Euro Travel Journal

All of the following have been copied from my travel journal, dating from 15 June-1 July 2005, during which time I traveled throughout Europe.
_________________________________________________

15 June 2005
Paris, 8.20p

Finally, I am here! For so many years I have wanted to visit and now that it's here, it's a bit surreal. I am staying in a tiny "hotel" in Montmarte, just a few blocks from Sacré Cœur. It is run by an elderly couple and their mangy dog, none of whom speak English. They have been kind despite our communication issues - I suppose it happens often. The hallways in the place are impossibly narrow, and, to my surprise, unlit. It's most definitely a no-frills kind of place, which is fine by me. More character?! After all, when I arrived last night to find all of the hostels booked up, and many nearby hotels, I was just thankful for a relatively inexpensive place to lay my head.

This morning, after a light French-style breakfast of coffee and pastry, I hiked up the hill to Sacré Cœur. Its domes rise so high above the surrounding neighborhoods that it seems all the more majestic. It appears a brilliant white, the first basilica I have ever visited. It is from its entryway that I caught my first glimpse of the city, and from that vantage point, I must say, it looked rather unspectacular. Afterwards, I explored the neighborhood on foot, then hopped on the Métro so I could make my way to the Louvre. Stopped at Champs-Elysées, walked to l'Arc de Triomphe (much bigger than I had imagined), and wandered down the avenue for a bit. En route to the Louvre, I stopped at the Grand Palais, which I believe to be an art exhibition center of some form. (Though I'm sure it was not always so.) The building is quite beautiful, but I did not go inside.

The Louvre - wow. So overwhelming, it was. I knew I wouldn't have time to see everything, even if I spent a week here, so I chose a few key areas. On the whole, I am very glad I went, but I was actually somewhat disappointed. I visited the Musée d'Orsay afterwards and I enjoyed that far more. I saw virtually everything there, including an absolutely fantastic collection of Degas paintings, drawings, and sculpture.

Am now enjoying some lovely French food for dinner - steak au poivre! Yum :) Also, green beans with some kind of onion garnish and potatoes that have been sautéed in oil. They are thinly sliced almost like potato chips, though the taste bears little similarity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

16 June 2005
Paris, 5.10p

Last night, following dinner, I went on an epic hike about town and I am paying for it today! I awoke this morning so sore that I was scared to attempt sitting up. My legs were so incredibly sore, and my back and neck, I could sense, were in knots. After some stretching and massage, I set off, though I have had to take it a little easier today. It has turned into a gorgeous day, much nicer than yesterday. So I had a great time wandering about. First, to Notre Dame, then a walk along the Seine. Took Boulevard St. Michel to St. Germain, just exploring the neighborhoods. V. cool area. Am now back at the Eiffel Tower where I finished the evening last night. Wanted to take some day photos and I thought it would be a good place to rest and get some sun. I am planning to visit the Latin Quarter tonight and, depending on how I feel, I may try to listen to some jazz somewhere. I would like to leave Paris tomorrow, despite originally planning to spend 3 days. It hasn't captured my attention as I thought it would and because I have already lost time to my neck injury last week (in London), I'd rather push on and spend another day in Germany or Italy. We shall see.

(Note: I returned to Paris again, appx 5 weeks later. I spent another several days in areas I had not previously visited. The city, I am pleased to say, grew on me.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

18 June 2005
Antwerp, Belgium

It is incredibly warm here, must have been 85 when I got off the train. Not too excited about that bit considering I had to hike a good 45 minutes to my hotel. My pack was feeling especially heavy, the heat making me sweat profusely in my harness. The walk was scenic, though - it took me through De Meir, the city's main shopping district. Grote Market, too, where city hall and the famous fountain are located. It's quite a happening city and it doesn't appear to be too tourist-y. Every street I have walked upon thus far has been made of cobblestone, the buildings butting up closely alongside them, creating a cozy feel. My hotel is only one block from the river, a fact I did not know prior to arriving. Though I've not yet walked along the waterfront I can tell it will be lovely, especially given the cooling weather.

I am sitting now inside an Italian restaurant, awaiting the arrival of dinner. I had intended a more authentic Belgian delight but as I sat at a nearby brasserie, I saw pizza after tantalizing pizza being served to customers; I just couldn't resist! It's been some time since I've eaten it, and another thing, I am missing Kevin. Pizza reminds me of him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

25 June 2005
Czech Republic, 12.45p
(En route to Prague via train)

I am pleasantly surprised by what I have seen of CR so far. It is far greener than I would have thought, and certainly more beautiful. It is nice to see real hills, for the have been all but absent from the landscape since I was in Ireland. I am thoroughly excited to reach Prague. Seeing this city is one of the aspects of my travels that I have most anticipated. My mother's family is from this country and I am the first of the family to come here; my grandmother has not even been. It is a special feeling. I wish very much that my mom could be here, she has always longed to visit. I plan to take a vast number of photos - at least she'll have that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

26 June 2005
Prague, 10.15p

This is the most visually appealing city I have ever seen, in terms of architecture. I have spent most of the last two days wandering the cobblestone, and at every turn, it seems, something has appeared and taken my breath away. Yesterday, I hiked up to Prague Castle to catch a glimpse of the city. The castle overlooks the River Vltava, a most astounding view. The city's many bridges, the varying forms of architecture, and the romantic domes and spires - numbering in the hundreds, at least - make for a completely enchanting sight. The city has a haunting feel about it, this kind of cold, Old World-Europe thing. I really like how I've felt since arriving. I would like to come back someday, in winter or fall, because I think Prague's spirit will be all the more apparent then. Cold-blooded Czechs, and all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

27 June 2005
Munich, Germany

Since the latter part of high school when I extensively studied WWII and the Holocaust, I have been quite interested in visiting a concentration camp. Today, I finally had the opportunity. I spent much of the day at Dachau, about an hour's train ride from Munich. It was a most surreal experience. It was once of those experiences in which so many emotions flood your soul that somehow, they cancel each other out and you're left feeling numb. I spent a good deal of time in the museum they have converted from the old multi-use building at the front of the camp. I was extremely impressed with the conversion, as it amounted to a very educational arena for visitors. They had dozens and dozens of old photos hanging about - prisoners, depictions of life in the camp, SS and Gestapo. Various Nazi propaganda and so forth. Trinkets such as identity cards and bits of prisoner uniforms, their eating untensils, have all been maintained and put on display. There was almost too much there, it was all so heavy; this weight atop an already emotionally-loaded sojourn.

The bunker, where prisoners were kept for torture or other purposes was perhaps the hardest to endure. Some of the cells were open and I tookd the opportunity to sit inside one of them, alone. It was at that point that I finally broke into sobs - as I sat in a corner peering about at the unbelievably small space, turquoise and bone-colored paint chipping hideously from the concrete walls. I forced myself to remain there longer than I wanted, to reflect on what I had seen thus far, and perhaps, to imagine a reality wherein I could not leave that space at will. I was struck by the choice of color - that bright, happy blue. Was it always there, or were the walls painted after liberation, some attempt to argue the presence of humane conditions? What prisons are painted in such a way? I thought it may have been a cruel joke, somewhat like the gates at the entrance to the camp; woven into the iron of gate are the words "Arbeit macht frei", or "work shall set you free". Dachau was a place of lies and double-vision. There was the Dachau that outsiders saw, their images cultivated through staged photographs and nazi-placed magazine and newspaper articles. Then there was the real Dachau, the one I began to see amongst the grossly decaying walls of the bunker.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 July 2005
Lake Como, Italy

I am so incredibly happy that I chose to come to this heavenly place. It is certainly one of the most naturally beautiful places I've set eyes on. The lake is shared by Switzerland and Italy, tucked away at the edge of the Alps. The peaks are fiercely jagged, yet almost entirely green. They appear to drop off abruptly as they reach the water's edge, leaving little room for housing or towns of any kind. Even so, they exist, precariously balanced above the water, stacked and stacked, as if upon each other. It is gorgeous. The water is a deep, rich blue, the mountains evergreen and gray, and the villages a multitude of warm hues; they look like the colors one sees inside a gelato freezer, on the sorbet end of things. Peach, blood orange, lemon meringue-type yellowish-white, cantaloupe, strawberry, and the occasional mint. The air is genuinely fresh and so far, there's been a constant breeze. I am feeling revitalized already!