Well the train ride was… let’s just say interesting. Things were going great with the first two people that we met. Both spoke English, one was from Australia but moved to Holland to teach Japanese history, and the other owned a language school in Germany. We talked for an hour before deciding it was time to hit the sheets at 10:30. Although we didn’t fall asleep right away, we were just starting to drift off around 11:40, when a German couple came on the train in Cologne. The man was the top bunk, and was pushing 300 pounds. The woman was petite, and seemed to be quiet and mind her own business. Although he was being extremely loud to get into to the bed, the problems were just beginning. The man was perhaps the worst snorer the world has ever heard, and also had a gas problem. We wouldn’t be surprised if people back in the United States could hear this man snoring. The poor Australian man below him kept banging the bunk trying to get the man to stop snoring, but it would only last for a few breaths. It took several hours, but we both eventually fell asleep. We woke again as the man got down to depart sometime around 6am, which gave us one hour of restful sleep before we got to Munich.
We took a cab and got to the Arabella Sheraten at 8:30 in the morning. Luckily our room was ready, so we got upstairs and jumped in bed for a two hour nap before leaving to go see Munich. We went downstairs to ask the concierge where the main sights were that we wanted to see. He told us that mostly everything on our list was in Marienplatz, the main city center in Munich. The weather in Munich was beautiful, in the mid 80s. After taking about 15 minutes, we finally found the subway and bought a 9 euro couples all day pass. This saved us a lot of money. The first thing we saw in Marienplaz was the City Hall, which was in a beautiful gothic building that we thought was St. Peters Church at first. After City Hall we walked a block down to St. Peters Church which was so much different than any other catholic church we’ve seen in Europe. It was very bright inside, with gold, white, and pink detailing. The church had to be rebuilt after it was bombed and destroyed in December of 1944 during World War 2. They showed pictures of the reconstruction and progress.
After St. Peters Church, we walked to Viktualien Market, which was one of our favorite sights in Munich. It was similar to a farmers market with permanent buildings. They had fresh fish, meat, cheese, wine, flowers, vegetables, fruit, and beer. They also had restaurants and a beer garden. After tasting some home made dips, sauces, and assortments of olives, we decided to get lunch and sit in the beer garden under the trees. We bought popcorn shrimp and chips and a fish and ships stand, and also ordered half liters of beer. While enjoying our lunch and beautiful surroundings, we spotted a girl we knew from USC and her family. We knew Stacy would be traveling Europe with her family the same time we were, but we never expected to be in the same city at the same time and cross paths. Her family sat down next to us and we chatted for about 45 minutes about our travels and experiences. It’s been so funny to run in to not only one, but two of our friends during our European travels. After parting ways with Stacy and her family, we decided to walk to town in search for the Hofbrauhaus, a local beer brewery.
We quickly found it on in a quaint cobblestone courtyard, and walked in to the beer hall to order a liter to split. Stacy had told us that they make a delicious drink that’s beer and lemonade mixed together. We followed her suggestion and also ordered a salted pretzel which is very popular to eat with your beer in Germany. The beer was amazing, and we were so happy we followed her recommendation. The Hofbrauhaus beer hall was very historic with 400 year old tables. Rebuilt after the bombings of World War 2, it mimics the old style beer halls of the 17th century. After finishing at the Hofbrauhaus, we set out to visit the Englischer Garten.
The garden is world famous for its man made river that runs through it, and at the mouth of the river is a giant wave that surfers come out to ride. Because of the beautiful weather, there were hundreds of people sun bathing in the park and taking swims in the river. We walked over to the wave to check out the surfers. It was one of the coolest things we’ve ever seen. There were about 20 surfers in wet suits all waiting in line for their chance to ride the wave. Some stayed up for a minute or two, while others wiped out immediately. For a second we felt as though we’d never left southern California. We took some pictures and video footage of it, and started on our journey back to the hotel. After getting off at our metro stop, we found a grocery store and grabbed a baguette, salami, and cheese. Our dinner cost us a total of 9 euros and some change. We’ve continually found ways to be economical on our trip. We’ve just finished our delicious dinner, and we’ll let you know how the rest of Munich is!
Monday, May 25, 2009
So Sad to Leave
Right now we’re on the overnight train from Amsterdam to Munich. For the time being, we are the only two people in our SIX person sleeper compartment. Our train attendant just informed us that the train is full…yay. We are enjoying our last few moments together alone, by writing this blog. We’re really curious as to who will join us, and all that we hope is that they’re normal.
We were really sad to leave Amsterdam. We thought nothing could top Brussels, but we were mistaken. Amsterdam was absolutely breathtaking. We never expected it to be as wonderful as it was. We spent our second to last day in Amsterdam waking up early to visit the Van Gogh Museum and Heineken Brewery. We decided to beat the lines by getting to the Van Gogh Museum before 10 am, when it opened. I guess we weren’t the only ones with that idea because there was already a good amount of people staking their spot in line at 9:30 when we got there. But as soon as the doors opened at 10, the line started moving. We were taken away at how many Van Gogh pieces the museum had. It was really interesting because they showed the natural progression of his style from his beginning to end. Van Gogh really didn’t develop his renowned style until after moving to Paris. Before then, his work looked very similar to other artists at the time. We saw Starry Night the original, many of his self portraits, and many other works. Overall, it was an amazing experience.
After leaving the museum, we went to lunch and shopped for gifts for our family. There are so many stores in Leisdesplein that we didn’t really have to leave the area to find gifts for our family.
The next stop for the day was to the Heineken Brewery, and for fifteen euros each we got a complete tour. Once inside, they refer to their tour as the “Heineken Experience”. We started out getting a history of Heineken and how the brewery started before entering whether the beer used to be made. Inside this part of the brewery we were able to sample the beer in the middle of the process before it was turned into an alcoholic beverage. We left the old brewery to enter the “Brew U” ride, which allowed us to get a first hand look at what it would be like to be the beer as it gets prepared. After this, we were rewarded with our first sampling of the finished product. The rest of the tour gave us a complete look at the brewing process, and we got to see bottles as they filled up. At the end of the Heineken tour, there is a bar where they give you two free beers. Quincey saw a third untouched one, and got to have an extra one. This was so much fun, and it is definitely a must see for anyone visiting Amsterdam.
Full from freshly brewed beer, we left to checkout the gift shop, before walking back to our hotel. We got a nice little rest in before heading out to dinner back to Leidesplein. Austin grabbed some nice food from a place called “Wok to Walk”, while Quincey got ice cream from Ben and Jerrys for her dinner.
We were pretty exhausted from such a full day, and we hit the sack pretty early.
For our last day in Amsterdam, we had no plans. We started by going to the Museum of Bags and Purses, which Quincey had been dying to see. Austin had seen enough, so he headed outside to sit by the Canal. After seeing a few bags, Quincey headed outside. We left to go to the Hortus Botanicus, which is the botanical garden in Amsterdam. Not wanting to spend the money, we decided to walk around the outside, and peak in from there. Unimpressed, we headed to the Zoo just to see what it looked like. Without having to go inside, we were able to see the Camels, Ox, Deer, and Flamingos, so we decided to save the twenty euros it would take to go inside.
Because we had been going nonstop all trip, Quincey wanted to take some time to shop. We went out to the big street for shopping in search of some scarves. This whole trip, the shopping had been about other people, so this shopping trip was just for Quincey. We were on a mission to find some everyday scarves that Quincey wanted to add to her wardrobe. After searching for almost three hours, we had almost given up hope. Austin pointed out a store that seemed like a long shot, but we headed in anyway. It turns out that this store had a wonderful selection of scarves, and Quincey bought one, while putting another on hold in case she wanted to come back later that day.
Ever since we went to the Van Gogh museum, Quincey wanted to get another scarf she saw at the nearby gift shop. Since she couldn’t stop talking about it, we decided to go back and buy it as her final memory of Amsterdam.
With just two hours until our train left for Munich, we decided to grab dinner at an Irish pub. The food and beer was cheap, so we grabbed a quick meal while watching Newcastle play Aston Villa in one of the final soccer games of the year. The fans were going nuts, which added a fun element to the dinner. We finished out meal, headed back to the hotel, and grabbed a cab to the train station.
We were really sad to leave Amsterdam. We thought nothing could top Brussels, but we were mistaken. Amsterdam was absolutely breathtaking. We never expected it to be as wonderful as it was. We spent our second to last day in Amsterdam waking up early to visit the Van Gogh Museum and Heineken Brewery. We decided to beat the lines by getting to the Van Gogh Museum before 10 am, when it opened. I guess we weren’t the only ones with that idea because there was already a good amount of people staking their spot in line at 9:30 when we got there. But as soon as the doors opened at 10, the line started moving. We were taken away at how many Van Gogh pieces the museum had. It was really interesting because they showed the natural progression of his style from his beginning to end. Van Gogh really didn’t develop his renowned style until after moving to Paris. Before then, his work looked very similar to other artists at the time. We saw Starry Night the original, many of his self portraits, and many other works. Overall, it was an amazing experience.
After leaving the museum, we went to lunch and shopped for gifts for our family. There are so many stores in Leisdesplein that we didn’t really have to leave the area to find gifts for our family.
The next stop for the day was to the Heineken Brewery, and for fifteen euros each we got a complete tour. Once inside, they refer to their tour as the “Heineken Experience”. We started out getting a history of Heineken and how the brewery started before entering whether the beer used to be made. Inside this part of the brewery we were able to sample the beer in the middle of the process before it was turned into an alcoholic beverage. We left the old brewery to enter the “Brew U” ride, which allowed us to get a first hand look at what it would be like to be the beer as it gets prepared. After this, we were rewarded with our first sampling of the finished product. The rest of the tour gave us a complete look at the brewing process, and we got to see bottles as they filled up. At the end of the Heineken tour, there is a bar where they give you two free beers. Quincey saw a third untouched one, and got to have an extra one. This was so much fun, and it is definitely a must see for anyone visiting Amsterdam.
Full from freshly brewed beer, we left to checkout the gift shop, before walking back to our hotel. We got a nice little rest in before heading out to dinner back to Leidesplein. Austin grabbed some nice food from a place called “Wok to Walk”, while Quincey got ice cream from Ben and Jerrys for her dinner.
We were pretty exhausted from such a full day, and we hit the sack pretty early.
For our last day in Amsterdam, we had no plans. We started by going to the Museum of Bags and Purses, which Quincey had been dying to see. Austin had seen enough, so he headed outside to sit by the Canal. After seeing a few bags, Quincey headed outside. We left to go to the Hortus Botanicus, which is the botanical garden in Amsterdam. Not wanting to spend the money, we decided to walk around the outside, and peak in from there. Unimpressed, we headed to the Zoo just to see what it looked like. Without having to go inside, we were able to see the Camels, Ox, Deer, and Flamingos, so we decided to save the twenty euros it would take to go inside.
Because we had been going nonstop all trip, Quincey wanted to take some time to shop. We went out to the big street for shopping in search of some scarves. This whole trip, the shopping had been about other people, so this shopping trip was just for Quincey. We were on a mission to find some everyday scarves that Quincey wanted to add to her wardrobe. After searching for almost three hours, we had almost given up hope. Austin pointed out a store that seemed like a long shot, but we headed in anyway. It turns out that this store had a wonderful selection of scarves, and Quincey bought one, while putting another on hold in case she wanted to come back later that day.
Ever since we went to the Van Gogh museum, Quincey wanted to get another scarf she saw at the nearby gift shop. Since she couldn’t stop talking about it, we decided to go back and buy it as her final memory of Amsterdam.
With just two hours until our train left for Munich, we decided to grab dinner at an Irish pub. The food and beer was cheap, so we grabbed a quick meal while watching Newcastle play Aston Villa in one of the final soccer games of the year. The fans were going nuts, which added a fun element to the dinner. We finished out meal, headed back to the hotel, and grabbed a cab to the train station.
Best City Yet!
Unfortunately, our hotel is charging 4 euro per 15 minutes to use the internet, so we’ve had to postpone our blogging for the time being. But we are currently in Amsterdam! Our new favorite city, just edging out Brussels! It is so clean and beautiful here. There are canals running through every few blocks, and the townhomes and architecture is the best. It reminds us of a more clean version of Venice with better architecture. And the people are so nice, and most speak very good English.
We got in on Thursday at around 5pm, a little later than scheduled because we had some train mishaps. We had to stop and reconnect train routes twice because of some rail work. But we made it! And we’re so happy to be here. We’re staying at the Park Hotel which is absolutely incredible. It’s completely modern and chic, we feel like we’re staying at one of the best hotels in New York City. The Park Hotel is also conveniently located in the heart of Amsterdam, right down the street from the Van Gogh Museum, Heineken Museum, Vondel Park, Rijksmuseum, and Leidseplein, the main area for restaurants and shopping. We’re on the top floor of the hotel and have the corner view out to the main square, just across from a beautiful canal.
Our first night in Amsterdam, we walked across the street to Vondel Park while the sun was still out. The last 4 or 5 days in Europe have been ideal weather conditions with the sun shining all day and not setting until 9pm. There were tons of people walking and picnicking in Vondel Park while enjoying the sun. They really have life figured out here. Much to our surprise, while strolling through the park Austin spotted one of his fraternity brothers laying in the grass with his girlfriend. Erick Dearkland had been studying this semester in Roterdam, just a quick 45 minute train ride from Amsterdam. It’s really such a small world. After completing our stroll through the park, we decided to grab a bite to eat because we were starving. We found a restaurant in Leidseplein, just a short walk from the hotel. With only a couple hours before our bed time, we decided to walk around Amsterdam to get a feel for the city. There were so many people out, most walking through Leidestraat, a main walkway filled with shops and restaurants going through the entire city. Following that road, we came across Wallen (the Redlight District). We decided to check it out, just to say we did. It was quite the experience, with lots of girls in windows, but there were hundreds of tourists walking around. After that, we walked back to the hotel to rest up before our next day in the city.
Today, we woke up at around 9am to start the day. We took the tram to the Anne Frank Huis and were greeted by a line wrapping around the block. Feeling as though it would only get longer, we jumped in line and prepared to wait. We made friends with a nice woman named Kathy and her husband from Long Island. We chatted about our travels, and talking with them made the time pass by fast. We were in line for about an hour, but we were expecting it to be longer. It took us about an hour to walk through the Anne Frank Huis, which was quite the sobering experience. We saw the annex in the back of her father’s business where 8 people, including the 4 Frank family members, hid for 2 years before they were captured. They lived in complete darkness and silence, with all window shades closed and no water running during the day time to keep from being discovered by the workers in the front who were unaware that anyone was in hiding in the back of the building. We even saw the original copy of Anne Frank’s diary. After leaving the Anne Frank Huis, we walked down the street to the Pancake Bakery, a pancake restaurant recommended to me by my friend Bryn who studied abroad in Amsterdam this semester. The pancakes were larger than a frisbee, and absolutely delicious. Quincey finished more than half of hers, while Austin was about two bites from finishing his.
Stuffed from our meal, we decided to walk it off and head back in the direction of Leidseplein to take an Amsterdam canal tour. We hopped on the boat for our one hour tour, which was great. It took us around most of the canals through Amsterdam, and showed us major sites throughout the city. We also had the chance to see all of the canal houses. The captain decided to surprise us while taking us about 10 feet from a docked cruise ship in the Amsterdam harbor. We’ve never seen one from the water quite that close before. After the canal tour ended, we walked to Heineken Museum. Unfortunately, it was closed so we found out the hours and plan on going tomorrow. We also walked to the Van Gogh Museum to see what time it opens tomorrow morning so we can avoid the line. Outside of the Van Gogh Museum is the I AMSTERDAM sign, which is a huge sculpture like the Hollywood sign. We both climbed in the letters for some good pictures, and then headed back to the Park Hotel to put our feet up before dinner. Right now we’re deciding what to do for dinner, and where to go afterwards. We’ll let you know how our third day in Amsterdam goes!
We got in on Thursday at around 5pm, a little later than scheduled because we had some train mishaps. We had to stop and reconnect train routes twice because of some rail work. But we made it! And we’re so happy to be here. We’re staying at the Park Hotel which is absolutely incredible. It’s completely modern and chic, we feel like we’re staying at one of the best hotels in New York City. The Park Hotel is also conveniently located in the heart of Amsterdam, right down the street from the Van Gogh Museum, Heineken Museum, Vondel Park, Rijksmuseum, and Leidseplein, the main area for restaurants and shopping. We’re on the top floor of the hotel and have the corner view out to the main square, just across from a beautiful canal.
Our first night in Amsterdam, we walked across the street to Vondel Park while the sun was still out. The last 4 or 5 days in Europe have been ideal weather conditions with the sun shining all day and not setting until 9pm. There were tons of people walking and picnicking in Vondel Park while enjoying the sun. They really have life figured out here. Much to our surprise, while strolling through the park Austin spotted one of his fraternity brothers laying in the grass with his girlfriend. Erick Dearkland had been studying this semester in Roterdam, just a quick 45 minute train ride from Amsterdam. It’s really such a small world. After completing our stroll through the park, we decided to grab a bite to eat because we were starving. We found a restaurant in Leidseplein, just a short walk from the hotel. With only a couple hours before our bed time, we decided to walk around Amsterdam to get a feel for the city. There were so many people out, most walking through Leidestraat, a main walkway filled with shops and restaurants going through the entire city. Following that road, we came across Wallen (the Redlight District). We decided to check it out, just to say we did. It was quite the experience, with lots of girls in windows, but there were hundreds of tourists walking around. After that, we walked back to the hotel to rest up before our next day in the city.
Today, we woke up at around 9am to start the day. We took the tram to the Anne Frank Huis and were greeted by a line wrapping around the block. Feeling as though it would only get longer, we jumped in line and prepared to wait. We made friends with a nice woman named Kathy and her husband from Long Island. We chatted about our travels, and talking with them made the time pass by fast. We were in line for about an hour, but we were expecting it to be longer. It took us about an hour to walk through the Anne Frank Huis, which was quite the sobering experience. We saw the annex in the back of her father’s business where 8 people, including the 4 Frank family members, hid for 2 years before they were captured. They lived in complete darkness and silence, with all window shades closed and no water running during the day time to keep from being discovered by the workers in the front who were unaware that anyone was in hiding in the back of the building. We even saw the original copy of Anne Frank’s diary. After leaving the Anne Frank Huis, we walked down the street to the Pancake Bakery, a pancake restaurant recommended to me by my friend Bryn who studied abroad in Amsterdam this semester. The pancakes were larger than a frisbee, and absolutely delicious. Quincey finished more than half of hers, while Austin was about two bites from finishing his.
Stuffed from our meal, we decided to walk it off and head back in the direction of Leidseplein to take an Amsterdam canal tour. We hopped on the boat for our one hour tour, which was great. It took us around most of the canals through Amsterdam, and showed us major sites throughout the city. We also had the chance to see all of the canal houses. The captain decided to surprise us while taking us about 10 feet from a docked cruise ship in the Amsterdam harbor. We’ve never seen one from the water quite that close before. After the canal tour ended, we walked to Heineken Museum. Unfortunately, it was closed so we found out the hours and plan on going tomorrow. We also walked to the Van Gogh Museum to see what time it opens tomorrow morning so we can avoid the line. Outside of the Van Gogh Museum is the I AMSTERDAM sign, which is a huge sculpture like the Hollywood sign. We both climbed in the letters for some good pictures, and then headed back to the Park Hotel to put our feet up before dinner. Right now we’re deciding what to do for dinner, and where to go afterwards. We’ll let you know how our third day in Amsterdam goes!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Off to Amsterdam
Right now we’re on the train to Amsterdam. We hope. We were instructed to change trains because there was some rail work being done. We’ll see where we end up. Other than that, our trip’s going very smoothly. We’re sad to leave Brussels, and wish we could have stayed a little longer.
We arrived in Brussels on Tuesday, and quickly got a taxi to our hotel, the Warwick Barsey. The hotel was amazing, with beautiful décor and great service. It was a 5 star hotel that we got for $200 American dollars, but we found out that our exact room normally goes for $500 euro, around $750 dollars! Needless to say we got an amazing deal on Travelocity. The men at the front desk were very helpful, and gave us books and maps of great restaurants, shops, and attractions. They even gave us a free upgrade to a larger room. We took the elevator up to the sixth floor to our room, and were blown away. It looked exactly like a luxury room from the states. After taking a little time to enjoy the room, we got ready to go explore the city.
We took the tram, which was conveniently located across the street from the Warwick Barsey. We were confused about how to pay for the tram, because no one else was paying as they got on, and there wasn’t a person going around checking tickets. We later found out that the tram and metro services are on an honor system, and people rarely pay. The tram took us strait in to a huge square, where there was amazing shopping and home design stores. There were also little cobblestone side streets with small cafes and restaurants. We were hungry after our train ride, but it was kind of an awkward time to sit down and eat, so we stopped by a small sandwich shop. Austin got ham, salami, and cheese on baguette and Quincey got tuna salad on baguette. They turned out to be the best sandwiches we’ve had yet, and our entire meal with drinks only cost 9 euro! After eating our food in the square, we decided to try and find some of the sites we had planned for.
Our first stop was the Royal Palace of Brussels. It was enormous and beautiful, and as we walked up we noticed armed guards lining the outside. Apparently there was an event going on because there were people dressed extremely nice entering the gates with invitations in hand. We both felt underdressed even to be walking outside of the Palace. After taking a few pictures, we crossed the street to walk through a beautiful park shaded by many trees and fountains. After crossing through the park we came across a huge Romanesque style catholic church. The organ in the church was enormous, and the ceilings and architecture were ornate.
After leaving the church, we set our for the Grand Place, Brussels main tourist site. The square was unlike anything we’d ever seen, and was everything we hoped Brussels would be like. There was so much detail on every building, which included the Town Hall, a museum and more. There were street vendors and a market in the middle. Every cobblestone side street leading out from Grand Place had quaint restaurants, chocolatiers, waffle stands, shops and bars. It was the most amazing area, and every shop took on its own life the way they were decorated inside. After a little, it started to rain so we caught a taxi and headed back towards to hotel. We stopped at a market on the corner across from the hotel and grabbed some crackers, salami, cheese, and little cups of ice cream for dinner.
The next morning, we took the metro to go see Mini Europe and Atomium. Mini Europe has little replicas of all of the most famous buildings and sites in Europe. We had a great time walking around to each site, and all of them looked exactly like the real thing. After Mini Europe we walked across the street to Atomium, which is a 300 meter high statue that looks like a giant atom. We bought tickets to go to the top, where there is an amazing view of Brussels. From there you can go down stairways or escalators to the different parts of the Atom, all of which represent a different continent. Antarctica was our favorite. It was dimly lit with blue lights and a cold breeze blowing through.
After leaving Atomium, we set forth to visit the Grand Place again because it was so great the day before and there were many more streets for us to walk down. After window shopping for a little while, we found the bar that we had been told to go to from many friends in the states who have been to Brussels. It’s called Delirium and has over 500 kinds of beer. Feeling thirsty, we decided to stop in at around 1 in the afternoon for a quick beer or two. There were two levels to Delirium, and we sat down at a table (barrel of beer) in the downstairs area. The bar was decorated with tons of beer pariphanalia. We first tried “Choofe” which was recommended to us by one of Austin’s friends as being the best beer he’s ever had. It definitely lived up to its reputation. Because we loved our experience so much, we decided that we would return to Delirium that night when it was busy, because apparently Wednesday nights were the social nights in Brussels due to the fact that no one works on Thursdays. After returning to the hotel, resting our feet, and cleaning up to got out, we traveled back to Delirium at 11pm.
The bar was packed with people our age, and we immediately made friends with a group of Americans who went to the University of Florida, Bucknell, and Drexel. The boy that went to Bucknell was from Chicago and was in Brussels for a study abroad program, while the two girls from UF and one boy that went to Drexel who was from Philly were passing through on a eurotrip just as we were. We all got along great, and were having the best time when Frank (the boy from Drexel) decided to step it up a level by ordering “Das Boot”, an enormous glass mug the size of a real life boot filled with any beer of your choice. Excited by the concept, Austin decided to follow his lead and bought one for us to split, while Kathy and Delicia did the same. We were definitely feeling the beer, and before we knew it, it was 1:30 in the morning. Having to wake up for the train the next morning, we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep in. We were so glad that we had struck up a conversation with that group, because it ended up being the best night of our trip yet!
We arrived in Brussels on Tuesday, and quickly got a taxi to our hotel, the Warwick Barsey. The hotel was amazing, with beautiful décor and great service. It was a 5 star hotel that we got for $200 American dollars, but we found out that our exact room normally goes for $500 euro, around $750 dollars! Needless to say we got an amazing deal on Travelocity. The men at the front desk were very helpful, and gave us books and maps of great restaurants, shops, and attractions. They even gave us a free upgrade to a larger room. We took the elevator up to the sixth floor to our room, and were blown away. It looked exactly like a luxury room from the states. After taking a little time to enjoy the room, we got ready to go explore the city.
We took the tram, which was conveniently located across the street from the Warwick Barsey. We were confused about how to pay for the tram, because no one else was paying as they got on, and there wasn’t a person going around checking tickets. We later found out that the tram and metro services are on an honor system, and people rarely pay. The tram took us strait in to a huge square, where there was amazing shopping and home design stores. There were also little cobblestone side streets with small cafes and restaurants. We were hungry after our train ride, but it was kind of an awkward time to sit down and eat, so we stopped by a small sandwich shop. Austin got ham, salami, and cheese on baguette and Quincey got tuna salad on baguette. They turned out to be the best sandwiches we’ve had yet, and our entire meal with drinks only cost 9 euro! After eating our food in the square, we decided to try and find some of the sites we had planned for.
Our first stop was the Royal Palace of Brussels. It was enormous and beautiful, and as we walked up we noticed armed guards lining the outside. Apparently there was an event going on because there were people dressed extremely nice entering the gates with invitations in hand. We both felt underdressed even to be walking outside of the Palace. After taking a few pictures, we crossed the street to walk through a beautiful park shaded by many trees and fountains. After crossing through the park we came across a huge Romanesque style catholic church. The organ in the church was enormous, and the ceilings and architecture were ornate.
After leaving the church, we set our for the Grand Place, Brussels main tourist site. The square was unlike anything we’d ever seen, and was everything we hoped Brussels would be like. There was so much detail on every building, which included the Town Hall, a museum and more. There were street vendors and a market in the middle. Every cobblestone side street leading out from Grand Place had quaint restaurants, chocolatiers, waffle stands, shops and bars. It was the most amazing area, and every shop took on its own life the way they were decorated inside. After a little, it started to rain so we caught a taxi and headed back towards to hotel. We stopped at a market on the corner across from the hotel and grabbed some crackers, salami, cheese, and little cups of ice cream for dinner.
The next morning, we took the metro to go see Mini Europe and Atomium. Mini Europe has little replicas of all of the most famous buildings and sites in Europe. We had a great time walking around to each site, and all of them looked exactly like the real thing. After Mini Europe we walked across the street to Atomium, which is a 300 meter high statue that looks like a giant atom. We bought tickets to go to the top, where there is an amazing view of Brussels. From there you can go down stairways or escalators to the different parts of the Atom, all of which represent a different continent. Antarctica was our favorite. It was dimly lit with blue lights and a cold breeze blowing through.
After leaving Atomium, we set forth to visit the Grand Place again because it was so great the day before and there were many more streets for us to walk down. After window shopping for a little while, we found the bar that we had been told to go to from many friends in the states who have been to Brussels. It’s called Delirium and has over 500 kinds of beer. Feeling thirsty, we decided to stop in at around 1 in the afternoon for a quick beer or two. There were two levels to Delirium, and we sat down at a table (barrel of beer) in the downstairs area. The bar was decorated with tons of beer pariphanalia. We first tried “Choofe” which was recommended to us by one of Austin’s friends as being the best beer he’s ever had. It definitely lived up to its reputation. Because we loved our experience so much, we decided that we would return to Delirium that night when it was busy, because apparently Wednesday nights were the social nights in Brussels due to the fact that no one works on Thursdays. After returning to the hotel, resting our feet, and cleaning up to got out, we traveled back to Delirium at 11pm.
The bar was packed with people our age, and we immediately made friends with a group of Americans who went to the University of Florida, Bucknell, and Drexel. The boy that went to Bucknell was from Chicago and was in Brussels for a study abroad program, while the two girls from UF and one boy that went to Drexel who was from Philly were passing through on a eurotrip just as we were. We all got along great, and were having the best time when Frank (the boy from Drexel) decided to step it up a level by ordering “Das Boot”, an enormous glass mug the size of a real life boot filled with any beer of your choice. Excited by the concept, Austin decided to follow his lead and bought one for us to split, while Kathy and Delicia did the same. We were definitely feeling the beer, and before we knew it, it was 1:30 in the morning. Having to wake up for the train the next morning, we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep in. We were so glad that we had struck up a conversation with that group, because it ended up being the best night of our trip yet!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Finishing Paris with a Bang
Well hello again. We are writing this aboard the train from Paris to Brussels. We had an absolutely amazing time in Paris, and we can see why its called the city of love. We say almost everything that we set out to see, had some great food, and enjoyed some delicious wine.
We started the day really early, getting up 7 because we planned on going to Versailles first this in the morning. But when we got to the train station, we found out that Versailles is closed on Mondays.
Not wanting to ruin our last day in Paris, we decided to go to Invalides to see the French Army Museum. Now, we know you’re thinking that the French don’t have an army. However, in actuality the French do have an army, they just don’t really know how to use it without Napolean. One thing about all of the places we visited is that there is no modern building anywhere. Invalides is in the former headquarters of the army. In front, retired cannons point outward in defense, and inside, the cadets in the military train. We started with checking out the person who is most famous in all of France for his military efforts, Napolean. We went in and saw the tomb that was built in his memory. There is no other way to describe this tomb, other than by saying it looks like it was built for a God.
We left Napolean’s tomb and headed to the World War 1 and 2 museum, which had old uniforms, weapons, and various Nazi paraphernalia. What was funny about the World War 2 exhibit was the perspective of the French, which was portrayed as abstaining from the idea of war. But we both knew that this was just a front for the fact that the French were too afraid to fight, and just let the Nazi’s march all over French. There was a photo that summarized our opinion, which depicted Hilter and his generals strategizing in front of the Eiffel Tower.
We left the World War 1 and 2 exhibits to check out the rest of the French military history. Austin found this particularly interesting because it showed the progression of armor and weaponry. We got to see the first prototype for a musket, which was conceived from the ideas of a “mini” cannon. The rest of the exhibit showed the armor of royalty, as well as various weapons from the 1400s to the mid 1800s.
We both enjoyed Invalides a lot, and it was a good substitute to Versailles. Because Invalides was more for Austin, the second half of the day was spent the way Quincey wanted it. We got back to our hotel at 1pm, and Quincey wanted to take an hour and a half nap. After the nap, we decided to go shopping. We asked downstairs, and the best shopping in Paris turned out to be just down the street from us. Austin was happy that we didn’t discover this til the last day because the galleries were very overwhelming. Quincey called it paradise. Austin called it hell.
The seven-story mall was geared toward only women, and you couldn’t turn around without seeing Louis Vuiton, and Gucci purses, De Beers and Cartier jewelry, and then hundreds of different perfume vendors. There were also many mid range high fashion stores. The next three floors above were filled with various clothing outlets, and even though Quincey’s feet were killing her, she was rejuvenated by all of the different options. Austin was very behaved considering it was probably the last place in Paris that he wanted to be.
We were both shopping for our moms and after a few hours at the mall, we found the perfect gifts. Because it was still Quincey’s half of the day, we returned to the hotel to take another 45 minute nap. After the nap, we watched a little TV before taking off for our last night in Paris.
We found a great restaurant district on Haussmann Boulevard, which is one of the main streets that runs through Paris. Although there were many great French, and Italian restaurants, we both settled on a restaurant called Indiana that turned out to be excellent. Austin had breaded chicken, and Quincey had “the second best” cheeseburger of her life.
We went back to the hotel to get a good nights rest before our early train departure in the morning. We woke up early to make sure we were all packed, and Austin had to sit on Quincey’s suitcase to make sure it would shut. Then we proceeded to check out and call for a taxi to the station. We were extremely efficient and got to the train station an hour early, with just enough time to enjoy our last croissant in Paris.
We started the day really early, getting up 7 because we planned on going to Versailles first this in the morning. But when we got to the train station, we found out that Versailles is closed on Mondays.
Not wanting to ruin our last day in Paris, we decided to go to Invalides to see the French Army Museum. Now, we know you’re thinking that the French don’t have an army. However, in actuality the French do have an army, they just don’t really know how to use it without Napolean. One thing about all of the places we visited is that there is no modern building anywhere. Invalides is in the former headquarters of the army. In front, retired cannons point outward in defense, and inside, the cadets in the military train. We started with checking out the person who is most famous in all of France for his military efforts, Napolean. We went in and saw the tomb that was built in his memory. There is no other way to describe this tomb, other than by saying it looks like it was built for a God.
We left Napolean’s tomb and headed to the World War 1 and 2 museum, which had old uniforms, weapons, and various Nazi paraphernalia. What was funny about the World War 2 exhibit was the perspective of the French, which was portrayed as abstaining from the idea of war. But we both knew that this was just a front for the fact that the French were too afraid to fight, and just let the Nazi’s march all over French. There was a photo that summarized our opinion, which depicted Hilter and his generals strategizing in front of the Eiffel Tower.
We left the World War 1 and 2 exhibits to check out the rest of the French military history. Austin found this particularly interesting because it showed the progression of armor and weaponry. We got to see the first prototype for a musket, which was conceived from the ideas of a “mini” cannon. The rest of the exhibit showed the armor of royalty, as well as various weapons from the 1400s to the mid 1800s.
We both enjoyed Invalides a lot, and it was a good substitute to Versailles. Because Invalides was more for Austin, the second half of the day was spent the way Quincey wanted it. We got back to our hotel at 1pm, and Quincey wanted to take an hour and a half nap. After the nap, we decided to go shopping. We asked downstairs, and the best shopping in Paris turned out to be just down the street from us. Austin was happy that we didn’t discover this til the last day because the galleries were very overwhelming. Quincey called it paradise. Austin called it hell.
The seven-story mall was geared toward only women, and you couldn’t turn around without seeing Louis Vuiton, and Gucci purses, De Beers and Cartier jewelry, and then hundreds of different perfume vendors. There were also many mid range high fashion stores. The next three floors above were filled with various clothing outlets, and even though Quincey’s feet were killing her, she was rejuvenated by all of the different options. Austin was very behaved considering it was probably the last place in Paris that he wanted to be.
We were both shopping for our moms and after a few hours at the mall, we found the perfect gifts. Because it was still Quincey’s half of the day, we returned to the hotel to take another 45 minute nap. After the nap, we watched a little TV before taking off for our last night in Paris.
We found a great restaurant district on Haussmann Boulevard, which is one of the main streets that runs through Paris. Although there were many great French, and Italian restaurants, we both settled on a restaurant called Indiana that turned out to be excellent. Austin had breaded chicken, and Quincey had “the second best” cheeseburger of her life.
We went back to the hotel to get a good nights rest before our early train departure in the morning. We woke up early to make sure we were all packed, and Austin had to sit on Quincey’s suitcase to make sure it would shut. Then we proceeded to check out and call for a taxi to the station. We were extremely efficient and got to the train station an hour early, with just enough time to enjoy our last croissant in Paris.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Getting a Lot Done
Jet lag has continued to hit us hard. We made the mistake yesterday of taking a nap in the afternoon, which made it so we couldn't fall asleep until 3 in the morning. Thus, this morning we woke up late, frantically skipping breakfast to head to the Louvre. However, our oversleeping did not disadvantage us as we saw more today than on any other day.
We skipped breakfast and jumped on the Metro which led us strait to the ground floor of the Louvre. There were three different wings of the Louvre, and 4 floors, so we started with Austin's favorite. Starting with Greco-Roman sculpture, which included "They Dying Slave" by Michelangelo, and one of the most famous sculptures of all time, "Winged Victory". After the sculptures, we headed up to the French Paintings where we saw the Mona Lisa, and also to the 13th-18th Century Italian paintings where our favorite was "The Wedding Feast at Cana" by Veronese. Having taken AP Art History in high school, Austin was also excited to see "The Raft of Medusa" by Gericault. After seeing all of the Denon wing, we headed to Sully. Here we saw many Italian, Mesopotamian, French, and Egyptian sculptures, including "Psyche and Cupid", the "Code of Hammurabi", and "Winged Bull". After Sully, we made our way to Richelieu. Having already covered 2 wings of 4 floors each (mom and dad you'd be proud), our feet began to rot. However, we were determined to finish the Louvre strong. It was a good thing because Quincey really enjoyed Napoleon's Apartments which displayed Napoleon's lavish lifestyle and living quarters. After covering over 75% of the Louvre, we were both satisfied with the amount we had conquered. We then set out to walk the gardens outside of the Louvre. There we took a beautiful walk, and sat down by the fountain to rest our feet. Austin fed the ducks some of our baguettes left over from lunch, but decided to call it quits after attracting a number of pigeons. With still enough energy, we grabbed some gelato and headed off to the Eiffel Tower to make a trip to the top.
We arrived at about 4pm, and quickly stepped in the long line for our tickets. After about a 25 minute wait, with an overly aggressive Spanish tourist behind us who's never heard of the phrase "personal bubble", we made it in the elevator to the top. Although we never thought we were afraid of heights, going up that elevator to the top could definitely bring it out of someone. The wind was blowing about 30 miles an hour on one side, fast enough to make us hold on for our lives. However after walking to the other side, we became comfortable enough to enjoy the incredible view of the entire city. We spent a good amount of time pointing out all of the sites in the city and taking pictures.
Our next stop was Sacre-Coeur, and amazing Catholic cathedral set on the only hill in Paris. From there, we had another amazing view of the city, surrounded by lush green gardens. The architecture is beautiful, and aside from the cathedral and the view, we most enjoyed the surrounded area. The Sacre Coeur is in the Montmartre hill, a district famous for its wide range of artist. Van Gogh and Picasso lived and worked there. The cobble stone streets were covered with street vendors, little shops, and crepe stands. Tempted by the food, we both split a ham and cheese pizza and banana-sugar crepe. After walking along for quite some time, we both grew tired and decided to head back to the hotel at around 9:15pm.
We had originally planned to make dinner reservations for around 10pm, however after the exhausting day, all we wanted to do was lay in bed and put our feet up. Currently, Austin is attempting to watch the Padres game on the computer, while we are both enjoying a bottle of super market wine we opened with a pen and a hairbrush....
We skipped breakfast and jumped on the Metro which led us strait to the ground floor of the Louvre. There were three different wings of the Louvre, and 4 floors, so we started with Austin's favorite. Starting with Greco-Roman sculpture, which included "They Dying Slave" by Michelangelo, and one of the most famous sculptures of all time, "Winged Victory". After the sculptures, we headed up to the French Paintings where we saw the Mona Lisa, and also to the 13th-18th Century Italian paintings where our favorite was "The Wedding Feast at Cana" by Veronese. Having taken AP Art History in high school, Austin was also excited to see "The Raft of Medusa" by Gericault. After seeing all of the Denon wing, we headed to Sully. Here we saw many Italian, Mesopotamian, French, and Egyptian sculptures, including "Psyche and Cupid", the "Code of Hammurabi", and "Winged Bull". After Sully, we made our way to Richelieu. Having already covered 2 wings of 4 floors each (mom and dad you'd be proud), our feet began to rot. However, we were determined to finish the Louvre strong. It was a good thing because Quincey really enjoyed Napoleon's Apartments which displayed Napoleon's lavish lifestyle and living quarters. After covering over 75% of the Louvre, we were both satisfied with the amount we had conquered. We then set out to walk the gardens outside of the Louvre. There we took a beautiful walk, and sat down by the fountain to rest our feet. Austin fed the ducks some of our baguettes left over from lunch, but decided to call it quits after attracting a number of pigeons. With still enough energy, we grabbed some gelato and headed off to the Eiffel Tower to make a trip to the top.
We arrived at about 4pm, and quickly stepped in the long line for our tickets. After about a 25 minute wait, with an overly aggressive Spanish tourist behind us who's never heard of the phrase "personal bubble", we made it in the elevator to the top. Although we never thought we were afraid of heights, going up that elevator to the top could definitely bring it out of someone. The wind was blowing about 30 miles an hour on one side, fast enough to make us hold on for our lives. However after walking to the other side, we became comfortable enough to enjoy the incredible view of the entire city. We spent a good amount of time pointing out all of the sites in the city and taking pictures.
Our next stop was Sacre-Coeur, and amazing Catholic cathedral set on the only hill in Paris. From there, we had another amazing view of the city, surrounded by lush green gardens. The architecture is beautiful, and aside from the cathedral and the view, we most enjoyed the surrounded area. The Sacre Coeur is in the Montmartre hill, a district famous for its wide range of artist. Van Gogh and Picasso lived and worked there. The cobble stone streets were covered with street vendors, little shops, and crepe stands. Tempted by the food, we both split a ham and cheese pizza and banana-sugar crepe. After walking along for quite some time, we both grew tired and decided to head back to the hotel at around 9:15pm.
We had originally planned to make dinner reservations for around 10pm, however after the exhausting day, all we wanted to do was lay in bed and put our feet up. Currently, Austin is attempting to watch the Padres game on the computer, while we are both enjoying a bottle of super market wine we opened with a pen and a hairbrush....
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Mastering Paris
Today Austin started the day waking up at 6am, while Quincey slept in until 8:15. We grabbed breakfast downstairs, which was delicious. They made scrambled eggs, sausages, toast, and pastries as well as orange and grapefruit juice. Our first stop was to the Notre Dame which was free of charge and absolutely beautiful inside. The architecture was incredible, and the cathedral was dimly lit with candles all around. There was even a working confessional in which people waited to visit. While we were inside there was some sort of service taking place in the center. After leaving the Notre Dame, we visited a bread and cheese festival in the courtyard. We both sampled different baguettes and Quincey was brave enough to try a hazelnut sweet milk, which she quickly discarded of (the milk in Europe is not what we're used to).
Continuing on from the Notre Dame, we walked up the canal past the Louvre to the Musee D'Orsay. We spent a couple hours walking through each exhibit, viewing Impressionism, Post Impressionism, Surrealism, Art Nouvea, and sculptures and antique furniture. While exiting we realized that we missed the Van Gogh exhibit on the 5th floor. We quickly turned around and climbed all 5 flights to view it before we left. Austin's overall favorites were Van Gogh and Renoir.
After the museum, we continued our mastery of the Metro system and found our way back to the hotel. Quincey was on a mission to find hair product that didn't exist and settled for buying a converter, while Austin was on the task of finding a nice bottle of French wine. After running all of our errands, we rested our feet at the hotel and took what was supposed to be a 45 minute nap. It turned in to a 3 hour nap. We woke up at 8:30pm, made ourselves a snack of baguette and salami that we bought at the supermarket, and headed out to see the Arc de Triomphe by night. It stays light until 9pm in Paris.
We walked underground to view the Arc de Triomphe from underneath. Because it was getting so late, we decided not to go to the top, and instead headed towards the Eiffel Tower to get a glimpse before our plans to visit it by day tomorrow. We strolled through the park towards the Eiffel Tower, and at 12:00am, the tower lit up in twinkle lights. It was one of the best sights we've ever seen and were so glad we had the chance to see it by night. Exhausted from our long walk, we decided to head back to the hotel. We've been saving a lot of taxi money by taking the Metro which is only around 2 Euro each! So here we are back at the hotel. We're planning on stopping by the Eiffel Tower during the morning and spending whole day at the Louvre tomorrow. We might even take a nice walk through the gardens. We'll let you know how it goes!
Continuing on from the Notre Dame, we walked up the canal past the Louvre to the Musee D'Orsay. We spent a couple hours walking through each exhibit, viewing Impressionism, Post Impressionism, Surrealism, Art Nouvea, and sculptures and antique furniture. While exiting we realized that we missed the Van Gogh exhibit on the 5th floor. We quickly turned around and climbed all 5 flights to view it before we left. Austin's overall favorites were Van Gogh and Renoir.
After the museum, we continued our mastery of the Metro system and found our way back to the hotel. Quincey was on a mission to find hair product that didn't exist and settled for buying a converter, while Austin was on the task of finding a nice bottle of French wine. After running all of our errands, we rested our feet at the hotel and took what was supposed to be a 45 minute nap. It turned in to a 3 hour nap. We woke up at 8:30pm, made ourselves a snack of baguette and salami that we bought at the supermarket, and headed out to see the Arc de Triomphe by night. It stays light until 9pm in Paris.
We walked underground to view the Arc de Triomphe from underneath. Because it was getting so late, we decided not to go to the top, and instead headed towards the Eiffel Tower to get a glimpse before our plans to visit it by day tomorrow. We strolled through the park towards the Eiffel Tower, and at 12:00am, the tower lit up in twinkle lights. It was one of the best sights we've ever seen and were so glad we had the chance to see it by night. Exhausted from our long walk, we decided to head back to the hotel. We've been saving a lot of taxi money by taking the Metro which is only around 2 Euro each! So here we are back at the hotel. We're planning on stopping by the Eiffel Tower during the morning and spending whole day at the Louvre tomorrow. We might even take a nice walk through the gardens. We'll let you know how it goes!
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