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Chapter 4: London

Well, here it is. The last stop on my little winter adventure. It was the place I was most excited to go, but I ended up being the most tired there. After walking all day for over a week, my feet just couldn't keep up anymore. They were like batteries that are never fully recharged and so the next time you use them, they run down much more easily. Yeah, that was me, so I took lots of breaks. Also because of the terrible exchange rate (a pound is about 2 dollars at the moment), everything cost twice as much and my purse was pretty empty. I basically had 30 pounds, after lodging and train from the airport. So... everything had to be free. Luckily, basically everything I wanted to do (which consisted of museums) was free. Well, here goes:

Our hostel was just off Piccadilly Circus, so when I stepped out the door in the morning, I just headed down Haymarket to see where it would take me. I ended up at St. James' Park, which was completely green and even colored with flowers.

I paused to look at the birds (trying to make good on my determination in Dublin to become a bird-watcher)and saw this one with strange webbed feet.

And some other waterfowl:

And then I stumbled upon the Royal Horse Guards as they entered Buckingham Palace. I couldn't believe how many tourists were there. I don't know why I should be surprised, but still... a huge crowd and tons of cameras and people taking video of the guards as they passed. I took a picture of Queen Victoria sitting everso solidly on her throne. I also thought about asking someone to take my picture with the palace, but decided against it. And I have to admit that I was disappointed that the famous royal guard was wearing a blue coat instead of a red one. Not to mention that he was behind the gates and I couldn't try to make him crack a smile. Oh well.

Then I made my way up to Trafalgar Square and the British Gallery. I gained some strength by eating at Subway. Mmm... I had a white chocolate, macadamia nut cookie. It's funny that something like that would be so tasty, but I haven't had a regular cookie for so long.

I decided to swallow my pride and rent an audioguide tour for the Gallery. I've never done that before. I mean, I am an art historian, in a way. But I figured it might make my experience more enlightening. And I liked it. But sometimes they had too much to say about a painting and I ended up listening to it forever when I really wanted to be looking at more paintings. It was still thrilling, though, to see in person so many paintings that I had studied. I think my favorite was Seurat's "Bathers at Asnières" and Van Eyck's "Arnolfini Portrait" - although I couldn't beleive how small it was in real life. However, it was disappointing that I couldn't take any pictures and there were just too many things to see. I've decided that museums really should be smaller. They'd be so much more accessible.

Afterwards, I met Dan and Angie for some Fish 'n Chips at Famous Harry Ramsden's. Mmm.. fish 'n chips sound good just about now, but it really wasn't what I expected. Still... it was good, but I think a less famous place probably would've been better. We really just went there because it was across the street from the hostel. Then we strolled down to the London Eye and took some pictures of Big Ben along the way. Okay, now I didn't realize that I had taken so many pictures of Big Ben. It's actually kind of embarrassing, but the problem was that my camera just doesn't take great photos at night with lights. And then, I really wanted a picture of myself in front of Big Ben, but again, the lighting just wasn't great, so I ended up taking about a million pictures. I thought it might be kind of fun for you to see how the night progressed.

And those were just from crossing the bridge. Now we are on the other side of the Thames and we just missed the last ride on the London Eye, but I decided to use the parapet as a support for my camera, hoping the stability would lead to a clearer picture.

That seemed to work well, so I thought I would try and get in the picture, but this was the only way it would work:

But that just seemed silly, so we started on an attempt to do a normal shot of me and Big Ben. I lightened one in Photoshop, but...

Anyway, here are some more attempts:

And then I took a break and photographed a Dali sculpture that turned out really eerie with the lighting.

And back to Big Ben, but this time from the other side of the bridge again:

One last one:

Just think, those aren't even all the ones I took. I know, it's sad. I was really disappointed that I couldn't go inside Westminster. The weird thing about England is that pretty much all the museums are free but the churches cost money. And as I mentioned early, I didn't have much of that, but I did take a photo of the facade.

We took a circuitous route home, much to my dismay, but finally ended up back at the hostel and tucked into bed. And now here's my embarrassing moment. We were all sleeping in an eight-bed dorm. Now, bear in mind I had a cold and was quite stuffy. Sometime in the middle of the night, an Australian chap nudged me and asked me to turn over on my side because I was snoring. I couldn't really get to sleep after that again. I felt so self-conscious. Luckily, that was his only night there.

Next day: First thing on my list was to check out the Tate Modern. But of course, I got a little distracted and ended up at St. Paul's instead.

I kept singing "Feed the Birds, tuppence a bag" (in my mind) as I walked around the exterior of the cathedral. Of course, I couldn't go in because it cost money. Eh, it was nice outside, too.

Then I crossed the Millennium (Millennial?) Bridge over to the Tate Modern, where there were people lined up to sled down a hill.

I was a little disappointed with the Tate. I don't know why. I guess it just wasn't what I expected.

Then I walked past the Globe on my way to the Tower of London.

Ran into Dan and Angie who were just leaving the tower. It started to sprinkle a little. I thought about walking over to the Tower Bridge, but seriously, my feet were tired and it just didn't seem worth it, so I just took a picture.

Then I decided to save my feet a little and just pay to use the Underground to make it to the British Museum. I didn't think I'd go to this museum because I had already been to the Gallery and the Tate, but I figured I might as well go. So I got off at the right station and everything, but then these signs that try and direct you to tourist attractions just aren't that accurate. I'd follow the sign one way until I would come to another sign telling me to go back in the direction I came. At last I finally found it. Sat down for a minute to eat some warm bread I had bought and then walked in the front doors, only to be amazed at its huge, open space. I was delighted when I found out that I could take pictures as well! So I went a little picture-crazy about the Assyrian reliefs and Egyptian art, not to mention the frieze and metopes and pediment figures from the Parthenon. Unfortunately, that was all I was able to see. Rick Steves had told me that the British Museum was open late on Tuesdays, so I went there expecting it to stay open till 8. Apparently, that was the British Library that stays open late that day. I was so disappointed. I almost threw Rick Steves into the Thames. I am, at least, leaving him here in Innsbruck to misinform future travelers. Anyway, here are some photos for your own tour of antiquity:

Egyptian

Assyrian

Greek

When I left the museum, it was into a downpour. Don't worry, though, I was prepared. Of course, I brought an umbrella, knowing I would be in London and expecting rain. In fact, I would've been disappointed if it hadn't rained.

So that was it. I mean, 2 days and that was what I saw and I spent most of my time alone, and I wish that someone else had been there so that I could've gotten excited about it more. I couldn't really point out things to myself. But I guess that'll happen next trip. Because of course I will go again.

Chapter 3: Dublin

Hi, so here am I again, ready and happy to speak a little about Dublin. We flew there on the 30th of December, using one of those "cheap" fares from RyanAir that don't turn out so cheap after you add taxes and convert the currency. But still... it was much cheaper than flying from the states and so worth it. Since we were actually there for a couple days, I'm going to try and break this down into days. Here goes.

Day 1 (in Dublin): I went off on my own to explore. I didn't really know where to go. I mean, who knows what to do in Dublin. You don't really hear about that town. I only knew two things: Trinity College (and the Book of Kells) and the Museum of Archaeology, so I figured I would go to one of those two things. I looked at the map and planned my route, but when you're on the outside world, it doesn't seem as straightforward as a map, and I have this aversion to looking at maps in public. Especially when I'm on my own, I guess. So I just wandered around for a while. I got some rolls and a hot chocolate and stumbled upon Trinity College. Unfortunately, I still had a full cup of hot chocolate and I knew they wouldn't let me view the Book of Kells while holding a beverage, so I determined to come back later and started looking for the Museum of Archaeology.

Didn't really find it, though afterwards I found out that I had been skirting around it the whole time. Instead, I stumbled upon summer, in the form of Merrion Square. Here, the birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and everything was green. There were lavendar flowers and deep shadows. Whar really amazed me, though, is how green even the trees were. Covered in moss.

So I sat down and took of my coat. Although I had on a short-sleeved t-shirt, I felt just fine sitting on a bench in the sun. I took out my iPod and started listening to some Belle and Sebastian. On my way out of the square, I saw Oscar Wilde lounging on a rock, a smirk on his face.

This memorial to Oscar Wilde had quotes that I recognized from An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest. I felt wittier just reading them. And across the street was the house Oscar himself inhabited.

Leaving the square, I fell behind a cute Irish grandpa and his little grandchildren and followed them as they walked hand in hand to the Natural History Museum.

This museum, mistaken for the archaeology one that I was looking for, inspired me to take up bird-watching when I get home. I also wanted to become a lepidopterist after viewing the peacock or teardropped wings of butterflies hidden under heavy coverings for preservation's sake.

After this museum, I entered St. Stephen's Green and rested for a while. I also surreptitiously snuck glances at my city map, realizing that the museum I was actually in search of was not far distant. But first a picture of a fountain in the green. And lunch at, of all places, Quizno's in the St. Stephen's Green Shopping Center, still festively decorated.

You know, it was nice to get a turkey bacon guac sandwich at Quizno's but hugely overpriced. This sandwich, along with chips and a drink, cost about 10 euro. So, you know, be grateful it doesn't cost that much at home.

After eating and resting and again checking my position on the map, I found the direct route to the Archaeology Museum. It contained metal working, a viking boat, and the carcass of a man found on the bog. I spent all this time on the first floor, not realizing that the best part is on the second floor. So, if you ever go there, make sure to go to the top floor first.

Back to Stephen's Green and the WB Yeats Memorial ("Though leaves are many, the root is one" -- line from Yeats that was the theme of Euphony).

And I watched the sun set through the reflection of a pond.

Later, I met up with Dan and Angie to celebrate New Year's. We ate dinner and then went to O'Shea's Pub for some live Irish music.

I tried to nurse a Coke throughout the evening, but eventually, I drank it all. When it was gone, an older gentleman offered to buy me a drink, but I graciously declined. He sat by me for a while, and I watched as he drank 6 pints of Guinness and then he was replaced by an older couple from England. They were such a cute couple. The hotel they were staying in was having a fancy-dress ball, but they thought it would be more fun to come to this pub. And it was. Being the only sober people in the pub, we saw it from a different perspective than many, I'm sure. We even had a visit from the police just in time before a fight was able to really get going. When the clock struck twelve, one of the musicians pulled out the bagpipes and played Auld Lang Syne, while I held hands with the old lady next to me and sang along. Her husband leaned over and declared, "Happy New Year, love!" As soon as I could respectfully get away, I did. I spent the first few minutes of the new year walking back to the hostel, where the night clerk was standing outside watching some fireworks go off in the distance. I took a shower and was asleep by the time everyone else got back.

Day 2: Dan and Angie had signed up for a daytrip, so I decided that I would go on one of my own. I walked with them to the TI in the morning and found a nice coach with a sign that read to Wicklow and Glendalough and asked the driver if there were enough room for one more. He kindly let me board. I joined 3 couples from Manchester and another young couple from South Africa and together we toured the city of Dublin while en route to the countryside. It wasn't necessarily the best day for seeing the country - rainy and windy, but still, I got a feel for the green, rolling pastures.

Although John, that's our tour guide, kindly offered to stop whenever we wanted so we could get some pictures, my tendency would've been to stop around every corner, so I sometimes had to content myself with taking a couple photos from inside the coach, like this one of a peat bog.

There was some question in the coach as to whether or not we should tour the ruins of an old monastery and cemetery because the rain was quite heavy, but in the end, half of us decided to brave it, using some umbrellas that John luckily had stowed away, while others went to the pub for an Irish coffee.

In this cemetery stood an unadorned Celtic cross. Legend has it that if you can reach your arms around the cross and make a wish, your wish will come true. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite get my arms around it and have my hands meet, but I still made a wish. Hopefully it will come true eventually.

After touring the cemetery, we took a walk to the upper lake. We crossed a stone bridge and when looking over the edge, pennies were shining golden in the water.

It felt romantic (not in the loving kind of way) walking up the path to the lake, an umbrella resting on my shoulder and every once in a while, I would give it a little twirl. I chatted with one of the ladies from Manchester and learned about her children. We saw waterfalls and ferns. And then the lake itself.

Here we met up with the rest of the party and went over to the Avoca Woolen Mill for lunch. John set his tray down next to mine and we conversed over hot soup and warm, homemade bread. I found myself confiding in him a little about my parents' divorce, and he told me about his own marriage and his two kids. We talked about the tsunami disaster/tragedy. I was glad to have had company. Afterwards, I walked down to the pub, where everyone else had lunch. Shamrocks sprouted from the rock walls along the road.

I didn't fancy entering the pub to sit awkwardly with strangers, so I decided to pick up a chocolate bar in a little store across the street. I entered, carrying my bag from the Avoca Mill, where I had bought a sweater, and the clerk (a middle-aged men with a glass of Guinness next to him on the counter) asked me what I had bought. I showed him my new sweater and he approved the purchase. Just then, another man entered and asked for help from the clerk unloading something or other from his car, so I was left in charge of the store for a bit. His daughter (about 5 or 6) stood next to the counter, sucking on a lollipop. I said hello and she promptly went to the back of the store. I checked out the covers of magazines and held down the fort until the clerk's wife appeared on the porch. I heard her ask her husband, "Who's minding the store?" He replied, "Some American." I bought my cadbury chocolate and left, just as the coach was pulling up.

To round out the day, we stopped by the meeting of the rivers in the Vale of Avoca. I guess Thomas Moore, the poet, wrote about it. John told us about how Thomas Moore could be seen sitting under a tree at the meeting of the rivers. In later years, people would visit the spot and take a branch from the tree as a memento. So many people did this that the tree is now dead and fenced off.

But here the rivers met, and I took a picture with John.

We listened to Tommy Flemming and Enya on the way back to Dublin. I once again tried to take some photos from the coach.

Back in Dublin, I once again met up with Angie and Dan and we went to a little pub where we heard they had free Irish Dancing to view. It was hot and stuffy and the dancers seemed artificial somehow. I didn't stay long.

Day 3: Sunday, so we went to church in an Irish ward where everyone had accents. It was charming. Afterwards, there was a huge cemetery across the way, and since you already are familiar with my penchant for visiting cemeteries, I need not tell you that I stopped there on our way back. Here's what I found:

This next one was cool because it was actually the grave of the architect that designed the large tower there in the cemetery, so he got a little mini-tower all his own.

As the evening fell, I visited Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral, but both were already closed. So some last pictures of Dublin.

Oh man, how could I almost forget one of the best parts of Dublin?! Well, I thought it was great. It was just this kid that I met at the hostel that night. He was 11 and staying there with his grandad and sister. We talked for quite a while and he told me all about his cat named Blaze, who has his own email address (which reminds me, I keep meaning to email the cat) and how he was really a blessing because he showed up the day that his hamster died. And then they have another cat named Esmerelda and a dog that they've been watching for over a year. Oh man, this kid. He was so great.

We went to bed super early that night because we had to leave for London at 5 in the morning. We almost missed it, though, because we couldn't get a taxi and then we had to run to catch the airport bus. Luckily, we all made it there in time, although in separate buses. But London is a whole 'nother (and final) chapter.

Chapter 2: Upper Austria

Sorry it's been a while. I've been busy writing papers and shopping for souvenirs, but I will do my utmost to finish up the pictures from the trip.

As an aside: only 11 days until I leave for home! Yay!

So after Vienna, we went to Upper Austria, where we were invited to stay by Astrid. We weren't there for very long, but definitely long enough to explore the ruins of a castle, located a mere 400 meters from Astrid's home.

The following is a picture of an arrow slot in the tower. If the photo were a little clearer, you could see Astrid's house through it. The tower was still half standing and had steel stairs and railings put in, so you can climb about 180 stairs to the top. This is where Astrid and friends were going to spend New Year's Eve. We were invited to be of the party, but had plans to party in Dublin.

Here's a better picture of the house from the very top of the tower:

And here's the view of the valley:

Some more of the ruins:

It would've been fun to play pretend at the ruins. Or to read poetry there. Or play the cello. But I didn't do any of those things. I just wandered.

Before going to the airport, Astrid's mom took us on a walk near the Danube. There were swans.

Well, I told you it was a short chapter.

Chapter 1: Vienna

So wanna know a secret? I've been working on this for the last hour,and somehow, I accidentally closed the window and lost it all. I'm a little disheartened, but I guess I'll persevere and try and retype this.

So, Vienna, the first leg of our weeklong journey through some of Europe's great cities.

We started our trip to Vienna with a five hour train ride. I really like riding on trains. They're comfortable (unless you ride in an enclosed room with someone smoking) and you can stare out the window at passing landscape. I brought my iPod and started a new book, but mostly just looked out the window and watched the mountainous, snow-covered land turn into the rolling hills of eastern Austria. I only took one picture from the train because there was a huge glare, and I often debated about whether or not to delete it. Even with the glare, I still like this picture. It shows a family in bright colored snowsuits sledding down the hill by a typical Austrian church.

We finally arrived in Vienna and made it to our hotel. After settling in, we went out to explore the city. Although it was only about 4:30, the sun had set and the buildings were lit up against the deep blue sky - my favorite time of day. I had studied up on Vienna before we came, reading from Rick Steves' Guide to Europe, but the only thing we really wanted to see right away was St. Stephen's Cathedral. Angie and I had seen paintings of it hanging in the Lenbachhaus, so we were eager to see the groin vaults and arches in person. We started on a tram and when we saw the building, we just hopped off. It was lovely - a tall, central spire rising against the sky. It had a huge Christmas tree in front of it and the remains of a Christkindlmarkt outside.

As I got closer to the front door, I saw a sign above the entrance – Rathaus. It wasn't the cathedral at all. So we looked down the street and saw two lacy spires. Aw. That must be it.

So we walked along the street, our excitement growing as we got closer and closer. I took a picture of the rose window and examined the detailed exterior.

Then I went to the entrance to see if we could go inside. That's when I noticed the plaque. This was the Votivkirche. I still went inside and wandered around for a bit. When Angie and Dan caught up, they were all compliments about the building, and I had to break the bad news that it wasn't exactly what we thought it was. This time, we pulled out a map to consult. We were on the ring that surrounds the city center and St. Stephen's was in the center of the city, so if we just found a street that acted as a radius, we would eventually make it to the cathedral. So that's exactly what we did. And I have to admit that when we first got to St. Stephen's, I was a little disappointed. It's undergoing renovations, which is common, but I think these renovations were sponsored by some companies because there were two huge banners on the central spire of the cathedral. Now that’s just tacky.

We went inside, but there was a concert for which you had to have a ticket, so we couldn't see much. We decided to come back the next day. Afterwards, we wandered around the pedestrian streets of Vienna. The Christmas lights were still up and people were busily preparing for the Silvester celebration.

There were street musicians all along the road. We stopped at some of them, but this trio was our favorite by far. I tried taking several pictures, but none of them could capture their facial expressions or the speed of their fingers. They were amazing.

I discovered that a great way to find out what you want to do in a city is to look at their postcards. In perusing some postcards, we were reminded that Vienna has a huge Ferris wheel and we wanted to ride it. So we got directions and found our way there and were just lucky enough to make it onto the last ride of the evening.

I was surprised that I wasn't scared or nervous. Normally, I'm not a fan of slow-moving machines that go high and that people can rock. I always feel like they're going to break down, but maybe because this was a completely enclosed capsule, I was okay with it. And we got to see the city lights of Vienna, including the towers of the Votivkirche, Rathaus, and St. Stephen's (which we could now identify).

Afterwards, we wandered around the little amusement park. It was completely closed except for the Ferris wheel, which made it seem eerie. An electric calliope sound for different games kept playing in intervals. In one way, I wanted to explore everything, hopping the fences and sitting in the cars of rides, but at the same time, it really wan uncomfortable.

I separated from Angie and Dan after this. I generally went off on my own and if you've ever traveled alone with a couple, you'll understand why. Luckily, I really like being on my own, and I felt safe enough in the well-lit streets of Vienna. I toured around the ring, looking at the Opera and the city buildings. Then I came upon the Hapsburg Palace. I'm sure Vienna is beautiful in the summer, and there were many times that I wished it were summer, but I was really glad right then that it wasn't. Mostly because I loved the way the stark trees showed up against the illuminated palace. I tried really hard to capture it's beauty, but I failed. Here, at least, is an attempt.

I found my way to the museums, which were all closed by now, so I just got some informative pamphlets and determined to come back. I also stumbled across this statue of, I think, Mary Theresa, the Empress.

As promised, in the light of day, we returned to St. Stephen's. This time, I was able to get some interior shots. While I didn't feel that the checkered floor and arches lived up to the paintings at the Lenbach, I still favored the carved steps.

And squeezed into the little, round elevator that lifts you up to the bell tower.

One of the problems with going on your own is that there's no one really to take your photo, so here I am trying to take a photo of myself up on the tower. It didn't really get much background, but you can get an idea of how incredibly windy and cold it was up there.

Here's a detail from the exterior of the cathedral:

And it wouldn't be a cathedral without some live statues:

From here, we tried to find the Hunterwasser Haus. It wasn't easy. We had to stop a couple times and unfold the unwieldy map to ascertain our position. Fortunately, every time we did, some kind older lady carrying a grocery basket would stop and help us. Eventually, we found our way. Here are some photos of the organic and whimsical work of Hunterwasser.

I think after a while, this might drive me crazy, especially as even the sidewalks are bereft of straight lines.

From there, onto Schönbrunn Palace. Being a thrifty traveler, I couldn't afford to enter the palace for a tour, and I think I missed out on some of its magic. Instead, I saw the exterior, which didn't feel quite as grand in the light of day.

The grounds certainly were impressive, though. Complete with reproduced ruins, mazes, a zoon, and lots of fountains and statues and statues in fountains. This is one of the times that I really wished it were summer. I also wished I hadn't worn my feet out by walking so much already. As it was, I couldn't explore half of the grounds as I would've liked. Oh well, another time.

From here, we went to the train station, completely exhausted and happily expectant for two hours of rest while traveling to Linz and Upper Austria, the next chapter.

Preface

Normally I'm obsessively taking photos of doors, but on this past trip, I took many photos of stairs. Thus, stairs are the new doors. At least, for me. So I thought I would start off my next couple entries (which will take my trip town by town) with some stairways.

Although I have a paper due next week, I'm sure it will be much more fun to work on detailing my trip, so please look forward to chapters on Vienna, Upper Austria, Dublin, and London... each coming soon.