Hey Everybody,
It's been over a week since I first landed back in New Jersey. It's crazy how fast one falls back into the rhythm of life. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.
On the last night of the trip, we discussed as a group what the highlights of the trip were. A friend of mine, Ben, made a very interesting comment. He said that Sderot was one of the most "real" places he's ever been.
That comment struck a chord in me that I hadn't felt before. Ben was absolutely right. I doubt I've seen anything as "real" either.
You may asking yourself, what does this mean? To be "real"? Isn't everything "real"? How can one thing be more "real" then any other thing?
In order to best explain this, one needs to know about Sderot.
Some history: Sderot is the one of the largest cities in the Negev. The Negev is the southern part of Israel, and mostly a huge desert. The most interesting aspect of Sderot is it's proximity to the Gaza Strip.
Sderot is one kilometer away from the Gaza Strip. At one point during our tour, we stood on top of a hill that overlooked the Gaza Strip. As you may or may not know, the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel is one of the most heavily fortified in the world. Sderot is the nearest city to the Gaza Strip.
Now why is this important?
Over the past decade, terrorists from the Gaza Strip have aimed rockets and missiles into Sderot. Hundreds upon hundreds of attacks have hit this city of 20,000. At any given time, a missile or rocket can hit. There is a 15 second alarm that alerts the city of any impeding attack.
There have been reports of up to 20 rockets hitting Sderot in a SINGLE DAY.
Every single house has an adjoining bomb shelter. The tour guide told us that he has certain ways of getting to the grocery just in case the alarm sounds off. The amount of time that it took you to read up to here is about triple (or quadruple) the amount of time the people have in Sderot to find a bomb shelter.
The rockets and missiles hit indiscriminately. They have hit schools, houses, and hospitals. At one point during the tour, we were taken to a park where children can play. In order to protect the kids, the whole play area are huge bomb shelters that are painted as caterpillars.
Our tour guide also mentioned that up to 80% of the children there suffer from PTSD. This, is quite understandable. I couldn't imagine growing up in a city that gets attacked as frequently as Sderot.
We were taken to the police station of Sderot. They collect everything that is fired from the Gaza Strip, and put it on display. We learned that different terrorist groups color their missiles differently. Green is one terrorist group, yellow is another.
Apparently, four days prior to us visiting, an alarm had gone off. This meant that we were in an active war zone. Try going to bed after that!
My friend Ben put it so delicately. This was one of the most "real" things that he ever experienced. I agree with him fully.
That's it for now,
Z
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Western Wall
Hey Everybody,
During my trip to Israel, we spent three full nights in Jerusalem. The three nights that we stayed were Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The reason that this is important is that the holiest day of the week for Jewish people is the Sabbath, or Saturday.
We went to the Western Wall twice on Friday. The first time was during the afternoon. When we first got there, I wasn't sure what my reaction would be. I was raised Jewish, but did the 13 and out plan.
The 13 and out plan is pretty simple. From around age 6 or 7. (depending on the family) you get put into Hebrew school. There, you learn the history of Judaism, as well as basic Hebrew. At the age of 13 (roughly) you have a bar or bat mitzvah (depending on gender). This ceremony makes you a "man" or "woman" of the community and gives you higher respect. That being said, most people stop going to temple and/or being religious after their ceremony.
I had a very emotional reaction to the Wall. I haven't felt anything as powerful in an extremely long time. To Jews, the Western Wall is one of the (if not the) most powerful and important places in the world. There was a certain energy and spirituality that I had never felt before. I realized that it didn't matter how I raised. The important thing was to see and actually touch this monument to the Jewish people. Millions of people had died for this wall. It was very touching to be there.
The wall is open 24/7. The majority of people at the wall are Ultra-Orthodox Jews. These are the people who curl their hair and can be found all over Williamsburg in Brooklyn. These people study Judaism. There is a huge controversy in Israel with Ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The Ultra-Orthodox do not have to join the Israeli Army. They also don't pay any taxes, and most are pretty poor. They spend their lives studying Judaism and praying. The overwhelming majority of people in Israel are not Ultra-Orthodox, and are angry that their taxes go to helping these people. The issue is more interesting because Israel is a Jewish State. How can the government not support people who are studying the history and importance of Judaism?
The wall is split by sex. About 75% to 80% of the wall is the males, and the remainder for the females. Off to the left side of the wall, there is a tunnel with hundreds of bibles which one can take to pray with. There were old men standing next to teenagers, taken over by the spirit of the prayers. I sat for about 15 minutes to just hear the Hebrew that was spoken.
Once sundown happens, it becomes Shabbat. We went back to the wall after sundown. It was a totally different environment. There was a dramatic increase in the amount of people who were at the wall. During the afternoon, there were probably no more then 500 people. By the time we got there for Shabbat, the number had increased to around 10 to 12 THOUSAND people.
Men were dancing in circles, and they encouraged others to join them. One of the coolest things I've ever done was join a circle with about 100 army troops. It hit me that if I was born in Israel, these people would be my peer group. (I'm going to do a post about the Army in the future). All of them had M16's, and we were dancing in circles. It was a bittersweet moment.
According to our tour guide, the people at the Western Wall spend the night there. Alcohol gets served, and the men get trashed.
It was one of the top 5 experiences of my life, and I'm glad I was part of it.
I believe that if you have the opportunity to be at the Western Wall for Shabbat, you should go. It doesn't matter if you're Jewish, Christian, Muslim, or any other religion. The power that is felt there is nothing like I've ever felt before.
Another post soon,
Z
During my trip to Israel, we spent three full nights in Jerusalem. The three nights that we stayed were Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The reason that this is important is that the holiest day of the week for Jewish people is the Sabbath, or Saturday.
We went to the Western Wall twice on Friday. The first time was during the afternoon. When we first got there, I wasn't sure what my reaction would be. I was raised Jewish, but did the 13 and out plan.
The 13 and out plan is pretty simple. From around age 6 or 7. (depending on the family) you get put into Hebrew school. There, you learn the history of Judaism, as well as basic Hebrew. At the age of 13 (roughly) you have a bar or bat mitzvah (depending on gender). This ceremony makes you a "man" or "woman" of the community and gives you higher respect. That being said, most people stop going to temple and/or being religious after their ceremony.
I had a very emotional reaction to the Wall. I haven't felt anything as powerful in an extremely long time. To Jews, the Western Wall is one of the (if not the) most powerful and important places in the world. There was a certain energy and spirituality that I had never felt before. I realized that it didn't matter how I raised. The important thing was to see and actually touch this monument to the Jewish people. Millions of people had died for this wall. It was very touching to be there.
The wall is open 24/7. The majority of people at the wall are Ultra-Orthodox Jews. These are the people who curl their hair and can be found all over Williamsburg in Brooklyn. These people study Judaism. There is a huge controversy in Israel with Ultra-Orthodox Jews.
The Ultra-Orthodox do not have to join the Israeli Army. They also don't pay any taxes, and most are pretty poor. They spend their lives studying Judaism and praying. The overwhelming majority of people in Israel are not Ultra-Orthodox, and are angry that their taxes go to helping these people. The issue is more interesting because Israel is a Jewish State. How can the government not support people who are studying the history and importance of Judaism?
The wall is split by sex. About 75% to 80% of the wall is the males, and the remainder for the females. Off to the left side of the wall, there is a tunnel with hundreds of bibles which one can take to pray with. There were old men standing next to teenagers, taken over by the spirit of the prayers. I sat for about 15 minutes to just hear the Hebrew that was spoken.
Once sundown happens, it becomes Shabbat. We went back to the wall after sundown. It was a totally different environment. There was a dramatic increase in the amount of people who were at the wall. During the afternoon, there were probably no more then 500 people. By the time we got there for Shabbat, the number had increased to around 10 to 12 THOUSAND people.
Men were dancing in circles, and they encouraged others to join them. One of the coolest things I've ever done was join a circle with about 100 army troops. It hit me that if I was born in Israel, these people would be my peer group. (I'm going to do a post about the Army in the future). All of them had M16's, and we were dancing in circles. It was a bittersweet moment.
According to our tour guide, the people at the Western Wall spend the night there. Alcohol gets served, and the men get trashed.
It was one of the top 5 experiences of my life, and I'm glad I was part of it.
I believe that if you have the opportunity to be at the Western Wall for Shabbat, you should go. It doesn't matter if you're Jewish, Christian, Muslim, or any other religion. The power that is felt there is nothing like I've ever felt before.
Another post soon,
Z
Friday, February 25, 2011
People On My Trip
Hey Everybody,
I would like to start my blog posts of Israel about the other 39 people who I shared this adventure with.
The reason I bring this up is because I had many reservations about the people who I was going to be traveling with. I (wrongly) assumed that I was going to be traveling with 39 others who had a sense of entitlement.
Granted, this thought process wasn't totally ignorant. I have had many friends who have traveled on this same trip, and constantly complained about the others who they had met.
There were two major differences between my trip choice and my friends' choices of trip. Originally, I was going to do birthright with a good friend of mine who is into hiking. Unfortunately, she pulled out of the trip, and I was left by myself to do a trip that was totally out of my element. This being said, most people who I knew growing up would never want to hike.
The other major difference between the trips my friends' had gone on and mine was the fact that they had all gone on trips from the 18-22 year old range, while my trip had an age range of 22-26. Prior to the trip, I didn't realize how big of a difference that is. Instead of being the oldest on the trip, I was the third youngest. It made a world of difference.
The people on my trip totally changed my perspective of what being a young adult Jew is. Most of the people on my trip lived in the New York City area. The professions that people had ranged from every spectrum of life. There were bankers, entrepreneurs, accountants, artists, photographers, reporters, grad students, med students, musicians, actors, teachers, consultants, non-profit workers, and the list went on and on.
Being one of the youngest on the trip, it constantly dawned on me that these people were a snapshot of what my life is to become over the next few years. My mind was blown by the different paths people took. The one thing that brought us all together was our religion and our trip.
My idea of what a young Jew is was totally shattered. I was dumbstruck and embarrassed that I came into the trip expecting horrible people. I made great friends who I expect to stay in touch with for the rest of my life.
The fact is, we were a special group. All of us understood what it meant to be part of something larger, and we all accomplished that goal.
That's it for now,
Z
I would like to start my blog posts of Israel about the other 39 people who I shared this adventure with.
The reason I bring this up is because I had many reservations about the people who I was going to be traveling with. I (wrongly) assumed that I was going to be traveling with 39 others who had a sense of entitlement.
Granted, this thought process wasn't totally ignorant. I have had many friends who have traveled on this same trip, and constantly complained about the others who they had met.
There were two major differences between my trip choice and my friends' choices of trip. Originally, I was going to do birthright with a good friend of mine who is into hiking. Unfortunately, she pulled out of the trip, and I was left by myself to do a trip that was totally out of my element. This being said, most people who I knew growing up would never want to hike.
The other major difference between the trips my friends' had gone on and mine was the fact that they had all gone on trips from the 18-22 year old range, while my trip had an age range of 22-26. Prior to the trip, I didn't realize how big of a difference that is. Instead of being the oldest on the trip, I was the third youngest. It made a world of difference.
The people on my trip totally changed my perspective of what being a young adult Jew is. Most of the people on my trip lived in the New York City area. The professions that people had ranged from every spectrum of life. There were bankers, entrepreneurs, accountants, artists, photographers, reporters, grad students, med students, musicians, actors, teachers, consultants, non-profit workers, and the list went on and on.
Being one of the youngest on the trip, it constantly dawned on me that these people were a snapshot of what my life is to become over the next few years. My mind was blown by the different paths people took. The one thing that brought us all together was our religion and our trip.
My idea of what a young Jew is was totally shattered. I was dumbstruck and embarrassed that I came into the trip expecting horrible people. I made great friends who I expect to stay in touch with for the rest of my life.
The fact is, we were a special group. All of us understood what it meant to be part of something larger, and we all accomplished that goal.
That's it for now,
Z
ISRAEL
Hey Everybody,
After a (too) long hiatus from writing as well as traveling, my latest adventure is now complete. Over the past 11 days I adventured throughout the land of Israel. I was able to travel in the middle east because of a free trip that is given to all Jews between the ages of 18 and 26. Unfortunately, I had very limited internet access, so for the following blog posts, they are going to be aimed at various aspects of Israel. This is going to be different from my European posts that were in chronological order.
Please enjoy the following accounts, and if you are in between the ages of 18-26 and are Jewish, do yourself a favor and sign up for the trip. I left the US being cautiously optimistic about my adventure, and came back as a changed person.
Love you all,
Z
After a (too) long hiatus from writing as well as traveling, my latest adventure is now complete. Over the past 11 days I adventured throughout the land of Israel. I was able to travel in the middle east because of a free trip that is given to all Jews between the ages of 18 and 26. Unfortunately, I had very limited internet access, so for the following blog posts, they are going to be aimed at various aspects of Israel. This is going to be different from my European posts that were in chronological order.
Please enjoy the following accounts, and if you are in between the ages of 18-26 and are Jewish, do yourself a favor and sign up for the trip. I left the US being cautiously optimistic about my adventure, and came back as a changed person.
Love you all,
Z
Monday, October 4, 2010
Baltimore
Hey Everybody,
Being unemployed has both ups and downs. Of course, I can't really move out of my parents house, I have no money coming in, and I also am stuck in suburbia. The positives include having more time then I know what to do with.
This weekend I visited my good friend down at John's Hopkins. I had gone there a week or two after I had graduated from Syracuse, (my buddy was doing a summer class) so I knew some of my friend's good friends.
It seems that John's Hopkins is really split. There is a huge arts community, and a huge engineering community. It seems that students tend to stay with their own. The school is also much smaller then I thought it was, so you can walk down the street and be stopped every 10 feet by people you know.
One of the biggest similarities between Hopkins and Syracuse is that the campus and main street area are about a 10 or 12 block radius. If you walk too far outside the area, it becomes pretty bad.
My buddy was in a play during the whole weekend. It was a series of 5 short plays written, directed, produced, and acted out by students. My favorite play was the easiest one to follow. In the year 2080, a woman is trying to kill this guy who works at a shoe store because he had killed her brother. Hilarious.
My buddy did really well, and there was a cast party that night. While there, I ran into a couple of his friends who I had met in the past. We ended the night getting some late night food.
The following day didn't get started until about 3. During the morning, my buddy and I shared music. We walked around the campus a little bit, and ended up going to a few events.
Apparently, the weekend I was at John's Hopkins was Young Alumni Weekend. This is a BRILLIANT idea. It's aimed at alumni who graduated within the past three years. This is so that they can experience a night or two of college again.
My friend and I ended up at a meet and greet, but no one else showed. They had set up a Gamecube, so we played Super Smash Brothers for a couple of hours. We also went to a football game. We eventually had to go, because he needed to get to the second showing of his play.
Instead of going back to see the play, I ended up grabbing dinner and meeting up with a friend of my friend. Once the play ended, everyone met up and we went to a school sponsored Young Alumni Event.
This was the apex of the night. I was at an event where everybody knew each other. I knew 3 people in a room of at least 250. It was as if I was a fly on the wall because no one knew me.
The funniest moment was when this guy came up to me, embraced me and asked what I was doing with my life. Apparently I looked like someone he had known at Hopkins. We talked for a bit, and I was able to keep a story going.
I also ran into a good friend of mine from my high school who had gone to Hopkins. She was there to celebrate the weekend.
The rest of the night consisted of mishaps left and right. I totally lost my buddy, and ended up at a party where I knew only a couple of people. He apparently had ran to go to some type of midnight breakfast. Who knows where he ended up.
Eventually, we all find each other and start to head back. I was exhausted by this point and my bed was calling.
I really enjoyed my time in Baltimore, and will be heading back down there for the Jon Stewart Rally on the 30th.
Good luck,
Zac
Being unemployed has both ups and downs. Of course, I can't really move out of my parents house, I have no money coming in, and I also am stuck in suburbia. The positives include having more time then I know what to do with.
This weekend I visited my good friend down at John's Hopkins. I had gone there a week or two after I had graduated from Syracuse, (my buddy was doing a summer class) so I knew some of my friend's good friends.
It seems that John's Hopkins is really split. There is a huge arts community, and a huge engineering community. It seems that students tend to stay with their own. The school is also much smaller then I thought it was, so you can walk down the street and be stopped every 10 feet by people you know.
One of the biggest similarities between Hopkins and Syracuse is that the campus and main street area are about a 10 or 12 block radius. If you walk too far outside the area, it becomes pretty bad.
My buddy was in a play during the whole weekend. It was a series of 5 short plays written, directed, produced, and acted out by students. My favorite play was the easiest one to follow. In the year 2080, a woman is trying to kill this guy who works at a shoe store because he had killed her brother. Hilarious.
My buddy did really well, and there was a cast party that night. While there, I ran into a couple of his friends who I had met in the past. We ended the night getting some late night food.
The following day didn't get started until about 3. During the morning, my buddy and I shared music. We walked around the campus a little bit, and ended up going to a few events.
Apparently, the weekend I was at John's Hopkins was Young Alumni Weekend. This is a BRILLIANT idea. It's aimed at alumni who graduated within the past three years. This is so that they can experience a night or two of college again.
My friend and I ended up at a meet and greet, but no one else showed. They had set up a Gamecube, so we played Super Smash Brothers for a couple of hours. We also went to a football game. We eventually had to go, because he needed to get to the second showing of his play.
Instead of going back to see the play, I ended up grabbing dinner and meeting up with a friend of my friend. Once the play ended, everyone met up and we went to a school sponsored Young Alumni Event.
This was the apex of the night. I was at an event where everybody knew each other. I knew 3 people in a room of at least 250. It was as if I was a fly on the wall because no one knew me.
The funniest moment was when this guy came up to me, embraced me and asked what I was doing with my life. Apparently I looked like someone he had known at Hopkins. We talked for a bit, and I was able to keep a story going.
I also ran into a good friend of mine from my high school who had gone to Hopkins. She was there to celebrate the weekend.
The rest of the night consisted of mishaps left and right. I totally lost my buddy, and ended up at a party where I knew only a couple of people. He apparently had ran to go to some type of midnight breakfast. Who knows where he ended up.
Eventually, we all find each other and start to head back. I was exhausted by this point and my bed was calling.
I really enjoyed my time in Baltimore, and will be heading back down there for the Jon Stewart Rally on the 30th.
Good luck,
Zac
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Bawston
Hey Everybody,
I wrote a really horrible review of Boston originally. After thinking about it, I really did have a great time up there. It's not my city, but I can see that there are good people up there, the weather isn't horrible, and you can walk down some streets that you can see haven't been changed since (what feels like) the late 1700's.
The first day I got to Boston, I met up with my friend Sam. His girlfriend had just moved into the city a few days before so we ended up stopping at her place. That night we walked around her neighborhood. Though I forget the name of the neighborhood, it was somewhere near BU (possibly Beacon street?). It had an unbelievable ethnic food selection, everything from Thai and BBQ to Burmese and Mexican. There's also an awesome liquor store that has every kind of beer you could think of, including Middle Ages (Syracuse) and Schlafly (St Louis).
The next day we went to Fenway. I had read an article by Bill Simmons that stated that as the years have gone by, the time a baseball game takes dramatically increases. The game started at 1:30. It didn't end until about 5:30 or 6.
The people I met at the game were total doushes, and though I would lovvveee to stereotype all Boston people like that, it's somewhat unfair.
The ballpark is historic, but at the end of the day, nothing beats Yankee Stadium.
During the third day of my mini-vaca, we saw "The Expendables".
Truth be told, it kicked ass.
If you want to see a movie where people get their head blown off at regular intervals, then this movie is for you. Or if you want a Arnold cameo.
There were only three women in the whole movie. THREE. That's why this movie gets 1 thumb up from me. How can you make a movie that has people comically blow up and a black man with a gun that explodes towers, yet there are only THREE women in the whole thing? THAT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE!
Back to Boston:
We did some go-karting, and some mini-golfing.
Go-Karting is sooo much fun. I don't remember the last time I did it, but being able to race in a car is lots of fun. I figured out how to gain the most speed quickly, so don't mess.
I suck at mini-golf. Period.
That night we met up with our friend Jimbo. We got a few drinks, caught up and called it a night.
Boston is a great city, and I hope I will be able to head up there again soon.
I wrote a really horrible review of Boston originally. After thinking about it, I really did have a great time up there. It's not my city, but I can see that there are good people up there, the weather isn't horrible, and you can walk down some streets that you can see haven't been changed since (what feels like) the late 1700's.
The first day I got to Boston, I met up with my friend Sam. His girlfriend had just moved into the city a few days before so we ended up stopping at her place. That night we walked around her neighborhood. Though I forget the name of the neighborhood, it was somewhere near BU (possibly Beacon street?). It had an unbelievable ethnic food selection, everything from Thai and BBQ to Burmese and Mexican. There's also an awesome liquor store that has every kind of beer you could think of, including Middle Ages (Syracuse) and Schlafly (St Louis).
The next day we went to Fenway. I had read an article by Bill Simmons that stated that as the years have gone by, the time a baseball game takes dramatically increases. The game started at 1:30. It didn't end until about 5:30 or 6.
The people I met at the game were total doushes, and though I would lovvveee to stereotype all Boston people like that, it's somewhat unfair.
The ballpark is historic, but at the end of the day, nothing beats Yankee Stadium.
During the third day of my mini-vaca, we saw "The Expendables".
Truth be told, it kicked ass.
If you want to see a movie where people get their head blown off at regular intervals, then this movie is for you. Or if you want a Arnold cameo.
There were only three women in the whole movie. THREE. That's why this movie gets 1 thumb up from me. How can you make a movie that has people comically blow up and a black man with a gun that explodes towers, yet there are only THREE women in the whole thing? THAT DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE!
Back to Boston:
We did some go-karting, and some mini-golfing.
Go-Karting is sooo much fun. I don't remember the last time I did it, but being able to race in a car is lots of fun. I figured out how to gain the most speed quickly, so don't mess.
I suck at mini-golf. Period.
That night we met up with our friend Jimbo. We got a few drinks, caught up and called it a night.
Boston is a great city, and I hope I will be able to head up there again soon.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Out in the Wild West 3
Hey Everybody,
Oregon was amazing.
If you can, look at pictures of Crater Lake. It is gorgeous.
The last few days of my trip were spent locally. We spent a few hours shopping around Bend. My parents bought cowboy boots. HA.
The whole family did a (unofficial) microbrewery tour of Bend. At that point, we assumed that there were 4 main breweries (later we found out there were 5). We had had lunch at one of them, and decided that our last night in Bend would be spent going around getting samplers at the rest of the breweries.
If you are ever at a brewery, always get the sampler. You get a boatload of beer for cheap. Typically around 10 dollars in Oregon, closer to 12 in NY.
While we went shopping, I bought a Pink Floyd DVD, we watched it that night.
Portland was pretty uneventful besides the fact that we spent half an hour getting donuts at Voodoo, a restaurant typically featured on Travel Channel. SOOO worth it.
After a quick(ish) flight home, I have to say that Oregon was one of the best family trips I have ever been on.
Until next time,
Zac
Oregon was amazing.
If you can, look at pictures of Crater Lake. It is gorgeous.
The last few days of my trip were spent locally. We spent a few hours shopping around Bend. My parents bought cowboy boots. HA.
The whole family did a (unofficial) microbrewery tour of Bend. At that point, we assumed that there were 4 main breweries (later we found out there were 5). We had had lunch at one of them, and decided that our last night in Bend would be spent going around getting samplers at the rest of the breweries.
If you are ever at a brewery, always get the sampler. You get a boatload of beer for cheap. Typically around 10 dollars in Oregon, closer to 12 in NY.
While we went shopping, I bought a Pink Floyd DVD, we watched it that night.
Portland was pretty uneventful besides the fact that we spent half an hour getting donuts at Voodoo, a restaurant typically featured on Travel Channel. SOOO worth it.
After a quick(ish) flight home, I have to say that Oregon was one of the best family trips I have ever been on.
Until next time,
Zac
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Out In The Wild West Part 2
Hey Everybody,
As I type to you, I am sitting at my aunts computer in Oregon. I am in a city named Bend which is the largest city in central Oregon. The population of the largest central Oregonian city is a little over 80,000. As we drove here from Portland, we passed by cities that had populations under 500.
The first day that we arrived, we did a small tour of Portland. The two things that I know about Portland are Voodoo donuts and microbreweries. Voodoo Donuts is featured on the travel channel as a place that has a unique twist on donuts. Unfortunately, when we got there, the line was about an hour long, so we left. My parents were a little tired to go to Microbreweries, so we ended up going out to a nice dinner in Portland and called it a night early.
The next day we left for Bend. Bend is about a 3 hour drive from Portland. On the side, my uncle has a license that lets him marry people. Once we got to Bend, he had to leave to marry his friends sister.
The next day we went to a town called Sisters. This is a stereotypical small western town with a boat load of shopping. The reason the town is named Sisters is that there are three mountains that are close together on the range that are named the "Three Sisters". It is absolutely gorgeous, and even during the end of the summer there is snow at the peaks of the mountain.
Since we have been in Oregon, my Aunt and Uncle kept raving about this restaurant called the Cowboy Dinner tree. It is literally in the middle of nowhere. We had to drive a combined 3 hours to get there and back. The great thing about Oregon is that there are a million two lane highways that are the only connectors between parts of the state. In other words, the Garden State Parkway is a two lane highway out here. To get to the restaurant we had to go through two national forests, a desert and some plains.
The restaurant looks like a shack on the side of the road. While there, there was at least a turnover of about 50 people. This shocked me. The closest city of any big population was around a 3 hour round trip. The food was spectacular, and one needs to make a reservation in order to eat there. They serve unbelievable tri-tip steak and a really great bean chili thing. If you ever find yourself in central Oregon, go to this place!
Yesterday, we went to this naturally formed lake named Crater Lake. A large volcano fell years ago, and a lake formed where it once stood. We were driving on roads that had a sheer cliff drop on one side, pretty cool.
The lake is crystal blue, and I found out later it's because there aren't any rivers that flow sediment into it. It was one of the prettiest natural things I have ever seen.
That night, we went to a top of a butte and watched as the sun set and the moon rose. It was gorgeous.
Side thoughts:
I really have not seen anyone under the age of 25. Though there is a semi big population, it seems to be mostly retired people.
The natural beauty is second to none.
I should have taken this trip years ago.
See you all soon,
Zac
As I type to you, I am sitting at my aunts computer in Oregon. I am in a city named Bend which is the largest city in central Oregon. The population of the largest central Oregonian city is a little over 80,000. As we drove here from Portland, we passed by cities that had populations under 500.
The first day that we arrived, we did a small tour of Portland. The two things that I know about Portland are Voodoo donuts and microbreweries. Voodoo Donuts is featured on the travel channel as a place that has a unique twist on donuts. Unfortunately, when we got there, the line was about an hour long, so we left. My parents were a little tired to go to Microbreweries, so we ended up going out to a nice dinner in Portland and called it a night early.
The next day we left for Bend. Bend is about a 3 hour drive from Portland. On the side, my uncle has a license that lets him marry people. Once we got to Bend, he had to leave to marry his friends sister.
The next day we went to a town called Sisters. This is a stereotypical small western town with a boat load of shopping. The reason the town is named Sisters is that there are three mountains that are close together on the range that are named the "Three Sisters". It is absolutely gorgeous, and even during the end of the summer there is snow at the peaks of the mountain.
Since we have been in Oregon, my Aunt and Uncle kept raving about this restaurant called the Cowboy Dinner tree. It is literally in the middle of nowhere. We had to drive a combined 3 hours to get there and back. The great thing about Oregon is that there are a million two lane highways that are the only connectors between parts of the state. In other words, the Garden State Parkway is a two lane highway out here. To get to the restaurant we had to go through two national forests, a desert and some plains.
The restaurant looks like a shack on the side of the road. While there, there was at least a turnover of about 50 people. This shocked me. The closest city of any big population was around a 3 hour round trip. The food was spectacular, and one needs to make a reservation in order to eat there. They serve unbelievable tri-tip steak and a really great bean chili thing. If you ever find yourself in central Oregon, go to this place!
Yesterday, we went to this naturally formed lake named Crater Lake. A large volcano fell years ago, and a lake formed where it once stood. We were driving on roads that had a sheer cliff drop on one side, pretty cool.
The lake is crystal blue, and I found out later it's because there aren't any rivers that flow sediment into it. It was one of the prettiest natural things I have ever seen.
That night, we went to a top of a butte and watched as the sun set and the moon rose. It was gorgeous.
Side thoughts:
I really have not seen anyone under the age of 25. Though there is a semi big population, it seems to be mostly retired people.
The natural beauty is second to none.
I should have taken this trip years ago.
See you all soon,
Zac
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Out to the Wild Wild West
Latest update on me:
I have been home for a little over two weeks. I have applied to many different jobs, and I am waiting to hear back on most of them.
I still have yet to make a scrap book of any sort, neither have I gone through all of the pictures from Europe. I think the fact remains that I am still reeling from the trip, and want more time before I reflect upon it.
With that being said, I am going to Oregon tomorrow.
The first question most people ask is, (with a face of disbelief) Why Oregon??
Well, the short answer is that I have an uncle who lives out there. My part of the family has never been to Oregon, so it should be quite an adventure.
The second thing most people say is that the only thing they know about Oregon is that there was a trail that led there. AKA, The Oregon Trail video game.
This game was absolutely amazing. For those who don't know you started out East sometime in the 19th century, and were trying to get to Oregon in order to start a new life.
Sounds easy?
Well, You have to hunt your own food, and people were always getting dysentery. I don't even know what dysentery is besides the fact that apparently many people perished with it while on the Oregon trail. God rest their souls.
The first and last night of the trip we will be in Portland. I read that Portland is one of the 15 most underrated cities in the US. There a million micro breweries there, which is totally up my alley.
The meat in the sandwich part of the trip is going to be spent in Bend, Oregon. This is in central Oregon. There are some touristy parts of it, but in general it is supposed to be beautiful.
I hope to be less ignorant by the time the trip ends.
See you all soon,
Zac
I have been home for a little over two weeks. I have applied to many different jobs, and I am waiting to hear back on most of them.
I still have yet to make a scrap book of any sort, neither have I gone through all of the pictures from Europe. I think the fact remains that I am still reeling from the trip, and want more time before I reflect upon it.
With that being said, I am going to Oregon tomorrow.
The first question most people ask is, (with a face of disbelief) Why Oregon??
Well, the short answer is that I have an uncle who lives out there. My part of the family has never been to Oregon, so it should be quite an adventure.
The second thing most people say is that the only thing they know about Oregon is that there was a trail that led there. AKA, The Oregon Trail video game.
This game was absolutely amazing. For those who don't know you started out East sometime in the 19th century, and were trying to get to Oregon in order to start a new life.
Sounds easy?
Well, You have to hunt your own food, and people were always getting dysentery. I don't even know what dysentery is besides the fact that apparently many people perished with it while on the Oregon trail. God rest their souls.
The first and last night of the trip we will be in Portland. I read that Portland is one of the 15 most underrated cities in the US. There a million micro breweries there, which is totally up my alley.
The meat in the sandwich part of the trip is going to be spent in Bend, Oregon. This is in central Oregon. There are some touristy parts of it, but in general it is supposed to be beautiful.
I hope to be less ignorant by the time the trip ends.
See you all soon,
Zac
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Its all over now baby blue
Hey Everybody,
A week ago today, I landed back in the US.
It took about 3 days to get over the jet lag, and the realization that I wont wake up in a European city is slowly settling in.
I came home to a loving family that missed me dearly, and they brought with them the Chicken Parm sandwich I mentioned I longed for in Rome.
The trip was unbelievable. Life changing. Exciting. Scary. Fun. Exhilarating. Stressful. The list goes on and on.
The most important aspect of my trip was not the places I went to. Instead, its the people who I met.
I now have met people from all over the world. A cop from Greece, a graffiti artist from Amsterdam. A cardshark from Australia. A professional baseball player in Germany. This list also goes on and on.
All of these people influenced me in their own way. Stereotypes I may have once had about certain countries have been broken.
To talk to people who have never been to the US and try to understand their perspective of what the US is was quite possibly the most interesting aspect of the trip. How do you explain that some people love guns in the US but others are totally opposed to it?
Some really cool statistics of the blog:
USA:
21 states looked at the blog
International
19 countries from every continent besides Africa
in total, there were 784 visits from around the world.
I would like to thank everyone for reading my blog.
More importantly, TRAVEL! TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL! Nothing will make you a better person then traveling.
Also, if anyone knows of any jobs available in marketing please contact me. Applying for jobs kind of sucks.
Love you guys and good luck,
Zac
A week ago today, I landed back in the US.
It took about 3 days to get over the jet lag, and the realization that I wont wake up in a European city is slowly settling in.
I came home to a loving family that missed me dearly, and they brought with them the Chicken Parm sandwich I mentioned I longed for in Rome.
The trip was unbelievable. Life changing. Exciting. Scary. Fun. Exhilarating. Stressful. The list goes on and on.
The most important aspect of my trip was not the places I went to. Instead, its the people who I met.
I now have met people from all over the world. A cop from Greece, a graffiti artist from Amsterdam. A cardshark from Australia. A professional baseball player in Germany. This list also goes on and on.
All of these people influenced me in their own way. Stereotypes I may have once had about certain countries have been broken.
To talk to people who have never been to the US and try to understand their perspective of what the US is was quite possibly the most interesting aspect of the trip. How do you explain that some people love guns in the US but others are totally opposed to it?
Some really cool statistics of the blog:
USA:
21 states looked at the blog
International
19 countries from every continent besides Africa
in total, there were 784 visits from around the world.
I would like to thank everyone for reading my blog.
More importantly, TRAVEL! TRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL! Nothing will make you a better person then traveling.
Also, if anyone knows of any jobs available in marketing please contact me. Applying for jobs kind of sucks.
Love you guys and good luck,
Zac
Thursday, August 5, 2010
When in Rome (Part 2)
Hey Everybody,
I am back in the U.S.S.A, I was born in the U.S.A, This land is my land, this land is your land... etc.
The last few days of my trip were some of the best experiences that I had while abroad. I stayed with my friends Marisa and Max and we had a ball. Each morning that I was there, a small street market was open. We would go down to the market and buy different fruits and veggies, and make breakfast.
I had seen most of the big things in Rome by this point, so we were never really in any type of rush. After I left, they still had a few days to explore the city. The first full I day I had with them I had to wake up unbelievably early because I had yet to check out of my hostel. The night before we had drank a little too much, and we all came to the conclusion that it probably was not a smart idea for me to try to take the buses back to my hostel.
Rome does have a pretty good bus system, but the woman at the hostel gave me entirely horrible directions. She told me to take the bus for 6 stops, and then get off. What she failed to mention was the fact that if nobody is at the bus stop and no one gets off, then the bus driver speeds by your stop.
Of course, it was dark and rainy, so I couldn't see every single stop that we passed. After a little while I asked the guy across from me if I was near my stop. He laughed. Yes, he laughed. He told me directions to get back (in Italian), so I was totally lost.
A good thing and a bad thing happened at the same time. I remembered that I had put Google Maps on my phone, so I was able to type in their address, and walk an additional half mile or so. The problem was that my phone was nearly dead. Luckily, the phone stayed on until I was about a block away or so, and was able to get to their apartment with little trouble.
For two of the three nights I stayed with them, Marisa cooked unbelievable meals. The first was an eggplant Parmigiana , and the other night was an open forced cord on bleu. I do have to mention that Max is quite a good sous chef. Yummy.
We rented bikes for a day, and ended up doing the tour of the Colosseum. The Colosseum is as cool as I imagined it, granted a tad smaller then expected. I kept making corny jokes throughout the museum part saying things like: "They had lights 2000 years ago?!?", "I didnt know they had hand rails 2000 years ago?!?". I was eventually exhausted of making these types of jokes.
A group from Eastern Europe came up to the three of us and asked me to take a picture. Marisa started saying how I was a world famous photographer, and I should charge them quite a bit. The Eastern Europeans didn't really get the joke, but I thought it was funny, and that is really all that matters in that type of situation.
We rode around for a while, had great gelato and I took the two of them to the worlds most unique McDonalds (According to Travel Channel) in the world. It was more of a lounge then anything else.
The second day full day I was with them was also my last day in Rome. I bought gifts for a few friends, my parents, and went shopping at my new obsession, United Colors of Benetton.
That night, we drank to celebrate Marisa's birthday as well as my last day in Europe. Great times were had by all!
I plan on writing one more post about thoughts and statistics from the trip...
Thank you everyone!
Zac
I am back in the U.S.S.A, I was born in the U.S.A, This land is my land, this land is your land... etc.
The last few days of my trip were some of the best experiences that I had while abroad. I stayed with my friends Marisa and Max and we had a ball. Each morning that I was there, a small street market was open. We would go down to the market and buy different fruits and veggies, and make breakfast.
I had seen most of the big things in Rome by this point, so we were never really in any type of rush. After I left, they still had a few days to explore the city. The first full I day I had with them I had to wake up unbelievably early because I had yet to check out of my hostel. The night before we had drank a little too much, and we all came to the conclusion that it probably was not a smart idea for me to try to take the buses back to my hostel.
Rome does have a pretty good bus system, but the woman at the hostel gave me entirely horrible directions. She told me to take the bus for 6 stops, and then get off. What she failed to mention was the fact that if nobody is at the bus stop and no one gets off, then the bus driver speeds by your stop.
Of course, it was dark and rainy, so I couldn't see every single stop that we passed. After a little while I asked the guy across from me if I was near my stop. He laughed. Yes, he laughed. He told me directions to get back (in Italian), so I was totally lost.
A good thing and a bad thing happened at the same time. I remembered that I had put Google Maps on my phone, so I was able to type in their address, and walk an additional half mile or so. The problem was that my phone was nearly dead. Luckily, the phone stayed on until I was about a block away or so, and was able to get to their apartment with little trouble.
For two of the three nights I stayed with them, Marisa cooked unbelievable meals. The first was an eggplant Parmigiana , and the other night was an open forced cord on bleu. I do have to mention that Max is quite a good sous chef. Yummy.
We rented bikes for a day, and ended up doing the tour of the Colosseum. The Colosseum is as cool as I imagined it, granted a tad smaller then expected. I kept making corny jokes throughout the museum part saying things like: "They had lights 2000 years ago?!?", "I didnt know they had hand rails 2000 years ago?!?". I was eventually exhausted of making these types of jokes.
A group from Eastern Europe came up to the three of us and asked me to take a picture. Marisa started saying how I was a world famous photographer, and I should charge them quite a bit. The Eastern Europeans didn't really get the joke, but I thought it was funny, and that is really all that matters in that type of situation.
We rode around for a while, had great gelato and I took the two of them to the worlds most unique McDonalds (According to Travel Channel) in the world. It was more of a lounge then anything else.
The second day full day I was with them was also my last day in Rome. I bought gifts for a few friends, my parents, and went shopping at my new obsession, United Colors of Benetton.
That night, we drank to celebrate Marisa's birthday as well as my last day in Europe. Great times were had by all!
I plan on writing one more post about thoughts and statistics from the trip...
Thank you everyone!
Zac
Sunday, August 1, 2010
When in Rome! (Part 1)
Hey Everybody,
First off, Thank you Jeffrey for reminding me to use that phrase as often as I possibly can. It may be the most overused phrase ever uttered in Rome.
I arrived in Rome on the 28th of July. In my mind, I had one night to meet as many people as I could, in order to do a proper birthday dinner the following night. Unfortunately, the bar was practically empty, though at around midnight, the bartender gave me a free shot of limoncello.
The first major thing I did the night of the 28th was a free tour. Most major cities offer some type of free tour. The idea is that at the end you tip your guide. While waiting to start the tour, I ran into one of the four med students from Jersey.
Throughout my trip, I have seen these 4 med students in 4 different cities, as well as in 4 different countries.... The probability of that happening is pretty slim.
The tour took us to all the major sights in the heart of Rome. It started at the Spanish Steps, and went through a bunch of churches, the Italian equivalent of the White House, the Pantheon, and finally ended at the Trevi Fountain.
At the Trevi fountain, I ran into a friend of mine from Syracuse. Small World.
After the fountain, I ended up getting dinner with the four students. That was there last night in Rome, so we discussed everything that they did, and I tried to formulate some type of plan in order to best see Rome.
The next day it was my birthday!
WOOO!
As mentioned above, I tried to meet as many people as I could, and that failed.
I decided that I was going to enjoy the day as best I could by myself.
My friend Lainie from home told me that she had the best chicken parm in the world in Rome. Her and I come from the same hometown, and she knows damn well how good the chicken parm is at the Deli. She also knows I am basically addicted to it, so for her to claim that this was life changing was more of a challenge then anything.
I decided to go for lunch. After walking about 40 minutes, I got to the location, but couldnt find it. Then and there, I realized that the restaurant was only open for dinner. FUCK!!!
Zac: 0 World: 1
In Rome, people vow all the time. I VOWED to go back and have my birthday dinner there.
I had hours to kill. I decided to go to Saint Angelos Castle. This is a castle that overlooks the main river that runs through Rome. The castle had unbelivable views of the city, and more mosiacs then one can imagine.
On a side note
I have had to pay full price for all of my tickets into museums. There is a student rate, but one needs to be a European Union student. Even though I graduated, I still have my student ID simply because there isnt an expiration date on it. Thanks Syracuse!
If I ever open a museum, I will charge double for anyone from the EU, specifically students. I will laugh as they cry the tears of shame.
The castle is a quick two minute walk from the Vatican. I wanted to see the Vatican museum, and thought that I was on the appropriate line. Apparently, I was on line to see the Popes tombs. This was somewhat interesting, but not every tomb was there, and the history of each Pope was boiled down to a couple of sentences.
After this experience, I went to the Vatican Museum. I had been given directions, but the tourist information offices I went to decided to not tell me it was a fifteen minute walk, and that the museum closed at 4pm. I arrived at 4:05 PM.
Zac:0 World: 2
DAMN!
I needed to change this day for the better quickly. The World was beating me 2 zip on my own birthday!
I knew of a park that overlooked the city. I imagined it would be beautiful at dusk. I figured that the restaurant wouldnt open until 6:30, so I had some time to kill.
I found a bench where these two girls were sitting. We started talking. They were British, and in their early 20s.
Zac:1 World:2
After spending a couple of hours with them, we parted ways. The chicken parm was scratching at my soul, and I needed to quell the urge.
I got really lost, but eventually found my way to the restaurant. The parm was calling my name.
I sat down after a long day, and decided to celebrate my getting a first and second course. I am CrAzY!!!
First course was just bruschette, but it was good.
The chicken parm came out second.
Da Da Dummmmm
It was really good. Really really good. It wasnt as good as the Delis, but after a full day of waiting, it was worth it.
Zac: 2 World: 2
Afterwords, I decided to go and walk to the Colosseum to see it at night. It was absoluetly gorgeous. Throughout the night I called some friends and family to hear their voices, very pleasant.
Zac: 3 World: 2
I win!
The next day I did the full Vatican museum. It just shows how the Vatican took over the world stealing and pillaging, and then put all of the stuff they stole on display. In other words, I am not a fan of the ideas of the Vatican, but the museum was pretty.
The amount of money that could be made if the Vatican sold half of its assets it could arguably stop world hunger. Hmmm....
Either way, I saw the Sistine Chapel. The iconic image of God with Adam is quite breathtaking. I was blown away by the detail that was in the chapel. The Sistine chapel is also where all of the cardinals vote for the next pope.
The whole museum took about 3 hours, its huge.
The next day I went to Pompei.
On the way down, an older lady started talking to me in Italian. I understood that she wanted me to get her bags. After I did this, she offered me her seat, which was next to four gorgeous Italian girls. After hearing them giggle, I asked what she was talking about. Apparently the older lady wanted to set me up with these girls. It was a great trip!
Pompei is the site where a volcano erupted and buried a full city. Its impossible to see in one day, but well worth the visit. Unfortunately, its about a 7 hour roundtrip. Unless you really wanted to see it, (like me) its much easier to do if you spend the night in Naples (which I didnt).
The city was destroyed before Jesus, so there are at least 5 or 6 temples to various Roman and Greek Gods. The city is still being excavated, so each time you go, different things are open and closed. I saw an actual Roman bath which was pretty sweet. Many of the houses had original paintings of figures in sexual poses. Ah, to be a Roman.
That night, I got dinner with my friends from Munich, and after had too much wine and had to spend the night there. I am moving there today, and my last two nights in Rome will be spent there.
Thats it for now.
Ill see all of you very soon!
Zac
First off, Thank you Jeffrey for reminding me to use that phrase as often as I possibly can. It may be the most overused phrase ever uttered in Rome.
I arrived in Rome on the 28th of July. In my mind, I had one night to meet as many people as I could, in order to do a proper birthday dinner the following night. Unfortunately, the bar was practically empty, though at around midnight, the bartender gave me a free shot of limoncello.
The first major thing I did the night of the 28th was a free tour. Most major cities offer some type of free tour. The idea is that at the end you tip your guide. While waiting to start the tour, I ran into one of the four med students from Jersey.
Throughout my trip, I have seen these 4 med students in 4 different cities, as well as in 4 different countries.... The probability of that happening is pretty slim.
The tour took us to all the major sights in the heart of Rome. It started at the Spanish Steps, and went through a bunch of churches, the Italian equivalent of the White House, the Pantheon, and finally ended at the Trevi Fountain.
At the Trevi fountain, I ran into a friend of mine from Syracuse. Small World.
After the fountain, I ended up getting dinner with the four students. That was there last night in Rome, so we discussed everything that they did, and I tried to formulate some type of plan in order to best see Rome.
The next day it was my birthday!
WOOO!
As mentioned above, I tried to meet as many people as I could, and that failed.
I decided that I was going to enjoy the day as best I could by myself.
My friend Lainie from home told me that she had the best chicken parm in the world in Rome. Her and I come from the same hometown, and she knows damn well how good the chicken parm is at the Deli. She also knows I am basically addicted to it, so for her to claim that this was life changing was more of a challenge then anything.
I decided to go for lunch. After walking about 40 minutes, I got to the location, but couldnt find it. Then and there, I realized that the restaurant was only open for dinner. FUCK!!!
Zac: 0 World: 1
In Rome, people vow all the time. I VOWED to go back and have my birthday dinner there.
I had hours to kill. I decided to go to Saint Angelos Castle. This is a castle that overlooks the main river that runs through Rome. The castle had unbelivable views of the city, and more mosiacs then one can imagine.
On a side note
I have had to pay full price for all of my tickets into museums. There is a student rate, but one needs to be a European Union student. Even though I graduated, I still have my student ID simply because there isnt an expiration date on it. Thanks Syracuse!
If I ever open a museum, I will charge double for anyone from the EU, specifically students. I will laugh as they cry the tears of shame.
The castle is a quick two minute walk from the Vatican. I wanted to see the Vatican museum, and thought that I was on the appropriate line. Apparently, I was on line to see the Popes tombs. This was somewhat interesting, but not every tomb was there, and the history of each Pope was boiled down to a couple of sentences.
After this experience, I went to the Vatican Museum. I had been given directions, but the tourist information offices I went to decided to not tell me it was a fifteen minute walk, and that the museum closed at 4pm. I arrived at 4:05 PM.
Zac:0 World: 2
DAMN!
I needed to change this day for the better quickly. The World was beating me 2 zip on my own birthday!
I knew of a park that overlooked the city. I imagined it would be beautiful at dusk. I figured that the restaurant wouldnt open until 6:30, so I had some time to kill.
I found a bench where these two girls were sitting. We started talking. They were British, and in their early 20s.
Zac:1 World:2
After spending a couple of hours with them, we parted ways. The chicken parm was scratching at my soul, and I needed to quell the urge.
I got really lost, but eventually found my way to the restaurant. The parm was calling my name.
I sat down after a long day, and decided to celebrate my getting a first and second course. I am CrAzY!!!
First course was just bruschette, but it was good.
The chicken parm came out second.
Da Da Dummmmm
It was really good. Really really good. It wasnt as good as the Delis, but after a full day of waiting, it was worth it.
Zac: 2 World: 2
Afterwords, I decided to go and walk to the Colosseum to see it at night. It was absoluetly gorgeous. Throughout the night I called some friends and family to hear their voices, very pleasant.
Zac: 3 World: 2
I win!
The next day I did the full Vatican museum. It just shows how the Vatican took over the world stealing and pillaging, and then put all of the stuff they stole on display. In other words, I am not a fan of the ideas of the Vatican, but the museum was pretty.
The amount of money that could be made if the Vatican sold half of its assets it could arguably stop world hunger. Hmmm....
Either way, I saw the Sistine Chapel. The iconic image of God with Adam is quite breathtaking. I was blown away by the detail that was in the chapel. The Sistine chapel is also where all of the cardinals vote for the next pope.
The whole museum took about 3 hours, its huge.
The next day I went to Pompei.
On the way down, an older lady started talking to me in Italian. I understood that she wanted me to get her bags. After I did this, she offered me her seat, which was next to four gorgeous Italian girls. After hearing them giggle, I asked what she was talking about. Apparently the older lady wanted to set me up with these girls. It was a great trip!
Pompei is the site where a volcano erupted and buried a full city. Its impossible to see in one day, but well worth the visit. Unfortunately, its about a 7 hour roundtrip. Unless you really wanted to see it, (like me) its much easier to do if you spend the night in Naples (which I didnt).
The city was destroyed before Jesus, so there are at least 5 or 6 temples to various Roman and Greek Gods. The city is still being excavated, so each time you go, different things are open and closed. I saw an actual Roman bath which was pretty sweet. Many of the houses had original paintings of figures in sexual poses. Ah, to be a Roman.
That night, I got dinner with my friends from Munich, and after had too much wine and had to spend the night there. I am moving there today, and my last two nights in Rome will be spent there.
Thats it for now.
Ill see all of you very soon!
Zac
Friday, July 30, 2010
Florence
Hey Everybody,
Thanks so much for all of the birthday wishes.
Going into Florence I knew very little. I knew that the Renaissance had started there, and that it was in Tuscany.
First things first. My hostel was sick. I dont like to advertise hostels, simply because they typically overcharge you for the services that are available. This was not true about this hostel.
Plus Florence had a pool, a sauna, and a turkish bath. I hadnt ever been in a turkish bath, but it was somewhat like a steam room. You can only see about a foot ahead at any given point. Three of the four nights I was there, I used and abused the pool area. There were also two bars and a disco. One of the bars was a terrace bar that had an unbelivable view of the city.
For the first 3 nights of my stay I was with a group of Indian cousins ranging from 12 to 30. Great people from all over the world.
A few hours after I got there, I ran into Parker from California. Parker and I had originally met in Barcelona, then ran into each other in Munich, and I immediately saw him when we got to Florence. There is almost a hostel tour that some people are on, so you always run into similar people.
We decided that there had to be a bigger reason for the third meeting, so opted to spend our time in Florence seeing the sights.
The first night we walked around a bunch. We briefly saw all of the major sights. This included Accademia, the dome, the tower, the church, the doors of paradise, and the Uffizi.
That night, we decided that we had to celebrate the coincidence of running into each other three times in three different countries. Long story short, the next morning I wasnt a happy camper.
Sober Zac had signed up for a bike tour at 10 AM. Drunk Zac forgot this fact, and barely made it to the bike tour. I constantly checked the time, praying that it was over. I remember thinking that at least an hour had past, and it was 15 minutes. On the plus side, Parker did find an unbelivable way to get drunk quickly. If you want to know, just ask and I will gladly tell.
At one point during the bike tour, I needed water. I NEEDED water. I was dieing a slow and painful death. I also had no money on me. As we were biking, we passed an ATM, and I figured I would catch up with the group once I got the money. Big mistake. I ended up losing everybody, but remembered where the wine tasting was going to be. After a good half hour of waiting, they came back, and we started the tasting.
Though the wine tasted great, I was still too hungover to really appreciate it. From what I remember, Tuscan wine was unbelivable. There are 20 states in Italy, and each makes their own type of wine.
That night Parker and I went to a park to watch the locals. We ended up meeting another guy from California who was studying abroad in Florence. He told us some crazy stories about his experiences in Florence, and about his somewhat weird roomate. His flight left from Florence about 5 hours after he left us... Hopefully he made it.
The next morning, Parker and I decided to go to Pisa. Not only is this the last name of my favorite Middle School teacher ever, there is also a tower that famously leans. It is a really cool sight, but for some reason I always assumed it was pushed back along the Tuscan countryside. It was actually in the city center of Pisa, right next to a church. I later read that it was a German outpost during the war, and that the Allies had almost destroyed it. Crazy!
After spending about an hour at the grounds, we needed to get back. My father has a friend whose brother is an architect in Florence. He invited me to this old jail called the Murato, where he runs an event every monday night where an aspiring young artist speaks to the community. Free wine and aperitifs (appetizers) are served. Unfortunately, I thought it was much closer to my hostel then it actually was. It took me about 40 minutes to get there, and I was hustling. Either way, I made it, and it was a cool experience. Marco (the brother) introduced me to the head of the Syracuse abroad program in Florence. She apparently worked more with architecture students, but I told her that a friend was going to be studying in the fall... Small world.
That night, I decided to take my time and walk around the city. As you get farther from the tourist areas, there are small paths and alleyways that crisscross the city at various points. I ended up at a restaurant and started a conversation with the couple who was next to me. They were Welsh, and we discussed how different cultures are. By the end of the dinner, they refused to let me pay. It was one of the nicest things that has happened on this trip. Apparently, as their sons travelled throughout the US, a couple had paid for dinner one night. Perfect Karma.
As I was walking home, I stumbled upon some type of parade. Everyone was dressed in very traditional clothing, and there were flags of the state of Florence everywhere. There were drummers and horn players throughout, and there was a group of locals who followed in suits. To this day, I have no idea what it was, but it was pretty cool. It was a great night.
The next morning, Parker and I decided to climb to the top of the tower in the town square. There are two choices. One can climb to the top of the dome, or one can climb to the top of the tower. The line for the dome was at least an hour, while the climb to the top of the tower was about 15 seconds. The views on top were spectacular, but it unfortunately started raining.
When this happened, we originally thought that we should go on line to see the statue David at the Accademia, but after waiting on line for half an hour and not moving, we decided that it would be smarter to go the next morning before the train to Rome. Instead, we found a video game arcade, and spent the afternoon there. That night, we hung out at the terrace bar, and met a bunch of Americans from all over. As the sun slowly sank, we realized our time in Florence was limited.
The next morning we got up early to go see David and the rest of the museum. Unfortunately, the rest of the museum is kind of boring. There is a hall of statues that is interesting, but the rest of the museum are mosiacs that are very similar in color and size.
We hopped on the train, and both of us made it to Rome. Woo!
That being said, I have noticed a few things. All of a sudden I am much more tired then usual. I am waking up later then I have been at the beginning of the trip. I believe I have hit some type of wall, and do miss some small comforts. That being said, Rome is a beautiful city, but one needs to walk a bunch. Therer really isnt any public transportation, because every time they try to build an underground they find a new ruin. I guess thats what happens when the city is thousands of years old.
See you all soon.
Zac
Thanks so much for all of the birthday wishes.
Going into Florence I knew very little. I knew that the Renaissance had started there, and that it was in Tuscany.
First things first. My hostel was sick. I dont like to advertise hostels, simply because they typically overcharge you for the services that are available. This was not true about this hostel.
Plus Florence had a pool, a sauna, and a turkish bath. I hadnt ever been in a turkish bath, but it was somewhat like a steam room. You can only see about a foot ahead at any given point. Three of the four nights I was there, I used and abused the pool area. There were also two bars and a disco. One of the bars was a terrace bar that had an unbelivable view of the city.
For the first 3 nights of my stay I was with a group of Indian cousins ranging from 12 to 30. Great people from all over the world.
A few hours after I got there, I ran into Parker from California. Parker and I had originally met in Barcelona, then ran into each other in Munich, and I immediately saw him when we got to Florence. There is almost a hostel tour that some people are on, so you always run into similar people.
We decided that there had to be a bigger reason for the third meeting, so opted to spend our time in Florence seeing the sights.
The first night we walked around a bunch. We briefly saw all of the major sights. This included Accademia, the dome, the tower, the church, the doors of paradise, and the Uffizi.
That night, we decided that we had to celebrate the coincidence of running into each other three times in three different countries. Long story short, the next morning I wasnt a happy camper.
Sober Zac had signed up for a bike tour at 10 AM. Drunk Zac forgot this fact, and barely made it to the bike tour. I constantly checked the time, praying that it was over. I remember thinking that at least an hour had past, and it was 15 minutes. On the plus side, Parker did find an unbelivable way to get drunk quickly. If you want to know, just ask and I will gladly tell.
At one point during the bike tour, I needed water. I NEEDED water. I was dieing a slow and painful death. I also had no money on me. As we were biking, we passed an ATM, and I figured I would catch up with the group once I got the money. Big mistake. I ended up losing everybody, but remembered where the wine tasting was going to be. After a good half hour of waiting, they came back, and we started the tasting.
Though the wine tasted great, I was still too hungover to really appreciate it. From what I remember, Tuscan wine was unbelivable. There are 20 states in Italy, and each makes their own type of wine.
That night Parker and I went to a park to watch the locals. We ended up meeting another guy from California who was studying abroad in Florence. He told us some crazy stories about his experiences in Florence, and about his somewhat weird roomate. His flight left from Florence about 5 hours after he left us... Hopefully he made it.
The next morning, Parker and I decided to go to Pisa. Not only is this the last name of my favorite Middle School teacher ever, there is also a tower that famously leans. It is a really cool sight, but for some reason I always assumed it was pushed back along the Tuscan countryside. It was actually in the city center of Pisa, right next to a church. I later read that it was a German outpost during the war, and that the Allies had almost destroyed it. Crazy!
After spending about an hour at the grounds, we needed to get back. My father has a friend whose brother is an architect in Florence. He invited me to this old jail called the Murato, where he runs an event every monday night where an aspiring young artist speaks to the community. Free wine and aperitifs (appetizers) are served. Unfortunately, I thought it was much closer to my hostel then it actually was. It took me about 40 minutes to get there, and I was hustling. Either way, I made it, and it was a cool experience. Marco (the brother) introduced me to the head of the Syracuse abroad program in Florence. She apparently worked more with architecture students, but I told her that a friend was going to be studying in the fall... Small world.
That night, I decided to take my time and walk around the city. As you get farther from the tourist areas, there are small paths and alleyways that crisscross the city at various points. I ended up at a restaurant and started a conversation with the couple who was next to me. They were Welsh, and we discussed how different cultures are. By the end of the dinner, they refused to let me pay. It was one of the nicest things that has happened on this trip. Apparently, as their sons travelled throughout the US, a couple had paid for dinner one night. Perfect Karma.
As I was walking home, I stumbled upon some type of parade. Everyone was dressed in very traditional clothing, and there were flags of the state of Florence everywhere. There were drummers and horn players throughout, and there was a group of locals who followed in suits. To this day, I have no idea what it was, but it was pretty cool. It was a great night.
The next morning, Parker and I decided to climb to the top of the tower in the town square. There are two choices. One can climb to the top of the dome, or one can climb to the top of the tower. The line for the dome was at least an hour, while the climb to the top of the tower was about 15 seconds. The views on top were spectacular, but it unfortunately started raining.
When this happened, we originally thought that we should go on line to see the statue David at the Accademia, but after waiting on line for half an hour and not moving, we decided that it would be smarter to go the next morning before the train to Rome. Instead, we found a video game arcade, and spent the afternoon there. That night, we hung out at the terrace bar, and met a bunch of Americans from all over. As the sun slowly sank, we realized our time in Florence was limited.
The next morning we got up early to go see David and the rest of the museum. Unfortunately, the rest of the museum is kind of boring. There is a hall of statues that is interesting, but the rest of the museum are mosiacs that are very similar in color and size.
We hopped on the train, and both of us made it to Rome. Woo!
That being said, I have noticed a few things. All of a sudden I am much more tired then usual. I am waking up later then I have been at the beginning of the trip. I believe I have hit some type of wall, and do miss some small comforts. That being said, Rome is a beautiful city, but one needs to walk a bunch. Therer really isnt any public transportation, because every time they try to build an underground they find a new ruin. I guess thats what happens when the city is thousands of years old.
See you all soon.
Zac
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Venice
Hey Everybody,
Due to the great time I had in Florence, I wasnt able to type up my experiences in Venice.
I am currently in my final destination of Rome! Woo!
Here you go:
Venice is how one would imagine it to be. I read various reports that stated that it was made up of anywhere from 150-200 mini islands. Apparently, the city was started by refugees of various parts of Italy who decided to build pillars on the islands in order to make a city on the water.
The city has countless bridges and paths, and my main goal was to get lost. The further away you get from the tourist areas, the prettier the city becomes. The ends of residential blocks end at waterways, where if you time it right, you can watch a young couple in the bounds of love slowly drifting down the canals in a gondola while someone is singing italian love songs... life changing.
So what a single guy do in the (arguably) most romantic city in the world? He cant really go to bars, because they are nearly impossible to find, and the city is a major labyrinth. He cant take a gondola, because A. that would be the saddest thing a single guy could do, and (more importantly) the cheapest package was around 80 euro. Instead, he sits in his hostel and plays cards with two girls from the Netherlands (true story).
Instead, with tears in my eyes I watched all the honeymooners laughing and holding hands.
The city was beautiful. The first full day I was there I went to the Accademia. The Accademia holds most of the famous paintings from Venetian artists pre 19th century. It consisted of 24 rooms that each had some type of theme (most portraying some aspect of Christianity). I believe that this is the best known museum in Venice. Some of my favorite paintings were "Portrait of a Young Man with a Book" by Lotto, and "The Feast in the House of Levy" by Veronese.
"The Feast in the House of Levy" had a really interesting story. Its huge. Its big enough that the artist was charged with heresy from the church because of the size of the painting (219 inches by 500 inches) crazy. It depicts a great feast.
I did do the San Marco square, but to be honest, I lasted about 5 minutes. It was the Times Square of Venice. Way to overpacked and not THAT much to see.
The next full day I got lost, and the one thing I kept noticing was that many of the steps that led from the canals to the streets were under water. This means that the city is sinking. Venice is trying to battle it, but unless they make drastic changes, I wouldnt be surprised if the city sank in the next 200 years or so.
Thats all for now,
I will post Florence soon.
Unfortunately, I will be home in 6 days... BOOO
Love you all,
Zac
Due to the great time I had in Florence, I wasnt able to type up my experiences in Venice.
I am currently in my final destination of Rome! Woo!
Here you go:
Venice is how one would imagine it to be. I read various reports that stated that it was made up of anywhere from 150-200 mini islands. Apparently, the city was started by refugees of various parts of Italy who decided to build pillars on the islands in order to make a city on the water.
The city has countless bridges and paths, and my main goal was to get lost. The further away you get from the tourist areas, the prettier the city becomes. The ends of residential blocks end at waterways, where if you time it right, you can watch a young couple in the bounds of love slowly drifting down the canals in a gondola while someone is singing italian love songs... life changing.
So what a single guy do in the (arguably) most romantic city in the world? He cant really go to bars, because they are nearly impossible to find, and the city is a major labyrinth. He cant take a gondola, because A. that would be the saddest thing a single guy could do, and (more importantly) the cheapest package was around 80 euro. Instead, he sits in his hostel and plays cards with two girls from the Netherlands (true story).
Instead, with tears in my eyes I watched all the honeymooners laughing and holding hands.
The city was beautiful. The first full day I was there I went to the Accademia. The Accademia holds most of the famous paintings from Venetian artists pre 19th century. It consisted of 24 rooms that each had some type of theme (most portraying some aspect of Christianity). I believe that this is the best known museum in Venice. Some of my favorite paintings were "Portrait of a Young Man with a Book" by Lotto, and "The Feast in the House of Levy" by Veronese.
"The Feast in the House of Levy" had a really interesting story. Its huge. Its big enough that the artist was charged with heresy from the church because of the size of the painting (219 inches by 500 inches) crazy. It depicts a great feast.
I did do the San Marco square, but to be honest, I lasted about 5 minutes. It was the Times Square of Venice. Way to overpacked and not THAT much to see.
The next full day I got lost, and the one thing I kept noticing was that many of the steps that led from the canals to the streets were under water. This means that the city is sinking. Venice is trying to battle it, but unless they make drastic changes, I wouldnt be surprised if the city sank in the next 200 years or so.
Thats all for now,
I will post Florence soon.
Unfortunately, I will be home in 6 days... BOOO
Love you all,
Zac
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Vienna
Hey Everybody,
Sorry that I have not been able to post during the last few days. I was in Venice, and it cost about 5 euro for half an hour of internet. Though i do love blogging and checking the internet, there was no way I was paying that much for it.
Vienna.
Vienna is not only a gorgeous city on the eastern coast of Austria, but its also the capital. As I walked through the streets I wondered if there were any Arnold Schwarzenegger statues, specifically for the time that he saved mankind. Maybe, I thought, there would be a big statue of him in full Conan attire. Alas, throughout my three days I was thouroughly disappointed for I did not find any such statues.
My cousin was in town for the International AIDS convention. One of the main reasons I was going to Austria was to see her. The first night that I was there,I met up with her and her coworkers. After walking the streets for an hour or so, we ended up eating at Illiys (the coffee chain).
After parting ways, I headed to the bar at the hostel, where I met an Australian and a British guy. The British guy told me that one of his close friends had married into Indian royalty and that he had attended the wedding.
Apparently, the festivities lasted about 2 weeks, one week there were parades and parties all the time, and the other week they traveled into the Himalayes, where he would sleep at villages that had no more then 100 or 200 people. Custom dictates that the chief (or elder) must let travellers stay at his place for free, and the way he makes the money back is that he sells beer to the travellers at a low price.
Of every beer in the world, guess what he sold...
Youll never get it.
Seriously, you wont get it
Corona! He was selling Corona! Apparently if one wants to drink the fine cerveza of Mexico, one needs to go to the Himalayan mountains.
The next day, I walked around "the ring" that surronded the old city. I would not recommend to do this. Besides a few mueseums that are pretty, the area isnt that nice. The point of the ring is to enter the middle. The old city is in the middle of the ring. There is a huge church that is hundreds of years old, but across the street is the McDonalds.
On a totally unrelated note, Mcdonalds is everywhere. EVERYWHERE.
After walking around town for a little longer, I decided to leave to go see Schonbrunn Palace.
I decided that I was sick of paying to see castles and palaces, so I tried to sneak in.
I was successful. I figured that if I walked in with a large enough group that werent wearing the same t shirt I could get in for free. Boo YA!
The best way to describe Scdhonbrunn Palace is that it is the Austrian Versailles. Its a nice palace, but the gardens are the main selling point. After climbing to the top of the castle, I had an unbelivable view of Vienna.
Golden Rule in Europe: If its climbable, climb it!
The next day, I went to the AIDS Conference. Unfortunately, it was expensive to go into the actual meetings, but there was a free part called the global village. This was an area for organizations from around the world to promote their local cause.
There were people walking around giving away free hugs. I cashed in on that one pretty quickly.
I learned that the AIDS epidemic is starting to decrease internationally. It seems that the area that is still greatly affected is Sub Saharan Africa. This is due to lack of infastructure as well as lack of available drugs to help ail people with the disease.
On a totally different note, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, and Desmond Tutu spoke at the conference. Also, President Obama made a video that was shown on the big screen at the conference.
For my last day, I had to do maintenece stuff. This meant laundry, hygiene checks, buying soap and all that fun stuff. I ended up meeting a bunch of people from all over in the common room of the hostel, and we all went to dinner together.
I had seen a sign for an International Film Festival that was being held in Vienna. We had heard that there was international food stalls around the festival. I ended up eating interesting chicken teryaki... it was pretty good!
The next day I left and went to Venice..
I dont think I have enough time to write about Venice now, but I will tomorrow!
See you all soon,
Zac
Sorry that I have not been able to post during the last few days. I was in Venice, and it cost about 5 euro for half an hour of internet. Though i do love blogging and checking the internet, there was no way I was paying that much for it.
Vienna.
Vienna is not only a gorgeous city on the eastern coast of Austria, but its also the capital. As I walked through the streets I wondered if there were any Arnold Schwarzenegger statues, specifically for the time that he saved mankind. Maybe, I thought, there would be a big statue of him in full Conan attire. Alas, throughout my three days I was thouroughly disappointed for I did not find any such statues.
My cousin was in town for the International AIDS convention. One of the main reasons I was going to Austria was to see her. The first night that I was there,I met up with her and her coworkers. After walking the streets for an hour or so, we ended up eating at Illiys (the coffee chain).
After parting ways, I headed to the bar at the hostel, where I met an Australian and a British guy. The British guy told me that one of his close friends had married into Indian royalty and that he had attended the wedding.
Apparently, the festivities lasted about 2 weeks, one week there were parades and parties all the time, and the other week they traveled into the Himalayes, where he would sleep at villages that had no more then 100 or 200 people. Custom dictates that the chief (or elder) must let travellers stay at his place for free, and the way he makes the money back is that he sells beer to the travellers at a low price.
Of every beer in the world, guess what he sold...
Youll never get it.
Seriously, you wont get it
Corona! He was selling Corona! Apparently if one wants to drink the fine cerveza of Mexico, one needs to go to the Himalayan mountains.
The next day, I walked around "the ring" that surronded the old city. I would not recommend to do this. Besides a few mueseums that are pretty, the area isnt that nice. The point of the ring is to enter the middle. The old city is in the middle of the ring. There is a huge church that is hundreds of years old, but across the street is the McDonalds.
On a totally unrelated note, Mcdonalds is everywhere. EVERYWHERE.
After walking around town for a little longer, I decided to leave to go see Schonbrunn Palace.
I decided that I was sick of paying to see castles and palaces, so I tried to sneak in.
I was successful. I figured that if I walked in with a large enough group that werent wearing the same t shirt I could get in for free. Boo YA!
The best way to describe Scdhonbrunn Palace is that it is the Austrian Versailles. Its a nice palace, but the gardens are the main selling point. After climbing to the top of the castle, I had an unbelivable view of Vienna.
Golden Rule in Europe: If its climbable, climb it!
The next day, I went to the AIDS Conference. Unfortunately, it was expensive to go into the actual meetings, but there was a free part called the global village. This was an area for organizations from around the world to promote their local cause.
There were people walking around giving away free hugs. I cashed in on that one pretty quickly.
I learned that the AIDS epidemic is starting to decrease internationally. It seems that the area that is still greatly affected is Sub Saharan Africa. This is due to lack of infastructure as well as lack of available drugs to help ail people with the disease.
On a totally different note, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, and Desmond Tutu spoke at the conference. Also, President Obama made a video that was shown on the big screen at the conference.
For my last day, I had to do maintenece stuff. This meant laundry, hygiene checks, buying soap and all that fun stuff. I ended up meeting a bunch of people from all over in the common room of the hostel, and we all went to dinner together.
I had seen a sign for an International Film Festival that was being held in Vienna. We had heard that there was international food stalls around the festival. I ended up eating interesting chicken teryaki... it was pretty good!
The next day I left and went to Venice..
I dont think I have enough time to write about Venice now, but I will tomorrow!
See you all soon,
Zac
Monday, July 19, 2010
Munich Part 2
Hey Everybody,
I just arrived in Vienna about half an hour ago. My cousin is in town for a conference, so we will be hanging out later tonight!
Munich.
Munich was awesome.
The day after the BMW Museum and Olympic park, I met up with a pair of Australian brothers who I had met in Nice. One is a professional poker player, and the other one is just finishing university.
These were two of the funniest people I have ever met.
Originally, I had woken up somewhat early in order to go on a Third Reich tour. After they emailed me, I decided to meet them at their hostel, which was down the street from me.
After waiting an unbearable hour in anticipation, I saw their friendly Australian faces walk through the door.
Unbeknownst to us, it was Gay Pride weekend in Munich.
I havent heard so much Gloria Gaynor in my life. We managed to find the parade, where there were men dressed as every 70s pop icon one can think of, as well as more Lady Gagas then I could have imagined in the same place.
The atmosphere was fun, (granted a tad uncomfortable), but we soon left the parade to do bigger and better things.
We ended up exploring the city a bunch, went to H&M, and generally had a good time together.
That night I joined them again. The older brother had met a local while she was working as an aupair in Australia. We joined her, and she took us far away from the touristy section, and we ended up at a small cafe with university students.
We all enjoyed a few drinks as well as a few laughs, and a good time was had by all.
The next day, I had made tentative plans with my friend Marisa from school.
We had met in an anthro class last semester at Syracuse.
Her boyfriend is German, and lives in Munich. She invited me over to meet his family.
What an amazing experience.
The family is originally from Poland, but moved to Munich in the mid to late 70s. Both parents are doctors and they live in one of the prettiest parts of Munich that I had been to.
I was treated like a king!
I could never say no to anything.
Zac, do you want some coffee?
No... Its fine! I am not that thirsty
Are you sure?
Yes, yes, its totally fine.
Are you sure?
FINE, I will have a cappucino....
This happened with everything.
We ended up spending the day with Maxs (Marisas bf) family. We went to a modern art museum called Pinakothek that had a special exhibit with the artist Neo Rauch.
http://www.pinakothek.de/pinakothek-der-moderne/html/kalender/kalender_index_en.php?haupt=ausstellungen&sub=moderne&action=
If you havent seen a painting by him, do it. Your mind will be blown.
I cant describe what I saw, but I enjoyed his work thouroughly.
After the museum we stopped for lunch and ice cream, the whole while discussing topics ranging from cars to lifestyles to American influence to music to cultural differences, etc etc.
The family also has an apartment in Rome, and I will be in Rome while Marisa and Max will be there. They offered me a place to stay for my final nights in Europe, and I appreciate it to the fullest extent.
I offered if they ever came to the New York, they would have a place to stay in Millburn.
That night, I met up with Marisa and Max, and we ended up hanging out at a hookah bar until about 1. Max had gone to Syracuse, and had graduated a year before Marisa and I, so we generally knew some of the same people and places at the university.
Afterwords, I ended up running into some friends of mine from the hostel, we talked and laughed about how much fun we had had the other night in the clubbing district of Munich.
Overall, I loved Munich, and really want to head back there.
Some other notes:
I only have a little over 2 weeks left. Dammit.
I love German food. It can get you sick if you eat it every day though.
I hope to see some Arnold Schwarznegger statues all over Vienna. If anything, at least a terminator plaque.
Vienna is spelt Wien in German. Wiener schnitzel is basically schnitzel from Wien (or Vienna).
My parents half-jokingly asked if I was planning on staying in Europe after the trip was over. I half-jokingly said yes. Maybe a little more then half jokingly.... I am joking. :)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Springsteen, Phish, Radiohead, The Beatles, and Dylan have been my saviours during long train rides when there isnt anyone who speaks English around me.
Again, I want to thank Maxs family for all the hospitality they gave me.
See you soon!
Zac
I just arrived in Vienna about half an hour ago. My cousin is in town for a conference, so we will be hanging out later tonight!
Munich.
Munich was awesome.
The day after the BMW Museum and Olympic park, I met up with a pair of Australian brothers who I had met in Nice. One is a professional poker player, and the other one is just finishing university.
These were two of the funniest people I have ever met.
Originally, I had woken up somewhat early in order to go on a Third Reich tour. After they emailed me, I decided to meet them at their hostel, which was down the street from me.
After waiting an unbearable hour in anticipation, I saw their friendly Australian faces walk through the door.
Unbeknownst to us, it was Gay Pride weekend in Munich.
I havent heard so much Gloria Gaynor in my life. We managed to find the parade, where there were men dressed as every 70s pop icon one can think of, as well as more Lady Gagas then I could have imagined in the same place.
The atmosphere was fun, (granted a tad uncomfortable), but we soon left the parade to do bigger and better things.
We ended up exploring the city a bunch, went to H&M, and generally had a good time together.
That night I joined them again. The older brother had met a local while she was working as an aupair in Australia. We joined her, and she took us far away from the touristy section, and we ended up at a small cafe with university students.
We all enjoyed a few drinks as well as a few laughs, and a good time was had by all.
The next day, I had made tentative plans with my friend Marisa from school.
We had met in an anthro class last semester at Syracuse.
Her boyfriend is German, and lives in Munich. She invited me over to meet his family.
What an amazing experience.
The family is originally from Poland, but moved to Munich in the mid to late 70s. Both parents are doctors and they live in one of the prettiest parts of Munich that I had been to.
I was treated like a king!
I could never say no to anything.
Zac, do you want some coffee?
No... Its fine! I am not that thirsty
Are you sure?
Yes, yes, its totally fine.
Are you sure?
FINE, I will have a cappucino....
This happened with everything.
We ended up spending the day with Maxs (Marisas bf) family. We went to a modern art museum called Pinakothek that had a special exhibit with the artist Neo Rauch.
http://www.pinakothek.de/pinakothek-der-moderne/html/kalender/kalender_index_en.php?haupt=ausstellungen&sub=moderne&action=
If you havent seen a painting by him, do it. Your mind will be blown.
I cant describe what I saw, but I enjoyed his work thouroughly.
After the museum we stopped for lunch and ice cream, the whole while discussing topics ranging from cars to lifestyles to American influence to music to cultural differences, etc etc.
The family also has an apartment in Rome, and I will be in Rome while Marisa and Max will be there. They offered me a place to stay for my final nights in Europe, and I appreciate it to the fullest extent.
I offered if they ever came to the New York, they would have a place to stay in Millburn.
That night, I met up with Marisa and Max, and we ended up hanging out at a hookah bar until about 1. Max had gone to Syracuse, and had graduated a year before Marisa and I, so we generally knew some of the same people and places at the university.
Afterwords, I ended up running into some friends of mine from the hostel, we talked and laughed about how much fun we had had the other night in the clubbing district of Munich.
Overall, I loved Munich, and really want to head back there.
Some other notes:
I only have a little over 2 weeks left. Dammit.
I love German food. It can get you sick if you eat it every day though.
I hope to see some Arnold Schwarznegger statues all over Vienna. If anything, at least a terminator plaque.
Vienna is spelt Wien in German. Wiener schnitzel is basically schnitzel from Wien (or Vienna).
My parents half-jokingly asked if I was planning on staying in Europe after the trip was over. I half-jokingly said yes. Maybe a little more then half jokingly.... I am joking. :)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Springsteen, Phish, Radiohead, The Beatles, and Dylan have been my saviours during long train rides when there isnt anyone who speaks English around me.
Again, I want to thank Maxs family for all the hospitality they gave me.
See you soon!
Zac
Friday, July 16, 2010
Munich part 1
Hey Everybody,
I love Munich. I love everything about Munich. I had heard it was a great city, but I had no idea. Not even in the slightest.
On one hand, every international person told me that Berlin was better. They questioned why I would even think about going to Munich. Berlin is the capital they say, Why bother with a city that isnt the capital?
On the other hand, every American I talked to before and during the trip has said that Munich was better. They say the culture and the history is unmatched. Though I havent been to Berlin, I cannot possibly believe that it is better then this.
Originally I was staying for 3 nights. I was supposed to go to Salzburg tomorrow. The one thing that Salzburg is famous for is "The Sound of Music". To put it simply, "The Sound of Music" isnt aimed at 21 year old males who are travelling Europe. Yes, I imagine its beautiful. Yes, I imagine that alot of people love the movie. Finally, yes... I imagine the residents of Salzburg hate the fact that the one thing most people associate with their city is a movie. Especially one that involves singing, mostly singing. Sorry Salzburg.
So, what have I done?
Munich is awesome for many reasons. The first night I went to a bier hall in order to get my German on. Munich is known for its bier halls and bier gardens. A bier hall basically is a place where the beer is brewed, and there are long picnic tables. One can order a mar beer, which is a liter of the sweet nectar.
Simply because it was my first meal, I felt that I needed to go big. I ordered pork schnitzel. I had never had schnitzel before, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.
They put me at a big table with these two 17 year olds from the Netherlands. I had told them I had gone to Amsterdam, and we all had a big laugh.
The next morning I did a free walking tour throughout Munich. This was in order to get a lay of the land. Most major cities offer this tour, and you simply tip the guide at the end of the tour.
I have to assume that the historical knowledge of most Americans of Germany ends and begins with World War II. Though I knew that Germany had had lots of history, I didnt know that Munich was almost 850 years old. The third reich lasted only 12 years.
I believe one of the reasons that I love Munich so much is the fact that instead of hiding the dark 12 years of Hitler, they embrace it fully. In other words, they have built hundreds of memorials to everyone who was affected by Hitlers terrible reign.
On the other end of the spectrum. Most Americans arent taught about the Japanese internment camps in California. The American curriculum seems to want to hide the fact that we held people aganist their will because of their race.
Munich was where the Nationalist Socialist (Nazi) party formed. The Germans knew it was going to be attacked, so they tried their best to take blueprints of the whole city in order to rebuild once the war was over. The city had been rebuilt in the 60s and 70s to its former glory.
On the free tour, I met this American girl named Lauren. We ended up in the Bier Garden in the English Garden. According to our tour guide it was the largest municipal park in the World.
The park has a huge river that runs down the middle of it. Some people surf it, others use it as some type of lazy river.
After getting our fill of Weiner and other pork products, we seperated.
That night I met a Jewish Australian couple who were planning on going to Dakau. Dakau is the "model" concentration camp. Apparently, all other concentration camps were based off of the model of this one.
It shakes you at your core. Every American has read about the concentration camps. Every Jew knows about the concentration camps. It is very different reading about it and actually seeing it. Its hard to fathom what one human could do to another.
That night I kept it easy, I was pretty spent from the day.
This morning I woke up and went to the BMW museum. Pretty cool, but if you go, dont get a tour... what a waste of money. I also went to Olympic park.
See you all in a matter of weeks!
Zac
I love Munich. I love everything about Munich. I had heard it was a great city, but I had no idea. Not even in the slightest.
On one hand, every international person told me that Berlin was better. They questioned why I would even think about going to Munich. Berlin is the capital they say, Why bother with a city that isnt the capital?
On the other hand, every American I talked to before and during the trip has said that Munich was better. They say the culture and the history is unmatched. Though I havent been to Berlin, I cannot possibly believe that it is better then this.
Originally I was staying for 3 nights. I was supposed to go to Salzburg tomorrow. The one thing that Salzburg is famous for is "The Sound of Music". To put it simply, "The Sound of Music" isnt aimed at 21 year old males who are travelling Europe. Yes, I imagine its beautiful. Yes, I imagine that alot of people love the movie. Finally, yes... I imagine the residents of Salzburg hate the fact that the one thing most people associate with their city is a movie. Especially one that involves singing, mostly singing. Sorry Salzburg.
So, what have I done?
Munich is awesome for many reasons. The first night I went to a bier hall in order to get my German on. Munich is known for its bier halls and bier gardens. A bier hall basically is a place where the beer is brewed, and there are long picnic tables. One can order a mar beer, which is a liter of the sweet nectar.
Simply because it was my first meal, I felt that I needed to go big. I ordered pork schnitzel. I had never had schnitzel before, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.
They put me at a big table with these two 17 year olds from the Netherlands. I had told them I had gone to Amsterdam, and we all had a big laugh.
The next morning I did a free walking tour throughout Munich. This was in order to get a lay of the land. Most major cities offer this tour, and you simply tip the guide at the end of the tour.
I have to assume that the historical knowledge of most Americans of Germany ends and begins with World War II. Though I knew that Germany had had lots of history, I didnt know that Munich was almost 850 years old. The third reich lasted only 12 years.
I believe one of the reasons that I love Munich so much is the fact that instead of hiding the dark 12 years of Hitler, they embrace it fully. In other words, they have built hundreds of memorials to everyone who was affected by Hitlers terrible reign.
On the other end of the spectrum. Most Americans arent taught about the Japanese internment camps in California. The American curriculum seems to want to hide the fact that we held people aganist their will because of their race.
Munich was where the Nationalist Socialist (Nazi) party formed. The Germans knew it was going to be attacked, so they tried their best to take blueprints of the whole city in order to rebuild once the war was over. The city had been rebuilt in the 60s and 70s to its former glory.
On the free tour, I met this American girl named Lauren. We ended up in the Bier Garden in the English Garden. According to our tour guide it was the largest municipal park in the World.
The park has a huge river that runs down the middle of it. Some people surf it, others use it as some type of lazy river.
After getting our fill of Weiner and other pork products, we seperated.
That night I met a Jewish Australian couple who were planning on going to Dakau. Dakau is the "model" concentration camp. Apparently, all other concentration camps were based off of the model of this one.
It shakes you at your core. Every American has read about the concentration camps. Every Jew knows about the concentration camps. It is very different reading about it and actually seeing it. Its hard to fathom what one human could do to another.
That night I kept it easy, I was pretty spent from the day.
This morning I woke up and went to the BMW museum. Pretty cool, but if you go, dont get a tour... what a waste of money. I also went to Olympic park.
See you all in a matter of weeks!
Zac
Thursday, July 15, 2010
World Cup
Hey Everybody,
Throughout my trip I have made it imperative to watch the World Cup in as many places as I could.
I have heard the WC in 6 languages with a few dialects
I have heard it in:
English
(UK and USA)
Spanish
(Mexico and Spain)
Dutch
German
French
Swiss
My favorite by far was UK English.
I watched a match between Portgual and Spain. They had already won their group, so the game didnt really matter. The match was boring, but the announcers kept yelling about how the game was fixed and a farce. You would never hear an American announcer accuse a match of being fixed in any way. Hilarious.
The best part of the game was at the end, when there was 5 minutes of injury time alloted. At this point the announcers started asking if FIFA was purposely torturing us. Beautiful.
The games have been a whirlwind. It is unbelivable to be in Europe during the WC every bar, restaurant, grocery store, internet cafe, etc. had it on. If there was some type of monitor to watch the game on, it was being shown.
For the final match I was in Switzerland. Peter, the guy from California had heard of this Dutch bar in town. By the end of the match there were at least 400 Dutch fans in our vicinity. They have some type of chant to the song Auld Lang Syne.
Unfortunately, they lost... but it was still a good game.
I also read that viewership for the WC in the US was higher then it had ever been before.... who knows? maybe in 4 years we will win the thing.
In other news, Munich is unbelivable. I actually extended my stay two nights and am skipping Saltzberg.
Thats it for now,
Zac
Throughout my trip I have made it imperative to watch the World Cup in as many places as I could.
I have heard the WC in 6 languages with a few dialects
I have heard it in:
English
(UK and USA)
Spanish
(Mexico and Spain)
Dutch
German
French
Swiss
My favorite by far was UK English.
I watched a match between Portgual and Spain. They had already won their group, so the game didnt really matter. The match was boring, but the announcers kept yelling about how the game was fixed and a farce. You would never hear an American announcer accuse a match of being fixed in any way. Hilarious.
The best part of the game was at the end, when there was 5 minutes of injury time alloted. At this point the announcers started asking if FIFA was purposely torturing us. Beautiful.
The games have been a whirlwind. It is unbelivable to be in Europe during the WC every bar, restaurant, grocery store, internet cafe, etc. had it on. If there was some type of monitor to watch the game on, it was being shown.
For the final match I was in Switzerland. Peter, the guy from California had heard of this Dutch bar in town. By the end of the match there were at least 400 Dutch fans in our vicinity. They have some type of chant to the song Auld Lang Syne.
Unfortunately, they lost... but it was still a good game.
I also read that viewership for the WC in the US was higher then it had ever been before.... who knows? maybe in 4 years we will win the thing.
In other news, Munich is unbelivable. I actually extended my stay two nights and am skipping Saltzberg.
Thats it for now,
Zac
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Luzerne or Lucerne
Hey Everybody,
I have spent the last three nights in a mid-size city in the heart of Switzerland. I was supposed to stay four nights, but Italy had a transit strike the day I was supposed to leave from Nice, so instead of 10 hours of trains to get to Luzerne, I had to spend 15 hours and 7 trains going through France to Geneva, and by the time I got to Zurich it was around 1am, and all trains had stopped.
The good news was that I had my own shower, and a whole room to myself. One doesnt understand the luxury of having your own room after spending 3 and a half weeks in rooms that have upwards of 16 people in them. I also got to watch late night Swiss television. Swiss people speak German and French, so every channel was a new delight. One channel was some type of American Idol, but they were singing the worst English I had ever heard. Also, channels 60 through 80 were showing the same exact movie. From what I understood, it was some type of Swiss Bonnie and Clyde type movie. Ridiculous.
The next day I got to my final destination, Luzerne. Luzerne is famous for a few things. There is a huge stone carving of a dying lion, a really old bridge that burned down, and a really sweet lake. After i dropped my bags at the hostel I went directly to the lion because it was in my area. It is huge, and was set back aganist a stone wall of sorts. Pretty cool.
As I was walking to the lake, I noticed all of these signs for the 10th of July. That was the day I first arrived in Luzerne. After quickly realizing that they werent celebrating the coming of Zac Gorman, I asked a security guard outside the building what the posters were for. Through gestures and broken English I found out that it was the 10 year anniversary of the KKL, in other words an arts and cultural center that is in Luzerne. This celebration meant that there were free shows all night. What a treat! Free Swiss bands... my favorite.
I decided that I would hit the center up later. I wanted to take a tour of the lake. The deal was that you could get off somewhere and then wait an hour for the next boat to take you to the next stop. I got off the boat, and decided that I wanted to hike back to Luzerne. I ended up finding an old castle, and asked a man and his little girl what the castle was. I thought that these people might have lived nearby, and were tending to their farm. They explained that someone important had lived there, and now its used as a wedding reception venue. As I continued on my hike through fields and farms, I decided to try to find the next stop so I could hop back on the boat. Due to a miscommunication, I wasnt allowed to continue on the tour, but I did see the man and his little girl. They were tourists, not farmers... Oh well.
Later that night I went to the free festival. I can honestly say that I have a new favorite accordian based band. I also had the luxury of watching a Swiss Accapella group singing "Wonderwall" (If you dont know it, youve heard it... I can promise you that). After "Wonderwall", they broke out into the semi-mega 80s hit "Walk Like an Egyptian"... Life was complete. After this show I had to leave, because there is a point of ridiculousness that one can handle before they cant control their laughter. I was there.
Once I got back to the hostel, I met a Peter from California. We decided to do Mt. Pilatus the next day.
Mt. Pilatus is one of the bigger mountains in the region. There is a world famous cog train there that is (at points) on a 48* gradiant. We decided to take the gondola up to the second station of three. We then did an hour hike down to the first station and rode the gondola to the top. At the top we explored 3 of the 4 major peaks, and then we took the cog train down. It was then a 20 minute train ride back to Luzerne. If you look at my facebook, I posted a few of the pictures from the top of the mountain. I also was able to get service from the top of the mountain. Verizon is awesome.
That night was the World Cup final. My next blog post will be about all the aspects of being in Europe during the World Cup.
Yesterday was my last full day in Luzerne. I saw the bridge, I walked around a bunch, I ended up in a bookstore and read a full book. In other words, the city is pretty boring when you cant spend lots of money. On a side note, apparently the minimum wage in Switzerland is 20 Francs an hour. Thats about 18 or 18.50 US an hour. The dollar menu at Mcdonalds is 2.50 Francs here... haha.
I ended up at a casino, and won 100 francs (blackjack is awesome). They had this bet where if it was a perfect pair, meaning that two of the same number came out, you could win up to 25 times your bet. I ended up with a perfect pair, and I got 6 times my original bet... WOO HOO... I can now buy a happy meal.
Some other notes;
I have been able to tell who is American by seeing how much they play with their cellphones. Even in Europe, Americans are addicted to their gadgets and cell phones.
Switzerland is beautiful and a great country. I just have an issue with the fact that it is unbelivably expensive. But, once I have my billions I will laugh at how I used to think that the country was expensive.
Today, I am heading to Munich.
Cheers,
Zac
I have spent the last three nights in a mid-size city in the heart of Switzerland. I was supposed to stay four nights, but Italy had a transit strike the day I was supposed to leave from Nice, so instead of 10 hours of trains to get to Luzerne, I had to spend 15 hours and 7 trains going through France to Geneva, and by the time I got to Zurich it was around 1am, and all trains had stopped.
The good news was that I had my own shower, and a whole room to myself. One doesnt understand the luxury of having your own room after spending 3 and a half weeks in rooms that have upwards of 16 people in them. I also got to watch late night Swiss television. Swiss people speak German and French, so every channel was a new delight. One channel was some type of American Idol, but they were singing the worst English I had ever heard. Also, channels 60 through 80 were showing the same exact movie. From what I understood, it was some type of Swiss Bonnie and Clyde type movie. Ridiculous.
The next day I got to my final destination, Luzerne. Luzerne is famous for a few things. There is a huge stone carving of a dying lion, a really old bridge that burned down, and a really sweet lake. After i dropped my bags at the hostel I went directly to the lion because it was in my area. It is huge, and was set back aganist a stone wall of sorts. Pretty cool.
As I was walking to the lake, I noticed all of these signs for the 10th of July. That was the day I first arrived in Luzerne. After quickly realizing that they werent celebrating the coming of Zac Gorman, I asked a security guard outside the building what the posters were for. Through gestures and broken English I found out that it was the 10 year anniversary of the KKL, in other words an arts and cultural center that is in Luzerne. This celebration meant that there were free shows all night. What a treat! Free Swiss bands... my favorite.
I decided that I would hit the center up later. I wanted to take a tour of the lake. The deal was that you could get off somewhere and then wait an hour for the next boat to take you to the next stop. I got off the boat, and decided that I wanted to hike back to Luzerne. I ended up finding an old castle, and asked a man and his little girl what the castle was. I thought that these people might have lived nearby, and were tending to their farm. They explained that someone important had lived there, and now its used as a wedding reception venue. As I continued on my hike through fields and farms, I decided to try to find the next stop so I could hop back on the boat. Due to a miscommunication, I wasnt allowed to continue on the tour, but I did see the man and his little girl. They were tourists, not farmers... Oh well.
Later that night I went to the free festival. I can honestly say that I have a new favorite accordian based band. I also had the luxury of watching a Swiss Accapella group singing "Wonderwall" (If you dont know it, youve heard it... I can promise you that). After "Wonderwall", they broke out into the semi-mega 80s hit "Walk Like an Egyptian"... Life was complete. After this show I had to leave, because there is a point of ridiculousness that one can handle before they cant control their laughter. I was there.
Once I got back to the hostel, I met a Peter from California. We decided to do Mt. Pilatus the next day.
Mt. Pilatus is one of the bigger mountains in the region. There is a world famous cog train there that is (at points) on a 48* gradiant. We decided to take the gondola up to the second station of three. We then did an hour hike down to the first station and rode the gondola to the top. At the top we explored 3 of the 4 major peaks, and then we took the cog train down. It was then a 20 minute train ride back to Luzerne. If you look at my facebook, I posted a few of the pictures from the top of the mountain. I also was able to get service from the top of the mountain. Verizon is awesome.
That night was the World Cup final. My next blog post will be about all the aspects of being in Europe during the World Cup.
Yesterday was my last full day in Luzerne. I saw the bridge, I walked around a bunch, I ended up in a bookstore and read a full book. In other words, the city is pretty boring when you cant spend lots of money. On a side note, apparently the minimum wage in Switzerland is 20 Francs an hour. Thats about 18 or 18.50 US an hour. The dollar menu at Mcdonalds is 2.50 Francs here... haha.
I ended up at a casino, and won 100 francs (blackjack is awesome). They had this bet where if it was a perfect pair, meaning that two of the same number came out, you could win up to 25 times your bet. I ended up with a perfect pair, and I got 6 times my original bet... WOO HOO... I can now buy a happy meal.
Some other notes;
I have been able to tell who is American by seeing how much they play with their cellphones. Even in Europe, Americans are addicted to their gadgets and cell phones.
Switzerland is beautiful and a great country. I just have an issue with the fact that it is unbelivably expensive. But, once I have my billions I will laugh at how I used to think that the country was expensive.
Today, I am heading to Munich.
Cheers,
Zac
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Nice Part 2
Hey Everybody,
Though it's cliché and silly, Nice is nice... I have been waiting to say that for a long time.
Nice is a city on the French Riviera that has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Imagine a playground for rich people. The only industry that I have seen is tourism. Throughout my 4 days here, I have not noticed any buildings for Fortune 500 companies. It seems that the only real shops are small boutiques that charge you a pretty penny for anything. Most are retail, but some are small cafes.
There is an old part of the city that has random paths that go to small shops that all lead back to the main church of the city. Shockingly, Nice (like everywhere else) has a huge church in the middle of it.
By this point, I have seen Jesus in a variety of positions, as well as a variety of ages. Baby Jesus, Old Jesus, Dead Jesus, Jesus healing someone, Someone healing Jesus. I like to think of Homer from the Simpsons when talking about Jesus.
"I dont even believe in Jebus!!"
Nice doesnt have houses, one can think of it more as a chateau or castles that overlook the beach.
I am staying in a hostel right now that used to be a Monastery. Unfortunately, it is unbelievably hot and there is no AC. On top of that, my room doesnt have windows, so we leave the door open for some type of ventilation. But, my mantra is that I cant complain, I am in Europe. I have also been reading about the heatwave on the east coast... does not sound fun. Plus, the bar has 1 euro beers... beat that.
For the first two days I went to the beach. The beach is famous for two reasons. A. its topless (and generally speaking, people seem to care more about their bodies then they did in Barcelona) and B. The beach is totally made out of rocks. The only sand I saw was brought in to make a volleyball court. This made tanning kind of hard, because you had to constantly switch your position, and move rocks away from your towel.
The water was very salty and very green. As of now I have touched 3 oceans. Atlantic (Jersey shore baby!), Pacific (I ran to the beach when I was like 7 or 8 in the middle of the winter when my family visited California... it was freezing) and now the Mediterranean. I have also now been stung by jelly fish in two oceans.
Today, I went to Monaco.
This was my James Bond day.
My name is Gorman, Zachary Gorman... Unfortunately I couldnt find a place where I could order a martini... "Shaken, not stirred"... cheesy, I know
I did bring a change of clothes purposely because I had been told that there is some type of dress code at the Monte Carlo Casino.
The casino cost 10 Euro to go in, and it was well worth it. It wasnt as big as one would think. There was one room that was absolutely breath taking. Gold all around the place. Tres Cool.
There was a roulette table that had a minimum 1000 euro bet. With a maximum of 30000... WOW
I was expecting some type of poker room, but for some odd reason they dont have one... I imagine if I were to prove my net worth (probably somewhere around $4 at this point in life) and it were to be great enough, they would put me in a poker room.
I ended up at a different casino, and lost 50 bucks playing a slot machine. And yes, I know that the probability of losing your money is pretty high on a slot machine, it was just that the poker room didnt open till 5, and I didnt want to wait.
Monaco has it all, An F1 track that are basic roads throughout the city... There are literally curve marks on some of the roads.... Yachts bigger then my house, and unbelievable views.
On a side note, I saw a yacht that had a helicopter pad with a helicopter on it. I swear. Ridiculous.
Tomorrow, I head to Luzern in Switzerland for a few nights. Apparently very beautiful, but I have another 9 hours of trains... Not fun
Some other notes:
I was planning on switching my plans if Germany had won last night so that I would be there for the world cup final... Of course, the one time a Jew wants Germany to do something positive they end up screwing it up... oh well.
There is a cat at my hostel who both looks and acts like my old cat growing up.... Woot
Thats it for now.
Three weeks in officially, three and a half left to the real world... NOOOO
Good luck to everyone,
Zac
Though it's cliché and silly, Nice is nice... I have been waiting to say that for a long time.
Nice is a city on the French Riviera that has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Imagine a playground for rich people. The only industry that I have seen is tourism. Throughout my 4 days here, I have not noticed any buildings for Fortune 500 companies. It seems that the only real shops are small boutiques that charge you a pretty penny for anything. Most are retail, but some are small cafes.
There is an old part of the city that has random paths that go to small shops that all lead back to the main church of the city. Shockingly, Nice (like everywhere else) has a huge church in the middle of it.
By this point, I have seen Jesus in a variety of positions, as well as a variety of ages. Baby Jesus, Old Jesus, Dead Jesus, Jesus healing someone, Someone healing Jesus. I like to think of Homer from the Simpsons when talking about Jesus.
"I dont even believe in Jebus!!"
Nice doesnt have houses, one can think of it more as a chateau or castles that overlook the beach.
I am staying in a hostel right now that used to be a Monastery. Unfortunately, it is unbelievably hot and there is no AC. On top of that, my room doesnt have windows, so we leave the door open for some type of ventilation. But, my mantra is that I cant complain, I am in Europe. I have also been reading about the heatwave on the east coast... does not sound fun. Plus, the bar has 1 euro beers... beat that.
For the first two days I went to the beach. The beach is famous for two reasons. A. its topless (and generally speaking, people seem to care more about their bodies then they did in Barcelona) and B. The beach is totally made out of rocks. The only sand I saw was brought in to make a volleyball court. This made tanning kind of hard, because you had to constantly switch your position, and move rocks away from your towel.
The water was very salty and very green. As of now I have touched 3 oceans. Atlantic (Jersey shore baby!), Pacific (I ran to the beach when I was like 7 or 8 in the middle of the winter when my family visited California... it was freezing) and now the Mediterranean. I have also now been stung by jelly fish in two oceans.
Today, I went to Monaco.
This was my James Bond day.
My name is Gorman, Zachary Gorman... Unfortunately I couldnt find a place where I could order a martini... "Shaken, not stirred"... cheesy, I know
I did bring a change of clothes purposely because I had been told that there is some type of dress code at the Monte Carlo Casino.
The casino cost 10 Euro to go in, and it was well worth it. It wasnt as big as one would think. There was one room that was absolutely breath taking. Gold all around the place. Tres Cool.
There was a roulette table that had a minimum 1000 euro bet. With a maximum of 30000... WOW
I was expecting some type of poker room, but for some odd reason they dont have one... I imagine if I were to prove my net worth (probably somewhere around $4 at this point in life) and it were to be great enough, they would put me in a poker room.
I ended up at a different casino, and lost 50 bucks playing a slot machine. And yes, I know that the probability of losing your money is pretty high on a slot machine, it was just that the poker room didnt open till 5, and I didnt want to wait.
Monaco has it all, An F1 track that are basic roads throughout the city... There are literally curve marks on some of the roads.... Yachts bigger then my house, and unbelievable views.
On a side note, I saw a yacht that had a helicopter pad with a helicopter on it. I swear. Ridiculous.
Tomorrow, I head to Luzern in Switzerland for a few nights. Apparently very beautiful, but I have another 9 hours of trains... Not fun
Some other notes:
I was planning on switching my plans if Germany had won last night so that I would be there for the world cup final... Of course, the one time a Jew wants Germany to do something positive they end up screwing it up... oh well.
There is a cat at my hostel who both looks and acts like my old cat growing up.... Woot
Thats it for now.
Three weeks in officially, three and a half left to the real world... NOOOO
Good luck to everyone,
Zac
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