Well, after a relaxing week we left the idle Belgian countryside for the bustling Paris! We spent 3 full days in Paris and although they were action packed I still feel that I have only seen a very small fraction of what Paris has to offer. I immediately fell in love with the city. I had a heard a lot of bad things about Paris, how busy and dirty it is, but I found that after the forewarning it didn't bother me at all. We did spend hours waiting in line for many of the attractions, but that is a small price to pay to see the sights in Paris.
Paris is absolutely full of art. From stylish outfits, to architecture, to music, to performances, even the way many of the Parisians talk, you can't help but notice that art is all around you. We went to 2 of the most amazing art museums I have ever seen. First of course, the Louvre. Over 4 miles of famous art from all over the world is incredible, and the building it's housed in is even more incredible. It's also quite funny to watch all the tourists make a beeline to the Mona Lisa, which is actually a very small paining, and although very famous, in my opinion not the most beautiful piece of art in the museum.
My sister and I also sampled some of the performing art that Paris had to offer. We went to the infamous Moulin Rouge. I can't believe the windmill is still going around and the crowds are still streaming in. The theater was lined with red velvet, the dancers were dressed from head to toe in rhinestones and the whole thing was very flashy, but at the same time very enjoyable to watch as we sipped our champagne.
We also had the pleasure of going to Versailles, the most notable palace I have seen thus far. With all that unnecessary wealth it's no wonder the French people revolted.
And of course, we did check out the Eiffel tower! We saw it many times from a distance, from the top of the Notre Dam, from the top of the Arc Du Triumph, and from many street squares, but it was truly huge up close, and breathtaking to see all lit up at night. We picked the absolute worst day to go, by the time we got there it was so windy we couldn't go all the way to the very top, and it was pouring down rain. Somehow my sister convinced me to do the stairs anyway (possibly because I didn't want to seem like an old fart that is no fun) and it ended up being a fun adventure going down the slippery stairs with the wind and rain threatening to throw us off. We got a few drowned rat pictures as well. Seeing the lights go on while we were up there was also a very cool sight to see.
It was also fun to practise our French. It is so nice to be somewhere where we partially understand the language, and although a lot of people do speak some English there, it is fun to get into the culture a little by attempting to converse in their language. And of course we enjoyed the best wine and cheese at cute little outdoor cafes.
Unfortunately I can't get any pics from this internet cafe so I'll put some on as soon as I can. We're in Amsterdam now and have just said goodbye to the parents. Just two sisters ready to begin this adventure!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Belgian Paradise
We've spent the last week staying with some long lost friends of my parents near Mons, Belgium. They live amongst many farms dotted with poppies out in the country of Belgium. Many thanks to Brian and Susanne for showing us the local side of Belgium and giving us a place to call home for a week - most valuable after travelling for over 4 months.
Our first day in Belgium was very magical. We toured Paradisio, an abandoned monastery and chateau that has been transformed into a beautiful garden and zoo. It was a bit commercial but you couldn't help but be charmed by the music that played as hawks soared above your head to classical music aside an old church tower. After a long, hot day of animal watching we headed to a charming little Belgian restaurant. After being seated and ordering our meals the waiter informed us that he had opened the restaurant just for us. Apparently the whole town shut down on Wednesdays but for some reason we were the special ones that day and we enjoyed the whole restaurant to ourselves. It was one of the best meals of the trip and sitting across from a great chateau in the sun, the setting was perfect.
Next we ventured to Bruges. With medieval churches and chateaus everywhere, Bruges is truly a feast for the eyes. Bruges introduced us to the 3 specialties of Belgium - chocolate, beer, and lace. Although I've never been big on lace, you can imagine I was in heaven with the worlds finest chocolate and beer. What more could one want? I can attest that Belgium really does have the most amazing chocolate and with each new beer I try I am more and more a Belgian beer lover! (I am sipping one right now!) I can't forget to mention the Belgian waffles as well, once again the best. I can't really describe it here, you're just going to have to come here and try one, truly heaven. We also had a unique experience as we climbed the bell tower in Bruges for the beautiful city view. After hearing we were Canadian, one man told us that he still remembered the Canadian soldiers that had liberated Belgium back when he was only 4 years old. Although that was way before my day, it made me proud to be a Canadian!
Lastly, we checked out Brussels, the capital of Belgium and also the administrative centre of the European union. Again one could admire the building for days, and hopefully I don't add too many boring building pictures to this section of the blog. There are just so many to admire, but I'm sure you have to see them in person to really appreciate them. We did check out the famous manniken de pis, a tourist must, and the chocolate museum, complete with free samples.
Although I knew little about Belgium before coming here, I'm very glad I came. Belgians truly know how to enjoy life and I've enjoyed living the good life for a short while. In this area the predominate language is French and it's been refreshing to be able to understand at least half the menu and even to be able to to converse a few words with the locals, even if it is in the worst possible French accent. Now that I've had a good French warm up our next stop is Paris!
If you are looking for more pictures and a different take on our adventures you can check out Kim's blog at kim648.blogspot.com
Belgian chocolate - the best!
Manniken Pis - Don't ask what Kim is doing!
A bridge over Paradisio!
Hakuna Matata
A waterfall to cool us off
Thousands of Belgian beers!
Great buildings of Brussels!
Chateau at Paradisio
A hawk!
Our own private restaurant beside a chateau
Bustling market of Bruges
View from the Canal
A busy square in Brussels
Here come the pictures!
Since I keep getting pestered here's some pictures from Copenhagen and Hamburg.
View of Copenhagen from 400 steps up a spiral church steeple.
In the rose garden at one of Copenhagen's many palaces.
Enjoying Danish danishes.
Two fisting it with the rents at Carlsberg brewery. YUM!
Still playing who's the better statue imitator
On the metro.....again!
Dad gets serenaded by a clarinet and an accordion at an outdoor cafe in Hamburg
Swan Canal
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Copenhagen and Hamburg - family reunion!
My parents met up with us in Vaxjo, Sweden. It was good to catch up with them again and to discuss our plans for our travels through Europe. After showing them around Vaxjo my sister packed up her stuff and sadly said goodbye to the other students.
Our first stop was Copenhagen, Denmark for 2 days. We hit up all the usual tourist sights including the little mermaid statue, the elaborate palace and beautiful surrounding gardens, and of course the Carlsberg brewery! The 2 free beers at the end of the tour were definitely the highlight! We also had a few Danish danishes! By far the best pastries I have ever sampled. My sister and I just happened upon a free concert one night and just soaked up the atmosphere with a couple beers from seven eleven!
Next we were off to Hamburg, Germany. Although a town of over one million, Hamburg is not a huge tourist destination. We were planning on doing some shopping on the Sunday we were there and found to our surprise that all the stores were closed. Apparently most areas of Europe are a lot more traditional in that sense. Not only are they close on Sunday but during the week it's rare to find stores open past six. We ended up doing a canal tour that was narrated in German and just relaxing in some of the great parks near the water.
Travelling with my family has been interesting. It's taken some time for my parents to get used to budget accommodation, like staying in a hotel with no hairdryer, elevator or tv and having to wait for the shower. I've found the train pure luxury compared to the buses of Asia. You can go virtually anywhere in Europe fairly quickly, the ride is so smooth you can read or write or even play cards. There is the occasional mistake made at the booking office, like putting my family on the quiet car and well, we are not quiet, but overall it's made travelling so much easier. Now after a travel day I feel revitalised rather than tired out, which is good since we are on a pretty tight schedule! Another challenge of course is ordering food. I am surprised at the lack of English menus and even vegetarian food. It makes choosing a restaurant a lot different when you can't read the menu, but at least the waiters can usually speak English.
We have now arrived in Belgium and are staying with some of my parents friends, stay posted for the Belgian update soon to come!
Our first stop was Copenhagen, Denmark for 2 days. We hit up all the usual tourist sights including the little mermaid statue, the elaborate palace and beautiful surrounding gardens, and of course the Carlsberg brewery! The 2 free beers at the end of the tour were definitely the highlight! We also had a few Danish danishes! By far the best pastries I have ever sampled. My sister and I just happened upon a free concert one night and just soaked up the atmosphere with a couple beers from seven eleven!
Next we were off to Hamburg, Germany. Although a town of over one million, Hamburg is not a huge tourist destination. We were planning on doing some shopping on the Sunday we were there and found to our surprise that all the stores were closed. Apparently most areas of Europe are a lot more traditional in that sense. Not only are they close on Sunday but during the week it's rare to find stores open past six. We ended up doing a canal tour that was narrated in German and just relaxing in some of the great parks near the water.
Travelling with my family has been interesting. It's taken some time for my parents to get used to budget accommodation, like staying in a hotel with no hairdryer, elevator or tv and having to wait for the shower. I've found the train pure luxury compared to the buses of Asia. You can go virtually anywhere in Europe fairly quickly, the ride is so smooth you can read or write or even play cards. There is the occasional mistake made at the booking office, like putting my family on the quiet car and well, we are not quiet, but overall it's made travelling so much easier. Now after a travel day I feel revitalised rather than tired out, which is good since we are on a pretty tight schedule! Another challenge of course is ordering food. I am surprised at the lack of English menus and even vegetarian food. It makes choosing a restaurant a lot different when you can't read the menu, but at least the waiters can usually speak English.
We have now arrived in Belgium and are staying with some of my parents friends, stay posted for the Belgian update soon to come!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Hello Europe!
The second leg of my trip has officially begun! I've been in Europe for almost a week now and it's definitely taken some adjusting. Things here in the Western world are very different from Asia. These are just a few examples I've noticed
-Things are about ten times the price here, I'm not even exaggerating. At first I didn't want to go into any museums or tours it seemed so expensive!
-I'm no longer labelled as a tourist by my white skin. It's great to be able to walk down a street without people harassing me for money, but I have to get used to all the people that start talking to me in Swedish. For some reason I feel dumb telling them I only speak English.
-As in Asia there are tons of open air cafes here.... but it's so cold they have to supply blankets to those people sitting outside. Doesn't that defeat the purpose?
-You no longer have to squat at the toilet, but it does cost you a buck.
-There are seat belts... even on the bus... AND cars actually stop at the crosswalks!
-Europeans are very in to fashion, especially leggings!
And that's just Sweden! Despite the culture shock, I've had a great time here so far. I flew in to Stockholm and was supposed to meet my sister at the train station. After frantically searching our waiting spot for half an hour I finally checked my email only to find she had missed her train. Looked like I was on my own this time. Furthermore, I hadn't booked a hostel, which apparently you have to do in Sweden. Luckily I was able to get one night, but the rest of the weekend was all booked up so I cut my stay in Stockholm to a mere two days.
Stockholm is an absolutely beautiful city! Built on a series of islands, there are stunning views from all areas of town. The narrow streets are full of colourful buildings, cute cafes, art galleries, museums and street performers. As you can imagine, I loved it! Two days was not nearly enough but I did get a chance to check out the Royal Palace, one of the largest in Europe! It was great to have a guide that was knowledgeable and spoke good English for once.
After hitting up Stockholm it was time for the delayed reunion with my sister! I took the luxurious high speed train up to Vaxjo to meet her. Vaxjo, coming from the Swedish word for lake is a small University town nestled between many lakes. The forested area almost reminds me of Prince George. Not only have I enjoyed some much needed bonding time with my sister, but Vaxjo has also been a quiet rest from all the hustle and bustle of the large cities I've been to. Not to mention it's great to have some home cooked food, free Internet and accommodation. I've also gotten to see a different side of Sweden. My sister is just finishing an exchange at the University and for the past couple days I've time warped back to the days of being a student and living in residence. Those exchange students sure do know how to party! (Don't worry mom, I'm looking after Kim!)
Now I have another week here in Vaxjo to rest up before my parents arrive to travel with us for three weeks. I'm not going to lie, I'm feeling a bit antsy, considering this is about the longest I've stayed anywhere on this trip but I think the rest should do me much good. Finally, here's some pics!!
I'm here! Dismounting my first high speed train in Vaxjo
Can you beleive this castle is actually on my sister's campus?
Great sunsets here in Vaxjo!
Sister, sister reuinion! A little Swedish Andersson's beer!
-Things are about ten times the price here, I'm not even exaggerating. At first I didn't want to go into any museums or tours it seemed so expensive!
-I'm no longer labelled as a tourist by my white skin. It's great to be able to walk down a street without people harassing me for money, but I have to get used to all the people that start talking to me in Swedish. For some reason I feel dumb telling them I only speak English.
-As in Asia there are tons of open air cafes here.... but it's so cold they have to supply blankets to those people sitting outside. Doesn't that defeat the purpose?
-You no longer have to squat at the toilet, but it does cost you a buck.
-There are seat belts... even on the bus... AND cars actually stop at the crosswalks!
-Europeans are very in to fashion, especially leggings!
And that's just Sweden! Despite the culture shock, I've had a great time here so far. I flew in to Stockholm and was supposed to meet my sister at the train station. After frantically searching our waiting spot for half an hour I finally checked my email only to find she had missed her train. Looked like I was on my own this time. Furthermore, I hadn't booked a hostel, which apparently you have to do in Sweden. Luckily I was able to get one night, but the rest of the weekend was all booked up so I cut my stay in Stockholm to a mere two days.
Stockholm is an absolutely beautiful city! Built on a series of islands, there are stunning views from all areas of town. The narrow streets are full of colourful buildings, cute cafes, art galleries, museums and street performers. As you can imagine, I loved it! Two days was not nearly enough but I did get a chance to check out the Royal Palace, one of the largest in Europe! It was great to have a guide that was knowledgeable and spoke good English for once.
After hitting up Stockholm it was time for the delayed reunion with my sister! I took the luxurious high speed train up to Vaxjo to meet her. Vaxjo, coming from the Swedish word for lake is a small University town nestled between many lakes. The forested area almost reminds me of Prince George. Not only have I enjoyed some much needed bonding time with my sister, but Vaxjo has also been a quiet rest from all the hustle and bustle of the large cities I've been to. Not to mention it's great to have some home cooked food, free Internet and accommodation. I've also gotten to see a different side of Sweden. My sister is just finishing an exchange at the University and for the past couple days I've time warped back to the days of being a student and living in residence. Those exchange students sure do know how to party! (Don't worry mom, I'm looking after Kim!)
Now I have another week here in Vaxjo to rest up before my parents arrive to travel with us for three weeks. I'm not going to lie, I'm feeling a bit antsy, considering this is about the longest I've stayed anywhere on this trip but I think the rest should do me much good. Finally, here's some pics!!
I'm here! Dismounting my first high speed train in Vaxjo
Can you beleive this castle is actually on my sister's campus?
Great sunsets here in Vaxjo!
Sister, sister reuinion! A little Swedish Andersson's beer!
The view from my hostel in Stockholm, well worth the 50 dollar bed. Ouch!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Goodbye Asia
Our last destination SE Asia was Kuta Beach, Bali. Despite massive bombings in 2002 and 2005 Kuta was probably the most touristed place we visited on the trip. It is easy to see why. Kuta is a long stretch of beach with great waves even for the beginner surfer without any treacherous reef below, beautiful sunsets, and of course tons of hotels, restaurants, and bars. Of course all this comes at a price. The people of Bali now depend on tourists for their income and thus have become very competitive at getting our attention. Whether you are trying to lay on the beach or take a stroll down a road someone is constantly trying to sell you something. I think my patience may have wore thin after being in Asia for 4 months and this was quite annoying.
Despite the pesky locals we did enjoy our last stop in Bali. We did a shipwreck dive that was absolutely amazing! There were so many neat fishes and coral all hugging this huge ship that we weaved in and out of. Our second diving trip wasn't quite as fun for me as the equipment was malfunctioning and I don't really think our guide was too qualified. That's Asia for you, anything to make a quick buck. It all turned out fine in the end but unfortunately I'm not too excited to get back in and dive. We did some more surfing and even found Dreamland, a near empty beach that was truly a surfer's paradise. In the process we got recruited for an Asaki Japanese beer commercial. I guess they needed some real and most importantly white surfers to run by in the background with their boards. They not only paid us but we got to hang out at a swanky resort all day. I may have found my second career! Of course we also enjoyed the nightlife and shopping, and all the western food at the restaurants we went to. (just a little tired of rice)
On the way over to Western civilization we hit Singapore one more time. Just a short visit consisting of sleeping one night in the airport and the second night in the red light district. That was a truly disgusting eye opening experience. We did stay in a pretty nice hotel, except for the fact that the rooms could be rented out hourly. I'll leave it at that. Other than that, I spent two days getting used to modern conveniences like a high speed train, a shopping metropolis and a great brewery on the river of Clarke Quay, the hottest spot in town.
Saying goodbye to Asia is a little bit sad. We've made so many amazing new memories and I feel like I have opened my eyes to so many things I never even dreamed of. The good and the bad. The contrast not only between home and Asia, but also between each of the individual countries that were all so unique and so interesting in their own ways. I never could have imagined what it would have been like in Asia, the same way I can't really explain what it was like now. It something you have to experience first hand. Saying goodbye to Lindsay is also sad. Over the last four months we got to know each other in so many ways, helped each other through tough experiences and shared the joy of great experiences. It will be a while before I stop having the urge to tell her all my random thoughts. At the same time I am ready to say goodbye to Asia. No more rice, no more being tagged as a white person with money, no more difficult transport. I'm sure Europe will have it's own unique challenges but I am excited and ready to take them on. I'm also very pumped to see my sister and parents again and to experience Europe with them.
Goodbye Asia
Note.... Once again technical difficulty with the pictures.... I think I might be cursed... You may have to contact me after my trip for Indonesia pictures.... Let's hope I have more luck in Europe!
Despite the pesky locals we did enjoy our last stop in Bali. We did a shipwreck dive that was absolutely amazing! There were so many neat fishes and coral all hugging this huge ship that we weaved in and out of. Our second diving trip wasn't quite as fun for me as the equipment was malfunctioning and I don't really think our guide was too qualified. That's Asia for you, anything to make a quick buck. It all turned out fine in the end but unfortunately I'm not too excited to get back in and dive. We did some more surfing and even found Dreamland, a near empty beach that was truly a surfer's paradise. In the process we got recruited for an Asaki Japanese beer commercial. I guess they needed some real and most importantly white surfers to run by in the background with their boards. They not only paid us but we got to hang out at a swanky resort all day. I may have found my second career! Of course we also enjoyed the nightlife and shopping, and all the western food at the restaurants we went to. (just a little tired of rice)
On the way over to Western civilization we hit Singapore one more time. Just a short visit consisting of sleeping one night in the airport and the second night in the red light district. That was a truly disgusting eye opening experience. We did stay in a pretty nice hotel, except for the fact that the rooms could be rented out hourly. I'll leave it at that. Other than that, I spent two days getting used to modern conveniences like a high speed train, a shopping metropolis and a great brewery on the river of Clarke Quay, the hottest spot in town.
Saying goodbye to Asia is a little bit sad. We've made so many amazing new memories and I feel like I have opened my eyes to so many things I never even dreamed of. The good and the bad. The contrast not only between home and Asia, but also between each of the individual countries that were all so unique and so interesting in their own ways. I never could have imagined what it would have been like in Asia, the same way I can't really explain what it was like now. It something you have to experience first hand. Saying goodbye to Lindsay is also sad. Over the last four months we got to know each other in so many ways, helped each other through tough experiences and shared the joy of great experiences. It will be a while before I stop having the urge to tell her all my random thoughts. At the same time I am ready to say goodbye to Asia. No more rice, no more being tagged as a white person with money, no more difficult transport. I'm sure Europe will have it's own unique challenges but I am excited and ready to take them on. I'm also very pumped to see my sister and parents again and to experience Europe with them.
Goodbye Asia
Note.... Once again technical difficulty with the pictures.... I think I might be cursed... You may have to contact me after my trip for Indonesia pictures.... Let's hope I have more luck in Europe!
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