So, Friday night- we went to the Ballet at the modern Opera House (Opéra Bastille) in Paris. It was my first time and it was really cool! The dancers were so talented, and so were the choreographers, and the costume designers and the lighting designers (for certain ones)- there were three Ballet schools: Noureev, Balanchine and Forsythe (two of them are from NY- represent!). It was really nice, even though our seats were SO high up!
We went back home instead of going out because Jess and I had to get up at 4:30 on Saturday to catch our flight from de Gaulle to Vienna, it left at 7:15 and by 9:30 we were in the city. We hopped on a tour at first and they brought us to all of the great places in Vienna, including the Schonbrunn (Beautiful Fountain, in German) Palace- which is a copy of Versailles (smaller) but more beautiful. It was incredible. After that, Jess and I grabbed fresh Apple Strudels and coffee and went back on the bus to finish the tour. After the tour, they dropped us off in front of the Opera house (Statsopera). From there we wandered around some of the parks/gardens to the Nationalbibliotek (National Library), Shmetterlinghaus (Butterfly house), Parlament (Parliament), the Rathaus (Town Hall) and some great churches- notably, Votivkirche. We were sooo tired after that (it was only 3PM)- so we went back to our hotel, on the main shopping street in Wien (Vienna, in German) and relaxed for a bit. Then, like we had already gotten married, lived our lives and retired, we went for a nice ITALIAN dinner at 5pm. By 5:45, we were done. We headed over the ferris wheel to get a good view of the city. It's really beautiful and baroque- I liked that a lot (see pictures).
We headed back to the hotel like a pair of AARP members and I was in bed doing some homework (like the nerds we are) by 8 and by 8:45, I was sleeping. How cool.
We had an excuse though- we got up at 6:30 on Sunday to take a bus to Bratislava, only 60km away- the capital of Slovakia (used to be part of Czechoslovakia, now it's Czech Republic and Slovakia). It took about an hour to get there, then our tour guide met us at the bus. He took us to this old castle/fortress on the Danube- but it was undergoing renovations, so we could only walk around the grounds. It was still so beautiful and quaint. It was interesting, since Czechoslovakia used to be part of the USSR, to see the communist architecture, aka Co-op cities on the other side of the Danube river. It was very communist- oil refineries (due to the 4000km long pipeline that sends crude oil from Russia) and housing- live and work. The other side of the river (traversed by this ultra-modern bridge that looks like a mutation of the Space Needle in Seattle) is the old city- it's so charming! Adorable churches, some famous- one where many (11 kings, 8 queens) royal family members were crowned during the reign of the Hapsburgs (the ruling family of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, for like 600 years!)
Since the city is so small, and it is a capital, the majority of the buildings we saw were old palaces that were converted into Embassies. It was an adorable city. We had some time to kill before our bus back to Vienna- so we sat outside in the square in front of the Opera and the Bratislava Philharmonic soaking up the sun- it was a gorgeous day!
We sunned for about an hour and a half then headed over to the bus station, and took the bus back- through the Austrian countryside. It was gorgeous. I was so impressed by the number of windmills for electricity generation! The windmill farms stretched out as far as my eye could see, in all directions. Rows and rows and rows of them. They're huge, and they look so cool on the green countryside with hills and mountains in the distance (the Alps are on the other side of Austria, these are the Capetians).
The bus actually stopped at the Airport, so we got off there instead of going into the city and then coming back. We were early, but it was ok. Thank God our flight back was much better than the way there. We were on Air France from de Gaulle to Vienna and our plane was so old it still had ash trays in it. The seats were so close to each other, I think I need to have my knees replaced. On the way home, the flight was code shared with Austrian Airlines, and this was much better! New plane- but the seats were all teal green with red or yellow headrests. A bit bizarre, I'd say. Especially since the flight attendants uniform is a red blazer, red skirt, red stockings, red shoes and a little light blue scarf around their neck. Quite the sight.
Overall, it was a great weekend. I enjoyed myself very much, and despite not understanding any sign anywhere, everybody spoke English or French and I really look forward to going back and exploring more of Eastern Europe- which is "Europe's undiscovered gem".
One a side note, I'm SO incredibly excited for my family to come visit! As of now, 3 days and 17 hours left until I see them- it's UNREAL! I'm also very excited for our vacation together and my spring break in Italy too- I'm especially excited to see Scott (who I haven't seen since January!) and Meg, Alli and their friends too (who I saw recently).
Alright, I should run to class now- since I'm late (due to online signup for courses next semester- 8AM EST is 2PM CET!) Next semester, oh boy. Not going to be fun, let's just say it now.
But here are the links for pictures from Vienna and from Bratislava. I hope you enjoy!
A toute à l'heure!
-Josh
Monday, April 14, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Turkey! Parte deux
So unfortunately, I still don't really have time to write so much more about Istanbul- but a picture is worth a thousand words and I posted about 100 pictures, so that's plenty of writing. Today, the Olympic torch went through Paris (down my street!) so we went after class to see it. There were tons of people and even more "Gendarmes" (Cops) and CRS agents (basically the French FBI/Riot police) all over. The procession came through where we were standing, but evidently, due to I guess other attempts, like the London one yesterday (to put out the flame with a Fire Extinguisher) during its route today, they changed it, so the flame didn't pass right in front of us, unfortunately. But check out the pictures nonetheless, it was a cool experience!
Miss you all so much!
-j-
*I tried to upload the video of the Blue mosque, but I guess the internet was bad (surprise) and it wouldn't let me. Here are the links (two photo albums on Facebook) to the pictures I took in Turkey- they're only a fraction, since I took almost 300, in 2 days. I'm going to try and load the video here again once more, if not- I'll put it on Youtube and give you the link.
<3 To my mini-fan club
Thanks for reading my long posts- I hope you're enjoying the pictures and stories half as much as I am.
A good anecdote (at least for Kelly- and nan too), a man in the grand bazaar offered to buy Megan for 50 camels- but I had to refuse, saying that I already had 50 camels- lol Just Kidding- But he really did ask, and then I offered Jessica (my other friend with me) for 30 camels :P
Tchao!
Pictures #1
Pictures #2, suite
Miss you all so much!
-j-
*I tried to upload the video of the Blue mosque, but I guess the internet was bad (surprise) and it wouldn't let me. Here are the links (two photo albums on Facebook) to the pictures I took in Turkey- they're only a fraction, since I took almost 300, in 2 days. I'm going to try and load the video here again once more, if not- I'll put it on Youtube and give you the link.
<3 To my mini-fan club
Thanks for reading my long posts- I hope you're enjoying the pictures and stories half as much as I am.
A good anecdote (at least for Kelly- and nan too), a man in the grand bazaar offered to buy Megan for 50 camels- but I had to refuse, saying that I already had 50 camels- lol Just Kidding- But he really did ask, and then I offered Jessica (my other friend with me) for 30 camels :P
Tchao!
Pictures #1
Pictures #2, suite
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Turkey!
Wow- so, without a doubt, Istanbul is the most amazing city I've ever visited. Friday was our day of transit. Lufthansa was a great airline, minus both flights being delayed. We met Meg in Istanbul after getting our Visas, stamps and bags. We found a shuttle (which we ended up not paying for) to bring us to our hotel, across the street from the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sofia (and the Mediterranean) in the area called Sultanahmet. That night, we had dinner at a rooftop restaurant (very nice restaurant) with great views of everything. We walked around the area and then went to bed.
Saturday morning, we got up early (well at least I was woken up at 5:30AM by the Imam's (Islamic prayer leaders) announcing prayers (as they do 5 times daily, from loudspeakers on the top of towers called minarets)- so needless to say, aside from the uncomfortable mattress, I got up, showered (at 615ish) and went upstairs to read and enjoy the view- incredible (see photos). We then paid 46 Lira (23 Euros) for a tour that brought us to the Egyptian Spice Market, a bus tour through some important areas- where we got to see the tomb of Barbarosa, the Orient Express train station, Dolmabahçe Palace and then to the marina where we took a 1.5 hour cruise of the Bosporus. It was magnificent- truly spectacular- to be in between Europe and Asia- the most unique place ever. The weather was impeccable and we loved the cruise. After, we did some more bus sites then went to the Grand Bazaar- which is absolutely enormous. They sell tons of knock off bags and wallets- some at authentic prices, and tons of other goods- including these incredibly beautiful hanging lanterns that are hand made with glass pieces (I ended up buying one for 70 Lira, 35 Euros- you only go to Turkey once- right? Well maybe not!)
After the cruise and the Grand Bazaar, we took a taxi (or in Turkish, taksi) to the Aya Sofia (which ended up being down the street- 3 Lira cab fare) to go into the underground Cisterns- which used to hold the water for the city of Constantinople. It was very cool (see pictures). My descriptions are brief because there will be more information with the pictures- they explain themselves a lot as well. After the cisterns, we dropped some things off at the hotel (down the street) and went in to the Blue Mosque- which is by far, the most impressive thing I've ever seen in my entire life. Other than it smelling like a horrible mixture of Moth Balls and Feet (you have to take your shoes off to go inside)- I fell in love. It's so gorgeous. (See pictures and VIDEO! - I'll be trying to post that here later, It's hard to understand with so many pictures, the video makes it more clear- since it's so huge!). It's an active mosque and they pray there 5 times daily (in accordance with the 5 Pillars of Islam). A cool fact about the Blue Mosque is that when the Sultan was building it, he wanted 6 minarets, but the mosque in Mecca (holyland for Muslims) has 6- and he didn't want to rival the holiest place for Muslims, so he built an extra minaret in Mecca (now there are 7) so that he could have 6 in Istanbul. Cool!
After the amazing Blue Mosque, we stopped at a street vendor for a Turkish specialty- Sesame Bagels- So good! Only missing some cream cheese from David's. We enjoyed the snack and then went to see the Aya Sofia- once a church, then converted to mosque after the Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453, and now a museum (since 1939- Atatürk). It's over 1400 years old and looks it- it was also nice, but not as impressive as the Blue mosque.
After the Aya Sofia, we went back to the Grand Bazaar for more shopping- great success. We walked back down the hill away from the Golden Horn (an inlet of the Bosporus on the European side) and towards the Mediterranean and Sultanahmet (see a map of Istanbul, you'll get it then) and had dinner at this other great restaurant where I made sure to have plenty of Turkish wine- it was delicious. We were planning on going out to some clubs/bars but we were practically falling asleep at the table- so we went home.
This morning (well, yesterday- since it's 122AM in Paris), we woke up later, around 8- showered and had breakfast (which consists of packaged rolls, nutella, jam and butter) and then walked down to the Topkapi Palace (pronounced- Toe-pkah-pah)- which is on the Mediterranean, Golden Horn and Bosporus (see map- most ideal location ever) - and it was very nice too. The gardens were beautiful with views on the crystal clear water. We took a tour using the headsets of the Sultan's private harem and then had lunch at the restaurant at the Palace. After, we took a cap to Taksim Square (which we thought was on the Asia side, to our disappointment) to find that there was nothing there to see. We went into some building, but left because it was not for us. We took the metro to go find the Galata tower, and in one of the underground tunnels were vendors of Electronics, etc. and oh yeah, Guns. Not cap guns- but we liked to think of them that way to feel better. We took this other metro thing up a huge hill and tried to find the Galata tower, but Starbucks found us instead. We stopped for Starbucks to refuel then continued to find the Galata tower, until it began to POUR- unfortunately for Jess and Meg, they didn't have umbrellas, so the Galata Tower plans were cancelled and we headed back to the hotel to do some shopping in Sultanahmet and get our bags and head to the airport. The flight home was also late, no surprise, since they start checking in 1 hour before takeoff- oh Europeans.
I had a spectacular time and I look forward to the day when I return to Turkey. The Turkish people were so incredibly hospitable. They have the nicest manners, are delighted to talk to you (not to get you to buy anything, just to make you feel welcome). They offer you their specialty Apple Flavored Tea and a candy called Turkish Delight in every store (as a Westerner, my first reaction was, they're trying to drug you! But what every guide book [and guide] says is not to refuse- it's part of their culture. The turks were very warm and most everyone spoke English. We found a few people who didn't and I tried asking them Français Español Italiano and they looked at me like I had 5 heads. We asked other people.
Overall, I had an excellently amazing trip, but I'm glad to be back. This Friday, I'm going with my school to the Ballet, then Saturday morning (EARLY!), Jess and I are going to Vienna for Saturday and Sunday- which I'm very excited for. Then the Friday after that, mom, dad and Brett are coming! Can't wait.
Check back for pictures! I'll post them tomorrow! Love love love.
-jd-
Saturday morning, we got up early (well at least I was woken up at 5:30AM by the Imam's (Islamic prayer leaders) announcing prayers (as they do 5 times daily, from loudspeakers on the top of towers called minarets)- so needless to say, aside from the uncomfortable mattress, I got up, showered (at 615ish) and went upstairs to read and enjoy the view- incredible (see photos). We then paid 46 Lira (23 Euros) for a tour that brought us to the Egyptian Spice Market, a bus tour through some important areas- where we got to see the tomb of Barbarosa, the Orient Express train station, Dolmabahçe Palace and then to the marina where we took a 1.5 hour cruise of the Bosporus. It was magnificent- truly spectacular- to be in between Europe and Asia- the most unique place ever. The weather was impeccable and we loved the cruise. After, we did some more bus sites then went to the Grand Bazaar- which is absolutely enormous. They sell tons of knock off bags and wallets- some at authentic prices, and tons of other goods- including these incredibly beautiful hanging lanterns that are hand made with glass pieces (I ended up buying one for 70 Lira, 35 Euros- you only go to Turkey once- right? Well maybe not!)
After the cruise and the Grand Bazaar, we took a taxi (or in Turkish, taksi) to the Aya Sofia (which ended up being down the street- 3 Lira cab fare) to go into the underground Cisterns- which used to hold the water for the city of Constantinople. It was very cool (see pictures). My descriptions are brief because there will be more information with the pictures- they explain themselves a lot as well. After the cisterns, we dropped some things off at the hotel (down the street) and went in to the Blue Mosque- which is by far, the most impressive thing I've ever seen in my entire life. Other than it smelling like a horrible mixture of Moth Balls and Feet (you have to take your shoes off to go inside)- I fell in love. It's so gorgeous. (See pictures and VIDEO! - I'll be trying to post that here later, It's hard to understand with so many pictures, the video makes it more clear- since it's so huge!). It's an active mosque and they pray there 5 times daily (in accordance with the 5 Pillars of Islam). A cool fact about the Blue Mosque is that when the Sultan was building it, he wanted 6 minarets, but the mosque in Mecca (holyland for Muslims) has 6- and he didn't want to rival the holiest place for Muslims, so he built an extra minaret in Mecca (now there are 7) so that he could have 6 in Istanbul. Cool!
After the amazing Blue Mosque, we stopped at a street vendor for a Turkish specialty- Sesame Bagels- So good! Only missing some cream cheese from David's. We enjoyed the snack and then went to see the Aya Sofia- once a church, then converted to mosque after the Ottomans conquered Constantinople in 1453, and now a museum (since 1939- Atatürk). It's over 1400 years old and looks it- it was also nice, but not as impressive as the Blue mosque.
After the Aya Sofia, we went back to the Grand Bazaar for more shopping- great success. We walked back down the hill away from the Golden Horn (an inlet of the Bosporus on the European side) and towards the Mediterranean and Sultanahmet (see a map of Istanbul, you'll get it then) and had dinner at this other great restaurant where I made sure to have plenty of Turkish wine- it was delicious. We were planning on going out to some clubs/bars but we were practically falling asleep at the table- so we went home.
This morning (well, yesterday- since it's 122AM in Paris), we woke up later, around 8- showered and had breakfast (which consists of packaged rolls, nutella, jam and butter) and then walked down to the Topkapi Palace (pronounced- Toe-pkah-pah)- which is on the Mediterranean, Golden Horn and Bosporus (see map- most ideal location ever) - and it was very nice too. The gardens were beautiful with views on the crystal clear water. We took a tour using the headsets of the Sultan's private harem and then had lunch at the restaurant at the Palace. After, we took a cap to Taksim Square (which we thought was on the Asia side, to our disappointment) to find that there was nothing there to see. We went into some building, but left because it was not for us. We took the metro to go find the Galata tower, and in one of the underground tunnels were vendors of Electronics, etc. and oh yeah, Guns. Not cap guns- but we liked to think of them that way to feel better. We took this other metro thing up a huge hill and tried to find the Galata tower, but Starbucks found us instead. We stopped for Starbucks to refuel then continued to find the Galata tower, until it began to POUR- unfortunately for Jess and Meg, they didn't have umbrellas, so the Galata Tower plans were cancelled and we headed back to the hotel to do some shopping in Sultanahmet and get our bags and head to the airport. The flight home was also late, no surprise, since they start checking in 1 hour before takeoff- oh Europeans.
I had a spectacular time and I look forward to the day when I return to Turkey. The Turkish people were so incredibly hospitable. They have the nicest manners, are delighted to talk to you (not to get you to buy anything, just to make you feel welcome). They offer you their specialty Apple Flavored Tea and a candy called Turkish Delight in every store (as a Westerner, my first reaction was, they're trying to drug you! But what every guide book [and guide] says is not to refuse- it's part of their culture. The turks were very warm and most everyone spoke English. We found a few people who didn't and I tried asking them Français Español Italiano and they looked at me like I had 5 heads. We asked other people.
Overall, I had an excellently amazing trip, but I'm glad to be back. This Friday, I'm going with my school to the Ballet, then Saturday morning (EARLY!), Jess and I are going to Vienna for Saturday and Sunday- which I'm very excited for. Then the Friday after that, mom, dad and Brett are coming! Can't wait.
Check back for pictures! I'll post them tomorrow! Love love love.
-jd-
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