Yo-de-le-hee-whooo

Interlaken, 24 March

We made it to Interlaken around 10 am. The ride there is stunning; the train wends its way around the lakeside, next to cottages that seem to have been there for eons. Interlaken is a relatively small city (32,000) and the crowd disembarking with us was mostly skiers, snowboarders and the odd backpacker.

After wandering for a few minutes trying to find the tourist office to ask about hiking trails, a railway staff member told us all was closed--and we realized Easter Monday was the cause for the ghost town we were seeing. All the fondue restaurants and sportswear shops were closed!


Undaunted, we took the dinky town map offered to us by the railway lady (which cut off halfway across the first bridge we had to cross) and courageously decided to follow the vague directions in the Let's Go to find the Harder Kulm trail.


Told to follow the "white-red-white" signs, we set off up the mountain. At first, it was Canadian provincial park style hiking--but this quickly escalated to knee-wobbling, side-of-mountain trails. We traded backpack-wearing duties and quickly shed some layers as we ascended the trail. finding faded trail markers ever km (it seemed) or so. Every so often, a Swiss hiker would bound past us, brandishing two ski poles as they either breezed up the rocky path or jumped past us on the way down. Either direction, they had traction like mountain goats. We, on the other hand, delicately picked our way from stone to stone. It only got slower as the snow started to appear.

Yet despite our pace, we absolutely enjoyed the hike. Every corner brought another stunning view of the neighbouring Swiss Alps, and the sense of accomplishment after navigating a particularly dodgy stretch of trail was exhilarating. Standing near the summit (we had to turn back 20 minutes from the top because the snow was knee-deep) and seeing the fog drift in from the lake at almost 1300 feet, was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had.


(Sir Jean Hillary, above ;))

When we finally reached the bottom, with minimal slippage and having discussed at length our list of Things To Do Before You Die (it felt particularly relevant at this point) we rewarded ourselves with hot drinks... nice, 4-dollar hot drinks! ;)

Bern, 25 March

Due to an unfortunate turn of events involving an outdated train schedule, we had to change our plans to meet Jo and Fran in Munich yesterday and book one night in a hostel in there. We're staying in the same one that Bryan and I did in August--easy access to the train station for our 6:45 am train tomorrow morning!

But before we took off for Munich this afternoon, we walked around Bern for a little while. I feel we didn't quite see it all, however. The city was slowly waking up after a heavy snowfall the night before, and all the places we wanted to see were a bit obscured. But I think that's an interesting way to see Bern, because buried under 10 cm of snow is how it should look. It makes all the brown-gabled Swiss homes look snug and wintery.


With the lack of tourists around, it's also more possible to look past the Toblerones and ski equipment and see a normal city operating, one that's as excited to help host the upcoming UEFA 2008 soccer tournament as they are pleased to point you in the right direction.

Nine Hours of Daydreaming

Train to Zurich, 23 March, 11 am

Urban grids have given way to peaceful fields as we make our way, rather calmly, to our eventual destination of Zurich. Zuuuu-rrr-iccch rolls off the tongue and makes the city sound sharp and serious, sophisticated and expensive. I know it'll be a contrast to gritty Bratislava and elegant Vienna and although we're only there for an hour, it'll be enough to reinforce the reputations it and Geneva have as Swiss powerhouses. Bern, on the other hand, is supposedly smaller and more like a toyland-- just what we expect of the land of Heidi, cuckoo clocks, and Lindt chocolate.

So I munch on my half-loaf of rye bread, smelly meat and cheese and blueberry-lavender chocolate, and muse about our travels so far. I had no idea last summer that I'd eventually look out a train window and see idyllic lakes and mountains with squat alpine houses keeping company among the hills. It all seems so very Tolkien.

I know I'm extremely lucky to have had this amazing year but don't want to lapse into cliche to describe my gratitude. Really, when people say "Ah! You're so lucky!", I want to reply that it's entirely possible for anyone to go. If you're willing to sit on trains for hours, buy a 1 euro coffee at McDonald's for lunch and stay for the warmth, or skip expensive museums to sit beside the Danube and feed the ducks, you can afford it. And then you won't miss the view I have as I write this-- misty mountains couched by a shimmering lake. Seriously. It's not a cliche.

2:45 pm

I wonder if the eastern Swiss and western Austrians feel claustrophobic living among mountains and trees. What a difference to the moors of northern England or even the cornfields of southern Ontario. Here, every town is blessed with the turquoise water and mountain backdrop of a Lake Louise. I wonder if they still look at the scenery in amazement every day.

4:32 pm

Arrived in Zurich to see Jean waiting for me right at the platform-- how nice and easy! She's had a great week with her sister "eating their way through Italy" as she puts it, driving through Tuscany in search of gastronomical pleasures. What better place, really?


We caught the train to Bern within five minutes (no wandering about Zurich for us) and found our hostel quite easily. It's right beside the river Aare, below the Bundeshaus, home of the Swiss Parliament. Bern is quite compact for a capital city, so we'll be easily able to visit most of the monuments, some of which are literally a stone's throw from the hostel. And tomorrow-- up early to visit Interlaken!

"The hills are alive..."

Vienna

20 March

We met Baron Karl Chizzola last night, a friend of Johanna's parents. He and his wife Sybille have been kind enough to invite us to stay in half of their apartment in a quiet, pretty part of Vienna. The flat is full of classical art, family portraits and little mementos. It's a wonderful place to stay while exploring the city, and Karl has been so helpful explaining how to get around, gifting us with public transport passes, and preparing breakfast. He even took us to the tram station himself! After he left us, we managed to get to the Ring Road, which encircles the oldest part of Vienna with the most attractions.

Vienna is slick and modern, even with the classical music influence. Most major composers lived and created music here and they remain the city's biggest tourist draw-- they, and the numerous artists whose work fills Vienna's many, many museums.


(The Austrian Parliament Buildings, above)

We visited the Kunsthistoriches Museum today, a huge, gorgeous building filled to the brim with priceless paintings by artists like Rembrandt, Titian, Vermeer, and others. They also had a stunning exhibition of medieval Chinese art, a Roman and Greek antiquities section, and a quirky collection by Arcimbaldo, who invented surrealism way back in the 16th century by painting human figures out of objects and animals. In the midst of all the formal portraits of the time, he was an innovator, completely supported by his open-minded patron, Maximilian II.


(Me, at the Hofsburg Palace)

After having some coffee, we saw a performance by the Vienna Imperial Orchestra in Beethovenplatz-- 2 hours of classical highlights by Mozart, R. & J. Strauss, and Beethoven. It was a good way for us opera novices to be introduced to classical performance: we're hoping to see the Philharmonic play tomorrow. The performance itself was partly classical and partly spectacle, though. With a campy MC and a gag where the percussionist shot corks (for free champagne, if caught) into the audience, we were skeptical at first, but the beautiful music convinced us our decision to buy tickets from a costumed guy on the street wasn't a bad one ;).

Bratislava

21 March


We had decided a few days ago to visit Bratislava, in the Slovak Republic, just to say we had. Today we did just that, leaving Vienna around 10:30 am and arriving there an hour later. The train station was sketchy (as they usually are) but as we made our way to the historic medieval city centre, the run-down buildings gave way to chic coffeeshops and stores. You can see the city making a real effort for tourism, as they should--the concrete and iron remnants of Bratislava's Communist past go hand and hand with the city's wonderfully colourful Eastern European history. We saw Bratislava Castle, a well-maintained 14th century fortress, their cathedral, and the aforementioned city centre. We also saw the inside of Tesco's for a while, while we gaped at the obscenely cheap prices for food and everything else they sell. We exchanged about 5 euros each for the day and still had some left over after food, Internet, and souvenirs.


Many parts of Bratislava are pretty grim, but the influence of being part of the EU is spreading, as new economic wealth springs up. Within the rather ill-kept buildings are companies like Siemens or Ernst & Young, showing the country's promise as a healthy member of the EU.

Vienna

After spending part of the day in Bratislava, we returned to Vienna and strolled around the inner Ring's shopping district. We saw St. Stephen's Church and the goofy breakdancers busking in front before heading north near the university and the Freud Museum to have dinner at Centimeter, a Let's Go favourite. Good beer, good food, good conversation: that's what seems to identify European culture and to a huge extent, Austria itself :).

22 March


"Right. So--flowers and strudel?"

At the end of our last day in Vienna, our list of things to do has been reduced to the very essence of the city. All we need is a little Mozart and it's the perfect experience!

We set off on foot today north of the Inner Ring, intent on seeing the Wien Wheel (every big city in Europe seems to have one) and buying food for our respective train rides tomorrow. Although the day was tame, it was nice to get a feel for a city that you usually can't get in just two days. Our four days here have been a nice way to relax (we are on vacation after all, as Johanna and Francesca reminded me after my first 8 am wake-up call in Budapest) and take in the atmosphere of a place.

We hadn't really figured Easter into our plans but not that many places have been closed. The opera was closed on Friday though, sadly, so we couldn't get cheap tickets, but we visited the Haus der Musik today and got a taste of the Vienna Philharmonic. The museum is a mix of the science of sound and the lives of the great composers. One room just played the 2008 New Year's Day Philharmonic concert on DVD in surround sound, and we sat and watched it for ages.


Tomorrow I split off from Johanna and Francesca, who are heading to Munich, and meeting Jean in Zurich. Jean's been travelling with her sister through England and Italy so she's coming from Florence and we're going to explore Bern and Interlaken together for a few days.

I have a marathon 9 hour ride to Zurich tomorrow, which does not look promising. Spending Easter Sunday alone isn't a great prospect, but being in Austria and Switzerland really, really does :). And hopefully Jean and I can spend the Sunday of Sundays (as Jean puts it) eating Swiss chocolate on the Alps while still thinking of our family gathering at home.

Home at last, plus Budapest!

I think one of the best feelings in the entire world is walking into your front door after a time away. My own space, my own things: I missed my room!

BUT-- what an amazing trip. The stats? We covered 9 countries in 20 days (spending over 50 hours on trains) and stayed in 6 hostels and 2 private homes. We used 8 different currencies and heard 7 different native languages, learning how to say "please", "thank you", and "I'm lost" in each. And even with all the train mix-ups and bumps in the road, the four of us had the time of our lives. From Budapest to Bratislava, and Austria to Auschwitz, we stuck together and somehow made it from southern Europe to Scandinavia. 

I kept a journal throughout my trip, and I'm going to post my entries over the next few days along with some of my favourite pictures from each city. Hope you enjoy reading my thoughts on our travels... I'd love to hear any comments you may have as time goes on! :)

Also, here is the link to the last article I wrote for the Gazette this year about my exchange experience, if you'd like to read it! (For its original layout, click on the .pdf file on the righthand bar)

_________________________________

Budapest

18-19 March

Budapest is a city of extremes. Johanna, Francesca and I keep coming across things, like when we arrived at the sketchiest building in the world, which was opened by the oldest woman in the world, and were presented with the tiniest key in the world. The next day, after crossing the scariest bridge in the world, we discovered Budapest has the cheapest food in the world (I later took this back--ed.). It's tempting while there to buy a ton of different things because it's so dirt cheap. Tonight we ate dinner, albeit a simple one-- a loaf of bread and some Flora-- for less than 2 euros total. We were so proud of ourselves, we didn't even mind that it was the second day and we'd already run so low on forints that we debated to buy spread or fruit. Spread won.

The city itself is beautiful, full of massive, imposing buildings surrounded by a folky vibe. Hungarians have been occupied so many times that they're rejoicing in their democracy-- their Parliament is by far the biggest and most ornate edifice in the city.

Less well-known are the city's extensive underground caves. Sensing an interesting experience, we headed to Budapest Labyrinths to explore the ancient passageways below Buda Castle. Hundreds of metres of dark, drippy, surprisingly dimly lit paths wind together underground, accentuated by 20th century statues who stare gloomily at passers-by from the shadows. Even though we were following a group of schoolkids, all three of us were scared. We even tried one room that was completely dark--but resorted to taking flash pictures to cheat and get out faster!

Compared to touristy medieval Buda, its sister city Pest is a chic sophisticate. It's full of Western shopping chains and the people and cars look relatively affluent. The only thing that sticks out are the buildings. Not all of them are as well kept up as they would be further west. But it must be difficult-- Hungarians have been gradually rebuilding their city since its ruin during WWII and the subsequent Soviet occupation.

The Danube, on the other hand, is as beautiful as ever.

Did that really just happen?

My room suddenly seems really empty.

Sigh. Mom, my roomie, just left (bearing two suitcases full of my books-- Mom, I love you) but she, Rosemary, Grandma and I had a fantastic time the last four days as we travelled around Leeds, London, the West Yorkshire countryside, and York. The three worldly ladies left this morning from Manchester, back to the cold, cold avalanche of snow that has apparently fallen on southern Ontario… I bet now the torrential downpour that greeted us on Saturday night here doesn’t seem so bad now! :)

After recovering a bit from jetlag, Sunday afternoon we toured around Leeds; we saw the campus, the city centre, and ventured a bit further to see Kirkstall Abbey (below), the ruins of a 14th century monastery next to the river Aire. We also stumbled upon a St. Patrick’s Day parade and fair (just a week early) and saw some great Irish dancing. The city square was packed with local Irish patriots drinking Guinness and eating kiwi, of all things. After walking through the crowds, we met up with Matt and Erin and had lunch, which was lovely too.


The next day we tackled London, leaving really early and arriving around 10:30. True to British tradition, it poured, and we spent the day taking advantage of the brief patches of sunlight that came around every so often. Happily, we had decided to do a bus tour, so we had shelter for most of the day! We managed to see the highlights, especially around the Thames, and Rosemary and I went into the Tower of London to explore and catch a glimpse of the crown jewels. I love to see piles of diamonds just lying around…although Rosemary and I decided that none of the diamond jewellery in the shop interested us, really ;).

So after a whirlwind day in London, we decided to take it easy the next day and took a short train ride out to Harrogate, just west of Leeds. Harrogate’s a quaint town in the middle of gorgeous countryside, and is quite close to the hamlet of Ripley, home of the famous Ripley Castle. We spent the day there, and what a beautiful day it was:


The Ingilby family has lived in the castle for 700 years, and still live there today. The family lives on the top floor, although the entire house does get used. The grounds are also open to the public, and you can get right up close to their deer as you walk around their lake. They also have an immaculate English garden…I felt like we had walked into a Jane Austen novel. The history there is amazing: James I stayed there once, as well as Oliver Cromwell and countless famous members of the nobility throughout the centuries. A well-known story is about Lady Jane Ingilby, who held Cromwell at double gunpoint while he slept in the library: she said that if Cromwell’s men found her brother in hiding, she might miss with the first shot, but not the second ;).

Tuesday we used our saved-up energy from the day before to visit York in the morning. It was nice to take a tour of Yorkminster Cathedral and then wander the shops and the Shambles before taking a break in a pub. Our time was short though, as Mom, Rosemary and Grandma had to get back to Leeds to take a train to Manchester, where they stayed the night before their really early flight the next morning!


It was a crazy, full four days, but also incredibly fun … I never thought I’d be able to say I’d gone to a pub with my mum, either, but it happened! Woodie’s Alehouse: a real, live, local pub filled with shouting football fans… and Rosemary, Mom and I. Loved it.

So, thank you so much for coming over and visiting me! I can’t tell you how great it was to see you all and be able to show you, up close, my life over here. And I swear, again-- I do actually go to school! ;)

xx

Tick, tock, tick tock...

The countdown to Mom, Grandma, and Rosemary continues!

Dad and I have been talking all morning while trying to track down these three as they cross the Atlantic. We've just seen that their flight landed in Amsterdam, but because of the massive snowstorm I'm told has happened/is imminent, they're 3 hours late. Well, I guess if you're detained, Amsterdam is the place to be-- even if it's only the airport. It could be worse... you could be stuck at Heathrow. In comparison, Schiphol Airport sells cheese and fake tulips-- much more exciting than boring old London.

I was really happy to hand in my last essay of the mid-semester on Thursday. It was odd, because immediately after, my zeal for watching the entire series of House online lessened substantially. I still love it, but find that my mid-essay habit of three episodes a day has diminished to about 1. And my YouTube intake is a bit less, too... hm...interesting...

Thursday night Johanna, Jean and I went to see Dance Show, a recital for all the dance societies to show what they've learned all this year. It was a good time. You could see the absolute glee on the dancers' faces while they perform :).

Last night I met up with Tasha, newly arrived this semester from Australia, and Jenna, newly arrived from Penn State, to see the Musical Theatre Society's production of Fame. I'm not helping out with this one so it was nice to see it from an audience member's perspective. Again, MT did themselves justice... what a fantastic production. Crystal and our friend PK from Backstage were working it so we met up with them after the show to hear all about the exclusive backstage goings-on ;).


The four of us going on the Whirlwind European Trip Part II: Eastern Boogaloo during the Easter holidays have been furiously planning and booking various things so we can jet off March 17th worry-free. This one is slightly more ambitious; we're planning to hit 8 countries in a little over two weeks. Here's the low-down:

Budapest
Vienna
Bern/Interlaken
Prague
Krakow
Berlin
Copenhagen
Stockholm

We use the term 'Eastern' loosely in this context, as Germany and Sweden don't necessarily identify themselves with Hungary, for instance. Francesca and Johanna are actually skipping Switzerland and going straight to Munich for three days, so I'm meeting Jean in Zurich as she comes in from Italy. I'm also quite excited to go back to Berlin again. I absoutely loved it the first time. It's all coming up so fast, I can't believe it.


(A picture Johanna took on the beach at Zandvoort aan Zee. Love it.)

So, I'm spending my afternoon researching for my Gazette travel article and doing laundry while waiting for Mom to call. We were planning on doing London, York, and Scarborough this week, but perhaps we'll crowbar Canterbury and Dover in, too. The south of England is supposed to be just as lovely as the North... can't wait :).

I'll post again when the ladies arrive with an update on their journey so far! Talk to you all soon!

P.S. Here's my final (snif) Gazette music article of '07-08. THANK YOU to the Gazette A&E staff for being so enthusiastic and accommodating this year, especially despite the long distance. It's been a really cool experience!

"...amid the hills/A small and silent dell!"

The Lake District is the symbol of the idealized British pastoral life that we read about in classic novels. If you’ve ever seen a BBC period drama, you probably know the scene: idyllic green fields dotted with sheep, dignified manor houses enfolded by trees, gravel walks lined with rustic fences. Our trip on Saturday to Windermere and Ambleside certainly fit this description, but it’s maybe not all I’d ever imagined the Lake District to be.


Maybe it’s because I’m taking Romantic Lit at the moment, but I was expecting Wordsworth and Coleridge’s land of the sublime-- there are mountains looming over Lake Windermere, definitely, but they were sunny and seemed far away. The B&B-saturated towns, meanwhile, are full of tourist-pleasing sights and products, most notably everything Beatrix Potter. Even Paddington Bear and Rupert Bear get into the mix.



Having said that, the area is quite beautiful. The drive from Leeds is gorgeous; the highway runs through the Yorkshire Dales, a stunning, wide-open area of rolling hills and farmland. Once you get to the Lake District, the road becomes winding again and you descend into little forests and further, little lakes.

After we arrived and had tea with scones and cream, we took a boat tour around Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake. Its largest island is also privately owned, surprisingly; there were a few houses here and there along its shore. Although it was cold and rainy, we stayed on top of the ship to take in the pretty view.

Later on, we wandered through Windermere and its immediate, sheep-populated surroundings and visited a couple of cafes, sweet shops, and gift shops until we boarded the bus again to drive to Ambleside, about 20 minutes away.

Ambleside’s biggest attraction is its Stock Ghyll Force, a rockin’ name for a 70 foot waterfall just outside of town. We managed to find the route to it and picked our way up the slope for about five minutes to get a better view. It’s a lovely, quiet little place. We then stopped in a café cutely called The Apple Pie for a quick roll before heading back to the bus and the three hour ride home.


It struck me when we were there that in first year at UWO I had lived on Windermere Road, which, after crossing the Thames, connects to Ambleside Drive. I guess I unknowingly lived in a mini-Lake District. All we were missing was the black-cloaked, furiously ranting figure of Coleridge wandering o’er the Saugeen moors, composing poetic masterpieces and drinking a bit too heavily. Although, maybe some tipsy first-year Philosophy students filled that void, come to think of it…



I think that when I remember visiting the district I’m not going to remember the rain and the shops, but rather the feeling of seeing the landscape that inspired Potter to create her books-- imagining Peter Rabbit’s garden and Jemima Puddle-duck’s pond is easy when you see the source. And everyone who read her books as a child like we did (I can picture Pete’s little, well-worn Peter Rabbit stuffed animal as I write this) and who saw Rupert cartoons and loved Paddington Bear will always carry that vision of these characters with them.

P.S. Thank you, Virginia, for your lovely comments! I appreciate it so much that you read my blog! I'm hoping to one day become as well-travelled as you are :).