London, England

Rain seems to be a mantra for Mother Nature on the British Isles. Mostly you either get used to it or you get out. There are no two ways about it. After landing at Stansted airport a friend I had met at Dublin airport and I went about trying to figure out how to get from the airport to downtown London. The shortest way is a bus that drops you off at different Tube stations so we opted for that, although it took more than an hour. The British countryside is not nearly as drenched in color as the Irish but it still was exciting to see it and think this was the land from which North America was borne.

After getting off at the correct Tube station I proceeded to take the wrong direction on the train. It is something called a Circle line which goes in an endless circle around the main heart of London. So after switching trains (no easy task with a massive backpack strapped to you as you don't really know where you end and smacking someone in the face is a real possibility) I was on my way to the hostel. I ended up staying in that night because somehow in a matter of 9 hours I had managed to spend 5 days´ allowance. So a cheap night was in order.

In the morning I woke up early to start the exploration of London. I took the Tube to London Bridge and began my walking. The Thames is a very busy river and boats are constantly in view. The sky was looking a little gloomy so I quickened my pace somehow thinking I could outrun it. After asking someone where Parliament was they said I had to take the Tube to get there it was too far. I said nix to that, walking is the only way to see a city. So on a leisurely walk to Parliament I saw so many other things I would not have seen had I jumped underground and taken the easy way out. One of the most memorable was a very nondescript church that was camoflagued in the city concrete. I walked in and I must have looked like a big tourist as the caretaker came up to me and started talking and gave me a deluxe tour of the whole place! It was very suprising and nice of him, I regret I never asked him his name. We went down into the crypts as well where he showed me all sorts of random relics. Apparently John Quincy Adams got married in that church and they had the registry on display. Then at the very end of the crypt is a very old altar that used to be a secret shrine the Knights Templar used. It was a very strange feeling to be looking right at it and know how much mystique is wrapped up in such places.

I walked back to the street and turned towards my original destination again. But a direct route was not to be as I passed another of London´s landmarks: St Paul´s Cathedral. I am now realizing what a few people have mentioned to me after taking a look at my pictures. This trip has taken the form of a pilgrimage of sorts in that I tend to be drawn to churches on these outings. It could be a variety of reasons, but I think mostly it is because churches have become a haven for art and architecture. Apartment buildings and offices rarely survive, new ones are built in their stead equiped with the latest creature comforts. But religious relics are never touched, and inside so many paintings and sculptures are housed for posterity, allowing generation after generation to appreciate them anew. St. Paul´s itself is more than just a church though, it is a behemoth. It´s dome curves upward so high and wide it dominates any skyline. It is surrounded by parks where people stop to eat lunch and meet friends. And its steps are always filled with people as if they were seats. It is a strange thing to see an old cathedral like St Paul´s and then watch a double decker bus pass around it. You could not dream of a better metaphor for the meeting of old and new worlds.

I munched on some almonds while I walked away from the cathedral and continued on my trip to Parliament. I decided to go by the Thames again thinking that I could at least see the buildings by now. But no, the twists and turns of the river blocked them from view for a while longer. I passed by Westminister bridge made famous by many films these days. Its spokes turn gradually from one orientation to their mirror on the other end. Quite interesting to see, but not very wide at all. But from atop that bridge is where I got my first view of that iconic London landmark: Mr Big Ben himself. The rain was starting to spit again so I had to be fast to snap any photographs. I managed to set up my equipment fast enough, much to the chagrin of an old gentleman smoking a pipe next to me on the bridge. I think that is the point I realized there would be absolutely no way I would be able to blend in as a local during this whole trip. Forget the fact that my accent would give it away, just with that massive SLR slung around my neck, I might as well tattoo the words "Lost Tourist" on my forehead. But no matter, I don´t care if I look like an astronaut in full gear, a good picture is a good picture, who cares what you look like.

I wanted to get closer to Big Ben. You can´t come all the way to London, see it from a distance and say "Ok, next!" So I continued on but on the way I was treated to something else again. The Eye of London. I had not really heard it called by this name before, in fact I didn´t even know it was such a big deal until someone in the hostel mentioned it to me. But it really is quite unique. A massive ferris wheel is nothing new. But one that massive and in the heart of one of the oldest cities in the western world, that is something I don´t think any other city has. I didn´t go inside for a ride (you must remember that just buying lunch made me broke like a joke), but I walked right by it and an aquarium housed in a very old building right beside it. It was at this point that I realized London really isn´t the kind of city that can be done properly on a backpacker´s budget. I would suggest going there when money is not so much of an object as only then can you go inside all the places that you see. I imagine you could say that about any city, but it goes a little more strongly for London. I am happy just having walked its streets and seen from the outside all these old and historic places. But still, it would have been nice to be able to say that I stood right in front of T.E. Lawrence´s grave in Westminster Abbey. Of course I was right outside the doors and walked all around it, and I didn´t go inside more because you are not allowed to take pictures (a big no no for me) rather than the entrance ticket. But still, it goes without argument that travelling with expendable cash has more options than travelling wallet friendly.

Finally I arrived at Parliament and Westminster Abbey. There was a protest of the Iraq war on the lawn directly in front of it, something which speaks volumes about free speech. That area, the triangle formed by Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the statue of George V is in my opinion the center of London. Perhaps not geographically, but you can trace the history of the country to individual people, and those people either lived their life under the roof of Parliament or is laid to rest within Westminster. No other place can claim that kind of tapestery of history and earned celebrity as that nook along the Thames. I liked it so much I sat at the feet of King George and soaked it all in for a very long time.

My feet were really beginning to complain at that point, but I didn´t care what they had to say. I still had one more place on the day´s itinerary. Just down the road was the house of the Queen: Buckingham Palace. I walked through the gardens of the palace to get to it, a public place where for the first time I saw a pelican just hanging out in the pond. It was amusing at the time, but soon my achey feet had carried me through the park and right in front of the palace. The red road around the roundabout looked so familiar, but I couldn´t place from where as I have never been there before. Then it hit me. I remember racing these streets on my Xbox game Project Gotham Racing. It goes to show how realistic video games are these days. The area around the palace is very interesting as well, the Canadian Gates are right in front of it, marking the grand entrance to one of the gardens. Tourists and locals stroll around the front of the building unwinding after a long day or just taking the opportunity to kick it with the queen. The traffic around there is brutal though, roundabouts are the most moronic traffic inventions of all time. How hard is it to wait at a traffic light?

After that I was getting quite tired so I decided to hike back to the hostel and get some dinner. No Tube for me (said just like the Soup Nazi) so I walked. After what seemed like a very long walk I ended up back at Hyde Park and with great difficulty made my way up the stairs to my room. The evening was spent in Notting Hill, a very short walk from where I was staying. It turned out to be a very long but good day. I saw a lot and the evening brought with it some relaxation. What more could you want from travelling?

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Considering my hostel was right next to Hyde Park I thought it would be unforgiveable to not walk through it. But it is really big. You start at Kensington Gardens which then eventually turn into Hyde Park. It is time well spent to cross it as it gives you a break from all the city madness and the park itself has many points of interest, such as Princess Diana´s Fountain and the Shield of Achilles. There is no way that you can walk through the whole thing, I think it would take a few days to see all of it, but a calm stroll through a path that cuts through it is something I highly recommend. Once you do get to the other side and see Achilles himself you end up on a road that leads straight to Picadilly Circus. Londoners will get mad at me, but as I said I am only telling my own truth of the matter. In any case though Picadilly Circus was impressive enough, although after having just seen Times Square a few days ago it was a little underwhelming. But no matter, it is still worth seeing just to see all the punk rockers sitting on the steps of the statue in the middle, exchanging phone numbers and cigarettes.

My main goal for the day was to see Trafalgar Square. Commemorating the battle of Trafalgar where Lord Nelson obtained an important naval victory for Britain, they have erected a massive column upon which a statue of Nelson stands looking over the land he protected. I have to say it is the most impressive monument to a single person I have ever seen. We always talk about putting people up on pedastels, but this was something else entirely. You have to stand a good distance away from it just to be able to see Nelson properly. As I was doing that, however, I bumped into yet another protest. This one was for freeing an African man accused of murder but apparently it was politically motivated. I can´t say who it was, but with all these protests going on, the British seem to either be very vocal or very unhappy. I hope it is the former.

I strolled around for the remainder of the day, saw the National Gallery which has an impressive amount of art. I am glad I went as it was just a fluke. I was trying to escape yet another "community gathering" that was shoulder to shoulder and held right outside the Gallery. I was stuck in the middle and unable to move, the amount of people crammed into the square was unbelievable. It turned out to be an Eid celebration put on by the British Muslim Society and it went on for quite a while. Meanwhile I was inside the Gallery where as luck would have it they had a special exhibit on Cézanne.

The end of the day approached and I found myself by the Thames again. The difference of a city between night and day is like...night and day. An obvious metaphor, but it really works. It was my last day in London so I sat opposite the Eye of London one more time to soak it all in. London turned out to be a very interesting stop and I´m glad I stayed there 4 days instead of the intended 2, even though every time I took out my wallet it would curse at me. The next day I woud board a flight to Rome, the heart and soul of my entire expedition. I had always wanted to go to Rome, and with such high expectations a city can only disappoint. But somehow, the city and its surroundings managed to exceed everything I had hoped for, and in the end, I think it was my favorite stop on my trip. Until next time.

Dublin, Ireland

The cabin lights went on with a beep and I awoke with my face pressed up against the window. Groggily I opened my eyes to take in my first view of Ireland. The landscape was rolling and lush green, dotted with headlights from ant cars negotiating flyovers and straightaways. Wheels touched down and I heard Gaelic for the first time.

After getting through customs which was a breeze compared to my experience crossing into the United States, I got the first stamp of my passport. I had a lot of free pages and I wanted them all used up. As time would tell stamps seem to be a thing of the past, but at least at my first stop of the journey they still were around. I hopped on a bus ride towards the center of town where I was meeting my sister Rebecca at the hostel. I remember looking outside the window of that bus and realizing why green is the color of St. Patrick´s Day. Everywhere you look you see green, different shades and hues, switching palettes from one lawn to the next, from shrub to tree. The same fascination would return later in the day when we ventured to St. Stephen´s Green. But all in its due time and place.

I stumbled into the hostel after taking quite a winding tour from the bus stop (I was hopelessly lost). Rebecca (hereon referred to as Becka) and I met in the lobby after I checked in, it felt quite funny to be seeing her all of a sudden on another continent. After putting our luggage in the storage room we got a map and head on out to discover Dublin.

We had only one day in which to see all of Dublin. We marched towards a church called St. Patrick´s Church. It seemed logical to start with the most famous saint from the land. It is built entirely out of stone, something rare these days. It´s grey exterior stood in stark contrast to the emerald grass layed out before it. Along the side wall of the church is a row of busts containing the likenesses of Yeats and Coleridge. We spent some time walking its paths and headed back out into the city.

The city of Dublin itself is very small. That is, its center can literally be seen in a matter of hours. But within that center so many amazing things are packed. Some of the buildings have been standing since the time of the first Crusades. Places like Christ Church are embedded within a street corner but were built in the 11th century. And people still sit amongst its bricks and relax on a bench. The history is so integrated into Dubliners lives you cannot help but be charmed by it.

We trekked on into St. Stephen´s Green. Its gaping entrance is made up of a large white arch and the path branches off into different directions. And for some strange reason, this was my favorite part of Dublin. It does not boast any historic brick or mortar. But the area itself has earned it an international reputation. And it really does lives up to it. Its serene ponds with ducks and swans floating around ripples in the water, to its lush lawns and immaculately kept bushes. We sat down in the middle for some rest, and somehow just that visage renewed me. I had truly arrived.

We went to a traditional Irish Pub for lunch, although in Ireland I guess they just call them Pubs. Saw some locals come in for the afternoon pick me up of Guinness and some more Guiness. Afterwards we strolled for a while and I hit a wall. The combination of a sleepless flight, jetlag and a full stomach made the thought of a nap irresistible. I crashed onto the squeeky bed and was out for three hours.

And after a nap your best friend is a warm cup of coffee. So out we went in search of one, which is quite the task in Dublin as it turns out. For a pint of beer you just have to trip and you´ll land on a keg tap, but coffee seems to be more ellusive. In any case the expedition revealed more of Dublin to us, which is all that you want in the first place. But the most humorous thing to see is that at any time of the day, you can spot someone trying to walk straight, but not really succeeding.

The Ugly Lemon. The quintessential Irish Pub, yellow light and wooden decór, the exact kind of place I wanted to spend my evening. We walked in and managed to find a table near the bar which would prove strategic in the ensuing hours. I of course ordered the mother of all Irish beers, a Guinness stout. That was one thing checked off my itinerary. "Have an authentic Guinness in Dublin." Becka took a shot of that and I think that photo will be stapled to my wallet and I shall flash it everytime I walk into an Irish pub.

Finally we started back to the hotel. A city looks so different at night, almost as if you have never seen it before. For me, any city triples its beauty once the suns sets. Buildings become illuminated in a flashdance of mixing colors and the street lights give the pavement a pulse, going from light to dark and back. Even the people seem happier as their minds are not burdened with their jobs, everyone is out to ease their minds. It would turn out that in every city I went to, the first time I truly admired it would be at night. It was a recurring theme and I think it matters not whether it is on this continent or another, any city only reveals its true self under the gaze of a moon.

We made it back to the hostel and slept. In the morning Becka had to leave early for the airport so we said our goodbyes and I went back to sleep. When I awoke I myself had to head to the airport and board a plane to my next destination: London. I said my farewell to the birthplace of green and flew east. I landed in England to be greeted by rain and a confusing trip from Stansted to Hyde Park. But that story is for another day.

A View From Jutland

The last train I will take on this trip was from Hamburg to Copenhagen. It was a very memorable journey as it was the first time I ever saw a train park itself inside a ferry and then sail across a sea. Then after about an hour the doors open and you continue onto tracks as if it had never happened. But as soon as that train ride ended I found myself in Copenhagen and searching the platform for my friend. I saw him standing with his back to me but that was enough to recognize him. Now I am in Copenhagen and will use this as my base for the rest of my travelling.

But as promised before I said I would go back in time and fill everyone in on what has happened since I left New York over a month ago. I´ve managed to see quite a few places and people and I must admit a trip like that forces you to change and adapt. So much has happened and I will try and give a true account of it all. Over the next few weeks I will be updating my blog with as many stories and pictures as I can, and hopefully people who read them will find them enjoyable. But more than just the sights and the sounds, I will try and capture the spirit of each place, so that the next time you see a picture of the Colosseum, it will seem like it was your memory, and not mine.

So I must now get to work. It will take some time but I hope you enjoy reading it. Adieu.