Oktoberfest
Germany on September 24, 2008 at 2:47 pm
No pictures, on phone, of what I did today. Battery was low, no plugs on train last night, but this one does.
So here is a big thing I found in Rome. I reference it in the post below this one. So you need to go read that first or else you could throw off the space time continuum.
Go ahead and do that now, I'll wait. Read full post »
Roma
Italy on September 24, 2008 at 1:36 pm
If you are reading this second instead of first I'm going to stab you in the eye. If you are quick on your game and are reading this before I finish writing my other post your eyeballs are safe friend.
Night train to Rome was pretty good. I got there and there was an Italian family of three in the car already, six to a room, but there's not really enough room for everyone unless in bed.
So I'm stuck hanging outside with an Australian fellow who has been on the road for 2 months, he ran with the bulls in Spain!
Our sixth member was a girl from Munich going to study in Pisa. So us non Italians went to the Bistro car and sat with this Austrian girl who had lived in Australia.
Both were pretty good looking, basically all women in Europe are beautiful or a ton visit Europe.
They are make-you-want-to-learn-whatever-it-is-they-are-speaking kind of good looking. Read full post »
Oktoberfail
Germany on September 22, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Set my alarm for 7:20am to allow for laziness didn't get out of bed until 8:30 for a 9:00 train. So I packed quickly and poorly. Normally there's enough room, but today I was scrunching stuff hard.
Train was late because they needed to get a new train, but that was alright because every car was 1st class.
I got a box of 6 donuts at Dunkin Donuts and people were looking at me like I was carrying around a bomb. It's 1.30€ for a donut and 5.49€ for six so I was being a bargain man.
You get looks if they know you're American in fast food joints. Like, "look an American in their natural habitat."
Fast foods a whole different experience in other countries by the way. They are decently expensive compared to local food in China and in both Europe and China they are all fancy and nice.
So didn't get to Munich until 4pm and all the hotels I tried were like laughingly telling me they had no rooms. On my fifth try I decided I'd get a night train instead so I'm going to Rome.
I might take a night train back to Munich tomorrow night because I couldn't find Oktoberfest.
I know I was surprised too. Read full post »
Scatter Brained
Germany on September 21, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Didn't get out of bed until noon which was pretty good. I went to go get some breakfasty products but I guess supermarkets and banks etc aren't open on Sunday.
I got this chocolate filled croissant thing that was delicious and some apple thing because I ordered, "shoco-croissant and whatever is good." Shoco probably wasn't the word. I avoid saying the names of things.
If I knew how their alphabet worked I would but they have like crazy looking letters mixed in with normal ones. I was ordering a wurst-croissant which is like a large pig-in-blanket and when I said it the guy was like ?? But I was ready for that and had written the name down like a deaf mute.
For lunch I ordered whatever the guy ahead of me got because it looked pretty good.
But anyways, Munich tomorrow and it's a 6 hour train ride which blows. After talking with a friend I got out a map and thought of my route after Munich.
The crazy eastern European countries you never hear of have no hispeed trains. So travel times of 12 hours where it'd be 4 in France. Not so sure I want to get too deep into that. Read full post »
Ich Bin Ein Berliner
Germany on September 20, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I took a number of pictures with phone today, I say a number like I took a lot, but it's more of a handful. Been using phone more than actual camera. I think because Im writing about it I only feel the need to take semi supporting images. Check out others I took today here.
Day started off cold like 35 degree cold so I waited last minute to checkout. Got to platform as train pulled in, almost looked like I knew what I was doing. Picked up jacket in Berlin.
Walked in tried one on and bought that one. Maybe 3 minutes in and out. Woman tried to bag it, "um…I'll be wearing it out."
I think I might pass for German now or at least European now I got their gear. People have asked me for directions in Spain, France, and Germany so I don't look like a total tourist or I look like a tourist less lost than them.
Walked into a 3 star hotel because those are usually priced normal, not this one. I'm in a 4 star that was around corner that was 40% cheaper.
If it hasn't become apparent yet I am not roughing it. Read full post »
McHamburg
Germany on September 19, 2008 at 10:28 am
I plan on ranting at length very shortly so if your not familiar with my POV or just don't want to read a kid ranting I suggest you go hide under a pillow for a bit. I'll let you know when it's safe to come out.
Before I forget that's a pic of the train station in Amsterdam. Blurry, but I wasn't gonna hang around with my hand raised like a doof for a second try.
First I just want to reiterate the idiocy of at&t. I'm a big fan of the iphone just hate the service. I could buy a 1gig memory stick, priority ship it around the world, everyday for a month and pay about as much as I'm paying for 200mb a day. I could buy a laptop and a year of highspeed Internet with the amount they wanted to charge me in overages.
That was rant one, there's two more planned. Get out while you still can.
I snagged a better picture of the sign. On closer inspection it looks like some art show.
Imagine that ad in Boston… Read full post »
XXX
The Netherlands on September 18, 2008 at 1:34 pm
First let's analyze the picture. It's hard to make out, but I swear the yellow sign reads, "Cripple Rapes Blind Woman."
Take a moment to yourselves…
There's some interesting stuff I could have taken pics of but nothing comes even close to that sign. What are they promoting, besides absurdity. I hope it's a PSA because cripple rapists are rampant in The Netherlands.
The title is xxx because that's like the symbol of the town. It's on everything. Police boats etc.
Got ticket to Hamburg. Current plan is Hamburg, Berlin, Munich. Oktoberfest starts in a day or two in Munich.
Might not be able to get a place to sleep because of that, but not making reservations has worked out so far. Worst case scenario I get a night train to Rome, wouldn't that be terrible. Read full post »
Amsterdam
The Netherlands on September 17, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Got a room for two nights here and paid a silly amount. The prices aren't bad, if your normal currency is the euro. The dollar blows.
Been watching the news here, I'm gone a little more than a week and everything goes to hell more so than usual. Bail outs for the loss.
Once my room was secure I went in search of Anne Frank's hiding place. It's location is a bit more publicized now.
On the way there I passed a bar, "absinthe the real thing sold here," so I spent a good 2-3 minutes contemplating hitting that up then going to Anne Frank's but then I decided I wanted to sleep tonight.
Which was for the best because it's really moving going through and there's stairs that are more like a ladder.
They have laundry service here so I just bought a tshirt to wear with my bathing suit tomorrow while they ship my stuff off. Read full post »
Belgian Waffles
Belgium, The Netherlands on September 17, 2008 at 5:48 am
So nothing went down in Belgium. Couldn't even tell you what there is in Brussels besides waffles. Pretty sure that is their major tourist attraction, waffles.
I got ice cream covered waffles last night at Hagen Daas and then to not feel so bad about myself I bought 2 apples that were really sour.
Besides that I hung out in my over priced hotel room. It can't all be interesting.
Watched Murder She Wrote. Guy was shot, drove home, and recorded a story about how he got shot. Couldn't sit through all of it.
Took a shower that was tre magnific. I think the nice bathroom made for more than half the rooms price. You know when you get the temp just right and it's like Bingo! Maybe it's just me but I only manage to find that temp once in a blue moon.
Also watched my first episode of Dawsons Creek. What a piece of shit that show was. Not sure how it was a hit it has such a low budget low production value feel to compliment a script that is acted almost as bad as it's written.
I think that's the French in me talking. Read full post »
En route to Belgium
Belgium, France on September 16, 2008 at 6:25 am
Train came into Paris at 11:00 rather than 10:40. I tried to find a bus going in general direction because walking was now out of the question. Even considered metro for a third time; but yet again couldn't see where to buy tickets.
Rule of thumb; if you can't get on the train god knows where you'd get off.
So I hoped in a taxi but traffic was terrible. Traffic makes taxis stupid expensive.
Got to station at 12:02 on train by 12:05 leaves at 12:25 so all well there.
Guy next to me smells of French.
All that aside I want to note some things of interest to me before I leave France and have Belgium on the brain.
Saw a restaraunt in Paris named Indochine. I don't know if that translates to Indochina or Indochinese, but I thought that was hilarious.
Do you think it's french owned or…Indochinese? owned? French I suppose or atleast I hope because it makes the whole thing much funnier to me. It's probably only funny cause I'm American.
Oh history, just when I thought you let math have all the fun.
One thing I didn't get to see but tried to was this Giant Elephant in Nantes. I guess this 12 meter tall mechanical elephant brings 45 people around the town.
The hotel guy showed me a picture imagine the elephants from lord of the rings but real and really awesome.
AND I missed snoop dog by 1 day. First the Pope now Snoop!