There will be a summary/sentimental post when I get back to NY, but right now, after 26 hours of traveling in the last day and a half, I'm mentally preparing myself for the my last push, the 8 hr plane ride to JFK. Later dawgs.
- posted from another country (duh)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Making moves
I'm now in Gerona (north of Barcelona), this evening I board a flight to London, which will then bring me back to Spain tomorrow, and then to New York. I realize it makes no sense but the airline wouldn't let me cancel one leg of the flight without canceling the other. Also, surprise surprise, there's now another scheduled strike in France for tomorrow, but this time it's from the airports. Blah.
- posted from another country (duh)
- posted from another country (duh)
Ghost Tour
The other night around 9pm we went on a ghost walking tour. The tour guide was actually born in Jacksonville, Florida. Irrelevent, but interesting. Anways, we didn't actually see any ghosts (duh) but we did learn some of the creepier history of Barcelona; like the lynches, and torture methods used way back when. one of the more interesting stories was about "The Vampire of Barcelona." She wasn't a real vamp, she was just a servent, turned prostitute, turned baby-killer. She got what was coming to her. The tour guide (I can't for the life of me remember his name) had us take pictures of places that have frequent "parinormal activity," and apparently this shot has some interesting shit in it...
The boy in the picture is a real boy, not a dead boy, so I don't see it.
The boy in the picture is a real boy, not a dead boy, so I don't see it.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Mas Barthelona
"Street performers are all over La Rambla." I read that in a guide book, and I didn't know what to expect. Turns out that it's kind of a mix between Halloween, theatre, and genius...
This guy sits under a table all day, with his hands up some puppet-heads and yells at little kids. It's cruel/really badass...
This modest gentleman sits with his pants around his ankles all day, and periodically makes a constipated face for pictures...
Last but not least, my favorite. The levitating guy. I think Devon figured out his trick, but it's still really awesome...
...Interesting
This guy sits under a table all day, with his hands up some puppet-heads and yells at little kids. It's cruel/really badass...
This modest gentleman sits with his pants around his ankles all day, and periodically makes a constipated face for pictures...
Last but not least, my favorite. The levitating guy. I think Devon figured out his trick, but it's still really awesome...
...Interesting
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Pee
I've heard some hear-tell about tourists getting pee thrown at them from balconies in Barcelona. I'm now, one of those tourists. Mind you, I don't think it was aimed at me, as much as tourists in general, but I still got some piss on my arm. Ruined my evening.
... My advice to you is, walk in the middle of the street, and keep your mouth shut; in order to avoid all pee-involved situations
- posted from another country (duh)
... My advice to you is, walk in the middle of the street, and keep your mouth shut; in order to avoid all pee-involved situations
- posted from another country (duh)
Bye bye jacket
I left my jacket at the Barcelona Castillo (Barcelona castle) today. It wasn't expensive, but I loved it. A little sad.
- posted from another country (duh)
- posted from another country (duh)
Antoni Gaudi
...Because of the stupid transit strikes in France my stay in Barcelona has been extended. I'm not complaining. The other morning we went on the Gaudi walking tour. He was a famous architect during the modernisme period. His projects were meant to resemble things from nature, like the inside of a wave, and trees, he used a lot of trees. After the walking tour we went up to Parc Guell, an unsuccessful housing developement that Gaudi, and Eusebi Guell designed together. They were later, two, of the three residents. However the city purchased the park and it's now public, it sits on tope of a hill and you can see all of Barcelona city and the coast.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Nerd Books
I don't know how many of you are aware of my "nerd book" OBSESSION, but I met someone today who has read the same series of books I am currently enthralled with. Terry Goodkind is my hero. Google that shit!
- posted from another country (duh)
- posted from another country (duh)
Awesome store
So, we found this really awesome, blog-worthy, vintage jewelry store when we were lost on some little street in Barcelona. It's called "Ena Macana," and there were Barbie doll shoe earrings, a cross made out of little toys guns, and old belt buckle charms.Their studio is also right in the back of the store so you could see them working. The place was sick.
check it out...
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
So good @ backpacks
After checking out, then checking back into the same hostel, I got moved to a different room for the same price (20€) with NO BOYS, and a balcony!!!! In love.
- posted from another country (duh)
View of Plaza de Reial, off of Las Ramblas from my new room!
- posted from another country (duh)
View of Plaza de Reial, off of Las Ramblas from my new room!
Irreconcilable differences of opinions on travel destinations
Devon and I have split up. She's flown off to Lisbon, and I'm staying for a few more days in Barcelona.
She gets Johnny during the week, and I get him on weekends.
It's for the best.
Spoiler alert: we get back together in Paris
- posted from another country (duh)
She gets Johnny during the week, and I get him on weekends.
It's for the best.
Spoiler alert: we get back together in Paris
- posted from another country (duh)
After da club
Upon my return from zee bars...
Me: What are you doing?
Boy In My Bed: Just hanging out.
Me: No, why are you in my bed?
B.I.M.B: I dunno...?
Me: Get out! You have your fucking shoes on too!
TARD In My Bed: ...oops
Me: Get out!!
T.I.M.B: Really??
Me: Yes, you're stupid get out.
... The next morning when Devon inquired about his questionable game plan, instead of playing the blackout card, he manned up and confessed loneliness.
Credit is due. Kudos for honesty. Strategic fail.
Me: What are you doing?
Boy In My Bed: Just hanging out.
Me: No, why are you in my bed?
B.I.M.B: I dunno...?
Me: Get out! You have your fucking shoes on too!
TARD In My Bed: ...oops
Me: Get out!!
T.I.M.B: Really??
Me: Yes, you're stupid get out.
... The next morning when Devon inquired about his questionable game plan, instead of playing the blackout card, he manned up and confessed loneliness.
Credit is due. Kudos for honesty. Strategic fail.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Dachau Memorial Site
I owe it to Europe to give it at least one very serious post. This will be that.
This past Sunday we had the oppertunity to visit Dachau, the only concentration camp to survive the entire Third Reich reign.
It opened as a concentration camp on March 3, 1933. They chose the location because it had originally been used as a munitions factory, so it had the necessary security towers, gates, and sleeping facilities to house prisoners.
Mind you I use the term "House" loosely, because by the end of the twelve year Nazi regime, they had stuffed nearly 2,500 prisoners at the same time, into baracks that were zoned for 250.
Besides the intentional overlook of a building's leagal capacity, there were other "alterations," and additions made to the camp, Such as the electric barbed wire on top of the perimeter walls. There was also the Death strip- a gravel road on the outer side of the fences, where prisoners who were lucky enough to make it over the barbed wire, were usually shot. It also wasn't unusual for guards to put prisoners into lose/lose situations by throwing objects, such as hats, onto the death strip and telling them to retrieve it. Guards got pay-bumps and bonuses for catching,and killing potential escapees.
The fences themselves have also been resurrected as part of the entire Dachau memorial. They had been torn down after the liberation on April 4, 1945. This, for me at least, raised a question about one of the smaller memorials in the Dachau site, sculpted by an outside artist, made specifically in memory of the prisoners who died in the entanglement of barbed wire. The "abstract" human figures, made to be hanging limp and rigid on the equally as "abstract" barbed wire, seemed uninspired and innapropriate. Had rebuilding the fences and walls not been enough?
I hated it.
However, I had no say in the memorial picking process, so I'm letting it go.
Dachau was not an extermination camp. It was mostly political prisoners,diplomats, and members of parliment who had not voted in favor of the Nazi party. That being said, make no mistake, they had no special treatment. Prisoners were beaten, and verbally abused upon arrival. They were stripped of all personal belongings, their heads were shaved, and they were told, among other things, how to wear their uniforms and make their beds. Punishment for breaking ANY rules included standing in a 2'x2' cell for days, with no way to sit or sleep, and no food. They could also be condemned to solitary confinement in a cell void of any natural light.
Beatings and other forms of torture became common place. They had no names, they had no hope, and you didn't get freed.
I hadn't meant for Dachau to be a life changing experience, and I don't know that it was. All I can say is that the pictures in history books, and the countless documentaries don't hold a candle to visiting this site. I'm also not comparing my tourist experience to the actual experience by ANY means. I simply want to share the relavence and importance of visiting one of these sites.
The last memorial we saw was raised in honor of the unknown prisoner, the statue itself is of a liberated man, dressed in his own clothes, head held high, and hands in his pockets, which was against the rules despite the pockets in their uniforms. The words below the statue say in German, Honor the dead. Warn the living. Which I think is an appropriate way to end this post.
This past Sunday we had the oppertunity to visit Dachau, the only concentration camp to survive the entire Third Reich reign.
It opened as a concentration camp on March 3, 1933. They chose the location because it had originally been used as a munitions factory, so it had the necessary security towers, gates, and sleeping facilities to house prisoners.
Mind you I use the term "House" loosely, because by the end of the twelve year Nazi regime, they had stuffed nearly 2,500 prisoners at the same time, into baracks that were zoned for 250.
Besides the intentional overlook of a building's leagal capacity, there were other "alterations," and additions made to the camp, Such as the electric barbed wire on top of the perimeter walls. There was also the Death strip- a gravel road on the outer side of the fences, where prisoners who were lucky enough to make it over the barbed wire, were usually shot. It also wasn't unusual for guards to put prisoners into lose/lose situations by throwing objects, such as hats, onto the death strip and telling them to retrieve it. Guards got pay-bumps and bonuses for catching,and killing potential escapees.
The fences themselves have also been resurrected as part of the entire Dachau memorial. They had been torn down after the liberation on April 4, 1945. This, for me at least, raised a question about one of the smaller memorials in the Dachau site, sculpted by an outside artist, made specifically in memory of the prisoners who died in the entanglement of barbed wire. The "abstract" human figures, made to be hanging limp and rigid on the equally as "abstract" barbed wire, seemed uninspired and innapropriate. Had rebuilding the fences and walls not been enough?
I hated it.
However, I had no say in the memorial picking process, so I'm letting it go.
Dachau was not an extermination camp. It was mostly political prisoners,diplomats, and members of parliment who had not voted in favor of the Nazi party. That being said, make no mistake, they had no special treatment. Prisoners were beaten, and verbally abused upon arrival. They were stripped of all personal belongings, their heads were shaved, and they were told, among other things, how to wear their uniforms and make their beds. Punishment for breaking ANY rules included standing in a 2'x2' cell for days, with no way to sit or sleep, and no food. They could also be condemned to solitary confinement in a cell void of any natural light.
Beatings and other forms of torture became common place. They had no names, they had no hope, and you didn't get freed.
I hadn't meant for Dachau to be a life changing experience, and I don't know that it was. All I can say is that the pictures in history books, and the countless documentaries don't hold a candle to visiting this site. I'm also not comparing my tourist experience to the actual experience by ANY means. I simply want to share the relavence and importance of visiting one of these sites.
The last memorial we saw was raised in honor of the unknown prisoner, the statue itself is of a liberated man, dressed in his own clothes, head held high, and hands in his pockets, which was against the rules despite the pockets in their uniforms. The words below the statue say in German, Honor the dead. Warn the living. Which I think is an appropriate way to end this post.
Surf wave Munich
One of the coolest things about Munich, and I thought almost everything was awesome, was the surfer wave at the bottom of the Oktoberfest park.
It was a man made canal system, that they put a divet in to create the wave. It's open 24 hrs a day to "experts" only...
It was a man made canal system, that they put a divet in to create the wave. It's open 24 hrs a day to "experts" only...
Laziness
I'd like to express my sincerest apologies for taking a few days off on this blogging thing. It's been all traveling and tourist-ing. but you're about to get like 4 posts in a row... just a warning.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Hostels
One of the guys in our room at our new hostel (that we had to check into because we woke up to late this morning to stay another night in the other one) just informed us that he has night terrors, and he yells things like "Help!" and "Stop!"... His travel buddy confirmed.
And I was all convinced I left the crazies back in NY. Incorrect.
And I was all convinced I left the crazies back in NY. Incorrect.
Munich cont.
We're getting pretty good at the Germany thing. Our little freakout may have been premature since everyone seems to speak almost perfect English. We did jot down a few key words and phrases which we thought would be useful...
We also did some exploring today, around one of the older parts of Munich. The architecture here is beautiful. It's like nothing in the U.S. We were looking for a pharmacy, (which by the way are nothing like our pharmacies) when we looked down the street we were crossing and we saw this amazing old church called st. Pauls...
We went and explored around there got a little lost, and worked off the biers from the night before.
Also apparently men take bachelor parties very seriously here, usually involving themes, and costumes. That was all we could come up with for this guy, he even had little minion look-a-likes dressed like him and taking pictures.
More to come in a bit.
- posted from another country (duh)
We also did some exploring today, around one of the older parts of Munich. The architecture here is beautiful. It's like nothing in the U.S. We were looking for a pharmacy, (which by the way are nothing like our pharmacies) when we looked down the street we were crossing and we saw this amazing old church called st. Pauls...
We went and explored around there got a little lost, and worked off the biers from the night before.
Also apparently men take bachelor parties very seriously here, usually involving themes, and costumes. That was all we could come up with for this guy, he even had little minion look-a-likes dressed like him and taking pictures.
More to come in a bit.
- posted from another country (duh)
Tour guide
"... But they're Asian, so they probably speak Asian."
- Devon Schickling, college grad
- posted from another country (duh)
- Devon Schickling, college grad
- posted from another country (duh)
Friday, October 8, 2010
My first Hostel!
Just got to our hostel in Munich, and according to Devon it's really nice! Its called "The Wombat Hostel" and for 20 Euros you get a room with your own bathroom and a free "welcome drink" at the hostel's bar, along with breakfast in the morning! We're pretty pumped!
... Also Munich is amazingly beautiful, I'll take more pictures tomorrow when it's light out, but so far I love Germany.
- posted from another country (duh)
... Also Munich is amazingly beautiful, I'll take more pictures tomorrow when it's light out, but so far I love Germany.
- posted from another country (duh)
So, we're in Munich and upon our arrival we realized just how ignorant (and American) we really are. I realized that I left my guide books for Germany on Mr. Matt Watson's desk in NY, and that I don't know how to say anything (even "hello") in German. Thank you Dad for saving my ass and directing me to an essential iPhone app called Itranslate.
Next stop BIER!!
- posted from another country (duh)
Next stop BIER!!
- posted from another country (duh)
To Germany!
This morning we're leaving London behind. We figure since we've already seen a stripper pee, and gotten tattoos, that we've gotten everything out of this city that we came here to get.
Next stop Munich.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
new tatt
Here it is, and if any of you frequently speak with my dad... which most of you don't, then you'll understand... everyone else, it's in reference to being one of 5 children.
1st real London day.
Ok... so today was relatively awesome.
we started out walking the dogs in Victoria park, and ended out the day in a tattoo parlor.
... In between there was a strip club that was only supposed to be a bar, and that bar was only supposed to be visited for it's bathroom. BUT, we ended up becoming friends with a group of naked strippers in the women's' bathroom, because the bathroom, was actually their changing room (if that gives you any sort of gauge towards the quality of this establishment). I also noticed that Dick-chicken has made it's way to London, and that the English are obnoxiously literal.
There was also people watching, wine, shopping, wine, tourist-ing, wine, and then tattoos.
... Also despite what the PEOPLE might be like, the city of London itself is actually very tourist friendly. They even try and prevent pedestrian casualties with directions on every crosswalk...
The city itself is very clean and they have designated areas for every item of trash or litter to be stored...
also Devon got tatted as well...
don't think that I forgot to post my own tat, I am only awaiting approval from the main male authority figure in my life before I publicize.
I woke up at 7:30!
I think that our ridiculous sleeping schedules are actually going to benefit us on this Euro-excursion. We were out and about this morning at 8am, and not because we were still awake from the night before.
We're staying at Devon's friend's "flat" in East London, right next to Victoria Park. There's an amazing view of the city that you can check out in the video below. There's no real culture shock yet, turns out London, especially where we're staying, feels a lot like Brooklyn.
Side note: I got poo on my hand this morning while walking the dogs. however since it was "English poo," and not it's smellier cousin, "American shit," it wasn't that gross and I didn't freak out.
... oh yeah there are dogs where we're staying! :-)
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
London!!! REALLY!!!!
Sooooo! I'm in London, and my phone ISN'T working!!!! The incompetent asshole at AT&T lied to me! Let this be a lesson to you: ALWAYS get a second opinion... from any customer service representative, anywhere... also if anyone can get a hold of my mom and dad and tell them I'm alive? That would be awesome!
... but side note today was mostly traveling. Devon and I are about to knock out for the night (it's currently 9:37pm here), and we really haven't slept since we left NY. So g'night I loves you and I'll be interesting tomorrow i sa-wear!
love, katie
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
JFKizzle
About to board on a flight to Madrid with service to London... Yeah that's right! It's startingggg!!
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