Czech interlude plus practicalities of the road 4 May 2009

One difficulty of traveling is laundry. It’s not really a problem to wash socks and underwear in the sink, but it does get annoying to do it daily. Also, if I am traveling the next day I have to pack my damp clothes into my bag, so I try to put out my clothesline when I’m staying somewhere for a couple nights. With my elastic clothesline I carry a drain plug, detergent, and myrrh oil to scent my clothes. But really, sometimes just rinsing the clothes makes them shrink back to their original size and feel clean.

Traveling can be hard on a hygiene routine too. Hostel showers generally suck, so there’s not much incentive to bathe. There’s hair on the floor, the water automatically turns off every 9 seconds, and there are no shelves or hooks to hang your clothes or toiletries. Also, with a 32 L daypack as my bag, I can only carry a few of my most loved familiar products. My mom sends me travel sized bottles filled with my favorite organic lavender lotion. I have a few bottles of essential oils for hygiene purposes, and they also do double-duty as aromatherapy (rosewood oil is anti-infectious, anti-fungal, a local anesthetic, and it smells good). One thing I don’t carry is shampoo, because I can always find or borrow some and it’s not something I’m particular about. It’s fun buying new toothpaste in a different countries, although I could only find unwaxed dental floss in France. I’ve always heard about how wonderful European pharmacies are, and it’s true, but I don’t have enough space to buy all the intriguing lotions and cremes I see on the shelves! Even more so than with my clothing, I make sure that every beauty product I carry is exactly what I want, so I can pretend to pamper myself.

Coming to Izzy’s is great for a lot of reasons. I can relax, let my backpack hang out, and, perhaps most importantly, take a bath. A real honest to goodness bath. Hot water, some lavender oil, and me with a crossword puzzle. It’s easy to loose an hour in there and I’m always glad to do so. Even Buddy the dog comes out of the tub smelling nice and feeling silky (you may remember him as the astro-dog who ate my Dutch brownies).

So now I am back in Prague, having fun with Izzy’s even though I saw her 4 weeks ago in Marseille. When I arrived at her apartment we immediately set out for a friend’s cottage on top of a mountain overlooking the city. We all had a great time drinking beer and grilling sausages around the fire with some Czechs. The dog had a great time rolling around in some dead animal he found in the woods. We didn’t sing, but there was an iPod playing. The rest of the weekend is spent eating, drinking Coke, and watching TV. Just the break I need before heading east to Poland!

Viva Bavaria! 1 May 2009

Well, I was planning on going to Prague today, but an irresistible opportunity came up late last night. After going out to a pub (and blogging) I was sitting in the hostel office with Ian, the friendly British employee, and Jemma, the blonde Australian backpacker. They mentioned this beer festival going on in a town about 1 hour outside of Nuremberg, and it seemed like a quintessential Bavarian experience.

So after changing my plans with dear Izzy, the three of us set out today. On the train we rendez-vous-ed with Ian´s giant German friend Chris (the third Chris I´ve met during my 4 days in Germany). We made a pit stop for some ice cream sundaes, and then continued on to our stop. From the train we could see the festivites under way–on top of a very big hill. A burg even. It was an agonizing 45 minutes up that damn hill, with not nearly enough shade or water, but finally we made it. Hundreds of Bavarians had congregated on top of this hill in the middle of nowhere, and there were tents everywhere selling beer, bratwurst and nearly every other meat product you could want, pretzels, and candy–including one man selling 4 different flavors of cotton candy. I have to say, the erderbeer cotton candy was delicious.

So the four of us laid out on the grassy hill, enjoying the sunshine and cold beers while we watched the frolicking Germans and had no end of fun ridiculing the teenagers. There were giant pretzels, 18″ sausages, steak sandwiches, and any number of things to make you sick. Eventually it was time to go, to catch the last train back to Nuremberg, and we decided to walk to the town next to the one we started from. We happily set off down the hill, further down, further down… Still no train station… Just a few minutes left till the last train left… We started running… Faster… Still no station! I was out of breath and my knee, which had been hurting all day from walking, was really throbbing at this point. But we kept running, although I was in dead last. Eventually, around a corner, we saw the train passing, and then eventually stop, but I was still a ways off. I made the train with about 4 seconds to spare and just about collapsed into a seat. But we made it back to Nuremberg and cooked a yummy pasta dinner all together.

This hostel is actually booked full for tonight, with no space for me or Jemma, but Ian´s taken care of us. He set up 2 cots in a spare basement room, so we actually have complete privacy, and since these aren´t official beds we are both staying tonight for free! We´re using the office bathroom, which has the only shower where the water runs continuously without automatically shutting off after 9 seconds. And the bathroom is stocked with toiletries left behind by other travelers, so I finally got to wash my hair. In a bit we are going to fill up some buckets with warm water and rosewood oil and give ourselves pedicures while drinking some vodka&cokes.

It´s really great to meet someone so generous, and this has really been a perfect experience. Ian has traveled extensively himself, and he is happy to help me and Jemma without expecting anything in return. I liked Nuremberg yesterday, but after today it will always be a very special memory for me.

The Duke abides 29 April 2009

The last week has been very eventful, and the internet here is free, so this is going to be a long post.

Long story short, after Madrid I went back to Le Vignaud. I wound up staying a little over a week, longer than I had planned, because there were 2 celebrations. The first was the 50th anniversary of Jason´s neighbors, Jean-Francois and Lucienne. They set up a large tent in their front yard and filled it with about 50 Frenchies, plus us American crashers. The food was in a separate tent and the wine was everywhere. It was pouring rain, and the tents dripped everywhere, turning the yard to a muddy mess. By the time the strawberry cake was served, a guitar had been found and the singing commenced. I didn´t know the words, but I could generally understand the songs and a good time was had by all.

The next day was the birthday of our American friend Gigi. She and her boyfriend Alex came over to Jason´s house, as well as our British friend Darren, and we made a party. Jason shucked and fried up some oysters, and we made some delicious poboys complete with Avery Island Tabasco sauce that we bought at Carrefour, the European Walmart. Apple pie a la mode came next, and suffice to say we all went to bed stuffed. The next morning we had biscuits and crepes for breakfast. It was quite a weekend for binge eating!

So on Monday, after all these parties, Jason and I drove up to Paris, and I took a train to Munich. With my railpass I only had to pay €4! I was in a 6-seat compartment, but I was the only one there. I put up the armrests and laid across 3 seats, and it was comfortable. I arrived in Munich at 7AM only slightly blurry eyed.

I went on a free tour of the city, and the American guide was pretty cool. Outside the Frauenkirke he was telling us the legend of “The Devil´s Footprint,” which involved the Duke of Munich making a deal with the devil. Of course, the duke tried to cheat the devil, and when he found out Satan declared (in the words of Kevin the guide): “This aggression will not stand!” I laughed, but no one else did, and Kevin continued with the story, in which the Duke wins and keeps his soul. Once we were inside the church I saddled up to him and asked if the moral of the story is “The Duke abides.” This called for a high-five, my first in a Catholic church, but hopefully not the last.

So everynight in Germany has involved drinking. The first night I went out with some people I met on the tour for a beer house crawl, including the hofbräahaus, complete with the umpapa band. The next night I went to an Irish pub with a German guy I met at a Jesus street rally, where I heard “Blueberry Hill” played live by an ex-pat. And I did it all in my new orange sandals… Oh yeah, I dig Germany.

This morning I woke up in Munich and took a train to Regensburg, about 90 minutes away. It was a nice little town, and walking through a park some people at a picnic table offered me a drink. The Germans like to drink and they like to share. They also like mushroom cafes, and who could blame them?

After a couple hours in Regensburg I hoped back on the northbound train for Nuremberg. What a wonderful city! I have to say, I like it much better than Munich. Walking around town, you always see at least 1 church and half-timbered house. I met a Hare Krishna and found “American Store,” which sells mostly camouflage and Jack Daniels souvenirs. But I did buy a paper American flag. Later on, walking through the market, I found a gift for my mom. I can´t say what it is but Mom, you are going to love it!

The hostel I´m at in Nuremberg is pretty nice, and very friendly. I just went out with a guy who works here and 2 other girls, to another Irish pub (I do like the whiskey). Tomorrow I am going to do more Nuremberg sightseeing, then catch a ride to Prague to chill with Izzy for a couple days before going onward, eastward, to Krakow. It is turning out to be quite the adventure!

The thing about plans is that they never last 15 April 2009

So according to the detailed plan I made 2 weeks ago in Marseille, I should be heading to Florence right now. But no, I´m back in Barcelona and I´m staying in Toulouse tonight, and back in Le Vignaud tomorrow.

Spain is strange. All the touristy places play the same bad American music from 10 years ago. I have heard the Cher song ¨do you believe in life after love?¨so many times in the past 2 weeks that it´s disgusting.

I really stocked up on books at some used English book shops I found in Madrid. It´s great to have the books, but they are so heavy! I can´t believe how much stuff I keep accumulating and carrying.

I think I´m going to go back to Amsterdam for Queen´s Day on 30 April. It will be an interesting and exciting experience, I´m sure. Last night in a bar I met a guy from Louisiana, who also had not been home since he was 21 (but he is 35 now so it´s a little different for him). It was great to have some bayou talk in rainy Madrid. I didn´t sleep at all last night, except for 1 hour on the Madrid-Barcelona train this morning, so my brain is totally fried. I brushed my teeth in a Burger King. It´s one of those days.

Oh, also you will all be glad to know that my wallet is now securely fastened to my pants by chain. And I finally have my ATM and credit card back!

Madrididado 10 April 2009

Photos from the Austrian roadtrip can be seen on Jason´s site here! Also see this and this.

I´m in Madrid now. Ooohhh, not much I feel like saying right now. I went to see The Reader at a theater around the corner, which reminds me of when Izzy and I went to see Benjamin Button in Prague, and I got to see New Orleans streetcars again! Well I really just don´t feel like blogging right now, but I am uploading some photos so just look.

Bowling in Barcelona 8 April 2009

So I’m in Barcelona and I’ve been staying with an American girl I met in Amsterdam way back in January. It’s been rainy the past 2 days, so there hasn’t been much going on. Yesterday we went to the Western Union by the Sagrada Familia because I lost my ATM card and needed some cash to hold me over till my new card is delivered in Madrid (thanks Mom!). Then we met her Turkish and Frenchie friends for lunch and then we all went bowling. I was throwing rocks, and all those times I’ve seen The Big Lebowski definitely paid off. Also at one point I knocked down 8 pins, and the computer system definitely marked it 8. Basically I was babbling Lebowski and no one understood. Where’s my dad, Jason, and Clint when I really need them most?!

Also, we were watching Catalan TV and guess who popped up. Walker, Texas Ranger! Oh I just knew I would see Chuck Norris again in Europe, that’s why I made a post tag for him.

So for today, maybe Gaudi’s hill. I’m probably going to a hostel tonight, and on Friday I am heading to Madrid. Then it’s Italy, Greece, Croatia, Budapest, Krakow, Prague, and Munich, so if anyone knows anyone in those countries who might want to have an American sleeping on their couch you should definitely let me know.

The humid air of Marseille feels like home 5 April 2009

So Izzy just left for Milan after 4 days together in sometimes sunny Marseille. I’m on my own again. But it’s getting warm, and I even left my coat from Cesky Krumlov at the train station when I dropped her off. It’s strange how sad it is to leave something like that behind…

Well, I’m finally getting back into backpacking. After spending the last 7 weeks in France, tomorrow I’m starting a whirlwind 10 city tour before meeting my dad in Paris at the end of May. This is where my railpass comes in handy. First off is Barcelona, which should be lovely. I’ll be in Italy for the middle of April, and then Greece! Then follows Dubrovnik, Zagreb, maybe Ljubljana, Budapest, Krakow, Prague, and finally Munich. I don’t know how I’m going to handle it, but I am excited. Also getting tired and ready to go home, but then I remember that I don’t have a home anymore. So I guess I’m ready to make a home again.

Yesterday we went to the Callanques on the Mediterranean. Easily the most beautiful land I’ve seen in Europe. The walk took 1.5 hours through rocky mountains covered with wild rosemary. When we finally arrived at the rocky beach (where I ate a blood orange I found on the way) I was so excited to get into that turqoise water, and even though it was so cold my legs were numb it made sunning on the rocks that much better.

The day before we walked around the Vieux Port of Marseille and sat outside a restaurant and ate big pots of mussels. The city is strange, and I can’t help but be uncomfortable walking through some of the ethnic neighborhoods where there are only men on the streets. But still, I like this place and would come back, at least for the beach.

On the way here from Jason’s house I lost my wallet in Limoges, so I’m dealing with that headache. My new wallet is on a rope tied to my pants, but really I need a chain. At least I had another credit card and some cash stored somewhere else, so I’m not stranded. Also having parents looking out for me makes a huge difference!

Smarch 27 March 2009

It was the 13th hour of the 13th day of the 13th month… It’s SMARCH!

Another month, another blog posting. I’m never online for more than a few minutes, just enough to check emails and never long enough to post anything. But today is my birthday so we’ve taken the day off of work (also because it’s raining) so I am able to go to the library in little town Bonnat to use the computer. Also we are doing laundry! I’ve been wearing my hoodie for at least 23 hours a day, every day since the last time it was washed in January. And it’s kinda gross. But I’m cold without it, which is why it hasn’t been cleaned in 2 months.

I’m still in France with Jason working on his house. We’ve been replacing a section of his roof. It involved putting up new beams and all new woodwork, although I didn’t really participate in that project. I was scrubbing the mold off the terracotta tiles that we are now putting back up on the roof. It’s slow and boring, but its almost done. Then there’s just the other 3 sections of roof, and putting in floors, and getting electricity and plumbing, and making walls, and you know, it’s almost done. Uh huh.

This morning (really closer to noon) Jason made crepes with lemon juice and plenty of vanilla sugar, just how I like them. We’re going to make an apple pie this evening, although our official pie maker Clint went back to Chicago after his stint in Le Vignaud. Also there will be a pizza with homemade crust (finally those years working at Papa John’s are paying off) with my new favorite topping: capers. Really quite delicious. At the farmers’ market in the bigger town Gueret there is a vendor who sells olives and sundried tomatoes and capers, and we always make a purchase from him, although these capers were actually bought from the grocery store. Maybe I will even pick up a coke to go with my birthday dinner, but let’s not be too extravagant.

At the farmers’ market last week we wound up meeting a coupe from Minnesota who are living here for a year while the girl Gigi teaches English in the school system, so last night we went to their apartment in Gueret for drinks. Jason and I brought wine and they bought a bottle of champagne for my birthday, and we had a really fun and very late evening. It was good to hang out with some other Americans.

When I was in Paris 3 weeks ago I bought a vintage duvet cover with a really cool flower print on it. Many hours of hand sewing later, I’ve turned it into a great little sundress that I certainly can’t wear in this weather. I bought elastic at the Saturday market in Gueret, 6m for €1,50– a bargain and a great experience buying sewing notions from an open air stall in the middle of the French countryside. But I don’t have any shoes that go with a dress at all, just my hiking boots and my Converse sneakers. Also I wound up getting a new iPod when my old one inexplicably broke after I dropped it on the floor ($180 from ebay UK, 6 Gen and it’s sooooo cool) and I made an awesome case for it out of some vintage French comics Jason found in the attic. He was so jealous of my case that I had to make him one too. My mom sent me an extra pair of glasses I had, which somehow ended up being painted white. The paint’s not dry yet though, so I can’t say how they’ve turned out. I had seen some white frames in an optometrist’s office in Amsterdam, so I consider this a belated souvenir of my first stop in Europe. So even though I’ve got no supplies, workspace, or storage room, I’m still as productive as ever. Lorraine’s dad Will once said I had making disease, and I guess I still haven’t recovered.

So on Monday I am packing my bag again and heading to Marseille for some more girl time with Izzy. This is the best international slumber party ever, and it doesn’t stop. It will be so good to have some warmer weather, and I’m really looking forward to updating my wardrobe! I’ve been wearing the same 2 shirts for about 4 months and it’s getting boring. After that I suppose I’ll backtrack west to Spain, and then make a big loop through Italy, Croatia, Prague again, Krakow, Germany, and then back in Paris at the end of May to meet my dad for a few days. After that some UNO people are going to be in Venice for the Biennale, so why not me? And then it’s just another month until my flight back to good old USA.

And then… I want to buy a car, probably a station wagon, big enough for me to put a mattress in and drive down to NOLA, then west to the Pacific Ocean with whatever drifting friends I can dig up making a pit stop in the middle of the Nevada desert in the beginning of September for Burning Man, and after that I’ve got nothing.

Some other things: I’d bought some underwear in Prague in January, and I just realized the other day that the tag on the inside is in 20 different languages. Also my mom sent me a pack of Peeps (but Jason says since they’re bunnies they should be called Flops) that I roasted for s’mores, made with some delightful French cookies called ecoliers, butter biscuits with slabs of chocolate on them (thanks mom). Also on the subject of biscuits, I finally found a perfect biscuit recipe after many unsuccessful attempts.

Funnily enough, I should have more regular internet access when I’m on the move again, so hopefully the next few weeks will see more postings.

Also happy late birthday to Unkie Rick and happy anniversary to Michael and Kami (4 years, right?), who I love very much and miss all the time, along with everyone else.

All of February in under 986 words (not counting the title) 2 March 2009

So much has happened in the last few weeks. I’ve been too busy and having too much fun to be spending all day online! But mostly, I haven’t had internet access for more than a few minutes. So now where to begin?

Izzy and I convinced Jason to drive to visit us in Prague. One morning I went out to pick something up, and when I turned around the corner onto Izzy’s street there he was. We all spent a week together in Prague, doing a little bit of sightseeing, but mostly hanging out. One night we went to a bar that was actually an old train car, called the Vagon. It was strange, but the cheapest whiskey I found in Prague, and they served fried cheese (a staple of vegetarian dining in the Czech Republic).

Then Jason and I piled into his Renault truck and headed south on the small roads we found on the map. Southern Czech Republic was covered in snow, and at one point the truck skidded off the road and got stuck in a snow bank/ditch. Luckily two cars of Czechs stopped, and with the help of a big van we were able to pull and push the truck back onto the road.

Eventually we got to Vienna. We found a place to park and crawled into the back of the truck, where there was a futon mattress and two down blankets waiting for us. In the morning we went to a gas station to brush our teeth, and then hopped on the tram into the city center. It wasn’t really any colder than Amsterdam, but at least in Amsterdam I was staying in heated places where I could take a hot shower and had lights. Also, our first day in Vienna it was raining, which eventually turned into snow. The weather made the city kind of miserable. Although it was south of Prague, Austria is Alp country, so the elevation is higher. I hadn’t thought of that.

So why did we go to Vienna? Well, Vienna was the center of the Secessionist movement, whose most famous member was Gustav Klimt. I just finished my thesis 3 months ago, so I had to go and stand in front of the paintings I had been researching for months. This was the pinnacle of the 5 years I spent studying art history. I went to the Secessionist building, which was an independent gallery space for the members. Klimt has a long frieze in the basement (it was originally in the main hall, but was meant to be only temporary) and got the see the entire thing at once, not broken up into images. And then… I went into the bathroom and washed my hair. I’m pretty sure I am one of the only people in the world who has washed their hair in the Secessionist building. Of course I froze when I stepped outside, with my wet head, but I feel like I made my mark.

After two very difficult days in Vienna, we started heading west to France. We drove on the small roads and passed through so many little villages. We saw an amazing Baroque monastery in Melk, and were afterwards completely enveloped in a crazy sudden snow storm. We drove through Linz, which was Hitler’s favorite town. We detoured south to St. Gilgen and Halstaat, which was amazingly beautiful, even under 2 feet of snow! In St. Gilgen, where we spent the night, I ate a giant Austrian cinnamon roll that had me singing and skipping for the rest of the morning. We stopped in Salzburg for pizza, home of The Sound of Music, but we couldn’t really stay. Austria was too cold. We took the Autobahn through Germany, and by the next night we rolled into Bonnat, France.

Jason’s house is actually in Le Vignaud, but while he’s working on it he is staying a friend’s second home in the nearby village of Bonnat. This house doesn’t have heating, but it does have plumbing and electricity, which is nice at night. We spend all day in Le Vignaud working, about 7 hours a day. The most work we’ve done is in the yard. There were massive piles of vines, branches, and thorns that needed to be burned. The house had been uninhabited for 50 years before Jason moved in, and the front yard has been used as a dump. We’ve pulled out tons of broken glass, plastic bottles, a wide collection of whole bottles (some match), endless rusted metal, several shoes, and at one point there was a door with wood veneer (which does not decompose) and old metal fixtures. There was a bit of detective work on that one. We also dug up a hibernating toad the other day, with bright red eyes, and watched it wake up to the spring. Despite all the trash in the yard, there are also some beautiful white wildflowers that keep the honey bees busy all day.

A week of hard work and the yard is almost finished. I’ve been using a pick axe to break up the dirt, which also pulls up the rocks and exposes more garbage to be collected. We’ve leveled out the yard, removed some old trees and nasty vines, and have done some extensive building of stone walls. The transformation is really amazing, and in March it will be time to plant the clover and wildflower seeds we got instead of grass.

But for the next week I’m going up to Paris, about 4 hours by train, to meet a friend I met in Amsterdam. I’m excited to get another change, to let my muscles relax for a week, go out at night, to sleep in a heated room, and to be clean. I might even wear mascara! I think somewhere under this dirt and the layers of the same 4 shirts I’ve been wearing for 3 months I’m a girl, but I can’t be sure anymore.

Český Krumlov bedtime stories 1 February 2009

When I arrived in Prague, Izzy told me I could basically ride the trams for free, because there was rarely anyone to check for tickets. Super. About 4 days into my visit we were riding the tram when Izzy suddenly pulled me off at a stop because a ticket checker had just got on. Well, no problem. Later that night, as I and some friends were waiting for a tram, we noticed two suspicious looking guys staring at us. We were pretty sure they were ticket takers (and we were not going to pay the 18 Kc for a ticket) so we walked. Next day, Izzy and I got caught without tickets. The guy followed me off the tram when I told him I didn’t have any money, but he wound up taking 18 crowns instead of the 700 fine he tried to shove in my face. Izzy has a pass card that she uses, but she doesn’t put any money on it. When it gets scanned and read as empty, she says her work is supposed to pay it and she gets off. The next day we got caught again! I spotted this guy as soon as he got on, but it was too late for me to get off. I fumbled around and Izzy distracted him with her card until the next stop when I slipped off, but he wouldn’t let her go, so I just followed the tracks until I found her again. They are cracking down on the trams in Prague! So now I am actually buying tickets, but I feel lame.

Well, after our tram adventure, we got back to Izzy’s apartment to find her dog Buddy acting very strange. As I walked into the kitchen, I saw an open tupperware on the floor. A tupperware I had brought from Amsterdam. A tupperware that had been filled with space cake. It was then that I noticed the brownie vomit all over the floor, and I realized why the dog was swayed just as he started pissing all over the apartment. That dog had just eaten a lot of space cake. A LOT. I weigh about 3x as much as Buddy, and I was pretty freaked out after eating just 1. The dog ate 3. He couldn’t stand up straight or keep still. He had thrown up all over the place, and he wasn’t done.

So. $25 of brownies. Gone. I had been saving them for a special occasion. Gone. They were wrapped in Saran, in a tupperware, in a plastic bag, but the dog got through all of that and ATE MY SPECIAL BROWNIES. Of course I felt really bad that my stuff had made the dog sick, and I’m really glad that he’s totally fine now, but there were regular brownies sitting out on the table. But no, Buddy wanted a trip. And he sure got one. So not only did I not get to eat my very expensive, very potent brownies, but no one got to enjoy them! At the end of the night, there was one really freaked out dog and lots of vomit and piss. Bummer.

Now however, that is behind me, and I am in Český Krumlov. Talk about gorgeous! It reminds me a lot of Helen, GA, which is scary because this is the real thing. There’s a castle, a big church, the winding Vltava River, and tiny stores on the cobblestone streets. I am the only guest of the Merlin Hostel, and the bed I picked for myself is right against the heater and under the window, so I get to look out and watch this little fairytale town that is glittering with powdery snow and listen to the churchbells. It really is spectacular, and for $12 a night! But actually, I am going back to Prague tomorrow afternoon. I just wanted to give Izzy and her boyfriend Czech Robert (think real hard before you ask why I call him that) some space in that tiny apartment before I settle down for another 4 or 5 days of sleeping in their kitchen and potentially poisoning their dog.

Also I should say to make my parents feel better that pot for personal use is legal in Czech Republic (and I think feeding it to dogs counts as personal use). No laws broken!