Spring Break X

So, this was the beach in Valencia, Spain. It was absolutely beautiful weather, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky! We couldn't have asked for a better place to relax and enjoy our Easter Break...well...maybe I should talk about this later and give more of an introduction to our trip.

Anyways, we began planning this little excursion about a month ago and all agreed the best thing to do was to visit cities in Western Europe and "try to do it all." Our break began on April 1st, and, in the end, we decided to do London, Paris, Barcelona, and Valencia over a span of 10 days. Next, we had to book flights, hostels, trains...basically everything. It definitely felt good to get all of that out of the way.

We left Krakow on the morning of April Fools Day and hopped on a plane to London. When we arrived at Stansted Airport, it was a huge a relief to be able to understand all of the signs and people speaking ENGLISH! First things first, we went straight to the hostel, and I personally loved it from the moment we checked in until we left two days later. The downstairs was a bar for both the public and guests of the hostel, and it also had a pool table, internet, tv...the whole shebang. While in London, we made an effort to see a lot, and I would say one of the coolest moments was on Thursday when we had dinner at this pub next to the Thames River. Of course, we all had to get fish 'n chips. I think I just really enjoyed the atmosphere, and you could tell the locals were having a great time just drinking and loving life.


This is probably the best story of the trip, though. We bought tickets before we left to take the "chunnel train" from London to Paris on Saturday morning at 6:55 AM. We left the hostel before 6:00 and moseyed on down to the train station. With about 15 minutes to spare, we got close to our platform and saw these huge lines for checking tickets, security, and passports. Uh oh. Thankfully, we were able to cut ahead in the lines, but we got split up and were literally sprinting to get onto the train at different cabins. It wasn't until we got to our seats that we were sure we all made it. Let's just say we were about two hours early to everything the rest of the trip...

The plan was to spend three nights in Paris(sounds like a movie title, doesn't it), and we were fortunate enough to be there on the first Sunday of April--Easter. Also, we found out almost all of the museums in Paris are free on the first Sunday of every month. After seeing the Louvre, Notre Dame, and Pompidou Centre all in one day(once again, for FREE), it was definitely an eventful Easter Sunday. The last thing we did was go up in the Eiffel Tower on Monday night...very cool. I think it is hard to understand how big Paris is until you see it from like 1000 feet in the air.


The next stop was Barcelona, Spain. We ended up staying in the so-called "most popular" hostel in the world here. It, of course, had a different feel than London or Paris, and I think this is when we started to unwind a little and really enjoy our break. In the other cities, there was so much to see that we were constantly doing something all hours of the day. We ate at a seafood restaurant right on the Mediterranean Sea(ask Tyler what the head of a fried fish tastes like), and found an all-you-can-eat buffet very close to our hostel. Can't forget--I bought a FC Barcelona soccer jersey here, too. We watched a game at a bar...they won...I had to get one, right?!

Last stop--Valencia. This was the most 'chill' place on our trip, for sure. Like I said earlier, it was perfect weather, and we did our best to do nothing productive and just lay on the beach most of the day on Friday. Cheers to our friend, Captain Ron who let us stay in his hostel.

Four flights, two trains, and one AMAZING trip around Europe that will be hard to beat! I ended up with lots of memories, pictures, and...a sunburn.

When in Roma

Rome was the southernmost city on our trip and was definitely worth the drive. We arrived on Wednesday, March 10th and spent the longest time here(2 nights/1 day). The hotel was very nice, and, if I remember correctly, we even got to sleep in until 8:00! ha. Overall, it was a pretty exhausting stop as we raced around trying to see as much as possible. Here are just a few of the stops in our tour of Rome:


Colosseo
I think this one's been around a while...still standing after 2000 years. Unbelievable.


Pantheon
I caught myself just staring out the hole(oculus) in the roof...clouds passing by...and my class outside getting ready to leave. Oops.
Fun Fact of the Day: Largest dome in the world for 1700 years


Last, but not least...The Vatican

Vatican City was the last place we visited, and even though we ran into a little bad weather(okay, a hailstorm), it was incredible. The entire complex was just so...humbling. I also had no idea that St. Peter's Basilica was that massive. It was amazing to see all of the time, effort, and money put into such a holy place.

It's hard to say whether Rome was my favorite city, but there is just so much history there to forget any of it. The best part was definitely seeing all the famous monuments and buildings. Now, I just really want to watch Gladiator and Angels & Demons...

We're Back!

First things first...Sorry I haven't posted anything new in a couple of weeks. It's taken a while to get back on a regular schedule and organize everything from one of the most incredible/exhausting trips of my life!

We left Friday, March 5th at 10:00 PM and didn't get back until Sunday, March 14th. I was definitely pooped, and it felt great to finally sleep on the ol' "wood frame" bed in the dorms. I know we were all anxious to get back near the end, and even though we've only been in Krakow about a month, it's crazy how quickly a place can become home.

Below is a map of our travels(thank you for making life easy, google). Click on the picture to enlarge it.

2264 miles(or the distance between New Jersey and Nevada. ha)

I would have to say my favorite stop was Cinque Terre. Even though I had never heard of it before this trip, it is a town of five beautiful villages along the Ligurian Sea. We ate lunch at this restaurant right on the water, and had some of the best salad, seafood, and wine. Delicious. I could definitely retire there someday.

Along the coast of Cinque Terre

The most exciting place was probably Rome...I'll have an entire post for this, later.

A public space that exuded architectonic qualities is...just kidding. I am not going to bore you with that much architecture. However, it is surreal to see buildings and places that have been around for centuries. Another thing I thought was neat is that most of the churches we visited still have services every Sunday. I wonder how many hundreds of thousands of people have come through those doors...

All in all, it's so difficult to describe our entire trip in words because there was always so much going on. I was definitely trigger happy on the camera, and ended up with over 1200 pictures. Obviously, I won't post them all, but I will get pictures from both Austria and Italy onto flickr.

You stay classy, America.

Upcoming Trip to Austria + Italy

We're leaving tonight for an "organized" trip to Austria and Italy. Our history professor, Jacek Czubinski, has already planned out the whole thing and will also be going with us.

From what I understand, we'll be taking a 20 passenger van and driving A LOT. The first night will be just driving, as it will take us 10 hours to get to our first stop in Graz. Anywho, here are some of the cities we will be visiting...

Graz. Palmanova. Vicenza. Verona. Cinque Terre. Siena. Rome. Venice. Vienna.

I will definitely take tons of pictures and fill everyone in when I get back on March 14th. Arrivederci!


"Austria?! Well then, g'day mate! Let's put another shrimp on the barbie."
"Let's not"

Just a Few Quickies

If you want to see more pictures, the best way is to add me on Facebook or go to my photos on Flickr(link is on the right side of the page). However, I can only add a limited number of photos on Flickr...it's so hard to choose which ones.

Also, check out my friends' blogs of their current travels abroad. It is the section below "Photos on Flickr"

Dziekuje. Przepraszam. Dzien Dobry.

Even though I've already mentioned the language barrier in the first post, it's probably worth talking about again. Polish is such a difficult language to read, spell, and pronounce. The words in the title of this post, for example, are the only ones I have "mastered" in two weeks. The first means Thank You, second is Excuse Me, and the third is Good Morning/Afternoon. Also, most places and names around here have enough consonants to keep Vanna White happy...did you know she is 53?? Bad jokes aside, it will always be tough to communicate with the people here, but there is one language that I think we all have understood...food.

I have been surprised at how many Italian restaurants there are in Krakow. I guess it makes sense because it is close to Poland, but, anyways, I have absolutely loved the food here! Everything just seems to be "more real" and full of flavor instead of preservatives. The popular foods in Poland seem to be pierogies, soups, and different breads and sausages. We usually eat out around five times a week and have done a good job of going different places and trying new things. For lunch today, we went to a little hut near the architecture building and got 10 pierogies and a coke for around $3.25! Take that, dollar menu.

The currency in Poland is the zloty, and it is worth about 3 times as much as the US Dollar. In addition, just about everything has been much cheaper than back home. A good beer at a restaurant or bar is always 7 or 8 zloty for a 0.5 Liter glass (only about 3 dollars). Also, with all the visits I've made to Real(the grocery store), I have yet to spend more than 50 or 60 zloty. Even though it still looks like Monopoly money, I'm beginning to get used to the little guys...

Funny Story
We were eating at a Polish restaurant one night(which we have now named "Big Mamas") where you go up to order your food and they call your number when it's ready. It was very good, by the way. We had all ordered, and Tyler was the last to sit down. He sits down and has this ceramic dish with a coca cola logo on it or something. When we told him it was the change tray, he took it back, and we all got a good laugh. Perhaps the funniest part was when he said, "I just thought it was for me to take. She saw me grab it and everything!"

One Week of Classes Down...

Hopefully the title doesn't sound bitter, as I actually like all of my classes. It's a fairly undemanding schedule that allows us to take weekend trips and, most of all, enjoy our (free) time here. Next year is definitely going to be tough to adjust back to the workload at UT. Anywho, here is my schedule...

Monday
Urban Design Lecture_11:00-13:00
Studio_13:30-17:00

Tuesday
History of Polish Architecture_13:00-14:30
Freehand Drawing_15:00-18:00

Wednesday
Studio_13:30-17:00

Thursday
NO CLASSES!

Friday
Studio_9:00-13:00

I think the class I am most excited about is History of Polish Architecture with Professor Jacek Czubinski. Instead of having a boring lecture inside, we take walking tours for every class and see and experience the architecture. It's incredible to think that most of the buildings in Poland are older than our country...I am also looking forward to the studio class. I really enjoy our professor(Krzysztof Bojanowski) and the project for the semester. Our assignment is to basically "revitalize a riverfront" in Krakow and design the public spaces on the site.

It was definitely a relief to get the first week of classes out of the way and know where every class is. Also, it seems like they give us vague directions on purpose...finding our way around the architecture building and city has forced us to become big boys and girls. Now, if only we can get Stephen away from his steady diet of candy and coke...

Favorite Quotes
"Instead of saying you had too many drinks last night, just say you were overserved"-Prof. Bojanowski

Best Birthday Ever!

I would say a trip to Poland is an okay thing to do on my birthday...

Here were the flights that eventually got us here to the land of Polska:

Nashville to Chicago: Feb 15, 2010_2:14 PM--Feb 15, 2010_3:56 PM
Chicago to Munich: Feb 15, 2010_8:55 PM--Feb 16, 2010_5:30 AM
Munich to Krakow: Feb 16, 2010_8:00 AM--Feb 16, 2010_9:25 AM
*all in Central Time

At O'Hare, we all had one last "american meal" at Chili's to pass the time during the layover. I went with the cheeseburger, fries, and...a Sam Adams. The international flight on Lufthansa Airlines was very nice, and I actually managed to get about four hours of shut eye. Upon arrival at the beautiful Munich airport, we had to go through security again and this time a....passport check! We were picked up from the airport in Krakow at 4:25 PM(which was 9:25 AM CST) and taken to our dorms. Needless to say, we were all EXHAUSTED after all that flying. Jet lag seemed more like jet dead.

So, we've all been here for five days now, but it has felt like it's been weeks. I am sure time will fly once classes begin, but it's been tough to get adjusted to everyday life in Krakow. Obviously, things such as the language barrier will take time to get used to, however, I have LOVED the time here so far. I actually find it enjoyable to be "lost" and "try new things." It seems like back home, we get on such a routine that we forget some of the other things in life. Where else can I have 30 minutes to myself on a bus ride to just...think? That reminds me, I am a huge fan of public transit...we take trams and buses everywhere here in Krakow, and it has become very convenient.

Quick Story
The first day of orientation, we had no idea where to go. Essentially, we hopped on a bus and surprisingly came to the architecture building...but it was the wrong one. After finally finding someone that spoke English, we were pointed to the right direction and took a tram to arrive...um...about 20 minutes late. Not too bad.

Favorite Quotes
"I forgot my loofa!!"-Justin at O'Hare Airport. He was serious.

"My neck pillow is inflatable, man!"-Me
"Yea, just like your girlfriend..."-Stephen

"Wobins and Burds"-Jonathan trying to say 'Robins and Birds' in an accent to woo a Polish student.