Random Folks

I'm sure this is the post that Ma doesn't want to read, but one of my favorite parts of traveling is meeting random people and hanging out with them.  On my second day here in Vienna, they had a massive heat wave so I figured it would be a great day to stay indoors and visit museums.  Between them, around lunchtime, I was walking up the street towards the St. Stephen's Cathedral and a man approached me and asked me to coffee.  He seemed nice and it was not an empty area, so I agreed and he showed me a very pretty tea house with a shady courtyard.  We ate and drank and talked philosophy and life, future and past.  Then he told me of a few places in Vienna I should visit and showed me the way to the next museum on my list.  How random and wonderful!

Then I met one of the couchsurfing people of whom I'd asked for a place to stay.  He didn't have space for me, but offered to get a drink with me.  We met and he showed me a couple of really neat bars I would have never gone into.  One of them had a day-bed as a seat and we lounged there, drinking wine spritzers (I tried violet flavored with mint - yum!).  The other was really cool because it was sort of dark, but with crazy shapes projected all over the walls.  Both had great music.  Then on the way to the subway to go home, we ran down the up escalator, which was really tall and scary and I thought I was going to eat it with my flip flops on.  But we were successful and laughed all the way.  And today?  He lent me his bicycle for the day and invited me to dinner at his house with his family and roommate later on.

You see so much more of a place when you step off the "gringo trail" and into the lives of people who live in the country you're visiting. Museums, hotels, walking around the main streets in the "nice" part of town... that's not really seeing a place.  Even the little taste I get from these encounters is far better than an overpriced tour on a double-decker bus.

Paris!

I'm incredibly glad I did not skip Paris!  I was unsure initially whether to go there or head north from Belgium to see Holland, but Paris is on the way to Barcelona, another stop I did not want to miss.  Added bonus: a friend from America was there, as well as two Brits and one French friend I had met in Peru!  Seeing everybody I've missed has been the best part of my trip.

The very first thing I did in Paris was meet my couch-surfing host, who wanted to see the Vienna State Ballet practice at the Châtelet Theatre.  It was open to the public for cheap and I am so glad I watched!  At first it was drills and stretching and a bit boring, but by the end they were basically showing off.  The crowd was hollering in applause; it was incredible to see what these dancers can do!  No wonder they're considered some of the best in the world.  I'd love to see a real ballet now, something I never really thought about.

Then, I was lucky enough that my host had a scooter and we went on a little tour of Paris before he had to work (as a voice actor, dubbing over English for ads and tv shows like House!)  On the way to pick up a map of Paris, he showed me this incredibly fancy bank and its huge vault door (actually, one of three doors - you can see another if you look inside).

A detail of the vault's door handle

Inside the Galleries Lafayette (beautiful 7-story shopping center)

Looking up from within the Galleries Lafayette you can see a most amazing stained glass domed ceiling!  When we walked in, I was following close behind in a crowd, weaving through perfume counters and trying to keep up.  Then my host turned around and pointed up and I saw this.  I had to catch my breath!  It was so beautiful!

Climb through all the people on the escalators and you can get up to a great roof terrace and check out the Eiffel Tower from the Galleries Lafayette.

Another view from up on the terrace.

On the scooter ride later that night, we went past the Eiffel Tower, and I didn't realize that it sparkles with bright lights for 5 minutes every hour.  So beautiful!

I don't think I could get sick of the pretty metro stops, silly as it sounds!

In the morning of my second day in Paris, I got to see my friends Monkey and Richie, a couple of British guys I met in Peru.  They road-tripped all the way to Croatia and were on their way back.  Wish I had more time with them - they are hilarious!  When I was in Peru, traveling around with Ross, we kept accidentally running into these two and hanging out and partying together.  They definitely don't stop laughing, ever!

After seeing my friends and realizing I was close by, I walked over to a gigantic old cemetery, the Père Lachaise. Many famous people are buried there, including Chopin, Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, and Oscar Wilde. It's so big I got lost in it and had to find one of the maps. The maps show where the famous folks are.

Inside is like a tiny church, complete with stained glass windows, as you can see through this door.

How did this happen?

Okay this one is basically a church.  How interesting that we spend so much time and money to burying the dead, who might not even see this.  What if your loved ones honored you like this while you were alive?

It's like a little old village, with cobblestone streets and  stone buildings.

The grave of Edith Piaf.

Oscar Wilde

Click on the picture to make it bigger, then notice the kiss marks all over the glass.  The stone used to be exposed and people kissed it with lipstick until it was just covered.  But it was eroding the stone, so they had to restore it and block it off with glass.  So the fans now kiss the glass and throw in notes and flowers.

The least extravagant grave, but maybe the most popular, is of Jim Morrison of The Doors.  His first two grave markers were stolen, and now there is a fence around it.  Yet people find ways to toss in flowers and things.  There's even an American flag draped over the headstone.

After a couple of days, I met up with Adam, an acquaintance I met in Arizona (someone I'd made a custom hitch for, but never really hung out with).  He was in Paris before heading to Toulouse for a week-long juggling convention called EJC.  I made the hitch for him so that he could get a small trailer to haul his 36" diameter plastic ball that he balances on in performances while he juggles.  It doesn't really fit in his car  =D

We met at the Arc De Triomphe.  You have to go underground to get to it, as it's surrounded by a round-about with TWELVE roads leading in and out of it.  I have no idea how that many cars navigate it, especially at rush hour.  Insanity!

There is a large area for people to walk around under it, but it was basically too large to get fully in my camera.  It is just huge and has arches going left/right and front to back, so you see an arch through it either way you look at it.

It's covered in amazing sculptures.

This is where the lights are housed in the sidewalk around the arc.  Full of plants for some reason!

We walked around on the busy Champs Élysées to get food, then down to the Luxor Obelisk, a gift to France given nearly 200 years ago.  I'm not sure how I feel about things like this being moved, but it was neat to see.

In the park leading up to the Louvre, we found out how they can afford to cut all that grass.

The Louvre - one of the largest museums in the world.  I visited later (and did not see all of it).

I saw this crazy ride earlier in the week and wanted to try it out.  Adam is very much afraid of heights, but he cares a lot about overcoming his fears, so he went with me.  It was actually VERY scary and went extremely fast! I think the sign said it goes 120km per hour, which is 75mph. Everyone was screaming and laughing and it really felt like flying. That was so much fun!

Another couchsurfing host of mine, a journalist named Lea, had this amazing coffee table.  Her grandfather collected all of these insects in the south of France about 50 years ago.  The big moth you see here is about the size of a hummingbird.  Funny enough, the table scares her a little bit.  I couldn't get enough of it!  It even has a praying mantis.  Lea and I had aperitifs (wine, bread, and camembert) at this table before heading out for a night of partying.

One day I spent a couple of hours at the Eiffel Tower.  It's not nearly as beautiful from far away as it is up close.  I loved it!  I chilled out on a bench and drew it in my diary.

My tower.  Perfect place for it too, because on the previous page I'd been writing about how excited I was arriving in Paris and seeing the train station I knew from the movie Amelie.  It took one glance to know just where I was, and I walked around and saw the other places I recognized.  It was really cool, but it made me realize I've seen that movie way too many times!

And the tower later that night, sparkling with lights!  No wonder they call this city romantic, it is!

This is the Sacré Cœur Basilica, a relatively new basilica on top of the hill Montmarte, which used to be an artsy area (now rather touristic).  Some incredible artists worked around there, like Monet, Dali, Picasso, and van Gogh.  

We walked around the area, where artists can draw your face for a small price or you can eat at a fancy cafe.  We saw the Two Windmills Cafe (also from the movie Amelie) and Moulin Rouge there.  My host told me that seeing a show at the Moulin Rouge might cost around 200 euros.

On my last day in Paris, I took a couple of hours to go sketch the Notre Dame (didn't go in because the line of tourists was wrapped around the building), and then get over to the Louvre.  This photo shows the crowd you have to muscle through to get a glimpse of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.  I didn't even really try, I was more amused by the crowds, which filled the large room.

But there are so many more beautiful works to be seen there!  Like this, a woman behind stung by a scorpion.  I loved it, especially in the window with sunlight on it.

I was so sad to leave Paris and the longing to stay may have tainted my first few days in Barcelona, my next stop.  It was beautiful, the people were helpful and friendly (even if they knew very little English), the food was good, there was a lot to see and do... much I missed too.  Can't wait to go back, and maybe I'll learn some French in the meantime!

Travel Tips

Every trip makes me redefine my own reasons and ways of traveling based on what I learn and experience.  Still, it's hard to know exactly what to bring or how to plan.  What will I need or want to wear?  Will I get sick or cut up and need a bunch of first aid supplies?  The right credit card, type of luggage, footwear?  Here are a few tips I've learned that some folks may not think about:

1) Bring a good scarf.  Nothing you would care much about if you lost it; I mean "good" in a functional way. Best kind are thin, yet wide (not a knitted winter scarf). You can use a scarf if you get cold, if you want to sit on something on a beach or in some grass, if you want to dress up an outfit, if you want to cover your pants because you sat in chocolate...

2) Make a photocopy of all your cards and IDs that you have in your wallet, and keep it in your suitcase.  That way you always have the necessary numbers on them if they get lost or stolen.


3) Make sure when an airline says it's flying out of Paris, that it's not flying out of "Paris-Beauvais" or some other city FAR outside of the city you're actually aiming for.  Just getting to the airport can easily cost you in time and money.

4) Bring a bike bell.  No joke.  If you rent a bike, which is easy in many cities and a very fun way to sight-see, they most likely won't have a bell on it for you.
Bonus: you can ring it while walking through tough crowds on sidewalks, people will move!  I'll bet people are even conditioned enough that you could use it in a mall or getting through the metro station... who knows, try it!

5) Bring your smartphone or tablet.  This is the last time I use my nifty little netbook on a trip.  I love the battery life and ability to write my blogs, but man am I tired of carrying it and having to open up this little beast when I just need a second of wifi.

6) Travel neck pillows are your friend.  The fatter the better, that way you can use it as a proper pillow in tight situations.

7) The second you book your flight/train/bus ride (or before), read all the luggage allowances and extra costs.  I didn't realize I could not pay for my extra luggage on an Air Berlin flight online if it was within 48 hours of the flight.  That made the price jump from 15 euros online to 70 euros at the airport!  I did get lucky though this time, I whined and the man at the ticket counter was nice enough to let me check it for free. Close call and I will not try that again!  Similarly, if I had realized that Ryan Air requires anything larger than a tiny backpack to be checked and it will cost a minimum of 30 extra euros online in advance, I would have looked for a different airline.  Between that and the long distance airport shuttle, my flight doubled in price.

8) Check out airbnb.com and couchsurfing.com for a different (and possibly less expensive) travel experience.

9) Remember that no matter how much you pay, how long you wait in lines, how irritating all the other tourists are (but not you of course!), or how tired you are... you will definitely look back on this and smile!

Buen Viaje!

Belgium

Arriving at the train station early in the morning and having hours to kill waiting for my friend Tim to get done with work, I took a walk in search of either a cafe with wifi or a park.  I found a park equipped with a castle!  Okay, not really a castle, but close.  It's one of the old gates of the city, over 600 years old, called Hallepoort.  Great place to take a nap!

Strange cars in Brussels...

First stop (before taking our road trip in Northern France), was Tim's house in Ninove.  Amazing Belgian home!  Everything is perfectly maintained and neat.  And the garden in the back was ripe with fruit and vegetables that we ate at meals - so nice and fresh!

After eating several, of course, I picked a bowl of raspberries and strawberries to put on our pannekoeken (pancakes) in the morning before picking up the RV.

Such a nice back yard!

Across from the RV rental shop was a cemetery, and I just had to see how theirs were.  It was very rich and beautiful.  Most graves were from people the age of my great great grandparents.

How romantic!

After returning from France, Tim and I rested quite a bit around Ninove.  On one day we rode bikes to Aalst, where Julie's family is, and hung out in the main square.  This is the beautiful church there.  The cities here are gorgeous!

This is where you go to hear this strange organ music in Bruges - played with fists instead of fingers!

And when the organ is not being played, there are musicians in the courtyard - such a beautiful scene!  Here we have a cellist creating atmosphere (if you can ignore all the people snapping photos).

My friend Tim, taking it all in.

Lots of words are pretty similar.  So if you read things in Dutch, you might be able to get the gist of it, but when they're talking, I'm totally lost.

Yeah, I got some chocolate.  And yeah, it was super super good.  I love the orange ones or the kinds with sea salt on top.  Yum!

Garden ideas for mom  =]

Bruges was PACKED with tourists, it was quite awful really.  I left the sidewalk for a second to get some space and quite nearly got run over by a horse.  That was after narrowly missing a cyclist.  Sheesh!  So instead of walking, we took a nice boat tour.  Good call!

If I were any taller, I may have had to duck under these bridges.

Swans!

Loads of tourists on boats. It felt like all the tourists in Belgium were in Bruges that day!

The guide said this was the hotel from the movie "In Bruges" 

Can this be my back porch?

The guide told us that buildings like this are red because they originally used cow's blood as a dye.

He also said this was a statue of a lady who took a tour of the brewery  =D

I was in Belgium at the right time - there was over a week of parties in the city center of Gent, a nearby university town.  Here you can see one of many stages, this one built right over the water.

Strange to see a pretty old town lit up by people partying!

Well that's one way to do it...

Same city center, but during the day.

One party had a foam machine.  So here you can see them making fun of a hippie with dreads.  They decided to give him a bubble bath!

And he's all clean!  Good job guys!

But then they turned the foam machine on us!

We WERE sitting here.  I DID have a soap-free beer in my hands.  Had to drink fast!

Near another stage - a really cool place to sit and watch!

Tim's friend Sofie gave me a little tour of the city center one day.  This is over a door of a building.  She said that they would carve the buildings to reflect its use.  So maybe ship builders or sailors worked here.

The front entrance of a castle - right in the center of town!

Super cool!  If it didn't cost so much, I would have gone in to see.  They have torture instruments on display inside.

Lots of interesting art on the streets for the parties.

Spray painting on plastic wrap between two trees.

And street performers of course!  This Kiwi was really funny.  Tricked a girl into kissing him during the show, then he had her throw him knives to juggle.

Gent is so pretty at night!

And for my last day in Belgium, I celebrated my birthday with Tim's (my new) friends, Julie and Sofie, who got balloons and made really yummy fajitas for dinner.  It was so sweet!

Now off to Paris!