Naechster Halt: Basel
July 10th, 2008
I am writing this from the third floor in a small room of a youth hostel that overlooks the back end of a train station, though I know it wont be posted for many days. So where is this train station you may ask? In Basel, as are we (by the power of elimination). As previously posted, we had to change our route of traveling through Paris and back to London, according to our original “loop” of western Europe plans. Tickets for the chunnel leaving from Paris were very!! expensive– more than our Eurail passes. Also finding a decent hotel in Paris (as defined by having less than 3 types of roaches as permanent residents) for a good price became less and less likely. So, we found a bargain on chunnel tickets from Brussels and back we go again.
So how did we end up in the Basel City Youth Hostel? Knowing we needed to find a hotel/hostel for under $40 per person a night, we jumped a train heading north/Belgium area from Interlaken, Switzerland. We got off at Bern, which seemed to be a very cool city, and asked the tourist info clerk for any listings. There was no hostel opening and the cheapest hotel was $160 a night, and a two star- I, being skeptical and wanting to make it further in the direction of Belgium, opted for another town further north. Naechster Halt: Basel.
So as the trains come and go, and the hot hot heat of Switzerland slowly drains the sweat from our pores, Ryan and I walk our way blindly around the hip town of Basel. As we explore we grab bits and pieces of food from various grocery stores and in constant search for an air conditioned cheese case, or an ice cold cola.
A vote has been taken and Germany wins for the best tasting Coca-Cola.
Why We Didn’t Go To Paris Post
July 9th, 2008
So this is the post that should have been “WE’RE GOING TO PARIS!!!”
But it is not. Because we didn’t. And that’s okay! Because when it came down to it, we were really tired. Switzerland is a demanding place, the elements, the wonders, the people and the views- it takes a lot out of a person. And the lack of any real meal and bed added to that drive to get home and skip Paris. And now looking back on it, I don’t know how we planned to do it all anyway. We only had a day to see Paris! That is insane. So personally I am glad we saved at least one city for another day, another trip, another adventure.
So this is the post that doesn’t say we are going to Paris, this post is to explain WHY we had a last minute change, or rather, why we spent half a day in Interlaken trying to find a way back to London for under $600.
So Interlaken, like most of Europe, doesn’t have an abundance of internet cafes. The ones it has are not wireless, and cost an arm, a leg, and a fist full of Swiss francs. But nevertheless, we needed to figure out how we are getting back to London, and how we were going to do it for under $600. Our first thought was flying, because we could fly for the cheapest price we could find to England, and use our rail passes to get to whichever city it was that the plane departed from. Barcelona won that competition. But Barcelona is a very long train ride from Interlaken (12 hours!). And had it not been for a terrible internet connection, and a terrible internet browser (cough cough Internet Explorer) we would have added Barcelona to our list of cities. But to my eagerness to hang out to the little hope that there was some other option then to tackle a new city, we found cheap Eurostar tickets leaving from Brussels to London $62 US each.. YAY!!!
So back to Brussels we go. But with those simple words, a new task is given: Where to stay along the way? What lucky town would we rest our heads in to break up the 9 hour train ride? You will just have to stay tuned… I believe the next post will conclude this cliffhanger.
Behold the power of the Eurorail Pass!!!
High on a Hill was a Mountain Hostel
July 7th, 2008
But it was worth it. There are many moments in life when you see something that smacks you in the face and renders you breathless. And there are other moments that do all this and then make you cry from shock, beauty, speechlessness. And then there are moments when you have all of the above, you loose the feeling in your feet, your vision becomes crystal clear and the world stops doing whatever it does. When Ryan and I stepped off of the gondola platform and saw the giant mountain, at what felt like an arms reach away, I think we fainted standing up. For minutes we stood in shock, the gondola must have past straight through Gimmelwald and into heaven.
Our stay on the Mountain Hostel was a trip in itself. First let me announce some UN-shocking news, Ryan and I are not hostel people. Yes, we like people, and new people with lots of stories, and we recognize and embrace the shared kinship between fellow backpackers. But when you have traveled days, lugged 23 lbs. of luggage across several countries and you finally reach a place known for its peace, the constant social demands of a hostel pull on those last stings of patience.
Swiss Miss: Just add hot water
July 5th, 2008
Swiss people speak a language made up from German, French, Dutch and of course back country Swiss. Their language takes a little bit from one country, another bite from another country and top it off with their own little twist. I came to this conclusion on the train ride from Bern to Interlaken, when the ticket collector gave me a ‘merci’ and Ryan a ‘danke’.
Cologne, Day Two: The Rhine Cruise Massacre
July 3rd, 2008
taken place Friday, June 27
It was a cloudy day, feeling like it was about to rain at any minute. We got up at the crack of 8:30 to pack a day bag and walk across town to board our cruise.
I was feeling miserable. My head felt like it was full of sand and my nose was running like a faucet. I stuffed a handful of tissue/napkins/paper into my pocket and left the hotel.
Smells Like Cologne
July 2nd, 2008
taken place on Thursday, June 26
The night before we were originally headed to the small touristy German town of Rothenberg ob der Tauber, we were trying to figure out why we really wanted to go there. We left Amsterdam and were physically in the train station when we decided to head for Koblenz instead, a city in the western part of Germany on the Rhine river. After looking at train schedules and times, keeping in mind we had to somehow get down to Switzerland in a timely manner for the next leg, we got on and were headed to Koblenz via Koeln (aka Cologne for you Americans).
Quick Updates
June 30th, 2008
I have two minutes left on this computer, just want to make a quick update…
We are leaving Switzerland, skipping Paris, going back up to Belgium, and then over to London. Long story, nothing bad or anything. It just costs too much to get back to London any other way.
Switzerland was awesome, have many pictures and stories… will post later. Hopefully we will have lots of time in London starting Wednesday the 2nd to post our pictures and accounts of the past few days.
It’s surprisingly hard to find internet around Europe, especially where we can use our own computer to upload photos.
Change of Plans
June 26th, 2008
After debating in the morning of where we wanted to go in Germany, we decided to head down to the western part of Germany in the Rhine valley, instead of the eastern section where we were originally scheduled.
Amsterdam: Day Two
June 26th, 2008
Our next day began with breakfast in our hotel, which consisted of a bowl of Smacks and some Orange Juice. The fact that it was free made it taste a lot better.
We met up with Anna and Kaley in the late morning to walk over to the Rijksmuseum, which was right around the corner from our hotel. The line was short and we were able to get in pretty quickly. I think we all really enjoyed it… the Dutch art was really unique and still holds up today really well. The huge display of the Night Watchman by Rembrant was the highlight. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take any pictures so you’ll have to take my word for it.
A Good Kinda Crazy
June 26th, 2008
In contrast to the dark and confronting vibes from the Brussels train station, Ryan and I instantly felt a positive connection with Amsterdam as soon as we left the platform. As I had hoped, Ryan’s previous German experience helped us out, as he tried to break down words of the various signs. I also used my keen ability to read diagrams, looking out for the classic “Running Man” for exits and the little trolley signs for the tram depot.