tremendous heat and papermaking nooks

Leslie and I spent the day in Florence today, after conquering the Cinque Terre hike yesterday (which was BEAUTIFUL…but had so many stairs!).  Florence is like a giant oven, it’s so hot…but once the evening hit it started to cool down, and Leslie had some great spots to show me.  And the papermaking shops!  I was enchanted by these tiny, precise, beautiful things.  The patterns on the paper, the binding on the books…each spoke of such care and artistry, I was very impressed.  We also stopped at an amazing gelateria, that had dark chocolate gelato!  I was definitely in heaven. 

Also, in Cinque Terre we climbed down off the trail at one point to a stone beach…the water was so clear you could see every stone on the bottom, and the towns of Manarola and Corniglia were silouetted to the sides.  Then, swimming out, I held my eyes at water level and just saw blue blue blue.  The sea reflected the clear blue cloudless sky, and sail boats drifted lazily past.  I was tempted to stay out there until I dropped from exhaustion, the cool water and bright sun and blue view were so perfect (especially after a long, hot hike!)

Bella Italia and solo musings

Italia!  I’m currently in Riomaggiore, getting ready to do a mini Cinque Terre hike, which I’ll do in full with Leslie tomorrow.  So far Italy has been beautiful and very serene, although with very little Italian at my disposal (except, oddly, what I learned during Amadeus, which is useless to me.  Unless I want to ask Mozart’s ghost to pardon me…), I am struggling to be understood.  Some people know french, which is helpful, but otherwise, I smile and point.  Still, it is a beautiful town in a beautiful country, and the crashing waves and tiered hills and pink and yellow houses are charming me to no end, despite my fear that I would be underwhelmed after all the hype. 

I took a nice walk last night, up near the tiered grape arbors, and met a sweet girl from Norway who was a theatre director and creative drama teacher (!), and spoke excellent English.  We hung out all night swapping stories and ideas, and I now have a couch in Trondheim (and she in Evanston), should I ever need it.  I love meeting people like this, and I love traveling alone because it allows me to meet these people and spend as much (or as little!) time as I like with them (Except when I’m too polite, as with the sychopant in Amsterdam!). 

In fact, despite the pitfalls and confusion and general stress that comes from traveling solo, and from undertaking a journey without a clear program or reward, I feel I have learned more about the world, myself, my art, and the importance of things than I could ever have imagined.  Already I’m excited to jump into the new school year in September with new ideas and a new outlook, ready to work.  Unstructured time is good for a overcommited gal like me, I think, and after conquering Europe (ha) this summer, I look forward to returning to favorite places and trying my traveling skills in new countries and continents in the future. 

Now back to my walking (working off all that gelato! ), and then tomorrow I get to see Leslie!  It should be a blast, and I’m excited to see Firenze through her eyes. 

Ciao, bella!

Palm Trees and couchsurfing

Switzerland!  Lucerne was beautiful, and made even more so by my first couchsurfing experience.  The woman I stayed with was fantastic, and in addition to not having to pay a night`s accomadation, I gained a friend and great insight into the city.  I loved traversing the narrow lanes, and a climb up to the guardtower gave me a great view.  I also went to a music festival with Laura, my host, and got to meet some of her friends and listen to some great music.

Then yesterday I arrived in Lugano, which has so far been ône of the most relaxing of my stops.  The hostel has a pool (!) and the lake here is beautiful.  There`s not much to do, especially when it`s so hot, but now that pool is certainly looking inviting again (and I`m still paying hostel prices!).  On the border of Switzerland and Italy, Lugano is `subtropical`, meaning warm, sunny, and filled with palm trees.  Still, it`s wildly expensive, and obviously caters to a wealthier crowd.  Still, it`s good for a wander.  I also met a kind older gentleman at the hostel, who obviously travels alot and was eager to share his knowledge of Venice (churches to visit and so on), so now I have a better idea of what to hit up in my two days there.   

Tomorrow I head on to Italy, and I get to see Leslie in a couple days!  I`m excited for her to show me the real Firenze, and to hike the Cinque Terre together.

Virtuosity and mountain views

Salzburg Marionette Theatre has officially blown my mind.

Also, a bicycle ride to HellBrunn was definitely a good decision.  Salzburg has been good for me, after Vienna.  Tomorrow, on to Zurich!

Wieners and singing children

So first off, the adolescent immature part of me spent a lot of time in Vienna giggling because of course, Vienna in German = Wien and Viennese = Wiener.  It’s pronounced ‘Veen-a’, but still, seeing it written everywhere is pretty funny.  Also, in learning this origin I figured out that a ‘Wiener Schnitzl’ has nothing to do with hot dogs, but is instead ‘Viennese breaded chicken’.  Whoops.

On the lost things track, as far as I know they are gone forever.  Not only my glasses and medicine, but my sandals, hiking boots, and bizarrely, my dirty clothes, deorderant, and toothbrush (all were stolen at the same time).  The hostel couldn’t figure it out and neither could I.  I feel strangely hurt, having so many things stolen with no clear motive.  I can’t help feeling like whoever it was just wanted to mess with me, because otherwise why not just take the good stuff?  I have no idea. 

Still.  I am not hurt or sick (unless feeling over-full from too much sachertorte counts), and my pack is a little lighter. 

I even got some sun yesterday, cavorting around the Mirabell Gardens (where the Von Trapp family so memorably frolicked to ‘Do a Deer’) and climbing the Saltzburg fortress for a nice view, then tagging along with a bunch of musicians to their ‘free jazz’ jam session.  (For reference ‘free Jazz’ = lots of weird noises and experiemental singing…can’t say I got as into it as these dudes did).  Still, many of them were from Belgium or Switzerland, so I got to practice my French, and they were an absolute blast to hang with. 

Today, it rains.

Tomorrow,  I got to see another marionette show (I know, I know…), and I’m super excited.  The one in Vienna (The Magic Flute) was phenomenal, so The Marriage of Figaro tomorrow should be great as well.  Mozart is everywhere…his music, his statues, his homes…after this time in Austria and Amadeus combined, I should be an expert.  ;)  In two day I leave for Zurich, then explore some more of Switzerland.  I’m starting to get tired, and having things stolen has made me wary, but every time I see a new place or discover something new about the town I’m in, all the energy comes rushing back and I’m ready to continue. 

Still, I can’t wait to see Leslie in a week or so!  Hope you’re doing well, Les.

Rainy days and mazes.

It has rained and rained.  It rained in Cesky Krumlov, it’s raining in Vienna.  It’s only dampened my spirits very recently, especially since Cesky Krumlov was so beautiful and relaxing.  I stayed at a hostel there that was more like a home, with dogs barking upon my entrance, and the woman who owned it handing me her hand-drawn map of all the good places in town.  The whole town, including the hostel, is made up of old medieval buildings with tiny doorways and stone walls, and despite being a bit touristy, I was instantly charmed.  I walked and walked and explored everywhere, seeing more famous Czech marionettes and sampling this delicious bread thing – it was flaky and hollow and covered with cinnamon.  I took a picture of the name…I’ll need to look it up later.  The view of the village at night from the castle was excellent, and I discovered a secret hayfield that was both beautiful and a little frightening in the dark.

Vienna has been a challenge.  I discovered this evening that my good pair of glasses, my toiletries (including some medicine I need for my plane flights), and some clothes have gone missing.  I’m hoping that housekeeping just thought they belonged to a guest who had checked out and put them aside, but I really fear they have been stolen or lost.  The glasses especially worry me.  I’ll have to see – they’re going to check with housekeeping in the morning.

In the meantime, it rains.  I went to Schonnbrunn palace today, and walked all along the gardens and through the palace.  The gardens are huge, and a bit creepy in places in their hugeness, but along the main areas, absolutely beautiful.  Lots of hedge mazes and natural mazes and places to get lost and confused.  I also got to watch an apple strudel making demonstration, which was definitely informative…and tasty.

Earlier, I climbed the tower at St. Stephan’s church and checked out the cathedral itself.  The view was better at Schonnbrunn I think (The Gloriette looks over the whole city and the palace), but the interior was beautiful.

So.  Let’s see how this latest storm blows.  One more full day in confusing, rainy, and resplendent Vienna, then on to Salzburg…hopefully with glasses and medicine in tow.

Guitars and good friends!

Praha!  I was welcomed here with open arms last night by Kacin, who introduced me to her new Praha posse and then took us to an amazing underground bar.  The best part of the day though, was definitely just wandering around the city and over the bridge, catching up and chatting away.  It was really nice to hang out with someone familiar after all the new faces and occational lonely moments.  I got to pop in on Kyly and Sam too, and I’ll see Sarah tomorrow.

Tonight is the National Marionette Theatre (!), then tomorrow Kacin and I are catching a circus show of some kind.  So excited, and so far, so in love with Prague.  My hostel is AMAZING (called the Czech Inn), and I feel very pampered, with excellent showers and sheets already on the beds. 

Again, the computer time is short.  More later, perhaps.

Singing Mao and other history lessons

So I’m currently in Berlin, wrestling with yet another frustrating hostel computer.  Berlin has been wicked interesting, and way more engaging and unique than I expected.  I had heard rumors of it being a ‘party capital’ and the ‘next Amsterdam,’ and while I’m sure the club scene is awesome, I’ve found it to be much more than that.

Yesterday I went on a fantastic walking tour seeing all of Berlin’s major sites…90% of which are in the old East Side.  In fact, I think I’ve been to West Berlin only once or twice, briefly.  The East is where it’s at, a weird mix of old (restored) buildings, Communist apartment blocks, and brand new construction.  It’s a city rebuilding itself and dealing with it’s past, and never have a been somewhere where you can feel the city practically moving forward underneath you like you can here. However, you can still see the scars of WWII and the Cold War all over the city.  This juxtaposition, and the knowledge that something like the Berlin Wall existed here  only 19 years ago, makes this a very vibrant city.

Also, Berliners have been the most helpful people I’ve met so far.  The moment I begin to look a bit lost on the street, I know that within moments someone will come up and ask me if they can help me find my way.  One girl even walked me to my busstop, then rode the bus with me to make sure I got off in the right place (I think it was on her way somehow, but still).  Very kind, and very heartening.  Especially after a month of navigating train stations and public transport on my own, it’s nice to have a guide for one ride.

And last night!  I went to an opera in at the Komiche Opera house.  It was ‘Land des Lachens’ or something like that -  a strange Austrian opera (sung in German) about a woman who falls in love with a Chinese man, follows him to China, suffers severe culture shock, and then is killed by her lover (or by his soldiers) when she tries to go home.  The first half was done in traditional Viennese style, with frilly dresses and all, and the half in China was much more modern, with a Mao look-alike playing the Emperor, and other undertones and costumes of the Chinese cultural revolution.  There was even a dance sequence where all the dictators of the world honor him, and demonstrate their weaponry through time (Hitler, Stalin, Genghis Khan, and an American in a cowboy hat are among them).

I’m almost out of computer time, so Amsterdam will have to wait.

Fjords and night trains

I just got off the night train from Bergen to Oslo, and I’m feeling good, if a little disoriented.  The train stopped multipile times on the way, and I kept waking up and checking the window, thinking we must be in Oslo.  I also woke at one point with a killer pressure headache, from going through so many tunnels.  Luckily a few quick yawns and ear-pops cleared that up, but it was definitely a weird feeling. 

The day before I took the Norway in a Nutshell journey – From Oslo, a train to Myrdal, another train to Flam, a boat from Flam through the fjords to Gudvagen, then a bus from there to Voss.  Some continued on another train to Bergen, but I stayed overnight in Voss before heading to Bergen the next day, then taking the night train back.  It’s an all day journey, and because of the kitchy name, I worried it would be more about the packaging than the actual landscape, but to my surprise it was excellent.

On the way from Oslo to Myrdal, I got to see craggy rocks and snow with cold waterfalls running among them.  Barren and beautiful.  You can see, in this kid of landscape, how one could easily imagine trolls running around and popping their heads up. (I also almost missed the train when I misjudged the time we had at one stop…I had to leap aboard just as the doors were closing!)  From Myrdal to Flam it was all greenery, huge waterfalls, and adorable villages nestled into valleys surrounded by unbelievable mountains.  From Flam to Gudvagen, it was breathtaking fjords and more tiny houses mysteriously perched on cliffs and in nooks.  From Gudvagen to Voss was a steep and windy road with hairpin turns and more waterfalls, and a kind woman named Bonnie I kept running into in my time in Norway (she was on her way to the North Pole!).

The one ridiculous touristy moment in the Nutshell trip was at a large waterfall.  We stopped to go outside the train and take pictures, and suddenly we hear music from somewhere, and before you know it, this woman in a long purple dress pops up on a cliff near the waterfall and starts dancing.  Then she goes into a tunnel and another woman, dressed the same, pops up somewhere else (I think we were supposed to believe they were one person).  It was a little silly, and I kind of just wanted to enjoy the waterfall without the fake-o fairy ladies.  Ah well.

Voss itself was absolutely gorgeous, and the hostel served a free breakfast made from organic fruits and vegetables from the farm across the street!  I couldn’t help staying longer than I intended.  At first, I wanted to get up early, get some breakfast, and catch the 8:35 train to Bergen, but the view out my window of the lake and the mountains had me asking instead for good hikes in the area. 

The receptionist at the hostel told me that the nearby mountain was a great walk, but that I should take the cable car up and then walk down, as the mountain was very steep.  But then he revealed even more important information: the cable car was 20 dollars to go up, but free to take down.  So, I was walking up and riding down.  This turned out to be a great idea, as I needed the exercise, it was a beautiful day, and it made the view at the top that much more spectacular.  I even got to watch a paraglider take off on my way up.

So, I took the 1:43 train to Bergen instead, which was smart because Bergen was beautiful but easy to cover in a few hours.  I even saw a free one-woman show in English (about the Bergen fire), and then I even caught a Norwegian folk-dance concert in an old medieval meeting hall.  I especially loved the folkdancing and singing, I have to admit – the music was beautiful and the older woman who presented each dance and song had a great dry wit to her that left me giggling.

Sorry for the incredibly long post…getting access to a computer in Norway has been hard!  Now I’m out to explore Oslo (as it’s just waking up), and then I head to the airport for a sleepover (my flight leaves at 7:30 in the morning, so no way am I paying for a hostel when I would need to get up at 3am to get to the airport).  I’ll be in Amsterdam tomorrow!  Yikes!