Warsaw is the most beautiful city so far. I really love Poland a lot actually.
Around dusk, which was actually like 4:30 pm we went to this old summer palace. It was so beautiful, it literally took my breath away. The palace has an ampitheater on an island done to honor the Greeks. It's like from the 1700s. The best part though was the large pond that holds the theater. There were all of these swans. All of sudden the swans flew right by us and over the pond and landed on the water. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. And then, a few minutes later, all of these black birds- I mean THOUSANDS of them flew overheard for like 5 minutes. The sound of their wings was sound loud that our tour guide had to stop talking. There were also peacocks!
The weather in Warsaw has been a little bit rainy, but overall very nice.
Mom, if ever there were a place that I were to come visit but then never come home, it would be Warsaw- no kidding because it's that awesome.
Also, they have a suspension bridge almost exactly like the one in Charleston.
The food in Poland in pretty much amazing. And there's so much I want to say about other things that have happened....okay one quick story. In Krakov there are living statues. They stand so still that they actually look like statues- really they don't move a muscle. They only start to move if you put a few zloty in their little bucket. Well, long story short, when I bent down to put zloty in one of the buckets, the statue man patted my head like Captain Jack Sparrow and winked at me seductively. The other one wrote about me in his journal and kissed my hand. It was pretty much hilarious and flattering.
That's all.
-ash
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
What City Am I In Again? Oh Krakow....
After a while, all of these beautiful places start to look exactly alike. I promise I turned a corner today and had no idea what city I was in....seriously. I had to think on it for like five minutes. J Dorn thought I was joking, but I really didn't know.
So far we have been to Berlin, Prague, Dresden, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and now Krakow (pronounced Krakov). It is a lot to keep straight, so I'm glad that I've journaled, but even my journal is starting to feel a little discombobulated. I really won't know until later on when I get home, I guess.
I have seen the most interesting people on this trip: male, female, gay, straight. And since being in Europe, I am even more convinced that everyone on the earth has a twin. I kid you not, I saw a woman that looked EXACTLY like Blaire Christie! No joke, it could have been her or at least her sister. Somebody please let me know if Blaire's sister is living in Budapest. I have seen the cutest most adorable couples while travelling. I have so far seen 5 couples of note that I will use for fiction writing next semester. I will tell you one story now, so that you don't have to wait that long.
Imagine a quiet subway station in the middle of winter. It is so cold that everyone is bustling about, not paying attention to anyone. Everytime the door to the station opens, the wind snaps at whoever is standing about inside. To avoid the cold, you see a middle-aged woman in a long black coat standing beside one of the pillars. Perhaps, her hair was once blonde, but she is one of the few European women who has let her age naturally. She is all alone with her hands in her pockets. Her silence and her dark clothes almost make her fade into the cold like a ghost. But then suddenly, you see her face come alive with expectation and then joy. You turn your head just in time to see her husband ride up the escalator like a knight in silvery-cold armour. He has no roses or candy, just a warm hug. The woman seems to become twenty years younger. She glides into his arms and they whisper excitedly to one another in a language you can't understand anyway. You just wonder how long he has been away and why in the world did he stay gone so long.
Okay, that's it.
-ash
So far we have been to Berlin, Prague, Dresden, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and now Krakow (pronounced Krakov). It is a lot to keep straight, so I'm glad that I've journaled, but even my journal is starting to feel a little discombobulated. I really won't know until later on when I get home, I guess.
I have seen the most interesting people on this trip: male, female, gay, straight. And since being in Europe, I am even more convinced that everyone on the earth has a twin. I kid you not, I saw a woman that looked EXACTLY like Blaire Christie! No joke, it could have been her or at least her sister. Somebody please let me know if Blaire's sister is living in Budapest. I have seen the cutest most adorable couples while travelling. I have so far seen 5 couples of note that I will use for fiction writing next semester. I will tell you one story now, so that you don't have to wait that long.
Imagine a quiet subway station in the middle of winter. It is so cold that everyone is bustling about, not paying attention to anyone. Everytime the door to the station opens, the wind snaps at whoever is standing about inside. To avoid the cold, you see a middle-aged woman in a long black coat standing beside one of the pillars. Perhaps, her hair was once blonde, but she is one of the few European women who has let her age naturally. She is all alone with her hands in her pockets. Her silence and her dark clothes almost make her fade into the cold like a ghost. But then suddenly, you see her face come alive with expectation and then joy. You turn your head just in time to see her husband ride up the escalator like a knight in silvery-cold armour. He has no roses or candy, just a warm hug. The woman seems to become twenty years younger. She glides into his arms and they whisper excitedly to one another in a language you can't understand anyway. You just wonder how long he has been away and why in the world did he stay gone so long.
Okay, that's it.
-ash
Monday, January 14, 2008
BudaPest: The City of No Left Turns
Hey You Guys!
The Erskine crew has made it to Budapest, Hungary.
Budapest is a city in recovery right now. Communism has obviously had some devastating effects on the people here after the Hungarian Revolution against communism that was not really settled until 1989. Our tour guide gave us the most ridiculous tour today. He did not take us to any of the places we wanted to see. So that was a major bummer. But then, our bus driver, Murik, saved the day by taking us to the most beautiful view in all of Budapest because it overlooks Buda and Pest at the same time. Of course Buda and Pest have not always been one city (at one time they were three cities) since they are on opposite sides of the Danube.
This afternoon we went to an old communist statue park that was never completed. The whole area is controversial because most people just wanted to throw the old statues of Marx and Linen out the country or destroy them, but someone decided that they should be preserved even though they are an eyesore. Some of them are quite interesting and I cannot wait to show you guys pictures.
I am not really very close to anyone here and sometimes I definitely feel out of place being the only black person on this trip. But today when I was looking at that incredible view of Buda and Pest and the bridges that run across the Danube, I was like "snap out of it, you idiot! You are in Europe!" So then I sort of came to my senses, but I still definitely miss the people I trust who I at least know sincerely like me. So pray for me that I do not snap or go crazy the next time I find myself backed into a corner.
Oh, I should say that Vienna, Austria is a lovely city and I managed to spend some time alone there.
Bratislava, Slovakia is rather nice too, but it is, like Hungary, in repair. Communism and armies and war did terrible things to places that were doing fine before hand.
Oh and in Budapest, you can not make left turns onto main roads. Is that not strange?
Until later,
Ash
The Erskine crew has made it to Budapest, Hungary.
Budapest is a city in recovery right now. Communism has obviously had some devastating effects on the people here after the Hungarian Revolution against communism that was not really settled until 1989. Our tour guide gave us the most ridiculous tour today. He did not take us to any of the places we wanted to see. So that was a major bummer. But then, our bus driver, Murik, saved the day by taking us to the most beautiful view in all of Budapest because it overlooks Buda and Pest at the same time. Of course Buda and Pest have not always been one city (at one time they were three cities) since they are on opposite sides of the Danube.
This afternoon we went to an old communist statue park that was never completed. The whole area is controversial because most people just wanted to throw the old statues of Marx and Linen out the country or destroy them, but someone decided that they should be preserved even though they are an eyesore. Some of them are quite interesting and I cannot wait to show you guys pictures.
I am not really very close to anyone here and sometimes I definitely feel out of place being the only black person on this trip. But today when I was looking at that incredible view of Buda and Pest and the bridges that run across the Danube, I was like "snap out of it, you idiot! You are in Europe!" So then I sort of came to my senses, but I still definitely miss the people I trust who I at least know sincerely like me. So pray for me that I do not snap or go crazy the next time I find myself backed into a corner.
Oh, I should say that Vienna, Austria is a lovely city and I managed to spend some time alone there.
Bratislava, Slovakia is rather nice too, but it is, like Hungary, in repair. Communism and armies and war did terrible things to places that were doing fine before hand.
Oh and in Budapest, you can not make left turns onto main roads. Is that not strange?
Until later,
Ash
Friday, January 11, 2008
So It's Pretty Much Amazing Here
The Internet in this hotel is free! Yay for "free" Internet.
We are here in Vienna. It is about 5:30 PM here and we just got back from our tour. Keep in mind that we left the hotel at 9 AM this morning. It has been a day. Vienna looks a lot like Dresden and Dresden looks a lot like the nicest parts of Prague, only here the food is much more expensive. You guys can't even imagine how cheap we can be, lol.
Our guide today was Gerti and she was incredible. She took us all around Vienna and she is a social butterfly, so she basically has the hookup everywhere. In Prague, we could not get close to the alter, but with Gerti, we do everything. Today we went to a palace that I cannot spell without looking at our syllabus and the art museum. The art is so incredible here. I saw the original Jacques-Louis David of Napoleon Bonaparte on a horse in a red cape, three Rembrandt self-portraits, Hirschl, Makart, Velasquez, Schiele, and others I either cannot remember or even come close to spelling, lol.
The weather was okay. Vienna is a windy city and that is no different in January. The weather is actually quite like Erskine this time of year.
Okay, here are some generalizations and observations that I will make about Europe/Europeans after only a week here.
1. The taxi cars are Mercedes...Benz. To break it to you gently, our tour bus is a mercedes. And, in case you didn't know, that means it's uber nice.
2. Europeans love order. Everything has a place.
3. The bathrooms in Europe are incredibly clean. This should be expected in a place where it can cost up to one American dollar to pee. Same price for a number two, lol.
4. Europe is much more fun when your friends are here. I am getting a distinct impression that people who came with people they were tight with before are having the time of their lives.
5. The BEST of everything (art, music, ballet, opera, food....men) all here in Europe. As an aside, I saw a ballet of a Midsummer Night's Dream and it was incredible! For those of you who are familiar with the Bard: You know the part where Oberon sends Puck to get the magic love flower? Well, in the ballet version they depicted Puck's journey by dropping a film screen and playing footage of the sky and sea and hills. Simultaneously, they suspended Puck and spot lighted him. So basically, it looked like Puck was flying and swimming. It was pretty much amazing. And the Opera House in Prague is pretty much the most amazing thing I have ever seen!
Okay, I miss you guys.
-ash
We are here in Vienna. It is about 5:30 PM here and we just got back from our tour. Keep in mind that we left the hotel at 9 AM this morning. It has been a day. Vienna looks a lot like Dresden and Dresden looks a lot like the nicest parts of Prague, only here the food is much more expensive. You guys can't even imagine how cheap we can be, lol.
Our guide today was Gerti and she was incredible. She took us all around Vienna and she is a social butterfly, so she basically has the hookup everywhere. In Prague, we could not get close to the alter, but with Gerti, we do everything. Today we went to a palace that I cannot spell without looking at our syllabus and the art museum. The art is so incredible here. I saw the original Jacques-Louis David of Napoleon Bonaparte on a horse in a red cape, three Rembrandt self-portraits, Hirschl, Makart, Velasquez, Schiele, and others I either cannot remember or even come close to spelling, lol.
The weather was okay. Vienna is a windy city and that is no different in January. The weather is actually quite like Erskine this time of year.
Okay, here are some generalizations and observations that I will make about Europe/Europeans after only a week here.
1. The taxi cars are Mercedes...Benz. To break it to you gently, our tour bus is a mercedes. And, in case you didn't know, that means it's uber nice.
2. Europeans love order. Everything has a place.
3. The bathrooms in Europe are incredibly clean. This should be expected in a place where it can cost up to one American dollar to pee. Same price for a number two, lol.
4. Europe is much more fun when your friends are here. I am getting a distinct impression that people who came with people they were tight with before are having the time of their lives.
5. The BEST of everything (art, music, ballet, opera, food....men) all here in Europe. As an aside, I saw a ballet of a Midsummer Night's Dream and it was incredible! For those of you who are familiar with the Bard: You know the part where Oberon sends Puck to get the magic love flower? Well, in the ballet version they depicted Puck's journey by dropping a film screen and playing footage of the sky and sea and hills. Simultaneously, they suspended Puck and spot lighted him. So basically, it looked like Puck was flying and swimming. It was pretty much amazing. And the Opera House in Prague is pretty much the most amazing thing I have ever seen!
Okay, I miss you guys.
-ash
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Prague: The Most Beautiful City in the World or Home of the Penis Fountain
Hey you guys!
Prague has been soooo crazy. I do not like it much at all, really. I keep telling my roommate that I want out of this absurd city.
Okay, so what happened?
Well, Prague is dark and dirty and dangerous looking. It seems that everywhere we go, we encounter the most scandalous people. Our first night here, we were accosted by some retired KGB Members in the subway station. They fined us for not validating our subway tickets. It was only like a 6 dollar fine, but NO ONE who got on the tram with us validated and that's why we didn't do it. Basically, someone called ahead of us because these overweight rental cops were waiting on us as soon as we got off. I was the last person off the subway and a big part of me just wanted to keep on walking past like I didn't know any crazy Americans, but I didn't know where in creation I was. At that time, I wasn't even sure how to get back to the hotel!
After that initial experience, Prague shaped up. It never lived up to its title as the most beautiful city in the world. Actually, Charleston looks better than Prague, lol. But our tour guide, Adela, was in our peer group and she made the best jokes ever. She also took us on the longest tour we have been on so far. I promise we walked around Prague for about six hours straight with very little rest. We saw the Saint Vitalis Cathedral and the Charles Bridge. Both are beautiful, by the way.
The weather in Prague has been great. Today Hannah and I are actually a wee bit hot roaming around in all these winter clothes.
I really haven't bought anything to bring home since I've been here, lol. I hope to see some stuff today, but we'll just wait and see what happens. Most things are overpriced and able to purchased at a wal-mart near you. So that's a major heads up for those of you expecting gifts, lol.
I miss everybody and wish all of you were here.
Yanilka, to answer your question more directly, I don't like Prague one tiny bit. And beer tastes as bad as it smells, in case you were wondering about that, lol. Hannah says alcohol is an acquired taste, I say it's garbage. Tomato/ Toma-toe.
Okay about the Penis Fountain. Europe is full of random art and one such piece is located off the Old Town Square. Literally, there are two statues of naked men, urinating. The water that spurts is actually coming from their penis'. It was crazy slack/sketch, but at the same time interesting/amusing because the best part is that one of the statues has a pelvic area that rotates, LOL. I about died when I saw it, so I threw an American dime in.
The food is pretty good in Prague and in Europe in general. Mostly we eat Italian. I know that sounds crazy, but trust me, it's good.
Under the close surveilance of the Stasi,
Ashley
Prague has been soooo crazy. I do not like it much at all, really. I keep telling my roommate that I want out of this absurd city.
Okay, so what happened?
Well, Prague is dark and dirty and dangerous looking. It seems that everywhere we go, we encounter the most scandalous people. Our first night here, we were accosted by some retired KGB Members in the subway station. They fined us for not validating our subway tickets. It was only like a 6 dollar fine, but NO ONE who got on the tram with us validated and that's why we didn't do it. Basically, someone called ahead of us because these overweight rental cops were waiting on us as soon as we got off. I was the last person off the subway and a big part of me just wanted to keep on walking past like I didn't know any crazy Americans, but I didn't know where in creation I was. At that time, I wasn't even sure how to get back to the hotel!
After that initial experience, Prague shaped up. It never lived up to its title as the most beautiful city in the world. Actually, Charleston looks better than Prague, lol. But our tour guide, Adela, was in our peer group and she made the best jokes ever. She also took us on the longest tour we have been on so far. I promise we walked around Prague for about six hours straight with very little rest. We saw the Saint Vitalis Cathedral and the Charles Bridge. Both are beautiful, by the way.
The weather in Prague has been great. Today Hannah and I are actually a wee bit hot roaming around in all these winter clothes.
I really haven't bought anything to bring home since I've been here, lol. I hope to see some stuff today, but we'll just wait and see what happens. Most things are overpriced and able to purchased at a wal-mart near you. So that's a major heads up for those of you expecting gifts, lol.
I miss everybody and wish all of you were here.
Yanilka, to answer your question more directly, I don't like Prague one tiny bit. And beer tastes as bad as it smells, in case you were wondering about that, lol. Hannah says alcohol is an acquired taste, I say it's garbage. Tomato/ Toma-toe.
Okay about the Penis Fountain. Europe is full of random art and one such piece is located off the Old Town Square. Literally, there are two statues of naked men, urinating. The water that spurts is actually coming from their penis'. It was crazy slack/sketch, but at the same time interesting/amusing because the best part is that one of the statues has a pelvic area that rotates, LOL. I about died when I saw it, so I threw an American dime in.
The food is pretty good in Prague and in Europe in general. Mostly we eat Italian. I know that sounds crazy, but trust me, it's good.
Under the close surveilance of the Stasi,
Ashley
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Ausfahrt....You Can't Make This Stuff Up
Another lovely day in Berlin!
I woke up this morning to the largest snowflakes I have ever seen in my life! It was so incredible. Then I had one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. So all in all it was a good morning. I am still getting used to being awake during the hours I would normally be asleep, but other than that, I'm doing fairly well.
Today we went to Potsdam Palace and actually stood in the room where Truman, Churchill, and Stalin sat down at that big huge red table. Don't be too envious because it was incredibly drafty in there because even though the entire building has central heating, the vents are not located in a very smart place in that room. Potsdam Palace is really quite nice and we saw a lot of pretty rooms and halls belonging to Prince Wilhem and Princess Cecilia. The best part of Potsdam though were the grounds, even in the winter, they are beautiful. Haiko told us that our tour guide was the best he'd ever seen and that she even put on an American accent for us. One thing I liked a lot about Potsdam was the libraries with the incredibly old books.
San Soucci was the summer palace of Frederick the Great. Sans Soucci literally means "without worry". So that tells you what kind of man Frederick was, lol. Basically, he liked the guilded roccoco art and stuff so we saw A LOT of guilded rooms, walls, etc. I mean gold, marble, and fruits painted everywhere. In a word...gaudy. Again, the grounds were so lovely. Everyone was laughing at me because I touched everything that could be touched at Sans Soucci. The walls, the statues, the marble, the furniture, the chandeliers, the curtains, the glass, the pictures. Speaking of which, some of the artwork was so incredibly beautiful and just captivating.
We ate at a pastry shop on Brandenburg St. It was good.
Okay, funny story of the day...well actually yesterday: On our way home from dinner, Hannah and I of course caught the correct tram. But when we got off, we were in the middle of nowhere and had to walk across this dark parking lot to get back to our hotel. About halfway there, this German man smoking a cigarrette appears and yells "Halo!" to us. We ignored him and started going as fast as we could towards our hotel. But we could not go very fast because the ground was incredibly slippery, lol. It was scary, but we laughed later. Also, whenever we are out, we get asked by peddlers and strangers if we speak English. I say nothing. Hannah lies and says no, lol.
Tomorrow we are going to Prague which is considered to be the most beautiful city in the world. I will let you know if that is true or not.
-ash
I woke up this morning to the largest snowflakes I have ever seen in my life! It was so incredible. Then I had one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. So all in all it was a good morning. I am still getting used to being awake during the hours I would normally be asleep, but other than that, I'm doing fairly well.
Today we went to Potsdam Palace and actually stood in the room where Truman, Churchill, and Stalin sat down at that big huge red table. Don't be too envious because it was incredibly drafty in there because even though the entire building has central heating, the vents are not located in a very smart place in that room. Potsdam Palace is really quite nice and we saw a lot of pretty rooms and halls belonging to Prince Wilhem and Princess Cecilia. The best part of Potsdam though were the grounds, even in the winter, they are beautiful. Haiko told us that our tour guide was the best he'd ever seen and that she even put on an American accent for us. One thing I liked a lot about Potsdam was the libraries with the incredibly old books.
San Soucci was the summer palace of Frederick the Great. Sans Soucci literally means "without worry". So that tells you what kind of man Frederick was, lol. Basically, he liked the guilded roccoco art and stuff so we saw A LOT of guilded rooms, walls, etc. I mean gold, marble, and fruits painted everywhere. In a word...gaudy. Again, the grounds were so lovely. Everyone was laughing at me because I touched everything that could be touched at Sans Soucci. The walls, the statues, the marble, the furniture, the chandeliers, the curtains, the glass, the pictures. Speaking of which, some of the artwork was so incredibly beautiful and just captivating.
We ate at a pastry shop on Brandenburg St. It was good.
Okay, funny story of the day...well actually yesterday: On our way home from dinner, Hannah and I of course caught the correct tram. But when we got off, we were in the middle of nowhere and had to walk across this dark parking lot to get back to our hotel. About halfway there, this German man smoking a cigarrette appears and yells "Halo!" to us. We ignored him and started going as fast as we could towards our hotel. But we could not go very fast because the ground was incredibly slippery, lol. It was scary, but we laughed later. Also, whenever we are out, we get asked by peddlers and strangers if we speak English. I say nothing. Hannah lies and says no, lol.
Tomorrow we are going to Prague which is considered to be the most beautiful city in the world. I will let you know if that is true or not.
-ash
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Alexanderplatz...Endbonhof (end of the line)
Hey you guys! The flight was very long, but they actually fed us decent food...believe it or not.
Once we got into Berlin we met our tour guide, Haiko. Haiko is about 6 foot 2 inches tall with salt and pepper hair, late thirties or early forties. His English is very good and I think he may know everything there is to know about Eastern Europe period, not just Berlin. He is very friendly, but he is a stickler for punctuality. He walks incredibly fast everywhere. Today, at the Brandenburg gate, he talked for like 20 minutes....in the cold... I hated him. Then after he talked like a madman, he sprinted across the street and demanded that we follow him, wiggling long fingers and pursing his lips. Speaking of cold though....it is extremely cold here but it is not as cold as I expected, so I am managing alright.
So right now...Hannnah and I are here in Berlin, Germany struggling to get around all by ourselves. We had quite the adventure getting to this internet cafe which is actually located on the top floor of a Dunkin Donuts! We got lost from the very beginning, but do not worry because the people in Europe are very friendly. The only thing about asking for directions is that most people cant tell you how to get anywhere LOL. So in that respect, Berlin is a lot like home. As far as getting lost in a foreign city is concerned, Hannah and I messed that up from go. We asked the woman behind the reception counter of the hotel to direct us. She did so, but we went to the wrong tram station. Upon realizing this, we asked a gentlemen who spoke basically no English how to get to Anderplatz. He directed us to the underground (subway, that is) and from there more chaos ensued. But we managed to get tickets for the underground and managed to get here. Once we came from underground, we found the tram we were supposed to be on, so we are straight to get back. Now we just have to manage dinner.
Everything here is WAY different. For example, the keys on this keyboard are in a slightly different order. I had to ask a stranger how to make the @ symbol appear, lol.
So, that is it for me right now. I miss you guys and hope all is well.
Love from the east,
ash
PS- Hannah says Halo!
Once we got into Berlin we met our tour guide, Haiko. Haiko is about 6 foot 2 inches tall with salt and pepper hair, late thirties or early forties. His English is very good and I think he may know everything there is to know about Eastern Europe period, not just Berlin. He is very friendly, but he is a stickler for punctuality. He walks incredibly fast everywhere. Today, at the Brandenburg gate, he talked for like 20 minutes....in the cold... I hated him. Then after he talked like a madman, he sprinted across the street and demanded that we follow him, wiggling long fingers and pursing his lips. Speaking of cold though....it is extremely cold here but it is not as cold as I expected, so I am managing alright.
So right now...Hannnah and I are here in Berlin, Germany struggling to get around all by ourselves. We had quite the adventure getting to this internet cafe which is actually located on the top floor of a Dunkin Donuts! We got lost from the very beginning, but do not worry because the people in Europe are very friendly. The only thing about asking for directions is that most people cant tell you how to get anywhere LOL. So in that respect, Berlin is a lot like home. As far as getting lost in a foreign city is concerned, Hannah and I messed that up from go. We asked the woman behind the reception counter of the hotel to direct us. She did so, but we went to the wrong tram station. Upon realizing this, we asked a gentlemen who spoke basically no English how to get to Anderplatz. He directed us to the underground (subway, that is) and from there more chaos ensued. But we managed to get tickets for the underground and managed to get here. Once we came from underground, we found the tram we were supposed to be on, so we are straight to get back. Now we just have to manage dinner.
Everything here is WAY different. For example, the keys on this keyboard are in a slightly different order. I had to ask a stranger how to make the @ symbol appear, lol.
So, that is it for me right now. I miss you guys and hope all is well.
Love from the east,
ash
PS- Hannah says Halo!
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