Spin the Sky

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

2011-03-29T08:36:00.000-05:00

Not all those who wander are lost. – J.R. Tolkien

Europe.

I wore a Canada flag on my back. I laughed. I wore men’s wool socks for days on end. I was threatened. I wore sandals, but I mostly wore boots. I got wet. I felt fortunate to be where I was. I did the awkward backpacker run wearing packs on both my front and back. I thought about my family. I went to bed at 8pm and I went to bed at 8am. I travelled by plane, train and automobile. And by boat. I slept in the airport. I slept in a doctor’s clinic. I slept on floors, too-short couches, bunk beds, hide-a-beds and queen-sized beds. I shared beds and I slept alone. I drank wine – red, white, sparkling and mulled. I drank beer – cold and warm. I choked on Akvavit. I ate pickled herring, chocolate sprinkles on bread, fresh fish off the bone, schnitzel, Lefse, waffles, pizza, and goulash. I smiled to myself. I acquired a taste for coffee – black coffee, even (you finally did it Lasse)! I experienced acts of great kindness and great generosity – some when I least expected, but most needed them. I was very nearly run over by a bicycle – not in Denmark, and not in Holland, but in Italy (that would have been embarrassing). I took hundreds of photos. I met Canadians thanks to our red mittens. At times, I exercised great restraint in not shopping. On the other hand, I bought more than a dozen pairs of earrings. I saw dogs sitting in restaurants, and old women making lace with amazingly dextrous fingers. I experienced my first Christmas away from home. I read books. I listened to hours of music. I cycled in packs of dozens around cities webbed in bike paths. I learned how to eat a slice of pizza the Italian way. I decided that the benefits of earplugs outweigh the initial discomfort they cause. I saw people drinking beer in restaurants at 10am before the food menu was available. I learned to ride the green wave. I was asked for directions – from locals as well as tourists – in nearly every country I visited. I said thank you in eleven languages (Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Norwegian, French, Italian, Czech, Hungarian… and English). I bragged about what a great “little” brother I have. I went to my first opera in a beautiful building with a ticket that cost $2.50. I bought coffee for $2.50. I paid $30 for half a large pizza in Norway. I paid $30 for a flight from Paris to Rome. I saw chapels so large that I was overwhelmed, so beautiful that my jaw hung open. I saw people praying in these chapels, and I saw people scamming outside them. I spent more days in sunshine than in rain. I cried. I saw pubs that were many times older than the nation of Canada. I was granted my wish for a white Christmas. I got peeped on in the shower. I heard music in the streets – classical, jazz, hip-hop, bagpipe, acoustic, folk, didgeridoo, one-man band, string ensembles and big bands. I sent postcards. I lived in a house with a mouse. I learned that cross-country skiing is more extreme outside the flatlands of Manitoba. I went without a cell phone. I saw homeless people and their dogs out on the street, but also saw a type of wealth that I’d never been exposed to. I walked more kilometres than I can fathom a guess at. I saw roads, oceans, fields, and mountains. I learned more about WWII than I ever did in school. I explained the location of Winnipeg to countless people. I saw lovers all over – not just in Paris. I climbed innumerable stairs. I was moved by art. I saw former cities that had all but tumbled to the ground. I was left out of conversations that took place in languages that I did not understand. I saw names carved and written on tables, bunk beds, gravesites, and walls. I hugged. I kissed cheeks once, twice, three times. I met a few undesirables, but I met far, far more incredible people. I fell in love with people, with places, with cultures. I strengthened friendships that I already considered to be great.

I spent five months and one week exploring seventeen countries.

To all the friends I visited along the way, I could never thank you enough, so instead I extend an open invitation to visit me in Canada whenever it suits you. I promise to return the hospitality, and I can’t wait to see you all again.

I adore travelling, but I am a prairie girl at heart. I love Canada. I love Winnipeg. I love the prairie skies.

I may be wandering, but I’m not lost.

Sending all my love, from home.

(Photo: Lasse Lyck)

The Penultimate Entry

2011-03-26T18:27:00.000-05:00

Given that Copenhagen was my European home, it was the obvious choice for my last place to visit. After having already seen the touristy attractions, I was free to simply enjoy the great city and my great company, which included Ida from Norway, Kolla, Birna and Maggy from Iceland, Camilla from Finland, Lasse the great Dane, and of course, Alma – my beautiful bicycle.

The Swedish artist Robyn was singing in concert on the Saturday evening, and so the lovely Ida arrived from Norway the same day I arrived from Budapest. I spent the evening having a few drinks and eating lasagna with the boys of Rentemestervej, but Friday morning I took Alma to meet Ida and Camilla for a superbly expensive cup of coffee. The day turned into one of those relaxed affairs that consisted of sitting, drinking, eating, catching up and laughing; one of those wonderful days when your stomach aches from all the laughing.

Ida and I.

Camilla left Ida and me drinking our coffee to head to work, and Kolla joined us for lunch. While we were still sitting in the restaurant, we received an invitation to join Maggy at his flat to take part in the eating of the chocolate cake he was currently baking. The cake was magnificent. Then once Birna showed up and Camilla returned, pizza, several bottles of wine, and much loud singing somehow followed the cake… though I believe the cake also made a late-night appearance. Oh, that cake...

Maggy belting out Elephant Love Medley

On Saturday, Lasse and I headed over to Kasper’s Mom’s hat shop to help out with some spring cleaning chores, and then rewarded our job well done with a canal tour. The girls were hanging around Nyhavn when the boat docked, and we headed out for dinner. Birna and I biked to the concert venue and arrived a good half an hour before the rest of the group. Fortunately, we had a bottle of wine to keep us warm.

The Little Mermaid from the canal tour.

Before Robyn.

My Alma.

The concert was great fun, and a huge bonus for me as Camilla had found me a ticket the day before. Robyn even wrapped up her final encore with a slowed-down version of Show Me Love.

We rolled out of bed on Sunday in time for a delicious brunch at a place called Stella. I’ve been there several times, but I still find it amusing given my fondness for Stella’s, Winnipeg. After saying goodbye to Ida, I wandered around town with Birna and Maggy before ending up in Christiania to enjoy the sunshine and the people-watching.

My last few days passed by in a bit of a blur. Lasse was busy with school, so I amused myself during the daytime reading and drinking coffee in cafes, biking around with Alma, and one day visiting the outstanding Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. I’ve seen a lot of museums over the past few months, and I’m admittedly a bit museum-ed out. However Louisiana more than proved worthy of a visit. It was definitely one of favourite museums, with a fantastic collection of art and an excellent temporary exhibition on Picasso. Even the architecture of the building and the location itself were wonderful.

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Louise Bourgeois

"Get up girl, a sun is running the world."

Rush hour in Copenhagen.

On my last night, Lasse and I made dinner for the household. We made dessert too – zucchini cake. And when Lasse realized that he didn’t have any cinnamon in the house, we made cinnamon “from scratch”. Luckily, he had cinnamon sticks, which were first grinded with some sort of electric contraption, then handed over to me along with a mortar and pestle, and finally sifted into the cake batter. Certainly it was the best cinnamon zucchini cake I’ve ever tasted.

Dinner prep mess.

And now, somehow, I am home again. I was a bit restless on my flights given that flying west meant following the daylight the whole way. But I made it. I am back in Winnipeg.

Jerry was waiting.

The past five months have been an incredible journey, even if I say so myself. It’s good to be home, I think. A bit strange of course, but good. The sky is beautiful, my bed is comfortable, there is peanut butter in the cupboard, hockey on television, and trees, trees, trees on every street. I’m a bit overwhelmed by the clothing in my closet. I have to practice recalling what day of the week it is. I found that I did not forget how to drive while I was away – it’s like riding a bike in that sense. However, riding a bike is way better.

Thanks for everything Europe, you were pretty great.

Sending love from Canada.

Budapesht

2011-03-20T17:48:00.000-05:00

As my last new destination, Budapest impressed.

I started my visit by withdrawing a very impressive-sounding 40 000 Hungarian forints, which is approximately 200 Canadian dollars. Luckily, I had investigated into the value of the forint; otherwise I would have been totally lost. As it was, after dropping off my gear at the hostel and heading for dinner with a couple of Canadian girls, I was still quite confused about the conversion rate. “Dinner is 2250? How much is that?” Luckily, one of the other girls had a clue, and after some longhand math, we were able to divide the very reasonably priced bill from our delicious dinner.

Hungarian forints.

Following dinner, I went with the girls on my first of several walks along the Danube River. The river separates the Eastern Pest from the Western Buda – though the two unified in 1873. At night, much of both sides and the bridges that cross the river are lit up to outline a spectacular skyline.

The Chain Bridge and Danube River.

Melinda, Trish and I on the Chain Bridge.

The next day was a beautiful, sunny day (I know I sound repetitive, but I’ve truly had amazing luck with the weather). It was also a Sunday, which in Europe means that many things are closed. However, one of the benefits of travelling for a longer period of time is that I do not have to cram my sightseeing. I like watching and listening to new cities. Days spent wandering around getting a feel for the city, people-watching and sitting at a café drinking a cup of tea and reading my book have been some of my favourite days.

It was probably for the best I took that Sunday easy, as Sun-night was spent experiencing the Budapest nightlife with a couple of American guys and one French-Canadian. We drank wine. We searched out a couple of difficult-to-find night locales. We played foosball (Canada won). We drank beer. We danced. It was a great night out. It was also a late night out, which resulted in the perfect set-up to spend the next afternoon at a bathhouse.

The boys try to get us on track.

It was a balmy 20 degrees when we finally made our way from the hostel through the sunny streets to the bathhouse of choice (Széchenyi – but don’t ask me how to pronounce it). We spent most of our time in the outdoor baths, as it only made sense to do on such a nice day. The baths varied from 27-38 degrees, came in a variety of shapes and sizes, and also held people of all shapes and sizes. It was a very relaxing way to spend the afternoon.

The walk to the baths.

Made it!

On March 15^th, the Hungarians celebrate the National Holiday, Revolution Day. So once again, many things were closed. However, it was another outstanding day, and I believe the whole of Budapest was out enjoying the weather and the celebrations. There were bands out playing Hungarian folk music and people dancing the Hungarian folk dances. Food and merchandise booths were set up all over the Buda side of the river, and the delicious smells of lángos (a sort of deep-fried pizza), roasting onions and warm chimney cakes filled the streets. Children’s games were set up in one of the squares, tended by Hungarians in traditional dress, and watched over by the cameras of the nearby parents. It was a pretty neat day for observing.

Back over the Chain Bridge on Revolution Day.

Folk music and dance.

Of course, the big event of my last day was seeing Norma, the opera in the stunning Hungarian State Opera House, but I have already shared that experience.

I’m now sitting “at home” in Copenhagen, and it’s been nice to come home to one of my favourite places in Europe. I’ve been here since Thursday, but after a busy and excellent weekend, this is the best chance I’ve had to write my near-to-last blog (for this trip anyways).

I’m right back where I started five months ago. At least, I am physically right back where I started five months ago. Four days left. See you soon.

Sending love from Denmark!

Operatic Observations

2011-03-16T17:47:00.000-05:00

1. I attended my first opera this evening. I saw Norma at the Hungarian State Opera House. I bought my ticket for 500 ft… or €1.82… or $2.50 Cdn!

2. I’ve become used to the fact that in Europe when they say “second floor”, they mean the third level. This is due to their labelling ground floor as zero. However, when I found my seat tonight, I counted ground floor, and then one, two, three balconies to where I was seated. New heights for a “second floor” ticket.

"Second floor" in the beautiful Hungarian State Opera House.

3. As it turns out, a ticket worth $2.50 will get you in the door of the beautiful Opera House. It will certainly get you within earshot of the singers. However, it will only afford you a view of about half the stage… NOT that I am complaining.

My view.

4. Speaking of “within earshot”, no microphones? These singers have pipes.

5. Judging solely from this event, opera singers seem to have a very different average body type than ballet dancers… or even concert musicians for that matter.

6. To the lady sitting in front of me: unwrapping hard candies during any show is annoying, but if you must do it, then at least have the common sense to wait until there is a crescendo.

7. So, the opera was in Italian. I do not know if it is common practice to include sub-titles. This opera was sub-titled. However, as would be expected, it was sub-titled in Hungarian, and the language – with its 17 extra letters – leaves me feeling a bit baffled. I did read the English synopsis, so had a general idea of what was going on.

8. Despite not always being clear of the story, and despite only being able to see half of the stage, I still thoroughly enjoyed myself. I could hear the music – orchestra and singers – perfectly, and that seems to be the most important part.

9. I did not understand a word sung, but it is true that you can emote with the singers. It was pretty neat, and I would visit the Opera again… though only after I save some money, since I may never find a deal like this one again!

I arrived “home” to find that I’m currently the only one in my hostel, and it is quite odd, as well as a funny coincidence for my final night in a hostel (for this trip, at any rate). I suddenly remember how odd it was to go home after I travelled last time and finally be sleeping in a bedroom by myself. I can use tonight as preparation. At least no one is snoring.

Still sleeping on a top bunk, despite the 7 other empty beds in the room.

Copenhagen tomorrow; one more time.

Sending love from Hungary!

Feel So Bohemian

2011-03-15T06:19:00.000-05:00

Prague jumped right up into my favourite cities list. There were so many things that contributed to my appreciation for the city, that even after five months on the road, Prague made the travel seem fresh again.

I enjoyed the crowded commotion on the Charles Bridge: the professional buskers – one-man-band, Didgeridoo, bridge band; the many different types of tourists; the view of the castle and the view of the city skyline; the many, many jewellery stands just begging me to buy earrings, and; the stands with photos, with paintings adding even more colour to the already sunny days. And at night, black and white and yellow, lit by the old-fashioned street lamps and lined with the dark figures of the many saintly statues. I crossed that bridge quite a few times.

Across the Charles Bridge from the city, I found the Lennon Wall coloured with yellow submarines, peace signs, John Lennon’s face, scribbled names and Beatles lyrics. Though much less famous than Abbey Road, I still enjoyed spending time reading those scribbles, nodding to myself in agreeance that love is all you need.

The view of the castle from the city was wonderful. Sometimes I wonder if my treks up 287, 354, 422 spiralling stairs are necessary in every city, but without fail, every time I climb up those 287, 354, 422 spiralling stairs, I am pleased with the result. The view of the city from the Cathedral on the grounds was also wonderful.

View of the castle.

View from the Cathedral tower.

I discovered a "Shakespeare" bookstore that I enjoyed nearly as much as the one in Paris, if less for the ambiance and more for the giant used books section. I discovered a spot at the edge of the river where I could sit and read, sheltered from the wind and in view of the Charles Bridge. I bumped into Carnival celebrations and people dressed up as gorillas, horses, chiefs, and clowns. I visited the Pinkas Synagogue which had the names and lifespans of all the Czech victims of the Holocaust written on the walls. The Synagogue also housed a collection of artwork created by the children who had been living in the ghetto. I recognized a "colour spectrum" drawn by a child that I had also replicated as a child. It hit very close to home, and was a very moving visit. The Old Jewish Cemetery outside the Cathedral contains layered tombs with about 100 000 buried, but only 12 000 gravestones. I even took in a ballet at one of the many theatres. The Best of Swan Lake was playing, and I enjoyed seeing it after all the hype about Black Swan this year - even if I was disappointed by the lack of live orchestra.

My favourite spot.

The old Jewish Cemetery.

I visited the nearby town of Kutna Hora to see the Sedlec Ossuary that is decorated with the bones of humans. Whereas the Catacombes in Paris were unique, purposeful and creepy, I found this cathedral to be a bit strange, and even gaudy. The architect even “signed” his name near the entrance with bones.

The bizarre signature.

I enjoyed the company of a couple of British guys and a girl from Seattle. And on my last day I met a Canadian girl on the street. We chatted for several minutes and she decided to meet me at the pub I was planning to visit to hear some jazz. Random meetings like that are one of my favourite things about travelling and we had a great evening listening to Stan the Man’s Bohemian Band play their blues in a tiny basement bar.

Stan the Man

Lauren (from Vancouver) and I.

And then I hopped on a bus to Vienna, where speaking of random meetings, I stayed with a lovely German couple whom I met in Bruges in February. Susie and Matthias opened their home to me without hesitation and I had a wonderful time both exploring Vienna and getting to know the two of them better.

The evening I arrived, Susie had lecture, but Matthias picked me up at the bus station and then relayed specific instructions from Susie that the “best gift you can give a backpacker is a bath.” It certainly was quite a treat, and then we prepared sushi for dinner while we waited for Susie to get home.

The weather was lovely the days I was in Vienna, and we did a lot of bike-riding and strolling through the city. I visited a couple of museums – The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Wien Museum. We ate delicious Pakistani food from a place where you “pay as you wish.” We drank coffee in fancy Viennese coffee houses and kitschy student coffee houses. We ordered pizza and watched a movie with their flatmates for a Friday night in. I tried a traditional Austrian cake that is cut into cubes and dunked in bright pink icing. And we wandered amongst the thousands of treasures at the Saturday morning flea market.

Town hall in the distance.

The fleamarket.

It was a very relaxing visit, at a time in my trip when I am down-shifting for home. It was certainly a happy experience meeting Susie and Mattias, and a neat addition to my trip to be able to visit them so quickly after our initial meeting.

I’ve been in Budapest for the past three days already, and I will be here until Thursday, the 17^th. From there, I’m going back to Copenhagen – “home sweet Rentemestervej” – where I started five months ago. Then come March 24^th, it’ll be "home sweet Makinak" when I arrive back in Winnipeg.

I have mixed feelings about this return, though I am certainly looking forward to having a home again, and to seeing my family and friends. However, I’ll save my reflections for another blog.

Sending love from Hungary!

München

2011-03-06T10:59:00.000-06:00

If Berlin and Munich were bars, I would spend more of my time at Munich. It is cozy and laid-back. The parks are big and green. The city centre is very walk-able. The beer halls are plenty and full of (mostly) nice people, delicious smells and big beers. The buildings are beautiful even though many of them had to be rebuilt due to World War II bombing. As with Berlin, the city is full of history, which the city faces head-on. Plus they are a candidate city for the 2018 Winter Games, and the Olympic Park looked pretty cool to me (though Olympic Parks always give me a thrill).

I met some Canadian girls my first evening thanks to our unmistakable, famous red mittens. We had all joined in the fun on a “beer tour” of Munich where the guide takes you out to a couple different beer halls and teaches you a thing or two. As it turns out, a “small beer” in Munich is half a litre. And at certain beer halls – such as the famous Hofbrauhaus – “small beers” do not exist. You can order a litre beer or a litre beer. There is even a special grip with which to hold your litre beer stein. The pretzels are as thick as my arm, the men in the band on stage wear traditional lederhosen and take breaks to refresh their beer, and the whole hall bursts out in song at least every half an hour. It was a pretty fun place.

New Town Hall

Baby steps at Augustiner...

Full litre at Hofbrauhaus.

And this was one of the skinnier pretzels!

My second day in Munich, I went on a tour of Dachau concentration camp – now a memorial site. That visit was something that I was very interested in doing, but I knew from the offset that it was not going to be an enjoyable experience. I felt that it was an important experience; that I wanted to be made more aware of what went on during that period in history (the camp operated from 1933 – 1945). I wanted to see it with my own eyes. The tour was very good. We saw the bunker (prison within the prison), we saw the barracks, we saw the gas chamber and we saw the crematorium. The guide explained the methods of torture – psychological and physical, the deplorable conditions, and the progression – or rather regression of the camp between 1933 and 1945. Spending three hours at Dachau provided me with a much broader grasp of the Nazi regime than I’d ever attained from a class or from a book, and it was more due to the feelings I experienced rather than the knowledge I gained. It was a hard day, an upsetting and sombering day, but I am still glad that I made the visit. The entrance gate to the grounds reads “Arbeit Macht Frei”, or “Work Will Set You Free”, and it is now permanently left open.

The unnamed survivor ~ "To honour the dead. To warn the living."

My last couple of days I visited the Olympic Park and the vast Englischer Garten, I drank more beer out of more large steins, I browsed my way through the Viktualienmarkt and I resisted the outstanding aromas of the Dallmayr luxury food store. Well, I all but resisted save one luscious, champagne cream-filled donut – I may never glean the same satisfaction from a donut again after that one. And I tried schnitzel, which was pretty darn tasty.

View from the Olympic Tower

Chinese beer gardens in Englischer Garten

Overall, a fantastic visit to a fantastic city.

I’m still in Prague, loving Prague – until Tuesday anyways.

Sending love from the Czech Republic!

Fatto Catso

2011-03-03T07:56:00.000-06:00

Travelling has a reputation for being glamorous, and I suppose often it is. On the other hand, backpacking is a special kind of travel. And as much as I love it, longer-term backpacking is the opposite of glamorous. I shower every other day, and wear flipflops when I do. I sleep in dorms with as many as 12 others (the biggest dorm I’ve ever heard of is 32 in Amsterdam, but I didn’t stay there). Some people snore, some turn on the light at 5 in the morning, and I’m sure you can imagine that the room does not smell particularly nice come sunrise. Sometimes – as with the last 3 days – I eat the same thing every day because it is cheap. I regularly smell items of clothing before dressing myself in the morning to refresh my memory about which shirts are still clean.

All that being said, this lifestyle is part of what makes backpacking special; what makes it fun. I love backpacking. I would much rather run for a train wearing a backpack than pulling a suitcase. I like wearing the Canada flag on my back – and my front for that matter. Showering every other day certainly cuts down on the cost of shampoo. Plus I’m travelling the world! I believe that part is still somewhat glamorous. And I’ve been lucky, and often spoiled on this trip because I’ve been fortunate enough to stay with so many friends along the way.

So why am I mentioning all this? Simply because when I arrived in Rome, I hit a wall. After four months of travelling, I found myself tired, with a cold I was having a hard time shaking. I’m not suggesting that you pity me. I’m not saying that I was regretting the amount of time I chose to travel, just that I was tired.

Two things helped. The first was that I was staying in a great little hostel with a good, personable atmosphere where the guests were all extremely friendly and welcoming. The second was that I knew I was going to see Andrea in a week.

Unfortunately, it felt like a bit of a chore dragging myself out of the hostel to do some sight-seeing that day. However, by the time I’d made my rounds through the Colosseum and the Roman Forum ruins, I had cheered up a bit. The Colosseum really is a phenomenal structure. Regardless of whether Russell Crowe and Gladiator are to thank for my imagination’s wanderings, I had no trouble envisioning the roaring crowd it would have contained. I found the ruins somewhat eerie to envision such a grand era and then see only the remains of it, the rubble. It was interesting.

Visiting the walled Vatican City was also interesting. The Vatican Museums and Sistene Chapel are so completely adorned with artwork that I imagine it impossible to ever see it all. Certainly it was too much to take in during one afternoon, but a spectacular sight all the same. St. Peter’s Basilica is so large that I’m not sure there is a word to describe its immensity properly. The candlesticks appeared to be at least as tall as I am. It was quite a sight. However, perhaps my favourite part of Vatican City was the guards. Their uniforms are so brightly coloured and flamboyant, kudos must be granted to these guards for the ability to keep a straight face.

The Vatican Museums - Michelangelo

St. Peter's Basilica

Hanging out with the guards.

Inside the Basilica

My last Roman highlight was a night out with about 12 guests from the hostel as well as the hostel owner. The drinks were so expensive that most people only drank the one provided with dinner, or at most a second. It was a very sober, very silly night full of sweaty dancing, and it was heaps of fun.

I visited Florence where I took in the view from the Duomo, the view of Michelangelo’s amazing David, and the wonderful smells of the Italian markets. On a whim, I also hopped on a train to Pisa one afternoon. I only spent about an hour in Pisa, but it was enough to see their famous tower, which really is leaning to quite an incredible degree.

View from the Duomo in Florence

The River Arno in Florence

After that it was off to Bologna for a big hug from my Sicilian friend. Andrea has lived there for the better part of five years, and he deserves all the credit in making Bologna my favourite stop in Italy. He knows the good cheap restaurants. He knows the cheapest slice of pizza on the street (lesson learned, even the cheapest slices in Italy are tasty, and massive). He taught me that the appropriate way to eat a slice of pizza in Italy is to fold it over in half like a sandwich. He knows the most organic places for the very sweet, very nutrient-low Italian breakfast (coffee and cake). He has friends who play Brazilian bossa nova at bars, friends who host international dinner parties, and friends who will join you for a beer during the six nations rugby tournament on a Saturday afternoon. He might not know all the ins and outs of Venice (yet…), but he knows the cheap train, and he accompanied me anyways, for a lovely afternoon of wandering around the canals taking in the carnival masks and murano glass. Importantly, he knows where to enjoy the best ice cream in Italy – voted best in the world in 2009. I’m not sure what the best ice cream in the world was last year, but this ice cream (La Sorbetteria Castiglione) was so delectable that I actually felt sad taking my last bite, knowing that it was almost over. Most importantly, Andrea gave me the hugs, the good conversation, the boost I needed to see me through these last weeks in Europe. (Thank you, xxo)

At La Sorbetteria Castiglione.

Pizza!

Venice

Last night.

I’ve spent the last few days in Munich. I’m actually heading to Prague today, though I’m going to try to write a separate blog for Munich because I enjoyed my visit very much. So stay tuned, but for now…

Sending love from Germany.

ps - Happy 25th anniversary to my parents! I love you.

Oh La La

2011-02-20T16:18:00.000-06:00

In a word, Paris was lovely. I arrived early in the morning by train from Ghent and somehow found another perfect blue sky. I have been lucky with weather throughout this trip, but this was a truly outstanding day. The lovely Elena (whom I met in Brussels) had recommended the towers of Notre Dame as a particularly excellent panoramic view. I decided that even the best panoramic view is improved by a blue sky, and off I went.

Elena did not lie to me, and I was quite excited to see such a stunning view of Paris and it’s landmarks I already knew so well. Also, the gargoyles that lurk around the towers of Notre Dame were a great bonus. Around the broad side of the cathedral, I met a Brit named William and shared with him my idea to walk to the Eiffel Tower. We walked together. It was a pleasant walk along the Seine, past Pont des Arts (pedestrian bridge), past the Louvre and those well-known pyramids, through the Jardin des Tuileries, across the hectic Place de la Concorde, over the tunnel known for Princess Diana’s tragic accident, and eventually, finally to the Eiffel Tower. It was a pleasant walk, but the sheer magnitude of that famous radio transmitter certainly disguises just how far it is from Notre Dame. The Eiffel Tower is massive. And for me – much like seeing the Sydney Opera House, or Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in London – it was quite a thrill to see with my own eyes, even if I already knew exactly what it looked like. As it turned out, this was not the end of our walk, and we continued along a ways to see some more interesting bridges – including the Bir-Hakeim Bridge, which was featured in Inception – and a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty. William told me it was the most beautiful day he’d seen in three and a half months of living in Paris. I had no prior days in Paris for comparison, but it was a fine day.

View from the towers of Notre Dame

Le Pont des Arts

My next days were spent visiting the eerie Catacombes, which house the remains of about 6 million people, browsing and reading in the remarkable bookstore Shakespeare & Company, wandering the Latin, Marais, and Montmartre districts with Jessica (a Seattleite whom I met in Bruges and whose company I thoroughly enjoyed), walking through the serene Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, eating crêpes, doing some excellent window shopping along the Champs-Élysées (I think actual shopping would have been nice too, but I can't quite remember what it feels like to make purchases...), and visiting a selection of the many art galleries and museums that Paris has to offer (my favourite of which was le Musée Rodin).

The Catacombs

Shakespeare & Company

the Panthéon with Jessica

Montmartre

"the Thinker" by Auguste Rodin

Then I had the extraordinary small-world experience of coincidentally meeting a Canadian friend of mine from my Explore program. Izzy and I became good friends this past spring while studying French together in Trois-Rivières. However, then I moved home to Winnipeg, and she to Victoria, and we fell somewhat out of touch. So my shock was genuine when she approached my table at my (our) hostel bar. Meeting Izzy again in such strange circumstances (she is planning to spend a year in Paris) was a pretty neat turn of events, and I enjoyed spending a few days with her.

Reunited in Paris

We visited Versailles to wander through the expansive gardens, managed to spray red wine on the ceiling of Izzy’s hostel room, went to Disneyland Paris for Valentine’s Day along with a new Canadian friend, Lindsay, and paid a night-time visit to the Eiffel Tower with a box of red wine in tow.

Still no success (twelve years after my first attempt in Orlando!)

My last night (with Izzy and Lindsay)

Paris is expensive. The metro is dirty and full of people who are not quite “all there”. The men stare brazenly, even when you glare at them in an attempt to shame them into looking away. The parks are greatly made up of gravel, with some grass, rather than mostly grass, as I am used to. The scammers are abundant and relentless. However, there is no denying that Paris is a vibrant, charming, and stylish city with something for everyone. I liked it very much. And after all, those crazy people on the metro just added to my experience.

I’ve already spent a few days in Rome and arrived in Florence. So far so good, and it can only get better when I meet up with my dear friend Andrea in Bologna come Tuesday!... or maybe Wednesday (so is my variable life with a backpack).

Sending love from Italy!

All That Can Happen in a Day

2011-02-07T14:53:00.000-06:00

I thoroughly enjoyed all my time spent in Belgium, for the people I met, the food and beer I enjoyed, and for the somewhat topsy-turvy nature of the country. I had a chance to visit four cities:

1. Brussels: Brussels was great. I arrived Thursday evening to be greeted by Elena from New York, who occupied the bunk below me. We quickly agreed to get up and explore together the next day. Brussels is not a beautiful city. In fact, it’s not even pretty, or stylish. However, what it lacks in looks, it seems to make up for in character. For example, the city has a considerable flea market that runs from 4:30 am every day of the week! Elena and I visited at about 10:00, and after a perusal through the heaps of clothing, accessories, shoes, furnishings, and the rest of anything you can imagine, we stopped for breakfast. Only the server informed us that there was no food available until 11:30, “just coffee or beer.” Sure enough, there was a couple at another table, toddler in tow, drinking either pints of beer or apple juice. All street signs are in Flemish and in French. It was not uncommon to find a modern building in stark contrast to an old, neighbouring building – in one case, office buildings designed with metal steeples meant to imitate the gothic Cathedral next door. The city hall is absolutely stunning, whereas the European Parliament building is an awfully anticlimactic, and one of the best panoramic views is available for free atop a parking garage. Mannekin Pis is a particularly famous statue that has become somewhat of a symbol of Brussels. He is a naked, peeing boy. However, I preferred Mannekin’s lesser known sister Jeanneke Pis – equally naked and yes, squatting down to pee. It was certainly an interesting city to wander about.

Trying a delightful Macaron from Pierre Marcolini

Mannekin Pis

City Hall

Elena and I with our waffles and fresh mint tea.

Jeanneke Pis

Cathedral with imitation office buildings.

2. Antwerp: Antwerp is somewhat prettier than Brussels, and far more stylish due to its school of fashion. I drank coffee and read my book. I drank red wine in a café with free Sunday afternoon jazz. I visited the lovely Fashion Museum, and walked by the less lovely red light district. I paid visits to the Cathedral of Our Lady and the very excellent exhibits at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts. I also enjoyed discovering the Orthodox Jewish population in my hostel’s neighbourhood. It’s tough not to smile at a bearded man riding his bicycle wearing a black trench coat and top hat.

3. Bruges: I’m not sure Colin Farrell knew what he was saying when he suggested hell might be spending the rest of eternity In Bruges. Personally, I thought Bruges was quite wonderful. I stayed at an excellent hostel (Snuffel) and numerous people – Swedes, Kiwis, Germans, Aussies, Canadians and an American – whose company I enjoyed. However, besides the company, Bruges is a really lovely, little place. Cobblestones and canals continue to charm me, and the view from the famous Belfry was certainly worth the climb on the sunny day I had. Equally as charming were the elderly ladies I visited at the Jerusalem Church to see a demonstration of lace making. I had never considered how lace was made, but it is truly an art. I was especially delighted to witness the 80-something year old luminary of the group with fingers so dextrous, I might have thought she was a video in fast forward if I hadn’t been looking on as she worked. Significantly less charming was the volume of smoke that accumulated in the crowded bars. I had thought smoking was banned in Belgium, but apparently the looseness and fine print of the ban goes along with Belgium’s quirks.

The Belfry

View from the Belfry.

4. Ghent: My good friend Dirk and 4 of his buddies made their way to Ghent to spend a night out showing me the town. To be honest, the night is a bit of a blur of Belgian beers, bar-hopping (must have been at least ten), and the odd mojito, but a fun night it was. The birds were singing by the time we rolled back into our bed and breakfast. My only regret is that there was not time enough to thoroughly enjoy both the night out and the appealing comforts of the bed portion of bed & breakfast. However, I can’t do it all. At least the breakfast was delicious – as were the private bathrooms. I wish I could say I was lively enough to explore the next day, but past seeing a very interesting art exhibit on Body Image at the Guislain Museum, I mostly enjoyed the fact that my hostel was in fact, a houseboat run by eco-friendly hippies.

Ghent

If you’ve noticed that I’ve left out the culinary delights of Belgium, it was only due to the fact that I enjoyed the chocolates, waffles, French fries and beers throughout Belgium rather than in one specific place. The chocolate actually made me feel somewhat delirious in my pleasure. The waffles were just as exciting (yes, exciting). The French fries were made special mostly by the Belgian special sauce, which is a sort of beer and meat sauce not unlike gravy. The good variety of beers I tried were all very pleasing, though as my Grampa pointed out, not alongside the chocolates or the waffles.

I hadn’t had any special expectations for Belgium, but whatever they might have been, I feel the country far exceeded them. I had a grand time in Belgium, and would highly recommend visiting.

I’m now in Paris! I arrived early this morning by train from Ghent to a day I am told was “the most beautiful day in three months”. And while I can’t say for the last three months, it certainly was a beautiful day.

Sending love from France!

Gaelic Adventures

2011-01-30T04:57:00.000-06:00

Since my last post, I spent eleven nights in Ireland (Northern Ireland included), and eight in Scotland. I was completely charmed by Ireland, and just as pleased with my visit to Scotland.

I started out in Dublin with my lovely friend Bernadette and Scottish friend Maddy, who had made the trip to join us. Our first adventure was to head to the prehistoric monument of the Newgrange passage tomb. It was built in 3000 B.C. I found it astounding. Afterall, it’s a giant, watertight tomb set on a hill, constructed out of slabs of slate, with a passageway to the centre that is lit up only during the winter solstice sunrise – and it’s 5000 years old. Perhaps this is especially astounding to someone whose country is a mere 143 years old, but there was something pretty special about standing in a structure that old. I also experienced a “typical Irish picnic” sitting in the car eating homemade sandwiches and hiding from the rain. We also visited the dank and depressing old Kilmainham Gaol (which is apparently pronounced “jail” – silly Irish), visited Dun Lauoghaire, walked along the River Liffey, and enjoyed lazy mornings the likes of our lazy mornings in New Zealand.

Mads and I at Newgrange.

The River Liffey in Dulin

Kilmainham Gaol

Then the day after Maddy left, Ber and I took off to Northern Ireland. Our first stop was Belfast, where we stayed in a great hostel run by a nutty South African man. Our first day, we visited the Peace Line. The Peace Lines are actually walls that run in sections between various Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods in order to minimize violence. The section that we visited separates the Catholic neighbourhood of Falls and the Protestant neighbourhood of Shankill. It was made of concrete, then corrugated iron, and then chainlink. And it probably stood about 6 metres tall. However, the entire length we walked was covered in graffiti, and upon closer inspection, personal tags from around the world. It was a very moving experience to see the vast number handwritten wishes for hope, love and peace. We spent a long time at that wall and could not find one negative message. Though interestingly, there was no message that dated earlier than May 2010. Apparently the tagging is routinely painted over. Then to end the day on a lighter note (though only metaphorically), we ate beef and Guinness pie for dinner.

The Peace Line

Massive meat pie.

The next days were spent:

a) Visiting the amazing Giants’s Causeway: massive interlocking basalt columns on the Northeast coast.

"The Organ"

b) Dancing to traditional Irish music in the lively pub Fibber Maggees.

c) Driving through County Fermanagh so that I could check out where my Grandmother’s (Dad’s side) family came from. The large Lake Erne lies in County Fermanagh. In fact, Fermanagh is referred to as Ireland’s lake district. Perhaps that’s how my ancestors ended up in Manitoba.

d) Staying in Donegal Town in another sweet hostel with another nutty hostel owner.

e) Visiting the truly awesome Slieve League Cliffs on the West Coast. We visited on a beautiful, sunny day, and the cliffs were a thrilling sight. We were careful to avoid the edges so as not to be blown off by the extreme winds. And as a special treat, after a brief rain shower passed over us, we were treated to a rainbow in the cove. It wasn’t the brightest rainbow I’ve ever seen, but I could very nearly see a full circle, and the backdrop was unbeatable. It was certainly a site I will never forget. (Unfortunately, since the rainbow dipped into the Atlantic, the pot of gold was unattainable)

Crouching at the edge.

Ber had some work to do when we arrived back in Dublin, so if anyone was worried that I left Dublin without partying, fear not! I spent a night in a hostel in the city and enjoyed a proper night out. I even drank a Guinness.

Next I was off to Edinburgh to stay with Maddy. I thoroughly enjoyed Edinburgh. The population is half a million, so in relation to many other European cities, I felt much more at home. And also, it’s an extremely pretty city. The volcanic remains of Arthur’s Seat sit at the Southern edge of the city, the estuary from the North Sea is to the North, and Edinburgh Castle is visible from almost anywhere. Of course, I couldn’t help but be charmed by the buskers playing the bagpipes, the patrons in the pubs wearing kilts, the writing on the road that cleverly advised “Look Both Ways”, or the odd “aye” I received as an affirmative response. A great city, in my opinion. One in which I only wish I’d had more time to spend.

Edinburgh Castle

Arthur's Seat

View atop Arthur's Seat

After a few days in Edinburgh, I caught the bus north to Aviemore in the highlands to visit Rachael – the third of my close girlfriends from my New Zealand adventures. Aviemore was a good-looking and peaceful town, and it was grand to finally meet Rachael’s beau Phil. As an added bonus, I got to spend plenty of time with their 4-month old Border Terrier pup Spud. We visited Loch Ness and Castle Urquhart, we drank too much, we visited the Wildlife Park to see the “fierce and elusive” Scottish Wildcat (which looks strikingly like a large housecat), we caught up, we walked Spud, and we partook in the local trivia night. It was another fantastic visit.

Loch Ness

Spud!

I have loved and still love my travels in Europe, but it was lovely to spend some more time (in addition to the beach house and Grimstad over the holidays) away from big cities and enjoying the natural beauty in Ireland and Scotland. And now I am in Belgium, already loving it. But of course, that is an entry for another day – this one is already plenty long!

Sending love from Belgium.

Oh, and for anyone who may be looking forward to my return to Winnipeg – less than two months to go now (I'll be home on March 24th)!

And the World Spins Madly On

2011-01-11T18:48:00.000-06:00

When I decided to travel Europe through the autumn and winter, some people asked why. Aside from the cheaper flights, the milder-than-Winnipeg temperatures, and the lesser volume of tourists, all those who wondered should visit Norway under snow. I am certain that Norway is beautiful in the summer as well, but I loved visiting in the winter. However, I must admit that I have possibly never been more cold than I was in Grimstad at -8 degrees. The humid cold next to the Ocean was different than the dry Winnipeg cold I’m used to, but nothing a borrowed set of wool thermals couldn’t fix.

“Ida from Norway” was one of the first friends I made when I moved to Melbourne last year, and it was truly a pleasure visiting her at home. I spent eight days in Grimstad and five days in Oslo – ten catching up and playing with Ida. We spent a lot of time talking, playing with Tinka, eating chocolates, visiting nearby cities Arendal and Kristiansand, and enjoying traditional Norwegian meals (salted lamb, boiled potatoes, turnip), courtesy of her parents.

Going for a walk with Tinka!

Arendal

Another walk with Tinka in Grimstad

A few special activities are worth a more elaborate mention:

1. We went cross-country skiing! Now, I’ve been cross-country skiing in Manitoba – we used to ski during winter vacation fairly often. However, I quickly learned that cross-country skiing in Manitoba and cross-country skiing in Norway are very different activities. The Manitoban version makes the Norwegian version look like downhill skiing, which made this quite an ‘exciting’ activity for me, and quite an amusing one for Ida. As it turned out, I did quite well on the downhills, even if I screamed out from time to time. The unfortunate part was having to climb the steep side of those hills, but at least we burned off a few of those holiday food calories. (Unfortunately for you, no photos were taken)

2. We went skating! I was thrilled to see the expansive outdoor ice-surface in Arendal, though the thrill was somewhat short lived when my skates turned out to be slightly more temperamental than I’m used to. We still had a great time, and the setting was beautiful, but it was more of a “here for a good time, not a long time” situation.

3. We partied on New Year’s Eve! We cooked and ate at home along with Ida’s friend Christine. Several “adult beverages” (as my cousin Aynsley calls them) were also enjoyed. Then shortly after 11:30, we donned our “National Suits of Froland” and headed for the party. We didn’t make it to the party on time, but we had a great view of all the fireworks, which are set off independently. As we stood in the street, fireworks exploded from about six different directions. It was very loud, very colourful, and most enjoyable. Shortly thereafter, we headed to the party and danced the night away with a few more adult beverages in hand. It was a great night.

On our way to the party.

4. We headed to Oslo together for a couple of days, checking out Holmenkollen ski jump, the Edvard Munch museum, Vigeland Park with all Vigeland’s statues of naked people of all ages, Akershuus Fortress, and enjoying coffee and cakes in the city.

Vigeland Park

Vigeland's famously angry baby, and Laurie and David's somewhat-less-famous, previously angry baby.

After Ida went home, I was left with some very strange hostel mates, so I did my best to keep myself properly occupied over my last few days in Norway. I visited the striking Opera House, where you can climb up to the roof and enjoy the view of Oslofjord. I enjoyed the National Gallery and all Norway’s artists had to offer. I drank coffee, read my book, and people-watched at cafes. I wandered Oslo’s main street Karl Johans Gate, exercising my self-restraint trying not to shop. I visited the brilliant Nobel Peace Centre to learn more about 2010 laureate Liu Xiaobo as well all the other laureates. And I ensured myself plenty of time to catch my flight to Dublin.

Den Norske Opera

Oslofjord

(S)LAUGHTER - The Nobel Peace Centre

Which leaves me in Dublin currently. I’m staying with my friend Bernadette, whom I met in New Zealand. Our Scottish friend Maddy has come over for a visit as well (though I’ll be visiting Scotland next, she’s on holidays now!), and we’ve been having a great time. But once again, that is another blog. So cheers for now!

Sending love from Ireland!

ps - For you, Ida: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKSxlJPmz40

'Twas the night BEFORE Christmas

2010-12-29T08:55:00.000-06:00

My second visit to Copenhagen was much more relaxed than the first, which was just as I intended. It was Christmas, afterall. A lot more time was spent indoors, catching up, drinking coffee and/or tea, and watching movies. There was actually a leaky kitchen sink issue my first evening back, which resulted in the water to the kitchen being cut off for the duration of my visit (doing a week’s worth of dishes in a small bathroom with one washing, two drying and one “running” was definitely a unique experience). So we ate more take-out (pizza!), but still plenty of spinach salad. We did manage to make Danish candy, which is quite an art. A very delicious, and rewarding art, though one that will make you feel a bit ill when you eat too much marzipan and nougat.

The finished Danish candy.

The bathroom dishwash.

I had the chance to meet up with the three musketeers – two Icelandic girls and one Finnish – to see the screening of their interactive film and catch up afterwards with a few beers and some strong mojitos. I also had the chance to meet Cecilie – a very sweet Dane who studied at Deakin during the term after I left, and who therefore, has several of the same friends as I had during my Aussie studies. It was great to meet her, and we spent a really great afternoon at the Christiania Christmas market eating Mexican crepes, drinking Gløgg, and getting to know each other a little bit.

On the 21^st, Lasse and I caught a very early flight (in a propeller plane!) to Aalborg, where we hopped in his uncle’s car and headed to Tranum and the Bak family beach house. The drive there was snowy and flat, and made me feel very at home.

It was a proper winter paradise – peaceful, relaxing and beautiful. Just over the snow-covered sand dunes was the North Sea, where the beach afforded a beautiful vantage point for watching the sunset. We lazed through breakfasts and bundled up for walks in the snow. Lasse taught me to play rummy, and though he won most of the time, my wins were more spectacular. We watched movies, warmed up by the fire, wrapped Christmas presents, listened to North Pole radio, drank some bad red wine, and some really good.

Tranum

The beach along the North Sea.

The beach house.

Then on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, we headed to Aalborg to celebrate at his Aunt and Uncle’s house. After a flurry of introductions (where I was pleased to find everyone hugged hello, making me feel at ease due to my affection upbringing), we sat down for coffee, tea and cakes. The party consisted of Lasse’s parents, Margrete and Finn, brothers, Laurits and Anders, Uncle Uffe, Aunt Pia and Uncle Kristian, cousins Jakob and Morten, and Jakob’s Australian girlfriend, Stephanie. They were a wonderful and welcoming group and they certainly deserve a lot of credit in making me feel completely at home during my first Christmas away from Winnipeg.

Kristian is a doctor, and it had been arranged that all the “kids” (I use the term loosely, as I was the second youngest) would sleep on spare mattresses in the various clinic offices. Following tea, we all headed to the clinic to set up camp – A Christmas sleepover of sorts.

The big feast was on Christmas Eve. The big Danish feast. The beginning of the big Danish feast. We ate roast duck, caramelised boiled potatoes, plain boiled potatoes, gravy, red cabbage, and apple jelly. We drank Christmas beer, red wine, white wine, and a variety of liquors. Dessert was rice pudding with slivered almonds and blackberry sauce. As per Danish tradition, whosoever finds the whole almond in the pudding gets a present! Unfortunately, despite there being two almonds this year, I was unsuccessful. Lasse found one, and Finn found the other.

Next, the candles (yes, candles) on the tree were lit, a circle was formed around the tree, song books were distributed, hands were held, and everyone broke into song while circling the tree. Given my extreme beginner Danish language skills, I only managed to hum. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this tradition. Especially when Kristian broke the circle and led the whole parade throughout the house, singing all the way. A typically chaotic gift exchange followed the singing and dancing, and then tea, desserts and a word game followed the gifts. We made it back to the clinic around 3am – the latest I have ever stayed up on Christmas Eve.

We woke around 10:00 on Christmas Day – the latest I have ever woken on the 25^th – and made it back to Kristian and Pia’s around 11:00. Christmas lunch consisted of Danish rye bread, hard-boiled eggs, egg salad, homemade curry, pickled herring and warm beer. Yes – warm, very sweet, Christmas beer. Turns out I fit in quite well with the Danes and loved the herring. I even managed a glass of the beer. However, I missed the part where this was only the first round of Christmas lunch. So when I helped Pia carry out the lamb meatballs, spiced lamb, caramelized potatoes, creamed kale, red cabbage, hummus, tzatziki and salad, I was a little bit alarmed. It was all very delicious, but it was a bit of a stretch on the belly.

A break was taken to enjoy the lovely Christmas day weather with a walk – I was especially pleased that my white Christmas wish had come true – and then we all returned to cheeses, marmalades and more bread with tea and coffee (I thought my family ate a lot during the holidays, but this was a whole new level). The rest of the day was quite lazy, spent mostly on the couch, and then skyping with my family before joining in for one last meal of goulash, potatoes, and … more bread!

It was certainly a very special Christmas; one I will always remember with a smile.

The next morning, I hopped a train, then a ferry to Kristiansand, Norway, where my darling friend Ida and her darling dog Tinka picked me up to take me home to Grimstad. No offense to my favourite Euro boys, but it is certainly a treat to be staying in a girl’s apartment. I’ll be in Norway until January 8^th, so Happy New Year to everyone!

Sending love from Norway!

So Runs the World Away...

2010-12-16T03:50:00.000-06:00

On his bedroom wall, Stefan has a collection of photos from his time in Australia. When I visited last week, he pointed to one and asked if I remembered the evening he took it: Last year, towards the end of our term in Melbourne, the two of us spent an evening wandering around Southbank and sitting alongside the Yarra River. We talked about our amazing group of friends, reflected on how our lives had been changed, and wondered what we’d all be doing in 3 months, 6 months, a year’s time and more. Of course, by now, that photo was taken over a year ago. On top of everything I’ve had the opportunity to see and experience in Europe so far, one of the neatest things has been having the chance to see my friends again and visit them in their homes. I feel very fortunate to have been made to feel at home so often throughout my travels.

The photo that spurred this reflection.

But enough sentimentality for now.

Stefan hosted me in Marburg for 5 days and nights, and I had a most excellent time. It was snowing when we arrived (he picked me up from Frankfurt train station), and it snowed for about the next 48 hours straight. I know this sounds like a lot of snow, but given that the temperature hovered around freezing, it didn’t pile up the way it tends to in good ol' Winnipeg. However, there was still a fairly consistent blanket of snow most of the time I was there. I was especially excited the first morning I woke up to see everything had turned white – it just never gets old. Marburg looks like a fairytale town with its old German buildings, cobblestone roads, and a castle crowning the highest point. Of course, I enjoyed it all the more given the snow, the lights, and the Christmas markets serving Gluhwein (warm red wine and rum), crepes, and German sausages.

The view first thing in the morning!

Making our way up to the castle.

Looking down towards the city.

We drank gluhwein, we had snowball fights, we ate German food (best when prepared by Stefan himself), we hiked up to the castle twice, we went skating (where I met another Canadian with her red mittens - likely the only other Canadian in Marburg), we fed ducks, we played King’s Cup with Stef’s flatmates, we slept in and we ate the breakfast that I’d been so craving while in Spain and Portugal – where breakfast doesn’t play a very important role.

One of the Christmas markets

Ducks!

It was over all too soon, but Berlin was a must on my agenda. So Stefan helped me arrange a ride from Marburg to Berlin (road trip with a complete stranger: check). In Germany there’s an awesome carpool organization where you can book rides with people already making the trip and pay them some gas money. I would say it worked out quite nicely for me.

Berlin is a cool city; certainly packed with history, interesting architecture, and, well, graffiti all over the place. Two days was not really enough time there, but I did my best. I walked along the East Side Gallery – a memorial section of the Berlin Wall that was painted by artists from all over the world, and visited the Jewish Museum. I wandered through even More Christmas markets, taking in the delicious smells of roasted nuts and German sausage, and realizing I’ve developed a nose for the smell of gluhwein. I visited the Reichstag building (parliament) and the Holocaust Memorial, and went for a long walk through Tiergarten park enjoying the fresh snow and getting out of the wind. And to cap it all off, I visited the 1936 Olympic Stadium. Unfortunately, it was not as accessible as the Barcelona Stadium, but it was still really cool to see.

The Berlin Wall

The Holocaust Memorial

The Olympic Stadium

Now I’m back “home” in Copenhagen. I came “this close” to missing my flight after a delayed train debacle, and it was not a particularly nice experience. However, by some Christmas miracle, I made it. So I was even more excited to spend the day relaxing in a familiar place, and the evening listening to the Rolling Stones and Van Morrison, and eating vegetables as a part of dinner with homemade ice cream for dessert. It’s even snowing this morning, despite the forecast having been for rain. Happy holidays, indeed!

Sending love from Denmark!

There’s no way I’m forgetting this.

2010-12-09T13:59:00.000-06:00

What I did not like about Portugal:

We ate out more often than I have throughout my travels so far. This was not a problem, since it was really quite cheap. The problem was that it is apparently very rare to have vegetables accompany your dinner in Portugal. They love fish, they love meat, and they love potatoes. But when it comes to salad – if you get a salad – they literally mean lettuce, and maybe a tomato. When I inquired about wanting to add some sort of vegetables – Broccoli? Peppers? Green beans? – The general reaction was puzzled: Why would you want vegetables? (kudos to Andrea, who lived there for an entire year as a vegetarian!)

The sidewalks in Lisbon are made of some sort of white, mosaic tile cobblestone. It’s beautiful, keeping the city very bright on sunny days, and light even on cloudy days – much like snow will brighten a city during winter. However, any rain makes for a very treacherous walk. Particularly the downhill walks home at the end of the night when you’d rather be warm in bed, than getting wet as you try to grip the sidewalk through your boots. On the bright side, the tile does look nice, and it is mild enough that you’re not too cold.

What I did like about Portugal:

Pretty much everything else.

The city of Lisbon is beautiful. It is vibrant with buildings painted every colour, or covered in multihued ceramic tiles. It is full of character with wall paintings, projects to renew older neighbourhoods, mournful sounding Fado music drifting from restaurants, bars and street vendors, and narrow, tangled streets.

Belem district

The Discovery Monument and the 25th of April Bridge.

Alfama district

The Bairro Alto district is full of bars of all sorts, but the part of the atmosphere I loved the most was the way people spilled onto the streets drifting from place to place. Of course, it rained both days we went out. So I imagine it is even more amazing on a dry/summer day, but it was really cool to see the mix of people. One night we bought half litre mojitos and enjoyed them from a lookout point over the city. The mojitos were delicious, the view was good, the rain stopped, the company was excellent, and there was absolutely no risk of a fine for public drinking.

Andrea and I with our new friend Eugene - who happens to hail from Melbourne.

We stayed with friends of Andrea’s throughout our visit, and all our hosts were so wonderful – welcoming in every sense of the word. We were joined by a group of friends – some of Andrea’s old friends, and some new friends – almost every evening for dinner, drinks, or partying. I was amazed and pleased to attend a party in a ground floor flat that was allowed to carry on with loud music, and people in the streets or playing the guitar and drums until all hours of the night. And amongst all the Portuguese and Italian guests, there were plenty of (friendly) queries as to how a solitary Canadian ended up in the mix.

The food (aside from the lack of veggies) was delish. There was, of course, an abundance of fresh fish to eat. Though my first time eating a whole fish from the bone was not exactly something I was excited about, I took it as part of the experience. And luckily, there were plenty of practiced Portuguese around to help me out. There were also plenty of delicious pastries to satisfy my ever-sweet tooth.

Delicious pasteis de nata.

Andrea and I day-tripped to Sintra where we walked around the beautiful, green Quinta de Regaleira estate, exploring steep paths, caves, towers and a couple of wells. It rained steadily the entire time we were there, and yet it was the kind of place that took my breath away all the same.

Sintra

The Well of Initiation

Exploring the Quinta de Regaleira Estate

All in all, I had an amazing time in Portugal. It was not originally a country I had on my “must-see” list, but I would definitely visit again. And now I’ve switched locales to snowy Germany where I’m visiting Stefan - so far having a fantastic time.

Sending love from Germany!

Gracias

2010-12-04T14:59:00.000-06:00

Where in Barcelona I fell in love at first site, Madrid grew on me the more time I spent there. Sometimes it’s harder to enjoy a new city after leaving a place that I really liked, so I had to remind myself to keep an open mind. Madrid was colder (still speaking in relative terms, of course), rainier, and less obviously stunning. It was more of a city. However, though I never grew to love it, I really did like it a bit more each day.

I visited the squares Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol. They were filled with tons of people shopping, eating, taking photos, or simply hurrying from point A to point B. They were also home to many knock-off Disney mascots sculpting balloon animals (personally, I found the characters pretty creepy, as they were smaller and less chubby than normal, and the women inside kept lifting off their heads to make their balloon animals). I visited Almudena Cathedral and Palacio Real. I also learned that Palacio Real is the largest palace in Western Europe. So, though up until now each palace seems to have been more and more massive, apparently from here on they’ll only get “smaller”. I visited the sprawling and crowded el Rastro flea market while keeping my hands firmly planted in my front pockets to guard my money. I watched the sun set at the Gardens of the Egyptian Templo de Debod. I went out and drank my share of sangria, and danced my share of salsa. I tried churros and was disappointed to find that I found the look of them far more appealing than the taste (much too greasy). I watched a few good movies and a few bad movies with my hostel friends. And I saw my first snow of the year. In Madrid. In Spain! Or at least, it was snow from my second floor window. By the time it reached the ground, I’m fairly certain it was just rain. However, I never expected to see snow in Spain at all.

Palacio Real

Churros looking good.

Plaza Mayor at night.

New Canadian friends.

El Rastro flea market

Almudena Cathedral

Sunset from Templo del Debod

And then Andrea arrived from Bologna. We stayed with his friend Juanjo for three more nights while we continued to explore the city together. We slept in and had Spanish lunch as late as 4:30. We drank cups of Spanish hot chocolate, which are truly just cups of melted chocolate. We visited the Reina Sofia Museum of Contemporary Art and saw Picasso’s Guernica. We drank beer and sagria and ate tapas while sitting on stage at a great hole-in-the-wall bar. And I attempted to eat the most massive half a ham and cheese sandwich I’ve ever seen. It was as big as my face and gave me very strange dreams even though I could not finish it. Andrea stuck with the vegetarian friendly plate of delicious cheese and bread.

Picasso's Guernica

Happy with a glass of Sangria.

The terrifying ham sandwich.

Then on Thursday, we flew to Lisbon: another city that I have quickly fallen for. But that is a blog post for another day.

Sending love from Portugal!

I'm Walking on Sunshine

2010-11-23T15:39:00.000-06:00

Last Wednesday, I parted ways with Dirk and Rotterdam and hopped on a train to Amsterdam. I made it to my hostel with no trouble and then went out for a walk to get my bearings. The city centre is over the top – what a sensory overload. Every window has sex, drugs or food. There is so much to look at that I felt I had to slow my pace to take it all in. However, it was very interesting, and it certainly did not fall short of what I had imagined. I made my way to the Jordaan district for an excellent vegan meal. The Jordaan district is much calmer, and more scenic with canals and crooked old houses.

The majority of my time in Amsterdam was spent walking around with Benji – a guy from Switzerland I met in the hostel – and later, his 5 friends who all arrived later on Thursday for the weekend. The day before I left for Spain, we all went on a walking tour with an elderly Dutch man named Jan. His stories were usually long and anticlimactic, and his walking pace matched. However, he was very sweet and the weather was beautiful.

On Thursday, I hopped a plane to Barcelona, where I am currently. And I am completely enamoured by the city. It’s colourful, and beautiful, and lively. It is busy, but not in the same hectic way as cities like London or Sydney. As a bonus, the weather has been absolutely perfect – clear and 16 degree highs. The hostel where I’m staying (Central Garden Hostel One) is the best one I’ve ever stayed at. The staff is amazing, and the hostel itself feels more like being in someone’s apartment, so it’s been a great place to meet people.

I spent Sunday and Monday sightseeing with a couple of girls – Melissa and Venus – from New York. We visited La Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell, Montjuic Castle and the Olympic Stadium, as well as a couple more of the Gaudi houses. Gaudi’s architecture is all over Barcelona, and I’m loving it. His designs are so functional, but very unusual and informal looking – like Dr. Suess buildings. On Sunday evening, the hostel hosted a pizza and sangria night, where I met a couple of guys who studied in Barcelona. Their grad was this past weekend, and they invited me out to “Nasty Mondays” at their favourite club. So after climbing into my bunk some time after the sun came up this morning, I had a lazier day today. I rounded out my sightseeing by visiting the Gothic Quarter, the Ports and La Rambla – where there are dozens of street performers of every shape, colour, and style.

Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia

Parc Guell

Barcelona Olympic Stadium

More Olympic Park

My personal favourite street performer on La Rambla

The rooftop terrace of Gaudi's Casa Batllo

Tomorrow is my last day in Barcelona. I plan to revisit La Sagrada Familia to look inside and hopefully go up Mount Tibidabo to see what I’ve been told is another excellent view. Then Thursday I move on to Madrid, where I will meet Andrea after the weekend.

Sending love from Spain!

Life with the Dutch

2010-11-14T07:55:00.000-06:00

I’ve now been in Holland for over a week, and I’ve been enjoying my stay thoroughly. It was great to meet Dirk’s family last weekend, and check out where he is from. Not surprisingly, his family is wonderful. They were so warm and welcoming to me that rather than make me miss my own family more, I just felt at home. PLUS, there is an old windmill practically in their front yard. I know Holland and windmills go together like Canada and maple syrup, but I really enjoyed all the colourful, old windmills spread out around the towns. The weather was beautiful on Saturday so Dirk gave me a tour of Zeeland. It was a nice change of pace to be out in the country after spending a week in London. Sunday was not such beautiful weather, so we spent the day lounging and eating, apart from taking the dogs on a walk.

Modern windmills

The windmill near the Hundersmarck home.

The week has been great as well. The weather has, admittedly, been miserable. Every morning I peak out my curtains and hope for sun, and almost every morning, it is gray. There are intermittent patches of blue sky, and even some sunshine from time to time, but it has been mostly gray and often rainy. However, the company makes up for the weather (Dirk’s housemates are great too, which has made my stay that much better). We’ve gone on a couple long bike rides, we’ve eaten Oliebollen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliebol) and Dutch pancakes (much like crepes) and bread with chocolate sprinkles, we’ve cooked dinners and drank wine, we’ve gone out for pizza and sushi and Belgian beer, and listened to live jazz. We’ve checked out the market and biked home with the goods, and we’ve sat on the (amazing) couch watching Dutch reality TV or Toy Story 3 or Two and a Half Men while catching up and cursing the rain. And we hunted the mouse that had been living in the apartment for the last few weeks. It was a long battle, but we recently came out victorious.

To top that all off, yesterday we went to see Sinterklaas on his way through Rotterdam. Sinterklaas is, of course, the Dutch version of Santa Claus. However, he visits on December 5, leaving candy and small gifts in the children’s shoes, and he rides a white horse and has a sidekick called Black Pete (who is black from chimney soot). Also, Sinterklaas looks a lot like the Pope to me – the Pope with a very long white beard. It was fun to see him in all his regal glory, surrounded by his sooty sidekicks.

Sinterklaas!

This week I’ll go to Amsterdam for a few days, and then on to Spain. I’ve yet to sort of all the details in the middle, but I’ll be meeting up with Andrea and Danielle in Madrid on the 29^th. Hopefully there will be a little bit more sunshine there. However, I still have several days left in Holland. Maybe tomorrow when I peak outside, I’ll see some sun.

Sending more love from Rotterdam!

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

2010-11-05T06:12:00.000-05:00

My good friend Andrea was set to arrive in London from Bologna on Tuesday afternoon. He and I were going to stay at his friend Marco’s house for the night. I had planned to meet Andrea and Marco at a specific station, but hadn’t realized how much longer it takes to get to some of the districts. So when I missed them at the station, I asked around for directions and was aided by another hand of wonderful locals. Marco was quite surprised I was able to find his place on my own, but Andrea said he expected it from me. At any rate, I was very excited to find the house and collect an Italian hug, or three.

After some tea and dessert, the three of us made use of all available public transport – bus, tube and boat – to make our way to the Indigo Arena. There we met Daniel (“London”), Amy, and her friend Jo in time for a glass of wine before the Temper Trap show!

The concert was excellent – certainly even more so due to the company and the location. It was such a neat experience; seeing this band that I’d first loved in Melbourne, along with friends from Melbourne, but while in London. The Underground went on strike that night, so it was a bit of a hassle to get home, but we made it eventually. I detoured to London earlier than I’d expected specifically for that concert. Though I greatly enjoyed my whole week, the concert and company alone were worth the trip.

The Temper Trap!

Our little Deakin reunion.

The next day, Andrea, Marco and I ventured out to Camden Town to shop around at the markets. Later in the afternoon, Marco headed to class, and Andrea and I found a pub and enjoyed a London Pride beer with some standard, but tasty British pub grub.

I saw Andrea off on his way to the airport, headed back to Marco’s to collect my own bags, and then made my way out as well. Given the strike, it was not all that easy. However, yet another handful of lovely locals helped me navigate the bus system across the city where I could connect to Stansted Airport for the night. Yes. For the night. There’s a first for everything, and Wednesday night, I spent my first night ‘sleeping’ in an airport. And though I use the term ‘sleeping’ loosely, I did probably manage about 3 or 4 hours dozing off and on.

Now I am in Rotterdam, Holland with Dirk! We spent yesterday catching up on the couch with tea and wine and little Christmas biscuits (that makes the Danes, and apparently the Dutch very excited). Oh, and liver pâté, which seems to be following me around Europe, and slowly growing on me. Today we are going out to Dirk’s parents’ place in Dreischor and then to a nearby birthday party. The weather is fairly miserable right now, but we’re also hoping to go for a bit of a bike ride around the city (I missed biking in London!).

And if anyone is wondering, I made it into the Netherlands without a hitch. In fact, there were literally no questions asked. I got my passport stamped and walked straight in. A much better start.

Sending love from Rotterdam!

London Calling

2010-10-31T11:36:00.000-05:00

Wednesday was not a good day. Saying goodbye in Denmark wasn’t bad, because I know I’ll be back again sooner than later. However, though I was excited to see London, the transition from being with friends to being alone is a bit tricky sometimes. Oh, and I got lost in London.

After landing in London around 12:30, I headed for customs, where it seemed there was a possibility I might not be let into the country. The officer did not like my lack of plane ticket back out of Britain, or the fact that I had no permanent address, or the fact that I quit my job to travel when I left Canada. At any rate, after providing him with all the information I did have, I finally made it through. I bought a train ticket towards the city, and headed to platform 4 as I had been instructed. About half an hour later, I asked a local about the direction of the train and learned I was on the wrong one. The backtracking took a long time… so two trains, two underground transfers, and a 15-minute walk later, I finally made it to my hostel about 5:30. (On a side note: I mentioned that I thought living in a palace would be an effective way to fight physical inactivity. On Wednesday, I decided that if everyone backpacked at some point during his or her younger years, it might be good motivation to stay fit. Even the next day, I marveled at how easy walking was without an extra 20 kg on my back and front.)

Thursday was a new day, and I thoroughly enjoyed checking out the sights that London had to offer. I saw Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Big Ben, the Buildings of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square… Seeing Big Ben and the Buildings of Parliament was surreal. I actually had to close my mouth at the sight of them. It was fairly humbling standing in front of something so, so enormous. Oh, and I conquered the underground tube system.

Checking out the Queen's house.

The Buildings of Parliament

Friday was another good day. I visited the National Gallery, the Tower of London, walked up all 311 tightly wound stairs to the top of the Monument, and then I visited Abbey Road, which was another really cool experience for me.

Beatles tribute graffiti

Unfortunately, disaster struck that night. I’d been moved into a very small 4-share bedroom for Friday night, and when I arrived back, I had the chance to meet my new roommates: three middle-aged British men on a group cycling tour. They were very friendly, but one was in his briefs, and another said, “I’d might as well warn you now. I snore.” He was not the only one. The noise that those three men were capable of making was terrifying. At any given time, two of three were snoring. I’m pretty sure my bunk was shaking. Around 12:30, I decided my only hope was to find earplugs. So as I climbed down and headed for reception, I prayed that they would have some for sale.

They didn’t.

Instead, they miraculously had an empty three-share bedroom that they suggested I move to. I went back to my first room, stripped my sheets in the dark, and escaped to my new room. And the new room had a double bed with a down comforter. It was heaven. So if you ever get to London, check out Equity Point hostel – the hostel itself is nothing special, but the people working there are great.

Saturday morning, I packed up and caught the train to Birmingham to visit Freddie – another friend who I met while studying in Melbourne. Birmingham is suspiciously absent from the Europe Lonely Planet, and according to a book of Frederic’s, “the city lacks obvious charm.” However, apparently it is known for its nightlife. So we went out. Freddie’s group of friends was wonderful – a very eclectic group of international students who were all very welcoming. We went out to a couple of places and had a good time. The Halloween costumes I saw were all fairly repetitive, and unoriginal (zombies, men wearing pink, witches, unknown female characters in short skirts). However, all I had to offer was the pair of bee wings that someone generously offered me, so I couldn’t talk.

Today, we’ve been extremely lazy. Tomorrow I’m taking the train back to London, and then possibly to Oxford to visit Amy. Tuesday, I’ll meet up with Andrea when he arrives from Italy! That night, he, Amy, Daniel and I will see Temper Trap. And then early Thursday morning, I fly off to the Netherlands to visit Dirk (after all, I promised the customs officer that I would leave Britain)!

Sending love!

Danes

2010-10-26T11:51:00.000-05:00

So it's been a week since I arrived. And a great week, at that.

On Wednesday, Kasper's Mom delivered her bike so that I could use it while I was here. At the time, I didn't fully realize what a blessing this would be, but oh my gosh, I love biking around this city. It's such a fast way to get around; and with the city laced with bike paths as it is, there is a much, much smaller chance of being run over by a bus in Copenhagen than in Winnipeg. It's just the neatest feeling being surrounded by bikes all the time. Though they signal with both hands here, which felt a little bizarre initially. Good thing I'm such a quick learner ("clever like the Danes").

So we biked to check out the parliament building, and more of the city centre, we biked to Christiania, we biked to the Royal Library, we biked to Tivoli, we biked to pick up wine and groceries, we biked to the main train station, we biked to the Glyptoteket... But I'll elaborate a little bit:

Christiania is this eclectic little community in Copenhagen that apparently is partly run by it's own government. It's a pretty cool little place that sort of reminds me of being at the lake. The houses have a sort of cabin feel, the children's area is brightly painted, there are street vendors, and cafes to get a hot drink, and there is weed everywhere. The police just sort of leave it alone. I think there's been some major controversy surrounding Christiania over the years, and now the police have just decided to leave the community to it's own devices - though I am not the best one to describe it. It's neat, at any rate.

The sign as you leave Christiania (photos weren't allowed in there - to keep the pot smoking a secret..?)

When I was in New Zealand, I travelled part of the time with Lasse and his youngest brother Laurits. On Friday, Laurits arrived in Copenhagen to visit yours truly (and maybe his brother as well). So it's been great to have the chance to catch up with him as well. The three of us, along with Kasper, checked out Copenhagen's amusement park Tivoli on Friday afternoon. Funny, they don't celebrate Halloween here, but the park was bursting with Halloween decorations! We rode the big rollercoaster, the Golden Tower, and played in some weird illusions-type room. I tried a glass of Gluhwein - warmed red wine and (I think) whisky. Not a drink to be messed with. Then we headed back to the apartment and stayed in for pizza night (and more home-made ice cream).

As usual, the weekend passed pretty quickly. We went out for drinks Saturday night. Much to my dismay, smoking is still allowed in some small bars, but we found a spot that wasn't too smoky. Sunday, we checked out Denmark's massive collection of ancient art at the Glyptoteket.

Then yesterday Laurits and I spent the day roaming Copenhagen checking out some of the things I'd missed. We climbed up Rundetårn - or Round Tower in English - to get a view of the city. We walked by the Queen's Palace, which is gigantic. I don't even understand how one can live in a place like that. However, if everyone lived in palaces, physical inactivity would no longer be a global problem. We also saw the colourful, harbour neighbourhood Nyhavn, and Frederick's Church, which has the highest ceiling I have seen to date. It was pretty awesome - in the literal sense of the word.

The view from Round Tower

The Guinness World Record's tallest man in the world - 8'11" / 272 cm

Nyhavn

The guys' cousins Jakob and Morten came for dinner last night, which inevitably meant more ice-cream. And they were extremely nice, so all-in-all a good Monday.

Which brings me to now. Today we met up with Julie! - another lovely Dane who travelled a few days with us in New Zealand. It was great to see her and catch up. And it was a gorgeous, sunny day, so we wandered around the Botanical Gardens and grabbed an Organic Danish hotdog. Pretty delicious, and I'm sure much healthier than your average street stand dog.

The Botanical Gardens (this is why I love autumn)

Laurits, Julie, Lasse and I.

Tonight is my last evening in Copenhagen (of round 1, anyways). I'm a bit bummed, because it's been such a great week. But apparently some people need to study and work like responsible Danish citizens. And some other people need to fly to London tomorrow morning to explore, and then meet up with Amy, Andrea, and Daniel on November 2 to see Temper Trap play at indig02. Plus as much as I've enjoyed trying to exercise my Danish speaking skills, that darn "soft D" is driving me mental.

So Denmark, I'll see you at Christmas. London, I'll see you tomorrow.

Sending love from Copenhagen.

Velkommen til København

2010-10-20T04:59:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark.
It was 7:15 am - 7 hours ahead of Winnipeg. It was dark, raining, and I had not slept on the plane - despite my best efforts. I breezed through security (the only question I was asked before I got stamped into the country was "so, this is your first time in Denmark?" I must look trustworthy), picked up my backpack and headed through the arrival gate to meet Lasse (who I met in Melbourne). Only we missed each other. So I set down my pack, considered my options, and by the time I decided on looking for a pay phone, he found me. We'll blame a lack of sleep for that one.

We made it back to his apartment for brekky with Lasse's roommate Kasper, and then I had to retire for a quick nap. I needed the nap, however, I definitely staggered like a drunk when I tried to get up. The sun had come out (I knew Copenhagen would cheer up when it saw I'd arrived), so we pounded back some water and decided that a wander through the city would be the best bet to avoid sleep.
We found the grave sites for Niels Bohr and Hans Christian Anderson, and Lasse actually spotted two Danish celebrities. Unfortunately, I didn't know either of said celebrities. It ended up being a fairly long wander, and the city looks pretty great. I'm excited to explore more. By far, the coolest thing is the number of bicycles. Bicycles in all shapes and sizes, locked up on the street everywhere, and ridden by all varieties of people. I expected it, but holy moly there are a lot. We're going to join the throng soon as well, so it's a good thing I was biking more at home this summer. Cross your fingers for me.

We wrapped up the afternoon by picking up groceries. Lasse made lasagna AND home-made ice cream for dessert (Dirk, Stef, Andrea take note.. he set the bar pretty high), while I handled the spinach salad.
I declared bedtime shortly after 10:00, which I thought was incredibly respectable.
There are quite a few things on the Copenhagen to-do list, but Lasse is in class currently, and I'm being lazy. So I decided it was a good time to start up this blog. If you're impressed that I can properly spell "welcome to Copenhagen" in Danish, you should be. I'm expanding my vocabulary. I actually had to set up this blog in Danish, which is even more impressive. Hopefully it's worked out as I hoped.

Sending lots of love from Scandinavia!