So... now I have a little time on my hands and FREE internet... where did I leave off? Well, I left Interlaken about a week ago and met up with Tom who I met at Rock Werchter in Budapest. I loved Budapest... absolutely incredible... the culture is so great... so good... it is the perfect mix between communism and capitalism... the revolution was just in 1989... so people still have this idea of I am not better than you and no one is trying to show off anything... you can buy beer or food and take it in almost any place. They pretty much let u do anything. The atmosphere is so laid back and the people are lovely... everyone was so sweet. The food! Oh man... it was incredible... Goulash soup, beef stew and noodles, steak medallions hungarian style, stuffed cabbage...mmmm
Chess is big in Budapest. When Tom and I went to the Turkish baths there were old men huddled around their chess boards for hours... there were chess boards everywhere... in the park.. in the train station... keleti... We saw the castle and the parliament. The architecture was astonishing... the Danube river was huge and beautiful.. the mighty Danube... The last night we were there Tom and I went to our favorite place called the Godor club... its a club, music venue in a park and they have live bands every night... good beer.. the place is always packed with young locals.. who are very good looking... and have this style that is somewhat Grungy shiek and Bohemian Arsty.. its rad... we met a boy named David who is from Hungary and we talked to him about politics and everything Hungarian. He said he knows Americans that live there and teach English and make great money.... just a thought... he also showed us the coolest place i have ever been to. I have remember the name but it was a club.. but unlike any club I have ever seen.. it was in an old run down building but it was decadent!!! there were bikes chained everywhere because that is the trainsportation there mainly... there was a room with retro tv's hanging all over the wall playing matrix type images... the music was good... not American at all... it. I wish I could even begin to describe it but I could never do it justice... its the coolest most original and beautiful place I have ever seen.... and the culture... so good.... so good....... I left my heart in Budapest.
Interlaken was also beautiful. I met these wonderful girls living in Zurich. They invited me to come back and stay with them Aug 8- 11 for a street festival... there were a ton of americans in Interlaken though and I really found that annoying...
Now I am in Ljubjana, Slovenia which is gorgeous.. this is a very rich country... everything is so clean and organized... the city I am in is very small and you can walk everywhere. I took a bus t Lake Bled today which has an island in the middle with a castle... its incredible... I took lots of pics hopefully i can upload them soon... Slovenia is very greeeeen... so greeeenn... its incredible.. I have one more night here and then I go to Milano for a night and of to Santorini...more to come...
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Blown away by a little place called Frankfurt
So I didnt have many expectations for Frankfurt... probably because I didnt know much about it and I came here on a whim... but I LOVE IT! Our hostel is kind of in a ghetto area, but I have never felt unsafe. Last night I went with my other roomies (a traveling nurse from Australia living in Saudi Arabia doing nursing, a boy named Christian from Colombia studying in Italia, and the girl in my hostel from Amsterdam.) We walked down to this river where all the locals hang out and drink beer and watch the sunset. There are old gothic churches and the skyline was beautiful. The people were really nice and I had a delicious Hefeweisen and great conversations about traveling and nursing, etc.. etc... I saw lots of beautiful German folk. One boy was playing his acoustic guitar and a girl was singing along.. it was beautiful. Then we all went and got some Turkish food. There are a lot of Turkish people here... Anyway, I am about to hop the train to Switzerland... and I didnt take any pics of Frankfurt river.. i am so sad...but I got some of this crazy building. Those coming soon.... all my love...
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Lost in Translation
Amsterdam was beginning to feel like the Bermuda Triangle of Europe to me and I had to get OUT! So I hopped on a train with one of my roomies and we are now in Frankfurt which is much better...
I was trying to reserve a seat on the night train for Switzerland and the lady told me there was a 5 hour wait and that she knew NOTHING... hahaha... so anyway... peace out Amsterdam
I am feeling a little better today. My cold is letting up a bit.. but I am coughing tons.. which sucks..
I hope clean Swiss air will cure me. Then I get to meet up with Kyle as well!
I recieved an email from a boy I roomed with in Cinque Terre and it about made me cry so I hope he doesnt mind if I post it because it was awesome! Here it is....
Hello Natasha,
i wanted to say thanks for hanging out with us and showing us around in chinqen terre. we really were very lucky to have met you. generally if a guy complements a girl like this he's cuase he wants to hook up with her, but don't worry that's not my intention, i'm just happy that we had the chance to meet.
i think that you are a lovly woman. i don't use that word often to describe people. you turned out to be a beatiful person both inside and out. i was kind of surprised you were very content just to hangout with us and show us the things you had already seen in the cities. alot of times i thought people would say some dumb things, but you never made fun of them or rolled your eyes you just continued to be kind.
we attend a christian college that prides itself on the genuiness, patience, and kindess of its students. but i thing it would still be rare to find a girl like you even amount them.
anyway, thanks again so much for showing us around, i really enjoyed meeting you. i hope that the rest of your travels are safe and that you meet some other people to share it with. if your ever in west michigan and need anything give us a shout. bye
-Jon
I thought it was really cool of him to say that.... anyway... gotta go.. I am hungryyyyy.....
I was trying to reserve a seat on the night train for Switzerland and the lady told me there was a 5 hour wait and that she knew NOTHING... hahaha... so anyway... peace out Amsterdam
I am feeling a little better today. My cold is letting up a bit.. but I am coughing tons.. which sucks..
I hope clean Swiss air will cure me. Then I get to meet up with Kyle as well!
I recieved an email from a boy I roomed with in Cinque Terre and it about made me cry so I hope he doesnt mind if I post it because it was awesome! Here it is....
Hello Natasha,
i wanted to say thanks for hanging out with us and showing us around in chinqen terre. we really were very lucky to have met you. generally if a guy complements a girl like this he's cuase he wants to hook up with her, but don't worry that's not my intention, i'm just happy that we had the chance to meet.
i think that you are a lovly woman. i don't use that word often to describe people. you turned out to be a beatiful person both inside and out. i was kind of surprised you were very content just to hangout with us and show us the things you had already seen in the cities. alot of times i thought people would say some dumb things, but you never made fun of them or rolled your eyes you just continued to be kind.
we attend a christian college that prides itself on the genuiness, patience, and kindess of its students. but i thing it would still be rare to find a girl like you even amount them.
anyway, thanks again so much for showing us around, i really enjoyed meeting you. i hope that the rest of your travels are safe and that you meet some other people to share it with. if your ever in west michigan and need anything give us a shout. bye
-Jon
I thought it was really cool of him to say that.... anyway... gotta go.. I am hungryyyyy.....
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Rock Werchter and Amsterdam
I successfully made it to Brussels last week from Cinque Terre, Italy and I cant tell you how good that felt to navigate Europe trains and planes with no bumps or bruises... I feel very independent and self sufficient these days... so good...
I had a nice hot shower the night before Rock Werchter started in my hotel. It was really nice.. the more North you head in Europe the more high tech/futuristic things are... the trains are also very nice and ORGANIZED... Italy is sooo not organized.. but that is just the culture.
The morning or RW I hopped on the shuttle where I met 2 girls from London... they asked if I was alone and I said yes and they invited me to camp with them. I was so relieved!!!
There were soooo many people lined up for the buses.. it was like an ocean of people.. I think something like 100,000 people attended this festival. I ended up having to go to the box office to trade my paper ticket for a camping ticket.. so I ended up losing the girls.. met a boy named Andy in line (from Boston) and he ended up palling around with us the rest of the time.. and his friend Lisa from Texas... But I left him in the line to go find the girls and I was really nervous because there were so many people in the campground and my cell wasnt working when I called them. I ended up asking a group of Aussies how you call a UK number from a cell and they helped me and told me to pitch up my tent there.. They pretty much pitched it for me and told me I was a part of the family... There was about 15-20 of them.. girls and guys.. They were amazing people.. truly amazing.. I ended up sticking with them the rest of the time and met some really cool people.. Tom was one of my favorites... me and him rocked the dance floor and he is a funny fella... but they were all so cool. We found Andy again... and then we gained some more friends from London... Scott and his friends... we had a huge group... and we drank lots of Stella but they were in little cups. I never got wasted.. just buzzed... it was perfect... I danced soooo much.. I dont think I have ever danced that much in my life. I saw NEIL YOUNG! 2 of the Aussies were die hard fans like me so we pushed our way to the front. AMAZING! He is so old and he rocked out! Some of my other favorites were Vampire Weekend, JayZ, MGMT, Sigur Ros, Deus, The Kooks, Kings of Leon, ... there were SO many bands!!!!!! all incredible...
The last night we went in a German beer tent and drank beer and sang songs... it was packed with people from all over the world.. it was incredible.. everyone singing together!
At the end of the festival I hopped the train to Amsterdam and here I am... paying for really expensive internet.. but I have a bit of a cold and stuffy nose so I am taking it easy tonight. Last night I went to the Red Light District with 2 girls in my hostel room. We went prostitute gazing and walked around a lot.. I watched some guy buy a box of mushrooms... that was crazy... and everyone is smoking pot... it really is NO big deal at all. I havent really felt like smoking though...
I went shopping today and ate some pizza. I found a little street and every store has a 50% off sale. I bought some sandals for 19 Euro, and some boots that I have been looking allll over for... and a sweater because its freezing here. It has been raining.... a little sunshine today though.. tomorrow I will go to the Van Gough museum and take photos... I miss my Australians... and my dancing partner Tom.... but hopefully we will meet up later because he is traveling for a few weeks as well.... Life is good.. I miss my family and friends though!!!!!!!
I had a nice hot shower the night before Rock Werchter started in my hotel. It was really nice.. the more North you head in Europe the more high tech/futuristic things are... the trains are also very nice and ORGANIZED... Italy is sooo not organized.. but that is just the culture.
The morning or RW I hopped on the shuttle where I met 2 girls from London... they asked if I was alone and I said yes and they invited me to camp with them. I was so relieved!!!
There were soooo many people lined up for the buses.. it was like an ocean of people.. I think something like 100,000 people attended this festival. I ended up having to go to the box office to trade my paper ticket for a camping ticket.. so I ended up losing the girls.. met a boy named Andy in line (from Boston) and he ended up palling around with us the rest of the time.. and his friend Lisa from Texas... But I left him in the line to go find the girls and I was really nervous because there were so many people in the campground and my cell wasnt working when I called them. I ended up asking a group of Aussies how you call a UK number from a cell and they helped me and told me to pitch up my tent there.. They pretty much pitched it for me and told me I was a part of the family... There was about 15-20 of them.. girls and guys.. They were amazing people.. truly amazing.. I ended up sticking with them the rest of the time and met some really cool people.. Tom was one of my favorites... me and him rocked the dance floor and he is a funny fella... but they were all so cool. We found Andy again... and then we gained some more friends from London... Scott and his friends... we had a huge group... and we drank lots of Stella but they were in little cups. I never got wasted.. just buzzed... it was perfect... I danced soooo much.. I dont think I have ever danced that much in my life. I saw NEIL YOUNG! 2 of the Aussies were die hard fans like me so we pushed our way to the front. AMAZING! He is so old and he rocked out! Some of my other favorites were Vampire Weekend, JayZ, MGMT, Sigur Ros, Deus, The Kooks, Kings of Leon, ... there were SO many bands!!!!!! all incredible...
The last night we went in a German beer tent and drank beer and sang songs... it was packed with people from all over the world.. it was incredible.. everyone singing together!
At the end of the festival I hopped the train to Amsterdam and here I am... paying for really expensive internet.. but I have a bit of a cold and stuffy nose so I am taking it easy tonight. Last night I went to the Red Light District with 2 girls in my hostel room. We went prostitute gazing and walked around a lot.. I watched some guy buy a box of mushrooms... that was crazy... and everyone is smoking pot... it really is NO big deal at all. I havent really felt like smoking though...
I went shopping today and ate some pizza. I found a little street and every store has a 50% off sale. I bought some sandals for 19 Euro, and some boots that I have been looking allll over for... and a sweater because its freezing here. It has been raining.... a little sunshine today though.. tomorrow I will go to the Van Gough museum and take photos... I miss my Australians... and my dancing partner Tom.... but hopefully we will meet up later because he is traveling for a few weeks as well.... Life is good.. I miss my family and friends though!!!!!!!
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