There are some gaps in the trip, I know! We are safely home in KC and I owe this blog about a week's worth of adventures. Here is a post I wrote about Madrid to tide you over!
- Ellen
~~~~~~~~~~
Madrid has been unexpectedly relaxing; it's nice to stay in one spot for more than two nights!
We've been able to get a pretty good idea of daily life. In Madrid - and most of Spain, from what I can gather - everything is moved back by about 3 hours: lunch isn't until at least 1:30 but usually 2 or 3pm, and dinner is at 8 ... or sometimes 9 or 10! (My mother would never survive.) People stay out later, too: midnight is about average for a weeknight, and 2 or 3 or 4am are often seen on the weekends.
We discovered the staying out late part early. The first night we were there we went out with our host - my friend Michael from college - to get tapas and meet some of his friends. Having not arrived until almost 8pm, we weren't leaving his apartment until 10ish. Stopping for tapas took us to 11:30 and then we met his friends at a neighborhood festival.
In Madrid, "neighborhood festival" translates to "big f---ing party in the middle of the street." Drinks are huge and relatively cheap, lots of dancing and loud music. So much life happening in one place! We also didn't get there until 12 or maybe later since we walked there. His friends were wonderful - a fun bunch that was seeing a couple of friends off on a trip to Russia of all places - but eventually Britton and I had to give in to our exhaustion... at 3am! The trek home took another hour involving a night bus and plenty of walking. I fell asleep without even changing into pjs.
We've walked a LOT while in Europe: between sights, within cities, to and from metro stations, to get food, with our backpacks, through airports and train stations. It's felt good to be so active but at the same time our feet are quickly losing their stamina. I am getting the most necessary pedicure of my life on Sunday when we're home again.
That idea of home is always an interesting one when traveling. I talked about this a bit with Rebecca in Budapest. She's often in flux between what would be a "permanent" address (her parents' house in the states), her "current" address (in Spain where she teaches during the school year, Sept. - May-ish), and her "temporary" address (in Hungary where she is teaching over this summer). And even for me while we've been in Spain whenever I say, "Let's head home for a bit" it is in reference to Michael's apartment. Home is where the heart is but also where your head can hit a soft pillow.
Anyway, back to that first night, we decided we had definitely earned a morning without an alarm - a rare treat during our trip!
Monday, August 20
Saturday, August 11
"The Romans were everywhere!"
We let ourselves sleep in - til all of 10:00! Then it's up and at 'em. Our "B&B" provided cereal and instant coffee, which I have quite the affinity for after Ecuador. It was really nice to have a slow morning after some of the early and get-a-move-on mornings of the past few days.
We found lunch near the Vatican - pizza with fresh toppings and these little fried rice balls stuffed with fillings. I can't remember what they're called at the moment but they were gooood. This was one of the first meals that between the two of us we didn't finish.
Then we walked off to the Vatican! To say that it was impressive is just not a big enough statement. It's amazingly complex and beautiful. And it's huge. Every wall, piece of ceiling, altar, prayer is a work of art in itself. I wish I could have laid down on the floor looking up to be able to gaze at it all but there we're far too many people.
And there is a dress code (which we adhered to) that many people, mostly women in short skirts and skimpy tops, couldn't figure out. The Vatican is very strict about these rules - two guards stand at the steps in front of the entrance checking visitors - and they're also prepared with these paper hospital gown type things for people to wear around their shoulders or tie around their waist to cover their knees. Some people brought their own scarves and would wind up looking like they wore a long dress stamped with "ROMA ROMA ROMA" all over it. I on the other hand looked cute in a sun dress that has small shoulder frilly-ness. Inadvertent brilliance, as my dad would say!
Next to the colosseum! Which had nothing of the wait we'd be warned about and we got inside within around 30 minutes. We think it's mainly because it was the middle of the day, it was hot, and right now many Europeans are taking their own holiday. Works for us! We were prepared with lots of water and light clothing, and we stayed in the shade whenever possible.
The colosseum is also impressive but in a different way from the Vatican. The colosseum is, I believe, a testament to the Romans' incredible legacy of craftsmanship. Built well, built quickly, and built with functionality for its purpose. With all of our new-fangled technology, we still don't rival some of these structures.
And there are plenty of examples of this literally all over Rome. Ruins that are closed off, ruins that were reused, buildings that are still standing. Just as Britton realized, "Man, the Romans were EVERYWHERE!" (Yes, especially when in ROME.) ;D
And - because why stop at a full day when you can pack two days worth of things into one? - we went on a bike tour at 7:00 that night! This tour was "Unusual Rome" and complemented our time in Rome really, really well. We saw some unique sights - a panorama of Rome at sunset, the Vatican through a peephole, Hadron's (?) castle, the forum at night with pictures of how it was when it was built. Plus, we had a guide which meant our random questions were answered! I was wishing at some points during the day that we had taken guided tours, because you do get so much more info. Britton and I tend to speculate and wonder what was this for or why is it like that but can't get answers from walls or signs in Italian.
We found lunch near the Vatican - pizza with fresh toppings and these little fried rice balls stuffed with fillings. I can't remember what they're called at the moment but they were gooood. This was one of the first meals that between the two of us we didn't finish.
Then we walked off to the Vatican! To say that it was impressive is just not a big enough statement. It's amazingly complex and beautiful. And it's huge. Every wall, piece of ceiling, altar, prayer is a work of art in itself. I wish I could have laid down on the floor looking up to be able to gaze at it all but there we're far too many people.
And there is a dress code (which we adhered to) that many people, mostly women in short skirts and skimpy tops, couldn't figure out. The Vatican is very strict about these rules - two guards stand at the steps in front of the entrance checking visitors - and they're also prepared with these paper hospital gown type things for people to wear around their shoulders or tie around their waist to cover their knees. Some people brought their own scarves and would wind up looking like they wore a long dress stamped with "ROMA ROMA ROMA" all over it. I on the other hand looked cute in a sun dress that has small shoulder frilly-ness. Inadvertent brilliance, as my dad would say!
Next to the colosseum! Which had nothing of the wait we'd be warned about and we got inside within around 30 minutes. We think it's mainly because it was the middle of the day, it was hot, and right now many Europeans are taking their own holiday. Works for us! We were prepared with lots of water and light clothing, and we stayed in the shade whenever possible.
The colosseum is also impressive but in a different way from the Vatican. The colosseum is, I believe, a testament to the Romans' incredible legacy of craftsmanship. Built well, built quickly, and built with functionality for its purpose. With all of our new-fangled technology, we still don't rival some of these structures.
And there are plenty of examples of this literally all over Rome. Ruins that are closed off, ruins that were reused, buildings that are still standing. Just as Britton realized, "Man, the Romans were EVERYWHERE!" (Yes, especially when in ROME.) ;D
And - because why stop at a full day when you can pack two days worth of things into one? - we went on a bike tour at 7:00 that night! This tour was "Unusual Rome" and complemented our time in Rome really, really well. We saw some unique sights - a panorama of Rome at sunset, the Vatican through a peephole, Hadron's (?) castle, the forum at night with pictures of how it was when it was built. Plus, we had a guide which meant our random questions were answered! I was wishing at some points during the day that we had taken guided tours, because you do get so much more info. Britton and I tend to speculate and wonder what was this for or why is it like that but can't get answers from walls or signs in Italian.
Thursday, August 9
Woke up in Budapest, fell asleep in Rome
Travel day between Budapest and Rome was an early one, with the added stress of it being the first time traveling by plane after landing in London the first day.
Luckily there weren't any mishaps. I think we might have been one of the last ones to the gate though, and since it's open seating on Ryanair (budget European airline) I thought it'd be a much bigger issue than it was. We were still able to sit across the aisle from each other.
And then we were in ROME! Aaaah there were so many things to see and do, and unlike previous cities, we knew ahead of time what those things were!
Colosseum, Vatican, Pantheon - see ALL the things!
We walked around for a bit - had OK pizza at what we thought was a place far enough away to not be a tourist trap. Wrong. :-/ But we made up for it with gelato!
Also - what is the deal with Europe - scratch that, the rest of the world - and carbonated water?! Uuuugh. Guess which one we bought by mistake. Blech. Good thing Rome is full of free fountains with drinkable water! So cool!
We joined a walking tour that left from the Spanish steps (which have a real name but I don't remember what it is... which is why they're known as the Spanish steps in the first place) and started off on our trek! I have to say, Rome left me amazed more times than any city yet. So much history and art, so many intricate buildings and thought-out systems. There is a church with the ceiling painted to look like it continues the wall, and like there is a dome where there is really just a flat canvas. One could sit in many of these buildings all day and always be awe-struck.
Our guide was great, too. An Italian with lots of knowledge about the history of Rome and of Italy, and answers to all of the questions asked.
And, most fun, while on the tour we met Raquel (from LA) and Ross and Colin (from Scotland)! They were a fun group and we wound up getting dinner together at a restaurant recommended by the guide. So. Delicious. Definitely made up for the ugh pizza earlier! The menu was so extensive, I just closed my eyes and pointed at a dish. And it was GREAT.
Luckily there weren't any mishaps. I think we might have been one of the last ones to the gate though, and since it's open seating on Ryanair (budget European airline) I thought it'd be a much bigger issue than it was. We were still able to sit across the aisle from each other.
And then we were in ROME! Aaaah there were so many things to see and do, and unlike previous cities, we knew ahead of time what those things were!
Colosseum, Vatican, Pantheon - see ALL the things!
We walked around for a bit - had OK pizza at what we thought was a place far enough away to not be a tourist trap. Wrong. :-/ But we made up for it with gelato!
Also - what is the deal with Europe - scratch that, the rest of the world - and carbonated water?! Uuuugh. Guess which one we bought by mistake. Blech. Good thing Rome is full of free fountains with drinkable water! So cool!
We joined a walking tour that left from the Spanish steps (which have a real name but I don't remember what it is... which is why they're known as the Spanish steps in the first place) and started off on our trek! I have to say, Rome left me amazed more times than any city yet. So much history and art, so many intricate buildings and thought-out systems. There is a church with the ceiling painted to look like it continues the wall, and like there is a dome where there is really just a flat canvas. One could sit in many of these buildings all day and always be awe-struck.
Our guide was great, too. An Italian with lots of knowledge about the history of Rome and of Italy, and answers to all of the questions asked.
And, most fun, while on the tour we met Raquel (from LA) and Ross and Colin (from Scotland)! They were a fun group and we wound up getting dinner together at a restaurant recommended by the guide. So. Delicious. Definitely made up for the ugh pizza earlier! The menu was so extensive, I just closed my eyes and pointed at a dish. And it was GREAT.
Setting records in Budapest
In Budapest we met up with one of my roommates from college, Rebecca. She's currently teaching English and Spanish in Hungary for the summer before returning to Spain to teach English in the fall. Tough life, eh? ;)
We got in after the seven-hour train ride from Munich. I don't want to sit on a trail for that long for a while. Austria was beautiful though, and I'm glad we got to see it instead of fly over it.
The trouble with getting in to a city on a Sunday at dusk is that it is generally deserted, nothing's open, and it tends to look creepier than it is. Sorry, Budapest, but you fall into that category.
On top of those factors, Budapest is also a gateway to eastern Europe which has a much different feel from western Europe. Many of these countries have been in serious trouble within the last two decades, and have been conquered or occupied for the majority of their histories. They've had bigger issues than making their city pretty for tourists.
The next morning the city looked much better. Rebecca met us at our hostel and we set out for the main square later than intended and needed to get a metro (subway/tram/bus) pass for the day. We went to the station and the line is of course 8-10 people deep. We are trying our luck with the timing. We get to the front, get a ticket, get down the escalators and the train is in the station! Run, run!
Becca and Britton make it on to a car and I'm bringing up the rear and realize the door behind them is closer, so I jump on, assuming the cars are all connected like on a train. Not so, and I can't get their attention. As the train pulls away, I see that Britton has gotten off the train and was left at the station!
Becca and I both poke our heads out at the next station to find each other and jump off hoping Britton got on the following train. Which he did! Hooray for establishing emergency plans ahead of time!
We somehow make it to the main square where our waking tour starts just as the guide is starting her history of Hungary spiel. And then we notice that it's hot! Definitely sticking to the shade as much as possible.
This tour covered the history of Hungary - of which there is a lot - and on the main touristy things: differences between Buda and Pest, the Chain bridge, parliament buildings, Margaret island, and others.
But throughout the tour, it just kept getting so hot! Turns out, as Becca informed us later, the temperature in Budapest that day set a record high for the city. The previous record was set in the 1930s. What a day to remember!
We got some dinner and sent Becca on her way "home" and then, we went and hung out on or hostel's couch. It was the first night when we just let ourselves be tired. Nothing was calling us back out to the streets of Budapest, nothing was on our agenda, and we had an early morning the next day. And I guess in the scheme of the 21 days we will have traveled, we can allow ourselves just one night in.
(photo of me in front of the Chain Bridge in Budapest)
We got in after the seven-hour train ride from Munich. I don't want to sit on a trail for that long for a while. Austria was beautiful though, and I'm glad we got to see it instead of fly over it.
The trouble with getting in to a city on a Sunday at dusk is that it is generally deserted, nothing's open, and it tends to look creepier than it is. Sorry, Budapest, but you fall into that category.
On top of those factors, Budapest is also a gateway to eastern Europe which has a much different feel from western Europe. Many of these countries have been in serious trouble within the last two decades, and have been conquered or occupied for the majority of their histories. They've had bigger issues than making their city pretty for tourists.
The next morning the city looked much better. Rebecca met us at our hostel and we set out for the main square later than intended and needed to get a metro (subway/tram/bus) pass for the day. We went to the station and the line is of course 8-10 people deep. We are trying our luck with the timing. We get to the front, get a ticket, get down the escalators and the train is in the station! Run, run!
Becca and Britton make it on to a car and I'm bringing up the rear and realize the door behind them is closer, so I jump on, assuming the cars are all connected like on a train. Not so, and I can't get their attention. As the train pulls away, I see that Britton has gotten off the train and was left at the station!
Becca and I both poke our heads out at the next station to find each other and jump off hoping Britton got on the following train. Which he did! Hooray for establishing emergency plans ahead of time!
We somehow make it to the main square where our waking tour starts just as the guide is starting her history of Hungary spiel. And then we notice that it's hot! Definitely sticking to the shade as much as possible.
This tour covered the history of Hungary - of which there is a lot - and on the main touristy things: differences between Buda and Pest, the Chain bridge, parliament buildings, Margaret island, and others.
But throughout the tour, it just kept getting so hot! Turns out, as Becca informed us later, the temperature in Budapest that day set a record high for the city. The previous record was set in the 1930s. What a day to remember!
We got some dinner and sent Becca on her way "home" and then, we went and hung out on or hostel's couch. It was the first night when we just let ourselves be tired. Nothing was calling us back out to the streets of Budapest, nothing was on our agenda, and we had an early morning the next day. And I guess in the scheme of the 21 days we will have traveled, we can allow ourselves just one night in.
(photo of me in front of the Chain Bridge in Budapest)
Tuesday, August 7
New Europe Tours: Munich
In our search for things to discover in all of these new cities, we've come across some excellent tip-based tours (read: advertised as free but you're expected to tip the guide). Munich was our first experience with New Europe Tours - one "free" and one we paid for ahead of time.
Our first tour was the "free" tour which left from Marienplatz, one of the main squares in Munich (at 3pm - turns out when you drink with Germans the night before, you tend to sleep til 11 without realizing it!) which is famous for the glockenspiel, a large cuckoo clock of sorts. More about that later.
Our guide was fun; a young 20-something from Ireland who was losing his voice and explained at the beginning that "over 80% of the questions he asks can be answered with 'beer.'" This is our kind of guide!
The tour was also wonderful. We learned a lot of facts - some fun and some somber - about Munich and Germany. Most memorable were Dodgers Alley (a memorial to citizens who were sent to concentration camps because they purposefully avoided a Nazi memorial), a brief history of Oktoberfest and the kings leading up to its founding, and of course the glockenspiel.
Ah, yes, the glockenspiel. Not only is it fun to say, it's also boring to watch! For some reason, the touristy thing to do in Munich three times each day is to watch a not-so-intricate cuckoo clock chime horrifically out of tune from the bell tower of what looks like an old church but which was actually built in the 20th century.
It was more interesting to me that SO MANY PEOPLE packed the square! Find a YouTube video of this clock and you'll see why I'm so amazed - it's large figurines on a turntable twirling around! That's all! Though, some native Munich residents have added their own flair: at one point two jousters, er, joust, and Bavaria wins which sets off big whoops of victory from what looked like very drunk members of a bachelor party.
(By the way, if you think your bachelor/ette party was over-the-top or well organized, you are wrong. In Munich, the group of 10-20 buy matching t-shirts or matching outfits - one group of girls wore the traditional Bavarian beer maid dress - and have to interact with the crowd and embarrass the honoree. To say the groups stood out is an understatement. Oh, and they're also really drunk and causing a scene.)
Our second New Munich tour was the Beer Challenge. I'm not sure why it's a beer "challenge," other than at the beginning the guide mentioned there is a completely subjective drawing at the end to win a free tour from New Europe tours. It's a well-organized, guided pub crawl. Which is awesome!
We went to a beer garden, Hofbräuhaus, a bar across from Hofbräuhaus, and another bar. There might have been one more but that's not important.
The BEST part was it's a bilingual tour, and I wound up sitting next to a couple from Spain! After our guide gave the group a set of instructions on how to order beer within the group, they gave each other the 'I don't know what she said, do you know why she said?' look and I intervened. And then we were friends! I learned a lot about Spain - they're from Barcelona - and we had fun.
We hung out off-and-on with them as well as a couple from Brazil, a kid from Russia, and other random people from the world. The group was huge - probably 30-40 people being herded by two tour guides.
And - Bonus! - it ended three blocks from our hotel!
(photo is of musicians in the beer garden on the Beer Challenge)
Our first tour was the "free" tour which left from Marienplatz, one of the main squares in Munich (at 3pm - turns out when you drink with Germans the night before, you tend to sleep til 11 without realizing it!) which is famous for the glockenspiel, a large cuckoo clock of sorts. More about that later.
Our guide was fun; a young 20-something from Ireland who was losing his voice and explained at the beginning that "over 80% of the questions he asks can be answered with 'beer.'" This is our kind of guide!
The tour was also wonderful. We learned a lot of facts - some fun and some somber - about Munich and Germany. Most memorable were Dodgers Alley (a memorial to citizens who were sent to concentration camps because they purposefully avoided a Nazi memorial), a brief history of Oktoberfest and the kings leading up to its founding, and of course the glockenspiel.
Ah, yes, the glockenspiel. Not only is it fun to say, it's also boring to watch! For some reason, the touristy thing to do in Munich three times each day is to watch a not-so-intricate cuckoo clock chime horrifically out of tune from the bell tower of what looks like an old church but which was actually built in the 20th century.
It was more interesting to me that SO MANY PEOPLE packed the square! Find a YouTube video of this clock and you'll see why I'm so amazed - it's large figurines on a turntable twirling around! That's all! Though, some native Munich residents have added their own flair: at one point two jousters, er, joust, and Bavaria wins which sets off big whoops of victory from what looked like very drunk members of a bachelor party.
(By the way, if you think your bachelor/ette party was over-the-top or well organized, you are wrong. In Munich, the group of 10-20 buy matching t-shirts or matching outfits - one group of girls wore the traditional Bavarian beer maid dress - and have to interact with the crowd and embarrass the honoree. To say the groups stood out is an understatement. Oh, and they're also really drunk and causing a scene.)
Our second New Munich tour was the Beer Challenge. I'm not sure why it's a beer "challenge," other than at the beginning the guide mentioned there is a completely subjective drawing at the end to win a free tour from New Europe tours. It's a well-organized, guided pub crawl. Which is awesome!
We went to a beer garden, Hofbräuhaus, a bar across from Hofbräuhaus, and another bar. There might have been one more but that's not important.
The BEST part was it's a bilingual tour, and I wound up sitting next to a couple from Spain! After our guide gave the group a set of instructions on how to order beer within the group, they gave each other the 'I don't know what she said, do you know why she said?' look and I intervened. And then we were friends! I learned a lot about Spain - they're from Barcelona - and we had fun.
We hung out off-and-on with them as well as a couple from Brazil, a kid from Russia, and other random people from the world. The group was huge - probably 30-40 people being herded by two tour guides.
And - Bonus! - it ended three blocks from our hotel!
(photo is of musicians in the beer garden on the Beer Challenge)
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