It's good to be home. There is comfort in familiarity and I needed a little of that. It hasn't been a relaxing week but I have had time to think. So here's what I've come up with-I think I might be different. I think I might see life more clearly and understand myself a little better. By learning about other people I have learned about myself and I appreciate that. I appreciate that they let me into their lives so I could learn about me.
The capacity to create and contribute is in each of us and the contributions I saw have inspired me. I witnessed the unlimited potential of man at work and the beauty that desire can produce. I learned of the strength of the spirit and the boundless opportunity we each have for growth. The whole experience has left me in awe of mankind. What can we not achieve? I now wonder what untapped reservoirs are still inside me and what accomplishments my spirit may yet fulfill.
As we traveled from country to country, over 2000 years of history unfolded before my eyes. I walked their streets, heard their voices and learned of their stories. I now feel like they are a part of me. I am a product of them and others will be a product of me-a priceless lesson for me to learn. The choices and actions of others (both good and bad) are inseparably connected to my place in the world and my choices will be responsible for others as well. I just feel a lot less alone.
There are some things I wish we had in America and other things I'm so glad that we don't. I love how accessible the public transportation is and I really wish we utilized trains the way they do-not sleeper trains mind you, just normal trains during the day. I really hate those sleeper trains. The cities are walker/biker friendly and that is how most people get around. I would love to live in a place where you really just don't need a car. I also love that everything is so old but still as much in use as the day it was built. Everywhere you walk, you are tromping through time. But, above all I will miss the bakeries. Oh, how I love all those bakeries. No matter where we were, the aroma of fresh bread could be enjoyed. Every day we would explore an ancient city on foot sustained by the energy of fresh pastries and rolls. Life doesn't get any better than that.
Just as abundant as the bakeries though are the chain smokers-both young and old. I breathed in more second hand smoke in that one month than I have in all the other months I've been alive. SO many people smoke there and no one seems to care if they are exhaling right into your formerly clean lungs. I definitely will not miss that. I also will not miss trying to find where I am. Cities in Europe-including London-are not particularly well marked, and many cities are not laid out in a systematic way. So when you add that to the fact that everything is in a different language AND to the fact that I am not the best with direction and maps even in America, you can see why that might be a problem. After a while I just stopped looking at the maps because it never seemed to make much difference. Plus, maps made me feel like a tourist, which I was, and I hated feeling like I was a tourist. Of course, everyone always knew we were Americans-map or not-and they loved to put in their two cents about our politics and what they thought about America. But even if they didn't like George Bush, they were usually very nice to us. I found Europeans (excluding the French) to be tremendously friendly, generous and helpful and they wanted us to enjoy their country. I will miss all the people the most.
I think this experience was exactly what I needed and I'm really glad I went. I feel enriched, fulfilled and replenished and ready to have a life again. Stability seems always to evade me but maybe I'll have some sort of routine for a while. I am excited for new opportunities and I feel blessed by those of my past. I realized that life is pretty darn good sometimes and that might just be the lesson I needed to learn the most.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
And the winner is...Germany!
No contest, Germany is the best place I've been this entire month-and one of the best of my life come to think of it. It's been a whirlwind week of medieval towns, castles and some of the most beautiful countryside ever created. I have been told some of my ancestors came to America from Frankfurt-I'm going to have to have a word with them about that someday. I could have been born in Germany! Honestly, what were they thinking?
So, we began the week traveling to Salzburg-famous because of the Sound of Music and Mozart. Those hills really do inspire one to burst out into song. We saw some of the places where parts of the movie were filmed and the theatre where the actual Von trapps sang. We also toured the church where Mozart played the organ for a few years-my favorite church of all of Europe (and that's saying something because I have seen a heck of a lot of churches). I could have spent a whole week in that little town alone. We only had an afternoon there but I decided it was alright because I'm going back. There is too much of the Alps country I haven't yet seen and I'm not finished traveling Austria and Germany so anyone who wants to see some of the greatest places on earth is welcome to come with me...Germany 2009?
Next day-fairytale Germany. Before Sleeping Beauty there was Mad King Ludwig and Neuschwanstein. Up in the mountains this misunderstood dreamer commissioned the building of the most romantic castle ever to show its face in Bavaria. Unfortunately he ran out of money and was murdered before he could finish it-but what there is of it is pretty darn cool. Walt Disney thought so too because he patterned his castle in Disneyworld after this one in Germany. At the bottom of the hill there is another castle where he and his family actually lived so we got the grand tour of both.
So here's an example of how beautiful the country is. The weather in the mountains that day was freezing cold-scheduled to snow the next day-and it was raining on top of that. I hate to be cold-really, I HATE to be cold. And being wet on top of cold is just plain miserable. I actually had to break down and buy a sweatshirt while I was there at a ridiculous price because I don't even have a coat. Of course it says Neuschwantstein castle, Germany on it and of course I have had to wear it every day since then so if people weren't sure I was a tourist before, they sure are now. I've gotten the "you're really dumb" stare many times and I should care, but I don't. Being warm is way more important than my image in Europe so whatever, I have gladly worn the sweatshirt. Anyway, even with the miserable cold, that day was unbelievably enjoyable because it was just too beautiful to be anything but grateful to be alive. I never thought I would say this but I think the autumn in New England has finally met its match. I wouldn't have believed it before I came here but the colors here rival those of upstate New York, it hurts a little to say that but it's really true.
If possible, the next day was even colder but I'm kind of glad it was. That morning we went to Dauchau-a concentration camp right outside of Munich-and the cold made me appreciate their suffering even more. We spent several hours touring the camp and reading story after story of what the prisoners experienced. There were hundreds of first hand accounts of what those poor people went through and I must say I was deeply affected. The movie we saw made me sick to my stomach and it took me a while before I could speak again but I am glad that I was there. How can there be so much ugliness in such a wonderful place? It is a scene I will not soon forget.
Okay, back to the beauty-the Bauers, Landshut (pronounced Landsoot), and the greatest medieval festival of all time. My Aunt Patti hooked us up with a wonderful family (thanks Aunt Patti!) who will always be near and dear to my heart. Their son Sebastian lives in Munich so we stayed with him the two nights we were there and then we spent two nights with the family in Landshut while we toured that fantastic little place. It actually isn't that little (65,000) but the old town area makes it feel quaint and homey. It is older than Munich and it used to be headquarters of Bavaria until the queen could not produce a male heir. It has a great history that is replicated every four years in the most authentic and important festival in all of Europe. The only people who can be part of it are Germans born and raised in Landshut with certain looks and connections. The qualifications are incredibly specific (height, length of hair, etc...) but it's a really big deal to be part of it. People travel from all over the world to attend and it is coming up this June. All four Bauers are usually in it so they told us some awesome stories. It's funny, Landshut is incredibly proud of this festival-everywhere you go people tell you about it. But hey, if I had a claim like that I'd probably be talking about it too.
The Bauers treated us like the oldest and dearest friends and it was so nice to be in a home with a real family. She made great Bavarian dishes (like Schnitzel and Bavarian pretzels-the best pretzels on earth) and they even bought us alcohol free beer because "you can't be in Germany and not drink German beer." We had a great time touring the town, the castle and the "mall" (not a mall according to American standards) and finished the trip off with an all night prison party-yes, a prison party. You see, Landshut recently openend a new prison so they had an empty prison just sitting there waiting to be partied in. So, for Halloween over a thousand young Germans in Landshut got together for this massive event. There was lots of dancing, drinking and smoking. Needless to say it is much cooler to be able to say that I spent Halloween in a German prison then it was to actually be there, but that's okay, it's all about the experience. Besides the fact that I didn't understand anything anyone said it felt like I was at a party in America. Everyone looked and dressed like the kids back home and all of the music was stuff I knew (mostly from the 90's) so of course I showed 'em how we break it down in the states. In other places I've been people have had a certain look, but in Germany not so much. Anyway, it was...fun but once is enough.
I was really sad to leave that place, I could totally be happy living there, but if I'd known what was ahead it wouldn't have been so hard. Rothenburg showed up next on our itinerary and if possible, this town was even cooler than Landshut. Can I just say medieval towns are the best? Of course we had to hit the big three-the castle, the church and the river (as long as you have those three things, you have a town) but this one was completely enclosed by an old stone wall that you could walk through just like the knights did way back in the day. It is completely preserved and at Christmastime it is packed with tourists. Christmas is a big deal in Germany and now I see why. Rothenburg would be the perfect place to get you in the holiday spirit. The shops were full of Nutcrackers and ornaments and if I wasn't poor and unemployed I would have bought something. After inhaling a Schneeball we jumped back on the train for more castle hopping. Next stop...Bacharach-a tiny tiny town along the Rhine. It was dark when we got there and the town was completely silent. It was Halloween night and it felt like it-kind of eerie. I guess Bacharach shuts down by the end of October because nothing was open and no one was around. Luckily we found a bed and breakfast that was open which turned out to be one of my favorites. The owner was an adorable little lady who spoke very little English but loved to give hugs. She made us breakfast in the morning and served honey her husband harvested from their own bees and marmalade she made herself. It was awesome. When we left that morning she opened the window from the 3rd floor and waved to us until we were out of site-I want to go back there.
Once we found the train station (harder to do than it sounds, the platform is a patch of grass) we got on for one more day of prime countryside viewing-this time along the Rhine river which is famous for it's scenic towns and mythical castles. Each one has a history and a legend-very few of which I actually believe-but it was definitely fun to learn about. After traveling all day (Germany is so big!) we finally got to Belgium-final destination, Brugge. Brugge is famous for Beer and Chocolate and is known as Venice of the North. It was great, but it would have been better if I had seen it when I was fresh. I'm kind of done and I was still depressed that I had to leave Germany. We had a fun time there but I think it's time to go home. There were a few minor museums that I would have been all about a few weeks ago and now all I wanted to do was buy some chocolate and go sit in the train station. We did tour the streets but I am tired of walking on cobblestone-great for pictures, horrible on your feet.
Anyway, now I am back in London and I'm headed home tomorrow. I must say it is incredibly refreshing to be back in a place where I understand the signs. I really really like London-have I said that before? I was reminded of it as I stepped off the Eurostar today. This is a great place. I have had an unbelievable experience but I think I'm ready for it to be over. My blisters have healed and my shoes are finally broken in, my jeans no longer fit and all my other clothes are permanently stretched out from being handwashed, and let's be honest-I really need a haircut. I'll post one more entry when I get home and finally put all my pictures up as well so check back one more time in a few days.
Thanks to all who have occasionally read this, it's been fun for me to write. See you in the states!
So, we began the week traveling to Salzburg-famous because of the Sound of Music and Mozart. Those hills really do inspire one to burst out into song. We saw some of the places where parts of the movie were filmed and the theatre where the actual Von trapps sang. We also toured the church where Mozart played the organ for a few years-my favorite church of all of Europe (and that's saying something because I have seen a heck of a lot of churches). I could have spent a whole week in that little town alone. We only had an afternoon there but I decided it was alright because I'm going back. There is too much of the Alps country I haven't yet seen and I'm not finished traveling Austria and Germany so anyone who wants to see some of the greatest places on earth is welcome to come with me...Germany 2009?
Next day-fairytale Germany. Before Sleeping Beauty there was Mad King Ludwig and Neuschwanstein. Up in the mountains this misunderstood dreamer commissioned the building of the most romantic castle ever to show its face in Bavaria. Unfortunately he ran out of money and was murdered before he could finish it-but what there is of it is pretty darn cool. Walt Disney thought so too because he patterned his castle in Disneyworld after this one in Germany. At the bottom of the hill there is another castle where he and his family actually lived so we got the grand tour of both.
So here's an example of how beautiful the country is. The weather in the mountains that day was freezing cold-scheduled to snow the next day-and it was raining on top of that. I hate to be cold-really, I HATE to be cold. And being wet on top of cold is just plain miserable. I actually had to break down and buy a sweatshirt while I was there at a ridiculous price because I don't even have a coat. Of course it says Neuschwantstein castle, Germany on it and of course I have had to wear it every day since then so if people weren't sure I was a tourist before, they sure are now. I've gotten the "you're really dumb" stare many times and I should care, but I don't. Being warm is way more important than my image in Europe so whatever, I have gladly worn the sweatshirt. Anyway, even with the miserable cold, that day was unbelievably enjoyable because it was just too beautiful to be anything but grateful to be alive. I never thought I would say this but I think the autumn in New England has finally met its match. I wouldn't have believed it before I came here but the colors here rival those of upstate New York, it hurts a little to say that but it's really true.
If possible, the next day was even colder but I'm kind of glad it was. That morning we went to Dauchau-a concentration camp right outside of Munich-and the cold made me appreciate their suffering even more. We spent several hours touring the camp and reading story after story of what the prisoners experienced. There were hundreds of first hand accounts of what those poor people went through and I must say I was deeply affected. The movie we saw made me sick to my stomach and it took me a while before I could speak again but I am glad that I was there. How can there be so much ugliness in such a wonderful place? It is a scene I will not soon forget.
Okay, back to the beauty-the Bauers, Landshut (pronounced Landsoot), and the greatest medieval festival of all time. My Aunt Patti hooked us up with a wonderful family (thanks Aunt Patti!) who will always be near and dear to my heart. Their son Sebastian lives in Munich so we stayed with him the two nights we were there and then we spent two nights with the family in Landshut while we toured that fantastic little place. It actually isn't that little (65,000) but the old town area makes it feel quaint and homey. It is older than Munich and it used to be headquarters of Bavaria until the queen could not produce a male heir. It has a great history that is replicated every four years in the most authentic and important festival in all of Europe. The only people who can be part of it are Germans born and raised in Landshut with certain looks and connections. The qualifications are incredibly specific (height, length of hair, etc...) but it's a really big deal to be part of it. People travel from all over the world to attend and it is coming up this June. All four Bauers are usually in it so they told us some awesome stories. It's funny, Landshut is incredibly proud of this festival-everywhere you go people tell you about it. But hey, if I had a claim like that I'd probably be talking about it too.
The Bauers treated us like the oldest and dearest friends and it was so nice to be in a home with a real family. She made great Bavarian dishes (like Schnitzel and Bavarian pretzels-the best pretzels on earth) and they even bought us alcohol free beer because "you can't be in Germany and not drink German beer." We had a great time touring the town, the castle and the "mall" (not a mall according to American standards) and finished the trip off with an all night prison party-yes, a prison party. You see, Landshut recently openend a new prison so they had an empty prison just sitting there waiting to be partied in. So, for Halloween over a thousand young Germans in Landshut got together for this massive event. There was lots of dancing, drinking and smoking. Needless to say it is much cooler to be able to say that I spent Halloween in a German prison then it was to actually be there, but that's okay, it's all about the experience. Besides the fact that I didn't understand anything anyone said it felt like I was at a party in America. Everyone looked and dressed like the kids back home and all of the music was stuff I knew (mostly from the 90's) so of course I showed 'em how we break it down in the states. In other places I've been people have had a certain look, but in Germany not so much. Anyway, it was...fun but once is enough.
I was really sad to leave that place, I could totally be happy living there, but if I'd known what was ahead it wouldn't have been so hard. Rothenburg showed up next on our itinerary and if possible, this town was even cooler than Landshut. Can I just say medieval towns are the best? Of course we had to hit the big three-the castle, the church and the river (as long as you have those three things, you have a town) but this one was completely enclosed by an old stone wall that you could walk through just like the knights did way back in the day. It is completely preserved and at Christmastime it is packed with tourists. Christmas is a big deal in Germany and now I see why. Rothenburg would be the perfect place to get you in the holiday spirit. The shops were full of Nutcrackers and ornaments and if I wasn't poor and unemployed I would have bought something. After inhaling a Schneeball we jumped back on the train for more castle hopping. Next stop...Bacharach-a tiny tiny town along the Rhine. It was dark when we got there and the town was completely silent. It was Halloween night and it felt like it-kind of eerie. I guess Bacharach shuts down by the end of October because nothing was open and no one was around. Luckily we found a bed and breakfast that was open which turned out to be one of my favorites. The owner was an adorable little lady who spoke very little English but loved to give hugs. She made us breakfast in the morning and served honey her husband harvested from their own bees and marmalade she made herself. It was awesome. When we left that morning she opened the window from the 3rd floor and waved to us until we were out of site-I want to go back there.
Once we found the train station (harder to do than it sounds, the platform is a patch of grass) we got on for one more day of prime countryside viewing-this time along the Rhine river which is famous for it's scenic towns and mythical castles. Each one has a history and a legend-very few of which I actually believe-but it was definitely fun to learn about. After traveling all day (Germany is so big!) we finally got to Belgium-final destination, Brugge. Brugge is famous for Beer and Chocolate and is known as Venice of the North. It was great, but it would have been better if I had seen it when I was fresh. I'm kind of done and I was still depressed that I had to leave Germany. We had a fun time there but I think it's time to go home. There were a few minor museums that I would have been all about a few weeks ago and now all I wanted to do was buy some chocolate and go sit in the train station. We did tour the streets but I am tired of walking on cobblestone-great for pictures, horrible on your feet.
Anyway, now I am back in London and I'm headed home tomorrow. I must say it is incredibly refreshing to be back in a place where I understand the signs. I really really like London-have I said that before? I was reminded of it as I stepped off the Eurostar today. This is a great place. I have had an unbelievable experience but I think I'm ready for it to be over. My blisters have healed and my shoes are finally broken in, my jeans no longer fit and all my other clothes are permanently stretched out from being handwashed, and let's be honest-I really need a haircut. I'll post one more entry when I get home and finally put all my pictures up as well so check back one more time in a few days.
Thanks to all who have occasionally read this, it's been fun for me to write. See you in the states!
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