Goodbye Laptop

When things get too easy you need a curveball every now and then to keep you on your toes. This morning, my laptop died. No, not a software problem, or something that a lot of computer trouble-shooting can fix... the hard drive has gone kaput. Luckily I have been backing up my pictures on an additional hard drive that I bought so no worries about the pictures. Despite the initial frustration, the only thing I've lost that I can't recover is my trip finances tracking spreadsheet. I'm transferring my backed-up pictures to a new hard drive here in an internet cafe in Bruges and I'm writing this blog while it works. We can still get email and maybe even do some text-posts to the blog using my sweeeeeeet iPod Touch so hopefully we don't get too out of touch in our last 3 destinations.... Berlin, Prague, & Paris.

Belgium - Easter in Turnhout

We had a great Easter in Belgium. Our best-friend in Europe (Steven) invited us to his Mother's home in Turnhout where the rest of his family would be gathering for Easter. It was a big highlight to our trip.

We started out admiring all the art-work that his mother had amassed over the years inside her house. Where did she get it all? She made it! She's a fabulous painter and sculptor. It was like walking through an art gallery. Emotion and depth just poured straight out of her sculptures and paintings. What talent!

We were treated to some live music as Steven's daughter Elisa sang while Steven played the organ. Later, she recited some poems in French (one of her 3 languages). We will miss those two when we're back in the USA - we had some great times together on this trip in Barcelona and now in Belgium too.

When it got later, Steven took us to a bar in Turnhout where you could just tell the "beer-genius" (that's what I'll call him) what you felt like tasting and he would match a beer to your taste from over 300 different Belgian beers. I actually don't like beer... so I told the beer-genius to bring me a beer that people who don't like beer like to drink. He thought about it for a while, then nodded and scribbled something down on his pad. The result... a beer that I liked! A yummy beer that didn't taste much like beer! Valentina got something cherry-ish and enjoyed hers too.

The next day, on Easter, Elisa and her cousins ran around the garden searching for Easter eggs that had been dropped by flying clocks from Rome (or so the legend goes in Belgium). Valentina and I had been craving some good home-cooked food and Steven's mom provided a ton of it. Belgians really know how to eat... we seemed to be getting called to the dinner table every two hours. Needless to say it was pure happiness. In between meals, we all spent the day running around the yard playing games with all the kids and sweating in the cold weather.

Also, it turns out that Turnhout is the playing-card creation capital of the world. As a surprise parting gift, Steven's mom gave us 4 decks of playing cards made in Turnhout. I thought we shouldn't accept such gifts as they had been with Steven's mom for some time, but Valentina believes that one shouldn't deny a gift. Leave it to a woman to come up with a "belief" like that.

So that concluded two days full of fun, art, food, & family. What could be better?

Amsterdam baby.... Amsterdam

It's really tough to do justice to Amsterdam in pictures but here are some anyway.

And bye the way, taking pictures is strictly forbidden in the red-light district so unfortunately there won't be any pictures of the girls here. My last comment on this is that we were pretty shocked at how good-looking these girls were! These weren't no "8th-street-in-Miami-hangin-by-the -Jamaica-Motel" prostitutes. No offense to any 8th street prostitutes who read this blog but 80% of the Amsterdam girls we saw could be Playboy models. Now that I have your attention, here are some pictures of buildings and canals... enjoy!

Un traduccion rapido y crudo: Amsterdam es mas bonito que estes fotos puede mostrar. Un punto interesante es que no puedes tomar fotos en el distrito con luces rojas (el uno que tiene las "mujeres della noche"). Y una otra cosa interesante es estes chicas no son feo como las prostitutas de calle ocho en Miami... la verdad es que la mayoridad son muy muy bonita! Ahora que yo tengo tu attencion, aqui son los fotos de los edificios y canales.... disfruta!




A typical canal on a typical street in the not so typical city of Amsterdam.

My favorite girl in Amsterdam!

Bikes are everywhere - they say there are about a million in the city.

Skinny houses are common here because they used to be a tax based on the width of your house.

House-boats are all over the place too. They have running water and electricity and pay a fee to the city.

Reflections from Brugge...

While the idea that this adventure will come to an end in just three weeks pops into my head every now and then, it hasn't stopped me from enjoying every single moment in the fairy tale streets of Brugge. I don't know how I had never heard of this place before -- it is by far one of the loveliest and dreamlike towns we've visited. Everywhere I turn I see something of outstanding beauty calling for my camera to capture it. The history of the city dates back to 851...can you imagine that? Somehow, it has managed to maintain a medieval charm that seems almost too picturesque to be real and not simply the movie set of Hollywood's latest romance story.
The videos and pictures just don't do it justice because the beauty of this place can't just be seen in images. It has to be felt...in the mist rising up from the water and covering the fronts of stone facades; on the bottom of your feet as you step on the uneven cobblestones that form narrow and romantic streets; under your skin as the town transports you back to a time long ago. This is one I would encourage everyone to experience for themselves.

Let's catch up - Rewind and fast forward.

Ok, the blog posts have been slow lately as Valentina and I have been on the move. Here's a run-down to catch us up to today:

Munich - One more thing to say here: I had an Italian hair dresser in Munich who spoke Italian and German so our conversation was all in Italian. I said to him: "Ho bisogna un taglio di cappelli." (I need a hair cut). It appears that he heard: "Please chop my hair off with reckless abandon because I want my head to look like a tennis ball."

London - After a lot of time travelling, we got to relax with my Uncle Morais, Aunt Jane, and my cousin Tara-Jane Nicole Armstrong Kerpens-Lee. She has a great name, so I figured I'd use the whole thing. :) I don't call her that of course, I usually just shorten it to "Tara-Jane Nicole Armstrong KL." All kidding aside, we had a great time. My Aunt and Uncle cooked some absolutely mouth-watering meals. It was great fun to hang out with my young cuz too. She'll soon be off to University so I hope for her sake that she can duplicate some of that cooking!

Belfast, Northern Ireland - It's a great, up and coming city with an absolutely intriguing political history (and present!). An interesting fact about Belfast: There are 27 walls sprinkled around the city dividing protestant and catholic communities in order to minimize violence. It's eerie to see them but apparently they work as violence between the groups is at a minimum.

Ok, one last one... the beautiful... AMSTERDAM!

I have to say that I believe Amsterdam is very UNDER-rated. There's so much more to this city than legalized prostitution and marijuana. While those things were definitely interesting to see (especially the red-light district), the city itself has a LOT of beautiful sights to see. The canals, bridges, and the architecture of the homes are straight out of a fairytale. It's a little like Venice but it's actually better (and I love Venice)! I can't wait to post some pictures. I will definitely dedicate more time later to talking about Amsterdam because although we just had a few days there, we both fell in love with this city and are sure to return one day. On our last day it snowed heavily which had a strange effect. Although it was very cold outside, the snow fall in front of the bridges and homes added a feeling of nostalgia - It was like we were on the inside of a snow globe and nothing else mattered. :)

That's it... we're all up to date! We're in Brussels.

Pics: Dublin, Coast of Northern Ireland

One of the most famous bars in Dublin.

Having fun on St. Patrick's Day.

Same day, different location in Dublin. St. Stephens Greens is a gorgeous park. Also, we decided to lose the hats for the picture.

Salmon fishermen have been building this rope-bridge on the coast of Northern Ireland for over 350 years.

Walking over a rickety bridge a hundred feet over the water isn't for the faint of heart!

SHEEEEP!! They litter the Northern Irish countryside like little white clouds against the green hills.

Pics from Vienna, Munich, London

In order to catch up, we're going to just post a few pics from each city.... so here's a fast look back at Vienna, Munich, and London

The Opera house in Vienna.

The cool/dirty looking Munich town-hall (Rathaus).

This picture isn't about me... it's about the dude behind me in full traditional attire-check him out!

Hanging out with Family in London... my Uncle Morais & Aunt Jane. My cousin Tara-Jane was there too but someone had to take the picture!

One of London's main squares with Big Ben far in the background.

The beautiful London Tower bridge.

Dublin: una ciudad con algo especial

Yo creo que este "post" va a tener un espanol muy basico... y cuando yo no se una palabra, voy a escrivirla en ingles. Ademas, esta noche ya Valentina ha ido a dormir entonces no me puede ayudar.

Cuando tu llegas a Dublin encuentras la ciudad que es un poco sucia y vieja pero la verdad es que no importa mucho porque la ciudad es lleno de vida y lleno de encanto ("charm"). Esta noche sentamos en una taverna llena y escuchamos a tres hombres tocando la musica tradicional de Irlanda. Unos jovenes Irlandes bailaron en un circulo y nosotros (con mil otras personas) tomamos 'guiness' mientras miramos ellos. Hay algo encantando y significado ("charming & meaningful") sobre Dublin. No estoy seguro qual es. A lo mejor es la gente, o la musica, o la historia de los escritores de Irlanda pero cuando caminamos las calles y sentamos en las tavernas tengo un sentido que estoy en un sitio con un identidad muy rico y profundo. Hay algo especial en el sentido ("feeling") que este ciudad tiene. Pienso que estoy traduciendo mal. Verdaderamente, no se si lo puedo explicar en qualquier idioma! Dejame a decirlo asi- Con algunas ciudades tu sabes exactamente porque son bella. Y con otras la belleza existe en el ambiente. No es algo tu ves y no es con quien tu hablas... es simplemente como te sientes cuando estas alli. Esto es que Dublin tiene... un sentido "intangible".

YAY...we are in Dublin celebrating St. Patrick's Day like crazy!!!

Well, the truth is we had to stay outside of the city center because it was so horrifyingly expensive, we still haven't taken the 30 minute tram into the city, and my ankle is sprained and swollen!
I'll have to post again after I've drank a Guinness.

A solemn experience at Dachau concetration camp

I hadn't realized how alive the memories of the Nazi invasion and Holocaust would be in this side of the world. We've visited some truly amazing museums that recount this time of history. I felt connected to this time in history more than ever and regretful not to have learned the stories directly from my own grandparents who lived through such horrors.
This is why in Munich we decided to visit Dachau concentration camp -- the first Nazi camp built in 1933 and the 'model' camp for all others erected around Europe. I would rather not post the pictures of this site but if you are interested in seeing them, let us know and I'll share them with you.
While some of the buildings were reconstructed, others were original structures including the crematorium and gas chamber. Standing inside such a place felt surreal -- I had to remind myself that this was not a model room in some museum...this was real. This was the final resting place of thousands and thousands of prisoners, most of which were Jews. This was a place where bodies had been piled high on top of each other with no regards for human dignity; a place built to break down the human spirit.
Above all, this site made me sad for being so young when my grandparents told their stories; too young to value their struggles for survival and to learn through them about this moment in history which pierced through me as I stood inside the Nazi gates reading Arbeit Macht Frei ("Work sets you free").

Quien es El Z?

Por mas emocionante que es poner un 'post' nuevo en nuestro blog para dejarles saber en donde estamos y que hay de nuevo...para mi es mas emocionante leer sus comentarios y sentirnos conectados a medida del blog. Por eso me pregunto, quien c@$o es El Zorro? Ja, ja, ja! Pense saber quien era pero ahora tengo mis dudas y sospechas. No importa quien sea, me alegra que El Zorro cause esta intriga y espero anime a otros a escribir sus comentarios.

The much awaited 'darker side' of traveling...

I've been thinking about what has been the 'darker' side of our travels. We've been exceptionally lucky so far (knocking on wood right now) and hope that our travels will continue this way until the end. We don't have 'nightmare' stories to tell, but I was able to come up with a list of things that are annoying when it comes to travel. While they pale in comparison to the positive aspects of traveling, I agree that they are worth noting for the sake of presenting a balanced picture!
Most annoying things about traveling for so long:
1. Public transportation: having people standing so close to you that you may be able to smell their breath or other bodily odors; dealing with the person who coughs or sneezes on you; grabbing on to the bars that I'm sure are covered in nasty germs.
2. Intermittent internet connection: trust me, you don't realize how dependent you are on the internet until you can't find a freaking signal to jump on.
3. Not always being able to express yourself or get the information you need: English is commonly understood, however, it's not always enough. It can be really frustrating not to know a language when you need to ask for information.
4. Carrying luggage: I've managed to bring my luggage weight down to 20 kilos but pulling your luggage up and down subway stairs can become really annoying and sometimes plain painful!
5. Flying: it's just a hassle in general...train travel is exponentially better.
6. Looking for a place to sleep within a budget: I've gotten used to the idea that we'll be moving around, but finding a decent place to sleep requires time and research. It's very different from when you plan every detail of your trip from home -- we need to improvise all of the time and it can get a little stressful at times.
7. Eating: moving around (not the case when we had apts) can be challenging when it comes to eating healthy. Also, each country has its own cuisine and you don't always know what to order or even understand the menu! It's something that is probably a novelty on a short vacation but can become a nuisance on a trip as long as ours. I'm looking forward to some familiar foods (although I'm also really looking to eating in Paris again!).
8. Wearing the same clothes: I've learned to live out of a relatively small suitcase -- no blow dryer, the tiniest bathroom bag ever (Mary's mom gave it to me for Xmas...do you remember it Mary?), two jeans, three pairs of shoes, etc. I feel like everyday I look the same...and I probably do. I told Ian we should have just bought uniforms to come on this trip.
9. The feeling of being a tourist: we are really good about making a place feel like home in a short amount of time. However, one is ultimately a foreigner in these exciting places and little things can often remind you of that.
10. Stamina: It takes a lot of energy to keep up with the travel pace. We're relatively slow travelers in that we like to spend a lot of time in one place and take it 'easy'. I don't like to be on a 'tour' schedule, but lately we've moved around a lot and it can get physically tiring after some time.
11. Family and friends: this is probably the longest amount of time we've been away from family/friends -- thank goodness for email!
I'm sure there are tons of things I missed that I would have considered annoying if I was here on a short vacation, but our perspective on travel has changed so much during this journey.

It's true...we've been slacking with posts!

It's been called to my attention that we need to post more pics and stories! I completely agree, but it's become a little more challenging now that we are moving around so often. I'll make sure to post some new pictures soon while we have internet in London.

Pics from Luzern / Mount Titlis / Innsbruck

Me- shortly after getting to Luzern, Switzerland. This picture can't really capture the beauty of the iPod touch held in my left hand.

Luzern was a great Swiss city on a beautiful lake.

... with swans and stuff.

After a short train ride from Luzern we took this shot from the cable car on the ride up to the top of Mt. Titlis.

Having some fun at the top - 10,000 feet up!

One of the many breathtaking sights. Views like this could be seen in every direction for as far as the eye could see.

Riding the "Ice Flyer" over the glacier!!

A few minutes later we were inside the glacier itself. They dug these incredible ice caves where they play classical music and lights change the color of the ice.

Innsbruck, Austria... and the girl who's always getting in my photos and generally following me around.

Innsbruck and its river at night.

Our hotel in Innsbruck was nearly 600 years old!!