It is true. German and Dutch sandwiches are far superior to ours. Simple sandwiches served at train station kiosks would make the so-called "chefs" at any Earls-esque chain restaurant weep. Here, they slap a couple of beautiful, fresh fillngs between beautiful, fresh bread and the result is hand-held food heaven.
We just arrived in Amsterdam from Cologne. The Cologne cathedral alone could have entertained our archetectural and medieval religious art loving eyes for a week. It is covered in stone lace, a massive, hulking black mountain from the outside, and a brilliant, coloured glass palace from the interior. It's breathtaking, and we were able to take in both an English guided tour as well as attend mass (it doesn't matter whether or not you're Catholic - attending a mass in a place like that is worth it just to hear the acoustics).
Not much yet to say about Amsterdam, as we have only been here for a few hours. I can tell you that their sandwiches are amazing, that their cyclists are terrifying, and that their houses are wonderfully crooked, leaning against one another for support.
We are just about to head out to do some exploring. Here's hoping we don't get mowed over by a cyclist.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Packs on Backs
IT'S GO TIME, KIDS!
In about 5.75 hours, we shall be willingly entering a pressurized tube that will send us hurtling through the air at ungodly, unnatural speeds, destination Frankfurt.
I don't like flying. But I do like packing!
When we wend on our New Zealand/Australia odyssey, Glen and I each had a large hiker's backpack which faithfully held our gear for close to seven months. They were spacious, they were very comfortable to wear, they were sturdy and emenently useful. They were also very big. After seven months on a relatively limited wardrobe, we both found that we usually rotate between the same two preferred pants and shirts*. With that in mind, we've decided to go the carry-on only for this trip, a la Rick Steves. It really is all we need.
First, here is my backpack fully loaded:
I shall break down the contents for you:
Pants - one pair black yoga pants, one pair grey capris, one pair PJ bottoms
Tops - one longsleeved SPF top, two t-shirts, two tank tops
Outerwear - One windbreaker, one zip-up black yoga jacket
Underwear - One regular bra, one sports bra, 5 pairs underwear, 5 pairs socks
Toiletries - The usual assortment. Toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderant, bandaids, prescriptions, pepto-bismol, tylenol, etc. My favourite thing in the toiletries bag are the solid bars of shampoo and conditioner from Lush. No bulky bottles, no threat of the stuff leaking all over the bag. I've already given both the shampoo and conditioner a try, and they're brilliant.
Bikini
Hat
Travel Clock
Sandals
Towel
Highly squishable packable daybag
Guidebooks, maps, book for reading.
On the airplane I shall be wearing stretchy jeans, longsleeved shirt, fleece, bandana, hikers, and, needless to say, undies etc (whewh!).
I do need to add a little notebook to my bag, which I shall do when I run out to pick up a couple last minute toiletries sundries. Glen has a fairly similar packing list, minus the bikini and bras, and he also has our camera, batteries, etc.
Needless to say, I am extremely excited. I have been informing Glen every four or five minutes of the fact that WE ARE GOING TO GERMANY.
He is a very patient husband.
I'll try to post as regularly as possible while we are away. Seeing as we aren't bringing Stowaway the Laptop (sorry, buddy) I will be somewhat more limited in my blogging activities than I was when we were in New Zealand. Reports shall come, however, and I will post photos as often as is reasonable. Stay tuned, armchair travellers!
*No, we weren't sharing one another's clothes. We aren't THAT wierd. That being said, I do steal Glen's scrubs on a regular basis.
In about 5.75 hours, we shall be willingly entering a pressurized tube that will send us hurtling through the air at ungodly, unnatural speeds, destination Frankfurt.
I don't like flying. But I do like packing!
When we wend on our New Zealand/Australia odyssey, Glen and I each had a large hiker's backpack which faithfully held our gear for close to seven months. They were spacious, they were very comfortable to wear, they were sturdy and emenently useful. They were also very big. After seven months on a relatively limited wardrobe, we both found that we usually rotate between the same two preferred pants and shirts*. With that in mind, we've decided to go the carry-on only for this trip, a la Rick Steves. It really is all we need.
First, here is my backpack fully loaded:
I shall break down the contents for you:
Pants - one pair black yoga pants, one pair grey capris, one pair PJ bottoms
Tops - one longsleeved SPF top, two t-shirts, two tank tops
Outerwear - One windbreaker, one zip-up black yoga jacket
Underwear - One regular bra, one sports bra, 5 pairs underwear, 5 pairs socks
Toiletries - The usual assortment. Toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderant, bandaids, prescriptions, pepto-bismol, tylenol, etc. My favourite thing in the toiletries bag are the solid bars of shampoo and conditioner from Lush. No bulky bottles, no threat of the stuff leaking all over the bag. I've already given both the shampoo and conditioner a try, and they're brilliant.
Bikini
Hat
Travel Clock
Sandals
Towel
Highly squishable packable daybag
Guidebooks, maps, book for reading.
On the airplane I shall be wearing stretchy jeans, longsleeved shirt, fleece, bandana, hikers, and, needless to say, undies etc (whewh!).
I do need to add a little notebook to my bag, which I shall do when I run out to pick up a couple last minute toiletries sundries. Glen has a fairly similar packing list, minus the bikini and bras, and he also has our camera, batteries, etc.
Needless to say, I am extremely excited. I have been informing Glen every four or five minutes of the fact that WE ARE GOING TO GERMANY.
He is a very patient husband.
I'll try to post as regularly as possible while we are away. Seeing as we aren't bringing Stowaway the Laptop (sorry, buddy) I will be somewhat more limited in my blogging activities than I was when we were in New Zealand. Reports shall come, however, and I will post photos as often as is reasonable. Stay tuned, armchair travellers!
*No, we weren't sharing one another's clothes. We aren't THAT wierd. That being said, I do steal Glen's scrubs on a regular basis.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Countdown: 10 days remaining...
Less than two weeks to go!
Every now and then I realize how little time there is left before we leave. Then I panic, as I am uncertain what remains to be done. I'm sure there's something that I'm missing.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
I know what I am going to bring. I have purchased new capris that don't fall off my backside and aren't covered in paint. Glen purchased hikers without holes in them. We bought that little Eddie Bower packable daypack. It squashes down to the size of a sausage, which makes me happy. Glen has even completely packed his backpack, which now sits waiting at the bottom of the closet. We have our guidebooks, maps, passports, and airplane tickets.
The question of accommodations is a little more nebulous. We haven't booked anything yet because we don't want to be locked in to a hard-lined schedule. We should be able to find a room or at least a hostel bed at our various destinations with little fuss. At least, that's what the guidebooks tell me. We shall see if they are right or not.
Here is our itinerary thus far:
May 29th: Arrive in Frankfurt. Attempt to get our bearings despite jet lag. Get the hell out of there immediately and head to Cologne. Squint at the cathedral there and force ourselves to stay awake until a semi-normal bedtime. Overnight here.
May 30 - June 1: Amsterdam. Get high and ponder Van Gogh, herring, and prostitutes in windows.
June 2nd - 5th: Fly to Berlin, spend 3 nights there. Avoid Checkpoint Charlie like the plague.
June 6: Tropical Island. This is a psycho wacky fantasy resort south of Berlin, built in an old Zeppelin factory. It came highly recommended by my brother and sister-in-law as an overnight stop.
June 7th: Spreewald and surrounding area. Drink beer while paddling a canoe through the canals. Overnight there OR catch a late train to Prague.
June 8th - 10: Prague. I don't have a hope in Hades of understanding a word in Czech, but the city is pretty, pretty, pretty. Discover the finer differences between Czech beer and German beer.
June 11th - 12: Dresdin. Jam with my sister-in-law's rad German friends. Get Glen's hair cut.
June 13 - 14: Rothenburg. As Rick Steve puts in, revel in "German medieval cuteness."
June 15 - 17: Fussen (for Ludvig's castles) & Munich. Develop grandiose renovation plans.
June 18 - 19: Black Forest and Schnapps trail with our karate buddy. Cycle from Schnapps farm to Schnapps farm, sampling as we go. Pas out in Nordrach, then carry on to Baden-Baden to nurse our hangovers at the Roman baths.
June 20 - 22nd: Rhine and Mosel. Chill out for a day on a Rhine cruise, count castles, drink white wine, then catch a train to Cochem in the Mosel valley. Visit the penultimate medieval castle, near Cochem. Possible side trip to Trier.
June 23: Flight from Frankfurt back to Edmonton. Boooooooo!
I've built in some leeway between each stop, and we will be spending two nights in most places. I've planned it so that we get at least two full days of casual wandering around at our destinations of choice. We do have to be much more organized with this schedule then we ever were with New Zealand/Australia, as we actually have a finite period of time on this trip. Pity!
Every now and then I realize how little time there is left before we leave. Then I panic, as I am uncertain what remains to be done. I'm sure there's something that I'm missing.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
I know what I am going to bring. I have purchased new capris that don't fall off my backside and aren't covered in paint. Glen purchased hikers without holes in them. We bought that little Eddie Bower packable daypack. It squashes down to the size of a sausage, which makes me happy. Glen has even completely packed his backpack, which now sits waiting at the bottom of the closet. We have our guidebooks, maps, passports, and airplane tickets.
The question of accommodations is a little more nebulous. We haven't booked anything yet because we don't want to be locked in to a hard-lined schedule. We should be able to find a room or at least a hostel bed at our various destinations with little fuss. At least, that's what the guidebooks tell me. We shall see if they are right or not.
Here is our itinerary thus far:
May 29th: Arrive in Frankfurt. Attempt to get our bearings despite jet lag. Get the hell out of there immediately and head to Cologne. Squint at the cathedral there and force ourselves to stay awake until a semi-normal bedtime. Overnight here.
May 30 - June 1: Amsterdam. Get high and ponder Van Gogh, herring, and prostitutes in windows.
June 2nd - 5th: Fly to Berlin, spend 3 nights there. Avoid Checkpoint Charlie like the plague.
June 6: Tropical Island. This is a psycho wacky fantasy resort south of Berlin, built in an old Zeppelin factory. It came highly recommended by my brother and sister-in-law as an overnight stop.
June 7th: Spreewald and surrounding area. Drink beer while paddling a canoe through the canals. Overnight there OR catch a late train to Prague.
June 8th - 10: Prague. I don't have a hope in Hades of understanding a word in Czech, but the city is pretty, pretty, pretty. Discover the finer differences between Czech beer and German beer.
June 11th - 12: Dresdin. Jam with my sister-in-law's rad German friends. Get Glen's hair cut.
June 13 - 14: Rothenburg. As Rick Steve puts in, revel in "German medieval cuteness."
June 15 - 17: Fussen (for Ludvig's castles) & Munich. Develop grandiose renovation plans.
June 18 - 19: Black Forest and Schnapps trail with our karate buddy. Cycle from Schnapps farm to Schnapps farm, sampling as we go. Pas out in Nordrach, then carry on to Baden-Baden to nurse our hangovers at the Roman baths.
June 20 - 22nd: Rhine and Mosel. Chill out for a day on a Rhine cruise, count castles, drink white wine, then catch a train to Cochem in the Mosel valley. Visit the penultimate medieval castle, near Cochem. Possible side trip to Trier.
June 23: Flight from Frankfurt back to Edmonton. Boooooooo!
I've built in some leeway between each stop, and we will be spending two nights in most places. I've planned it so that we get at least two full days of casual wandering around at our destinations of choice. We do have to be much more organized with this schedule then we ever were with New Zealand/Australia, as we actually have a finite period of time on this trip. Pity!
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