Marissa and I relive the good old days

So my second city on my Mediterranean Tour of Awesomeness was Florence!  And there I got to see one of my really good friends from UCI.  But why type what happened, when I could show you?




Note: I'll upload pictures of Florence tomorrow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMPYS!

So there's this festival in Munich...

Let me tell you about my brief encounter with that thing know as Oktoberfest…

I DID visit friends in Germany

Because I wasn’t planning on spending the night in Munich (see below), I decided to first stop in Muenster and see my friends Julia and Jonas.  It was a nice evening of catching up, as well as making plans for future travel (like New Years!)

I DID NOT meet with people at the fair

I knew of two separate groups of people going to Oktoberfest…neither of which got back to me in time to tell me where to meet them.

There was also a Couch Surfing daily meet-up scheduled.  We were supposed to meet in front of the Bavaria statue…

But instead there was a massive bandstand with music…

I don’t know if this happenes every day (if so it was VERY poor planning on the event coordinator’s part) but it left me wandering the surrounding areas looking for other people who possibly looked like they were there alone…which was no one.  Which left me alone and very frustrated surrounded by drunks.

I DID wear a dirndl…

At first I was a little apprehensive…until I arrived at Munich Central Station.  Wearing a dirndl or lederhosen to Oktoberfest is like wearing red, white, and blue on the Fourth of July…you, and everyone else, just does it.  Especially kids.  And oh man are they adorable. I actually was able to join in in the festivities!  Julia had one and when I visited her before I left for Munich, she let me borrow it.  It made my day a little more authentic.

I DID NOT stay in a hostel…

Yes they’re expensive, and yes you have to book them about six months to a year in advance, but I would highly recommend attempting to enjoy the fair instead of worrying about arriving and catching trains.  What I did instead was take a night train from Muenster.  This involved me and four guys with horrible BO in a compartment.  They had the top two bunks and the bottom two which left me stuck in the middle, which only gave me a surround sound experience to their constant snoring.  To be fair, they were really nice, and the train conductor even took me aside and asked if I was comfortable staying in this cabin by myself.  I thought that was nice of him.

I DID eat a pretzel…

If you’re going to eat a Pretzel, get it from a cart that is getting them fresh from the bakery inside the beer tents, not some random cart that has them stashed away among sandwiches and nuts.  They are so much better, so much bigger, and not much more expensive…and so worth it.

I DID NOT drink beer…

I KNOW!  Ok here’s the thing…Beer halls get filled very quickly.  Tables upon tables of people eating, drinking, and being merry.  But if you’re not a part of any group, it’s not nearly as fun.  First you have to find a table with an open seat.  Then you have to figure out if they speak English AND are willing to do so for the remainder of your company.  Then you have to ask if you can join their table.  And only then can you comfortably order a giant liter of beer from a beer maiden and feel comfortable about it.  Since that was really difficult to do, I bypassed it.  I hear at night, this is much easier.  But when people are first starting out the day, they are on a mission to get drunk now, be merry later.  However, I would never forgive myself if I left Munich during Oktoberfest having practiced a form of unwarranted prohibition, so I did get a bottle of Bavaria “Oktoberfest” beer at the train station and ate it with my sandwich while I waited for my train.

I DID take pictures

Of course, I’m not actually in any of them…which means they all look like every other photo of Oktoberfest out there…but still, they’re mine.

I DID NOT make a train reservation

Ok this is partly my bad.  But I could not get the website to do so before I left.  And when I got to Germany, EVERYTHING was booked.  I could not get a night train out of Munich, which left me with catching a train at 3 in the afternoon instead.  I’m not complaining anymore however, seeing as I had finished my solo tour of the fair grounds and gotten a relaxing lunch and still had an hour to kill.  So here I am on a train to Venice a day early, costing an extra hostel night out of my wallet, but happy to finally be able to relax.

I DID enjoy myself

Ok, I wasn’t participating in Oktoberfest the way most people do…but I still enjoyed walking around for the couple of hours that I was there.  I went into most beer tents and saw how they were decorated…

I saw all the horse drawn beer wagons…

I grabbed a coffee and just watched the fair go by.

So maybe I need to go back to Oktoberfest.  I know I at least have to go back to Munich.  Then I can actually get a beer, tour the city, afford a hostel, etc.  At the beginning of the day, I was grumpy and not looking forward to the fair.  But as I type this, I realize it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. And it’s something that I can say I was at…and not many others can do the same.

Word of the Day: Beer - Beer (German)

It's where the Queen lives

On our way down to Antwerp for a weekend, Nina and I decided to stop in Den Haag.  I’ve been to Den Haag three times before…twice on computer related incidents and one with the family.  But this time I got to do some sight seeing! (...and shoe shopping)

First we walked around Parliament.  This is where the senate holds session and where the queen occasionally stops in to check in with her homies.  It’s a pretty cool area with a gorgeous courtyard…

We even almost got to see someone of importance.  I say almost because all we saw were the paparazzi.

Then there’s the entrance into the courtyard.  Apparently there’s something to do with ceremonies and important people walking through the middle and tiny people ducking through the sides.  We just took it as an opportunity to showcase how tall Nina is and I am not...

Yes same door and yes I am on tiptoe.

Then we went to the Mauritzhuis.  A museum with beautiful works of art mostly by Dutch artists including the haunting Girl with the Pearl Earring...

Too bad people were looking at it “from a distance” which just meant no one else could get close enough and risk being in their way.  So I couldn’t study the earring like I wanted too.  But it was still gorgeous.  One of the few works that lived up to its hype.  By hype I mean having read the book and a week after seeing the painting itself, watching the movie.  By hype I am also talking about the think that the Mona Lisa did not.

I also really liked these uncovered paintings of a family consisting of a mom and dad, and all eight of their kids that all looked alike.  I like to think of them as the original Jon and Kate plus 8…

But Nina and I were not in the stare-at-a-bunch-of-paintings-that-will-eventually-start-looking-the-same so instead we started recreating poses from the paintings.  Usually when alone.  Until I think two of the guards caught on and started following us.  Also we can’t be sure that there weren’t cameras behind all the mirrors in the rooms.  I’m sure there were security guards with tubs of popcorn enjoying the show.

Afterward we headed to the Escher museum.  It was SO cool.  I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the Netherlands.  The museum is housed in what used to be the royal palace so it’s four stories of the abnormal.  Plus some really cool chandeliers…

The bottom floor was how he made his paintings.  The second and third were his works…

And the fourth was a really cool hands-on floor with experimentation in all the weird types of ways you can recreate what he did.  And boy did we...

We ended our trip with the obligatory shot in front of the beautiful pond that reflects the Parliament building…

And then it was on to Antwerp.  But Antwerp is a story for another day.

Word of the Day: illusie - illusion

Well let's find a word that rhymes with DUCK

I've come to the conclusion that you will eventually read about the rest of Nina's trip.  Like when I feel like it.  But I want to write about something.  Because it happened today and it's hilarious.  In my opinion.
Ok so Fien and I went on a walk to feed the ducks...

See aren't they cute?
And look how much fun she's having!

Then we were walking back.  And it was as if every thing that could go wrong did.  Because first a duck started coming toward us scaring her into a backwards walk.  Then she does this drunken stumble kind of thing.  Then she catches herself on a patch of grass on the ground...that wasn't actually ground.
Do you see where this is going?

Yes that's right.

As if in slow motion, Fien fell INTO THE LAKE!

I am a horrible horrible nanny.

Ok, I was holding her hand, so actually I had her out of there before she even knew what happened.  And yes she was crying but she wasn't hurt in any way and my hugs were enough to calm the flood gates.  And yes she was soaked from head to toe, but I quickly got her undressed and into the clean clothes I always have in the stroller.  Then I took off one of my two shirts to let her dry her face.
And by the time we got back to the house, she was totally fine.

And by the time Mama got home, we were laughing about it.  Because really...this is all I can think of...


I'll say it again...horrible...horrible nanny.

Word of the day: eenden - ducks

A XXX kind of day in the city

Well seeing as I do live in Holland, Nina and I had to eventually make the trip up to Amsterdam for the day.  And of course we had a blast.  I’ve never actually been to Amsterdam as a “tourist.”  I’ve always gone with people, usually who live in the city, maybe visit a museum, and then hang out in Vondelpark, or o to Cocos, or eat stir-fry.  But this time we were touristing-ing it up!

Ok to be fair, first we got there early enough so that I could run to an H&M and try and find this bathing suit I had been on the lookout for…success!  But then we got into tourist mode…

Tourist thing #1: we took the free walking tour.  And I learned tons of things about my city that I never knew.  Like people used to be executioned in squares.  And that they built a DAM on the river AMSTEL(R) which gave them the name.  Fascinating no?  Oh and I walk by this all the time…

And on that day I learned that it was NOT Einstein, but rather some guy who went abroad and wrote about the horrible goings ons by the Dutch East India Trading Company.  Also I learned that that was real.  The Pirates did not make it up (kidding…about the not know…not about the Pirates)  And we saw the skinniest house whose inhabitant is taller than the house is wide…

We also learned about these…

They’re pee deflectors.  So people don’t pee on buildings.  Or if they do, they get pee on their shoes.

And we ventured into the red light district and saw BOOBS!

It was an art piece placed by an unknown artist in the middle of the night to represent the anonymity and happenings of the Red Light District.

It was a nice little tour and it gave Nina to see Amsterdam for the first time and me too see things I never knew about.

When we were done, we grabbed some lunch at the local Albert Heijn and had lunch by the canal, but then it was on to tourist thing #2: Eating poffertjes!

These are Nina’s new favorite food and I’ve always loved them.  They’re little Dutch pancakes cooked on a griddle with tiny holes and covered in butter, powdered sugar, and in our case…chocolate…mmm.

Then it was on to probably the most touristy things ever at #3: The I amsterdam sign.  We proceeded to do as the tourists do and climb all over it…

Then we couldn’t do without #4: a visit to see some great Dutch paintings.  So we opted for the Rijks Museum…

Here we saw a drunk guy, a milkmaid, and a ship…not particularly in that order.  It’s a huge museum with many paintings, but we kind of did a run through only stopping to make fun of the occasional crazy person in a painting.

To put a little break in our run through the city, we stopped for ice cream with Lily reveling in our air conditioned break form the city.  But we had little time for that, so after a quick pic with the sunshine bike...

 It was on to our last stop at #5…one more museum…

That’s right.  We couldn’t help it.  Seeing as we wouldn’t be partaking of any of the vices Amsterdam had to offer, we figured we could at least learn about the History of it.  And boy did we…Marilyn Monroe, fetishes, chastity belts, a chair with six foot penes on either side that humped you (unbeknownst to me…until I sat down) and the piece de resistance: a recreation of the 1930s Red Light District with moving animatronics.  Oh it was fun.  And all presented rather light heartedly so we got a kick out of it.

I’m glad I got to take a moment and be a tourist in Holland.  Sometimes I feel like I’ve been here to long to do things like that, but then I think, why not?  I enjoy visiting Pier 39 every chance I get and pictures in Disneyland are always common on my facebook profile.   So why shouldn’t I enjoy all the things that make Amsterdam the city that I want to be in?  I just won’t be carrying around the Nikon every day.

note: the XXX reference in the title is because the symbol of Amsterdam is three Xs. No one is quite sure what they stand for..but they're on everything...the flag, buildings, signs, cars, tattoos, etc.

Word of the day: toerist - tourist

Piece of Me: Red, White, and Blue (with some Orange thrown in)

We're gonna be taking a break from the Spain update (I know of which there's only been two posts) for A Piece of Me and a Friday Alliteration post tomorrow.  But I've already typed up the next Spain one...so it will be up on Saturday! (But I'm not saying I promise...sorry)

So here's A Piece Of Me

This month (July)…
 
I like: that when you type something into the url address bar but it's not a url, it takes you to the first google searched thing...usually the wikipedia page.  I don't know why, but I hate that middle step.

I don't like: that I didn't take more pictures in Spain.  Or visit more places. Or buy more souvenirs.  So mainly I don't like hindsight.

I want you to know: that Nina and I are getting along really well despite what most of you may have thought would happen.  Only small tiffs about what time to wake up and grumpiness when one of us is hungry.

I've planned: a day in Amsterdam, a day in Den Haag, and maybe a day in Delft (time permitting.)  We're also going to Antwerp for a weekend (but coming back in time on sunday to watch Nederlands play in the World Cup Finals *knock on wood*), having a fourth of July Barbecue, and going to PARIS!!!

I want to say to someone special: Dear Maleika, Richard, Kim, Simon, Katie, Layah, Liz, Emma, Flavio, George, and everyone else from the Melting Pot...I miss you already.  Hope you had fun watching the Espana game.

Picture of the Month:

A Break from the City

Last weekend I got to go see Lily in her new house in Amsterdam.  (I say new house, because she switched families because of some visa complications.)  Anyway, we rode our bikes over to Amsterdam Bos - a forest on the south side of Amsterdam with plenty of trees, fields of flowers, bike paths, jogging paths, and a lake.  It reminded me of Lake Elizabeth - a lake near my hometown where many a picnic, play date, and group barbecue were had.
So we set off, Lily on her sunshine yellow bike, and me on a borrowed bike with two broken spokes...if you've ever wondered how essential a bike spoke is to the functioning of a bike as a whole entity...try breaking one.  You'll be freakishly surprised.  But I made it (in Amsterdam traffic no less) so I guess it wasn't too big a deal.
As we rode towards the forest, we made a quick stop in front of the Olympic stadium/museum...

We didn't go inside, or explore any of the surrounding area, but we made plans to do it soon seeing as Lily lives about five minutes away.
Then we got to the adorable little forest.  We rode past crew teams practicing on the lake while the trainer biked by us, screaming obscenities into a bullhorn and definitely not looking where he was going.  We rode past a cute little restaurant that we thought was a Starbucks, but really it was just a green circle.  We rode on a non-bike path and got shot dirty looks by the oncoming joggers.  And we ended up in a field...a field of poppies and angel breath and adorable yellow bits of sunshine.  So of course, Lily had to add a little more...

Then I had to enjoy matching the scenery, while being able to be in the sun...

Then we settled down for a little picnic.  When we were done, we had fun making flower wreaths like we did when we were younger...

And overall had a fantastic day!  It was a lovely little day trip, and I'm glad I got to hang out with Lily.  And now that the sun is out, I pan on visiting such parks over and over again!

Visit Lily's blog for more pictures plus copies of these ones because I stole them from her facebook page!

Word of the Day: bos - forest (yes that means that the name of the park is "Amsterdam Forest")

MAY FLOWERS!

What's the first thing you think of when I say Holland?
Ok not the windmills.  What's the second thing?
That's right! Tulips!

A couple weeks ago, Lily and I decided to head on over to the most touristy thing in the Netherlands...the two month flower exhibition known as "The Keukenhoff."  This is one of those things that, if you're visiting Holland while it's there, you should go.  If you live in Holland, chances are you've never been there in your life.  Or if you have been there, it was when a friend was visiting.
Anyway, we bought our overpriced tickets, got on the bus and headed over.  And as luck would have it, we ran into our friend Nicole from CS events on the bus.  She was going by herself, but we were so happy she could join up with us!
Well it was HUGE!  Garden upon garden of flower after flower.  Mostly bulb flowers (because that's what Holland is famous for.)  Bulb flowers are special because they only bloom for about two months of every year.  So in the end of May, all the flowers get cut down, and the bulb hibernated for another ten months before poking it;s pretty flower head out again.  But I think this post can best be described with pictures.  After all, I took a bunch of them.  You can click on them to make them bigger.  I promise none of them have been photoshopped.  Maybe a couple were cropped, but that's about it.  And yes, it's true what you're thinking...the place smelled amazing!
First let's start with this picture...

When we got there a guy seemed to hone in on us (I think because we spoke English) and asked us to take his picture.  Then he volunteered to take ours.  We said ok, but then realized there were no real flowers in it.  What there were, were mountains, which is about as far from "Dutch" as you can get.

Then we'll move onto the non flower-y things.  Like streams...

And Japanese awnings...

And bridges...

And statues...

And chickens...

And hedges...

And...the Flintstones?

And let's not forget snack time!

Ok now the moments you've all been waiting for...FLOWERS!!
First, the theme was "From Russia With Love."  But this was the only thing that indicated that...

Rows and rows of flowers upon flowers...

Every year they add new "breeds" to the  show...these are some of this years awesomely named ones...

I just like the names of these ones...

And now some fun with closeups...

 Lily with the lilies!

Aw dead flowers make me sad...

Hello Mr. Spider!

And no trip to a cultural tourist trap would be complete without traditional Dutchiness...

Now for a game we invented...find flowers to match your shirt!  Lily already knew which one she was looking for...

Nicole and I started off well!

Then I found one that matched both my shirts!

But we finally settled on a winner!

What a lovely day in Holland!  I'm glad I got to experience it, even if it's just this one time.  And no day would be complete without one more group shot...this time with flowers!

Word of the day: bloemen - flowers