Monday, August 22, 2011

Palio di Seina



This video was shot at the Palio that I was at. It gives you an idea of the intensity of this event! I would love to see it again, and would recommend it to anyone who is in Italy during that time (June or August). BUT I would also recommend planning ahead, and purchasing either seats, or if you can a balcony to enjoy the race. The video shows a bit of it, but at the end a fight broke out between the different neighborhoods. It got very intense.

Sunsets - fater & son fishing - sharing wine with two Austrians








Two beautiful Austrians I met






Cinque Terre - Beautiful pain

My hopes of relaxing on the beach in Cinque Terre were quickly dashed upon arrival. While I knew Cinque Terre was built into the mountain side, I was under the impression my hostel would be at the bottom of the mountain. Needless to say it was closer to the top. Think of walking up 500 meters of stairs, but you had no stairs, it was mainly uneven cobblestones, and some asphalt. Eitherway, I was here, and determined to enjoy. My hostel was on the 4th floor of some very steep steps as well, but as luck would have it, I was able to secure a bottom bunk. The hostel was a converted one bedroom apartment crammed with 4 sets of bunk beds, and big furniture that served no purpose.  My first day in Cinque Terre, I stayed in my villiage, Riomaggiore. It was the southern most village of them all.

When arriving in Riomaggiore, you exit the train station, and to the left are stairs you can climb. About 20 meters above the train station is the start of the walking path that runs north along the cost. From one end of Cinque Terre to the other it is approximately 18 kms, and most of the villages are not easily accessible by vehicle.  To the right of the train station is a walkway that takes you through the mountain. Sharing space with the train tunnel, you walk about 200 meters til you come out into sunlight, and from there it is all up hill...Literally. As you wander up the hill there are small grocery stores and souvenir shops everywhere, and then you start finding various restaurants. I believe Riomaggiore had 7 or 8 small ones. Instead of going up hill, you can go down some stairs and cut under the railway, and then you have found the Marina. It is filled with small craft that are used on a daily basis to go catch what will be served on the dinner tables and in the restaurants that evening. 

  
A view from above the Marina








There is a small area with in the Marina that the locals call a beach. It is a rocky beach and can be rather rough on the feet, but what I learned is simple...As soon as the water is deep enough, dive in, and swim/float to deep water, cause walking on those rocks is a bitch! (I ended up with many a cuts before I figured this out) The water on the otherhand was clear, cool, and very refreshing! It was worth the few cuts I did receive. Another wonderful thing about Riomaggiore was the cliff that jutted out to the north of the Marina. The locals and a few fearless tourists were able to dive from high above the water.  This I did not bother trying, after all I came here to relax, not break my neck or back.






Oh and did I mention after jumping in, they climb barefoot up the rock face to do it all over again. Yea, I was content floating in the refreshing water watching it all happen.

So as some of you may know, or may not know, Cinque Terre means 5 lands. It is made up of five different villages, and I visited all of them but one. (I will explain) The five villages each seemed to have a different personality about them, and they all were very charming, and their gift shops all sold the same damn things.

Monterosso is the northernmost village, and it is the most commercialized/touristy area of the 5.  It has the largest beach by far, and it is mostly sand. The downside - Its the tourist beach, 80% of the beach is classified as a private beach, which I never did figure out how to be allowed at the private beach. I went there a few times, locked everything in my backpack, and dropped it and my towel where I could see it from the water. I would go for a swim, lay in the sand and have a smoke, then go back in the water. It worked out well, but as it is the tourist beach, kids were everywhere. As for the actual village its self, there is a road/boardwalk lining the beach with shops and restaurants. They seemed to not differ to much from what I saw in Riomaggiore.



Vernazza was my favorite for a few reasons, first of which is the walk to the water. You get off the train station and it is a gentle downhill walk all the way to the cove. As you walk down this street you can not help but take in the smells of fresh bread baking. My favorite site while walking through Vernazza was the gentleman who just came back from fishing that morning, with a bucket full of eels. Still swimming inside the container, I could only wonder who's dinner they would be. When you make it down to the cove at Vernazza, you see the fishing boats attached the buoys in the middle, and there is a small sandy beach. Then there is a walkway that goes all the way around the cover, providing plenty of space for you to lay out your towels. If you do not enter the water at the sandy beach, you must be careful as you climb over the large rocks to get in. The rocks above the waterline are not bad, those below are slick as  could be. This was the best swimming area simply because the cove was protected from any sort of waves. The water was deep and refreshing, oh and did I mention this is the area I found the most topless women? Unfortunately due to the possiblity of getting in trouble with my host, I will not share those photographs. haha

Corniglia is probably a beautiful village but I would not know. 382 European stairs stood between me and Corniglia. I call them European stairs because anyone that has traveled through Europe has no doubt learned that unlike in America where steps tend to be a uniform height and distance apart, that does not apply here. I got off the train at the Corniglia stop in the early afternoon, after spending a few hours in the sun already, and I was in flip flops. I looked up at the stairs leading the way to the village, and I looked down the path going to the water. I choose to go to the water. That too was a BAD idea. After following a path for about 1.5 km, I finally came to a stair case that led down to the ocean. It was a pretty long stair case but I came this far, I was gonna go for a damn swim. Well ladies and gents...the beach at Corniglia has NO SAND! It is all rocks, some the size of my head, some the size of my feet, some smooth, some jagged. I dance along the rocks til I find a place to set my bag and towel down. While drinking my water I light a smoke and contemplate my next move. (How do I get from here, into the water with out breaking my ankle or looking like a fool)  Well I made it to the water, did not break or sprain my ankle, but I probably looked like a fool. Walking over the hot rocks that were baking in the sun all morning was hard enough, but as you get to the ones that stay below the waterline, now they are slippery. I took the same approach to the beach in Riomaggiore, once I was in deep enough water that I could float, I dove in gently and used my hands pulling my self across the rocks til I was in water that was above my head. It was very refreshing and at one point even got a little chilly...But then I was faced with the problem of getting out of the water.. Not an easy task. I survived though with only a few scratched to my legs. After driving off, I had to make the walk back, and that was something I was not looking forward to. 

The Steps up from the Corniglia beach













Manarola - I really do not have much to say about it. It is very large, and it was alot like Vernazza, but their dialect was nothing I had every heard before. I had been able to understand some Italian up until I visited them. 

Cinque Terre is an amazing area, and if you like hiking they have aww inspiring trails that will lead you to private lagoons that you will fall in love with. The food was amazing. My favorite dish I had there was pasta with Inksauce and cuttlefish. I was scared, but it tasted great!


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

100 days of Bloodshed

No, I am not talking about WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan, I am talking about the opening of the Flavian Amphitheater, or as well all know it today, the Colosseum. Construction started under Emperor Vespian (I think the Vespa scooters are named after him) in the year 70ad. His son soon took command of the Roman Empire, and the construction was completed under Emperor Titus.

  • 76 public entrances, 4 private entrances
  • built to fit 50,000
  • Entire amphitheater could be emptied out in 5 mins.
  • Seating was based on social status.
  • Senators were awarded seats for life.
  • Their name would be cared into the assigned seat
  • The expression "I do not see your name on that seat" comes from this
  •  
  • Inaugural games lasted 100 DAYS 
 
 
The Inaugural games had three daily parts.
  1. The animal games - Animals vs. Animals for example it is documented that an elephant defeated a bull
  2. Execution of prisoners - sometimes by human hand, sometimes by animal
  3. Gladitor contests - We have all seen the movie Russel Crowe starred in.
 It is said that in the first 100 days, over NINE THOUSAND animals were killed, and that in the lifetime of the coliseum's use, over 700,000 people were killed there. Yet today it is celebrated for history, and beautiful architecture......Its amazing what time does to a viewpoint.
 Interior - Partial reconstruction of the floor, below is where the animals and prisoners were housed



Rome

Everywhere you go, there is amazing architecture, and statues. Museums seem to be dotting the city every kilometer. I got very luck! I met a gentleman from France who was originally making his trip to Rome with a friend. His friend canceled, so he had an extra ticket/reservation for the Borghese Gallery. (it turns out the only way to get into the Borghese Gallery is to set a reservation well in advance) The Borgehese Gallery houses a collection of art that could rival the Vatican. It houses many pieces by Bernini, Raphael, Titan, Carvaggio, and many more. It art is something you enjoy, this is a must see!

My favorite piece in the Gallery was by Bernini. It was titled "Apollo and Daphne." Since no cameras were allowed in the museum, you will have to settle for a photo from the Gallery's own website.Below is the web link to see the statue and the description of it. Enjoy


Marble Columns - fasle advertising

Ever wonder how the Italians made everything out of Marble? The buildings, the columns, etc. etc. Well contrary to popular belief most of those things are not made out of a solid piece of marble. The structure was constructed out of bricks, and then a marble facade was applied.



Talk about misleading

For the record I want to state THIS IS NOT true for all columns and marble faced structures. There are a fair amount that are made from SOLID marble.

Sistine Chapel

It is a must see. Photos were not allowed, but I am sure you can find photos of it on the internet if you would like. I stood there for 20 minutes looking upward at the ceiling, contemplating what I knew, and then it dawned on me....It must of been a miserable project for Michelangelo. This project took him 4 years. Do me a favor and look straight at your ceiling for 4 minutes. Tell me how your neck feels. Could you do that every fucking day for FOUR years? On top of your neck hurting, add in the fact (and its documented) that on a daily basis you will have plaster fall from the ceiling into your eyes. I thank Michelangelo for his hardships, for he truly did create an amazing piece of art. As you look up at it, just start on one end and move to the other. My favorite panel was the panel where Noah got drunk and was caught by his sons. It injected some comedy into an otherwise religious scene.

Vatican II

With the fun facts out of the way, I will discuss my time in the smallest country in the world. It was amazing, but very overwhelming. I booked a guided tour that would include the museum, St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Gardens. It cost me a total of 50 euros, and was well worth it.

Just the sheer size of the museum was intimidating, with 9 miles of exhibits, I would not know where to begin. I could have wandered through and admired the many different pieces I was looking at, but I would not have known what it was I was looking at. My guide was an American who had been living in Rome for the past 7 years. She was very knowledgeable of what we were going to see, it truly made it an amazing experience. I would say either the Tapestry hall or the large statue of Hercules would have been my favorite, but there is so much priceless, beautiful art that I am sure everyone falls in love with at least on piece. If you are ever in Rome, I highly recommend you devote the 4 hours and take a guided tour. Don't worry, you will not walk away a religious zealot, but you will walk away with a new viewpoint about it.



Bronze Hercules - found by a farmer plowing his land.
  

Vatican fun facts



The Vatican did not become a sovereign city-state until 1929, and believe it or not you can thank Mussolini for that. It is a walled city-state covering approx. 110 acres. The Popes have generally resided in the area of the Vatican since 1377. 

FUN FACTS

  • The Vatican City is the smallest country in the world with the smallest population. It measures 44 hectares ( 110 acres) and has a population of about 1000 people.
  • The Vatican has its own Post office and issues its own stamps. The Vatican mail system is widely used by Romans as in most cases is a lot quicker than Italian mail.
  • The Vatican's radio station is located in a tower inside the Vatican Gardens and broadcasts in 20 languages throughout the world.
  • The Vatican's railway Station was opened in 1930 and is mostly used for freight.
  • Piazza di San Pietro (St Peter's Square) and the colonnade were designed and built by Bernini (completed in 1667). At 314 meters long and 240 meters wide it is the largest square in Rome. Bernini (with the help of his pupils) designed the 140 statues of saints which decorate the colonnade.
  • The Vatican City issues its own passports; the Pope, cardinals, members of the Swiss guard and clergy being the recipients.
  • The Vatican City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the only site to encompass a whole country.
  • Italians are allowed to donate 8% of their yearly taxes to the Vatican (this is instead of paying it to the Italian Government).
  • In 2007 the Vatican opted to become the first Carbon neutral state by offsetting their carbon footprint with the creation of a forest in Hungary.
  • The Vatican stamps its own coins. The €1 coin which has a portrait of the present Pope is in high demand with collectors.
  • The Vatican museums are over 9 miles (14,5 kilometers) long, and it is said that if you spent only 1 minute admiring each painting it would take you 4 years to complete the circuit...(WOW)
  •  Swiss Guards were chosen for their loyalty. Until then, the Pope used Mercenaries, whose allegiance was bought. Pope Julius II felt this was unsafe.

  • Established in 1506 by Pope Julius II the Pontifical Swiss Guard (Vatican guard) were originally employed as personal bodyguards to the Pope, at present they serve as the military force of the Vatican.
  • To be a Swiss guard one must be: at least 5'8.5'' in height, Male, Catholic, between the ages of 19 and 30, have completed basic training in the Swiss military, and of course, be Swiss.

  • In 1998 there was a murder in the Vatican City. The newly named commander of the Swiss Guards and his wife were killed, allegedly by the new Commander's homosexual lover.
  • There is no public illustration or painting exists in the Vatican of Pope Johannes. Why you wonder.... Because it is alleged that Johannes was really Joan, a female. It was discovered she was not a he when she gave birth to a child. She and the child were killed, and it seems almost all memory of them have been torn from the history books.



Talk about Vatican – history – cool sights – Sistine chapel – St. Peters basilica – the dome

Monday, August 8, 2011

School is ending, yet the fun continues

Tomorrow I take my final exams, enjoy a "good bye banquet," and will be getting on an overnight train to Rome. I will try to update more often as I travel. I wanted to give you all an idea of what I will be experiencing. 

  •  Aug 10th to 13th - Rome
  • Aug 13th to 15 - Cinque Terre
  • Aug 15th to 18th - Florence with day trips to Siena to watch the Palio
  • Aug 18th - over night train to Berlin
  • Aug 19th - spend the day in Berlin
  • Aug 19th (evening) to Aug 21st - Amsterdam
  • Aug 21st - Overnight train to Kempten
  • Depart Germany on Aug 23rd.


I am sure everyone here has heard of Rome, and knows the treasures it has, so that does not need to be discussed. If you have never heard of Cinque Terre, please go to google.com and search that term. After your search is complete, click on images. It is absolutely beautiful. I plan on enjoying some wine, pasta, and the Mediterranean sea. Florence and Siena are both famous in their own right, but I truly am looking forward to visiting Siena. Instead of trying to explain why, I will simply post a link below for you to read about it. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palio_di_Siena

I think it will be amazing to witness an event that has, in some form been going on since the 14th Century. 

Odd things

As I am sure Europeans think there are many odd things about America, I have found there to be many odd things in Europe. Here is a list of some of them.

  • Mayonaise on everything!!
  • Condiments are not free! If you need ketchup for your fries, you are paying
  • It is cheaper to drink beer than water when traveling through Germany
  • Paying to take a piss - Major train stations and even some restaurants make you pay anywhere from 5 cents to 1 euro for the privilege of relieving yourself.
  • Public transportation in Europe is a million times better than most of Florida.
  • Europeans are always walking fast. Its like they are forever in a rush
  • In Germany you can drink soft alcohol (beer and wine) at age 16, and are not allowed a driver's license til you are 18.
  • For the most part, processed food is not readily available.
  • We might have Dunkin Donuts, but there are bakeries everywhere, and though I usually have no clue what exactly I am pointing at, the pastries are pretty damn awesome.
  • Beer - Yes we have microbrews, but most of Europe seems to have regional beers, and they are not crazy experiments with all kinds of fruits. They are good, full bodied beers.
  •  Spandex/tights seem to be all the rage for women. I am not sure if I understand it, but it is what it is.

That is just a short list of some things that came to mind. As I travel over the next two weeks I am sure I will have more. 

The best dancing girls are in Prague (I have not gone to Amsterdam yet)

Like in the title, I will preface this post by saying I have not gone to Amsterdam yet! I will be going, so this post may prove to be untrue. With that warning being stated, I will continue the story.


I was in Prague when I met a group of guys from England and Australia. They had been in Prague for business, and were going out to party. I met them at a small bar located on Winchelas Square. It was a small hole in the wall called Zombie bar. The beer was cheap, and it had a juke box!! This was the first time in Europe where I could play music of my choice. I was very excited.

After about an hour the Aussie and Brits left, I continued to hang around. Finally stumbling out of the smoke filled bar into the dark night. I come out of the small corridor into the square, and who do I run into but the group of guys from early. I started talking to a short guy named Lazarus, asking where they had been and if it was any good. They told me how they went to the strip club, called Hot Pepperz, and how amazing it was. I told him I would check it out. Next thing I know Laz is pulling out a card that is good for free drinks. His card had 8 free drinks left on it, now I was starting to get excited. Then he starts telling his friends to hook me up, after all they were leaving the next day. Before I could say thank you I ended up with 30 free drinks at this "Gentleman's club." This was going to be interesting. I found my way to Hot Pepperz and it was like the Mecca for anyone who enjoys naked women, and cold beverages. It was bigger than any strip club I have been to in my life, and the women were simply incredible. As I surveyed the room, I could tell there was some silicone but most appeared to be all natural, and very perky. I got myself a drink and sat down, with in a few mins I found myself surrounded by beautiful women.

Unlike in Hamburg or Frankfurt, not one of them asked me to buy them an overpriced drink. (Hamburg - she wanted a 90 euro bottle of wine, which I could probably buy at a store 10 euros) The women were beautiful, and kind. Without getting too graphic and/or possibly offensive, I will simply say at about 5:45am I left with a smile from ear to ear. The greatest part about the club was the free drink tickets.

 I used up about 15 of them (mixed drinks cost two "free beer" tickets. With 15 of them left, I turned to the group of brits and offered them for sale. With 700 czk in my pocket I walked out the door. So to recap - multiple hours with beautiful naked women everywhere, cold beer, and strong mixed drinks, food from a street vendor before I left, and a taxi ride back to my hotel. Total cost to me = 00.00 I actually made money because after eating and paying for my cab I still had 100 czk in my pocket. I must say that night was epic, and I will not forget it.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Prague Nightlife

Prague has a bar or club for every type of person. As I sit here I do not know where to start.




My first night in Prague, I went on the "backpacker's pub crawl," which was recommended to me by a friend. From 9pm to 11pm you get an open bar at the Drunken monkey, and then from there you get taken to two or three different bars/clubs, where you are given free entry, a free shot, and a free beer. I got to the drunken money at about 9:15pm after getting a little lost. It was rather empty when I got there, maybe ten other people. I quickly learned the idea behind the pubcrawl. They wanted to get us drunk as could be, so we would spend money freely. I go to the bar, and get a beer, and with out even asking for it the bartender puts two shots in front of me. Not to be a poor sport, I downed both quickly. They were vodka and apple juice. Not the best I will say, especially considering the vokda was of very low quality. At about 7 beers into the night, the Drunken money was now filled with people from all over the world. I beat a Brit in beer pong, and had a Americas vs. Europe flipcup game. My teammates were another US college student and two guys from Brazil, and yes we won. After two hours in the drunken monkey it is safe to say the name of the bar could be used to describe many of us walking out of the bar to start the crawl. We were like cattle being herded through the streets of Prague. The organizers had 3 people escorting the group of approx 80 people. One in the front, one in the middle and one at the end catching the stragglers.  I could only imagine what these 3 people deal with on a nightly basis. I would not be a job I want, that is for sure. The rest of the night was similar to the beginning. It included lots of drinking, lots of laughter, and even had some dancing. (I am not sure how some of these people were able to dance, when they could not walk) I met many people on this pubcrawl, including a large group that are also staying in Innsbruck. They are with a program run through University of New Orleans. Needless to say, the 20 or so people I met, all knew eachother, Needless to say I could not even if sober remember all their names. I have run into some of the girls back here in Innsbruck since, and I know their faces but not names. Good thing I can get away with using the words Darlin and Honey!!! At a certain point the fun did come to an end. When the truth or dare jenga game started, I took it as my cue to leave. I got into bed at 6:30 am

How to describe night number 2....The only word that comes to mind is INTENSE. I went to the biggest club in Eastern Europe. It is called the 5 story club, logically because it has five stories. On each floor a different style of music was played, and on each floor there were multiple bars. I would be afraid to know how many people were in this club. When I went, it was about 2am, and the club was filled. Beautiful women everywhere, dancing the night away. The drinks were moderately priced, and the women I met were eager to meet Americans. With in a few ten mins. of being there I had met a group of friends, 2 blonds and a brunette. I only name I do remember was Julie. I am pretty sure her name was something more "Russian" sounding but that was the american version. Her and I hit it off immediately, and I had enough liquid courage in me that I danced the night away til the sun was rising. Surrounded by a few hundred other people, the 3rd story dance floor was steaming hot. Jule and I danced, and drank til 5:30 am. At that point we both were exhausted, and ready to call it a night. She said good bye to her friends, and we left the club, going right and walking along the river. At this point the sun was starting to rise, so we found a cab and took off. This happened on my second night in Prague, and boy was it an amazing morning.


Recap of night # 3 coming soon

Charles Bridge = AMAZING

The Charles Bridge is located in Prague, Czech Republic. Many of you reading this have seen the Charles Bridge and do not realize it. In the critically acclaimed film  XXX staring Vin Diesel had a dramatic ending where Vin Diesel's character saves the world and ends up in the river right at the Charles river bridge. He is shown on the wooden "wedges" that protect the bridge from floating debris. 

  • Construction started on the bridge in 1357 under the reign of King Charles iV, and finished in the early 1400s. 
  • It was the only way to cross the River Vltava for 400 years!!
  • It connected the Prague Castle and the Old town area.
  • 516 meters long
  • 10 meters wide
  • 16 arches
  • Three bridge ("guard") towers
  • In the 1700s the bridge had 30 baroque style statues (they have since been replaced with replicas)
  • The Old town bridge tower displayed the severed heats of 27 leaders from the anti-habsburg revolt (1621) in an attempt to stop any further resistance

I took many pictures of the Bridge, and the statues. Below is my favorite, and the rest can be seen in my photobucket account.



The agony on his face really caught my attention. It was almost as if I could feel his pain.

Chasing the Green Fairy

Absinthe has been a taboo beverage for a long time. It was once thought that if you were to consume absinthe you would go crazy, hallucinate and hurt yourself or others. I am writing this blog to tell you these statements about Absinthe are bullshit! I drank alot of Absinthe in Prague. I did not go crazy! I did not see any green fairy, I did not hurt myself or anyone else. It is a great tasting beverage with a long history, and the various ways to drink it can be a social activity. A little background on absinthe:

  •  Absinthe is described as a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage, flavored from herbs.
  • It is anise flavored (liquorice)
  • It originated in Switzerland, but was made famous by Parisian artists and writers.
  • Van Gogh was know to consume Absinthe 
  • A chemical found is absinthe called thujone was blamed for its alleged "addictive psychoactive" properties
  • By 1915 Absinthe was banned in the United States and most European countries.
  • In the 1990s countries in the EU began to reauthorize the manufacture and sale of Absinthe
  • By 2008 nearly 200 brands
  • The Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street hosted people such as Mark Twain, Franklin Roosevelt, and Oscar Wilde.

In Prague, there was a bar (who's name escapes me right now) that many times a day held an "Absinthe introduction" class. In this class we were introduced to the history of Absinthe, as discussed above, and the various ways to drink it, that was the fun part. Absinthe can be consumed in many different ways. Obviously you can drink it straight, which I would not recommend. It tastes like Jagermeister on steroids. If you live where it snows, it would be a great drink to warm your soul!!!!

The other way to drink absinthe is the "French method." This is done by using a slotted spoon, an ice cube, and cold water. I know this sounds like some Macgyver type shit, but I assure it is so easy a trained monkey could do it. You place the sugar cube on the slotted spoon, hold the spoon over the glass of absinthe, and slowly pour the cold water over the sugar causing it to dissolve, and run into the shot of absinthe. This was the best tasting way to do it. It turned the bright green liquid into a green opaque, almost cloudy liquid. It lessened the strong alcohol taste and sweetened it. Though a little time consuming, it is my favorite method.

Then there is the last method. The I am cool, and living on the edge method. It is called "the Bohemian method." Its popular is primarily due to the use of fire. Like the French method, a sugar cube is placed on a slotted spoon over a glass containing one shot of absinthe. The difference is that the sugar is pre-soaked in alcohol, usually more absinthe, and then set ablaze. The flaming sugar cube is then dropped into the glass igniting the absinthe. Finally, a shot glass full of water is added to douse the flames. This method tends to produce a stronger drink than the French method. This method required a beer chaser for me!!

A variant of "The Bohemian Method" is to allow the fire to burn itself out. This variant, called "Cooking the Absinthe" or "Flaming Green Fairy," removes much but not all of the alcohol. This one looks awesome, but it is for those with a soft stomach.

Through out my time in Prague, I probably consumed a liter of Absinthe. At no time did I hallucinate, hurt myself or others, nor did I go crazy. The chemical thujone, that was blamed for alleged hallucinations in the early 1900s was actually found to be present in Absinthe from the time in very small quantities, and scientists have stated that the allegations about Absinthe made back then were false. Just another example of the government depriving people of something amazing, not because it will kill you, but simply because they were afraid of it. I strongly advise you to try absinthe. It is available in the United States. For it to be sold in the US is has to be Thujone free, so if you doubt my statements about hallucinations, you do not have to worry, because there would be no chance of that if you find it in the USA.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The twin cities of eastern Europe - Buda & Pest

Budapest - If you have not been, you need to go and visit! I arrived via train, an hour late of my scheduled time. At noon I exited the railway station and it was pouring out. Talk about a shitty way to start my weekend. When navigating through crowded train stations keep your wallet in your front pocket, keep your hands free to push people away, and DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING that people try to give you.


If you follow those directions you will more than likely be ok.

So this trip included my first hostel experience, and it was not too bad. (No one yelled at me for snoring) I arrived at a hostel called Central Backpack King of Budapest. It was a relatively small hostel (so I was told) consisting for 3 large dorm rooms, four smaller rooms. My reservations were for a large dorm room, but a large group extended for another an extra night, and I ended up in a 4 person room. My first roommates were a petite Brazilian girl, and a Canadian guy who works in London, with one empty bed. They were all very nice, and none of them snored, or tried to sleep naked. (If the Brazilian wanted to sleep naked I would not have objected) Saturday morning my roommates left, with out even saying Goodbye. My next roommates where far more interesting. Well 2 out of 3 were. There was a Spanish guy who had an afro that would put some of my black friends to shame, and two french gals. They spoke enough English so that we could communicate. I met various other people in the hostel, some from Canada, One from Chicago, an entire group from Amsterdam. It was weird, yet so much fun to hang out with so many different people from different parts of the world. All in all the hostel experience was a good one. 

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http://www.triptobudapest.hu/
If anyone reading this ever travels to Budapest, I highly recommend the website listed about.  I took multiple tours with this group, and they were free. At the end of a the tour they would have a recap of everything, and would then solicit tips. There was minimal pressure about tipping, the guides were awesome, entertaining, and very knowledgeable. I took their communist tour, Jewish quarter tour, and their regular Budapest walking tour. I have added blisters on top of blisters, on top of blisters. On one of the walking tours, I saw a manicure place that had the fish... Yes you know the fish that eat the dead skin off of your feet...I think it would have been an amazing experience, but unfortunately after the tour, I could not find my way back to have them little guys make my feet silky smooth. 

St. Stephen's Basilica
  • Named after Stephen I of Hungary
  • Stephen I was the first King of Hungary from 975 - 1038
  • Located in the Reliquary is his right hand
  • 315 feet high
  • Height is equal to the Hungarian Parliament Building, it is suppose to symbolism Chruch and State are equal
  • took 54 years to complete
  • The southern bell tower contains Hungary's biggest bell, weighing over 9 tonnes.
  • 364 stairs to climb to the top of the dome

The only remaining memorial to the Russian's who "liberated" Hungary during WWII, only to then occupy Hungary, and force communism upon them. To learn more about the Communist history, check the link below.


There was so much to see in Budapest. I know there has to be some things I have left out, and I know there are many things I did not even get pictures of. The day I took the tour through the Jewish Quater, it was pouring down rain, and I did not bring any camera with me. I can tell you Budapest has the largest synagogue in Europe, and the 2nd largest in the world. It really is an incredible site to see, and to think of the recent history such as WWII, I do not know if I should describe the experience as unsettling, or awe inspiring. The courage, and strength that some people showed in one of our World's darkest hours is an inspiration. 


Night time view of St. Stephen's Basilica

Lion at the foto of the Chain Bridge



A wine fountain in the Labyrinth below the Castle




The Statue in front of the Cave Church, overlooking the Danube.

Women's World Cup FInal - better late than never

It has taken me forever to get around to writing about these few nights in Frankfurt, partly because I was busy, and partly because I could not truly find the words to describe what I experienced. By now everyone knows the USA Women's national team lost to Japan in the World Cup Final. The game went through overtime and was settled with a shoot out. I do not feel I need to recap the game.


I have had many interesting and odd train experiences so far during my trip. In a sleeper cabin, someone had their dog, German teens getting on the train with 4 cases of beer, but taking the train from Frankfurt station to the World Cup Stadium, 6 hours before the game was the funniest. We pile into a rail car, most of the seats are taken to begin with so I go across to the far side doors, I figure with my ass against the wall that 1.) It is harder to steal my wallet (my back pockets do have fasteners but still) and 2.) the odds of someone trying to stick a finger in my bum are slim.

DO NOT LAUGH PEOPLE! The bum rapping finger bandits are real! Ask anyone in Frankfurt!!

As this rail car gets filled to capacity, the doors close, and everyone stops sucking it in, then a wonderful individual will push the open door button, and with no obviously place to go, they dive right in, like a rugger taking a penalty from 10 meters out, first was a middleaged man (ok no worries I thought), next was a woman.....With a stroller...Some how the stroller found its way to my testis. If it was legal to slap a woman, it would have happened. Finally the train is rolling and I look across the car at my friend. He gives me a knowing look (early in the day at the hotel room, I had the worst gas), and boy I wish I could have complied with what he wanted me to do. This gas was the room clearing kind, and it would have been deadly in an elevator!! The hilarity that would have ensued if I could have let one go on that train! If you could get that on video, you would have had over a million hits on youtube!

With my almost being fingered in the bum, I want to change subjects. What I would like to speak about is Pride. I would imagine it could be compared to going to an Olympic event when your Country is the host. In this city, filled with people from various countries, pride became very apparent. Groups of Americans sporting red, white and blue, Japanese women wearing kimonos. Faces painted with flags, it was very apparent everyone was proud to be there. The Germans who's team did not make the finals were all wearing their National team jerseys. I unfortunately was not able to get a ticket to the game, (they were a little out of my price range) so my friend and I went to a pub, that was filled with Americans. Cheers and curses filled the air through out the game. Shots went down, beer chased. I met many people that night, none of whose names I remember. There were the girls from Michigan, there was the guys from Texas, an American from Charlotte who happened to be in Germany on business, US Military stationed in Germany, Old and young. We watched intently, sometimes laughing, sometimes on the verge of tears as the shootout continued.

Game over, The U.S. lost. The pub emptied out quickly, most of the Americans going back to their hotels to sulk, or to pass out. My friend I was with had decided to take the midnight train back to Austria, so soon I was left there alone, with only a few other Americans. Then it happened. The first trains coming back from the Stadium started to arrive. It was the modern day WWII. There I was in Germany, as the pub was invaded by the Japanese. Their smiles bright, as they rushed the bar, laughter ringing out as they celebrated their victory. The pub closed down, and I wandered to the Brazilian bar to keep the night alive. The feelings, and experience was amazing.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Frankfurt WWC is coming

Sorry folks, its been a crazy short week of school. I have had alot of homework so I have not got around to submitting my report on Frankfurt and the Women's World Cup final. I assure you it will be coming..... Right after I get back from BUDAPEST! Ciao

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Caen – Normandy – Omaha Beach Part II

Jesus is a Cab driver in Caen


Initially we called a cab to get from the Caen War Memorial, to the train station to go to Bayeux. Explaining this to our taxi driver, his face light up and he told us he would take us to Bayeux, and give us a private tour. The three of us (Mike, Jim and I) were skeptical at first, and asked him how much, and where we would get to go. The American Cemetary, Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, Point Du Hoc, and the beach front D-day Museum, all for 130 euro. His face lit up when we jumped at the chance to save money (our original tour was going to cost 150 euro), and have a private tour. With me in the front seat, Mike and Jim in the back, Patrick hit the freeway. While driving he was digging through his brief case pulling out maps, and books in English that were all about the D-day invasion. Like a kid on Christmas, his excitement was infectious. We sat in the car, listening intently as he explained what he knew about it. Our first stop in Bayeux was the American Cemetery, which is actually not on French soil. The property was given to the United States by the French govt. There is a governor who oversees all the care that is required. In the American cemetery it is illegal to smoke, or to have any dogs.

  • It is 172.5 acres, 
  • 9,387 US service men and women buried there
  • 307 of those are unknown
  • three Medal of Honor reciepients
  • four women 
  • 33 pairs of brothers buried side by side. 
  • It is the largest American Cemetery from WW2, but not the largest in Europe: that is the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery from WW1 with more than 14,000 burials.
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Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr (Block D : Row 28 : Graves 45 & 46)
- 4th Division.
- Died 12th July 1944
- son of the President and buried beside his brother Quentin, killed as a pilot in WW1.
- Recipient of the Medal of Honour.

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Two brothers who inspired 'Saving Private Ryan' (Block F : Row 15 : Graves 11 & 12)
- 2/Lt Preston Niland 22nd Infantry and Sgt Robert Niland 505th PIR.
- Robert was killed on D Day and Preston on 7th June. A third brother was thought killed in the Pacific, so the fourth was allowed home. However, the brother in the Pacific actaully survived the war.
- It was their story which inspired the script writers for 'Saving Private Ryan'

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Father and Son (Block E : Row 20 : Graves 19 & 20)
- Colonel Ollie Reed, 115th Infantry, 30th July 1944.
- 1st Lieutenant Ollie Reed Jr., 163rd Infantry, 6th July 1944.

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Medal of Honour winner: T/Sgt Frank Peregory (Block  G : Row 21 : Grave 7)
- 116th Infantry, 29th Division.
- Killed 14th June 1944.
- Awarded for Grandcamp Maisy 8th June 1944.

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Medal of Honour winner: 1st Lieutenant Jimmie W. Monteith Jr (Block I : Row 20 : Grave 12)
- 16th Infantry, 1st Division.
- Killed 6th June 1944.
- Awarded for Omaha Beach, D Day.


The cemetery sits high above the beach, and there is a steep winding path that leads you down. It was very awe inspiring to set foot on the beach. Taking off my shoes it was the first time in a month that I had my toes in the sand. Unfortunately I did not have a cold beer in my hand, but as I walked from the entry way out toward the ocean, I tried to soak in the view, and assess my feelings. Here I was walking toward the ocean, on a sunny day in 2011, in a place where many years ago a war that killed many Americans was started. It was low tide, so it felt like a mile to get to the ocean’s edge. With my feet soaking in the waters of the Atlantic, I turned around for the first time since setting foot on the beach, trying to imagine what it must have been like as I looked up at the hills that overlooked the beach. It is said that at sun rise that morning, the German troops could see nothing but ships out in the ocean, all the way to the Horizon. An elevation of at least 400 feet above the water was a bunker used by the Germans. It made me tremble to think about the landing craft door dropping down, and the machineguns starting to take aim, like shooting fish in a barrel, it must have been insane.

Trying to grasp the size of the invasion force was very difficult for me. It has to been stated that over 160,000 troops landed on June 6th, 1944. That is more troops than the United States currently has stationed in Afghanistan. The beaches are clear of the obstacles the Germans put to stop or slow the landing craft, but a few can still be found at the museum. The museum is actually housed in a former field hospital that was built shortly after D-day to treat casualties.  
Our tour guide proved to be excellent, he truly saved our trip. On the ride back to our hotel, I thought about everything I saw, and everything that our soldier's must have experienced, and I became very greatful that my Grandfather fractured his ankle, and could not fight in WWII. I could not imagine my life with out ever having him in it.