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Published: November 19th 2006
The Lewers
Simon, Frauke, Becky and Annie RoseFRANCE
With a blend of intimidation, due to French rudeness myths, and excitement, due to fond memories of Pepe Lepew, we headed into France. Our first stop was another farming experience. This time with an English family living in the rural South West. We know what you're saying, "living with British ex-pats isn't
really seeing France", but we decided that this blending of nationalities IS the new reality of Europe since the creation of the European Union. It seems there is a large population of British people immigrating to France after being priced out of England. The family we stayed with are the De Lewers. They are a lovable, eccentric, family of ten (including cats and dogs). Hippie in the best sense of the word, we really enjoyed the happiness and loving atmosphere that was created at their home. Seeking an alternative way of living, their children are home-schooled and the primary focus of the family seems to be spending time together and playing games. At the farm we helped to build a roof, demolished a wall, painted doors, hedged, the works. I am open to hiring Lauren out as cheap labor as she is now well qualified. Let me know.
From the farm we headed west to Bourdeaux but, due to a conference, couldn't find anywhere to sleep. Amazingly, this guy walking on the street noticed we were looking a bit lost and just offered us a bed at his apartment. Actually, he offered us HIS bed. We found out he slept on the couch. To add to the hospitality we were offered, and accepted, some Absynthe. So much for French rudeness. His name was Alexander, and, obviously, he's the man. Actually, of all the places we have been so far there were more acts of ridiculous generosity from the people of France. From Bordeaux we took the incredibly nice French trains to Tours and then Paris. Paris is a bit overwhelming. I think as a couple there is an expectation that you have this magical experience and it distracts from just enjoying it. Sort of a New-Years eve syndrome. For whatever reason I found the cemetary to be the most enjoyable place in this city of love. During an afternoon we were able to visit and pay our respects to people of historical importance like Balzac, Wilde, Moliere, Proust, and Jim Morrison. Wilde's tomb seems to have become the
site of fanatical worship and the statue was covered in lipstick kisses and professions of love. (notice: similar treatment expected upon my death)
BELGIUM
Belgium, we learned, as the reputation of being boring. We loved it. Brussels wasn't overly interesting but it's main square might be the most beautiful I've ever seen. Also just interesting to be in the capital of the European Union. The country is French-speaking in the south and Flemish speaking up north. We heard there was tension between the two cultures but we didn't see any. The jewel of the country is Brugge. It's a postcard of a town full of canals, parks and intimate streets. The chocolate stores are abundant and almost caused a breakdown in our resident chocolate-machine, Lauren. Tourism appears to have impacted the economy and culture of the area greatly and, at times, the beauty appears a bit forced. The little, hip, brother of Brugge is Ghent. Boasting many of the same features of Brugge, the atmosphere is much more authentic. A small city, we walked around most of it in 2 hours or so. Probably the most beautiful walk of my life. The city is very elegantly lit at night. By
this I mean that the town arranges lights to reflect over facades of buildings, on bridges, whatever effect provides an intriguing view. I was never aware of the importance of this technique but I am now a huge fan. Best of all is the huge castle. An old skool prince built this to gain respect and it is very tight. He had a moat, pimp views, places to torture your enemies, everything. Outside of the big cities we found the Belgium culture to be, how should I say it, a bit in-bred. There was a large percentage of apparently drunk people of all ages who appeared to be transplated their from that creepy village in "Deliverance". Sorry, Belgium.
THe NETHERLANDS.
First things first, what is the difference between the Netherlands and Holland? I wanted to know. So, Holland is a province of the country The Netherlands. I guess it has been called Holland a lot simply because the majority of people and commerce are in this area of the country. During our time here we stayed with Anna and Rik. Anna is the sister of a Faye, a friend of Lauren's family. They have a beautiful home in a cozy
neighborhood of Rotterdam. Anna showed us the interesting architecture of the city. The city was bombed during WWII and is almost entirely rebuilt. Instead of attempting to recreate their lost atmosphere the city has established itself as a center for modern building. Because it has been planned around the automobile as the primary form of transportation I think the city has a somewhat less intimate feel than many European cities. Rik showed us around Den Haag, Delph (the city of Vermeer) and the countryside. The countryside is unique in the Netherlands because a large part of country is under sea level. Therefore, for example, the lakes around his summer home are monitored and pumped through extensive dikes. Speaking with Anna, who works with the city of Rotterdam, we learned about the proportional parliament system. I think this system is a better tool for democracy than our own. In the Netherlands, if 5% of the population votes Libertarian, 5% of the representatives are Libertarian. Minority voices are not heard in our congress due to the emphasis on State instead of personal representation. In addition, individual politicians are not elected here, from what I learned. Instead, the party recieves the votes and
according to it's seats allocated chooses which members will be representing. This system eliminates the petty personality politics that tarnish our elections. Interesting, huh? A big Thank You to Rik, Anna, Jurich (Sp?) and Julie for being such generous and kind hosts. It was a wonderful stay.
GERMANY
We were pretty excited to see Germany. My twin brother Tom lived in Berlin for a coupla years and, well, we were just stoked. Munich is great. I think there is a comfortable, working blend of old architecture and modern building. There is a vibrant feel to the streets and a style I would describe as Euro-yuppie. MarienPlaz, the center square, has perhaps my favorite building: a town hall built in the 19th century in a Gothic style. The clock overhead acts as a huge cookoo clock of sorts: statues perform tricks and turn in circles at the hour. Some of the center streets are over-commercialized but still pleasant. Berlin is very different. It' sheer size makes it difficult to manage. To travel from one end of town to the other we walked, took a train, and a subway. Also, the scale of the buildings and roads are tremendous. I remember feeling
like I was in an Industrial Center but aware that I was walking in the heart of the city. There are interspersed in the city modern buildings with spectacular architecture utilizing a lot of glass. Overall, however, gloomy. We did have our ups: I got a piece of the Berlin Wall to add to my rock collection and I got to see the University where Tom studied. Also, we saw glimpses of neighborhoods in the West like Charlottenburg that seemed really charming.
CZECH REPUBLIC
The Czech Republic is cheaper than the other countries in Europe we had visited. Sweet. They aren't scheduled to introduce the Euro until around 2010 and now use a Krown. One of the best bargains we found were the apartments. Upon leaving the train in Prague we were greeted by a local who wanted to rent us a room. Off the official housing market, the price was a steal: 20 Euros a night. Also, we were able to find good Czech meals of Goulash and a large beer for about 4 bucks. One of the downsides to Prague, according to Lauren, is there seems to be a lack of candy stores relative to other European cities.
The city is pretty, well worth a visit. They appear to be rushing headlong into capitalism as everything is for sale. Perhaps rushing a bit too fast, the city supports tourism instead of tourism supporting the city. Petty corruption is a problem. I recommend doing some research before entering and gaining some general knowledge on prices. Most people we talked to, albiet as tourists and typically in a customer/vendor relationship, attempted to manipulate the situation to their financial interest. The standards: recommend you only to places where they get commisions, bring you a large when you order a small, argue with you about a special tax or fee, etc..Not that hard to deal with, really, but a bit startling as I guess I wasn´t expecting it. The style is stereotypically Eastern European. Lots of short haircuts (men and women), leather jackets and smoking. Girls dressed punky or slutty. Obviously, not everybody, not even a majority, but that is what stood out as distinct. The other town we visited was Cesky Krumlov and it was incredible. Quaint and tucked in by a river, we were simply enchanted.
So, we are leaving Europe. It was a blessing to have the opportunity to
Sudoku
Lauren and I after completing our first "Maestro" level Sudoku. see many of the famous cities and countries we had grown up learning about. There is definitely the sense of bringing a face to the name of somebody your friend has told you all about. The Euro was a bit daunting, the exchange was about 1 to 1.3 dollars throughout, and consequently we felt a bit squeezed at times. So, we're off to India after a brief stay in Instanbul. Oh, almost forgot: I HAVE CONQUERED THE RUBIKS CUBE!
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Dan
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Good work on the European leg. Sounds like you guys are still having a wonderful time. It is probably good you experienced the Czech Republic before heading to India. Keep your eyes peeled there for scams and over charging. Looking forward to the India posts...