update about eastern europe trip

Leaving Krakow

As we left Krakow on the Eastern Europe trip, we made a scheduled stop at Auschwitz. Now, I'm pretty sure that most of the people reading this blog have known me for a while, but just as a reminder, there was that period of my life where I was obsessed with the Holocaust. To be able to visit a concentration camp was an opportunity that I am really glad that the program gave me. Auschwitz was really an intense experience. I think it most hit me first when we were in a room about children and there was someone who looked like someone I had gone to high school with, and then it especially hit me when we went through the only remaining crematorium. It was really sad. I don't think I'll ever go to another concentration camp unless it is the difference between someone going and not going. It's not something I want to experience again, but it's something you need to do.

And then after leaving Auschwitz for the 7 hour drive to Prague, the program leaders decided to put on a movie, but the only movie that the academic leader deemed "appropriate" was The Kite Runner. Just a hint, a movie that is a killer emotionally is not a good choice after visiting a concentration camp. I cried 8 times during this movie, a girl behind me was sobbing for a good five minutes after the movie and had to call her mom, and I'm pretty sure the guy in front of me cried too. Ugh, it was the most emotionally draining day of my life.

After we finally arrived in Prague, I decided that I pretty much had to go out or else I might be in a funk for the rest of the trip. I join a group of about 8 people and we go to a place called Beer Factory. You might think that this would be classy, a brewery maybe. It's not. There are taps on the tables, you get a mug and keep refilling it, and you race among tables to see who can drink the most. We also played speed quarters, a drinking game where you try to bounce a coin into the small cup in front of you. There's about one cup/coin pair for every other person, and you try to catch up to the person in front of you. Turns out, I'm pretty good at this game, so I don't have to drink much. Still, I probably have a beer or two.

The next day are our academic sessions in Prague, which I don't really remember anymore. During one of the breaks, we went to our academic lunch with our professor Gert (it was me, Gert, my friend Alison, Daria, and the guy Jon, who I've mentioned before and is really not as bad one-on-one, Alison and he get along well). We somehow go to this really trippy restaurant with pastel spray-painted walls, mermaid paintings, and stalactites growing from the ceiling. I have pictures, which you will all see when I have a working computer again.

That evening, I met a girl from WM for dinner!! It was awesome to see someone that I've known for more than 3 months. We went to a cafe that she frequents, which was cool. It was a pretty chill dinner. After she dropped me back off at the hotel, our academic leader (the man in charge of academics for all of IES Freiburg) takes us all out for a beer on him so he can watch a soccer match between SC Freiburg and another team, which he really wants to see. (If he doesn't have enough people with him, they won't play it, and he realizes he can only bribe us with alcohol.) Freiburg loses, and I spend a relatively quiet night at home after the game. It is when I return that I realize that my computer isn't working. I don't worry about it and go to bed.

The next day is our free day in Prague, and of course, it's raining. It even snowed in Krakow. We have our city tour in the morning (for which I forget my camera. Go me. I'm stealing pictures.) It's a cool city, we see the clock in the center of town that has dancing figurines every hour. We also see the main squares of Prague--there are three, I think. We also cross over the famous bridge, the Charles Bridge, and see all the shopping on it. After the tour ends, I decide to eat at the same place at which we ate our academic lunch the day before. It's pretty crucial to introduce this place to as many people as possible.

After lunch, we go souvenir shopping, both on the bridge and in the stores around it. Crystal is a big thing here; I bought something small for one of you. I also got a bottle opener that just says "Praha," which seems appropriate, as this city seems to be all about the beer. I also got a tshirt that says "Czech me out," which I'm only a little bit ashamed of.

We're planning to go out that night, so I take a shower first. As it turns out, I flood not only the bathroom, but also the entire room AND a little bit of the hallway. Nothing of mine is ruined, but Rachel (my roommate) somehow thought it was a good idea to bring with her an autographed book, and that got wet. Sorry. Autographed books belong safely on shelves, not in the bottoms of backpacks in hotel rooms in the Czech Republic. We are moved to another room.

That night, we go back to Beer Factory in a huge contingent. A bunch of the guys have already been there a while, but our table wins the drinking contest, and that's all that matters. I drink some, but don't dance and make a fool out of myself, unlike a few people. One guy left his jacket there, which was really sad because I'm pretty sure it had his wallet in it.

(While we were in Prague, the Czech government received a vote of no confidence and dissolved. Who can say they were in a country while their government collapsed?)

The next morning we leave for Bratislava. This is the capital of Slovakia, and it is just across the border from Vienna. When we finally arrive, we have about one hour to explore and eat before our meeting. I eat McDonald's (it's fast and cheap, don't judge) and explore a bit. I find this cool church, even if it isn't the one I'm actually looking for. The two stores I go to are a strange combination. The first was an African store, which seemed quite out of place in this small city. I bought a keychain there. The second one was this designer-looking shop; here I bought two buttons.

After this quick break, we had our sessions, uneventful as usual. Afterwards we had a short break for dinner where we were late for the bus out of Bratislava, but luckily the professors and staff were later than we were so it wasn't a big deal. There was definitely getting lost and running involved. I'm still not sure how it happened. Then we took the bus to Budapest.

While all of the hotels that we've stayed at so far have had free computers in the lobby, the one in Budapest doesn't, which doesn't make me a happy camper. In Budapest, we have a few sessions, as we need excuses to go to all of these cities. Again, I don't remember them, except for the fact that they were at the Hungarian Parliament, which is gorgeous. Absolutely amazing. Now, it's especially cool that we're at the Hungarian Parliament today (Thursday March 26) because this is the last day that the parliament can set the agenda to include a potential vote of no confidence. This means that we could be there the day they set it in motion for the government to collapse. Sadly, it remained off the agenda and the government survived.

The first day that we're there, after the sessions, I go with Andrew, Matthew, and this girl Sarah to lunch, the cathedral, and then to explore the castle. We get lunch at California Coffee Company, where I eat a tuna bagel, which turns out to be a poor choice later. Oh well. And then we go to the cathedral. It's gorgeous, as cathedrals tend to be, and they're selling really cheap rosaries out front. I buy a few. After this, we quickly go back to the hotel to change and we head to the castle. You can get a great view of the city from the castle (pictures are coming once I return to the US). We went to both the Royal Palace and the Fisherman's Bastion. We also stopped at a market, which was also cool. For Buschie and Pappy, it was sort of like a Christkindlmarkt, except it's warmer out. Sarah bought an approximately 5 euro pashmina scarf and we continued on.

That night, we cruised along the Danube, which is pretty sweet. It's gorgeous, we get champagne, and we get to see the city at night. Jon decided at the end of the cruise to try to jump over a railing, during which he sprained his wrist, and, as we later learned, fractured his elbow. It's then referred to as "Groves-ing" for the rest of the trip. (his last name) We didn't realize how injured he was for a while.

The next day we have a short history lesson on Hungary (they used to have a lot more power and they always seem to be or to ally with the bad guys) and then a trip to the House of Terror, about the time of the Nazis and the Soviets. I speed through the museum, as it was sprung on us as mandatory that morning and I don't want to go. After the museum, I get lunch with Rachel, Alison, and Ray at this amazing pizza place. It was so good. And it was really cheap. It was a Friday, so it's good to eat good cheap meatless food.

After the pizza I go shopping all day. It's a lot of fun, as stuff is really cheap. We revisit the market that I went to yesterday, and then Alison, Ray, and I go to the big, indoor market. This is where I find the best souvenirs of all. I found a secret box. Some of you might not understand the gravity of that statement. The summer before (maybe after, my dad remembers) fifth grade, my best friend, Antonette Amato, went to Germany for a vacation. While she was there, she got this "secret box" and it was the coolest thing ever. It had a secret order of steps to complete in order to open it, and it was soooo cooooool. (Only excessive vowels can truly tell how cool it was.) Christmas 1998, I gave Antonette a Furby (the 'it' toy of the year) and she gave me her secret box. It was the best Christmas ever. Think Gift of the Magi, but no one cuts their hair. And I found a secret box all of my own!!! When I saw it, I immediately knew what it was and let our a really loud gasp. I ended up buying it and several other nice souvenirs at the same stand for what ended up being a really good deal, overall. And then I bought myself a cheap pashmina scarf. It was burgundy/maroon.

(The next week, I wore the burgundy/maroon scarf with my grey jacket. I realized around dinner that I was wearing maroon and grey together and I was happy about it. I almost got sick. I hated those colors SO MUCH in grade school. I thought they were so ugly. They're some of my favorite colors now.)

That night we have a nice dinner out on IES's tab, but of course, it's a Friday, so my dinner is like rice in a cream sauce, salad, dessert, and two glasses of wine. It's certainly not as cool as our dinner in Paris but it's still pretty nice. Afterwards, we go out (and discuss going to private schools, as many of us have) and then we go back to watch Idiocracy. I manage to leave before I fall asleep (a real accomplishment for me).

The next day, we fly home to Stuttgart, where our beloved bus driver picks us up, even though it's the middle of a Saturday and he'd much rather be at home (which he told us flat out, lol.) I promptly do nothing for the rest of the weekend except go to church.

Luxembourg, Brussels, and Paris

Wow, I really don't want to write another entry. This will not be nearly as detailed as the previous entry.

Monday morning we leave via bus for Luxembourg. I briefly thought I forgot my ipod, but it turns out I did have it. Along the ride, we stop at the largest WWII cemetery in Europe, St. Avold Cemetery in France. It's really pretty. It's also quite peaceful. I look for Big Nick, as I don't know whatever happened to him, but no success. The unknown tombs are the worst to look at.

After some more driving we arrive in Luxembourg. It's adorable. I love it. It's quite small, 37% the size of Freiburg. I visit the cathedral and feel really bad about not going to Mass since the first week. I resolve to go on Wednesday. There's also a Chi Chi's here, but we only have one free hour, not leaving enough time to explore and sit and eat. I save the Mexican food for a later date.

After our free hour, we get a quick city tour in our bus. We learn about the architecture of each of the 167 banks in Brussels as well as about how much our tour guide hates modern art. IT's a terrible tour and we make fun of the tour guide for the rest of the trip. After the tour we leave for Brussels. Several hours in a bus later, we arrive. Turns out I really like Brussels too. It's absolutely gorgeous downtown. We try to get a Belgian waffle that night, but by the time we find one, I'm not hungry, so I steal a bite of someone else's. I don't really like it. [No worries. I have one later and it's REALLY GOOD.] My friend Aparna and I go out for ice cream later and gossip and complain about people in our program. It's wonderful to vent.

Other highlights of Brussels include our city tour, including the statue of the little boy peeing, which is the national symbol of Belgium. Go figure. I have an "academic lunch" with a group of students and one of my professors, Arndt. I eat rabbit. It's not bad but I don't think it's something I'd order again. This is also the day that I have the wonderful Belgian waffle. SO DELICIOUS. Thursday night I get mussels in Brussels for dinner. Both funny and delicious. (We go out to a bar afterwards. It's a good time.) I've decided that Brussels is my favorite legitimate city so far.

And then we go to Paris. No lies, I didn't expect to like Paris. I don't love cities, and Paris is big in close to the same way that New York and Istanbul are big. But I really like it. The Musee d'Orsay is open late on Thursdays, the day we arrive, so I decide to try to take the Metro to the museum on my own. It's still light out and they say it's safe enough. I end up going in the wrong direction, but I eventually find a metro stop and make it to the museum. On my way from the Metro stop to the museum, I see the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. It's so cool. It was definitely worth going on my own. There's something about discovering these things on your own. At the museum I run into a bunch of people from my program but continue to explore the museum on my own. It's awesome. The highlight for me downstairs was the genie lift I see in the corner, but I think that Emily and others might be able to understand the homesickness that might stir. But once you get up to the fifth floor, it's one masterpiece after another. As soon as you enter, you see Whistler's Mother. The next room is Degas [and you better believe there's a picture of me posing in front of it], the room after that is Monet, Renoir, and Pissaro, then more Degas and Renoir, then a room just of Monet, then VAN GOGH, and the last room was Cezanne. It's amazing, especially because it's such a manageable size. I really liked it.

Afterwards we go out to eat (expensive!) and we walk over the Eiffel Tower. We don't go up, and we're searching for a metro stop when Kris goes to ask some drunk high schoolers directions. Always a poor decision. Living in a tourist town, I can spot BS directions from a mile away. We ask a passing Parisian and go the correct way.

The next day I walk to Notre Dame on my lunch break. It's a real disappointment, honestly. After being so amazed at the Hagia Sophia, I was looking forward to architectural wonder WITH religious significance. But Notre Dame is a tourist trap to the max. It's really sad. I don't spend much time there and I head back via the regional train. When I ask a Parisian if he speaks English so I can confirm I'm going the right way, he replies that he speaks Spanish. Using my high school Spanish skills I navigate my way back in time. Go me.

That evening I go to the Louvre. It's free because it's a Friday night. Paris rocks. This museum is not as enjoyable as the Musee d'Orsay because it's so big, but it's still amazing. After I get a map, it's a lot better. The highlights of the Louvre are the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Code of Hammurabi. It's just so cool to see these famous works. It's a lot of work, though, traipsing through the Louvre. I also fall down the stairs. Well done, Christy. That night we go to Moulin Rouge (weird. and touristy.) and Sacre Coeur.

The next day we have free (Go IES!!) I head to Versailles with John. This is a John you haven't yet been introduced to. He's a UVA student, so we chat about that on the train. It's awesome. We get the audio guide, which really talks about rooms for the perfect amount of time, and then we wander the gardens on our own. After we return I chill out in my room until dinner.

Dinner, which is AWESOME. IES pays for a really nice dinner for us in Paris, and I order the asparagus with crab dip for appetizer (which I split with Andrew for his escargot), the duck for entree, and the sorbet for dessert. I also try other people's food, so I try raw salmon, escargot, foie gras, and steak tartare. I enjoyed all of them, especially the escargot and the foie gras. I haven't found a seafood I don't like. I count snails as seafood. It makes it easier to stomach. But seriously. I love seafood. So much. And Mexican food. But that's another story.

That night we go up to the second story of the Eiffel Tower. It's pretty awesome, even if we couldn't make it to the top. The next day we embark upon our epicly long bus ride back to Freiburg.

The end.