Our European Adventure, Day 15

I felt like we woke up at the crack of dawn this morning because I had trouble sleeping last night. It was really already 6:30, but still, that’s incredibly early. We packed up our things, checked out of the hostel, and headed over to the train station to purchase some snacks for lunch before finding the platform for our first train of the day.

Immediately upon stepping on the train, we realized the difference it the older trains we’ve been taking for the rest of the trip and sleek, faster express trains that we took today. Instead of private cabins of six, today’s trains featured airplane-like seating only roomier with a table every few seats. The dining car was also more luxe.

The inside of the first express train - they looked the same

We toiled away the train rides by playing cards, reading, and sleeping. The switch between trains was a pretty high stress event though because our first train ended up getting stuck working its way around construction and we were running about twenty minutes behind. Originally, we had only had about twenty minutes to make our connection in Frankfurt’s Main station. However, our train pulled in two minutes before the second left and we would have needed to run across the station. People sitting in our train car persuaded us to wait until the next stop because they said our second train would be there also, but on the same platform. Luckily, they were right and we stepped off one train and directly on to the next. I did have to kick someone out of our seats though because he thought we weren’t coming we didn’t get on at the right stop.

After we settled in and a round of cards was played, we ordered our lunch from the dining car. I ended up getting a hot ham and cheese sandwich with chocolate cake and an ice cream bar for desert. It was actually really good. I’m surprised at the quality of the food that they sell on those trains. It was really easy to find something on the menu that I would like too.

We pulled into the Amsterdam station about half past four and put our luggage in storage lockers before adventuring into the city. We didn’t have anything specific to do, so after exchanging currency (for a really crappy rate, it would have been cheaper to do at the airport), we wandered throughout the souvenir shops looking for things to spend our money on. I ended up buying quite the collection of things, including a change purse, scarf, t-shirt, calendar and mug. I’m happy with the purchases that I couldn’t make as freely before because I didn’t have a credit card after it was stolen.

We found a Argentinean steak restaurant for dinner. The service was so slow and, while the meat was gigantic, it wasn’t that great tasting. It might not have been the best meal but Madeline and I definitely agreed the bread with garlic and butter sauce was really good. We made sure to order a second round.

Since the restaurant didn’t have a very big drink selection, we decided to get chips at a Mexican restaurant after dinner and try out their cocktail menu. We ended up making friends with the bartender, Victor and he gave us a few free sample drinks. I didn’t really like his mixing as much as everyone else, but maybe I just ordered the wrong things. They just all tasted rather strong to me and I wasn’t in the mood for that. Then Matt, Ben, and Madeline went back to the train station to wait for the next train while I sat outside a McDonald’s and stole their WiFi.

The four of us cheering to Victor's specialty on our last night in Amsterdam - notice Matt looks better today

We took the 12:45 train to the airport and we’ve been waiting there ever since in the downstairs area. Not getting a hotel was a good choice, but at the same time, I’m kind of tired.

Our European Adventure, Day 12

After getting ready this morning and taking some bread from breakfast for sandwiches on the train, we headed over to the main train station and found our platform. The train was there before us so we were able to board right away. It was strange though because when we found our seats, other people were already in them. Some elders had just sat down in our seat. They moved, but it was still weird.

We sat down in our cabin with two Canadians who have been travelling around Europe for about the same amount of time as us. We talked about where we had been and things like that for awhile before napping. I got woken up though because Matt and Ben decided to play cards practically on top of me as I didn’t want to give up my window seat so they could use the tray tables.

The train ride was about six hours. During that time, I wandered all over the train investigating the dining cart and finding the only remaining bathroom with toilet paper. Madeline played her ukulele and Ben and Matt played numerous card games with the other people in our cabin.

Czech "fairy cakes" - my train feast

Disko - a shortbread cookie with cookie frosting inside, similar to a backwards Oreo

When we finally got to Munich, I had us turn the wrong way out of the train station and we walked a little bit out of our way before finding our hostel – Jaeger’s Hostel. The place is fairly nice. You get a shot of Jaeger after checking in, but none of us took ours. The internet connection is really spotty all over the hostel though and I couldn’t get my computer to connect at all. My phone worked though for some reason.

They showered and napped when we got in while I worked on the budget and then we went out to dinner at a nicer place down the street for burgers, pasta, chicken, and drinks. I had this fantastic chocolate ice cream desert that was actually really cheap, just under 4 euros.

The fantastic dinner at 35mm

Followed by a perfectly chocolatey desert

After dinner, Matt and Ben wanted to nap some more, so I went back over to the main train station and wandered around by myself. I found some souvenirs and bought a cone of fries that looked good. I even found a UK version of Cosmo, which is great because I’ve been looking for one during this whole trip. I didn’t get to go to any of the souvenir shops outside of the train station because they had all closed by the time I was done.

When I came back, Madeline was at the bar in our hostel ordering a drink, so we decided to hang out downstairs for awhile and watch the people staying here make drunken fools of themselves. This hostel is pretty rowdy on the main floor, but thankfully it’s nice and quiet near our room.

Our European Adventure, Day 9

Today went surprisingly smooth. Shortly before seven we boarded our train in Warsaw after Madeline noticed we were waiting on the wrong platform. We were able to get to the right one at the same time our train pulled in and joined our two Polish-speaking cabinmates. After sleeping most of the train ride, one of the girls was able to indicate the correct station in Krakow where we were supposed to get off.

A free cookie we received on the morning train

The Krakow station was under construction, but we easily navigated our way to the bus station and, after getting directions to the proper bay, we located a bus to take us to Oswiecim and at a rate cheaper than I had planned.

Following the eighty minute, 10 zloty bus ride, we ambled through Auschwitz's parking lot and were able to eat our prepacked lunches in the cafeteria. We then purchased an English-guided tour in the camp office and stored our luggage.

The Polish countryside from our bus window

The guide led us through Auschwitz I, explaining that Auschwitz is actually just the German name for the Polish town of Oswiecim. She informed us that the camp's first prisoners were the Polish individuals who lived in the wrong place at the wrong time. These people and the captured Jews were forced to build the second camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau II, nearby.

While being guided through the camp, we saw various bunkers that had been turned into exhibits showcasing things such as the human hair collected from prisoners to be used in German trade as well as bunkers in their original form. We were also able to tour the reconstructed gas chambers in the first camp.

Inside Auschwitz I

A collection of shoes from Auschwitz prisoners, held in Canada I (the collection point for belongings)

The gate to the camp

A gate to Auschwitz-Birkenau II

"The gate it like a mouth ready to swallow the prisoners, so menacing and eerie," Madeline Miguel.

 The visit was emotionally taxing and the 1.3km walk back to the train station was a welcome relief from the sights and smells of the camp.

As our last meal in Poland, we were able to dine at a nice Polish restaurant called the Scorpion. The menu had meals such as steak and salmon at rock bottom prices, so we made sure to order the fancy meal that we haven't been able to afford in previous destinations. We even went for the specialty desert -- The Scorpion.

Salmon at dinner

Our steak dinner

The flaming Scorpion deserts we ordered

After dinner, we killed time in the small, cold train station (all of South Poland seems really cold for that matter) before boarding our 11:31pm train to Prague.

Our European Adventure, Day 7

Today we spent the majority of our day on a five hour train ride across Poland to Warsaw. This morning we woke up in time to check out of the hotel and go on a Jewish Life Walking tour.

Our guide, Heather, took us around the Jewish Quarter and showed us remnants and monuments that have been built in an attempt to explain German life in East Berlin. First, we were shown the remaining foundation of the first synagogue built in Berlin. After being saved during Hitler's reign because the Jews had built a new synagogue across town and sold their old temple to the government for use as a post office, the building was decimated during a bombing. Also near the site was a monument commemorating the site of the Jewish community center and representing the women's protest.

The foundation of the first synagogue in Berlin

Monument for the women's protest

We walked across town and went to the museum of Otto Weidt's workshop for the blind. Weidt was a prominent figure in Berlin during World War II because he did his best to employ Jewish individuals who were either deaf or blind in his workshop. He also aided them when they needed to go into hiding and even managed to help some of his Jewish contacts escape from concentration camps after his workshop was raided. Outside the museum was a small courtyard that is famous for its graffiti and we were able to take a few pictures of the artwork.

A full view of the courtyard entrance

Next we visited a Jewish cemetery that had been destroyed during World War II and the headstones were used to build walls and other buildings during the war. In the cemetery, there is a gravestone (even though he isn't buried there) for MM who is considered the Socrates of Germany. He managed the reform the German practice of Judaism by aiding Jews to acclimate in Jewish society and be both Germans and Jews. He also encouraged synagogues to convert the torah to the local language so both versions would be available to those studying it. In front of the cemetery there used to be a Jewish retirement home that was also destroyed and now a plaque is the only thing left in its place.

The only gravestones remaining in the cemetery

To finish out the tour, we saw a part of the stepping stone project that is taking place across Europe. Each set of five stones cost 95 euros to sponsor for research, construction, and travel. The purpose of the stones is to provide a remnant of the Holocaust that can come about during daily life. Each piece of the project includes information on five individuals who were murdered during the Holocaust, typically their name, where they lived, and the birth and death dates are listed. We also saw the outside of a Catholic hospital where a doctor who helped the Jews by forging death certificates for them before they went into hiding worked. Unfortunately, we had to leave the tour at that point because it started to pour and we had to get to the train station.

The stepping stone project

We ate our packed lunches quickly when we got back to the hotel and took our bags to the train station where we were able to get our Poland passes validated. We did much better on time today and had time to both purchase a meal for the train ride and do a little shopping.

During the train ride we slept, ate, and played cards. At the beginning of the ride, we were also fortunate enough to have the opportunity to talk with a 24-year-old German who attempted to explain their education system to us. It was an interesting experience and sad to wave goodbye to him when his mother and him left the train shortly after we arrived in Poland.

Our cabin on the "wagon" (German for coach)

Once we arrived in Warsaw, we struggled to find anyone who spoke English and could direct us to the Holiday Inn that we’re staying in, but thankfully, after not too long we were able to find a map and realized the hotel was right outside the train station if we only went the opposite way that we had already tried. I checked us in and was able to pick up the package containing our now sole credit card. It’s a good thing too because otherwise they were going to charge us a 200zl deposit for any possible damages to the room and we definitely didn’t have that.

Our rooms and hotel is really nice, but it’s weird the further we get away from large groups of English speaking people. From what I’ve heard though, we should be able to find people who speak some English if we ask those we see who look to be in their twenties. Hopefully it’ll work out for us.

Our European Adventure, Day 5

This morning we were shaken awake by a train attendant who alerted us that we were about to arrive in Berlin. I quickly packed up my things and was about to go to the bathroom when Madeline realized her money wallet was in a different place than she had put it the night before. She lost all of her cash. Jean recalled seeing someone poke their head the train car around 3 AM, but he said they quickly left once they noticed he was awake. She only noticed because the wallet was moved slightly down the table, but luckily they left all of her belongings except her 70 euros and about $20.

I was careful to make sure I had all of my things before running down to the bathroom with my bag of toiletries. After washing my face, I noticed the train had stopped moving and we had already arrived in Berlin. I rushed them out of the cabin as quickly as possible, in the process forgetting to pack my bag of toiletries, including my toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, and face cream. I just cannot win on this trip.

We oriented ourselves in the station, but were required to wait outside of the ticket office to purchase public transportation tickets because while our train was nearly two hours late in arriving, we still had to wait outside the office until 7AM when it opened. I bought our city travel cards that came along with a nice, informative booklet on tourist places around the area.

We navigated our way out of the Hauptbahnhof afterward and walked the 100 meters or so to our hotel, Hotel Meininger. The hotel is actually really nice. It has a modern decoration that appeals to me and it was quite cheap. We were able to store our luggage and purchase breakfast from the hotel before figuring out the best way to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. We piled onto the train that took us one station over and then another that directed us out of the city and into Oranienburg. From there, we found the city bus that would take us a few stops away to the camp. Amazingly, all of the hour journey was covered by our transit cards.

The camp was very draining, according to Madeline. It was horrible to think about all of the people who died on the soil that we walked on. While not many of the buildings were still standing, the memorial had buildings erected for the sole purpose of educating people on the history of how the camp came to be, who was trapped within its walls, and how the city was involved. Apparently, the city had originally had a smaller camp in the center of town, but it was closed down after they prisoners were forced to build another closer to the outskirts. We viewed the second camp, who was notorious at the time amongst the press because of its proximity to Berlin.

The entrance to the camp

A memorial in the camp

After taking pictures around the memorial and walking throughout the exhibits, we walked back to the city train station and boarded a regional express train that cut the journey back to the hotel in half. I managed to purchase deodorant (after looking all over the pharmacy for something that looked similar) and a toothbrush before leaving the train station and we all took showers after checking into our hotel room. It felt really refreshing to wash off the grodiness of the train and then take a nap to catch up on some sleep.

We woke up around eight and went out for dinner at a small Italian restaurant that we found in town. The food was actually fairly delicious and we wandered in during happy hour, so we were even able to sample some very cheap drinks in addition to our pasta and pizza overload. We managed to stay under ten euros per person, so we’re keeping to budget too. Now we’re just hanging out in the hostel for the time being to prepare for tomorrow.

The views from near our hotel

Some cool graffiti we spotted on the way to dinner

Our European Adventure, Day 4

Once we checked out of the hostel and stored our luggage, we walked around the city. We went back to the church we visited on our first day in Amsterdam and walked through the red light district during the daylight so that Matt could take pictures.

After our walk around the city, we picked up our bags from the hostel and headed to the train station to catch our train to Berlin. We bought dinner at a small grocery store, Hema, that was inside the station. Everything was actually pretty reasonably priced, so it worked out well.

I screwed up through and got the train for the train wrong. I thought we were supposed to leave at 5:19, but that’s actually when we’re supposed to arrive. I got so confused with military time.

It’s a good thing that we got the station early though because we had to ask to find out where our train would be leaving from. We also had to get our passes validated at the ticket agent since this is the first time we’re travelling by train. We had a minor heart attack though when Ben couldn’t find his rail pass. We had to run across the train station to try and buy another before our train came. It turns out he had just dropped it on the floor when I asked where to get on the train though. Relieved, we had his pass validated and raced over to the platform only to realize that I had the time wrong and we still had twenty-five minutes before our train arrived.

The train is rather cute. It’s cramped quarters, but we have four beds in a six-bed room. I have one of the top bunks, which is nice because I get to look out the window and watch the scenery go by.

Our train cabin
Ours was the first stop of the train on its journey through Europe, but we met our two roommates when we picked them up in Cologne. Zack is from Nebraska and travelling on weekends while working in Europe. Jean is from the northern part of France and going to Berlin to learn German. They’re pretty cool, both were very considerate when they got here since we completely rearranged the cabin, taking out the bunk ladder and putting up the table.

Gaggle Splat

The trip to Europe this August is pretty much all set, thank god. I think this is the first trip that I've planned completely on my own and, while I love planning and think I would make a terrific travel agent, I can definitely see why people pay extra so someone else will do all the work. This trip has been like my full-time job the past couple of weeks.

A couple of recommendations for other travellers:

• Don't work with Susan at Breakaway Travel in Ypsilanti, MI. She's annoying, very slow, and adds hidden surcharges to your total for all of her "hard work". On second thought, I guess if you're rich and have all the time in the world, you could work with her, but still...
• Buy stuff through STA travel! They're super nice!
• Allow three hours every time you call Rail Europe (and trust me, to get your seat reservations right, you'll have to call multiple times). You will be on hold for AT LEAST an hour, unless you manage to time your call just right smack in the middle of the day.
• And that reminds me... make sure to allow room in your budget for seat reservations in addition to your EuroRail passes. Someone got smart and decided to charge the tourists for both their discounted passes and an additional price for their actual seat, lucky us.
• Remember to breathe... just because the one perfect hostel is booked doesn't mean there isn't a cheaper, nicer hotel available that happens to be closer to the train station.

EuroRail

The passes are here! The passes are here!

The trip feels so much closer now that I've received the EuroRail passes from STA Travel. Now I just have to make sure all the annoying, expensive seat reservations go through.

Discarded Cities

I feel kind of stupid. When I originally wrote the budget for August in Europe, I should have looked closer at the Rail Europe website. But, to be fair, it isn't exactly clearly advertised that in addition to purchasing rail passes, it is necessary to PAY MONEY to purchase a seat reservation. I just thought that, you know, I had to call or use the website to book us seats, but that they would be free with our already-purchased, uber-expensive passes.

Silly me.

Turns out that seat reservations can cost anywhere from $10-150 per person! And, of course, they charge a ton on the overnight trains to compensate for the fact that tourists take them to avoid staying in a hotel. How the hell am I supposed to save money now?!?

After stressing, I've realized the only logical thing to do is discard some of the smaller cities from the trip. Strangely, Hamburg (not a small city at all, in fact, it's the second largest in Germany) was the first to be cut. I'm rationalizing this by the fact that we were going to have to take public buses by ourselves out of the city to see a not-super-important-on-the-scale-of-all-importantness concentration camp. The second to go was Weimar, which just makes sense, I mean that place was small.

Strangely, with all this rearranging, Warsaw (a place with no standing concentration camps, but some Jewish history) has become a two-night venture and Oswiecim (the home of Auschwitz) is being reduced to a day-trip due to a lack of sanitary and satisfying public transportation and hotels. Hopefully this all works out...

Ireland: ARRGHHHH!

This morning we woke up at the Girl Guide camp and completed our chores by changing the sheets, mopping the bathroom, and cleaning the kitchen after a breakfast of cereal, croissants, and toast.

As soon as we were done cleaning, the taxis arrived to take us to the train station. We piled into three of them and off we went. As soon as we got to the train station, we found Amanda a wheelchair. Then we killed time by hanging around the station, taking exit sign pictures, and waiting in line to board the platform. Finally we boarded the train. It was really fancy and sleek! I was surprised by how comfortable and spacious it was. The train ride wasn’t very scenic though, so I just sat and read for the two hours.

When we got to Dublin, we collected our bags and walked a mile to the hostel! It was a really long walk to take down all the cobblestoned streets.

Once we decided how to arrange ourselves at the hostel: adults in one room and girls in the other, we headed out for lunch. At La Pizza, I ordered an eight-inch cheese pizza that came with fries, salad, and coleslaw. I was disappointed that the fries weren’t called chips on the menu. I cleaned my plate except for the salad (it had gross dressing) and the coleslaw and then took a ketchup packet as a souvenir.

All of the streets warn you to look left before crossing

After lunch, we headed to the Tower Bar Book Market, which almost felt like how I imagine Chinatown. It was very urban with street dancers and a book market outdoors. There were plenty of little shops surrounding the square too. I found two books that looked interesting while we were there. We passed a lot of graffiti around that area as well. It seems fairly prominent in Ireland.

We were in a rush though to make it to our Viking Splash Tour, which left from St. Stephen’s Green. The tour was alright. We wore Viking hats and screamed at people on the footpaths when they weren’t expecting it. After the guide took us around Dublin, we briefly went out on the water and he talked a little bit about the history of Dublin. He also showed us where the World is docked as the ship is currently visiting Ireland. I lost the hat I was wearing on the tour though because it was windy and blew right off my head.

After the tour, we stopped in a small shop on our way back to the hostel. I bought a shot glass, lighter, t-shirt, hat, mug, and some postcards. We also stopped at Tesco, the European version of Meijers, and I bought a Kit-Kat because they taste better here. I’m going to take it home with me.

For dinner, we ate macaroni and cheese, chicken tenders, grapes, and chocolate chip cookies. I had like five cookies because everyone kept giving me theirs. My travel group cleaned up afterwards and then we came upstairs to have a meeting about tomorrow.

Ireland: Cobh = new favorite city

I fell asleep last night shortly after we ate dinner. Then I proceeded to wake up at 6:45 this morning to take a shower. When I was finished, we went down to breakfast, but the hostel’s kitchen was still locked, so we had to eat at a picnic table outside. I just had a few slices of bread.

The Cork hostel

As we finished, our taxi pulled up and it took us to a train station on the other side of Cork. The other taxi was delayed because the driver accidentally took them to the airport, but they figured it out.

We took a thirty minute train ride, it was more like an aboveground subway, to Cobh. Once we got there, we wandered around the streets until we discovered St. Coleman’s Cathedral at the top of a hill. I felt like I was having somewhat of a spiritual experience while sitting in the pew, but not enough to make me religious, just meditative.

On the train to Cobh



St. Coleman's towers over Cobh

We walked back down to a park near the train station that overlooked the water and took some pictures. Then we headed across the street to go on a Titanic Walking Tour. The tour itself was kind of boring – just a lot of landmarks and statues related to the Titanic and Lucitania – but we were able to see a lot of the town. At the end of the tour, our guide took us to a pub called Jack Doyle’s. They served us lemonade, but it was orange and tasted like a sort of orange pop. While we were enjoying our juice, the tour guide talked to us about the Irish dialect of English. He said that craic (pronounced crack) means that something is fun or cool.

Our "lemonade"

On our way back to the train station, we tried to stop at a few places to shops, but most of the places were closed because today is a bank holiday to celebrate the beginning of summer. The only thing open was souvenir shops and I managed to find a cute bag that says Ireland on it, maybe I can use it as a school bag.

After taking the train back to Cork, we walked to the butter museum and looked at the exhibits. It was lame, but we all managed to get a nice nap in while watching a movie on the history of butter making.

A butter churn at the butter museum

Once we left, we started walking back to the hostel. We stopped in a shop called The Funky Skunk and looked around. It turned out to be a head shop, which mostly sold bongs and pipes. I didn’t buy anything and we continued to walk before stopping in T.K. Maxx. It was like a clothing store that we would have back in the States. They didn’t have anything cheap though, so we headed back to the hostel and made dinner. Tonight was spaghetti, so I actually had something to eat. I feel like I didn’t really help with the cooking though since I didn’t know how. I cut up the bread and figured out how to start the stoves because they weren’t automatic, but that’s all that I could do. It turned out okay though.

Amanda cooking meat for the spaghetti on the non-automatic gas stoves. I had to use a match to light the gas - not exactly the sign of a very modern hostel.