Tales of a Vagabond

Pictures

katiekimberling — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:11:00 GMT

It's incredibly time consuming and frustrating to upload pictures to my journal. If you'd like to see some, check out Devin's journal. We've decided to combine our efforts: I write more detailed stories, and he posts lots of pictures. What a team!

journals.worldnomads.com/devinashley

Back to Civilization

katiekimberling — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:45:00 GMT

After leaving Budapest, we headed for Bucharest, Romania. We took another night train and ended up riding with a couple of Canadian girls who were going to visit some family. The ride was incredibly long, we didn't get to Bucharest until 2:30 in the afternoon. As soon as we stepped off the train we immediately regretted the decision to go to Bucharest. The first thing I noticed was how dirty the people were. They were wearing mismatched clothes and had dirty hands and feet. Gross. We only had one afternoon to tour the city before our night train, so we set out for the city on foot. About five blocks into our walk we were both comparing Bucharest to nasty Mexico. It was hot, and we were scared to walk around in some of the neighborhoods. Thirty minutes later we were back at the train station...

We were hungry, but we didn't really want to risk the cheap street vendor food which is normally my first choice for a meal. We ended up getting some McDonalds at the train station. It was the only air conditioned building for miles, so we took our time eating. I spied a pharmacy across the terminal and made a beeline for some itch cream. Luckily the woman at the counter spoke broken English, and I was able to communicate by showing her my red bumps and scratching. I couldn't read the directions, so I prayed that slathering the gel onto my skin would do the trick. It worked, although at this point the bites are so numerous that it would take a gallon of the stuff to fix me. I decided that I would find some lice shampoo and coat my entire body and use it as laundry detergent. If it's strong enough to kill lice, surely it's strong enough to get rid of whatever I have. Unfortunately, Europeans don't seem to know what it is. I've been to every pharmacy from Romania to Greece, and it's nowhere to be found.

After spending hours in McDonalds, Devin decided he needed to use the restroom. He paid and disappeared down the stairs while I watched our bags. Quite a while later he reappear, smelling of sewage, and describing in great detail the cleanliness of the facility. Eastern Europe makes Port-A-Potties look like Mr. Clean. We decided that McDonalds was the nicest place in town and headed back and ordered some icecream so that we could sit there a few more hours until our train came. Thank God it did. We boarded and were in a cabin with Thomas from Germany and Marjorie from Quebec. It started out quite steamy, but I woke up in the middle of the night freezing. Europeans should really think about adopting the American system of temperature control. I guess that's what you get for making last minute reservations in Eastern Europe.

We woke up in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was a nice place compared to where we had come from. We locked up our bags and were ready to head into the city. This time I was the one who had to use the bathroom at the train station. I figured that it couldn't be worse than Devin's experience...until I walked in and saw my toilet. It was more of a hole in the floor. The only time a woman should have to squat to relieve herself is while camping. Needless to say, I was disgusted, but I sucked it up and went.

We took a bus into town, but the toll booth wouldn't take our money. The bus driver waved us on anyway, and we got a free ride. We found a nice shopping mall and were very relieved to be back in the modern world. There was a movie theatre, so we checked out the times and vowed to come back. We walked several blocks to see the town square, churches, and relevant monuments before heading back to the mall. Devin had some more McDonalds, and I found a cafe called Bamboo where I got a fresh Greek salad and a smoothie made from fresh berries and apples, no artificial ingredients added!!! We bought tickets to Chronicals of Narnia, and much to our suprise it was in English! That didn't matter much anyway because I ended up sleeping through half of the movie, but at least the theatre was clean and had comfy reclining chairs. I used the theatre bathroom to wash my face, brush my teeth, and put up my hair. We also found a cafe and had yet another iced coffee before making our way back to the train station.

Much to my dismay, my bed on the train was a half-size top bunk. I stood in the hallway, hanging out the window, for as long as I possibly could before squeezing into my steaming hot bed, plugging my nose so I couldn't smell the guy across from me and his stinky feet. I woke up to the train conductor banging on the door, yelling, "Get your stuff, you're taking a bus to Athens." What? Our train was supposed to go directly to Athens. Five minutes later we were on the side of the road waiting for a bus. Since neither of us speak Greek, we pointed to the bus and asked, "Athina?" After a few nods, we assumed that was where we needed to be and boarded the bus. Three hours later we were dumped at the train station in downtown Athens. We made our way to the hostel and got checked in before heading out for lunch. I had yet another salad, and then we walked around Plaka, the shopping district, before taking refuge from the scorching sun. Devin and I finally got to take our first showers in four days, and it was the best shower of my life. It think I was in there for at least forty-five minutes.

Four days of no bathing obviously deserves an iced coffee, so we headed to the nearest Starbucks and replanned the remainder of our trip. We were able to fit in all of Italy, north to south, Monaco, and a little excursion to Interlaken, Switzerland, adventure capital of the world, for some skydiving. We stopped by the market and picked up some veggies, pasta, and chicken and went back to the hostel and whipped up a little dinner. We ate on the patio of our hostel and had a cold drink on the rooftop, just under the Acropolis. Sitting on the roof in Greece, looking up at the Parthenon, one of the greatest and oldest buildings in the world, all while enjoying a mojito...what more could a girl ask for? We headed to bed and sweat out our entire supply of water while listening to the sounds of the city. I love this life.

The next morning we woke up and headed out early to beat the crowds and the heat. Devin and I hiked up the Acropolis and saw the Parthenon. We walked across town and saw the Temple of Zeus, and then we walked some more to the Agora. I think we saw just about every relevant monument and building of acient times in Athens all before lunch. We got some traditional spinach pie and gyros on the way back to the hostel. I did some laundry and drank some more coffee. We pretty much took it easy and stayed in during the afternoon heat, which doesn't really matter in Athens anyway since they don't have air conditioning. We spent the eveing concocting in the kitchen again for dinner and watched the sunset from the roof. We made friends with some pretty cool Austrailians and had fun hanging out last night.

This morning we got up and made our way to the train station in order to get to Patras on the west coast of Greece. Once we got there we realized that there were no trains. The offices were closed, and the strike continued. How are we going to get out of Greece? After a little bit of searching a some ingenuity, we found a bus to Patras and a ferry from Patras to Venice, Italy. We're now sitting in an internet cafe waiting to board our ship for our mini two day cruise. It's hot, we're tired, we both itch and are covered in bites (sorry, Dev), and we were worried that we would be stuck in Greece, BUT we're not in St. Joe, and we're having the summer of our lives. I couldn't have asked for a better way to start winding down the trip.

Tonight we're off to Italy where we'll spend a couple of days in Venice, my favorite city in the world, before seeing a few more countries, castles, and culinary delights, and then we'll be headed home...maybe...

Love you all!

Hobbling Along in Eastern Europe

katiekimberling — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 02:45:00 GMT

Devin and I woke up at 2:15 in the morning in Bratislava in order to catch a train to Zagreb, Croatia. For having less than two hours of sleep the night before, we were relatively cheery. We took the night bus to the train station only find out that our train had been delayed forty-five minutes. We were not happy about getting up so early only to have to sit at the station and try to stay awake. We finally boarded the train and immediately wanted breakfast. I pulled some granola out of my magical bag of snacks (I stock up at grocery stores because Devin gets grouchy when he's hungry, so I try to feed him every few hours), and we munched away on the way to Vienna, Austria. When we got to Vienna, we only had one minute to get to the train that would take us to Zagreb. Devin took off sprinting, and I was hobbling along behind him with my sore foot and big backpack. Unfortunately, the train was two minutes ahead of the time on my watch, and we ended up having to wait two hours for the next train.

We took a walk around Vienna and watched the sun rise. When we got back to the train station, Devin immediately planted himself on the floor and sprawled out for a nap. I headed off to explore and came back forty-five minutes later only to see a security guard waking Devin from his slumber. He told us we had to move to a bench and get off the floor. It was about time for our train to come anyway, so we grabbed some lunch, at 7:30 in the morning, and boarded.

The ride to Zagreb was long, and we had to layover and change trains in Slovenia. We finally got our first real passport stamps of the trip. We were pretty excited and looked at and discussed them for at least five minutes. Nerds (maybe Devin can join our club, Kali). It was a typical train ride: we wrote in our journals, slept, and wished that the car had air conditioning.

In Zagreb we ate at a pub and had some traditional Croatian fare. I had a fried porkchop wrapped in bacon (my cholesterol has to be through the roof by now) and a salad. Devin had venison stew and dumplings. We did a little exploring after dinner before heading back and going to bed before ten o'clock. I was SO excited to be in bed that early. In fact, I didn't even get up the next morning until 8:30. That's eleven hours of sleep! We should have left early that morning because we had seen just about all we could of Zagreb and were looking for things to do. We should have gone to the coast to Split, but oh well. McDonalds in Europe is at least twenty times better than at home, so once again we ate there for lunch. My Greek burger was so big I could hardly fit it in my mouth. It was on artisan bread and tasted like it was grilled at home. Yum!

While trying to kill some time we hit up yet another sidewalk cafe for a coffee (I think I've developed a new habit. I have coffee at least twice a day. It must be the Kimberling in me...just like Grandma Ina.). It was pretty hot outside and Devin and I wanted Americanized iced coffee, so we ordered our coffee and chocolate lattes and asked the waiter to make them cold and put ice in them. He looked at us like we were crazy, but he obliged. I think that cold hot chocolate could catch on... We then walked around looking for post cards. I found a giant outdoor fruit market, and Devin couldn't hold me back. I successfully spent the rest of my Croatian korunas in five minutes and added six pounds of fruit to my bag.

We caught the train to Budapest and ended up in a compartment with six seats. All six seats were full...with big sweaty men and me. There was no air conditioning, and the sun was glaring in the window. If you've ever sat in a greenhouse on the equator at noon in the middle of August then you know what it was like. We met a couple of guys from Budapest and ended up talking to them all about the city. They told us what to go see and how to avoid the gypsies. We finally arrived in Budapest, six hours later, and made our way to the hostel. There were ticket inspectors EVERYWHERE in the subway, but luckily Devin and I never break the rules and always buy tickets. We arrived at our hostel and were pleasantly suprised by the cleanliness and awesome location.

This morning I woke up to the owner making me my morning latte. Awesome. We headed out into the city, first to the train station to reserve our beds for the train tonight. We got our subway tickets and made it all the way to the train station. We were once again stopped by the inspectors. We showed them our tickets, and they told us that they were no good. WHAT?!? We explained to them that we had just got them before boarding the subway and that we had not exited and then gotten back on the train. They then informed us that each time you switch stations that you have to buy a new ticket. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? To make things even better, they then informed us that our fine would be 6,000 forint...each. Who carries 12,000 forint on them? Seriously. Devin was slightly angry and gave the inpector a piece of his mind. We ended up paying in Euros, and made our way to the train statin where we had to wait in line for an hour. Lovely morning.

We explored the city from East to West and walked the entire way. We stopped at a restaraunt in a back alley (they always have the best, most traditional food, and the lowest prices) for lunch where I had turkey with a wonderful red sauce, probably made with paprika and some type of vegetable soup/casserole with potatoes, cabbage, and onions. We continued our trek to the Danube river and crossed the Chain Bridge. What a beautiful city! The architecture is so intricate and unlike any we've see so far. We've gotten pretty far east, and the Turkish inluence is quite noticeable. Budapest is my favorite city of the trip so far. I have great hopes for Greece, and Venice is still my favorite city in the world. By the time we made it back to our hostel to pick up our bags we were incredibly sweaty and tired. I asked the owner if we could take a quick shower before heading out. He told us we could pay a small fee and stay until our train tonight. We payed, showered, and are now using the internet trying to catch up with email, facebook, and our blogs. There's no time for pictures today, but I wanted to get in an update. We'll be on night trains for the next three nights (that shower on Monday will feel great) so we won't have internet access.

Also, somewhere along the way I have acquired some type of bed bug. I have bites all over my body, and I itch like you wouldn't believe. Devin says it's because Europeans are boring and bland and I must be like them so that's why I'm being eaten alive and he isn't. I think it's because I'm sophisticated and cultured like Europeans and that's why they like me. Hmmm, I wonder why they aren't eating you, Devin?

Time to run! We've got a night train to catch, and we've got to make sure to take our time and buy the correct subway tickets so we don't get fined again.

Quick Update

katiekimberling — Wed, 9 Jul 2008 06:03:00 GMT

I'll write a full story as soon as I get to a place where I can use the computer for a while, but in the meantime: a quick update.

After leaving Poland, Devin and I headed to Prague, Czech Republic. My foot was hurting terribly, and it had started to swell and become red. I tried to ignore it, but it just kept getting worse. We ended up staying in Prague for three nights and going to the hospital. The doctor looked at my foot and suggested that I might have a stress fracture. After some xrays, it was determined that I have inflammation of the tendons which is agitated by constantly walking around with my heavy backpack. I was prescribed some medication to help with the inflammation as well as a topical cream for pain. It's feeling better, but I have to keep it wrapped and walk slowly so it doesn't act up again.

This morning we came to Bratislava, Slovakia. We were met a the train station by a girl asking if we needed a hostel. We told her that we had one picked out and would be heading that way, but she told us that they were probably full and we should come with her. Her hostel would give us a free cab ride. We settled on a price before leaving the station, and then we got in the cab with a driver who spoke no English and hoped that we would arrive alive. Our "hostel" is either an old dorm or a dilapidated hotel. Our room is musty and smells like it has been shut up for quite some time. We even have some roommates. They a small, black, and scatter when the lights are turned on. Devin and I decided that we should treat ourselves to a nice dinner and a bottle of wine since our hostel is so gross. Bratislava is actually very nice. We're a little worried that we're going to be kidnapped as we sleep tonight since our door doesn't lock from the inside. Just kidding...about being kidnapped. Our door really doesn't lock.

We're off to Zagreb, Croatia at four in the morning. Hopefully we'll have some time to add pictures and more updates then. The pictures take forever to upload, so unless it's something you really should see, I probably won't post too many. Check Devin's journal for pictures.

Hope everyone is having fun back in the USA. We're loving our trip, but it sure will be nice to have our own beds and bathrooms back and stop living out of a backpack while wearing clothes that haven't been washed in quite some time. Love you all!

Heading East

katiekimberling — Fri, 4 Jul 2008 05:32:00 GMT

I woke up to the rocking back and forth of the ferry. We were headed to Kiel, Germany, and we were both feeling a little sea sick. Yuck. I grabbed a cup of hot tea and walked the decks of the boat, watching the sun rise before anyone else was up for the day. After landing in Germany, Devin and I headed to the train station. I saw a man selling fresh raspberries, and I just had to get some for breakfast.

We changed trains in Hamburg at lunch time, and Devin decided he needed a hamburger from Hamburg. He got Burger King, and I opted for the cheaper chinese noodles. The train to Berlin was hot, and we were both dozing off the entire ride. Our travel is beginning to catch up with us.

After arriving in Berlin, we found a hostel and ended up getting separate rooms (don't worry, we're not ready to kill eachother yet, they just didn't have two spots together). We claimed our beds and began our planning for the day. I saw an ad for the Blue Man Group, and I knew that Devin would love the show, so we went and bought tickets. With the time we had before the show we walked around and checked out some of the Berlin Wall. We followed the wall down to Brandenburg Gate and saw the memorial for the six million Jews killed during WWII. On the way back to the theatre we spotted a Haagen Daaz, and we stopped for a little treat.

The Blue Man Group was awesome! The music and the lights are incredible. After the show Devin played hackey sack with one of the men and then got his head stamped with a blue handprint. We walked back to the hostel for some much needed sleep. To my suprise, when I walked in my room there was someone sleeping in my bed! How rude! I climbed up on the top bunk and went to sleep without any sheets because the girl in my bed had mine.

Breakfast in the morning was typical. We headed out for the day and saw all the educational sights. I got my passport stamped ten times at Checkpoint Charlie! After eating yet another kabob, Devin's new favorite food, for lunch, I bought our dinner: apples, pears, and cherries. I keep feeding Devin fruit, and he keeps forcing kabobs down my throat. Hopefully between the two we're getting adequate nutrients. HA!

We went to the train station to wait for our ride to Krakow, Poland. We met some very interesting characters. Three guys from Argentina: Yanni, Esteban, and Nano. They were traveling the world for one year. Nano had already spent five months in India before meeting up with his friends. He WALKED from India to Paris! We had some cheese and wine and listened to Nano play his guitar and sing while waiting for the train. After boarding, we met two more people and had them all crammed in our car for wine and music.

By morning we were ready for a shower and a comfortable hostel in Krakow. We found a hostel right across from the train station. Not only were we able to check in, but they offered us breakfast, showers, and set us up with a tour to the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. We headed out for the day to the camp. It's humbling to see the place where so many people were tortured and killed. Devin and I were very tired, and we were glad to get back to the hostle for a free dinner. We had a traditional cold Polish soup, similar to gazpacho, made with beets. It's actually hot pink! Tonight we're attempting to catch up on journals and get some quality sleep. Tomorrow it's off to Prague!

Gallery: Scandinavia

katiekimberling — Thu, 3 Jul 2008 20:13:00 GMT

A Whirlwind Journey Up North

Sailing Scandinavia

katiekimberling — Thu, 3 Jul 2008 19:23:00 GMT

After leaving the plush comfort of Kent and Leslie's apartment in Amsterdam, Devin and I boarded a night train headed for Copenhagen, Denmark. School just let out for the summer in Europe, so all the trains were pretty much booked solid. We ended up paying a pretty penny for a pretty nice private sleeper car. It's so strange to get on a train and have a room with a bed and sink. We showered on the train too. In the morning there was breakfast, brought right to our door. Who would have thought that we'd get room service, complete with drink orders? Speaking of drink orders, I've really gotten used to having hot chocolate for breakfast every morning. I'm pretty sure that most of the milk we've been drinking is whole though. I can hear my arteries choking from the excess of fat and cholesterol.

We were really excited to hit Denmark, the first country of our Scandinavian adventure. Too bad it was pouring down rain. We stood in line at the ATM for twenty minutes, only to be disappointed with the terrible exchange rate and sky high prices. We were warned that Norway was even worse! Luckily we had rain jackets. We walked through the streets of Copenhagen with our backpacks covered in plastic ponchos. I'm sure we looked like a couple of hobos. You know, the kind that your parents warn you to stay away from. After walking a while, we heard bells and whistles in the distance. We were suprised when several bus loads of college students drinking beer and wearing sailor uniforms stormed the statue in the middle of the square and began screaming in celebration. Apparently they had just graduated from college, and this was their way of celebrating. This went on all day, and every once in a while during our five mile hike to the ferry port we could hear them in the distance.

Also on the way to the ferry, we saw a gaggle of gaurds headed to the royal palace for the changing of the gaurd. We follwed them several blocks until they turned off on a side street. Hans Christian Andersen, the fairytale author, is from Copenhagen as well, and there is a famous statue of the Little Mermaid. Unfortunately, this is not the Disney version, sorry Marge, but we stopped to take a look nonetheless. She was pretty small and slightly disappointing, but we had made it to the harbor by this point, so we were headed in the right direction.

After some more walking (I'm starting to get some killer calves) we finally made it. One small problem: we hadn't booked our ferry in advance, and there were no spots left. We took our chances and went on standby. Five minutes later we had a room. We boarded the "ferry" and quickly realized that we were on more of a cruise ship than just a simple boat. Since we had already spent more than we should have and were on the cruise, we decided to top it off with the all you can eat buffet. Trust me, we ate until nothing else would fit inside our stomachs. Then we opened up our day packs and snuck a few more meals inside. We grabbed all the bread and fruit that we could fit. Devin thought that it would be a good idea to get some fish too. I refused to make my bag smell like seafood counter at your local HyVee. Off to the deck we headed to watch the sunset at 11:00 at night. We can't get used to the long days here. It's full on sun at 5:00 in the morning and light until past bedtime.

We woke up in Oslo, Norway where we vowed to spend no more. We trekked through town, seeing the sights along the way. The scenery is incredible! The mountains come right out to the sea, and the sun is warm and the air cool. We jumped on a train for Goteborg, Sweden. We were both exhausted. I fell asleep on Devin's shoulder. He woke up when he felt my drool running down his arm. Sorry, Dev! After transferring to a bus, the rail line was under construction, we arrived in Goteborg. Yet another long walk lead us to the ghetto and our hostel. As we were laying in bed that night, we looked out the window and realized that the sun was still up at 11:30. Since we had eaten nothing but bread that day, we went to bed dreaming of eggs in the morning.

We made ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches in the morning from the items we found at breakfast. Goteborg is nice, but there really isn't a whole lot to do, so we loitered in the ferry station for a few hours before another long hike to see the statue of Poseidon built for the 1923 World Expo. Protein bars for lunch again, and then we hiked to the ferry. The walk was long and hot, and of course I was getting grouchy. I rightfully earned the name Scorpion Woman from Devin. Our luck changed when we got to the ferry. We had paid for the cheapest below deck room possible. However, when we were given our room keys we noticed the tag "comfort class." Apparently we had been upgraded to the private top deck, free of charge. Let's just say that we were not lacking in amenities. We enjoyed our journey on the sun deck. It was so windy that I could lean all the way forward and spread my arms like I was flying, and the wind held me up. Awesome.

We arrived in Kiel, Germany. We're back to the Euro and back to smaller prices. It's off to Belin and then to Eastern Europe. Our whirlwind tour of Scandinavia was tiring, and we're ready for a day or two of R&R.

Gallery: Somewhere North of France

katiekimberling — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:58:00 GMT

Belgium and Netherlands

Mussels in Brussels

katiekimberling — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:06:00 GMT

While sitting in the lobby of the Van Gogh Youth Hostel in Brussels, Belgium, Devin and I encountered a couple of guys from San Diego named Ray and Charles, not to be confused with Ray Charles. After spending the evening hanging out on the patio, we made plans for the next morning and hit the sack.

Breakfast consisted of carbs, carbs, and more carbs: bread, cornflakes, juice, and an assortment of sugary jams and Nutella. Yuck. We locked up our bags and headed into the city in hopes of changing our negative views of Brussels. The Belgians are famous for their beer and chocolate, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with a chocolate beer. It was suprisingly good, much like a tootsie roll. I had a hankering for mussels, another specialty of the region, but the boys weren't too excited. After much debate, I finally convinced them to grab some for lunch. I wasn't suprised when they all enjoyed their meals.

Devin and I headed to Antwerp after lunch, and when we got there were amazed by the number of orthodox jews riding bicycles. Everywhere we looked there were men with long sausage curls and black top hats. We finally found our hostel and took a much needed nap. There wasn't much to look at in Antwerp, so we decided to leave the next morning. Before leaving Belgium I wanted to try the famous waffle. I got one and topped it with icecream and chocolate for dinner. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I had also read about a local "specialty" called the currywurst. Of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do as the locals do, so I ate one. Only later did I find out that it consists of pork, beef, chicken, and horse meat. It's not just "meat" though. The currywurst is actually made from brains and testicles mushed together and deep fried. I'll try anything once, but in the case of the currywurst, I might just try it again. It was actually quite good if you can get over the fact that it's made from things most people would rather not think about.

On we went to Amsterdam. On the train, a man sat down next to Devin and I. He pulled out his iPOD and speakers and blasted 90s rap, cracked open a beer, and started rolling a joint. I couldn't believe my eyes! Once we got to Amsterdam I was even more shocked. There are "coffee shops" all over the city where you can just hang out and smoke weed. Luckily, Devin's old youth pastor, Kent, lives nearby and let us crash with him. We're out of here tomorrow evening, and the train couldn't leave soon enough. I'm shocked and appalled at this city.

This afternoon we took a trip to a nearby traditional Dutch town. There is a cocoa mill nearby, and the air smells like chocolate. Yummy! We saw lots of windmills too. After a demonstration of how wooden shoes are made, I tried on a pair. They were just as I expected: as uncomfortable as they are ugly. We tried many types of cheese and panakooks, or traditional Dutch pancakes, for lunch.

I'm pretty sure that my bladder has grown to twice its normal size. Apparently, there is a shortage of water and public restrooms in Europe. You have to pay to use the toilet, and water is never free. We've gotten really good at filling up our camelbaks in hostel showers and holding it all day. It's probably not healthy, but at least it's cheap.

I'm off to bed. One more night of plush comfort before more cheap hostels and trains. The restless life of a nomad is starting to take its toll...

Link to Devin's Journal

katiekimberling — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:15:00 GMT

journals.worldnomads.com/devinashley

Gallery: From Andorra to Paris to Luxembourg

katiekimberling — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:23:00 GMT

Andorra, France, and Luxembourg

Number 15

katiekimberling — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:47:00 GMT

Not long after my last post, I used Facebook to find Grant's address and Mapquest to get directions. Devin and I then took a stab at figuring out the closest subway stop, and off we went. After sitting in front of the building in which we were hoping that Grant lives, for forty-five minutes, I saw him walking down the street. Of course I immediately tackeled him and he picked me up and tossed me around. Devin and I were tired and ready to dump our bags. Much to our dismay, Grant lives on the eighth floor, and it is exactly 130 stairs to his floor straight up a tiny spiral staircase. This is not an easy feat carrying a 50 pound backpack! Up we went to Grant's 36 square foot apartment. It took us exactly two minutes to get to the top. Let's just say that we all got to know eachother VERY well.

We headed out in search of the Eiffel Tower, Arc du Triumph, and Nutella crepes (that was my idea). We had dinner sitting on the banks of the Seine River while watching the sunset.

The next day, Devin and I headed 300 feet below the city of Paris to explore the Catacombs: rock quarries dating back to the 1700s which were turned into mass grave sites after disease spread through the city because of corpses rotting in the cemeteries. We met back up with Grant and went to the market in search of fruit and baguettes for a picnic in front ofthe Louvre. Paris was great, and I am glad we got to see Grantly!

The next morning Devin and I headed out for Luxembourg. After getting off the train, we found a hotel just a couple of blocks away. After sleeping on the floor of a tiny apartment, we made sure to get a BIG bed. We wandered the streets of the city and thought it was strange that not many people were out and about. It just so happens that the king was throwing himself a HUGE birthday party that night, and everyone must have been resting up for the festivities. Devin and I headed into town for the festival. We ate dinner on the patio at Chi-Chi's (apparently the mexican restaurant has gone global). As we were finishing up dinner, it started raining cats and dogs. Luckily we were partially shielded by an umbrella! The rain let up, and like a dog being called by a silent whistle, Devin heard the distant beat of techno, and just like that, we were on our way to a dance party. It was crazy! We finished off the night with some wine from Luxembourg and a fireworks show.

Today we grabbed breakfast before some serious repacking. The tables were turned, and Devin was the one waiting on me to finish for once. We hopped on the train and ended up in Brussles, Belgium. That's country number five for the trip and number fifteen total for both of us! So far I'm not impressed with this filthy city. I think tonight we're headed out in search of the famous Belgian waffle. Perhaps that could change my mind!

On our Own

katiekimberling — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Well, the students went home, and we are running around Europe like a couple of chickens with their heads cut off. We left the hotel in Barcelona and got on a train headed for La Tour de Carol, France. Unfortunately, the tracks were being worked on, and we were told to get off the train and transfer to a bus. There were two girls that were supposed to do the same, but they got off one village too soon. The conductor told us that there were no more trains that day. I wonder what happened to them?

We got on a bus playing Pink Flloyd music and drove to a tiny village in the Pyrenees called Puigcerda. It was really bizarre. There were lots of buildings and very few people. We did not know when or if the next bus would come. Luckily, another bus did come, and when we got off we were in another small town full of rude people. We boarded one final bus, and we got off in Andorra. Mostly it was just another passport stamp that we were after, but we ended up loving Andorra.

The town of Andorra la Vella in nestled in a valley in the peaks of the Pyrenees. There are police on every corner, and the town is spotless. Everyone is very well dressed in name brands and drives a fancy car or motorcycle.

Dev and I decided that we should start the adventure with a nice dinner, so we went to a mountain lodge type restaraunt. They served us marinated olives which we proceeded to eat with a knife and fork. Andorra is too good for finger food. We had pizza and a bottle of merlot. We sat and chatted for qutie a while before heading back to the hotel.

The next morning Devin went to the Cigar Shop, and I hit the local market in search of fresh fruit and bread. I was even able to find peanut butter. I have a feeling that I will never eat another peanut butter and apple sandwich again after this trip. At least it is easy to pack and cheap too. I have been using my finger to spread the peanut butter and a wine bottle opener to cut up the apples.

We had to get to Toulouse so that we could catch a train to Paris. The only way was a bus that cost us €62. Yikes! The drive was beautiful even though the bus was more like a small van with no air conditioning. We rode with a crazy driver who I was just sure was actually taking us to Bratislava, a man named Mauricio who had lived in California for six years and his traveling companion, a french teacher, and a couple of Canadian backpackers.

When we got to Toulouse we decided to follow the Canadians on the night train to Paris. Once we got our tickets we realized that we were headed to a different station than the one where Grant is meeting us. We sat waiting for seven hours before finally getting on the train and sleeping all the way to Paris. Now we are sitting in an internet cafe trying to figure out how to find Grant. I hope we find him soon!

Gallery: Spain in a Nutshell

katiekimberling — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 07:17:00 GMT

Northeast Spain

Spain in a Nutshell

katiekimberling — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:32:00 GMT

Hola! Since fist arriving in Spain, we have traveled throughout the northeast. In Madrid we visited the Prado and Retiro Park, where Chris proposed to Morgan Beggs. She said yes. I ate some pork elbow , and I accidentally found the street of prostitutes while looking for some postcards. We visited the Valley of the Fallen to see the world´s largest cross (490 feet tall) and the grave of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. Gas is €1.24 per liter, or about $7.50 per gallon. That explains the abundance of scooters and motorcycles! I´ve seen enough churches and cathedrals to last a lifetime, although today in Barcelona we visited Segrada Familia. It was started in 1882 and still isn´t completed. The designer, Gaudi, was way ahead of his time. Even now it looks so surreal. The buiding reminds me of Willy Wonka´s candy factory. On the way to Barcelona we also hit Segovia, Burgos, and San Sebastian. In San Sebastian we walked along the beach promenade for a night into town. We saw the site of the Festival of San Fermin and the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. Devin thought it would be a good idea to come back and run with them. I´ve got some thread and a needle, and I could probably stitch him up with minimal scarring. Just kidding! We´ll be in Scandinavia by then anyway.

I did my first load of ¨laundry¨ in the bathtub. This could be one long, smelly summer! We didn´t have a clothesline, so I improvised by tying some rope to a couple of carabiners and stringing it across the room. It worked out pretty well. The boys have begun calling me Mom since I have assumed the role of caretaker.

We´ve done so much and seen so many culturally relevant things, but I haven´t even begun to explain them all. After the next two days, Devin and I will be on our own and should have more access to internet cafes. I´ll be sure to post often (at least while in Western Europe). In the meantime, I´ll be taking long baths and washing my hair multiple times.

I´m going to attempt to post some pictures, but this internet connection is incredibly slow.

Gallery: Madrid

katiekimberling — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:00:00 GMT

The Journey Begins

katiekimberling — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:00:00 GMT

We made it to Spain! After downing some NyQuil so that I could sleep on the plane, we finally arrived in Madrid. What a beautiful city! There are so many old buildings, statues, and well-dressed people. Madrid is the number one city in the world for the number of trees planted.

For my first meal in Spain, I chose local dishes: gazpacho, veal lasagna, and flan. Yum! I feel as if we´ve already walked one-hundred miles. I´m beginning to regret bringing so much stuff. Even after eliminating half of the things I had planned to bring, I think I´m going to dump more along the way.

Today we visited the Prado Museum and saw works by Velazquez and Goya. For lunch we headed to a local restaurant when I orded bull tail. It was interesting to say the least. When my plate arrived, it had some rather large vertebrae with fatty meat on them. I didn´t think it was terrible, but I can´t say that I´d order it again. Nonetheless, so far I´ve enjoyed experiencing a new culture, and I can´t wait to see what else Europe has in store for us.