For those of you that don't know, Brett and I decided to come home about 3 weeks early from our trip. This morning, we hopped on a flight in Brussels and flew home. We've been home for about 3 hours, and the dog peed herself before we even touched her.
It's very very surreal to be home, in a place that is familiar, yet totally alien. I didn't start to realize how long even 2 months is to be away from home, and how profoundly happy I would be to be back on US soil. It's great to be back at home with the dog in our house, but there are so many things different about the house - every picture save two in the upstairs hall have been taken down, for example - that it is really difficult to feel at home, even here, in our home. Things are still in flux with Kelly moving out, us coming back early unexpectedly, and the backyard being re-done, but I'm sure I will slowly settle back in here.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Saturday, August 11, 2007
8/11/07 - Paris
After breakfast we headed straight to the musee d'orsay, where we spent the next 2-3 hours. It's my favorite museum I've ever been in. I especially loved the Renoirs, Van Goghs (like l'eglise d'anvers, which I'd never seen and now love), Monets of course, Dhurmer's pastels, and all the marble sculptures they have. Wow.
Then we went to the catacombs, filled to the brim with stacked humans. They even have a heart-shape in skulls! The number of people down there is staggering!
Then we went to the catacombs, filled to the brim with stacked humans. They even have a heart-shape in skulls! The number of people down there is staggering!
8/10/07 - Paris
We got up for breakfast, then walked up to Sacre Coeur, which is just up the hill from where we're staying in Montmartre. The basilique is very beautiful, much more so than Notre Dame, which only has the rose window and flying buttresses going for it. Sacre Coeur is more moorish, plus it has pretty grounds and a fantastic view of the city.
Then we got our tickets for the Musee D'Orsay for tomorrow so that we don't have to stand in line, then went to the Arc de Triomphe and went up top for another spectacular view of Paris.
Then we met up with Aurelien and Sylvain, friends who live in Paris. They took us to Chez Papa for lunch, where we gorged ourselves on 'salades.' By this I mean lettuce, huge chunks of strong cheese, potatoes, tomatoes, two fried eggs, some pancetta, and god knows what else. It was sooo good. After lunch we went to a patisserie for 'religieuse' which are snowman-shaped pastries filled with chocolate eclair filling and iced with cream cheese frosting. It was really great to see the two of them, and especially for Brett to meet them.
After all that food, we took a walk to settle things, then a nap. Got up and went to the Eiffel Tower where we hung out, gaped, and people watched. I love Paris.
Then we got our tickets for the Musee D'Orsay for tomorrow so that we don't have to stand in line, then went to the Arc de Triomphe and went up top for another spectacular view of Paris.
Then we met up with Aurelien and Sylvain, friends who live in Paris. They took us to Chez Papa for lunch, where we gorged ourselves on 'salades.' By this I mean lettuce, huge chunks of strong cheese, potatoes, tomatoes, two fried eggs, some pancetta, and god knows what else. It was sooo good. After lunch we went to a patisserie for 'religieuse' which are snowman-shaped pastries filled with chocolate eclair filling and iced with cream cheese frosting. It was really great to see the two of them, and especially for Brett to meet them.
After all that food, we took a walk to settle things, then a nap. Got up and went to the Eiffel Tower where we hung out, gaped, and people watched. I love Paris.
8/9/07 - travel day!
We started off the longest bus trip in the circuit with 'spider pig' from thhe Simpsons movie playing, courtesy of our guide Grant from Croatia, who's back doing bus guiding for a while. Watched LA Confidential and the Da Vinci Code (horrible!) as well as some highlights of X-factor and Kath & Kim. I hadn't even heard of X-Factor before and I've now seen more of it than I've seen of American Idol. Kath & Kim is this Aussie show about a mother and daughter. They're like Aussie trailer trash, but REALLY trailer trash. It's entertaining the way a car wreck is entertaining, but it helps the time pass. I actually have a sort of shameful affinity for this show.
Anyway, got to Paris - yay! So glad to be back here!
Anyway, got to Paris - yay! So glad to be back here!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
new pic warning!!
Forgot to mention also that there are pics from Cinque Terre and Lauterbrunnen up at wwww.flickr.com/photos/brettgphoto which mean as of right now we're all caught up.
8/8/07 - Munich
Happy birthday daddy!!!
Today Brett got up feeling about 10000000 times better, so we grabbed ourselves a Wombat's all you can eat breakfast and made the most of things. We're still taking it easy. I feel pretty much full strength, but Brett is still in the recovery stage, and it's raining anyway. I guess we'll go to Dachau on Munich round 3 in a few weeks.
Tomorrow we leave for Paris, where it is supposed to rain as well. We're just going to buy umbrellas and get our Musee D'Orsay tickets the day before (which we discovered you can do. It's a completely different booth, so you never have to stand in line) and do things our own way. At least we're staying at a decent place this time.
After that it's 6 nights in Bruges, ending with Brett's birthday on the 17th. Then 3 days in Amsterdam, 3 days in Berlin, 7 nights in Prague, 3 nights in Vienna, and then the last 3 nights of the trip back here in Munich. Tomorrow is exactly 4 weeks till our return!
Because we've been very ill and such, Brett and I were feeling really homesick for the last few days, but we're starting to feel much better. We're both very excited to come home to all of our comforts and familiar things, but we are also very excited about the rest of the trip.
Today Brett got up feeling about 10000000 times better, so we grabbed ourselves a Wombat's all you can eat breakfast and made the most of things. We're still taking it easy. I feel pretty much full strength, but Brett is still in the recovery stage, and it's raining anyway. I guess we'll go to Dachau on Munich round 3 in a few weeks.
Tomorrow we leave for Paris, where it is supposed to rain as well. We're just going to buy umbrellas and get our Musee D'Orsay tickets the day before (which we discovered you can do. It's a completely different booth, so you never have to stand in line) and do things our own way. At least we're staying at a decent place this time.
After that it's 6 nights in Bruges, ending with Brett's birthday on the 17th. Then 3 days in Amsterdam, 3 days in Berlin, 7 nights in Prague, 3 nights in Vienna, and then the last 3 nights of the trip back here in Munich. Tomorrow is exactly 4 weeks till our return!
Because we've been very ill and such, Brett and I were feeling really homesick for the last few days, but we're starting to feel much better. We're both very excited to come home to all of our comforts and familiar things, but we are also very excited about the rest of the trip.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
8/7/07 - Munich
Brett is really a trooper, because despite barely sleeping and feeling like two day-old shit, he still wanted to go to the Deutches Museum. So we walked there and paid our 8,50 euro, only to discover that all these complex things were only explained in German! I had been afraid of this, but had foolishly assumed that the guidebook or any of the half-dozen people who recommended the museum would have mentioned the lack of english. After 15 minutes we were frustrated and Brett felt terrible, so we just left and headed back.
After a while, I decided to go get Brett some food from the grocery store. After having gotten directions, I headed out into the Munich afternoon. As I left the hostel, I thought, "Maybe it's not a good idea to go out here by myself" and like magic, this group of 6 guys appeared, hogging all the sidewalk. As we walked toward each other, I veered to the edge to try and squeeze by, and as I turned sideways to get between two of them, the one at my front side deliberately swerved into me so that he could feel me up. Gross. Then I got a catcall from one of the ubiquitious shady international call places. I was in a shitty mood when I got to the grocery store, which only got worse when I discovered that this city HAS NO SALTINE CRACKERS!!! OR PEANUT BUTTER!! blasphemy. I grouchily went to check out, but my mood lifted a bit when the cute checkout clerk winked and smiled at me as he handed me my change. Then, four steps out the door, a bulldog trotted by, happy as can be. It was as if the bulldog universe was telling me, and through me, Brett, that things weren't so bad as they seemed, and to just turn that frown upside down. Even the rain that started on my way back and the repeated Arabic catcall couldn't bring me down.
Anyway, we ate some crackers and very crunchy peaches and then read in bed for a while. I've started in on 1984, which I horribly haven't read and someone should revoke my degree over, and Brett is now reading the David Sedaris and howling with laughter. There's quite the thunderstorm, with flashes of lightning and loud thunderclaps and lots of rain, but it's nice to sit inside and listen to rain drum on the atrium roof while reading.
After a while, I decided to go get Brett some food from the grocery store. After having gotten directions, I headed out into the Munich afternoon. As I left the hostel, I thought, "Maybe it's not a good idea to go out here by myself" and like magic, this group of 6 guys appeared, hogging all the sidewalk. As we walked toward each other, I veered to the edge to try and squeeze by, and as I turned sideways to get between two of them, the one at my front side deliberately swerved into me so that he could feel me up. Gross. Then I got a catcall from one of the ubiquitious shady international call places. I was in a shitty mood when I got to the grocery store, which only got worse when I discovered that this city HAS NO SALTINE CRACKERS!!! OR PEANUT BUTTER!! blasphemy. I grouchily went to check out, but my mood lifted a bit when the cute checkout clerk winked and smiled at me as he handed me my change. Then, four steps out the door, a bulldog trotted by, happy as can be. It was as if the bulldog universe was telling me, and through me, Brett, that things weren't so bad as they seemed, and to just turn that frown upside down. Even the rain that started on my way back and the repeated Arabic catcall couldn't bring me down.
Anyway, we ate some crackers and very crunchy peaches and then read in bed for a while. I've started in on 1984, which I horribly haven't read and someone should revoke my degree over, and Brett is now reading the David Sedaris and howling with laughter. There's quite the thunderstorm, with flashes of lightning and loud thunderclaps and lots of rain, but it's nice to sit inside and listen to rain drum on the atrium roof while reading.
8/6/07 - Travel day
Despite my trepidation, I felt somewhat decent this morning, managing to sleep through the night, eat a croissant, and talk to Josh for half an hour without puking, which was an improvement. I still had a vicious headache and various other complaints, but by sleeping through most of the trip and nearly finishing the Da Vinci Code, I got to Munich without mishap.
After getting settled in, I finished Da Vinci Code and we went to Hugendubel for more reading materials. No more Clive Cussler or Dan Brown for me, thank god. Those were products of desperate times with no options.
We tried to go back to the Paulaner garden, but it was packed and I felt dizzy and shitty, so we adjourned to the pizza place near our hostel. Halfway through his first burned hawaiian slice, though, Brett abruptly announced he didn't feel well, so we went back to the hostel. It quickly became clear that he'd caught my virus, and he passed what certainly sounded like an awful night. At least the bathroom is ensuite.
After getting settled in, I finished Da Vinci Code and we went to Hugendubel for more reading materials. No more Clive Cussler or Dan Brown for me, thank god. Those were products of desperate times with no options.
We tried to go back to the Paulaner garden, but it was packed and I felt dizzy and shitty, so we adjourned to the pizza place near our hostel. Halfway through his first burned hawaiian slice, though, Brett abruptly announced he didn't feel well, so we went back to the hostel. It quickly became clear that he'd caught my virus, and he passed what certainly sounded like an awful night. At least the bathroom is ensuite.
8/5/07 - Lauterbrunnen
Last night I woke up and began puking from about 3am on. This is a shitty enough situation under any circumstances, but throw in being in a foreign country, cold, in the middle of the night, and have the communal bathrooms be a good two minutes' walk away, and you have a recipe for disaster for the nauseous Liz. I literally split my time all day between lying in one position dozing and reading the Da Vinci Code, and being in the bathroom. It was awful, I had a splitting headache that felt like the insides of my head were swiveling independently of the outsides, and my whole body ached from puking. I managed to keep some broth down around dinnertime.
Brett was so supportive and helpful. He didn't even complain when he made me broth and noodles in the morning and I only ate a spoonful. A true saint, as far as I'm concerned.
Brett was so supportive and helpful. He didn't even complain when he made me broth and noodles in the morning and I only ate a spoonful. A true saint, as far as I'm concerned.
8/4/07 - Lauterbrunnen
I woke up to yet another bad Aussie impression. Admittedly, this person was on Contiki, so it's no surprise, but I swear I've gotten enough of Aussies for the rest of my days. I could go on for considerable lengths of time about how the Aussies I've met more closely fit the mold of ignorant American than many Americans, or at least the ones I consider to be worthwhile.
Anyway. Despite feeling increasingly like I had a cold, I managed to drag my sorry ass to Trummelbach Falls without even too much complaint. As if to spite my headache, fever, chills, and ever-more-raw throat, I traipsed semi-gamely through cave after cave and staircase after staircase in this massive waterfall that single-handedly drains the runoff from 3 massive glaciers. Over 20,000 liters of water gush out PER SECOND. The thing is deafening, chilly, wet, and almost entirely viewed from within the caves that house it. I spent the rest of the day lying down and trying not to be sick, unsuccessfully, as it turns out.
Anyway. Despite feeling increasingly like I had a cold, I managed to drag my sorry ass to Trummelbach Falls without even too much complaint. As if to spite my headache, fever, chills, and ever-more-raw throat, I traipsed semi-gamely through cave after cave and staircase after staircase in this massive waterfall that single-handedly drains the runoff from 3 massive glaciers. Over 20,000 liters of water gush out PER SECOND. The thing is deafening, chilly, wet, and almost entirely viewed from within the caves that house it. I spent the rest of the day lying down and trying not to be sick, unsuccessfully, as it turns out.
Friday, August 3, 2007
8/2/07 - Lauterbrunnen
8/2/07- Lauterbrunnen
we slept in till 10 today, given that we could hear the rain pouring down on the roof and knew we would get no hiking done today.
We cooked rosti for lunch, and I had another confidence-building impromptu conversation in french. We went to the book exchange in town where I exchanged my Jose Saramago for a Clive Cussler, which is eh but will keep me occupied, at least. I tried to call my dad twice after having emailed to tell him when I'd be calling, both times to an off phone, and have since received no emails to show he got my increasignly upset messages.
Made more salad and grilled-cheese sandwiches amidst a sudden, thunder and lightning filled storm, and have been reading and drinking and hiding from the rain in our caravan ever since.
It's awesome to go to sleep without having the "what time should we set the alarm clock for?" discussion.
we slept in till 10 today, given that we could hear the rain pouring down on the roof and knew we would get no hiking done today.
We cooked rosti for lunch, and I had another confidence-building impromptu conversation in french. We went to the book exchange in town where I exchanged my Jose Saramago for a Clive Cussler, which is eh but will keep me occupied, at least. I tried to call my dad twice after having emailed to tell him when I'd be calling, both times to an off phone, and have since received no emails to show he got my increasignly upset messages.
Made more salad and grilled-cheese sandwiches amidst a sudden, thunder and lightning filled storm, and have been reading and drinking and hiding from the rain in our caravan ever since.
It's awesome to go to sleep without having the "what time should we set the alarm clock for?" discussion.
8/1/07 - Lauterbrunnen
8/1/07- Lauterbrunnen
Thankfully we solved the mattress crack problem of our first night, so last night as cold-air puff free, and we got up at 8am wide awake. Today is Swiss national day, so the swiss are all patriotic today - even the cashier had painted little swiss flags on her fingernails. There were fireworks on and off all day, a parade in Interlaken, a bonfire in a sheer cliff-side, and a 4th of July worthy fireworks display at night. It was so cool, because every time a firework went off, you could hear the sharp detonation, then the rolling, crackling thunder of the echoes as they echoed down the valley.
didn't do much today because we were sore from yesterday. I uploaded 90 pictures, blogged, emailed, we read and napped, did laundry, and genrally hung out. For dinner we made a copy of the sausagee-cheese salad we had in Murren, plus a large number of beers and swiss chocadate.
I hard-boiled eggs to go in that salad, and that's all it takes to make me feel like I can't cook at all. I swear to god they're impossible.
Talked to my mom for a long time this morning, ans Shannon this afternoon. Tried to call my dad but no luck - besides, he didn't even email to acknowledge my first failed attempt.
Thankfully we solved the mattress crack problem of our first night, so last night as cold-air puff free, and we got up at 8am wide awake. Today is Swiss national day, so the swiss are all patriotic today - even the cashier had painted little swiss flags on her fingernails. There were fireworks on and off all day, a parade in Interlaken, a bonfire in a sheer cliff-side, and a 4th of July worthy fireworks display at night. It was so cool, because every time a firework went off, you could hear the sharp detonation, then the rolling, crackling thunder of the echoes as they echoed down the valley.
didn't do much today because we were sore from yesterday. I uploaded 90 pictures, blogged, emailed, we read and napped, did laundry, and genrally hung out. For dinner we made a copy of the sausagee-cheese salad we had in Murren, plus a large number of beers and swiss chocadate.
I hard-boiled eggs to go in that salad, and that's all it takes to make me feel like I can't cook at all. I swear to god they're impossible.
Talked to my mom for a long time this morning, ans Shannon this afternoon. Tried to call my dad but no luck - besides, he didn't even email to acknowledge my first failed attempt.
7/31/07 - Lauterbrunnen
7/31/07- Lauterbrunnen
we finally got to Lauterbrunnen last night in a called-in ghetto Contiki coach that didn't even have seatbelts, despite the EU law we hear so much about. We got in at 10:45pm, and I guess the good thing is that Adrian, who works at the campsite, remembered us and we got hooked up with a caravan that has a fridge and working stovetop, though no running water. Still, we were able to cook some prepackaged pasta that we had wisely bought at a service stop, even though the communal litchen was closed. After that, we just fell into a hastily-made bed.
This morning we got up and left the campsite by 9am and hiked up to Murren, which is a stunning hike with an ascent of over 700 meters! It was amazing how fast we got so high above the little village we had walked in, and what a breathtaking panoramic view of the valley we had from up there.
We had a great lunch at a local cafe in Murren - rosti (a swiss dish much like hash browns) with fried eggs and a sausage and cheese salad. We had planned to walk to Gimmelwald, down to Stechelberg, and back to Lauterbrunnen from there, but my hip was killing me an it had been an extremely steep 4-hour ascent, so we decided to take the cable car down and save the Murren-Gimmelwald-Stechelberg part for another day. On the way down, we shared the cable car with a billion and a half people with superfluous hiking poles, 2 huskies, and 2 large carts full of fragrant wheels of cheese.
On our ascent the only people we saw were 3 mountain bikers and a lone runner (these swiss are crazy!), but along the flat part, there were heaps of families decked out in excessive hiking gear. How... Appropriate?
After getting back we drank swiss 'lager hell' beer and made pasta with our special turbo-charged additions, and then we went to bed, though not before noticing how many more tourists there were in Lauterbrunnen than last time we were here.
we finally got to Lauterbrunnen last night in a called-in ghetto Contiki coach that didn't even have seatbelts, despite the EU law we hear so much about. We got in at 10:45pm, and I guess the good thing is that Adrian, who works at the campsite, remembered us and we got hooked up with a caravan that has a fridge and working stovetop, though no running water. Still, we were able to cook some prepackaged pasta that we had wisely bought at a service stop, even though the communal litchen was closed. After that, we just fell into a hastily-made bed.
This morning we got up and left the campsite by 9am and hiked up to Murren, which is a stunning hike with an ascent of over 700 meters! It was amazing how fast we got so high above the little village we had walked in, and what a breathtaking panoramic view of the valley we had from up there.
We had a great lunch at a local cafe in Murren - rosti (a swiss dish much like hash browns) with fried eggs and a sausage and cheese salad. We had planned to walk to Gimmelwald, down to Stechelberg, and back to Lauterbrunnen from there, but my hip was killing me an it had been an extremely steep 4-hour ascent, so we decided to take the cable car down and save the Murren-Gimmelwald-Stechelberg part for another day. On the way down, we shared the cable car with a billion and a half people with superfluous hiking poles, 2 huskies, and 2 large carts full of fragrant wheels of cheese.
On our ascent the only people we saw were 3 mountain bikers and a lone runner (these swiss are crazy!), but along the flat part, there were heaps of families decked out in excessive hiking gear. How... Appropriate?
After getting back we drank swiss 'lager hell' beer and made pasta with our special turbo-charged additions, and then we went to bed, though not before noticing how many more tourists there were in Lauterbrunnen than last time we were here.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
New pics!
Pics from Venice, Croatia, and Rome, about 90 pics in all, get em at www.flickr.com/photos/brettgphoto
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