ContentFull » Euro Trip

H-S-H

André — Thu, 29 Jul 2004 14:33:58 +0000

Polysaccharide polyols has the chemical formula H-S-H. Which could also stand for Home Sweet Home. Funny enough Polysaccharide polyols is also a type of sugar.

Well, home I am and back to being bored. Yesterday while someone was at SAT review I went bookstore hoping, yes some go bar hoping I go bookstore hoping. Nothing like catching up to all the latest books and magazines. Yeah, right. I have no plans, so please excuse me but I have to continue my work of procrastinating.

Good Euro Bands:

Space-Taxi (funny disco band)

O-zone (#1 in Germany)

Silbermond (normal pop)

London

André — Mon, 26 Jul 2004 14:44:26 +0000

England is just like NYC. Big, noisy, busy and I love it. I walked at least 10km today and I think I saw just about everything I wanted to see and now I have 7 hours to kill until I go to bed. Shopping shall come to-morrow.

Trip to Canterbury

André — Fri, 23 Jul 2004 16:23:52 +0000

Well, the trip was almost like going on a plane. You had all the formalities of checking in and everything, not to mention the speed of a plain. I don’t think I have ever gone that fast on a train. It all went so fast that trees were just a blur, the rail tracks next to the train were even more of a blur, and when other trains passed you just saw for less than 1 sec (not joking) something that looked like it could be another train and than nothing again. But the tunnel that crosses over to the UK was pretty boring, 22 minutes of darkness where there is nothing to look at except for this couple in front of me that kept kissing all the time, urgh.

Second thoughts on Paris

André — Thu, 22 Jul 2004 17:23:44 +0000

I might have just been tired from the 6+ hour trip but today wasn’t that bad. Not only did I get down enough of the French to communicate with other beings (vending machines are great when you don’t know the language). In 3 hours of fast paced walking I saw everything without even looking at the map. First the Eiffel Tower. I must say that took away my breadth for a minute or two, the thing is just there, you don’t expected it at all, and than… boom right in yourfavce. Than a walked a bit more, and guess what I found. I also saw the Louvre and the museum of modern art.

On to a new topic: my hotel. When I first got into the hotel things looked fine until last night I saw the bathroom. Hmm… for someone as spoiled as me it was quite an experience. The door does not have a lock or anything to keep it shut. That’s alittle odd when you consider I’m sleeping with 2 girls. Oh and the bathroom is probably less than 5×5 feet. I can’t really move in there. And I don’t think things will get much better… next stop is 6 person dorm with 1 shared bathroom.

Paris

André — Wed, 21 Jul 2004 18:40:05 +0000

After waking up at 3am to call someone (which never happened due to a little voice in my had that said not to) I woke up at 5 to catch the train to Paris. The trip was very beautiful although not breath taking, I guess I just don’t see anything of interesting in France (despite all the love crap people talk about). Once arriving here I noticed that I do not speak French and people don’t speak that much English either. So taking my clothes to the dry cleaners was more that a task today. I think I used every language I know and hand signs to try to explain I wanted to get my clothing washed by to-morrow. Everything here is also tons more expensive. In Germany a Fanta (which I love here) was 80 cents here, in Paris, its sometimes as far as 2 euro.

Other than that, things are pretty good. I haven’t spent any of the money so I’m planning on doing some shopping to-morrow.

France here I come

André — Wed, 21 Jul 2004 04:56:09 +0000

Yesterday I visited Hiedelbeg (the closest city to where I lived). It

Potsdam

André — Mon, 19 Jul 2004 07:47:02 +0000

Yesterday I went to a city next to Berlin called Potsdam. The trip of almost 5 hours was well worth. The city is so beautiful with its Victorian/WW2 buildings. Most of the city had to be reconstructed but one or two buildings were left alone, so to this day you can still see bullet holes on the walls. The city has by far one of the most beautiful palaces I have ever seen. Beautiful enough that I will just put pictures of it when I get home. Well my legs hurt now and I still have to eat my first meal since 6pm of yesterday.

My Plans

André — Sat, 17 Jul 2004 14:43:15 +0000

Jul 18: Potsdam (near Berlin, it has a very nice palace)

Jul 19: Rothenburg (the most traditional german city)

Jul 20: Seeing where I lived

Jul 21: Going to Paris (8+ hour trip)

Jul 22: Walking and seeing the museum of modern art

Jul 23: Paris and traveling to Canterbury

Jul 24: Canterbury

Jul 25: Canterbury/London

Jul 26: Long walk around the city

Jul 27: British museum and seeing some stores

Jul 28: Going back home

Mainz

André — Sat, 17 Jul 2004 14:37:11 +0000

Today I visited the oldest printed Bible which doesn’t seem like much but it was in this city that the printing press was created. I found the museum to be exactly how I left it 9 years ago.

Last night I also visited a night club called The Cave. It used to be a bomb shelter during WW2. This was a very wild club not really what I would go on a Friday night, but the music was very good and seeing people dance was even more entertaining.

Do I look American

André — Fri, 16 Jul 2004 14:52:58 +0000

Today was my first full day here and for some reason I feel I have this large sticker on my face saying `Speek English to me`. Quite a few times today, before I even aproached someone they already said Hi in english. I can speak well enough German for people not be forced in speaking english. grr

Other than sight seeing which no one really cares about, I still don’t really understand how the transportation system inside the city works. I think I went quite a few times on these little inner city trains without paying, and everytime I have the chance to read the sign that says that if you ride without a valid ticket the fine is 40 euro which is about 50 dollars. Other than that the trains are amazing, today I got on the ICE which is the high-speed train and wow what a ride. It goes 230m/h and they are silent from the outside (something which I find amazing considering the noise trains in the US make).

People here also show way too much affection to their beloved on the street. I don’t know if its the culture or there are simply more couples on the street. It is very cruel of them to do this right in front of me.