June 27, 2003
Cultured
Some pictures to digest! We'd like to post them more often, but it's a challenge getting to cafes that allow us to post them, plus it takes a significant amount of time -- time we need to be getting lost and planning what to do at the last minute. We also need to get better at taking more pictures.
I think Markus and I are getting a little burnt out, actually; most of the stuff we've been doing has left us feeling a little empty. Each museum and grand church are all blending into the same thing. We have the feeling that, while we recognize the incredible talent and emotional impact that went into many of these works, they just don't hold the same kind of draw to us as to many other people. We're uncultured. We don't have the background to properly appreciate and "get" the significance of what we see. It's a worthwhile experience to shuffle from one city to another every few days to see what kind of architecture, history, and culture each has to offer, but it's getting a little old, y'know? (Though we've been sure to enjoy the authentic food at least once in each place; we definitely don't feel empty then.)
So, we'll be heading out to Corfu (a large-ish island on the west side of Greece) and then the Greek Islands (a ton of tiny islands on the east side of Greece) in a few days. There, we're going to chill. Take a vacation from our vacation, stay in one place for a while, make friends with other travellers all staying in the same place, and just relax. Beaches by day, clubs by night. Read a book or ten (Harry Potter, yo), play some volleyball, swim, hike through caves, and so on. So much of what we've done so far we've done because we thought we should -- to expand our horizons, to say "I've been there" or "I've seen that," or whatever. For now, we'll do what we really, really want to do. (Yeah, I'm writing this mostly for my own benefit and self-reflection.)
Anyway, that's not to say that we haven't had some great, memorable times over the past few weeks. There are still a lot of my own thoughts I want to post on Budapest, Venice, and Florence, and I'll get to those sooner than later. But for now, pictures! Captions come first this time. Enjoy.
Pictures
1) The view way, way down the mountain, high in the Black Forest around Freiburg, Germany.
2) The narrow path I hiked through the Black Forest.
3) Flowers for sale at the daily market in Beaune, France.
4) Wine tasting in the dark, damp cellars of Beaune (see earlier posting). If you fancied the wine, you could grab it from the rack on the wall and purchase it at the exit.
5) Erm, I fancied the wine a little too much!
6) In Lyon, Matt and I ran into an impromptu salsa dance held in the Vieux Lyon part of town. It was a little dead, but some people got into it. (Spot the ghost leg for 25 points!)
7) The streets in Vieux Lyon were dangerously steep, and I stumbled across this picture almost by accident.
8) Lyon at night, as seen from the hostel bar terrace.
9) Matt and me, on the terrace in the morning.
10) From the train station in Geneva, Switzerland. I think I fell in love with the ad on the right. The girl's trying to give such a sexy, alluring look: a deep stare full of desire, plenty of make-up, and highly suggestive lip-licking. Oh, and a head covered by soft-serve ice cream. There's nothing that says "Come and get me, tiger!" better than a melting dairy product dribbling through your hair. Funniest ad ever!
11) View from Interlaken, which literaly translates to "between lakes." Not only between lakes, but also surrounded by frickin' huge mountains, including the snow-capped Jungfrau.
12) The lake on the east side of Interlaken, taken while hiking in the mountains.
13) Okay, so I'm not a sucker for originality.
14) The view across the Danube river in Budapest at sunset.
15) Me pondering the mysteries of the universe at a cafe in Budapest. Add a thought bubble to the picture, send it to me, and Markus and I will post what we get.
16) On the left, Buda. On the right, Pest.
17) I got a little mad with power after shooting a few birds out of the sky...
18 - 22) Budapest, formerly communist until the fall of the Soviet Union, had a ton of giant statues throughout the town. After the fall, they were moved to a park, which we visted. Highly inspirational! What worker wouldn't feel motivated with this kind of prime real estate across town?
23) Markus, no longer just an action figure, now has his own store!
24) Favorite Picture Ever. From Piazza San Marco in Venice. This one is dedicated to Mike & Steve. Combining the height of 11th century architecture and beauty with good ol' 21st century crass. (Or, crass.) I think there was even less material from the front, too.
25) Random shot in Venice.
26) Markus pretends he's in Amsterdam.
27) Me, enjoying my mint chocolate chip gelato over the Grand Canal in Venice.
28) Only one of over six million canals in Venice.
29) The massive, massive Duomo, in Florence.
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Thought bubble for picture #15:
OK, 800 calories. Add that to the 1100 calories I had an hour ago, and the 400 from this morning, and the 600 during coffee break. Hmmm.....
Posted by: Mom at June 28, 2003 01:36 AMWell, I couldn't just type in words, so I had to create an actual thought bubble with actual thoughts. Hold the shift key when clicking on each link:
ahhh, memories
ahhh, favourite memory
who said only Brian was thinking something?
Nice new pictures! Markus has been down there so long that they've started commemorating him with naming buildings after him? :) I'm hoping you guys are trying to take it easy now that it's the long weekend! It's terrible: 20ish people can't believe I'm using technology while I'm here at a cottage, but I don't post often enough. What's with that 6th-last picture? Is that just some random girl? Going voyeur-style, Bri'? :) Anyway, have a nice day boys.
Posted by: Éric Gagnon at June 28, 2003 07:57 AMHaha, thanks Mom. :D You forgot the 700 calories from the beer I had first thing in the morning, though.
I like 'em, Mike, especially the second. Nice work!
Eric, where are you now? How's school going? We've been entertaining ourselves by making up stories about how people are doing back home. I think Kevin's almost graduated ninja skateboarding school by now. And yeah, that's just some random girl. She stood out, and we thought it'd be a fun shot, especially for Mike and Steve.
Posted by: Brian at June 28, 2003 03:03 PMPic#24 brings into question the long standing belief that you might be gay.... when I nudged Steve this morning, he was pleased to hear the news.... err....
European Tip of the Day: More pictures of women.
Cheers.
Md.
Posted by: M-Diddy at June 29, 2003 01:16 AMHi Brian & Marcus.
1*) How are you?
2**) How's the weather there?
3) Everything is in paragraphs... arghhh need point form or keywords in bold or flow chart...
JYS
*See small talk...
**Here more small talk...
Hey,
Yeah, it kinda confused me that you guys went to so many museums...it was like you belonged to some lame travel group! I figured y'all were over there to experience Europe, not relive some silly postcard. ;) Mind you, I'm a little jaded, having been forced to see WAY too many museums when I was young, and am now quite adverse to them. Glad you guys finally got the right idea! :P
Posted by: Jill at July 1, 2003 08:09 AMI'm doing great Brian, thanks for asking! Kev's ninja skateboarding degree is in the works, but the ninja-star wheels are damn tough to get used to. As for me, I'm trying to bear with the 7 courses, but I'm just trying to have a good time -- spent the long weekend with a ton of people at Bill's cottage and tomorrow's the Sanitarium Tour with Linkin Park. Whoo hoo! But yeah, I'm really starting to feel like I belong in the whole ActSci groove what with all the companies taking us all out for free food and drinks -- great way for us to all get to know each other. But blah blah blah, if I were you, I wouldn't care about the career-world right now. Do me a favour and forget it exists -- that's what I'd do. :)
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