italian teacher who told us that when she is there, she does not waste her money on pasta and pizza. Rather, she lives on gelato and espresso!). Well, I have tried their ice cream here (even the city's best ice cream) and it doesn't even come close to comparison. My friend, Jen, told me to think of them as two different foods...which is true, cuz they are VERY different (gelato is SO much better). HOWEVER, the pastries are AMAZING! Let's just say I ate a lot of them today...and leave it at that.

Paris is beautiful and not terribly relaxing. It is my own fault, though. I have one short day left here and only allowing for 2.5 days in Paris is my own folly.

My hostel is in the heart of the Parisian red light district...so, if I ever feel the need to step out for a peep show or run down the street to the sex shop, it's nice to know I don't have to go far. Actually, it is quite repulsive. I haven't even *seen* anything, but just knowing what goes on behind those neon-lit exteriors is enough to make my stomach turn. However, my hostel is nice and quiet and clean. I can't ask for much more than that.

The Louvre was overwhelmingly AMAZING!!! I wish I had days to be there...preferably days that are not in the month of August (there are SO many tourists...and yes, I know I am contributing to the chaos). I did a speedy self-tour and saw the biggies. I booked through MANY rooms just looking for things I recognized. It was a pitiful way to see the most amazing art museum in the world. Being somewhat of an art zealot/pilgrim, the pilgrimage I made seems slightly blasphemous...considering how quickly I did it.

I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The view was all right...pretty hazy. I can only imagine that after the rain it is incredible. But 11 euros to do it! Ouch!

I was exhausted today, so I rested a little on the lawn under the Tower...dozed a bit and read a book. I REALLY needed that! If I had more time, I would spend days people-watching, lounging, and reading Jane Austen (Mansfield Park) in Paris.

So, Paris has been nice. Nothing too exciting to report. But, I can barely write anymore because this keyboard configuration is so bizarre!

Au revoir!

Back in Rome...

19-21 August 2006:

I am back in Rome. It was not hard to leave Venice, as in love as I am with it. It is a great place to visit, but so small...and today was not the best weather...kinda overcast and rainy. So, riding the train away, I felt satisfied. I could go back, happily, and not feel like I've seen everything.

Last night I met Adam and Ocn. Adam is from the States and Ocn is Australian. She has as much of a gelato obsession as I did. She told me that she found a great gelato place with really exotic flavors and we decided to go for breakfast this morning. So, at 8:30 we headed out, only to be disappointed. It was closed! So, we ate the traditional backpacker breakfast instead: bread and Nutella. It was peaceful, in the little plaza we were sitting in.

I got to the train station and on my train, no problem. I may finally be getting the hang of these trains. Good thing.

Uneventful train ride to Rome. I went to the Galleria Borghese to make reservations. However, I lucked out, and got the last entry of the day! Talk about AMAZING! That visit made coming back to Rome worth it. I loved it! There were amazing statues by Bernini and a fabulous exhibit on Raphael. Talk about awesome!! So, the complete art nerd that I am, I loved it!

I even felt pretty cool when I caught a bus that went directly to my hostel (I remembered it from the last time I was here). Cool!

Ok...gotta jet!

I am in love...

It is true. I have fallen in love. I didn't plan for it to happen (you never do). It just hit me like a ton of bricks. I have fell in love in Europe!! Great!! What to do?? There is no way to deal with these things across an ocean!!

So, yesterday, I stepped off the train and saw my new love: VENICE!!! Talk about THE most beautiful city I have been to. I loved Stockholm and it has its own beauty...but Venice has the romance...the mystery...the secrets. It has a feel to it, so old and so alive! I know, I know...I am starting to sound like a tour guide for Venice (actually, I just copied that all out of my guide book....JUST KIDDING!).

Ok...I called my parents yesterday and my Dad said that Oslo was my last update! Yikes! I am sorry! Here is the brief rundown:

From Oslo I caught a plane to Hamburg, Germany. It was really frustrating not being able to speak the language, read the signs, etc. German sounds so harsh. I was thinking that German should be my next foreign language...very useful, but...I just don't love it like I do Italian!!

In Hamburg I relaxed with my friend, Kristian. It was great to relax. We saw went to the art museum, the Japanese gardens, a church, walked around downtown, ate too much Italian food (in Germany, go figure!), and kebabs (these amazing pita sandwiches with shaved meat in them...they're amazing!! The best fast food I've had! I am definitely going to start a kebab stand when I get home!).

From Hamburg, I spent 3 wonderful days in Vienna with my friend, Dan. We saw tons...which I will update on soon. I have to get going.

I went from Vienna to Venice and am now in love. I am going to meet up with two Canadian girls I met on the train...and that is in 30 minutes.

More adventures coming!

Norway in a Nutshell

Hey all! So, it's been a while since I've posted...and once again, I can't upload pictures. No worries, you're all invited to view my slide show when I get home...I only have 2000+ pictures right now...and there are still 3 weeks of vacation left!

So, let me update you a bit on what's been happening the past week. I am feeling much better. The strep throat left the next day, Monday. I feel blessed! I really do. I headed downtown...which had me a little concerned, since I'd never really wandered downtown alone. Oslo is a beautiful city! I was a little sad that i had such a short time to explore it!

I took a busboat to the peninsula Bygdøy. There are a few museums there that I wanted visit. I went to the Norwegian folk museum first. It was very quiet and sleepy...it's like a recreation of old Norwegian life. There are little houses and demonstrations...much like Old Nauvoo if you've ever visited. There are people in costume doing typical tasks of old Norwegian life. I participated in some folk dancing and singing. One guy was being lame about not wanting to participate and used the excuse, "I can't dance in flip flops" and I held out my flip-flopped foot and said, "Now that's a poor excuse, because I am!" Haha...he came and danced!

While I was resting outside one of the buildings, enjoying the summer heat and sunshine (an unusually warm and sunny summer for Norway), a girl came by and asked if she could sit by me. Her name is Femmy and she's from Holland. We walked around together and ended up spending the rest of the day together. She's 26 and just traveling Norway on her own as long as she feels like she wants to. It was great! She was so cool! We were laughing the whole day!!

We visited the Kon-Tiki Museum that documents the journeys of a Norwegian explorer who made several trips across large bodies of water (seas and oceans) on reed rafts. It was pretty awesome...I enjoyed it because there was a whole section dedicated to his exploration in the 1950's to Easter Island. Because of my time in Chile, I have a bit of a love of Easter Island.

We walked around town, toward the less expensive, ethnic area and got chicken tikka masala at an indian restaraunt. We talked about life, boys, jobs, family, everything...she was AWESOME! I really want to keep in touch with her!

I arrived at the apartment and talked with some of the kids hanging out there, packed up and got to bed a little after midnight...only to get up about 4.5 hours later to catch my early morning train from Oslo to Bergen. I got a ticket for one of the most scenic train rides in the world...and promised everyone that I wouldn't sleep on the train :)

Tuesday, I did "Norway in a Nutshell" which is this great train tour. I took the train from Oslo to Myrdal which is absolutely gorgeous! I met a really nice kid named Paul. We talked for 5 hours about life, love, politics, and school. He was only 21, but quite wise for his age. From Myrdal, I got on another train line and went to Flåm...you'll just have to see the photos. It's AMAZING!! I was kinda ticked because of all the tour groups that "reserved" cars even though there was a sign that said no seats were reserved. People kept kicking me out of seats (I should have been a brat and pretended to not understand them and rattle off something in Spanish). Eventually a nice couple from Brazil let me sit by them. We chatted a bit, me in Spanish, them in Portuguese.

From Flåm, we took a boat to Gudvagan (I think that's what it's called) and then a bus to Voss...and a train from Voss to Bergen. I met a really nice American girl from CA named Laura. We talked the entire train ride from Voss to Bergen and then grabbed dinner together. She was hilarious! I think we became fast friends as soon as she told me I looked like a homeless baboushka. Yeah...my style these days is non-existent. :)

While eating dinner, we noticed people across the park dancing and playing country music. So, we walked that way and there was this small group of people with a DJ dancing a funky swing style. I really wanted to dance, so when the guy came around passing out fliers, I asked him about it and then blurted, "Can I dance with you?" He put the fliers down, and there I was, in Bergen, Norway, dancing this funky Norwegian swing with a random Norwegian guy! Cool! Laura got it on video for me, so hopefully I'll have that if I hear from her again!

I went to the apartment of Lisbet and Nina. Camilla, a girl at Anne's apartment in Oslo, is from Bergen and called her friend, Nina, to see if I could sleep on their couch for a day or two. They were so nice! They're sisters...in their 30s. We sat up and talked until late...it was just like being with my sisters! They were great!

Wednesday morning I was supposed to meet Laura...but it didn't happen. I hope she's all right. I haven't heard from her at all. So, I spent the day on my own. It was rainy in Bergen (rains 280 days out of the year). I went to the Stave Church, an old church made of wood...it's the type of churches they built in Norway back in medieval times. It was so small and cozy. The ticket man knew so much about it, too, and explained some of the wood carvings and beliefs of the early Christians at that time.

I walked down by the fish market, saw whale meat (didn't get to try it, though!) and other amazing seafood. I walked Brygget (I think that's what it's called). They are these old buildingson the harbor that were built in the 1400's or 1500's and have survived but are getting more and more crooked as their foundations sink. They're pretty and very "Bergen." I hiked Mount Fløyen instead of taking the tram. It took me about an hour...and view was beautiful. The rain had quit, the sun was peaking through...it was nice. It would have been more fun to hang out with Laura, but sometimes things just don't work out.

It started to rain again...I'd bought an umbrella the day before as my souvenir from Bergen. I grabbed a sandwich for dinner and headed back to the apartment. Lisbet and Nina helped me do laundry (yahoo! Clean laundry!) and I talked with them until late that night.

I got up and gathered my clean laundry and headed to town. I had a ticket on a boat to go from Bergen to Stavanger at 10 a.m. It was a highspeed boat...which means you didn't spend much time on the deck. It was very loud and cold and windy! The fjords are beautiful, but 5 hours on the boat, I did eventually get tired of looking out the window and took a nap instead. The route leads to open waters (the ocean) and it got quite choppy. I don't get seasick, but I was close. I headed to the deck and sat there, in the cold and rain, talking to Jack, a 13 year old kid from Denver. He was a really neat kid, travelling with his grandma and sister. We chatted for about an hour and then headed back to our seats. He reminded me a lot of Eric, in a way. :)

I arrived in Stavanger, kinda rainy and overcast. I didn't know where to go, so I wandered a bit until I found the tourist information. I'd gone to Stavanger to do this incredible hike to a place called "Preacher's Stool." My guide book, however, was not very helpful. It said the hike would take 2-3 hours, so I thought I could do it that day and catch the night train to Oslo. Well, what the book didn't say is that it takes about 2 hours just to get to the hike and 2 hours to get back. I had a major scheduling problem, then...because I wouldn't be able to do the hike and catch a train back to Oslo in time to catch my flight out of Norway to Germany. I was bummed. It was quite an expensive detour!! But, Stavanger was a nice town and I had some friends there who met me for dinner. I met up with Bjarte, Moses, and Lathan...we ate kebabs and Moses and Bjarte walked me around the city, down by the harbor, and old Stavanger. It was a nice evening and they were sweet to hang out wiht me until my train left at 10:30.

Remember how much I adore the night train? That's only if you get a bed! It would have cost me over $100 to get a bed on the night train, so I opted, for experience sake, to sit up the whole night. AWFUL! I barely slept...and am paying for it now. The train stops all the time, my seat didn't recline, and every time the person next to you moves, you jolt awake. I'm glad I've experienced it so I never have to again now!

I have been trying to figure out what to do today in Oslo until my plane leaves. It was rainy this morning, but the clouds have cleared and the sun is shining. I am going to head to the art museum and then the airport to arrive in Hamburg, Germany tonight! It's strange to be leaving Scandinavia! I've been here for 3 weeks! And I haven't had to stay in a single hostel!! I've just met awesome people who are willing to help me out! Being in Scandinavia is like being at a supermodel convention, but people are so nice! [The photo REALLY was taken in Oslo. While I was sitting in the main square, I think they were shooting for America's Next Top Model or maybe an European version. Whatever it was, they were hilarious to watch. I was sitting next to two British girls and we mocked and joked about it for a good 20 minutes. It was great fun...and got even better when a MAN came out to show these amateurs how to walk on the catwalk. Wow.]

So, it's back to the continent tonight!

13%

My friend, Jen, had a link on her blog to this map site that let's you track where you've been. I thought, "Great idea! Now that I'm really starting to see Europe, I'll be able to brag, visually, about all I've seen!" Haha...not really. According to the map, I've only visited 13% of Europe...and, for the record, I've only seen 4% of the entire world. 4% by age 25...how am I ever going to see it all before I die?!



create your personalized map of europe

Strep throat!

All right! I get it! Obviously my body is trying to tell me to slow down because it's rebelling by not fighting this nasty case of strep throat that has attacked me!

As you might have read, the whole world kept rocking for me yesterday...and not in a "rock my world" sort of way. More of a "if this doesn't stop soon, I'm gonna pass out" way. I turned in pretty early, chills and hot flashes racking my fevered body.

I woke up before anyone in the apartment was up this morning, wanting to go back to sleep, but not being able to. It hurt so bad to swallow and I had the distinct feeling that I may be battling strep. I grabbed my flashlight, took a peek at my throat in the mirror...and what to my wondering eyes should appear? But little white patches all over my throat and swollen tonsils. Gross!

I painfully choked down breakfast and my antibiotics and tried to rest some more. My head, neck, and shoulders were tight and sore. I got ready and, semi-deliriously, shuffled my heels to church.

I couldn't concentrate in the classes because it was so hot, my head hurt, and I just wanted to lie down. I ended up waiting in the foyer until church was over.

I am feeling much better...my fever is gone and the world has stopped teetering back and forth. I think I will take a nap, though, and try to convince my body that I really am taking care of it and it can go back to fighting off bacterial infections!

Good morning, Oslo!

Ahhhh!! The night train...one of my favorite inventions! Not only that, but the beds on the night train! You want to be rocked to sleep like a baby, take the train! I refuse to sleep sitting up which means I pay a little more for a bed. That's fine by me. The compartment I was in last night not only had a bed, but had access to a shower! Score! One thing I've learned as a backpacker is that you take advantage of the situtation RIGHT then! Don't sit and think about it...or the opportunity may have already passed you by.

I didn't hesitate to take a shower...you never know when you'll find the next one. I couldn't help but fret, a little, about the potential of the train jerking to one side and my naked body flying out the door into the hallway. Haha...good thing there are strong locks on the doors!

I stayed in a cabin with 2 other female travelers: Li Ping, a Chinese woman from Switzerland, and Christine, a 19 year old finishing her month long Europe stint. We got into Oslo at 8 a.m. I felt like a million bucks! Clean, ready for the day, a full night's sleep behind me. Ahhh! I sat in the station for a little while, reading my guide book about Oslo, trying to get my bearings...waiting until it was a little later so I could call Anne, my contact here in Oslo. Chris and Katarina, the couple I stayed with in Stockholm, hooked me up with Anne...a single girl who is so sweet! She came to the train station in her cute Peugot convertible and drove me, a complete stranger, to her apartment. She's moving to a new place and will stay there while I occupy her bed! She's amazingly nice!

She and some friends were going to go boating on the fjords around Oslo and they invited me along. Again, another split second decision: go to a museum by yourself, or go boating with 10 other Norwegians?! Easy! I grabbed my swimsuit and headed out the door with them!

I may start to sound redundant, but I met so many nice people today! Everyone on the boat was really cool! It was quite funny to see all of us, 11 in total, crowded onto every flat surface of this small boat. We putted out to a calm area and went swimming! I swam in the fjords of Norway! Check that one off the list of things to do before I die!

I got toasted a bit...it was warm and so deliciously summer outside! We all had a great time! I even tried a traditional Norwegian boating sandwich. Strange but true. They eat them open-faced...so I had a piece of bread, topped with mayo and shrimp that had been freshly caught (not by us), boiled in seawater, shelled and plopped on the sandwich! I can't remember the name of the sandwich in Norwegian...and it really just tasted like a lot of mayo, but hey...it's all part of the experience!

We got back to the apartment and Anne and Tone, the girls I went with, got ready for a wedding reception. I showered and walked down to the Vigelandsparken. It's a park near the apartment that is covered in statues by a Norwegian man named Vigeland. They are all men, women, and children, in the buff, in strange positions. No, it's not a sculpted karma sutra park...they're just in everyday poses...naked. There's one piece called the Monolith which is probably 30 or 40 feet high...naked body wrapped and tangled around naked body. It's pretty amazing. AND, unfortunately, I can't get this computer to upload my pictures! Again, sorry!

I sat down a bit, my head dizzy, the world rocking, my stomach rumbling. It was time to go. I hope it's just dehydration from the boat today. I bought some chicken curry on the way home and am here at the apartment, ready to crash into bed.

Tomorrow will be good...hopefully somewhat relaxing. I would like to go to the art museum tomorrow...maybe another museum, if there's time. I met Camilla, a girl who is staying at the apartment as a visitor as well...and she mentioned going to some island nearby on Monday morning. So, I may be doing that! I don't know how I'll find time for everything here in Norway! So much to do, so little time! It's been great, though! I just hope I can get the floor to stop rocking.

Chillin´in Copenhagen

Well...this trip has turned out MUCH differently than I planned. First thing I would change: Get a Eurail pass with unlimited train rides instead of the 10-day Flexipass. It´s not really flexible at all. It feels a bit binding, since I don´t have the liberty to hop on ANY train I want...but have to figure out what would be the most cost-effective use of a day of travel.

Anyway, that´s just research for my next trip :) Stockholm was a blast. I loved it! I met a really nice girl named Christina who let me stay at her apartment with her sister and brother-in-law. They were so nice to me!! I went to church on Sunday with them. They invited me for lunch and offered to let me stay at their apartment another day if I needed to (which I did!). I spent the day with them and they were just so kind and helpful! We went to one of the largest lakes in Stockholm. It was beautiful! Lots of people out swimming and hanging out! It was fun! Niclas, Christina´s friend (whom I´d met at Fest I Nord) was also there with us. It was a great day!

Monday I got up early and did laundry!! Talk about one of the highlights of my trip! Real washing machines and dryers...it was awesome!! Katarina, Christina´s sister, even lent me clothes so I could wash EVERY last piece of laundry that I had! Sweet! I was in heaven. I packed up my stuff and Christina, Niclas and I headed downtown to buy my train ticket to Copenhagen and to take the canal tour. Stockholm is a very beautiful city! I love it! Pictures soon!! I promise!

I took the night train (no running to catch it, either! I was REALLY on time!) and arrived in Copenhagen Tuesday morning. Copenhagen is a pretty city. I think I´ve fallen in love with cities on a coast! How did I survive so long in the Midwest??

The best part of traveling is meeting people and making contacts! I´d met some great friends at Fest I Nord and they convinced me that I should further explore Scandinavia. In Copenhagen, I met up with Kristian, the guy I´d hung out with in Rome. It was great to see him! We had a blast together! There´s no better way to see Copenhagen than with an actual Dane!

I walked...a lot! Copenhagen has a great transportation system, but I wanted to get the lay of the land and feel more familiar with the city. The architecture is beautiful, there´s great statues and fountains. I love the canals and the lakes and the boats!

Wednesdays are free museum days! I went to the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek...an amazing art museum with tons of sculpture! I loved it! There were a lot of works by Rodin and some Danish artists that were incredible! I went to the National Museum, but was bored to tears! There´s a walking district with tons of stores and things that I walked through every day. It was pretty fun. I climbed the Round Tower and saw a good view of the cityscape. The weather was ugly...rainy and overcast. I decided, that day, that Copenhagen wasn´t very cool.

On Thursday, however, the sun came out! It couldn´t have been more than 72 degrees, sunny, blue skies, and a fabulous breeze! I decided, that day, that Copenhagen was AWESOME! I walked lots more! It was just so pleasant! I walked along the canals, visited the Little Mermaid statue, was disgusted with every man, boy, etc. that decided it was ok to grope her breasts (dirty!) and sat on the rocks, enjoying the breeze, the sun, eating candied almonds, fresh cherries, and relaxing! You can´t top that!!

Today...last day in Copenhagen! I went to the train station with plans to leave at noon and spend the whole day on the train (ick!). The ticketman told me that I could take a night train, though! Sweet! So, I had a whole day to walk around Copenhagen...again! This time, though, I solicited some company. I met two guys, John Henry and Ben (currently from Wyoming) who were there just for the day. We walked around town the whole day, visited the Royal Library, relaxed and chatted a bit in some of the green spaces...and had a great time! I LOVE meeting new people!

We said goodbye at the train station...they´re off to Berlin and I´m heading to Oslo.

Honestly, I can´t really put into words how much I´ve enjoyed Copenhagen! It was completely unplanned...definitely not part of my itinerary. But, I think that´s why I enjoyed it so much! The ability to be spontaneous is so much fun! I love it!

Pictures are coming...soon! :)