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Published: March 30th 2009
Alrighty...I'm going to post exactly what I had written down in my notebook.
3/20/09
Arrived at Pisa Airport around 1 in the afternoon. The flight is at 5:10. Ate the sandwich that my host family gave me. Tried eating the apples. One of them was rotten and the other was on its way. I'm serious when I say that there was a cocoon inside one that was browning at the top. I poked and it poked me back. I just know that at some point along this trip through Germany a giant bug will burst out of my chest cavity.
18:44--> On the bus from the airport to central Frankfurt.
The bus ride took an hour and a half.
Walked around Frankfurt for a while. Too dark to capture any nice photographs. A very modern city. Beautiful buildings. Very colorful. There's a red light district as well. A heavy hooker grabbed my shoulder, but I made the face that let her know I had an important place to be...far away from her man-eating cave.
3/21/09
The Frankfurt station is amazing. Clean, large and bright. The train I am on now, heading toward Freiburg, is quite spacious. A little more about Frankfurt. There were so many strip clubs, pimps and hookers near the Hauptbahnhof. The hostel was excellent. 18 euro including linens and breakfast. Only complaint was the dude snoring in the room. He kept creating the oddest sounds. I had to keep clearing my throat in order to shut him the fuck up. That night I hung out in the hostel lounge for a couple of hours. The bartender was from California and made some cheap mudslides. I woke up in Frankfurt at around 7. Walked around the city for a short while. Noticed some crack head following us. He eventually stopped after some other guy approached us asking for directions. But every corner we turned the crackie would turn as well. He would move ahead, slow down, wait for us...he thought he'd be clever and walk ahead a ways. I knew what he was doing so instead turned right. As I turned I looked at him and he looked back. A minute later I glanced around and our old friend had returned. Soon after we bumped into the same guy from before who asked for directions and the crack head vanished. Mike, the travel monkey, does not know how to keep his cool. He started moving closer to me and I had to keep telling him "Spread out, man." Even in the Red Light District he would get scared. Such a little bitch. Frankfurt, erasing the pimps and the junkies, is definitely a modern party city not for the faint of heart.
Later on: In Freiburg. Walked around for a bit trying to find the hostel. Ended up being pointed toward a different hostel by the receptionist at a hotel. A guy at the wrong hostel directed us toward the opposite direction of the Black Forest Hostel. Eventually, an elderly man walking his dog managed to show us correctly. Arrived at the hostel and paid for two nights. 26 euro. Not bad. That night we realized we didn't want to stay another night in Freiburg so we luckily got our money back. We met a french dude staying in the same room. The three of us are going to the tourist center for an idea of SOMETHING to do in this town.
The three of us walked around the town for quite a while. We checked out the highest point on top of this forested area with a giant tower. Managed to snap some decent photographs of the black forest.
3/22/09
That night at the hostel we met another student who was studying abroad in Munich. So, the four of us went about Freiburg visiting various pubs and even a Mexican restaurant for a tequila shot. The shot wasn't your typical one. It came with cinnamon and a slice of orange. Different. When in Germany, right? Watched a horrible band at an Irish pub and later grabbed some pasta at a German bar. Got back to the hostel and fell asleep. It was cold that night. I didn't rent linens. Lesson learned.
In the morning, I jumped from my bed (top bunk, no ladder) to a bed below and smashed in some wooden boards. Propped the mattress up and left soon after. Got to the train station really early and bought a ticket to Titisee. It's in the heart of the black forest. The plan is to head to Munich tonight. Freiburg is a nice town but a town you could see in a day. More to come.
Titisee was nice. Very small. Not much to do. Walked around the giant frozen lake. That was about it. Saw a ton of cuckoo clocks. Bought a shot glass. First time in a long time. I suppose my interest in collecting waned after people kept borrowing them and not returning. The train ride to and from Titisee cost me nothing. Score! The town that defines day-trip. It's about 35 minutes from Freiburg. On the train now to Karlsruhe. From there I will transfer to Stuttgart. After that it's onward to Munich.
3/23/09
Got into Munich in the evening. The hostel is very close to the train station. Had two nights already reserved at Eurohostel but needed an extra night for the 22nd. Before reaching Eurohostel, I stopped at a hostel next door to it called Jaeger's Hostel. Huge lobby area with an artsy look. Asked how much it would cost for the night and the guy said 11 euro. Breakfast and linens included. Sold. Eurohostel charged me 14.50 for each night and didn't cover any food. With that, I walked next door and canceled my reservation. Said I was heading to Berlin earlier than expected.
Walked around Munich afterward. Checked out a bunch of places including the Glockenspiel. Could say at this point I believe Munich to be a much more beautiful city than Frankfurt. Grabbed a kebob and went to sleep a bit early (10:30).
The next morning (today) I showered and dried with toilet paper...no towel, grr. After, I went upstairs and ate some toast and downed some very much welcomed tea.
At around 10:00, we walked to Marionplatz. There was a free tour being offered and the meeting point was at the golden statue (Mary's Column) in front of the glockenspiel. At 10:30 I saw the sign for "Free Tour" and walked over to the group. The tour guide was a Brit and, as I later found out, trained quite well.
The tour lasted for about three hours. Covered a large amount of material. Both funny and informative. Watched the glockenspiel in action; checked out the area where a bodyguard had taken 11 bullets and saved the life of Hitler; the spot where Hitler had stood in order to swear in thousands of Nazis; the streets where the failed attempt by Hitler to overthrow the Bavarian government took place; and the memorial to the hundreds of people killed because they walked a different route to avoid saluting Nazi soldiers watching over a memorial to the dead Nazis killed during the failed uprising (LONG SENTENCE). We discussed Kristalnacht; covered the legend of the devil's footprint (google it); went over the origin of Oktoberfest and other bits of vital information. I had a blast.
Afterward, I climbed the steps in a church to a very high point and photographed some decent scenery. At around 6 is another tour called the Beer Challenge. It's about 4 hours long. Tomorrow I'm going on another tour but this time concerning Dachau.
3/24/09
The beer challenge was interesting. About 12 people went along for the ride. As I stated yesterday, the thing started at 6 in the evening and lasted for 4 hours. Two beers and a shot of jager included in the 12 euro fee, along with a subway ticket to the first destination. First we went to the much talked about Hofbrauhaus. Had a liter there. After, we went to this other beer place which is well known around these parts for its 12% beer. Got a half-liter of that. Two big guys got the full liter. Prost. Here's where it starts to get a little foggy. The night ended at Eurohostel. While there, we got our second 'free' beer and shot. I only drank half of this beer. Seconds before leaving I downed the jagermeister. Said goodnight to the other people and then I guess walked back to my hostel.
In the morning I showered and went upstairs for breakfast. Drank three cups of tea and ate one slice of toast with jam. Left the hostel at around 9:45 and made my way for the train station. Met up with the group going to Dachau and soon after we were off...not before the tour guide had me run an errand of buying him a small bottle of jager with some coins he gave me. Said it was his energy. We took the train and arrived 45 minutes later in Dachau. Walked over to the camp and for the next couple of hours learned in depth everything that took place there. The pictures are better with captions.
Got back to the hostel. I don't know what else I'll do today. There is a museum that I would have liked to have checked out but it is closed at this time. Stomach is bothering me. It's raining. Think I'll go grab a gyro after my pants are finished drying.
Pants dried as well as hoody. Ended up getting a gyro and then a couple of hours later a second one. Played chinese poker with Scrooge McDuck and a guy named Remi from France. Pretty much just chilled and listened to Remi speak about communist teletubbies. I should be set for Berlin tomorrow. To be continued.
3/25/09
Off to Berlin. After a failed attempt at pulling a Jeff and getting free hotel breakfast (they check room keys), I am now on the train waiting to leave Munich. I will have to transfer in Nuremberg but will only be there for 8 minutes. More to come. About a 6 hour journey from here to Berlin.
Got to Berlin. Found the hostel. It's not bad...quiet and close to historical sites. It was kind of lame. We had to call a number in order to get the code for the door. The pay phone near the hostel was a bust, but I only found this out after I put my euro coin in and it got stuck. Walking around (after 20 minutes) we found another pay phone. Fuckin' A. Walked around and saw Brandenburg Gate, the Russian Embassy and the American Embassy (and a whole host of others) and the place where Nazi students burned nearly 20,000 books. After, I grabbed a donor sandwich from Dada Falafel. Going to head out shortly to the Reichstag. So far I'm really digging Berlin. Might do a free tour tomorrow. We'll see.
3/26/09
So I did the free tour but tipped our guide Rachel 15 euro. Generous, I know. Mike gave her 2 euro. Yeah, 2 euro. 3 hour tour. Very informative. The others in the group were passing her 10s and 5s. 2 euro. I would have given her 20 but on the way to the meeting spot a young woman was sitting against a wall with two dogs lying next to her (one snuggled in her lap...medium sized dogs) and tossed over 5 euro. I'm a sucker. The tour was excellent. But, the night before I had explored the Reichstag. It allowed for an expansive view of the city. Climbed to the top. Impressive. Back to the tour. Rachel spoke to us about Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and the book burning memorial. She brought us to places (besides the aforementioned) such as the spot where Hitler's bunker was (where is body was found), Checkpoint Charlie, the S.S. Headquarters, a section of the Berlin Wall, Museum Island and the Holocaust Memorial. She spent time going over the history of the major events that had impacted Berlin. It was a great introduction to the city. Following this, I made my way over to the Holocaust museum for a depressing time and then to the Siegessaule (where, apparently, Obama gave his speech). But, Siegessaule has Prussian significance. It's quite a long walk from Brandenburg Gate. After, I went to the Pergamon museum and then grabbed some apple strudel. Currently mapping out a plan for tomorrow. Oh right, I left the museum earlier than Mike and didn't say anything. I finished viewing the exhibits and then waited in the lobby for a little bit, but not before glancing around the museum for a quick minute to see if I could spot him. That's when I went to eat some apple strudel. Finished the dessert and then waited outside for a minute. Decided to leave. Figured he either walked back to the hostel or will have enough sense to do just that after he's finished looking around.
3/27/09
So, I eventually left the hostel after an hour and spotted Mike rounding the corner. The idiot was done after 30 minutes. Laughed a little about it, but then I said I wanted to check out some live music. Ended up at this jazz club near the hostel. It wasn't too bad but the performers only performed for 30 minutes after we entered the joint. Left the place and headed back to the hostel.
This morning I went to a modern art museum. There was only one cool exhibit while everything else was literally garbage. It involved sound and a room filled with speakers. Amazing experience with eyes closed. After, went on a counter culture tour (yes, a counter culture TOUR). Checked out squatter areas and loads of graffiti. Also walked along the East Side Gallery. After, I went to the Jewish museum. Dead boring. Perhaps if I was Jewish it would have kept me awake. Following this, I grabbed some German food and walked back to the hostel. Ate pork steak, German fries and apple strudel. German enough for you? Going to sleep a bit early (10:30). Waking up with the sun. Heading to Cologne in the morning...a 4 and some change hour ride.
3/28/09 I stopped writing down things at this point. I'll just fill in from memory.
Caught the train early in the morning. Reached Cologne by around 1:10. I wanted to make sure that I had canceled my Cologne hostel correctly so I called the place on a payphone. Everything checked out. Decided to stay in Frankfurt to make travel easier the following morning. First thing I did was check out gothic cathedral (from the outside). Amazing architecture. One of my favorites. Then, I headed to the chocolate factory. Got only 2 free samples. It was a Lindt factory museum. Hershey's trumps it. Oh yeah, Rach and Tiff...I want to go this summer. After, I walked around the town briefly. Then, I climbed the 509 steps in the Dom. Great views, but my camera died after two or three shots. Grabbed a mottwurst in the train station. Really big sausage with an extremely tiny roll. The people eat it separately. It's a madhouse. Took the train in the evening (2 hours) to Frankfurt. Went to the hostel that we stayed in the first night but they were booked. The guy suggested another place located nearby on the same street as all the prostitutes. It was a new hostel that opened in September. We walked over to the place and buzzed in. The door clicked and we made our way to the front desk. A room with 8 beds cost 18 euro. Linens included but not breakfast. We dropped our shit off and walked around outside. Mike does not know how to blend in. I had to keep saying "Spread out" to him. He walks like a caveman. Can the kid be any more scared of his environment. He's 22 and an embarrassment. We were walking down a main street and a guy asked if we had a lighter. I said "Nah" and the guy continued walking. Scary. Ooooo. Mike became frightened because the guy was walking near us (even though he wasn't shady whatsoever) and actually moved to the edge of the sidewalk and kept his eye on him the entire time we were walking to the intersection. I wanted to slap him. I grabbed some subway and then we headed back to the hostel.
3/29/09
So, I woke up at around 9:30. I looked over and Mike was gone. "Ok" I thought, "He's probably eating breakfast downstairs." I showered, gathered my backpack and picked up the sheets to return to the front desk. Handed in my key card and put the 4 euro deposit toward breakfast. Didn't see Mike in the lounge so at that point I knew he had left. At first I thought maybe he had stepped out of the hostel to buy his own food at a market (he's a vegetarian of the annoying breed). Eh, wrong answer. I finished breakfast and went to the train station. Perhaps he's waiting at the station for the bus. Eh, wrong answer. I waited 30 minutes and the shuttle arrived. It's an hour and a half to the airport. I reached the airport, got my ticket and asked around about getting my passport stamped. Niente. Damn European Union. I went through security and made my way to the gate. As I turned the corner I saw Mike sitting down. He looked up and smiled at me. I didn't mention anything other than "I can't believe they won't stamp my passport." What a prick. The night before I told him not to wake me up like he did the previous few nights due to his climbing from the top bunk to the floor and making the boards creak. What an idiot. You're supposed to tell somebody when you're leaving. I wouldn't have cared if he had left early. I actually enjoyed the bus ride not seeing his goofy head bobbing up and down near me. It's called courtesy, though. That schmuck. The plane ride was fine. Caught the train to Pisa Central. Then to Empoli. Finally to Siena. Walked home. Ate dinner with the host family and Doug. Vented about the freak that is Mike to Doug. And here I go again...
Mike is rude. He doesn't say "Please" or "Thank you" to those who help him. When he's at a place that serves food and is looking at items behind glass...he simply points and says with his twisted voice "Give me that one." He's a cheap bastard. I try to be economically observant every once in a while but this guy was Archie Bunker cheap. George Jefferson cheap. Being with him on this trip helped me to realize just how proud I am to be from America. Very. Yes, it sounds corny, I suppose. I can't stand people like that. But, Mike is a prick. He bad mouths America and Americans whenever someone asks him where he's from. But, worst of all was his voice. I've mentioned this before. I just cannot stand it. I can't take it. Whenever he says "Huh?" it sounds like a duck quacking. It startles me. To go all Gran Torino here for a moment and say that Mike is a pussy. He kept comparing everything in Germany to Italy. He kept critiquing the people as being too American looking. What an unreliable, disrespectful and overall awkward human being. You should see him when he's talking to the people we met in the hostels. The conversation ends and you hear him say "Yeah.....(10 seconds pass)......mmhmm....(10 more seconds)......yeah....(5 seconds)....mmmm..." I'm surprised I didn't jump from the Reichstag. What an uninteresting, boring douche. He should off himself.
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Sensitivity training maybe? I suppose to you I'm just a black bastard with a limited vocabulary? Paca tells me the Von Scheffles, your relatives, were from Frieburg. Pretty sure you might have stayed with them, like in the movie "European Vacation".