Leaving Bulgaria today. We stayed at a friend from AU's place. Hristo is from Sohpia and kindly let us sleep in a spare room he had in his apartment. While here we ate great Bulgarian cheese, got rained upon several times, and visited the beautiful Rila Monestary in the mountains.
Bulgaria was nice and relaxing, but now off to Berlin. We are flying Alitalia from Sophia to Milan to Berlin, so let us hope that they are not late, as we have only a short amount of time for our connecting flight in Milan.
6.6.07
3.6.07
03/6
Overnight trains are very interesting. Especially when a border crossing and irate passport control officers are added into the mix.
The train left Istanbul bound for Sophia, Bulgaria, a 13 hour journey, at 10 pm. Anne, Vanessa, and I were in a sleeper car just for us for only 47 TYL per ticket, much cheaper than $260 USD flights to Sophia. The train rocked, was amazingly hot, and filled with people who smoked at the drop of a hat, but it got us to were we needed to be roughly on time, and I even managed to sleep for 5 hours or so.
One quick reason to love Sophia is that dinner last night, for 4 people with starter plates, totaled about $25 USD. Sometimes I love exchange rates.
The train left Istanbul bound for Sophia, Bulgaria, a 13 hour journey, at 10 pm. Anne, Vanessa, and I were in a sleeper car just for us for only 47 TYL per ticket, much cheaper than $260 USD flights to Sophia. The train rocked, was amazingly hot, and filled with people who smoked at the drop of a hat, but it got us to were we needed to be roughly on time, and I even managed to sleep for 5 hours or so.
One quick reason to love Sophia is that dinner last night, for 4 people with starter plates, totaled about $25 USD. Sometimes I love exchange rates.
31.5.07
31/5
Turkey is a lot of fun, but very very hot. The Hagia Sophia is beautiful, if in need of a great deal of work on the plaster/ mosaics on the ceilings and halls. The Blue Mosque, right next to my hostel, is nice as well, if a bit obstructed by hanging lights that stand about 8 feet above the floor. The Blue Mosque, being the preeminent mosque in Turkey, also boasts the finest Imam for the call to prayer in all of Turkey. His voice is very impressive, but it is hard to apprechiate at 4:30 in the morning. For the 4:30 in the afternoon call to prayer, we were ontop of the Galata tower. From the top, you are able to hear all the mosques in Istanbul sound the call at the same time, so its like a wave of sound across the city. Very impressive.
Quick aside. In Newsweek, I saw a small info box saying that the US leads the world in civilian arsenal, with 90 guns per 100 civilians. The next closest was Yemen, with 61 guns per 100. Never in my life have I seen so many handguns for sale on the streets as I have in Istanbul. I have seen no less than 20 shops selling handguns. shotguns, rifles, and knives, proudly displayed in the windows. A bit disconcerting.
Quick aside. In Newsweek, I saw a small info box saying that the US leads the world in civilian arsenal, with 90 guns per 100 civilians. The next closest was Yemen, with 61 guns per 100. Never in my life have I seen so many handguns for sale on the streets as I have in Istanbul. I have seen no less than 20 shops selling handguns. shotguns, rifles, and knives, proudly displayed in the windows. A bit disconcerting.
30.5.07
31/5
back to Santorini.
Yay for ATVs, even if they only go uphill at 15 kph. The hot springs were great, though we had to swim through very cold wate in order to get there. Pirates of the Carribean 3 was a lot of fun, and the first cinema movie I have seen in English in 6 months. The flight to Turkey was in a small prop plane whose wing was only a few feet aove my head, a bit of an odd experience.
Turkey is already given props because they use a real stamp when you enter the country, nlike the EU wussy stamps, though they lost points for calling out morning prayers on loud speakers at 4:30am. My hostel is about 2 minutes from the Blue Mosque, so it was quite loud. Off to the Hagia Sofia and the Spice Market today.
Yay for ATVs, even if they only go uphill at 15 kph. The hot springs were great, though we had to swim through very cold wate in order to get there. Pirates of the Carribean 3 was a lot of fun, and the first cinema movie I have seen in English in 6 months. The flight to Turkey was in a small prop plane whose wing was only a few feet aove my head, a bit of an odd experience.
Turkey is already given props because they use a real stamp when you enter the country, nlike the EU wussy stamps, though they lost points for calling out morning prayers on loud speakers at 4:30am. My hostel is about 2 minutes from the Blue Mosque, so it was quite loud. Off to the Hagia Sofia and the Spice Market today.
29.5.07
29/5
So, Madrid and Santorini down, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Germany to go.
Madrid was a lot of fun. I ate some form of roasted chicken and paella (spl) everyday, which didn't get old, and also had the pleasure of drinking some Sangria that tasted exactly like Fruit Punch HI-C. Break out the surfboards. Word to the wise...Spanish beer is terrible.
Athens came next. While you don't want to spend more than 2 days in the city, it is now not nearly as dirty as I was expecting. The Olympics and the UEFA Final really spurred them into a cleaning frenzy, and the city was also a welcome relief for my wallet after Rome. The Acropolis is nice, but the best part of the city had to be the 30,000+ (and i am not exaggerating that number) of ticketless Liverpool fans who were in town for the Championship game between Liverpool and Milan. They were loud, drunk, drunk and amazingly entertaining, so hats off to the red machine for having amusing fans.
Santorini is beyond beautiful. Spent 5 days of nothing more exciting than swimming in the Med. and driving an ATV. I took a boat tour around the island and to the volcano, and part of the trip is a visit to the magma heated hot springs. Little do you know that to get to the hot springs. edit for later.
Madrid was a lot of fun. I ate some form of roasted chicken and paella (spl) everyday, which didn't get old, and also had the pleasure of drinking some Sangria that tasted exactly like Fruit Punch HI-C. Break out the surfboards. Word to the wise...Spanish beer is terrible.
Athens came next. While you don't want to spend more than 2 days in the city, it is now not nearly as dirty as I was expecting. The Olympics and the UEFA Final really spurred them into a cleaning frenzy, and the city was also a welcome relief for my wallet after Rome. The Acropolis is nice, but the best part of the city had to be the 30,000+ (and i am not exaggerating that number) of ticketless Liverpool fans who were in town for the Championship game between Liverpool and Milan. They were loud, drunk, drunk and amazingly entertaining, so hats off to the red machine for having amusing fans.
Santorini is beyond beautiful. Spent 5 days of nothing more exciting than swimming in the Med. and driving an ATV. I took a boat tour around the island and to the volcano, and part of the trip is a visit to the magma heated hot springs. Little do you know that to get to the hot springs. edit for later.
22.5.07
22/05
So my end of the semester odyssey has begun!
My travels will take me to Spain, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, and then back to the States.
I am currently in Athens, after spending 4 days in Madrid, Spain.
While in Madrid I: Rowed around in a rowboat, visited the Prado, ate a whole roasted chicken, ate some paella (spl), saw flamenco dancing, and drank a weird concoction that spouted from a dispenser in the ceiling of a bar called "The Cave", stalagtites and all.
So far in Athens I have been to the Pireaus and the Acropolis, and have eaten 3 gyros since I arrived yesterday. Leaving for Santorini on Thursday.
Updates will be sporatic depending on how often I can get to a computer with internet and no new pics will be posted until I return home on the 14th of June.
My travels will take me to Spain, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy, and then back to the States.
I am currently in Athens, after spending 4 days in Madrid, Spain.
While in Madrid I: Rowed around in a rowboat, visited the Prado, ate a whole roasted chicken, ate some paella (spl), saw flamenco dancing, and drank a weird concoction that spouted from a dispenser in the ceiling of a bar called "The Cave", stalagtites and all.
So far in Athens I have been to the Pireaus and the Acropolis, and have eaten 3 gyros since I arrived yesterday. Leaving for Santorini on Thursday.
Updates will be sporatic depending on how often I can get to a computer with internet and no new pics will be posted until I return home on the 14th of June.
18.4.07
18/4
3 papers down, 3 more to go. Today I also get to work on my cover letter for intern applications. I originally planned on applying at Sen Menedez's and Lautenberg's offices, but earlier this morning, Ben sent me a new idea. Interning with the House Ways and Means Committee. That would be a switch of chambers and would rock. Now I just need to find out what they require for an intern application.
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