Friday, March 19, 2010

Traveller's Tales: Two weeks, Two cities.

It's been too long since my last post, I have so much to update you all on. Well, what are my excuses this time? Nothing original, just school work and traveling all my time. There could be worse things, I suppose.

Now, when I last left off, I was in the middle of my weekend in Geneve. Geneva is a beautiful city, very reminiscent of Paris. The Alps in the background and the beautiful Lac Leman in the foreground create a magical setting. Geneva is not a student-friendly city however. No, true to its reputation, Geneva is a place for the rich and powerful to play.

But that doesn't mean that a poor student cannot appreciate all of the wealth that he will never have (thanks, worst jobs market in a generation!). Indeed, strolling along the broad Swiss streets, past the gilded, private banks, one is reminded of a simpler time. Before any recession or financial crisis.

Geneva certainly has its charms, the view from the top of the Cathedral (above) is simply stunning. I found a La Duree boutique and had macaroons. And the fondue, to die for. But, at the end of the trip I was relieved to return to youthful, relaxed, vibrant Amsterdam; a place where I could fit in.

The next weekend I went to Sevilla to visit my friend Christy. Christy had visited me about two weeks prior to my trip there and we were both excited to see each other again. After finding Christy and dropping my stuff at my better-than-expected hotel, we walked over to the river to saunter along in the warm, sunny air. Before long, we found a stand selling drinks and sat to enjoy a nice, cool glass of sangria while catching up.

For dinner that night we went to a local place that Christy knew and ordered Paella. While Paella is a dish that is found most often on the Eastern coast of Spain, the one we got in inland Sevilla tasted just fine to me. The paella was nicely complemented by more tasty Sangria. That night, I got a taste of Sevillana nightlife as Christy and her friends took me to a few bars.

The next morning, Christy and I got a (somewhat) early start to the day with a trip to the Museo de Bellas Artes. The museum specializes in Spanish masters. Following the museum, we walked to the Al Cazar, the original Moorish castle in the city center. Like most Moorish artifacts, the castle was re-appropriated by its Catholic owners after the Reconquista.

Even though the castle had been mostly destroyed and rebuilt after an earthquake, it retained its elegant, Moorish design. Particularly stunning were the formal gardens, which Christy and I took plenty of time to roam.

After a quick lunch of a small tapa and some fish, Christy and I ventured to the glorious Catedral. One of the largest in the world, the Cathedral of Sevilla is breathtaking. The site had been used thousands of years ago as a Pagan temple and had been appropriated by every group of people to control the city thereafter. The only remaining structures from the Moorish period is an outer wall and the amazing Giralda (first a minaret, now a bell tower). The Cathedral is as opulent and gilded as any church I have ever seen.

Having finished our touristic obligations, Christy and I returned to the river for a quick drink and a long walk. After a visit to her apartment to meet her roommate, Christy and I decided on traditional tapas for dinner. We found a place with an open table and proceeded to slowly stuff ourselves over the next two hours. A bottle of red wine completed the meal.

The next morning, I returned to Amsterdam. I have since had many more adventures both here and abroad! I can't wait to share them with you. I promise to try and be more prompt with my blog posting but be assured that If I am too slow it is because I am out doing things to tell you about!

But, since I have a few more minutes, I will give you all a quick update. About two weeks ago, Danny came to visit. We had a great time and saw a great concert! Then, a week ago Saturday the rest of my family and the entire Zimelis family came out for a visit. We spent a few days in Amsterdam then all went to Istanbul. It was great to see everybody and I had a great time in Istanbul, I will tell more about it later.

This month I will be just as busy! I just finished my last midterm today (!) so school work should quiet down for a bit. Which is good, cause I have a few visitors. This weekend my friend Sasha from Brandeis is coming to visit. The next weekend I am going to a small island in the north of The Netherlands with my group. The weekend after that my friend Nathan is coming into town for Queensday. Then its May. And May is already looking busy with visits to Edinburg and Budapest already planned.

I can't believe its already been so long since I have been here, it feels like nothing! Well, I better stop writing about living here and go back to actually living here before its too late!

Tot Ziens!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Traveller's Tales (and more): Copenhagen Follies

Its been a crazy two weeks for me here in Amsterdam and it shows no sign of stopping!Right now I am in Geneva with some friends and next weekend I go to Sevilla to visit Christy. My stories about this weekend will have to just wait for another post.

Let's start way back, Copenhagen. Copenhagen is a beautiful, seaside city in southwestern Denmark. I arrived to Copenhagen on a blustery Friday evening. Me, Sydney and our friend Ben beelined for the hotel, then a bar, then back to the hotel.

Saturday morning we met my friend Sasha from Brandeis who is currently studying in CPH. Sasha took us on tour of the city, stopping at some of her favorite places. Our tour started at the city hall square and continued down Stroget. Stroget is the major walking/shopping street in CPH.

Right off Stroget is a little gem know as St. Peter's Bakery. This is where you get the best danishes in Denmark. Ironically, the Danes call their pastries wienebrau (spelling is wrong) or Vienna Bread. I guess great artists really do steal.

Happily satiated, we marched off to Christiania. Christiania is an unincorporated section of Copenhagen that is essentially lawless. The denziens of Christiania do not pay taxes or follow Danish law. They are artists, squatters, free people. Christiania is an artist's colony, a hippie's dream and a general delight. But it will not exist for long. The Danish government does not appreciate the establishment.

My friend Sasha invited me to her visiting family's home for a home cooked meal. And while there was nothing too Danish about the experience, a good meal is always appreciated. Its funny, the suburbs of Copenhagen don't seem too much different than the suburbs back home. Somethings never change.

My next (and last) day in Copenhagen was spent avoiding the debilitating cold. We went to the Danish Design Center and learned about the future of design and sustainability. The exhibit was interesting and eye-opening. After that, we went to the sculpture and Danish art museum; a beautiful building with an intriguing collection.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing before I returned to Amsterdam. Copenhagen is a beautiful city, but too expensive. Not a place I could imagine living unless I was really making bank.

Last weekend I was visited by my friend Christy and we had a great weekend together. Some of the highlights include vising the Royal Palace, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum. In addition to finally getting to the touristy places in Amsterdam, I also finally visited other parts of the Netherlands.

On Saturday, CIEE took us to Urk and Groningen (don't try and pronounce it, you will fail). Urk is a small fishing town which used to be an Island but is now connected to the mainland thanks to dyke-building and land reclamation projects. Urk provided a fascinating look into the regular lives of regular Dutch folk.

Groningen is a typical Dutch city in the very north. It has a university, canals, and beautiful architecture. I do not have much to say about the city except that it is a lovely place to spend and afternoon and fresh stroopwafels are un-freaking-believable.

Anyway, I am still in Geneve and have more to do. I will post on my trip here as soon as I can.

Bon Soir!