Bella Barcelona!

Barcelona is a truly remarkable city with a colorful cultural atmosphere. When we arrived via a Barcelona Bus on Thursday night, it was hard to see much. However, it was possible to see the outline of the undulating apartment buildings that looked like they were stacked on top of each other like building blocks. The colorful squares and rectangles dotted the skyline almost like polka dots in a sea of jewels. After arriving, we hopped on the metro and headed towards our hostel, a quaint little 26-bed backpackers' bungalow. The hostel, located at 52 Casanova Street, was protected by a metal gate that was locked after midnight. Since we arrived after 9 PM, we opted to head out only for a "quick" bit to eat. We took the recommendation of the front-desk man and meandered down a few side streets to reach the suggested tapas bar. After making the decision to eat outside, we gawked at the menus for a good thirty minutes before finally coming to a conclusion about our dinner option. It was quite a struggle to order, as our waiter's English was not quite up to par. However, thanks to the help of a nearby Barcelona resident but native of Britain, we were finally able to successfully make our final selections. I ordered patte (a mixture of meat and fat that reminded me of braunschweiger, the American humorous version of the "liverwurst") Wurst means sausage in German. Not quite the typical Spanish entree that I had in mind, but what can you do? Olivia ordered a whole plate of cheeses, Nicole a plate of ham, Andreas a roast beef dinner with pepper, and Justyna ordered fried cheese. Andreas and I both ordered Russian salad (with mayo, egg, peas, and ham) which was quite delicious if I do say so myself. Andreas said this was quite similar to the Swedish "food cake" that he is going to make me try sometime. Since we ate outside, the waiter charged us 20% more, which we did not realize until we were already seated. Our meal finally concluded around 11 PM. After all, when in Spain, do as the Spaniards do and eat late! Not only do the Spaniards eat later, but they sleep later as well. The next day when walking down La Rambla, the main street, we noticed that many street vendors did not open shop until ten or eleven in the morning. The stroll from our hostel down La Rambla towards Port Vell was a quite pleasant walk. The weather couldn't have been better (70 degrees F/ 20 degrees C) and the streets were lined with palm trees and situated between gothic-style high rise apartments of limestone with ornately carved patterns. I knew we were approaching the harbor when I saw a break in the skyline and saw the bright blue sky fade to white as the horizon extended into nothingness. There is something about water that just calms the mind and brightens the spirit. As soon as we saw the beach, Justyna and I took off running, whisking off our shoes and throwing ourselves forward into the cold sand. The feeling of sand between one's toes is truly a priceless experience. Andreas sat on the beach and texted his friends from Sweden who were also in Barcelona for the weekend. Meanwhile, Justyna, Liv and I rolled up our jeans and waded ankle-deep into the Mediterranean Sea. We splashed around for a bit before continuing on. Soon after wards, our group split up. Andreas and I spent the remainder of the day with Maria and Anton, Swedish friends of Andreas. We toured the FC (Football Center) Barcelona, home of Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe with a seating capacity of nearly 100,000. It just so happened that it was Friday the 13th the day of the tour, and we saw two black cats on the field. Then, when I looked down to see the number of the seat in front of me at one point on the tour, and it was #13! (What a coincidence!) While I am not a die hard football fan by any means, it was neat to see the stadium. After the tour, we headed on to see the famous sights of Barcelona including: Casa Mila, La Sagrada Familia, and Park Güell. All three were designed by Antoni Gaudi, the high priest of modernisme who apprenticed as a blacksmith before taking up architecture. Casa Mila is quite a unique work of art, an avant-garde apartment building built back in 1910. It is also called La Padrera, which means "stone querry" since it is made of limestone. Gaudi began building La Sagrada Familia in 1884 and dedicated his life to the completion of the monstrous cathedral even though he knew that he could never complete it during his lifetime! In 2010 the cathedral will receive a full roof, and completion of the 550-foot Tower of Jesus is projected to be completed in 2025. Maria suggested that the four of us should plan on meeting in Barcelona again in 2025, and the idea sounds good to me. We purchased ice cream (or glas in Swedish) before heading to Park Güell. This park was the highlight of the trip for me. Tucked up on a hill above sloping coblestone streets sits the mesquite majesty. The trek up to the park was so intense of a climb that escalators escort you part of the way. The dusty trails of the park are lined with cactus, which are all carved to death with the initials of love sick tourists. We approached the top of an outcropping just at sunset, in the nick of time for a gorgeous view overlooking the entire city. While the gorgeous autumn sunset did not come out on my camera, a camera snapshot couldn't do justice to the majesty of the view anyway. It is one more of those things that must be experienced in person. Standing up on that sandy hill, I had not a care in the world. I felt like a gawking tourist, but the only thing that I could think of was the beauty of the place. Making the trek down was actually harder than the ascent, especially with my bum knee/foot ensemble; I had to use Andreas as a crutch. We went back to the hostel to freshen up and rest for about an hour before heading to Tasca Vins with the gang for some amazing seafood Paella and Sangria. Since we all ordered the same thing, our waiter brought out one huge pan of Paella for us all to share, topped off with clams and whole shrimps. Maria, who has taken several biology classes, was showing us how to tell if the shrimps were male or female...all of ours were male. The evening concluded with an After Eight dinner mint, which Andreas bought from a convenience store. While sitting in the sitting area of the hostel, the man behind the counter overheard Andreas mention Sweden and began speaking to him in Swedish...what are the odds of that?
The next morning, the girls headed to Park Güell while Andreas and I wandered down La Rambla once again before heading to the Gothic Quarter. There were an endless number of street vendors selling pets like mice, hamsters, baby ducklings, (and even roosters!) for as low as 2 or 3 Euros each. What tourist in his/her right mind would stop and buy a hamster while on vacation in Barcelona? Well, people must buy them or else the vendors would not be able to stay in business. However, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor little critters; the shady business seems like some kind of animal cruelty to me. Most of the animals probably end up dead on the street not long after being "purchased." In addition to the plethera of live animals were people doing various poses in hopes of gaining some spare change. Some were more impressive than others, several were just plain weird. We stared up at the Roman Wall in the Gothic Quarter before heading back to the bus station to catch our Barcelona Bus back to the airport. I officially like the transportation system (subway system) of Barcelona better than Vienna's. It is just all around better marked and more user friendly for travel-challenged tourists such as myself. However, I daresay that I am getting better at reading those darn maps. The views from the bus were so enchanting that I could not bring myself to sleep. We passed many vineyards and colorful Spanish villages. I wish we could have spent just one more day in the beautiful city. Bye Barcelona, maybe I will see you again someday!

Prague: The Paris of the East

Poland

The weekend after Oktoberfest, Olivia and I accompanied Justyna home for the weekend. We were greeted at the train station by Justyna's father, who presented us with a rose each. He then took us back to their home, a lovely cottage in the suburbs of Katowice, a city about an hour from Krakov. Katowice actually reminded me a lot of Wichita; the two cities are about the same size. As we entered the house, we were immersed in a sea of sensuous smells, including special stews like borsht, a mushroom and pasta soup, and pierogi among other things. Many of the meat dishes (as well as pastries) were garnished or stuffed with plums. The minute I entered Justyna's house, I was regretting eating that sandwich on the train....her family had a huge meal planned for us. I played with Justyna's cat while waiting to eat. He liked me so much that I had to move him off of my lap when I wanted to move. Having the cat there eased the tension created by the language barrier that existed between Justyna's parents and I. The cat served as somewhat of a language buffer, easing the tension and serving as somewhat of a medium of communication...after all, everyone can relate to animals. After our huge lunch, the three of us hopped into Justyna's car and headed to the mall to do some shopping. The next day, we got up only to be welcomed by another HUGE meal. I am pretty sure that Justyna's mom prepared almost every single traditional polish dish (or at least it felt like it!) I love how healthy they are...the simple and fresh combinations make me feel healthier (like I can get away without exercising because I am eating fresher bread....not really the case haha) For breakfast, we would combine simple cold meats and cheeses (a particularly delicious white cheese was amazing) and fresh bread with cucumber and tomatoes. After breakfast we headed to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration camp used during WWII. Words cannot describe the intense emotions that I felt while walking silently through the camp that is now home to so many ghosts. I have learned about, read about, and studied the Holocaust for several years and am quite aware of the horrific acts that took place in the camp, but there is still something much more haunting about visiting the location in person. The polish accent of our guide only added to the experience; I kept trying to put myself in Justyna's shoes by asking myself: "How would I feel if such a thing were to happen to my own people (people of my own cultural background)?" After all, 75,000 poles were executed in the concentration camp. I do not know how many details I should include here, but probably the most shocking and emotional point of the tour involved walking into a huge corridor filled almost from top to bottom with human hair. Just thinking about it now makes me shudder...While it was difficult to complete the tour, I am glad that I did it. I think that it is something that everyone needs to see. After all, it is reality. The camp stands as a reminder of a historical event that cannot be erased, wiped out, or changed. What happened happened, and that cannot be changed. All we can do is remember, and as Santayana said, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
The next day we traveled to Krakov for the day. Michael (Justyna's boyfriend of five years) was kind enough to drive us there in his car, which took about an hour. Justyna and Michael went on a walk around the city while Olivia and I got a personalized, guided tour of the Wawel Castle. It was neat to have one tour guide for two people...we could ask her questions whenever we wanted to! The Wawel Castle and Cathedral were truly breathtaking, something straight from a fairy tale castle. I learned that one of the Polish kings was actually a woman at one point, Jadwiga, a daughter of a Hungarian king. She received the crown as Polish king at the ripe age of 9! As I climbed up to the famous bell tower of the Wawel Cathedral, I felt like I was a character in a medieval movie. The Zygmunt (an 18 ton bell with a 660 pound klapper) hangs atop the tower, and is said to grant the wishes of those who touch the bell and make a wish. I did make a wish, but for what I will never tell! The Wawel Palace, with its lavish tapestries (with four different categories with specific themes and color schemes), elaborate furniture and staterooms, and ornate coats of arms all contributed to the majestic historical content of the place. After the tour, we moseyed down the main street and stopped in for some traditional polish food at Polskie Jadlo. Here's the website: http://www.polskiejadlo.com.pl/restauracje/rynek/
The setting was quite cozy and the evening was enjoyable. After dinner we strolled along the streets a while longer before heading back to Katowice, where we spent the night in Justyna's flat. We were so exhausted from a long day that we didn't last long. We got up early the next morning and headed back to Justyna's family home for yet another traditional, delicious meal. Olivia and I relaxed and chatted with Michael and Justyna's sister while Justyna and her parents went and did some shopping. Later that day, packed down with Polish goodies, we boarded the train back to Wiener Neustadt.

Salzburg & Munich (Ich Liebe Dich!)

The weekend after Budapest, the first weekend of October, I traveled with Olivia to Munich for the last weekend of Oktoberfest. On our way there, we stopped in Salzburg for the afternoon/night. While on the train to Salzburg, I checked the map of Salzburg to figure out what I thought was the subway schedule that would take us to the closest location near our hostel. However, what I was looking at was actually a bus schedule! There are so many transportation systems (train, tram, subway, bus) that it gets a little confusing sometimes! We made it to Salzburg just in the nick of time for me to hop on a bus from the hostel and catch the Sound of Music tour. Olivia decided to stay in the hostel and rest before going shopping while I went on the tour. While the tour was a little overpriced and "touristy", I am glad that I decided to do it. Since we barely made it, a van from the tour had to come and pick me up as well two other girls (from Australia) who were also stopping over in Salzburg on their way to Oktoberfest. The tour took us to all of the famous sights shown in Julie Andrews' classic film "The Sound of Music." I saw the original gazebo, which is located in Hellbrunn park, a lovely area with gorgeous flowers. Also visited were the Leopoldskron-Palace (nestled by itself in a quaint little meadow across from a picturesque pond), The breathtaking Basilika Mondsee church (where the wedding scene of Maria to the Captain was filmed), and the beautiful Mirabell Gardens. Salzburg is a breathtaking city, one of the cleanest cities that I have visited so far. The small cobblestone streets, lit at night by illuminating streetlights, is quite romantic. The town, as the birthplace of Mozart, has so much rich musical inspiration. After the tour, Liv and I met up and had dinner at a quaint Indian-inspired restaurant called the Saran Essbar where we enjoyed a lovely meal or chicken, rice, and curry. Believe it or not, the girls from the Sound of Music tour met up with their boyfriends for a meal at the very same restaurant (funny coincidence!)
The next morning, before heading to Munich, I got up early before the sun and took a brisk morning jog along the Salzach river. After breakfast, Olivia and I caught the train to Munich and arrived around lunchtime. We met Sean, Olivia's good friend also from BC who is studying for year in Berlin. The three of us spent the next couple of days exploring the fabulous city of Munich, the capital of Bavaria. After checking into our hostel the first day, we spent the afternoon walking around the Old Town area and along the main shopping street. Everywhere we walked we saw checkered flags in the colors of Munich (black and gold) and Bavaria (light blue and white). Next we headed to Hofbräuhaus, arguably the most famous beer hall in the world. The atmosphere of this beer hall was really neat- with large wooden tables lined up back to pack, arched doorways, and massive steins. It looked like a scene straight from Shrek. Liv and I only ordered 1/2 liters of Weiß beer (which is my favorite beer so far) while Sean ordered a full one. That night we headed to the Oktoberfest festival, which looked like a carnival on crack. With lights and dressed-up people everywhere (not to mention incredibly elaborately decorated rides), the view was something unlike anything I had experienced before. Since most of the beer halls were packed, we somehow managed to get a spot for three outside. The next day we walked around the town before heading back to Oktoberfest in the afternoon. We ran across a LEGO festival and joked that we should take a bunch of pictures and say that we thought that LEGO fest was the real Oktoberfest! We laid down in a grassy park to relax as the sun peaked around a church on the corner, creating a beautiful twinkle through the window of the church. Later at Oktoberfest we miraculously ran into Gimi, a Korean exchange student who made the trek to Oktoberfest all by himself. He joined us for a ride on a massive swing and accompanied us into a beer hall, where we spent the evening singing to (gasp gasp) American songs. Our last day in Munich was probably my favorite. We rented bikes at Mike's bike rentals and spent the day exploring the city on wheels. We saw some windsurfers practicing their sport in the tumultuous section of the river, listened to an extremely talented old man make music with a finger flute under a bridge painted with the shadows of the sparkling waves, and made our way along the winding river to the Englisher Garden. That morning I couldn't get the song from Mary Poppins "Let's Go Fly a Kite" out of my head, and what do you know, there are several families flying kites in the garden. We parked our bikes in the grass and thrust our bodies onto the cold but refreshing ground to take in the fresh afternoon air and relish in a beatiful October afternoon. Liv spotted some people balancing on a rope tied between two trees, and decided to try her luck at the trade. We even made it in time to see a parade of houses make their last few rounds around a sandy arena as a few nude residents lay in the middle of the ring. After dropping off our bikes, we grabbed some grub before heading to the train station. Ich Liebe Dich, Munich!