Beer Gardens, Swiss Chriss, and other Snuff
So.... our 16 hours in Munich were worth ever minute of obnoxious travel and confusion.... first of all, thanks to Thor for some great suggestions. In the end, the gang decided to cut Munich short one day in order to arrive here in Geneva, my home for Christmas, a day early.
Currently, iàm rocking out at an internet cafe in the bowels of the Geneva underground, belly full of McDonalds (gourmet MacDo to be more precise- since when can you order a Ciabatta Grande Fromage at a fast food place?)... After purchasing a two hour internet card, itàs safe to say that iàll have pictures of Munich and early Geneva loaded sometime in the next day or two...
Our train from Prague to Munich was long and involved, but we managed to arrive unscathed in Munich by around 4 (or 1600 for European readers). Iàm still unable to get used to how early it gets dark, and we checked in to Wombats (best hostel ever), hit up the Christmas market, hit the beer garden, and were stumbling around city streets by 10pm.
Munich was amazing. So far, every town weàve been to has attempted to recreate a Christmas market in the town square. All pale in comparison to the Munich Christmas market, held in front of the huge Glokenschpeil (sorry on the spelling, Thor and Dan). The streets were lit up, the Christmas tree was enormous, and aside from the 4 (literally 4) H&Ms and other huge conglomorized stores that dominated the main walk, it had a timeless feel to it. I will never forget the smell of mulled wine that seems to encompass all that is the German Christmas Market.....I had a huge brautwurst smothered in mustard, but my stomach was lacking something quintisentially German. Enter the Haufbrauhaus.
Known as being the most touristy, blatently drunk beer house-gardens in operation, the Haufbrauhaus is a huge open room filled with noisy, smokey, thawing tourists aching to get a piece of the Tourist Jigsaw Puzzle that is German Beer Garden drinking. Safe to say that after 3 solid Litres of beer, one pretzle, and a very close encounter with a German bachelor party and some Bavarian snuff-peddlers later, we got what we came to Munich for...
Chosing to party (party by our semi-lame standards) and leave at 6am in order to catch our train to Geneva wasnt the best idea, but snuff-filled loogeys aside, the waking up and stumbling to the station was fine. Thanks to a starbucks and a Carmel Macchiato (that was for you, megs)...
Our train was a straight shot to Zurich, followed by a doubledecker bohemoth of a train to Geneva. Views of lakes, orchards, the Alps, vinyards, and small villages dominated the landscape, but Geneva couldnt come soon enough. I love the idea that we can travel across a continent in a few days (consider the fact that iàve been in Munich, Prague, and Salsburg in the last 5 days), but spending entire days on trains starts to wear on you....
Geneva has a nice feel to it. Tons of shopping, a huge business/banking district, and an ice skating rink. So far our plans are to relax, enjoy the lack of travel, and wander aimlessly. Iàm thinking Bond movie on Christmas, maybe ice skating, and hopefully hit up the IOC headquarters and the International Olympic Museum. I am my fathers son.
Homesickness hasnt set in at all. I love home traditions, family, shopping at Jordan Creek, driving around aimlessly, listening to the Lite 1041 and the endless christmas songs, working at Quiznos (ok, take back that last bit), but after visiting Starbucks today and being overwhelmed with their 'traditions' campagin, it makes you wonder whats really important.
Is it the same routine every year? Is it family, or as the republicans insist, the very Christian ideals that our country is founded on? I'm starting to wonder. I love family, and miss them to death, but for some reason, without the hooplah and buildup that the season and finals and jterm and vacations brings it just doesnt feel like Christmas. To put a positive spin on what hopefully isnt coming off as too negative, it means family and friends back home are doing something right. If being away on my own in a foreign city doesnt have the same schmaltzy feeling or warm fuzzies inside that Christmas with the fam brings, then three cheers for the homeland.
Looking forward, aside from the fact that i'll be without a cell phone that can send text messages until i return to the UK, I'm as optimistic as ever about the trip upcoming. Chill time in Geneva, up to Koln for more chillage, PARIS IN 6 DAYS, and then off to the 'dam, Berlin, and back to London.
I just hope i dont run out of pictures on my 2GB memory card first.....
HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM THE WESTERN TIP OF SWITZERLAND. EMAIL, TEXT, FACEBOOK- after buying this internet card, i still have 1 hour and 28 minutes to waste.....
LOVE from Europa,
Kevin
PS- mom and dad, i'll call on Christmas, so dont tie up the line.....
Czech Please.....
Most dramatic, intriguing stories begin with an equally dramatic opening. After reading enough John Updike to kill most non-literaphiles, i'm in the mood. How's this: After traveling for 8 hours on trains that would make most ex-Soviets cringe at their poor shape, we arrived in Prague today (Praha for the natives) to a warm welcome consisting of No English, No idea what we were doing, and eventually, a completely topless (completely is a misnomer, she was wearing a feather boa) waitress who brought stien after frothy stien of Czech beir to our table, and our first taste of steak in over 3 months.
So, now i sit, Aaron to my left checking the Twins homepage, uploading pictures and blogging for what might be one of my last chances in a FREE. that's right, FREE internet lounge in our hostel.
What has happened since my last post? S0 much freedom here in a free environment, and the gang is so lame, i feel like i have all night....
Chemonix (yes, i realize this was days and days ago...) ended on a postive note, a quiet night of wine, sleep, and some light reading concluded our quintissentially 'chill' stay at the French resort town. We played a homemade version of Loaded Questions, cooked most of our meals in the kitchenette, and enjoyed each others' company. Cutesy, yes. Relaxed, double yes.
More Chemonix
Yes, those are clouds. Yes, those are the Alps
12000 feet of fun.
Typical French dinner?
Chugging my Heritage in Chem. This Alsace beer was great... the bottle is on its way to Iowa....
The trip to Salsburg took us on a somewhat depressing journey through Switzerland. Aaron and the Girls (sans Mary, who was and will continue to be my travel buddy) left us at some point, while we truged on to Zurich, through Bern, past the German border, back into Austria, and finally to our desitnation in Salsburg. The towns on the way (have i explained this before? this feels repetitive) were sad, industrial wastelands on the verge of collapes. Crappy houses, decrepit gardens, and broken down autos. Aside from UNBELIVEABLE mountain views and trecherously slow train rides through the Alps, it was a downer. Sorry John, Switzerland has some growing on me to do (never fear, Geneva for Christmas will blow me away....)
Hil met us in the train station, and i suppose my last entry (although rushed and distracted by the beauty and wonder that is Julie Andrews blaring in the background) explains Salsburg as much as any person could.... Here are some pics to recreate the magic:
Skating in the Shadow of Mozart's Statue.....
Salsburg at Night....
Enjoying some suds with Hil in an Italian restuarant our first night....
Our immaculate hostel- highly reccomended....
Site of our last night in Salsburg... site of near-bar fight between waitress and her boyfriend?
Our trip to Prauge this morning was less than perfect. We were Aaronless, Kateless (she's off on her own until Geneva), and feeling sluggish. A late wine-session last night in my private suite (which was soon turned un-private thanks to a Hungarian nomad carrying a bottle of what appeared to be a Coke ripoff named Cock - no joke) left us all a little under the weather, and more testy than normal. Add some EuroTrash girls on a 7am train to Linz, and you have the makings for a mass-homicide onboard a EuroLine train.....
A stayover in Linz, highlighted by a quick espresso, a trip to the biggest newstand EVER, and a quick stop to buy earplugs did not reflect the mood of the rest of our trip. In what can only be described as a trip through what can only be described as desolate iowan farmland meets war torn post-Soviet oppression, Eastern Austria and the Czech Republic is downright depressing. We passed a hodge podge of buildings- train stations that resembled movie sets from WW2 movies, homes with spanish tiled roofs and outdoor jokes of swimming pools, and farmland as far as the eye could see.
After some encounters with the train security/liason from hell and a pack of unruly teenagers who spraypainted and put graffiti on the adjacent train compartment, a feeling of superiority, fear and pessimism overtook me. This country seems so far behind, so delapidated, so pathetic both economcially and socially. The train was disguisting- it reeked of cigarette smoke and urine, the seats were covered in grime and soot, and graffiti was everywhere. The kids ran through the halls, jumped around, yelled, and banged on our doors.... The feeling that overtook me could onlyu be described as "TYPICAL STEREOTYPED AMERICAN SUPERIORITY AND EGOTISM"...
The feeling has somewhat dissuaded, but my first impression still remains fairly accurate. In this country, where English is used only to get tourist money or as a third language spoken after Czech and German, I feel rich, more intelligent, civilized, and cultured. It's wrong, it's sad, it's totally counterproductive to the entire European Travel experience, but at this point, it's nagging at me. I feel sorry for the poverty, the lack of clothing on the waitresses, and the excess of drugs and alcohol. Maybe America is just as bad, but i'm too blind to notice because of the veil that the English language has put over me- maybe i'm just more able to understand the language that i don't have to focus on the other cues? I'm digressing....
Sometimes, especially after my recent assults on my poor notepad, it's hard to tell what i've presented here and what i've attempted to recreate on paper....
To summarize our night, we arrived in a flurry of confusion- no English signs, no understanding of the subway system. After frustrating group quarrels and the silent treatment, we found our trains, found our bus station, found our bridge, and found the hostel. The conditions here are amazing.... a huge room, beautiful accomodations...
The restaurant we went to was hilarious.... i didnt' take any pictures, but my face more or less explains our feelings as we noticed how bare our waitress was.....
Tomorrow looks to be an exploratory mission- see the sights, get as much in as we can, and try some of the local beers (original Budwieser, and Staropramen), and maybe see some castles while we're at it.
Our shirtless counterpart was just feet away... I can still smell her perfume: Eau de Cigarette
Confusion does not begin to describe....
This blog was epic, but it felt good to recreate some memories...
At this point in the trip, i'm feeling good- i'm looking forward to each day, and Paris and Geneva especially...... Calling my feelings homesick would be another misnomer- again, it's not the lack of family here or the lack of Christmassy feelings, it's the inability to share or contact family with the immediacy that a phone call or personal conversation would. I love you all, and look forward to more great experiences....
*I lied, pics aren't loading... i'll try more later......
The hills are alive....
Whew.... Chemonix blew my mind... we ascended the mountain just a few miles from mt blanc, took amazing pictures, and even saw a guy sky dive as our small gondola descended from 12000 feet.... im currently writing from Salsburg, Austria (home of hte Sound of Music), and as proof of their pride, the movie is shown every day at our hostel here at exactly 8pm...
To add to the realizm of my post, iam giving up on trying hide the fact that iäm using a german keyboard, and now you can struggle as the zs become ys (thezre switched on the computers here)....
Our trip from Chem was amayinglz difficult and laborious. On the train at 7am, through the entire countrz of Swityerland..... amayinglz beatufiul.... and into Germanz for a bit before ending up in Strausburg, where Hil met us with open arms....
We had chainsmokers, double decker trains, and some verz strange Americans who were here to buz a car....
Here in Strausburg, the historz and views are both breathtaking... home to Moyart, home to Sound of Music, and a citz with a castle on a hill, with a gorgeous river that encapsulatesd the entire citz centre....
Itäs hard to get all of mz feelings on to the blog, now that iäve weened mzself onto paper (itäs terrible, iäm killing trees bz the second), but iäm getting used to it.... mazbe iäll have to do some scanning and pdf filing later to make the blog as realiytic as possible...
Weäre headed to Munich tomorrow, and Geneva a daz earlz, so weäll have some downtime bhefore Christmas...
Traveling for 12 hours has defintilz givien me a new found sense of confidence in mz abliitz to navigate, but we have a long road ahead.....
I canät belive that iäve onlz been awaz from the flat for 6 dazs, but so far iäve taken about 400 pictures, so again, hopfullz mz 2 Gig card can hold up.....
I do miss home, but not so much the place as the people. I reallz wish i could be with everzone here, so that thez chould experience the awesome culturallz rich experience that Europe has to offer..... I wish i had pics, but there is no usb cord, so no dice....
Marz has to get on to email some rents and friends, so iäm off, but iäll do mz best to get back while in Munich or Geneva.....
Much love, Happz Christmas....
Kevin
