I apparently lied, as this is my last blog post. But I just can't seem to get enough of Europe and here are a couple things I'd like to do that I didn't get around to this time (or wasn't baller enough to do this time).
- go to the Lido cabaret in Paris
- go to a play at the Shakespeare Globe in London
- Dali museum in Figueres
- day trip to Figueres
- eat Spanish tortilla
- enjoy the night scene in Venice
- catacombs in Rome
- kayaking in Cinque Terre
- drive on the German autobahn
- go to a Salzburg music festival
- car museums in Stuttgart
- tour the BMW plant in Münich
Any takers??
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Before the Third Reich there was...the First and the Second Reichs
So I realize I've been a bad tour guide with my blog posts and not actually described the cities I've been to, so here it is. This will also be my last blog post, and the only one with photos as Im at a Mac with a memory card reader!
HAMBURG
The full name of the city is "The Free and Hansiatic City of Hamburg". It is a special city in Germany as it is actually a city-state and everything is self-governed. This is one of the reasons it has such an elaborate Rathaus (Town Hall) for a municipality.
Back in the day it was a major port and member of the Hansiatic League, which was basically a trading pact designed to further economic opportunities for its members. Today it continues the tradition as it receives high traffic volumes through its port (and handles a lot of Persian rugs of all things).
During World War II, the Allies carried out an intensive 8 day, non-stop bombing campaign against the city which led to the Americans calling it the "Hiroshima of Germany". Much of Hamburg was destroyed in the bombings and in the firestorm that resulted from the bombings.
Fun facts:
-It is where the Beatles came to fame performing in bars across the city when Ringo Starr first joined the band.
-Won the 2011 European Green Capital award for its low environmental impact initiatives.
-Because of all the waterways and canals, Hamburg actually has more bridges than London, Paris and Venice combined.
COLOGNE (aka Köln)
Cologne was actually founded by the Romans in B.C. something...a really REALLY long time ago and sits right on the Rhine River. Like Hamburg, Cologne was heavily bombed during the Second World War. 95% of the citys buildings were destroyed, and Colognes Twelve Romanesque churches were all rebuilt after the war. Due to the presence of those 12 Romanesque churches it is also sometimes known as the city of sphires.
Fun Facts:
-Modern Cologne is home to one of the biggest gay communities in Europe.
- Birthplace of Eau de Cologne by the Farinahaus perfume company (picture below). NOT the 4711 brand that is advertised, and was at one point owned by Proctor & Gamble
MUNICH (aka München)
Seat of the capital of the region of Bavaria. It used to be a Duchy until one of the Holy Roman Emperors declared it a separate kingdom. It is home to one of the longest ruling royal families in Europe. The Wittelbachs ruled from the early 1100s until the declaration of the first Weimar Republic. It is also of course the home to Oktoberfest. The origin of Oktoberfest is quite funny and starts with some background on King Ludwig I. Ludwig the First was quite the playboy, and had a court painter do a portrait of every woman he slept with. His reasoning was something along the lines of "there are so many beautiful women in Bavaria why should I have to settle for the same woman more than once?". King Ludwig I eventually did marry Queen Therese and their wedding reception got a little out of hand...and became the first annual Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is of course the master of the German stein (1L beer mugs, see below).
While in Munich I also took the time to go to Neuschwanstein Castle. King Ludwig II built this, it is crazy inside (there is at one point a fake cave) and his personal bedroom alone took more than 50 carpenters to work on. It was actually designed by an artist and then given to an architect to build. It was actually never finished, and opened up to the public for visits only 6 weeks after King Ludwig II's mysterious death.
SALZBURG
Literally named the "salt castle" Salzburg enjoyed great wealth because of the salt mines in the mountains near the city. It is of course the birthplace of Mozart and is still to this day the home to no less than 7 music festivals a year. It is also where The Sound of Music was filmed. In fact, all the exterior shots were filmed solely in Salzburg and area, which is a great tourist boon for the city as it is the 2nd most often reason people visit the city. Of course, being the tourist I am I did a Sound of Music tour. Most Austrians actually aren't that crazy about the movie, but I highly enjoyed 4 hours of sightseeing and singing along to the soundtrack. They went by the 2 locations used for shooting the Von Trapps home, the scene of the wedding, the gazebo, the garden used for the DoReMi sequence, etc. See below for the house they used for shooting the back of the house.
I also took a half a day to go to the Berchtesgaden area and Lake Königsee, and Hitler's Eagle's Nest. The Eagle's Nest was built and paid for by the party for Hitler to use as a conference center for his 50th birthday present. The building itself is tiny, but the scenery around it is absolutely breathtaking.
I am now in Frankfurt, where I am sick from going from 32 degree Salzburg to 16 degree and raining Frankfurt. I fly out tomorrow, so this marks the end of the revival of my blog. Hope y'alls enjoyed reading and that I brought some amusement to your life.
HAMBURG
The full name of the city is "The Free and Hansiatic City of Hamburg". It is a special city in Germany as it is actually a city-state and everything is self-governed. This is one of the reasons it has such an elaborate Rathaus (Town Hall) for a municipality.
Back in the day it was a major port and member of the Hansiatic League, which was basically a trading pact designed to further economic opportunities for its members. Today it continues the tradition as it receives high traffic volumes through its port (and handles a lot of Persian rugs of all things).
During World War II, the Allies carried out an intensive 8 day, non-stop bombing campaign against the city which led to the Americans calling it the "Hiroshima of Germany". Much of Hamburg was destroyed in the bombings and in the firestorm that resulted from the bombings.
Fun facts:
-It is where the Beatles came to fame performing in bars across the city when Ringo Starr first joined the band.
-Won the 2011 European Green Capital award for its low environmental impact initiatives.
-Because of all the waterways and canals, Hamburg actually has more bridges than London, Paris and Venice combined.
COLOGNE (aka Köln)
Cologne was actually founded by the Romans in B.C. something...a really REALLY long time ago and sits right on the Rhine River. Like Hamburg, Cologne was heavily bombed during the Second World War. 95% of the citys buildings were destroyed, and Colognes Twelve Romanesque churches were all rebuilt after the war. Due to the presence of those 12 Romanesque churches it is also sometimes known as the city of sphires.
Fun Facts:
-Modern Cologne is home to one of the biggest gay communities in Europe.
- Birthplace of Eau de Cologne by the Farinahaus perfume company (picture below). NOT the 4711 brand that is advertised, and was at one point owned by Proctor & Gamble
MUNICH (aka München)
Seat of the capital of the region of Bavaria. It used to be a Duchy until one of the Holy Roman Emperors declared it a separate kingdom. It is home to one of the longest ruling royal families in Europe. The Wittelbachs ruled from the early 1100s until the declaration of the first Weimar Republic. It is also of course the home to Oktoberfest. The origin of Oktoberfest is quite funny and starts with some background on King Ludwig I. Ludwig the First was quite the playboy, and had a court painter do a portrait of every woman he slept with. His reasoning was something along the lines of "there are so many beautiful women in Bavaria why should I have to settle for the same woman more than once?". King Ludwig I eventually did marry Queen Therese and their wedding reception got a little out of hand...and became the first annual Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is of course the master of the German stein (1L beer mugs, see below).
While in Munich I also took the time to go to Neuschwanstein Castle. King Ludwig II built this, it is crazy inside (there is at one point a fake cave) and his personal bedroom alone took more than 50 carpenters to work on. It was actually designed by an artist and then given to an architect to build. It was actually never finished, and opened up to the public for visits only 6 weeks after King Ludwig II's mysterious death.
SALZBURG
Literally named the "salt castle" Salzburg enjoyed great wealth because of the salt mines in the mountains near the city. It is of course the birthplace of Mozart and is still to this day the home to no less than 7 music festivals a year. It is also where The Sound of Music was filmed. In fact, all the exterior shots were filmed solely in Salzburg and area, which is a great tourist boon for the city as it is the 2nd most often reason people visit the city. Of course, being the tourist I am I did a Sound of Music tour. Most Austrians actually aren't that crazy about the movie, but I highly enjoyed 4 hours of sightseeing and singing along to the soundtrack. They went by the 2 locations used for shooting the Von Trapps home, the scene of the wedding, the gazebo, the garden used for the DoReMi sequence, etc. See below for the house they used for shooting the back of the house.
I also took a half a day to go to the Berchtesgaden area and Lake Königsee, and Hitler's Eagle's Nest. The Eagle's Nest was built and paid for by the party for Hitler to use as a conference center for his 50th birthday present. The building itself is tiny, but the scenery around it is absolutely breathtaking.
I am now in Frankfurt, where I am sick from going from 32 degree Salzburg to 16 degree and raining Frankfurt. I fly out tomorrow, so this marks the end of the revival of my blog. Hope y'alls enjoyed reading and that I brought some amusement to your life.
Ich bin müde
In Deutsch that means...I am tired. For the reason why Google a picture of "hofbrauhaus stein". Now add to that hiking up a hill to a castle, 6 hours sleep and then getting off your Deutschebahn train at the wrong stop and having to run back to it with a 10kilo backpack on...all in the span of 24 hours.
On the plus side, that castle I visited was Neuschwanstein Castle, the one that inspired Disneys Sleeping Beauty and countless generations of unrealistic expectations of love for young girls. For those of you who think I'm bitter, you should really Google some German fairytales. They've all got sad endings, probably why German kids start drinking beer at like age 10.
I'm now in the Osterreich (Austria) in the lovely town of Salzburg. Which means for the next 2 days its going to be Stiegl and schnitzel instead of pretzels and sausages.
On the plus side, that castle I visited was Neuschwanstein Castle, the one that inspired Disneys Sleeping Beauty and countless generations of unrealistic expectations of love for young girls. For those of you who think I'm bitter, you should really Google some German fairytales. They've all got sad endings, probably why German kids start drinking beer at like age 10.
I'm now in the Osterreich (Austria) in the lovely town of Salzburg. Which means for the next 2 days its going to be Stiegl and schnitzel instead of pretzels and sausages.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
German myths dispelled
Having just come from Hamburg and Cologne I thought Id clarify some common misconceptions.
Hamburger - the word can be used to describe our beloved beef patties. But in German it can also describe someone from the city of Hamburg (eg think Londoner).
Cologne - The city came first, not the scent. Johann Maria started the Farinahaus perfume company when his family moved to the city of Köln. In honour of his new hometown he decided to name his new scent Eau de Cologne, hence popularizing the word.
Tomorrow its off to Neuschwanstein castle. For those of you who think that sounds familiar, its the one that inspired some Disney silhouettes and stories.
Hamburger - the word can be used to describe our beloved beef patties. But in German it can also describe someone from the city of Hamburg (eg think Londoner).
Cologne - The city came first, not the scent. Johann Maria started the Farinahaus perfume company when his family moved to the city of Köln. In honour of his new hometown he decided to name his new scent Eau de Cologne, hence popularizing the word.
Tomorrow its off to Neuschwanstein castle. For those of you who think that sounds familiar, its the one that inspired some Disney silhouettes and stories.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Love, Parents
That is how my father prefers to sign his emails. Unless of course he is at the office. In which case I get 'Dad from office'.
Some other golden nuggets of wisdom from parental emails thus far:
'Germany is the strongest country in Europe, no doubt about it.'
'be safe and explore. But safely of course.'
'Do you need more money?? Let me know if you need more money. I will deposit.'
'Mom would like to know what foods you are missing so she can cook for you when back.'
'Mom said you called on Skype, said you sound sick. Don't eat salads in Germany, people are getting sick.'
'We think Colin misses you, but he says no.'
Some other golden nuggets of wisdom from parental emails thus far:
'Germany is the strongest country in Europe, no doubt about it.'
'be safe and explore. But safely of course.'
'Do you need more money?? Let me know if you need more money. I will deposit.'
'Mom would like to know what foods you are missing so she can cook for you when back.'
'Mom said you called on Skype, said you sound sick. Don't eat salads in Germany, people are getting sick.'
'We think Colin misses you, but he says no.'
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
L'Italiana in Algeri
That my friends is the title of the opera I went to see last night in Milan's famous La Scala theatre. For a picture of the view I had of the theatre: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:La_Scala_interior.jpg
Also for a synopsis of the plot of the opera: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L'italiana_in_Algeri
(Note: I didn't understand how to make the subtitles to the opera show up in English on my screen until 30 minutes into the first Act, so I spent quite some time admiring the orchestra. For notes about my saviour, see below)
I sat by a very enthusiastic fan of the opera, which is to say a lovable looking Italian grandmother. I guess I looked like an alright young lady because she kept on trying to talk to me...in Italian. She was the one who showed me the subtitles could appear in English so I could follow along. And then tried to explain to me the plot of the first 30 minutes...again in Italian. During intermission there was lots of gesturing, and the following conversation:
Italian grandmother (note: I don't actually know if she was a grandmother, but she appeared to be the type that would bustle around feeding young Italian children pasta): studia cantanta?
YPang (Uh...I think she's asking me if I study music): No...but...uh...mi amore opera e balleto.
I thought that I was literally saying 'me love opera and ballet'. But she seemed to get the message because she nodded even more enthusiastically and launched into more Italian. Finally I had to say 'no comprendo'.
In other news...I went to eat dinner at the Chinese restaurant around the corner from my hostel and while they didn't give me a discount for conversing in Mandarin I did get 2 free spring rolls. Asian connection: success.
Now it's Ryanair time, I'm flying to Hamburg-Lubeck airport this afternoon. I almost have the rest of my trip all booked.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Mi chiamo Yisha...and my Italian impersonation is better than my actual Italian
So...I've decided to revive this blog because now that I'm on my own I have way more free time without Tian Shen's accompaniment and entertainment. Free time also mainly due to the fact that I dislike eating in restaurants alone and that took up quite a bit of our time when we were together...
Just finished 3 days in the Cinque Terre. Absolutely gorgeous area, UNESCO really got it right when they listed it as a World Heritage sight. For a picture of the town I stayed in: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Riviera5terre.JPG
Since I'm on a shared computer with limited time, I'll just share one story. My second day there I decided to go to the beach, and relax for the whole day...but not before picking up some Cinque Terre wine to enjoy while basking in the sun. So I bought a little 350mL bottle of Cinque Terre white wine for 6Euros. Then realized as I was walking out of the store (very pleased with myself) that I didn't have a corkscrew/bottle opener. So...I walked back into the store and spent a very amusing 10 minutes trying to explain my dilemma to the Italian store owners (who I think thought I wanted to return it...in fact they tried to take it and give me back my money). Finally they got the message, opened the bottle for me and then I emptied my water bottle and poured the wine in. Resourceful? I think so. But I may have given the impression that Asian tourists are alcoholics as this all occurred before noon...
The benefits of my Canada flag patch have also seemed to kick in. There was a family at my hostel in Cinque Terre who introduced themselves, and let me share their limoncino because of it. Also got a free metro pass from a fellow Canadian today in Milan because they bought an extra. Yay for distinguishing myself as not just another Asian tourist!!
More to come later...
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