Thanksgiving in Berlin

Well I'm on my recent bount of insomnia, but hopefully that will remedy itself out soon. For about three days I wasn't going to bed before 5 and the past two or three have been nothing before 3. It's already 2:15 now and I'm wide awake and have to get up for class at 8. We'll see what happens.

But more importantly is that it is Thanksgiving and it's the first time I'll be away from home for the holiday. I'll miss mom's cooking, of course, but we're all attempting to make the most of it now. A nice chunk of our program is planning Thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey, sides, and hot cider. Yeah, basically we're awesome.

For some reason I suppose I like the idea of sadmasochism, knowing that I have to get sleep, I'm exhausted and yet I'm awake writing. I don't know what it is. Ok, well I will write more, I want to write more and yet I won't. Nothing coherent is coming out. Nothing makes sense.

Pictures of Thanksgiving to come if I don't put the procrastination off too much...considering there's still something I want to say about Vienna.

Amy RSVPs to Thanksgiving Potluck

COUNT ME IN! but dont expect me to bring anything... at all... I'm purely just going to show up and shove the food into my mouth and then leave without even saying thank you.. basically the usual amy-mode-of-operation.  

but really, what should i bring? just tell me and i can do whatever!!

Facebook guessing game

This is what we do on a cold night in Berlin.

Open up the laptop, pull up Facebook play the "Guess Who"

What happened tonight:

Pessimistic Description is read

Lily: Ew, I don't like this person, it must be ******

Some Pre-Thanksgiving Treats

Well, I know that I should be writing more and I've promised more particularly from break, but aside from my own procrastination, the internet I'm using here just plain sucks. I'll just say that plain and simple. It sucks.

So instead I'll give you this. Avoid the videos and find the PETA propaganda your entertainment source.

PETA Cooking Mama

Backpacking: Vienna Part 2

This is really Day 3 of Vienna. I know, I'm missing an entire day of stuff that I did in Vienna, but that's something that requires me to write a little more extensively. Perhaps my most eventful day in Vienna came the day after Halloween and the day I was to leave Vienna. I told myself that I would hit as many things as possible before my bus that evening. 

So the agenda the following:

Hit the Danube

Get to Schönbrunn Palace

Eat Original Sacher Torte at the Sacher Café

I did it all in the day. The enormous backpack was left behind at the hostel and I forced my laptop in my crappy little backpack so that I was assured it wouldn't get stolen in the luggage room. Maybe not the best idea for my shoulder, but done nonetheless.

So not a lot to say. The Danube was not as grand as I thought it would be. The Spree in Berlin, the Seine in Paris, and the Rhein in Cologne are all significantly more impressive. I suppose that's the test of time right there or maybe I just didn't see a nice area of the Danube. I'm pretty sure I just saw a little crappy area of it. Oops. I don't know. So here's to you, Strauss.

I had ventured (a few times) near Hofburg Palace just because it was in walking distance to a few other historical things and it was quite touristy so it was easy to walk around. Unfortunately, I didn't check out more of Hofburg as I told myself I would get to Schönbrunn. Hofburg was not too far from the Herrengasse stop on the U3 and walking distance to Stephansdom, which was under construction. I, of course, didn't go inside, but oh well. If I had more time in Vienna and was less exhausted, I'm sure I would have actually looked at things more intimately.

So the big thing of the day was going to Schönbrunn, which I didn't really think too much about until I actually got there. I couldn't help but feel as if I was getting back to my family roots. Granted, I'm not some kind of royal descendent, but my family does come from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and this was the palace that housed the royal family during the time my family had been living in the area. That alone was a pretty interesting thing to see. And again, I didn't go inside, but spent plenty of time exploring the grounds of the Palace, which I think was actually prettier and more appealing than the Palace itself. I would guess that I walked along most of the grounds seeing the pieces that were added including the Gloriette structure and the Roman Ruin.

Strange little note about food in Europe is that street food is a lot different than what we're used to in New York. Perhaps it's just me, but I can't help but feel more like I'm absorbing a culture when I experience the street food. There isn't a grimy sense like one gets from the street food in New York and to see locals eating it too is a sense of relief. As I've seen in a lot of European cities there are people often roasting chestnuts and in Austria they have huge roasters that look like big tin barrels. They're usually roasting chestnuts, potato puffers, and wedges. So for about 2 or 3 Euro I got some potato wedges with garlic sauce...and as horrible as it is to say this was probably one of the best things I ate on break. And of course, as disgustingly full as I was I still said that I'd get Sacher Torte. Hey, those were the only things I ate that day except for some coffee.

So the Sacher Café is not too far from where I had originally started near Hofburg. It's a little bit more of a walk from there, but the Café is located next to the Stadtsoper. So I took the U-bahn to the Stadtsoper, but of course why not stop at the bathroom...the opera toilet.

And the wonderful Original Sacher Torte at the Sacher Café. Not too far from the Stadtsoper. I blush to say that I couldn't finish this. Pathetic, I know. I was still full from those cheap potatoes. Damn it, carbs!! Warum?!? But delicious nonetheless and worth the rather touristy visit to it.

And then came the 10 hour bus journey back to Berlin. Drove through the Czech Republic, stopped by German border control and arrived back to Berlin close to 5:30 in the morning. AWESOME.

Backpacking: Vienna Part 1

So here goes the continued belated posts of what my two-week break was like. Anyway, after heading from the gray and rain of Stuttgart, I got on a train to Vienna. Two transfers to go along with that: Munich and Salzburg. Funny that I've been to both of them. The thing you have to remember about taking Deutsche Bahn or any other European train (maybe with the exception of the French) is that the transfers happen quickly. You might think that transfer are like airports especially considering how big the trains are and how they really are used on such long distance journeys like planes. But of course, this is not the case. You get off of your train and you have to more or less sprint to the train in hopes that it won't leave without you. The seven and a half hour journey to Vienna was great. In fact, I feel as if anytime I head to Austria, there's something very nice and relaxed about it and I just feel incredibly comfortable.

So Stuttgart to Munich:

It was snowing a bit when I left Stuttgart and about 45 minutes or so into the trip, there was snow covering wherever we were passing through in Germany. Beautiful.

I sat near a grandmother, her daughter, and two grandchildren (one boy and one girl) as well as another woman with her two kids as well. Strangely enough the behaviour of children that usually drives me nuts, didn't bother me much at all. Maybe it was the fact that I was sitting in first class (fuck yeah, I said it) or that the train was empty enough that there was no a claustrophobic feeling at all. I slipped on headphones and found myself slipping in and out of sleep pretty easily. But even when I did wake up, they were simply just nice people surrounding me. I ended up making conversation with the older woman particularly because of my shoulder was killing me and I asked if she had aspirin. She didn't, but offered me some muscle cream, which I thankfully took. It helped and I smelled like a very strong Bengay for the rest of the trip.

And of course, conversation about politics was made. Obama, I said, simply. She and her daughter were happy enough to hear that and we talked a little more about American and world politics. They told me that they had relatives in the States (in Texas) and I gave them my card, saying that if they ever come to NYC, they should let me know. Before leaving I made two rings out of US dollar bills for the kids. The mother enjoyed the kitschiness more so than her kids, so that was fine.

I think the best part of my travels was definately the conversations that I was able to make along the way. btw the conversations were in German. Surprising, I know.

I have to say that I am a bit surprised by the fact that I seemed to be able to speak for the most part. Once in Austria I transfered to the Austrian train line, paid an extra 15 Euro to sit in business and more or less passed out asleep. Some converstion was made with the two occupants and we joked around for a little bit.

Arrival to my hostel was basically me in a heap of exhaustion and it was already sundown for the most part. The map I got of Vienna basically sucked and left me even more confused particularly when I went out in search of a restaurant. The place I searched for was a bit sketch that I ended up settling for a diner-like place and took in some of the mediocre food. I believe it was called Raimund Café and was located across from the Volktheater. The best thing that night was basically for me just to retire.

Procrastinated photos

I said I'd put them up so here they are:

Paris:

(having trouble uploading more Paris pictures so deal with this crazy opera house)

Paris Opera House

Stuttgart:

Schlossplatz

Backpacking: Stuttgart

So where to from Paris? Well, my original plans had changed. As one may recall (if I ever wrote it):
London
Salzburg
Munich
Paris
Nice
Geneva
Well, we scratch out Nice and Geneva and replace it with Stuttgart and Vienna. Vienna I was excited about. Stuttgart I knew nothing about. But travel from Nice and Geneva and back to Berlin was mad expensive. The trip alone from Geneva to Berlin would have been more expensive than my combined travels to Stuttgart, Vienna, and back to Berlin the way I booked. So I went to Stuttgart. Here are my recommendations about Stuttgart: Don't go unless you reallz have something in mind planned. It was rainy and basically miserable. It's an industrial town with little to nothing to do and as my RA/TA in Berlin said, "Stuttgart is a city with a lot of money, but with little taste." He was right.
Adding to Stuttgart's already gray atmosphere was the horrible weather I was cursed with. Nothing but rain. There aren't really any hostels either so I forced to book a hotel falsely advertised as a walk from the Bahnhof...nope, it was more like a 30 minute U-Bahn ride and 15 minute walk from the Bahnhof. Oh well. I spent most of my time there because it was warm and dry.
I finally managed to venture out for a little bit because I was just beyond bored and hungry. I went down to the Bahnhof and found out that about a block away is a pretty active shopping center. Of course, I bought nothing. I bought iced tea, does that count? I did get myself a really great meal though. I went to a place that I'm almost ashamed may be a chain, but it was delicious.
Best steak and baked potato of my life. The steak was perfectly cooked and the restaurant has its own special sour cream concoction. Serve with a small thing of coleslaw, which too was delicious and I never eat coleslaw and a huge piece of garlic bread. Wash down with Bionade.
Oh and by the way, add a check mark to my to-do list for my entire time in Europe for trying Bionade.

The Stuttgart List:
Find something to do [check]

Schlossplatz is part of the shopping area. It's one of the touristy buildings of Stuttgart. I saw it in the rain. That counts.
More on my current location, Vienna soon.

Backpacking: Paris (cont.)

Okay, so I said that I would continue to say a little more about Paris considering I had such little time and space to do so yesterday. Paris was amazing. It's a beautiful city and I was able to catch up with an old friend from high school too. All around good time. Did I mention making conversation with Americans at a café? Underfed and overtired, I wandered the streets of Paris looking for something both small and cheap to eat. One because I didn't one to spend money, but two to not eat a heavy meal that would weigh me down for the rest of the day.

That being said and it only being about 11 in the morning, I found a small café where I heard an American couple talking to another American man. I plopped myself down, feeling strangely homely amongst the four of us considering we were the only ones occupying the café at the time. The couple was just leaving and I ended up making conversation with a guy a little bit older than my dad from Portland. We talked about my studies, about Paris and Berlin, about how his wife works mostly in Paris hence the travelling he or his wife get to do a lot. He gave me a few recommendations about what to do in Paris on a budget and then as he was about to leave, paid for my bill. Damn, should have ordered something more expensive. Just kidding. I politelz protested, and he argued with, "I was once a student too."
"Fun times being a student in the recession."
"All the more reason you should let me pay. You're still paying for school."
Done.
Anyway the day continues with me mostly wandering aimlessly around Paris somehow becoming more accompanied with it than I thought would be possibly. When I did finally meet up with my friend later that evening I felt like a Paris pro...despite the fact that I had no idea what anything was called that I had actually walked to.
We grabbed dinner, which was great. I think anyone living in London should make the trip to Paris just to eat because it's nearly the same price, if not cheaper, and the food doesn't suck. Yeah, London, I said it. Take it. Oh, did I mention we got desert on the Champs-Élysées? Yeah, we're just that classy.
I found the people...French. I lie. Overall I found them incredibly pleasant except for one woman who wouldn't sell me a few things because she didn't want to break a 20 bill for my 4 Euro purchase. Once I produced 4 Euros in coins, she was more than pleasant and obliged. She was indeed French.
Paris was stunning and it may be best to let the pictures do the talking...once I'm able to get them posted. Give me a day or two. It's hard to say everything about a place. I know it was great so that's that, I suppose. Pics to come soon.
Paris List:
Eat croissant [check]
Eat brie [check]
Eat baguette [check]
Wear a beret [check]
Smoke a Gauloises cigarette [check]
Drink wine [check]
Listen to one Jacques Brel song [check]
Eat crepe [check]

Backpacking: Paris

Well, like always, a little bit of my writing about what has already happened. In reality I'm in Vienna right now, but what about Paris?
I mean, I guess I should write something about it. Paris was beautiful. Unfortunately I can't upload pictures right now, but soon I will. The city is basically overloading with beautiful architecture, which I love looking at. I get the feeling that it could take me a life time with a camera just to even understand some the architecture of Paris. That being said I wish I did drugs because I think the Palais Garnier (Paris Opera House) would have been even crazier if I were tripping balls.
Arrival in Paris was unique as I've said, but what I may not have said. I think that I trekked around Paris for nearly 10 hours that day considering I came in before the sun rose. Maybe a few hours more. I sat a little, maybe an hour and a half tops between coffee and two small meals. It's not really a bad thing when you think about it, until you factor in the 22-pound backpack I lugged around all day. In short as far as my trekking goes, I watched a beautiful sunrise over the Palais Garnier and the Seine, was scammed at the Eiffel Tower (but whatever). It pales in comparison to the rest of my stay.
Ok...I will write more in a bit, but paying for internet with two minutes left means I better make sure I log out of everything. bis später.

The Writing in SNL

I think the writing is coming back because I can't help but think SNL is just plain awesome lately. Thanks SNL, for becoming awesome when I moved to Europe.

Arrival in Paris

So let’s just say the experience on the sleeper train I was so excited for was well, interesting. The ride was pleasant and as one would expect about a sleep like that, I had awoken several times during the night only to finally get comfortable and sleeping rather deeply as we were approaching the station in Paris. C’est la vie. Fuck yeah, I said it. I probably spelled it wrong though.
Anyway after some much needed confusion on my own behalf as I wandered aimlessly around Paris Est for some time and tried desperately to call my friend though I could not connect, I finally decided to suck it up, buy a metro ticket, and head out. By the way, it was still before sunrise. I take the subway to Opéra, because let’s face it, I would like to see the Palais Garnier once in my life instead of the Vegas imitation of it. To be honest, I thought the Palais Garnier was probably located somewhere else and decided that I would go out on a whim to the Opéra subway stop. Perfection. I get out of the subway, turn around and behold, the Palais Garnier. Beautiful. I know, I keep reiterating the fact, but to be honest it was one of those great moments: the sun was rising over Paris and hitting the building in morning light. That’s pretty fucking gorgeous, admit it.
This is then followed by more confused walking until I got here, well, here for the time being. That’s a Starbucks on a street that I believe is Rue de Seze. I have no idea. But realistically I can’t get internet right now and like most of my posts, this is written ahead of time. So at about 9:00 am in Paris, I was/am/etc sitting in a Starbucks (I know what you’re thinking about that too) without internet with 10% battery left and an electrical outlet that won’t work. But that’s ok. I’m here. Sore, confused, maybe frustrated, relieved…but here nonetheless.

Backpacking: Salzburg 2, Munich 1

Belated posting (nothing out of the ordinary):
I left Salzburg this afternoon for Munich (Oct 22). A few pictures I said I'd put up about Salzburg:
Breakfast outside of Mozart's birth house:
Walking along the banks of the Salzach:

Eating handmade bon-bons in Mirabell Garden:

Mozart family grave:

More updates on Munich later.
Hofbrauhaus Munich:

Backpacking: Salzburg

A quick update on London. Crumpet were not accomplished. We can cry about it later.

But Salzburg had a rather short list:
Find some form of Edelweiss [check]
Watch at least ten minutes of the Sound of Music [check] (I ended up watching over half)

I love Salzburg.

I don't know what it is about Salzburg that just makes me completely in love with it. I left friends in London at about 2:15 in the morning to take the hour long bus to Stansted and then the 6:30 flight to Salzburg. Horrible with shitty sleep, but once I hit Salzburg it didn't matter. After all was said in done with arrivals and S-Bahn I arrived at the hostel at about 10:30 and considering I was a half hour early to check in, I went to the lounge, made cheap conversations with some Aussies and watched the first half of "The Sound of Music." I'm not ashamed to admit it. I was tired. And CHECK on my list of stuff to do.

As for that form of Edelweiss. Apparently there's something here called Edelweiss Beer. I held back though, not wanting to both bust my budget or drink really. I had a half a small beer last night and that was just enough with my semi-splurge food.

More to the point about my arrival is that I had been expecting to sleep when I got to the hostel and perhaps venturing out a little later, but once I got in, I was fine. I locked my bag up and hit the town. I'd say I was on my feet for a good 5 hours or so yesterday. Stopping to sit for about ten minutes to have a cappuccino. More walking, more walking. And I loved it all. It didn't matter to me that I was more than likely dehydrated, under-slept, and under-fed the entire day. Come to think of it, here was the menu for the whole of yesterday:
2:30: Apple
3:50: Cappuccino
7:45: Dinner
And that was my whole day of eating yesterday. I felt a little hungry maybe once. And that was it. Not bad considering I hadn't eaten since about 7 the night before for my pre-show dinner. More on that another time.

I can't help but feel at least just a little sad about leaving Salzburg. There's more things I want to do here, but it will have to wait another time. I'm going to come back. Beyond its complete and utter beauty, I just have this sense of peace about it. Yes,"Sound of Music" makes it happy-go-lucky, but it's beautiful and pleasant without that. The weather was just beyond amazing that I wished I was wearing short-sleeves instead of my layered outfit yesterday. So yes, I stripped down to my undershirt and took on the city, walking along the banks of the Salzach, climbing up to one of the many bell towers that overlook the city. Stunning, everything about it. It could be pouring rain and I'd probably still think it was great, but of course the weather was more than perfect.

Ah, well, I will put some pictures up when I can. Of course, I left the wire to my card reader back in Berlin. Pictures will come when they can.

SNL and the Palin Rap

Dear SNL, you complete me.

Love, Jill