Europe Endless

Frankfurt–full of sausages

Deb
Friday, August 24th, 2007

Our very short stop-over in Frankfurt confirmed that the city is ironically aptly named.

Not just because of all the finger-licking good sausages. Mmm mmm.

But, because of all the “sausages”—if you catch my drift.

When we booked our centrally located hotel in the heart of downtown, we thought we’d be surrounded by tall buildings, not sleezy sex shops.

Silly us. Little did we know that downtown Frankfurt is a heaven for the “busy” business man.

After our eyes adjusted to all the red light, we enjoyed peeping out through our hotel room curtains to catch a glimpse of all the action.

Despite all the sex shops, Frankfurt does have a regal feel to it.

It boasts a unique skyline and is one of the few places in Europe with skyscrapers.

Because much of Frankfurt was completly destroyed during the war, the city is still working hard to re-build itself.

Only a small section of the “real”, old Frankfurt exists. The contrast between old and new is slightly ackward,

But the old square has managed to retain a sense of old European charm.

Situated on the wide, grey Main river, Frankfurt is not only an important business centre, it was also a historically important port/transportation center. It’s industrial roots can still be seen today.

Presently, it’s an important port of a different sort. It boasts the world’s second largest integrated public transportation systems (following only behind Berlin’s).

All in all, Frankfurt seems to be a distorted blend of professional and pleasure, old and new, and solid and empty. Definitely a unique place and a surprising stop-over.

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Strasbourg

Deb
Friday, August 24th, 2007

After our short stopover in Zurich, we headed northeast towards Strasbourg, France.

Immediately upon our arrival, we were struck by Strasbourg’s beauty.

Strasbourg is definitely the most charming, quaint and picturesque city I’ve been to in all of Europe.

It’s filled with old, historical half-wooded architecture — like what I expected to see in Switzerland — an abundance of beautifully landscaped green space, and numerous quaint canals.

To boot, Strasbourg is also home to the futuristic-looking Council of Europe, European “parliament building.”

And, the newly remodelled train station, which resembles a giant glass Zeppelin.

But, Strasbourg’s architectural feats don’t stop here. The city is also home to the tallest most stunning, most elaborate and most intricately carved cathedral I’ve ever seen anywhere in the world! In fact, it was once the world’s tallest building!

The sheer size of the church is absolutely baffling.

And, the level of detail in each precise hand carving is truly awe striking.

Inside, rests the famous astronomical clock, which was first developed in the 1300’s and still continues to draw huge crowds today.

Personally, I found the astronomical clock “show” to be a bit of a letdown. For all its hype, I didn’t think much happened.
But, I was incredibly impressed by the church’s varied, beautiful and colourful stained glass.

I was also impressed by the sheer number of devoted church worshippers.

To fully enjoy and explore Strasbourg, we took advantage of the free bike rental deal offered by the city’s parking garages.

Strasbourg is known as having one of the best bike infrastructures in Europe, but we found the bikeways atrociously hard to navigate in comparison to Berlin’s wonderfully laid-out citywide bike paths.

Despite some stressful moments, biking around proved very enjoyable and allowed us to see even more of the city’s tall and beautiful churches.

Along with other charming buildings.

It’s apparent that Strasbourg is a city with a lot of money. It was and continues to be very bourgeois. However, despite the wealth, prices were much more reasonable than in Switzerland.

In comparing Strasbourg to the other areas we visited in France and Europe, I came to realize that France as a country seems tight: tight buildings, tight streets, tight living spaces, smaller drink sizes, food portions, dogs, cars and jeans on guys. Uck.

A typically tight French streetscape

Despite this strain on resources, it felt good to be back “home” in France. It was wonderful to hear the French language again and have a much higher comprehension of what was going on!

Our short stop in Strasbourg was a healthy and refreshing addition to our European diet.

Up next: Frankfurt-full of sausages

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Zurich, the best city in the world!?

Deb
Saturday, August 18th, 2007

With Zurich being rated as THE best city in the entire world, I had very high expectations for Switzerland’s largest city.

While I found Zurich very pleasant, I certainly wasn’t overly blown away.

For starters, I was surprised at how old the city was. But, it wasn’t that old European charm. Rather, the city seemed slightly stuck in time (ironic for a place known for its fail-less clocks). Like it had boomed in the late ‘70s and never really progressed much beyond that point.

As well, given Switzerland’s wealthy investment/banking reputation, I found Zurich to be much less glitzy and glamorous than expected. It was much older, smaller and less cosmoplition than imagined. The cobblestone streets certainly weren’t paved with gold.

But, in Zurich’s defence, it did seem like a comfortable place to live. It’s one of the few places in Europe where large houses dominate over apartment buildings.

And, there definitely seemed to be an emphasis on high quality of life, which is one of the notable elements that rates Zurich as such a desirable place to live.

The rolling green hills and large beautifully blue glittering lake are the focal points of the city’s structure. This scenic environment makes Zurich, a city of over 333,000, seem more like a large resort-side town than one of the country’s largest cities.

So, if you have the money and the leisure time, Zurich is undoubteably a great place to enjoy at relaxing time on the water.

Or, on one of the chi chi patios, with an expensive coffee in hand.

When I think of Switzerland, I typically think of Swiss Cheese, Swiss Army Knifes, Swiss Chocolate and maybe even Swiss Chalet. I was disappointed to not have come across any of these Swiss stereo-types.

However, what I did find was a lot of Swiss flags flying EVERYWHERE. The Swiss seem to have a very proud and strong sense of national identity.

I also saw a lot of Swiss watch shops and clocks.

Like clockwork, Andrew timing his picture-perfect “what time is it?” photo op.

There were also tons of shoe stores and hair dressing salons all across the city. Maybe this is because the Swiss feel they need to keep up their appearances. . .

From “typically Swiss investment bankers”

To lacey cow girls. . .

To ultra hipsters, the Swiss know how to dress to impress.

My overall impress-ion: mooo-ve over Zurich, there are other great Euroepean cities that rival Zurich’s expensive resort-side pleasantries.

Next: Strasbourg!

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House Party @ Loca Loca 2007/04/20

ao
Wednesday, August 1st, 2007

This is a LONG overdue continuation and conclusion to my “House Party” series in Lille, France . . . but at this point, any blog entry I do is long overdue

Part IV: 2007/04/20

Although the fourth chapter wasn’t as hot as previous jams, a dedicated group of “House Party” heads made it a memorable evening.

Things were more jazzy than normal thanks to some hot live sax action:

And some other notable musical figures were also in attendance:

It was one of my first “good byes” in Lille, wrapping things up at the end of the night w/ the Loca Loca boys — brothers Hassen and Malek — knowing that I wouldn’t be back next month for another installment, was a sadder experience than I had anticipated . . .

We managed to wipe away the tears long enough to get a decent shot for the memory banks though, before more tears and champaign started flowing:

Of course, I also have to thank everyone who came out to my House Parties; it was great to see that the Lillois’ friendliness and “joie de vie” always extended into the city’s nightlife . . .

I’ll miss those Lillian nights . . . Zinzin, Loca Loca, bye bye ! !

. . . but perhaps I will be back, since it’s so hard to say goodbye in French afterall

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The Munchkins visit Munich

Deb
Thursday, July 26th, 2007

After our short stop in Prague, the munchkins headed back into Germany, towards München (Munich in English).

As soon as we approached the outskirts, the city’s wealth became blatantly obvious. Every car that zoomed past us was a BMW, Mercedes, or Audi.

I felt a smugishly sheepish driving a lowly Ford.

Good thing we weren’t stopped by the cops. Even the Polizei drive BMW police cars.

And all the cabbies drive Mercedes.

Doing our best to blend in with the locals, our first stop was at the BWM museum.

Unfortunately, it was undergoing renos and won’t be opened until 2008. But, we were still able to catch a small snapshot of the company’s evolution through their small makeshift exhibit.

From a simple cart with wheels

To sleek cruisers

To sporty racers

BMW has shifted, cylinder, by cylinder, into high gear. It’s now an obviously sleek and strong worldwide auto company.

It’s interesting because you don’t really see North American car brands in Europe. But, you do definitely see European car brands, like BMW, in North America AND in Europe.

As we drove further into the city, I was initially put-off by Munich’s glittering bling. But, Munich was a surprising highlight of our trans-Europe road trip.

The city is bustling, prosperous and cosmopolitan.

And, it’s also one of the few European cities (that I’ve visited) that has managed to uniquely blend its powerful historic past with a powerful, promising future.

The city’s architecture features a wonderful mix of old European charm intertwined with futuristic imagery.

There’s also plenty of green space spread across the city.

The Englischer Garten, is one of the world’s largest urban public parks. It’s also home to the famous Chinese Tower Beer Gardens.

No worries about drinking in public here. They serve some of the largest urban public beers imaginable!

And, there’s also the Olympic Park, home to the 1972 Summer Olympics.

While we were a few decades too late to catch any summer sporting competitions, we did happen upon some great city-side surfing—on a narrow channel of water in the Englischer Garten—right in the middle of the city!

Despite all the green space, Munich is not overwhelming big, the way Berlin feels. The city is far more compact and, as a result, has a bustling central city vibe to it.

Munich also seems to be full culture and boasts its fair share of “art.”

And interactive art

A real-life human water fountain

And, even Canadian artists! We had the opportunity to overhear Bryan Adams as he pounded out some Canadian high notes in the Olympic Stadium.

While not all munckins may be moved by Munich

I thought this bustling Bavarian city was just ducky!

Next: Zurich, the best city in the world!?

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Czech out this Prague-nosis

Deb
Monday, July 23rd, 2007

This Prague-nosis on Prague is dedicated to my fantastic friend Jitka, a proud Czech who has been anxiously awaiting this post. . .

After a few full days in Berlin, it was off to Prague.

With our rented Ford car

We scouted out our way. . .

And took in the beautiful Czech countryside, which is blessed with an abundance of lush, green and rolling hills.

After far too many stressful wrong turns, we finally arrived in the city.

Prague is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world and is one of the most visited destinations in Europe, Given this, I had high expectations.

Unfortunately, I was a bit let down. Sorry, but it’s true. . .

I found the city to be an awkward mix of Brussels’ grime with Budapest’s grandness and Paris’ tourist beauty.

Don’t get me wrong. The downtown tourist section is certainly magnificent!

All the water,

The quaint bridges,

The stunning, grand architecture,

And the interesting, but brutally violent statues

Brought me into a fairytale-like place.

I could easily imagine how Prague, at one time, must have been an intensely powerful and rich, noble area.

But, this grandness seemed like a well-kept tourist façade.

As soon as you stepped foot outside the tourist area, you were shown the true colours of the city.

Grit, grime, graffiti and urban decay

Criss-crossed the worndown streets

Which were filled with images of angst

Overall, I found Prague was full of contradictions. There was a great disparity between rich and poor. There was an obvious contrast between “real” and created and there was a conflict between old and new.

After our short time in Prague, I decided the most beautiful aspect of Prague was not the city itself, but rather the people.

In general, Czech’s are absolutely gorgeous! I guess this explains why Jitka (and her European twin) are so striking.

Despite feeling disappointed by what I perceived as the city’s facade, our time in Prague was certainly well spent.

The famous Astronomical Clock

We took a scenic boat cruise on the Vltava River

Climbed up the mini Czech Eiffel Tower

Where we had a great view of this red-roofed city

Saw some hard working graffiti buffers

And, made sure to stop and smell the roses.

We, of course, also visited the famed and ornately sculpted St. Vitus Cathedral, which is a tourist focal point. But, even this was a façade, as you could only access the outside of the building.

An outsider looking in, Prague was definitely not what I expected. However, it was still a very interesting place to set eyes on.

And, I’m most definitely glad to have visited one Europe’s most aspired to travel destinations.

Coming next: the Munchkins visit Munich

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Berl-In-triguing

Deb
Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

In June, we had the occasion of hosting Andrew’s older brother, Mark, for a two-week visit.

Helping Mark with all his baggage, after picking him up at the airport

Wanting to show Mark a good time, we spent several days exploring Berlin as “tourists.”

We then took off on a week-long road trip, visiting Prague, Munich, Zurich, Strasbourg and finally Frankfurt, before returning back to Berlin.

Overall, our trip was a fun and interesting experience.

Being tourists in our “own city” was a great way to see some of the sites we might not have otherwise explored.

We saw the Reichstag, the seat of the German Parliament:

Where we waited in line for over an hour. . .

To go inside the Reichstag dome “bubble” at the top of the building:

But, the wait was well worth it. The view of city was fantastic! (Wouldn’t you agree?)

And the architecture was striking. The bubble structure-which resembles a giant Kebab skewer– is made entirely of mirrors and glass with a winding ramp, leading towards on outdoor balcony.

We also saw the stark grey, tomb-like boxes of the Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe.

Saw the Victory Column Golden Angel, waving goodbye to where the Berlin Love Parade used to be held. . .

And, of course, went to the Brandenburg Gate:

Where we did the typical tourist thing: stopped to enjoy a very large Starbucks coffee.

To facilitate our exploration of the city, we had boughten Mark a bike for his birthday.

We thought about getting this “Liquigas” road bike for the meagre sum of 5, 499 euros

But, opted instead for a nice second hand cruiser.

With bikes, we were all able to easily navigate around the city, going from Potsdamer Platz:

To a preserved section of the Berlin Wall:

Where Andrew and I tested are fate by crossing over from East to West:

I tested my fortitude by climbing the wall:

We also made sure to fill our bellies.

Snack Point Andrew enjoying some munchies at Snack Point Charlie

The highlight of our tourist excursion in Berlin was definitely going up in the “eye” of the tower, where we had a good, albeit foggy, 360-degrees view of the city.

Inside the tower

Looking down onto the city

Our full exploration of the city led us to view many unique sites—both urban and natural—of interesting contrast.

The O’Malley brother’s united, there was definitely the sharing of many great Berlin experiences, memories, and even photos.

Stay tuned for an upcoming Prague-nosis on Prague, as well as lots of pictures and stories from Munich, Zurich, Strasbourg and Frankfurt. . .

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. . . Follow me to Nice . . .

ao
Monday, July 9th, 2007

Flashback to Lille!

Before leaving Lille, I was fortunate enough to grab a gig at the Vieux Lille institution that is Balatum. It’s a cool bar with a loungey vibe, featuring indie concerts in the basement, and a place where the local dj’s do rotating sets throughout the month. If you’re ever in Lille, go grab a drink there, as it’s a nice friendly vibe w/ nice helpful staff!

Here I am with fellow dj’s and Balatum staff, Spaceintruder, and Ben.

Here’s AO with Piou and Peo Watson of local Spacepig fame:

And of course some live footage:

I’m playing “Tour de France” by Telex in anticipation of our trip around the French Riviera . . .

A bientot,
ao.

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A bunch of Nay-Sayers

Deb
Monday, July 9th, 2007

There’s a saying in German that goes something to the effect of the “German language is a difficult language.”

Struggling to communicate on a daily basis, I’d definitely have to agree with this saying.

As much as I had hoped to pick-up a bunch of German, I’m finding that I’ve only managed to catch a few words here and there.

Aside from learning my P’s+Q’s ”bitte” und ”danke”, I’ve also learned a very important word, “No!”

But, in German, there’s not just one way to say, “no.”

No, there’s many!

Nien – the official way to say “no”
Nei – like the English “nah”
Nay – the slang way to say “no”
Neu – the Berlin slang way to say “no”
Kien - as in Kein Problem, or “no problem”
Nich – as in “not”

This makes for a whole lotta nay-saying. Doesn’t it!?

It seems in Berlin, there’s no nothing.

No walking
No running
No cars
No houses
And certainly, no fun!

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My McWorkout

Deb
Monday, July 9th, 2007

Riding my McBike

Past the McDonalds

I go to McFit

To run on the McTreadmills

To get my McWork out.

Since Squash in Berlin has been McMissing.

It’s been very hard to find squash courts in Berlin. . .

Apparently, this has something to do with the fact that the government no longer funds fitness clubs and so taxes for these kinds of spaces are McExorbatant.

But, thanks to endless hours of persistent couch surfing, I finally managed to find a squash club to play at and league to play on. Yippee!

Now, I’m a regular on the FitFun squash league at Sport Oase. Playing on the league, I feel right at home. I’m joined by another Canadian, a German who studied in Canada and two Americans.

And best yet, I’ve found a good, competitive group to play with outside the league. They say I’m a great player—for a girl.

But, even though I’ve finally found a good club to play at, with nice glass-backed courts, I’m not still not able to play as often as I’d like. It’s just too expensive. An hour of court time costs 10 euros!

So, for monetary reasons, I’ve been forced to diversify my McFitness routine and have taken up swimming at a 50-metre pool built in anticipation and hopes of hosting the Berlin Olypmics.

And even Yoga at an English-speaking Yoga studio!

Without regular squash, my fitness routine certainly isn’t as beefed up as I’d like, but I’m definitely happy to at least be getting my McWorkout fix.

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Andrew and Deb’s European Adventures . . .