All adventures must come to an end – and this one is no exception. As I write this, I have left Europe and am currently on a layover in Beijing. As I look back I would have to say the two highlights of my European adventures (in order) would be visiting Levi and his parents in Sweden and the Development Finance Summer School program at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.
I did enjoy travelling through parts of Germany and to Paris, but I did most of that alone and, despite what I have said in the past, it is much more enjoyable travelling with others! It has been a month, but it feels like no time has passed, yet some of the people I have met along the way I feel like I have known for a long time.
Now it is time to go home, resume my life, start my first 'real' job and complete the last semester of my degree. My adventures in Europe are over, but today is the first day of the rest of my life!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
'Emo' Cows!
I feel this one photo is worth a blog entry. These cows belong to the Lindbloms. I wonder if these 2 cows should be put on suicide watch!!
Stockholm From a Different Perspective
I walked the sidewalks and 'climbed' the sphere – how else could I see Stockholm? By water of course! Levi and I took a 30 minute cruise from a 'cruise stop' near his home to the centre of Stockholm. It was really beautiful and relaxing. It was interesting to see the city from yet another angle!
A Royal Castle
Sweden has its own Royal family and this, of course, means that it has Royal Castles, Palaces and Gardens. Perhaps it is because I grew up always helping out in the garden at home, I always enjoy strolling around beautiful gardens more than interior of buildings. Levi took me to the castle near his house and we wandered around the perfectly kept gardens (and even into a maze!).
Ericsson Globe Arena
Where do you get the best bird's eye views of Stockholm? The top of largest spherical building in the world! Levi took me to the Ericsson Globe Arena and we took this small glass bubble (which could hold about 10 people comfortably) on a track over the exterior of the sphere. The views were amazing, but I have to say Stockholm isn't a skyscraper city and is best viewed by walking in and around the old buildings and canals. Unlike a lot of cities, it is extremely clean and feels very safe – Stockholm is definitely best viewed by pounding the pavement!
Stockholm
So Solgerd and Bertil's farm is rural as expected. I say this, yet they get broadband internet, perfect mobile phone service and most amazing of all – public transport. In fact far better public transport than I get at home in the suburbs of the Gold Coast! Levi and I took the bus (and train) into central Stockholm and spent some time walking around. With my own personal tour guide, I only saw the 'best of the best' sights – the parliament building, stadiums, Old Town (the tourist area), historic buildings and beautiful canals. Stockholm is a city made up of dozens of islands. My thoughts on Stockholm? A truly unique city that has so much soul and I honestly can't compare it to anywhere I have ever been! I really enjoyed Stockholm (even if it is the only place that I have been that is MORE expensive than Australia) and I hope to return someday!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The World’s Largest Ikea Store!
So Levi is moving to a new unfurnished apartment this coming semester. In true Swedish style this means a trip to the local Ikea store. Of course, the one around the corner just happens to be the largest Ikea store in the world. As we all know, I love Ikea, so Levi and I set out with a shopping list of items he needs. We need to 'fill up' for the 'maze' that we are about to enter, so we start off in the restaurant which, according to Levi, actually has real Swedish food (pictured above are Swedish meatballs – Köttbullar). We look at everything from lighting to cooking and eating utensils to couches. After many hours, and much discussion, Levi had narrowed down his list and had a rough idea of what he wanted. We ended as we started – eating in the restaurant. We each had a slice of traditional Swedish Apple Pie (which, in my opinion, is nicer than American apple pie or Australian apple tea cake).
Grazing!!!
Around Levi's family house there is a garden area with lots of fruit trees and vegetable plants growing. Today I spent the entire afternoon wandering around, going from tree to tree eating apples, raspberries, plums and cherries. Not too dissimilar from the garden at home, but everything here is just so plentiful and sweet! (Sweden's also much greener than our ""wide brown land".) There were also quite a few plants that I had not seen before, but I wasn't game to eat the fruit that was on them in case they were not ripe or worse, poisonous. My favourite would be the thousands of ripe juicy cherries (pictured above).
The Lindblom Residence
After Levi picked me up at the Stockholm airport, we then made our way north to his family's farm. Upon arriving I was warmly greeted by his Mum, Solgerd and Dad, Bertil. Their house is over 200 years old and has been in the Lindblom family for five generations! It is a beautiful home with antique furniture and quirky rooms. Shortly after arriving, we had spectacular home cooked Spaghetti Bolognese, made with fresh mince from one of their own cows. I am definitely going to enjoy my week here!
I survived Ryanair!
I had been warned by everyone I knew that I should avoid Ryanair, at all costs! I wanted to experience the 'service' for myself. I was booked to fly from Berlin to Stockholm. First encounter with a Ryanair staff member was at the 'Bag Drop' counter. I asked if they had tags to place on your luggage to write your name and contact details; after literally 60 seconds of conversation I was told that Ryanair don't give those out (it was like drawing blood from a stone). I then dropped off my 20.0kg bag – exactly the maximum allowed :) After passing through airport security I looked at the screen to see which gate I was departing from – they don't display that until boarding commences:( Finally, when boarding began the procedure was very similar to Southwest Airlines in the US; open seating with "first in, best dressed" priority. Overall the experience was actually a positive one. Once on board it was no different to flying Jet Star in Australia; they try to sell you beverages, food and other products. They were a little more commercial in that there were advertisements placed on the overhead compartments (pictured above) and they also not only advertised in their in-flight magazine, but also over the loud speaker (for example discounted rental cars). I would fly Ryanair again – if it was the cheapest.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Berlin
A summary of modern Berlin history: the vast majority of Berlin was destroyed in the World Wars and then it was split into two parts following World War II – East Berlin (controlled by the Soviet Union) and West Berlin (controlled by the US, UK and France). The Berlin Wall served as a physical barrier; built to stop people fleeing East Germany to West Germany in search of a better life. I have been in Germany for a few weeks and had seen a little of central and south Germany, both were absolutely beautiful. Berlin was not! West Berlin (where my hotel was located) is okay – reminds me, a little, of parts of New York, but not as nice. It was rebuilt by the Allied forces following WWII. East Berlin is a 'dive'. It is a deserted horrible place. I am very glad I went to Berlin, as I enjoyed learning about the Third Reich, Nazi Germany and seeing what remains of the Berlin Wall (pictured above) on some guided tours, but it would be okay if I never returned.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Musée National d'Art Moderne
After visiting the Louvre on Wednesday, Thursday was time to 'hit up' a modern art museum (which is more my thing). I have to say that I actually enjoyed the Modern Art Museum more than the Louvre. The highlight was a temporary exhibition from India. It had a heavy focus on the environment (particularly the treatment of e-waste) but also addressed on cultural issues (such as the suicide of young women from poor families not being able to come up with a sufficient dowry for marriage) and rape. It was all very well done and very interesting! I really enjoy art work that makes me think about an issue that is relevant in the world. Above is a photo of a reflection of me in one of the art pieces!
Why aren’t all French people fat?
I am not going kid myself – I ate my way around Paris!! And loved every second. I feel I should dedicate this entry to my Mother and to Jenny – the people who share with me most the love of food. Okay, judgement time (for the cakes – not me!). In first place is the bottom cake - it was thick custard in between ridged flaky layers of pastry. Second place goes to top left, this is cream and raspberry with thick crunchy layers - it was 'to die for'. Final place is the top right - coconut with cream and pieces of crunchy meringue. Just for clarity, I still absolutely adored all of them and would kill for any of them – seriously, give me a name.
Disclaimer: the above comparison between the pastries and the Eiffel Tower is, unfortunately, not a life size comparison.
Disclaimer: the above comparison between the pastries and the Eiffel Tower is, unfortunately, not a life size comparison.
The Louvre
The most visited art museum in the world – and I could tell. There were people EVERYWHERE. It honestly almost ruined it. Almost. It was amazing – the highlight was the Napoleon Apartments (these original rooms of the palace made the interior of Neuschwanstein Castle look like a hostel). I honestly couldn't stay more than a few hours – fighting through crowds is not the way art should be viewed! Oh yea, I also checked out a painting you may have heard of - Mona Lisa!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Escargots Gratines a`l`ail (Snails)
Paris should be really called '5lbs per 3 days' – I have been eating so much good food (I can always diet once at home, right?) I just had to try snails. I had a half dozen at a traditional restaurant with some people I met on my tour. It was served with garlic and butter and came with some weird silverware that looked like a torture device. I ordered a glass of Riesling, as a chaser, in case they were as horrible as they looked. (I have developed a liking for sweet Riesling after the wine tasting a couple of weekends ago in Germany). I worked out how to use the 'scooper'(after being laughed at by strangers) and ate one. My verdict? Délicieux (Delicious)!
Walking tour of Paris
So after the mediocre walking tour in Munich I wasn't expecting much of the one in Paris (done by the same company – called 'New Europe' if I recall correctly). I was pleasantly surprised – it was really interesting and informative. My tour guide (also called Alex) was very knowledgeable – especially about the history of France and Paris. He told us some of the history of the last 2,500 years in the 10 minutes before starting the tour. We visited all the top sites – Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame (pictured above), Le Louvre, the famous romantic bridge 'Pont des Arts' (the one where Big comes and finds Carrie in the end of the TV series of Sex and the City – don't judge me) and about a dozen other attractions.
Eiffel Tower
First stop in Paris? Climbing the Eiffel Tower, of course! I say climbing, because I took the 600+ steps to the 2nd floor. I am honestly not as fit as I would like to be. It was a lot of effort! In my defence, the line for the steps was only about 10 people, and it is cheaper than the elevator. The line for the elevator would have been about 1km winding in and around the four pillars at the bottom; so there are a lot people who are lazier and/or less fit than me. The trick is to take the stairs to the 2nd floor and then buy a ticket to the top from there (this is what I did and I waited in line for less than 5 minutes in total!) It was definitely worth all the effort – the view was amazing!! Oh, and they don't check tickets on the way down – so I caught the elevator all the way :)
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Neuschwanstein Castle
After missing the train yesterday, today I decided to do a tour of Neuschwanstein Castle. The castle is 2 hours away from Munich and is only 5km from Austria (as the crow flies). It is at the beginning of the German side of the Bavarian Alps. It is absolutely beautiful – inside and out! The inside tour was a little disappointing – the inside is spectacular, but the tour only takes you through about 10 rooms. Plus you are not allowed to take photos inside – which, of course, meant that I only took about 20 :) We also did some hiking around the castle through some river rapids and forests. To summarise, if you are in Munich and can afford the time, absolutely go to the castle – but I wouldn't make a special trip to Munich for it!
Hofbräuhaus
I couldn't go to Munich without having a 1 litre beer. After a long day of walking and walking, Allison (an American girl I had met on my walking tour) and I decided to go to the famous Hofbräuhaus for some dinner and a beer. We ordered an obscene amount food; potato salad (Germany style – with no mayo, white vinegar based sauce instead), bread basket (with 4 different types of bread including soft pretzel), and then 'an HB Original Sausage platter' with three different types of German Sausage, a knuckle of pork (with potato dumplings, of course). Finally we had this delicious apple flavoured (almost French toast pieces) dessert that I can't remember the name of. To drink I had a 1 litre HB original – and yes I did manage to finish it!
Side note – there were three Korean girls sitting next to us and they shared a knuckle of pork between them. Now I know why Australia and America are the fattest countries – but it was so worth it :)
Side note – there were three Korean girls sitting next to us and they shared a knuckle of pork between them. Now I know why Australia and America are the fattest countries – but it was so worth it :)
Welcome to Munich – Dachau
On my first day in Munich I was supposed to be getting up at 6.30am to catch an early morning train with Rachel, Lily and David to see Neuschwanstein Castle. My alarm failed to wake me; I woke up at 7.40am (5 minutes before my train left!). I didn't waste the day. I decided to do a walking tour of Munich in the morning and a tour of Dachau Concentration Camp in the afternoon. The walking tour was nothing special, but the
tour of Dachau – wow! I couldn't say it was the favourite thing I have done on this trip so far; it would be inappropriate to label a memorial to a concentration camp in a positive light. But, I can say it is the place that I am most glad I visited. The vast majority of the memorial is original and they have only added cabinets showcasing the torture methods and describing the 'systems' that the Nazi's used. I honestly had no idea about just how horrible Nazi concentration camps were – and I think only those who were there when it was in 'operation' ever will really know.
tour of Dachau – wow! I couldn't say it was the favourite thing I have done on this trip so far; it would be inappropriate to label a memorial to a concentration camp in a positive light. But, I can say it is the place that I am most glad I visited. The vast majority of the memorial is original and they have only added cabinets showcasing the torture methods and describing the 'systems' that the Nazi's used. I honestly had no idea about just how horrible Nazi concentration camps were – and I think only those who were there when it was in 'operation' ever will really know.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Goodbye Kolpinghaus
I strongly believe that a place is only as good as the people who live in it. Fortunately, the people who I live with on the 5th floor of Kolpinghaus are great to live with. We have Rachel, Lily, Andrea, Laura, myself, Daniel and Jarrod living on that floor who are attending Development Finance – exactly half of the floor. There are four people on the floor who are working for the German Post Office delivering mail over the summer – two Bulgarian girls (Dani and Vessela – apologies if this is spelt incorrectly) and two Polish guys (Maciej and Adam). And then there is Michael; the craziest German I have ever met – always up for a beer and going out. We are all on a tight budget so our nights mostly consist of cooking dinner (generally someone cooks for everyone – for example the other night I cooked German Bratwurst on sourdough with salad and camembert cheese); and then a beer around the tables in the kitchen room and maybe walking out to a nearby pub. I have had a great time and I am so fortunate to have met such nice, welcoming people!
Palmengarten
Monday afternoon was a perfect 25 degrees and sunshine – perfect time to go and explore Frankfurt's famous Palmengarten. The plants were absolutely extraordinary; from cactus to rainforests and everything in between. There were so many different varieties of the plants that I had never seen before. The most interesting was a tree with thorns (like roses have) up its trunk, but my favourite area was the beautiful rose garden. I had an amazing afternoon with Rachel, Lily and David (pictured above).
Kloster Eberbach
This ministry located in the Rheingau region was founded about 1,000 years ago and was used as the set for the 1986 film "The Name of the Rose". Although I have never seen that movie, the guided wine tour (which featured a glass of 6 different types of Riesling) was amazing. The buildings were so incredible, some are almost completely original, only receiving minor maintenance in the last 1,000 years! The room pictured above is actually an optical illusion – the floor is on a slope and at the end of the hall it is a half metre higher than the other end. This combined with the shortening pillars (the roof is level) gives the appearance that it is longer than it actually is.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Rüdesheim am Rhein
Sunday was once again a crazy busy day. After an hour long bus ride we arrived at Rüdesheim am Rhein. In the morning I took the chairlift up to the Niederwald Monument, but to be totally honest, the statute wasn't the main attraction up there. It was the view (pictured above). It was so amazing – not only could you see Rüdesheim and the Rhein river; you could see little villages scattered amongst the beautiful rolling hills, for hundreds of miles.
Blackforest Cake
I had two things I wanted to do whilst in Germany on my mini-bucket list – visit an Aldi store and eat Blackforest cake. The Aldi store was basically the same as the ones in Australia, so a little disappointing, but the Blackforest Cake was AMAZING. Quite possibly the best thing I have ever eaten in my whole life. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good. My immediate reaction was "bring me the cake" and then "this alone was worth the 30+ hours' journey".
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Saturday Night in Sachsenhausen
Okay, okay, so if I was not to have an entry dedicated to the nightlife in Frankfurt, not only would this blog not be a true account of my time here, but it would almost be 'un-German'. Germans love their beer. You can drink in any public place, on public transport and you can buy beer EVERYWHERE! But it gets better. You can buy a 500ml 5% beer for 0.50 Euros (around $AU0.70) in the supermarket, or around 2.50 Euros (around $AU3.00) in a pub. Not only is it readily available and cheap, but it actually tastes good. Yes, I, the person who has never been a beer drinker, love German beer. Sachsenhausen is a collection of bars and pubs that are about a 15 minute walk from my accommodation. I don't think that a photo is appropriate for this entry and this is all I am going to say :)
Walking tour of Heidelberg
I have come to the conclusion that the best way to see a European city is by foot. After lunch our wonderful hosts, Kathrin and Christina, had booked us all in for a walking tour of Heidelberg. Once again, our guide was amazing. She took us all around, from the University food court (which has been voted the best in Germany) to the student jail (where bad students who use to play pranks around town would be sent for 3 days and fed only bread and water) to the memorial site of a Synagogue that was burnt to the ground in 1939 in what was known as the Kristallnacht (EN: Crystal night). The highlight would have been walking along the River Neckar. From the Old Bridge, there was an amazing view of the Heidelberg Castle (pictured above).
Welcome to Heidelberg
After a long week, Saturday finally arrived and the wonderful people at Frankfurt School of Finance and Management organised a trip to Heidelberg. After a 90 minute train ride we arrived in the town that is home to Germany's oldest university, founded in the 14th century. It is filled with beautiful narrow streets that look like they're straight out of a movie set (pictured above). The main attraction is the 'Heidelberger Schloss' (EN: Heidelberg Castle), which after the steep walk up provides beautiful views of Heidelberg and the River Neckar. I really enjoyed Heidelberg – it is the quintessential European town.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
A Typical Day
We mostly have four 90 minute classes a day, with a different speaker each day. From highly theoretical (e.g. at what point people in group's lending would default) to very practical (e.g. what steps would you take to implement consumer protection policy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo). It is all very interesting, but is a total brain drain and after class we always end up chilling with a German beer. It's a tough life, but someone has to live it!
Columbian Restaurant
My favourite Columbians, Andrea and Laura, have not stopped talking about how good Columbian food is. (Juliana if you are reading this, you are one of favourite Spaniards!). So after class they took us to this little Columbian Restaurant that is close to Kolpinghaus. The first floor was so small, literally one long table up against the wall with barstools and the counter. As there was a few of us, we were directed to go up this little staircase and there was literally the one table up stairs (pictured above). The food was delicious and the company was great!
Official Walking Tour
After exploring the city from the sky it was time to hit the footpaths and see it like a local – literally. Kathrin and Christina were nice enough to organise a tour with a grey haired man who was a born and bred in Frankfurt. He had so much knowledge and gave me a quick lesson about Nazi's as we explored the nooks and crannies of the city. He told me his father was a soldier in WWII, and I told him my grandfather was too! It is crazy to think that once, not so long ago, Germany and Australia and were at war. I honestly do not see many differences between the people and the countries. Above is a photo of our group on the tour (left to right) Andrea, Laura, Daniel, Jarrod, me, Rachel, Lily, David, Kathrin, Juliana, Christina, Adrian and Eva.
Maintower Observation Deck
Kathrin and Christina have been so welcoming and, to introduce us to Frankfurt, took us to one of the tallest buildings in Frankfurt, the Maintower. The observation deck is similar to the one on top of the Rockefeller Plaza in New York – open top and beautiful views. I can definitely see why it is called the 'Mine'-hatten!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Apfelwein
At the restaurant last night I finally tried the famous Frankfurt Apple wine, called Apfelwein. It was horrible! Sorry, there is no other way to put it! Pictured above, left to right, are me, Lily (Chinese), Rachel (Chinese), Juliana (Spanish), a friend of Christina (American), Christina (German, she is an organiser), Laura (Columbian), Jarrod (Griffith Uni), Eva (Spanish) and Kathrin (German, she is the other organiser).
Apfelweinkneipe
The first day of class started with an hour long introduction presentation. I learned exactly what 'development finance' means and met the other participants. We have a very diverse group of 15 students – people from Russia, Spain, Columbia, China, South Africa and, of course, Australia. Everyone seems to be very intelligent and it would be very interesting to be a 'fly on the wall' listening to different perspectives. I can see it is going to be a very 'full on' course – most days we have four 1.5hr classes (so basically 4 weeks' worth of material!). Today, after a long day of classes (9am to 6.15pm!) the organisers, Kathrin and Christina, took us all to a local traditional Frankfurt Restaurant/Pub called Apfelweinkneipe. I had a DELICIOUS pork dish (pictured above). The only way to eat it is with your hands!
Frankfurt School of Finance and Management
Frankfurt School of Finance and Management has a unique history. Originally, it started as a training academy, sponsored by many of the European Banks headquartered here. Although that is still their primary business, they also offer a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate studies in both German and English. The campus itself is very impressive. So beautiful and modern. After a brief tour and a day of class I came to the conclusion that it is certainly one of the most advanced education facilities at which I have ever studied!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Exploring Frankfurt by Foot
With eight hours to kill until I could check in, I decided to walk
around this comparably small city centre on the Main
River (which is actually pronounced 'Mine'). It was so amazing. I felt
like I was on a movie set for a European movie. So green, so historic and
so big; the bridges, the trees and the old buildings. I started by
crossing over the Main and walking along the green space (photo above
taken from there) that runs parallel to the river. I ventured north to the Romer. That was amazing! At 1pm, 3 hours short of my check in time I gave up and went back to the hotel – I was simply too
tired to walk anymore.
around this comparably small city centre on the Main
River (which is actually pronounced 'Mine'). It was so amazing. I felt
like I was on a movie set for a European movie. So green, so historic and
so big; the bridges, the trees and the old buildings. I started by
crossing over the Main and walking along the green space (photo above
taken from there) that runs parallel to the river. I ventured north to the Romer. That was amazing! At 1pm, 3 hours short of my check in time I gave up and went back to the hotel – I was simply too
tired to walk anymore.
Welcome to Frankfurt!
Flying in over the beautiful city of Frankfurt and the surrounding
areas I knew it was going to be worth every minute of sitting in
Economy on the long haul flights. I had left Sydney one hour late and
I was constantly 'chasing up' the whole trip. Both in Shanghai and
Beijing my transfer time was very limited and I did not stop walking
and running in the airports. Having never have been to either region
in China it seemed like a bit of a waste to be just transferring in
these dynamic unique cities, but that is for another trip! Arriving in
Frankfurt at 6am I took the 6:47am S-Bahn (read train) to the stop
near my accommodation, Kolpinghaus. I wasn't too impressed with, after
transiting for 35+ hours being told that I wouldn't be able to check
in until 4pm!
areas I knew it was going to be worth every minute of sitting in
Economy on the long haul flights. I had left Sydney one hour late and
I was constantly 'chasing up' the whole trip. Both in Shanghai and
Beijing my transfer time was very limited and I did not stop walking
and running in the airports. Having never have been to either region
in China it seemed like a bit of a waste to be just transferring in
these dynamic unique cities, but that is for another trip! Arriving in
Frankfurt at 6am I took the 6:47am S-Bahn (read train) to the stop
near my accommodation, Kolpinghaus. I wasn't too impressed with, after
transiting for 35+ hours being told that I wouldn't be able to check
in until 4pm!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Sydney
After an early start, I arrived in Sydney before 8am. I dropped my stuff off at Aunty Cathy and Uncle Paul's house in Artarmon and made my way to start my "I'm Free" walking tour. It was amazing! The 3 hour tour is free and you can choose to give a tip to your tour guide if you enjoyed it. My tour guide was very knowledgeable. Starting at Town Hall we made our way over to Hyde Park and down Martin Place, but most of the tour was spent in the area around The Rocks and Circular Quay (with views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House). The highlight for me was The Rocks area – a place that is very quirky and I hadn't had the opportunity to venture to on previous trips to Sydney. It reminded me a lot of Gastown in Vancouver. After finishing the tour I took a return journey on the Manly Ferry and went and visited my Grandma. Got back to Aunty Cathy's house in time for a delicious home cooked meal (and will be my last for some time!)
Gold Coast Airport
It has been only 6 months since I posted my very last entry on Aussie-in-America and I am now sitting now in the Gold Coast Airport ready to get going again. This time: Europe. On my list is Frankfurt (where I will be taking a summer class) => Munich => Paris => Berlin => Stockholm (where I will be staying with Levi and his parents for a week!). So to prepare, in April I purchased German, French and Swedish phrase books and audio CDs. I still don't speak a word of any. I didn't realise that owning a phrase book doesn't automatically mean you can speak the language. Well it is almost time for boarding JQ401 to Sydney. Almost time to say goodbye to Mum, Dad, Aunty Christina and Uncle Joe (pictured).
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