Amsterdam (2006)

Okay, I'll admit. The Amsterdam post is somewhat...lacking. It was our final stop on Euro-trip 1 and we were exhausted and Jared had pink-eye (I'll spare you a photo). I can tell you that we had great food and the canals are very charming. We were museumed-out, but I've heard the Rijksmuseum is nice. Instead of seeing precious art and culture we went to the...(drumroll please...):

Sexmuseum - Mostly creepy, but it seemed like a fitting activity for Amsterdam, no? At the risk of having my blog contain some sort of censorship warning, that will be the extent of my comments on the Sexmuseum.

(Don't worry, Jared's bags are not souvenirs from the Sexmuseum)

Heineken Experience - Pay to be brainwashed by Heineken's advertising department! At the end of walking through and watching an hour of Heineken commercials, you are rewarded for your troubles with beer.


Sleep
Bulldog Hotel - Hmm.. how would I describe the Bulldog? It's a hostel that's part of a 'coffee shop' located in the Red Light district. Its patrons are primarily high-schoolers looking for that unique Amsterdam experience. Yes, that about sums it up quite nicely.

Eat
Due to the Netherlands' colonial history, Amsterdam has amazing Indonesian food. We liked Sukasari. Also, be sure to try some frites, aka fries, and pancakes.

Berlin (2006)

Sleep
Circus Hostel - Circus Hostel was very clean and close to the metro, with a fairly happening bar downstairs. Overall, I would recommend it. Additionally, there was an awesome doner kebab place right around the corner...

See
Alexander Platz - Famous and historical...and a great photo-op.


Reichstag - Germany parliament building. I did a tour on a previous trip, and it's certainly fun if you're a history buff.


Fernsehturm - The famous Berlin T.V. tower was decked out as a soccer ball in honor the upcoming World Cup. I highly recommend going to the top. The views from the top are amazing because you can literally see the Cold War city divides. You are provided with an actual map along the windows, but the differences in buildings and streets are startling enough that you can tell which parts of the city were East Germany and which were West Germany without the maps.


Berlin Wall - It's everywhere. Throughout the city you'll see markers, but it's also cool to check out some of the remaining portions of the wall.

Okay, this fountain was just pretty (and clearly not in communist Berlin).

Do
Checkpoint Charlie Museum - Checkpoint Charlie is one my favorite museums. Through anecdotes and newsclippings, the museum offers a first-hand account of living (or surviving) in communist Berlin. It's awesome.

Prague (2006)

Sleep
Hostel Tyn - We stayed here because it was highly recommended by guidebooks, however, I don't particularly recommend it. The location was nice, but other than that I would just describe it as..Soviet-style accommodations.

Eat/Drink
We ate at some random places in Prague, mostly because we were traveling with some friends while there. My overall recommendation is walk beyond the old town (Stare Mesto) to find cheaper and better grub.

We did have a very interesting drinking experience though! U Zlateho Tygra was described in our guide book as the only authentic Czech pub left in Stare Mesto. It was certainly different than everywhere else we had been drinking! Jared and I were the only customers under the age of 50 and without handlebar mustaches and sideburns. Don't ask for a menu. A waitress just walks around with mugs of beer and tallies them on your communal table's paper tablecloth. Have fun and bone up on your Czech drinking songs. Also, BYO cigar/pipe.

See
Prague has some absolutely gorgeous architecture. Definitely walk around Stare Mesto, venture across the Charles Bridge and visit the Prague Castle. I recommend climbing to the top of the Cathedral where you'll find unparalleled city views.

On the Charles Bridge

The Astronomical Clock - famous, but definitely overrated

Vienna (2006)

Sleep
Hostel Ruthensteiner - This hostel worked out nicely. There was a nice outdoor garden as well as a kitchen, where we tried to make most of our meals.

We did go out for dinner in Vienna Woods, famous for its Heurigen, or wine taverns. I recommend the experience for some down-home Viennese dining in a pretty locale.

See
Vienna offers some of the most beautiful examples of romanesque and baroque in Europe. Definitely take a leisurely stroll around the city with a break for coffee and Sachertorte.


Do
Schoenbrunn Palace - The Schoenbrunn is my favorite palace in Europe, and I actually prefer it to Versailles...mostly because of the gorgeous Orangery.

The Orangery

Munich (2006)

Sleep
Wombats City Hostel - Wombats was fine...your typical hostel in Europe. Except I have one major staff complaint.

Background: I had studied German for four years - two highschool, two college. I was excited to bust out my Deutsch, but predictably I was a little rusty. So, upon arrival, I ask the front desk guy for our schlage or room key. He then starts laughing hysterically and makes fun of me because the word for key is schluessel, not schlage! Schlage evidentally means punch/hit. (It turns out that Schlage is the brand imprinted on my house key, hence my confusion). Anyway, the cocky Australian (he's not even German!) continues to laugh for a good long while and won't give us our key until I correct myself and say schluessel. So, as a result of my injured pride, I didn't like Wombats.

Eat/Drink
Hofbraeuhaus - Because of Hofbraeu's fame, I'd say it's a must see. That said, it's mainly drunk American tourists and absurdly drunk Japanese tourists that you'll see here. Please feel free to comment if you have better beer garden recommendations!





Definitely eat some brat/weisswurst from the street carts...it's cheap and awesome! We also had fun walking around the Viktualienmarkt, an open air food market near Marienplatz held weekdays.



Do

Englischer Garten park - This park is huge and really beautiful. Apparently in the summer they have a wave park in the river so you can surf! See below for a view of Munich from the Park.

Dachau Concentration Camp - Jared and I wanted to visit a former concentration camp while in Europe, so we chose Dachau, which was the 'experimental' concentration camp for the Nazis. Here, the SS tried out and perfected their methods of torture and execution.

The spookiest part of the visit was seeing the neighborhoods right next to the camp. Despite the genocide occurring next door, families continued to live and work within sight and earshot of the camp. In Germany, these silent bystanders are referred to as mitglieders, and the subject occupies much of the German historical conscience - who were these people who saw and heard, but did nothing?

Overall, the visit was interesting and informative, but was not the heart-wrenching experience of the Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C. Most of the camp was destroyed and what remains are memorial statues and replicas of the camp living quarters.

Paris (2006)

Sleep
Le Village Hostel - This hostel was great for our purposes as we had our own bathroom and access to a kitchen. The location in Montmartre was superb, and you really can't ask for much more in a hostel. (Edit- see hostel in Santorini).

The Sacre Coeur monument was right in our neighborhood

Great views of Paris from the top of the Sacre Coeur

Since we had a kitchen in Paris, we tried to save money and cook our dinners. For lunches, we'd just pick up a baguette from the corner store, along with some salami and cheese and we were set! You can't beat a Parisian picnic.

See
The Louvre- Try and get a guide for the Louvre. It's an amazing collection, but a bit overwhelming. We used Frommer's Paris Day by Day which had a great guide to the museum. My favorite part was the room of Greco-Roman sculptures.

Musee d'Orsay - No pics, but definitely my favorite museum in Paris. Don't miss the Degas dancers!

Notre Dame - Gorgeous!


Versailles - We did a day trip to Versailles. It's a gorgeous palace, but in retrospect, I think the trip is best made during the spring when the gardens are in bloom.


Pere Lachaise Cemetary - So, I wouldn't call this a must-see, but we were in Paris during some strikes and with all of the museums and stores closed, we needed something to do besides gorge ourselves on more baguettes. Some highlights are Jim Morrison's grave (which we couldn't find), Rossini's grave, and my favorite: Oscar Wilde's. The memorial's design was actually considered too scandalous and you may notice, was then castrated...

Rodin Museum - The outdoor sculpture garden was a highlight.

Centre Pompidou - At the risk of exposing myself as a common plebe, I will admit - I do not like modern art, and I didn't really like the Centre Pompidou. However, if you like modern art this is right up your alley!