Dave’s Euro Trip!

After overdosing on museums, churches, and crowds of tourists, I was starting to feel burned out.  I talked to some people in my hostel in Naples and they recommended I go to the island of Ischia which is a one hour ferry ride off the coast.  What a good idea that was.  Here’s a brief recap:

Day 1: Arrived at the hostel on the island, run by three Italian brothers.  Will have to post some pictures soon because words won’t do it justice.  The island is mostly a big hill/mountain getting steeper as you go further inland.  The hostel is perched with a beautiful view of the mountain and the houses built right into it, and you can see the sunset and the ocean from the terrace on top.  The brothers have a family restaurant, and they give people in the hostel a free ride there at night if they want to go.  So a group of eight of us went.   The food was so good… I sampled a bunch of different Italian foods, made by the brothers’ mom, and lots of good wine.  Nice bonding experience with the others in the hostel as well.  At night, I went down to the beach with a few of my new friends with a guitar from the hostel, and a small metal djembe that I bought in Naples.  We had a beach jam session, singing horribly off-key and taking turns strumming the guitar randomly (nobody knew how to play).  Dipped my feet into the ocean which was as warm as bath water.

Day 2: Took a trip to some natural hot springs with some of my friends from the hostel.  We decended some steep steps down a cliff, and saw the springs… an oasis of emerald colored water, with smooth round rocks dotting the bottom.  The ‘hot’ end of the springs was marked with a warning sign in seven languages, and with good cause.  Somebody actually was making hard boiled eggs in it.  We positioned ourselves at a safe distance where hot currents from the springs mixed with cool currents from the sea in a delightful tango of temperatures.  We spent several hours there, soaking, swimming, floating around, and generally just being blissful.  Went back to the hostel, fell asleep in a hammock, read for a few hours, and went out to dinner at the brothers’ restaurant again.

Day 3: Woke up early, hiked up to the top of the island mountain, which used to be a volcano.  It was about an hour of steep climbing, but it was worth it for the view: a 360 degree sweeping vista of the island, mainland Naples, and the whole bay.  After the hike back down, we rewarded ourselves with some lunch, big bottles of Italian beer, and a dip in the sea.  After another nap, went out to a different restaurant with some people.  Got a delicious seafood rissotto, tasty white wine, and finished it off with tiramisu.

It was a great vacation from the vacation, and it made me realize that traveling for me has to be a lot more than crossing things off the ‘must see’ list.  I can certainly appreciate man-made things such as castles, bridges, and even the most beautiful sculptures, but seeing them will never be as personally rewarding for me as something so simple as sitting on a beach staring off into the ocean.

Had a good day in Naples today, wandering around with a friend I met at the hostel.  Taking the train up to La Spezia today, which is a jumping-off point for Cinque Terre: Five coastal towns in Italy connected by coastal foot paths with incredible views of the sea.  Will be spending three nights there before heading up to Switzerland.

In a few days, it will be the one-month mark of my trip.  It has flown by, but I am also getting homesick some times.  I’d love to hear some updates from all of you, my dear readers!  And if anyone in San Francisco knows a way to send me a Tacqueria Chile Verde burrito via an overnight courrier service, I will be your best friend forever.  There is no mexican food anywhere and it’s killing me!

Ciaoooo…

Some highlights:

Prague: Another great couchsurfing experience with my new Czech friend Djali.  We made dinner, went to a pub in the middle of the woods, and drank Czech beer for hours, talking about traveling.  A good example of the bitter-sweetness of what Chuck Palahniuk called “single serving friends”.

Vienna/Klagenfurt: Met up with my good college buddy Sara who is living in Austria with her boyfriend.  He happened to be in Vienna on business, and his company had overbooked hotel rooms so I got to have my own hotel room for free!  It was such a luxury.  Sara and her boyfriend played a joke on me, and called up my room in the morning, pretending to be from the company, and asking who I was since my name was “not on the list”.  I almost had a heart attack.  Then we went back to Klagenfurt where they live, and Sara and I went for a nice bike ride around a lake, and went swimming.  We finished off the day with some traditional Austrian food, beer, and gelato.

Florence: Michaelangelo’s David was breathtaking, even though my breath is not prone to being taken by sculptures.  The sheer size of the sculpture, and the anatomical detail in all the muscles, veins, and bone structures was way beyond anything I had ever seen.  Florence was ridiculously hot though, and the crowds of tourists were even more stifling.  I decided I needed to seek out some nature, instead of focusing on seeing the sights.  On my way out of Florence, there was a national strike on the train lines.  Luckily I found one that was running to get me away.

Naples: I heard stories about Naples being dirty, gritty, full of garbage and congested with traffic.  But I love it here.  I went for a walk yesterday and got lost in a neighborhood where there was not one other foreigner.  The narrow streets were filled with old men playing cards, children playing, clothes hanging between buildings, and vespas zipping around at alarming speeds.  At night, I went to a jazz concert with some people from the hostel.  After we found ourselves in a plaza where the local 20-somethings hang out drinking beer sold by the local shopkeep who happily stays open all night.  I met a few locals who gave me some travel advice, particularly about the south of France.  One even offered to host me in Paris when I arrive, as he will be going back.

Today I am off to the island of Ischia, a one hour ferry ride from Naples.  While it is a big touristy island, I have also read about secluded beaches, and long hikes that take you to hilltops where you can see all the islands in the bay.   The temperature is supposed to be more mild, as well, which will be a nice break from the heat.

Ciao!

I’m currently in Klagenfurt, Austria visiting my ol’ buddy Sara from college who lives here with her boyfriend.  I gotta get to bed so I can get up early and go on a 50 mile bike ride down a mountain with Sara in the morning.

For now, check out these pictures I just posted to the album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/eurodave2008

It’s a really hot day in Prague, so I thought I’d duck into an internet cafe to escape the sun, and give some updates.

First of all, I just have to say that couchsurfing.com is my new best friend.  I know I’ve blabbed on and on about this to many of you already, but here’s a quick recap: Couchsurfing is a website that aims to create a worldwide network of trust-worthy people who can host and be hosted during their travels around the world.  Whenever a potential host receives a request from a surfer, the host can check the profile of their potential guest and vice versa.  The profile contains all sorts of information, such as a short biography, travel philosophies, likes/dislikes, and most importantly a list of recommendations from other couchsurfing users.  Over time, as a surfer becomes more experienced, they build up more credibility making it even easier to find hosts.

Sure, it saves the long-term traveller a good chunk of change, but the real value lies in the opportunity to gain a “local” as opposed to “tourist” perspective of the place you’re visiting.  When I stayed with Andreas in Berlin, that’s exactly what I got.  The first night I stayed with him, there were two other American guys surfing his living room as well.  Andreas had to get to bed early, but he directed us to a small club that he frequents on the weekends.  The bartenders were surprised to meet us, since they didn’t remember any foreigners ever coming in before.  They chatted us up all night, giving us lots of free drinks.

My second day in Berlin was more low-key.  I caught up on some sleep, did some train route planning, and cooked dinner with Andreas when he got home from work.  He made a delicious stew of pork, mushrooms, onions and rosemary served over pasta, served along with a salad of lettuce, apples, and asparagus.  We washed it down with some local white wine.  Since he knew I like to cook, I got to play the part of assistant chef, chopping, mixing, and keeping an eye on the stove, as he explained the recipe to me.

On my third day, I took the train up north to visit the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, which was used by the Nazis between 1936 and 1945.  Over 200,000 prisoners passed through its gates, which were marked with the German phrase, “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work will make you free).  While the camp was not intended for mass executions like Auschwitz, it is estimated 100,000 people died there due to exhaustion, malnutrition, medical experiments, and violence committed by the guards.  It was a powerful experience, walking through the camp, imagining the atrocities committed not long ago in our history.

The experience also brought up memories of my grandfather who served in the Army Corps of Engineers during World War II.  He never said much about his experiences, but he did share one story with me when I was young.  Since he was an engineer in the Army, his unit would move ahead of the front lines, clearing minefields and building bridges to support the advancing troops.  On one occasion, his unit arrived at a concentration camp just after it had been liberated by allied troops.  I still remember his eyes tearing up as he recalled the horrors he saw.  He remembered that there were people who died upon being given food; they were in such advanced stages of starvation that their bodies could not handle it.

Some people I’ve spoken with were surprised why anyone would want to visit a place like Sachsenhausen.  I think the reason can best be described by a quote on a piece of paper that Anna slipped into my backpack just before I left:

The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. - Marcel Proust

Now, I’m off to meet my next couchsurfing host in Prague!  More updates about my Czech experiences soon.  Tentative upcoming cities: Vienna, Florence, Rome, Cinque Terre (5 coastal villages in Italy),  Zurich, Interlaken…

so here is a quick sampling of what I’ve been up to. I’ll write more soon, but for now I need to drink some beers with Andreas (my couch surfing host) and help him clean his house. We’ve been discussing geeks vs. nerds, work ethics, and why German beer is the only beverage that really deserves to be called “beer”.

http://picasaweb.google.com/eurodave2008/FirstTwoWeeks

Quick update… Just arrived in Berlin last night, and I’m couchsurfing with a cool guy named Andreas, who is also hosting two guys from Chicago.  We’re going to take a bike tour of the city today while Andreas is at work.

Amsterdam was great.  Did all the touristy stuff the first couple days, wandered the twisting and turning streets, and went for a 30 km bike ride outside the city on the last day.

More updates soon.  Oh, also send me your address if you want a post card!

The past three days have been a great start to my trip. I lucked out and was able to stay with some gracious hosts all three nights, so I didn’t even have to spring for a pricey hotel/hostel. The first night, I took the train outside of London to a town called Egham to visit my friend Billy. He had stayed on our couch for a few days after we met at a music festival, and he promised me a place to stay if I ever visited London. Little did he know that I’d take him up on it!

Egham was quite nice. I met several of Billy’s friends, and he cooked us all a delicious beef and pepper stew. On Saturday, I returned to London and did some sightseeing, exploring the city by meandering around, getting lost, and finding my way again. I had plans on Sunday to meet up with my friend Ellie who just moved to San Francisco but happened to be back in England for a friend’s wedding. She was still outside of London on Saturday night, but she arranged for me to stay at her parents’ house so I wouldn’t have to go all the way back to Egham, which was a relief. They gave me a warm welcome and a comfy bed to come back to.

Sunday, Ellie showed me all her favorite places in the city. Highlights included a nice walk along the river Thames, a visit to the Tate Modern museum where her friend was curating an exhibit on graffiti, and an introduction to the best Indian food I’d ever eaten at a restaurant by her university. This morning, before her flight back to the states, she took me to a local nook for a proper English breakfast of sausage, beans, tomatoes, eggs, and blood pudding. Mmm.

Overall, I found London to be a very welcoming place. Everything is so well organized for how large and confusing the city is, and the people here are quite friendly. I don’t think I could ever live here though, as I’d surely get run-over from looking the wrong way one too many times when crossing the street.

I was originally planning on heading north to Scotland or Ireland next, but all of the last-minute travel options (both rail and air) were ridiculously expensive. Unfortunately, my EuroRail pass is not valid in the UK. So I booked a cheap flight to Amsterdam which leaves in a few hours! I caught Debbie online last night and she recommended a hostel where she had stayed a few years ago. Luckily they had space available, so I booked three nights there.

I’m really looking forward to exploring Amsterdam by bike.  Supposedly, there is actual bike “traffic” there because it’s such a popular mode of transportation.  Sounds right up my alley.

-d

I’m currently in NYC, writing from my friend Anna’s apartment.  Turns out that it was cheaper to take a separate flight from SF to NYC and then NYC to London than just to fly directly from SF to London.  It’s been great to have some downtime in between my SF routine and the start of the trip.

Nothing about my trip is set in stone yet, other than attending JB’s wedding in the south of France at the end of July.  However, I’ve come up with the following list of “like to see” places.

• England (London)
• Scotland (Edinburgh)
• Netherlands (Amsterdam)
• Germany (Berlin)
• Czeck Republic (Prague)
• Austria
• Switzerland (Gryon/Bern)
• France (Paris, Lyon, Southern Coast)
• Spain (Barcelona/Ibiza)
• Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice)
• Greece

It’s an ambitious list, and I probably won’t see everything since I want to take the trip at a relaxed pace.  If you have any suggestions of things to see or places to go, please let me know!

Now I’m off to pack up my bag and get to the airport.  I’m flying on “Kuwait Airways” and I’m not sure how they run things so I’m getting there plenty early.  For some reason, they were the cheapest flight to London, yet they only accept American Express and Diners Club cards as payment.  Weird.

My summer backpacking trip through Europe begins June 16th!  Keep checking back here for updates from the road!