TravelStream™ news feed for member h_hurst on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/h_hurst en-us Copyright ©2010 TravelPod.com Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:13:47 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/h_hurst/1/1247528811/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/h_hurst/1/1247528811/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/h_hurst/1/1247528811/tpod.html Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:13:47 -0400 European Adventure

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Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Right now it's what's known as July 12th Fortnight here in Belfast - meaning that locals either stay at home or get out of town - provided they are not Loyalists of course! Those who are loyal to the crown have a big celebration for when the British armies defeated the Irish on July 12th and came into power. They have huge bonfires the night before and tons of marches on the day, except since the 12th fell on a Sunday this year and they won't march on a Sunday, they actually had the bonfires last night and the marches today.
I had seen them setting up one of the bonfire towers on my way to Whitney and Brennon's place last night and after dinner, Whitney and I saw the smoke from about three of the fires from her roof. Brennon had gone to do some work and said that he wouldn't have felt safe if we were to have gone out into town, so we stayed local and it was fairly quiet. You could smell smoke all over the place though and hear plenty of shouts and such throughout the night.

This morning, I made my way through streets of broken glass to catch my tour bus up the coast - a good day to get out of town really! The bus driver seemed to be a bit nervous and was glad to finally get out the city limits I think. When he picked us up, he said that he wouldn't be able to drop us off much further than the central bus station when we came back since it would be more dangerous and the streets would be full of marchers and possibly their opposing protesters.

We went up the coast to Carrik-a-rede bridge, a rope bridge spanning over the ocean from a cliff to an island just a bit offshore. I couldn't believe how clear and beautiful the water was! Absolutely stunning! And though I know why, I still can't believe just how green this island really is. Oddly enough, I felt quite spoiled by all the nice weather I have had here and in England and Scotland the past two weeks, to be honest. It's like I feel like I have somehow cheated and not gotten the real experience since it hasn't been raining the entire time. But I am not opposed to the sunshine - not one bit!
After that, we continued up to the Giant's Causeway - volcanic balast columns jutting out of the sea on the Northern coastline. They were so much more impressive and expansive than I expected them to be. Some were super tall and others were just like stepping stones, but all perfectly hexigonal-shaped columns, like someone had been building little towers and then just decided to stop on some of them and leave the different levels. Again, the water was so beautiful - the color was just this amazing aquamarine... Nothing like the oceans in the States that I'm used to! (Not even like the ocean in Hawaii, which is beautiful too...)

Then we headed to Londonderry (so-called by the Loyalists; Derry as it is known by the resident Catholics), the only walled city remaining on the island of Ireland. Once there, I went on a walking tour with a guide who actually lived there during the Troubles. It was really nice to get that perspective and some insight into the town. The only downside was that I didn't get any information really on the walls themselves, which I was kinda interested in. It would have been nice to have a bit more time to explore the walls on my own or just have a bit longer tour with him to talk a bit about the walls instead of the just only about the more recent Troubles.
Either way, it was particularly poingent today, due to the fact that the small Loyalist community was out in force and I watched as some of the young boys ran along the street pelting the police cars with bottles, rocks, and petrol bombs. Definately made for a unique experience!

Back in Belfast, the bus driver let us off at the main bus station instead of the usual, more local drop-off points. So that meant about a 20 minute walk for me to get back, but I ended up running into the march route. Surrounded by a mass drunk horde and now sure how to get across, I just decided to stand along the sidelines and watch for a bit. The bands that marched by were so intense, I thought the drummers arms were going to fly off! Young boys and girls twirling battons and jumping about with flags and banners, all the way up to old men hobbling down the road - canes in one hand and an umbrella in the other, as by now the nice weather had faded and there were occasional showers. Flute bands and a few accordian bands, one right after the other, going on for miles it seemed. Union Jack flags, orange and blue sashes and banners, everywhere you looked. And the streets were COVERED in broken glass, beer cans and trash! Of course being added to with each passing of drunken revelers. The police were around, but I don't know what the really would have done had anything gotten too out of hand.
Once I had gotten back home, Whitney and I looked up some of the news online and apparently there had been some unrest and skirmishes between the Catholics and the police forces, perhaps with the Loyalists as well, but the news wasn't too clear. There were some shots fired and some injuries in the small riots, but as far as we could tell there hadn't been any fatalities. It's not nearly as volitile as it was in years past, but it is still unsettling and one can only hope that peace will made it's way.

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Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom

Though I arrived in Edinburgh yesterday from Stratford-upon-Avon, I really only spent time with my host, Andy - so today was really my first day around the city. I went on a free walking tour and the guide was one of the most entertaining ones that I have had so far! (A group called New World does free tours in most of the major cities of Europe and I have done them in a few other cities...) The tour was quite entertaining and I am really glad that I went.
After the tour, I went up to the Castle on the top of the hill with one of the guys that was on the tour. It was nice enough - great views, fantastic exhibits, and the Scottish crown jewels (which can hardly compare to the English ones that I had seen just last week in London) - but for the steep admission of £13, I'd have to say that I don't know if it's really worth all that much. At least the hike up Arthur's Seat and the museums are free and I can make up for it with that tomorrow and Friday, if I am not able to take a coach tour that I am going to try to go on if they have a no-show in the morning. We'll see...
Other than that, I am planning on going on a coach tour around the Highlands and Loch Ness on Saturday before heading to Ireland on Sunday.

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London, England, United Kingdom

Hey everyone, had a great past few days here in London.
Highlights include: a sunny afternoon in Hyde Park and jitterbug dancing my first night in town, a handful of West End shows, Westminster Abbey, and the Portabello Road market.
Big disappointment: I didn't get to visit and see a show as a groundling at the Globe! They were sold-out. I actually cried! Guess that just means a I have to come back again...

Today I took a coach tour daytrip out to see Stonehenge, which was really neat. It's so impressive how it is still standing after all this time and of course it makes you wonder what purpose they served. Aside from housing one of the original 4 surviving Magna Cartas, Salisbury Cathedral was actually quite interesting and more historical than I thought. Then it was on to Bath, also much more interesting than I had anticipated, with quite a lot of the original baths still around the spring itself.
Then back in town, I went to see the Comedy Store Players improv show and now I am going to call it a night and make it home. I am headed to Stratford-upon-Avon early in the morning to get my Shakespeare fix - since I missed the Globe here and couldn't get tickets to see Jude Law in Hamlet here in town, which is getting really great reviews!
Love you all - God bless!

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Paris, Île-de-France, France

I know that I have been terribly lax at updating this darn thing! I guess I am just not a very good blogger... I get busy with doing things on my trip and just don't seem to get around to it as much as I thought that I would. Anyway, I have enjoyed my past week here in Paris immensely and am kinda bummed that this is going to be my last day, so I am going to keep this entry short so that I can go take advantage of the last bit of time I have here in the city!

My parents and sister were here for the first few days and I got to spend a bit of time with them, not much as they were with a tour group, but a bit. That was really nice. Plus I was able to send some of my souveniers back with them as my backpack has gotten quite full and I still have 3 weeks left to go! I have been able to see most of the major touristy things and even was able to find some nice things that weren't so touristy - my favorite of which is a little park (Parc Monceau) that I might try to go back to today if I have some extra time. I want to visit the Opera Garnier and St. Chapelle before I leave, as well as have a nice meal and coffee at one of the street cafes. Maybe the Musee d'Orsay if I have enough time and then I am joining Céline and her friends for dinner at the house. [Céline is a girl that I met in Madrid and she has been kind enough to let me stay with her for a few days.]

Other than that, just really have enjoyed my time just being here in Paris and soaking up the atmosphere more than anything. I have come to realize that I am just about fluent in French!!! And I think it's kinda funny when people think I am from Spain or Italy, until I tell them that I am from the States. I am genuinely pleased with even the progress I have made with my language skills in the past few days and think I am going to do what I can to continue my ability to speak the language that I have come to love so much. Also, had a chance to go to church on Sunday at Hillsong Paris - AMAZING! Really glad that I had the opportunity to really get together with a church where I felt right at home and that I got a very good message while I was there.

Lots of love, Heidi

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Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium

I have been visiting with my friend Toon and his girlfriend Elly for the past few days here in Antwerp. The first day, I went around on my own and did most of the "touristy things" while they were at work: I visited the Rockox house (which is supposed to be the oldest house in Antwerp), the town market square with the town hall and a fountain depicting the hero of the city. Legend has it that the giant Druoon Antigoon who controlled the River Scheldt and would levy heavy tolls on all the boats who passed. If anyone refused to pay, he would cut off one of their hands and toss it into the river. One day, a Roman centurion named Silvius Brabo killed the giant, chopped off one of his hands and threw it in the river. Thus the city of Antwerpen got its name! (Hand-werpen; werpen means "to throw") It was also quite amusing to watch these two dogs running in and out of the streams of water pouring from the fountain - jumping up on all the rocks and running about, trying to lap up the water that was falling on their faces, and getting completely soaked and falling on the slippery ground...
The cathedral nearby turned out to be worth the visit, as they had a special exibhit of tryptics and paintings that had originally been in the church aisles that were on loan from the museum. It was neat to see it all together, similar to how it would have looked back when it was first built. Then I walked down to the Schelde River and saw the Steen - which has to be the tiniest "castle" that I have ever seen. I think it honestly looks bigger on the pictures in the tourist map! I still had some time to kill before I met up with Toon & Elly for dinner, so I headed down to take a look at the fair that is running for the summer. The food and games seemed priced normally, but the prices for the rides seemed quite steep... €3-€5! The only one that I think I would have bothered to even pay for was called Statosphere, one of those big swing rides that goes in a circle, but really high up. It went even higher than the ferris wheel and mabe higher than the tall spinning hammer-type ride! I figured that it might be nice at night, getting to see all the lights below and spread out around the city. Maybe some other time... : )
One the way home, I walked though the city park, where they have tons of rabbits just hopping about all over the place. I thought that it was really nice and think it could be fun to spend an afternoon on the grass, reading a book and having a nice little picnic, with little rabbits all around. I saw this one boy, probably about 3 or 4 years old chasing one as fast as his little legs would carry him and of course never catching up because the rabbit would just hop right away, but he never tired of chasing it - so cute and precious!

Yesterday, Toon and I went to Brussels last minute. (Long story short: we were going to spend the day in Antwerp and go to Brussels tomorrow, but I am having a problem with my braces and the only orthodontist appointment I could get was this morning, so we decided to just switch our plans...) We ended up walking over to the town square, which is the first one in Europe. I must admit that I was auite surprised to hear that... I even bought some Belgian lace! I couldn't afford anything much of course, but I got a very small piece that I can put in one of those glass tray tables and make my own nice souvenier. Saw a gorgeous 2-tier, floor-length wedding veil and was blown away! It was just beautiful... Good thing I am not getting married or I would have been soooo tempted to buy it! HaHa!!
Then we met up with one of his old college friends, but neither of them had been in Brussels for a long time and many things seemed to have changed, so it took us awhile to get our bearings and find our way about. We sat in one of the typical little Belgain bars, where I actually had a beer - Kriek lambic, but still a beer... Then we went and saw Menekin Pis - a fountain on a side street corner of a little naked boy just endlessly peeing... A few times a month, certain groups are allowed to dress him in special outfits, but he didn't have one when we were there.
Then it was high time for me to have a Belgian waffle! I chose one topped with banannas, whipped cram and chocolate sauce. They piled that sucker pretty high, but I was not to be deterred! I managed to eat the whole gorgeous thing - while walking! - and didn't drop any of it! I couldn't have been more proud of myself...
We didn't really do much "sightseeing" other than that... But I did get a ride on a merry-go-round and found a signpost directing me towards Paris, which is my next destination. Then we ended up going up to the projection room of the city's big theater and I got a personal tour and some film reel to take home, since Toon's friend used to work there as a projectionist and had run into one of his old co-woerkers while we were in the area. I was treated like a princess It was fantastic and something I could definately get used to... (I'm just kididng - halfway...)
We joined Elly for the evening to see the opening of a photography art exhibit, which was quite nice. It makes me very interested in just taking up photography as a hobby. Maybe I will take a small class or read a book on it when I get back home. There was also a TV station who was giving away bottles of beer that they had made during a program about Belgian fermented ales. I am not sure if I am actually going to try some or leave it here or bring it home for someone...

Today, the first priority was to fix my braces! The top wire had shifted and come out from where it was attached on one side and was sticking out on the other side and gouging a hole on the inside of my cheek. So we got that fixed and now I just have to get my travel insurance to reimburse me when I get home... After that, Toon and I stopped by the fashion museuem and saw a display of paper dresses, after which I decided it was high time for some Belgian chocolate, so we bought a box and enjoyed sitting on the square and relishing every bite! Dangerous stuff, let me tell you! We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around and shopping - I finally managed to find a nice dress to take home that isn't costing me an arm and a leg.
Then we went to the Diamond Museum. Antwerp is the diamond capital of the world and has the biggest diamond museum in the world also. After a day of shopping and chocolate, what more could a girl want?! Maybe the diamonds sparkling in the cases... hahahaha!!
Maybe someday. : )
Guess I should get going, this entry has gotten quite long. Until later!

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Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Hey everyone! I know that I am not in Amsterdam for the typical reasons that most people my age come here... but I am enjoying my time! It reminds me of the canals of Venice, which I loved and there is just a vibe about this city that can't really be described. It's low-key and yet still full of life. I was told about a free bike tour and was pretty annoyed to find out that my information source was wrong and it ended up costing 15 euros... It was nice to have someone lead us all around the canals of the outer parts of the city and take some pictures for us, but other than that, I probably should have gone on a free walking tour of the more historical downtown area.
So I decided to rent the bike for an extra 3 hours to bike a bit out of town along the Amstel river, to see some countryside and windmills, since my tour was relaxing, but not very scenic. I headed off with two guys from Leeds that had been on the tour with me. Turns out that just following the river - like the guide had told us to do! - was not as straighforward as one might think. Aparently we missed some sidestreet to continue following the river and ended up biking around the huge Amstel Business Park. Which was not what we had in mind at all and was a huge waste of time! If I had known, I would not have even bothered renting the bike for the extra time. Oh well... I rode it around to catch a bit more of the city that I hadn't seen yet: the flower market and the quiet little Begijnhof area that has the oldest house in Amsterdam. Then it was time to bring it back, which was fine with me because I was starting to get a really sore rear-end from riding for 5 hours straight!
Now I am back at my hostel, which is a Christian hostel - in Amsterdam of all places! They actually have this one and another in the downtown redlight district... I am really enjoying it here, but am grateful to be headed to Belgium tomorrow night to save some money when I am visiting with my friend Toon and his girlfriend. But they are starting a Bible study in a few minutes and afterwards they are showing a movie about the life of C.S. Lewis, so I have to run!

Oh! I just have to say that the Anne Frank museum is fantastic! I'll have to come back and add the details for that... : )

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Dresden, Saxony, Germany

Just woke up in Dresden and it's very windy!! I am going to be pretty cold today judging from the sound of the wind and the grey color of the sky - especially as I have discovered that my umbrella is no match for the insanely windy sudden downpours of Germany! Oh well...
I came Dresden from Berlin for a few days on my way towards Prague, mainly just to visit with Brittany (one of my sorority sisters/good friends from college) who is here teaching English on a Fulbright Fellowship. She and I had a lovely evening out last night, once I finally managed to get into town after the whole phone ordeal in Berlin. The weather was nice and we walked around town to end up at a cute little street lined with string lights and cafes. So we managed to get a table outside where we could have a chat and people-watch while the weather was nice. (It's been kinda gloomy lately.) I had a banana-hefewiezen, which Karl had introduced me to in Berlin and I had shockingly enjoyed. I know it is a rare opportunity for me to enjoy a beer, since I usually find them disgusting!
I am supposed to meet up with her friend Peter in a couple hours, as he is going to kinda take me on a tour around the city while she is at work for the day. We are planning to meet back up with her later tonight so we can have some dinner and wine together on a hill along the river to watch the sunset. : )

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Dresden, Saxony, Germany

Brittany and I enjoyed a half the day doing some amazing hiking in the area outside Dresden. It is sooooo beautiful - untouched, rugged, and green! The climb up the first mountain was quite steep and lots of steps, but at least the view when we got to the top left me breathless also, but in the good way. As we were making our way back, we came across a trail that Brittany had not yet tried and wanted to... Mind you it's German name translates into "Crazy Hell!" Sure, why not...
To be honest, it wasn't that bad. Of course, we were going down... I would have a whole different story for you if we had started at the bottom instead. The reason for the fair warning is due to the fact that it is not just walking on a trail. You have to climb over rocks and hang onto metal bars jutting out of the side of what is basically the beginnings of a cliff. Then you make your way down some practically vertical stairs and weave your way back to some kind of trail that goes through a riverbed, so you hope you're going the right way! It was a lot of fun, but I would not have wanted to go back up if we couldn't find a connecting way out - which is what I was afraid of. Thankfully it hooked back up with another trail that continued back down the other side of the mountain and we made it back in one piece.
It really was such an enjoyable day, being out in such pristine natural beauty! : )
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Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

I am visiting with Julia and her husband Ralf. They are good friends of Brittany and I had previously met Julia when she and Brittany came for a day to visit LA, so it was really nice to meet back up with her here and meet her husband. They have been the most fantastic hosts and I have never felt more special in someone´s home! It is lovely to get up in the morning and have coffee on their balcony that overlooks the river and enjoy great leisurely dinners with wine and such pleasant conversation. However, all the treats are sure to spoil me! Not only the sweets, but the sheer immensity of their hospitality!

I went to the ballet last night and saw an A-MA-ZING piece by Twyla Tharp (with fantastical music by Phillip Glass). I managed to get the very last ticket and could not have been happier, especially after I realized what a performance I had treated myself to for the evening. I was practically speechless coming out of the theatre... Her choreography is so full of life and the dancers did not have one split moment of rest for the entire 40 minute piece. I have no idea how they did it... They had to have been running on sheer delerium at the end, because they couldn´t possibly had anything left! I was completely blown away!! Usually I feel like the unending applause at the end of most performances is a bit much, but they deserved it - and more! Simply amazing... I have no other words...

Julia met me after the show for a late dinner and glass of wine. A nice Reisling - which is of course what this area is known for! : )
Unfortunately, I ended up breaking a bracket and getting very nervous about what to do since it was still on the wire, but not attached to my teeth and just spinning and sliding about. I called my travel insurance and should have known that would be pointless. They said that it was not really covered because it was not causing me any acute or immediate pain and were no help whatsoever... Of course, I am welcome to submit forms for them to reimburse me once I get back from my trip - HA! Which is not necessarily surprising, but quite disappointing of course, because one purchases travel insurance for just these types of situations!

God is good though and provided me with a little miracle. Julia happened to remember that she had a friend who had an orthodontic practice and sent her an urgent email this morning to see if she could help me out. She wasn´t in the office, but she said that her top assistant was there and could take care of it for me. No problem, just go right over! So Julia drove me to office and they simply removed the brocken bracket and even trimmed the wire that has been drilling a hole in my cheek for the past few weeks. As a favor - for free! Talk about an unexpected blessing!

Now I am just up late after a lovely evening with Julia! (Ralf usually turns in much earlier than we do, as he is more responsible and has to be at work around 8:00.) However, Julia has gone to bed and I am dealing with my car insurance back home. I thought all of that was taken care of. Apparently not... I guess that just means that I will be able to really enjoy just sitting on a boat tomorrow when I take a cruise up the Rhine. Too bad it leaves in 6 1/2 hours!!! : (
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Füssen, Bavaria, Germany

Today I went to visit the castles of "Mad" King Ludwig II - Honschwangau and Neuschwanstein. I find it amazing that I can spell those from memory! (Hopefully correctly... hahaha) I met up with a couple who is here on their honeymoon. [Had the civil ceremony in the States and is doing the ceremony here in Germany right before they go back home.] We walked up to the castles together and got to enjoy some time together between the tours. I have to say that the guides were quite nonplussed with their jobs! Honschwangau was nice to see, in terms of it´s relation as the early childhood home of Ludwig and connection to the other castle, but not nearly as impressive. Neuschwanstein was quite impressive, and it wasn´t ever even completed! : )
It was just so beautiful inside. So elaborate, every square inch was covered. I must admit, it must have been fabulous to have the views out over the valley in the morning and still be so secluded...

We hiked back down through the gorge behind the castle back into town. The water in the stream was freezing!!! We were hungry and had bought some pasta for dinner, only to find out that the hostel wouldn´t let us cook dinner! So we went out instead and I had a fabulous salmon salad and apple strudel. Not money that I had planned to spend, but it was worth every cent!

Then back to the hostel to turn in early, as there is not a thing to do in this town past 8:30 in the evening. Not even a late coffee... Oh well, it means I am going to get some rest, which will be nice!
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