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Captain’s Log
I’m not sure if irony is the right label for it, but it’s amusing that during the school year, even when football is in full swing, I update much more readily. It is when I’ve been blessed with free time that this here site grinds to a halt.
Nevertheless, the past couple of months have been rife with stuff. Who doesn’t love stuff? For nearly a month, Jess and I fled the domestic shores for “our other continent.”
We made a brief stop over in Paris, for about a day and a half. Nothing against Paris or France but we had already made other plans with Germany; namely, to take a train to Munich. We bummed about Munich for about five days enjoying the sights, culinary offerings, and of course, their national beverages.
One of the things we gave the highest priority was visiting the former concentration of Dachau. While there was always a feeling of reverence and of being on hallowed ground, the overall thing that I took away from the exhibit was that it was cleansed.
Not necessarily done intentionally but I think that that suffering of humans and the ultimate cruelty of other humans was slightly filled in. Buildings had been destroyed, a few rebuilt to show “what it had been like” which didn’t sit well with me. If we are meant to never forget, things like this should be brutally honest, as ugly as it was.
But all things in Germany weren’t bent on the sad parts of history. One of the best days, at least in my opinion, was when we hiked into a monastery outside of Munich. While we were initially expecting a hike of three kilometers it turned out being three miles. Not that the distance was a crucial component but it actually worked up our appetites for the beer garden that awaited us atop the hill. Although we feasted on various pork products and quaffed our pilsners… we were left monk-less. Apparently, the cloister doesn’t mix in with the locals nor the visiting American vagabonds. The hike was amazingly beautiful and the view from the monastery was spectacular which paid us in full for our hike and refueled us for our trek back to the train down the hill, through the forest and back through the brick-laden village.
From Munich, a second train took us onto Prague, Czech Republic. Prague was going to be my wildcard of the trip. This was a country I had never been to and a language I couldn’t make heads or tails of except to say “please”. But please doesn’t help you find a bathroom or consulate. I was equally prepared to be out of my element or be completely awestruck with the country. Thankfully, the second was true. Prague was a snapshot in time, nearly every building was at least represented as it would have in another era.
For us, Prague wasn’t necessarily about seeing certain things or doing certain activities beyond walking about the city. Prague is meant to be traversed one step at a time. Over the hand placed two inch sidewalk stones and across the bridges. There were many times we would just walk in a direction and see where it took us and try to find our way back. As long as we were able to find the river, we could find home.
We left Prague for a stay in London that was counted in hours rather than days. I briefly broke off from my travel companions to meet up with my friend from college, Monica. We met up and made good use of a pub which was fashioned out of an old firehouse. Many hours later, I wandered back amongst all of the major stopping points of London: Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, etc. Don’t be wrong, but London was not my place. The people were amazingly nice but I think I’m starting to approach the end of my stays in cosmopolitan areas. Maybe it goes back to the summers in Newfoundland but there is a lot to be said for experiencing a country without seeing other people. I’ll confess, I’m more awestruck my natural wonders than those that are man-made. That aside, the next morning we made it to King’s Cross station and onto our train to Edinburgh, Scotland.
At this point, may I diverge for a second and speak to the wonders of European train travel. It’s timely, it’s efficent, it’s fast, it’s comfortable and once in a while, it has internet. To sum it up: me like.
Scotland was a good change of pace. The first two days we spent hanging about Edinburgh proper. We took in the castle, walked past the palace down the Royal Mile. My favorite thing in Edinburgh wasn’t one of those, it was a big hill that loomed over the city. King Arthur’s Seat was a quick hike to the base of the hill and then a steep climb to the top over the stone steps. Once at the top, if you’d positioned yourself against the wind, you’d have an unbelievable chance to witness the city and its run toward the English Channel from above. Jess and I sat on the hillside for nearly an hour enjoying the warmth of the sun and view below.
Scotland only got better once we got a car. We became more mobile and the things we saw rewarded us. I’ll admit it for her; Jess is a castleophile. She loves castles and any chance that we were near one we would take it, which was more than ok by me. Luckily, our GPS was stocked full of fancy-named castles galore.
Hands down, everyone found the best castle to be Tantallon Castle. This massive structure stood at least five stories (figuring the time it was made, it’s a comparative skyscraper) with major portions still intact. You would hope that castles would be cavernous sending you up one stairwell out a new door into an unknown room with the occasional dungeon; Tantallon didn’t disappoint, especially when you consider that it leaned gracefully toward the ocean waves below it.
As all vacations should have, we intermingled some beach time into the agenda as well. We parked our car on a little lane just before it became an even littler dirt road and hiked down two miles to Yellow Craig Beach. Just to verify, the ocean water in Scotland is cold too.
In search of more castles, we came upon St. Andrews. Even though that town’s name is synonymous with golf, I didn’t golf, see a golf course nor ever a golf ball. We did, however, happen upon the ruins of a cathedral that stood near the cliff’s edge. Among the bases of where pillars formerly rose up and the walls that somehow still stand, were the countless grave markers and headstones for many people who had been thrown from the mortal coil. There is a magnetism that exists for me and the ruins of buildings, especially ones that were the keystone of community, but that comes into further play in another paragraph.
The highlight of our trip could have easily been our day trip across Scotland onto a ferry and onto the Isle of Bute. On this little island was a forgotten church that was nameless with its roof long collapsed inside of its walls. We would have nearly passed the grounds had I not seen out of the corner of my eye the blue sky where the roof should have been. We loitered inside the church (which probably wasn’t something we were supposed to do) for a long time. Looking at the little details that made up this church, which now laid in a heap where the pews once were or scattered outside
of its walls. We were able to wander up the stairs, still intact, and look up into the rotting wooden floor boards that housed a church bell at one time. The door lock mechanism was tossed in the pile of wood and glass just beyond the entrance of the church. The church had long been forgotten or abandoned but that only made it more beautiful, more memorable. It had all the reverence and pious beauty of its kind but laid about haphazardly into the jagged piles.
To cap off our adventure in Scotland and on the Isle of Bute, we finally came across one of those stereotypical Scottish scenes. Highland cattle in a field. As expected as it is supposed to be, I still think that they are extremely interesting looking and was excited when I finally got to snap off some pictures.
From Scotland, another quick plan ride took us into Northern Ireland. The consistent question I get from people is about the driving. What everyone already knows is that it is on the opposite of the road from our American roads. However, what isn’t widely known is that the roads are wide as ours and without a shoulder. You would have about five feet in your lane, and err in depth perception would have you running your rental car along a rock wall. Err to the other side, at best toy’ll lose your mirror. Now imagine this with people parking where ever their Irish hearts please. Now, you have to deal with multiple cars taking up at least your miniscule lane with traffic coming toward you… and it’s a giant truck, or give it the cute British name, a “lorry”. I didn’t care if it has a cute name, it still out weighted me by multiple tons and it was bearing down as I dodge three parked cars in my lane. That aside…
Northern Ireland was beautiful. Jess and I made good use of our rental car there, despite said road conditions. We stayed on the Antrim Coast, in the north. Our first stop was Dunluce Castle, yet another castle that was perched precariously above a churning ocean. Even though I really like seeing the castle, I snapped my favorite picture there of a sparrow, as you can see:
We also rambled about at the Carrick-a-Rede Bridge and the Giant’s Causeway. The Carrick-a-Rede Bridge is an old rope bridge that spans over the water to a little island where fishermen would throw out nets to make their livings. The Giant’s Causeway is a natural formation of rocks that are all shaped as pentagons that rise up at varying heights. As someone else once coined, it looks as if someone is offering god thousands of cigarettes.
One day, we drove out to a little coastal community that wasn’t much more than a couple of blocks wide. We then hopped onto a ferry to Rathlin Island which is only a minute piece of land. Once our boat docked, people walked off and went to the left… with that in mind, Jess and I started hiking to the right, down to the southern tip of the island. As we approached the south lighthouse both Jess and I heard a strange sound. As we crept closer to the water, the noise became louder. Jess then asked if I saw the seals. I said that I didn’t, but what she was pointing was a log. Lo and behold, that log was a seal, as well as were the fourteen other seals around it. We must have sat there for near two hours just taking in our solitude with the seals. It was quite a remarkable moment to be there when we could have easily walked on by never noticing the fifteen slumbering bodies on tossed about on the rocks.
After our time on the north coast, Jess and I drove back to Belfast and used that day as a great opportunity to rest up. We hung about the downtown of the city and then spent a handful of hours in the pub below our hotel, both of which were called Benedict’s. We sat there, sipping our pints, listening to an Irish rock band and before we knew it it was approaching time for dinner. I had a classic Irish Sunday roast dinner and then we headed back to the room because in the morning we hopped yet another flight but this time back to Amsterdam.
I had never been in Amsterdam before, save for its airport but the city quickly became one of my favorites in all of I’ve been to. I would classify it as a city as beautiful as Paris, yet without the rigid attention to fashion or social rules. To hedge off any questions: Yes, we did go to the Red Light District but it wasn’t like I had imagined it. Of course, there was the ‘industry’ present but it is only a small portion of the district. Truthfully, some of the best restaurants and shopswere tucked into the streets.
An obligatory stop was, of course, the Anne Frank House. I
t was a very sober exhibit. I thought it was done well, fairly minimal with a lot of information. I twas strange being able to touch the bookcase that hid the family’s refuge. To stand in the room of Anne Frank and see the pictures of stars and the future queen of England on her walls. With all of the windows darkened out, I could easily place myself in what her thoughts could have been.
We were lucky to get a chance to also go up the tallest point in Amsterdam, the Westkirk, which was a church just steps from Anne Frank’s house. From the tower we had a picturesque view of the city. Through the journey to the top on almost vertical steps, we could see the old wooden structure that was just behind the stone, as well as bells that boomed from behind the church facade.
Sadly, this was our last stop on our trip. From Amsterdam, we caught our direct flight back to Portland. Both Jess and I were sad to come to the end of the trip. We had spent so many months in waiting for its arrival and yet when we were in the midst of it, it was but a flash. We only scratched the surfaces of the places we saw. Even after four flights and the train treks, we have both agreed that there is much of Scotland and Ireland we would like to come back to, but that’s another post all together.
Flickr Meme
Saw this on CatharticInk, thought I could do it too. Rules as follows: Go to the sixth page of your Flickr photostream and post the sixth picture on that page.
Here’s mine:
I took this picture in Switzerland, on our way down Mt. Pilatus. We had just enjoyed a great lunch of bread, dried fruits, cheese, and various meats… not to mention a nice bottle of Bordeaux, all of which were picked up from the street vendors along the river in Luzern.
Before lunch, each of us took a ride down the summer toboggan run. On the path down Mt. Pilatus, there were many different herds of cows, sheep and goats. These were two of the most friendly of the herds. We had been able to hear the baritone clanking of their bells from the highest point of the mountain. Even though the fog allowed for only twenty feet of visibility, their sound could be heard for miles around.
As noisy as they were, they were also unafraid of us, obviously these cows were handled a lot because as we approached, they barely lifted their heads to acknowledge our presence. When we would pet them and scratch their necks, only then did they take notice. This was especially true for the cow in the foreground, she stuck out her head and pushed out her tongue out as far she could because Jess had found the spot on the bottom side of her neck, right near her bell which needed the most scratching.
Eventually, the cows did get tired of us hanging about and decided to slowly saunter off to somewhere that had less us, which was perfectly timed for us to move on our own way down the mountain. Through the steep grade down the mountain, into the individual little hillside farms and hay fields, underneath the orchards and past the very friendly farmers up in their trees waving and saying something that was beyond my German. Hopefully it was welcoming because he didn’t seem to mind us there. Down we went, into the gentler hills, onto the cobbled lanes outside of town, across the little bridge that crossed the stream, behind the brown and grey stone houses and into the middle of the village to catch our train home.
Hello from Luxembourg
Well, actually, hello from Paris but we went to Luxembourg and back today. It was interesting being in the biggest city in a country and have it be walkable in just a handful of hours. There were some exceptional walls and ruins that run throughout the city, as well as some ornate stone bridges, some dating back from the 1700s, even though the city was founded in 960. Last couple of days in Paris, Bastille day (and fireworks?) on the 14th… then Barcelona.
Bon Jour from Paris!
We’ve been in Paris for two days now. It is good to be back, but I prefer Paris in winter. A block off the Rue Cler. Pictures, soon… maybe. We’ll see.
Mt. Pilatus
Through our trip, the one part that I was most looking forward to was climbing Mt. Pilatus, outside of Luzern. Yesterday, we debated and questioned the timing of when we went up the mountain. This morning, we thought we would take a chance despite the overcast conditions. The entire time, I secretly prayed for the clouds to part and burn off. We took the cog train up and hit the clouds. Walking up at the base of the mountain, shrouded in clouds. We hiked up to the the highest point, we couldn’t see more than 100 feet in front of ourselves.
Only when we were about the leave after taking the last of the hikes, a little sunny spot opened up. From then on, the burn-off of the clouds had started and the whole panorama of the lakes, Luzern and everything around was visibile. It was truly awe-inspiring. The best of all, was this tiny little church that was situated within a breath of the edge of a 7,000 foot drop. It was like somone had decided that going through the hours of fog and disappointment of the clouded view, they said, “just wait awhile, you’ll appreciate it more.” We certainly did, it was a truly amazing day.
On a funny note, we were trying to decide if a dessert was in order after dinner tonight. Gasping, my mom said, “Oh, Jess, take a look at that…” pointing to the tray of a waiter as he walked by. The dessert my mom was so struck by was this ornate, beautifully prepared stacked ashtrays with a dirty washcloth balled up in it. Strangely, Jess didn’t order that dessert.
Last day in Luzern tomorrow and then Paris.
Switzerland, not Sweden
Although my mom has said on many occasions, “How come in Sweden…” we’re still in Switzerland. We had a great day, went out to Stansstad, walked around, went to Glacier Museum (which only contained 10% glacier), and saw a remarkable rainbow just after dinner. Switzerland is just simply amazing, we have yet to have a bad dinner (or yet to have a bad hot dog in baguette).
Contrary to what I would have usually done, we went to the Glacier Museum and it had a hall of mirrors. Had everyone else not been so interested in it, I probably wouldn’t have gone. Luckily, I wasn’t in charge. As I learned, the the hall was over 100 years old and it was fantastically done. The mirrors were so clean and so well positioned, there was one time I was hurrying through the halls and I had to come to a screeching halt when I almost ran into myself… I distinctly thought, “damn, I almost ran into that guy.” We like it so much we went through twice.
Overall, we’re having a great time. I really love the overall feeling and tenor of being in Europe. They have a lot of things right here. The transportation. the structure of society, the government subsidized beer. The US could learn a lot, but it they are going to subsidize beer, please… no budwieser.