This is going to be/is/has been a good attempt to keep people up-to-date about what's been going on in my life in Rennes, France. Past journaling experiences show that this will be/is/was a tricky thing to be regular about, so here's an advanced apology for not posting enough. And feel free to make some comments, send a picture and send some general TLC (Tough Luck, Champ) my way.
After a long, chilly day of traveling, I finally arrived in St. Pancras station (the new hub for international trains). Farther down the platform, one can view an enormous statue of a couple "snogging". Apparently, PR is trying to up the romance of the new station. It could turn a bit awkward for solo travelers and people meeting friends ("Look, I think you're cool and all but...). Giant P.D.A. statue aside, it just felt good to know that my bed for the next 3 nights was only a Tube ride away.
*** Happened to be awake early enough to catch a London sunrise.
*** The bar area of the hostel, St. Christopher's Inn. It is a favorite of Australians on holiday and a creepy Armanian guy. The bar also had a pretty extensive collection of Blues Brothers memorabilia to went perfectly with the establishment's name, Belushi's.
*** Walking around Hyde Park
*** These birds were enormous and ill-tempered. Bad combination. I made sure to use no sudden movements, while getting as close as possible to these guys. But after one came a little too close and I got a closer look at it's beak, I retreated.
*** Statue of Cleopatra and her posse. Nobody has camels these days.
*** Royal Albert Hall
*** World War One memorial.
*** Wellington Arch *** This store is ridiculous. Everything from baby rattles to pianos and nail polish to diamonds is sold here. Unfortunately, I left my platinum card in my other pair of jeans...shame. I had my eye on a really nice piano. *** Photo op that couldn't be missed. *** Whatever the guy with a machine gun and back-up handgun says, do it. At Buckingham Palace, what the queen says, goes. *** A church from across the river Thames. Such a cold night.
Unfortunately, I forgot the camera but I did end up going hashing with the West London H3 group and they are great people. For 2£ I had one of the best afternoons. The other perk of hashing in London is the quality of the down-downs. No PBR for this bunch, only London Pride.
I took these pictures right before leaving Rennes in December. The whole city was covered in a blanket of lights. This first picture is of the Parliament building.
Breathe in that sweet, German air. Megan and I finally made it after a train, metro, bus, plane and a taxi. It was worth it. Welcome to the city of Bremen. This is right outside of the city's train station. Also, something to notice, all the cables are for Bremen's above ground metro system. Just watch your back, these tram cars travel pretty quietly and can sneak up on you. It turns your face a little red to have one honk at you to get out of the way.
*** Megan and I realizing that neither of us speaks German. By the end of the trip we did became capable of ordering bratwurst and spiked mulled wine pretty fluently. *** A mulled wine hut before the crowds hit it. We were part of the crowds. In order to survive the intense winter winds from the North Sea, einwein break was necessary every 15 minutes or so.
*** Vive les hooligans! Turns out that the city's football team (Werder) was playing on Saturday and everyone turned out to show their support. These guys parked it on the cathedral steps with a drum and some beer. In this picture, they are mid-heckle. Watch out if you wearing a red scarf.
*** St. Petri Dom, Bremen's Protestant cathedral. Here's a nice shot of the towers' backside.
*** Lovely photo opportunity of the Christmas markets that were raging all through December. There was no shortage of Santa Claus impersonators, mistletoe, and sparkling ornaments. P.S. The girl in the pink jacket is Megan, my partner-in-crime. *** More of the main square. *** The Windmill am Wall. A classic Dutch style monument, complete with overpriced restaurant. *** Different church. This is where Megan and I watched a boy's choir sing Christmas carols. *** The Christmas market on the sleepy Sunday morning. Bisous!
O my, what a trip.I can safely say that this past weekend has been one of the best in Europe. After running across Paris in order to catch the last train (22h 05) back to Rennes with a good 15 pounds of spiced German wine strapped to my back, it feels great to be back in the apartment. ***
So, the above blurb was written almost a month ago. Timeliness is something that needs to be worked on. On verra, c'est possible avec la Nouvelle Année.
Right now I'm in Barcelona. It's a few minutes before 7 in the morning here. I've been awake since 3:30 a.m. Suffice to say that the internal clock is a bit messed up. But with this ample time on my hands, since no one else is awake, a nice flood of posts and pictures (from Bremen, London and New York City) is on its way.
Hasta pronto, amigos!
P.S. Thanks to the people who've been reading this blog. Turns out that there are more of you than I thought. I'll keep that in mind when I start to slack off on the posts. Ciao!
It's the last minute dash do grab all the supplies needed to spend the weekend inStadtgemeinde Bremen. :-)
Stuff to see: -The Marktplatz (Market square) is dominated by the opulent façade of the Town Hall. The building was erected between 1405 and 1410 in Gothic style, but the façade was built two centuries later (1609–12) in Renaissance style. Today, it hosts a restaurant in original decor with gigantic wine barrels, and the wine lists boasts more than 600—exclusively German—wines. It is also home of the twelve oldest wines in the world, stored in their original barrels in the Apostel chamber.
-In front and to the side of the Town Hall stand two statues: one is the statue (1404) of the city's protector, Roland, bearing Durendart, the "sword of justice" and a shield decorated with an imperial eagle. The other is Gerhard Marcks's 1953 bronze sculpture Die Stadtmusikanten (Town Musicians) which portrays the donkey, dog, cat, and rooster of the Grimms Brothers' fairy tale.
-Beck's Brewery, tours are available to the public which include beer tasting. (One of the many beers to be sampled)
Prost! (for beer) Zum Wohl! (for wine) Auf Schottland! (for whiskey) Auf uns! (for everything else)
To participate: 1) Be 18 years or younger, preferably in middle school 2) No inhibitions 3) Can listen to a whole song (harder than it sounds since they can go on for, what feels like, hours) 4) Be prepared to dress like this guy --->
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After getting a dose of Yves Jamait, I'd like to give you a taste of TECKTONIK. This uniquely French dance is the love child of hip hop and techno music and dance. I've run across so many groups of kids getting their dance on in the middle of the town squares.
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Here's a sneak peek:
Anybody want to put on their dancing shoes and give this a whirl? Just remember the requirements. I'll just sit back, watch and laugh a little bit.
My host mother introduced me to him, via his CD "De verre en vers", and have now played it over and over and over again. I hope some of you enjoy it as much as I do.
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