New London Pictures!

So this past weekend I took Friday evening to check out Sloane Square and Harrods in the evening. Saturday morning I went to the Borough Market, my favorite spot in London. I have attached a few photo's of each in the London set on my Flickr account. More than likely my next posts will also be photo based. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jlundbe2/

Lisbon, Portugal

My final travel weekend took me once again south of England, not too far from Sevilla and my trip the week prior, to Lisbon, Portugal. The destinations in southern Europe had always been on my radar and when Monica mentioned she also had a free weekend in November and was looking to travel somewhere, I jumped to suggest Portugal. As I had subconsciously planned, I was to make my visits in a southerly direction, ending with “warmer” weekends in Spain and Portugal. Considering I call Denver home people seem to be confused at my “need” to travel somewhere warm. See, what they don’t understand is that, while it may get cold in Denver, we will get sun the next day… that is not the case here in London. But, this is all besides to point. On to Portugal!

For the last time, I was excited if you can’t tell, my alarm went off at 2:30 a.m. and I made way to Victoria for a bus to the airport. I have yet to touch on flying budget airlines so I will do that now. The bottom line is RyanAir and EasyJet both do what they are intended to do – get you from point A to point B on time (cant necessarily be said of our domestic United States flights on United, etc.) for a low cost. While they are often compared to one another, EasyJet is by far my preferred low cost carrier. Riding on RyanAir is like watching an annoying game show. Midway through the flight, after they have offered to serve you ridiculously high priced beverages and cocktails, the announcer goes into a highly enthused sales pitch about purchasing your chance at winning one of a million great prizes… including a million pounds! Flying with RyanAir can make you a millionaire. Yeah, right, just turn off the lights and the ridiculous announcer and let me get some sleep. Either way, you can’t beat a $100 flight roundtrip to Portugal, so I guess I can’t complain too much.

I landed in Portugal mid-morning and hopped a quick public transportation bus from the airport to the hostel. Our hostel, Goodnight Backpacker’s Hostel, was one of the cleanest I have stayed in. The owner, Joe (the owner ran hostels are always the best) was very friendly and able to check me in right away. Which, considering it was before noon was very unlike many other locations I have been. I quickly unpacked my backpack and headed out to explore Lisbon. With Monica arriving in the evening I had almost eight hours to wander on my own. Highlights of my day include a fifteen minute conversation with a very nice man in the Barrio Alto about how hard it is to find a job in Portugal, a trip to Belem on the light rail (which five ticket checking guards ambushed, for lack of a better term, the train at one stop; they certainly don’t mess around in Portugal), a much longer walk back from Belem to Lisboa than I anticipated (guess that light rail moved quicker than I thought), and my first taste of the Portuguese pastries.

Monica arrived around 8 p.m. and our plan to meet at the hostel worked flawlessly. After she settled in we made our way towards the Barrio Alto (known in Lisbon for its bars with very close proximity to one another and flocks of young tourists). We stopped for dinner at a nice café that I had found earlier in the day before going to a Jazz Wine Bar and meeting up with some of Monica’s friends from Madrid.

Saturday, after waking and enjoying breakfast in the hostel, we made our way to Sintra, about forty five minutes outside of Lisbon. Joe, our hostel guide, had told us about a Lisbon Card that cost 13 euro but was the best value if you intended to go to Sintra, including entrance to the Palace, Castle, bus, and train tickets. Having been “screwed over” in the past with deals like this we opted, being the witty college students we are, to purchase things individually choosing only the monuments we wanted to see and saving some money. Needless to say, by the time we had caught the tram and train to Sintra, we had almost spent the value of the card. As we stood in front of the entrance to the Palace and Gardens Monica and I both rationalized spending ten euro for the entrance fee. We laughed as we both hesitated the purchase, but quickly realized this was nearly the end of our trip and how often would be back in Portugal.

The palace was stunning. I felt like I was in a Disney movie with colorful towers, large arches, and beautifully adorned rooms. The panoramic views around the palace revealed a picturesque country side, a hazy view of the Atlantic Ocean and Lisbon off in the distance. For lack of words to describe the palace, I will let the pictures below do the talking.

Following the palace we made our way to the nearby castle. Portugal has a very unique blend of Moorish and Islamic influence, which is very evident in the monuments throughout Sintra. The castle was, much like the palace, magnificent for its views of the valley. Sintra is perched on a hillside, providing panoramic views of the surrounding area.

The final stop on our “scenic bus ride around Sintra,” was in the old town near the train station. We arrived later in the evening as the sun was setting and the town was buzzing. After a few quick postcard stops, we wandered into a port wine shop learning and tasting our way through the various types of Port wine and the different methods for aging them. Walking up towards a shopping street we saw quite the line forming near what appeared to be a bakery and café. Interested, we grabbed a number and eagerly waited what wonderful pastry seemed to be causing all the attention. Twenty minutes later our number was called and we approached the counter and ordered “two of whatever everyone else was getting.” Turns out, that special pastry was the house specialty, which was quite tasty and well worth the wait. The old adage that a place must be good if it has a long line stood true again in Sintra.

Returning from Sintra mid evening we met again with Monica’s friends from Madrid, on the night’s agenda… traditional fado music. The fado area of Lisbon is near the Castle just east of where we were stating. Monica and I decided we would walk to Fado Maior, where we were meeting the others from the other hostel. We left plenty of time for errors, which thankfully we did, as the location was very tough to find and thanks to Monica’s semi understanding of one bar owners Portuguese we made our way “around the bend, down the stairs, and on the left.” For dinner I dined on bacalhau, cod, cooked with eggs, a Portuguese specialty. But the real reason why the night was so memorable was the fado music and the friendly hospitality. Fado Maior is a small, maybe ten tables, family ran restaurant. Our waitress took our orders, kept the wine flowing, was kind enough to separate all of our bills (at a table with 8 others, this was very much appreciated and unexpected), and sang fado music throughout the evening. She was joined by an older lady, whom we presume was the chef or owners wife, as well as what appeared to be the sun. For twenty euro we had a great meal and three hours of free entertainment! This ranks with one of my favorite memories of Europe. (Sorry no pictures here, didn't bring the Rebel and forgot my other camera)

Our final morning was spent in Belem. Belem is a suburb west of Lisbon. Belem is home to a Monastery, a naval and armored tower, the President’s residence, and many museums. Being a Sunday, we got free entrance to the Monastery and attached museum. Inside the Monastery was Vasco de Gamas tomb, our second straight weekend with an explorers tomb. The attached museum had the remains of a mummified Egyptian body, all that is worth mentioning. A picture of the Monastery is below.

Following the museum we explored the tower (also free) and the Sunday street market / flea market. We ended our visit to Belem with the world famous Pasteis de Belem. Apparently only two people know the recipe which is handed down only when someone passes away. The famed British chef Jamie Oliver has traveled to Belem to replicate the pastry without success. Its best described as a phyllo dough with a sweet custard filling best hot from the oven. So you are probably recognizing a trend here, Portuguese are known for their sweets and for good reason, the food throughout was very rich. We returned to central Lisbon to witness a motorcycle exhibition by the National Guard (who at one point put 12 people on one motorcycle) and listen to the sweet sounds of bagpipes in Lisbon. Monica left later that evening. With a flight the next morning, I took the evening to relax, walked a bit more around Lisbon, and reflected on my last trip away from London in Europe, this was my 12^th country in a little over 9 weeks.

Below are photos of the tower, pastries, the main square, and the impressive twelve people motorcycle trick.

Three new posts!!!

Welp, I have posted three more updates (much overdo) from the following cities:

Edinburgh, Scotland
Paris, France
Sevilla, Spain

I am working on Lisbon, Portugal now and then possibly another post from London... sorry for the barrage of updates. I hope I haven't lost all of my readership during my absence.

Seville (Sevilla), Spain

Travel weekend number six of seven, off to Spain I went. Sevilla, being not quite the tourist destination in Spain that Madrid and Barcelona are, only has one flight to and from London daily. Therefore, my weekend began on the Friday evening flight to Sevilla and ended on the Sunday night flight back to London. I was very much excited for my trip to Spain. After a few months apart in Europe, Monica, Matt, and I were to meet again in Sevilla. Excited to see them both, and others who made the trip to Spain this weekend, the added warm weather was just a bonus (Sevilla got up to 75 degrees Fahrenheit while I was there, a nice change from the cooler London).

Arriving at the airport I boarded the bus for the city center where I would meet Matt, Monica, and Jess at the bus station nearest Matt’s house. Even though I haven’t taken Spanish in five years, and nearly failing the Spanish placement exam at DU, I was comforted to know some basics to communicate with the locals. I was surprised at how much Spanish I did remember… now, don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t understand a word the Spaniards were saying due to how fast they talk, but had I needed to, I could have stood some chance at conversing with one of them.

From the bus station where we all met we made our way to our hostel so I could drop off my things. My late arrival, 9:30 p.m. meant nothing in a culture where everything seems to happen later in the day. We met Brad at the hostel, who is also studying in Sevilla, and made our way to a tapas bar in some square in the city. Sevilla is much like the small town Spain I imagined. The roads are narrow, the buildings have a Spanish influence to their design and materials, and the people and lifestyle seem to move much slower than other parts of Western Europe. It was great catching up with friends as we dined on delicious tapas… my first taste of true jamon and some sort of toast with cheese and drizzled warm honey. Our night ended with a visit to a few student bars (Sevilla is home to thousands of abroad students each semester) and my first waffle and chocolate experience.

Having been out late the night before (which seems to be a common trend in Spain) we started our day around 11:00 am after breakfast at the hostel with trips to the Alcazar and the Cathedral. The Alcazar is an Islamic palace that blends the culture and architecture of the Moorish and Spanish Christians. The grounds were adorned with many fountains, gardens, and mazes (yes, mazes in the hedges, good times). I was most amazed by the baths of Lady María de Padilla, the picture which can be seen below.

Below is a photo of Matt and me at the Alcazar.

Following the Alcazar we went to the Cathedral which is within a stone’s throw from the Alcazar. Beyond all other locations I have traveled, the entrance fees to tourist sites in Spain were the most reasonable; with free admission to the Alcazar and minimal fee for the Cathedral. It sure is great being a student. The highlights of the cathedral were Christopher Columbus’s tomb and the view from the top of the Giralda (the bell tower). Unlike many other treks to the top of a cathedral on stairs, the walk to the top of the Giralda consisted of 36 switch back ramps. Matt informed me this was most likely due to the use of livestock to ring the bell prior to its current mechanical state.

Below is a photo of Christopher Columbus’s tomb.

After our visit to the Alcazar we went and toured the Plaza de Espana. The plaza was originally built to hold the 1929 Spanish-American Exhibit. The building is quite impressive and spans a very wide panorama view. The tower on the plaza was used most recently in Star Wars Episode II for the scenes with Naboo, although it was digitally altered. Following the exterior tour of the plaza we walked through the nearby Parque Maria Luisa, another creation for the 1929 exhibit. It seems Sevilla likes to build a lot of buildings, bridges, and parks for its exhibitions as most monuments we visited were erected for a certain purpose or world exhibition. At the park we rented a five person bicycle car thing (yeah, it has an official name, I forget what it was). We rode our way around the park taking in the warmth of the Sevilla sun and the sights of the nearby Plaza de America. Following our bike tour of the park our legs and bodies needed a rest as we siested (yes, I made up a word) back at the hostel.

Below is a photo of the Plaza de Espana

That evening we headed out to explore the nightlife of Sevilla. We ate dinner at Cerveceria 100 Montaditos. A montadito is a small sandwich (imagine three or four bites) with various toppings and spreads. Your order sandwiches much like you would sushi by tallying your choices on a menu list. We crazy Americans ordered all of our sandwiches, much to the surprise of the chef who confirmed our order, with brown bread. You should have seen the four of us sitting there trying to figure out what exactly we had ordered (the menu is all in Spanish)… needless to say, they were all quite delicious. Contently full we went to experience a free flamenco show with a pitcher of Agua de Seville. Agua de Seville is a blend of beverages topped with fresh whip cream and cinnamon that you mix in prior to drinking… also delicious. As you can tell, Sevilla lives up to its reputation as a gastronomic center of Spain (not that I have much to compare it to though). The night concluded with drinks at a local watering hole near Alfalfa.

Below is a picture of the sandwiches we devoured…

Monica and Jess left early, which is relative in Spain, the next morning. I took the leisure of sleeping in, recovering from the weekend thus far before meeting Matt at the hostel around noon. We spent the day wandering the city. Highlights of the day include the live animal market near the river, the graffiti art near the bus station, the bull fighting ring (we just saw the outside), and many bridges scattered along the river. The afternoon concluded with paealla and sangria (which Monica swore I had to try before leaving Spain) prior to my bus to the airport. As I walked back to my flat from Baker street (I stupidly booked the wrong bus and banked on being able to find a night bus back to Victoria station) in the brisk London air I was able to reflect on what a great weekend I had… Sevilla was amazing!

The city that wore a hole in the sole of my shoes... Paris, France

For the third time in five weeks I found myself up long before anyone in their right mind should be on a Friday morning heading to London Luton for an early morning flight to Paris. As fun as it is to be able to jet set around Europe, the early morning flights are starting to kill me. Seven hours later (yet only 9:30 in the morning), Bart and I found ourselves landing at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France. Having only planned our trip to Paris for two full days and one long night we knew we would have to maximize our time to see all the sights. The main items on the itinerary were the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Versailles, everything else in between would prove to be a bonus. Our hostel was located a little ways from the city center, so thankful to packing light, we carried our backpacks all morning and set out on a walking tour of Paris.

Our first stop found us at the Louvre. The interesting blend of old architecture of the museum and surrounding buildings contrasted by the glass pyramids with view to the art galleries below provided an interesting contrast of old and new. The Louvre offers free admission for students on Friday evening so we delayed our visit inside until later in the day. From the Louvre we made our way towards the Concorde turning across the Seine to view the National Assembly. The view in the distance of the Eiffel tower was surreal. I couldn’t wait until later in the day to make our way to the tower. We walked along the Seine River passing the Museum D’Orsay. Walking along the river we saw many street artists and vendors selling memorabilia from nouveau art and film movements. Around midday we arrived at Notre Dame. The line to go inside the cathedral was considerably long and Bart and I agreed not worth the time on this visit (you have to prioritize at some point, J ).Nearly mid afternoon we decided now was a good time to go check in at the hostel and drop off some of our belongings before a full evening at the Louvre and seeing the Eiffel tower at night.

Below is a view of the conflicting (in my eyes) architecture of the Louvre.

Our hostel, Woodstock Hostel, was located in the 10^th arrondissement (area basically) of Paris, a few stops on the metro north of the city center. With the current transportation strike in Paris, I am glad the metro was operating smoothly while we were there. Having to walk to and from our hostel would have significantly cut into our sightseeing time. Luckily we had no problems. After dropping our bags at the hostel we wandered around the local shops in the nearby area. This was the Paris I imagined, butchers with meat, bakeries with bread, fruit shops with fruit, etc… there was no, and for good reason, need for a large grocery store. After picking up a roasted chicken baguette (which was delicious) we made our way towards the Louvre via the Arc de Triopmhe (which I would love to see at night but wasn’t able to) prepared to stand in a long line to see the Mona Lisa.

Below is a photo of the Mona Lisa… it isn’t much larger than 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide.

The free admission to students began at 6:00 p.m. By 6:15 p.m. we had made our way through the queue for tickets (not needed for a student) and were standing in front of the Mona Lisa. Honestly, as neat (yeah, I said neat) as it was to see the Mona Lisa in person, it was somewhat of a letdown. There were large barriers protecting the crowd from the work. The nearest we could get was ten feet or so and therefore were unable to see the brushstrokes of the piece. Following the Mona Lisa we explored the Louvre (by this time I was exhausted and couldn’t take much more art, which is a little overwhelming in the Louvre which seems to go on and on forever).

Bart and I then decided to finish the evening with our first visit to the Eiffel tower. We walked from the Louvre to the Eiffel tower, approximately 40 minutes intending to grab some cheese, bread, and meat to eat for dinner near the tower. Well, we found ourselves in a Chinese restaurant getting take-out. Either way, we still saw the tower at night (which was amazing) and were able to catch the strobe light show of the tower that occurs hourly. With a full day at Versailles ahead we called it an early night.

Below is a photo of the Eiffel tower at night.

Day two in Paris included two things: a trip to the palace of Versailles and an attempted trek to the top of the Eiffel tower. Versailles is located about forty five minutes from Paris. We had heard of a combined rail and entrance ticket (to avoid the lines) at Versailles, but no one at the ticket window understood our limited French or knew what we were talking about. After one misstep taking the wrong train (which we recognized one stop later) we were at Versailles and in a mad dash to beat everyone from our train to the front of the ticket line. Thankfully Bart and I both sport long legs and a quick stride… making our way to the front of the tourist crowd from our train saved us hours in the line (which was still about an hour long). We had heard that art students get in free to Versailles. Both being enrolled in an Art class in London we thought we would give it a try… no go, we needed documentation of our art student status. (hint for those going to Paris as students, bring some sort of identification of art student to save 15 euro’s).

Inside Versailles was a sea of tourists, us included, and a bit overwhelming. Assuming you lived there, the Palace of Versailles would be the ultimate home to wake up in and stroll to your porch overlooking the grounds to have one of those “it’s great to be king moments.” Everything about the Palace is lavish… the art work, the rooms, the gardens, everything. Most impressive was the partially renovated Hall of Mirrors, where the Treaty of Versailles was signed ending World War I. I would love to go back to Versailles in either the spring or early summer. I can only imagine how beautiful the grounds would be when properly maintained in the proper season. Our visit focused mainly on the interior of the palace as we were limited for time and the weather wasn’t the best to be wandering around outside.

Below is a photo of the Hall of Mirrors.

Making our way from Versailles back to Paris we took the metro over to the Eiffel tower. With a few hours before our bus to the airport for our flight back to London we had intended to go to the top of the tower, climbing the first two floors by steps and the last ascent in the elevator (the only way to the top). We bought our tickets for the stair climb, the shortest line at the base of the tower, and quickly darted up the stairs. 680 steps later we were on the “second floor” of the Eiffel tower. We quickly noticed the line for the elevator to the top snaked around the platform many times and appeared to be moving quite slowly. Being the sensible people we are (we thought about chancing it) we decided it was in our best interest to enjoy the view from where we were and leisurely make our way back to bus stop for our flight back. The view, however, from the second floor of the Eiffel tower felt equal to the top of any tower I have been to in Europe.

Below is my favorite daytime shot of the Eiffel tower.

En route to the bus stop we passed the main Opera house, failed to find a cheese stop for Bart to pick up some cheese, and enjoyed a crepe from a street vendor. The leisurely stroll, after a weekend of much walking and many sights, was the perfect way to end our trip to Paris. I can’t wait to someday come back!

Edinburgh, Scotland

So, two weeks have passed and I am left recounting past trips throughout Europe. (So, now that I finally get around to finishing these posts… four weeks, possibly more have passed).

Following my time in Italy I spent a few days in London before heading back out on the road (not flying this time) to Edinburgh, Scotland. Following my Thursday evening class Bart and I hopped on a coach at Victoria station (it is very convenient being so close to a major transportation hub) bound for an 8 hour journey to Scotland. We arrived in Edniburgh at 7 a.m. long before anyone in the city was to be awake. Wandering from the bus station to our hostel we got our first sneak peak of Edinburgh as the sun was rising. Edinburgh is a very quaint city divided into two halves, the old city includes the famous Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle, and the new city with a major shopping center, government buildings, etc.

After dropping our things at our hostel just off the Royal Mile we relaxed for a bit with a guidebook in hand planning the next two days of our visit. With the castle opening around 10 a.m. we had some time to kill and made our way to the Elephant Café. The Elephant Café is most famous as the location that J.K. Rowling sat as she began to write the Harry Potter series. I can see how its location could be very inspirational with the rear seating area overlooking an auspicious graveyard and the castle perched high above the hill.

Below is a photograph of the castle from the café.

Following breakfast we went to explore the castle. Honestly, this might be terrible to say, I don’t think the inside of the castle was worth the 25 dollar (12 pound) admission fee. Needless to say, we were able to see many of the museums and exhibits highlighting the reign of the Scottish empire. The most memorable portion of the castle visit was the Scottish crown jewels and the firing of the one o’clock cannon.

Below is a photograph of the one o’clock cannon just after being shot.

After viewing the castle we explored the rest of Edinburgh including the newly designed Parliament building (which won some design award a few years back), hiked up the small portion of Arthur’s Seat, went to the Scottish history museum (where we saw Dolly the first cloned sheep and learned that walking used to be a professional sport), and ended our day with a visit to a pub on the Royal Mile.

Day two in Scotland sent us north of Edinburgh on a Scottish Highlands and Whisky Tour. Our first stop on the bus tour (approx. 16 people) was at the Glenturret Distillery, home to the Glenturret single malt, just one component of the Famous Grouse Scottish Whisky. The taste test was quite unique. I never realized how many distinct flavors and aromas are present in whisky. The taste test began by scratching a card with six distinct flavors (smoke, citrus, chocolate, that’s all I remember) that are present in the whisky. Following the scratch and sniff activity I was better versed in tasting the Whisky.

Below is a shot from the distillery tasting room.

Following a quick lunch in the distillery lounge we continued our tour north of Perth towards Dunkeld. The Scottish countryside is covered with castles, beautiful estates, and rolling hill after rolling hill. This is quite possibly the most picturesque country I have ever been to. I wish I had more time to explore the countryside. Unfortunately, after a short hike near some waterfalls (oh, how nice the “mountain” air was) and r a quick stop in a Crief we made our way back to Edinburgh. Our quick two day one night visit of Scotland was coming to an end as we grabbed dinner and walked a giant circle around the castle before boarding an overnight bus back to London.

Milan, Italy

Having returned from Dublin on Monday afternoon I spent the week recovering from my travels and doing little beyond the ordinary. Our class visit for Art and Society was to the Tate Britain art gallery. We will be going back in a few weeks to explore the Millais exhibit, at which time I will make further comments on my blog.

My weekend trip to Milan began with an early morning flight on Friday, a week and a half ago. As a student trying to save money and maximize my holiday times, I often find myself on the first flight out of London on Friday morning. With the airport a little over an hour from my flat (which is convenient to the Victoria coach station and a one stop for many coaches to the airport) and a required check-in two hours prior to the flight I often leave my flat at 3:30 a.m. For the second Friday in a row I returned from class on Thursday evening, finished packing, and struggled to get a few hours of sleep. Often when I leave my neighbors are returning from a night out in London. Honestly, even though I am young, waking up so early and staying busy throughout the weekend is beginning to take its toll - although, the opportunities I have to explore Europe keep me flowing with adrenaline throughout the weekend.

I arrived in Milan at the Bergamo airport, about forty minutes north of Milan. A bus to the city center brought me to Stazinoe Centrale where I was going to meet Chelsea where the bus unloaded. Not having purchased a cell phone makes these little meetings slightly more difficult. Although, with no where in particular to be I don't mind waiting for someone to meet me or leisurely following directions to where I need to be. As I wandered near the bus depot I noticed three to four street vendors set up on cardboard boxes selling cell phone chargers, fake designer sunglasses, and dancing dolls (similar vendors were present throughout Milan). Observing from afar I noticed one street vendor quickly grab his goods in a blanket and start running while yelling at the others nearby. Within seconds the others (one who was in the middle of a transaction) snatched their wares and followed the first vendor. About ten second later an Italian police officer meandered towards the cardboard boxes the vendors had left and slowly folded them and put them along the wall. I guess selling knockoff items in Italy is illegal. Although, the nonchalant attitude of the police makes me wonder if they even enforce such regulations.

Chelsea and I made our way via the underground and tram to her room about 5 km from the city center. As we made our way to the "suburbs" of the city I realized Milan is much dirtier than I had anticipated. The walls are covered in graffiti, the underground is old and falling apart, and trash lines certain areas of the street. Additionally, although Milan is the fashion capital of the world - I would argue the average Londoner cares much more about their appearance than the "fashionistas" in Milan. After dropping my bag we headed to Milan to explore Chelsea's school, the Duomo, the galleria, Castello Sforzesco, and the area surrounding central Milan.

Stopping at Chelsea's school for lunch I had my first experience of the crazy Italian lifestyle. Life in London is very orderly and makes sense, or at least it does to the English, this however is not the case in Milan. While I understand the importance of cultural differences, you cannot fully understand their way of completing certain tasks until you have experienced it first hand. The queue, or line from those who haven't crossed the pond, is nonexistent in Italy. The Italians do not respect that the person who arrived before you should be served before you, etc. They seem to all clump together and slowly push their way to the front of the line. Second, parking... I think I have mentioned in the past that I am amazed how Londoners can get away with parking in both directions on the street (still upsets me since I got a parking ticket in America for parking against traffic in front of my house in Colorado :) ). Well, in Milan not only do they park on both sides of the street facing whichever direction is most convenient, they also park on the sidewalks, double park on the streets, etc. At one point someone stopped in their lane on a major road and tossed on their hazards and hopped out to grab something at a nearby store. These and many other cultural phenomenons of the Italians I will never understand.

Continuing from the University we walked near the Duomo, the third largest church in Europe and the second largest in Italy. The magnificent size, attention to detail, and ornate sculptures present on the Duomo are unlike any other church I have seen in Europe. With construction of the Duomo spanning nearly 500 years I am amazed at how seemingly the design and style of the building flows through obvious periods of change in architecture. With a capacity to hold nearly 40,000 people the Duomo has seen its fair share of world renowned religious ceremonies. Following the Duomo we wandered amongst the Castle, the park, and saw the Arco della Pace (Arch of Peace). Following our stroll through the park we grabbed some gelato (which, Italians know how to make gelato - more on this later) and wandered through the galleria.

Milan became the fashion center of the world following the relocation of many of the Italian textiles to the area surrounding the city. The Galleria and surrounding area is home to the designer stores of many of the worlds finest designers - Dolce and Gabanna, Prada, a reasonable tie shop, the Ferrari store (visiting is like being a kid in a candy shop) and a McDonalds (for some reason, I don't feel like the cost of the McDonalds food, regardless of its traffic, can make a profit in a location such as the galleria).
Following the Galleria, we met with Chelsea's friend from New Zealand for an amazing pizza dinner (pizza in Italy is about as good as you could imagine) and a night exploring the nightlife around the Naviglio Grande (Northern Italy's main canal). It was a great way to start a weekend in Milan and I quickly concluded that I appreciate Milan's beauty much more in the nighttime when the graffiti is not so apparent, the landmarks are lit up, and the nightlife comes alive.



Lake Como, Italy

Day two in Milan found us making our way to Lake Como, a large lake spanning 46 km and a villa retreat to many rich and famous, including George Clooney. We arrived at Lake Como via train from Milan in about an hour. Leaving the bus station we referenced the guidebook and determined we wanted to climb to the top of Brunate via the hiking trail and take the funicular back to the city. We set off through Lake Como admiring the stunning views of the lakes, the snow capped Alps in the distance, and planned our ascent up the side of the mountain. We purchased tickets for a one way journey and started our hike.

Without being able to communicate well with the salesman at the funicular base we started heading in what we thought was the correct direction. After hiking for about an hour up hundreds of stairs around the backside of the mountain we determined we were lost. However, with return tickets in hand that we paid for there was no way either of us were turning around and admitting defeat. We continued up the mountain, came to a clearing and walked near various villas and up long windy roads (by this point we were off the dirt path and on a road for cars) until we sent Chelsea to ask a local for directions. This was quite possibly the most comical exchange of Italian and English I have ever seen. We tried to ask where the top was via broken translation, English, hand movements, and other gestures. Eventually we all agreed, as did our new Italian friend, that we should continue up the hill until we reach a "unique stop" before veering right for 200 meters to the top. Fifteen minutes later, after breathtaking views of the Alps and the Lake below, we reached the depot for the funicular. Success!


Returning to Lake Como we witnessed the conclusion of a bicycle road race, complete with Television cameras, news crews, grand stands, and us American study abroad students a few feet from the victor as he addressed the media and cameras shoved in his face. It was a neat experience to feel the energy of the crowd with the sweeping views that surround us. I can only imagine what the Tour de France must feel like. After the race we returned to Milan via the train where we met with Chelsea's friends to celebrate a birthday with a night on the town. Milan once again came to life and reminded me why I enjoyed the city much more at night than I did during the day.

Sunday - Chocolat... need I say more?

After a very busy past two days we slept late on Sunday. After attempting to make a pannetone French Toast (still can not figure out why the skillet will not work on the electric Italian ranges but a saucepan will heat up in seconds) we creatively turned the pannetone mixture into a sort of bread pudding... regardless, the home cooked Sunday breakfast was very homey and the perfect way to start our day. Although, it was near mid-afternoon by the time we left Chelsea's apartment.

We had one primary goal -- find the Chocolat gelato store I had read about online. Walking by the Duomo and the castle again also allowed us the opportunity to do a little shopping. A little off the beaten path we came across the Chocolat store. Inside we were greeted with the most amazing display of gelato, chocolate cakes, drinking chocolate, chocolate bars, almost anything chocolate imaginable. Needless to say the dark chocolate gelato was amazing. As we sat in the warm suspended room above the gelato displays (check the website to understand) I realized that Denver needs an outlet like this. So, if ten years from now the whole accounting thing is not working out for me, I am making a pilgrimage back to Milan and learning the tricks of the trade to open a Chocolat branch in Denver. :) It was that amazing and the perfect cap to a weekend in Italy.


Airport Return Home

My final realization in Italy was the Italians (generalizations of course and not the case for the entire culture) are very inefficient people. Case in point. I arrived at the airport two hours prior to my departure. I check in at the RyanAir terminal and notice there is a large line for security. With my flight boarding in about 45 minutes I figured I would tackle the security line and then relax and read once I was at the gate. Now mind you, Bergamo is not a large airport but was still buzzing with 10 flights or so an hour. I wait in the line for about twenty minutes and get to the front where my boarding pass and id are checked. The Italian lady who checked my boarding pass shooed me from the line and said come back later. Confused, an Italian whom had been similarly shooed from the line but able to carry on a conversation with the airline personnel looked at me and asked if I understood what to do. Thankfully she spoke amazing English and told me that the attendant told us to come back at 9:10 a.m. (the time our flight was to board) and proceed through security at that point. Although, she said she would arrive a few minutes before that.

A half an hour later I am back in line (at the back again of a line that is now longer) about one hour prior to my flights departure. Slowly creeping through security I begin to realize this would take much longer than anticipated. Without boring you with the details an hour and a quarter later (ten minutes after the flight was supposed to take off) I made it through security and border patrol and was one of the last passengers to board the plane that was held for those of us who struggled through security. Luckily, RyanAir is the most efficient airline I have ever flown and had us in the air within minutes of boarding and managed to make up the twenty minutes delayed departure and landed on time in London - what a relief it was to be back in a country that spoke a language I understood and had customs that seemed to make sense.

Milan was an amazing trip!