The View From a London Eye-Witness

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“DELICIOSO!” - A Particularly Useful Expression to Know in Madrid

It really is a blessing to be young, as Russell and I, amazingly, were able to take a cheap overnight bus from Barcelona to Madrid with little discomfort, saving us the cost of a flight and a hotel room for that night! At long last, we arrived in Madrid, pretty exhausted but with enough enthusiasm to start another day of touristing in a new city. We had purposefully chosen a hostel that was in the middle of the city as we wanted to really get immersed in the culture in Madrid.

At  9:30am on Friday morning, when we finally got to our street, which is quite a busy shopping and tourist street, we were shocked to find it completely deserted. I understood that it was Good Friday, but there was no one. After a two hour nap, we awoke to the sounds of Madrid finally waking up outside our window at 11:00am, and it was then that we learned that our sleep schedule of choice was not only accepted here, but the only way to do it! I was really surprised to learn that it is completely normal for children to stay out until 11:00pm, playing on the streets as their parents eat dinner outside. To give you an even better idea, when we eventually left Madrid at 6:00am a few days later, the same street we were living on was absolutely packed with people, still awake and bumpin’ as we were waking up.

While the sites in Madrid were quite lovely to see, it was more of the culture and customs of the city that we enjoyed first and foremost. Of course, the casual sleeping and work schedule was a bonus, but we also really enjoyed living out many of the other aspects of Spanish life.

Being the foodie that I am, I made a point to take a little gastronomic tour of Madrid during our three days there. Out of all of the countries that I’ve been to, from Hungary to Denmark, I’ve been able to find a decent number of people who speak English, and, both luckily and unluckily, that has made my restaurant visits fairly simple. However, in Madrid, we immediately discovered that very few people know any English. I was finally afforded the discomfort and anxiety that travel provides those who don’t speak the local language, and it was a necessity to learn how to say certain basic things, like can I have some water? and check, please! We also knew that if there wasn’t an English menu outside, it was more likely to be a legitimate restaurant, but let me tell you, it takes a lot of courage to walk into a place where you don’t understand a single item on the menu! Our first awesome meal in Madrid was a great little tapas place serving up fresh and delicious food in a clean-washed, informal bar-style setting. We braved the no-English scariness and were absolutely thrilled with our decision. My mouth waters just looking back at these pictures…

One of the highlights of our trip to Madrid was visiting the various little bars around the city that have decent and really inexpensive food. We also profited many a time from the cheap house wine with which they almost always served a complimentary tapas! Russell and I discovered a cute little place later one night where most people were sitting outside, so the bartender inside gave us a little extra special service. We said we were not too hot on spicy food (pardon the pun) so we were going to skip the hot sauce on our Spanish omelet tapas. While he honored our request, he gave us an extra omelet just to convince us to try this customary combination! I just loved that in Spain, restaurants and bars were always a little less formal, and a little more willing to personally share a bit of the culture with us. It really put us in a good mood and made us want to soak in more of the city life!

I would like to stress that I have never had chocolate quite like that which I tasted in Madrid. From just the chocolate they put on cookies to specialty desserts, they seriously know their chocolate. One of our favorite experiences was finding an awesome chocolate shop the day before Easter, packed with people standing in huge lines, waiting to get some chocolate con churros. We weren’t sure if it was quite worth it, but man, are we glad we braved the lines… I have never experienced anything quite like this! The dipping chocolate, which is essentially just thick melted goodness, is actually what Spaniards normally drink as hot chocolate for breakfast! We grabbed our tasty snack to go, and enjoyed it on our balcony, overlooking one of the popular Easter Parades drawing crowds outside. I couldn’t have felt more Spanish!

Also, this somber Easter tradition, commemorating Jesus’s death, was one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen, most likely because of the utter silence, the bizarre larger-than-life models quivering atop palanquins, and the “conical shaped hats,” which you can imagine, as an American, have very specific ulterior connotations!

We were lucky to stay just a short walk from the Puerta del Sol, a large square with some larger-than-life street acts and this incredible bakery that we got goodies from twice and, especially because of Easter, was absolutely packed to the gills every time we went in or passed by! We enjoyed a traditional Spanish dessert, torrijas, which is a wonderfully sweet bread pudding, out in the square on a sunny day, surrounded by flowers, music, and families. I assure you, Russell and I ate well in Madrid.

We were also staying very close to Plaza Mayor, a lovely little square with an equestrian statue, some little shops, and this intricate fresco design on the main building.

We found Madrid an easy city to walk around, offering beautiful churches and sites on every corner. This understated “trompe-l’oeil” fresco was quite startling to discover!

We happened upon the oldest restaurant in the world, which has been in this spot, essentially unchanged, since 1725!

It was fascinating to see the royal palace; although we decided not to go inside that day, I was very aware that this incredible home was part of the who-has-the-bigger-you-know-what contest between the European kings (I’m pretty sure Louis won with Versailles).

I also loved that when we walked into the various magnificent churches, we found them packed with people attending Easter church services. This is the Almundena Cathedral, a church in the gothic style within and baroque without, so as to match the style of the neighboring palace.

Our last full day in Madrid, we made a point of visiting the Reina Sofia, a modern art museum featuring, among many incredible pieces, the Guernica by Picasso. It was a pleasure to see the famous Spaniard’s work, as well as many other specially highlighted Spanish artists! The museum also displayed some of the best Dali I’ve seen, as well as a fascinating temporary exhibit by Hans Haacke.

This typewriter would constantly update with the news, piling page after page on top of an ever-changing paper sculpture.

From the top of the Passeo del Prado, we caught the tail end of the Gran Via, a famous shopping street in Madrid.

Our last night, we took a special trip to see a Flamenco show at a small venue in the old part of town. We thought it would be nice to have dinner and a show at a smaller place, so as to see the dancers up close. While we had heard the dance described as “passionate,” and “intense,” we were certainly not prepared for the true power of the event. The three dancers, the Spanish guitarist, and the singer, were deeply connected, creating an exquisite piece of escalating energy. I loved that the dance was not a couples dance, but featured the three dancers in all combinations, sometimes alone and sometimes together, but always bursting with energy. They would turn from melancholy and exquisitely listless to frantic and loud with feet stomping, eyebrows furrowed, sweat streaming, and arms flying every which way. Maybe these weren’t advertised as high end Flamenco dancers, but we were absolutely swept away with every moment, enthralled by their exceptional talent and passion. To be sure, I have never seen anything like that in my life.

Spain is a truly wonderful country. We ended our vacation on a high, basking in a unique cultural atmosphere, surrounded by beauty and spirit wherever we turned. I am honored to have been part of life there during our stay, and the memories etched in my mind are nothing but sweet.

xx - IM

So, Apparently it Rains in Barcelona

Unfortunately, this blog post is long overdue, but after a month of final coursework behind me, I am excited to reflect upon one of my favorite experiences in Europe so far. It’s funny that Barcelona ended up at the top of my list, because Russell and I didn’t actually mean to go there. We had originally planned to fly from Copenhagen to Madrid, but found that most of the discount airlines didn’t run this route until late spring, so we were SOL… In the end, we found a moderately priced flight to Barcelona, and decided to spend just two days there before ending our trip in Madrid. We could not have been happier with that decision!

We arrived in Barcelona, refreshed to see palm trees and a tiny bit of sun, finally. Oddly enough, though, it was raining, and sadly, clouds quickly covered up those weak rays. I was a little surprised… from my reading, Barcelona weather is always mild, dry, and wonderful. And, yes, that is true… which is why locals were extremely pleased that it poured for two straight days and “the drought was over!” … the exact two days when we were visiting the city. Despite the fact that the city was not looking its best during our visit, it still easily won us over. When you can’t even stay dry under an umbrella and all your photos are washed out, and you still love a place, you know it must be magical…

We braved the monsoon our first morning and headed out to the Travel Bar in the Barri Gotic, the Gothic Quarter, where we took a free guided tour by a New Zealander who had been living in Barcelona for a few years to learn Spanish (despite the fact that the most prominent language is Catalan!). One of my favorite things he told us about was the incredibly unique Catalonian culture that made Barcelona so obviously particular. Firstly, the people are extremely proud of their customs and language, to the extent that a large part of the population even supports secession from Spain. For example, Catalan has outlawed bull fighting which is historically so popular in southern Spain, and the popular competition in the region instead is “human tower building,” which is exactly what it sounds like, and is oddly a big crowd pleaser.

We learned that the teeny tiny and almost sickeningly adorable streets that characterize the Gothic Quarter originated as a defense mechanism: they were so small to prevent soldiers on horseback from being able to travel through them! These little pathways have served many purposes over time, one of the most memorable being that they have served Jewish residents during various periods of persecution. As the story goes, they would entirely avoid the streets of the hostile Catholic community below by connecting their apartments via bridges across the small distances between buildings, creating a whole separate community above.

Jews have quite a long and compelling history in Barcelona. This barely noticeable synagogue happens to contend for the title of oldest synagogue in Europe. Also, several buildings have been constructed using old Jewish gravestones after they were pillaged during the Inquisition, as you can see by the random writing on the sides of buildings.

Without a guide, we would seriously not have been able to find our way through the non-sensical maze that is the Gothic Quarter, and would have missed many of the secret little nooks that make the area so interesting. We turned into a small square, a place that is famous as a site of devastating bombing during the Fascist Franco regime. Since the medieval period, this square has housed a primary school, and children have used this square as a playground; during the bombing, many children died, and the square now holds a modest reminder of the tragic effects of Fascist regimes. You can even see the marks on the old buildings from where debris from the explosion marred the surface.

We turned into this square as well, where apparently Ferdinand and Isabella welcomed  Christopher Columbus back from his voyage to the “New” World.

This is also supposedly where they had a night-long rager in Columbus’s honor, and most likely when he gave everyone the gift of Syphilis that killed the jolly king and queen. Oops.

Saint Eulalia, the magnificent cathedral in the Gothic Quarter, was of course a pleasure to see. It has a long history of being under construction… it’s been around for 500 years and has been under construction on-and-off for about half that time.

The cathedral also has some really interesting substitutes for traditional gothic gargoyles.

It is a pleasure to walk around in Barcelona and explore the various areas, so we took a little meander down the famous Las Ramblas, a large pedestrian street that is lively at every hour, from the daytime to the middle of the night. Every corner we turned in Barcelona, there was something interesting to look at! 

We also enjoyed a stroll down to the port area of the city at dusk when the rained stopped, where we could see the enormous statue of Christopher Columbus and the hills that surround the city.

After a long first day in Barcelona, we decided to venture out and experience the famous Barcelona nightlife that we had heard so much about. Although we were staying at a hotel outside the city, we Googled “best party hostel in Barcelona” and ended up crashing this great bar at a hostel with cheap drinks and fun travelers that (shh) we pretended to be staying at. We hung out with travelers from all over the place, tried to teach some Argentines how to play flip cup, and ended up at a club in I-don’t-know-where at I-don’t-know-what-hour!

Our second and last day in Barcelona, we decided to check out the Modernista buildings that make the city’s architecture so unique. Catalonians absolutely worship Gaudi, an architect with incredibly bizarre taste. First we went over to the Sagrada Familia that is Gaudi’s greatest, though unfinished, project. It has in fact been under construction for quite some time (this seems to have been a common theme in Barcelona). The one facade really looks like a drip sand castle, it is so organic and ornate.

The organic quality is Gaudi’s special feature, and you can see his inspiration from the natural world all throughout his work. I was absolutely stunned by the majesty that was this church. After seeing so so many churches in my travels around Europe, it was such a pleasure to see something so different and particular to the region. We loved learning about Gaudi’s technique and inspiration and then seeing it beautifully played out before us, with its amazing use of light and natural-inspired shapes and colors. The columns in this church even look like tree trunks, as he discovered that they are stronger in that shape! The other facade of the church is not Gaudi’s design, and is a very different, but equally impressive and bizarre, style.

Before we left the area, we were lucky enough to wander off the tourist path and find a breakfast place (I love that Spaniards love huevos!) around the corner from Sagrada Familia that was so reasonably priced. We were starving, and the guy who ran the place, pretty much all by himself, was incredibly kind and welcoming. Even though he had a packed house, he made us a little tapas of a Catalonian speciality for us to try!

Though it had been raining all morning, it cleared up in the afternoon, and we spent the rest of the day at Park Guell, a big hill with parks and buildings designed by Gaudi and with incredibly views of the city. Oddly enough, they had escalators to take you to the top… again, what a strange city!

We then explored this huge Whoville like complex of Gaudi buildings.

We ended this full day at Montjuic, another hill with excellent views of the city. There is apparently an incredible fountain and light show here sometimes, which we were sad to miss, but it was still wonderful to see Barcelona lit up. This hill is also where the Olympic Stadium is, as well as several museums with nice buildings.

I have such fond memories of Barcelona - it really is such a unique place that has its particular culture pouring out of every vein. What a pleasure.

xx - IM

Braving the Odds in Copenhagen

This is going to be an unusual post, as Copenhagen was a rather unusual experience for us. Russell and I left Berlin on a kind of traveler’s high, and were quite looking forward to experiencing the relaxed Danish people and culture we had heard so much about. We were immediately impressed by the clean trains, elegant architecture, both historic and modern, and the unimposing helpfulness of cashiers and clerks, who, by the way, all spoke perfect English.

However, one thing that really threw us for a loop was the sheer cost of things in Copenhagen. It’s a little misleading because the Danish Kroner is an inflated currency, but upon converting to dollars, the numbers kept coming up absurdly high. I’m talking $6 for a soft drink, $30 for a hamburger. It’s like Copenhagen’s got you trapped in one giant airport, and I’m talking the kind where they really really try to screw you. After I exasperatedly asked a Copenhagen resident how Danes could possibly live here, she explained that because the government provides generous monetary support to its residents, the cost of goods does not make a big difference. So, because visitors are not part of that system, the prices seem absurd. Well… as Russell said at one point, maybe this is a place we should have visited as rich retired people, that was our mistake!

At any rate, we may have let the big price tags weigh on us a little bit. Plus, for our three days there, I was ill and having a hard time walking around. And, we were in Copenhagen on a Sunday, a day that, understandably, everything is closed. Somehow, though, Monday in Copenhagen is also an extension of Day-of-Rest Sunday! To add to that, it was frigid and pouring rain the whole time we were there. All in all, I am actually pleased with how much we managed to experience, what with the Copenhagen gods casting a frowny cartoon rain cloud over us!

With all the in mind, we really enjoyed learning about Danish culture, something that the National Museum of Denmark did an admiral job of representing. This sweet little museum traces the history of Copenhagen backward, from present day to its origins. The very beginning of the museum was the best part. I was swept up by the vibrant and colorful collection of stories, pictures, and artifacts representing the large and diverse immigrant population in present day Copenhagen.

I felt it quite honest of the museum to depict both the pleasures and difficulties immigrants have experienced upon entering into Danish society. This sign in particular grabbed my attention.

I was also struck by one immigrant who has lived in the city for about a decade. She says she now feels like a Copenhagener, but she know she will never feel like a Dane. Despite the usual troubles of combining two cultures, the influence of immigrant populations can be felt everywhere throughout the city, especially with the most recent tide of Arabic immigration.

One of the pleasures of being in Copenhagen was surely the architecture. Quaint little houses in beautiful colors border the sea and the canals and line the cobblestone pedestrian streets, which provide a welcome escape from city traffic and wide streets.

We stayed a while in this square, in which crowds of people milled about, enjoying the street performers and a bit of sun.

This square is along the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe, the Stroget. My theory as to why Danes particularly enjoy spending time in these long narrow streets is that they provide a shield against the brutal Nordic winds! Plus, they’re probably fun for a game of tag where the H&Ms on every street corner are base.

Our hostel was very close to Tivoli, the second oldest amusement park in the world, and it was such a tease that it was not to be opened for the season until the following week! Our only glimpse was a roller coaster and this famous landmark poking out from behind the tall gates.

We made a point to take a walk along the coast to see the famous Little Mermaid statue, which is a point of pride for the city as it celebrates Hans Christian Andersen, the author of the famous Danish children’s tale. Although the Mermaid appears rather unpolitical, she has been vandalized in government protest many times, once even leaving her in need of a new head. I don’t think Disney picked up on that storyline for the animated version.

While I was uncertain at first as to why The Little Mermaid has become such an iconic Danish statue, upon seeing her cast against a blank watery canvas, I was immediately drawn in by her elegant simplicity. In a way, the statue made me think of Copenhagen and our impressions of the city during our brief time there: stoic, unassuming, casual, elegant, and charming, all at the same time.

This walk provided us a nice view of the harbor, the artificial island across the way, and the wind farm in the background. We also got to check out some Danish bicycle innovation, for which the city of Copenhagen is particularly well known. Look, umbrellas for your bike seat! - so simple, yet so genius.

In regards to the big bike culture, we noticed a strange but common practice: almost everyone leaves their bike unlocked and the only thing they secure is the back wheel to its own spoke! I’m talking hundreds and hundreds of bikes, all floating free. Could’ve used a Dane to explain that one!

We took a stroll in the beautiful Frederiksberg Park over which the Frederiksberg Palace holds a commanding presence.

We had hoped to get a peek into the Carlsberg Brewery, which was unfortunately closed that day, but it was interesting to see and read about how proud Copenhagen is of its home label, and the founding family who has apparently donated much to the city.

Our last stop was a walk around the university area, where we of course had to try a famous Danish pastry. YUM!

In truth, Copenhagen didn’t pan out exactly as I’d thought. Still, I’m happy to have experienced a small, yet tasty slice of Danish life. And, besides, now I get to say I visited the home of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for some stories of adventures in Spain!

xx - IM

Berlin: Peeling Back the Layers

Although I didn’t really know what to expect from Berlin, I had fairly high expectations, based on the stories of fellow travelers. If you take those expectations, double them, and add a height the size of Berlin’s TV Tower, that is about how high this city exceeded my expectations. Maybe Berlin is a city for lovers, or else these particular lovers were made for this city, but Russell and I had an absolute blast these four days.

Someone seemed to be looking out for us during that time, too. After nearly missing our flight, with about eight impossibly close calls, Russell and I arrived at our hotel, completely exhausted. On my previous trips, I’ve stayed in hostels that have provided us with lots of information and budget traveler’s tips, as well as perks such as free tours. Because Russell and I chose to stay in a more business-type hotel with a smaller price tag for a private room, we didn’t have much guidance.

Our way of figuring out how to see as much of the city and get the most out of our stay as possible was that we bought a travel guide that had walking tours laid out. Seriously, I credit the efficiency of our sightseeing and much of the pleasure of our trip to this book, Baedeker’s Berlin.

I cannot tell you how many times I exclaimed, “I love our book!!!” on this trip, for example, when it told us to turn a corner and see a hidden but magnificent building, or told us a fact that made us appreciate a plain-looking building for the relic it was. The book had four tours, two in East Berlin, two in West Berlin.  So, we started our first tour at Alexanderplatz, in East Berlin.

East Berlin is a transforming place, a city in the making. It is a strange area, with buildings dating back centuries next to oddly-designed post-modern structures. Some buildings, remnants of Soviet control, are plain and simply hideous. Additionally, the area is still recovering from WWII destruction, and continues to be covered in cranes, dust, and construction sites. In fact, it was pretty difficult to capture a photo without these obstructions, so you may notice some creep into the corners of the images in this post. Still, it’s fascinating to see a city which is on its way to becoming what it will be, and to be able to tell so clearly how it plans to define itself in the wake of so much recent history.

This is a statue of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the center of Berlin Mitte with the TV Tower in Alexanderplatz looking on. The TV Tower is the highest structure in Berlin, and found its way into so many photos. Berlin uses the tower as a symbol of the economic rebirth of the city, but I have to say, it’s a pretty unattractive mascot.

After walking on just a bit farther we came to a quaint little corner called Nikolaiviertel. It’s known to be one of the prettiest views in Berlin, and boasts adorable houses and shops reminiscent of the medieval beginnings of the city, including a small medieval church that dates back as far as the 13th century. The church in the background of this photo is the impressive Berlin cathedral.

We were starving by the time we got to Nikolaiviertel, and while we were eager to try some German cuisine, we were nervous to take suggestions from our guidebook, as we knew it would offer only extremely touristy, thus extremely pricey, restaurants. So, we chose this cute looking place that offered some traditional food at good prices. After enjoying our delicious, very meaty, very potatoey, very pickley meal, we started reading up on Nikolaiviertel in our guidebook over our ice-cold German beers. As it turns out, we had chosen to eat at Num Nussbaum, a place that was not only mentioned in our book, but that was also one of the oldest pubs in the country, that dated back to the 16th century, and that was famous for being a regular spot of the famous artist, Heinrich Zille. Ah, German good luck!

That little bell in the middle apparently means, “Another round, on me!” as our waiter informed us after we tested it out.

Our tour then brought us down a street called Unter den Linden to a historic area ripe with beautiful buildings. Interestingly, most of these buildings were rebuilt structures, as most of the originals had been destroyed in WWII air raids. A massive statue of the highly influential king, Frederick the Great, stood out impressively against the setting sun in the middle of Unter den Linden.

We then enjoyed some accordion music in the Gendarmenmarkt, which is surrounded by reconstruction of the original theater that stood before WWII (right) and two churches, Deutscher Dom (left) and Franzosischer Dom.

The two churches are pretty much identical, with the French Church holding special significance as a gathering place for Huguenots, who comprise a large population in Berlin.

Our tour that day ended at the famous Brandenberg Gates, which mark the line between East and West Berlin. This Gate served as the first checkpoint between the divided city and the Berlin Wall began from here. Today, it serves as a symbol of reunification between the two sides. It was breathtaking to behold such an important structure, especially when backed by a gorgeous sunset, as well as the mysterious west, which we would not set foot in for another two days.

During our second day in Berlin, we took an Art and Culture tour, with a pleasant walk through a less touristy part of town, Scheunenviertel, the Jewish District, also a vibrant art scene. We first came upon this kind of creepy, rundown building. Thanks to our book we found out that this was definitely a place to explore further.

Tacheles is a building in which artists had been squatting for decades and using for gallery space and as a center of the artistice community in East Berlin. It was absolutely incredible from the inside, with several stories literally covered wall to wall with graffiti, some brilliant, some basic, and gallery upon gallery of fascinating artwork. The art was exciting, real, and reminiscent of vivid Berliner experiences. I felt like I was feeling the heartbeat of the art scene in Berlin, thus a Berlin that perhaps the city organizations or the museums do not put right out on display.

We then saw the Jewish Synagogue, which had been mostly destroyed in World War II, along with the city’s oldest Jewish cemetery, of which these little tiles were the only commemorative remains.

Next, we made a long trek over to the Berlin Wall Museum, which was a fascinating exhibit on the history of the Wall, the politics that led to the division, and the experience of those on either side.

The museum was excellent, as it related vivid stories, photos, as well as poignant clips from the period, and made the history come to life. A spiral staircase led us to a high point were we could see the wall preserved on the east and west side, as well as No Man’s Land in the middle. While most of the Wall is destroyed, there is a simple double brick line that traces where the Wall once stood, all around the city. This is Russell on the east side, and me on the west side of Berlin.

One thing I wished we’d done if we’d had more time is paid a visit to the Stasi Museum, which relates history from the Communist perspective, because, while the Berlin Wall Museum did a good job of being neutral, I could tell there were certainly some western biases.

We ended our walk that day with a little tour around the museum complex called Museumsinsel, which is a World Heritage Site. Museumsinsel is basically an island in the middle of the Spree River that is completely covered in grand old museums, most of the buildings with majestic Grecian inspiration. Certainly a sight to behold!

This was our view on the walk back home.

It is nearly impossible that we did so much in our last day of Berlin! We spent our time taking the two tours of the West Berlin, which started on the Kurfurstendamm, or Ku’damm, which is basically a fancy shopping street that rivals the high style of Friedrichstrasse in East Berlin. The difference between the two sides of the city was immediately apparent to us, mostly from the buildings, which are much less historically reminiscent, and more developed into a skyscraper-lined capitalist world. West Berlin sparkles with massive buildings, most of the government facilities, and the large and well-kempt Tiergarten central park. We enjoyed walking around the embassy quarter, as the buildings in sequence make a sort of modern architecture exhibit.

If you know where to look (or you have a good guide book!), many of the buildings do show signs of Berlin’s history. For example, this bizarre looking building is in fact a church, the Kaiser-Wilhelm memorial church, that was built in memory of a church that stood behind it before being bombed in WWII. In fact, the skyscraper behind it, if you look at the picture of the old pre-war structure, is actually evocative of that church’s original shape. Fascinating!

We then walked over to what is called the Kulturforum, a big cultural center with several buildings, including museums and the philharmonic. This led us to Potsdamer Platz, which is known as the busiest intersection in Europe! We were incredibly impressed by some of the structures, including the umbrella of the Sony Center.

Potsdamer Platz does hold some preserved memories of its history. These pieces of the wall sit over where it once divided Potsdamer Platz in half; the skyscrapers juxtaposed in the background vividly illustrate how different this area looked just a few decades ago.

We then headed over to the Jewish Museum, which is an incredible museum, both architecturally and historically. It does a wonderful job of narrating Jewish history, tradition, and persecution from the Middle Ages to present day, including the long history of Jews in Germany. Through stories, artifacts, pictures, and architecture, its various exhibits also relate Jewish experience during the Holocaust. This room was especially clever.

Before approaching the room, I heard a lonely, echoing sound like clanging metal, something like machines running or chained laborers at work. I turned the corner, expecting some horrific image, only to discover this huge, nearly empty room with just a slit of light to show this pile of metal faces, and other visitors treading slowly on them. The thing that made this exhibit particularly moving was that it would only work its eerie magic if people were interacting with it, moving around and breathing temporary life into it.

After the Jewish Museum, we made a stop over to Checkpoint Charlie, the checkpoint between the American sector and the Soviet sector during the Cold War, and the site of many desperate attempts to flee East Berlin. We finished this incredibly full day at the East Side Gallery, the longest piece of the Berlin Wall still standing, running along a lonely stretch of the Spree.

Dozens and dozens of artists from Berlin and around the world have contributed to the diverse collection of artwork on its face to commemorate peace, reunification of the city, and the dedicated people of Berlin.

I’m sure it’s clear from the length of this post how much I enjoyed our time in Berlin. There was always something else we wanted to do, and our busy days were spent exploring, eagerly unfolding layer after layer of history, eating new foods, and learning the ways of Berliners. (For example, did you know it’s totally appropriate to drink beer on the underground and on busses?) The best summary I could muster at the end of our trip was this: “I will have so many good memories of Berlin.” Ain’t that the truth.

Copenhagen, up next!

xx - IM

Backyard Tourist II: Wimbledon, and then some

Metamorphic London: The East End

This is one of those catch-up posts, but one that I have so looked forward to sharing with everyone.

One of my favorite things I’ve done so far in London was the “Alternative London” tour of the East End. Our guide, who runs this little company, was very laid back but super knowledgeable. He started by giving us a history of the various ethnic groups that have lived in this area, back when it was on the outskirts of the city and housed the poorest groups who had been displaced from urban expansion. It has served as a home to Huguenot refugees, Jewish textilers, Irish immigrants, and more recently, a large population of Bangladeshis, as evidenced by the street signs, which are in both English and Bengali!

The East End has a less refined image than the rest of London, and thus a distinct and multifaceted personality all its own. Recently, however, commercial interests have begun to push into the area, shooting up housing and business costs. The London city council have placed their loyalty behind these overpowering corporations, and changes are taking place with increasing rapidity as the Summer 2012 Olympics approach. Alternative London’s goal in all of this is to increase appreciation for the unique culture as it exists in the East End, and raise awareness of the government’s unjust, corporate-backed oppression. I was excited to have a tour that taught me a lot of history and gave me a real sense for the surrounding community, as well as one that promoted a cause. I respect that!

Here is Bushra standing at one of the posts that demarcates the proper City of London (the Square Mile) from the outer portion.

On one side of the post, the East End looks like this:

And on the other side, the glimmering capitalist mecca of the City of London looks like this:

In addition to having compelling and informative stories, our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the ever-changing landscape of the East End. Street art has become a very present part of the area’s culture. Day to day, new art appears on every corner, and he showed us some pieces that were freshly finished from the day before. He also pointed out several places where the city council has come and coarsely painted over the art with ugly grey paint, even when the work was approved by the building owners. There was even one in which the artist and the council had a sort of tug of war, with the council painting grey over a piece, then the artist painting a cheeky response over the grey paint, and so on and so on.

Some of the pieces are bold, beautiful, and jaw-droppingly massive, especially considering most of them took only a day or two.

Some of them are hidden and require a good set of eyes, or a guide who looks out for new additions every day.

It’s like a game of I Spy!

These little guys have Swarovski crystals embedded in them, and are found on street corners all over the East End.

These paste-ups are hard to spot!

Irony? I think so!

A lot of the art was very clever. Who can say that these pumps were more attractive before the robot invaded?

This artist does these pieces with impressionist-style drips from a spray paint can. To think that something so complicated and beautiful comes from such an everyday medium!

This was one of my favorite series. So unique!

These are just a sampling of some of my favorite pieces I saw that day! I can’t wait to go back and do a sort of scavenger hunt to find all these pieces again, as well as find some new ones since I visited last. Plus, I really look forward to trying Brick Lane bagels, I hear they’re legendary.

xx - IM

PS: You can check out the Alternative London website here!

Backyard Tourist

I’ve been loving having visitors in London because it has given me good motivation to see this town I’ve called home for the last few months for the big beautiful cultural mecca that it is. I was starting to think that I was just completely irreverent towards everything in London, but turns out that all an indignant long-term tourist needs is a short-term tourist to give her a nudge.

Lauren and I set aside a day to do “all that stuff around Big Ben”, with no real clue what we should look be looking for (are we sensing a pattern here?) When we emerged from the Westminster tube station, we had no idea we were actually standing under a famous landmark. About ten minutes later, we had this conversation:

     Lauren: Which one is Big Ben?

     Ilona: Is that it? I think that might be it.

     Lauren: Maybe we should take a picture in front of it just in case.

Yes, it was Big Ben.

While I’m still not sure why Big Ben is called Ben, nor am I sure why it’s even famous, it does make for a pretty landscape. The ferris wheel is called the London Eye, and while I’m too cheap to go for a ride, it also adds to the beauty of the famous view! (It also might illuminate for you the meaning behind the blog title, if it wasn’t immediately clear.)

Next Lauren and I took an audio tour of Westminster Abbey. While the admission price was a little daunting, it was well worth it. The audio tour was very well done, and with the charming little stories and fascinating historical details, the Abbey really came to life. The Abbey is not just a religious place; it is a centuries old nerve center of English history and identity. The place has been used for innumerous coronations, festivals, and funerals, and has been packed with people of all walks of life. To this day, it is a living church and cultural producer.

It was particularly exciting for me to see the various graves and tombs there, a collection which showcases how widely the Abbey is used to recognize British culture. Queen Elizabeth I’s tomb, which is joined with her sister, Mary, made my heart stop. The inscription reads in translation:

“Partners both in throne and grave, here rest we two sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, in the hope of one resurrection.”

After reading countless historical accounts and some historical fiction about Elizabeth and the Tudors, this was just about all I could have hoped for… sigh.

I was blown away to see Geoffrey Chaucer’s burial site, as well as the graves of, and monuments to, some of the other greatest contributors to English Literature in history. Like I said, the Abbey is unique in that it celebrates important figures beyond the religious sphere. This was definitely the equivalent of mine and Lauren’s personal Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We were absolutely overwhelmed.

It was also amazing to me to see that Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin are both buried at Westminster, and that two men of science are so honored in a house of worship.

The Westminster Abbey Museum was also very rewarding. We saw the ridiculously indulgent coronation jewels, and they also showcased many amazingly lifelike funeral effigies of royalty, which were both creepy and fascinating. (If, like me, you didn’t know what an effigy is, it is a woodness likeness of a deceased person that is painted, dressed up in the person’s actual clothes, and placed on top of the coffin. Seriously morbid.)

While we were not allowed to take photos inside the Abbey, my strong visceral reaction to the history and life represented within the Abbey walls will remain etched in my memory for a long time, I can say for sure.

xx - IM

A Jaunt in Scotland With an Old Friend, Part II: Edinburgh

Scotland Part II is all about the photos. Everywhere I turned in Edinburgh, there was some new view or angle I just had to capture on camera. Edinburgh is like that, friendly, real, and photogenic to the last.

Lauren and I arrived early in the morning on Sunday after a smooth bus ride from Glasgow. Again, we didn’t really have a plan, but we did have maps in both French and Italiano to help guide us around the city. Though we were starved, again, we did not settle for any last Caffe Nero for a breakfast bite, no sir. We held our heads up high and trouped around the newer part of the city for 45 minutes before we found a place that was cute, open and serving breakfast sandwiches. Again, our toils were worth it. We found an adorable place serving great coffee and delicious homemade rolls. Another bonus: we were acutely aware that we were definitely the only tourists around, which is a good thing, even if that means people stare at you shamelessly for your accent. Seriously though, people would actually stop, turn around, and stare at us point blank. Guess it’s not quite tourist season in Scotland yet…

We sort of wandered around as the city slowly woke up, which is how we happened upon these two buddies.

It turned out that our old buddy, Danielle was going to be able to come down to Edinburgh from St. Andrew’s for the day and meet us, so we needed to occupy our time before then. While we didn’t really have an idea where to go, Lauren’s keen traveler’s instincts kicked in, and she suggested a useful adage: “When in doubt, go up.” In Edinburgh, this was an especially apt choice! We soon found ourselves climbing a steep ascent to the top of Calton Hill, which turned out to be a beautiful historic site with amazing views on all sides. On the one side, we had a view of the entire city, and farther off, the sea. Behind us, we had beautiful, jagged cliffs, and on the other side, a view of Edinburgh Castle. 

On top of the hill itself, there were several unique structures, including a Parthenon-style National Monument that was so much more massive than you’d realize unless you went up close. Let me tell you, watching little Lauren climb up those enormous steps was huhlarious.

I could gush about this little hike for an entire post. It was so magical, and had such a strong impression on me. There was something extraordinary about being in the thick of a little city, and then to climb some steps, and to see the most exquisite views from a little natural haven in the fresh open air!

It was then time to add the third to our party, Danielle, after which we headed over to the start of the “Royal Mile”, which starts at the Parliament and Queen’s Palace on one end and leads all the way to the Edinburgh Castle. We didn’t go into the Palace, but I did snap a shot through the gates:

We then meandered up the Royal Mile, stopping into cute little tourist shops on the way.

We decided to go into the Castle, as it is a must-do in Edinburgh. It was cool to see where Mary Queen of Scots lived and gave birth to James I, who reigned after Elizabeth I. The exhibits also gave us a good sense of how proud Scots are of their own royal lineage, as well as other aspects of their history that make them unique.

The Castle did have a few surprises for us, namely a bout of hail (yes, hail!), as well as this funny bagpipe man that we posed with in honor of our good ol’ friend Sarah Jane.

Another surprising oddity that makes the Scottish royalty special:

After the Castle, we just had to lunch at the Elephant House, the famous cafe where JK Rowling first started writing Harry Potter! Quite an important stop. The whole theme was elephants, if that wasn’t obvious from the name, and it had a great view of the castle from the big, bright windows. I can imagine why JK enjoyed writing there!

For the rest of the day, we walked around the city, enjoying each other’s company and the pleasant atmosphere. We took one last stop at a pub before we left to savor some of the best of Scotland: three types of Scotch and two Scottish desserts, apple pie and sticky toffee pudding. Yum. They even had the Six Nations rugby match on… talk about authentic! Despite the name, this pub was not at all touristy.

So, that was the end of the Scotland adventure. It was amazing to me what a good time we had and what a good sense of each city we got with just two days at our disposal. It would have been great to spend some time outside of the city, hiking and visiting the coast, but in terms of the cities, we saw a lot and still didn’t feel rushed. In fact, I felt like I was a part of it all, a rather slow and calm way of life. Out of the places I’ve visited so far, Scotland has felt the most real and has been one of the least pretentious while being very proud of its heritage. Those two days will forever be crystallized in my memory as sweet and purely happy…

xx - IM

A Jaunt in Scotland With an Old Friend, Part I: Glasgow

Who would’ve believed it? Eight years later and an ocean away, two friends met as (almost) grown-up ladies, and embarked on an adventure to explore new places together!

Lauren and I did what you might call “speed-sightseeing,” which is like speed-dating with cities but with a lot more walking. Needless to say, I think after a day with Glasgow and a day with Edinburgh, we wanted to take them both home with us…

I have plenty of pictures from each, and both were very unique places, so I will give each of these Scottish havens their own special post.

We arrived in Glasgow early in the morning on Saturday after several hours of planes, trains, and automobiles. We learned right from that very morning that a good sense of humor was the ticket to a good experience over these two days, what with having so little time in our schedule and very little former knowledge about either city.

Sleep and coffee deprived, we checked into our hostel and walked over to a nearby pub. It was a good choice; we got some first rate Scottish fare, perked up from the strong coffee, and were ready to explore. Glasgow is a great city for walking around, very cute… I’d say it’s one parts industrial, one parts artsy, two parts traditional Scottish.

We spent a little time in the GoMA - the Gallery of Modern Art. I especially liked this museum because it celebrated local artists, so we got a good sense of the artistic side of Glasgow I’ve heard a lot about.

Another reason we really liked this place was because of this room… the kiddy art room. Lauren added a portrait to this wall and I had some fun with the light and my camera. Judging by the size of the chairs, I don’t think we were particularly welcome in there, so we booted out when some appropriately sized folks come along…

We were hesitant to make the trek over to the eastern part of the city, but for this cemetery, it was definitely worth it. Tombs, statues, and graves decorated the hilltop, intermingled with craggy vegetation and little pathways, all overlooking a beautiful old cathedral, as well as the city from all around. One thing I can say for certain, we definitely got a valid representation of Scottish weather, both in Glasgow and in Edinburgh. Just from the hour or so spent around this cemetery, we saw the sky go from grey and rainy to sunny and exquisitely blue!

It was at this point in our long day when we decided it was best to get a nice dinner and head back to the hostel for an early bedtime. Somehow, though, we managed to walk through the entire city of Glasgow without finding a single place which we deemed good enough, Scottish enough, hip enough, or had a normal enough female-male ratio. Thus, we dragged our tired butts to the farthest reaches of the city, to the West End, where we heard tell that there were some cool restaurants that fit our qualifications on this cute little road called Ashton Way.

Unfortunately, we forgot that it was Saturday night and that every place would be jam packed with people who had the same particular ideas about dining as we do… After a day like this, you can imagine what kind of hysterical laughter the name of this restaurant sparked in these two crazed, hungry girls…

We ended up scoring a table at this enormous bar/restaurant that had delicious Scottish food in tapas-sized portions. That meal and a glass of wine later, we were ready to pass out, in preparation (recovery) for our next adventure, a day in Edinburgh!