If I feel industrious later I might edit this post and give a narrative of the trip, but for now here are the pictures.
A View Worth Waking Up For
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| From Winter Vacation 2010 |
25.3.10
Winter Vacation Pictures, At Last!
After much waiting and getting distracted by other things going on around Toulouse, I've finally found the time and motivation to sort these pictures and get them uploaded. Having a laptop helps also! Most of the pictures that need captions have them, and a lot are just random shots that don't have a story behind them.
If I feel industrious later I might edit this post and give a narrative of the trip, but for now here are the pictures.
A View Worth Waking Up For
If I feel industrious later I might edit this post and give a narrative of the trip, but for now here are the pictures.
A View Worth Waking Up For
3.3.10
A little longer on the next update...
I came home from our week off of school and discovered my computer would no longer turn on. I'll be using a friend's computer to sort and upload the pictures but it will probably be early next week before I can sort and upload them all. It should be worth it though, I took almost 700 pictures and discovered the digital macro mode on my camera (to my travel companions dismay), and should be able to post a good number of them after the sorting is all done.
Back up your photos in more than one location!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Back up your photos in more than one location!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
14.2.10
Albi!
The latest album contains a photo of the people in my program watching the Super Bowl, a few pictures from a trip around the Palais de Justice metro stop and Jardin des Plants, and Seve and I's day trip to Albi.
Albi is such a cool city! It takes about an hour to get there by train from Toulouse and is only 24 euro roundtrip for the standard fare. Seve suggested we go there for the day since everyone else in our program was going snow skiing, and we both wanted to see some smaller towns outside of Toulouse. I couldn't find too much info on Albi before leaving, but we didn't have any shortage of things to do there. We first went to the Cathedral de St. Cecile where the largest 15th century Italian renaissance painting covers both walls behind the main altar. The church's alcoves are covered in bright patterns as can be seen in some of the pictures. After the church we went to the Toulouse-Lautrec museum, and though we only had one hour to look around I think we saw most of the paintings on display for a reasonable amount of time.
After finishing the only two things we felt we needed to do in Albi, we wandered around and started looking for somewhere to eat. We got distracted when we saw the light from the setting sun lighting up the red brick bridges that span the Tarn river, and decided to take a walk and try to get a closer look. After the walk by the river we climbed back up to street level and began our search for food again.
We wandered around in a few directions looking for a kebab shop for a cheap and filling meal but couldn't seem to find anything other than expensive places with table cloths. We spotted a bar across a pedestrian mall and started walking towards it when we noticed lights from an area to the right of where we had just come from. We decided that since we were 2 backpackers on a day trip to another city, we should put the bar food off until later and go investigate.
It turned out to be a small carnival with lots of games like they have at the fair, such as picking up rubber ducks from a pool and throwing darts at balloons. The people working at these games stood out though! Unlike the workers at the State Fair in Jackson, these people were having pleasant conversations with each other, not yelling at you over a microphone, and generally didn't really seem to care if you didn't want to play their game.
After wandering around this carnival for a while we found a kebab stand and had an amazing meal of kebab + frites, though we were freezing by the time we were done eating because the only place to sit down was in a park that was not very protected from the wind. After eating we decided to go and find somewhere to warm up. We ended up in the Brussel's Cafe which was nice and centrally located. From there we figured out when we needed to leave to get back to the train station on time, then sat back with a beer and relived the great day we had.
The train ride back to Toulouse was great. Fast, quiet, and peaceful. I had an hour to kick back and listen to some music before getting home and taking the metro to my bed. Being able to wake up, go to another city for the day, then ride the train home and sleep in your own bed is a great thing.
Albi is such a cool city! It takes about an hour to get there by train from Toulouse and is only 24 euro roundtrip for the standard fare. Seve suggested we go there for the day since everyone else in our program was going snow skiing, and we both wanted to see some smaller towns outside of Toulouse. I couldn't find too much info on Albi before leaving, but we didn't have any shortage of things to do there. We first went to the Cathedral de St. Cecile where the largest 15th century Italian renaissance painting covers both walls behind the main altar. The church's alcoves are covered in bright patterns as can be seen in some of the pictures. After the church we went to the Toulouse-Lautrec museum, and though we only had one hour to look around I think we saw most of the paintings on display for a reasonable amount of time.
After finishing the only two things we felt we needed to do in Albi, we wandered around and started looking for somewhere to eat. We got distracted when we saw the light from the setting sun lighting up the red brick bridges that span the Tarn river, and decided to take a walk and try to get a closer look. After the walk by the river we climbed back up to street level and began our search for food again.
We wandered around in a few directions looking for a kebab shop for a cheap and filling meal but couldn't seem to find anything other than expensive places with table cloths. We spotted a bar across a pedestrian mall and started walking towards it when we noticed lights from an area to the right of where we had just come from. We decided that since we were 2 backpackers on a day trip to another city, we should put the bar food off until later and go investigate.
It turned out to be a small carnival with lots of games like they have at the fair, such as picking up rubber ducks from a pool and throwing darts at balloons. The people working at these games stood out though! Unlike the workers at the State Fair in Jackson, these people were having pleasant conversations with each other, not yelling at you over a microphone, and generally didn't really seem to care if you didn't want to play their game.
After wandering around this carnival for a while we found a kebab stand and had an amazing meal of kebab + frites, though we were freezing by the time we were done eating because the only place to sit down was in a park that was not very protected from the wind. After eating we decided to go and find somewhere to warm up. We ended up in the Brussel's Cafe which was nice and centrally located. From there we figured out when we needed to leave to get back to the train station on time, then sat back with a beer and relived the great day we had.
The train ride back to Toulouse was great. Fast, quiet, and peaceful. I had an hour to kick back and listen to some music before getting home and taking the metro to my bed. Being able to wake up, go to another city for the day, then ride the train home and sleep in your own bed is a great thing.
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| From Feb 14, 2010 |
13.2.10
Daytrip to Albi
Most of the students in my program went skiing for the day, so Seve and I are taking a day trip to Albi and coming back on the last train.
Here are a few pictures from the train ride:
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Here are a few pictures from the train ride:
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
12.2.10
Toulouse, First Impressions
This post is unfortunately just a few pictures.
These are the pictures I took on the train ride to Toulouse and the photos I took during my first week here. I have more to sort and upload, but since another guy in my program and myself are taking a day trip to Albi tomorrow I don't really have time to wade through all of them. Anyway, enjoy these and leave feedback in the comments!
A picture that's easy enough to take here, just look down any road off of a main street. Just click the date under the picture to go to the full album!
These are the pictures I took on the train ride to Toulouse and the photos I took during my first week here. I have more to sort and upload, but since another guy in my program and myself are taking a day trip to Albi tomorrow I don't really have time to wade through all of them. Anyway, enjoy these and leave feedback in the comments!
A picture that's easy enough to take here, just look down any road off of a main street. Just click the date under the picture to go to the full album!
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| From January 31, 2010 |
4.2.10
Picture and Formatting Update
It's been a crazy time since last updating. We saw Paris in a whirlwind of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes... with only a little bit of frostbite. Towards the end of our stay there the weather improved some and the cold was manageable so we saw a good number of sites, but spent a lot of time in museums as well. Following is the new format that I'll be posting pictures in. I'll post a "cover" type picture with a link to the album it is contained in instead of inundating the blog with pictures. This way you can read the text without clutter, then go to the album to look at pictures which are mostly captioned if needed for clarity. Also, most photos will be posted in the lowest resolution to save room in my Picasa albums, but if you happen to like one you can leave a comment with your e-mail and I'll see about getting you a nicer copy.
A nice view of a canal in Amsterdam:
Paris and just a few from Berlin:
A nice view of a canal in Amsterdam:
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| From January 23, 2010 |
Paris and just a few from Berlin:
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| From January 30, 2010 |
24.1.10
Second Wave of Pictures
Here are some pictures from the rest of my time in Köln
Looking north on Universitätstrasse
A bridge and canal on the west side of Universitätstrasse
My second host in Köln, heading to Düsseldorf for the night to try out Altbier and go to a club
Düsseldorf's Altstadt (Old City)
The first club we went to in Düsseldorf
The club we stayed at until early in the morning in Düsseldorf
Key West karaoke bar and Joschi, Luis' fencing coach. My last night in Köln
Beautiful Amsterdam
Looking north on Universitätstrasse
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| From Drop Box |
A bridge and canal on the west side of Universitätstrasse
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| From Drop Box |
My second host in Köln, heading to Düsseldorf for the night to try out Altbier and go to a club
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| From Drop Box |
Düsseldorf's Altstadt (Old City)
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| From Drop Box |
The first club we went to in Düsseldorf
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| From Drop Box |
The club we stayed at until early in the morning in Düsseldorf
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| From Drop Box |
Key West karaoke bar and Joschi, Luis' fencing coach. My last night in Köln
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| From Drop Box |
Beautiful Amsterdam
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| From Drop Box |
Travel Sites
Here is a page with links to some travel tools you can find on the web:
http://web.appstorm.net/roundups/travel/12-grea-sites-to-improve-your-travel/
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
http://web.appstorm.net/roundups/travel/12-grea-sites-to-improve-your-travel/
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
22.1.10
First Wave of Pictures
Here are the pictures from the first day and a half that we spent in Köln!
Rich and I at the Düsseldorf International Airport, about to board the train to Köln
The Dom Cathedral in Köln
Inside the Dom
S. Engelbertus the Martyr
Wall of Pick-Your-Part Lego's in the Lego store, Köln
Romanesque Church, Köln
A city gate from the days this town had a wall around it, Köln
Another church downtown, this one was just beside the Rhein, Köln
Bridge over the Rhein, Köln
Spiral staircase up to the Hauptbahnhof, Köln
Dom side of the Hauptbahnhof, Köln
The Dom with a museum in the foreground, Köln
Rich and I at the Düsseldorf Internatio
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| From January 20, 2010 |
The Dom Cathedral in Köln
| ||
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| From January 20, 2010 |
S. Engelbertus the Martyr
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| From January 20, 2010 |
Wall of Pick-Your-Part Lego's in the Lego store, Köln
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| From January 20, 2010 |
Romanesque Church, Köln
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A city gate from the days this town had a wall around it, Köln
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Another church downtown, this one was just beside the Rhein, Köln
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| From January 20, 2010 |
Bridge over the Rhein, Köln
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| From January 20, 2010 |
Spiral staircase up to the Hauptbahnhof, Köln
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| From January 20, 2010 |
Dom side of the Hauptbahnhof, Köln
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| From January 20, 2010 |
The Dom with a museum in the foreground, Köln
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| From January 20, 2010 |
Brrrrrrrlin
We got to Berlin last night and went to sleep early after eating at a Lebanese restaraunt.
Today we walked around Potsdamer Platz and saw an area where the wall use to stand. After that we went to the Memorial for Jews killed in the Holocaust. For dinner we ate American style burgers at White Trash Fast Food, a place with golden dragons on either side of the front door and all types of decoration inside.
After dinner we went to the Reichstag. We walked to the viewing platform at the very top of the dome, then back down to a cafe on the roof.
Below is the bottom level of the dome on the roof of the Reichstag:
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Today we walked around Potsdamer Platz and saw an area where the wall use to stand. After that we went to the Memorial for Jews killed in the Holocaust. For dinner we ate American style burgers at White Trash Fast Food, a place with golden dragons on either side of the front door and all types of decoration inside.
After dinner we went to the Reichstag. We walked to the viewing platform at the very top of the dome, then back down to a cafe on the roof.
Below is the bottom level of the dome on the roof of the Reichstag:
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
19.1.10
Amsterdam
We got to the city yesterday evening and could not have had a better welcome!
The night started with talking, then a dinner party and ended with talking late into the night with so much in between that I'll have to come back and add more details when I'm on a computer.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The night started with talking, then a dinner party and ended with talking late into the night with so much in between that I'll have to come back and add more details when I'm on a computer.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
16.1.10
Wow!
Hey everyone that is following this, sorry for not updating yet!
The last few days have been somewhat crazy due to an unforeseen circumstance but it's working out. I'm still in Köln and will leave Monday. Because we stayed longer than expected I moved to a new couchsurfing host.
He has shown me the nightlife of Köln and tonight Düsseldorf. We're on the stadtsbahn riding home now after an evening experiencing all kinds of music venues.
Here's a badly lit picture of Altbier, a style only available in Düsseldorf.
More updates and pictures to come when I have rested and feel like dealing with my computer!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The last few days have been somewhat crazy due to an unforeseen circumstance but it's working out. I'm still in Köln and will leave Monday. Because we stayed longer than expected I moved to a new couchsurfing host.
He has shown me the nightlife of Köln and tonight Düsseldorf. We're on the stadtsbahn riding home now after an evening experiencing all kinds of music venues.
Here's a badly lit picture of Altbier, a style only available in Düsseldorf.
More updates and pictures to come when I have rested and feel like dealing with my computer!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
12.1.10
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