Home of the French Fry

With one full week left in the Netherlands, I decided visit Belgium with my close friend Marika. We took a bus to Brugge and walked through the city for an afternoon before crashing at a cheap hostel. We got to see one of Michelangelo's only pieces that resides outside Italy- the Madonna of Bruges. On an unrelated note, the beer we drank in Belgium was the best I've ever had. Seriously, Belgian beer is incredible. My mom bought me a travel book before I left for Europe (thanks again, Mom) which I make use of very frequently. The book called Brugge a city for a "second honeymoon" because it is quaint, but with enough bars and museums to make a fulfilling trip.

Me and Marika in Brugge!

The next morning, we took a bus to Ghent which is a beautiful, student-friendly city with many canals, cobblestone streets and medieval buildings. For lunch we ate waffles which were indescribably delicious. Like, I-never-want-to-have-a-waffle-again-because-it-won't-compare delicious.

In the 90's, the Belgian government created a spot in the city where graffiti was allowed- in contrast to the rest of the city where graffiti is prohibited. Pictures of the decorated alley are below.

Werregarenstraat Graffiti 

THE waffles

Obviously had to have the Belgian fries

I don't really have much to say about either city because we didn't make use of many museums or churches- just wandered until we found an interesting building or person to talk to. However, Belgium was a wonderful country to spend a few days.

6 Cities in 9 Days!

I have gained more appreciation for certain aspects of my life since going abroad, one of which is the multitude of friends I am lucky enough to have. That being said, I couldn't have been more excited to travel with my best friend in Europe.

We began our ten-day journey in Budapest, Hungary on Thursday, May 23rd. After traveling for around 24 hours, Jess met me in the Hungarian airport where we took a metro to the city center and found our hostel. The hostel was welcoming, warm and full of happy students. We stayed at Hi-5 Partyish Hostel which I highly recommend. After a good nights sleep, we headed out to explore the city the next morning. We visited many places, including Andrassy Ut (essentially Budapest's Champs-Elysees), Heroes' Square, and Mathias Church- a picture of the diamond shaped colored tiles is below! Our last stop was one of the most popular tourist destinations in Budapest- the public baths. The Szechenyi Baths have three large pools with different temperatures, numerous other smaller pools and various facilities. We spent a large portion of the afternoon lounging in the baths before getting traditional Czech food at Kek Rozsa and feeling out the nightlife.

Szechenyi Baths

Mathias Church

 
That night the hostel organized a Ruins Bar Crawl, which was awesome. Quite a few bars in Budapest have been set up inside old, run-down buildings that used to function as tenement houses and factories. Many of the "Ruinpubs" move locations after a few years, and some are only open during the summer because there is no indoor space. Szimpla Kert (Simple Garden), one of the pubs we visited, was adorned with hundreds of plants and old furniture. One of the tables is made from an old Trabant car and a movie projector played old black-and-white films all night long.

While eating breakfast the next morning, Jess and I met two students from Iowa, Jay and Tyler ("Fox") who were studying in Germany but had traveled to Budapest for the weekend. After short introductions over coffee and cereal, the four of us headed to explore more of the city. We went to the largest market I had been to yet, walked around Buda Castle on Castle Hill and visited the House of Terror museum in Budapest (apparently not worth going to unless you utilize the audio tour- which we did not). Afterwards, our small group had dinner at the Hummus Bar (DELICIOUS) and headed back to the hostel to nap and freshen up.

View of Budapest from Castle Hill

Jay, Jess and I at the Grand Market Hall

Thanks to the hostel's organization, Jess, Jay, Fox and I went with a large group of students to a party in the baths. There is no way to fully, and vividly, describe a huge, steaming, roofless bath with hundreds of other people. Colored lights gently illuminated the whole pool and house music bounced off the walls. Drinks were allowed in the water and everyone just floated around the pool making friends and enjoying the atmosphere.

The next morning, circa 6 a.m., Jess and I hopped on a bus to Vienna. We locked our luggage at the train station and walked around the city before getting on a night train to Venice. Although exhaustion certainly had the best of us that day, Vienna was beautiful and worth visiting. Somewhere between our stop in the Vienna train station and arriving in Venice, I misplaced my camera. So, all the pictures I have on this blog post are Jess'.

Venice is probably my favorite city in Europe. The city abounds with short, winding roads that end and begin with canals. We explored Venice and went to Murano and Burano -- two islands off the main city. Murano has been the center of Venetian glass-making since the 13th century, and Burano is known for lace, brightly colored buildings and the fishing industry. According to legend, Burano fisherman painted their houses bright colors in order to easily identify them when returning home.

A view of Venice from the Rialto Bridge

Burano

After Venice, our next stop was Capri, Italy. We flew from Venice to Naples, took a bus from Naples to the Molo Beverello port, and hopped on a ferry which took us to Capri. The island was magnificent. We got lost getting to our B&B, which was much easier to find than we thought but at least we got a workout hiking our suitcases up a mountain (literally). We only had one full day in Capri, and we spent most of it enjoying the beach and Italian sun. The water was crystal clear and a bit chilly, but we didn't stay in it too long after spotting a few jellyfish. The island is famous for lemons, which was evident immediately. Lemons (fake and real) lined the entrance to stores and lemon decorated clothing, souvenirs and limoncello were available everywhere. Our last night at dinner the waiter gave Jess and I shots of limoncello made with fruit from his garden. Boy, that stuff was like candy.

Caprese Salad!

The next stop was Rome, which we also managed to squeeze into one day. I know that seems impossible, but if you don't have the desire to stare at old buildings for hours, seeing the majority of Rome in one day isn't all that difficult. We bought a 24 hour metro pass to save time walking, and metro-hopped to all the major sites. At the end of the day, we visited the Vatican where we happened upon a sort-of mass. I don't think it was a traditional mass, because I have been to many, but the service was in Italian so I could be mistaken. Hundreds of people, including Jess and I, lit colored candles and repeated prayers. Pope Francis was seated about 20 rows in front of us, which made the ceremony even more exciting.

The Colosseum

Trevi Fountain

The Vatican

We slept in the airport Friday night, and took an early flight to Amsterdam.

After walking around for a few hours and venturing through the red light district, we ended our day in Amsterdam early and arrived in Nijmegen Saturday evening. Jess and I toured Nijmegen before she left for Ireland on Tuesday to visit one of her childhood friends. Jay (who we met in Budapest) came to visit later that week, and Jess returned to Nijmegen on Thursday before she and Jay both left Friday- Jess to the US and Jay back to Germany. The trip with Jess was a success, minus my camera mishap. But since the only real damage in that sense was to my wallet, everything turned out okay.

Firenze

A few weeks ago I went to visit one of my friends from UNC, Gillian Cronin, who is studying in Florence. I took a flight from Dusseldorf, Germany into Pisa where Gillian met me at the airport. We walked around Pisa for about an hour- mostly just to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa and quickly check out the city (which is very small). The Leaning Tower was really neat and hysterically titled. There is no way that thing is safe to walk up.

Later the same afternoon we took a train from Pisa to Cinque Terre, one of the revered beaches in Northern Italy. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't great and my pictures didn't look like the postcards (how sad). However, the towns were beautiful and I got my first glimpse of an ocean in about 10 months, so I was happy.

I spent the next two days in Florence with Gillian, who was a wonderful host. After living in the city for a few months, Gillian knew her way around really well and was able to take me for quick, efficient tours in various parts of the city. We had great weather (aside from a random thunderstorm) and I purchased a lovely leather jacket that I now guard with my life (mostly because my life savings are invested in it).

The food was incredible. And I really mean incredible. I got bruschetta quite a few times, and had the most delicious pasta of my life- gnocchi with a truffle sauce. Dante's Restaurant served the best meal I ate while in Italy, and they offer unlimited wine for students... talk about a sweet deal!

Gillian and I at Dante's 

My gnocchi! 

Gillian and her flatmates were required by their university in Florence to get a museum card which (after paying a flat fee) let them into museums and various other educational venues in Florence for free. One of Gillian's flatmates was generous enough to let me borrow her card, and we went to the Galleria degli Uffizi and to the Boboli Gardens at the Pitti Palace where I took the picture below. We also saw the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio and of course the beautiful Ponte Vecchio.

Spring break with the best mom in the world!

Sorry for the lack of posts! I’ve been traveling and busy with midterms (yes, I’m actually doing some schoolwork) and my poor blog has been neglected.

Last week for my spring break my mom came and visited me in Europe. We met in Paris on Saturday morning and spent a few days in the city. I really like the city, but I do think it’s slightly overrated. I think there are places in Italy, Switzerland, and various other countries that are just as romantic and exciting. However, the baked goods in France are to die for. My mom and I tried a chocolate croissant a day into our trip, which was a day too late. We got at least one croissant a day for our remaining time in Paris. The weather wasn’t great, but thankfully we went up the Eiffel Tower on the sunniest morning and managed to snap some good pictures.

 

Sacre Coeur

No caption needed

View from the Eiffel Tower!

We didn’t go to the Lourve, which was fine with me because I don’t really fancy museums and the Mona Lisa is (in my expert opinion) rather ugly. However, we did to go to the Musee d'Orsay to see Monet's water lilies and visit the “Love Lock” bridge in Paris – formally known as the Pont de l’Archeveche.

Our journey in Switzerland took us to Luzern and Interlaken. Luzern was an adorable small town – famous for a medieval bridge and flocks of swans which arrived in the 17^th century as a gift from Louis XIV thanking Switzerland for protection the Swiss guards gave him.

Interlaken was just as beautiful as I remember it. Nothing more needs to be said about this place except if you ever get the chance to go – without hesitation, do it.

We took a train to Jungfrau, which is the third-highest mountain in the Bernese Alps. Snow and wind severely limited our view from the top, but looking out the train window on the way up the mountain more than made up for it.

At the top of Jungfrau! 

From Interlaken we went back to Basel where we boarded a night train. The night train was really cool – we each had our own bed in a little cabin to catch some much-needed sleep. For our last major travel day we spent a few hours walking around Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. The canals really beautified the city, but it was a little too touristy for my taste. 

We got back to Nijmegen Thursday night and I went home after my mom went on her way to a nearby B&B. The next day I took her around Nijmegen and we got lunch at my favorite spot: Bagels and Beans (how American – I know).

Saturday we went to Keukenhof (“kitchen garden” in Dutch) in the Netherlands. The country itself is known largely for tulips, but the gardens have hundreds of different flowers. According to the Keukenhof official website, seven million flower bulbs are planted every year. The gardens are only open from mid-March to mid-May but the recommended time to go is mid-April. 

The next blog post will arrive within the next few days. Stay tuned. 

España

Spanish culture is a part of my daily life in the Netherlands, and this is why:

Through my flatmate Javi I met another ten (give or take a few) Spanish Erasmus students. Together, the boys make up a wonderful camaraderie of friends who eat, hang out, and play futbol together – and invite anyone and everyone to join them. A few days into my stay here, Javi invited me to have dinner with his friends. They eat at about 10pm which is, as they commonly joke, “Spanish time.” The location switches from house to house, and the host is responsible for cooking the meal. Often, the host prepares a Spanish omelet – mostly eggs, onions and potatoes but I think it’s the perfect combination of an American breakfast and a casserole dinner. 

I encourage you all to try it: http://spanishfood.about.com/od/tapas/r/tortilla.htm

Sometimes the other Spanish guests bring an addition to the meal, anything from bread or ham to canned pineapple (Javi brought that once for ‘dessert’). But bringing nothing is also completely acceptable. 

If we go into the city for the night, the Spanish crowd stays out until at least five in the morning. They go to bed after the sun comes up and sleep well into the afternoon. However, there is a method to the madness: breakfast is eaten before going to sleep, so when they get up in the afternoon it’s time for lunch (according to Spanish time) and no meals have been skipped. My Spanish friends don’t sleep any longer than the rest of us, their ‘eight hours’ of sleep are just on a completely different time table.

The Spanish boys share everything, between themselves but also everyone else. Javi told me he had 12 bikes before clarifying that the majority of them (he actually has multiple bikes in random locations around the city) do not belong to him. The Spaniards frequently leave their room doors open and pop over to each other’s flats to get various items, ranging from food to mattresses to tool sets. Although I have somewhat of a limited perspective, I find this a reflection of the generosity which dominates Spanish culture. My personal experience has shown that American people often view their possessions as "mine" or define items by who owns them. This is not to say that Americans don't share or are not generous, but it's not the same as some European cultures -- where generosity is expected, not revered. 

Me and Javi

My flatmate Javi – who says I can call him Harry or anything else I prefer – is definitely a character. He is gregarious, comical, helpful, and extremely lively. The other day I was on the phone and he yelled to me from across the flat, “Kasey, are you on your mobile?” I said “yes Javi” and he said “Oh, I understand everything!” I responded “that’s great Javi” and he joyously added “Ah – yes! That is very good for me!” (Note to self: Don’t talk about Javi on the phone unless you want him to hear it).  His English is mediocre, but his lack of vocabulary and poor grammar is one of his most endearing qualities. A few days ago I spent quite a while trying to explain the difference between pronouncing “shit” and “sit” – a necessary discrepancy because he frequently tries to insult something by calling it “sit.” His English has improved drastically since moving in with us, because obviously Connor, Janii and I cannot communicate together in any other language. Although I cannot accurately convey how hysterical Javi is in words, I can assure you that, without exception, he makes me laugh at least once a day. 

Also, Americans are not at all patriotic compared to the Spanish. The boys brought Spanish flags with them, know an incredible amount of Spanish history, and randomly break out into Spanish anthems. Most of them have shown me pictures of their home city, and I've seen countless YouTube clips of futbol matches, bullfighting (which I hate) and Spanish festivals. When someone mentions Spain in a conversation at least one Spaniard says immediately "my country!" The loud, immediate reaction mimics elephants in cartoons when children pull their tails.

How I would describe the Spanish people I have met thus far in one word: passionate. Incredibly, ferociously passionate. 

A little taste of Switzerland..

Last week I went to Switzerland with three of my friends who are also studying at Radboud University in Nijmegen. 

Me, Marika, Kelly and Emily (from left to right)

We flew into Basel, Switzerland on Wednesday evening and immediately hopped on a train to Interlaken where we spent the next few days. We arrived at Interlaken around one in the morning, greeted by some soft snow and a dimly lit, quiet city. Thankfully, Interlaken is small and we managed to find the hostel after only about fifteen minutes of walking. We stayed at Balmers Hostel for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night and I only have positive things to say about our experience. The place was clean, very convenient, affordable, welcoming and (no pun intended) accommodating. I cannot emphasize enough how much we enjoyed our stay.

On Wednesday we woke up to a snowy, cold city. We walked around for most of the day with short visits to coffee shops and cute little stores. We also visited Lake Thun, one of the two lakes surrounding Interlaken. We toured the Schuh chocolate factory on Wednesday -- a must-do because Switzerland is infamous for its chocolate. In general, Switzerland is very expensive so both Thursday and Friday night we bought food at the grocery store and cooked dinner in the hostel. We each paid about 4 Swiss Francs – the exchange rate is similar to the dollar so it was only about $4.50. As a little price comparison, a Big Mac in McDonalds is 11.50 Swiss Francs! Just a Big Mac! No fries or drink… I still don’t think I’ve gotten over how ridiculous that is. I told one of the McDonalds employees that I was shocked by the prices because at home (my accent clearly indicates where my home is) the food is half as expensive. He told me that although the food prices are double, the wages are about triple – a McDonalds employee gets paid the equivalent of about $24 an hour.

Downtown Interlaken

Lake Thun

Lake Thun 

Schuh Chocolate Factory

On Friday we spent some time in the city before going canyon jumping during the afternoon. I was really excited all morning -- not much of a surprise because I’ve always loved similar adrenaline-inducing activities. It cost about $140, but each penny was well spent. We enjoyed the majority of the afternoon in the Swiss Alps and the weather was stunning so we had the pleasure of soaking in absolutely majestic landscapes. After we got back, the four of us took a short trip to the lake opposite Lake Thun, called Lake Brienz. The turquoise lake, bordered by snow-capped mountains and thick green trees, could not have been more beautiful. The pictures we took really do not do the scene justice. Friday night, just as Thursday night, we visited the bar “Metro” which was in the basement of our hostel – again, incredibly convenient.

Ziggy -- greatest guide ever

Ready to go!

Lake Brienz

Saturday morning pleased us with similar beautiful weather and we took another trip to Lake Thun, bought a snack (in the form of a giant piece of cake) at the chocolate factory and shopped for a few souvenirs. Around 3pm, we got on a train to Basel. Outside the train windows, the views were absolutely picturesque.

After getting Kelly and Emily settled at their hostel, the four of us went to meet Joao, who Marika and I were going to stay with. I found Joao on couchsurfing.com, a website dedicated to setting up travelers with hosts. Although it is somewhat of a foreign concept to Americans (no pun intended), couch surfing is common in Europe as well as in other parts of the world. In general, the hosts simply enjoy meeting people and are fellow travelers – they host with no expectation of compensation, including money. Joao could not have been more hospitable. He had clean blankets and sheets for Marika and I, offered us everything in his home, and provided information about Basel which could only come from a local. Upon arriving at his house, he gave all four of us pizza and champagne. He also had a friend over, Martin, who was just as friendly. As is common per initiating conversation in Europe, Martin asked me where I was from. As we continued talking, I was shocked to learn that he graduated from UNC! This was the only point during the night at which I felt mildly uncomfortable because I couldn’t help but wonder if he had Facebook stalked me and in an attempt to be appealing, was making his own story mirror mine. However, he had pictures of UNC on his phone and when I questioned him (with the explanation that I thought he was lying and trying to kidnap me) he listed some of his favorite restaurants and bars (for any TarHeels reading this, his list included Top of the Hill and He's Not). The six of us (Martin, Joao, and our group of four) went to Martin’s friend’s 30th birthday party which turned out to be a large group of Swiss, German and other European adults. I got the chance to ask them questions about living in Switzerland and traveling around Europe. I thought it was very nice to be able to get a real taste of the culture, rather than just visit city bars. However, we did venture to the bars after the party to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Before returning to Joao’s, Marika and I stopped by Martin’s flat where I had the pleasure of seeing his UNC diploma on the wall. What a strange feeling to see something so familiar so very far away from home!

The four of us, Joao and Martin

Sunday morning Marika and I dragged ourselves out of bed and toured the small city of Basel. Although the weather wasn’t great, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves – we got through the day with coffee and a delicious plate of Swiss gnocchi. 

Basel bridge

The four of us met up on the bus to the airport, where we flew back from Basel to Dusseldorf. My flatmate Connor, who was gracious enough to drive us to the airport, also picked us up. I got home and went immediately to the Irish Pub in Nijmegen to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with my friends from ‘home.’ I could only handle about an hour so I went back to my flat fairly quickly to catch some much-needed rest. All in all, Switzerland is an incredible country, and Interlaken is probably the most beautiful place I will ever go.

A few neat things about Switzerland (all of which I learned on my trip):

• The water fountains on the street, which are intricately designed and quite pretty, have a smaller pool at the bottom for dogs to drink
• Swiss money is beautiful – it’s brightly colored and the people on it are famous artists, contrary to many currencies which display politicians (how boring!)
•  If you are caught riding your bike drunk, your drivers license can be revoked
• Past 10pm, in most Swiss cities, there are “quiet hours” until morning. Relatively loud noises can be a legitimate reason for someone to call the cops 
• Switzerland has over 1500 lakes, so at any point in Switzerland you are never more than ten miles from one of them!
• The average Swiss person consumes 23lbs of chocolate per year compared to the 11.7lbs eaten by Americans.