I will be here in Zagreb two more nights. Then I am off to Split Croatia, for three nights.
I have reformulated my travels a bit to try and figure out a better way of seeing all of the places I want to see. After Split, I am heading to Budapest, Vienna, and Prague. Then I will fly from Prague to Rome on Orion Air. From Rome I will head north in Italy, into Switzerland, cross over to France, head north to the UK, then come back across the channel to hit Belgium and the Netherlands, before finishing up in Germany. I got out my big train map of Europe the other day and drew out the route. When you squint your eyes a bit and look at the map of my route, it looks like a fox doing some sort of kung fu.
I spent most of today walking around and sketching, trying to find a post office where I can ship stuff home to. Luckily I found the place but the international freight section was closed, so I will go back tomorrow.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday in Zagreb
Sunday is a nice relaxing day for the the natives and the tourists as well. I got out earlier for a little walking tour. There was a half marathon this morning that got people out, but nothing in Croatia is open on a Sunday.
Most of us in the hostel have just been sitting around watching movies. We watched the movies in English. The Croatians aren't big on dubbing, they just put in subtitles. We watched "21" (the card-counting blackjack movie with Kevin Spacey... interesting), "The Bank Job" (A film based on a real life bank robbery, involving a lot of government coverup and dirty photos of a princess... good, but saddening), and "Fools Gold" (Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson picture about finding shipwrecks... different and cute). One of the guys running the place was saying that he gets the movies before they are even out in theaters in Croatia, I felt a little shamed in breaking any laws, but these are all movies that are already on video in the U.S. so not that big a deal. It would be different if we were watching the yet unreleased Harry Potter pic.
I finished the day with a bit of walking and a Kebab, cheap and easy. I have to keep reminding myself that the Kuna is way cheaper than the dollar, so taking 200 kuna out of the cash machine is only taking about 50 dollars out. It just gets a little scary when a Kebab costs 20 kuna, and at first I am going "THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS, wait that's not euros, Ok."
Everyone here seems really relaxed and laid back which is nice. When traveling like this you feel a little guilty about not being out every second of every day seeing and doing things, but when almost everyone else in the hostel is sitting around watching movies with you, it seems alright. Well I am off to bed soon after a stop at the little boys' room, which is down an interesting flight of stairs, so better to do now while still alert as opposed to scrambling for the light. Which I had to do last night.... not fun!
Most of us in the hostel have just been sitting around watching movies. We watched the movies in English. The Croatians aren't big on dubbing, they just put in subtitles. We watched "21" (the card-counting blackjack movie with Kevin Spacey... interesting), "The Bank Job" (A film based on a real life bank robbery, involving a lot of government coverup and dirty photos of a princess... good, but saddening), and "Fools Gold" (Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson picture about finding shipwrecks... different and cute). One of the guys running the place was saying that he gets the movies before they are even out in theaters in Croatia, I felt a little shamed in breaking any laws, but these are all movies that are already on video in the U.S. so not that big a deal. It would be different if we were watching the yet unreleased Harry Potter pic.
I finished the day with a bit of walking and a Kebab, cheap and easy. I have to keep reminding myself that the Kuna is way cheaper than the dollar, so taking 200 kuna out of the cash machine is only taking about 50 dollars out. It just gets a little scary when a Kebab costs 20 kuna, and at first I am going "THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS, wait that's not euros, Ok."
Everyone here seems really relaxed and laid back which is nice. When traveling like this you feel a little guilty about not being out every second of every day seeing and doing things, but when almost everyone else in the hostel is sitting around watching movies with you, it seems alright. Well I am off to bed soon after a stop at the little boys' room, which is down an interesting flight of stairs, so better to do now while still alert as opposed to scrambling for the light. Which I had to do last night.... not fun!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
My First Evening in Zagreb, Croatia
Well most of today I spent in bed, exhausted. I do think Venice is one of those places where you need to see once in a life time, but if you are really in need of a gondola ride, I would say just go to Vegas and do it a little cheaper with a guy that sings, at the Venetian.
I have done a little walking around Zagreb today, it is a really beautiful and life filled city (Apart from at 4 am when everyone who is smart is in bed). I am staying in a great little hostel right near the main square of the city. The two guys that run it are former backpackers from Zagreb, who saw a lack of quality hostels in the city. They are a lot of fun and very accommodating. In fact a group of Australians showed up tonight, and they only had 4 beds for the 6 people, so they pulled out some extra mattresses and let a couple of them sleep on the floor next to me. They bought me a beer at the bar downstairs for being so good about it.
Croatia is really trying to improve their tourism market. All over the place are posters advertising Croatia as "stress relief." So far I get that. It is a very laid back city, everyone is always at the bar. In fact, they start the day with a beer in hand. It is sort of a Croatian equivalent to coffee. Croatia is also very cheap compared to the rest of the European Nations. 10kuna is equal to 2 US dollars. For 10 dollars tonight I had a great chicken risotto, bread, and two cokes at a local restaurant.
Well I am going to try and hit the hay early tonight, even though it is Saturday, so that I can sort of catch up on my last bit of sleep that I missed. I am no longer taking the advice of not to get a sleeping car on overnight trains. Greg, the violin player in Venice, warned me against it saying he knew a guy who had done the sleeping car on a train in Croatia and been held up by train robbers. I think I will just carry light cash when sleeping in the car.
I have done a little walking around Zagreb today, it is a really beautiful and life filled city (Apart from at 4 am when everyone who is smart is in bed). I am staying in a great little hostel right near the main square of the city. The two guys that run it are former backpackers from Zagreb, who saw a lack of quality hostels in the city. They are a lot of fun and very accommodating. In fact a group of Australians showed up tonight, and they only had 4 beds for the 6 people, so they pulled out some extra mattresses and let a couple of them sleep on the floor next to me. They bought me a beer at the bar downstairs for being so good about it.
Croatia is really trying to improve their tourism market. All over the place are posters advertising Croatia as "stress relief." So far I get that. It is a very laid back city, everyone is always at the bar. In fact, they start the day with a beer in hand. It is sort of a Croatian equivalent to coffee. Croatia is also very cheap compared to the rest of the European Nations. 10kuna is equal to 2 US dollars. For 10 dollars tonight I had a great chicken risotto, bread, and two cokes at a local restaurant.
Well I am going to try and hit the hay early tonight, even though it is Saturday, so that I can sort of catch up on my last bit of sleep that I missed. I am no longer taking the advice of not to get a sleeping car on overnight trains. Greg, the violin player in Venice, warned me against it saying he knew a guy who had done the sleeping car on a train in Croatia and been held up by train robbers. I think I will just carry light cash when sleeping in the car.
Zagreb, Croatia
5:30 in the morning in Zagreb Croatia. In my line of work, I only see this time when I have been up all night programming light cues. Well I guess I am holding to that ideal. I left Venice yesterday evening at 21h27 and got into Zagreb at 4h18, with a few stops at the Slovenian and Croatian boarders for passport inspection. The train was headed to Budapest, with Zagreb just being one of the few stops on the way. Now I am sitting outside my hostel, which was a little more difficult to find than anticipated, but it has a terrific location right on the main square of the city. I can see the huge spires of the cathedral over the roof tops across the way. It is starting to get a little cold in the evenings, so I am glad for my warmer cloths. The walk from the train station to the square wasn't bad at all, but from the square trying to figure out what a "yard" means to a Croatian was interesting. (The directions to the hostel said go to the second yard on my left.) But luckily in my hunt a baker across the street noticed me walking aimlessly with my backpack and a list of directions. He pointed me in the right direction, and now I wait to watch the sunrise, drop my bags off and start exploring.
Well, what does one say about Venice. If you are familiar at all with the musical "Urinetown," Venice is in fact a city in which you have to pay to pee. I don't think the Venetians have ever heard of the concept of a free public toilet. Each time you see a sign for a W.C. expect to pay 1 euro for that porcelain throne. Even in the train station there was a fee to use the toilet. Let me tell you, to make things "simpler" they but the turnstiles on the outside of the separation between men and women, so everyone pays at the same place, but once through the pearly white gates there is never a clear determination made as to which direction each gender should go. This is all really nonsensical, but in case you have had loads of espresso in the morning in Venice, are caught walking around the canals when all of the sudden nature calls, make sure you have a 1 euro coin handy so you aren't squatting off the side of a bridge. (There is not a single bush in Venice to hide behind.)
There is a crazy separation between the generations when it comes to their opinions of Venice. Every person I talked to over the age of 35 to 40 thought that Venice was one of the greatest cities of all time. The opposite could be said about those in their 20's to early 30's. I was in the middle somewhere. I though Venice had some amazing qualities, but there are only so many times I can walk by a "Murano Glass" store and see the exact same little figurines looking back at me. I think that is one of the main reasons it is so easy to get lost in Venice. Not because the streets are poorly labeled and most of them randomly dead end, but because it is impossible to set regular bread crumb landmarks because every shop looks exactly the same. I was most disappointed with the beautiful and stunning Rialto Bridge, which from a far was simply breathtaking, but when you walked over it, you see that the inside of the bridge, the part they don't show you onpostcards, is covered in tacky souvenir shops. No Bueno Venice!
Once you get off the tourist lined paths of the grand canal, you start to see a little bit more of the city for what it is and possibly once was. I think the thing that most got to me about the city was the lack of pride and respect that the locals had for it. They were using the canals like a personal trash can, and simply ignoring all of the chaos surrounding them. New York is filled with tourists and craptacular souvenir shops, but its residents have a pride and awe about their city that gives it the spirit and character that make it what it is. Venice along the way has lost that.
Well as I step off of my soap box, I would like to tell all of the readers out there (yes, I am talking to you, and thanks for hanging in there with me) that today was the first day I had a random run in with a repeat traveler. An Australian guy I shared a room with on my last night in Cinque Terra, sat next to me on the train to Zagreb. The strangest part was not the run in, but the fact that we shared a room and then on the train we were literally seated in seats right next to each other. Just thought I would drop that little useless tidbit of news in there. Use it as you will.
Well, what does one say about Venice. If you are familiar at all with the musical "Urinetown," Venice is in fact a city in which you have to pay to pee. I don't think the Venetians have ever heard of the concept of a free public toilet. Each time you see a sign for a W.C. expect to pay 1 euro for that porcelain throne. Even in the train station there was a fee to use the toilet. Let me tell you, to make things "simpler" they but the turnstiles on the outside of the separation between men and women, so everyone pays at the same place, but once through the pearly white gates there is never a clear determination made as to which direction each gender should go. This is all really nonsensical, but in case you have had loads of espresso in the morning in Venice, are caught walking around the canals when all of the sudden nature calls, make sure you have a 1 euro coin handy so you aren't squatting off the side of a bridge. (There is not a single bush in Venice to hide behind.)
There is a crazy separation between the generations when it comes to their opinions of Venice. Every person I talked to over the age of 35 to 40 thought that Venice was one of the greatest cities of all time. The opposite could be said about those in their 20's to early 30's. I was in the middle somewhere. I though Venice had some amazing qualities, but there are only so many times I can walk by a "Murano Glass" store and see the exact same little figurines looking back at me. I think that is one of the main reasons it is so easy to get lost in Venice. Not because the streets are poorly labeled and most of them randomly dead end, but because it is impossible to set regular bread crumb landmarks because every shop looks exactly the same. I was most disappointed with the beautiful and stunning Rialto Bridge, which from a far was simply breathtaking, but when you walked over it, you see that the inside of the bridge, the part they don't show you onpostcards, is covered in tacky souvenir shops. No Bueno Venice!
Once you get off the tourist lined paths of the grand canal, you start to see a little bit more of the city for what it is and possibly once was. I think the thing that most got to me about the city was the lack of pride and respect that the locals had for it. They were using the canals like a personal trash can, and simply ignoring all of the chaos surrounding them. New York is filled with tourists and craptacular souvenir shops, but its residents have a pride and awe about their city that gives it the spirit and character that make it what it is. Venice along the way has lost that.
Well as I step off of my soap box, I would like to tell all of the readers out there (yes, I am talking to you, and thanks for hanging in there with me) that today was the first day I had a random run in with a repeat traveler. An Australian guy I shared a room with on my last night in Cinque Terra, sat next to me on the train to Zagreb. The strangest part was not the run in, but the fact that we shared a room and then on the train we were literally seated in seats right next to each other. Just thought I would drop that little useless tidbit of news in there. Use it as you will.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Venice, Italy
I have made it to Venice and am spending two nights here. I got into Venice on the train yesterday and spent a little while trying to find the shuttle to my hostel/campsite. Yes, I am roughing it in Venice. On the internet it didn't look like there were very many backpacker hostels on the island of Venice, so I found this campsite that also has hostel beds. Really there are just two bunk-beds in a cabin out in the woods next to the airport. There are tons of cabins though. And when I say next to the airport, I mean, part of the view out of my cabin window is the runway 100 meters away. It gets a little loud listening to the planes landing overhead. It is a fun place, the rooms are cheap, they have just developed an art out of the nickel and dime-ing you. The shuttle is two euros, the wifi is 2 euros per hour, and the food is super expensive. Nothing is included in the price of the bed.
Venice is beautiful, but I am glad I am only here for two nights. You really can see the whole city in one day. There most be something divine about it, though, for the older crowd. They just want to stay here all the time. It is very touristy, very expensive, and there isn't a whole lot to see and do. But it is very incredible. I would just waste a lot of money really quickly if I stayed here that long.
The canals here are great. I wanted to take a gondola but it was 80 euros to rent for 45 minutes. So, it was a bit out of my price range. One of the guys I am sharing a room with and spent the day with, is a violin player, and is playing on the streets of the cities he goes to, to help pay for his trip. We thought it would be fun to steal a gondola and while he played the violin, I would sing, and the other guy would row. We didn't get the opportunity. Gondoliers are quite protective of their boats.
Tomorrow I am going to take my first night train to Zagreb, Croatia. That should be an experience, and allow me to spend another day touring Venice before I go.
I have included some pictures from Cinque Terra.
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Mark, Simone from Sidney and Roberto from Brazil.
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Venice is beautiful, but I am glad I am only here for two nights. You really can see the whole city in one day. There most be something divine about it, though, for the older crowd. They just want to stay here all the time. It is very touristy, very expensive, and there isn't a whole lot to see and do. But it is very incredible. I would just waste a lot of money really quickly if I stayed here that long.
The canals here are great. I wanted to take a gondola but it was 80 euros to rent for 45 minutes. So, it was a bit out of my price range. One of the guys I am sharing a room with and spent the day with, is a violin player, and is playing on the streets of the cities he goes to, to help pay for his trip. We thought it would be fun to steal a gondola and while he played the violin, I would sing, and the other guy would row. We didn't get the opportunity. Gondoliers are quite protective of their boats.
Tomorrow I am going to take my first night train to Zagreb, Croatia. That should be an experience, and allow me to spend another day touring Venice before I go.
I have included some pictures from Cinque Terra.
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Mark, Simone from Sidney and Roberto from Brazil.
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Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Cinque Terre, Italy
There is no Wifi in the hostel that I am staying in and there is only one computer with internet. Plus, there is a $0.50 charge for every ten minutes that you use it, so I am typing as fast as my little fingers can keep up.
Tonight is my last night in Cinque Terre. I have LOVED it here. Tell Chris Caver that she better have had something really important to do this summer to have missed this place. I highly recommend it for a tourist.
It is a place covering a lot of land with these five small coastal cities weaved into the hillsides. The geography is incredible-one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. All of the towns are connected via a train and all of these little paths. As you get farther away from the big town, Riomaggori, the paths get harder and harder. On the first day I started in Riomaggori walking, and by that time I got to the fourth city, Vernneza, I was soaked to the bone with rain even though I was in my rain slicks, and tired beyond belief, so I got the train back to Riomaggori and hit the hay early.
I met up with Simone from Nice here, so today she, this guy Roberto from Brazil, and I walked all of Cinque Terre together. It was fantastic. We started with the hard stuff and then finished with the easy things. In the last city we stopped, we swam amongst these huge boulders in the clear blue Mediterranean. It was the perfect way to end a day of heavy hiking. We followed up the dip in what I now refer to as "my pool" with dinner in the second city and enjoyed the wonderful fresh seafood.
I should really run, because people are waiting to use the one computer. Tomorrow I head to Venice. I’m staying in a camping site/ hostel. It sounds like a lot of fun and easy to get to with the private shuttle from the train station.
Tonight is my last night in Cinque Terre. I have LOVED it here. Tell Chris Caver that she better have had something really important to do this summer to have missed this place. I highly recommend it for a tourist.
It is a place covering a lot of land with these five small coastal cities weaved into the hillsides. The geography is incredible-one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. All of the towns are connected via a train and all of these little paths. As you get farther away from the big town, Riomaggori, the paths get harder and harder. On the first day I started in Riomaggori walking, and by that time I got to the fourth city, Vernneza, I was soaked to the bone with rain even though I was in my rain slicks, and tired beyond belief, so I got the train back to Riomaggori and hit the hay early.
I met up with Simone from Nice here, so today she, this guy Roberto from Brazil, and I walked all of Cinque Terre together. It was fantastic. We started with the hard stuff and then finished with the easy things. In the last city we stopped, we swam amongst these huge boulders in the clear blue Mediterranean. It was the perfect way to end a day of heavy hiking. We followed up the dip in what I now refer to as "my pool" with dinner in the second city and enjoyed the wonderful fresh seafood.
I should really run, because people are waiting to use the one computer. Tomorrow I head to Venice. I’m staying in a camping site/ hostel. It sounds like a lot of fun and easy to get to with the private shuttle from the train station.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Still More Nice, France
Saturday, September 20
Well I had a nice relaxing day in Nice. I was finally able to get my laundry done this morning which was an extra special part of my day, good clean (un-smelly) clothes.
Last night I went out with Nadia and Arian (the two girls from Quebec) and Simone, a girl from Sydney. We headed to a little discotheque in the city center and danced the night away. We had a ton of good laughs and enjoyed the good music. At one point they had a big balloon drop, so we all got to pop balloons in each other's faces. Plus there was this guy, whom I believe was on GhB, that was passed out against a wall that we decorated with balloons, got a picture, and then had security call him a cab. We made up for our bad behavior by saving his life. We are still good people.
We finished off the night by stopping at a vender on the way home and having a Kebab, a Nice staple for preventing the morning hangover. It was not quite what I expected. I thought "Kebab" was a bunch of meat and grilled veggies on a skewer, but it was a tortilla wrap filled with vegetables, cheese, and meat shaved off of a HUGE kebab. It was delicious, and the perfect way to end an evening out.
Today I woke up a bit later than normal, 10:30 and had some bread smeared in Nutella, Europe's chocolate replacement for peanut butter. It definitely filled me with enough sugar to get up and go. After breakfast, I rummaged together all of my dirty cloths. There were so many of them that they no longer fit in the little bag I had for keeping them in. Note to self, when the bag is nearly full, DO LAUNDRY!
After I had clean clothes, all folded nicely and returned to their respective zip-lock baggies, I headed to the beach. We had wonderful weather today, so everyone was enjoying an afternoon on the polished white rocks of the Cote d'Azur. I found a small but vacant piece of beach and set up home. It was just a wonderful way to spend a bit of the afternoon. Since Nadia and Arian left for Provence this morning, and Simone was heading to Monaco, where I had already been, I just spent the day by myself. After the beach I walked around Old Nice, getting lost in the tiny streets, and then walking to the top of the Chateau to see the great view of the city.
Well I had a nice relaxing day in Nice. I was finally able to get my laundry done this morning which was an extra special part of my day, good clean (un-smelly) clothes.
Last night I went out with Nadia and Arian (the two girls from Quebec) and Simone, a girl from Sydney. We headed to a little discotheque in the city center and danced the night away. We had a ton of good laughs and enjoyed the good music. At one point they had a big balloon drop, so we all got to pop balloons in each other's faces. Plus there was this guy, whom I believe was on GhB, that was passed out against a wall that we decorated with balloons, got a picture, and then had security call him a cab. We made up for our bad behavior by saving his life. We are still good people.
We finished off the night by stopping at a vender on the way home and having a Kebab, a Nice staple for preventing the morning hangover. It was not quite what I expected. I thought "Kebab" was a bunch of meat and grilled veggies on a skewer, but it was a tortilla wrap filled with vegetables, cheese, and meat shaved off of a HUGE kebab. It was delicious, and the perfect way to end an evening out.
Today I woke up a bit later than normal, 10:30 and had some bread smeared in Nutella, Europe's chocolate replacement for peanut butter. It definitely filled me with enough sugar to get up and go. After breakfast, I rummaged together all of my dirty cloths. There were so many of them that they no longer fit in the little bag I had for keeping them in. Note to self, when the bag is nearly full, DO LAUNDRY!
After I had clean clothes, all folded nicely and returned to their respective zip-lock baggies, I headed to the beach. We had wonderful weather today, so everyone was enjoying an afternoon on the polished white rocks of the Cote d'Azur. I found a small but vacant piece of beach and set up home. It was just a wonderful way to spend a bit of the afternoon. Since Nadia and Arian left for Provence this morning, and Simone was heading to Monaco, where I had already been, I just spent the day by myself. After the beach I walked around Old Nice, getting lost in the tiny streets, and then walking to the top of the Chateau to see the great view of the city.
Friday, September 19, 2008
More Nice with time in Italy and Monaco
Friday, September 19, 2008
L'Hotel Pastoral is the place that I am staying.
Unfortunately we saw very little sun today, none in fact until we got back to Nice. We started the day early and went just across the border to Italy and walked around a big outdoor market that they had there, and then had a bit of authentic Italian Gelato. It was amazing! Mom, if I could send you some home for your birthday I would, but I am afraid by the time it made it to you it would either be soup or I would have eaten it.
After Italy, we went to Monaco where it rained the entire time we were there, so most the time we sat in a cafe having lunch and watching the rain pour down. Hopefully the weather tomorrow is a bit better for me.
L'Hotel Pastoral is the place that I am staying.
Unfortunately we saw very little sun today, none in fact until we got back to Nice. We started the day early and went just across the border to Italy and walked around a big outdoor market that they had there, and then had a bit of authentic Italian Gelato. It was amazing! Mom, if I could send you some home for your birthday I would, but I am afraid by the time it made it to you it would either be soup or I would have eaten it.
After Italy, we went to Monaco where it rained the entire time we were there, so most the time we sat in a cafe having lunch and watching the rain pour down. Hopefully the weather tomorrow is a bit better for me.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Nice, France
Thursday, September 18, 2008
I just got to Nice, not quite what I expected, but still fun. I guess I should keep my expectations low as a rule of thumb so as not to be disappointed. I train ride however sets Nice up to fail because you ride right through Canne and some other beautiful towns, and end up in Nice which is more an urban metropolis than a beach side village. I was just expecting it to be smaller for some reason. But there is lots to do and see, and plenty of bus tours to get on and off of.
The place I am staying is great, and the guy let last night slide so I didn't have to pay for it. Especially nice! They are a young couple with a little baby boy running a small hotel/hostel.
I walked around Nice for a bit when I got here, but I brought a little overcast weather with me from Barcelona, so hopefully it will go away so I can enjoy one good day at the beach.
Going to take a little siesta so I can walk around this evening and see the city in a little different light.
Thursday, Evening
I ended up having an incredible evening in Nice. Visiting in the hostel with two girls from Quebec, and after talking to them a little while, they invited me to join them and another guy from LA for dinner. We had an incredible meal at a small restaurant. I had veal cutlets with parmesan cheese and some sort of potato noodle. It was fantastic!
We then went to a bar in the old part of Nice to have a beer and enjoy the evening. After a couple of beers and some rain, we ended up inside dancing to the music of a punk rock cover band. We had so much fun!!!!
Tomorrow the girls and I are going to head to Monaco to lay out on the beach and maybe cross the border to Italy for some authentic gelato. I look forward to it. They are great helping me with my French and occasionally, very occasionally, I help them with their English.
A bientot.
Marc (The french spelling of my name)
I just got to Nice, not quite what I expected, but still fun. I guess I should keep my expectations low as a rule of thumb so as not to be disappointed. I train ride however sets Nice up to fail because you ride right through Canne and some other beautiful towns, and end up in Nice which is more an urban metropolis than a beach side village. I was just expecting it to be smaller for some reason. But there is lots to do and see, and plenty of bus tours to get on and off of.
The place I am staying is great, and the guy let last night slide so I didn't have to pay for it. Especially nice! They are a young couple with a little baby boy running a small hotel/hostel.
I walked around Nice for a bit when I got here, but I brought a little overcast weather with me from Barcelona, so hopefully it will go away so I can enjoy one good day at the beach.
Going to take a little siesta so I can walk around this evening and see the city in a little different light.
Thursday, Evening
I ended up having an incredible evening in Nice. Visiting in the hostel with two girls from Quebec, and after talking to them a little while, they invited me to join them and another guy from LA for dinner. We had an incredible meal at a small restaurant. I had veal cutlets with parmesan cheese and some sort of potato noodle. It was fantastic!
We then went to a bar in the old part of Nice to have a beer and enjoy the evening. After a couple of beers and some rain, we ended up inside dancing to the music of a punk rock cover band. We had so much fun!!!!
Tomorrow the girls and I are going to head to Monaco to lay out on the beach and maybe cross the border to Italy for some authentic gelato. I look forward to it. They are great helping me with my French and occasionally, very occasionally, I help them with their English.
A bientot.
Marc (The french spelling of my name)
Headed to Nice France
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Well, by the time you read this I will be on the train to Montpellier, I wasn't able to get on the 8:45 train to Nice, so I am going to Montpellier for the night, and then heading to Nice tomorrow morning from there. I think I will just sleep at the train station since I am finding it difficult to find a hostel there, but I will also ask at the train station about accommodations.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Well I have made it to Montpellier (Not pronounced like the capital of Vermont). It seems on this trip like all of the catastrophes lead to some really amazing experiences. I missed the train to Nice by seconds, it was pulling out of Estacio de Franca as I was running (with pack and camera bag) up to the ticket window. If only I wasn't so slow walking through the metro stations weighted down with all of my gear. But after I was turned away from the ticket counter and sat defeated on the floor of the station in the corner, I pulled out my map of Europe and decided I was going to go somewhere today. That is when Montpellier jumped off the map and into my dreams. I walked very hesitantly back to the ticket counter and asked if there were any trains going to Montpellier that day. The clerk in broken English said, "At 4:42 this afternoon from the other station." I replied, "Well get me a seat on that train." As he handed me my ticket he again pointed out that I had to go to Estacio Sants Barcelona, which is where my hostel was, so had the train to Nice been from there, I would have made it with time to spare. But alas.
I spent most of the day back in the hostel I had just checked out of, because I knew they had free internet. I did as much research as I could on a place to stay in Montpellier but because I was trying to book a hotel/hostel same day over the internet, I had very little luck. After a few worthless attempts I went on YouTube and discovered a lovely young talent on Broadway by the name of Natalie Weiss (check her out). Finally I decided to go Estacio Sants to wait for my train. I would like to point out now, that there is also a Montpellier station in the UK somewhere, so when I was checking to see trains from Montpellier to Nice, the schedule was saying it would take 24 hours and a good swim. I got extremely worried for about 5 minutes thinking that I had somehow let this Spanish ticket clerk book me on a train to the UK. I digress though. Once I made it to the train station I had some delicious McDonald's for lunch, and wandered around for a while. (Recommendation for those traveling by train out of Estacio Sants in Barcelona, go somewhere else to use the restroom, unless you have a strange affinity for using a stainless steel vortex as a toilet.) Finally it came time for me to get on my train, or at least go through "security." While waiting to board my train I met a lovely couple from England who were heading back to Montpellier after an overnight trip to Barcelona. They raved about Montpellier so I started to get a little curious. I was just considering it a city where I would stop before going to the place I really wanted to go. Well the train was an hour late, but late trains make for conversation, so I met a guy from Portland headed to a wedding, and a kid from Brussels who had studied in Cape Cod for a semester. Finally the train showed its sad face. There was never any announcement or posting that our train was late, so for a bit everyone was scared we had missed our train, and all the platform staff would do is show us ten fingers which we took, several times, as them saying the train will be here in 10 minutes. At one point a train showed up and people got off and a bunch of us jumped on to get our seats and find a close place for our bags until the stewards came running through trying to scream "This is not your train, GET OFF!!!" Quite eventful for a lousy train. But it did finally arrive and whisk us off to Montpellier, by way of a dozen or so other little towns.
Needless to say, 5 hours later I was in Montpellier. No town deserves to be this magical. As soon as I walked out of the Gare Santa Roch, I was overcome with this incredible sense of calm and joy. Apparently it is a small university town, but it is full of life, charm, and wonderful people. The room I got, while a bit over my budget, is a wonderful oasis. An incredible departure from the other places I have stayed. My room has a king sized bed, private shower, shared toilet, and a balcony over looking the center of town. The center is a beautiful square lined with cafes and gorgeous architecture. I am sad I have only allotted one night for this Utopia, I believe I will be coming back at some point, hopefully when my French is a little better. Tomorrow I finally make it to Nice on the 10:08am train so I will head to bed soon, it is almost midnight here, but I can't help but desire to walk around this town all night.
Bon Soir, Mark
Well, by the time you read this I will be on the train to Montpellier, I wasn't able to get on the 8:45 train to Nice, so I am going to Montpellier for the night, and then heading to Nice tomorrow morning from there. I think I will just sleep at the train station since I am finding it difficult to find a hostel there, but I will also ask at the train station about accommodations.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Well I have made it to Montpellier (Not pronounced like the capital of Vermont). It seems on this trip like all of the catastrophes lead to some really amazing experiences. I missed the train to Nice by seconds, it was pulling out of Estacio de Franca as I was running (with pack and camera bag) up to the ticket window. If only I wasn't so slow walking through the metro stations weighted down with all of my gear. But after I was turned away from the ticket counter and sat defeated on the floor of the station in the corner, I pulled out my map of Europe and decided I was going to go somewhere today. That is when Montpellier jumped off the map and into my dreams. I walked very hesitantly back to the ticket counter and asked if there were any trains going to Montpellier that day. The clerk in broken English said, "At 4:42 this afternoon from the other station." I replied, "Well get me a seat on that train." As he handed me my ticket he again pointed out that I had to go to Estacio Sants Barcelona, which is where my hostel was, so had the train to Nice been from there, I would have made it with time to spare. But alas.
I spent most of the day back in the hostel I had just checked out of, because I knew they had free internet. I did as much research as I could on a place to stay in Montpellier but because I was trying to book a hotel/hostel same day over the internet, I had very little luck. After a few worthless attempts I went on YouTube and discovered a lovely young talent on Broadway by the name of Natalie Weiss (check her out). Finally I decided to go Estacio Sants to wait for my train. I would like to point out now, that there is also a Montpellier station in the UK somewhere, so when I was checking to see trains from Montpellier to Nice, the schedule was saying it would take 24 hours and a good swim. I got extremely worried for about 5 minutes thinking that I had somehow let this Spanish ticket clerk book me on a train to the UK. I digress though. Once I made it to the train station I had some delicious McDonald's for lunch, and wandered around for a while. (Recommendation for those traveling by train out of Estacio Sants in Barcelona, go somewhere else to use the restroom, unless you have a strange affinity for using a stainless steel vortex as a toilet.) Finally it came time for me to get on my train, or at least go through "security." While waiting to board my train I met a lovely couple from England who were heading back to Montpellier after an overnight trip to Barcelona. They raved about Montpellier so I started to get a little curious. I was just considering it a city where I would stop before going to the place I really wanted to go. Well the train was an hour late, but late trains make for conversation, so I met a guy from Portland headed to a wedding, and a kid from Brussels who had studied in Cape Cod for a semester. Finally the train showed its sad face. There was never any announcement or posting that our train was late, so for a bit everyone was scared we had missed our train, and all the platform staff would do is show us ten fingers which we took, several times, as them saying the train will be here in 10 minutes. At one point a train showed up and people got off and a bunch of us jumped on to get our seats and find a close place for our bags until the stewards came running through trying to scream "This is not your train, GET OFF!!!" Quite eventful for a lousy train. But it did finally arrive and whisk us off to Montpellier, by way of a dozen or so other little towns.
Needless to say, 5 hours later I was in Montpellier. No town deserves to be this magical. As soon as I walked out of the Gare Santa Roch, I was overcome with this incredible sense of calm and joy. Apparently it is a small university town, but it is full of life, charm, and wonderful people. The room I got, while a bit over my budget, is a wonderful oasis. An incredible departure from the other places I have stayed. My room has a king sized bed, private shower, shared toilet, and a balcony over looking the center of town. The center is a beautiful square lined with cafes and gorgeous architecture. I am sad I have only allotted one night for this Utopia, I believe I will be coming back at some point, hopefully when my French is a little better. Tomorrow I finally make it to Nice on the 10:08am train so I will head to bed soon, it is almost midnight here, but I can't help but desire to walk around this town all night.
Bon Soir, Mark
Monday, September 15, 2008
First Stop Spain
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Carry on and Backpack.JPG)
At DFW Airport loaded up.Tuesday, September 9, 2008 8:29 AM Madrid
Made it to Madrid safe and sound, although I can not say the same for my backpack. It is missing in action, so I am waiting to hear from Iberia on whether it made it to Madrid or not. I am crossing my fingers that it turns up, but if not I will figure something out.
Met some cool kids from Iowa at the airport, been hanging out with them all day. I am having to use the computer in the hotel, because I checked my plug adaptor, so my first thing to do tomorrow if my bag is still missing is to find one of those, and a change of cloths. An American from Seattle who lives in Spain now gave me a few tips on where to buy some cheap stuff while I was shuffling around the baggage claim.
Hope you aren’t worrying too much, I am doing great, just tired as hell. No sleep on the plane, of course, but I guess that means I will sleep well tonight.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008 12:38 PM Madrid
It still hasn’t turned up, so this afternoon while Kate and Collin, the two Americanos I meet at the airport, took a nap, I went and bought a pair of shorts, a shirt and some clean underwear (because I need more underwear). That way I will have a change of cloths for tomorrow. If it does not come by tomorrow afternoon, I am going to call the Iberia, and if that doesn’t work I will run up to the airport on the metro and raise some hell. It just stinks that almost all of my electronics are dead, so I have to use computers in cafe’s and the hostel. The hostel is great though, nice clean room with towels and toiletrees (Sp?). LOL.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008 8:49 AM Madrid
Well my bag should be here this evening. It has arrived in Madrid and they are having it delivered to the hostel this afternoon/evening. I did however find a MAC store this afternoon, so I was able to buy the plug converter from them for the entire world. I am mostly excited to get my bag back so that I can again where some good deodorant so that I won’t continue to smell so rancid. It has been very hot here the today, so I have been sweating like Whitney Houston on a crack binge, and that does not make for pleasant smells when one is without deodorant, or even a clean change of cloths. On a lighter note though, it is surprising the joy that comes from losing your bag. True you are stinky and worried for a couple of days, but there is this incredible sense of joy and peace when you find out your bag has been found. Not a sensation you get when you see it lying dead on the carousel at the airport. Heck my bag got to spend a couple of days in NYC and soak up the culture.
I think there was a big hail storm here last night. I was awoken from my peaceful slumber at 1 in the morning by the sound of hail stones pelting my very large window. But I said to my self, "If these buildings have stood for centuries a little hail ain't going to do a thing."
The kids I was hanging out with yesterday have joined their tour group so I have lost their companionship in Madrid, but I think if I was able to make friends that easy on the Metro at the airport, I should be able to do it again.
Hope all is well in Texas, send everyone my love
Thursday, September 11, 2008 11:35 AM Madrid
I just got my backpack this morning. It was a momentous occasion! In fact the King of Spain showed up to celebrate with me. He is actually in town today, but to mourn the deaths of the 25 people on the flight that crashed at the airport here 2 weeks ago.
Every thing showed up safe and sound though. I was starting to get a little worried.
Did some walking today with a guy named Bill from Canada who is staying at my hostel. We went to the Prado and looked at every room there, it took a LONG time. We had lunch in the park and walked to the Royal Palace to see the king-fun days. About to take a nap so that I might get to experience a little night life here in Madrid before I leave since every other day that I have been here I have been in bed by 10 pm.
Friday, September 12, 2008 3:26 PM
Well I am in Barcelona, safe and sound, although it was quite the adventure. This is definitely one of the things that I am going to post in my blog about. "Mark's 2nd Destination: WOW the world is CONFUSING".
I got up this morning and checked out of my hostel at 10:30am. I learned that in Madrid, nothing happens very early. I got on the Metro to the train station, where I met this guy, Joel an Aussie. We started talking, he has been traveling for quite some time. (I learned from him that I am traveling in a bit of an off season for backpackers, seeing as how most of them travel during the summer months, or winter months for those from south of the equator.) But, Joel was a handy guy to have on my first outing on the train system. He spoke FLUENT Spanish and showed me everything I had to do.
Well the train that they put me on was scheduled to leave at 15h00 (3pm, I am really getting into this whole European time table, military time is far easier to understand) and arrive in Barcelona at 17h38. Well it wasn't even noon when I got the ticket, and Joel's train to Portugal wasn't going to leave until 22h00, so we decided
to store our bags in lockers and walk around the city for a little while. Joel is studying in Madrid for two semesters, and is about to start his second, so he got the summer off to travel Europe, but he knows Madrid extremely well. The two of us ended up walking around Chueca and having an early lunch. (The Spanish eat lunch at 2pm, followed by an hour siesta). Joel introduced me to the Spanish cuisine, Meno del Dias, Menu of the Day. It is basically a "You pick Two" concept, but with more food. For about 10 euros you get two full entrees, a drink, dessert, and a basket of bread. Fairly cheap as good food in Madrid is concerned. (Tell dad I had croquettes de jambon, not quite a salmon croquette but right up his alley.)After finishing lunch, Joel and I walked to El Retiro, the big park right next to the Prado, and just having a little siesta; aka. talking and getting to know about each other, as well as him giving me tips about traveling. Joel refused to let me forget how much bigger my bag was than his, he was positive that I was well over packed and would start sending things home in no time. (after today I agree!). Well somewhere in the walking, the lunch, and the park, the two of us got this strange idea that my train left at 15h38 (Departure 15h00; Arrival 17h38) so we took our sweet time getting back to Atocha, the train station, which is only a 5 minute walk from El Retiro.
Once we got to Atocha, got my bag, and started to look for my train, we realized that there was in fact no 15h38 train to Barcelona. That was when all the fun truly started. Joel, being the Aussie gentleman that he is, helped translate for me while I tried to get a new ticket. He kept remarking on how calm I was saying in his very charming Australian way "I would be f**kin' pissed if it were me." I just told him, "Hey, better I learn how to deal with a missed train now, while I have you to translate, that me alone, trying to communicate to a poor Spaniard in my panicked voice." He still thought I was crazy. But after a few information desks and 10 euros, I was booked on the 18h00 train to Barcelona. So again to kill time, we headed to El Retiro, this time with watch and boarding pass in hand so as not to get confused.
Finally though, around 18h00 I was on the train headed to Barcelona. The train system in AMAZING!!!!! I can see now why it is so popular; far more comfortable than an airplane.
Barcelona - September 12
Well I tried booking a Hostel in Barcelona this morning, but wasn't able to due to the fact that you have to book 2 days in advance on the website that I used, so I left on the train with the hopes that the hostel would have a bed for me tonight and tomorrow. This is when I have to say, Barcelona is a MUCH LARGER city than Madrid, or at least it feels that way when you are walking around with 60 lbs of luggage on your back. I got to the hostel and it seemed very nice and popular, but the woman at the desk told me that she didn't have any available beds for the evening, but she directed me to another hostel where, she assured me they would have an open bed.
On the map the girl gave me at the first hostel, it looked like the second one wasn't that far. I WAS WRONG!!! It was over a mile away. When I got to the street that it was on and realized that I was at address 16 and the hostel was at street number 151, I realized I was in for a long haul. Luckily, though, after I finally found the place, they had a bed (many beds) available. This is about the point in time where I lay down before the girl at reception and kiss her feet. I am staying at Alberg Pere Tarres Youth hostel, which, once inside, I realized is bigger than the dorms at Webster.
The great thing is that this place has Wi-Fi that works, unlike the last place I was, and it has breakfast, lunch, and dinner available. (Breakfast is free, the other two aren't.)
I think that tomorrow in celebration of a job well done, I am going to go to the beach and veg. It's a good thing as Martha Stewart would say. I hope you enjoyed my tale of perseverance.
I am planning on staying in Barcelona for 5 days, 2 at the hostel I am at now, and 3 at the one I have already reserved, both seem well populated, I just liked that the other one was a little smaller, easier to meet people. Most of the people here, so far, seem to be in large groups. And that for shy little me means, less approachable.
But I did go out for a few cervesas with a guy staying in the room with me. He is a japanese grad student. It was fun, reminded me of Hideaki from my freshman year at Webster.
Going to head to bed now, drunk and tired-the perfect combination. I will take note of the phrases mom sent, although I keep confusing the Spanish because I always pronounce things in French.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Well today is day 2 in Barcelona, I don't count the first night as a day because that would just be silly. I have moved to my second hostel because one is never enough. I think I will like this one a lot more because it is smaller, and there are less tour groups so it should be a little easier to meet people. It is called Alberguinn, and it is right next to the train station, so easy access to the Metro. I am learning a few things about traveling as I go: A) we all really look alike, unless you are an old Spanish woman (then you look the same as every other old Spanish woman, pulling a cart around town), B) One should research how big the city is before deciding to walk all the way around it (Madrid very easy to walk, Barcelona too big to walk), C) Lines can be your friend (After walking around a city, it is sometimes nice to sit and wait in line for the establishment you are visiting in order to get off your feet for a while.) Yesterday I walked around Barcelona for about 7 hours just trying to get me feet, and admiring locals from the street. The map I had did not have a scale on it, so it looked as though walking to a lot of the places would be quite easy. On the other hand when a map has no scale, I am now going to take that as a sign of big things. I walked so much yesterday that I somehow destroyed the pedometer, its not so much that it is in pieces as it no longer counts the number of steps I take. The last time I checked it yesterday it was at 35,261. So today I decided to give it, and my feet, a break. The metro here is really efficient and gets you to all the hot spots in Barcelona, so today I bought a two day pass and went to town. I started my day at the Temple Sacrado Familia. It is the extremely famous Gaudi cathedral in Barcelona. I met a group of what I consider to be lesbians from North Carolina. They all had short hair cuts and were wearing sensible shoes, so I say lesbians. The Temple is breathtaking and because today is Sunday they were having a mass there as I walked around. While there I decided to spend the 2.50 Euros to go to the top of one of the spires which had exquisite views of all of Barcelona and reminded me of some of the castles in the UK with its tight and steep staircases. You take an elevator up, and you take the stairs down. After exploring the inside of the Temple I walked around the outside, and found a spot in a park nearby to do some sketching. There are some great bike tours in Barcelona, and my drawing spot was right next to on of the stops so I would eavesdrop on the guide’s description on Temple Scrado Familia. They expect the construction of it to be finished in 2026, but that is just a guess. It would be nice to come back when it is finished, it sounds like it is going to be HUGE!I then rode the Metro to the rambles and bought a watch since I carelessly left mine at home, but found a cheap souvenir shop in a back alley where I was able to pay the guy in Wampum... LOL! Had a light lunch, but that is the one thing I need to get better about is eating. I just don't eat enough for the amount of energy I excrete, so I think I am going to find a nice Cerveseria tonight and have a good meal. I hope Houston floats again, but honestly it needed a good bath, it was getting smelly.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
I enjoyed my last day in Barcelona with a bike tour of the city. I had seen them around before and thought it would be a fun way to see some of the city that I had missed. Well it turns out I saw everything that the tour went to, but this way I got a little more of the history I didn't get just looking at it. Plus it was a great way for me to meet some other travelers. I met four other people from Texas. One couple, middle aged cruise line travelers at port in Barcelona, the
other, two girls who just graduated from A&M. (Although I didn't hold it against them.) There was another pair of girls, oddly both named Sarah, from Sydney. After the tour this evening we all met up for a little pub crawl. It was well worth the twenty euros, and if I do the other Fat Tire Bike Tours in Paris, London, and Berlin I get a free t-shirt. I will wear it with pride.Tomorrow I head to Nice. I learned of another, better website to book hostels through, so I have a confirmed booking there, not going to have to wander around the French Riviera all night looking for a cheap bed.
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