Tomorrow, I will embark on another phase in my life. It is the first step in the road to my greatest achievement.
For one great discovery, I will win two Nobel Prizes.
I will win the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology for the groundbreaking work in creating the Anti-Aging Panda Puppy
Then, I will win the Nobel Peace Prize because the proliferation of my Anti-aging Panda Puppies will bring about a global ceasefire. Even the most violent groups will lay down their arms and just go "Awwwww" upon seeing these awesome Anti-Aging Panda Puppies.
Stay Tuned!
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
Getting all nostalgic
Started packing my stuff for Boston. Opened up a box of old letters, birthday and xmas cards, and random postcards that I've recieved since HS and through college. There were a couple of choice one that I'd like to share.
1) Conan Birthday card from UCLA peepz
They put in msgs next to all the guests who did "in the year 2000". Best card EVER
2) Lyndsay's postcard from Amish country
Picture of this cute little Amish family. Fits my warped sense of humor well
3) Melinda's letter from some time in
She signed it "Melinda Timberlake" Oh the wonderful days of boyband yore.
4) HS graduation card from Cindy (my sis)
Had some msg like "you're really awesome....just like me!" Sweet inside jokes too.
I also have tons of pics, ticket stubs, and other random stuff that I kept. Definitely gonna bring it all with me.
1) Conan Birthday card from UCLA peepz
They put in msgs next to all the guests who did "in the year 2000". Best card EVER
2) Lyndsay's postcard from Amish country
Picture of this cute little Amish family. Fits my warped sense of humor well
3) Melinda's letter from some time in
She signed it "Melinda Timberlake" Oh the wonderful days of boyband yore.
4) HS graduation card from Cindy (my sis)
Had some msg like "you're really awesome....just like me!" Sweet inside jokes too.
I also have tons of pics, ticket stubs, and other random stuff that I kept. Definitely gonna bring it all with me.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
The Lists
It's probably the last post I will blog while abroad. I'm trying to kill some time before dinner. This trip has left me wanting to see more of the world and understand its history, culture, and people.
Though it might be a good time to hand out the awards.
Favorite City visited
Venice - Great shopping, interesting sights, unparalleled experiences
Most amazing religious building
Florence's Duomo - Great on the inside, great on the outside
Coolest Piece of Art
Michelangelo's Infinito - Although it's unfinished, it now has a completely different message adn effect on the people who see it.
Piece of art that I unexpectedly liked
The ceiling to the first room in Venice's Galleria del Accademia - It was filled with 500+ faces with angel wings. All the faces are supposedly different.
Best place Culinarily
Paris - HANDS DOWN
Best deal
7.10 Euros for a sandwich, a pizza, two cups of coffee, a bottle of water, and a chocalate cake at this one little cafe in Barcelona.
Funniest Moment
Our tour guide got drunk and tried to prove that he wasn't drunk by telling us the history of Florence. Every so often he tried to spell the important words out. He never got passed the fifth letter of RENAISSANCE.
Best shopping
Barcelona - Lots of stores around that are all centrally located. Have expensive ones, have ones in my alley!
Most disappointed shopping
Rome - The stores are either super expensive haute couture, or really semi cheap and tacky looking.
Most interesting place to hang out at
Park Guell of Barcelona - a park that looks like none other
St. Chapelle of Paris - small, but stained glass windows are unrivaled
Museum I'd like to spend more time in.
Louvre - Normally, people take 5 days to see that whole thing. I had 2 hours.
Museo d'Orsay - Same story as above. I had 1 hour this time
Doge's Palace in Venice - Will take guided tour next time.
Most Overrated
Versaille - Long lines outside, huge crowds in every room inside, few bathrooms for the large area. Also, sensory overload with all the French grandeur. Given that I had limited time, it could have been better spent elsewhere.
Best Moment
Front row seats to Eiffel tower at night.
Though it might be a good time to hand out the awards.
Favorite City visited
Venice - Great shopping, interesting sights, unparalleled experiences
Most amazing religious building
Florence's Duomo - Great on the inside, great on the outside
Coolest Piece of Art
Michelangelo's Infinito - Although it's unfinished, it now has a completely different message adn effect on the people who see it.
Piece of art that I unexpectedly liked
The ceiling to the first room in Venice's Galleria del Accademia - It was filled with 500+ faces with angel wings. All the faces are supposedly different.
Best place Culinarily
Paris - HANDS DOWN
Best deal
7.10 Euros for a sandwich, a pizza, two cups of coffee, a bottle of water, and a chocalate cake at this one little cafe in Barcelona.
Funniest Moment
Our tour guide got drunk and tried to prove that he wasn't drunk by telling us the history of Florence. Every so often he tried to spell the important words out. He never got passed the fifth letter of RENAISSANCE.
Best shopping
Barcelona - Lots of stores around that are all centrally located. Have expensive ones, have ones in my alley!
Most disappointed shopping
Rome - The stores are either super expensive haute couture, or really semi cheap and tacky looking.
Most interesting place to hang out at
Park Guell of Barcelona - a park that looks like none other
St. Chapelle of Paris - small, but stained glass windows are unrivaled
Museum I'd like to spend more time in.
Louvre - Normally, people take 5 days to see that whole thing. I had 2 hours.
Museo d'Orsay - Same story as above. I had 1 hour this time
Doge's Palace in Venice - Will take guided tour next time.
Most Overrated
Versaille - Long lines outside, huge crowds in every room inside, few bathrooms for the large area. Also, sensory overload with all the French grandeur. Given that I had limited time, it could have been better spent elsewhere.
Best Moment
Front row seats to Eiffel tower at night.
Fine Irish Gentleman
As I was wandering around Rome with nothing to do, I decided to stop into a museum. I had to go to the bathroom really badly and I figured museum bathrooms are safest.
Anyhow, I went to the Museo Nazionale Romano near Piazza Navona. As I was walking around, looking at the cool statues (all of them were copies of Greek statues), this older Irish gentleman told me that I should check out the marble basin in the other room. He thought I might like it. So I did and afterwards, I went back to tell him thanks for the recommendation because it was a very fine piece. Then we got into a little bit of a chat.
I found out that the Irish gentleman was a retired engineer who had worked all over the world, but had not seen much of the cities that he worked in. So now, he's going around everywhere to see all the history and art. He passionately recommended some places that I should visit, including the Villa Julia, which housed some fine Etruscan artifacts and jewelry, as well as the Ostia Antica.
It's great to talk to someone who is enthusiastic about the world and its history.
0000
Side note: Three new gelati flavors: Zabaione, biscotto, dolce latte.
Anyhow, I went to the Museo Nazionale Romano near Piazza Navona. As I was walking around, looking at the cool statues (all of them were copies of Greek statues), this older Irish gentleman told me that I should check out the marble basin in the other room. He thought I might like it. So I did and afterwards, I went back to tell him thanks for the recommendation because it was a very fine piece. Then we got into a little bit of a chat.
I found out that the Irish gentleman was a retired engineer who had worked all over the world, but had not seen much of the cities that he worked in. So now, he's going around everywhere to see all the history and art. He passionately recommended some places that I should visit, including the Villa Julia, which housed some fine Etruscan artifacts and jewelry, as well as the Ostia Antica.
It's great to talk to someone who is enthusiastic about the world and its history.
0000
Side note: Three new gelati flavors: Zabaione, biscotto, dolce latte.
Uninvited guest, Part deux
As it turns out, that stupid British woman also stays at my hotel. I had a talk with her over breakfast this morning.
Don't think I changed her opinion, probably reinforced it even more.
But at least, I got to give my side and defend myself.
Don't think I changed her opinion, probably reinforced it even more.
But at least, I got to give my side and defend myself.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Uninvited guest ruins dinner
I was just at dinner, having a really good Italian meal in a restaurant that had a great atmosphere. Alan and I were reflecting on our lives and the trip itself. When we were about 3/4 done, this British lady who sat next to us decided that she needed tell us that we were the most spoiled children that she has ever met before running off.
Now, I'm angry because she had no right to just jump in in the conversation and offer her opinion. Especially when she didn't know the context of the experience itself.
I'm confused because I'm not sure what part of the conversation made her feel this way about us.
It ruined the night.
I'm glad she didn't stay long enough to enjoy the conviviality of the restaurant. After she left, the table behind us had a birthday and the owners sang happy birthday to the birthday girl and offered free champagne around the house.
Now, I'm angry because she had no right to just jump in in the conversation and offer her opinion. Especially when she didn't know the context of the experience itself.
And
I'm confused because I'm not sure what part of the conversation made her feel this way about us.
It ruined the night.
I'm glad she didn't stay long enough to enjoy the conviviality of the restaurant. After she left, the table behind us had a birthday and the owners sang happy birthday to the birthday girl and offered free champagne around the house.
Should have been an Art major
After this trip, i realized I woudl have loved to be an art history major. It sucks to go through all these sites and not know what the significance of all the art/architecture has. Need to work on being more cultured! Not in the bacteria sorta way.
Ruins Galore
Hi Everyone,
The tour officially ended today, so I get to explore Rome on my own. Although I am sad to leave some really great people (they're heading off to Athens), I must admit that I am looking forward to a hot shower in my hotel room and being free from mosquitos. Camping has shown my what luxury truly is by making me experience that seedier side of things. You begin to appreciate toilets that flush well and don't smell like urine, or showers that have little side shelves so your clothes won't get wet.
I spent the yesterday exploring Pompeii and today exploring Ancient Rome. So far, I've seen tons of ruins, only the broken skeleton of ancient civilization. Here's what I think of the two places.
1) Pompeii
Pompeii was about 2 hours away from Rome by train. We had to get to Naples and then connect onto a really cruddy train for another half hour before reaching the entrance of Pompeii Ruins. Man it was freaking hot. Going into Naples, you definitely see the difference between southern and northern Italy. You notice that it's hotter and the places are dodgier. Seriously, I actually felt scared for my safety for a brief moment in Naples.
Anyhow, back to Pompeii. The city was bustling with life when it met its dome in 79 AD. In these ruins, you really get a slight sense of how well these people lived. There were large forums for commerce, great temples for their gods, and some even had fancy villas. In some homes, you can see the fine mosaic tile flooring. It's really cool to see how we still imitate that style today. The place is HUGE! Some places still had frescos. Although it's in ruins, you also get a good sense of how ornate many of these homes are.
One of the coolest places to see is the whorehouse, where there are some erotic frescos still up! The Romans are very kinky people. After the visit, I went to the Archaeological museum in Naples to see more of these frescos and their obsession of the phallus. According to the museum, the phallus was believed to ward off evil, so people wore it as jewelry and put it large stone ones right outside their homes. Really weird, especially for my prudish self. I'm definitely glad that the times have changed.
My biggest regret with Pompeii is that I didnt see the body plaster of the victims. According to my research, they were at this place called the Garden of Fugitives, which is really far away. I also heard that some were taken to the Archaeological Museum in Naples. However, it wasn't there either. As it turns out, they moved it to another site which was closer to the entrance so people didn't have to go way out of their way to see it. Boo to that!
2) Ancient Rome
Today, I went took a tour of the Coliseum. Traveling tip: Buy whatever Museum pass if they offer it in the city you're visiting,. It cuts the lining up (especially in Paris and Rome). The tour was okay. The speaker gave a good idea of what sorta things happened, but if you watched Gladiator, you woudl have known anyways. The Coliseum is really big! On the outside, you dont really feel that impressed. But once you walked in, you really feel how grand it is.
We also took a tour of the Palatine. Trivia point: The word Palace comes from Palatine because the emperors of rome built this grandiose homes for themselves on this hill. The tour was given by this Australian chick, who was a great tour guide. She was very vibrant, had good huomr, and provided a lot of little tidbits that busted many myths! At this hill, you see the remains of the large palace for the emperor Domitician (?). He had his own circus minimus! On this large hill, you see all these ruins, and you have to keep in mind that EVERYTHING except the little garden and his circus minimus is covered! There are enough walls left that you do get a sense of how large the halls. VERY COOL.
Side note: on these tours, you really learn THAT the Vatican steals everything. They stole all the great marble from these ancient buildings for their own cathedrals, basilicas, etc.
There, you also got this awesome semi-aerial view of the Roman Forums. Definitely another great site! There's these three barrel chapels (?) that are simply HUGE. There are a few standing columns around, some more rundown walls. There's only one church that's still standing. It has the second oldest bronze door in all of the Roman empire. Pretty impressive that it still works and haven't been plundered by the Vatican.
000000
Thus concludes the adventures of the last two days. I think I may have forgotten to write that I saw Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. There, I learned that I hate tourist and crowds only taint all these beautiful places.
Alright, one more full day at Rome and tht's it. For the last day, I plan to tackle the Mouth of Truth and maybe the Cupercin(?) monks. Otherwise, it's pretty chill. I haven't figured out how to spend my final hours in this great city.
Overall, This trip has been pretty damn amazing. I'll log the top 10 and worst 10 moments when I get home.
The tour officially ended today, so I get to explore Rome on my own. Although I am sad to leave some really great people (they're heading off to Athens), I must admit that I am looking forward to a hot shower in my hotel room and being free from mosquitos. Camping has shown my what luxury truly is by making me experience that seedier side of things. You begin to appreciate toilets that flush well and don't smell like urine, or showers that have little side shelves so your clothes won't get wet.
I spent the yesterday exploring Pompeii and today exploring Ancient Rome. So far, I've seen tons of ruins, only the broken skeleton of ancient civilization. Here's what I think of the two places.
1) Pompeii
Pompeii was about 2 hours away from Rome by train. We had to get to Naples and then connect onto a really cruddy train for another half hour before reaching the entrance of Pompeii Ruins. Man it was freaking hot. Going into Naples, you definitely see the difference between southern and northern Italy. You notice that it's hotter and the places are dodgier. Seriously, I actually felt scared for my safety for a brief moment in Naples.
Anyhow, back to Pompeii. The city was bustling with life when it met its dome in 79 AD. In these ruins, you really get a slight sense of how well these people lived. There were large forums for commerce, great temples for their gods, and some even had fancy villas. In some homes, you can see the fine mosaic tile flooring. It's really cool to see how we still imitate that style today. The place is HUGE! Some places still had frescos. Although it's in ruins, you also get a good sense of how ornate many of these homes are.
One of the coolest places to see is the whorehouse, where there are some erotic frescos still up! The Romans are very kinky people. After the visit, I went to the Archaeological museum in Naples to see more of these frescos and their obsession of the phallus. According to the museum, the phallus was believed to ward off evil, so people wore it as jewelry and put it large stone ones right outside their homes. Really weird, especially for my prudish self. I'm definitely glad that the times have changed.
My biggest regret with Pompeii is that I didnt see the body plaster of the victims. According to my research, they were at this place called the Garden of Fugitives, which is really far away. I also heard that some were taken to the Archaeological Museum in Naples. However, it wasn't there either. As it turns out, they moved it to another site which was closer to the entrance so people didn't have to go way out of their way to see it. Boo to that!
2) Ancient Rome
Today, I went took a tour of the Coliseum. Traveling tip: Buy whatever Museum pass if they offer it in the city you're visiting,. It cuts the lining up (especially in Paris and Rome). The tour was okay. The speaker gave a good idea of what sorta things happened, but if you watched Gladiator, you woudl have known anyways. The Coliseum is really big! On the outside, you dont really feel that impressed. But once you walked in, you really feel how grand it is.
We also took a tour of the Palatine. Trivia point: The word Palace comes from Palatine because the emperors of rome built this grandiose homes for themselves on this hill. The tour was given by this Australian chick, who was a great tour guide. She was very vibrant, had good huomr, and provided a lot of little tidbits that busted many myths! At this hill, you see the remains of the large palace for the emperor Domitician (?). He had his own circus minimus! On this large hill, you see all these ruins, and you have to keep in mind that EVERYTHING except the little garden and his circus minimus is covered! There are enough walls left that you do get a sense of how large the halls. VERY COOL.
Side note: on these tours, you really learn THAT the Vatican steals everything. They stole all the great marble from these ancient buildings for their own cathedrals, basilicas, etc.
There, you also got this awesome semi-aerial view of the Roman Forums. Definitely another great site! There's these three barrel chapels (?) that are simply HUGE. There are a few standing columns around, some more rundown walls. There's only one church that's still standing. It has the second oldest bronze door in all of the Roman empire. Pretty impressive that it still works and haven't been plundered by the Vatican.
000000
Thus concludes the adventures of the last two days. I think I may have forgotten to write that I saw Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. There, I learned that I hate tourist and crowds only taint all these beautiful places.
Alright, one more full day at Rome and tht's it. For the last day, I plan to tackle the Mouth of Truth and maybe the Cupercin(?) monks. Otherwise, it's pretty chill. I haven't figured out how to spend my final hours in this great city.
Overall, This trip has been pretty damn amazing. I'll log the top 10 and worst 10 moments when I get home.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
I'm going to Vatican city where the church is big and the cieling is pretty
Today, we got into Rome. The Florence update is posted as a separate post below, so check that out after this.
We started the drive from Florence at 7am so we can make it into Rome by noon. It was harsh because the night before, I got back at 2am. Regardless, I just slept on the coach.
We were warned by our tour guide that in order to get into the Vatican Museum, we'd have to play dirty and cut in line. I was all ready to do that. So, first thing I did as I approached the line was to scope out for asian families that I can pretend to be apart of. Once I found my target, I moved in slowly and sneaked my way into the line. When I looked ahead of me, I saw other people from the tour cutting way up front. I felt good because at least I was less amoral.
The Vatican Museum is relaly cool. They have heaps of rooms full of paintings, tapestry, furniture, frescos. Of course all these are depictions of Biblical stories. Here, I saw Raffaelo's School of Athens. (Side note: after seeing italy, definitely getting sick of Michelangelo, Raffaelo, and Bernini. These guys did EVERYTHING ART)
Of course, the real goal is to see the Sistine Chapel. Must say, Very impressed by the shear execution of this large project. The audio tour definitely gave a great explanation of what everything is supposed to be on the ceiling and the side walls. Being my less amoral self, I refrained from snapping a picture of ceiling. Go me!
One surprise in the Vatican Museum is the collection of Modern religious art. Modern art and religious are, to me, are always two very separate entities, since modernity is often more concerned with the laypeople. Anyhow, here, you have these very non traditional representation of Biblical tales, using very old media, but with a definitely fresh sensibility. My favorite was this large completely white stained glass window that depicted the Pieta scene.
After Vatican museum, went into the largest cathedral on earth, St. Peter's Basilica. No they were not kidding in terms of size. I was blown away by size, but not so much by the art within it. Of course there is Michelangelo's great work, the Pieta. However, I found the ceilings unimpressive. For being THE church on earth, I think St. Mark's in Venice beats it, hands down!
So we finished seeing the Vatican, and decided to roam into Rome. One of my top objectives is to see the Pantheon, which is this tour de force of ancient architecture. As one of the best preserved buildings from 1AD (ish), it still stands very well. Really cool use of space to have this empty dome. It's small, but feels really big. The height of the building is the same as the dome's diameter.
It was about time to catch the coach back to the campsite. Decided that I wasn't gonna waste any time sitting in the campsite and being bored so ventured out to dinner in town. Need to get back really soon.
Final side notes
1) Bug bites: 35 and counting.
2) Gelato flavors: tried: amaretto, bacio, pistachio, caffe viennese, cacao amsterdam, lima tropical, mela verde, cocomero, torronita, crema gran soiree, tuttobosco, passion fruit, caffe, panna cotta, melone, kiwi, macedonia. total count so far: 23! Go me for becoming a fatty!
We started the drive from Florence at 7am so we can make it into Rome by noon. It was harsh because the night before, I got back at 2am. Regardless, I just slept on the coach.
We were warned by our tour guide that in order to get into the Vatican Museum, we'd have to play dirty and cut in line. I was all ready to do that. So, first thing I did as I approached the line was to scope out for asian families that I can pretend to be apart of. Once I found my target, I moved in slowly and sneaked my way into the line. When I looked ahead of me, I saw other people from the tour cutting way up front. I felt good because at least I was less amoral.
The Vatican Museum is relaly cool. They have heaps of rooms full of paintings, tapestry, furniture, frescos. Of course all these are depictions of Biblical stories. Here, I saw Raffaelo's School of Athens. (Side note: after seeing italy, definitely getting sick of Michelangelo, Raffaelo, and Bernini. These guys did EVERYTHING ART)
Of course, the real goal is to see the Sistine Chapel. Must say, Very impressed by the shear execution of this large project. The audio tour definitely gave a great explanation of what everything is supposed to be on the ceiling and the side walls. Being my less amoral self, I refrained from snapping a picture of ceiling. Go me!
One surprise in the Vatican Museum is the collection of Modern religious art. Modern art and religious are, to me, are always two very separate entities, since modernity is often more concerned with the laypeople. Anyhow, here, you have these very non traditional representation of Biblical tales, using very old media, but with a definitely fresh sensibility. My favorite was this large completely white stained glass window that depicted the Pieta scene.
After Vatican museum, went into the largest cathedral on earth, St. Peter's Basilica. No they were not kidding in terms of size. I was blown away by size, but not so much by the art within it. Of course there is Michelangelo's great work, the Pieta. However, I found the ceilings unimpressive. For being THE church on earth, I think St. Mark's in Venice beats it, hands down!
So we finished seeing the Vatican, and decided to roam into Rome. One of my top objectives is to see the Pantheon, which is this tour de force of ancient architecture. As one of the best preserved buildings from 1AD (ish), it still stands very well. Really cool use of space to have this empty dome. It's small, but feels really big. The height of the building is the same as the dome's diameter.
It was about time to catch the coach back to the campsite. Decided that I wasn't gonna waste any time sitting in the campsite and being bored so ventured out to dinner in town. Need to get back really soon.
Final side notes
1) Bug bites: 35 and counting.
2) Gelato flavors: tried: amaretto, bacio, pistachio, caffe viennese, cacao amsterdam, lima tropical, mela verde, cocomero, torronita, crema gran soiree, tuttobosco, passion fruit, caffe, panna cotta, melone, kiwi, macedonia. total count so far: 23! Go me for becoming a fatty!
Ciao Bello!
Yesterday, I was just in Florence. The day started slow because I decided to go into town with the tour. Big mistake. They took us into town late and wasted more time to show us a leather making demo (bad sales pitch). Anyhow, as soon as I could wiggle away, I jetted. Here are my adventures!
1) Piazza dell Signorio.
This is suposed to be the city center of ancient Florence, the seat of power for the di Medici family. It was really awesome because immediately, you see some very beautiful sculptures around. There's an entire fountain on the Neptune, the famous Rape of the Sabine, and Perseus holding the decapitated Medusa. Very great pieces.
Also, supercool is that I meet this old native Florentine man. He was very sweet, just asking me where I was from and telling me that he loves it in Florence. Great hospitality!
2) The Duomo
I was walking down the street, eating my gelato, and just window shopping. Anyhow, for a moment there, I stopped and looked up. I was stopped mid-lick. Ahead of me is this jinormously tall cathedral, wrought with marbles of red, green, and white. Nothing beats this awestruck moment. One thing that's cool about the Duomo is that it's very enclosed, in that it doesn't have this large square dedicated to it. There's a campanile and a octagonal building right around it. If you see the pictures, you'd think I photoshopped it all together. The colors also make it very unique because Gothic cathedrals are often gray and black, but hardly ever red and green.
I also went inside. Thankfully, the line wasn't too long, so I got in after about 20 minutes of waiting. Definitely a large enclosed space. You really feel this awe and respect when you walk inside these large cathedrals.
3) Pont Vecchio
I went to this place with the walking tour of the group. This bridge crosses the Arna River (?) Within the bridge is small shops. These shops have kept its facade for hundreds of years, so you see medieval banners all around.
4) DAVID!
It was my goal to see David, one of Michelangelo's greatest works. There are several replicas around the city, but nothing beats the real thing. The walking tour guide told me that it would take 1 to 2 hours just for the wait. That was very depressing because we left the walking tour about 1:30 and the bus picks us up at 4. Really leaves very little time for anything. Anyhow, I had given up, and decided to have a good lunch just so I can have some down time to lick my wounds. You see, I had already given up a second objective in Florence - the Uffizi gallery, which is this large museum housing the greatest collection of Renaissance art. Boticelli's Birth of Venus is found there, as well as early works from Leonardo and other TMNTs.
Even after the lunch, I was feeling like I couldn't just give up so easily. Since the David's home is not that far, I might as well make a visit and check out the line. I figured it's well worth a try. Thank god I did that! The line was only half hour. Crowd control is also excellently done. All too often, you have hordes of people around these great artwork. Here, in the galleria, you don't. David is right there and there's only about 30 people in this great hall, admiring the work.
David is an absolutely masterpiece. He's 502 years old and doesn't look a day over 18. Most impressive is the skill and detail that you see in the sculpture. The muscle tone, the veins running underneath his skill. There's softness on the surface and strength underneath. It is definitely a treat in my life have the opportunity to see the real thing at close distance.
I missed the bus because of him and had to find my way back on public transportation. Well worth it, i tell you.
4) Infiniti sculptures.
The Infiniti sculptures are unfinished sculptures of the apostles that Michelangelo started for some pope's tomb. Here, you get this great effect. You have these rough marbles, completely jagged and craggy. Then, you have these body's emerging from it. It's like looking at someone just walking out of the marble in that particular pose. There is this perfect marriage of the beauty of natural and the beauty which man can creat. You'd have to see it for yourself!
After all these adventures, went to dinner with the tour,. Got majorly ripped off with terrible food. Afterwards, went to Space disco for karaoke (did "living on a prayer") and then went for a walk because I got bored. Had tiramisu at this nice little square with jazz music playing in the background. THen had more gelato!
Overall, good night!
1) Piazza dell Signorio.
This is suposed to be the city center of ancient Florence, the seat of power for the di Medici family. It was really awesome because immediately, you see some very beautiful sculptures around. There's an entire fountain on the Neptune, the famous Rape of the Sabine, and Perseus holding the decapitated Medusa. Very great pieces.
Also, supercool is that I meet this old native Florentine man. He was very sweet, just asking me where I was from and telling me that he loves it in Florence. Great hospitality!
2) The Duomo
I was walking down the street, eating my gelato, and just window shopping. Anyhow, for a moment there, I stopped and looked up. I was stopped mid-lick. Ahead of me is this jinormously tall cathedral, wrought with marbles of red, green, and white. Nothing beats this awestruck moment. One thing that's cool about the Duomo is that it's very enclosed, in that it doesn't have this large square dedicated to it. There's a campanile and a octagonal building right around it. If you see the pictures, you'd think I photoshopped it all together. The colors also make it very unique because Gothic cathedrals are often gray and black, but hardly ever red and green.
I also went inside. Thankfully, the line wasn't too long, so I got in after about 20 minutes of waiting. Definitely a large enclosed space. You really feel this awe and respect when you walk inside these large cathedrals.
3) Pont Vecchio
I went to this place with the walking tour of the group. This bridge crosses the Arna River (?) Within the bridge is small shops. These shops have kept its facade for hundreds of years, so you see medieval banners all around.
4) DAVID!
It was my goal to see David, one of Michelangelo's greatest works. There are several replicas around the city, but nothing beats the real thing. The walking tour guide told me that it would take 1 to 2 hours just for the wait. That was very depressing because we left the walking tour about 1:30 and the bus picks us up at 4. Really leaves very little time for anything. Anyhow, I had given up, and decided to have a good lunch just so I can have some down time to lick my wounds. You see, I had already given up a second objective in Florence - the Uffizi gallery, which is this large museum housing the greatest collection of Renaissance art. Boticelli's Birth of Venus is found there, as well as early works from Leonardo and other TMNTs.
Even after the lunch, I was feeling like I couldn't just give up so easily. Since the David's home is not that far, I might as well make a visit and check out the line. I figured it's well worth a try. Thank god I did that! The line was only half hour. Crowd control is also excellently done. All too often, you have hordes of people around these great artwork. Here, in the galleria, you don't. David is right there and there's only about 30 people in this great hall, admiring the work.
David is an absolutely masterpiece. He's 502 years old and doesn't look a day over 18. Most impressive is the skill and detail that you see in the sculpture. The muscle tone, the veins running underneath his skill. There's softness on the surface and strength underneath. It is definitely a treat in my life have the opportunity to see the real thing at close distance.
I missed the bus because of him and had to find my way back on public transportation. Well worth it, i tell you.
4) Infiniti sculptures.
The Infiniti sculptures are unfinished sculptures of the apostles that Michelangelo started for some pope's tomb. Here, you get this great effect. You have these rough marbles, completely jagged and craggy. Then, you have these body's emerging from it. It's like looking at someone just walking out of the marble in that particular pose. There is this perfect marriage of the beauty of natural and the beauty which man can creat. You'd have to see it for yourself!
After all these adventures, went to dinner with the tour,. Got majorly ripped off with terrible food. Afterwards, went to Space disco for karaoke (did "living on a prayer") and then went for a walk because I got bored. Had tiramisu at this nice little square with jazz music playing in the background. THen had more gelato!
Overall, good night!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Venice, Firenze and the Tiramisu Curfew
Hi Everyone,
I'm in Florence right now. Others are at a bar, but I wasn't feeling it, so I decided to blog more.
We drove into Florence today and will be doing the tour tomorrow. Tonight is really a recup night.
Yesterday, I had such a great time in Venice. Such a cool place. I can't believe how much I did. Here's the rundown in rough chronologic order
1) Getting Lost
We took a ferry from camp to Venice at 8am. It was great to walk through the city with nobody around, especially when you're forming your first impressions. I love it that the streets are so narrow. The buildings are very unique and eclectic in style, since Venice used to an important trading center. The city has influences in and around the Mediterranean. Our tour guide was supposed to take use to St. Mark's Square, but couldn't find his way. Like a true guy, he refused to fully admit that he's lost, but instead said that he gave us a very authentic traveling experience.
2) St. Mark's Square and Basilica
After arriving, I immediately ditched the group with another girl, Ning. We decided that it was best to venture off and skip the glass-making demo, even though Murano, a small island off the coast of Venice, is very famous.
Anyhow, our first objective was St. Mark's Basilica. Interesting story, Venice wanted to become a more prominent state, so to make itself more important, at least religiuosly speaking, they raided the body of St. Mark from Alexandria! Anyhow, the line into the basilica (like in all major churchesbasilicas) was long, but at least it was fast moving. We got in half hour's time. The interior was sooooo awesome. The entire ceiling was gold and all the artwork was done in mosaic. We visited the Pala d'Oro, this large golden panel of many saints and such. The best part was going into the second floor (loggia) It takes out right up close to the mosaics and also outside for a great view of the Square.
Oh yeah, I'm going straight to hell for snapping pictures all around, even though it was prohibited.
2) Doge's Palace
The Doge's Palace was next door, so Ning and I hoped on over too. It was very impressive. The Doge is essentially the ruler in Venice. He's chosen through a very complicated system, which I do not fully understand. Anyhow, what's really cool is that you see everything. All the state rooms, apartments, and even the prisons. All the rooms were so impressive. It's easy for me to compare this to Versailles since they're both residences for royalty. Personally, I thought the Doge's palace was more impressive and way better since less tourists were there.
As we moved from one impressively beautiful and ornate room to another, we followed these tour groups around and listened in on the history and functions.
One of the coolest parts of the Doge's palace was this huge state room with very HUGE paintings on the ceiling. It was meant to hold a procession and has no columns. The way it was supported is by suspension from the second floor.
Another cool thing was seeing the prisons. First off, the accomodations were way better than any of the campsites on this trip. Second, there was this gallery of stuff that prisoners had drawn on the wall. Let me tell you that the human race has changed much in the last few hundreds of years. Boys still draw pics of women and their penises (?) whenever they have a chance.
It started raining really hard at around 1pm, so Ning and I statyed there for lunch. Cool eh!
3) Some church that I forgot the name of right now.
This church is recommended as a little gem in Venice. It's a Franciscan chruch and the artwork is once again great. The body of Titan, one of Venice's resident artists is there. Ning and I spendt a lot of time taking pictures of the place.
4)Gondola Ride
At around 4pm, we went bnack to St. Marc's Square to meet the group for a short 40min gondla ride. It's deinfinitely an experience of a lifetime. After rushing every where all day, it was great to just sit back, relax, and just take in the sights, especially around the back canals.
5) Galleria dell Academia
Took a visit to the Accademia because it was highly recommended again. SIt housed the largest collection of Venetian art, so I saw oa lot of relighouis works. We took a audiotour, which took you around through the gallery's 24 rooms and gave a brief description of its architectural history, a, as well as a highlight of some of the important works per in each room. Definitely made me appreciate 13th-16th century artwork more, since for the most part, I didn't really care to spend the time for this kind of art before hand. You start picking up on the usual scenes (ie Passion of the Christ, Mary's coronation, Mary and the child). After a while and being saturated with all these artwork, you begin to notice nuisances and changes through out time, both in depiction and style. The best piece is a series of 8 large murals about the story of St. Ursula. The audiotour definitely made a difference in my appreciation of it.
6) Ride up and down the Grand Canal in the Vapporetto.
You can't go through Venice without just sitting back again and taking in all the buildings on the grand canal. So snapped a lot of pictures. It was here that I broke teh momentuous 1000 mark with photos taken.
7) Dinner near Rialto Bridge
Finially, it was getting late and hunger had befallen upon me and Ning. So we stopped to find food at a nice restaurant (might as well). We walked around looking for a restaurant that would serve tiramisu. Apparently, they don't serve tiramisu after 8pm. It's very peculiar to me and I don't understand why. If anyone has a clue, please tell me.
After dinner, we went back to the campsite, just in time to catch the last ferry back to the campsite. I was tired out and decided to call it an early night.
Side note: The masks of Venice are super cool and beautiful. Wanted to get one but chickened out for fear of destroying it during transport.
00000
Other side notes
1) Saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa today. Really surreal to see this building lean. Of course spent time taking in lame pictures of myself tipping it down etc.
2) Bug bite count is up to 20 plus. Most of it came from the couple hours I spent in the FLorence campsite. These bugs are vicious.
3) Had 5 scoops of gelato today within the span of 15 minutes. I went to one gelateria, got three scoops. Finished half of it, then saw another gelateria and had 2 more. My favority so far is a flavor called baccio. I am planning to have more tonight after blogging.
4) Looking forward to seeing statue of David and being impressed by the works of Michelangelo, Raffaello, Leonardo, and Donatello. You know, the turtles! just kidding.
This all, more updates later!
I'm in Florence right now. Others are at a bar, but I wasn't feeling it, so I decided to blog more.
We drove into Florence today and will be doing the tour tomorrow. Tonight is really a recup night.
Yesterday, I had such a great time in Venice. Such a cool place. I can't believe how much I did. Here's the rundown in rough chronologic order
1) Getting Lost
We took a ferry from camp to Venice at 8am. It was great to walk through the city with nobody around, especially when you're forming your first impressions. I love it that the streets are so narrow. The buildings are very unique and eclectic in style, since Venice used to an important trading center. The city has influences in and around the Mediterranean. Our tour guide was supposed to take use to St. Mark's Square, but couldn't find his way. Like a true guy, he refused to fully admit that he's lost, but instead said that he gave us a very authentic traveling experience.
2) St. Mark's Square and Basilica
After arriving, I immediately ditched the group with another girl, Ning. We decided that it was best to venture off and skip the glass-making demo, even though Murano, a small island off the coast of Venice, is very famous.
Anyhow, our first objective was St. Mark's Basilica. Interesting story, Venice wanted to become a more prominent state, so to make itself more important, at least religiuosly speaking, they raided the body of St. Mark from Alexandria! Anyhow, the line into the basilica (like in all major churchesbasilicas) was long, but at least it was fast moving. We got in half hour's time. The interior was sooooo awesome. The entire ceiling was gold and all the artwork was done in mosaic. We visited the Pala d'Oro, this large golden panel of many saints and such. The best part was going into the second floor (loggia) It takes out right up close to the mosaics and also outside for a great view of the Square.
Oh yeah, I'm going straight to hell for snapping pictures all around, even though it was prohibited.
2) Doge's Palace
The Doge's Palace was next door, so Ning and I hoped on over too. It was very impressive. The Doge is essentially the ruler in Venice. He's chosen through a very complicated system, which I do not fully understand. Anyhow, what's really cool is that you see everything. All the state rooms, apartments, and even the prisons. All the rooms were so impressive. It's easy for me to compare this to Versailles since they're both residences for royalty. Personally, I thought the Doge's palace was more impressive and way better since less tourists were there.
As we moved from one impressively beautiful and ornate room to another, we followed these tour groups around and listened in on the history and functions.
One of the coolest parts of the Doge's palace was this huge state room with very HUGE paintings on the ceiling. It was meant to hold a procession and has no columns. The way it was supported is by suspension from the second floor.
Another cool thing was seeing the prisons. First off, the accomodations were way better than any of the campsites on this trip. Second, there was this gallery of stuff that prisoners had drawn on the wall. Let me tell you that the human race has changed much in the last few hundreds of years. Boys still draw pics of women and their penises (?) whenever they have a chance.
It started raining really hard at around 1pm, so Ning and I statyed there for lunch. Cool eh!
3) Some church that I forgot the name of right now.
This church is recommended as a little gem in Venice. It's a Franciscan chruch and the artwork is once again great. The body of Titan, one of Venice's resident artists is there. Ning and I spendt a lot of time taking pictures of the place.
4)Gondola Ride
At around 4pm, we went bnack to St. Marc's Square to meet the group for a short 40min gondla ride. It's deinfinitely an experience of a lifetime. After rushing every where all day, it was great to just sit back, relax, and just take in the sights, especially around the back canals.
5) Galleria dell Academia
Took a visit to the Accademia because it was highly recommended again. SIt housed the largest collection of Venetian art, so I saw oa lot of relighouis works. We took a audiotour, which took you around through the gallery's 24 rooms and gave a brief description of its architectural history, a, as well as a highlight of some of the important works per in each room. Definitely made me appreciate 13th-16th century artwork more, since for the most part, I didn't really care to spend the time for this kind of art before hand. You start picking up on the usual scenes (ie Passion of the Christ, Mary's coronation, Mary and the child). After a while and being saturated with all these artwork, you begin to notice nuisances and changes through out time, both in depiction and style. The best piece is a series of 8 large murals about the story of St. Ursula. The audiotour definitely made a difference in my appreciation of it.
6) Ride up and down the Grand Canal in the Vapporetto.
You can't go through Venice without just sitting back again and taking in all the buildings on the grand canal. So snapped a lot of pictures. It was here that I broke teh momentuous 1000 mark with photos taken.
7) Dinner near Rialto Bridge
Finially, it was getting late and hunger had befallen upon me and Ning. So we stopped to find food at a nice restaurant (might as well). We walked around looking for a restaurant that would serve tiramisu. Apparently, they don't serve tiramisu after 8pm. It's very peculiar to me and I don't understand why. If anyone has a clue, please tell me.
After dinner, we went back to the campsite, just in time to catch the last ferry back to the campsite. I was tired out and decided to call it an early night.
Side note: The masks of Venice are super cool and beautiful. Wanted to get one but chickened out for fear of destroying it during transport.
00000
Other side notes
1) Saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa today. Really surreal to see this building lean. Of course spent time taking in lame pictures of myself tipping it down etc.
2) Bug bite count is up to 20 plus. Most of it came from the couple hours I spent in the FLorence campsite. These bugs are vicious.
3) Had 5 scoops of gelato today within the span of 15 minutes. I went to one gelateria, got three scoops. Finished half of it, then saw another gelateria and had 2 more. My favority so far is a flavor called baccio. I am planning to have more tonight after blogging.
4) Looking forward to seeing statue of David and being impressed by the works of Michelangelo, Raffaello, Leonardo, and Donatello. You know, the turtles! just kidding.
This all, more updates later!
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Sad Panda finds Happy Hippo and battles Mozzies
Cià o peepz!
Greetings from Venice. We drove in today, so tomorrow will be a busy sightseeing day. We're staying at Camping Fusina, which is the bee's knees of campgrounds. Venice is only 20minute ferry ride away. This place has internet, nicer cabins, a nice bar, and a supermarket. Yes, I am now high-roller trailer trash!
Let's do a recap of the last 24 hours.
Anyhow, Nice and Cannes are in an area called Cote d'Azur, aka the blue coast. They didn't lie. The water was super blue! I was so amazed by its vibrance.
After dinner, we got decked out to go to Monaco. After a 2hr drive through the picturesque French Riviera, we got to Monaco for a short visit. Monaco was CHA-CHING MONEY! Went to the Grand Casino of Monte Carlo. It had a 10 Euro cover. A bit steep, I admit, but I figured there's a very low chance of me ever seeing it again. What's 10 euros when it's freaking Monte Carlo. Anyhow, there were some 5 euro roulette tables, but the blackjacktables were 500 euro minimum bet! I put in 10 euro for slots! Lost it all...Oh wells.
Anyhow, the Grand Casino was small, but definitely grand! Most impressive was its toilet. Here's the thing. When you flush, it flushes the toilet bowl. Then a little brush extends from the toilet seat to clean the seat as the seat spins through it. So yes, that's what 20 Euros got me, to see how a toilet seat can be cleaned automatically.
Anyhow, today had been pretty cruddy. I got sick two nights ago and I'm really feeling it today. Sniffles galore. It totally didn't help the little stop in a French perfumery when your nose is stuffed. I slept through most of the driving and had this terrible headache. Thankfully, I'm feeling much better now.
For our second service stop, we stayed at a little Autogrill along the way in Italy! I was definitely looking forward to something other than stuffed baguettes and when I saw that pasta line, I was totally delighted. Anyhow, I got too excited and ordered the wrong thing and was totally ripped off. I was pretty upset at that because I had been looking forward to a good meal. To ease blow, I decided that I'll buy some ice-cream. Then I came upon a little candy thingy called a Happy Hippo, which was hippo-shaped wafer with chocolate fudge inside. Ice-cream and hippo = Yummy!
For our last stop, we visited Verona, the famous home of the star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. You can actually climb up to Juliet's balcony. Let me tell you, there were many people who looked more like Juliet's ugly aunt than Juliet herself at that balcony. Below the balcony is a statue of Juliet. Legend has it that if you grab her right breast, you'll be lucky in love. Many guys went for that. Later, one of the boys on the tour offered himself for the same purpose to the girls. I'm sure you can figure out which part of his body he offered.
Must say that I've met more rude Italians in Verona than Frenchmen in France. What's up with that!
Our tour guide also told the girls to be careful of Italian men. They won't leave you alone if you make eye contact with them. Apparently, that's enough to be love. Funny thing is, to stop a car from running you over as you cross the street, you also need to make eye contact. So here's the choice: Love or Death. You decide.
Oh yeah, I also had my first real Italian gelato. Decided that I will do a running list of flavors. Here are today's: Tiramisu, Straccitelli, and Niccolia.
Soon, we got to the campsite in Venice. Within 30 minutes of arriving, I've already been attacked by the mosquitos, or Mozzies as the Aussies call it. Boo to that! Total bites count on this trip so far: 8!
Oh a more real note, I'm getting a bit tired of the tour. I don't feel like I'm seeing each city sufficiently. So far, every city that I've been in is just a day tour. One more day per city would be wonderful. Since every other day is driving, I feel like I know the service stops way better. Everything feels very rushed because there's so much to see and so little time. It's often difficult to decide between a nice meal versus another sightseeing stop. The campsites are also far from city center, making it difficult to stay out later. This is a great sampler, but for me, I really want to see the cities in a more relaxed pace and be able to enjoy the smaller things at each place. Next time I see Europe, it's going to be 3-4 days per city.
Anyhowzers, for tomorrow, I look forward to seeing all of Venice. It'll be rushed. In the afternoon, I'll be going on a gondola ride. Can't wait to see St. Mark's Square and the Grand Canal, since Casanova (the movie with Heath Ledger and Sienna Miller) made it look so wonderful.
Greetings from Venice. We drove in today, so tomorrow will be a busy sightseeing day. We're staying at Camping Fusina, which is the bee's knees of campgrounds. Venice is only 20minute ferry ride away. This place has internet, nicer cabins, a nice bar, and a supermarket. Yes, I am now high-roller trailer trash!
Let's do a recap of the last 24 hours.
Anyhow, Nice and Cannes are in an area called Cote d'Azur, aka the blue coast. They didn't lie. The water was super blue! I was so amazed by its vibrance.
After dinner, we got decked out to go to Monaco. After a 2hr drive through the picturesque French Riviera, we got to Monaco for a short visit. Monaco was CHA-CHING MONEY! Went to the Grand Casino of Monte Carlo. It had a 10 Euro cover. A bit steep, I admit, but I figured there's a very low chance of me ever seeing it again. What's 10 euros when it's freaking Monte Carlo. Anyhow, there were some 5 euro roulette tables, but the blackjacktables were 500 euro minimum bet! I put in 10 euro for slots! Lost it all...Oh wells.
Anyhow, the Grand Casino was small, but definitely grand! Most impressive was its toilet. Here's the thing. When you flush, it flushes the toilet bowl. Then a little brush extends from the toilet seat to clean the seat as the seat spins through it. So yes, that's what 20 Euros got me, to see how a toilet seat can be cleaned automatically.
Anyhow, today had been pretty cruddy. I got sick two nights ago and I'm really feeling it today. Sniffles galore. It totally didn't help the little stop in a French perfumery when your nose is stuffed. I slept through most of the driving and had this terrible headache. Thankfully, I'm feeling much better now.
For our second service stop, we stayed at a little Autogrill along the way in Italy! I was definitely looking forward to something other than stuffed baguettes and when I saw that pasta line, I was totally delighted. Anyhow, I got too excited and ordered the wrong thing and was totally ripped off. I was pretty upset at that because I had been looking forward to a good meal. To ease blow, I decided that I'll buy some ice-cream. Then I came upon a little candy thingy called a Happy Hippo, which was hippo-shaped wafer with chocolate fudge inside. Ice-cream and hippo = Yummy!
For our last stop, we visited Verona, the famous home of the star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. You can actually climb up to Juliet's balcony. Let me tell you, there were many people who looked more like Juliet's ugly aunt than Juliet herself at that balcony. Below the balcony is a statue of Juliet. Legend has it that if you grab her right breast, you'll be lucky in love. Many guys went for that. Later, one of the boys on the tour offered himself for the same purpose to the girls. I'm sure you can figure out which part of his body he offered.
Must say that I've met more rude Italians in Verona than Frenchmen in France. What's up with that!
Our tour guide also told the girls to be careful of Italian men. They won't leave you alone if you make eye contact with them. Apparently, that's enough to be love. Funny thing is, to stop a car from running you over as you cross the street, you also need to make eye contact. So here's the choice: Love or Death. You decide.
Oh yeah, I also had my first real Italian gelato. Decided that I will do a running list of flavors. Here are today's: Tiramisu, Straccitelli, and Niccolia.
Soon, we got to the campsite in Venice. Within 30 minutes of arriving, I've already been attacked by the mosquitos, or Mozzies as the Aussies call it. Boo to that! Total bites count on this trip so far: 8!
Oh a more real note, I'm getting a bit tired of the tour. I don't feel like I'm seeing each city sufficiently. So far, every city that I've been in is just a day tour. One more day per city would be wonderful. Since every other day is driving, I feel like I know the service stops way better. Everything feels very rushed because there's so much to see and so little time. It's often difficult to decide between a nice meal versus another sightseeing stop. The campsites are also far from city center, making it difficult to stay out later. This is a great sampler, but for me, I really want to see the cities in a more relaxed pace and be able to enjoy the smaller things at each place. Next time I see Europe, it's going to be 3-4 days per city.
Anyhowzers, for tomorrow, I look forward to seeing all of Venice. It'll be rushed. In the afternoon, I'll be going on a gondola ride. Can't wait to see St. Mark's Square and the Grand Canal, since Casanova (the movie with Heath Ledger and Sienna Miller) made it look so wonderful.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Nice Cannes
Bonjour!
I'm in Cannes right now. We drove in last night from Spain. Much to talk about!
First off, Barrcelona was great. The city was so unique in architecture and style. Very few tall buildings. after a quick morning driving tour, we had a walking tour of the Barri Gotic, the Gothic Quarter. Our tour guide gave us a bit of history lesson, which allowed me to put Barcelona in a better perspective. Then, went to Parc Guell. The park was designed by Gaudi, so it really looks like something to be found underwater in a coral reef.
After the Parc, I went shopping back at the Barri Gotic. Must say that I love shopping in Barcelona. A lot of fashionable shops with very affordable clothes. The souvenirs also has more character to them. Love te shopping in Barcelona!
At around 5, it rained really hard for almost 2 hours. I went to an ice cream parlor and another department store instead. Personally, I think that it's a great choice. When it stopped pouring, I continued my trek down Las Ramblas, the main boulevard in Barcelona. It was filled with street performers, but it had too any of the same sort of souvenir shops.
After that I walked to Port Olimpic to meet up with others from the tour for dinner. Barely made it in the nick of time, b/c all of them went to a flamenco dance show. For dinner, we all shared paella and some sangria. Regrettably, I didn't really have tapas in Barcelona.
After dinner, we went to the Font Magica, the dancing fountain in front of the royal palace. That was amazing!!! Bellagio could not even compare. too bad I can't share the pics with you guys right now.
After that, went clubbing back at Port Olimpic. The club Baja was okay. All bartenders were in bikinis and swim trunks. Every so often, the'd get up and do this really lame dane. I thought the music sucked b/c the DJ was spinning terribly, putting in adlibs that were bad and made awkward transitions. The club next door, Shoko was way better with its house music. For a moment, had to babysit this stupid 18 year old on the tour because she was super-trshed and insisted on finding a guy. I am so annoyed with her immaturity. Left the clubs at 4:30, but had the most wretched time finding a cab back home. Got back to the canmpsite at 5:30 am, with just enough time to pack and shower before departure at 8 am. Definitely a fun night!
Anyhow, must jet now. After lunch, I'm heading over to Nice! Later tonight, the tour is going over to Monte Carlo. We're going to get all decked out for it! My gambling itch is starting already!
I'm in Cannes right now. We drove in last night from Spain. Much to talk about!
First off, Barrcelona was great. The city was so unique in architecture and style. Very few tall buildings. after a quick morning driving tour, we had a walking tour of the Barri Gotic, the Gothic Quarter. Our tour guide gave us a bit of history lesson, which allowed me to put Barcelona in a better perspective. Then, went to Parc Guell. The park was designed by Gaudi, so it really looks like something to be found underwater in a coral reef.
After the Parc, I went shopping back at the Barri Gotic. Must say that I love shopping in Barcelona. A lot of fashionable shops with very affordable clothes. The souvenirs also has more character to them. Love te shopping in Barcelona!
At around 5, it rained really hard for almost 2 hours. I went to an ice cream parlor and another department store instead. Personally, I think that it's a great choice. When it stopped pouring, I continued my trek down Las Ramblas, the main boulevard in Barcelona. It was filled with street performers, but it had too any of the same sort of souvenir shops.
After that I walked to Port Olimpic to meet up with others from the tour for dinner. Barely made it in the nick of time, b/c all of them went to a flamenco dance show. For dinner, we all shared paella and some sangria. Regrettably, I didn't really have tapas in Barcelona.
After dinner, we went to the Font Magica, the dancing fountain in front of the royal palace. That was amazing!!! Bellagio could not even compare. too bad I can't share the pics with you guys right now.
After that, went clubbing back at Port Olimpic. The club Baja was okay. All bartenders were in bikinis and swim trunks. Every so often, the'd get up and do this really lame dane. I thought the music sucked b/c the DJ was spinning terribly, putting in adlibs that were bad and made awkward transitions. The club next door, Shoko was way better with its house music. For a moment, had to babysit this stupid 18 year old on the tour because she was super-trshed and insisted on finding a guy. I am so annoyed with her immaturity. Left the clubs at 4:30, but had the most wretched time finding a cab back home. Got back to the canmpsite at 5:30 am, with just enough time to pack and shower before departure at 8 am. Definitely a fun night!
Anyhow, must jet now. After lunch, I'm heading over to Nice! Later tonight, the tour is going over to Monte Carlo. We're going to get all decked out for it! My gambling itch is starting already!
Friday, August 11, 2006
La Playa en Barcelona
Holas amigos,
So it´s really not that long since my last post. People are still hanging out in front of my cabin so I really can´t go to bed yet. It´s about 1:32 am here. I just had a really chill night sitting in front of the beach. After dinner, the whole tour (more or less) went out to the beach. There was a frisbee and volleyball game going.
I did take a dip in the in the Mediterreanean (yeah, my spelling sucks) Sea. It was super warm, even at 9pm. Well, the sun didn´t set until 10ish. What´s really weird is seeing the moon rise. It looked liked this giant orange orb on a pitch black backdrop. Definitely different from the Pacific where it´s freaking cold all the time. Since I´m in Spain, I had some San Miguel beer (which they also allowed on the beach) Others decided to check out the town later in the night. I´m saving that for tomorrow night.
Tomorrow is going to a big day for me. It´s really our only day to see Barcelona. There´s so much to see. The resident architect is a guy named Guidi(?). He designed many of the city´s main architecture, including the La Sangra Familia, which is this gargantua cathedral that began construction in 1931(?) and is not expected to be completed until 2041. We will also roam around Las Ramblas, the main street where there´s plenty of shops and street artist and pickpockets. I hope to find a semi nice dress there so I can go into the casinos at Monaco the night after. There´s also this dancing fountain. I´m guessing it´s something like Bellagio, but we´ll see. Other sites include a Columbus monument, which overlooks the sea, the Olympic buildings (Kylie Minogue shot "Slow" at the pool there"), and the Park Guell, which Guidi(?) also designed. Other than that, I plan to have some coffee, spanish tapas, and sangria. Olé mates!
Figured I should talk about some of the tour. So basically, we´re in a group of 50 people. Some of us are ending the trip early in Rome, while others are making their way to Athens. It´s mostly Aussies and Kiwi, so I hear words like "mates" and "cheers" very often. Yeah, no valley girl talk here. There´s also a couple of Canucks, a few Americans, and one Brit. The group is pretty young, most are between 22 and 27. The oldest is a 30 y/o, but she doesn´t look her age nor act it. A lot of people are perpetually drunk. Anyhow, the food is pretty shitty, so are the accomodations. We´re staying at these campsites, which have cabins. These are simply gloried sheet metal sheds. No soundproofing nor insulation.
anyhow, I have 20 minutes or so more online and I¨m gonna check my email instead. Meanwhile, good night guys!
So it´s really not that long since my last post. People are still hanging out in front of my cabin so I really can´t go to bed yet. It´s about 1:32 am here. I just had a really chill night sitting in front of the beach. After dinner, the whole tour (more or less) went out to the beach. There was a frisbee and volleyball game going.
I did take a dip in the in the Mediterreanean (yeah, my spelling sucks) Sea. It was super warm, even at 9pm. Well, the sun didn´t set until 10ish. What´s really weird is seeing the moon rise. It looked liked this giant orange orb on a pitch black backdrop. Definitely different from the Pacific where it´s freaking cold all the time. Since I´m in Spain, I had some San Miguel beer (which they also allowed on the beach) Others decided to check out the town later in the night. I´m saving that for tomorrow night.
Tomorrow is going to a big day for me. It´s really our only day to see Barcelona. There´s so much to see. The resident architect is a guy named Guidi(?). He designed many of the city´s main architecture, including the La Sangra Familia, which is this gargantua cathedral that began construction in 1931(?) and is not expected to be completed until 2041. We will also roam around Las Ramblas, the main street where there´s plenty of shops and street artist and pickpockets. I hope to find a semi nice dress there so I can go into the casinos at Monaco the night after. There´s also this dancing fountain. I´m guessing it´s something like Bellagio, but we´ll see. Other sites include a Columbus monument, which overlooks the sea, the Olympic buildings (Kylie Minogue shot "Slow" at the pool there"), and the Park Guell, which Guidi(?) also designed. Other than that, I plan to have some coffee, spanish tapas, and sangria. Olé mates!
Figured I should talk about some of the tour. So basically, we´re in a group of 50 people. Some of us are ending the trip early in Rome, while others are making their way to Athens. It´s mostly Aussies and Kiwi, so I hear words like "mates" and "cheers" very often. Yeah, no valley girl talk here. There´s also a couple of Canucks, a few Americans, and one Brit. The group is pretty young, most are between 22 and 27. The oldest is a 30 y/o, but she doesn´t look her age nor act it. A lot of people are perpetually drunk. Anyhow, the food is pretty shitty, so are the accomodations. We´re staying at these campsites, which have cabins. These are simply gloried sheet metal sheds. No soundproofing nor insulation.
anyhow, I have 20 minutes or so more online and I¨m gonna check my email instead. Meanwhile, good night guys!
Buenos noches, estoy en Barcelona
Holas senores y senoritas!
I just got into the campsite in Barcelona, so nothing has happened yet, Thought I´ll recap the last couple of days in France. So here we go. Sorry for no pictures again. This computer doesn´t allow picture transfers, but believe you me, i wished I could show you the beauty that I managed to get down.
The last that we left off, I was in Montmartre. I went swiftly down to find the Moulin Rouge and took a picture. En route, i passed by the Sex Museum and was hoping to visit it the next day. Sadly I didnt get to visit it. Anyhow, definitely interesting to walk through the seedy side of Paris.
From there, I walked to the Galleria Lafayette and the world famous Opera house. That was nice, took some pictures and such. I was supposed to meet a travel mate at the Trocadero acrossed town so I was looking for a metro station. Anyhow I kept on walking and walking. In the end, I found that I had walked to Sacre Coeur, the basilica, all the way to Champs Elysees Clemenceau. Looking at the map, it looks like I´ve made nearly half way cross town!
Anyhow, I had dinner at the Trocadero with one of the prix fixe meals. Really awesome. Had some wine and staked out in front of the fountains with a primo view of the Eiffel tower. Definitely one of the best moments in life for me. I was so close to the Eiffel Tower that I can´t see it all without moving my head up and down. On the way back to the campsite, I stopped at the Arc de Triomphe for a nice night photo.
The next day I went to Versailles and that sucked. MOM and CINDY¨: I´m sorely disappointed. It was a waste of my time. The site was impressively grandeur, but everything else about it was a nuisance. Bathrooms were far and apart. The admission was expensive, and it was a freaking loaded with tourists. Boo to Versailles. Unless I get good chicken with it, I dont want any of it.
Got back to Paris city centre at about 4 and went straight to the Museo d Órsay, a famous museum that houses all the impressionist art. That was such a treat. The lines were long, but moved quickly. It was a formerly a train station in the 20s, so everythign is very art deco. I loved every moment of it. Looking back, I shoudl have spent more time there than at Versailles. It´s exactly the art that I love. Took some great pictures there. I´ll upload it another time.Saw a Van Gogh piece that made it to the number two position in my favorite VG paintings. Number 1 is still Starry Night.
(meanwhile, sorry for the crappy typing. I´m on a time limit and this keyboard is made for spaniards.)
After that I walked through the Jardin de Tuilleries (which links the Lourve to Arc de Triomphe) and snapped some pics of calm Parisian life. It´s lovely to see people in the outdoors, reading, painting, and loving life. People are so calm and relaxed here. Totally not rushed at all.
I also visited Les Halles and Centre George Pompidou. It´s a cheaper shopping area. There I found another H&M. French H&M is way better than British H&M. So wished I had more time to shop there.
For dinner, I met up with Alan at the Trocadero and ate at the same restaurant I went to the night before. Since it´s my last night in Paris, I tried to have as many stereotypical French food as possible. I had French Onion soup, escargot, white wine, creme brulee, and chocolat chaud. The creme brulee was the BEST I´ve EVER HAD. Lemme tell you, if I can take to the Eiffel Tower and eat it there, it woudl have been Heaven on Earth.
The next day, we spent 6 hours driving to the Beaujolais wine region in central France for 2 nights of R&R. It´s nice to have a slower day to just chill and relax as we are en route to Barcelona.
En route, we stopped by a little French town called Fountainbleau. There I found this cute little bakery and bought 4 pastries there. OH and I ate ALL Of it. It was super good. Pictures were great too.
We stayed at the Chateu de Cruix, a small winery runned by Contiki. The facilities were way better than at the Paris campsite. Most glorious is the view of the landscape. Simply stunning. OH yeah, the nearby town is also super cute with its old orange brick houses. I can totally understand why Van Gogh used such vibrant colors. It´s actually all there in front of your eyes!
That night, the Chateau hosted the themed party. The theme is the Letter P. I went as a Panda (surprise surprise). Although I´m certain i´ve been mistaken for being punched. Anyhow, others went as presents, priests, pharoahs, prostitutes, pingpong players, etc. My favorite was three girls on my tour that all went as pregnant. Nothing beats three crazy dancing pregnant women doing dips and shaking their butts!
The next day, we had a chill picnic day on a mountainside. They packed our lunches for us and all we had to do was hike an hour up to this place that they called the top of the world. It overlooked the entire wine region. Once again, stunning.
That brings us to day. We drove 10 hours to get to Barcelona. ON the way, we stopped by the Pont du Gard, which is the remnants of the old Roman aqueducts. Definitely a treat for a nerd like me to see the magnificence of Roman engineering. Beautiful and nice little short stop.
Special discussion now, about toilets. European toilets always smell like piss. I miss American bathrooms where there´s always a hint of air freshener going in there. All the bathrooms I´ve been to makes me wanna hold my breath. But I can´t because the lines to use the bathrooms are so long that I would have died three times over before I would find fresh air. Breathing it makes me wanna puke.
Second specal discussion, it was brought to my attention of the foiled terror plans in London. Just wanna let everyone know that I´m alright and I would be flying out of Rome on 8.23.06 and will definitely keep my heads up so that I wont miss my flight. Scary times we live in. I´m glad the plans were thwarted.
Super side note...I know i´m on vacation, but it scares me how disconnected I am with the world. I know the whole point of a vacation is to not have to think about strife adn suffering. It feels like I¨m in this little bubble and I dont know what is going on at all.
Super super side note: I got 5 bug bites and it itches terribly. I´ve taken pictures of it. It´s not big, but definitely a nuisance.
Anyhow, that´s the end of my post. I have a full day at barcelona and will be looking forward to see all the sights and partying it up here. I also look forward to exercising my broken spanish that I´ve acquired from two years of Spanish in High school.
So for now... Ciao, amigos! I´ve missed dinner already.
I just got into the campsite in Barcelona, so nothing has happened yet, Thought I´ll recap the last couple of days in France. So here we go. Sorry for no pictures again. This computer doesn´t allow picture transfers, but believe you me, i wished I could show you the beauty that I managed to get down.
The last that we left off, I was in Montmartre. I went swiftly down to find the Moulin Rouge and took a picture. En route, i passed by the Sex Museum and was hoping to visit it the next day. Sadly I didnt get to visit it. Anyhow, definitely interesting to walk through the seedy side of Paris.
From there, I walked to the Galleria Lafayette and the world famous Opera house. That was nice, took some pictures and such. I was supposed to meet a travel mate at the Trocadero acrossed town so I was looking for a metro station. Anyhow I kept on walking and walking. In the end, I found that I had walked to Sacre Coeur, the basilica, all the way to Champs Elysees Clemenceau. Looking at the map, it looks like I´ve made nearly half way cross town!
Anyhow, I had dinner at the Trocadero with one of the prix fixe meals. Really awesome. Had some wine and staked out in front of the fountains with a primo view of the Eiffel tower. Definitely one of the best moments in life for me. I was so close to the Eiffel Tower that I can´t see it all without moving my head up and down. On the way back to the campsite, I stopped at the Arc de Triomphe for a nice night photo.
The next day I went to Versailles and that sucked. MOM and CINDY¨: I´m sorely disappointed. It was a waste of my time. The site was impressively grandeur, but everything else about it was a nuisance. Bathrooms were far and apart. The admission was expensive, and it was a freaking loaded with tourists. Boo to Versailles. Unless I get good chicken with it, I dont want any of it.
Got back to Paris city centre at about 4 and went straight to the Museo d Órsay, a famous museum that houses all the impressionist art. That was such a treat. The lines were long, but moved quickly. It was a formerly a train station in the 20s, so everythign is very art deco. I loved every moment of it. Looking back, I shoudl have spent more time there than at Versailles. It´s exactly the art that I love. Took some great pictures there. I´ll upload it another time.Saw a Van Gogh piece that made it to the number two position in my favorite VG paintings. Number 1 is still Starry Night.
(meanwhile, sorry for the crappy typing. I´m on a time limit and this keyboard is made for spaniards.)
After that I walked through the Jardin de Tuilleries (which links the Lourve to Arc de Triomphe) and snapped some pics of calm Parisian life. It´s lovely to see people in the outdoors, reading, painting, and loving life. People are so calm and relaxed here. Totally not rushed at all.
I also visited Les Halles and Centre George Pompidou. It´s a cheaper shopping area. There I found another H&M. French H&M is way better than British H&M. So wished I had more time to shop there.
For dinner, I met up with Alan at the Trocadero and ate at the same restaurant I went to the night before. Since it´s my last night in Paris, I tried to have as many stereotypical French food as possible. I had French Onion soup, escargot, white wine, creme brulee, and chocolat chaud. The creme brulee was the BEST I´ve EVER HAD. Lemme tell you, if I can take to the Eiffel Tower and eat it there, it woudl have been Heaven on Earth.
The next day, we spent 6 hours driving to the Beaujolais wine region in central France for 2 nights of R&R. It´s nice to have a slower day to just chill and relax as we are en route to Barcelona.
En route, we stopped by a little French town called Fountainbleau. There I found this cute little bakery and bought 4 pastries there. OH and I ate ALL Of it. It was super good. Pictures were great too.
We stayed at the Chateu de Cruix, a small winery runned by Contiki. The facilities were way better than at the Paris campsite. Most glorious is the view of the landscape. Simply stunning. OH yeah, the nearby town is also super cute with its old orange brick houses. I can totally understand why Van Gogh used such vibrant colors. It´s actually all there in front of your eyes!
That night, the Chateau hosted the themed party. The theme is the Letter P. I went as a Panda (surprise surprise). Although I´m certain i´ve been mistaken for being punched. Anyhow, others went as presents, priests, pharoahs, prostitutes, pingpong players, etc. My favorite was three girls on my tour that all went as pregnant. Nothing beats three crazy dancing pregnant women doing dips and shaking their butts!
The next day, we had a chill picnic day on a mountainside. They packed our lunches for us and all we had to do was hike an hour up to this place that they called the top of the world. It overlooked the entire wine region. Once again, stunning.
That brings us to day. We drove 10 hours to get to Barcelona. ON the way, we stopped by the Pont du Gard, which is the remnants of the old Roman aqueducts. Definitely a treat for a nerd like me to see the magnificence of Roman engineering. Beautiful and nice little short stop.
Special discussion now, about toilets. European toilets always smell like piss. I miss American bathrooms where there´s always a hint of air freshener going in there. All the bathrooms I´ve been to makes me wanna hold my breath. But I can´t because the lines to use the bathrooms are so long that I would have died three times over before I would find fresh air. Breathing it makes me wanna puke.
Second specal discussion, it was brought to my attention of the foiled terror plans in London. Just wanna let everyone know that I´m alright and I would be flying out of Rome on 8.23.06 and will definitely keep my heads up so that I wont miss my flight. Scary times we live in. I´m glad the plans were thwarted.
Super side note...I know i´m on vacation, but it scares me how disconnected I am with the world. I know the whole point of a vacation is to not have to think about strife adn suffering. It feels like I¨m in this little bubble and I dont know what is going on at all.
Super super side note: I got 5 bug bites and it itches terribly. I´ve taken pictures of it. It´s not big, but definitely a nuisance.
Anyhow, that´s the end of my post. I have a full day at barcelona and will be looking forward to see all the sights and partying it up here. I also look forward to exercising my broken spanish that I´ve acquired from two years of Spanish in High school.
So for now... Ciao, amigos! I´ve missed dinner already.
Monday, August 07, 2006
I, Giddy Hyper Chihuahua
Bonjour Dudes,
I'm in lovely Paris and I'm overwhelmed. This place is beautiful. If I ever met a Parisian who moved from Paris to US, I'd smack them for leaving the most beautiful city in the world.
Last night, we drove into Paris after dinner at the Contiki campsite for a little night tour of some important sites. The sun was setting, making the first views of Paris completely overwhelming. My heart was racing with excitement. The Eiffel Tower at sunset will make you breathless!
This morning we were dropped off at Museo d'Orsay to start some free exploring time. The museum is closed today, so I'll see it tomorrow.
First stop: The Lourve. Only spent two hours there. Didn't see everything. I only have 2 days in Paris. Given this time constraint, I dont think I will be able to really experience Paris fully. Anyhow, saw some of the classic works, like Nike, Mona Lisa, and Venus de Milo. I could spend a week at the Lourve and still have more to explore.
Next, I headed over to Ile Cite for Notre Dame, Ste Chapelle, and Ste Michel. Notre was extremely impressive. Flying buttresses all over. Even though the tour guide told us that it may not the best idea to go inside, I did anyways. The line was short and moved quickly. I thought it was a mistake for him to say that. Seeing the four rose windows and the sculpture of the Virgin Mary at the altar (?) was awesome. Ste Chapelle is definitely a small gem at the heart of Paris. The stained glass windows there are tall and probably the best I've seen.
Now I'm at Sacre Coeur. This Catholic Church is different in design. It's not the Gothic style as in Notre Dame. If I remember correctly, it is called Romanesque. Anyone, one striking characteristic is that the depictions in the stained glass windows are different. The figures are more grotesque(?) There's actually shadows on the people.
Of course, France is known for its culinary prowess. I've had escargot at the campsite (crap). I think i'll order some tonight. So far, i've only dwelved into desserts. Had two crepes, a small cake, and a slice of berry tart. Mmmm....so good! I'll have some prix fixe (?) meal later and will be visiting the Eiffel Tower for a night view. Maybe tomrrow I'll have my stuffed baguette.
Oh yeah, Some talk about the Contiki Campsite is necessary. Talk about basic, the "cabin" we're in is crap. It suffices, but definitely no luxury involved. You know those little sheds that you can buy to put in yoru backyard? Well I'm living in one of those right now. And it fits 4 of us.
If anything is winning about this tour, it's the people. Everyone's young, between 20-30. Everyone wants to have a good time. Most people are from Austrailia and New Zealand. It's interesting how many of them have travelled a lot around Europe, months at a time. And not for study either. I think it's b/c they're so far away and airfare costs to get to Europe.
anyhow, need to go before they charge me more.
Ta Ta
I'm in lovely Paris and I'm overwhelmed. This place is beautiful. If I ever met a Parisian who moved from Paris to US, I'd smack them for leaving the most beautiful city in the world.
Last night, we drove into Paris after dinner at the Contiki campsite for a little night tour of some important sites. The sun was setting, making the first views of Paris completely overwhelming. My heart was racing with excitement. The Eiffel Tower at sunset will make you breathless!
This morning we were dropped off at Museo d'Orsay to start some free exploring time. The museum is closed today, so I'll see it tomorrow.
First stop: The Lourve. Only spent two hours there. Didn't see everything. I only have 2 days in Paris. Given this time constraint, I dont think I will be able to really experience Paris fully. Anyhow, saw some of the classic works, like Nike, Mona Lisa, and Venus de Milo. I could spend a week at the Lourve and still have more to explore.
Next, I headed over to Ile Cite for Notre Dame, Ste Chapelle, and Ste Michel. Notre was extremely impressive. Flying buttresses all over. Even though the tour guide told us that it may not the best idea to go inside, I did anyways. The line was short and moved quickly. I thought it was a mistake for him to say that. Seeing the four rose windows and the sculpture of the Virgin Mary at the altar (?) was awesome. Ste Chapelle is definitely a small gem at the heart of Paris. The stained glass windows there are tall and probably the best I've seen.
Now I'm at Sacre Coeur. This Catholic Church is different in design. It's not the Gothic style as in Notre Dame. If I remember correctly, it is called Romanesque. Anyone, one striking characteristic is that the depictions in the stained glass windows are different. The figures are more grotesque(?) There's actually shadows on the people.
Of course, France is known for its culinary prowess. I've had escargot at the campsite (crap). I think i'll order some tonight. So far, i've only dwelved into desserts. Had two crepes, a small cake, and a slice of berry tart. Mmmm....so good! I'll have some prix fixe (?) meal later and will be visiting the Eiffel Tower for a night view. Maybe tomrrow I'll have my stuffed baguette.
Oh yeah, Some talk about the Contiki Campsite is necessary. Talk about basic, the "cabin" we're in is crap. It suffices, but definitely no luxury involved. You know those little sheds that you can buy to put in yoru backyard? Well I'm living in one of those right now. And it fits 4 of us.
If anything is winning about this tour, it's the people. Everyone's young, between 20-30. Everyone wants to have a good time. Most people are from Austrailia and New Zealand. It's interesting how many of them have travelled a lot around Europe, months at a time. And not for study either. I think it's b/c they're so far away and airfare costs to get to Europe.
anyhow, need to go before they charge me more.
Ta Ta
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Boogers and Bowels
There's really no appropriate way to say this, but as I'm logging my trip, I should also jot down random observations.
1) The hot dogs in London are different. It's more like a big breakfast sausage. Not as good as a hebrew national, but still enjoy it. Streetside hot dog stands always hits the spot.
Warning: If you don't like farts, boogers, pooping, or any other bodily function, Skip the rest of this post.
2) I've noticed that boogers in London and are different than those in LA. My boogers in LA are usually gray, moist, and squishy. I've noticed that my boogers in London are dry and sticks to your nose hair more. You know, that kind where you pick at it, but it hurts a lot b/c it's yanking the hairs out with it? Yeah, that kind. The color is more of a black color, but does have patches of white. So there you have it.
3) Also, I'm not constipated. I've finally taken a dump in London. After eating some McVitties Digestive cookies, 2 apples, and 1 banana to help my dig. tract out! GO DUODENUM!
1) The hot dogs in London are different. It's more like a big breakfast sausage. Not as good as a hebrew national, but still enjoy it. Streetside hot dog stands always hits the spot.
Warning: If you don't like farts, boogers, pooping, or any other bodily function, Skip the rest of this post.
2) I've noticed that boogers in London and are different than those in LA. My boogers in LA are usually gray, moist, and squishy. I've noticed that my boogers in London are dry and sticks to your nose hair more. You know, that kind where you pick at it, but it hurts a lot b/c it's yanking the hairs out with it? Yeah, that kind. The color is more of a black color, but does have patches of white. So there you have it.
3) Also, I'm not constipated. I've finally taken a dump in London. After eating some McVitties Digestive cookies, 2 apples, and 1 banana to help my dig. tract out! GO DUODENUM!
Please mind the really long post. It's two days of traveling.
Hi Everyone tonight's my last night in London and I have to say that I've done a lot. Let's get right to it. Oh yeah, I've also added the pictures to the last post, as promised.
1. Tower of London
Tacky tourist site, but it's really fun. Some great British humor over blood and bowels. Please do not mind the contrast. I don't have a photo-editing suite here to make it brighter.
2. British Museum
Another tacky tourist site. Went a bit late in the afternoon. The day before, I said I wasn't impressed by a lot of the things that I say. The BritMus is a 180 from it. I am so incredibly impressed by the works presented. I took the audiotour for the Parthenon exhibit. One problem that I have with museum visits, especially ones more of the archaelogical nature, is that I don't have much knowledge of history and significance. This makes it difficult to appreciate a lot of the pieces. Thankfully with this audiotour, they gave a lot of detail in terms of what to look for in the Elgin marbles, how it may be understood and significance of the artistic composition. Altogether, I found a great appreciation for the delicate quality and thought that artist (whoever he may be) had put into these marbles. More remarkable is the craftsmanship.
Here's my favorite piece. I love the movement that it captures, as well as the soft quality of the drapery that rests on top of the body. It's amazing how flowy the drapery look, considering this is freaking made of marble. Anyhow, well worth your £3.50.
Also went back to see the Chinese exhibit. Alan wanted to go on one of their free themed guided tours. He picked the Medieval Europe. Really great talk. The guide highlighted many pieces that showed the decline of Roman Paganism and the subsequent rise of Christianity and the melding of these styles. My personal favorite was a thing called the Tring Tiles. These tiles depicted the non-gospel (?) myth of Christ as a boy. It showed Christ being a mischievous boy that used his powers for good and bad. The guide made it sound academic by saying that it showed the divinity and humanity of Christ. I don't buy it. I prefer that the interpretation that Jesus just want to have fun. (Sing it, baby!)
3. Clubbing at Leicester Square
I'm less than a mile from SoHo and Leicester Sq. So I went to a club last night with a Korean girl that I met at the Hostel. Here's what I've learned
HOW TO WRITE A EUROTRASH SONG
1) Pick a line. Something catchy like "I gonna call you a bitch" (Guys, this IS a real song) or " It's a great night to dance, a great night to have fun" would do.
2) Pick a beat, something about 100 beats per minute. Add on a tacky melody
3) Repeat line on beat 50+ times
4) Build melody up to crescendo
5) Stop all music all of sudden. Will need to make everyone stop dancing and stand awkwardly.
6) Bring beat and melody up again and get everyone in a frenzy.
There you have it. Make sure when you write you great hit, you give me due credit.
4. The Producers at West End
Caught "The Producers" on matinee. Loved it so much that I caught myself singing "Springtime for Hitler" aftewards. The movie was great, but the musical had so much more energy. Definitely a fun way to spend the afternoon. Oh yeah, nearby Convent Gardens is a great place to hang out too. If anyone has seen the movie, it's just like it, only some more quips that get you literally ROFL.
5. H&M shopping
Even though I'm pushing on time, I found myself an H&M and I'm in heaven. I spend maybe about 3 minutes in most stores. They're usually too expensive or the clothes arent interesting. Neither is the case for H&M. They're doing a more retro-60s look. Basically a line inspired by Twiggy. Anyhow, I overspent on the London portion of the trip because of it.
That's it for now! London has been great. Tomorrow, I'm heading to PARIS, FRANCE!
Thursday, August 03, 2006
DayTrippin' for Dreamy Darcy
Hi Everyone,
Day 2 here in london. Adventures are great. Pictures will be loaded later b/c this internet cafe won't let me access my photos. Trust me, there are some great ones.
1) Stonehenge
Thought it would be more impressive and imposing, but a bit disappointed by the size of it. We had 45 minutes to see it, Another 15 minutes would be nicer. As a sucker tourist, I bought a magnet for my mom, only to remember that she freaking has one already. Bummer dudes!
2) Bath
This town has the largest Roman bath outside of Rome. At first, when I saw the public bath outside of it, I wasn't impressed again, but when I went through the museum and saw the insides and how large it was, I became impressed. Also, the town of Bath is really nice. All the buildings uses the bath stones on the outside so everything looks uniform. Apparently, it's really a posh place, sort of a resort town from London. Anyhow, I really like this place because it has great charm. Maybe because we had a good day and there was actually sunshine to illuminate this sold-out quaint little town. What I loved most is the lush green hills, the same color houses, and the flowers on the windows and the lightpost. Interestingly, for lunch, I had a stuffed baguette for L1.50. Later I had a cup of creme tea for the same price. Apparently, this place is known for its creme tea. I wasn't impressed. Oh yeah, the drive to Stonehenge was lush green, exactly what you'd expect of the English countryside. Jane Austen, creator of the great Mr. Darcy, also lived here.
3) Abbey Road.
This is the place where I wished I could show you the picture. Definitely highlight of the day. We got lost finding Abbey road. Of course I tried to imitate the Beatles. But it's just me walking across the street.
What's sinteresting is this other lady who tried to do the same photo op. She was loud, she was from LA and she literally stopped traffice and yelled at her kids, trying to pose them as the Fab Four. Man, she tried like 4-5 times, getting her kids to walk across, hold the pose mid-stride. All the while, the cars were coming to the crosswalk and honking at her. I felt bad for her two kids (son about 9 y/o, daughter about 7) I would have been traumatized.
4) Hyde Park
No pictures from this place. Alan and I are beginning to get sick of each other, mostly around 4-6 pm. So today, we decided to do our own thing for two hours before dinner. I decided to go for a jog in Hyde Park. It's one of the most relaxing and enjoyable jogs I've had. Saw some really cool sights. Of course I ran around this large lake in the park (The Serpentine) from one end to the other. There were a lot of people rollerblading or trying to rollerblade. THe place is nice because it's not like this manicured garden, a lot of lawn space. Also has a lot of random little monuments. I saw the Prince Albert statue (very imposing) and Royal Albert Music Hall (?) across from it. Totally reminded me of the Robin Williams bit.I know some of you know what I'm talking about and have a sweet little smirk going. Also had a Bridget Jones moment. Found the site of the imfamous girly fight scene between Hugh Grant and Mark I-Like-you-just-the-way-you-are Darcy in the second installment of the movies. Also saw this weird statue that honors physical energy. It was a guy on a horse. Not a very weird statue, but the name is just funky. Seemed so metaphysical... Also saw pick-up cricket games and rugby games too. Cool times!
5) Dinner in West End
Went to this place in West End called Bella Italia. Very happy with meal. A little wine always makes dinner go better.
6) Observations and final remarks.
a. I like London a lot. Honestly, I woudl be totally cool to live here.
b. I like the hostel I'm staying at. It's relatively clean, a lot of young people. Best of all, the location is great. If any of you are thinking of going to London, consider staying at the Picadilly Backpackers. Every important tourist sight is walking distance (with exception to Tower of London and Tower Bridge).
c. I am so glad to be away from the LA humdrum. First of all, the girls are beautiful and not in the sorta generic Pam Anderson/sorority girl sorta way. They have very cute features and have more character in physical appearance. Secondly. people dress way nicer. It's not flipflops and shorts for everyone. The guys are all metro-chic, which is a nice departure from trucker hats, billabong board shorts, and baggy pants in LA.
d. I see more Muslim women here. It feels definitely different to see groups of women in their burqas (? probably wrong, but I forgt the better term of it) shopping. You just dont see very many of them around in LA. Some of the burqas are plain black and cover everything except the eyes. Others are more ornate. Definitely eye-opening./
e. Second hand smoke sucks. This is one thing that I'm glad for in LA. I sat next to this table of chain-smokers and we were downwind of them. Breathing was a difficult task under these circumstances.
f. I saw the cutest dog today in the Tube station. Too bad I didnt have my camera. He was a darling.
Anyhow, those are the adventures of the day, Alan and I are doing Tower of London tomorrow morning. After lunch, I'm hoping to get some free time on my own to explore the city, perhaps at the Tate Modern and maybe some shopping done (so many sales, so little time). On Saturday, we're going to try an get matinee tickets to Phantom of the Opera (hopefully it's L20). All the other time would probably be spent exploring the British Museum and all its plunders.
Meanwhile, Ta-Ta!
Day 2 here in london. Adventures are great. Pictures will be loaded later b/c this internet cafe won't let me access my photos. Trust me, there are some great ones.
1) Stonehenge
Thought it would be more impressive and imposing, but a bit disappointed by the size of it. We had 45 minutes to see it, Another 15 minutes would be nicer. As a sucker tourist, I bought a magnet for my mom, only to remember that she freaking has one already. Bummer dudes!
2) Bath
This town has the largest Roman bath outside of Rome. At first, when I saw the public bath outside of it, I wasn't impressed again, but when I went through the museum and saw the insides and how large it was, I became impressed. Also, the town of Bath is really nice. All the buildings uses the bath stones on the outside so everything looks uniform. Apparently, it's really a posh place, sort of a resort town from London. Anyhow, I really like this place because it has great charm. Maybe because we had a good day and there was actually sunshine to illuminate this sold-out quaint little town. What I loved most is the lush green hills, the same color houses, and the flowers on the windows and the lightpost. Interestingly, for lunch, I had a stuffed baguette for L1.50. Later I had a cup of creme tea for the same price. Apparently, this place is known for its creme tea. I wasn't impressed. Oh yeah, the drive to Stonehenge was lush green, exactly what you'd expect of the English countryside. Jane Austen, creator of the great Mr. Darcy, also lived here.
3) Abbey Road.
This is the place where I wished I could show you the picture. Definitely highlight of the day. We got lost finding Abbey road. Of course I tried to imitate the Beatles. But it's just me walking across the street.
What's sinteresting is this other lady who tried to do the same photo op. She was loud, she was from LA and she literally stopped traffice and yelled at her kids, trying to pose them as the Fab Four. Man, she tried like 4-5 times, getting her kids to walk across, hold the pose mid-stride. All the while, the cars were coming to the crosswalk and honking at her. I felt bad for her two kids (son about 9 y/o, daughter about 7) I would have been traumatized.
4) Hyde Park
No pictures from this place. Alan and I are beginning to get sick of each other, mostly around 4-6 pm. So today, we decided to do our own thing for two hours before dinner. I decided to go for a jog in Hyde Park. It's one of the most relaxing and enjoyable jogs I've had. Saw some really cool sights. Of course I ran around this large lake in the park (The Serpentine) from one end to the other. There were a lot of people rollerblading or trying to rollerblade. THe place is nice because it's not like this manicured garden, a lot of lawn space. Also has a lot of random little monuments. I saw the Prince Albert statue (very imposing) and Royal Albert Music Hall (?) across from it. Totally reminded me of the Robin Williams bit.I know some of you know what I'm talking about and have a sweet little smirk going. Also had a Bridget Jones moment. Found the site of the imfamous girly fight scene between Hugh Grant and Mark I-Like-you-just-the-way-you-are Darcy in the second installment of the movies. Also saw this weird statue that honors physical energy. It was a guy on a horse. Not a very weird statue, but the name is just funky. Seemed so metaphysical... Also saw pick-up cricket games and rugby games too. Cool times!
5) Dinner in West End
Went to this place in West End called Bella Italia. Very happy with meal. A little wine always makes dinner go better.
6) Observations and final remarks.
a. I like London a lot. Honestly, I woudl be totally cool to live here.
b. I like the hostel I'm staying at. It's relatively clean, a lot of young people. Best of all, the location is great. If any of you are thinking of going to London, consider staying at the Picadilly Backpackers. Every important tourist sight is walking distance (with exception to Tower of London and Tower Bridge).
c. I am so glad to be away from the LA humdrum. First of all, the girls are beautiful and not in the sorta generic Pam Anderson/sorority girl sorta way. They have very cute features and have more character in physical appearance. Secondly. people dress way nicer. It's not flipflops and shorts for everyone. The guys are all metro-chic, which is a nice departure from trucker hats, billabong board shorts, and baggy pants in LA.
d. I see more Muslim women here. It feels definitely different to see groups of women in their burqas (? probably wrong, but I forgt the better term of it) shopping. You just dont see very many of them around in LA. Some of the burqas are plain black and cover everything except the eyes. Others are more ornate. Definitely eye-opening./
e. Second hand smoke sucks. This is one thing that I'm glad for in LA. I sat next to this table of chain-smokers and we were downwind of them. Breathing was a difficult task under these circumstances.
f. I saw the cutest dog today in the Tube station. Too bad I didnt have my camera. He was a darling.
Anyhow, those are the adventures of the day, Alan and I are doing Tower of London tomorrow morning. After lunch, I'm hoping to get some free time on my own to explore the city, perhaps at the Tate Modern and maybe some shopping done (so many sales, so little time). On Saturday, we're going to try an get matinee tickets to Phantom of the Opera (hopefully it's L20). All the other time would probably be spent exploring the British Museum and all its plunders.
Meanwhile, Ta-Ta!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
London Calling
I've landed safely in London! Go me for not missing or catching the wrong flight. Long day, so I'll go through it quick.
1) Flight
Traveling Buddy Alan Ngo hooked me up with economy plus class seating from OHare to London. That's 5 extra inches of foot space! Meanwhile, he also got priority luggage claim, meaning that we didnt have to wait at all at the baggage claim. Everything was super fast!
OH, saw MI3 on the plane. Can't help thinking it's just a crappy episode of alias.
2) Arrival
It took 45 minutes to get from Heathrow to the Picadilly Sq. Got there about 1:00 local time. Checked into hotel. Wandered around the Sq. to grab a bit that's not some American fast food place.
1) Flight
Traveling Buddy Alan Ngo hooked me up with economy plus class seating from OHare to London. That's 5 extra inches of foot space! Meanwhile, he also got priority luggage claim, meaning that we didnt have to wait at all at the baggage claim. Everything was super fast!
OH, saw MI3 on the plane. Can't help thinking it's just a crappy episode of alias.
2) Arrival
It took 45 minutes to get from Heathrow to the Picadilly Sq. Got there about 1:00 local time. Checked into hotel. Wandered around the Sq. to grab a bit that's not some American fast food place.
Here's video of the Underground Line that we took. Some of you will appreciate the immaturity. Others of you will roll your eyes in embarassment
3) Touring
a. Parliament and Big Ben
Saw the Outside. A required stop for any London visitor. (Sorry, picture is a still warped. Still acclimating to blogger server.)
b. Westminster Abbey
Beautiful Architecture, albeit arrangement of tombs insides are very cramped. Nevertheless, a worthy stop. Definitely cool to see Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin honored within a church.
c. Area around London Eye
Saw what a ripoff this Giant ferris wheel is. Appreciated people watching and some Dali Sculptures.
d. Buckingham Palace
Another Required stop. Saw a cheap version of the Changing of the Guards. Super tired and irriated at this point. Wanted to go back to hostel dearly
Anyhow, after all the touring, we hit back to the hostel to take a nap. Woke up at 9 for dinner (fish and chips...mediocre...) and walked around the neighboring area. Lots of sales around town. I swear I have a natural homing device to sales. Anyhow, wandered around following areas: SoHo, ChinaTown, West End. Saw lots of really cool and hip bars/pubs/restaurants. Hope to go in one.
On a side note, DO NOT BUY PQi SD memory cards. I've ran into so many problems with it. Think it lost of of my pictures! Both my sister and I had trouble with our own cards. So it sucks. It keeps on saying that it does not work in the camera. Pictures on this trip may become a pain in the butt. Let's hope things don't get much worst.
Tomorrow's itinerary is daytrip to Stonehenge and Baths. Should be exciting. :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
