27 May 2009

Europe

Europe had never before intrigued me. While I was certainly excited to go to Germany and Italy, if I could choose anywhere in the world to visit, Europe would be at the end of the list (followed only by Antarctica).

In spite of this skeptical attitude, I have come to appreciate Europe a little more. I love Germany in particular.

I like the character of German people. They can seem harsh and cold, but they are just getting down to business. I also like the language. It's made fun of for the gutteral sounds, but I found that it is often spoken sweetly and tenderly.

The German landscape is beautiful. The blue skies, blue lakes (and even white ones!), green mountains, yellow fields... Germany feels very open and fresh.

As for Italy, though, I was unimpressed by the general atmosphere. Italy is dirty and covered in graffiti. It seems not well taken care of. The Italian countryside is certainly different, with the vineyards, quaint houses of all colors, and beautiful mountains. But the cities are not places I wish to be.

As for German cities, I laughed when I heard that Munich is called "cozy." How could the capital city of Bavaria - large, important, and formal - be so often described this way? I didn't feel that Munich was cozy until after visiting Venice and Rome. After contrasting the impersonal, busy, and dirty qualities of the Italian cities, I would definitely describe Munich as gemutlich!

Rome

There are so many cliches and expressions about Rome, but please keep reading - I promise not to use any.

Rome is, of course, old. It is also hot, dirty, busy, dusty, and rugged. It's hard for me to call it pleasant or beautiful, although I do believe it to be. Rome's character is difficult to describe.

The ruins give Rome a rough, dry, and decrepit flavor. The Vatican's intricacy and beauty are in stark contrast. The empty, half-demolished Colessium reminds me of a ghost town, but this is off-set by the large amount and liveliness of the tourists.

While Wade and I had three days in Rome, this was not enough time to see everything we wanted, and certainly too short to accurately get a feel for the character of the city.

"Surprisingly, it's just like you thought it would be."

That's how my guidebook introduced the city of Venice. Not very encouraging! It became a huge joke between Wade and me as we traveled together.

Venice conjures up images of gondolas, with handsome, singing drivers in striped shirts. The waterways are busy. Little footbridges jut out above the watery streets. The sights, the sounds, and the colors are, in fact, just as I expected and hoped they would be.

I found, however, that Venice is way more touristy than I imagined. Wade and I were badgered about taking a gondola ride, and we simply wanted to explore on foot. When we were on main streets near some of the sights, the amount of people was unbearable. Tourist shops were everywhere, and prices were high. Call me naive, but it's not what I expected.



I was also not prepared for the amount of dry land on the islands that make up Venice. We found some wide streets, courtyards, and piazzas. It was good to get away from the swarms of people at Piazza San Marco and the Rialto, but the quiet areas had few waterways.

Instead of spending a relaxing afternoon at the square, the church, or a waterside cafe as I had expected, Wade and I walked and explored. We got completely lost one time, which was an adventure on the rambling islands.

Venice was beautiful, and although there were some surprises, I guess the biggest one was that the guidebook was mostly right.

18 May 2009

Munich

During my three days in Munich, I walked all over the city while eating pretzels- the best in the world. I saw some churches, went to some museums, and learned a lot about the city's history. I visited the Dachau memorial - one of the first concentration camps, and one used to test methods for use elsewhere. I also went to some infamous sites in the old part of Munich dealing with the rise of Hitler and the creation of the Nazi party. Beer hall putsch, anyone?




Some other travelers mentioned how in Berlin, memorials are everywhere, and they can't be missed. In Munich, however, memorials for the atrocities against the innocent during World War II are hidden, cryptic, or even unmarked.

For example, a sign on a busy street corner reads something to this effect: "Until 1935, a department store stood here." What? Oh, yeah... the department store was Jewish-owned. That's an important detail left out. A brick side street with upscale shops has some gold bricks in it. There's no sign, but it's a memorial for those who took this alternate route to avoid having to salute to the Nazis one street over at Odeonsplatz. The side street is nicknamed Dodger's Alley.

People I talked to think of Munich negatively because of how hidden and uninformative the memorials are. I agreed with them at first.

But now, I think the memorials mean more since they are not so in-your-face. I like the Muchener approach to Nazi history. The history of a place cannot be easily separated from the place itself, especially the dark history that Munich has. So why force it? Obvious and numerous memorials will not make people care more. I could make them numb.

12 May 2009

On My Way to Munich

Today I’m flying to Munich. I will be there for about three days by myself. I’m excited to just walk around, look at architecture, see some history, and eat pretzels. I’m sure I’ll take more than enough pictures, and I also plan on spending my evenings writing. When I was in China, that’s what I did when I didn’t want to be out alone at night. And writing is very rewarding.

Also on my agenda:

1. See Neuschwanstein, a castle near Munich that the Disney castle was modeled after. The Bavarian king Ludwig II built it because he was cracked out.
2. Go to a soccer match at the Allianz Arena with some German friends. Go Munich!
3. Meet some international students at FH-Deggendorf.
4. Venice.
5. Rome.

I don’t think those last two need any explanation.