This is a long over-due post but I figured it was about time to share with the world (or just the people that read my blog) my day trip to Brussels. Tori, Sophie, Branwen, Emilie, and I got like a 7:30 am train to Brussels a couple of Saturdays ago...the trip took mayabe an hour and a half (I don't quite remember actually).
When we got there we just kind of walked around and took in the sites...and it was beautiful! There were chocolate shops with the most delicious looking chocolate EVERYWHERE! The first thing we set off to find were waffles...it was the morning, we were in Belgium...no brainer! We found a waffle place and these waffles were like a work of art...with fruit and whipped cream and chocolate and caramel. It was the best waffle I ever had...delicious!
We realized that we were right beside the Mannequin Pis (the famous little peeing boy fountain). None of us really knew why this little peeing boy was so famous, but he is for some reason.
After we annihilated our waffles, we just walked around Brussels some more. The city was really pretty and it had a lot of character. Emilie noticed that outside of the train station, we didn't see one McDonald's or Starbucks or any big chains, which was kind of nice.
I think every city in Europe has an impressive cathedral that has been there forever, so we found the one in Brussels and had a stroll around that one. Afterwards we just kept walking around and found ourselves in a very interesting part of town. It was very similar to a Chinatown, yet it was all Indian....so it was an Indiatown. It was off of our map so we decided that we should probably find our way back to the city and find a place to eat.
We found a little restaraunt for lunch and I had a Stella to drink, since it is from Belgium. The we just walked around some more and eventually made our way back to the train station to go back to Cologne. It was a fun day just wandering around Brussels and it was a really pretty city.
The next day, Branwen invited us over to her flat for a traditional British Sunday Roast. It was delicious! We had chicken, mashed potatoes, veggies, sweet potatoes, and yorkshire pudding. My first Sunday Roast experience was a success!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Amsterdam
The Tuesday that my parents were here we got a super early train to take us to Amsterdam! My sister made up the most annoying song about this place that now I automatically think of when I say or type the word Amsterdam...great. Anyway once we got to Amsterdam we bought tickets to have an all day pass on another hop-on hop-off boat tour like we had in Paris. The first stop of the day was Anne Frank's house.
The line actually was not that bad when we got there since we were fairly early. But, Kim had led us to believe that it was going to be nice and sunny and not freezing. She lied. The wind was horrendous and it was all gray and cloudy out, and it was freaking freezing. So we were more than excited to finally get into the house and out of the weather. The house was super interesting...this was the house that she stayed in while she was in hiding. We got to walk throughout the house and see the secret annex where she and others hid. All the information was given in German and English which made it super helpful. Again, its just a crazy feeling to me standing in Anne Frank's room with the same posters she hung up on the wall still there...sometimes things like that just make me stand in awe. After we walked through the museum I bought the book because I don't actually think I have read it. I know the story clearly, but I don't think I have ever read it. After being in the house I think it would be super interesting to read because I have been to those places. So I plan to start that soon.
We had lunch after the house and did our Amsterdam shopping before we got back on the boat that was going to take us to our next location! Since we were only in Amsterdam a day, we had to split up and decide what we really wanted to do. Kim and Emmy went to the Van Gogh museum, while Ron and I opted for the "Heineken Experience."
The Heineken Experience was really cool actually. First of all they spoke English everywhere inside and all the information was only in English, so that was just a nice change of pace. The museum was really high-tech. It was the first Heineken brewery, but its not brewed there anymore. It started off by informing you of the history of Heneiken and how it came to be. Then you got to see how it was brewed. Then there was a little ride that you went on where you were "brewed." That was really cool, after the ride they took you into a room where they gave you a free beer and taught you the proper way to taste a beer. Then there was all this stuff about the promotion of the beer. There were individual lounge chairs with personal tvs where you could just sit and watch all of the Heineken commercials throughout the years, there was a place with a bunch of foosball tables, then you reached the bar where you got 2 free Heneikens. It was really cool and it would have been nice to have had more time in there but we had to rush a little to catch the boat bus back to the train station.
We had a little time once we got off the boat before the train, so we tried to find the Red Light District. Apparently it was right next to the train station, and I think that we eventually found it and were walking around in it but it was still light out so nothing was really happening. Although a guy at school said that they have recently made the Red Light District only two streets...so who knows.
We caught our train and came home. I definitely would have loved to spend more time in Amsterdam, eventually the sun did come out and it was nicer. There is just so much to do there that one day doesn't do the city justice.
The line actually was not that bad when we got there since we were fairly early. But, Kim had led us to believe that it was going to be nice and sunny and not freezing. She lied. The wind was horrendous and it was all gray and cloudy out, and it was freaking freezing. So we were more than excited to finally get into the house and out of the weather. The house was super interesting...this was the house that she stayed in while she was in hiding. We got to walk throughout the house and see the secret annex where she and others hid. All the information was given in German and English which made it super helpful. Again, its just a crazy feeling to me standing in Anne Frank's room with the same posters she hung up on the wall still there...sometimes things like that just make me stand in awe. After we walked through the museum I bought the book because I don't actually think I have read it. I know the story clearly, but I don't think I have ever read it. After being in the house I think it would be super interesting to read because I have been to those places. So I plan to start that soon.
We had lunch after the house and did our Amsterdam shopping before we got back on the boat that was going to take us to our next location! Since we were only in Amsterdam a day, we had to split up and decide what we really wanted to do. Kim and Emmy went to the Van Gogh museum, while Ron and I opted for the "Heineken Experience."
The Heineken Experience was really cool actually. First of all they spoke English everywhere inside and all the information was only in English, so that was just a nice change of pace. The museum was really high-tech. It was the first Heineken brewery, but its not brewed there anymore. It started off by informing you of the history of Heneiken and how it came to be. Then you got to see how it was brewed. Then there was a little ride that you went on where you were "brewed." That was really cool, after the ride they took you into a room where they gave you a free beer and taught you the proper way to taste a beer. Then there was all this stuff about the promotion of the beer. There were individual lounge chairs with personal tvs where you could just sit and watch all of the Heineken commercials throughout the years, there was a place with a bunch of foosball tables, then you reached the bar where you got 2 free Heneikens. It was really cool and it would have been nice to have had more time in there but we had to rush a little to catch the boat bus back to the train station.
We had a little time once we got off the boat before the train, so we tried to find the Red Light District. Apparently it was right next to the train station, and I think that we eventually found it and were walking around in it but it was still light out so nothing was really happening. Although a guy at school said that they have recently made the Red Light District only two streets...so who knows.
We caught our train and came home. I definitely would have loved to spend more time in Amsterdam, eventually the sun did come out and it was nicer. There is just so much to do there that one day doesn't do the city justice.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Paris
So like I said, we took a break from all the Karneval madness and went to Paris for the weekend. Our train left on Saturday morning and it took about 3 hours to reach Paris. The train was actually really nice...comfortable seats...free food. What more could you ask for? Definitely think America should invest in the same public transit systems, they are so easy and much nicer than driving for that long of a time.
Anyway, when we got to Paris we got a cab to take us to our hotel. The hotel was in a pretty nice location...surrounded by street markets and some really nice cafes. On the drive to the hotel I was just taking in Paris and it is really beautiful. All of the buildings have that traditional French style that you always think of and the city just seemed to have a lot of character. Once we put our stuff in the hotel, we wanted to go hit up some museums before they closed. Ron thought he was really cool downloading this new thing for his GPS, yet it did not work well at all. So once we looked at a regular map instead of the GPS we started walking towards the Louvre. It was a really pretty day out which was nice since it was pretty cold. The Louvre is freaking huge and we hit up the most famous pieces like the Mona Lisa, and Venus de Milo. We took a break after walking through the Ancient Egyptian area to go have some wine at the cafe there. The whole point of taking the wine break was to figure out where to go next...but that didn't happen. So after a while of just sitting and drinking as a family we decided to go to the Museum d'Orsay since the museums were closing in like an hour or two and we wanted to make sure we were able to make it to that museum. We saw Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, and all kinds of other famous artists' work in there...but those were the main guys.
We headed back to the hotel after that and went to the cafe right next door for dinner. I had a delicious omelet and mimosa. After dinner we went to go find the Eiffel Tower. It was really pretty because it was all lit up at night. Then we went in search of the Moulin Rouge...because lets face it, thats a fantastic movie. Again we found it and it was all lit up and kinda looked like it did in the movie! The line to get in was crazy long...we just took pictures then left.
The next morning we were walking around the markets by our hotel and found a little place to eat breakfast...where I had another omelet. Then we bought tickets for a boat bus thing where it would take you along the river to the different touristy sites and you could just hop on or hop off at any of the sites. The first stop we got off at was Notre Dame. That was a pretty impressive building I would have to say. Inside was really impressive...it is just crazy to see how some of these buildings are adorned...and knowing the historical significance of the place you're standing in. Then we went to the surrounding area to try and do some shopping but everything was closed since it was a Sunday.
We hopped back on the boat bus and got off at the Arc de Triomphe stop. There was like a flea market thing right when you got off the boat so we looked around there for a bit. I found a copy of Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in French, which I thought was interestig. So I bought it for 2 euros. Then we walked down Champs de Elysee to get to the Arc. Luckily for us, these stores were open...so we were able to do a little shopping in Paris. Once we got to the Arc we walked up to the top, although Kim almost didn't make it up there. The view was really pretty but we were a little rushed because we had to get back to the hotel so we could get our stuff and head back to the train station.
On our way back to the hotel we got lost. Like really lost. Ron was relying on his GPS...big mistake. We had no idea where we were going and Ron would just walk in the middle of the road and cross the street when cars were coming and leave the rest of us behind. Eventually we tried to get a cab but we could not get one for the life of us. After a long, LONG time of aimlessly walking around Paris we started heading in the right direction. Ron completely left the rest of us so we couldn't even see him anymore...Kim was way in front of us...and Emmy and I were just walking slowly behind because we were pissed and our feet were hurting. Finally we made it back to the hotel and then tried to get another cab to take us to the train station, but that attempt failed as well. So luckily there was a really nice lady who spoke English that helped us figure out the metro to take.
We made it there in just the right amount of time...but it was hectic geeting there needless to say. It was a fun trip though and we got to see a lot...it would have been nice to have spent more than two days there.
Anyway, when we got to Paris we got a cab to take us to our hotel. The hotel was in a pretty nice location...surrounded by street markets and some really nice cafes. On the drive to the hotel I was just taking in Paris and it is really beautiful. All of the buildings have that traditional French style that you always think of and the city just seemed to have a lot of character. Once we put our stuff in the hotel, we wanted to go hit up some museums before they closed. Ron thought he was really cool downloading this new thing for his GPS, yet it did not work well at all. So once we looked at a regular map instead of the GPS we started walking towards the Louvre. It was a really pretty day out which was nice since it was pretty cold. The Louvre is freaking huge and we hit up the most famous pieces like the Mona Lisa, and Venus de Milo. We took a break after walking through the Ancient Egyptian area to go have some wine at the cafe there. The whole point of taking the wine break was to figure out where to go next...but that didn't happen. So after a while of just sitting and drinking as a family we decided to go to the Museum d'Orsay since the museums were closing in like an hour or two and we wanted to make sure we were able to make it to that museum. We saw Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, and all kinds of other famous artists' work in there...but those were the main guys.
We headed back to the hotel after that and went to the cafe right next door for dinner. I had a delicious omelet and mimosa. After dinner we went to go find the Eiffel Tower. It was really pretty because it was all lit up at night. Then we went in search of the Moulin Rouge...because lets face it, thats a fantastic movie. Again we found it and it was all lit up and kinda looked like it did in the movie! The line to get in was crazy long...we just took pictures then left.
The next morning we were walking around the markets by our hotel and found a little place to eat breakfast...where I had another omelet. Then we bought tickets for a boat bus thing where it would take you along the river to the different touristy sites and you could just hop on or hop off at any of the sites. The first stop we got off at was Notre Dame. That was a pretty impressive building I would have to say. Inside was really impressive...it is just crazy to see how some of these buildings are adorned...and knowing the historical significance of the place you're standing in. Then we went to the surrounding area to try and do some shopping but everything was closed since it was a Sunday.
We hopped back on the boat bus and got off at the Arc de Triomphe stop. There was like a flea market thing right when you got off the boat so we looked around there for a bit. I found a copy of Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in French, which I thought was interestig. So I bought it for 2 euros. Then we walked down Champs de Elysee to get to the Arc. Luckily for us, these stores were open...so we were able to do a little shopping in Paris. Once we got to the Arc we walked up to the top, although Kim almost didn't make it up there. The view was really pretty but we were a little rushed because we had to get back to the hotel so we could get our stuff and head back to the train station.
On our way back to the hotel we got lost. Like really lost. Ron was relying on his GPS...big mistake. We had no idea where we were going and Ron would just walk in the middle of the road and cross the street when cars were coming and leave the rest of us behind. Eventually we tried to get a cab but we could not get one for the life of us. After a long, LONG time of aimlessly walking around Paris we started heading in the right direction. Ron completely left the rest of us so we couldn't even see him anymore...Kim was way in front of us...and Emmy and I were just walking slowly behind because we were pissed and our feet were hurting. Finally we made it back to the hotel and then tried to get another cab to take us to the train station, but that attempt failed as well. So luckily there was a really nice lady who spoke English that helped us figure out the metro to take.
We made it there in just the right amount of time...but it was hectic geeting there needless to say. It was a fun trip though and we got to see a lot...it would have been nice to have spent more than two days there.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Karneval
So yes..I am aware that it has been quite some time since I last blogged, but really nothing new or exciting was happening for a couple weeks and then my life turned crazy hectic so I'm just now catching everyone up...sorry for the delay!
Karneval = crazy madness all over Cologne, Germany where kids and adults and grandparents dress up in strange costumes for 5 days straight and participate in "heavy celebrations." Karneval started 2 weeks ago on Thursday, March 3rd. Everyone dressed up for school on that day, and school was actually cut short because of Karneval. Students only had their first 3 lessons Thursday, then a big Karneval party in the auditorium. The party was a little odd for me, Karneval is a very traditional German thing, but the party had a lot of American and British music. So, I think it just ended up being an excuse to have a party that didn't really pertain to Karneval.
Thursday night we all dressed as sailors and went to the Live Music Hall. It opened at 6 that night, so we left at like 4:30 to start waiting in line. It actually wasn't bad, we were near the front so we get in pretty quickly once they opened the doors. However, we were standing in line for over an hour and it was freezing. The Live Music Hall was fun as always. It was decorated all for Karneval and playing all German Karneval music, so it was very festive. Our group got there early enough to get a table for all 11 of us which was nice. So on Thursday night we just stayed there and had a lot of fun.
Friday my parents and sister came to visit me! Once they got here we got checked into the hotel, they were able to freshen up some since they just traveled for quite some time, then we went to eat dinner. I showed them around Cologne some after dinner, then we came back to the dorm and met up with my friends. They were all getting ready to go out again so we got to see all of them dressed and ready to go, but we decided to stay at the dorm Friday night since we were all so tired.
Saturday we decided to bail on Karneval all together and go to Paris! We were in Paris Saturday and Sunday...there will be a separate blog post dedicated to this trip...don't worry!
Monday was the big Karneval parade. It was the longest parade of my life! 5 and a half hours...of parade! We got there about 30-45 minutes before the parade started so that we could get a good spot because they throw candy! Now, they throw serious candy...like boxes of stuff and whole candy bars. It's kind of dangerous, I got hit in the head with a candy bar and it really hurt. But it was an interesting experience for sure. The floats were pretty impressive but after a while, it just got old. Not even halfway through the parade, although it had been going on for about 2.5 hours by this point in time, some of us decided to go back to the dorm for a break and then catch the end of the parade. My family had already bailed on the parade about an hour into it and they were headed back to their hotel for awhile. After the parade was over, some of my friends and I started walking around some and found a little fair in the middle of town, so of course we participated in that and rode rides. Once we were done with fair, we started the search for food...every place was packed with people dressed up in costumes. There was music playing the streets and random, open-air, dance parties everywhere. We eventually found a little pizza place down by the Rhine that we ate in and just hung out in for a few hours. Everyone was so tired from all the Karneval festivities that after dinner we all just went to the dorm to chill for the rest of the night. I went to my parents' hotel and hung there for the rest of the night.
Overall, Karneval was a very interesting experience. Something that we definitely don't have in the States, but I was very glad to be able to experience it here!
Karneval = crazy madness all over Cologne, Germany where kids and adults and grandparents dress up in strange costumes for 5 days straight and participate in "heavy celebrations." Karneval started 2 weeks ago on Thursday, March 3rd. Everyone dressed up for school on that day, and school was actually cut short because of Karneval. Students only had their first 3 lessons Thursday, then a big Karneval party in the auditorium. The party was a little odd for me, Karneval is a very traditional German thing, but the party had a lot of American and British music. So, I think it just ended up being an excuse to have a party that didn't really pertain to Karneval.
Thursday night we all dressed as sailors and went to the Live Music Hall. It opened at 6 that night, so we left at like 4:30 to start waiting in line. It actually wasn't bad, we were near the front so we get in pretty quickly once they opened the doors. However, we were standing in line for over an hour and it was freezing. The Live Music Hall was fun as always. It was decorated all for Karneval and playing all German Karneval music, so it was very festive. Our group got there early enough to get a table for all 11 of us which was nice. So on Thursday night we just stayed there and had a lot of fun.
Friday my parents and sister came to visit me! Once they got here we got checked into the hotel, they were able to freshen up some since they just traveled for quite some time, then we went to eat dinner. I showed them around Cologne some after dinner, then we came back to the dorm and met up with my friends. They were all getting ready to go out again so we got to see all of them dressed and ready to go, but we decided to stay at the dorm Friday night since we were all so tired.
Saturday we decided to bail on Karneval all together and go to Paris! We were in Paris Saturday and Sunday...there will be a separate blog post dedicated to this trip...don't worry!
Monday was the big Karneval parade. It was the longest parade of my life! 5 and a half hours...of parade! We got there about 30-45 minutes before the parade started so that we could get a good spot because they throw candy! Now, they throw serious candy...like boxes of stuff and whole candy bars. It's kind of dangerous, I got hit in the head with a candy bar and it really hurt. But it was an interesting experience for sure. The floats were pretty impressive but after a while, it just got old. Not even halfway through the parade, although it had been going on for about 2.5 hours by this point in time, some of us decided to go back to the dorm for a break and then catch the end of the parade. My family had already bailed on the parade about an hour into it and they were headed back to their hotel for awhile. After the parade was over, some of my friends and I started walking around some and found a little fair in the middle of town, so of course we participated in that and rode rides. Once we were done with fair, we started the search for food...every place was packed with people dressed up in costumes. There was music playing the streets and random, open-air, dance parties everywhere. We eventually found a little pizza place down by the Rhine that we ate in and just hung out in for a few hours. Everyone was so tired from all the Karneval festivities that after dinner we all just went to the dorm to chill for the rest of the night. I went to my parents' hotel and hung there for the rest of the night.
Overall, Karneval was a very interesting experience. Something that we definitely don't have in the States, but I was very glad to be able to experience it here!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)