Final Reflections

August 18th: So, here I am, sitting on Delta Flight 71 at Amsterdam's Schiopol Airport, definitely overtired, with splitting headache, with a melancholy yet satisfied feeling as I think back to my five-week whirlwind trip across Europe. I am broke, stinky, sore from all of the walking, yearning for vegetables and real food from Wegmans or Trader Joes, and looking forward to sleeping in one place, by myself, for the first time in over a month. Despite all of this, I was hoping to spend just ONE MORE DAY in Europe (just ask everyone at Delta, as I was begging to be a person to sacrifice his seat on an overbooked flight!)!

I said before I went to Europe that this was so much more for me than just a trip; it was meant to be a journey to have a greater understanding of the world around me with the hopes of becoming a better teacher and ultimately a better person! I think and hope I have accomplished all of that and then some.

First off, I know this is cliche, but, the world really is small, and all of us have so much more in common despite our differences. Two of my best experiences in my five weeks were just small conversations with two completely random people in two very different cities. When I was in Maastricht, I went to get a kebab across from my hotel and spoke with an Iranian Muslim, just about life, his daughter (who goes to Colby), and politics. When I mentioned I was Jewish, he told me how much he appreciated Judaism and did not shy away from me; rather, it was striking to see how similar we were to each other.

The other conversation I had was with an Iraqi Kurd who ran a laundromat in London. He and his family had fled Saddam and hoped for a better life in the UK. I had never met a Kurd before, so it was great to pick his brain about his perspectives on politics and life.

My main point here is that all of us can get along with each other and learn from each other. If we respect each others' differences and have an open mind, well, genocide, violence and hatred disappear!

Now, some other points. My main mission has been accomplished! I had the chance to honor my own past as well as America's by a visit to Normandy and the American and British cemeteries. Very few things in my life have EVER been as important to me as having the privilege of giving thanks to so few who sacrificed so much, for so many!

Besides Normandy, the second most important visits I made were to Holocaust memorials and concentration camps. I still can never fathom how this even happened and how or why genocide still occurs.

On the subject of the Holocaust, no country aggravates me MORE THAN GERMANY! It was arguably my favorite country and had some of the coolest cities I have ever seen in my life. It is beautiful, the people are amazing and open-minded, and it has one one of he most advanced economies in the world. Yet, I cannot let go of the Holocaust and the fact that the nation caused two World Wars. To Germany's credit, it has gone out of its way to atone for its past and remember what it has been responsible for and to celebrate its great art, scientific, cultural, and architectural achievements. Is it time for ME to let go of my anger toward Germany!? I am not sure what the right answer is here.

Other last rumblings: I LOVE the idea of the European Union and hope it grows stronger! It is amazing to see how so many countries that have had such sordid histories have managed to now work our differences and have free, open borders.

ROME KICKS ASS! No other way to put it!

Prague is definitely my favorite city, but, I have so many others that are close seconds that I cannot decide!

Every city I went to except for Plzen, Paris and Brussels I wish I had spent more time in. I loved Paris and will be back there, but, three nights is all I can really take at a time! Plzen is beautiful but not much there other than a brewery owned by Miller-SAB. Brussels is just weird; I cannot describe it, but I didn't get it.

Denmark and Sweden are ridiculously expensive but have the most beautiful people I have ever seen in my life! Holland is not too far behind the two in terms of people. The Dutch are freaking GORGEOUS :)!

Seemingly every European city I visited had more bikes than cars on the road, the exceptions being London, Rome, and Paris.

One area where the some of the US is especially more advanced is smoking prevention. People in Europe smoke everywhere, and I can only imagine what kind of burden this places on health care!

Finally, I think I should shut my phone off right now. I AM 35k feet up in the air, flying over the UK! Attached are the views.

Less than one year until my next trip here :). Now, back to the real world!

Back to Life, Back to Reality

August 17th: After the Anne Frank Haus, I took a bus to the countryside to a town called Volendam just to see one of the many windmills Holland is known for. The change of scenery was wonderful and the weather was perfect! I then went back to Amsterdam an boarded a Eurolines bus back to Berlin. Like nearly all of my travel experiences, this was harrowing as I made my bus by three minutes (hey... Why change now!)!

After a nine-hour miserable bus ride, I was back in Berlin and this almost felt like home! Yet, of course I could not stay in one place for long, so I then decided to go to Dresden for my final adventure. Now, I wish I could say it was the greatest city ever or the coolest thing I did in Europe, but, to be honest, I wish I hadn't gone. This isn't because Dresden is a bad city or anything; I think I was just tired and actually ready to go home! After two hours in Dresden, I boarded a bus and came back to Berlin, where I am spending one last night out and at an awesome hostel called Main Station Hostel, the same one I stayed at when I first arrived! My journey has come full circle!

"In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart."

August 16th: Never can one building turn six million victims into one person like the Anne Frank Haus, and that is where I went first thing this morning. I have studied the Holocaust, been to museums and a concentration camp, yet, I have never been so moved as I
was when I saw the building where Anne and her family hid from 1942-1944. I wish I had pictures from the inside to show, but no photos were allowed. Within five minutes of getting there, I started crying, as it once again put a human face on the terror that existed here from 1932-1945.

In the house itself, you wind through several rooms that have quotes from Anne's diary and artifacts from her life and the lives of others who hid there. As I made my way to the attic, I just had this sickening feeling about what took place. The final rooms in the attic describe Anne's fate and the fates of the others.

Where I became angry and frustrated once again was learning that Anne's family tried to emigrate to the US, Britain, and Chile; yet they were denied entry and settled for Amsterdam. When they went into hiding, people on the streets stared at them and felt sorry but did nothing. As the war was coming to an end, someone (and to this day nobody knows who) betrayed the Franks and they were captured and deported! This took place AFTER D-Day, right as Holland was getting liberated! In the house, there is even an authentic map that Otto Frank had charting the invasion!

I can go on and on; I just still do not get how this ever happened, and the Anne Frank House will stick with me forever!

Green Lights and Red Lights in Amsterdam!

August 15th: Amsterdam is only 45 minutes via train from The Hague, but it might as well be in a different hemisphere! Here, a coffee shop is NOT a coffee shop, and prostitutes (legally) make more than teachers (and pay taxes for their "services" they provide). As soon as I arrived here, I could literally smell the marijuana in the air; It is EVERYWHERE! People smoke it like cigarettes, and, it is not a big deal (no, I definitely DID NOT partake either; I don't really condone it all that much)!

The home of Van Gough and Rembrandt also happens to be the most liberal, free spirited city I have ever been, and like so many other places I have been in Europe, it seems surreal! The public transportation system here not only consists of subways, trams, trains, and busses; it has a series of boats that take you along the hundreds of miles of canals that move really efficiently! It is also EXTREMELY clean and has just an incredible vibe that I have not experienced before.

Tonight, I did go to the Heineken "experience", which in reality is just the "Disney Land" for the fabled, yet overrated Dutch beer. It takes place in what used to be the brewery and lasts about 90 minutes! Afterward, I just walked the endless streets, chilled along the canal, and enjoyed one of my final nights in Europe!

What da Heck!? I'm in Da Hague!

Wednesday, August 15th:

One of the many reasons I LOVE Europe so much is, that in a matter of 2.5 hours, you can go from the Mediterranean Sea to the North Sea. Yesterday, I did just that.

I wrestled with whether or not I was going to try to squeeze Amsterdam and The Hague in, considering that I skipped them to go to the Olympics two weeks ago, but, as everything else in this trip, impulse won over common sense, and $300 later, I was on a Transavia.com (yes, there IS such an airline) flight to Rotterdam City Airport.

Now, of all the cities in Europe, WHY would I choose to go to The Hague!? Really, because, as a teacher, I know the city houses the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, the Peace Palace, and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Basically, I was hoping to see any or all of those and bring resources back to my social studies department colleagues and my classroom.

Although I ultimately was not allowed to do a tour of any of those (you need to book the Peace Palace online and the ICTY was on recess...OOPS!), I did go to the Peace Palace Visitors Center and did an overview of the history of the Peace institutions that line The Hague. I also spent $45 on a fancy tie :)!

What I realized though is there is much more to The Hague than being a city for international law. It is really laid back, on the North Sea, with a lot of art and culture. Last night, I took a nap on beach and just strolled and enjoyed the serenity! No pun intended here, but, The Hague really is a peaceful city :) It is also more diverse than many European cities I have been to, hosts a small, but vibrant Chinatown, and, along with Copenhagen, this is the European city that I could see myself living in (although Boston is still number 1 in my books)!

Final Hours in Rome.

Monday, August 13th: I spent my final hours in Rome cramming in as much as possible (like everything else on this trip). I really, really wanted to see the aqueducts, and they definitely did not disappoint. Aqueduct Park is just this random park about three miles from Rome's center but really a different world away. I had almost forgotten about them until after I went to the Catacombs yesterday, and, after taking a stroll down Appian Way and a quick pop-in to a tourist info booth, I saw pictures of them.

What is cool about the aqueducts is that they are just "there". They are surrounded by a park with running paths and sheep grazing and very few tourists were around when I was there. My Lonely Planet guide did not even mention them; they were just something I knew about from teaching. To know that they have lasted thousands of years without much of a conservation effort, well, what can I say !?

After the aqueducts, I grabbed more pizza (they sell it by the kilogram in Rome) and just stayed out all hours of the night walking around the city. I visited the Spanish Steps, saw the Coliseum lit up at night, walked over to the field that was the "Circus Maximus" (where chariot races used to be held) and just soaked up the glory that is Rome!

Off to the North Sea tomorrow!

A Forum for my Forum

Sunday, August 12th: Today, I had the opportunity to see the Catacombs where several popes were buried and then continue walking around the Forum and Palatine Hill. The Catacombs are located on the famed Appian Way, and the one I visited was among several located in Greater Rome. Like some other attractions, I was not allowed to take pictures once we were underground, but there is graffiti going back nearly 2000 years,
Indicating respect for the person'

Pray For Me... Off to see the Pope (or Vatican, I guess!)

Monday, August 13th:

So any visit to Rome would not be complete without going to the Vatican Museums, and today, being the good Jew that I am, I made sure I went!

The lines for the museums were incredibly long, but, I had booked my ticket ahead of time so I was set! THE HIGHLIGHT of any trip to the Vatican is seeing the Sistine Chapel, arguably Raphael Sanzio's finest and most famous work. My initial plan was to go directly there once I got into the Museum... Not too different from trying to see the Mona Lisa immediately upon getting to the Louvre. This idea backfired when I realized the cupola to the Chapel is at the tail end of a labyrinth of various gothic and Renaissance art. There were several rooms completely dedicated to the works of Raphael, statues of famous martyrs and saints, and even contemporary Christian art.. All before going to see the glory that is the ceiling of the Chapel.

Now, in order to fully believe the Sistine Chapel, you really need to see it in person, especially because you are not allowed to take photos (otherwise I would have posted them here!). It really seemed like it was the length and width of half a football field, a good 20 meters off the ground, and you literally just stare, wander at the various scenes, and TRY to absorb what you are observing! The detail, depth, and color are just unreal! It was if G-d himself made it, as it was THAT divine and perfect! I stood there for a good ten minutes just wandering from various sections of the floor and while taking mental snapshots!

After a good four hours in the Vatican, I knew I had to see more of Rome... Next post.

Rome-in around SOME MORE!

Saturday. August 11th (continued)

After the Coliseum, I went to Palatine Hill and saw the Nero's chambers, as well as hundreds of other sites excavated or in the process of being excavated. Rome itself is ONE HUGE
archaeological paradise! Skyscrapers don't really exist, and everywhere you walk, you see ancient ruins! It is just awesome!

In addition to Palatine Hill, I saw St Angelo's Castle and St. Peter's Cathedral, both of which are on the opposite side of the Tiber River from the Coliseum. I also went to the Parthenon, saw Trevi Fountain, ate countless slices of pizza, had gnocchi for dinner, and drank about a liter of Peroni! Yeah, not a bad first day in Rome:)!

Rome-in around!

Saturday, August 11th:

Coming toward the end of backpacking trip, there was one more city that I felt I NEEDED to see before heading back to the States-- ROME! I hear stories about it, see pictures of it, and teach about it, but, to fully experience it is something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! I was trying to figure out how I would get there from Budapest, and ultimately, I relied on the flying five-ring circus that is WizzAir!! The clowns did not disappoint, as it took over an hour to get luggage from the plane after landing at Leonardo da' Vinci Airport. I did not get to my hostel until 1 this morning, but, I really do not care-/ I am in ROME!

Now, if I had to pick one "favorite day" of my entire European trip thus far, today would be it! At 8 am, I was up and immediately bought a pass for the Coliseum and other Rome attractions.

When I first set eyes on the Coliseum, I knew it was the coolest thing I have ever seen in my life! Here is this massive piece of antiquity rising from the grounds, and I was there! The stairs are steep, the ground beneath eroded and restored, and artifacts from ancient Rome on display all around! You cannot go onto the actual grounds of the Coliseum where all of the fighting took place, as it is an active excavation site. Still, it is just crazy to think what took place there nearly 2000 years ago.

The darker side of Budapest

August 10th: A recurring theme I have encountered since traveling throughout Europe, particularly Eastern and Central Europe, is how so many of these cities are oxymorons; they are so beautiful but have an incredibly messed up history! Budapest definitely
fits this as well!

In my two days here, I have seen the beauty of the Danube River, the wonderful palaces and medieval churches, the series of idyllic bridges, and the start of the Buda Hills that jut up immediately as soon as you cross the Danube.

However, Budapest has a HORRIBLE past related to the Holocaust and its persecution of Jews and various partisans during WWII. The past few days, I have seen that "darker" side of Budapest and I was sickened and saddened over it. Yesterday, Robyn and I went first to this underground hospital bunker and then to the Great Synagogue (the second largest in the world). The hospital bunker was in use during WWII and the Cold War, and it also served as a nuclear haven in case of an attack. While only created to hold less than 100 patients at a time, during the second World War, it ended up treating 700-800 patients at once. Things got so bad there that nurses and doctors actually cut the bandages off the dead soldiers to use on those still alive.

Going to the Great Synagogue was humbling for me for myriad reasons. While I am not overly religious, I did still feel a connection to my own past and was proud yet again to see that despite over 2 millennia of discrimination, persecution, and genocide, we still have survived and thrived! At the Synagogue, there were several memorials to the over 500,000 Hungarian Jews who were killed by the Nazis and Arrow Cross militia. A cemetery is in the courtyard and there is a metallic tree with leaves that have the names of Jews who were killed. Each leaf has a name carefully inscribed and the leaves are about the size of a pinky. The Synagogue even has an archive where people can try to find the fates of their loved ones! Humbling!

Probably the most striking reminder of the Holocaust in Budapest exists on the "Pest" side of the Danube River. There, about a quarter mile from Parliament, lies a series of shoes from victims who were shot and then shoved into the river by the Arrow Cross Militia toward the end of the war. I almost broke down when I saw a pair of children's shoes! Look... I have studied the Holocaust, heard countless survivors, designed a course, and have now been to Dachau. Yet, I will STILL NEVER understand how this ever happened! I just don't get it and never will!

Hungary for Budapest!

August 8th: Since I started traveling, I heard that Budapest was a city I needed to see! I was told that if I liked Prague, I would LOVE Budapest, and yes, I did REALLY LIKE PRAGUE!

I felt Robyn needed a real cultural experience and Budapest is not only cheap; it is distinctly Eastern European, still showing remnants of both a world War II and the Cold War! In fact, as soon as we got to our hostel, we realized we were not in Copenhagen anymore!

First off, I need to discuss the flight to Budapest! Europe had a lot of cheap discount airlines, most notably EasyJet, RyanAir, and WizzAir! We flew WizzAir out of Malmo and it was $150 for the two of us, and the flight was just booked two days ago!

WizzAir is a TOTAL circus! The people on the flight are loud; the attendants bombard you with advertisements, and the hope is you get to your destination alive! When we landed, people clapped like it was New Years Eve!

Now, first impressions of Budapest... It is VERY similar to Prague, but the aura of the Cold War is still really strong! It also has a fairly big Jewish population and tonight I had THE BEST MEAL I have had since traveling in Europe....matzo ball soup, a meat stew, and yellow string beans! Amazing:) !

Tonight, we also went to one of manu bars in Budapest that are called "ruins pubs". They used to be former residences under Soviet rule that have since been converted into loud, wild, cheap bars! They are somewhat similar to the German beer gardens I went to except they are grungier and more run down! Still, they are a blast!

The GREAT DANES

Tuesday, August 7th: So, my next stop on my European adventure was a trip to Scandinavia and the gateway to Scandinavia, COPENHAGEN! I landed here early Sunday morning, flying EasyJet from London Stansteed, and one of my best friends from college met me out here to travel with me this week.

First off, Copenhagen is one of the cleanest and most beautiful cities I have ever seen! Everyone there looks happy, healthy, and active and there are seemingly more bikes on the road than people! The only city I have ever been to that closely resembles Copenhagen is Boulder, CO! The city is really cute, replete with multicolor row houses, canals, and a beautiful ocean front! With that being said, it is also incredibly expensive and makes both London and Paris look cheap! I guess the people here do not mind paying extra in taxes to have high standards of living... Go figure!

Now, today was really cool because I added another country to my itinerary, Sweden! Now, don't get too excited, it is really only 20 minutes away. Robyn and I hit up four cities (Copenhagen, Helsingor, Helsingborg, and Malmo) all in 10 hours. I managed to throw away $300, as I broke my camera and decided to buy a new one from the Sony Store in Helsingborg, and I am trying not to think about that right now!

Helsingor, which is in Denmark, had the claim to fame of hosting the castle where Hamlet took place. We then took a 20 minute ferry over to Helsingborg, Sweden, which boasts some beautiful coastline, medieval churches and castles, and really friendly people. We were there for about 2 hrs and then took a high speed train down to Malmo which is just opposite from Copenhagen. Now, what is in Malmo!? Not a whole lot; it is just really beautiful. It does happen to be the city we are flying out of tomorrow to go to Budapest (hooray for discount airline WizzAir !). Now, one last note on Malmo! Tonight, I ate my WORST meal of the WHOLE trip, a McDonalds chicken wrap and fries. Why would I do that, you ask!? Well, it was the cheapest meal I could find under $20, and this cost me 12! Yes, Malmo, Sweden is THE MOST EXPENSIVE CITY I have EVER BEEN TO! When Subway costs $15 and burger at a decent restaurant costs $40 ( more than NYC), well, McDs is fine! The Swedes have some of the highest standards of living in the world, but Sweden is definitely not cheap!

Three last notes about Denmark and Sweden... First off, there is sooooooo much more to Sweden than Ikea and meatballs. It is beautiful! Two, this was the first time on my trip where I did no do any WWI, WWII, or Holocaust history, and it was nice to have a break! Third, Copenhagen has a section of the city I referred to as " Hippieville"; it really is called Christania. Here, people smoke pot out in the open and it is almost a separate section of the city where basically anything goes. Yeah, Copenhagen is SUPER LIBERAL :)

Off to Budapest tomorrow!

Leaving London with a BANG!

August 5th: First off, my trip to Denmark got off to a really rough start. Because my flight from Stanstead Airport was leaving so early (7 AM), and because I had to be at the airport around 5:30, I chose not to sleep anywhere and just run on fumes and hope to get caught up on the flight.

I had to catch a 3 am bus from Hyde Park to another station and from there take a shuttle to the airport. Well, I tried to catch the bus, the driver sped away, I tripped and face-planted, and ultimately I either bruised or cracked my rib, skinned my elbow, and banged my chin! From this point on, I have put a curse on the driver, his kids, grand kids, and dog's puppies! Ugh! That hurt!

My last day in London was SPECTACULAR though! I went to Churchill's WWII bunker and the Churchill museum, walked all over London, and ultimately just watched the Olympics in Hyde Park! I was definitely more than happy to leave my hostel, as it was AWFUL! Nothing like having to walk two flights of stairs to take a shower or use the bathroom,, sleep on a bed that might have been infested with something, an deal with impersonal receptionists. Such is life though, and WHO CARES... I SAW THE OLYMPICS!!!!'

TRI-ed and SUCCEEDED at seeing the Olympics

August 4th: It is one thing to be in the same city as the Olympics AS they are going on; it's another thing to see them in person, especially when you can watch them for free! (Believe ME; I have MORE than paid since I have been here!)  Today, I had the chance to see the women's triathlon, and man, it was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

The triathlon was held at Hyde Park, near the hostel I was staying, so it was an easy 20 minute walk to get there.  I did not have the chance to see the swim, but the bike and the run were sooooooooo cool, and they are definitely elite! Having done a few tris. I can definitely appreciate how grueling this particular event is, especially making the awkward transition among three totally different events, using so many muscle groups.  The course itself was incredibly spectator-friendly, as the bikers did seven loops around Hyde and Kensington Parks and Buckingham Palace.  They whizzed around incredibly quickly and the transitions were really smooth.  The run itself was four 2.5-k laps around the Serpentine, this sinewy pond in the middle of Hyde Park.  Throughout the race, there were two tightly-bunched packs and it ultimately came down to a photo finish! WOW!

When you feel just like a tourist...

August 3rd: Today, I decided to be aggressive by soaking up a few of London's top museums and hotspots. First off, I met a student in the hostel I stayed at and we walked from Kensington/ Hyde Park all over the city, ending up at Parliament. There, we dd a tour of Parliament, saw Big Ben, and hit up the Imperial War Museum. Parliament was unreal... Seeing the history, having a greater understanding of how Britain's democracy works, and seeing the same spot where Charles I LOST HIS HEAD... Wow!

Imperial War Museum was awesome too, but, to be honest, I hit a wall when it came to historical sites and artifacts of WWI and WWII. There is only so much you can take on one trip, and I moved through this quickly! What Is nice about London though is so many museums are free, and the IWM was no exception.

Tonight, I then hit up a public market, went to a few pubs and stayed downtown pretty late. Londoners have really embraced the games, contrary to what a certain Republican presidential candidate said about them (Europeans, please know that Mitt Romney does NOT represent my views or the views of others!

In the spirit of the games :)!!!!!

August 2nd:

First off, I will say that there is no finer group of Europeans than Londoners. Maybe it's because they speak the same language, have this amazing accent, or just appear charming all the time, but they are the nicest people I have met so far. If only the Frenchies could take a lesson! I knew it too as soon as I got on the EuroStar train in Brussels to come to London.

Now, today, I really caught the spirt of the Games. First off, I really tried to get up to the rowing venue by Windsor Castle to see the US women's 8. It was a long shot, and, even though I did not get in, it was amazing to be near Windsor, see the outside of the castle, and watch the US women win gold! I can now also say that I rowed with an Olympic gold medalist! Wow! Way to represent Ithaca College, Western New York, and the US, Meghan Musnicki!!!!

Now, the rest of the day was awesome. I befriended two Canadians from Edmonton near the Imperial War Museum, hung out with them, tried to get into the Olympic Village, failed, and then just went to a pub with my new Canadian blokes :)

An OLYMPIC decision!

So, this morning, I woke up in Maastricht, booked a hostel at 6:30 to go to Amsterdam, and was all psyched to go see Van Gough and Ann Frank's house! That, was at 6:30. Then, at 6:45, Justin had this CRAZY idea! What if I could go to the Olympics !? I had heard that London had tremendously chopped prices due to lack of attendance at the Games, as everyone feared the same thing I did-- that it would be packed, miserable, and people would be mean!

Well, I found a hostel for three nights that was cheaper than one I would have gotten for two nights in Amsterdam, and, now, five hours later, I am on a high speed train for London! I will ultimately try to scalp a ticket to the Women's Eight Rowing Final tomorrow to see the Americans compete, and a girl I rowed with, Meghan Musnicki, represent Ithaca College :)

Adieu France!

July 26th... Today, I bid adieu to France and sprouted my way to Brussels (don't waffle too much over these puns!)!

From Cherbourg (where I was staying), I took the train to Bayeaux and had the opportunity to pay my respects at the British Cemetery and visit one last D-Day museum! The day before was amazing and I contemplated spending another night in Normandy! However, I KNOW I will be back (within a year or two!).

Now, the rest of the trip! I had to go BACK to Paris to take a Eurolines bus to Brussels! The bus ride was HORRIBLE, with the driver getting lost, the bus being without air conditioning, and, ultimately getting into Brussels two hours late (after midnight)! Thus, I was SUPPOSED to CouchSurf but I did not want to go to my host that late; this, in turn cost me an additional $70.00 as I struggled to find a hotel late at night, in a city I had never seen, with a language I could not speak! THANK YOU EUROLINES!

Yippee for Ypres

July 30th: Belgium is BEAUTIFUL, but Brussels is really just a weird city, definitely not one of my favorites!

Anyway, I used Brussels as a base to get me to three places: Waterloo (Napoleon's last battle), Brugge (simply a beautiful, canal- lined, medieval city), and Ypres... The site of so much of WWI.

ALL were really special, and, when I visited Ypres, I also went to the largest cemetery in the British Commonwealth, at Tyne Cot! I went in a trench at Yorkshire, saw pillboxes, and visited two really cool WWI museums!

THE GREATEST GENERATION!

July 25th, 2012--NORMANDY!
Next to my father, I have no bigger hero in the world than my grandfather! He served in the 82nd Airborne Division and stormed the beaches of Normandy, helping liberate a nation and ultimately playing a role in saving the world from Nazi domination.

My grandfather passed away when I was in fifth grade, before I even knew what D-Day was and without haing the chance to ever say thank you to him for what he stood for or speak to him about his experiences. I vowed to myself that, one day, I would get to Normandy to say thank you, going to the American cemetery and Omaha Beach and just honoring him and the hundreds of thousands of others who sacrificed so much!

Today, I did that, and then some! It was the most important place for me to visit as I trek across Europe, and, it did not disappoint.

First off, I did rent a Mercedes in Caen after taking the train from Cherbourg, where I had been CouchSurfing! From there, it was off to the Beach!

As soon as I got to the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, I started crying! It was this unexplainable feeling knowing that I was on hallowed ground! Seeing row after row after row after row after row of white crosses and Stars of David just brought a sense of humility to me!
As I looked at the graves, I silently said
"Thank You" and moved on. I did exactly what I tell my students every American SHOULD do! If it wasn't for these fine individuals, none of us would be here today!

After visiting the cemetery, I walked down to Omaha Beach! There, hundreds of people were swimming, sunbathing, sailing, and enjoying life. The weather was PERFECT... Sunny, warm, and not a cloud out! What came to my mind was, people were playing thanks to the ultimate sacrifice paid by the individuals permanently resting in peace on the cliff just above! The whole area is still pockmarked with defense fortifications, a STRONG reminder of what actually did take place on June 5th through the end of August 1944!

Bienvenue a Paris... We don't like Americans but we like your money!

So, Saturday night, July 21st, I bid adieu to Prague and set out for Paris, an EASY €89 flight on EasyJet!

First off... The positives! EasyJet is wonderful! If only the States had budget airlines like this (great service, cheap, and quick), I would have seen all 50 states by now!

As far as my FIRST real experience in Paris, it was a miserable cab ride in which the driver did not speak English and I did not speak French! The crazy thing was, the cabbie then asked ME for directions (yeah, like I know!) He then dropped me off at the WRONG hotel and I had to get a ride over to the right one by a Parisian who worked there! The ride STILL cost me €65! Ugh! I tried to stay positive that night, knowing I was in Paris!

Mona Lisa Smile!

Yes... I saw it! the Mona Lisa is beautiful, along with the rest of the Louvre! The Museum itself is soooooooooo overwhelming, and I could have spent days there! As it was, four hours was more than enough for me before my brain fried!! I have pics of the Mona Lisa, Code of Hammurabi, and Sphinx, to name three of the hundreds :)!

Tour D' .............BUFFALO!?

So, my main reason for going to Paris on the 22nd was to see the end of the Tour D'France. Now, who would have thought that, during the race, I heard chants of "Let's go BUFFALO!" That's what happens though when I wear my BILLS shirt and hat proudly to the Louvre and the Tour! I ran into people FROM Buffalo there and the only people who were louder were the Danes and the Norwegians! Man, Tim Russert would have been sooooooo proud!

I fell... Off the EIFFEL!

Not really, but at least I hope I got a laugh out of ya! Anyway, the end of my first day in Paris brought me to outside of the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Jewish neighborhood I nicknamed "Falaffelville", the only monument to the Bastille (yeah, it no longer exists), and ultimately, the top of the Eiffel Tower at midnight!

Now, for all of the Parisian bashing I have done and will continue to do, I give them credit for one thing and one thing only...they know how to build the most beautiful city in the world, and it looks especially beautiful at night!

I have always wanted to go of the top of the Eiffel Tower, and seeing it up at night was especially amazing! I can't really describe it! I was just awed!

Good BYE PARIS, and GOOD RIDDANCE!

So, Tuesday, July 24th saw me say goodbye to Paris and happy to leave! First off, I TRIED going to the Catacombs, but the line was at least three hours long and there was no way I was waiting in the heat amongst misery, so I bailed! I then spent the rest of my last day walking around, visiting both the Jardins du Luxembourg and the top of the Arch De Triumph. To me, that was fine! I needed to leave!

Prague... Europe's BEST city ( and one of the cheapest!)

So, the city itself was the most beautiful city ever! It is big but it has been largely unscathed by the centuries of war that have decimate so many other European cities!

Prague Castle is a MUST SEE and you can spend days on end exploring it. It traces its routes back to the 1100s and has medieval torture chambers, gothic cathedrals, and cobblestone streets (my foot felt the brunt of one of the streets when I twisted it running one morning!) The city is literally a scene out of a fairy tale though.

Here's a factoid about Prague too... One of the reasons it was left unscathed by the Nazis was because Hitler wanted to keep the city as a museum for Jewish life after the Jews had become "extinct"! Just something else to remind people how messed up the Holocaust was!

Of all the places I could have spent my 32nd birthday though, Prague was definitely my top choice! My CouchSurfing host took me out, we drank a bunch of beers, and I saw the city lit up, which was amazing!

In Prague, beer is literally cheaper than bottled water; unfortunately, Pilsner Urquell is LIKE drinking water. That's what happens when Miller now owns them!

Probst a Prague

July 18th- July 20th!

Since taking AP European my senior year of high school and learning about the Defenstration of Prague, I had ALWAYS wanted to go to the Czech Republic! I mean, how crazy is it that the 30-years war, which was started there, was sparked because a few princes were pushed out of a castle window, survived, and Catholics and Protestants disagreeing how they survived (Catholics claiming it was divine intervention and Prots claiming they survived because they landed in horse dung... I have a feeling it was the latter!) I think that little anecdote sums up Prague and the Czechs in general...
Self-deprecating, funny, yet proud! I mean, this country assassinated Reinhard Heydrich, stood proudly against the Soviets in 1968, and had one of the few peaceful revolutions after the Cold War, amicably separating from their Slovak brethren and still maintaining peace with them. I had a feeling Prague would be my favorite city, and so far, it definitely has been!

First off... Getting there! Eurolines wa easy and there are no border stops when traveling within Europe; I really didn't even know I crossed into the Czech Republic (Too bad I cannot collect passport stamps)!

It was also my first CouchSurfing experience, and it was great! Vladka picked me up from the bus station and we went back to her apartment, which was beautiful and five stops away from downtown! CouchSurfing is legit too! I was fed, has a place to crash, and was treated sooooooo well (can you imagine this in the States!?)! It Is a great way to travel and meet people and I am excited to pay it forward!

More next post....

You say Munchen, I say Munich!

So, going back to July 17th.. After going to Dachau, I went and had a few beers at the Hofbrau House in Munich, where I also spend the night at the less-than-fabulous HOTEL MARIA (try taking a shower in a bathroom down the hall with no shower curtain and simply a bathtub! Thats what you get for €49 on Hotwire last minute)

Okay, so going back... What is so significant about the Hofbrau House!? Well, it is where Hitler launched his beer hall putsch in 1923 and tried to overthrow the Weimar Gov't. It is also one of the oldest beer halls in the world (and is now a chain with outlets in Miami, Newport, and NYC... To name a few)

Nothing says F-d up, like DACHAU!

This goes back two weeks ago, to July 17th, two days before my 32nd birthday! After Nuremburg, I took a train down to Munich, where I ultimately connected and went to Dachau, site of the first Nazi concentration camp! First off, words never describe what I felt or saw when I went; I think it's something everyone just needs to see to understand! For the first time in my trip, I actually became ANGRY at all of Germany! That was not my intent; it just happened!

Dachau itself is a beautiful suburb of Munich, or as the Germans call Munchen! This describes so much it Germany though! As I have said, the country is a paradox.

When I was there, I almost got sick! To actually see a Brausebad (gas chamber) and crematorium and realize what took place here, well, you just have to see it. There were many things that bothered me when I was there, one of which was seeing people actually playing and joking near the "Arbet Macht Frei" sign! They wanted their picture taken there and acted like they were behind bars... Umm, it is clear they haven't a clue what barbarism actually took place here! It is just a very eerie site!

On the grounds, there are memorials to the thousands that were mercilessly killed there, and honestly, that is one thing the Germans do well, they go out of their way to acknowledge and memorialize their messed up past, unlike the Japanese, Turks, or, dare I say, even, Americans!? Still... After learning about and studying the Holocaust, for the first time in my life, the history actually came alive! I mean, this shit actually happened, within the past 70-75 years, by, on all accounts, was one of the most civilized nations in the modern world!

Europe... Wow!

First off, updating this thing is much harder than I thought, especially when typing on an IPhone, having spotty Internet access, and running literally on fumes and tons of caffeine! As I type this, using my iPhone, I am on a train for Maastricht, after spending four days in Belgium! The past two days have been at Ypres, site of three of the worst battles of WWI, one of which I'd where Hitler got injured in a gas attack! My plan was to spend a few hours there, but, as I have learned throughout traveling in Europe, plans change in seconds! As soon as I got there, I realized I needed more time and decided to make another day of it. That is for another post though!

Now, Where to begin... I should backtrack to two weeks ago today, when I was in Nuremburg! My real purpose for going there was to see the courtroom, number 600, where the infamous Nazi war crimes trials were held! Let's just say it was really weird! Here I am, standing in this court room where some of history's worst criminals were tried, and ultimately, hanged! The courthouse is still in use today as are the jails! So, some nutcase actually occupies Hermann Goering's cell!

What is crazy about Nuremburg is if really is this beautiful medieval city with such rich history and architecture. Such is the nature of Germany though; the whole nation is a paradox! People there were some of the friendliest I have met ( much nicer than Parisians) and, I really appreciate German culture, not just the beer!

Wannsee Houae-- What can I say!? One of the weirdest, and most sickening, feelings, I have ever had was today when I stood in the same room where the "Final Solution" was mapped out.  The Wannsee House is a BEAUTIFUL mansion on Lake Wannsee, about 15 minutes south of Berlin.  It is on this amazing lake, replete with yachts and other mansions.  Yet, I stood in the same spot where 15 beaurocrats decided to attempt to wipe the world free of Jews.  Just completely messed up!

So, I have now been in Berlin for little more than a day, and man, what an experience this is.  First off, I struggled getting use.d to public transportation here (it sucks when you do not know ANY German) and I have gotten lost multiple times already!

With that being said, people here are extremely friendly and this city IS amazing! It is such a confluence between old and new, modern and classical, dirty (east side) and clean (west side).  Yes, many of the discrepenicies from the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall have faded, but, you notiice a difference!

Yesterday, my first day here, I did a walking tour of Berlin's NAZI past.  Hitler's bunker has been turned into a parking lot and there is a beautiful, yet confusing, Holocaust memorial in the midst of the city. It is so weird right now to see such a modern, accepting city and think it was one of the cradles of anti-semetism!

My initial itinerary (subject to change):

• July 12th: Train from Boston to NYC, then flight out of JFK at 4:20 aboard Delta for Amsterdam
• July 13th: Layover in Amsterdam and then ultimately head for Berlin
• July 13th-July 14th: Two nights in hostel in Berlin
• July 15th: CouchSurfing (I Think) in Leipzig
• July 16th-July 18th: Prague
• July 18th-July 19th: Nuremburg
• July 19th-July 21st: Munich
• July 21st-July 24th: Paris (Yes, WATCHING END OF TOUR D'FRANCE!!!!!)
• July 24th- July 26th: Normandy (paying my respects at the American cemetery)
• EVERYTHING ELSE UP IN THE AIR UNTIL AUGUST 18th :)!

So, today, I embark on what I really think will undoubtedly be greatest journey of my life! For those of you who know me really well, I always said that the Boston Marathon was my most important experience of my life.... That was, until my trip that starts tomorrow. For me, Europe is not JUST a trip.... It is a chance to honor my past and give thanks for what I have. Being the grandson of both a Holocaust survivor and a D-Day Veteran, it is so important I do this trip, and do it now! Yes, I will have fun and do everything that a 32-year old single male should do. However, more importantly, I will have the chance to honor my past, show gratitude, and come away a much better person! Here's to an AMAZING five-week journey across Europe :)!

I got my FIRST CouchSurfing acceptance today, and I am hoping to just have my reservations in Berlin FINALIZED by the end of the day today... PHEW :)! Less than FOUR days until I leave, and yes, I AM NERVOUS!

As of now, I will be in Berlin on Friday- Sunday, Prague until Wednesday, and Munich and Nuremburg through Sunday, July 22nd.  Not a baaaaad first week!