Granada, Spain
This city was wondrous. The Alhambra is something that I am so happy I saw. It really cannot be adequately explained without just going there. It was a palace of the Muslim kings during the time they ruled Spain. The water systems were amazing and powered tons of fountains without any pumps, just water pressure (Science!). The Arabic words inscribed into the walls were beautiful and I can’t imagine living in a place like that.
Another major bonus was the tapas there. In all of Spain they are delicious small portions that you get for a few Euros. However, in Granada they give you a fairly hefty portion with every drink you buy (2 Euros for food/drink). So, to eat dinner you go to a tapas bar and buy a very small sized beer and then they give you a tiny sandwich, some potatoes, and maybe a bit of salad. Then, you go to another tapas bar and repeat until you are ridiculously full. It is really cheap and you get an awesome variety of Spanish foods.
We also saw live flamenco dancing there, which was pretty intense and has to be a serious workout. I would put Granada on my list of recommended places to visit. Definitely.
Stavanger, Norway is a beautiful city with pastel houses and folks who sell fresh fish straight from the boat. We stayed at Preikestolhytta, which was a hostel type setup out in the mountains near the infamous Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock). It was amazing to stay out there, other than some issues with food poisoning (Bad kebabs in Berlin) which sidelined Eric.
Preikestolen itself was mindblowing. It was only a 2 hour climb and you reach a majestic view of the Lysefjord. The rock itself is cliff with a 600 meter (1982 ft.) straight drop. Rachel and I climbed up to an even higher peak nearby and had some fantastic sandwiches that we borrowed from our free breakfast. On the way back we happened upon two Norwegian teens rolling a boulder off the edge of a cliff and it sounded like an explosion as it ricocheted all the way down. Good times.
On the way to Amsterdam, we stopped for a 5~ hour layover in Brussels between train rides. We enjoyed delicious Belgian waffles and had a Belgian beer in the main square. One of the main attractions in my guide book was Manneken Pis (A statue of a young boy peeing continuously). As you may guess, the city wasn’t the most interesting.
In Amsterdam we stayed with Bas, a friend of Rachel’s. It was great to have a local perspective and it led to the best meal of prawn I have ever had. Explosions of flavor. We also got to check out a student art show and stroll along the beautiful canals. Dutch is a ridiculous language and it just looks like random letters. Mijn luchtkussenboot zit vol paling. That means, “My hovercraft is full of eels.” Just thought you should know.
Florence is perhaps my favorite places I have ever been. It just has an excellent vibe and beyond beautiful (small cobblestone streets and all that). I have been there twice and both times I frequented a panini stand on a small side street. It is only big enough to fit two workers and you sit on the curb to eat. Cheap and crazy delicious.
Gelato is amazing. When I was in Firenze (Florence) with my mom we went on a gelato walking tour and it was goooood. I am unsure what they do differently, but the flavors are unreal.
One of the highlights was seeing Michelangelo’s David. It cannot be described, you just have to see it. The detail and attention to the human form are ridiculous. There are also 4 unfinished sculptures right before it which remind you that it once was a giant block of marble. I just couldn’t get over that he made it 500~ years ago. That man was a marvel.
Instead of old decrepit buildings, Rome has beautiful ruins. You couldn’t walk more than a few blocks without running into another set.
It was the beginning point of a month long journey through Europe with my friends Rachel and Eric. We saw all of the sights and then some. I spied a Lamborghini taxi, but was not quick enough to get a picture. I also saw two teenagers jump into the Trevi fountain for a quick swim before they sprinted away.
I especially enjoyed the Colosseum. They used to flood it for naval battles. The Romans knew how to have a good time. Fun fact: When a whale was beached near Rome, it became very popular with the people. So, logically, the Romans built a giant replica whale and put it into the middle of the Colosseum and filled it with 50 bears for the gladiators to fight. Genius.
Another weirdness was that there are essentially no crosswalks in Rome. You just walk into the street and the cars slow down or stop for you. Usually. It was really hard to get used to and I always had a lingering fear that one would go rogue.
Berlin was a very different and interesting city. The eastern half is filled with graffiti and feels enormously different from many of the other cities I visited. Some highlights of Berlin were eating delectable currywursts and laughing at signs that said, “ausfahrt.” I am a paragon of maturity.
It was so wild to be in the middle of such history. There are some pretty haunting memorials and I cannot even begin to describe my visit to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. The emptiness of the Neue Wache was also very moving.
However, after walking a few blocks down the street you may see a man-powered mobile bar. A city of contrasts.
