I left my wonderful, couch-surfing host Kwame early in the morning and set out for the short train ride to Cambridge. When I arrived I was picked up at the station by James Duffy, a friend I met in San Francisco. It was really happy to see a familiar face and have a warm welcome. After my arrival, we went to his flat to drop off my pack and decide what to do for the day. So, we went on a wonderful walking tour of the town. We started at the outskirts of the city and walked all along the river. It was so nice to do so much walking; it was a perfect day for walking, not hot and not raining. The trails are marvelous, it did not feel at all like we were close to a town- it was all fields and river. We also had a lovely lunch picnic along side the river. It was really very nice. Once we followed the river into town, we started to see people punting up and down the river. It was very entertaining (even though we didn't see anyone fall in...). The whole town is such a beautiful and amazingly clean place. In the evening we went to see an outdoors performance of Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost". It was a really fun show - I had never read the comedy or heard the story even, so it was really great. A very good day, indeed.
The next day was just as good. We rode bicycles all along the river in the other direction. There were so many fishing, barge type boats. They added so much character to the riverside because many of them were very antique-y looking. It felt really good to ride so much on a bicycle and do so much outdoors exercise. After riding along the river for some time (which really made me want to go fishing...) we rode back into town and explored one of the many colleges of Cambridge University. We went and saw King's College. It was so impressive! The chapel for the college was massive - it was hard to believe it was a chapel for a University. Then, we drove to the east coast of England near a town called Lowestoft and saw the beach there. By this time it was a bit rainy outside and the temperature had dropped a bit, but it was lovely. It made me wish I had a kite to fly, as it was extremely windy. The beach was sandy and was lined with colorful little beach huts. We did not stay there for very long because of the rain, but it was really nice to see and feel the ocean. I really enjoyed my time in Cambridge and had such a fabulous host.
Off to Brighton...
Monday, August 18, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Brussels / France (take two)
Hokay, so.
I arrived in Brussels and made my way to Taz and Paolo's flat. I was not really sure who to expect to be there, as I had not met them before (a friend of a friend sort of thing), but I was sure it would be great. Unfortunately, I was terribly wrong. Just kidding! They greeted me with smiles and warmth, it was wonderful. They were taking an extended weekend to go to Fontainebleau to do some climbing and hanging out (hanging... ha!). Along with Taz, the American, Paolo, the Italian, and myself came a family actually from Belgium: Hans, Alex, and Freia. We were a wonderfully odd bunch and had a swell time together. From climbing (when it wasn't raining...) to exploring the Chateau (when it was raining...) it was a swell time. Also while camping in France, we met a family from Wales: Grant, Cathrine, Naomi, Noah, and Hannah. The latter three were ages 11, 9, and 4 - so a fun bunch to be around. We ended up climbing with them for a day and thoroughly enjoyed their company. It was a great weekend with fantastic company. I am going to go back to Brussels, I left some belongings at the flat to ensure it...
*edit*
Freia: sorry for the misspelling of your name... If it makes you feel any better, I generally spell names (and most other words, for that matter) incorrectly.
I arrived in Brussels and made my way to Taz and Paolo's flat. I was not really sure who to expect to be there, as I had not met them before (a friend of a friend sort of thing), but I was sure it would be great. Unfortunately, I was terribly wrong. Just kidding! They greeted me with smiles and warmth, it was wonderful. They were taking an extended weekend to go to Fontainebleau to do some climbing and hanging out (hanging... ha!). Along with Taz, the American, Paolo, the Italian, and myself came a family actually from Belgium: Hans, Alex, and Freia. We were a wonderfully odd bunch and had a swell time together. From climbing (when it wasn't raining...) to exploring the Chateau (when it was raining...) it was a swell time. Also while camping in France, we met a family from Wales: Grant, Cathrine, Naomi, Noah, and Hannah. The latter three were ages 11, 9, and 4 - so a fun bunch to be around. We ended up climbing with them for a day and thoroughly enjoyed their company. It was a great weekend with fantastic company. I am going to go back to Brussels, I left some belongings at the flat to ensure it...
*edit*
Freia: sorry for the misspelling of your name... If it makes you feel any better, I generally spell names (and most other words, for that matter) incorrectly.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Brussels and France
I am kind of skipping Pisa... where I had a lovely time and met some wonderful people. I saw the tower and all that jazz too. Good times.
Hokay,
Brussels / France
Wonderful! (more to come later)
I am now in Cambridge, England and am getting ready to go see a Shakespeare show...
Hokay,
Brussels / France
Wonderful! (more to come later)
I am now in Cambridge, England and am getting ready to go see a Shakespeare show...
Monday, August 11, 2008
Answering a few questions
These are just a few questions different people had, so here are the answers. Also, the next week or so I will figure out the photos...
I have a question, though, about the money. What is the little symbol before the money amount called? It that a pound or a euro? Also what is the exchange rate?
The euro (€) is used in most of Europe and the EU (European Union), the UK, however, decides to still use the pound (£). One euro is just over 1.5 US dollars and one British pound is about 2 US dollars.
Have you drank out of that water fountain yet? / Did you drink from the public fountains?
Jeremiah: Do you mean the water fountains in Rome or a different one?
I drank out of any public fountain I walked past. The water coming out of them was always so good and cool, and they all looked so neat that I couldn't help but stop to fill up my bottle.
How did you like the stylishly dressed Italian women on their motorcylces?
I actually did not see very many stylishly dressed Italian women motorcycles. I have seen a lot of motorcycles everywhere I have gone, but I have not been paying enough attention to notice the dress of the riders.
Did you throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain?
I did throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, ensuring that I will return to Rome. :-)
Romania. Isn't Count Dracula from there?
Count Dracula is from Romania. I didn't go to his city, but I did pass by it on train.
Now that I am home from China I am glued to the Olympic coverage in China. Is all of Europe excited or ignoring it?
I have not been staying with anyone who has paid any attention to the Olympic coverage. I had even forgotten that the Olympics were on... I am so out of it when it comes to news. I have not been able to read the news for some time, unfortunately. So, I am not sure about all of Europe but I have not seen or heard about the Olympics since I have been here.
I have a question, though, about the money. What is the little symbol before the money amount called? It that a pound or a euro? Also what is the exchange rate?
The euro (€) is used in most of Europe and the EU (European Union), the UK, however, decides to still use the pound (£). One euro is just over 1.5 US dollars and one British pound is about 2 US dollars.
Have you drank out of that water fountain yet? / Did you drink from the public fountains?
Jeremiah: Do you mean the water fountains in Rome or a different one?
I drank out of any public fountain I walked past. The water coming out of them was always so good and cool, and they all looked so neat that I couldn't help but stop to fill up my bottle.
How did you like the stylishly dressed Italian women on their motorcylces?
I actually did not see very many stylishly dressed Italian women motorcycles. I have seen a lot of motorcycles everywhere I have gone, but I have not been paying enough attention to notice the dress of the riders.
Did you throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain?
I did throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, ensuring that I will return to Rome. :-)
Romania. Isn't Count Dracula from there?
Count Dracula is from Romania. I didn't go to his city, but I did pass by it on train.
Now that I am home from China I am glued to the Olympic coverage in China. Is all of Europe excited or ignoring it?
I have not been staying with anyone who has paid any attention to the Olympic coverage. I had even forgotten that the Olympics were on... I am so out of it when it comes to news. I have not been able to read the news for some time, unfortunately. So, I am not sure about all of Europe but I have not seen or heard about the Olympics since I have been here.
The Rest of Romania - a short excerpt on a few other things I did...
All of my time in Romania was wonderful. Every member of Andreea's family greeted me with such great hospitality and kindness, even though we could not understand each other. One day we went to a street market in the city and just had a city day. It was really nice, we walked all around town and saw some beautiful churches. Another day we went to this botany garden that was so big and beautiful. People in Romania love flowers, it seems. There are so many floral designs and many people have beautiful flower gardens infront of their house. It adds so much color to everything.
I had a really good time in Romania and every person I met there was completely wonderful. Romania is a beautiful country with beautiful cultures.
I had a really good time in Romania and every person I met there was completely wonderful. Romania is a beautiful country with beautiful cultures.
Baptized in Romanian Water (figuratively, that is)
Day one in Romania (after the very long and scary train ride):
Once I was with Andreea, a great weight was lifted off my shoulders - it felt so good to speak with a friend. As soon as we arrived at her grandparents house, her grandmother came out to great us and feed us. The whole week I was fed nonstop... it was great!
Most of the meals are meat based and have bread with them. I ate several different peoples homemade sausage, which was a lot better than I expected - I liked it and I don't like the sausage from back home. The week before I came they had slaughtered a pig, so nearly all the meat we ate was from the pig. There is also fruit everywhere, it was amazing! If I wanted a pear or plum or apple or blackberries while I was out walking, I would simply turn to my side and pick one or ten. It was the best ever...
So, after we ate dinner, I wanted to take a shower. (This was one of my favorite things in Romania) The shower is heated by a wood stove, so if you want to take one, it takes near an hour for the water to heat up. The water for the shower comes from a reserve that runs down a mountain (hill) near by. The water is not perfectly clear, you can see a bit of discoloration in it from its journey down the hill towards the house. It was really neat. Also, the shower and bathroom are not in the house, they are in the barn, which is connected to the house, there is just not a door between the two. So, I was baptized in Romanian water and had a most proper welcoming.
Once I was with Andreea, a great weight was lifted off my shoulders - it felt so good to speak with a friend. As soon as we arrived at her grandparents house, her grandmother came out to great us and feed us. The whole week I was fed nonstop... it was great!
Most of the meals are meat based and have bread with them. I ate several different peoples homemade sausage, which was a lot better than I expected - I liked it and I don't like the sausage from back home. The week before I came they had slaughtered a pig, so nearly all the meat we ate was from the pig. There is also fruit everywhere, it was amazing! If I wanted a pear or plum or apple or blackberries while I was out walking, I would simply turn to my side and pick one or ten. It was the best ever...
So, after we ate dinner, I wanted to take a shower. (This was one of my favorite things in Romania) The shower is heated by a wood stove, so if you want to take one, it takes near an hour for the water to heat up. The water for the shower comes from a reserve that runs down a mountain (hill) near by. The water is not perfectly clear, you can see a bit of discoloration in it from its journey down the hill towards the house. It was really neat. Also, the shower and bathroom are not in the house, they are in the barn, which is connected to the house, there is just not a door between the two. So, I was baptized in Romanian water and had a most proper welcoming.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
A Very Long Day on Very Little Sleep
7-28-08 / 7-29-08
Okay, so... I am typing on a crazy french keyboard. I had no idea, the letters are all mixed up.
My trip to Romania was a hard one. My trains didn't work out, meaning I had to wait at the Bucaresti train station over night for nine hours... scary. To top that off, my phone died so I could not contact my friend Andreea if I needed help. Luckily I survived, I just couldn't sleep or speak. If I slept all my stuff would be gone when I woke; if I spoke, people would know I was not Romanian and American, creating more trouble. It was very stressful, but very good (in a strange way). It pushed me to think practically and to think past my fears. It was not something I would want to do again, but it worked out.
The Romanian train rides were very beautiful. The country side is so beautiful and everything is such a mixture of old and new, it is so interesting. It gives every place such character when a horse drawn carriage is being pulled down the highway next to a brand new Logan car (Logan is the Lexus of the states, it is a very popular car) or when the cows are brought home, through the main street of town, by the gypsys at promptly 8:30 every night. It is such an interesting and wonderful place.
Anyway, after traveling for 26 hours by train I arrived in Cluj where Andreea picked me up and we went back to her grandparents house. I was imediately treated with such great hospitality, it was phanominal.
...
more to come soon. it is 1 am here in belguim (where i currently am) and i am waking early to go to Fontaine Bleau (a lovely climbing area) in the morning with some friends I am staying with here in Brussels.
I promise I will finish Romania and get totally caught up this weekend so you all can know what is happening instead of what happened last week.
Until sooner than later,
Ciao
Okay, so... I am typing on a crazy french keyboard. I had no idea, the letters are all mixed up.
My trip to Romania was a hard one. My trains didn't work out, meaning I had to wait at the Bucaresti train station over night for nine hours... scary. To top that off, my phone died so I could not contact my friend Andreea if I needed help. Luckily I survived, I just couldn't sleep or speak. If I slept all my stuff would be gone when I woke; if I spoke, people would know I was not Romanian and American, creating more trouble. It was very stressful, but very good (in a strange way). It pushed me to think practically and to think past my fears. It was not something I would want to do again, but it worked out.
The Romanian train rides were very beautiful. The country side is so beautiful and everything is such a mixture of old and new, it is so interesting. It gives every place such character when a horse drawn carriage is being pulled down the highway next to a brand new Logan car (Logan is the Lexus of the states, it is a very popular car) or when the cows are brought home, through the main street of town, by the gypsys at promptly 8:30 every night. It is such an interesting and wonderful place.
Anyway, after traveling for 26 hours by train I arrived in Cluj where Andreea picked me up and we went back to her grandparents house. I was imediately treated with such great hospitality, it was phanominal.
...
more to come soon. it is 1 am here in belguim (where i currently am) and i am waking early to go to Fontaine Bleau (a lovely climbing area) in the morning with some friends I am staying with here in Brussels.
I promise I will finish Romania and get totally caught up this weekend so you all can know what is happening instead of what happened last week.
Until sooner than later,
Ciao
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