Amsterdam

So for my final trip of the semester, Andy, Pat and I went to Amsterdam. We left on Thursday night and arrived to some pouring rain. We got lost, couldn't find the hostel, and almost got hit by a car while searching for a wireless network in a square. We hadn't quite figured out the different modes of transportation.


The next morning we woke up and explored the city before meeting up with Jenny, Andy's girlfriend, and her friends. Before coming to Amsterdam I talked with some friends that had been there already and they steered me towards the free walking tour. What a great idea. It was a three hour walking tour of the city and all the sights. They give tons of history and stories that you would never know if you weren't told. It was awesome. After the tour we got some food and then went to the famous coffee shop the Bulldog. It was pretty weird because they are basically bars but don't serve alcohol. Freaky. After that we went back to the hostel for the happy hour, one euro beers, and hung out with each other and Jenny's friends. It was pretty fun.


Saturday, Pat and I went out and explored the city. We walked all over and saw tons of really great stuff. We even stumbled upon a 3-D recreation of the Nightwatch by Rembrandt. It was awesome. Amsterdam is such a gorgeous city and we had some pretty great weather. We went over to the Rijksmuseum but the line was really long and we had to meet up with Andy shortly so we contented ourselves with seeing the outside and hanging out in the park that is right next to it. After that we met up with Andy and got some dinner while Jenny and her friends went to the Heineken Brewery. After dinner we walked around at night and Andy and Pat wanted to go to the Red Light district so we paid a little visit there. We came back, hung out at the hostel bar again and then went to sleep.

3-D Rembrandt.

Sunday morning, Jenny and her friends left so we had the whole day. We woke up pretty early and went to rent bikes at the train station. After we got the bikes we took a ferry across the main canal and then biked into the countryside. It was amazing, probably one of my favorite days here. The weather was perfect, the scenery was gorgeous and it was awesome. We rode out to a place called Zaanse Schans. It was really fun. We got lost a couple times but some nice Dutch people helped us out and we finally made it. There are like seven or eight windmills and a clog factory and a cheese shop. The cheese was awesome, Pat and I went back through the sample line multiple time. Delicious. After we rode back we got some fish and chips and then went to bed. Our little bike ride ended up being about 55Km so we were exhausted. Our flight was at 9 the next morning so we woke up pretty early and then headed to the airport.


It was a really great trip and an awesome way to end the semester.

More Turkey Bowl Photos

Action shots courtesy of Chesky.

Turkey Bowl Photo

Here is the post-Turkey Bowl picture. I wanted to include it in the proper blog but it was on Max's camera.

From left to right:
Alex, Andrew, Shoots, Andy, Max, Karelyn, Nick, Donnie, Adnan, Nathan,
Me, Hoodie

Divoka Sarka

Divoka Sarka.

A few weeks ago I discovered a gem of wilderness just outside the city center of Prague. I convinced some others that it would be really cool and so yesterday, Andy, Chesky, Nathan, Nick, Max and I ventured out to the area. We were a little apprehensive at first because none of us could remember an area that was "wild" on the way to the airport. We got off the bus at the McDonald's and had a little chuckle because the area was behind it and stretched on for at least a couple miles. It was really pretty. We decided to trek up the big hill in the middle. It was much more strenuous than anticipated but we all made it; Chesky had to go up the back way because she was not wearing proper hiking footwear. We walked around on the big hill and decided to stay up there for the sunset, which was quickly approaching. We watched the sunset and then headed back down, managing to avoid any major spills, but not without close calls; Nick's foot got stuck in a crevice, and then Andy, not so gracefully, slid down a rock and did a 180 turn in the air. Both were pretty danging funny.

After we got back down and to the bus stop, a charter-type bus pulled up and we weren't sure if it was ours or not. People exited and a lady got on before Nick and so he tried to get on. The bus doors closed. But they were not like the bus doors on the trams; they can't be held open. So needless to say, Nick started getting crushed by the doors so he took his body out but his left leg was stuck in the door. All he kept saying was "Are you kidding me?" over and over. The bus driver was looking at him in the review mirror so he definitely saw him. Then, with Nick's leg still in the door, the bus started driving away. Max, Cheksy, Nathan and I couldn't react because of disbelief; Nick started hopping along with the bus; Andy ran over to the window and started banging on the glass until the driver finally stopped and opened the doors. It was pretty freaky and could have been really horrible. But because nothing happened it was pretty hilarious. As we were all expressing our outrage at the bus driver a man came over and and told us that that bus was an exit only bus and that is why Nick wasn't allowed on. But it was still pretty jerk-ish of that bus driver.

After that we were all laughing pretty hard and made it home almost without more incidents. On the tram we boarded, someone had vomited all over one corner of the tram so it smelled horrible. Max was sticking his nose in his Coke bottle, Nick and I were using our scarves as a buffer and we were all complaining about it. Then a lady came on the tram and stood right in it and then preceded to eat a sandwich over it. That alone was vomit inducing. When we got off Max said "That proves my theory that Czechs are immune to bad smells. I am afraid I am going to go home and stink but not be able to tell." We all got a good laugh out of that.

It was a pretty fun day! We want to go back to the wilderness area because Andy's camera battery died and we didn't get to explore much since we went so late in the day. We also scoped out good sledding areas, so I am sure we will be back.

The sunset.


Andy.


Max and Nick.


Andy.

In Good Company

Sorry its been so long since an update but because my family was here we were busy many hours out of the day and sleeping the rest. It was awesome having them here! There is just too much to relay blow by blow so I am going to give you some highlights from having them here:

-Spending lots of quality time with my father in the airport on Saturday between all the delays in arrivals

-Re-doing all the touristy things with my appreciative family

-Watching dad make friends with homeless [?] Czechs and mom taking many pictures while the children cracked up. Then stopping to take a picture and dad saying "We are not stopping here, keep going."

Dad and his friend.

-Eating lots of good food in good company

Good beer in good company.

-Showing off my family to my friends here and reaffirming that my family is superior

-Eating a free hotel breakfast every morning

-Swing dancing with my brother in a bar and Alex cutting in because I taught him how to dance too. This ultimately led to many others wanting lessons.

-My family thinking that I can't go anywhere in Prague without seeing someone I know

-Spending some great days with my sister re-doing all the things I already did with my dad

-Karelyn being "chased" by a muskrat at Terezin. [It was really more of the muskrat turning and looking at her because she was walking up and then she took off up the hill and thought that the noise her backpack was making was the muskrat chasing her and all she could think about "were razor sharp teeth sinking into her calf." HAHA

The Muskrat

-Me being chased by a dog enclosed in a fence in Terezin and yelping in fear.

-Our Slavojova Family Thanksgiving dinner cooked by Beeler. It was amazing!

Chesky's dad carving the goose for our feast.

-The Slavojova Turkey Bowl. Teams: Me, Sis, Nick, Max, Alex, Matt Shoots vs. Orange, Andrew, Andy, Adnan, Donnie, Nathan. This also includes slipping all over the place, Andy and Adnan scoring touchdowns, having to go to "College overtime", Karelyn and I explaining to our team that we need to pick it up because we don't loose, the ball going into the river and Andy and Alex fishing it out, me face planting in the mud, me sacking Orange twice, Andy saying the worst position on the field was blocking me, and waking up very sore the next morning!

-Watching the lighting of the tree at the Old Town Christmas market.

The lit tree.

-Me and Karelyn serenading Matt Shoots on the way home from the Christmas market and then missing our stop. Also, sprinting to catch a tram back to the right stop.

All in all, it was a great week+. This morning [at 3.50am] I woke up and took my sister to the airport, concluding the family time. It was great!!

The Lennon Wall

Outside the Krematorium at Terezin


Inside the Czech Senate.

Dad/Dave at the controls once more with my final(?) installment as guest blogger on Bonnie's site. Just want to complete the report on my time in Germany before the rest of the Foleys' descend on Prague tomorrow.

Should also set the record straight on dates. They're correct below, but off by a day in my earlier messages. The error seems a fair reflection of the general difficulty I've had figuring out what day of the week it is ever since I got here. Actually, I kind of like that about vacations.

Stuttgart - 16.11.08
Landed at Stuttgart on Sunday morning in a state of high excitement despite 15 hours of travel and almost zero sleep. The few short periods of unconsciousness I was able to achieve were interrupted by the sound of snoring nearby! My outrage was tempered by the discovery that I was the one doing it. Wonder who else I was keeping up.

The whole Selje family was there to greet me - Martin, Eva, Julia, and David. Any concern I might have had about my reception evaporated in a series of hugs and smiles, and we were soon off on a series of adventures: a walking tour of the Hohenheim area near their home during which we discussed the differences between castles and palaces; a drive into the Stuttgart city center where we watched the clock at the old castle strike noon - a spectacle that must be seen to be believed; a trip to Esslingen for lunch and a brief lesson on the proper pronunciation of spaetzle.

Waiting for the show to start at the Old Castle

Neither of them would say so, but both Martin and Eva have plenty of English and with Julia, who recently spent seven months in Australia, there to fill in the gaps, we were able to talk at length. I enjoyed everything we did together, but nothing more than that.

Well, except maybe the 11 hours of sleep I got once I went to bed!

Next day, the 17th, Julia was my tourguide throughout the morning, and we visited two towers on either side of the valley that envelopes Stuttgart. The first was a 150 meter behemoth that provided striking panoramas of the area but also wind blown temperatures of about 7-8 degrees Celsius, or 'bone-chilling if you're used to thinking in Fahrenheit. The second was just 30 meters, one you climb up yourself, but much nicer climate-wise.

After lunch, it was Martin's turn. We took the scenic route - the very scenic route - out to Lichtenstein Castle. Pulling into a nearly empty parking lot I observed that one of the nice things about traveling in November is that there are so few crowds to contend with. On the other hand, the down side of traveling in November is that many things are closed during the week. And so we found the castle. We consoled ourselves with a brief walk around the perimeter and then one of the best hot chocolates I've ever had at the Ritter chocolate factory.

Now that's a castle!

Wanted a shot of myself here, but Martin insisted on being in it himself

The highlight of the day was dinner at the 'un-restaurant' (my term). If I understood this correctly, it's a house in town that the owners turn into a business for two months out of the year (April and November), during which they serve a fairly simple menu and their homemade wines. The setting could not have been better suited to having more fun conversation with the Seljes.

Two glasses of wine and one of schnapps saw Martin and I a fair way toward unlocking some of the important secrets of the universe. It started, as these things often do, with a discussion of music - The Beatles, the Stones, Jethro Tull, and that exquisite harmony at the beginning of the Beach Boys' 'In My Room'. At one point, Julia mentioned something about black holes and the next thing I knew we were trying to figure out the meaning of everything.

Perhaps a later evening, another schnapps, or just greater facility with one another's language would have brought us success but, it being a school night, we all needed to hit the sack. Besides, what would we have had left to talk about next time?

So, tomorrow's airport day - Karelyn arriving mid-morning and Jean and Tommy after dinner. Look for other guest bloggers as the week wears on. Finally, three pictures from Bonnie's and my hike around Prague today.

A rare bit of sunlight - would love some more


Temperature dropping...


March of the penguins

No Need to Panic

Dad/Dave again, with dinner now behind us. I recognize nothing I say from this point on will compare to the drama of Bonnie's last contribution, but I continue nevertheless.

Regensburg - 18.11.08 (continued)
I woke up in this small city/large town to light rain and heavy overcast, but by the time I'd eaten breakfast and checked out of my hotel the clouds were breaking up and bright blue patches of sky showed here and there. Regensburg, it turns out, is a beautiful place when you're not driving around its sidewalks in the dark.

More on that shortly.

I took a long walking tour of the city and managed to see most of what lies inside its walls. This was partly the result of planning, partly the result of getting lost with some frequency. The most notable sights had to be the view from the far side of the Donau river which, based on all the postcards, is probably the city's most picturesque vantage point, and the inside of St. Peter's Cathedral, a massive Gothic church that is beautiful, inspiring, intimidating, and cold in equal measure.

From here it's off the Prague, and the excitement of seeing Bonnie has me smiling most of the way.

Stuttgart to Regensburg - 17.11.08
A thought on the drive before I really get started. There's no need for panic, or even concern, when you enter the Autobahn, but it is worth an 8-10% increase in your pulse rate. You (I) spend a lot of time getting out of people's way on this road and I'm going a good 75 mph for most of it. I learn something very early on. I learn (and readers with tender sensibilities should avert their eyes here):

Drivers in the left lane
DO NOT FUCK AROUND.

So, anyway...

My ability to read simple maps and clear highway signs having remained in California, I have some trouble getting out of Stuttgart. Things go well enough as I depart the airport in my rental but somehow, instead of bypassing the city center as planned, I'm soon headed straight for it. Taking rapid, but in the end ineffective, evasive action, I ping around the north side of town for a while and end up driving right past the park and climbing tower Julia and I visited yesterday. I have to say, it was much more fun with her along.

Somehow or other, by way of a route never to be duplicated, I find my way out of the city. Two and a half short and scenic hours later, I pull into Dinkelsbuhl for lunch.

If I did not already know Dinkelsbuhl is an example of a small and charming German medieval walled town, I might easily have mistaken it for a Disney-built replica of a small and charming German medieval walled town. It's that perfect. Think cobblestones, crosstimbers, pastel colors and gated towers and then throw in a scenic stream flowing past it all.

I enter a nice looking restaurant and order the Dienstag special instead of the 'Obama Hamma', (the chef's enthusiastic but otherwise unidentifiable culinary endorsement of our president-elect). I am served a breaded fish filet the size of a catcher's mitt (karpfenfilet in the local vernacular), along with a load of roasted potatoes that, under the circumstances, can only be considered gratuitous. I eat most of it all, and a chunk of one of my chocolate bars once I get back in the car. Autobahn driving is hungrier work than I thought.

After a relaxing drive along some scenic secondary roads, I enter the Autobahn for another breathless sprint and am soon on my way into Regensburg. A left turn for the city center springs up well before I'm prepared for it, and I opt to continue along in the right lane instead of acting like a Californian at rush hour. I figure it will be a simple matter to work my way back in that direction when the opportunity presents itself.

Two very quick turns later it appears I am driving on the sidewalk. This is just a theory. The cobblestones look a lot like those you see on many of the roads, but the increasingly narrow surface and the close proximity of pedestrians argue strongly in favor of it. And I suppose I should mention there is no curb and I can just about reach out and touch some of the shops I'm passing.

Alternating between first gear and neutral I pick my way carefully through a throng of shoppers who, I'm interested to note, appear completely nonplussed by my presence in their midst. But boy do I want to find a street!

Finally, as I round one corner of what turns out to have been Neupfarrplatz - complete with a pretty little church sitting in the middle of it - I catch a glimpse of some actual traffic and make for that with all possible haste. Getting back on to a legitimate road is like being able to breathe again. I congratulate myself on my composure in a tight spot.

Two turns later I find myself on another sidewalk! For Heaven's sake! Luckily for all of us it leads back to the platz I was just in so I already know my way around. This time, when I inch myself back to the one street I've been able to find, I park. I reconnoitre on foot for an escape route and find one that involves only a short 'pedestrians only' segment. After all the felonies I've committed it seems silly to quibble over this little misdemeanor, so I return to the car, take one more tour of the dreaded Neupfarrplatz, and am finally free.

I resolve to try the whole thing on foot in the morning.

Now, nearly 23:00 here in the present, I gotta go to bed. I'll return another time to report on my arrival in Germany and my too-short stay with the Seljes - complete with photos - as well as on Bonnie's and my continuing adventures in Prague.