Briggo - Christina Briegleb

Greetings! I'm setting out on the biggest adventure of my life: 5.5 months of traveling through South America, Africa, South East Asia, and the Oceania with my dear friend Al, and 5 weeks of traveling through Europe. My hope is that this blog will illuminate my experiences, frustrations, and observations through my collection of stories and pictures. I hope you enjoy!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

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Joined on: March 7th 2007
Last Login: June 30th 2008

Blog Entries: 42
Photos: 348

TB Code: [blogger=33756]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by Briggo, order by Date newest first.

By Briggo
May 7th 2008

Beginning of an end

Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Sydney

Opera House at night

Three months have passed since I arrived safely in Australia. Admittedly, I've delayed writing this last blog entry mostly because I don't really know how to end it. I know that this really isn't an end, just a temporary break - a pause if you will - on my traveling. I'm addicted - already I've started dreaming about my next trip hopefully in a year. Adjusting to my life in Australia has taken a lot of sorting out, but as of this week, my life has finally started to settle down a bit. I moved into a flat with some friends [View Full Entry]

By Briggo
February 17th 2008

Stranger in a Familiar Land

Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens

Changing of the guards
A ceremony preformed in front of the parliament in honor of the unknown soldier. They are wearing the traditional military outfits from ancient Greece.

One of the things I like most about traveling is learning how other people live. Sure, it is nice to see the touristy spots and let loose a bit, but there's so much more to travel then just a nice holiday. Observing the local lifestyle and culture, trying to understand their beliefs, traditions, and customs, by visiting the not so touristy areas, talking to locals and seeing what life is really like aside from the nicely done hotels and hot spots visitors often only see, is what I really like about travel. This past year I have gotten the chance to [View Full Entry]

By Briggo
February 6th 2008

Prost to Bavaria!

Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Munich

Beautiful Mountains
Looking towards the Austrian Alps, the Ludwigs sure picked the best place to build their castles.

When one thinks of Germany, I believe that they often conjure up stereotypes from the state of Bavaria: bratwurst sausages, huge mugs of beer, leederhosen, white houses lined with brown wood outlines. While some of these stereotypes certainly do exist (much of the beer is served in one size, an entire liter!), it would be unfair to reduce Bavaria to such generalizations. Bavaria has so much more to offer, and with a strong sense of identity, often those who live in this state, with their own separate history and dialect, think of themselves first as Bavarian and then German. The first [View Full Entry]

By Briggo
February 5th 2008

Never Again

Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Munich

"Work Sets You Free"
That's what the gate states upon entering the camp. The lies begin...

One of the very different things about traveling in Europe compared to the US or other countries is that there are constant reminders of the aftermath of WWII. Parts of cities still in pieces or areas entirely missing, it is a wonder to think what things must have looked like before the war. With most of the wars being fought overseas, the US doesn't have this same presence or reminder of such a bloody past, and it certainly creates a different atmosphere, a poignant and hard to forget atmosphere. Today I visited one of the first concentration camps used during WWII [View Full Entry]

By Briggo
February 3rd 2008

Bohemian Paradise

Europe » Czech Republic » North » Prague

Old Town Hall
The astronmical clock. The guy who made this had his eyes gouched out, because the king said it was so beautiful, that he didn't want him making anything else again so beautiful. Talk about horrible c... [more]

Every seat on the bus was occupied, but yet more and more people flowed into the aisles. As people worked their way down the aisles to the back of the bus, shoving their luggage on the floor, they carefully held onto the headrests of the seats or the luggage carrier on top. The man next to me was calming down his dog who also rested on the floor, as the bus driver yelled in Czech for the passengers to keep moving down, where though I couldn't tell as there was no more room. We were heading back on a bus from [View Full Entry]

By Briggo
January 28th 2008

How do you say "Do you speak English?" in German?

Europe » Germany » North Rhine-Westphalia » Cologne

Cologne Cathedral

Back in the states before I left for Europe, I asked a friend of mine who has traveled to Germany and speaks a bit of German, how do you say "Do you speak English?" in German? He looked at me coyly and said, "Do you speak English?" Apparently, most Germans speak English, and while they may say they don't speak very well, that's more modestly than honestly, as most speak excellent English. In the two places I have visited so far in Germany, Cologne and Dresden, I would say that's for the most part true. In Cologne, a much more modern [View Full Entry]

By Briggo
January 24th 2008

Why Not Luxembourg?

Europe » Luxembourg » Luxembourg City

Palais Grand-Ducal
Where the Royal Family lives.

As part of my rail pass I bought, I had the option to go to Luxembourg, and on my way from Belgium to Germany, I had a free day, so I thought, why not check out this little country called Luxembourg? I didn't know much about it other than they have a very active royal family and are known for their fairy tales. After arriving, I walked around the main square, and couldn't help but notice all the rich designer shops and jewelry stores. It seemed like most of the people around me where couples, perhaps on a honeymoon or holiday, [View Full Entry]

By Briggo
January 23rd 2008

Mecca of beer

Europe » Belgium » Brussels-Capital Region » Brussels

Brugge
On the water.

I have to be honest - the main reason I wanted to visit Belgium is for their beer. Sure, I also wanted to visit the EU capital and see a Flemish community, but mostly, for the beer. Belgium has one of the richest histories of brewing beer, and in my opinion, some of the best in the world. I visited a bar in Brugge, and with the 300 different types of beer based on regions, from Trappist monk, to sour Kriek to strong Tripel, I was very tempted to quit school, move to Brugge and become a professional beer taster. Ah, [View Full Entry]

By Briggo
January 20th 2008

Getting wet and getting lost

Europe » Netherlands

Ole, Christina, and Alex
Out for some Dutch beers.

Despite the plane crash in Heathrow the day before I left, there weren't any problems leaving the airport, although you could still see the plane surrounded by police cars and trucks. It was probably the first time I've flown nervous and on edge. Once I arrived in Amsterdam, I figured I could walk to my hostel not realizing how far it was from the train station. I started out alright but then got confused with the similar looking canals and buildings. Everyone I asked spoke English but no one seemed to be able to point me in the right direction. The [View Full Entry]

By Briggo
January 16th 2008

A few ancient rocks, a delicious Guinness, and a historical university

Europe » United Kingdom » England

Stonehenge 1

After a few delightful days in the city, I made my way to a few sites outside London but a short train or bus ride away. The first stop was Stonehenge. I had heard not to expect much as it is literally just a few rocks piled in a field right next to a busy highway. And while that is certainly true, I actually was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I think what I liked the most was the mystery behind it. They really don't know much about how the rocks got there (the heaviest one weighs about [View Full Entry]

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