Travel Maps

Here's my visual wrap-up of where I went.

Great trip, but it's also good to be home. I'm not sure what I'm going to blog about next!

Bookquest: The End

12/2/2013 - Milwaukee, WI

It was like an early Christmas unpacking all the boxes I had shipped home, and seeing all the books I'd bought in a single place. I've got a lot of reading to do!

Bookquest: Chicago, IL

11/23/2013 - Seminary Co-Op Bookstore

Native Son by Richard Wright

My last book of the trip is Native Son by Richard Wright. I had a few Chicago classics in mind, but Native Son is most on theme with the rest of the "bookquest" books. I probably should have read it a long time ago.

The Seminary Co-Op Bookstore is well-known by University of Chicago undergrads. I always liked it as a student, and I still like to check out what books are required reading for the courses that students are taking. I'm probably biased, but I think it's selection is one of the best in the world. It skews heavy on classics, academic books, and books about Chicago, but it still has a good selection of contemporary fiction. 

Bookquest: Milwaukee, WI

11/22/2013 - Boswell Book Company

Heroes in the Night by Tea Krulos

I found Heroes in the Night at Boswell. It's by a Milwaukee author, and it's about "real life superheroes." I like reading about strange subcultures (see also, my book from Portland). 

I hadn't been to Boswell before, even though I grew up in Milwaukee. I'd typically go to the Barnes & Noble by Southridge Mall or in Mayfair Mall, or the Half-Price Books by Southridge. I wanted to see a Milwaukee touristy bookstore (if there was such as thing), and Boswell held up. It had a few good local sections: one featuring local authors, and another featuring local history. The rest of the store had plenty of good options too. I was tempted to get Stephen King's 11/22/63 since it was exactly 50 years ago.

Bookquest: New York City, USA

11/19/2013 - Strand Bookstore

Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon

At Strand, I picked up a new release by a famous New York state author, Thomas Pynchon. I knew it would be the book I'd buy in New York after seeing the online trailer for the book. It's a detective story that includes an internet billionaire, so it should be a fine novel for today.

The bookstore, Strand, is probably New York's most famous bookstore. It has a great selection, great staff, a nice selection of rare books, etc. I don't think it's a local favorite, but it's a must-do for a bookish tourist in New York. 

Epilogue in Manhattan

11/19/2013 - New York City

I spent the day as a tourist in New York. I walked through Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty. I visited the National Museum of the American Indian, walked past a crowd of tourists at the Charging Bull statue in Bowling Green, saw the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall, and finally made it to Central Park.

In the evening, I met my friend who has lived in the city for the longest, She took me to an excellent restaurant and bar. We had a lot of small plates, including some of the best food of the trip (some really good oysters) and some of the most exotic (sea urchin with pomegranates). It was the last meal before flying back to Milwaukee.

Pictured: Central Park

Banks and Broadway

11/18/2013 - New York City

My first stop in New York was Times Square. It was a practical stop: I needed to find a place to buy a new phone. I got a bagel and a phone, downloaded my favorite New York album, and listened to it as I walked through Manhattan. I passed familiar sights: Rockefeller Plaza, the Empire State Building, and the New York Public Library. I felt at home. 

I met a few friends from Chicago who had moved to New York. For lunch, I met a friend from college outside of his investment bank and had my second bagel of the day. In the evening, I met a friend who works at an off-broadway show. I saw the show, met her backstage, and we made it out in the city. A good team to welcome me back to the U.S.!

Pictured: The Empire State Building

Over Iceland

11/17/2013 - Keflavik, Iceland

I had a nice layover in Iceland on the way back to America. I landed in New York pretty late. I took trains and subways to a hotel in Brooklyn and was too exhausted to celebrate being back in the U.S.

Pictured: View from the airplane window, maybe 100 miles east of Iceland.

Wanderlust

11/16/2013 - Paris

My last full day overseas. I took it slow: I bought some last-minute gifts for friends and family back home, strolled into the National Library, and walked one last part of Paris that I hadn't seen yet (along the docks).

Paris was a favorite city of the trip. I thought that I'd be ready to go home by this time, but I could have easily spent another week in Paris. I hope I can find an excuse to come back!

Pictured: View of the Seine from the docks above the "Wanderlust" bar

Versailles

11/15/2013 - Versailles, France

I joined mobs of tourists at Versailles for a tour through the French palace. Like so much in France, it's both historic and a fantastic work of art. The only surprise was the gift shop: France has embraced Marie Antoinette. I would have thought they'd consider expensive merchandise to be in poor taste if it featured Marie "Let them eat cake" Antoinette.

Outside of the palace, Versailles's gardens are open to the public. I enjoyed walking the gardens for a few hours.

Pictured: A bust of Marie Antoinette in the queen's room, with a door she once used to escape the revolutionary mobs

Each Brick Historic

11/13/2013 - Paris

Today I went to the historic Montmartre neighborhood, and into the Louvre in the evening. Either one is reason enough to visit Paris by itself.

Just past the Moulin Rouge in Montmartre, I stopped at the Cafe des Deux Moulins, where the titular character worked in the film Amelie. Another couple hours strolling through Montmartre, I saw Montmartre's great cemetery, then artists at work in the touristy Place du Tertre, and finally great views of the city.

I had been looking forward to the Louvre since arriving in Paris. I had a couple quick disappointments: both Winged Victory and Liberty Leading the People were out of view, under restoration. But I wasn't disappointed long. The other famous works are as great as their reputations, and I met treasures I'd never heard of around every corner. I even ran into a friend from Chicago after my second hour in the Louvre, and we walked to the apartments of Napoleon III and the dungeon. Every step through Paris takes you through somewhere historic: I hadn't realized the Louvre was an extremely important historic building, not just a museum.

Pictured: Cobblestone road in Montmartre Cemetery

Ville Lumiere

11/12/2013 - Paris

Today I walked through the Jardin des Tuileries on the way to the Musee d'Orsay. The museum, a fantastic building with French art from the 19th century, would have been enough for the day. 

I kept going, and made it by the Bastille to visit Victor Hugo's home in the Place des Vosges. Past the Place des Vosges, I walked through the streets admiring the old buildings, the cafes, and especially the lights. Paris is the City of Lights (Ville Lumiere), and nowhere else looks like it. 

Pictured: A wall painting at the Bastille train station.

Lutetia

11/11/2013 - Paris

After a short Armistice Day celebration, I toured a section of Paris's underground sewers. This was one of my main to-do's in the city; the sewers are legendary from Les Miserables; the book's author Victor Hugo named them Lutetia after the ancient city that once sat at Paris. The afternoon and evening were spent with Paris's illustrious dead: a walk through the famous Pere Lechaise cemetery, then to the Pantheon to see where France's greatest heroes are buried.

Pictured: The sewers of Paris

Plus ça Change

11/10/2013 - Paris

I'm writing most of these less than a month later, after getting back and having a phone / computer again. Better late than never!

Today, everything was about how Paris has changed and how it's changing. In the morning, I sat in the Jardin du Luxembourg and read in Paris, Paris that critics of Pompidou's changes in the 1970s pronounced Paris dead. An article in today's New York Times declared that hipsters ruined Paris. And one of the last sights of the day was the historic La Samaritaine building, an Art Deco / Art Nouveau department store that is now closed. La Samaritaine was shown empty in a sad scene of the 2012 film Holy Motors. I expect I'll return to Paris someday, and I wonder what will be gone when I come back.

Pictured: La Samaritaine, viewed from the oldest bridge in Paris, Pont Neuf (translated: New Bridge)

CERN

11/9/2013 - Geneva, Switzerland

With little time in Geneva, I woke up early for a stroll along the lake. As I reached the lake, I saw a street commemorating Woodrow Wilson, then headed up a hill to a few of the international buildings. First were two UN buildings: UNHCR and the UN's European headquarters itself (formerly the seat of the League of Nations). Past the UN buildings, I saw the headquarters for the Red Cross.

The main event for the day was a tour of CERN, the Center for European Nuclear Research (the acronym works in French). Our tour guide showed us a few videos and the control room above the Large Hadron Collider. We heard abut the Higgs boson. Many of the tourists with me asked complicated questions about experimental subatomic physics to our tour guide, and I was impressed that he could answer them. Last, in a small museum with artifacts from CERN's research, I saw one of the first servers for the world wide web.

Pictured: View of desks for the ATLAS experiment at CERN.

Notre Dame

11/8/2013 - Paris

I sat for a mass in French at Notre Dame. I don't know the language well enough to know what was going on, but the Catholic mass has the same rhythm everywhere. During the mass, tourists walked along the edges of the cathedral. After mass, I joined them, seeing the statue of Joan of Arc, the chapel of Saint Genevieve, etc. I even bought a commemorative coin celebrating the 850th anniversary of the cathedral.

Outside, it was surprisingly easy to get away from the tourists. I walked to a park named for Pope John XXIII and around the back of the cathedral. From there, I crossed to the island where the old blue blooded Parisians live: Ile Saint-Louis. I walked along the Ile Saint-Louis and Notre Dame's island before heading for an overnight trip to Geneva.

Pictured: Notre Dame, viewed from the Ile Saint-Louis.

Bookquest: Paris, France

11/8/2013 - Shakespeare and Company

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

There are countless options for books about Paris. I had a few in mind when I reached Shakespeare and Company and discovered new ones inside. I chose a back-up plan, even if it's a cliche. Hemingway's A Moveable Feast is the book where he wrote: “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

Shakespeare and Company was one of the best bookstores of the trip. In addition to a great selection of English language books downstairs, the upstairs is a lounge where visitors can sit and read the store's collection of old books (not for sale). The bookstore is catered to tourists, but still manages to stay classy and casual.

Bon Soir Paris

11/7/2013 - Paris

I planned to give me the best first impression. At the Place de la Concorde, I got a baguette and walked down the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. There was a surprise for me: I didn't knowit was big enough to go inside, let alone to climb to the top. I did both. Then, I walked to the Eiffel Tower, met some Americans at the top, and had a glass of champagne. I saw even more of the city, including Notre Dame.

I'm on the last leg of my trip, and it's a good thing. My phone, iPad, and other things were stolen, so it has been a bit more challenging. Fortunately, I've learned a few things along the way. In Europe, streets change names along the way. My hotel's street name changed at least once before I reached it. Stuff like that.

Pictured: The Eiffel Tower

Gaudi Town

11/5/2013 - Barcelona, Spain

After yesterday's Park Güell, I saw two more places designed by Gaudi. The first was La Pedrera, an apartment building designed by the Spanish architect. Its rooftop is pretty remarkable. Like much of yesterday's park, it has a very curved and modernist design. The second place I visited, Sagrada Familia, was outstanding and a highlight of the trip. I didn't know what to expect: a friend from my tour group in Turkey gave it her highest recommendation, and I went without reading any descriptions of it. It was nice to go in blind, it made it all the more interesting when I arrived.

In the afternoon, I visited a post office to ship some of my bookquest books back home. I finally had a chance to use my Spanish, translating for a girl from Singapore who needed to know if she needed air mail stamps to mail something home from Barcelona. Later I took a stroll down La Rambla to the beach and around the park of Barceloneta.

Pictured: A glimpse between two chimneys on La Pedrera's rooftop

Bookquest: Barcelona, Spain

11/5/2013 - BCN Books

No Word from Gurb by Eduardo Mendoza

I picked up No Word from Gurb. The back cover made it sound like a silly story about aliens in Barcelona. Later in the day, a local saw that I was carrying the book and asked me, "Is that Eduardo Mendoza in English?" I said yes, and he said "That's one of my favorite books. I didn't know it was translated into English." He told me it was like Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Sounds promising.

The bookstore, BCN, had a good, up-to-date selection of contemporary and classic fiction. I'm not sure how large their selection of Spanish books translated into English is. They were included among the rest of the fiction, so I had to look for Spanish-sounding names. I scanned a few others before picking up No Word from Gurb, so it's probably a pretty decent selection.

They Speak Catalan

11/4/2013 - Barcelona, Spain

Before going out in Barcelona, I met my new roommates at the hostel (thankfully, my last hostel of the trip). They're Colombians, studying English in Malta, just visiting Barcelona for one night. I asked them, "Don't they speak Maltese in Malta?" They said "Yes, sometimes." I also tried speaking Spanish with them, which I thought would be good practice for speaking with the locals. But it turns out the locals speak mostly Catalan. 

In the late afternoon, I trekked up to the Gaudi-designed Park Güell. One of the first things I saw in the park was graffiti on the walls that said, in English, "TOURISTS GO HOME." There was an "anarchy" symbol underneath. Around the park, there was a fair amount of leftist graffiti: hammer and sickle, "No Nazis," that sort of thing. Along with the graffiti, all the motorcyclists riding up and down the streets reminded me of the movie Barcelona. It's a good movie, but I wasn't expecting today's Barcelona to be much like that. Anyway, the park was very nice. 

Pictured: Park Güell in Barcelona

Avignon Bridge

11/3/2013 - Avignon, France

In Avignon, I saw the two big historic sights: its bridge and the papal palace that was used when the Popes were away from Rome. The bridge is famous throughout France. It is popular from a children's song, like London Bridge. The audio guide tour played the song in six styles: Indian, reggae, country, acid jazz, bossa nova, and "berbere." I had it in my head most of the day.

The papal palace felt more like an impressive medieval fortification than a religious building. It's huge, and older than most of the buildings in the Vatican. It sits in an old plaza with surrounding restaurants and small shops. I stopped for lunch and ordered the plate of the day. My waiter didn't know how to translate it: "It's like pork. No, not pork. It's like veal, but younger." 

Pictured: View of the Pont St-Benezet bridge in Avignon, with the papal palace behind it.

Aix and Blast Furnace

11/2/2013 - Marseille, France

I spent the morning in Aix-en-Provence and the evening in Marseille. In Aix, I ate at a cafe where Paul Cezanne and Emile Zola used to hang out. From there, I walked through the old town: down the Cours Mirabeau and into the Vieil Aix. I stopped in a couple artsy shops along the way. Pretty nice, but expensive.

After returning to Marseille, I visited a cultural center called La Friche La Belle de Mai in an industrial part of the city. The complex has been converted from factories into a skate-boarding park, a huge rooftop public art space, smaller art studios, music and film halls, and more. It was a nice surprise; didn't know what I would find in Marseille.

Pictured: The "blast furnace" sculpture in La Friche's panorama

Two Wealthy Cities

11/1/2013 - Monte Carlo, Monaco

Wearing my most stylish clothes, I spent the day in two wealthy cities: Monte Carlo, Monaco and Cannes, France. I spent more of the day around Monte Carlo, starting at the royal palace, then the gardens, the aquarium, the harbor, a restaurant near the casino for lunch (octopus), and finally into the casino.

Cannes was a quick trip. I walked the beach and saw the "Palais des Festivals et des Congres," where the Cannes Film Festival takes place. The beach has its own Walk of Fame, with handprints of famous actors and directors (I remember seeing Peter Verhoeven, Sharon Stone, Pedro Almodovar, Dennis Hopper). Golden palms are seen throughout the city: apparently it goes back to the city's coat of arms, not just to the film festival.

Pictured: View of Monaco while walking to the royal palace

Philosopher Trail

10/31/2013 - Eze, France

Eze is an easy day-trip from Nice, just 20 minutes along the coast by train. My destination was a hiking trail from the beach to the mountaintop. The trail's claim to fame is that the philosopher Nietzsche used to walk along the trail while he was writing Also Sprach Zarathustra in Eze. I put on my headphones and listened to a recording of Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra for the first leg of the climb. Hiking has always been a good idea on this trip. I'd have trouble choosing my favorite path among this, the "Philosopher's Path" in Kyoto, Mt. Fuji, Cappadocia, Cinqueterre, and all the others.

Eze itself is a small, walled medieval town on the mountaintop. There is only one door in and out. I walked through the whole town: mostly just restaurants, art museums, and boutique shops. At the top, there is an "exotic garden" with cacti, agave, and many plants from the Americas. The view is very impressive. I could see well beyond Nice.

Pictured: Hiking through the Chemin de Nietzsche on the way to Eze

Vieux Nice

10/30/2013 - Nice, France

I'm closing in on the last leg of my overseas trip. I last visited France on my way to Amsterdam, in St Malo at the northwest end. Now I'm at the far southeast end. Nice is still very warm. Most people were wearing shorts, and plenty of people were hanging out at the beach. 

The old part of the city ("Vieux Nice") is near the beach and the palace, with charming maze-like streets. I found it easy to get around and find good places to go out. The park (above) was lively, the bars were friendly, and the French were patient as I tried to speak the language. 

Pictured: A fountain in the Promenade du Paillon park, just outside of Vieux Nice

Bookquest: Milan, Italy

10/29/2013 - American Bookshop

Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco

I picked up Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, about three men from Milan who read so many conspiracy theories that they decide to make up one of their own. Eventually, they start getting in trouble with actual secret societies. 

The American Bookshop was the third English-language bookstore I looked for in Milan. The other two had closed. The selection is pretty broad, but the Italian translations are limited: just one shelf for Eco, Dante, Italo Calvino, and a few others.

Madonna on the Mountaintop

10/28/2013 - Manarola, Italy

Manarola is one of the five villages in Cinqueterre, a small mountainous area on the northwest coast of Italy. It is known for having great hiking along the coast and up in the mountains. Each of the five villages has a remote chapel associated with it that can be hiked to from the village. From Manarola, I hiked to the chapel Nostra Signora della Salute in the tiny village of Volastra.

Along the way, I realized that there is huge variety in all the Catholic experiences one can have in Italy. Hiking to the top of the mountain to see a chapel reminds me of someone seeking advice from a  Himalayan guru. Less than two weeks earlier, I had jostled to see the Pope among the crowds at the Vatican. I saw the world's largest cathedral, St. Peter's. And I saw the luxury of the historic Church in Florence. Italy has options for whatever inspires you: cheering crowds, the Pope, ancient history, massive wealth, or remote mountaintop chapels.

Pictured: View of the village Manarola on the way down from Volastra

Fashion City

10/27/2013 - Milan, Italy

After history-loaded Rome and Florence, Milan felt like a real contemporary city. I first headed to some of its historic sights: the Cathedral downtown and the world's most famous opera house, La Scala. Outside of La Scala, there is a statue of Leonardo da Vinci. 

But besides these few historic sights, most of what I saw in downtown Milan was like Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Lots of shopping, with all the famous Milan fashion brands (some I recognized, many I didn't).

Pictured: Milan's central shopping mall, Galleria Vittorio Emaneule II, between the cathedral and La Scala.

Hollow Church

10/26/2013 - Florence, Italy

The massive Duomo (cathedral) in the center of Florence is mostly empty. That's unusual for churches in Europe. Usually you can walk in and sit down if you want to pray.

Walking to the front of the cathedral, you can look up and see a painting on the ceiling above the altar. Going back outside, you can buy a ticket to walk up the 400+ stairs for a closer look at the painting and a panoramic view of the city. It's a nice view. 

Pictured: Florence's cathedral, see the people in the background for scale.

Faith through Luxury

10/25/2013 - Florence, Italy

Today, I visited the famous Uffizi Museum. It is one of the world's best, with Botticelli's famous The Birth of Venus, many paintings of Raphael, the crowd favorite Nano Morgante, and many more. That would have been enough art for the week, but I also went to the Galleria della Accademia in the afternoon to see Michelangelo's David. 

Florence's Christian art seemed even more luxurious than Rome's. In depictions of the holy family, they are surrounded by gold. The wealthy commissioners of the paintings are sometimes shown along with the holy family (presumably, so they could get a portrait done with their gift to the church). Some paintings of the saints at the Galleria della Accademia were only used to show off the guild halls (for example, a painting of St Laurence with a banner of the bakers' guild seems to honor the guild more than St Laurence). 

Pictured: Cellini's statue of Perseus in Piazza della Signoria, with a replica of David in the background

Bookquest: Florence, Italy

10/24/2013 - B&M Bookstore

The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici by Christopher Hibbert

I picked up a history of the Medici family in Florence. The staff recommended it: a great story with powerful characters, dramatic story, etc. I don't know much about the Medicis, so I was happy to pick it up.

The bookstore had one of the best selections of the trip. I saw history, biography, classics, and contemporary books all on Florence. I had expected to pick up Room with a View, but the staff seemed so knowledgeable and interesting that I went ahead with their recommendation. 

The Pope and the Museums

10/23/2013 - Vatican City

Seeing the Pope's weekly address was challenging. I arrived 90 minutes early, but it was already very crowded. It didn't seem to matter that I had a ticket, but I wouldn't have been surprised if everyone actually did have a ticket: mine was number 36,861. I stayed long enough to see Pope Francis appear and wave to the crowds from his jeep. I left early to get a head-start on the museums.

I only saw the suggested highlights of the Vatican Museums, which still took me almost three hours. One of the first stops was a view of the Vatican Gardens, where the retired Pope Benedict XVI resides. Inside, the museum was full of sculpture, paintings, tapestries, and more priceless objects. I had favorites: I liked the room with statues for all the Muses, the gallery of maps, fifty-five small rooms for contemporary art, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. 

Pictured: One of the contemporary pieces in the Vatican Museums, Mary and John at the cross

Bookquest: Rome, Italy

10/22/2013 - Fetrinelli International

Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar

In Rome, I got Memoirs of Hadrian, an imagined series of letters from the Roman Emperor Hadrian to his successor, Marcus Aurelius. It's been on my radar for a while, so I was happy to pick it up in Rome.

The bookstore is pretty well stocked for contemporary English language literature and nonfiction. There were even sections for classics and drama in English. I was hoping to get a copy of Marcus Aurelius, but no luck. There was a section for Italian authors, including Calvino, Machiavelli, Marco Polo, Umberto Eco, and others. But nothing jumped out to me as more Roman than Memoirs of Hadrian.

Bookquest: Vatican City

10/22/2013 - The Vatican Book Shop

Lumen Fidei by Pope Francis

I picked up Pope Francis's first encyclical, Lumen Fidei in the Vatican Book Shop. I've been meaning to read it, and even though it's easily available online, this seemed like it would give me another push to read it.

The Vatican Book Shop has mostly prayer books and Bibles, as you'd probably expect. There is also a section for English-language art books and tour books. I was surprised why what wasn't there. Pope Benedict's book Jesus of Nazareth wasn't there, and there weren't any histories on the Catholic Church. 

Window into Heaven

10/22/2013 - Vatican City

I took an official tour of St. Peter's Basilica, the largest Catholic cathedral. The tour group was small: me, two Catholics from India, two Orthodox Romanians living in Australia, and our English guide. She was patient and welcoming as she explained the plaza outside St. Peter's and inside the basilica. One of the architects, Bernini, had designed St. Peter's to be a "window into heaven." It was one of the best experiences of the trip. 

St. Peter's would have been enough to make a great day, but I had a pretty full afternoon also. I saw touristy Rome: the Trevi Fountain seen in La Dolce Vita, the gelato shop from Roman Holiday, the Pantheon, and the site where Julius Caesar was murdered. It was a good part of Rome for aimless wandering. I eventually ended up walking along the Tiber River before heading out for the nightlife.

Pictured: A small piece of art in St. Peter's

From Caesar to Marcus Aurelius

10/21/2013 - Rome, Italy

A big section of Rome is essentially an unearthed archaeological dig. I spent the morning there, walking through the ruins of the Palatine Hill and the Forum. Those ruins include a temple to Julius Caesar, the home of Augustus, and much more. Next to the Palatine Hill is the Colosseum. I visited the Colosseum next. It has a few small museum exhibits inside: one explains its history, and another showed some small pieces from board games found in the Colosseum. 

From the Colosseum, I walked past the Arch of Constantine, got some lemon gelato, walked down the Circus Maximus park, saw the Bocca della Verita, and finally made it to the statue of Marcus Aurelius in Piazza del Campidoglio. It was a good, full day.

Pictured: View of the Ancient Roman Forum

Palace or Beach

10/19/2013 - Split, Croatia

Split was relaxing after pushing myself through Central Europe. It was one of those days where the big questions are: do I want to get coffee here at the beach, or wait until I get to the palace? I spent most of the day at the palace, chatting with other tourists, getting lost in the ancient streets, and stopping for street food. Dinner was right outside an ancient Temple of Jupiter.

The palace was also alive at night. During my evening visit, I heard live music in the main square before heading to the cafes and bars. This might have been the most self-indulgent day of the trip: nothing to do except go to the beach and get drinks in a 1600 year old palace.

Pictured: Split's waterfront, with the palace at left (behind the palm trees)

Travel Surprises

10/18/2013 - Split, Croatia

So far on my trip, most things have gone according to plan. Today, I felt off balance as I seemed to encounter one surprise after the other. At breakfast, I bit into what I thought was a sweet cheese strudel, but instead there was a lukewarm hot dog inside. Later, when I got to Zagreb's train station for my trip to Split, I saw that I'd be spending five hours on a bus instead of a train. When I finally arrived in Split, the apartment I had reserved was unavailable. So the owners picked me up and took me down some dark alleys to another place. The new place was fine, except I had to follow specific directions about turning off the water heater so I wouldn't get electrocuted in the shower.

The day's biggest surprise came at the end. It was a good one, and something I should have seen coming. I hadn't done much research on why I was supposed to visit Split; I just thought it was just a beach destination. It turns out, there's a major UNESCO World Heritage Site: a 4th century Roman palace, filled with cafes, restaurants, and bars. Nice!

Pictured: Diocletian's Palace in Split

No Must-Sees

10/17/2013 - Ljubljana, Slovenia

Everything I had read about Ljubljana told me that there aren't any must-sees in Ljubljana. That was good; I had made a mistake and didn't have much time in the city. I had hoped to see the country's famous caves, but it didn't work out. So instead I walked from the train station to the center of town: a small square and a river walk. 

It's common to see signs in English, even in remote Slovenia. Ljubljana's town center had many touristy restaurants, all advertising in English. I had an Italian cannoli, Ljubljana beer, and a Thai dish before seeing the castle and heading back to the train station.

Pictured: View of the Ljubljana River and a statue on the bridge.

Bookquest: Zagreb, Croatia

10/16/2013 - Skolska Knjiga

Our Man in Iraq by Robert Perisic

Our Man in Iraq is a novel about a Croatian journalist whose cousin disappears in the Iraq war. I thought it would be interesting to get a perspective on recent world history from Croatia, whose own history is moving pretty quickly.

The bookstore Skolska Knjiga in Zagreb's main square had a couple shelves of English language literature, including many of a series "The Best of Croatian Literature" (Our Man in Iraq is part of this series). 

Ancestral Homeland

10/16/2013 - Zagreb, Croatia

Some of my ancestors are Croatian, so I was eager to see the nation's capital, Zagreb. I used the same plan I've been using to introduce myself to a city: "choose a landmark, walk to it, and find interesting things along the way." I first walked to the cathedral and saw prayers written on the wall in the old Croatian alphabet. From there, I walked through a market, through a few parks and plazas, and up to the upper half of the old town. 

In the old town, I first stopped at the celebrated Museum of Broken Relationships. From the museum, I walked to Zagreb's government buildings and the center of Old Zagreb, St. Mark's Square. The brightly tiled St. Mark's Church prompted a cheer of "Kawaii!" (cute!) from a Japanese tourist. From St. Mark's, I walked a few blocks to get a view of the city. In the evening, I passed a statue of Nikola Tesla on my way to the bars and cafes of Zagreb. The city made a good first impression; it is lively and easygoing.

Pictured: View of Zagreb's cathedral (at left, under restoration), and more of the skyline.

Hundertwasserhaus and KunstHausWien

10/15/2013 - Vienna, Austria

My last day in Vienna, I took an easy day and enjoyed the city's cafe culture. By now, my German is good enough that I could actually order coffee and pay for it in German. That's a payoff from fifth grade or so; I learned how to order coffee in German long before I ever actually wanted to drink coffee. Besides coffee at the art museum, I saw the Ferris wheel from The Third Man at the carnival grounds and checked out the unique apartment building, the Hundertwasserhaus. 

I left Vienna wishing I had more time there. I had planned to visit mostly for the classical music history, but there's much more to the city than that. 

Pictured: The KunstHausWien museum in Vienna. 

The Third Man

10/14/2013 - Vienna, Austria

After all the trains the last few days, I took a slow day in Vienna. After my chores, my first stop was a park, the Stadtplatz. It had statues of many Viennese musicians that I hadn't seen earlier: Johann Strauss, Schubert, Bruckner. Also, just outside the Stadtplatz, I finally saw Beethoven at Beethovenplatz.

The main event of the afternoon was a themed tour of Vienna. The theme was the famous British film The Third Man. Our guide explained the history of the city, and he pointed out locations from the film. It gave me a better appreciation for the city. Hearing Vienna's history in World War II and the Cold War was another reminder that we live in a time of unprecendented peace and prosperity. 

Pictured: One of the sewers of Vienna, as seen in The Third Man

Quirks of Bratislava

10/13/2013 - Bratislava, Slovakia

Bratislava is a quick day trip from Vienna. I had no expectations. I went into the country thinking that I would try to see at least as much of Bratislava as I saw of Luxembourg, and that I could just walk around enjoying the view. So far, Central Europe's fall colors have been pretty impressive.

If I had to put a single word on Slovakia, it would be "quirky." I walked from the train station to the city center across the "UFO bridge." The old town of Slovakia didn't look very old; I guessed that much of it had been redone to look old in the last few years. Throughout the old town, there were odd statues of non-Slovaks: a Napoleonic soldier, Hans Christian Andersen, etc. 

Pictured: Most SNP, the "UFO" bridge

Autumn and Szilard

10/12/2013 - Budapest, Hungary

I rushed through Budapest: I went to Parliament, across the bridge from Pest to Buda, up to the castle, and back to the train station. I snuck in a few small stops along the way. I found a good place for goulash, and I picked up a book. The city looked nice; the trees on the Buda hills had all the colors of autumn.

My last small stop, not far from the train station, was the childhood home of Hungarian scientist Leo Szilard. He was one of the first to conceive of the atomic bomb and how it could be a deterrent to war. His home is now a dormitory for music school students, with a plaque to commemorate him outside. I was disappointed that Ronald Reagan gets a prominent statue, but there's not much for Leo Szilard.

Pictured: Budapest's Ronald Reagan statue, with Parliament in the background

Bookquest: Budapest, Hungary

10/12/2013 - Bestsellers

My Happy Days in Hell by Gyorgy Faludy

I picked up My Happy Days in Hell in Budapest. It's an autobiography from a poet who saw a lot of World War II: he flees Hungary for Paris, then Paris for North Africa, then North America for military service, and back to Europe for the war. 

Most of the translated Hungarian fiction at Bestsellers had unhappy sounding titles: you can see in the picture "tragedy" and "sinister." I wondered if this was because Hungarians only wrote miserable stories, or because English-reading audiences only cares to read about Hungarian misery. 

Mozart Wins

10/11/2013 - Vienna, Austria

I fit a lot of Vienna into a single rainy day, since most of the previous day was spent on trains leaving Poland. I started in the Hofburg, the Habsburg palace in the city center. It's huge; I visited at least four parks inside it. The parks were nice enough that I didn't even bother going in any of the buildings. I passed the old congress building, the national library, and some impressive museums. After the palace, I saw today's Parlement, several huge churches, a house where Freud once lived, and others. 

I was happy to stroll through the city that was the center of classical music. Unsurprisingly, Mozart is everywhere: his statue is in one of the palace gardens, and his image is on many souvenirs. The surprise was that I didn't see any evidence of other famous Viennese musicians (and there are many). It's like going to Hollywood and only seeing Marilyn Monroe. 

Pictured: The Mozart statue in the palace's Burggarten park