St. Vitus, Prague
This post is not winning any headline contests. Per yesterday’s entry on Prague, I wanted to post a few additional photos of the St. Vitus cathedral, located up on the big castle hill in Prague.
But first, who is St. Vitus? According to Wikipedia, he is a Christian saint from Sicily (nice!), and is also considered the patron saint of actors, comedians, dancers, and … uhhh … epileptics. According to Wiki, “He is also said to protect against lightning strikes, animal attacks and oversleeping, and is the patron saint of Bohemia.”
So, Bohemia … now we’re getting somewhere.
This is the most important church in Prague, designed in Gothic style (living in Europe has definitely improved my architectural vocabulary), and is by and far one of my favorite churches in Europe. I think right now, my favorite cathedral is still St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, but that’s kind of like saying your favorite food is chocolate cake. It’s just obvious (at least to me). Maybe at some point I’ll be more creative.
The present-day church is located where three holy buildings have historically been constructed for the dancing saint — with the founding of the current church, pictured below, in 1344. So, it’s wicked old, making it even more awesome.
Here are some more outdoor and indoor pics, including some from our climb to the top (others included in last Prague post).
Vienna Day 3: Just the two of us. Gold tableware. And procrastination.
As it turns out, I’m much more interested in blogging than doing my real job, which is about to rear its ugly head and bite me in the ass. Oh well. Here’s what will likely be my final post for the working week. I know all 25 of our readers will be sitting at the edges of their seats.
The Habsburgs (based in Austria and then later Prague) ruled a ton of central/eastern Europe for several hundred years (you can read about them here), and on Monday, Jeff and I toured part of their enormous palace in Vienna, which is now broken up into a number of museums. We opted for the silver/china, Queen SiSi, and Royal Apartments package tour.
I seriously almost never get sick of seeing how the royal once lived. It seems utterly excessive, but I can’t help but wish these palaces would open a camp for adults, where you could dress in old royal garb, sleep in freezing cold canopy beds, and tinkle in a pot for a couple days. Okay, so a lot of it really wasn’t so glamorous, but it would be really cool to be transported back just for a few hours — even as a fly on one of those gilded walls. I would, of course, also be interested in how the other 99.99999999 (“with a bar”) percent lived. I’d probably need to learn how to build a fire, but I could do it.
From the palace, we were finally able to get into the Stephansdom. Only took three tries! Fortunately, it is still a functioning church, unlike some we have toured. It was beautiful, but I had a hard time capturing a decent photo, even with my rad camera. I just was not feeling extremely patient.
We also walked inside the baroque St. Peter’s church. While I’m not a student of architecture, baroque to me has come to mean dripping with opulence, and also excessively … excessive. Certainly not humble, nor does it seem terribly holy to me. Oh, well. What else would tourists do without these grand sites?
More pics from day three below!
Next, we were off to Bratislava, Slovakia.
Outside of Habsburg Palace.
Cold, bored horses.
Palace staircase.
Some insane gold tableware, Habsburg silver collection.
Habsburg gold/silver collection.
Loved this plate. Mädchen mit Hund.
Small church we visited prior to entering the palace.
Inside of small church. Even the seemingly insignificant looking churches from the outside are more impressive than anything we have in the US.
Statue outside of palace.
Inside the baroque-style St. Peter’s Church. Ridiculous.
Had some tiny sandwiches at Trzesniewski.
So good.
And tiny beers. Pinky out!
After the tiny beers, we needed to use the public toilets.
And then we finally made it to Stephansdom, with the “Tupperware-colored” windows, as Rick Steves calls them.
Inside Stephansdom. I was having trouble getting a good shot of this church. From here, we warmed up with some hot chocolate, coffee and cake. And that pretty much concludes Vienna!
Pompeii. Hey.
Finally. Almost a month later, I bring you some photos and commentary from our next Italia stop — Pompeii.
From Naples, we stuffed ourselves like sardines onto the Circumvesuviana commuter train to Sorrento. It was one of those situations when you think there’s absolutely NOT room left for even one toy poodle, but then two big Americans manage to contort their bodies to squeeze on board — complete with two pieces of luggage. It was not pretty. I have not been so crowded since the womb.
We initially planned to just get to Sorrento, unpack our belongings, and then map out our next three days visiting Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. But once we found ourselves surrounded by four severely obnoxious backpacking (American) tourists, who dropped the f-bomb like a standard article, we opted to get off early in Pompeii, which is about halfway between Naples and Sorrento, despite the downpour. I also failed to mention the creeper who kept touching me and my belongings. That pushed me over the edge. Well, at least out the door. Here are some photos from the day.
Pompeii in the rain.
When Vesuvius erupted, people’s bodies were covered in ash, eventually leaving hollowed out fossils. These were later filled in with cement (or something like it) to show the exact position people died in. Creepy, but also cool.
I am so mature.
Every day, the Romans would flood the streets to clean them, leaving these rocks so people could cross without wetting their feet. Came in handy for us as well.
A street in Pompeii. On the right you can see what looks like a counter. This was actually a fast-food joint. People would go out to eat because homes were too small to cook in. Kind of neat. Thanks, Rick Steves, for the fun facts!
Completely drenched, we opted for some grossly overpriced pizza and vino to get in from the cold. My toes were numb. The wine helped a little.
I almost forgot. Part of the basilica, which was actually the Roman courthouse. This later became the basic footprint for many later Roman churches. (I think that’s me standing in the picture, covering myself and my soaked purse with Jeff’s raincoat. What a good husband.)
That’s it for Pompeii. I think this could typically be a wonderful day trip, but we only stayed inside the remains for 90 minutes, max. The rain was literally falling sideways, making the whole experience slightly less appealing. All in all, though, extremely cool. I always marvel at “wicked old” stuff, finding it completely fascinating to imagine how people lived thousands of years ago. We even managed to find what I think was an old toilet, making the trip complete. 🙂
From there, we headed off to Sorrento, where we’d soon meet the coolest bed and breakfast owner ever. Stay tuned.
As a little travel tip — Rick Steves provides wonderful free audiocasts of many of these tourist attractions. We listened to his Pompeii podcast later since managing the rain, umbrellas and camera was enough. But I highly recommend it.
The narrow roads of Napoli. And some x-rated art.
I bet it was the narrow roads part of the headline that captured your attention, eh?
By now you’ve probably figured out that I’m in Italy, again, but this time with the hubs.
We started our weeklong tour Sunday with an early flight to Naples. Arrived at a darling bed and breakfast — which actually serves breakfast, unlike the B&Bs in Copenhagen — finally by 11 or so in the morning.
Our host served us delicious (and densely strong) coffee.
Like the coffee, the city is a little gritty and intense. I love it.
It doesn’t try or pretend to be something it isn’t, and I certainly wouldn’t call it “touristy.” The food is cheap and delicious (3 Euro for a medium pizza, 1 Euro per glass vino). The roads are narrow, bustling and a bit dangerous. Red lights are hardly a suggestion. If there appears to be room or time for a car, scooter or bus, just go. Same goes for people. There is very little English among the locals. The streets are littered with garbage, and many of the monuments with graffiti, yet it is beautiful. Every day life, and the people, are where it’s at.
Here are just a few quick snaps from our day in Naples.
(Unfortunately, I cannot figure out captions on the iPad WordPress app).
More to come, but I hope you enjoy the sampling of pictures. I end with Jeff tapping his watch, because as he did yesterday — hurrying me along from the statue of Dante to the Archeological museum, where we saw the pornographic Pompeiian art — he will certainly do again as we near time for dinner.
Ciao ciao now from Sorrento.
A piece of Pisa pizza
Now that I’ve come up with this rad headline, I am disappointed that I didn’t take a picture of my lunch. It was one of the thinnest thin-crust pizzas I’ve had, with roasted eggplant, peppers, onions, and big gobs of melted mozzarella. Mmmmm. I will never get sick of Italian food!
The restaurant was right by the train station, Stazione Pisa Centrale, which I managed to find on my own. Jeff, this is proof that I am capable of navigating — even if I prefer to feign incompetence when you’re around. It’s just easier that way.
Pisa Central Station (I actually took this on the way back to the station in the event you're paying attention to the clock. In which case, you're also very detail-oriented.)
Lindsay left early Monday morning to fly from Florence, to Munich, to Newark, to Albany (sounds miserable doesn’t it?). I slept in and left on a 9:28 train to Pisa, where I’ve never been and coincidentally from where my exceptionally cheap flight left later in the day (I actually wrote this in notepad on the plane, as I jammed to my neighbor’s tunes).
The train was easy and the ride was just about an hour long, but there was little in the way of actual instruction on how to get to the Pisa-bound train from the main Firenze station. I bought the ticket to Pisa, but the boards did not list a platform for the city. Turns out, the final destination was another town (don’t remember the name), so a tip here is to just search by departure time. I’m almost positive that no two trains leave at the exact same moment. At least that’s what I gathered from the Trenitalia employee who was speaking only in Italian to me, while pointing at his watch and looking frustrated. Dumb tourist moment.
Once in Pisa, I quickly found the baggage drop at the train station, where I deposited my luggage for 3 Euros (I’ve discovered most stations either have lockers or some version of a storage system, which makes quick stops easy — even when carrying a boatload of crap). Seemed secure, but I made sure to hold onto everything most valuable — including my new leather jacket, which I was certainly grateful for on that particular windy day. (No wonder the tower is leaning.)
The 6-Euro map of the city I purchased proved to be a waste given the hurricane-strength gusts that made it almost impossible to open and read. Fortunately, the main attraction is easy to find — basically, walk straight out of the station for about 15 minutes, then over a bridge and to the left at the Roman-looking wall. This will bring you straight to the leaning tower and the city’s duomo, or cathedral.
Here are some shots of the walk and the main attraction.
Building on the way to the tower. Notice, the sky is somewhat ominous.
The road to the tower.
There is amazing stuff to see EVERYWHERE in Italy. Just a random clock/bell tower.
The bridge you must pass over.
I guess this is Mr. Pisa, himself. And some randomly placed artwork.
Just like these windows.
Since I couldn't use my map, and my new "European" phone wouldn't connect to data, this was my first clue that I was headed in the right direction. Field trip!
The random Roman wall I referenced. Turn left here and you'll see the tower.
There it is! Truly breathtaking. And it looks so oddly placed, kind of like someone cut it out and just pasted it there.
Another shot.
The absolutely impressive cathedral behind the tower.
Proof I was there. Believe it or not, this was the best self portrait I captured. At least you can see further evidence that it was, in fact, windy.
Another random Pisa shot.
And another church just nestled in the buildings on my way back to the train station, right before my delicious Pisa pizza.
That concludes the day in Pisa. From here, I managed one more successful train ride to the Pisa airport (about 5 minutes) and was back home by 8 p.m. What a day!
More on Lindsay’s and my last day in Florence later. Can you just feel the suspense?
Florence day 2, part 2: baby lamb, Boboli, paper
Following Saturday’s market, we had a jam-packed day that went something like this (unfortunately, I don’t remember the EXACT order).
We walked and did a little more shopping with our hosts. The whole city feels like a big outdoor market on the weekends, with stands selling everything “Italiano” — olive oil, truffles (my new obsession), aperitivo, vino, and lots of leather (belts, jackets, purses, gloves). I bought a delish truffle “relish.” I want to put it on everything — bread, pasta, my finger.
Here's the crew...walking.
A neat shot from our walk. A carousel in front of this old archway on our way to lunch.
Then, for lunch.
This was the wine Dan picked. It was super yummy. Remember it.
After some seriously delicious pizza and vino, we had to re-energize with coffee. Here's Lindsay and her tiny little macchiato. This is unlike anything you get at Starbucks.
We continued strolling, stopping at a few paper stores. Florence is known for stationary and marbled paper — something I did NOT know until Lindsay, my paper-obsessed travel buddy, informed me of this interesting piece of trivia.
Here's a woman actually creating marbled paper. This was later in the day, but the demo fits better here in my story.
Then, onto leather jackets. In 2010, I regretted not purchasing one. I had just started my business and was a lot more careful with my spending. Fortunately, el presidente and Terese were regulars at this particular store, and we got their discount. It was almost too good of a deal to pass up (we’re talking, they knocked off like 160 euros). Jeff agreed I made the right choice: “You couldn’t have afforded NOT to buy that jacket.” My thoughts exactly.
Here are Lindsay, Terese, and I sporting our purchases later in the day. I sort of talked Lindsay into getting one (Terese helped), but she was clearly pleased she had caved. She will look soooo cool going to concerts in this authentic Italian leather, undoubtedly impress her new beau, and just look far more sophisticated and trendy than any of her U.S. colleagues and friends (especially in central NY).
Here we are with Terese. She's wearing a previously purchased jacket, too.
I was a little upset when I found out my jacket was made of baby lamb. Don’t hate me, animal-loving friends. The lamb was already dead and probably organic. And he’s really soft. (Sorry). A tip for those of you considering a jacket — don’t ask what it’s made of.
After we dropped our goods off, we continued on to more touristy sight-seeing things.
The basilica of San Lorenzo, the oldest church in Florence and where the famous Medici family is buried.
Same church, San Lorenzo, different view.
The inside courtyard was also very beautiful, with an orange tree planted in the middle.
San Lorenzo courtyard area. Orange tree. Go 'Cuse.
From here, some more museums and then on to the Boboli gardens behind the famous Pitti Palace, an excessively opulent home to the Medici family (we went inside on Sunday, so hang tight).
I realize I didn’t take many pics from the inside of the gardens, but the views of the city and of Tuscany are amazing. Here are just a few photos.
View from Boboli Gardens.
Tourist shot!
A view of olive trees from the back end of the Boboli gardens.
Not sure what to say about this one.
This somewhat concluded our day. We had a fab dinner later that evening at Ristorante la Giostra, where there’s a human menu recited from the owner who models his style after Jack Sparrow.
More to come, but for today, I am outta time. More on the inside of the Pitti Palace and my day trip to Pisa tomorrow!
Ciao.
Love locks, wise men, and missed baskets
Jeff is still sick. Kaya is still a terrible walker. So, Breezy and I took a stroll this morning, just the two of us. Like old times.
Here are some snapshots from this beautiful spring day in Cologne/Koeln/Köln.
It all begins with a nice view of the city, just begging us to get our booties outside.
Our first tour stop of the day was the Kolner Dom, the famous Cologne cathedral, which is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. Seeing this never gets old to me. And I see it from our hotel room window everyday.
The Kolner Dom.
Some details on the church: Construction of this behemoth began in 1248, and it was left incomplete in 1428. Work recommenced in 1880 to “finish” construction per the original plan. Our new friend, “German Nick” told us on our tour two Sundays ago that the church is never actually finished for fear that Armageddon will come. So, the locals are always finding new renovation projects. WWII definitely helped with that. Fortunately, during the war, some wise soul was smart enough to remove the stained glass to prevent shattering from all the vibrations, and the beautiful windows were re-installed during a more peaceful time.
The Dom is perhaps best well-known for housing the relics of the Three Kings (or Three Wise Men), which were stolen from Italy many hundreds of years ago. Creepy, but cool.
Here’s another shot.
The rear view of the Kolner Dom (and this poor horse).
Breezy and I then waddled along to the riverfront, where we enjoyed some people-watching and springy sights.
Rhine riverfront, Cologne.
Here we are, just chillin'.
Then over to the Hohenzollernbrücke railway bridge, which is adorned with love locks — a symbol of romance and eternal love. This is my favorite shot … these people must have been really in love, and clearly understood that when it comes to padlocks (and ever being able to identify your love lock again), size surely does matter.
I also got a kick out of this strange fence ornament. This fella has padlocks for earrings. I’ve met some people with lobes like these.
I really do love the colors and this description from a much better writer than myself:
“They stretch from one side of the river to the other, as far as the eye can focus, a metallic rainbow of colour in a variety of shapes, encrusted with gems and emblazoned with terms of endearment. Bicycle chains, horseshoes, strings of padlocks, handcuffs the splash of colour contrasting with the sombre materials of the bridge. Fixed there by married couples, single-sex couples, young or old couples, as diverse as the padlocks themselves, an ‘eternal’ testament to their commitment to one another.” — Mallory on Travel
Another view of the love locks.
I’ve only seen this once before — love locks on the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, Italy. I’ll have to dig up some pictures at another time. Apparently, it’s quite European to express your love in this way. For what reason, I know not.
Breezy and I then attempted to cross the bridge over to the slightly “seedier” side of Cologne — at least according to locals. The vibrations were just too much for this sensitive pooch, so we stayed west and snapped a few more pictures.
Spring has finally arrived.
The main train station, HBF.
And then we were greeted with a dose of reality. I’m always surprised seeing garbage in this city, which sits within such an environmentally conscious country.
I'm thinking the Germans aren't very good at basketball.
Breezy and I then made our way back to the hotel room and nursed sick Jeffy with green tea and a sandwich. Beezer is now happily napping, and this is my windowsill view for blogging.
11th floor writing sill. From here, I must suppress my inner spaz. Butt firmly planted.
A European Adventure 