TravelStream™ news feed for member johnny322 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/johnny322 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:57:45 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219380900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219380900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219380900/tpod.html Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:57:45 -0400 Johnny's Adventures in Spain

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Madrid, Madrid, Spain and Canary Islands

Tomorrow will be my last day in Spain. It's been 1 year and 4 days (minus the 13 days home for Christmas), and without a doubt the most challenging and life-changing experience I've ever had.

So I'm pretty much packed. That in itself was quite a feat; fitting one year of my life into two suitcases was not easy. I had to throw away three grocery bags worth of clothes just to barely make it, so that's kind of a bummer. Oh well.

As I sit here in my empty apartment, I realize how much I will miss my life here in Madrid. At the beginning of this year, I would have said that I still had reservations about my decision to come to Spain. With all that has happened back home over the past year, it's difficult not to have those feelings of regret. But a few months ago, I reached a point where I was content and felt a sense of ease being here in Madrid, when the time until August 24th didn't matter.

My main objective of coming here, getting my masters degree, has become secondary to the experience of living abroad for a year. Often times I forget that I've even graduated. Through this experience, I've built incredible friendships and made memories that will last me a lifetime. After spending every single day of class together, taking trips and going out together, my friends and I have become very close. So admittedly, the goodbyes have been difficult. Unfortunately, the reality is that it will be very difficult to see my peeps again, but knowing how much I have learned from them and how much I have taken away from this experience makes it all worth it. And traveling through Europe has been an incredible experience as well. I've fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams, seeing the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Alhambra in Granada, Gaudi in Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, the list goes on!!

This year abroad has also taught me how much I take for granted back home. Things like fresh air, nice(r) people, a car, dryer, etc., though seemingly trivial, make life so much easier back in California. But strangely enough, I've learned to live without these things. I'm sure some of you remember me complaining about having to hang dry all my clothes, but somewhere along the way, it didn't bother me anymore. I do have to admit that having my stash of Safeway Organics peanut butter has saved my life.

I like to believe that this experience has changed me for the better. For starters, I am a lot more open to experience (not only the weed, haha). Just things like socializing with people and stepping out of my comfort zone. I've become good friends with people with whom I would have never thought I was "compatible." Moreover, all the craziness back home has really been a blessing in disguise. Looking back at how I handled (or didn't handle) the difficult situations has helped me change, if not at least identify, my flaws. I'm hoping the Landmark Forum will fill in that gap for me in September.

When all is said and done, it's been a fantastic year. Although the Candie thing still lingers, I can confidently say that I have no regrets and that this has definitely been the best experience of my life.


Here are some pictures of my best friends.






It helps to have Mexico here too. My good friend Keyla taught me how to make enchiladas and real tacos, followed by our buddy Don Julio.




Thank you, thank you all for your support and kind words of encouragement. You guys have really helped me get through this year. See you all NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



PSSST! If you haven't noticed yet, all the entries of my Eurotrip are posted. Check them out. For more pics, check out my albums on Facebook. ;)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219312020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219312020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219312020/tpod.html Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:09:25 -0400 Johnny's Adventures in Spain

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Vienna, Vienna, Austria

By the time I got to Vienna, I was more excited about the fact that I was going home in only a little more than a week. But there was so much to see!

Downtown Vienna.


The motherlode of all opera houses, the infamous Vienna Opera House.


This is where Mozart, at age 6, gave his presented his first piece. This is also supposedly where Eisenheim, played by Edward Norton in "The Illusionist" does his magic. Funny thing though, in the movie, the opera house looks more like the Budapest Opera House.
The front of the opera house.








Dogs are allowed everywhere in Vienna! I saw a Yorkie in H&M, and several dogs on the Metro. They aren't allowed in the supermarket, but there's always a hook for owners to tie their leashes.




The cathedral.


The art museum.


On day two, I went to the Schonbrunn Palace, which was just as impressive, if not more, as Versailles


The State Hall Library.




A librarian's wet dream.


Coffee in Vienna is amazing.


I went out on a limb and tried the sweet cheese strudel instead of the usual apple strudel and was pleasantly surprised.


Entrance to the Hofburg Treasury, housing the continent's most impressive collection of jewels etc.


One of the world's largest (3rd I think) emeralds.


This crown looks just like the ones they hand out at Burger King.


This vessel was supposed to be used for baptisms, but since it's made out of solid gold, it was too heavy to use. So that's why there's that little one in the left corner.



]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219244160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219244160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219244160/tpod.html Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:29:37 -0400 Johnny's Adventures in Spain

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Salzburg, Austrian Alps, Austria

After Budapest, it was off to Salzburg, most famous for the Sound of Music and Mozart.

The train ride was scenic, lush green mountains and little towns with beautiful small churches. Here's a pic.


Salzburg


Downtown


Mozart's Birthplace.


Mozart's violin.


Bosna Grill.


American hot dogs pales in comparison to this. So good!



St. Peters Cemetery. Oddly, the cemetery spots are rented out in 10 year periods. Relatives go frequently to light candles, plant flowers, so it's an amazing place.




The next day, I took, reluctantly, the Sound of Music tour. I figured it'd be a great way to see the lake district. Thankfully, it wasn't too cheesy either.


So many shades of green.


For those of you Sound of Music fans, here is the front of the Von Trapp Mansion.


The cathedral in Mondsee where Maria and Captain Von Trapp got married.


Ooh, and we passed by Red Bull headquarters.


Apple strudel!!! I ate so much apple strudel in Austria. 8 months without American comfort food has taken its toll on me. And I think it's actually even better than apple pie.


Mirabell Gardens.



]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219194480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219194480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219194480/tpod.html Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:05:29 -0400 Johnny's Adventures in Spain

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Budapest, Hungary

Haha, sorry, I've resorted to using bad puns for the titles of my blogs, but just stating the city names isn't much fun.

I initially planned to spend two nights in Prague, then take the morning train to Budapest. But since it takes 7 hours to get there, I figured it wasn't worth wasting a day on the train. So I took the night train! I reserved a bed for 14 Euros. My rail pass, called the Interrail, is for European citizens and residents. In a 10 day period, you can travel all you want on 5 days. You just fill in each date on the ticket. On night trains and more popular routes, like Paris to Berlin, it's best to make a reservation. Otherwise you just fight for a free seat.

The "beds" were really just regular bench seats with the backrest folded down. Not very comfortable, but it sure as hell beats 9 hours (night trains are slower) in a regular seat.

There was a guy from Germany in the bunk next to me, and thankfully, nobody on top.

View of Budapest.


Interesting fact: Back in the day, Budapest was actually two cities, Buda on the left and Pest on the right. And even though the two sides have joined, they're still referred to by their former names.

The Parliament building, overlooking the Danube River.


The Grand Market Hall.


Inside


On the ground floor, there are butcher shops, bakeries, and fruit/veggie stands. Chicken, anyone?


The second floor is mainly full of souvenir shops, but there's also a section with lots of little restaurants. Here's the beef stew I had, very tasty and very hot.


The Budapest Opera House.


On the hills of Buda lies the Budapest Castle. Yet another stairmaster-like experience. ;/ Here's the church with a neat roof design.






Budapest is also known for its historic Turkish baths, but since I didn't bring my swimming suit, I didn't go in. But next to one I found this amazing castle.




Cute dog that played with me.


Budapest at night.


Next stop: Salzburg, Austria.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219101060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219101060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219101060/tpod.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:04:33 -0400 Johnny's Adventures in Spain

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Prague, Bohemia, Czech Republic

Exactly a week into my trip, I took a 4 hour train ride from Berlin to Prague.


Unfortunately, Prague has become very touristy over the past few years. Its full of Spanish people and Koreans (thanks to a Korean drama filmed there a couple years ago)


I was determined to get the most out of Prague though. So the next morning, I woke up at 5:30 to see the city. And what a difference that made! The picture above is of St. Charles Bridge at around 6pm. At 6:30am, it seemed like a completely different place.




It was so nice to see the city as it should be.


Later that morning, I explored the Jewish quarter. The building on the left with the funky roofline is the Old-New Synagogue, dating back from 1270. It's the oldest active synagogue in Europe. No pictures inside ;(


Prague is amazing because almost every time you look up from the street, you'll find a view similar to this.


The local market.


Old Town Square.




On the top of the hill is the Prague castle, which is more like a cathedral (St. Vitus) surrounded by buildings, rather than an actual castle. I arrived just in time for the changing of the guards.


St. Vitus Cathedral.


View of the city from the castle.


The Golden Lane, which dates from the 15th century, was named so because many goldsmiths resided here back then.




Today I swallowed my pride and went into a nice restaurant. I ordered duck. When it came, EVERYBODY in the restaurant turned their heads and looked at me. Wanna know why?

The duck I ordered turned out to be HALF a duck!! Good lord, how embarrassing! All alone at a table with a giant mug of beer and half a duck. Hahaha. Worse yet, as I was eating, people kept peering over to see if I had finished, which, I'm sure you all can guess, I did. ;)

Prague castle at sunset.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219053600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219053600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219053600/tpod.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:50:13 -0400 Johnny's Adventures in Spain

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Berlin, Germany

From Paris, I boarded the train to Berlin, with a layover in Cologne. Nothing much to see there, so we'll go straight to Berlin.

The historic Brandenburger Gate, where President Regan said "Gorbachev, tear down this wall," and, more importantly, where David Hasselhoff, in a jacket studded with flashing lights, sang to the Germans as the Berlin Wall came down in 1989.


Berlin is a very dynamic city, a combination of old and new. Much of the city was destroyed during during WWII. The Berlin Wall also complicated things.




The East Side Gallery, the largest remaining portion of the Berlin Wall. The East side of Berlin was controlled by the Soviets, while the west was divided into American, British, and French sectors.






Checkpoint Charlie, one of the border crossing areas in Berlin.




Germany is the land of beer and sausage, bratwurst, currywurst, the list goes on! Nothing like a healthy, well-balanced lunch. Haha.


It really didn't matter what I ate though, with the amount of walking I did, I burned off everything anyway. Berlin also has green beer, not sure what's in it (should I have asked?), but it was tasty.




This is the Jewish Holocaust memorial. These hollow concrete pillars have an anti-graffiti coating and are supposed to resemble tombstones.


On my last day in Berlin, I went to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. During the years 1936-1945, the Nazis imprisoned over 200,000 people there, 50,000 of which were murdered. What's even more crazy is that this was happening during the Berlin Olympics in 1936, yet people were oblivious to the fact that these atrocities were being committed.




Most of the buildings don't exist anymore, but you can still see the watchtowers and the wall.


Of the buildings that remain, some have been converted into museums, offering detailed accounts of the lives of the prisoners. Others have been restored to their original state. Here are Barracks 38 & 39, where some of the many prisoners were held.






What an eerie experience. I have more pictures of things like the execution trench and the cremation ovens, which I'll show you when I get home.

The Reichstag, location of the German parliament.




Phew, haha, this is gonna take me a while. I have over 1000 pictures to sort through! Next destination, Prague.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219017900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219017900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1219017900/tpod.html Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:49:07 -0400 Johnny's Adventures in Spain

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Paris, Île-de-France, France

Hey Guys!! I'm back in Madrid! After 15 days of traveling to 9 cities in 5 countries, I'm exhausted. The combination of walking, getting lost, and climbing monuments like the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame, and the hill to the castle in Budapest made the trip feel more like an endless workout on a stairmaster. But it was AMAZING!! So cool to see all these places in Europe I've heard about all my life. Best of all, I did it on budget!

First stop: PARIS! Paris exceeded my expectations, what a great city! I spent three full days there, just enough to see all the sights.

Here's a view of the city from the banks of the Seine River.


Me inside the Louvre! Even though I've seen it so many times in movies and in books, it's an otherworldly experience to see it in person.


The Louvre at night.


The Saint Chapelle church, built in 1242 and part of the Palais de Cite, residence and seat of royal power from the 10th-14th century, boasts incredible stained glass windows.


Right across from the Saint Chapelle is the Conciergerie, which housed many prisoners of the state, including Marie Antoinette in the 1790's. I got to see her prison cell, the last place she slept before getting her head chopped off.


Paris is full of historical buildings.


The Musee de Orsay. A dream come true for me. It houses some of the greatest works of the 19th century, Sisley, Degas, Manet, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, and more!


Another must-see on my list, La Maison du Chocolat, the ultimate French chocolatier.


Unfortunately, I couldn't bring any back for you guys, so you'll just get to see what I ate. My favorite was a dark chocolate with mint ganache. The mint inside actually tasted like fresh mint, not peppermint. Yummy.


I also went to Napoleon's tomb, which was kinda anticlimactic. Just a big red stone coffin, nothing much to see.

Versailles. There were too many people there, which ruined it a bit for me, but it was still very impressive.


The famous Hall of Mirrors.


The Notre Dame.


Want buns of steel? A good way to do it is to climb up the Notre Dame. Here's the view from the top, made the climb well worth it.


One of the nicest parts of Paris was the riverbank of the Seine. The city put in sandboxes with lounge chairs and umbrellas for people to relax and enjoy the summer.


In northern Paris lies the Montmartre district, where the movie Amelie was filmed. There's also the Sacre Coeur, a beautiful church. By the time I got there, my feet hurt so much that I couldn't really explore the district.


Oh, and not to forget, the Eiffel Tower. Like the Louvre, it was really amazing.


Ok guys, check back later for pics of Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Salzburg, and Vienna!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1217244840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1217244840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1217244840/tpod.html Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:13:52 -0400 Johnny's Adventures in Spain

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Madrid, Spain and Canary Islands

Before I start this entry, a quick shout out to my cousins Emily & Scott, HAPPY 1ST ANNIVERSARY! Did you guys get my snail mail card?!

Now back to my blog. I'M FINISHED WITH MY MBA!!!! WOOT WOOT!!!!!!!!!!

After countless hours of preparing and rehearsing, my team finally presented our business plan today.

Last night, I could barely sleep. Here's me, freaking out at 6am.


Keyla, also freaking out, hahaha.


We had a 40 minute presentation, followed by half an hour of interrogation by a panel of experts, and then we were finished! And of course, I passed with flying colors. ;)

I can't even begin to describe how good it feels to be done. We've been working on this since OCTOBER, doing market research, financial forecasts, legal analysis, environmental analysis, printing, binding, the list goes on. This whole year, a week hasn't gone by without something that needed to be done with the business plan, and for it to be over is really surreal, almost unsettling. This month was especially insane though, putting the whole thing together. I'll show it to you guys when I go home, it's pretty neat.

These people (except for the guy in the middle) have made appearances in my blog several times. Working with friends was great, except for the occasional moments when you want to strangle them.


My team, with our project adviser in the floral skirt on the left, and the MBA secretary in red on the right.


Thanks for all the support this year guys! (Special thanks to Christine, the only one who remembered and wished me luck on my presentation, hahaha!)

On Sunday, I'm off to Paris, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Salzburg, and Vienna for two weeks. Then one week in Madrid to pack and home on August 24th!! Whatup!!!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1217237700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1217237700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1217237700/tpod.html Mon, 28 Jul 2008 07:29:22 -0400 Johnny's Adventures in Spain

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Madrid, Spain and Canary Islands

What better way to prepare for the business plan presentation than to EAT?! To start off, my Venezuelan friend Beatriz made empanadas on Saturday.

Check it out! Filled with cheese, meat, and beans.


Beatriz frying the empanadas.


Eating just three of these filled me up for the entire day.





After we digested the empanadas, we went to the arroceria I talked about in my last blog for dinner.

The guys




Seafood paella


Forgot to take the picture of the arroz negro until it was almost gone, (black rice, which is rice with squid ink). I know it sounds kinda gross, but man, so so good.




The whole gang.




The crazies.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1217013780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1217013780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/johnny322/spain_2007-2008/1217013780/tpod.html Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:03:02 -0400 Johnny's Adventures in Spain

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Madrid, Spain and Canary Islands

Hey all,
As promised, here are a few pics. I didn't get a chance to go to Retiro, but pics will come within the next few days. In the meantime, enjoy some other pictures of Madrid.

Yesterday, I showed you guys Callao. Here is the other side, with one of the many movie theaters around the area. Last week, I finally went to the movies for the first time here in Spain. Watched Hancock, but I had to go to a theater a bit further away to watch the undubbed version.


Gran Via


Gran Via is shopping central.


Back down south a bit, sandwiched between my block and the Palacio Real is the Teatro Real (The Royal Theater).


Again, the Plaza Oriente




Here is the entrance to the Palacio Real. I still have yet to go inside, haha.


This is one of the streets leading to the Plaza Mayor. Down a bit is Botin, the world's oldest restaurant. I ate there with my parents back in March, the food was pretty good, not spectacular though, but it was really about the ambiance.


The Plaza Mayor


To the side of Plaza Mayor is Casa Rua, where I take all the people who visit me for calamari sandwiches.


Tasty!


La Bola, a famous restaurant from the late 1800's, right by my house.

It has taken a really long time to find good food in Madrid, partly cause a lot of it doesn't taste very good, but also cause I can't eat out all the time. But I've found some restaurants with AMAZING food. There's an arroceria (literally translated, rice shop) with this delicious oven-cooked rice that beats any Chinese fried rice I've had anywhere. I have yet to try their paella, but I hear it's delicious. I'll be sure to take pictures the next time I go.



Me outside the Prado Museum.


I have a love/hate relationship with Madrid. The history, architecture, and all the sights are incredible, but the combination of rude people, lackluster culinary options, and being completely dependent on public transport have left a bitter taste in my mouth. But I've thoroughly enjoyed living the city life, being close to museums, shopping, bars, and especially the park. Ok guys, park pics will be up in a few days.
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