Bathrooms of Europe

Hmph.

Despite the really great Thanksgiving weekend I have had, I’m quite frustrated right now. I have had my beautiful PowerBook G4 for almost four years now. The machine has never failed me and I have loved it unconditionally. Until now. The laptop has been really slow lately. Turning it on takes a good fifteen to twenty minutes. After this, getting different programs to run properly and efficiently takes another good ten minutes (I turned on my computer over twenty minutes ago, and the rainbow spiral - macs equivalent to the hourglass - is popping up every thirty seconds). DVDs are no longer recognized by my computer, and I have to restart it to get the discs out. I do not know much about computers, and I often praise the mac geniuses for their wise knowledge, so I am not one to diagnose the problems with my baby 12-inch. All I know is that I can’t upload the pictures that I want to post on this blog. Sigh. I hope the geniuses at the mac store will be able to restore my undying love… Until then, I am too frustrated to tell you about my weekend…

Thanksgiving Eve

Being abroad for the holiday makes me realize how fabulous the third Thursday in November actually is. Here are my top five reasons:

1. It delays the Christmas craziness - Christmas decorations/ornaments have been on sale since before Halloween.  If I ever listened to the Czech radio, I’m sure I would be hearing some holiday jingles.  Wreaths have been hanging on lamp posts and in windows for three weeks now.  I love Thanksgiving in America because it creates something else to obsess over before the colorful lights go up.
2. It gives us a reason to be with family - I love my family and I miss them very much.  I am not so sad to miss the celebration this year because I am returning very soon.  I am also very appreciative of the people I do have around me.  I have some very close friends here and am lucky to be able to share the holiday with them.  Thanksgiving gives us a reason to appreciate our good friends and family.
3. Food - enough said.
4. Pie - again, no explanation needed.
5. The Friday after Thanksgiving Sales - I haven’t gone shopping all semester in order to save my money for more important things like food and travel.  By now though, I feel so very bored with my clothes and shoes and it is the perfect time of year to go shopping.  BUT, there are no after Thanksgiving sales here in the Czech Republic!

Even though it’s not celebrated here in Europe, my day tomorrow will still be filled with some festivities.  I do have to go to a class in the morning, which I am actually really looking forward to.  A Holocaust survivor from Prague, who returned to Prague after the war, is coming to speak to us.  I think it will be very fitting for the day - to celebrate and give thanks for our freedom.  After that, my friends and I are going to go to Letna Park to play a game of touch football.  And in the evening, I am going to an NYU sponsored dinner at a nice hotel in the city.  The turkey most definitely will not compare to Uncle Michael’s and the cranberry sauce probably won’t be my favorite canned kind, but I am sure it will be delicious and fabulous.  As long as I am surrounded by good people, I will be happy. 

It has been brought to my attention that I have a serious problem - I am a superlative abuser. I think it’s a sign of how happy and satisfied I am with life right now. All the food I taste is the most delicious meal I have ever eaten and every sunset is the most beautiful thing I ever did see. It could also be a sign that I lack a complete vocabulary and have trouble expressing myself… either one really.

Anyway, today is the most beautiful winter day in Prague… Although the high is barely reaching 32 degrees fahrenheit, the sun is still shining through the few clouds in the sky. The most perfect tiny snow flakes are lightly falling in the most wonderful way. The snow is not accumulating, but just lingering in the air for decoration. Truly magical.

I am leaving this evening for Amsterdam to celebrate a friend’s 21st birthday. Although I have been before, I am excited to revisit the city and see the places I missed the first time around. Maybe I’ll go crazy and ride a bicycle or something…

my best friend from high school

The past two weeks have been absolutely wonderful as I got to share them with my best friend from high school, Ms. Nina Gold. Nina has been studying in Copenhagen for the semester and at the end of her fall break she came down to Prague for a visit. She came to a class with me, we crossed the Charles Bridge and toured the Mala Strana area together, went up to the Castle, and did most of the Prague touristy activities. While she was here, we got to celebrate the beloved American holiday of Halloween. I probably had one of the best October 31st’s ever, even though I was in Prague. After fretting over how to dress, the two of us went out as a nerd (Nina) and a tourist (me). We went to a standard college party to start off the night in a dorm across town. After that we ventured to a club filled with a bunch of ex-pats dressed in all kinds of crazy costumes. Some notables: Amy Winehouse, Dick in a Box, Music Pirate, and Frog. Even though we are thousands of miles away from home, I felt as though I could have been right in New York City…

At the end of the week Nina returned to Denmark and I endured one week sans my dear friend. I took advantage of the week in Prague to sightsee. I went with a few friends up to Petrin Hill where there is a huge structure pretending to be the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately we were unable to climb to the top because it is closed on weekdays, but I still got some of the best views of the city. It had been a while, I think, since I had really appreciated this city where I have lived for the past few months…

After having not seen Nina for a whole week, my friends and I traveled to Copenhagen. She even met us at the airport! Although I have been to Denmark a few times before, it was really fun going as a young adult and traveling with friends. It was also really exciting to see Nina actually living there. The first day, while Nina was in class, my friends and I walked along the Strøget (the main street) to get acquainted. We sat inside a coffee shop to warm ourselves up and drank a glass of Gløgg - the traditional Christmas spiced wine with nuts and raisins. This was around the time that we realized how ridiculously expensive the city was. The drink cost 59 DKK, about $12. Nina met up with us and we returned to her dorm located just outside of the city center. We ate a lovely dinner at a restaurant near her school and went to a fun party at a local bar for the night.

The next day I spent mostly with Nina touring her neighborhood and lunching in the traditional Danish way. We shared a delicious smørrebrod consisting of three open-faced sandwiches. One had boiled egg, hollondaise sauce, and caviar, the second had liver paté, roast beef, and onion, and the third was made with turkey and red cabbage. For the afternoon we met up with my friends at Kongens Nytorv where I encountered some fabulous toilets/pissoirs:

Desperate times call for desperate meausures… as they say…

That evening I met up with an old family friend for a drink in a great neighborhood called Nørrebro. I would equate it with the Lower East Side. Later on we met up with my friends and went to a popular club called Vega. Upstairs they played a great music mix consisting of “In the Mood,” the “Sex and the City” theme song, and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” Quality.

The next day we left Denmark mid-morning. Once I stepped on the plane, the familiar scent of body odor mixed with greasy hair immediately welcomed me back to the Czech Republic. Overall, besides have an amazing time with Nina, I loved Copenhagen. This may sound strange, but being in Scandinavia is truly comforting. I understood many of the street signs and the conversations around me and I loved the recognizable foods and such. The people in Copenhagen are so friendly (especially in comparison to the Czech) and the city itself is charming and full of character while also maintaining a high level of modernity and sophistication.

The weather here has gotten severely cold and the gray skies are not looking to clear up any time soon (10-day forecast: Prague)… No worries! I am armed with my long puffy jacket and Uggs!

Part IV: Rome

We finally made it to our last stop in Rome on Thursday in the late afternoon.  Our friend Evelyn joined us there.  It was quite refreshing to have a new face to change up the dynamic of the group a bit, even though we were doing just fine.  By this point though, I think we were a little bit tired of traveling.  We did not handle Rome as well as we did Florence.  Oh well…we still got a great amount done.

On the first night we met up with the boys’ friend from Duke who is studying in Rome for the semester.  He took us out to a wonderful restaurant near the Pyramide.  That night we went to this Irish Pub in Campo Dei Fiori where I caught a glimpse of the Red Sox in the World Series… that was great.  Even though the game was a day late and I knew the results already, it was still quite exciting to actually watch it.  

The next day we headed to the Vatican. We waited in another long line wrapping around the walls in order to go through the museum in order to get to the Sistine Chapel.  The Vatican museum was interesting for sure, but by the time we finally arrived at the Sistine Chapel we were worn out.  It is such a long walk through the maze of the museum.  The Chapel was not anticlimactic though.  It was really impressive and my neck hurt after a while of looking up for so long… figures.  After this we made our way around the outside again to get to St. Peter’s Basilica.  There was another long line.  We didn’t go in.  Maybe that was a mistake, because I heard it’s beautiful and something to see… but frankly, we were sick of long lines.  For the afternoon we headed back towards the center.  We made our way to the Trevi Fountain, which I absolutely loved.  I think I could sit in front of it for hours and be happy, but I would have to fight the urge to jump in.  When I am old and wealthy I am going to build a swimming pool modeled after it.  That’s my plan.  After that we continued on toward the Pantheon.  That was quite awesome too.  Inside is the most perfect dome.  

Alright… I have to go… I am going to Copenhagen this morning to visit Nina. I know I have more to update, but at least you have my pictures!  As you can tell the next day we went to the Colloseum and the Spanish Steps.  It was fun.  The next day we left and returned to Prague which was a relief.  Sleeping in my own bed and using my own shower loofah were really excellent.  Ciao!

Part III

Florence may have been my favorite city in Italy. The food was really excellent, for one, and also, as a group we handled it very well. It all started when we efficiently got ourselves and out luggage off the train. Even though we had to wait almost a half hour in a taxi line, we were on such a high from our great performance, we did not even mind. Our hostel in Florence was really great too. We basically had a two bedroom apartment in the Santa Croce area of the city. The first night we went to a fabulous dinner (probably my favorite of the whole trip) where I ate a delicious pasta dish of course and we all shared this unique tiramisu dessert. At night we bumped in to some other NYU in Prague students also traveling through Italy, so that was fun.

The next morning we awoke and had a quick breakfast before making our way to the Uffizi. The line was too long and we were too impatient, so we just walked around the area, looked at the statues in the square, and decided to return another day. We walked along the river and over the famous bridge (notice the group shot below) and ended up at the gorgeous Boboli Gardens.

This was about the time that I discovered the magic of having a European passport. While all my friends had to pay a price of 10 Euro to get into the gardens, I flashed my Swedish passport and earned the reduced youth fare of 5 Euro. This worked in all the museums and attractions for the rest of the trip. (Thanks Mom!) The gardens were a really great way to spend our first half day in Florence. We saw spectacular views of the city and relaxed in the greenery.

After laying out in the sun and doing cartwheels in the grass we headed out for a midday meal. We ate the wonderful Bruschetta that Florence is known for. After lunch we made our way to the Duomo. To be honest, it was less impressive than the cathedral in Milan. Although it was nice on the outside and clearly a colossal structure, it was not as beautiful as the Milanese one. We did not bother with the roof this time. We went to see the line for the Accademia, which was also long and which we also gave up on. We ate gelato instead. After returning to our hostel for a nap we went out for another good night in the city.

The next morning we rose early and went straight to the Accademia to see the David. The half hour line was well worth it. The David was quite impressive and awesome and also my favorite part of the whole trip. I did not expect it to be as big as it was (everyone says that, but it’s true). I just really enjoyed it… it’s a shame I can’t express myself really… I guess you just have to see it for yourself! After leaving the Accademia, we went to catch our tour bus to Chianti. For the afternoon we traveled to the countryside of Tuscany and went to a wine tasting. We toured a castle, saw the wine cellars, and learned all about wine. It was really fun, but a bit disappointing. I was expecting more of a lesson on how to tell a good wine from a bad one, how to taste, what to taste, what to smell, etc. We were basically just told to swirl, smell, and sniff. It was really delicious though and Tuscany was gorgeous. Even though it was rainy and cloudy the smell of trees, grass, and autumn was really refreshing. That night we returned to Florence for an unbelievable evening. We went to this restaurant called El Teatro De Sale. We paid a one-time membership fee and 25 Euro for an all-you-can-eat and drink buffet. The experience was purely authentic. Every time a new dish was put out the chef would ring his bell and scream in the name Italian. People would rush up with their plates to get a serving. Elbowing and toe-stepping to get to the front of the line were not only legal, but encouraged. There were so many delicious dishes starting with an antipasti course and finishing with a dessert and coffee course. After the meal, the chef came out and gave a ten minute speech in Italian. I wish I knew what he was saying because according to the spontaneous laughs by the rest of the audience we were missing something funny. Then came the entertainment for the evening. A female German musical quartet performed consisting of two violinists, one cellist, and one pianist. They were very talented and seriously entertaining. I had so much fun watching them have fun on stage and being happy in front of the foreign audience. That night was really unforgettable.

The next day we woke up early again and packed our bags. Before leaving the city we went to the Uffizi Gallery. We waited in line for almost two hours to see the famous artwork. It was nice, but personally, I have a art time-limit of one hour. After that things start looking the same, especially when it’s mostly depicting the same thing…

We made our train that afternoon and headed to our last stop: Rome!