I am in Dahab, Egypt for New Years!
I am still getting used to have to bargain for everything - which I hate. I am trying to like it, but sometimes, I just want to buy a drink and not have to do a language and money dance to get it.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Israel and Palestine visit
The night before my friend Matt sent me the Canadian Embassy warning strongly discouraging travel to Israel and especially the west bank. This started to get me concerned.
Then my first day in Israel consisted of being bullied/grilled/interviewed by four seperate Israeli security agents, then going through two seperate Israeli Army checkpoints and then meeting my guide in Bethlehem who had been shot by the Israeli army last year.
This combined with warnings not to mention the west bank when leaving Israel and definetely not to mention the names of people met in the West Bank gave me a pretty serious case of fear and paranoia about Israeli Security. They had my email address and I did not want to post anything about Israel while I was in Israel.
My fear and paranoia was exaggerated by the particular path I took into Israel. I think if I had hung around in Tel Aviv a bit more and had not had so much coffee my first day - I would have been far more relaxed.
To mitigate the risk of visiting Israel, I thought I should sign up for a tour. Someone who knew the ropes of the country. My tour was excellent, and I did not experience any violence, but because it spent alot of time in the Palestian Territories I was concerned about more security interviews.
I learned a little more about the Palestinian situation there. The Palestinians are not treated very well and their cities and economy are being shut down by the Israelis. All of the Palestinians I met in the Occupied Territories where friendly and wanted more "Internationals" to come to their cities to help see what is going on. Based on some of the questions in the security interviews (why do you want to come here NOW...), I don't think Israel is welcoming to any international presence here.
By visiting, I became what I would call accidentally important.
As far as my personal security is concerned, I was safe. According to my guide, I needed only to worry if I got involved in any sort of checkpoint protest or if there was a suicide bomb which would then mean a retribution attack. The retribution is apparently an arrest of the entire family and a destruction of their homes. During my visit I saw a Palestinian home that had been destroyed for this reason.
Actually compared to everywhere else I was visited, for petty crime, I was safer. No one in Bethlehem or Beit Sahour was going to steal anything. Within Israel, I also felt very safe (petty crime wise) as well.
Ok. So more details on what is going on. Basically from what I can see is that the Palestinians are under seige. Their territories are encircled and being subdivided in several ways.
First, to get to Palestine you need to get through Israel. If you say you are going into the Palestinian Territories you will be hassled more at the airport. If you are Palestinian, you cannot get out of the occupied territitories and you need a special permit to use the airport. Most Palestinians have to cross to Jordan to fly out. All goods going in and out of Palestine must also go through Israel and are subject to Israeli taxes etc.
Second army checkpoints are put on roadways. The checkpoint are usually easy to drive into, but hard to get out. Israelies are not allowed (by Israel) to enter the Palestinian territories. Palestinans are not allowed to enter Israel unless they have permission (by Israel). I met Israelis in the Occupied Territories, who were mostly concerned about the consequences of spending the night there. To get out, you need to wait in line and show a passport or permission to exit. The impact of this is mostly a big hassle. Half the time we circumvented the checkpoints by going to roadblocks which are not controlled by the Israeli army. You cannot drive through though. You need to walk across and take a taxi from the other side. Apparently there are all sorts of other inconvenient ways to get in and out of the occupied territories.
Thrird, Israel is builing a huge huge wall to encircle the west bank cities.
Fourth, Israel is importing Romanian and other (Phillipine?) workers to eliminate it's dependency on the Palestinian workforce.
Fifth, settlements are being built which are encroaching on Palestinian towns. Wherever a settlement is built there needs to be Israeli security which then shuts down roads for security reasons. There are some really passionate settlers that believe that it is their duty as Jews to make Isreal a Jewish only state. These settlers will sometimes illegally occupy Palestinan homes inside the the zones and will then get support from the Army. Right now, the settlers are threatening violence against the Israeli police if they have to withdraw from Gaza. From a side-street in Hebron, I saw a settler with his shopping from walking - striding really - down a road protected by chain link fences. I was surprised that he was alone and just glared at us as he walked by. Shortly though, about eight soldiers walked by behind him. One soldier with his rifle held to keep aim down our street as they walked by. The soldiers were then followed by a military vehicle.
Sixth, to link settlements, settler only roads are built which in somecases bisect the Palestinian cities. Palestinians cannot drive across them. These roads are protected by two levels of alarmed and electrified fences as well as Army patrols.
From the Israeli side of things, I think there is a range of opinions. At one end are those who believe in a pure Jewish state. At the other end, there are those who want to have a peaceful co-existence with the Palestinians.
Then my first day in Israel consisted of being bullied/grilled/interviewed by four seperate Israeli security agents, then going through two seperate Israeli Army checkpoints and then meeting my guide in Bethlehem who had been shot by the Israeli army last year.
This combined with warnings not to mention the west bank when leaving Israel and definetely not to mention the names of people met in the West Bank gave me a pretty serious case of fear and paranoia about Israeli Security. They had my email address and I did not want to post anything about Israel while I was in Israel.
My fear and paranoia was exaggerated by the particular path I took into Israel. I think if I had hung around in Tel Aviv a bit more and had not had so much coffee my first day - I would have been far more relaxed.
To mitigate the risk of visiting Israel, I thought I should sign up for a tour. Someone who knew the ropes of the country. My tour was excellent, and I did not experience any violence, but because it spent alot of time in the Palestian Territories I was concerned about more security interviews.
I learned a little more about the Palestinian situation there. The Palestinians are not treated very well and their cities and economy are being shut down by the Israelis. All of the Palestinians I met in the Occupied Territories where friendly and wanted more "Internationals" to come to their cities to help see what is going on. Based on some of the questions in the security interviews (why do you want to come here NOW...), I don't think Israel is welcoming to any international presence here.
By visiting, I became what I would call accidentally important.
As far as my personal security is concerned, I was safe. According to my guide, I needed only to worry if I got involved in any sort of checkpoint protest or if there was a suicide bomb which would then mean a retribution attack. The retribution is apparently an arrest of the entire family and a destruction of their homes. During my visit I saw a Palestinian home that had been destroyed for this reason.
Actually compared to everywhere else I was visited, for petty crime, I was safer. No one in Bethlehem or Beit Sahour was going to steal anything. Within Israel, I also felt very safe (petty crime wise) as well.
Ok. So more details on what is going on. Basically from what I can see is that the Palestinians are under seige. Their territories are encircled and being subdivided in several ways.
First, to get to Palestine you need to get through Israel. If you say you are going into the Palestinian Territories you will be hassled more at the airport. If you are Palestinian, you cannot get out of the occupied territitories and you need a special permit to use the airport. Most Palestinians have to cross to Jordan to fly out. All goods going in and out of Palestine must also go through Israel and are subject to Israeli taxes etc.
Second army checkpoints are put on roadways. The checkpoint are usually easy to drive into, but hard to get out. Israelies are not allowed (by Israel) to enter the Palestinian territories. Palestinans are not allowed to enter Israel unless they have permission (by Israel). I met Israelis in the Occupied Territories, who were mostly concerned about the consequences of spending the night there. To get out, you need to wait in line and show a passport or permission to exit. The impact of this is mostly a big hassle. Half the time we circumvented the checkpoints by going to roadblocks which are not controlled by the Israeli army. You cannot drive through though. You need to walk across and take a taxi from the other side. Apparently there are all sorts of other inconvenient ways to get in and out of the occupied territories.
Thrird, Israel is builing a huge huge wall to encircle the west bank cities.
Fourth, Israel is importing Romanian and other (Phillipine?) workers to eliminate it's dependency on the Palestinian workforce.
Fifth, settlements are being built which are encroaching on Palestinian towns. Wherever a settlement is built there needs to be Israeli security which then shuts down roads for security reasons. There are some really passionate settlers that believe that it is their duty as Jews to make Isreal a Jewish only state. These settlers will sometimes illegally occupy Palestinan homes inside the the zones and will then get support from the Army. Right now, the settlers are threatening violence against the Israeli police if they have to withdraw from Gaza. From a side-street in Hebron, I saw a settler with his shopping from walking - striding really - down a road protected by chain link fences. I was surprised that he was alone and just glared at us as he walked by. Shortly though, about eight soldiers walked by behind him. One soldier with his rifle held to keep aim down our street as they walked by. The soldiers were then followed by a military vehicle.
Sixth, to link settlements, settler only roads are built which in somecases bisect the Palestinian cities. Palestinians cannot drive across them. These roads are protected by two levels of alarmed and electrified fences as well as Army patrols.
From the Israeli side of things, I think there is a range of opinions. At one end are those who believe in a pure Jewish state. At the other end, there are those who want to have a peaceful co-existence with the Palestinians.
Monday, December 27, 2004
This week...
My ideas for this week are to visit the Dead Sea, spend some more time in Tel Aviv and make my way to Egypt.
I am now feeling the annual pressure to figure out what to do for New Years... I will probably be in Dahab, Egypt or might go up to Mount Sinai for that.
I think the Pyramids might be a bit of an unnatural hop for me to go to, but that might be cool too... I wonder if they have a countdown there...
I had considered going to Jordan, but I did not want to add the extra border crossings back and forth from there and Israel.
I am now feeling the annual pressure to figure out what to do for New Years... I will probably be in Dahab, Egypt or might go up to Mount Sinai for that.
I think the Pyramids might be a bit of an unnatural hop for me to go to, but that might be cool too... I wonder if they have a countdown there...
I had considered going to Jordan, but I did not want to add the extra border crossings back and forth from there and Israel.
Austria is not Czech
For some reason I thought Austria would be a bit like Czech. It is so close to the Czech Republic I figured it would be similar. I was wrong.
Austria is more German than Czech. Except things are cheaper and they have Sushi! Caviar! Sandwiches! and best of all, when I ordered an Espresso, it came with a... straw!
I used to drink my coffee with a straw at work, which caused at least one person to comment on it. So I laughed out loud when I got my Espresso in a paper cup to go, with a sip lid on top and then just before giving it to me, the clerk added the straw... Perhaps I am part-Austrian.
Except I jay-walk. If you are walking along an empty street and the short cross street is also empty, but there is the little red man shining at you - do you cross? Austrians don't (or at least did not in the entire one day of research that I did on this topic). The nearest car might be 5 minutes away, but in a crowd of 20 people they all were waiting. I bravely did my own thing at first. Then I later stopped doing it and waited too. Mostly so I could smugly and hoity-toitily laugh secretly at the tourist who would step into the completely safe intersection in front of the crowd.
Austria was very Christmasy so they had many stands selling Punsch: some sort of hot orange cider or wine.
In fact after the cider, I updated my blog with stories similar to these: My reflexes were affected however and I was rudely disconnected/ran out of time before I could post the update and lost my work. I know, I am such a whiner.
Austria is more German than Czech. Except things are cheaper and they have Sushi! Caviar! Sandwiches! and best of all, when I ordered an Espresso, it came with a... straw!
I used to drink my coffee with a straw at work, which caused at least one person to comment on it. So I laughed out loud when I got my Espresso in a paper cup to go, with a sip lid on top and then just before giving it to me, the clerk added the straw... Perhaps I am part-Austrian.
Except I jay-walk. If you are walking along an empty street and the short cross street is also empty, but there is the little red man shining at you - do you cross? Austrians don't (or at least did not in the entire one day of research that I did on this topic). The nearest car might be 5 minutes away, but in a crowd of 20 people they all were waiting. I bravely did my own thing at first. Then I later stopped doing it and waited too. Mostly so I could smugly and hoity-toitily laugh secretly at the tourist who would step into the completely safe intersection in front of the crowd.
Austria was very Christmasy so they had many stands selling Punsch: some sort of hot orange cider or wine.
In fact after the cider, I updated my blog with stories similar to these: My reflexes were affected however and I was rudely disconnected/ran out of time before I could post the update and lost my work. I know, I am such a whiner.
Barcelona crime
Barcelona has a lot of crime. My impression about crime risk comes from the number of people I meet that have directly had problems with crime.
One guy I met on the Bike tour sort of got scammed. On the main street of Barcelona (Las Ramblas), there is this big guy playing with this little white ball and hiding it under one of three boxes. You guess which box and you double? your money. Anyway this guy from Australia (Alex I think was his name) KNEW he shouldn't play this game. He KNEW it was a scam. Anyway he was CURIOUS.
Alex figured he would put down 5 euros and see if he could win. As he pulled out his wallet he was surrounded by about 4 guys. They all started yelling at him in Spanish and as he fumbled through his wallet, they snatched a 50 Euro bill and put it down on the match 'for him'. He lost. Alex REALLY doesn't like telling this story.
In the hostel I met a young girl from Conneticut (Adira). Her story starts when she was sitting at the bus or train station with her bag on her side. Some guy then approached her and showed her a piece of paper with an address on it. He spoke to her in Spanish while she looked at the paper and told him in English that she did not know about it. He kept pointing to the piece of paper. And then stormed off.
Adira then noticed that her bag - the one with her passport, wallet etc. had gone missing. She started yelling and asking people where it went. Across the way from her were two 16ish year olds who pointed left... I am not sure if the guy doing the talking took the bag or his partner walked behind and lifted it while she was talking. Anyway Adira is furious at the guys who across the way saw this all happen... Like it is a form of entertainment in Barcelona.
Going to Spain I wanted to try some Tapas, so I asked the guy at the hostel to recommend a place. Actually I did try tapas on my own a couple nights before but paid an awful lot for a few greasy snacks. So I figured he might know better.
Turns out that night the hostel was arranging a tapas and flamenco dancing and bar tour for pretty cheap. The tapas were cheap (but crappy), the Flamenco dancing was ok (the male performer and the female singer were excellent) and the bar was pretty cool too. But all of this is just background to give you the idea that we were travelling in a group of about 20 from two hostels. That night 4 women walked home together to the hostel from the bar.
On their way back there were two guys that started to follow them. At one point one guy asked for a light from one of the girls. She gave him one. When the four reached the front of the hostel, the guy that got the light tried to grab the purse from the girl that had given him the light. He yanked and tried to break the small chain that was around her shoulder, but could not.
So he threw her on the ground. Meanwhile the other girls in a state of shock tried to hold onto this attacker. He was able to grab the purse and run off with it. The girl on the ground lost her purse which had a borrowed digital camera, wallet etc. She was also furious at her friends for not being able to help her. They were all pretty upset that night. (I had met the girls, but did not find out about it until the next morning).
There are guys that just hang around on Las Ramblas waiting for tourists to make a mistake. According to our tour guide, the guys doing the ball game have about 14 (he said 14 I don't believe it) people that are pretending to play the game while others are scouting for police.
One guy I met on the Bike tour sort of got scammed. On the main street of Barcelona (Las Ramblas), there is this big guy playing with this little white ball and hiding it under one of three boxes. You guess which box and you double? your money. Anyway this guy from Australia (Alex I think was his name) KNEW he shouldn't play this game. He KNEW it was a scam. Anyway he was CURIOUS.
Alex figured he would put down 5 euros and see if he could win. As he pulled out his wallet he was surrounded by about 4 guys. They all started yelling at him in Spanish and as he fumbled through his wallet, they snatched a 50 Euro bill and put it down on the match 'for him'. He lost. Alex REALLY doesn't like telling this story.
In the hostel I met a young girl from Conneticut (Adira). Her story starts when she was sitting at the bus or train station with her bag on her side. Some guy then approached her and showed her a piece of paper with an address on it. He spoke to her in Spanish while she looked at the paper and told him in English that she did not know about it. He kept pointing to the piece of paper. And then stormed off.
Adira then noticed that her bag - the one with her passport, wallet etc. had gone missing. She started yelling and asking people where it went. Across the way from her were two 16ish year olds who pointed left... I am not sure if the guy doing the talking took the bag or his partner walked behind and lifted it while she was talking. Anyway Adira is furious at the guys who across the way saw this all happen... Like it is a form of entertainment in Barcelona.
Going to Spain I wanted to try some Tapas, so I asked the guy at the hostel to recommend a place. Actually I did try tapas on my own a couple nights before but paid an awful lot for a few greasy snacks. So I figured he might know better.
Turns out that night the hostel was arranging a tapas and flamenco dancing and bar tour for pretty cheap. The tapas were cheap (but crappy), the Flamenco dancing was ok (the male performer and the female singer were excellent) and the bar was pretty cool too. But all of this is just background to give you the idea that we were travelling in a group of about 20 from two hostels. That night 4 women walked home together to the hostel from the bar.
On their way back there were two guys that started to follow them. At one point one guy asked for a light from one of the girls. She gave him one. When the four reached the front of the hostel, the guy that got the light tried to grab the purse from the girl that had given him the light. He yanked and tried to break the small chain that was around her shoulder, but could not.
So he threw her on the ground. Meanwhile the other girls in a state of shock tried to hold onto this attacker. He was able to grab the purse and run off with it. The girl on the ground lost her purse which had a borrowed digital camera, wallet etc. She was also furious at her friends for not being able to help her. They were all pretty upset that night. (I had met the girls, but did not find out about it until the next morning).
There are guys that just hang around on Las Ramblas waiting for tourists to make a mistake. According to our tour guide, the guys doing the ball game have about 14 (he said 14 I don't believe it) people that are pretending to play the game while others are scouting for police.
Barcelona culture
Barcelona is a cool city and seems to have a real cultural and independent vibe. Barcelona used to be the capital of Catalonya - a separate country with their own language Catalonyan which seems to be a cross between French and Spanish.
The reason I think Barcelona is a cultural city is because of the architecture that was done in the past and is underway now. The reason I am impressed by architecture (now) is because of the artistic risk and scheming that must go into the construction of these interesting buildings. I mean it does not take much imagination to build a square building with square windows and style it with finishing.
There are many buildings in Barcelona which look like they were designed with imagination...Many of these buildings look like they belong in Disneyland.
But they are not in Disneyland. They are real buildings. So that impresses me (Art done on real scale). I took a tour with Fat Tire Bikes and we visited many of the buildings around town done by Gaudi who designed buildings with a nature bias... curvy building. Arches look like trees and balconies look like they have been formed by water. Also tile mosaics are really popular here too.
Barcelona also has alot of bookstores selling independent looking Catalonian and Spanish books so this also contributes to this impression I have of it being a cultural city.
The reason I think Barcelona is a cultural city is because of the architecture that was done in the past and is underway now. The reason I am impressed by architecture (now) is because of the artistic risk and scheming that must go into the construction of these interesting buildings. I mean it does not take much imagination to build a square building with square windows and style it with finishing.
There are many buildings in Barcelona which look like they were designed with imagination...Many of these buildings look like they belong in Disneyland.
But they are not in Disneyland. They are real buildings. So that impresses me (Art done on real scale). I took a tour with Fat Tire Bikes and we visited many of the buildings around town done by Gaudi who designed buildings with a nature bias... curvy building. Arches look like trees and balconies look like they have been formed by water. Also tile mosaics are really popular here too.
Barcelona also has alot of bookstores selling independent looking Catalonian and Spanish books so this also contributes to this impression I have of it being a cultural city.
Friday, December 24, 2004
Merry Christmas from Jersualem and Bethlehem
I am in Jersulem now. Things are pretty peaceful here, in Tel Aviv and in the West Bank. From what I can tell Gaza is shutoff and is not so peaceful.
Christmas is a just a regular religious holiday here. The frantic rush in the streets and the stores for last minute presents is completely missing. In fact the Jerusalem old city (Christian, Armenian and Jewish quarters) are very quiet right now and the hotels etc. are empty. Presumably this is because of all of the fear.
I did visit the Western/Wailing wall today and will be spending tonight at the Nativity Church in Bethlehem tonight.
Peace!
Christmas is a just a regular religious holiday here. The frantic rush in the streets and the stores for last minute presents is completely missing. In fact the Jerusalem old city (Christian, Armenian and Jewish quarters) are very quiet right now and the hotels etc. are empty. Presumably this is because of all of the fear.
I did visit the Western/Wailing wall today and will be spending tonight at the Nativity Church in Bethlehem tonight.
Peace!
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Going to Bethlehem for Christmas!
I am going to Bethlehem for Christmas! I am flying from Vienna to Tel Aviv on Sunday (Dec 19th). I will make my way over there in the next couple days. I am looking into visiting Cairo and Istanbul while I am down there.
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Congrats to me (for making it to Spayne)
I just remembered that this whole trip started out as an idea to go see Spain - because I have seen way to many of Pedro Almodovar´s movies - which then expanded to a big trip across Europe.
Well as I have now finally made it to Barcelona...So I accomplished my original goal. Yay!
Well as I have now finally made it to Barcelona...So I accomplished my original goal. Yay!
Just got to Barcelona
I just arrived in Barcelona this morning.
Last night I took the train from Rome to Milan and spent a couple hours in Milan. Compared to Rome, Milan was far more westernized and quiet. They had a Christmas Market setup near the Piazza Duomo and had an ice rink installed playing Jingle Bells in Italian. I had time to grab a Pizza at Farinella's "Mediterranean Pizza Restaurant" - only the sign was in English - before catching the overnight train to Barcelona.
I thought that the overnight train was going to be comfortable because on my ticket was printed that it was some sort of hotel and that I had to pay a 59 euro supplement for the sleeper car. Boy was I wrong. It was extremely cramped. Imagine 4 grown men seated in a compartment with no space to move sideways and with knees practically touching.
Besides me there were two Morrocans and one Algerian. Other than Arabic, they spoke French so we could communicate.
On the overnight trains that go through borders, you need to surrender your passport to the train attendant. When the attendent came by we found out that one of the Morrocans and the Algerian did not have any papers: they are illegal immigrants looking for work somewhere in Europe. The attendent said that she would have to tell the police when they hit the borders (French and Spain). The Morrocan told me that he had done it a thousand times before. They were talking about hiding on the train during the border crossings and were nervous when we hit both borders - checking through the windows apprehensively as we approached.
For me I was a bit nervous sleeping in a cabin with strangers who were not carrying any identification and were considering hiding somewhere in the cabin (In my bunk ?). On the one hand, they were both friendly and we talked about many things: By law they are allowed up to 4 wives; they make about 3 euros an hour in Europe without papers; and would make about 3 euros a day in Algeria. On the other hand, supposing that one was to to take my bag, there would be little to work from to identify them.
So, I stayed up later than usual reading my book - but in the end I got tired and went asleep - nothing happened. The border crossings were apprehensive, but we passed trouble free.
Right now I am in Barcelona. I have a Hostel that was recommended to me, but I am checking the internet to see if there is something close to the beach. It is warm here at 16 degrees celcius but not too hot. I have only seen one person so far wearing shorts. It is T-Shirt, pants and sunglass weather.
Last night I took the train from Rome to Milan and spent a couple hours in Milan. Compared to Rome, Milan was far more westernized and quiet. They had a Christmas Market setup near the Piazza Duomo and had an ice rink installed playing Jingle Bells in Italian. I had time to grab a Pizza at Farinella's "Mediterranean Pizza Restaurant" - only the sign was in English - before catching the overnight train to Barcelona.
I thought that the overnight train was going to be comfortable because on my ticket was printed that it was some sort of hotel and that I had to pay a 59 euro supplement for the sleeper car. Boy was I wrong. It was extremely cramped. Imagine 4 grown men seated in a compartment with no space to move sideways and with knees practically touching.
Besides me there were two Morrocans and one Algerian. Other than Arabic, they spoke French so we could communicate.
On the overnight trains that go through borders, you need to surrender your passport to the train attendant. When the attendent came by we found out that one of the Morrocans and the Algerian did not have any papers: they are illegal immigrants looking for work somewhere in Europe. The attendent said that she would have to tell the police when they hit the borders (French and Spain). The Morrocan told me that he had done it a thousand times before. They were talking about hiding on the train during the border crossings and were nervous when we hit both borders - checking through the windows apprehensively as we approached.
For me I was a bit nervous sleeping in a cabin with strangers who were not carrying any identification and were considering hiding somewhere in the cabin (In my bunk ?). On the one hand, they were both friendly and we talked about many things: By law they are allowed up to 4 wives; they make about 3 euros an hour in Europe without papers; and would make about 3 euros a day in Algeria. On the other hand, supposing that one was to to take my bag, there would be little to work from to identify them.
So, I stayed up later than usual reading my book - but in the end I got tired and went asleep - nothing happened. The border crossings were apprehensive, but we passed trouble free.
Right now I am in Barcelona. I have a Hostel that was recommended to me, but I am checking the internet to see if there is something close to the beach. It is warm here at 16 degrees celcius but not too hot. I have only seen one person so far wearing shorts. It is T-Shirt, pants and sunglass weather.
Friday, December 10, 2004
Going to Barcelona (probably)
I think I am going to Barcelona today - depends on the train schedule. I'll be back in Italy after christmas sometime.
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Went to Vatican Museum today
Today got up really early (7:30) to go see the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Museum today. Everyone in the room was supposed to go early but only I and Brigit were able to get out by 8. Aho, Ally, Heather, Katie and Ross all slept in and went a bit later.
Sistine Chapel was amazing. It is not only extremely beautiful, but it is also provides an easy to absorb view of Genesis, the story of Moses and the story of Jesus.
I have succumed to the peer pressure and am now reading Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code.
Sistine Chapel was amazing. It is not only extremely beautiful, but it is also provides an easy to absorb view of Genesis, the story of Moses and the story of Jesus.
I have succumed to the peer pressure and am now reading Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Ran into Kevin and Chelsey again! (and Pope)
Today I went and visited the inside of the Coliseum, then the Paltide ruins and the Trevi Fountain in Rome. While heading to the Trevi fountain I ran into Kevin at the bank machine and joined Chelsey for lunch. On the way from the Panthenon to the Trevi Fountain we noticed that police had blocked the road, so we were walking down it.
...
Lo and behold, in the distance were police and a white vehicle! The Pope! The Pope passed by us within less than 20 feet where we were standing. It was pretty cool as we did not expect to see him and there was no one else really in the same spot where we were standing.
...
Anyway, like I said before, Rome is a small city and I keep running into people I know (or know about)
...
Lo and behold, in the distance were police and a white vehicle! The Pope! The Pope passed by us within less than 20 feet where we were standing. It was pretty cool as we did not expect to see him and there was no one else really in the same spot where we were standing.
...
Anyway, like I said before, Rome is a small city and I keep running into people I know (or know about)
Raining in Rome today - italian dishes
Well it is raining here today, so I am not that keen to go out there just yet.
Yesterday I visited the Spanish Steps which is very near the expensive shopping district in Rome. About half of the stores are Italian. The other half are French. Stores such as Versace, Cartier, Yves St. Laurent, Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Louis Vuitton. I saw some nice clothes at an Eddy Monetti store, but paying 1500 euro for a cashmere sweater or jacket is currently out of my price range. Alot of fancy handbag and shoe stores. Saw a really nice pair of Italian leather shoes for 430 at Capanille.
The typical male roman fashion on the street is wet-look gel hair with a center spike on the top with bangs glued to forehead. Oversize (circumference of my fist) sunglasses (Versache, Dior, 150 euros) complete the top. For clothes, soccer tracksuits are popular. For women, I haven't really noticed a pattern except for high heels and similar oversize sunglasses.
I had a cappuchino at Portofino Cafe on 116 Cola Di Rienzo. Portofino is a funny name for me because I used to go to a restaurant with the same name all the time in North Delta. The cappuchino cost 90 euro cents which is far cheaper than the 4.50 euro cappuchinos in Paris.
But I am not actually writing this because of the cappuchinos. There was some nice looking italian dishes on the counter that I would like to try to reproduce at home. So I will write them here to remember them...
1. Some sort of crepe or pancake which is rolled around a sheet of ham and a sheet of mozzarella, rolled up and served with small tomatoes.
2. Grilled eggplant.
3. Crepe with spinach and mozza (sheet-like again), rolled up, sliced cross-ways and served with a salad and corn.
4. Salad of boccacchini and baby tomatoes sliced in half with basil.
5. Some sort of scalloped potato dish, but the potatoes were cut into quarters instead of sliced.
Yesterday I visited the Spanish Steps which is very near the expensive shopping district in Rome. About half of the stores are Italian. The other half are French. Stores such as Versace, Cartier, Yves St. Laurent, Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Louis Vuitton. I saw some nice clothes at an Eddy Monetti store, but paying 1500 euro for a cashmere sweater or jacket is currently out of my price range. Alot of fancy handbag and shoe stores. Saw a really nice pair of Italian leather shoes for 430 at Capanille.
The typical male roman fashion on the street is wet-look gel hair with a center spike on the top with bangs glued to forehead. Oversize (circumference of my fist) sunglasses (Versache, Dior, 150 euros) complete the top. For clothes, soccer tracksuits are popular. For women, I haven't really noticed a pattern except for high heels and similar oversize sunglasses.
I had a cappuchino at Portofino Cafe on 116 Cola Di Rienzo. Portofino is a funny name for me because I used to go to a restaurant with the same name all the time in North Delta. The cappuchino cost 90 euro cents which is far cheaper than the 4.50 euro cappuchinos in Paris.
But I am not actually writing this because of the cappuchinos. There was some nice looking italian dishes on the counter that I would like to try to reproduce at home. So I will write them here to remember them...
1. Some sort of crepe or pancake which is rolled around a sheet of ham and a sheet of mozzarella, rolled up and served with small tomatoes.
2. Grilled eggplant.
3. Crepe with spinach and mozza (sheet-like again), rolled up, sliced cross-ways and served with a salad and corn.
4. Salad of boccacchini and baby tomatoes sliced in half with basil.
5. Some sort of scalloped potato dish, but the potatoes were cut into quarters instead of sliced.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Still meeting people in Rome
Still meeting people I have met before here in Rome... Met Kevin and his daughter Chelsey from New Brunswick who I met in Paris last week. Just met Heather and Katie from Toronto who I met in Amsterdam with Aho and Emily in Amsterdam. So is that 6 groups of people I have met in two days!?!?
I am liking Rome...alot. I am not sure exactly why as it is not as fun or as 'mind-blowing' as other cities. In fact there are lots of reasons to hate the city: traffic, crazy drivers, pollution. The weather and lower prices do make it nicer though - but I am not sure that is it.
Also saw St. Peter's cathedral in the Vatican city today. The view from the top was the best part of Rome so far.
I am liking Rome...alot. I am not sure exactly why as it is not as fun or as 'mind-blowing' as other cities. In fact there are lots of reasons to hate the city: traffic, crazy drivers, pollution. The weather and lower prices do make it nicer though - but I am not sure that is it.
Also saw St. Peter's cathedral in the Vatican city today. The view from the top was the best part of Rome so far.
In Rome
Weather is nice here. Sun is shining. Wore T-shirt and Jeans yesterday and will do the same today.
The old part of Rome is smaller than I expected. It took only a couple hours to see the Coliseum, the Forum, Capitol Hill and the Panthenon. I bought a book on Rome, so I willgo back and visit these places in more depth.
At the colliseum there was a person who had staged a protest against the Italian president regarding jobs. He (or she) was sitting about 75 feet under one of the archways with signs attached to the colliseum. The police had courtioned off the area and had inflated this 20 by 30 foot air mattress under where he/she was staying.
Maybe because it is so small.. but yesterday was a bit funny because I kept running into people I met before. First I ran into Aho and Emily who I met in Amsterdam on the street near the hostel. Then I met Sylvia who I met on the train. Then I walked onto a set for a Roberto Begnini movie (from Life is Beautiful) and watched him drive a car back and forth (he looked pretty bored and frustrated). On my way back to the hostel I met Mohammed (an online SE from EA/NBA) and his wife walking on the street.
Today I am heading over to the Vatican and Vatican City.
The old part of Rome is smaller than I expected. It took only a couple hours to see the Coliseum, the Forum, Capitol Hill and the Panthenon. I bought a book on Rome, so I willgo back and visit these places in more depth.
At the colliseum there was a person who had staged a protest against the Italian president regarding jobs. He (or she) was sitting about 75 feet under one of the archways with signs attached to the colliseum. The police had courtioned off the area and had inflated this 20 by 30 foot air mattress under where he/she was staying.
Maybe because it is so small.. but yesterday was a bit funny because I kept running into people I met before. First I ran into Aho and Emily who I met in Amsterdam on the street near the hostel. Then I met Sylvia who I met on the train. Then I walked onto a set for a Roberto Begnini movie (from Life is Beautiful) and watched him drive a car back and forth (he looked pretty bored and frustrated). On my way back to the hostel I met Mohammed (an online SE from EA/NBA) and his wife walking on the street.
Today I am heading over to the Vatican and Vatican City.
Sunday in Paris
Sunday in Paris are magic. Most stores are all closed so everything becomes much calmer and quieter.
Also the Louvre is free the first Sunday of the month so I went to check it out. For me the highlights were some of Napolean's ideas about being a king (or emperor), some blue furniture of Louis XVIII, an obelisk called the 'code de Hammerabi'.
Some interesting art included a painting of the tower of Babel, the son of a cardinal and a dog, two dutchesses (one pinching the other) and also Deschamps had a painting of a monkey painting a painting.
I did not see anymore Monets or Van Goghs but some sections were closed so they may have been there. I did see some art by Camille Corot which I appreciated (e.g. 1828 Le Vesuve, 1826 Le pont de Nami).
I saw alot of sculpture and thought to myself that it was too realistic and limited options for expression and abstraction but this was somewhat disproven when I got to the African exhibit at the end - some African carvings are very surprising looking.
I briefly checked out the Rodin Museum (the thinker is much more detailed than I thought) and went up to the Eiffel tower.
I decided today that I was going to take the overnight train to Rome.
Also the Louvre is free the first Sunday of the month so I went to check it out. For me the highlights were some of Napolean's ideas about being a king (or emperor), some blue furniture of Louis XVIII, an obelisk called the 'code de Hammerabi'.
Some interesting art included a painting of the tower of Babel, the son of a cardinal and a dog, two dutchesses (one pinching the other) and also Deschamps had a painting of a monkey painting a painting.
I did not see anymore Monets or Van Goghs but some sections were closed so they may have been there. I did see some art by Camille Corot which I appreciated (e.g. 1828 Le Vesuve, 1826 Le pont de Nami).
I saw alot of sculpture and thought to myself that it was too realistic and limited options for expression and abstraction but this was somewhat disproven when I got to the African exhibit at the end - some African carvings are very surprising looking.
I briefly checked out the Rodin Museum (the thinker is much more detailed than I thought) and went up to the Eiffel tower.
I decided today that I was going to take the overnight train to Rome.
Disneyland Paris
Why did I go to Disneyland Paris? Isn't that a bit tacky???
Well, I like rides and I figured I can talk to my cousins about it now.
I rode the Thunder Mountain (like that Matterhorn - but not at all like the Grouse Grind); Space Mountain (twice - it was very fun and very fast), Star Tours (C3PO - can speak French!), Indiana Jones and Peter Pan. I also saw 'It's a small world after all' four times.
Most of the visitors (70%) were French, then Italian, English and American I think. They do have a variety of food. I had a 'Savoyard dish' of Raclette with pomme de terre, jambon and fromage.
Well, I like rides and I figured I can talk to my cousins about it now.
I rode the Thunder Mountain (like that Matterhorn - but not at all like the Grouse Grind); Space Mountain (twice - it was very fun and very fast), Star Tours (C3PO - can speak French!), Indiana Jones and Peter Pan. I also saw 'It's a small world after all' four times.
Most of the visitors (70%) were French, then Italian, English and American I think. They do have a variety of food. I had a 'Savoyard dish' of Raclette with pomme de terre, jambon and fromage.
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Friday, December 03, 2004
Giverny is closed for winter
I was going to visit Giverny - but it is closed for the Winter. I did find out it is near Vernon and that few French people know about it. So before leaving Paris I am going to Disneyland Paris and the Louvre.
After that I don't know where I am going to next. People have been telling me that Bruges is very beautiful and Luxembourg is too - but I already passed by there... The other options are to go to do more of France, or start on some Spain or Italy, or hop up to Ireland.
My Eurail pass expires on Dec 28, so I need to decide what I am going to do after that.
After that I don't know where I am going to next. People have been telling me that Bruges is very beautiful and Luxembourg is too - but I already passed by there... The other options are to go to do more of France, or start on some Spain or Italy, or hop up to Ireland.
My Eurail pass expires on Dec 28, so I need to decide what I am going to do after that.
French language and associated memories
A bit of background...I was in French (Immersion and Francophone) schools from Kindergarten until grade 7 in Ontario and Quebec. After that I was in English schools in Ontario, California and B.C.
What is interesting to me, by being back in a french environment, is how certain words or things are triggering old memories. Even silly words.
For example, I saw the word "Cahier" in a newspaper. For me that brought back a flood of memories of going back to school, being in school, growing up going to school. The word "Cahier" just means "book" and it is what used to be printed on all of my small notebooks that I had in Ontario and Quebec.
I had the same sort of flashbacks when I encountered:
* La mouche noir
* Hearing the song "Petit Papa Noel"
* Seeing the book "Les adventures de Nicolas"
I wonder if things in my memory are stored associated to their language -> so the fact I am here is triggering those memories. Or if it is just simply that I haven't seen these semi-common french triggers in english life.
What is also weird, and possibly related to this, is that lately I have also had some dreams about people that I have not seen since that time. e.g. Family friends like the Hordyks.
What is interesting to me, by being back in a french environment, is how certain words or things are triggering old memories. Even silly words.
For example, I saw the word "Cahier" in a newspaper. For me that brought back a flood of memories of going back to school, being in school, growing up going to school. The word "Cahier" just means "book" and it is what used to be printed on all of my small notebooks that I had in Ontario and Quebec.
I had the same sort of flashbacks when I encountered:
* La mouche noir
* Hearing the song "Petit Papa Noel"
* Seeing the book "Les adventures de Nicolas"
I wonder if things in my memory are stored associated to their language -> so the fact I am here is triggering those memories. Or if it is just simply that I haven't seen these semi-common french triggers in english life.
What is also weird, and possibly related to this, is that lately I have also had some dreams about people that I have not seen since that time. e.g. Family friends like the Hordyks.
Visiting Friends and Museums in Paris
I spent the last couple days visiting a friend Aline and her family (Sylvain, Vincent (4 yrs old) and Oriane (20 months) in a Paris suburb. I know Aline because she and my brother Kevin did an exchange for a summer when we were living near San Francisco when we were 17 years old.
I had a nice visit and I appreciated the opportunity to stay with 'real' french people for a little while. I also got to catch up on some sleep too!
Practicing my french speaking and listening skills has increased my confidence. I had to listen carefully because I would often forget that "Shune" (pronounced like tune) is my named pronounced with a French accent.
Aline also had a bunch of pictures of my family and her that I had not seen for a long time. It was strange to be here in Paris - 17 years later - to see a picture of our old dalmation Reena and her.
Yesterday I went and visited the palace at Versailles and got lots of ideas for when I become king. The rooms at Versailles were a bit smaller, but taller than I expected actually - so I'd have wider rooms. Also when I become king I need to build a big hall of mirrors, create separate entrances depending on how I rank my guests, have a huge huge garden and commission some paintings which show me re-enacting Greek mythology scenes where I am featured as Apollo.
I also visited the Musee D'Orsay which I had heard was a great museum and it really is. I was surprised how excited I was to see some of the Monet's and Van Gogh's close up. I saw two Monets, which I thought were the ones that I have prints of at home - so that was cool.
So I got a picture of myself next to the one I thought I had... "Regatta a Argenteuil (1874)" However when I went to the book store, I recognized that actually I have a print of the 1872 Regatta!! Rats! Turns out that the museum has lent mine to "Brescia Museo Della Citta" in Italy until March. I may try and track it down - so I can take another goofy picture next to it!
As far as art goes, I have decided that I also like Van Gogh now. I was impressed by his paintings in the Amsterdam museum and again I liked the ones I saw in the Musee D'Orsay. Amsterdam had the bright wheatfield ones and Musee D'Orsay has his quirky bedroom and another quirky house.
I like the visual abstraction and style used by the impressionists. I like Monet paintings the same way I like my cities ... greenspace and water scenes. Also anything with a sailboat is cool. Van Gogh's paintings are more exciting and have incredible colour.
If the whole king thing doesn't work out I think I am going to paint like Van Gogh when feeling emotional and Monet when relaxed.
I had a nice visit and I appreciated the opportunity to stay with 'real' french people for a little while. I also got to catch up on some sleep too!
Practicing my french speaking and listening skills has increased my confidence. I had to listen carefully because I would often forget that "Shune" (pronounced like tune) is my named pronounced with a French accent.
Aline also had a bunch of pictures of my family and her that I had not seen for a long time. It was strange to be here in Paris - 17 years later - to see a picture of our old dalmation Reena and her.
Yesterday I went and visited the palace at Versailles and got lots of ideas for when I become king. The rooms at Versailles were a bit smaller, but taller than I expected actually - so I'd have wider rooms. Also when I become king I need to build a big hall of mirrors, create separate entrances depending on how I rank my guests, have a huge huge garden and commission some paintings which show me re-enacting Greek mythology scenes where I am featured as Apollo.
I also visited the Musee D'Orsay which I had heard was a great museum and it really is. I was surprised how excited I was to see some of the Monet's and Van Gogh's close up. I saw two Monets, which I thought were the ones that I have prints of at home - so that was cool.
So I got a picture of myself next to the one I thought I had... "Regatta a Argenteuil (1874)" However when I went to the book store, I recognized that actually I have a print of the 1872 Regatta!! Rats! Turns out that the museum has lent mine to "Brescia Museo Della Citta" in Italy until March. I may try and track it down - so I can take another goofy picture next to it!
As far as art goes, I have decided that I also like Van Gogh now. I was impressed by his paintings in the Amsterdam museum and again I liked the ones I saw in the Musee D'Orsay. Amsterdam had the bright wheatfield ones and Musee D'Orsay has his quirky bedroom and another quirky house.
I like the visual abstraction and style used by the impressionists. I like Monet paintings the same way I like my cities ... greenspace and water scenes. Also anything with a sailboat is cool. Van Gogh's paintings are more exciting and have incredible colour.
If the whole king thing doesn't work out I think I am going to paint like Van Gogh when feeling emotional and Monet when relaxed.
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