TravelStream™ news feed for member ginger_bear on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/ginger_bear en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:46:46 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1227281580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1227281580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1227281580/tpod.html Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:46:46 -0500 Whee! Europe!!!

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Prague, Czech Republic

(Entry written 21.Nov.2008)Okay, Prague and I are calling a truce.  Sure, I still feel a bit resentful about the whole "early morning insanity" that it threw at me, but hey, worse things could happen, right?  And I'm starting to like Prague a bit.  Not a tonne, but enough that I may need to give it a second chance on another trip...My two days in Prague were short, and made shorter still by the incessant back-and-forthing I did each day.  I swear, if I NEVER see the inside of the Prague train station, it will be too soon.To make a long story short, I spent day one stashing my luggage, went to the centre of town, and by some miracle, found a Starbucks.  Yes, I know.  Not terribly authentic, but I was tired, cold, disgruntled, and just wanted something that I could count on.  I wanted homogeneous.  I wanted a coffee as big as my head.  I wanted Starbucks.  Three hours and one ENORMOUS coffee later, I felt a wee bit better and went out in search of fun and such.  I hit all of the major toursit things, I think : I saw the astronomical clock, I climbed the tower and saw the square, I went up the stairs of death to see the Loreto and the St Vitus Cathedral, I shopped. And shopped some more.  And wrote postcards.  And did a bit more shopping.At the hostel that evening, I ran into a group of American exchange students on break, who had all mystically ended up in Prague on the same day, and they sort of adopted me and we went off in search of food.  Good times.  I had fried cheese.  In my defense, I thought they meant a grilled cheese sandwich, but apparently bread isn't part of it.  :)  Live and learn, right?Day two, was where I could tell that I was ready to go home.  i thought it would be a fabulous day to go see the Jewish quarter, until the Aussie girl in my room reminded me that it was Saturday...  oops!  Jewish sabbath!  Everything is closed.  Well, yet another excuse to go back one day.  So instead, I wandered and shopped and looked around and walked down Wenceslas square, and crossed the Charles bridge, and had some more Starbucks, and ate street food, and had ice cream, and tried to buy juice, and managed to get rid of all of my Czech money, and then waited for the train.  I was alittle bit worried, as I had paid for an upgrade and didn't know what I was going to get.  After my first overnight train, I was almost ready to give up on trains all together, but this one was already booked.  So, i paid for a sleeper, telling the lady over and over "no sharing. Just me".  Hence, my nervousness.  What would I get?I think that overall, Prague and I ended on an okay footing.  I'll give it one more chance (same as poor, wet Budapest) on another trip - perhaps a Prague/Budapest/Slovenia/Croatia swing...  Just to see what it's like.  Two days would have been long enough for my superficial travel experience, if only I had remembered the days of the week.  Le sigh.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224689280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224689280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224689280/tpod.html Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:31:22 -0500 Whee! Europe!!!

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Budapest, Hungary

A point-form ode to my 30 hours in Hungary (composed 21.Nov.2008)- wow.  Sketchy trains.  What do you mean the window won't close?  Oh...  Disloged from the casings.- You're from the Faroe Islands???  Cool...- huh.  So this is Hungary.  Must find an ATM.- maybe that next ATM will take my card...  Success!- found hostel.  Cute.  Small.  Very casual.  Me like.- WHAT?!?  National Holiday tomorrow?  All shops will be closed???  Yikes!  Shopping now, I guess...- Hah!  Souvenirs are mine!  I am victorious!  Pearl : 1, The Shopping Gods : 0.- more walking, eating, shopping, back to hostel for dinner.  - I swear, of the 30 people in the hostel, one three are women, and 28 of 30 are Aussies.  Crazy, but fun.- I *heart* free internet.  If only I had messages to send...- Morning!  Up, breakfast, pack, avoid squeaky spot on floor, drop luggage at train station (a bit sketch, but what can you do?), and then I'm off... in the RAIN.  Bleah.  Maybe it will clear up...- Museums are free!  Yay!  Something to do!  But they have no maps or floorplans, so I mostly just wander aimlessly.- Walk through the rain, looking for coffee.  No coffee shops open.  Le sigh.  Keep walking.- another museum.  and this one has a coffee shop.  Rest.  Relax.  Write postcards.  Drink coffee.  Eat cake.  Then... art.- wander in the rain.  Walked past a speech.  Cathedral closed.  Walked some more.- finally, nightfall.  Wait for train.  And wait, and wait, and wait.  - Oh boy, is this a sketchy train, or what?  Well, I'll survive.  It can't be that bad, right?
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1225643040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1225643040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1225643040/tpod.html Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:45:17 -0500 Whee! Europe!!!

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Bratislava, Slovakia

(Text composed 18.Nov.2008)I spent two nights in Bratislava and loved EVERY MINUTE of it.  I can't even really explain why, it just was a lovely, lovely time and I can't wait to go back to Slovakia one day and see more of it.I took the train from Vienna to Bratislava.  Originally, I had thought of taking the hydrofoil down the river, but they don't go very often, are way expensive, and you have to book in advance, which really wouldn't have worked out if the weather was bad.  No worries, I had an extra day on my train pass anyway that wasn't accounted for, so it wasn't a problem to switch to the train.My biggest tactical error in Bratislava was to think that I knew better than the travel info lady.  She advised that I take the tram to the city centre to find my hostel - I decided to walk because the weather really was nice.  I don't regret the walk - I needed the exercise, and I got some air (note how I don't say "fresh" air), but geez, it was a looooooooooong walk to town.  Seriously.  45 minutes I think - I knid of lost track of time.  But I got to my hostel, checked in, put my stuff away, did a quick spot of grocery shopping, met two Spanish girls from my room, and headed out to explore.Central Bratislava is fun and cute - winding streets, little shops, restaurants, and oh, it was lovely and sunny.  As I was wandering and randomly taking pictures of the bizarre public art around the city centre, I bumped into the two Spanish girls from my room again - Monica and Anna - and they invited me to have coffee with them.  Sure, great!  Well, this evolved into a whole day of exploring together.  We went around and around the old town, we walked up to the castle (oh!  the stairs!  death!), we took pictures of the sketchy Soviet-esque other side of the river, we popped into random side streets and cubby-holes (I found a creperie!), we walked around to find the Blue Church (it was in their guidebook), we did a bit of shopping, we had beers, we tried to find a traditional Slovak restaurant (ended up at a Czech restaurant), basically a good time all around.  I saw a tonne of Bratislava and it was such a great time.  Anna and Monica were so sweet and fun and it was awesome to have people to chat with.Day two was just me, and I really enjoyed it as well.  I decided to go out to Devin castle, which is about a 25 minute bus ride into the suburbs.  There was a few peopl on my bus also going to the castle...  We got off the bus, and I got lost.  The other people on the bus?  Well, they made the tactical error of trying to follow me, so we all randomly strolled until we found it.  Turns out that I should have taken a slight veer to the left, not a hard left like I did.  Oops!  An extra thirty miutes of walking!  But make it to Devin castle we did, and it was lovely.  Perched on the Danube, full of ruin-y goodness.  I took a zillion pictures, at least.  It was then that I realized that it really is quite hazy in Slovakia, even on windy days.  It's too bad, but I guess that it's still a bit left-over from when they were a huge factory area for the Soviets.  Afterwards I made my way back to the hostel b/c one of the staff members gives a free walking tour of the town once a week.  She was a great guide and I did learn a great deal about the history of Bratislava, which was nice.  Too often, I leave a country not feeling like I really knew that much about it.  Yes, I see the sights, but the small things?  Learning about the history or society of a country - not so much...  And to reward myself, for a country well-conquered, I dined on crepes!  SO TASTY!!!!  I swear, I crave crepes about 85% of the time, but only get them once  every six months or so, so this was a lovely treat.  Slovak wine, a dinner crepe, a cappucino, a dessert crepe...  Yum!!!!!  the funniest part of the evening was that the waitress spoke French!  I hadn't up to then met a Slovak who spoke French - mostly German or English as second languages.  So I broke out my best Parisian French and was able to order.  It was an interesting end to a lovely country...Okay, so that wasn't the end of the country...  I did manage one more amazing success.  I got rid of all of my Slovak money - yay me!!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1226870940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1226870940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1226870940/tpod.html Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:16:16 -0500 Whee! Europe!!!

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Salzburg, Austrian Alps, Austria

Oh, Salzburg is so wet!!!  It rained all day, and my toes are cold...  I feel a bit whiny, but other than the cold toes, it really has been a great day!  I've "done" Salzburg - yes, superficially, but that's what this trip is all about, really.  Superficial travel.  I don't have time for depth, really I don't.I managed to take in the fortress (big, historic-y, good food in the restaurant, lovely views), and the outside of a few churches (no clue which ones), and the Schloss Mirabel gardens (not so impressive in the fall, but quite pretty anyhow).  And I shopped.  A lot.  Really, if it was an Olympic sport, I think I'd place top 10.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(added November 14, 2008)Isn't that so Canadian of me?  Not "I'd totally win the Olympic shopping event", but rather "I'd place top 10".  Yup.  I came.  I saw.  I was just glad to have a chance to come out and participate with all of these great competitors and take in the amazing atmosphere...  :)Highlight of day 2 in Salzburg?  I met another Canadian girl (from Calgary - name escapes me) at my hostel and we spent the evening hanging out...  shopping, talking, eating at a random restaurant which may or may not have been the one I read about in my guidebook.  But the food was good!!  And it was great to have somebody to talk to and not have to be so self-contained for a few hours.  :)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1225035240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1225035240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1225035240/tpod.html Sun, 02 Nov 2008 11:35:56 -0500 Whee! Europe!!!

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Frankfurt, Germany

I may have to change my position on night trains.Simply put, I *heart* Deutche Bahn's City NightLine trains.  Love.  Love, love, love!  Not so fond of their "Frankfurt" stop being some random suburban thing, but in some ways that just added to the charm and adventureness of the trip.  Plus the bus ride to the airport (slightly sketchy - I still think that the driver was just a 17-year-old punk who stole the bus and drove it around for fun.  And were we supposed to pay? Because that was never really cleared up...) gave me a chance to talk with...  oooh... totally forget their names already - anyhow, the lovely Australian couple that were in my sleeper car and were on their way home to Sydney via London and LAX.  Poor things.  So much travel ahead of them.  But they were lovely nonetheless!But quickly, back to my love of all things City NightLine.  I love their sleeper car.  Love, love, love.  Anything that gives me a private room, and a door that double-locks, and drinking water in the washbasin, and towels and soap, and free breakfast, and crisp, clean linens, and friendly people in my car to talk to, all while whisking me from one country to another is good in my books.  And that was just the second class sleeper!  First class got their own in-room shower and toilet, and a half-bottle of wine!  Free wine!  On a train!  It is because of City NightLine that I may have to change my night train vow.  I think that from here on in, I'm only going to take night trains if they are sleepers (and NOT couchettes), and I'd far prefer to only travel on City NightLine trains, nothing run by other countries, as I'm still a bit wary of the quality.Next time?  I may try first class...(Note to self - next time you travel in Europe in October, check the dates for the end of Daylight Savings Time so you're not caught off-guard...)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224862380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224862380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224862380/tpod.html Sun, 02 Nov 2008 11:34:22 -0500 Whee! Europe!!!

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Prague, Czech Republic

Dear Prague,I can't believe that you would do this to me.  I am tired.  I am grumpy.  I just rolled off the sketchiest night-train EVER.  And what do you do?  You almost make me cry with your darkness, your coldness, and your lack of correct change.  Really, I don't think I can go on like this.  Grrrrrrrrrr...Friends off!Your ex-friend,Pearl 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224471660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224471660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224471660/tpod.html Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:08:13 -0400 Whee! Europe!!!

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Vienna, Austria

Sadly, it had to happen.  Vienna and I are breaking up.  I tried to give it a go - I gave Vienna every opportunity to impress me, I even gave Vienna a second chance, but to no avail.  As of tomorrow morning, Vienna and I will no longer be an item.  We do hope to continue to be friends, but I don't see any return to an amicable relationship for a few years at least.  Goodbye, Vienna - and this time, I can truely say - it's not me, it's YOU.(What can I say?  I've found Vienna to be bland.  I actually finally figured it out while walking the labyrith at Schonbrunn palace this morning - Vienna is generic Europe.  It has all the usual suspects, and NO personality : historic-y buildings with chain stores on the ground floors, a cathedral that's more tourist attraction than house of worship, those human "statues", a palace that's been converted to a museum, and so on and so on.  It bores me.  I've seen the palace, the cathedral, a museum, the shopping, eaten an original Sacher torte [nothing to write home about], and given it my best shot.  Still disappointed, I am moving on...  No regrets.)
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Vienna, Austria

I had hoped to love Vienna, but not so much.  I like it, sure, but love?  That's such a strong word...  Probably too strong for now.  Of course, with my Energizer Bunny-esque optimism, I am convinced that tomorrow is a brand new day and that I will then be able to feel the love.  How could I not?  I'm going to look at pretty gardens, and the inside of a historic-y palace, and maybe a zoo, and then climb a tall church tower to take pictures, and then I have Opera House tickets for the...  BALLET!!!!!  I'm pumped already, let me tell you...  :)Oh, and street food!  For the first time on this trip, I think I'll eat street food...  Yumm...  Wurst of some sort...What?  You want to hear about today?  Right!  Focus, Pearl, focus!!!  Umm...  Train to Vienna (looooooong, but I had a carriage all to myself for the most part.  Apparently people don't like exploring the cars to find the empty sections), checked into hostel (almost cried trying to get the locker to work - can you tell I needed chocolate?), walked to town, got Opera House ticket, wandered a bit, visited National Library (big, old, pretty, but no flash photography, so I was a bit disappointed), wandered some more, ate dinner, walked back to hostel.  With all that walking, I will sleep well tonight!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224292680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224292680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224292680/tpod.html Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:26:48 -0400 Whee! Europe!!!

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Innsbruck, Austrian Alps, Austria

It's amazing how a bit of good weather can cheer you up infinitely.  After yesterday's rain blahness, the sun came out!  I can't imagine having liked Innsbruck nearly as much in the rain...I managed to check off the major sights - the Golden Dachl, the Hofburg palace (under renovation - I used my imagination a great deal...), the Hofkirche, the Stadtturm tower (lovely views from the top, but the stairs, oh the stairs!).  I also managed to get in some shopping too, surprise, surprise...  I am a champion shopper, and I think that I may once again go over my customs limit.  Le sigh.  But oh, such cute things, and yarn!!!  Austrian yarn!  Very cool.The train back to Salzburg was insane - very crowded...  Hee hee!  I just remembered that it's Friday - school's out for the week.  That explains things... 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224116040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224116040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ginger_bear/3/1224116040/tpod.html Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:17:17 -0400 Whee! Europe!!!

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Salzburg, Austrian Alps, Austria

I made it to Salzburg quite quickly today, but I am wiped!  I didn't get any sleep on the flight, so I get the feeling that my jetlag will be worse than usual this time...So far, it's quite pretty here in Austria, and umm... I really haven't had much time or energy to do much more.  Tomorrow is a brand new day, though, and I have high hopes.Aahhhhhhh...  It's lovely to be travelling again...-------------------------------------------------------------------(added 11 Nov 2008)First day in Salzburg was kind of a blurr.  I really had lost my travel-legs, so I felt like I was stumbling a bit (metaphorically, of course) as I found my way from the station to the hostel, checked in, and wandered around the old-town.  Now, I have a talent in the world of travel.  I have the amazing ability to not plan ahead, so really, I had no clue what to expect in Salzburg.  Other than a vague clue that the Sound of Music was a big deal, I had nothing.  Nada.  So, imagine my surprise to find an old-town brimming with cute shops, and churches and steeples, and winding little streets, and...  Mozartkugeln?  Say what?!?  Ohhhh!  Tasty chocolate!  Well, I'm all for that...  :)It actually took me until day two to figure out what all the Mozart stuff was for.  Hee hee!  I'm so pretty!Two things that I noticed while wandering the old town?  1 - The buildings are super cute, some of them with random murals on them.  2 - It's cold in Salzburg.  Really cold.  And I realized that I had forgotten my coat at home in Canada...  Crud.After wandering quite a bit to get the lay of the land, and then having dinner, I headed back to my hostel.  They show "The Sound of Music" EVERY NIGHT, so I caught quite a bit of that while randomly flipping through my Budapest guidebook.  Funny story...  so i'm sitting reading the guidebook while wondering if Maria is *ever* going to realize she loves the Captain, when a guy behind me asks me if I'm going to Budapest next.  Turns out that he's just been there, and he has nothing but good things to say about it.  He shows me a couple of places to check out, and then we got shushed!  Some other guy turned around and told us to be quiet!  Wow.  I'm a librarian, and shushing is kind of my shtick, so this was actually quite funny to me...  Well, the conversation died quite quickly post-shushing, and I crashed right after the wedding scene.  Quite liked her dress...
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