David Lee - David Price Reichbaum

Just finished teaching English in Barcelona (six months) and accepted a job to teach in a United Nations Children's Education Fund (UNICEF) project outside Seoul, South Korea (one year contract). While waiting for paperwork to process I took a 31-day all access EURail train pass to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Zurich, Rome, Milan, Naples, Bern, Montreux, Geneva, Lyon and back to Barcelona and made lots of interesting stories along the way (EURail Fest Map- http://www.travelblog.org/gmaps/map_2pk.html). I'm currently in England passing the days with friends until I depart for The Far East.

I usually send out email updates to friends and family but I'm trying the blog to see how I/people like it. Let me know what you think. I'll continue to update it semi-regularly and if you're interested in keeping up you can "subscribe" and be notified when new entries are added or unsubscribe as you please. Any travel, writing or life suggestions are much appreciated.

Yours Truly,

David Price Reichbaum

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Joined on: October 15th 2006
Last Login: August 23rd 2008

Blog Entries: 8
Photos: 19

TB Code: [blogger=24638]
Status: BLOGGER

Blogs & Travel Journals

by David Lee, order by Date newest first.

By David Lee
October 28th 2006

Tribute to Tradition and Family: Rome Europe » Italy » Lazio » Rome

ROMA
Getting scrappier

The scenery between Zurich and Italy is breathtaking, literally. The train passes through small and medium sized towns and villages DWARFED by mountains that can’t be scaled and whose peaks can’t be seen by the naked eye. We’d passed Lugano, Milano, Bologna and Florence before arriving in Roma. The second third of my Euro Trip was of a different breed. Jim came to Italy equipped with Italian telephone numbers and names of distant relatives, whom we’d seek out in Rome and Milan. It was great to reunite with another familiar FACE. Jim and I met up without even hav [View Full Entry]

By David Lee
October 25th 2006

Zurich: Getting High in Switzerland Europe » Switzerland » North-East » Zürich

Time
Tick tock, Tick tock

Zurich: Getting HIGH in Switzerland My departure from Munich marked the end of the first third of my one-month EURail adventure. I refer to these first eleven days as the “COUCHSURFING” portion because I stayed (for FREE) exclusively with members of couchsurfing.com, the traveler’s network in which I’ve been an active member, host and guest. However, I had yet to sleep on one true couch. A few spare mattresses, a train or two, a QUEEN size bed, but no couches, until I got to Zurich, where I was taken in by a fellow FOX CHAPEL Area High School alumni by the [View Full Entry]

By David Lee
October 23rd 2006

US Military Encounter and München; Home of Enrico, Oktoberfest and Hitler Europe » Germany » Bavaria » Munich

Königsplatz- Capital of The Nazi Movement
This plaza was the Nazi Headquarters and training center. Hitler was the only person allowed to pass through the center gate leading into the plaza and Nazi's referred to this sector as "Hauptstadt d... [more]

INTRO My departure from Berlin was a bit impromptu, arranged the morning after a successful pub crawl and complicated by train schedules and an extended adios to random friends made the night before. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Ty but I knew we'd be seeing each other again sometime in the next decade back on the GLEN BROOK DRIVE cal-de-sac. Munich was highly recommended by friends and my preconceived NOTIONS were that it'd be completely different from Berlin. It was. Approaching the city, the fall scenery improved as we descended on the Bavaria region of Germany. Stops [View Full Entry]

By David Lee
October 21st 2006

Berlin, "The Wall", Ty and I Europe » Germany » Rhineland-Palatinate » Charlottenberg

The Berlin Wall and I
Real intense.

Arrived in Berlin pretty late, tired and without any knowledge of German, hoping that my long lost neighbor/childhood PLAYMATE, fellow Fox Chapel alumni and co-explorer Tyler Mossman could help me out (having studied in Austria and traveled the previous months in Eastern and Central Europe). The city was amazing a lot more modern and bright than I had anticipated. My outdated STEREOTYPES were shattered. Every street oozed with history and impressive new constructions (thanks in part to the recent World Cup mayhem). Highlights Included: THE BERLIN WALL. As you walk along the wall th [View Full Entry]

By David Lee
October 18th 2006

Red Light District AND MUCH More Europe » Netherlands » North Holland » Amsterdam

Canal & House Boats near the Anne Frank House
I think it'd be really cool to live on a boat and travel the world. Who's with me?

Arrived in Amsterdam Tuesday evening. Met my couchsurfing host REMCO and his lady friend DIESK at the train station. Both great people, very friendly, big DUTCH smiles and friendly blue eyes. Walked to Remco's apartment and had introductions over GROLSCH (Dutch beer founded in 1615) and wine. Remco lives on the canal next to the infamous RED LIGHT DISTRICT, above a flat where LIVE SEX SHOW tickets are sold (shows performed in another locale). Remco gave me a thorough tour of the district, pointing out the finer details of each block; "this block is for the BIG MAMAS, that one's for [View Full Entry]

By David Lee
October 14th 2006

Dead Legends, Protest, Cabaret, French & Australian Gangsters and Cinderella Europe » France » Île-de-France » Paris

Chateau Fontainebleau
Napoleon, Cinderella, Dwarves, Fairies, Baby Deer, bunny rabbits and bookshelves that reveal hidden dungeons and treasure. What more could you ask for? Nothing. So don't ask.

DAY 2 * JIM MORRISON’s grave among others at NAPOLEON Père Lachaise Cemetery. (Jim's grave is surprisingly standard. The rest of the cemetery is quite impressive though with enormous monuments, catacombs and tributes to politicians, artists, martyrs and common peasants) *The cemetery was one of the first since Paris's ban on cemeteries due to health hazards in 1786. * Sacré-Coeur & Montemartre (view from the scenic highest point in Paris) * Student demonstrations, police in RIOT gear. Intense but no physical responses. (Would’ve been well documented by the massive group [View Full Entry]

By David Lee
October 13th 2006

First Impressions of Paris Europe » France » Île-de-France » Paris

Princess Diana's Flame of Liberty
Unexpected emotion from an unofficial monument to a woman that the entire world admired and very few really knew. I felt unified with the rest of the world for a moment in mourning for an innocent yo... [more]

Impressions of Paris: Day 1 * Sonya calls the Parisian tourist info attendant at the train station¨ not very nice¨ from within earshot, then offers me a free cab ride across the city as she's in a rush for a press conference. She has a short patience but seems to enjoy my companionship through her frustration. * Sightseeing highlights: Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame, walking up and down the Seine River * Passed the Pont de l'Alma tunnel where Princess Dianna of Wales died and the unofficial memorial "Flame of Liberty" with inscriptions from sympathizers worldwide (Surprisingly [View Full Entry]

By David Lee
October 12th 2006

Farewell to Barcelona- An Eventful Start Europe » Spain » Catalonia » Barcelona

Spanish coastal hillsides
The mountainous coast in Portbou, which I ran through in the midnight shadows in order to catch the overnight train in Cerbere. {photo stolen from obscure website} * The same hills also served as ... [more]

Left Barcelona Thursday afternoon post-signing and sending my one-year contract with the "Gyeonggi English Village", a UNICEF/Korean government sponsored collaboration located outside of Seoul, South Korea. I just sent out my most recent email update and have had very encouraging responses. The first several hours of my European Rail Tour were quite eventful. 1.) WITNESSED MY FIRST BLATANT ANTI-AMERICAN DISCRIMINATION. Met a scruffy Irishman and a Canadian guy on EURail passes heading to Prague via Paris. Before long they were kicked off the train, victims of an overreaction to mism [View Full Entry]

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