This particular post is probably going to take me forever to write because several of the keys are in different spots from what I'm used to... Nothing important, just A, M, etc... Oh well.
Yesterday I was up and out of my hostel by 10. I hiked up to the train station (in the rain) and caught the first train to Brussels. The train left a little before 11 and took about three hours so I was there by 2ish. Brussels is a very difficult city to navigate; it's divided into two parts: upper town and lower town. Not by North and South, but literally because one part of the city is higher than the other. Both today and yesterday have been very gloomy; though it had stopped raining by the time I got to Brussels, I haven't seen the sun since Wednesday. That, coupled with the fact that lower town (where my hostel is) has no consistent street design made finding my hostel rather difficult. Still, I found it, and was in and unpacked by around 330 or so. I took a walk around for awhile just to try and get a feel for the area. I did get a good sense of the area around my hostel, but it took a couple more hours of wandering today to really get a feel for the city. None of the streets are pointed exactly in one direction (north, south, etc.) and I had to constantly remind myself of what direction I was traveling so that I didn't get lost today. I didn't get lost today, though. Also while I was out last night I tried a kebap, which was really good.
Today I was up by 8 something and out by 10. Since Brussels is a relatively compact city, I went everywhere on foot. This had the dual benefit of getting me exercise while letting me see much more of the city. I saw Le Grand Place, where the town hall is and where the trade guilds are. I had a Belgian waffle and some coffee while I was there (SO good). There was also a little museum there for 2€, and I went there too. I also went to the Parc du Cinquantnaire, which had a museum (I didn't go to that one) and a magnificent arch, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Belgian independance. I spent a couple of hours in an art museum, which was right across from the royal palace (which looked an awful lot like Buckingham palace). Also there was the Cathedrale Sts-Michel et Gudule, which was nearly as impressive as Westminster Abbey, and the Bibliotheque Royale de Belgique (the royal library of belgium). That was kinda cool; I spent some time in the map room where I found a book that showed a bunch of maps of America from the 16th century to 1856... Actually, I found that fascinating.
I've never before seen such an obvious melding of different cultures. There are two different national languages: French and Dutch. Also, because Brussels is sort of the capital of Europe (the European Union is centered here - did you know that? Oh yeah and I saw that too) there is always a mix of different people here. Though the streets are often not in any order whatsoever, the city has a certain charm about it, even in the gloom. The houses and are reminiscint of days gone by, but modern cars and people roam about. All of the streets have their names in two languages, and there is an eclectic mix of western restaurants and hotels right in with traditional bars and restaurants. I like this place.
I just ran into a burger joint to get some dinner, and now I'm off to a bar that someone recommended to try a couple Belgium beers. Don't worry it's only a block away from my hostel so I won't get lost. Tomorrow I go to Amsterdam (I booked that hostel in advance), and on monday I'll be on my way to Germany. Sorry this post isn't very long; it took 40 minutes (an exasperatingly long time for me) and I'm almost out of time.
Also,
Red Guy... yeah that doesn't help at all.
Mandy - I probably will not be able to afford coffee or chocolate for you. Sorry!
I'll post here again on either Sunday or Monday, it depends on how things go in Amsterdam.
-Swag
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
My First Really Good Story
Last night was a little interesting... but I have to start before that so that I can go in order.
Tuesday night, after blogging here, I went to the train station, got a coffee, and checked my pack out of storage. I went up to a cozy little spot with a couch, and wrote in my journal. Later, this nice guy brought me some free coffee because it was really really cold in the train station. After I was done, I went to a quiet little corner and slept on the floor for about an hour or so, waking up because I was so freaking cold. I paced around a bit, and finally gave in and took shelter in a coffee shop where I sat around and read for awhile. My train, the Eurostar, left at 525 AM and I passed out before we were even out of London. I woke up two hours later somewhere in France, right before I got to Paris. I booked my train to Luxembourg (which was only 6€ for booking fees thanks to my Eurail pass) and walked around Paris for a bit before my train left. I'll save my judgement for when I actually stay there, but I think I like it. I bought a French pastry for a euro, and then sat around the train station till it left. I repeated this (excpet without the pastry) in a small town called Metz, then arrived in Luxembourg, Luxembourg at around 430. I found and checked into the hostel here by 530. It's easily the nicest one so far; it was recently renovated.
Then I went back to the train station and went to a little place outside of the city called Diffredonge, where Allison's school is. I got off at the wrong stop so it took awhile, but I got there a little before 8. I met some of her friends, saw her school, and generally had a good time drinking and playing card games at a local bar.
Now before I go here, keep in mind that I hadn't eaten. I had three tall draft beers (they were probably 20 ounces) over the course of almost three hours. They were really good, but I didn't realize that even here they're MUCH stronger than what I am used to... and oh my goodness I got far more drunk than I meant to. Off of three beers!! It wouldn't have been a problem, except once I got back to Luxembourg city (I did that part fine) I got hopelessly lost. Luxembourg is an almost mountainous region, and my hostel is down in the valley. I went down the wrong side of the hill, and ended up a kilometer south of the hostel before I realized it (I know because I found a bus map... how I was able to ascertain how far away I was and yet not how to get back, I'll never know). I then proceeded to go up what I thought was the ridge I'd come down from, only to end up 2 kilometers (yes, even further away) east. By this point I was sobering up, and so I was able to actually USE the map this time (I found another one) and headed back in the right direction. I eventually found a taxi and landed back, safe and sound and without losing anything, at around 130. So... that wasn't fun, but it'll make a good story later, right?
So today I woke up feeling a little woozy but no worse for wear, ate breakfast, and planned the next bit of my trip. Next up I'm going to Brussels, which is in Belgium. After that will be Amsterdam, and then Germany. I want to go to Berlin and then to Munich, and then Paris, and then somewhere in the countryside of France, and then to the beaches of Southern Spain. After that will be Italy, which takes me to the end of my trip. I'm actually going to be pressed for time to make it to all these places and still have the last three or four days for Rome, so I won't be staying in each individual country quite as long as I'd like. Oh well.
This morning I met this canadian by the name of Brendon, and he and his friend and I are going to cook dinner tonight together. Between now and then, I have nothing to do so I'll just be walking around the city. Tomorrow I'll leave here first thing.
Luxembourg is beautiful; it's reminiscent of the Smokies, but packed with houses and buildings that are distinctly European. There are some midevil ruins here, called that Casemates, and I was there before I came here. They were pretty cool, but there's not much to them. I am here at the perfect time, too. Fall is beginning to set it and there are rich reds, oranges, and greens on the ridges all around me. It's very beautiful.
And....
Nessa and Ricky - I'm so glad you gave me the update! How exciting! I am glad ricky got his job and that things are going swimmingly for you.
Grandpa - Thanks for the compliment!
Ok I'm running out of time, so that's it for now. I'll try to get to a computer on Friday sometime and talk about Brussels.
-Swag
Tuesday night, after blogging here, I went to the train station, got a coffee, and checked my pack out of storage. I went up to a cozy little spot with a couch, and wrote in my journal. Later, this nice guy brought me some free coffee because it was really really cold in the train station. After I was done, I went to a quiet little corner and slept on the floor for about an hour or so, waking up because I was so freaking cold. I paced around a bit, and finally gave in and took shelter in a coffee shop where I sat around and read for awhile. My train, the Eurostar, left at 525 AM and I passed out before we were even out of London. I woke up two hours later somewhere in France, right before I got to Paris. I booked my train to Luxembourg (which was only 6€ for booking fees thanks to my Eurail pass) and walked around Paris for a bit before my train left. I'll save my judgement for when I actually stay there, but I think I like it. I bought a French pastry for a euro, and then sat around the train station till it left. I repeated this (excpet without the pastry) in a small town called Metz, then arrived in Luxembourg, Luxembourg at around 430. I found and checked into the hostel here by 530. It's easily the nicest one so far; it was recently renovated.
Then I went back to the train station and went to a little place outside of the city called Diffredonge, where Allison's school is. I got off at the wrong stop so it took awhile, but I got there a little before 8. I met some of her friends, saw her school, and generally had a good time drinking and playing card games at a local bar.
Now before I go here, keep in mind that I hadn't eaten. I had three tall draft beers (they were probably 20 ounces) over the course of almost three hours. They were really good, but I didn't realize that even here they're MUCH stronger than what I am used to... and oh my goodness I got far more drunk than I meant to. Off of three beers!! It wouldn't have been a problem, except once I got back to Luxembourg city (I did that part fine) I got hopelessly lost. Luxembourg is an almost mountainous region, and my hostel is down in the valley. I went down the wrong side of the hill, and ended up a kilometer south of the hostel before I realized it (I know because I found a bus map... how I was able to ascertain how far away I was and yet not how to get back, I'll never know). I then proceeded to go up what I thought was the ridge I'd come down from, only to end up 2 kilometers (yes, even further away) east. By this point I was sobering up, and so I was able to actually USE the map this time (I found another one) and headed back in the right direction. I eventually found a taxi and landed back, safe and sound and without losing anything, at around 130. So... that wasn't fun, but it'll make a good story later, right?
So today I woke up feeling a little woozy but no worse for wear, ate breakfast, and planned the next bit of my trip. Next up I'm going to Brussels, which is in Belgium. After that will be Amsterdam, and then Germany. I want to go to Berlin and then to Munich, and then Paris, and then somewhere in the countryside of France, and then to the beaches of Southern Spain. After that will be Italy, which takes me to the end of my trip. I'm actually going to be pressed for time to make it to all these places and still have the last three or four days for Rome, so I won't be staying in each individual country quite as long as I'd like. Oh well.
This morning I met this canadian by the name of Brendon, and he and his friend and I are going to cook dinner tonight together. Between now and then, I have nothing to do so I'll just be walking around the city. Tomorrow I'll leave here first thing.
Luxembourg is beautiful; it's reminiscent of the Smokies, but packed with houses and buildings that are distinctly European. There are some midevil ruins here, called that Casemates, and I was there before I came here. They were pretty cool, but there's not much to them. I am here at the perfect time, too. Fall is beginning to set it and there are rich reds, oranges, and greens on the ridges all around me. It's very beautiful.
And....
Nessa and Ricky - I'm so glad you gave me the update! How exciting! I am glad ricky got his job and that things are going swimmingly for you.
Grandpa - Thanks for the compliment!
Ok I'm running out of time, so that's it for now. I'll try to get to a computer on Friday sometime and talk about Brussels.
-Swag
Monday, October 27, 2008
Final Thoughts from London
So, I figure I'll start off with an accounting of the last two days, and then talk about what my next few days look like, and then speak in generalities about my experience in England.
Yesterday was a very lazy day. I woke up around 8 (which is a strange start to a lazy day for me but I had to be up for free breakfast), ate breakfast, and set off to look for a currency exchange and make a phone call. I exchanged 20 $ (I'm down to 220 in cash now), spent some at an internet cafe for a little bit, grabbed some subway, and headed back to my hostel. I did laundry and read for a couple hours before heading back over to the internet cafe to try and upload some pictures. I was able to, but then the uploader thing froze once it was almost done and I ended up wasting about two hours and four pounds. Oh well. Then I went back to my hostel, read, ate some soup and granola bars, and went to bed. Like I said, a lazy day. It was a good day for it, too, because it was gloomy and rainy all day. Made me a little bit glad I didn't make it to the Lake District after all.
Today, I got up at 8 again, showered, ate breakfast, and packed. Then I left to head to the train station to check and make sure there was a place that I could check my pack for the day while I was out and about for the last time. They did, and I headed back to my hostel to pick up my pack, which they were nice enough to hold for me even though I didn't technically have a bed at that point. Just before I got to my hostel, at noon (8 Eastern time because the clocks went back an hour here on Saturday... weird) I cozied up to a pay phone to call my bank and sort some stuff out. I had called ahead to say that I was going abroad so don't freeze up my credit card, but for some reason they didn't think I might access my accounts online while I was here (I do all my banking online). Stupid. But I got all that sorted out, got my pack, and went back to the train station at St. Pancras to check my pack. At this point it was a little after one, and I had plenty of time to kill before I had to be back to get my pack (10 tonight... so in two hours). No problem.
Today was a cool, crisp, clear day, which was nice because at least half of the days so far have been gloomy, and two or three of the gloomy days it rained. So I went and saw some more sights. I went to the British Library, which was cool and really big but I couldn't get to where the books are without a membership card so I wasn't there long. At this point I was pretty hungry, so I hit up this little Panera-esque joint called PRET. I'd seen several of them around and wanted to try it, so I did. They have like a fridge thing that you pick wraps and drinks out of, with a little heated alcove if you want something hot, and then you can get soup and coffee at the register. I had a Spicy Falafel Wrap with apple juice; it was good. Then I went to London Bridge, which I have to say was anticlimatic. I mean, there was nothing special about the bridge except for the fact that it was London Bridge. There was a London Bridge road, a London Bridge walk, and I think a London Bridge park... but it was just a bridge with no cool looking suspensions or towers or anything. There was nothing on top. Whatever. So I went walking around the area, shopping a bit, and stopped at a Cafe Nero, which I think is supposed to be competition for Starbucks. I tried to get an espresso, but they didn't take credit cards so Starbucks wins by default.
After that, I went to the museum of Natural History. It was pretty cool; I spent some time in the Geology wing and learned a bunch of stuff that I already knew, and then headed over to the main hall and found the dinosaur exhibit. I have to say, the little kid in me got really excited when I saw that lol... don't judge me dinosaurs were my favorite when I was little. Anyway, the museum was cool, if crowded, and I ended up enjoying myself. After that, I was hungry again, so I finally got to go to an English pub. I went to Soho, and wound up at a bar right on one of the main thoroughfares (I already forget the name but it was good). I ordered a pint of whatever English beer the bartender thought was good, and then looked at the menu before ordering Jack Hanger's Pie, with mashed potatoes and vegetables. I think the beer may have been stronger than I'm used to, because after half of it I the beginnings of a buzz. I did drink it pretty fast, and I was running on empty, but still. Anyway, the food was good, and right after I got it this group of four girls walked up and sat next to me because I was at a long table and it was the only one that had room enough for all of them. We ended up talking and laughing for about an hour, which was fun. Then I hopped on the Tube again, came straight to the internet cafe I'm at now, and wrote this blog! Next I'll be sitting on my butt for seven hours before I catch my train to Paris.
I've had a slight change in my itinerary. Because Allison (the girl I'm supposed to meet in Luxembourg while I'm here) is leaving with her Dad this Saturday, I'm going to go straight to Luxembourg after I arrive in Paris. I'll be there for a day, perhaps two, going to a Halloween party tomorrow night (I dunno if I'll get a costume because I'll just have to throw it away); and then I'll just stay up North for awhile. A guy I was talking to at the hostel last night said that I should go North first anyway because if I wait too much longer I start to risk getting stuck by an early snowstorm... he was saying that they're rare at this point but the longer I wait the more likely they'll become. So after Luxembourg, I'll probably go straight to Germany for several days, then head to Amsterdam, then to Belgium. Then I'll leisurely make my way through France, stopping in Paris for a few days, and then through Spain, stopping at a beach in the South for a few days. I'll leave at least a week for Italy, with at least three or four days for Rome... saving the best for last, y'know. So that's the gameplan for now, but we all know that'll change in three days when something screws up my plan. Part of the fun, right?
Ok, so now I get to pontificate about my journey thus far. Here's what I've noticed about England in my brief stay:
-America and England are perhaps no longer siblings, but they are still first cousins. I ran into people that I'd expect to meet in NYC, and McDonald's, Starbucks, and Subways were all over. I saw American cars and American brands, and almost every movie poster or celebrity magazine focused on something American (especially the movies... do they make their own movies here?!)
-When I was in Westminster Abbey, the guy in the audio tour talked about how the 'genius' of Britain is that it stubbornly clings to tradition (like monarchs, for instance) while embracing change (like Parliament). I found that intriguing, and decided it was true when I was taking a modern tour bus through a small town that still had some houses with thatched roofs on my way to Stonehenge.
What I've learned so far...
-It's a good idea to always keep some cash on me. When I start to run low, I should go ahead and get some more because I never know when I'll need some.
-On the weekends, or when going to a very popular tourist destination, it's a good idea to book my hostel ahead of time. I almost didn't have a place to stay Saturday.
-I need a day, a whole day, every week or so to not have to go all over the place and be active. Staying in and being lazy yesterday did a lot for my state of mind.
-I love England, and want to come back because there's so much I haven't seen.
-London as a metaphor for life: I have several choices available to me. I need to pick one, and go after it, and not be upset or overly frustrated when things don't quite go my way. If I have backup choices, the I need to just pick one and get on with it.
Oh and... Uncle Tim- Thanks for the tips! Those sound great, I'll check them out. Red Guy- I confess myself to be intrigued. Florida and older than me... in my family, that would be my Aunt Barb. But she is neither red nor a guy. There was a guy at work, Jacob, who was older than me and I think he went back to Florida, but I don't think that's who you are because I doubt he's still in contact enough with anyone up in Fairfield to know about this blog. So I am, as before, at a loss as to your identity.
Ok, that's all for now. I don't think I'll be posting tomorrow (I'll be on trains and then partying it up tomorrow night) so the next time I'll be on here should be Wednesday, assuming they have internet cafes in Luxembourg.
See you back here Wednesday!
-Swag
Yesterday was a very lazy day. I woke up around 8 (which is a strange start to a lazy day for me but I had to be up for free breakfast), ate breakfast, and set off to look for a currency exchange and make a phone call. I exchanged 20 $ (I'm down to 220 in cash now), spent some at an internet cafe for a little bit, grabbed some subway, and headed back to my hostel. I did laundry and read for a couple hours before heading back over to the internet cafe to try and upload some pictures. I was able to, but then the uploader thing froze once it was almost done and I ended up wasting about two hours and four pounds. Oh well. Then I went back to my hostel, read, ate some soup and granola bars, and went to bed. Like I said, a lazy day. It was a good day for it, too, because it was gloomy and rainy all day. Made me a little bit glad I didn't make it to the Lake District after all.
Today, I got up at 8 again, showered, ate breakfast, and packed. Then I left to head to the train station to check and make sure there was a place that I could check my pack for the day while I was out and about for the last time. They did, and I headed back to my hostel to pick up my pack, which they were nice enough to hold for me even though I didn't technically have a bed at that point. Just before I got to my hostel, at noon (8 Eastern time because the clocks went back an hour here on Saturday... weird) I cozied up to a pay phone to call my bank and sort some stuff out. I had called ahead to say that I was going abroad so don't freeze up my credit card, but for some reason they didn't think I might access my accounts online while I was here (I do all my banking online). Stupid. But I got all that sorted out, got my pack, and went back to the train station at St. Pancras to check my pack. At this point it was a little after one, and I had plenty of time to kill before I had to be back to get my pack (10 tonight... so in two hours). No problem.
Today was a cool, crisp, clear day, which was nice because at least half of the days so far have been gloomy, and two or three of the gloomy days it rained. So I went and saw some more sights. I went to the British Library, which was cool and really big but I couldn't get to where the books are without a membership card so I wasn't there long. At this point I was pretty hungry, so I hit up this little Panera-esque joint called PRET. I'd seen several of them around and wanted to try it, so I did. They have like a fridge thing that you pick wraps and drinks out of, with a little heated alcove if you want something hot, and then you can get soup and coffee at the register. I had a Spicy Falafel Wrap with apple juice; it was good. Then I went to London Bridge, which I have to say was anticlimatic. I mean, there was nothing special about the bridge except for the fact that it was London Bridge. There was a London Bridge road, a London Bridge walk, and I think a London Bridge park... but it was just a bridge with no cool looking suspensions or towers or anything. There was nothing on top. Whatever. So I went walking around the area, shopping a bit, and stopped at a Cafe Nero, which I think is supposed to be competition for Starbucks. I tried to get an espresso, but they didn't take credit cards so Starbucks wins by default.
After that, I went to the museum of Natural History. It was pretty cool; I spent some time in the Geology wing and learned a bunch of stuff that I already knew, and then headed over to the main hall and found the dinosaur exhibit. I have to say, the little kid in me got really excited when I saw that lol... don't judge me dinosaurs were my favorite when I was little. Anyway, the museum was cool, if crowded, and I ended up enjoying myself. After that, I was hungry again, so I finally got to go to an English pub. I went to Soho, and wound up at a bar right on one of the main thoroughfares (I already forget the name but it was good). I ordered a pint of whatever English beer the bartender thought was good, and then looked at the menu before ordering Jack Hanger's Pie, with mashed potatoes and vegetables. I think the beer may have been stronger than I'm used to, because after half of it I the beginnings of a buzz. I did drink it pretty fast, and I was running on empty, but still. Anyway, the food was good, and right after I got it this group of four girls walked up and sat next to me because I was at a long table and it was the only one that had room enough for all of them. We ended up talking and laughing for about an hour, which was fun. Then I hopped on the Tube again, came straight to the internet cafe I'm at now, and wrote this blog! Next I'll be sitting on my butt for seven hours before I catch my train to Paris.
I've had a slight change in my itinerary. Because Allison (the girl I'm supposed to meet in Luxembourg while I'm here) is leaving with her Dad this Saturday, I'm going to go straight to Luxembourg after I arrive in Paris. I'll be there for a day, perhaps two, going to a Halloween party tomorrow night (I dunno if I'll get a costume because I'll just have to throw it away); and then I'll just stay up North for awhile. A guy I was talking to at the hostel last night said that I should go North first anyway because if I wait too much longer I start to risk getting stuck by an early snowstorm... he was saying that they're rare at this point but the longer I wait the more likely they'll become. So after Luxembourg, I'll probably go straight to Germany for several days, then head to Amsterdam, then to Belgium. Then I'll leisurely make my way through France, stopping in Paris for a few days, and then through Spain, stopping at a beach in the South for a few days. I'll leave at least a week for Italy, with at least three or four days for Rome... saving the best for last, y'know. So that's the gameplan for now, but we all know that'll change in three days when something screws up my plan. Part of the fun, right?
Ok, so now I get to pontificate about my journey thus far. Here's what I've noticed about England in my brief stay:
-America and England are perhaps no longer siblings, but they are still first cousins. I ran into people that I'd expect to meet in NYC, and McDonald's, Starbucks, and Subways were all over. I saw American cars and American brands, and almost every movie poster or celebrity magazine focused on something American (especially the movies... do they make their own movies here?!)
-When I was in Westminster Abbey, the guy in the audio tour talked about how the 'genius' of Britain is that it stubbornly clings to tradition (like monarchs, for instance) while embracing change (like Parliament). I found that intriguing, and decided it was true when I was taking a modern tour bus through a small town that still had some houses with thatched roofs on my way to Stonehenge.
What I've learned so far...
-It's a good idea to always keep some cash on me. When I start to run low, I should go ahead and get some more because I never know when I'll need some.
-On the weekends, or when going to a very popular tourist destination, it's a good idea to book my hostel ahead of time. I almost didn't have a place to stay Saturday.
-I need a day, a whole day, every week or so to not have to go all over the place and be active. Staying in and being lazy yesterday did a lot for my state of mind.
-I love England, and want to come back because there's so much I haven't seen.
-London as a metaphor for life: I have several choices available to me. I need to pick one, and go after it, and not be upset or overly frustrated when things don't quite go my way. If I have backup choices, the I need to just pick one and get on with it.
Oh and... Uncle Tim- Thanks for the tips! Those sound great, I'll check them out. Red Guy- I confess myself to be intrigued. Florida and older than me... in my family, that would be my Aunt Barb. But she is neither red nor a guy. There was a guy at work, Jacob, who was older than me and I think he went back to Florida, but I don't think that's who you are because I doubt he's still in contact enough with anyone up in Fairfield to know about this blog. So I am, as before, at a loss as to your identity.
Ok, that's all for now. I don't think I'll be posting tomorrow (I'll be on trains and then partying it up tomorrow night) so the next time I'll be on here should be Wednesday, assuming they have internet cafes in Luxembourg.
See you back here Wednesday!
-Swag
Saturday, October 25, 2008
So I'm Back in London...
Once again, I didn't intend on blogging today, but once again, things have changed.
Today I woke up, ate, showered, and checked out of my room. I was out of the hostel by 10 this morning. I immediately hiked down the big ass hill to get to Bath proper, and went straight to the bus/train station. I was there at around 10:30. If you recall, I was planning on going up North, to the Lake District, to a small city called Ambleside to do some hiking and relax a bit. Unfortunately, the train/bus station was going to have me take three trains and a bus to get there, and it would have cost me 77 £s (over 100 $s), and I just couldn't afford it. I tried another bus station, but they only had one trip out to Ambleside, and it had already gone out, unfortunately. I tried to go West instead, to either Devon or Cornwall, which is supposed to have some nice scenery and some good rocky coastline. Unfortunately again, all of the buses were booked!!
So I just went back to London. I could've stayed in Bath, but there wouldn't have really been anything for me to do. Here there ar several things that I sort of wanted to do, like visit the British Library and London Bridge and the Museum of Natural History... so I won't be bored. This also gives me another chance to hit up a pub in London, which I still haven't done.
My bus arrived here at 3:30 this afternoon, and I promptly got another day pass for the Tube and went into downtown. The hostel I'd been staying at, in a place called Holland Park, was a little too on the outskirts of the city for my taste. Yet aAGAIN I was met with bad luck, as the first hostel I tried was I think under construction (it was up on the second level so I couldn't really tell but there was a door boarded up where the entrance should've been) and the second hostel I tried was all booked up. So, I'm back in Holland Park. I wasted about four hours getting to the stupid place, too, but at least I have a bed tonight. I was starting to think about sleeping in a park somewhere before I got here.
Tomorrow, I'll switch hostels and go into the heart of the city, do some laundry, and pretty much take it easy and read. Monday, I'll see some more sights and hit a pub that night before waiting around in the train station all night to catch my train to Paris at 5 AM. I may write again Monday night, but at the moment I'm leaning on a no for that one. I will definitely, however, write again Tuesday night (whether I write Monday or not), to talk about how my first day went in a country that doesn't speak English :-/. I know I'll be fine, but I'm still a little nervous.
Also, I think I'm going to go up North before heading down to Spain... I think I'll visit Paris for a few days, then head straight up to Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, and Amsterdam before working my way down through the French countryside and the Spanish coast (among other things).
Anyway, see you back here in two or three days!
-Swag
Today I woke up, ate, showered, and checked out of my room. I was out of the hostel by 10 this morning. I immediately hiked down the big ass hill to get to Bath proper, and went straight to the bus/train station. I was there at around 10:30. If you recall, I was planning on going up North, to the Lake District, to a small city called Ambleside to do some hiking and relax a bit. Unfortunately, the train/bus station was going to have me take three trains and a bus to get there, and it would have cost me 77 £s (over 100 $s), and I just couldn't afford it. I tried another bus station, but they only had one trip out to Ambleside, and it had already gone out, unfortunately. I tried to go West instead, to either Devon or Cornwall, which is supposed to have some nice scenery and some good rocky coastline. Unfortunately again, all of the buses were booked!!
So I just went back to London. I could've stayed in Bath, but there wouldn't have really been anything for me to do. Here there ar several things that I sort of wanted to do, like visit the British Library and London Bridge and the Museum of Natural History... so I won't be bored. This also gives me another chance to hit up a pub in London, which I still haven't done.
My bus arrived here at 3:30 this afternoon, and I promptly got another day pass for the Tube and went into downtown. The hostel I'd been staying at, in a place called Holland Park, was a little too on the outskirts of the city for my taste. Yet aAGAIN I was met with bad luck, as the first hostel I tried was I think under construction (it was up on the second level so I couldn't really tell but there was a door boarded up where the entrance should've been) and the second hostel I tried was all booked up. So, I'm back in Holland Park. I wasted about four hours getting to the stupid place, too, but at least I have a bed tonight. I was starting to think about sleeping in a park somewhere before I got here.
Tomorrow, I'll switch hostels and go into the heart of the city, do some laundry, and pretty much take it easy and read. Monday, I'll see some more sights and hit a pub that night before waiting around in the train station all night to catch my train to Paris at 5 AM. I may write again Monday night, but at the moment I'm leaning on a no for that one. I will definitely, however, write again Tuesday night (whether I write Monday or not), to talk about how my first day went in a country that doesn't speak English :-/. I know I'll be fine, but I'm still a little nervous.
Also, I think I'm going to go up North before heading down to Spain... I think I'll visit Paris for a few days, then head straight up to Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, and Amsterdam before working my way down through the French countryside and the Spanish coast (among other things).
Anyway, see you back here in two or three days!
-Swag
Friday, October 24, 2008
Dude My Pants Are Too Big!
No, seriously. I think I've lost a few more pounds already. I have two pair of jeans with me; one were a little big when I left to begin with, but they come with a belt so it's good. The other ones, the ones I've been wearing yesterday and today, were fine when I left. They were actually just about perfect. Today, I don't even know how many times I had to pull them up. I mean that's good, seeing as how I've been on this weight loss kick and everything, but damn is it annoying!
Yesterday I didn't do much. I got up at around 730, showered, ate, and then packed everything up and checked out of my room. I took the Tube as close to the bus station as I could get, bought a ticket for Bath (which was like thirty dollars, gross) and waited around. The bus left at 11:15, and I was at Bath by around 3. I got directions from some guy at the bus station, and backpacked to the Hostel. This one is really sweet; it's pretty big and the rooms are decently nice. There's two problems. Well one and a half. The half problem is that the showers/bathrooms are coed (weirdest thing ever) and I haven't decided whether or not that's actually a problem. This morning after my shower two women walked in and it was awkward as hell. Whatever. The other problem is that it's up this hill and OH MY GOD IS IT STEEP. lol. Yesterday when I got to Bath, I actually had to hike up it twice because I took a wrong turn (oops). It's more of a ridge than a hill, going up a good 5-600 feet in a half mile or so... it's really steep. But, I got a good workout, and was very pleased by the fact that doing some real backpacking isn't nearly as hard as it was the last time I went. I was very glad I'd been dieting and exercising. Still, I was a big ball of sweat by the time I got up to the hostel to book a bed for two nights with the cute receptionist. Damn. Then I ate a little bit (reese's and peanuts... literally) and read for awhile and went to bed.
Today was fun. I got up at 730, ate breakfast (it's better here than it was at the last one), showered, and set off into Bath. Bath has the feel of a small town that found itself with a couple of big tourist attractions and so crammed a whole bunch of stores and restaurants in the middle, with nothing but suburbia on the outside. I went down and checked out all the sights: the Royal Crescent, which is a really posh section of housing in a big semi-circle, then Bath Abbey, which was like Westminster Abbey but smaller and picture taking was allowed, and then finally the Roman Baths. Those were SO COOL. I'm of course a History buff, and Roman History is my favorite, so this was pure pleasure for me. The ruins were pretty extensive, and they had all kinds of models and pictures and movies about what it would've looked like two thousand years ago. There was an audio tour guide, like at Westminster Abbey, and it was pretty good. There were drainage systems from the pools that are still working after 2000 years. So that was fun.
This morning, I had booked a half day tour to go see Stonehenge. I had just enough time after the ruins to grab a sandwich thing before my tour bus got there. It was cool, just a really big van (it sat like 16 people I think) and a driver/tour guide. He talked about some stuff in Bath, then about some of the stuff we drove through, then about Stonehenge. Stonehenge was pretty cool; the rocks are really big. There was another audio tour guide (they seem to like those a lot here) and it took a little under an hour. Unfortunately, you can't actually go in Stonehenge, except at the Winter and Summer Solstices (because the site is aligned astronomically and so it's cool then and the tour guide said there were some 30,000 people there last June). You get pretty close, but not in. Oh well.
Afterward, we stopped at a quaint little village for about a half hour where this pub had been open since the 18th century and they had shot some footage from Harry Potter. When I got back to Bath, I promptly went to the store to buy food for tonight and for the next two nights, all for 8 £s. Soup and pretzels for the next two nights, and for tonight I splurged and bought some frozen pizza. It was gooooood. While I was eating it, I met this girl named Amaia, from Spain. She educated me on the recent history of Spain... lol. She also just brought me some chestnuts she was cooking and is kinda cute. So I'll probably go back to talk to her again.
I've decided that instead of going to Scotland, I'm just going to the Lake District. It's supposed to be really pretty country for hiking, and Scotland is just too far away. Next time. So tomorrow I'll catch a train, head up North to a city/town called Ambleside, where there is of course a hosel. I'm going to try to leave early so I get there before the rain hits, probably stay indoors tomorrow night, and then Sunday go hiking all day in the hills up there. Monday afternoon I'll go back to London, maybe hit another museum up there, and then I think stay up all night or sleep in the train station so that I make sure I don't miss my train. I'll be able to handle that because I've been getting 10 hours plus every night, and am feeling great. I had a pretty gross cold thing at the beginning of the week (every time I talked I sounded like I was dying) but it's pretty much gone now. I think I'll blog again Monday night - nothing's going to happen tomorrow and if I hike as much as I'm planning on Sunday then I'll be too tired to type for very long.
And.... Drew, don't worry I will of course hit some pubs in Belgium, it's the only reason I'm going there (I'm so serious right now). Rusty - I'm not going to scotland. Sorry buddy. And yes, I'll get you your damn Absinthe. Grandma - I drink now. Get over it. Mom - thanks for the update, I'll take care of it. Vanessa (and Ricky, I assume?) - thanks for stopping in! And Red Guy - who the hell are you??!!
See you Monday night!!
-Swag
Yesterday I didn't do much. I got up at around 730, showered, ate, and then packed everything up and checked out of my room. I took the Tube as close to the bus station as I could get, bought a ticket for Bath (which was like thirty dollars, gross) and waited around. The bus left at 11:15, and I was at Bath by around 3. I got directions from some guy at the bus station, and backpacked to the Hostel. This one is really sweet; it's pretty big and the rooms are decently nice. There's two problems. Well one and a half. The half problem is that the showers/bathrooms are coed (weirdest thing ever) and I haven't decided whether or not that's actually a problem. This morning after my shower two women walked in and it was awkward as hell. Whatever. The other problem is that it's up this hill and OH MY GOD IS IT STEEP. lol. Yesterday when I got to Bath, I actually had to hike up it twice because I took a wrong turn (oops). It's more of a ridge than a hill, going up a good 5-600 feet in a half mile or so... it's really steep. But, I got a good workout, and was very pleased by the fact that doing some real backpacking isn't nearly as hard as it was the last time I went. I was very glad I'd been dieting and exercising. Still, I was a big ball of sweat by the time I got up to the hostel to book a bed for two nights with the cute receptionist. Damn. Then I ate a little bit (reese's and peanuts... literally) and read for awhile and went to bed.
Today was fun. I got up at 730, ate breakfast (it's better here than it was at the last one), showered, and set off into Bath. Bath has the feel of a small town that found itself with a couple of big tourist attractions and so crammed a whole bunch of stores and restaurants in the middle, with nothing but suburbia on the outside. I went down and checked out all the sights: the Royal Crescent, which is a really posh section of housing in a big semi-circle, then Bath Abbey, which was like Westminster Abbey but smaller and picture taking was allowed, and then finally the Roman Baths. Those were SO COOL. I'm of course a History buff, and Roman History is my favorite, so this was pure pleasure for me. The ruins were pretty extensive, and they had all kinds of models and pictures and movies about what it would've looked like two thousand years ago. There was an audio tour guide, like at Westminster Abbey, and it was pretty good. There were drainage systems from the pools that are still working after 2000 years. So that was fun.
This morning, I had booked a half day tour to go see Stonehenge. I had just enough time after the ruins to grab a sandwich thing before my tour bus got there. It was cool, just a really big van (it sat like 16 people I think) and a driver/tour guide. He talked about some stuff in Bath, then about some of the stuff we drove through, then about Stonehenge. Stonehenge was pretty cool; the rocks are really big. There was another audio tour guide (they seem to like those a lot here) and it took a little under an hour. Unfortunately, you can't actually go in Stonehenge, except at the Winter and Summer Solstices (because the site is aligned astronomically and so it's cool then and the tour guide said there were some 30,000 people there last June). You get pretty close, but not in. Oh well.
Afterward, we stopped at a quaint little village for about a half hour where this pub had been open since the 18th century and they had shot some footage from Harry Potter. When I got back to Bath, I promptly went to the store to buy food for tonight and for the next two nights, all for 8 £s. Soup and pretzels for the next two nights, and for tonight I splurged and bought some frozen pizza. It was gooooood. While I was eating it, I met this girl named Amaia, from Spain. She educated me on the recent history of Spain... lol. She also just brought me some chestnuts she was cooking and is kinda cute. So I'll probably go back to talk to her again.
I've decided that instead of going to Scotland, I'm just going to the Lake District. It's supposed to be really pretty country for hiking, and Scotland is just too far away. Next time. So tomorrow I'll catch a train, head up North to a city/town called Ambleside, where there is of course a hosel. I'm going to try to leave early so I get there before the rain hits, probably stay indoors tomorrow night, and then Sunday go hiking all day in the hills up there. Monday afternoon I'll go back to London, maybe hit another museum up there, and then I think stay up all night or sleep in the train station so that I make sure I don't miss my train. I'll be able to handle that because I've been getting 10 hours plus every night, and am feeling great. I had a pretty gross cold thing at the beginning of the week (every time I talked I sounded like I was dying) but it's pretty much gone now. I think I'll blog again Monday night - nothing's going to happen tomorrow and if I hike as much as I'm planning on Sunday then I'll be too tired to type for very long.
And.... Drew, don't worry I will of course hit some pubs in Belgium, it's the only reason I'm going there (I'm so serious right now). Rusty - I'm not going to scotland. Sorry buddy. And yes, I'll get you your damn Absinthe. Grandma - I drink now. Get over it. Mom - thanks for the update, I'll take care of it. Vanessa (and Ricky, I assume?) - thanks for stopping in! And Red Guy - who the hell are you??!!
See you Monday night!!
-Swag
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Jeeze I need to stop Blogging so much
I wasn't going to blog today... but there have been new developments. I found out today that I just might be an idiot. I got out my Eurostar pass to get an inkling as to where I'm supposed to go for this train tomorrow, only to find out that I don't leave until Tuesday. Like I said, I'm an idiot. Oh well. So, now I'm going to visit Bath tomorrow (it houses some excellent Roman ruins of public baths) and stay a day or two, and then head up North to Scotland and go backpacking because there's some spectacular scenery up there. I'll come back to London on Monday, stay the night, and then leave for Paris at 5 AM. Ugh.
Today has been pretty good so far. I woke up at 5 again, but didn't get up until six thirty. I took a shower and ate breakfast, then read for an hour or so because if you wait to buy a day pass for the Tube until after 930 it's cheaper. I went straight to Westminster again, and then straight to Westminster abbey. Even for a student, it's 9£s to get in (18$) but it was well worth it. The architecture is dramatic, sweeping, and impressive (and Gothic). There were these audio tours included in the price where some pompous-sounding Brit took you on a tour of the church. It was pretty impressive. Toward the end, though, I found a definition of irony: the tomb of Charles Darwin (y'know, the guy who founded the theory of revolution, even if he was a devout christian) is buried in a church. I loled to myself on that one.
After the abbey, I went to Covent Garden again (which is where I was yesterday but couldn't remember the name) and saw this guy on a really really tall unicycle juggling machetes and an apple. That was cool. Then I wandered around, exchanged some of my dollars for pounds, and then went to the British Museum. It was so cool. The main room was huge and open, with a modern-looking glass ceiling supported by traditional roman columns. In the middle is a vast cylinder that houses the original Reading Room where Karl Marx, among others, read and thought and wrote. I found a souvenier there for somebody, and shipped it home. The souvenier was only 15$, but the shipping was 30. So, I've spent much more money in my first three days than I meant to, but mostly for the stupid camera. I just have to make sure my other mistakes are not expensive.
Now I'm at an internet cafe back in covent garden... it's only 4:15 but I'm exhausted. I've been walking around London since 10 this morning (without sitting down for more than about two minutes at a time). Anyway, I plan to buy a frozen pizza for a couple pounds, eat and read, and then maybe hit a pub tonight, we'll see. I can always do that monday night. This time I mean it when I say I'm not gonna blog for a couple of days.
-Swag
Today has been pretty good so far. I woke up at 5 again, but didn't get up until six thirty. I took a shower and ate breakfast, then read for an hour or so because if you wait to buy a day pass for the Tube until after 930 it's cheaper. I went straight to Westminster again, and then straight to Westminster abbey. Even for a student, it's 9£s to get in (18$) but it was well worth it. The architecture is dramatic, sweeping, and impressive (and Gothic). There were these audio tours included in the price where some pompous-sounding Brit took you on a tour of the church. It was pretty impressive. Toward the end, though, I found a definition of irony: the tomb of Charles Darwin (y'know, the guy who founded the theory of revolution, even if he was a devout christian) is buried in a church. I loled to myself on that one.
After the abbey, I went to Covent Garden again (which is where I was yesterday but couldn't remember the name) and saw this guy on a really really tall unicycle juggling machetes and an apple. That was cool. Then I wandered around, exchanged some of my dollars for pounds, and then went to the British Museum. It was so cool. The main room was huge and open, with a modern-looking glass ceiling supported by traditional roman columns. In the middle is a vast cylinder that houses the original Reading Room where Karl Marx, among others, read and thought and wrote. I found a souvenier there for somebody, and shipped it home. The souvenier was only 15$, but the shipping was 30. So, I've spent much more money in my first three days than I meant to, but mostly for the stupid camera. I just have to make sure my other mistakes are not expensive.
Now I'm at an internet cafe back in covent garden... it's only 4:15 but I'm exhausted. I've been walking around London since 10 this morning (without sitting down for more than about two minutes at a time). Anyway, I plan to buy a frozen pizza for a couple pounds, eat and read, and then maybe hit a pub tonight, we'll see. I can always do that monday night. This time I mean it when I say I'm not gonna blog for a couple of days.
-Swag
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Day 2: A Much Better Experience
I woke up this morning at quarter after five, because I'd been sleeping since noon the day before (with a couple breaks). I felt better, was in a better mood, and decided to go for a run. I put my new running clothes on, got my iPod in it's arm holder, and set off into the darkness that was London. I had a pretty good run; I went from my hostel to the edge of Hyde Park and back, stopping in the middle of Kensington Gardens to look at a huge memorial to Prince Albert, who died because of... something. It's a really big tower, with golden statues and cement sculptures. I'll post pics of it eventually.
After my run, I came back and took a shower, wrote in my journal, and ate some free breakfast. I decided to stay in this same hostel, and in London, tomorrow rather than brutally rush myself through and try to see more of England, like I had planned. I grabbed my day pack and headed out, stopping at the first telephone booth I saw to call the airport and see if they had found my camera. Long story short.... I wasted 2 or 3 hours on a wild goose chase going back to the airport only to find they didn't really have my camera, just another silver Canon Powershot. Damn. So I went back to London, found a PC World, and bought a new one... the selection was limited, but I managed to find one that's OK. It's an Olympus. I also bought a case and a memory card. I went back to the hostel to check into my new bed, and found out that I bought the wrong kind of memory card. Damn.
Fortunately, that was the end of my headaches (well metaphorically; literally I've had one all day). By this time it was around three in the afternoon, so I only had a few hours until places started closing and it got dark. I took the London Underground (the Tube) to Westminster, and saw Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey (where the rulers are crowned and royal weddings held; it closed at three so I'm going back tomorrow), The Methodist Church (where the first UN meeting was held; it was cool inside), the War Cabinet Room (where Churchill conducted WWII; I didn't go inside though) and the National Gallery. I spent the most time at the Gallery - about an hour - looking at the paintings from about 1600 to 1900. I saw some Monet, Rousseau, Da Vinci... and others that I can't remember. Finally, I went up to... um... well I can't remember the name, but it was a shopping center, on the street, with a whole bunch of pubs and cafes, some of which were open air.
I was struck by the level of grandiosity that was portrayed by all of the major buildings in downtown London. It always seems to me that we like to make ourselves seem more important than we are; although when I was in the Methodist Church, I sort of understood it. I thought that perhaps we design such grand buildings to try and convey a human emotion, like humility or pride or grace. Still, it's an awful lot of effort to get a little pomp and circumstance. Still, they looked pretty cool.
Now I'm going to eat, read, and sleep. It's only 7, but I'm really tired and would like to stay on this schedule for the next two days so that I don't miss the Eurostar at 7 AM Thursday. I've wasted enough money without having to buy a 90 dollar ticket again. Oh and that's another thing; everything's so expensive here! In pounds, it's not bad, but it takes a little under two dollars to make a pound, so everything is effectively doubled!! Ugh. This is part of the reason I'm not staying in Britain very long - the Euro isn't as bad.
All in all, it was a pretty good day, although I wish I'd have spent more time sightseeing and less time running errands while on vacation. I'll try and finish up London tomorrow, and then it's off to Paris on Thursday. I probably won't post here till Thursday at the soonest - it's expensive and time-consuming.
Oh and thanks for the words of encouragement, they helped.
-Swag
P.S. : I'm fine, Mom.
After my run, I came back and took a shower, wrote in my journal, and ate some free breakfast. I decided to stay in this same hostel, and in London, tomorrow rather than brutally rush myself through and try to see more of England, like I had planned. I grabbed my day pack and headed out, stopping at the first telephone booth I saw to call the airport and see if they had found my camera. Long story short.... I wasted 2 or 3 hours on a wild goose chase going back to the airport only to find they didn't really have my camera, just another silver Canon Powershot. Damn. So I went back to London, found a PC World, and bought a new one... the selection was limited, but I managed to find one that's OK. It's an Olympus. I also bought a case and a memory card. I went back to the hostel to check into my new bed, and found out that I bought the wrong kind of memory card. Damn.
Fortunately, that was the end of my headaches (well metaphorically; literally I've had one all day). By this time it was around three in the afternoon, so I only had a few hours until places started closing and it got dark. I took the London Underground (the Tube) to Westminster, and saw Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey (where the rulers are crowned and royal weddings held; it closed at three so I'm going back tomorrow), The Methodist Church (where the first UN meeting was held; it was cool inside), the War Cabinet Room (where Churchill conducted WWII; I didn't go inside though) and the National Gallery. I spent the most time at the Gallery - about an hour - looking at the paintings from about 1600 to 1900. I saw some Monet, Rousseau, Da Vinci... and others that I can't remember. Finally, I went up to... um... well I can't remember the name, but it was a shopping center, on the street, with a whole bunch of pubs and cafes, some of which were open air.
I was struck by the level of grandiosity that was portrayed by all of the major buildings in downtown London. It always seems to me that we like to make ourselves seem more important than we are; although when I was in the Methodist Church, I sort of understood it. I thought that perhaps we design such grand buildings to try and convey a human emotion, like humility or pride or grace. Still, it's an awful lot of effort to get a little pomp and circumstance. Still, they looked pretty cool.
Now I'm going to eat, read, and sleep. It's only 7, but I'm really tired and would like to stay on this schedule for the next two days so that I don't miss the Eurostar at 7 AM Thursday. I've wasted enough money without having to buy a 90 dollar ticket again. Oh and that's another thing; everything's so expensive here! In pounds, it's not bad, but it takes a little under two dollars to make a pound, so everything is effectively doubled!! Ugh. This is part of the reason I'm not staying in Britain very long - the Euro isn't as bad.
All in all, it was a pretty good day, although I wish I'd have spent more time sightseeing and less time running errands while on vacation. I'll try and finish up London tomorrow, and then it's off to Paris on Thursday. I probably won't post here till Thursday at the soonest - it's expensive and time-consuming.
Oh and thanks for the words of encouragement, they helped.
-Swag
P.S. : I'm fine, Mom.
Monday, October 20, 2008
And the first thing to go wrong is....
The whole entire first day. Yep. The whole thing.
The flight to London was fine; I slept for about an hour at the beginning of the flight, woke up in time for the meal, watched "Hancock" (it was pretty good, actually), wrote in my journal, read about London and decided where I wanted to go. I got through customs with no real problem, and my pack was floating around the baggage claim area before I even got there. That's when it started. When I was putting my pack back together, (I had taken my day pack on the planes with me) I went to get my camera out of my day pack to put into my pocket.... only to find that it wasn't there. I've lost my brand new digital camera that my rents got me for my birthday. I went immediately to customer service to see if I'd left it on the 747 I'd come from, and they promptly had me wait an hour before telling me the plane had been put away and I had to go somewhere else. So, I went to the left baggage counter to put in a claim, and they gave me a phone number to call tomorrow morning. We'll see how that goes. I really really hope they find it; I wouldn't even mind having to go back to the airport tomorrow.
So I finally bite the bullet and head into London. I hop on a shuttle train - for thirty dollars - and land in downtown London, with not much of an idea where I am. I know my hostel is west of Hyde Park, so I look for that thinking I can go from there. Following my instincts and eventually a couple of signs, I go straight there. However, in Hyde Park I got turned around a couple of times due to a couple of confusing maps.... suffice it to say I hiked abou 6-7 miles in London to try to find the stupid thing when I only needed to hike 4. Oh well.
I was completely exhausted when I checked into my Hostel, so I took my contacts out to take a nap for about three hours... it was going on noon London time (so 7 in the morning at home... I'd been at it for 22 hours).
I woke up eight hours later. Oops. So I've decided to just keep sleeping until tomorrow (I've already slept a few more hours), get up real early, call the baggage claim place, go for a run, eat breakfast, book another bed for tomorrow night, and see London all day tomorrow. Maybe I'll go someplace else during the day on Wednesday, maybe I'll just stay in London. I dunno yet.
So, as far as first days go, this one could've been better. But I've still seen some pretty cool stuff in Hyde Park (omg it's so huge) and seen parts of downtown London (just like New York except not nearly as tall) and heard lots of people in funny accents. Hopefully, tomorrow will go my way.
-Swag
The flight to London was fine; I slept for about an hour at the beginning of the flight, woke up in time for the meal, watched "Hancock" (it was pretty good, actually), wrote in my journal, read about London and decided where I wanted to go. I got through customs with no real problem, and my pack was floating around the baggage claim area before I even got there. That's when it started. When I was putting my pack back together, (I had taken my day pack on the planes with me) I went to get my camera out of my day pack to put into my pocket.... only to find that it wasn't there. I've lost my brand new digital camera that my rents got me for my birthday. I went immediately to customer service to see if I'd left it on the 747 I'd come from, and they promptly had me wait an hour before telling me the plane had been put away and I had to go somewhere else. So, I went to the left baggage counter to put in a claim, and they gave me a phone number to call tomorrow morning. We'll see how that goes. I really really hope they find it; I wouldn't even mind having to go back to the airport tomorrow.
So I finally bite the bullet and head into London. I hop on a shuttle train - for thirty dollars - and land in downtown London, with not much of an idea where I am. I know my hostel is west of Hyde Park, so I look for that thinking I can go from there. Following my instincts and eventually a couple of signs, I go straight there. However, in Hyde Park I got turned around a couple of times due to a couple of confusing maps.... suffice it to say I hiked abou 6-7 miles in London to try to find the stupid thing when I only needed to hike 4. Oh well.
I was completely exhausted when I checked into my Hostel, so I took my contacts out to take a nap for about three hours... it was going on noon London time (so 7 in the morning at home... I'd been at it for 22 hours).
I woke up eight hours later. Oops. So I've decided to just keep sleeping until tomorrow (I've already slept a few more hours), get up real early, call the baggage claim place, go for a run, eat breakfast, book another bed for tomorrow night, and see London all day tomorrow. Maybe I'll go someplace else during the day on Wednesday, maybe I'll just stay in London. I dunno yet.
So, as far as first days go, this one could've been better. But I've still seen some pretty cool stuff in Hyde Park (omg it's so huge) and seen parts of downtown London (just like New York except not nearly as tall) and heard lots of people in funny accents. Hopefully, tomorrow will go my way.
-Swag
Sunday, October 19, 2008
And I'm off!!
So I'm at the O'Hare airport in Chicago. My flight leaves for London in about forty minutes. It's a little weird to think that not even four hours ago I was still packing for the trip, and now I'm already in Chicago. It was a short flight; by the time I had finished drinking the water they gave me on the flight we were already there. This flight to London is seven hours, so I'll be reading and sleeping and whatnot as much as I can to try and pass the time easily. I'm pretty tired, so it won't be a problem. There's a meal inflight, which is good because I haven't eaten today and I'm starving!
I have had a pretty fun time over the last few days getting ready for my trip and making my goodbyes. Thursday night I went out with some friends from work for a few drinks. Friday night I went out with most of my closest friends from High School and had a blast (I was sooo done that night) and then last night (Saturday) my rents took me out to the Cheesecake Factory - phenomenal. Today was a whirlwind of packing because I of course procrastinated until the last minute. Once I got to the airport and said goodbye to my parents, I found my gate and called a few other close friends to say goodbye for five weeks.
I have a rough itinerary for my whole trip; pretty clear for the next few days and then progressively fuzzier the further out I go. I'll get into London at 7 AM their time (2 AM here) and spend the day sightseeing in London. I'll check in to my Hostel that I've already booked and hit the sack early, then Tuesday go up to Bath (a city) to see some Roman ruins of public baths. Wednesday I'll head back into London, do some more sightseeing, sleep, and then take the Eurostar early Thursday morning into Paris. I'll spend a few days in Paris, then a few days in the French countryside, then head South to Spain. I'll probably go straight to the beach.
After that, I'm not really sure. I'll head North, and visit Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, and Amsterdam, but not necessarily in that order. I'm saving Italy for last, and I plan to spend a full week there. The last few days I'll spring for a real hotel; that'll be fantastic after sleeping in hostels and maybe the countryside for a month. I fly home Nov. 23rd, and have a full week thanks to thanksgiving and seeing everybody back home again.
As I haven't really done anything noteworthy, I'm not going to go into thoughts and feelings today... I'll try to get on here tomorrow to post about my flight and my first impressions of Britain. See you then!!
-Swag
I have had a pretty fun time over the last few days getting ready for my trip and making my goodbyes. Thursday night I went out with some friends from work for a few drinks. Friday night I went out with most of my closest friends from High School and had a blast (I was sooo done that night) and then last night (Saturday) my rents took me out to the Cheesecake Factory - phenomenal. Today was a whirlwind of packing because I of course procrastinated until the last minute. Once I got to the airport and said goodbye to my parents, I found my gate and called a few other close friends to say goodbye for five weeks.
I have a rough itinerary for my whole trip; pretty clear for the next few days and then progressively fuzzier the further out I go. I'll get into London at 7 AM their time (2 AM here) and spend the day sightseeing in London. I'll check in to my Hostel that I've already booked and hit the sack early, then Tuesday go up to Bath (a city) to see some Roman ruins of public baths. Wednesday I'll head back into London, do some more sightseeing, sleep, and then take the Eurostar early Thursday morning into Paris. I'll spend a few days in Paris, then a few days in the French countryside, then head South to Spain. I'll probably go straight to the beach.
After that, I'm not really sure. I'll head North, and visit Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, and Amsterdam, but not necessarily in that order. I'm saving Italy for last, and I plan to spend a full week there. The last few days I'll spring for a real hotel; that'll be fantastic after sleeping in hostels and maybe the countryside for a month. I fly home Nov. 23rd, and have a full week thanks to thanksgiving and seeing everybody back home again.
As I haven't really done anything noteworthy, I'm not going to go into thoughts and feelings today... I'll try to get on here tomorrow to post about my flight and my first impressions of Britain. See you then!!
-Swag
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
And so it begins...
So I decided today that it was finally time to make this blog, since my departure date is only a week and a half away. I'm pretty excited about leaving. I work all this weekend, so I won't have much time to think about my trip, but I still have to figure out exactly where I'm going, what all I'm going to take with me, if I need to buy anything (I'm sure I will).... etc. It's a fair amount to do, but it shouldn't take me more than a day or two. I have one whole day and a couple half days off next week, so it won't be a problem.
The other day, I bought a book that will serve as my tour guide throughout Europe. It is sorted by country, and contains information about each country's history and cultural identifiers. Then it shows the major sites that typically attract tourists in the country, and moves on to individual cities. In the cities, the book identifies individual landmarks and describes them in some detail, showing pictures and cutaways and interesting facts about each landmark. It also includes info on where the best places to eat are, as well as hotel information and locations and contact information for embassies, tourist information, etc. It's pretty sweet.
Next week I'll be shopping, planning, and packing... I'll probably write another post here right before I leave. See you then!
-Swag
The other day, I bought a book that will serve as my tour guide throughout Europe. It is sorted by country, and contains information about each country's history and cultural identifiers. Then it shows the major sites that typically attract tourists in the country, and moves on to individual cities. In the cities, the book identifies individual landmarks and describes them in some detail, showing pictures and cutaways and interesting facts about each landmark. It also includes info on where the best places to eat are, as well as hotel information and locations and contact information for embassies, tourist information, etc. It's pretty sweet.
Next week I'll be shopping, planning, and packing... I'll probably write another post here right before I leave. See you then!
-Swag
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