Thursday, November 26, 2009

Geneva, Switzerland

So, you are probably thinking "Hey, this is a boring title? What's wrong with Alex?" Well there's a reason. Geneva was probably the worst city we visited so far, therefore it doesn't deserve a cool title. First, it was really freakin' expensive. Since it's like the international center for business, they seem to assume everyone there has money. Second, the weather was awful. Third, it didn't offer much to do for college kids. It's never a good sign when the three people you ask "What's there to do in Geneva?" (including the freakin' guy at the tourist info center), they all stare at you blankly for a few seconds, and then say "Not much".
At least they weren't lying. Unfortunately, the weather didn't give the city much of a chance. It was foggy, rainy, and cold--not a good start. . First on our list was CERN, the European Organization of Nuclear Research. Most of you (including myself) might recognize it from Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons". Well, when we asked how to get there, we were told it's not open to the public unless we book a tour months in advance. Strike One. Second, we wanted to check out the United Nations building. It was also closed to the public (although we did see the outside of it). Strike Two. Third, we wanted to see Jet d'Au, an incredible fountain that shoots water 140 m in the air. But of course, it wasn't turned on due to the weather. Strike Three.
Despite these incredible misfortunes, we were determined to make the most of our weekend. We first went to the Palace of the Nations (the UN Building) and saw every nation's flag down the driveway... decently cool. We then made our way to the Red Cross Museum, however Tori, Ben and I didn't do the tour due to the price. While Katie, Haley, Valerie, and Catie saw the museum, we took a brief tour of the city. We saw the Old Town, the Flower Clock, Lake Geneva and the Reformation Memorial (all not really that cool). Luckily, we stumbled upon an ice rink and after meeting up, all 7 of us went skating. I was a little apprehensive to skate considering my knee issues. (Let's face it, I was nervous because I hadn't put on ice skates in nearly 8 years and didn't want to face-plant) But, it turned out to be a lot of fun (and extremely exhausting). After skating, we grabbed food at a great pizza place by our hotel. The restaurant could have served only liver and onions and I still would have called it great because they gave us FREE bread AND water. Unheard of in Europe. Our flight was the next day, but we took a little walk around Lake Geneva in the morning. Tori and I walked through a cool park that defined Fall. The leaves were all different colors and the grass was so green. It was a good time to relax before returning to Madrid and stressing about homework. We caught our plane around 2 p.m. and bade (bidded?) another successful weekend farewell.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

CHAM- Wow!

This weekend, a bunch of my friends (Haley, Tori, Katie, Valerie, Catie, and Friedman) and I spent a couple days in the French Alps, and one day in Geneva, Switzerland. After flying into Geneva on Thursday evening, we took a hired van to Chamonix, France-- about an hour outside of Geneva. Luckily, we found an awesome apartment lodge where all 7 of us could stay. By the time we got there, it was already dark, but we managed to find an open market to satisfy our hunger (and thirst, if you know what I mean). After cooking some pasta (more successfully than Tenerife, mind you), Ben and I enjoyed a few beers on the balcony looking at the stars-- at least what we thought were stars. After closely examining a cluster of stars, they suddenly went out. Some of us (ahem, Catie) suggested it was a satellite; Fried and I wanted to say it was a mountain, but we had never seen something so freakin' tall. Our question was answered when we woke up to this:
I have never seen mountains as steep as these before in my life. Unfortunately, there wasn't too much snow, but it didn't take away from the scenery. Friday morning, we wanted to take a gondola to the top peak at about 4000 meters, L'Aiguille du Midi, but the gondola was closed. Instead, we settled for the next best thing- an €18 train ride to a glacier at about 2000 meters. When we got there, I think most of us were a little disappointed. The views were incredible, but for €18 not worth it. Luckily, we stumbled upon one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. Let me explain:
After getting enough pictures of the view, we decided to follow the path for a little exploring to get our money's worth. After about 20 minutes we came across this crude-looking ladder bolted to the side of the cliff, leading down to the glacier. It took some of us longer than others to decide to go down, but after some peer pressure, every one of us decided to make the climb. We had to look ridiculous because none of us were expecting to make this kind of trek-- so most of the girls were in their boots and scarves, when they should have been wearing climbing shoes and carrying pick-axes. The climb was intense-- more intense than the pictures let on, that's for sure. (Mom, this was one of those things that it's better you know after the fact). All of us made sure of our footing and grip before making any sudden movements. After about 4 ladders and 3 stretches sidestepping along the side of the cliff, we all made it to the glacier safely, but that was just the first part. The most dangerous aspect of the whole thing was either the potential of rock slides or falling into a 300 ft hole, like the one below. And considering all of this was on ice didn't ease our anxiety too much. The glacier, however, was so cool. At 14 km long, 1800 m wide and 4oo m deep, it is the second largest glacier in the Alps, thus earning its name "Mer de Glace" of "Sea of Ice". This single aspect of the trip made the whole weekend worth it.
Thankfully, we all made it back to the train alive, and headed back down to the town. While walking back to our room, we picked up some essentials for the night, food and alcohol. After our daring climb, we all figured we should celebrate, but we started a little too soon. By the time 11 p.m. rolled around, we were plenty drunk (some more than others) and starting to get a little tired. We all turned in earlier than expected, but it was probably for the best because we needed to catch the van back to Geneva at 10 in the morning...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

So today I am thankful for.....hmm..... let me think..... this AMAZING EXPERIENCE, of course! Thanks again, mom and dad, for helping me out while I am over here. I am missing you! I am also missing some good home cookin' too, but I can't complain too much (at all, actually). This year is probably the only time I will ever have class on Thanksgiving. So those of you who are enjoying your breaks back in the States, I am a little jealous of you. Also, it's probably the only Thanksgiving I will spend in the airport. That's right, the airport. Tori and I have an early flight to Paris tomorrow that requires us to, once again, sleep outside the check-in counter. However, I am going to PARIS! You give some, you get some. My Thanksgiving isn't turkey-less, though. For dinner, I am going to Tori's apartment where her host mom is preparing at Thanksgiving Fiesta (at least attempting to, I'll let you know how it went next week). She is cooking a turkey as well as some other traditional side dishes (no stuffing, though BUMMER). However, Gloria, you are TOO nice!
Anyways, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone at home. I wish I was enjoying some stuffing, pumpkin bread, cranberry jello, corn and some creamy mashed potatoes right now. I guess I will settle for the Spanish version. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Mumblings and Grumblings

So if you have been wanting to pick my brain while I have been traveling through Europe, here is some of the stuff you would find:

Peanut Butter: Don't let me ever take you for granted again. You are a precious commodity over here in Europe. For some reason, these Spaniards prefer chocolate over your deliciously goodness. For that reason, finding a jar of you is only possible in the amazing "American Store"-- however you cost €5-€6. I think this will be the only time I will ever say a $9 jar of peanut butter was completely worth it.

Aluminum Foil: Unfortunately, I didn't discover your incredible diversification until after I exhausted all of my Ziploc bags. But thanks to you, I have been able to transport my sandwiches to school mess free every day. Also, by wrapping my sandwiches everyday I have finally learned how to fold the ends efficiently, just like wrapping gifts. Right before Christmas, too!

Asian Tourists: This might sounds a little hypocritical, but you guys are always in the way! I always find myself bumping into you and your gargantuan cameras. And, also, how do you always manage to travel in groups of like 70 people?! I can't even stand traveling with a group of 5! I will say, however, you offered a bit of comic relief in our weekend in Belgium. After greatly anticipating our 2 roommates in Brussels, Tori and I couldn't have expected any two people less intimidating than the two Asian students we roomed with. As we walked in around 10 p.m., we found you playing video games on your computer; fitting the stereotype to a 'T". And you weren't fooling anyone when you introduced yourself as "Jeff" and "Patty". After overwhelming you with questions, I worked up the courage to ask your real names and learned they were something like "Wang Wan Woa" and "Pan-wili". You guys were really nice, though, and I apologize for us having to leave at 5 am.

Spanish Hairstyles: You guys must cut your own hair. There is no other explanation for the short hair on the top and sides, and the half mullet trailing down the back of your neck. You look ridiculous.

European Streets: What the hell, guys? Is this a cruel joke for tourists? With hundreds of streets in a square kilometer, you would think navigating the streets of thousand-year-old cities is hard enough. But you go the extra mile-- squeezing a car down some of your streets is like passing a camel through the eye of a needle (catch that Bible reference?); finding your street signs is like a cruel scavenger hunt (many times I have been left thinking "This looks vaguely familiar"). Thanks to you, I will avoid renting a car in Europe at all costs.

Carbs: I never realized how much of you I could eat at one sitting, until I began eating Paloma's dinners. Nearly every dish is carb-based-- my favorite was our dinner of alfredo pasta, with sides of potatoes, rice and bread. However, signs of progress are showing-- last night was the first dinner without rice!

Ryanair: O, how I love you! You offer cheap flights all over Europe-- and you fly into Madrid Barajas! You have helped me make the most out of this semester. But I will bite my tongue for now because we have one more flight to make it through. (And we are checking a bag! Knock on wood)

Cold Weather: Every time without fail, you make me realize why I chose to go to school in Los Angeles. I actually had to buy a hat just to protect myself from you. Unfortunately, the rest of my trips look like dates with you-- so please be kind!

My Blog: You are so great in providing entertainment for me. I reward myself after finishing homework by allowing myself to pour out my thoughts through you. I find myself constantly thinking of post titles while on my trips. Also, this post is keeping me busy in Political Psychology. Thanks for filling voids!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

SHOUT OUT...

..... to the Beta Brethren. Just when I thought living in a house with all Betas couldn't get any worse, my roommate and housemate run for positions in their fraternity and win, ugh. Hahaha, just kidding, guys. Congrats Jeff and Chris for winning Recruitment Chair and President, respectively. I can't wait to give all the Betas running around our house a hard time. I am sure I will continue to hear your pitches for me to rush, but I think I have built an immunity to it by now, haha. Anyway, congratulations guys and I can't wait to see you next semester. The life of the house is coming so get ready!

BRUSSELS Doubts...

... not Brussels sprouts, haha. So, Tori and I were greatly anticipating our visit to Brussels, but for the wrong reasons. We didn't hear too much praise of Brussels before we left-- our friend Spencer said he saw two guys mugged in one night, my host mom said it was dirty and cold, and Tori's host mom said the other cities were much better. With that in our minds, we were a little skeptical to say the least. Brussels, however, was much better than we expected. The weather cleared up by early afternoon and we had a great day of visiting attractions.
After checking in for the last time of the weekend, we grabbed a quick lunch and headed towards the city center. We started by walking through Brussels Park, located right in front of the Royal Palace. This park was the epitome of Fall-- the leaves were changing, the trees were rustling and people were bundled up. It was a breath of fresh air in the middle of the big city. After the park, we checked out the "Manneken Pis", Brussels National icon. I didn't see the importance of this tiny peeing baby, but it's famous. It was built nearly 400 years ago and many legends have been formulated around the statue. The most popular suggests the statue is of the two-year-old Duke Godfrey III. Legend has it that during a battle, the Duke's troops put the baby lord in a basket, hung it from a tree where he proceeded to pee on the opposing troops, thus leading to their victory. Hahaha, those crazy Belgians!
From here, Tori and I couldn't resist the chocolate shops any more. We ducked in and out a handful of shops until we found our favorite local (and cheap) shop. Here, we spent plenty of time debating which chocolates to buy and who to buy them for. In the end, let's just say we spent far too much money on chocolate, but the recipients better be grateful! After chocolate shopping, we walked to the Markt or City Square where we stumbled upon the Statue of Everardt. Apparently, this guy is a Belgium hero by dying trying to protect the city. Today, it is rubbed for good luck by all who pass it. As for the market itself, it was pretty impressive. It is enclosed by guildhouses, the impressive Town Hall, and the Breadhouse. They were all really cool buildings.
After the Markt, we caught the Metro out to the Atomium, one of the most impressive monuments I have seen. It was built for the 1958 World's Fair. The structure is in the shape of a unit cell of iron magnified 165 billion times! We bought tickets to go inside and caught awesome views of the city from the top. In addition, we were there at night, so the whole monument was lit up making it all very cool.
That night, we went out for a few beers, but stopped into Delirium first-- the Guinness Book of World Record Holder for the most variety of beer in one place. However, it wasn't cheap enough for us students, so instead we headed to Celtica for €2 beers. Here is where our night got interesting. First, we met a few Australian travelers who were really cool. We talked about our travels and shared stories over a few beers. With them, however, were a couple of old creeps from Ireland and England. These guys were nuts. They were hammered and talking in the most incomprehensible English imaginable. We withstood their company long enough for them to buy us a beer. After that, we called it a night, hahaha. Overall, Belgium offered an experience I never thought I would have. Every city offered a new, unique experience. Despite being exhausted by Monday, the trip was totally worth it!

Can't GHENT Enough

On Saturday morning, after our free breakfast, Tori and I took the train from Brugges to Ghent. We arrived to our hostel by 1 p.m. But this wasn't just any ol' hostel, my friends. Tori found an awesome bed and breakfast that was on a BOAT! The "Bon Vivant", as it was called, was so cool, despite the fact it was hard to find. After checking in, we walked to the center of town to take our personal guided tour. We started at Ghent's Belfry Tower in order to have the energy to make the climb. This Belfry wasn't quite as tall, but offered an awesome view of the historical buildings of Ghent, like St. Bavo's Cathedral and the Gravensteen Castle (will explain).
After the Belfry, we crossed the square to St. Bavo's Cathedral. This Gothic Cathedral is famous for the Van Eyck painting it houses, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. I had no idea what it was before we went, but if you know what it is, you may not have known that one of the 23 panels is a replica. The lower left hand panel was stolen years ago, and the burglar died just before he was going to reveal the hiding place. SO, if you want to make a quick fortune, just find that panel. Anyway, the Cathedral was beautiful because it was mostly made of black and white marble, but was contrasted with brick. It was very interesting.
After the Cathedral, we crossed St. Michael's Bridge (which offered stunning views of the boardwalk along one of the canals) to the Gravensteen Castle. This castle finally looked like a castle I pictured when I was little. The ramparts and fortresses were stereotypical of medieval times. The tour through the castle showed the different rooms within the castle, and also offered exhibitions of typical medieval weapons and means of torture. The best aspect of this castle, though, was that it was built along one of the canals, so that it was protected on one side.
From the castle, Tori and I grabbed a quick snack, but not just any snack. The snack Belgium is best known for-- its waffles. Describing it was a slice of heaven doesn't even do it justice. The waffle was so tasty and had a perfect ratio of belgian chocolate sauce to waffle. Plus, the place we bought it from was called "3.14"-- Puns and waffles, that's my kind of restaurant!
Our last attraction of the day, was probably the coolest. Thanks to our savvy travelers' map, we knew of the ONLY street in Ghent that is legal to spray paint. Soooo, we grabbed ourselves a can of spraypaint and went to town. (When in Ghent, right?) I, of course, elected to leave a little piece of St. Louis in Ghent by drawing an (albeit crude) Cardinals logo. Also, we left our friend at home some messages to let you know we're missing you guys!!
That night, we enjoyed a few Belgian beers, had a Doner Kebap for dinner and headed back to our boat (so cool!). We set alarm for another morning of traveling...

Monday, November 16, 2009

Brews in BRUGGES

Tori and I began our weekend excursion through Belgium EARLY Friday morning (actually more like Thursday night since we had to sleep in the airport...ugh). Our flight got us into Brussels-Charleroi around 9:30 am. From there, we took a couple trains to Brugges and arrived by noon. After an amazingly long night/morning, Tori and I were just about ready to go to sleep, rather than see a new city. But Brugges smashed that grogginess the minute we stepped off the train. The scenery was BEAUTIFUL. It was a cool, fall day with changing leaves and adorable cobblestone roads. Also, the canals for which Brugges is known (they call it "Venice of the North") were so cool to see. While walking to our hostel, we stopped by the only one of Michelangelo's works to ever leave Italy during his lifetime- the Madonna and Child. This statue is kept in a Bruges church that was pretty magnificent itself. Just our walk to our hostel from the train station made the trip worth it.
Anyway, after checking into our hostel, we decided to see what Brugges had to offer. We then checked out the town's Belfry (or Bell tower). The walk to the top was brutal, but was definitely worth it. Once at the top, however, Tori and I were damn near pushed over by the wind. It was unbelievable; I can't believe that thing isn't leaning like the Tower of Pisa. Anyway, after our successful ascent of the Belfry (may as well been K2, though), we rewarded ourselves with a steaming hot batch of the local cuisine- french fries doused in mayonnaise! "'Local?', you ask. 'Why, of course!', I respond" Didn't you know french fries were invented in Brugges? That is indeed fact-- they were called "FRENCH fries" because French was the official language spoken by the Belgian Army. Stick that in your hat!
After our snack, we headed to the Church of the Holy Blood. Strange name, but makes sense considering it houses ornate vial containing what claims to be Christ's blood. NUTS! Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed, but look it up online-- it was really gross looking. Legend has it that the vial was brought to Brugges sometime after the 2nd Crusade, but I don't know if I buy it. From there, we took a tour of a chocolate museum, ChocoStory, to learn about Belgium's most famous food. The museum was a little disappoint because we thought we were going to a factory, BUT the sculptures and demonstration at the end were really cool. We watched a woman make pralines from scratch, and then we got to enjoy the final product. However, I learned I am not a huge praline fan.
To end our amazing day in Brugges, Tori and I decided to try another one of Belgium's famous staples- the BEER. Instead of wasting our money at an overpriced bar, Tori and I drank the economical way by buying various local beers from the supermarket- that was our excuse at least for not being cool enough to do the bar scene (the Guinness is of course not local, but Belgium is one of very few countries to get the "Foreign Extra Stout"). We quickly learned that the Belgians brew some heavy beer-- I could barely finish off 3 before I couldn't take anymore. The beer, itself, was definitely unique and flavorful. Not our favorites, but that wasn't gonna stop us from finding the perfect beer in GHENT!

"Tell Em' About BELGIUM..."

....OK! Haha, you can laugh with me at that title. That was a weak attempt, my apologies.
Anyway, let's play some word association. What comes to mind when I say........BELGIUM? Let me tell you from experience that Belgium isn't just chocolates and waffles. ("How'd he know?!")
This weekend Tori and I had an amazing time in a country I would have never thought I would travel to in my life. We, too, had those stereotypes in our heads before arriving, but quickly learned Belgium has much more to offer (although the chocolates and waffles were, as Jim Rome would say, PHE-NOMENAL). We visited 3 different cities in 3 days (Brugges, Ghent, and Brussels) giving us a chance to enjoy the medieval architecture, the unique attractions and the quirky icons Belgium has to offer...