Monday, November 29, 2010

Stockholm - 'The Capital of Scandanavia'

Just got back today from Stockholm - went with a friend from uni for the weekend :)

I think it's become one of my new favourites! With a fresh sprinkle of snow sprinkled against the brick colored buildings, Stockholm had a totally refreshing and relaxed feeling unlike anywhere else I'd been.

Fun fact: Did you know Stockholm is made of 14 islands?

We went first to watch the 'changing of the guard' at the king of Sweden's Royal Palace, which is on 'Gamla Stan' known also as the 'Old Town'. It is right across from the Swedish parliament, which is on it's own separate island. After the ceremony, we took a tour inside the Royal Guest Apartments. Normally you can tour the actual Royal Apartments because the king's main home is Drottningholm Palace (just outside of Stockholm), but that particular weekend the monarch family was in Stockholm so we could only do the Guest ones.We also toured the Treasury where all the crowns, swords, and jewels are kept. Some of the things dated back all the way to the 1500's! Last at the palace, we toured an exhibition that showcased the wedding gifts to the Swedish Princess as she got married earlier this year in June. Some of the gifts included: drawings from local elementary schools, hand quilted blankets, paintings, and hand carved tables.

Another fun fact: Did you know the Princess of Sweden married her personal trainer?

We also made sure to make a reservation to go to the Absolut Ice Bar! The entire bar is made out of water from the River Torne and it's -5 inside all year round. Every year they do a different theme apparently; this year was an underwater/aquatic theme! There were marine life carved into ice blocks and the walls, and the drink menu had "aquatic" names. Everything possible was ice... the glasses, seats, and bar... Definitely a unique experience and one of the best yet! If you plan on doing the Ice Bar as well, I highly recommend you make a reservation as well because it is quite popular!

Also, the people of Sweden are some of the friendliest I've met while in Europe!
Overall... Stockholm's food (make sure you get some Swedish meatballs and smoked salmon), culture, and people were amazing and on top of that it was incredibly beautiful. I absolutely loved Stockholm and hope to be back soon!

Adjö!

Monday, October 4, 2010

A Tourist in London...

I've now started university in Bournemouth, and the first weekend the university offered a cheap trip up to London for the day for international students (coach & tour included), and since I've only gone through Heathrow and not into the city, I figured it was a good time to go.

Our guided tour took us around all the major sites:
- Big Ben
- Parliament
- Westminster Abbey
- Trafalgar Square
- Covent Garden
- Buckingham Palace
- London Bridge & Tower Bridge
- London Eye
- St. James & Hyde Parks

There are so many things to see and do so my strategy was to go and view all these places and then I'll come back another weekend or multiple ones and take my time going through each attraction and museum of interest.

Buckingham Palace is of course a must.... but incase you didn't already know, if the British flag (the Union Jack) is up then it means she is out of residence, and if it is her own flag (yes, she and all other royal family members have their own flag) then it means she is presently there.


I now understand why London gets put in comparison with New York. It feels like you are in the center of the universe because you have everything at the tip of your fingers... shopping, gastronomy, entertainment, commerce, culture, nature, everything! And the parks... they're HUGE (like 1/3 the size of all of London) they look just like pictures I've seen of Central Park in New York. There's lots of people running, playing soccer, horseback riding, etc. through them. 

There's far too much to do and see in London for only having a day or two... if you rush everything you might as well not even bother doing it. Now that I am 'based' in the UK for uni, I will make a lot of trips to London to see all that it has to offer!

Overall...
a great first experience to London

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Wien/Vienna

After Prague, our next stop was Vienna! Vienna was the first city I came to in Europe back in 2006 and I really really love this city. It has very 'old European' architecture, and like all cities in Europe, it has a whole lot of history. Also the people are very friendly - it only took seconds for 2 different people at the train station to ask me if I needed help or directions!

Vienna has a great coffee culture, from relaxed cafes to very elegant elite cafes, and they are  always packed! Vienna is another city I really enjoyed walking around myself. There are so many interesting buildings, churches, and grand statues. Some of my favourite are
-St. Stephansdom Cathedral
-State Opera House
-the Hofburg's Imperial Palace (the family that ran the Austro-Hungarian empire for 800 years)
-Schonbrunn Palace (if you have time!)
-the building of the Austrian National Library

From Vienna, I left my Contiki group a day early and took a train from back to Peter's in Rohrmoos-Schladming which was about a 3.5 hr train ride. The day after I arrived it was my 20th birthday, so we went to the Dachstein Skywalk. If you are ever in this area of Austria and the weather is good, go here! It has unbelievable views overlooking snow-capped mountain peaks and deep valleys. The 'skywalk' is a glass platform where you look straight down 250 meters below! From the top you can even see the surrounding regions as far as the coast of Venice, Italy! It's absolutely stunning!

That's all for now, Auf Wiedersehen!
xx

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Berlin to Prague

I am now in Berlin!

When I first got into Berlin, I kind of had a strange feeling, but after a couple minutes I realized,  it was that I wasn't in Egypt anymore! I know it sounds stupid, of course I knew I was in Germany, but it was so strange because it was at that point that it hit me how different Egypt really is. For example, when I was in Egypt I didn't really want to go into any stores or restaurants (at least not alone) because they didn't look safe, there were hardly any that looked clean, and the shop keepers were extremely pushy. But then when I was walking from the train station to my hotel in Berlin, it was the first restaurant I saw and I had this feeling like I should go eat there because it looks really clean and I might not come across one like this again for a while! In the back of my head, I had the mentality I was still in Egypt! 

Anyways... while in Berlin for 3 days, we went to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Where 20,000 people were imprisoned, and which were mainly political people. Inside the camp you can still see sites like the gallows, barracks, prison, kitchen, watch-towers, and at the back of the camp through a gate is a mass grave site for the victims. A concentration camp is possibly the most solemn place you will ever visit in your life. It's the only "tourist" site I've ever been to where there were loads of people but everyone was so quiet it was as if there was nobody there at all.

There was a quote on one of the walls near a statue as a memorial for the victims that I took a picture of - "And I know one thing more - that the Europe of the future cannot exist without commemorating all those, regardless of their nationality, who were killed at that time with complete contempt and hate, who were tortured to death, starved, gassed, incinerated, and hanged..." - Andrzej Szczypiorski, Prisoner of the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, 1995.
.......

Our main points of Berlin included a walking tour throughout Berlin, going to a few museums, seeing parts still left of the Berlin Wall, going to the Brandenburg Gate, and to the Holocaust Memorial.

After Berlin, we drove to the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague. Wow, this is such a very beautiful city! The Vltava river runs through the city and is covered with many large beautiful bridges. You can get an incredible view of the entire city and river by going up to the Prague Castle, where the President of the Czech Republic resides. Other than the Prague Castle and it's view, I recommend going to the historic Charles Bridge and the famous Astronomical Clock. While out at night, make sure you go to the river bank and check out the Prague Castle all lit up, it looks so elegant! Rather than going to museums or talking a guided tour, I opted for just doing my own thing walking around Prague and seeing where the paths took me, which I really enjoyed.

Once in Prague, you definitely start to realize a more Eastern European way of life - in the architecture of the buildings, the prices of goods and services are cheaper, and not everything has been modernized like in Western Europe. It is quite interesting to see these differences for yourself. 

Well, that's all for now... gotta run!

Sbohem! (bye)

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Egypt ... 'Where it all begins' continued


Egypt so far has been amazing, it's so much more than I expected it to be! This week, we've been busy checking out some of these ancient temples throughout Egypt....



Kom Ombo Temple
Inside Kom Ombo Temple, there are hieroglyphic writings on the walls which is proven evidence of the first Egyptian calendar. Lines drawn represented new days and circles represented the sun rising. This is how they knew what day it was, in what month, and when it was a new day!


Edfu Temple
Edfu Temple is possibly the best preserved temple in all of Egypt! At the back of the temple you will find an original metal boat and shrine. The metal boat was used by the people to bring offerings for the god of the sky Horus, to either approve or disapprove their offerings.


Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple is like a palace filled with magnificent columns and statues! In front of the temple is the Avenue of Sphinxes, which is a 3 km long stretch with statues that have the head of a human and body of a cat. You will notice the sphinxes stop at a road, and on the other side of that road they are excavating large gaps because they believe that there are more sphinxes under the ground which are undiscovered and they believe that they link Luxor Temple to another called Karnak Temple. Our group leader told us they have even evacuated people out of their own home and destroyed them to excavate underneath and that currently there is a big debate because there are 2 big religious sites, 1 church and 1 mosque, that they want to tear down in order to excavate under to find the remaining sphinxes. History and culture or religion? What's more important.... That's not a debate I want to be a part of. 



Karnak Temple
Karnak Temple is huge! It has 8 different entrances, and there is even a water reservoir inside the gates of the temple. At the end of the temple there is a statue of a Scarab beetle, which is a symbol of good luck in Egyptian mythology. So rumour has it, that if you walk around the statue counterclockwise 8 times you will have good health and luck for the rest your life! A lot of people were doing it – so we joined in too!

The Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings is totally incredible! Unlike all the temples we visited, it was built in the middle of the desert, on the west bank of the Nile, in behind the mountains as to protect the tombs. It has 63 tombs including the mummy of King Tut. I highly highly highly recommend going to the Valley of the Kings while in Egypt because this was a truly authentic tourist attraction - there is no show being put on simply to impress the tourists here. Going into these tombs where pharaohs are buried is a completely surreal experience.

A lots of the temples still had their original colorings... mainly bright blues and reds. Although you notice a lot of damage done by flooding of the Nile.


Almost everything represents something in Egyptian culture, 

- the Scarab beetle represents good luck

- a drawing of the Egyptian eye is for protection

- a Cobra snake is on the entrance of the temples so that the cobra will forever protect the temple

-the Lotus flower serves as the symbol of Upper Egypt and the Papyrus flower for Lower Egypt
- the Ankha has a straight vertical line to symbolize the Nile River and a loop to symbolize the Delta, then it has a horizontal axis like a cross to symbolize that the river is giving life to all of the land from the Nile to the Delta

Yesterday we went to the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. Out of respect and tradition, we had to take off our shoes before entering and all women have to cover their arms and legs while inside. It’s very very beautiful inside. There was a huge chandelier in the center and 365 hanging lights (one for each day of the year). The women and men each had separate areas to pray. I learnt that in mosques the wall the people pray to always faces towards Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Therefore here the people pray towards the east but any mosque east of Saudi Arabia will pray to the wall of the west.

I've had some unforgettable experiences in Egypt, but now I'm onto Berlin!
maa al salama! (bye!)
xx

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Egypt ... 'Where it all begins'


From the moment I landed in Egypt, it took me by complete surprise. When people talk about having a 'culture shock', well this was that place for me. 

The first day in Cairo we went into the city, and it was somewhere just above 40˚C that day, so I decided to wear shorts and a tank top because for me that was absurdly warm! However, in predominantly Muslim countries like Egypt where the culture is quite conservative, nearly all the local women wear Burqas, covering their skin from head to toe. Despite the fact I knew this, I made the decision to still dress in my shorts and tank top... which I regret having done because I was ignorant to respecting this part of their culture. Also, by dressing the way I did I had a lot of attention drawn to me from both men and women... attention that I didn't want or need being a tourist. This unwanted attention got too much for me that later while we were at a small bazaar I bought a cotton scarf to put over my chest and shoulders. Once I did this I noticed that I wasn't getting anymore whistling by the men or stares from the women. After covering my bare skin, I felt more as though I could blend in.

Our second day in Cairo we went to the Pyramids of Giza. Two words: absolutely incredible. One of the highlights while visiting the Pyramids was going inside. You can go inside Kahfre's pyramid (the middle one) to his burial chamber for an additional fee of something like $6. You enter in from the second row of blocks and go down a ladder for about 40 feet in a tunnel about 3 feet wide, and then the next 40 feet you go up a ladder until you reach a massive room that has a scripture on the wall and an open tomb of where the famous pharo's son was buried. This was such an awesome experience, but not recommended for those who are at all claustrophobic! 

All around the Pyramids you can find people selling camel rides. After having done it, I would say that I do think it is worth it and it's pretty safe, however just make sure to check yourself afterwards for ticks (especially if you are wearing shorts or capris), because I found a tick on the back of my leg after I had jumped off the camel. Luckily though, it was only on the surface of my skin and I was able to flick it off right away. 

No visit to Cairo is complete without going to the Egyptian Museum. Here you can see thousands of pharaonic artifacts, royal mummies, and even the mask of King Tut. I quite enjoyed this museum!

The people of Egypt are very friendly however many of us on the tour experienced something we were not used to - people expecting you to tip/pay them for everything, and sometimes (more often than not) they came across quite rudely about it. Some were for normal things like the bellman at the hotel but the bellman at my first hotel in Cairo had actually just taken my suitcase out of my hand and brought it to my room without me even asking him to, and when I got into my room, the man was standing there refusing to leave until I tipped him. This I did not appreciate given I was rooming by myself and a female. 

Then yesterday we took the train from Cairo to Aswan, and when I got off the train we had to go down a few stairs to go to another platform, and when I went to put down my suitcase handle and carry it by the side handle in order to get down the stairs an old man (who was waiting at the top of the stairs) came up to me and put his hand right over top of mine and quickly swung my suitcase up on top his shoulder and just started carrying it down the stairs infront of me. I thought this man might be running off with my suitcase, so I chased him down the stairs, and when we got to the bottom, I tugged on my suitcase and had to tell him to put it down, and when he did he put out his hand and asked for a tip! I was so mad because I had not asked him or implied I wanted him to do that and he just took it upon himself to do it and wanted me to pay him! I said “no, I didn’t ask for this” and he stood there with his hand still out and gave me an angry look. I just grabbed my suitcase and continued walking with the rest of my group. Many of us on my tour have experienced this. 

Make sure to check out some bazaar's while in Egypt, but be prepared to bargain! You'll find the shopkeeper quote you a price and you can always bargain it down lower! If they act like they won't take you lowest offer, all you got to do is start walking away and they will practically sell it to you for dirt cheap. Also, be prepared for some to literally stand in your way and not let you pass until you come into their shop. Many of them will lure you in with “come on, it’s free to look” and as soon as you leave after looking in their shop, they will literally follow or chase you down the street until you have to repeatedly ask them to leave you alone or until you get really frustrated. One girl on my tour was looking at a belly dancing costume and when she left without buying anything, the man chased her down the street holding the manikin in his arms! Also, be careful when they use their young and cute children to try to sell you anything they can.

Safety is pretty good right now in Egypt. There are police and security literally on every street corner and in every building. I’ve even had to go through a metal detector at all my hotels and each tourist site.

Some of our other sights in Egypt included 
- the High Dam, which has the largest man made water resevoir in the world
-the unfinished obelisk, which was basically an obelisk not yet completely carved out from the rock but totally unusable anyways because of a massive crack that has formed

The final part of our tour in Egypt is on a 5 star cruise up the Nile River from Luxor to Cairo. The cruise is not your typical "North American" cruise as it only holds about a 150 passengers. The one we are on though is beautiful - so modern and clean, and all of the staff are extremely welcoming and helpful. For anyone wanting to see Egypt in a different and unique way, try one of their river cruises... this is the kind of views you can expect!

Anywhos, that’s all I have to update for now
salām! (goodbye)

Monday, August 30, 2010

Rome + Pompeii + Corfu!


My last morning in Rome I went to the Cappuchin Monks which is a crypt made up of bones from 4000 friars and monks. I found it sort of cool and weird at the same time, but this is a definite no-no for those who get spooked easily.

Rome was an incredible experience. It was a place that I was literally asking myself “where am I?” because everything there is just so historic and the culture is well represented in it's  architecture and design. I could never see these sort of things in Canada because they would be so out of place!

From Rome we travelled to Pompeii where we had a guided tour of this ancient city where several villas of people were killed when Mt Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. There are a large amount of artifacts that have been well preserved and even some bodies of humans where you can see them actually covering their faces and trying to protect themselves from the hot lava. Seeing this, it's very hard to imagine what that day was actually like. 

We were only in Pompeii for one day, and then we went to the port of Brindisi to catch our overnight ferry to the island of Corfu, Greece. Olives, feta cheese, souvlaki, tzadiki, and more olives, here I come!

After our overnight ferry, we arrived in Corfu and drove to our hotel which ended up being right across the street from the beach! I only had one day in Corfu because I was leaving early to catch my second Contiki tour through Egypt.

Before my flight to Cairo, I went into the center of Corfu and grabbed some lunch. If you go to Greece, you cannot pass up a Gyro! I had one with chicken souvlaki, tomatoes, onion, tzadiki and then they put french fries inside this cone shaped wrap with some sort of gravy drizzled on top... it was so so delicious!

Here's one of these moments when you're on holiday when somebody says or does something nice that just makes your trip that much more special... it's these little moments I don't want to forget. So I ended up taking a taxi to the airport, and on the way my driver asked me where I was from and when I told him “Canada”, he held my hand and said “you are the most wonderful people, it’s a pleasure” and he shook my hand with a massive smile on his face. I found this to be such a sweet moment because the man was so genuine and kind, and this was something I really appreciated. 

So now, I'm off from Greece and heading to Cairo, Egypt!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Venice, Florence, & Rome

We're now in Venice! One of my most beloved cities I've ever been to. Venice always has something to do, somewhere to wander, something to see... always. This is a prime example city of a city you could 'get lost in'. The biggest tip I can give to someone travelling to Venice is GET A MAP. We did it a few times where we thought we were heading in the right direction only to find that one hour later we ended up at the exact first square that we had started at.

From Venice we travelled south to Florence. I've been here once before and honestly I didn't care for it the first time, and the second time wasn't much different. The main points of interest are viewing the Duomo Cathedral and going to the Vecchio bridge. You can of course also go see Michelangelo's David, but from what I've heard, the tickets are costly! If it's not in your budget to spend the money on seeing the real one, just head to the Piazza della Signoria and you'll see the replica David in the square


For me, Florence was just a place I could enjoy a nice meal outside watching people go by. It's not really a place that for me, had much to do or see. I was actually pretty happy to be leaving Florence and heading on to the capital of Italy... Rome!


Now Rome on the other hand, it's the real deal!


I'm not really a 'hire a day guide' kind of traveller, however Rome has got to have one of the most interesting and complex pasts of all the cities I've been to. Therefore, I was thankful we had a guided tour for our day in Rome. The tour included the Roman Forums, the site where Julius was cremated (which is a large mound of dirt overlayed with flowers on top), then the Colosseum, to the Spanish Steps, to the Trevi Fountain, to the Pantheon! 


All of them are amazing to see and should be a definite on anyone's to do list! And the best part is, this was all done in one day (even with there being 138 stairs on the Spanish Steps)! Don't forget, as per tradition, to throw in some coins into the Trevi Fountain! One is suppose to find you Italian love and the other is suppose to bring you back to Rome!


My day was finshed off with a delicious Italian meal. Complete with bruschetta, lasagne, red wine, and dolce de leche gelato!!


Ciao bella!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Time for some French Sea & Sun!

From Barcelona we travelled northwards along the coast and arrived in Nice, France aka the French Riviera. On our first day we went to the French perfume factory of Fragonard located in Eze (about 20 minutes outside of Nice) where they make all their perfumes from real natural extracts and without any synthetic ingredients. I ended up purchasing a Vanilla scented eau de toilette called Fleur de Vanille. I found it to be very reasonably priced for this quality, and also I really love the purity and simplicity of this Vanilla fragrance. Possibly the nicest one I've ever bought!

Afterwards we had quite a bit of free time so most of us spent the day lounging in the sun near the crystal turquoise waters. Nice has a typical sun-holiday destination vibe (something I would compare to Mexico for example). However, once you get into the Old Town, you start drifting away from the beach-touristy scene and are suddenly in a very quaint, historical city. Where you'll be wandering through tiny alleys and corridors, and I can guarantee you will come across some fantastic local restaurants. Be aware though, that there are of course several 'tourist' restaurants that lure you in with a low price "deal" (be cautious of menu's labelled "Tourist Menu"). In my experience, these restaurants don't serve true authentic, local cuisine and honestly the food quality and taste is usually disappointing. It's usually simplistic and flavourless. 

If you have time, I recommend stopping in Monaco to have a peak at the Grand Casino... which can only be done from the outside as you have to pay an entrance fee to go in. Also if it is feasible, go up to Prince Albert’s (the prince of Monaco) castle where you can get a great view that over looks all of the city.

Au revoir! ... xx

Monday, August 16, 2010

Hola Barcelona!

I am now in Barcelona!

This morning we went first to the '92 Summer Olympic's Stadium, then to Gaudi's 'very unfinished' (that's an understatement) masterpiece - La Sagrada Familia. However, even only half finished, the cathedral is absolutely stunning! It's evident looking at the structure that Gaudi was a genius and crazy at the same time. Whether you like art or not, this is a definite must see for anyone in Barcelona - I've never seen anything so intricate and detailed. Even now, their expected completion date is 2027!!

'La Rambla' is a very touristy and central street with tons of entertainment acts, people dressed in outrageous costumes, and tons of portrait artists. If you follow it all the way down you will reach the old port of Barcelona where you'll find the Christopher Columbus monument.

Tonight we head to a Flamenco show in the city ... it should be a good night!

Post soon....
Adios
xx

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Beaujolis - Wine Time!

On my 2nd day in Paris I started at the Eiffel Tower and while I was waiting in line there was a couple behind me who's accent sounded very familiar so I asked them where they were from, they said "Canada", they asked me and I said "Canada", I asked where in Canada, and they said " British Columbia" and I said "me too, where" and they said they were from Summerland! How cool that two people from the same region of the world meet half way around the world completely unexpectedly!

After waiting in the line up for quite some time, I walked up to the 2nd level of the Eiffle Tower which was around 600 stairs! Totally worth it though because these were some absolutely amazing views of the city! I didn't bother to go to the very top because the lines were so so long and i've already been to the top before.


After that I walked about 10 min on the other side of the Seine to see Lady Diana's tunnel. The top of the bridge has thousands of postings from people from all over the world. Even until today, there are still people leaving and writing tribute messages to Princess Diana.


On our last night in Paris we went to a cabaret show and enjoyed some Champagne which was pretty fun!


The next morning we left Paris to come to the french wine region of Beaujolis! We stopped briefly in a small town called Fontainbleu. This region of Beaujolis is beaaautiful! Vineyards for miles and miles. It's so serene here and the locals are extremely friendly - everyone says "Bonjour" to you! 


We stayed at a 500 year old chateau in the region which Contiki actually owns. It was like an old castle taken out of a Disney movie or something!

Today we went for an hour hike and had a picnic lunch on top of a hill over-looking the whole region which is covered with vineyards, yet again.. so beautiful!


Tomorrow morning we head to Barcelona and I'm very excited!


Post soon...

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Paris!

Bonjour!

Yesterday morning we left London, took the ferry across the English Channel from Dover to a port in France and from there drove to Paris. Along the way, we passed the Canadian National Vimy Ridge Memorial, which is stunningly magnificent not only because of it's size but also because of the solemness I felt just looking at it. 


After arriving in Paris in the afternoon, we toured all the most notable sights by coach. We then stopped at a little french restaurant near the Orsay museum for some escargot, along with champagne and a selection of french cheeses. This was my first time having escargot and I say it tastes kinda like garlic! Even though I love garlic, I don't think I could willingly eat an entire plate of them, knowing that I'm actually eating snails. In this case, it's matter over mind!

This morning the group went to the Palace of Versailles but I didn't have much interest to go there since I've seen the palace's replica in Vienna - Schönnbrunn. Instead I caught a bus into the city and then took the RER train and got off near the Notre Dame cathedral. This is such a beautiful cathedral that I could spend hours starring in front of it just trying to interpret all the illustrations around the doorways and what they might symbolize.


I wandered down from the Cathedral along the Seine river to the Louvre museum. I've been inside the museum before and would've liked to go inside again to see some of the other exhibitions I didn't get to see before, but the line ups were seriously hours-long and I didn't not have a lot of free time in Paris. 

From there though, I walked through the Tuileries, past the Egyptian Concorde, and finally onto the infamous Champs-Elysees taking a ton of pictures along the way! All together, this walk took me about 4 hours, but this was a rather leisurely walk with quite a few stops along the way to take in some of the smaller treasures that Paris and it's people have to offer.

Tomorrow I plan on walking up the Eiffel Tower (approx 600 stairs), which can only be done up to the 2nd level and from there I must take the elevator. Hopefully I'll have some good weather tomorrow like I did today!

Anyways, I'm going to go continue wandering...
Au revoir!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Beware of German Trains (some are not foreigner friendly)

I had to take a train from the Munich train station to Munich's airport. I had gotten on one that claimed to take me to the airport - the S1 train. However it came to my surprise that the train I was on, actually split into 2 parts and each went in separate directions (1 to the airport and 1 to well, basically the middle of nowhere). After wondering where the heck I was and noticing the airport was nowhere in sight, I realized the train had broke up, and I ended up on the wrong half of the train that went elsewhere. I then had to hop on the train going the opposite direction and 20 minutes later I was back at the main Munich train station and went back to the S1 train platform, but this time I sat on the opposite end of the train! I can laugh at it now but it was not so funny then! Especially when you're in a time crunch to make your plane on time! This is what I meant by the title - German Trains are not foreigner friendly - there was no English (or any other languages for that matter) sign or announcement stating only one part of the train actually goes to the airport. Not the most helpful!

I ended up making my flight on time nonetheless, and flew to Heathrow, London, where I  caught the 'tube' for the first time; taking the Picadilly Line to Russell Square where my hotel is, and which is the starting point of my Contiki tour. Our tour leaves here at 6am tomorrow and we head onwards to Dover and then Paris!

I'll post again asap...

Onwards to London

Peter's house - where I have been staying the last few days in Austria is pretty much paradise, seriously, it's absolutely gorgeous. It looks just like a mini Canada! Everything is very green with every shade possible and really lush.





The last 2 days Peter took me on some trails around Styria which were really beautiful! Trails up and around in the mountains, one of which led to a really stunning cascading waterfall called the Riesach Waterfall. I haven't seen any wildlife, just a lot of cows! 

Peters mom made me my first schnitzel, chicken schnitzel topped off with cranberry sauce. This has now got to be one of my most favourite dishes of all time! Danke mom!

I also tried for the first time Pumpkin Oil. Something Peter has been telling me about for a very long time! It has a very strong nutty taste and is a thick dark green consistency. After trying it over some salad and veggies, I love it! Styria, the province where Peter lives, is actually known for it's Pumpkin Oil as it is quite a culinary speciality... even sometimes known as "Green-Gold".

Right now, I am sitting inside Starbucks at the Munich train station, before I take another train to the airport to catch my flight to London to begin my tour with Contiki tomorrow morning!

My stay in Austria was great, but I will be back in September after my tour, for some more schnitzel! 

Time to go grab some lunch before my next train!
Ciao!

Friday, August 6, 2010

I'm Here!

12 hours later and Guten Morgen from Europe! I am definitely feeling the difference of being 9 hours ahead of my usual time, since right now it's 11am here and for back in BC it would be 2am!

I was picked up in Munich by Peter yesterday evening, and from there we drove to Salzburg in Austria. In true Austrian culture we stopped to have a beer in the city centre! We then continued driving to Peters home in Rohrmoos-Schladming (Austria), to find mom had made us a delicious vegetable soup and an apricot pastry dessert, which was a ball of dough baked with an apricot inside, then cut open and drizzled with butter and icing sugar powder! So so good!

Today's my first full day here, and while Peter is at work... I am touring around the city of Salzburg! I've been here once before (4 years ago now) so I remember my way around the city a bit. I am currently on the famous street of Getreidegasse, sitting inside a McDonalds using the free WI-FI.

Well since it's still early I have the whole day now to venture around and find some Salzburg treasures!

Take Care!