Well, I WAS in Amsterdam this past weekend, but didn't have a chance to update the blog. It. Was. Awesome. Now I am back in Paris for the time being.
Onward,
Chris
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Family & Friends,
Well, I WAS in Amsterdam this past weekend, but didn't have a chance to update the blog. It. Was. Awesome. Now I am back in Paris for the time being. Onward, Chris
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Dear Family & Friends,
I am now in Porto. I went surfing today at a very popular surf destination. Here are some other observations about Portugal: - When I ask, "What's in this piece of food?," people just respond with: "meat." I suppose it's because the literal translation of "carne" is "meat," although they seem to use it for "beef." Still, it is a little disheartening that they can't clarify what type of meat it is. - There are only two brands of beer in Portugal: Sagres and Super Bock. So menus just list "cerveja" ("beer") and then you get whichever they give you. They also serve it in a tiny, tiny glass. - Portuguese sounds like a cross of Spanish and Italian. I can pick up on Spanish-sounding words, but they say them with Italian inflections. - There are a lot of abandoned buildings in Porto. Last night, I found a haunted house. Onward, Chris Family & Friends,
I am way behind on my "video postcards" and I'm afraid I won't be able to catch up anytime soon. I'm in Lisbon now and can't really speak to my opinion of it just yet. Stay tuned. Also, what a small fucking world that I should meet a guy in Barcelona who is friends with one of my NYC besties! It makes me miss said bestie. Hello Family & Friends,
I got to Barcelona on Wednesday night and I absolutely love it here. The beach, the charm, the gays... yes, I see a lot of gay people here. Last evening, when I was people-watching while having a romantic meal of tapas and sangria by myself, I noticed two young people pass by, look at me, and laugh. Maybe I’m paranoid, but it seemed as if they were laughing at how pathetic I must have looked eating a candlelit dinner alone. But then it occurred to me that it’s actually more pathetic and sad that there exist these two young human beings who would be so oblivious and naïve as to laugh in the face of such pure freedom, independence, and self-confidence. In fact, I have encountered a lot of people on this trip who tell me how “brave” it is that I’m traveling alone or that I would go to a bar by myself. This isn’t anything new to me; I’ve gone to plenty of bars by myself in NYC, but I suppose that is not so common elsewhere. Still, as we get older, with a combination of self-awareness and determination, we overcome that personal insecurity and let me tell you, it is the most liberating feeling in the world. And that’s my little piece of wisdom for now. Onward, Chris Family & Friends,
I met some really cool people in Vienna who were nice enough to show me around the city. Also, my hostel was right by where they had some Summerstage exhibits going on. This hostel is probably the nicest hostel I have ever stayed at. Onward, Chris Family & Friends,
Budapest was surprisingly fun. It's a pretty big city with a lot going on. The architecture is insane; I kept wanting to take pictures of every building. There are parts where I thought to myself, "This kind of looks like Paris." Then, I learned that some of the city was modeled after the "regeneration of Paris." It also has a very interesting history. Onward, Chris Family & Friends,
My time in Prague was very brief, but I did get to see Madelyn, an old college friend who lives there. The city itself is very pretty, especially with all of the lights at night. The architecture is a cool mix of gothic, Renaissance, and baroque, as you will see in the photos below. Onward, Chris Dear Family & Friends,
I am back in Berlin for a few days. Hannah came and joined me for the long weekend and it was a blast. Here are some photos that I didn't have a chance to post before leaving, plus more photos from the past few days. I'll be moving on to Barcelona on Wednesday. Onward, Chris Family & Friends,
I arrived in Vienna yesterday. There seem to be a lot of Italian tourists here. My hostel is probably the nicest hostel I have ever stayed at. I will post more later, along with Prague and Budapest. Onward, Chris Family & Friends,
I arrived in Budapest late on Wednesday night (Prague was way too brief). After a few hiccups, I've come to discover that this city is really cool. The architecture is insane; everywhere I look, I see buildings I want to photograph. I know, I am still behind on photos from Berlin and Prague, so I will update these next week when I return to Berlin for a few days. I had a long day of walking and climbing today. Right when I stepped out the door, I realized that I forgot my sunscreen and also it was too damn hot to be wearing pants and a T-shirt, but I didn't have time to go back. Now, I am happy I toughed it out because I did indeed get sunburned and it would have been a whole lot worse if I had been wearing shorts and a tank top. Anyway. Onward, Chris |
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November 2021
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