February 17-20: Interlaken and the Swiss Alps

Undoubtedly one of the best weekends of my life. 

Travel: Normally I pride myself on planning all of my trips on my own, however, Interlaken Switzerland is extremely difficult to reach from Florence, especially when you only have one weekend to spend there. Because of this, I decided to book my trip through a student travel agency called Bus2Alps. This meant that I would travel by bus to Interlaken and my hostel stay would be covered in the trip package. The bus left at 11:30 on Thursday night, and we traveled over night to Interlaken. Thanks to the very necessary dramamine that I have been taking on all bus rides post near-puking experience my first week here, I was able to sleep surprisingly well through the night, and wake up at 8 am Friday morning in Interlaken ready to ski.

Interlaken

Accommodations: we pulled up to our hostel Balmers Herberge, located in a small city called Interlaken, which is nestled in amongst the giant mountains of the Junegnfrau region, a little after 8 am and dropped our stuff off in our room. I went on the trip with my friends Nina and Joey and joining us in our 10 person, very small room were some of the most absurd people I have ever experienced. Let's just say this hostel stay was much more tumultuous than the one in Amsterdam (surprisingly). The guys who decided to get wasted on the 9 hour bus ride to Interlaken, and start screaming their thoughts on the movies playing on the bus to everyone, were, of course in our room. The other people in our room were equally colorful in character but I won't go into detail. The hostel itself was quite quaint. There was a nice eating area, couches and a TV to watch movies on at night, not to mention, the best/only bar in Interlaken happened to be located in its basement.

Our hostel 

Food: Interlaken is by far one of the most expensive places I have ever been. It was almost impossible to find any type of meal for under 20 Swiss Francs. Joey and I quickly realized this during our first day on the slopes when we were forced to eat absurdly priced lunches. Similarly, the first night there, we ate Thai food at the restaurant next door to our hostel which was good but not 20 Francs good. When we went skiing the following day, I cheaped out and brought lunch with me (a move which, I'm sure, would make my father proud). Overall I got the idea that the Swiss really love chocolate and cheese.

Fun:  Interlaken is all about the adrenaline activities like sky diving, canyon jumping, paragliding ice climbing etc., but I was there to ski. Skiing the Swiss Alps was unlike anything I have ever experienced for many many reasons. First of all, getting to the mountain was half of the experience. I am used to just driving to oh say, Jiminy Peak and hopping on a chair lift to the top of the hill. In Switzerland, our hour and a half long journey to the actual ski mountain started in front of our hostel where we took a bus to a train which took us to another train which took us to a tram which took us up and over the mountain. On the first day, Joey and I skied at Kleine Scheidegg while Nina was skydiving. It's This part of the mountain was more intense than what we skied on the next day. All of the runs were very steep and most were pretty crowded. Luckily everything was in German and we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. I actually kind of liked that there was no distinction between black diamond, blue square and green circle because I think I tend to get caught up in the expected difficulty at times. We never had any idea where we were going, where the trail would lead or how challenging it would be but we loved it all.

Taken from the train up the mountain 

Dressed in 100% rental gear, note ugly jacket. 

The following day, we skied in another area of the Jungenfrau region called Mannlichen. Luckily we had much clearer weather and when we got off the final leg of the trip to the mountain, the tram, we could see for miles. We had an amazing day of skiing. Our first run led us all the way down the mountain, through a town, a farm and across a stream or two. Then we found some great trails where we were the only people in sight after which, we tried to tackle as much of the mountain as we could before breaking for lunch at a small outdoor bar right alongside one of the trails. It is difficult to adequately convey how spectacular the views of the mountains are. I've skied in New England and I've skied out west but there is just nothing to compare the overwhelming beauty of the Swiss Alps to. It's like skiing in  Heaven. I'll let the photos speak for themselves and the memories speak to me forever.

not a bad day to go skiing 

Tram ride up and over the mountain

we skied by sheep

great place to have lunch

Saying bye to the Alps

 My only regret: I still have so many damn Swiss Francs left. 

February 10-13: Amsterdam

Taken at Rembrandtplein 

Ahhhh yes Amsterdam, know for great pancakes and a highly efficient public transportation system...just kidding. Craziest place I've ever been, but the pancakes ARE amazing. 

Travel: I traveled alone to Amsterdam because I was meeting my friends from school (Meena, Amy, Erin) there. The Florence Airport is small and convenient, comparable to Albany airport, so getting to my connecting flight in Paris was easy. I was struggling that day as I had a cold that I thought had turned into a sinus infection, yet the trip was booked and I still wanted to try to make the best of it. I pushed water hard and filled my pockets with toilet paper and paper towels in preparation for being "that guy" on the plane who makes you want to wear a surgical mask due to incessant sniffling and coughing. We all have to be that guy though sometimes. 

 I was still feeling icky when I arrived in Paris, to find that I couldn't just walk to my next gate; I had to get on bus and then find my gate. Charles De Gaulle is a HUGE airport. After a long day of traveling and waiting, I finally arrived in Amsterdam, luckily just a few minutes before the plane from Barcelona carrying my friends arrived. We found the train station which is conveniently connected to and indistinguishable from the airport, and bought a ticket to ride. As soon as we arrived in the city central, the general feeling among our group was, "this is not real life". Amsterdam isn't all about drugs and hookers; it has an energy you can feel--we were all so excited.

Accommodations: A few weeks earlier I had booked a room for Amy, Meena and I in a hostel called The Flying Pig Downtown, after it was recommended to us by our experienced traveler friend, Cate. As we entered out hostel/bar our jaws dropped. One of the coolest places I've ever been, way too cool for me but fun to experience for a weekend. The people who worked there are extremely friendly and efficient and the room wasn't THAT bad. As soon as we unlocked the door to our 6 person room, we found that all 3 of our mystery roommates were male. Of course. No worries though because they were very nice and polite and were sleeping for almost the entire weekend for some strange reason. They were from Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

What we saw upon arriving at the Flying Pig. The Dutch love their cats.

Food: I ate way too much of it. Pancakes, falafel, thai food, fries, pastries, waffles you name it and it's there.

Fun: There is a lot to do in Amsterdam. There are the obvious illicit activities which I will abstain from commenting on because I hope to be employed some day. BUT there are so many museums, parks, architectural sights, and things to be experienced. We hit the major attractions, starting with the Ann Frank House at 9:15am on Friday. I had heard mixed reviews about this and wasn't thrilled to be waking up that early to do anything, but the museum was just wonderful. It's a story I've heard many times but as I walked through the museum decorated with quotes from The Diary of Anne Frank, and observed all of the images and film clips, I was enthralled. By the time I walked up the steps to the annex I felt the weight of her story as if I was hearing it for the first time. I was in tears as I walked out of the house but the museum does a great job of ending with a hopeful note. 

We went to the Van Gogh museum the following day. Luckily we had bought tickets in advance and avoided waiting in line in the freezing rain. The museum was packed and I would have much rather had the intimate viewing experience of the Ann Frank House. But, Van Gogh is Van Gogh and his paintings are amazing. The Museum included work from his influences and teachers so that I left feeling like I better understand Van Gogh's work and life. Similar to the Ann Frank House, the museum was decorated with quotes, exerts, passages etc. from Van Gogh and his brother Theo, lending a sense of intimacy to the museum and allowing patrons to read the story of his life as they viewed his life's work.

proof that we went

From there we went to the Heineken Experience, which our Norwegian roommate accurately described as one long advertisement for one product. Regardless it was awesome, sort of like Disney Land for people who love beer. We took plenty of goofy pictures and even ran into some Michigan friends. 

Add caption

Greena 

Next we Went to Waterlooplein to see the Jewish Quarter and the Jewish History Museum. The Museum was once a synagogue and chronicled the experiences of Jews living in Amsterdam from the late middle ages. After this we went home because we were sick of marching around in the cold rainy weather that plagued our entire trip.

Trams were a great break from the rain

We spent most of the 3 nights that we were there just walking around and witnessing the craziness of the city. Of course we had to see the red-light district which is VERY busy at night. Amsterdam is one of those places that requires you to abandon all of your judgement and sense of embarrassment at the airport . Still, all of my naive expectations were exceeded in ways that I couldn't have imagined. 

A few things I learned:

Dutch is a vile sounding language. I'm sorry, it just is. Too much throat clearing involved in speaking it.

Hookers are real.

People from Northern Europe speak great English.

The Dutch really know their way around a pastry.

Beer is 94% water.

Van Gogh shot himself in the chest.

You need to bring your own towel to a hostel.

A sinus infection won't stop you from having an amazing weekend in Amsterdam as long as you have lot's of water, toilet paper in your pocket at all times and a good attitude :) 

Side-note: my dad told me I need to make my blog more organized. Hence, the bolded section headers. 

February 8: Pisa with my dad

Pisa is the sight of one of Italy’s most recognizable monuments and long-lasting symbols: its leaning bell tower, which was built almost 1,000 years ago. My dad and I visited the tower the day before he left to go home, as it is a must-see in Italy. We took the train which was fairly simple and arrived in the busy, Italian student-filled city. The book which I have cautiously been relying on as a guide, Let’s Go Europe, once again misguided me, as it promised there would be numerous signs pointing in the direction of the tower throughout the city. However, my dad and I only saw one and it was pointing in the opposite direction of where we later learned the tower stands, at a brick wall. Using a map and my broken Italian, we finally made it to Pisa’s one and only attraction. 

What's cooler: his hat or the tower? 

Ceiling of the cathedral 

Get it? He's leaning too hahahahahahaha

The tower is undeniably cool, but when I first saw it I had more of a feeling of, “oh ok there it is”, rather than, “OH my god! That’s so cool”. We took the obligatory tourist pics and then walked around the cathedral and the baptistery which were also very beautiful. What my dad and I enjoyed most about the experience was the peaceful atmosphere surrounding the tower. It was a bright sunny day and I enjoyed seeing GREEN GRASS, which is a rarity where I live in the city. After fully appreciating the tower and getting a few more silly pictures, we ended the day with a delicious panino at a shop called J’adore Italia. Definitely worth the trip.

Grazie mille dad! 

Next post: Amsterdam 

February 5/6: Venice with my dad

One of the best places to photograph! 

The feeling of being lost takes on a whole new meaning in Venice.

My dad and I left for the train station at 10am on Saturday and thanks to the simplicity of the ticket purchasing process and the Florence train station,  we were able to make the 10:30 train to Venezia.  We arrived at 12:30 and headed in the labrytnth that is Venice, with only a vague idea of the direction of our hotel. Since Venice is split into 6 neighborhoods or sections, it is easy to get lost in the complete wrong part of the city, with out even realizing it. I purchased a map which turned out to be of littlse use, as was the google map function on my blackberry, because I quickly realized that street signs and names are not reliable in Venice. Most of the directions we received sounded something like, “turn right then walk until you see the bridge then turn left and make another left”.  Furthermore, many streets consisted of a tunnel like corridor or a nondescript alley way with out a sign.

One such alley-way happened to be the only path to our hotel, which I found after asking upwards of 5 people for directions. We stayed in the Westin Europa and Regina which was very nice and comfortable. Our hotel was also very close to Piazza di San Marco, which is always crowded with tourists as it is one of the main attractions in Venice.

Piazza di San Marco

After dropping off our bags, we went to a small restaurant for lunch which was just OK. I am definitely spoiled by the food in Florence, where I can’t say I’ve had a bad meal yet. After lunch we checked out the Piazza di San Marco and then walked to the main canal. The sun was setting as we arrived and I was able to get some really nice photos. Venice is one of those cities that appears too beautiful and too unique to be real. Many of even the most mundane canals and side streets felt photo worthy to me as we explored the city. With the swarms of tourists, it is easy to forget that Venice was once a wealthy city that produced more than just masks and other cliché souvenirs. Its layout is so peculiar and different than any other city in the world, and its overall atmosphere can be characterized as having an eery and at times even creepy aura. Since there are no cars or motorized vehicles it can get VERY quiet, especially when you are lost…

Grand Canal at sunset 

After dozens of photos, we decided to head back to the hotel, or at least try to. By this time I had realized that the best way to navigate the streets of Venice is to memorize landmarks and to follow the signs which point in the direction of major landmarks, leaving plenty of extra time to get lost.

After a nap, my dad and I went to see a show that was supposed to be a mixture of classic Venetian Music by Vivaldi and Opera. My dad termed this type of show “opera-light” which is pretty accurate. It was enjoyable for us, since we know nothing about Opera, however, there are certainly better performances to be seen. It was a great way to spend the evening though, and I would love to go to another Opera while in Italy.

Undoubtedly the most memorable event of the trip occurred on the way to the show. We were lost, as usual, and in a huge hurry to make it to the show on time. My dad and I found ourselves on a quiet and empty street near a canal and a small bar. We asked a couple smoking outside for directions and I turned to run up the steps of a nearby bridge when I saw a rat. I screamed and ran in the opposite direction to hide. My greatest fear during my last trip to Venice in 2007 had been realized. This was not just a small rodent, it was a huge rat, approx. the size of my head and unafraid of human advances. Someone from the restaurant ran out to scare it away and it DID NOT run away. I was on high alert for the rest of the trip.

The next day was my 21^st birthday! Like my mom says, turning 21 in Italy where the drinking age is negligible, is like getting a snow day on a weekend but it was still a cool place to have a birthday. While in Venice I wanted to do some more educational sight seeing, so after an exorbitantly priced brunch on the Piazza di San Marco (worth it to sit in the sun and enjoy the view), I began to tour the major museums and monuments in San Marco.

Brunch on the Piazza 

I started with the Basilica, which turned out to be one of my favorite cathedrals in Italy. After awhile, all of the churches and domes start to blend together, but this one was completely covered with gold mosaic on the inside, displaying a combination of Byzantine, Roman and Northern European influence in its art and architecture. Photography was forbidden but I took a few poorly framed photos from my waist. I toured the rest of the Museo del’Opera and was shocked to learn that the Basilica was built in the year 1000. After climbing to the balcony, I got a great view of the bay and the Piazza as well.

My favorite cathedral 

View from the balcony of the cathedral 

Next I toured the Palazzo Ducale which was the palace of the Doges of Venice and served as a municipal building for centuries. The palace consisted of dozens of lavishly decorated chambers and halls. The palace now serves as a museum and holds a great deal of art and many sculptures. My favorite part of the Palazzo was the basement which once served as a prison. By the time I got there, I was one of the only people there and it was a creepy experience. I wandered through the maize of hallways for a long time, so long that for a second, I thought that I might be lost, until I saw a sign pointing to the exit.

We spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how to get back to the train station. After purchasing our ticket, we promptly missed our train due to confusion over the train schedule. Many hours spent wandering the maze-like streets and wandering around the train station perplexed left us feeling tired and ready to go back to what I now refer to as home—Florence.

Watching the bags while I went in museums 

  Thanks for coming dad, I hope you enjoy your guest-appearance in my blog J

Next post: Pisa