Eurotrip Meets Day After Tomorrow

  Wow, so much has happened since my last post almost four weeks ago! These past four weeks have been some of the best weeks I have had while abroad. 
    
     I left Glasgow on April 4th for Brussels to meet up with my friends from Hendrix, Jordana and Rachel for two weeks of travelling. Jordana and Rachel are currently studying in Brussels so I met them and saw the city before we all left together. I really enjoyed Brussels. It reminds me a little of Glasgow, except it has a much more European feel. My favorite part of Brussels was all the food, obviously, after all, it is a big part of the cultural experience of Belgium. I ate several Belgian waffles and don't think I can eat an Eggo waffle ever again. Belgian beer put Tennant's, and dare I say, Strongbow, to shame. And the chocolate was just so damn good. 

  Early Wednesday morning backpacks and rolling suitcases in hand, me, Rachel and Jordana left Brussels for our first stop, Berlin, Germany. Berlin was by far my favorite city we visited. I felt like I just clicked with the city. It had a great vibe to it, and I never felt like an outsider. I do love Glasgow, but coming here I didn't even feel the immediate connection like I did in Berlin. I could envision myself living there. I would really like to go back some day and see more of Germany in general. Something I'll always remember about my time in this city was the first night we were in town and went into a residential neighbourhood. The neighbourhood was quaint and lively. Starving after a day of travel, we stopped to eat at a local restaurant. The weather was so that it was actually acceptable to eat outside. Coming from the UK I was soaking up the weather that allowed you to walk around outside without multiple layers of clothing or boots, and to actually see the sun uncovered by clouds. We had a great meal and then headed down the street to an English bookstore where European hipsters and intellects read selections from various books. Here we met the rest of the people we would be travelling with for two weeks. After the reading we went to a local bar with everyone. It was a great kick-off to the trip.  

 
     After Berlin we went to Prague, Czech Republic. I thought Prague was the most beautiful city we went to. Unlike Berlin where I could see myself living, Prague was a great city to be in for a few days just to see the city and its architecture. A few things I will always remember from this city: The great meal we had (does anyone else see where this is going? Obviously, food was an important part of the cultural experience for me) at a Micro Brew on our second night in town. Stuffing myself with numerous carbs such as dumplings, potatoes, and beer, I was a happy girl. There's something so great about eating a nice dinner after a day spent walking around an unfamiliar city. I always appreciate sitting down at a new restaurant, trying to decipher the non-English menu, and usually being pleasantly surprised at the meal served to me. I'll also remember the cathedral. It was so intricate and had so much stained glass. It's been my favorite European cathedral I've seen by far. And the view from the top of the hill where the cathedral was was as equally beautiful. 


     From Prague we went to Vienna. Something I should mention is that we took buses from Berlin to Prague and Prague to Vienna, Austria. I love bus rides. Most of the time I prefer bus to train. A nice, leisurely bus ride through the beautiful European countryside isn't such a bad way to spend your time. I liked Vienna, but not as much as I enjoyed the other cities we went to. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it and it is a beautiful city, but not beautiful in the way the Prague is or a place I would want to live like Berlin. It was also raining the whole time we were there which did not make walking around the city great. Something I'll always remember about Vienna are the museums we went to. I'm really glad we went to the museums. We saw Klimt's "The Kiss", and went to another Klimt museum that also had work by Egon Schiele, and artist who I'd never heard of who was inspired by Klimt. I really liked Schiele's work, maybe even more so that Klimt's and seeing "The Kiss" in person is something I will always remember. And of course there was good food. Vienna is known for its coffeehouses so we made sure to go to several. One day instead of a real lunch we had a delicious snack of various coffee drinks and cakes. 

After Vienna we went to our last stop, Budapest, Hungary. We had heard bits and pieces of news of the volcano that irrupted in Iceland, but didn't realize how severe it was or how we would be affected until our flights back from Budapest to Brussels and Glasgow were cancelled. We found out on Friday when we got in that our flights were cancelled, so the only thing we could think to do was to go to the train station the next day and try to get tickets back to Brussels. Long story short, we basically had one full day in Budapest and spent most of it in the train station waiting in line to get tickets. We were actually quite lucky that we got tickets when we did and that we made it home on the day we were supposed to. We did have the evening to explore Budapest, which we spent walking around town in the amount of daylight that was left. Our hostel was in a very central location so it was easy to get around. Budapest was beautiful, not at ALL what I expected. I didn't really have any expectations of Budapest, but I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. It was so green and lush and had a lot of character. The weather was lovely and we were outside at the perfect time of day just as the sun was setting, my favorite time of day. We ate some great meals in Budapest. Hungary isn't on the Euro, and everything is very cheap. The first night we arrived we ate a three-course meal with a couple rounds of drinks for under 15 Euro. I would NEVER eat at a restaurant like the one we went to that night in Glasgow, not even in the U.S.


  The next morning we got up very early for our train. We were ready to embark on our 14-hour train ride and get it over with. The first train we got on was fine, we all had seats. The second train we took which was the one that went through most of Germany was hell on tracks. The train was overbooked and we didn't have reserved seats, so we had to stand the whole time. OK, I'm being dramatic, we did get to sit but it was on the floor with our legs in awkward positions with absolutely no personal space. There was no toilet paper in the bathroom (did I mention we were right outside of the bathroom and right by the train doors so people had to walk by us when they boarded or wanted to use the bathroom?) and a woman fainted. Every time we arrived at a train station and more passengers boarded everyone groaned but really couldn't help but laugh just because the amount of people on the train was ridiculous. There were a lot of British people on the train to Brussels. The Eurostar train has a stop in Brussels, so most people trying to get back to the UK went to Brussels with the hope they could get a spot on the Eurostar. For the most part people on the train were in good spirits. Even though I don't know a word of German people seemed to be very friendly, cracking jokes, making room for people to sit on the floor, giving up seats for people who needed them more. It could have been an even worse situation if people weren't friendly but the fact that everyone was in a good mood made it so much better. It was such an awful situation that acting unpleasant would have made it so much worse.  I wonder what Americans would be like in a situation like that. After we got off the second train we only had one more train to take until we arrived in Brussels. We had to stand on this one, too, but the train was under three hours and at that point standing for three hours felt like nothing. 
     

  Once we got to Brussels I found out I couldn't get back to Scotland until Friday (we got to Brussels Sunday night) unless I was willing to pay an additional 300 pounds. So I had a week to kill in Brussels. At first I was frustrated just because after travelling for two weeks, and packing enough clothes to only last me one week, I just wanted to get to my wardrobe, my bed, my own shower, and I hate to say it, my laptop. I realized that this was the ideal place to get stuck in though, I had a free place to stay with friends, I was safe, it was easier to get to the UK from Brussels than other places in Europe...so I chilled in Brussels until my train left on Friday. It just gave me more time to eat more chocolate, waffles, and drink more beer. I also took a day trip to the lovely town of Bruges, which I'm really glad I had the additional time to do. Finally, on Friday, I took a train through the English chunnel to London via the Eurostar and then took a 9-hour bus ride from London to Glasgow. It was an exhausting day but was so good to be back in Scotland. 
     Then on very early Tuesday morning I left for Ibiza, Spain with some of my friends from university here. Ibiza is an island off of  Spain and a very hot tourist spot for British vacationers. Almost everyone we ran into there was British, and all the restaurants were English style pubs. It was a lovely couple of days watching the sunset and laying out on the beach. It was good to see the sun and appreciate the warm weather. However, of corse the trip did not go as smoothly as planned when I was trying to leave and I nearly missed my flight back to Glasgow. That could be a whole other blog entry, in fact, I should start another blog about getting lost and missing flights and busses,  but the important part is that I made my flight and arrived back to Glasgow on time. 

      Now I am back in Glasgow. I have a little time to breathe until my next departure. Classes officially ended Friday, and finals start next week. Angela, my close friend from Hendrix and roommate of last semester, is coming to town on Sunday so of corse I am excited about that! We are meeting in Edinburgh and staying the night and doing sightseeing things on Monday. After Angela leaves I have a week of down time and a final to take, and then I go to Italy for a week! After Italy I have another final and only two weeks until I get back to Nashville. I will be staying in the UK for those last two weeks, soaking up the time I have left abroad. 
     This afternoon I walked around Glasgow when it began to hail and pour rain. I was so angry! I am just over this weather. Wet and defeated, I came back home and went back out a few hours later. It was 7pm but the sun was still out and shinning bright, and I realized that I could never be angry with Glasgow or my life here. I have become really used to the city. I finally know my way around town, I have the same grocery store I go to and I know what store is good for what, I know public transportation here, I have a cognitive map of the city,  I'm getting used to 24 hour time...It's all coming together after a full three months. I am not ready to leave yet but I will be ready to go home. Let's hope these last four weeks are as great as the previous four!

 Brussels. First Belgian Waffle

  Brussels

 Berlin. These bears were everywhere

 Berlin wall

Prague. The Cathedral

Prague. View from the top of the hill

 Vienna. Best coffee break ever. Of course I couldn't wait and took a bite out of the cake immediately after it was served.  

Vienna. Jordana, Rachel, and I in front of the Belvedere gardens, the museum where "The Kiss" is. 

 Budapest. Right before consumption of the best dinner ever. 

 Budapest sunset

 Bruges, Belgium

Bruges, Belgium

 Bruges, Belgium

 Ibiza sunset

Ibiza sunset

 Ibiza bay

From England to Poland

     What a crazy week. I began my journey early Wednesday morning when I took a bus from Glasgow to Machester, England. The bus ride was actually quite enjoyable as the Scottish and English countryside were beautiful. Once I got to Manchester I had to take a train to Chester where Michelle is living. Of course I got lost and couldn't find the train station. I tried to find it and aimlessly walked around Manchester for about an hour. Manchester seems to be a pretty cool city so I'm glad it was the city I got lost in. I wandered into a used book store and felt at home. While looking through their select selection of travel books I saw a Nashville and Memphis tour guide. I almost started crying. 
     I kept walking and the clock kept ticking so I knew I had to just bite the bullett and ask someone for directions. I saw two older women walking out of a store and asked them which direction the train station was. As I was getting ready to open up my backpack to pull out a pen and paper, they asked if I wanted a lift to the train station. I was shocked by their kindness, almost at a loss for words, and I gladly took them up on their offer. I got to the train station, successfully got on the train, and arrived in Chester about an hour later. I am so glad that Chester was the town in England I was able to visit. It was everything I thought an English town would be. The weather was absolutely beautiful during the several days that I was in town and I was so happy to be in such a nice, quaint town all the while in good company. 
    Very early Friday morning we left for Poland. The flight itself was an experience. Let's just say with Ryanair Airline you get what you pay for. Friday afternoon we arrived to our hostel, met up with everyone, and saw the city. It was so great to see friends from Hendrix, share some good laughs together, and to be called P-Hop again. I didn't really know what to expect of Krakow before getting there, but I was pleasantly surprised by the city. We walked to the top of the castle right as the sun was setting and the city looked beautiful. Saturday we walked around the city and stopped for lunch at a tradional Polish perogie resaurant. The perogies were everything I thought they would be, they were delicious. 
     That afternoon our plan was to go to Auschwitz. I had a lot of anxieties about seeing it. If just reading about it made me feel sick, I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to actually be there. I knew that it was something that I had to see, and something that I would never forget.To get to Auschwitz we had to take a 1.5 hour bus ride. The bus was weird, very narrow and cramped with blue lights illuminating the interior and soft rock hits playing in the background. When we got to the stop for Auschwitz I was surprised. It was in the middle of a neighbohood, restaurnts, homes, and hotels were all in the vacinity, people were walking their dogs past the camp. Being inside is something that is inexplainable, no words I write will be able to capture what it was to be there.  As we were walking out of Auschwitz to get back on the bus to go back to Krakow there was a sunset. Even though I wanted to say that the sunset was beautiful, it wasn't. I was in Auschwitz. I kept thinking of Ann Frank and how in her diary she says nature is a cure for all wounds. I really believe that it is, but this is a wound that can never be healed. How can something as beautiful as this sunset exist in a world that's so cruel? How can extreme beauty like this sunset even be seen in the same place as a place like Auschwitz? 

    
     Sunday morning we left Krakow for what I knew would be a long day of travel, but not as long as I was anticipating. Long story short, I missed my bus from Manchester to Glasgow because the name of the bus was different from the company I booked with. The worst part is is that I had been in Manchester for over 3 hours waiting! I had to take two trains to get back to Glasgow. I'm thankful I still got back on the night I was supposed to even though I was truly exhausted when I finally arrived to my flat.
     This weekend I came to a realization about what has changed in me since the six weeks that I have been here. For the first time in a long time (or maybe even ever) I haven't been worrying about the future. Thoughts of up coming plans and where I'll be when don't stress me out. I have absolutely nothing to be stressed out about here, and for once I'm soaking it all up. I fee like I'm truly living in the moment. It's a good way to live.  


***In other news unrelated to my Poland trip, last week I also went to a Scottish family's home to make dinner. Stay tuned for my next blog as I plan to discuss that experience and one of my life's passion: food!!***   

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

     I planned my first non UK trip! I am going to Krakow, Poland with some of my friends from Hendrix. I never really thought about going to Poland until the idea was suggested to me, but now I am super excited about going there. It will be interesting to go to a European city that is completely different from ones I have seen in the UK. Along with seeing the city, we're also going to go on a tour of Auschwitz, which to be honest, I'm kind of nervous about. Nervous isn't really the right word per se, but when I think about it I get a sick feeling in my stomach. Thinking about going there reminded me of the time in high school I was going to a protest the night of a death penalty execution. It was not something I was particularly excited for or looking forward to, but I was still interested and intrigued by the whole experience. I feel similarly about about going to Auschwitz. I know it won't be "fun", but it will interesting and unlike any place I've ever been to. 

     I will be doing A LOT of traveling by myself on this trip. Since there were no convenient flights from anywhere in Scotland to Krakow, I am meeting Michelle in Chester, England, staying with her for a few days and then we're flying from Liverpool into Krakow together.  Getting to my plane in Liverpool is going to involve a bus ride, a train ride, and of course a lot of walking. It will be an experience, but I know it will be good for me. I'm getting better at the whole public transportation thing. I took the subway by myself for the first time yesterday. Granted, the subway system here goes in a circle and is pretty easy to figure out, but I still felt like I accomplished something. Even though it's hard to organize all of this, I am quite glad it worked out this way so that I can go to England as I will probably not be going there again during the next three months. I also planned another trip for the weekend right after Poland in Carbisdale, Scotland.  The international society at Strathclyde rents out a hostel for 150 students and we stay there for the weekend. The hostel we are staying in was once a castle that has been converted to a hostel. I am so looking forward to getting away from the city for a few days and seeing a more rural part of Scotland. 

     We've also been starting our Spring break plans, picking our final destinations, making a timeline and such. Talking about all of this traveling, all of it becoming a reality, is so humbling to me. How do I deserve all this? I don't think I'll ever understand how things work out in life, so all I can do is be thankful that they are working out like this for me. 

     Things feel like they are finally starting to level out here. I'm getting used to my classes, know where I'm going on campus, learning what time to wake up in the morning, getting lost   in Glasgow, business as usual. I'm starting to feel like a normal student again. Sort of. 

Joy Ride

     Yesterday marked a week that I have been here in Glasgow. I can't believe it. It feels like I've been here for a while now, most definitely over a week. So far things are going well. Class registration is really unorganized here, and I'm still trying to get into classes, so that is stressful. 

     To be completely honest, since getting here a week ago, I haven't felt that much of a culture shock. The worst day was the first day, when I had no idea where the hell I was going and was aimlessly walking around the city all day and wandered into a coffee shop after trying to open the door for five minutes. The weirdest part for me has been getting to the realization that I'm in Scotland. Sometimes I have a hard time placing myself in the world. It's easy for me to forget how far away from home I really am, how much space is separating me from my family. 

      There is one thing that I have had to adjust to and that is how I do grocery shopping here. At school last semester my roommates and I would go and by food that lasted us for several weeks, here people go shopping to last them for several days. It's almost impossible to find frozen dinners! There's a lot of prepackaged meals, though, which I have been buying. And the produce here isn't very good. It is making me appreciate Arkansas agriculture a lot more. It's also really hard to eat vegetarian. Everything has meat in it. I guess that not a surprise in Haggis land. I went shopping on Friday and bought a lot of groceries compared to what people usually buy here (still not a lot for me) and the guy checking me out in line made a comment about needing extra bags for all the food I bought. I eat differently here. My days don't revolve around what and when I eat like they do at home. Also, coffee here is terrible. Everyone drinks instant coffee, and when I ordered regular coffee at Startbucks even it was bad, cold and weak. People here DO NOT drink their coffee black. Every time I've ordered coffee, half of the cup (literally) was empty to make room for cream. After the third time I ordered it I learned to never order coffee again. 

      Everyone here goes out. Last night was the first night I hadn’t gone out since I've been here. It sounds stupid, but it really is part of the cultural experience of being in Scotland. OK, I can't believe I just said that. But it's true! The university even hosts an international student pub night!  

     This weekend we went on a walking tour of Glasgow. We saw the west end which I hadn't seen before and I really enjoyed it. It was definitely the part of town I would be more likely to do my shopping in; small grocery stores, secondhand clothing stores, used book stores, etc. The part of town we are in now has nice, more upscale and expensive stores. We also saw the University of Glasgow campus which is absolutely beautiful. It legit looks like Hogwarts. 

      I really feel like I am adjusting well to being here. Before I left I kept thinking that this experience would be like freshman year of college, and in so many, many ways it is, but there are also a lot of things about being here that are different. I definitely couldn't have done this freshman year, not even last year.  I don't really feel lonely or scared like I did as a freshman. Being here has made me realize how truly amazing my friends and family at home are. I know that no matter how far apart I am from them, they will always be there for me, loving me. I don't really feel like I've connected with people on a deep level like that here yet (how could I, it's only been a week?), but even if I never do that's OK with me. Being here is more about myself, learning who I am and how I cope with new situations. I do miss my Hendrix girls, though! I'm trying to not let the obsessive compulsive Paige come out very much. I try to just go with the flow and let other people do all the planning. Now I understand why most people are like that. Ha! It makes life so much less stressful.  

      I also plan on using this time to travel as much as I can. I am so excited that Jordana and I have the same two-week break in April! Knowing that I'll see friends over the next four months keeps me going some days. I also spoke to my second cousin (my dad's cousin) who lives and teaches in Italy so I plan on visiting her at some point while I am here. I just heard back from her this morning and I am SO excited to go visit her! It is always cool to stay with someone who actually lives where you are going instead of just being a tourist. 

      I know that these next four months will be an experience, no matter what happens, so I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Good Feeling

      I take pride in the fact that I have been to a lot of concerts. Growing up in Nashville with a rock mom who was always willing to take me to shows, I have been fortunate enough to experience many great musical acts while growing up. There have definitely been some memorable occurrences at these shows, from Ray LaMontagne walking off stage in the middle of “Burn” because he thought a spectator was laughing at him, Ryan Adams pulling his usual shenanigans and kicking someone out of the Ryman auditorium, Damien Rice singing in the dark at the Belcourt, to Nellie McKay bringing fans on stage to play piano with her, there have been a lot of memorable moments, but there is one moment in particular that means more to me than the others.

            To put it simply, I love Travis. I discovered The Man Who in high school and fell in love. The lyrics spoke to my lost, seventeen year old soul, “why does it always rain on me ?, "  I asked myself a little too frequently. From there I was Happy to Hang Around with 12 Memories, Sang along with The Invisible Band, and rocked out to Good Feeling. Through high school and into college I found solace in Travis. The lyrics are simple but written in a truly poetic way that make the listener feel connected with the music. I like to think of Travis as the Scottish Bruce Springsteen, music for the everyman.  Travis has a way of putting poignancy and sadness into their songs while disguising them in a catchy, upbeat melody. Sometimes I forget this, and go along singing the songs, knowing every beat and breath, and then I look back at the lyrics and realize the tenderness of the words I have just sung.

            In the summer of 2007 I traveled from Nashville to Atlanta with my mom and Lauryn, my best friend, to see Travis on The Boy With No Name U.S. tour. This was the first time I was seeing the band so anticipation was high. I was not let down. I walked out of the Tabernacele thinking that if I could hold onto this happiness forever everything in my life would be OK. Alas, time and emotion are fleeting are this moment was soon just another memory.

            When I saw that Fran and Andy of Travis were touring the U.S. again, to say I was excited is an understatement. I was lucky enough to see that they were playing in Nashville at the independent movie theater in town. I go to school in Arkansas, but I HAD to get to the show. Part of this story does involve the fact that I skipped class and I had to drive back to Conway at 5AM through a Red Bull educed haze, but I will spare you the details. The important part is that I made it to the show.

            I arrived at the Belcourt and settled into my creaky, vintage movie theater seat, looking around me and already feeling disappointed at the lack of attendance. I love Travis so much, that sometimes I forget that not everyone is a fan. Even though I was obviously not the only person at the show I felt like I was sitting in Fran’s living room looking through old photo albums and talking about the past. I was taking an intimate look into the meaning and experiences behind these songs, and not in a way that made me feel isolated from the music. I really can’t think of a more appropriate type of show for Travis, because listening to their music has always made me feel connected. At this show I laughed, I cried, I remembered why I love this band so much. I was taken aback by Fran’s sincerity and honesty. I found his openness about the songs and their meanings heartening. I felt like more than a fan, what I felt like though, I’m not really sure I can explain. Going along with the vein of the whole show, Fran and Andy came out to the lobby afterwards and sold their own merchandise and signed autographs. Of course, after waiting in line for 45 minutes and finally getting to the front, the only words I could muster up were “Can you sign my ticketstub?”I didn’t really know how to articulate how I was feeling. Even thinking about it now three months later, I’m not sure what I would say if faced with the opportunity again. It’s a weird, personal feeling that just leaves me feeling happy and sad; happy to be a Travis fan having this experience, sad that this can’t last forever.

            So maybe it’s fitting that I finally finish this review as I sit waiting to board my plane to Glasgow, Scotland, the home of Travis. On the flight I know I will listen to some Travis, and the music will be like comfort from an old friend, calming me and telling me that it will be OK, it will all be OK.