Overdue Notes

Sorry I'm late, I got lost on the road of life.

I figure I should finally detail the numerous things that have happened abroad these past few months, or at least the past few weeks as those memories are my freshest. After an intense and rewarding first term at Cambridge, I started out on a Grand Tour of my own that began in Italy and will conclude in the spring of 2010 elsewhere. Here's the winter portion of this trip (all photos were taken by yours truly).

Venice:

Rialto Bridge, Bridge of Sighs, Galerie (Vetruvian Man), Grand Canal, St. Mark's Square, St. Mark's Basilica, Doge's Palace

What a grey and green color scheme this city had going on (I just couldn't resist ending with a preposition). It rained the entire time I was there, but I didn't mind. I think the overcast weather added to the gritty and mysterious nature of the city, what with all the winding streets and Venetian masks. Of course, being in Venice, I went on a gondola ride. It was at this point that I finally noticed that the city was unusually quiet, but I suppose that's only natural during the winter when hardly any tourists or motorboats are about. I was extremely disappointed about the lack of motorboats; I was hoping to catch sight of a boat chase, or even partake in one. I must confess that this desire was fueled by films like "Casino Royale" and "The Italian Job." They really almost over-romanticize the city, but I still want to pull off a heist of my own at some point, in Venice. It's the city to do that kind of thing.

Florence:

Il Duomo., Ponte Vecchio, Academy Gallery, Uffizi Gallery, Santa Croce, Piazza Della Signoria

Piazzala Michelangelo, Gravesites of a bunch of famous Italians

Orange...and white. Those are the first things that come to mind when I think of Florence. Oh, and "Room with a View." I just can't help associating the cities I visit with movies. Anyways, Florence was definitely my favorite city. My time here was blessed with great weather, which has, perhaps, better endeared me to the city. I stayed in a great hostel with awesome people in a great location right by the Duomo and other fun places. There is so much to see/do here. I saw the huge-ass statue of David, which is so much bigger than I ever imagined, and the night life here was so much cheaper and laid back than that in Venice (what a money drain! especially on dinner). The best part of the trip, though, was hiking up to the Piazza Michelangelo (which has another copy of Michelangelo's David), where you get the greatest view of all of Florence. This is the must-see/must-do of a trip in Florence.

Milan:

Last Supper, Duomo

Milan was, by far, the most industrialized city (plus the easiest city to navigate via the subway despite the language barrier) in Europe, save London, I've visited yet. I don't really have a color scheme in mind for this place, but I do think of The Sartorialist's blog. The men here are truly the best-dressed of all. Best-dressed women are probably in Paris, but I'll find out in the spring. I only stayed in Milan for a mere 5 hours, but that was plenty of time to see Da Vinci's Last Supper and the Duomo, plus a little extra excitement! While I was eating lunch outside with my traveling companion, this old man walked by and picked up my purse. The lift was so smooth that I nearly didn't realize it, but when I did, I YELLED and ran after the guy, who had by this point walked a few paces away. Upon grabbing his arm, he dropped my purse and just grumbled as he walked away. This was a bit of a shocking lesson for all the other tourists around me, who noticeably kept a closer eye on their belongings and the strangers that walked by them afterwards. Anyways, I went to see the Last Supper, which was MASSIVE, larger than I expected. I've kind of been getting sick of museums and artwork after a whole summer of them, but this was something entirely new. It was nothing like what The Mona Lisa apparently is: a bit of a letdown in size (I dunno if that's true. I saw The Mona Lisa when I was about 7, at which time I had no sense of proportion and everything seemed big to me). Anyways, Milan was definitely an interesting city that noticeably put itself forth as one of the fashion capitals, but it's more my sister's kind of place than mine.

Berlin:

Despite being a capital city, Berlin is remarkably open and spacious. I don't feel any of the claustrophobia or anxiety characteristic of London and NY, and I've since realized that it's because there are practically no skyscrapers! This must somehow account for why the people here are so laid back (and why this city is never shown destroyed in disaster films). Even the scenes at bars and clubs are so laid back. Anyways, I stayed at my friend's place, which obviously was built and occupied by the Soviets during the war, as evidenced by the architecture consisting of mainly solid, concrete blocks of buildings (an interesting if not altogether aesthetically pleasing sight). Really, the only two historically cultural things I did in Berlin were investigate the numerous bullet-hole-ridden buildings throughout the city (so much fun to see!) and visit the Berlin Wall. I think Berlin contains the most interesting graffiti, my favorite being the kiss between Brezhnev and Honecker as pictured above. One of the few times and places (the only other I can think of is Rome), where such artwork, traditionally an urban nuisance, is a national treasure. Another interesting sight were grillers who are basically the Berlin version of a New York hotdog stand, but better. These men wear a contraption that holds a grill to cook on at their waist and an orange umbrella above their head to protect them in the case of rain. I think we really need to import this kind of service into the States. Another idea we should import is to incorporate a cafe and lounge into every department. That's what I discovered Humboldt University did when I visited their German Department! Brown and Cambridge's Classics department definitely need something like that. Also Christmas markets! They beat funfairs and carnivals any day. The one I visited had sledding, ice skating, curling (?!), foods of all kind, gifts, and so much more! I had my first taste of mulled wine there, which really warmed me up faster than any cup of hot chocolate has ever done before! Seriously, Berlin is the place to be.

London:

The Eye, St. Paul's, Globe Theater, Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster's Abbey, TATE Modern

Back to the cesspool . . . well, perhaps I'm a bit too harsh, but I will always be somewhat prejudiced to these kinds of cities. Part of the problem was where I stayed: Palmer's Lodge. The place was nice and cheap, conveniently located, but filled with young Beatnik-wannabes who have obviously and unfortunately been reared in the age of technology. I was waiting in the lounge for a bit, where I was met with the sight of about thirty 20-something-year-olds lounging around there, on a beautiful day, working on their damn laptops! For crying out loud! What are they doing here? They were nothing like the awesome people I met in Florence. I did, however, meet an interesting French monk, fluent in French, Spanish, and English, who now lived in Mexico. Funny guy. Last time he was in England, he walked from Luton Airport to Cambridge, making camp one night in a place where, he discovered the next morning, was a golf course. The golfers weren't too pleased with the holes his tent had made in the ground. Haha, but THAT'S what these young travelers should do: actually go out and see/do things. I'm glad and proud that I can end the year with that sense of achievement, and I think I'll end on that note.