Sometimes, I find that parts of life can be summed up in an episode of Scrubs. We all know the best part of each episode is the end, when they play the soundtrack and everything in the episode comes together. It's the best part because it allows you to be reflective and realize what everything was all about.
Exactly 2 years ago I arrived in the UK with the opportunity of a lifetime. I took advantage of my surroundings as if every month was my last, and now I leave Europe with no regrets or shortcomings, but many trips and experiences I will never forget. Among the countless steps I have taken, times I have put on my backpack, or devoured a local food when I wasn't even hungry, I have realized that I enjoyed sharing these experiences with you throughout my 54 blog posts.
I have learned that no matter what, everything always works out. I have learned that 800 euros is too much to put on a deposit on a scooter. I have learned that my love for food has turned into an addiction and I don't care. I have learned that Africa is really hot. I have learned that everything is better when it's shared with someone you love. I have also learned that no matter where you are or how much fun you're having, you miss your roots and your family & friends. And during those times that may not be easy, you learn what is most important to you in life and what you need to be happy.
And now it's time to say goodbye to Europe and move on. Will it be the last time I'm ever in London? No. But regardless it's goodbye for now, and that is enough to realize how remarkable my life in London was and what it led to. Thanks to everyone who was part of my life, whether at home, work or beyond. You made my experiences what they were.
With that, I invite all of you to my next chapter in life...Singapore.
2.08.2010
Zurich
I guess you know you are getting used to traveling when you show up in a new Swiss city and don't take one picture. Well, scratch that. I did take a picture of a hotel that we were meant to stay at but didn't. Instead we used their computer to find us cheaper accommodation. So I guess that pretty much sums up the randomness of my recent trip to Zurich. A random business trip turned snowboard weekend with three guys that wouldn't ordinarily be in the same place.
A side note...due to my broken camera, all pics were taken with my new BlackBerry cell phone.
Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Zurich?feat=directlink
The culprits involved were myself, an American mountain boy transplanted in the metropolis of London for work; Eric, an east coast turned Coloradan visiting the London office for a week; and Anthony, an English sales manager in our London office. The purpose was a trip to Zurich to present our software to a premier financial organization looking for a worldwide solution to event management. The other purpose, a quick weekend trip to get some turns in the Alps for a day before heading back to London. The three of us now sit on a train on our way to the slopes. The snow covered landscape getting thicker and whiter as we climb along Zurich Lake out of Zurich and into the alpine countryside. The peaks making themselves visible through the thinning fog and blue mountain streams cutting through the white surroundings. Quaint Swiss villages pass by in a matter of seconds, displaying their classic Swiss architecture, and the buzz of the other skiers who got up at 6am to get on one of many mountain trains is abound.
Yesterday was a long day. A weird day. In fact, a pretty surreal day. Normally when I depart for a trip abroad, I have some details arranged. I know how I will get from the airport to my destination. But I guess in order for that to happen, I also need to know my destination which I didn't. Eric and I arrived in Zurich at 10am and had an 11am meeting with Anthony and the prospect at their offices. Anthony was meeting us there as he was already in town, so Eric and I quickly got through the airport and got in a cab. Unsure of our destination, Eric showed the driver an address on his phone which he thought to be the address. Fortunately he was right. We got there just before 11am, met up with Anthony, and went to check in. Long story short, our meeting was actually scheduled for noon so we walked to a small cafe in the pouring
rain and spent 25 Swiss francs on 4 cokes. Sweet.
I think what I got out of the meeting was an accurate impression on Swiss-German culture. We had a very nice woman who lead the meeting and got us all together, yet stayed quiet for pretty much the entire time. But she gave us sandwiches and smiled a lot, so I liked her. Then there was the procurement guy, which prob explains enough, but he spent the two hours not listening to a word we said until his lecture about how they want to make us rich, but not too rich, so we better offer a good deal. And then there was the man wearing a conservative black suit with a bright orange tie, who seemed to show interest in every topic for about 2 minutes before he asked us to move on. The end result? Probably us voluntarily dropping out because we don't
want to deal with them.
After the meeting, we took a cab to the hotel where Anthony stayed the night before, planning to get some rooms for ourselves. We proceeded to find out that the rooms were 250 francs per night which seemed a bit pricey for our budget. So we used their computer in the lobby to hotwire a deal for us which ended up being at the Holiday Inn. It was brand new, near a train and tram station and had a surprisingly good, yet random, restaurant. The first order of business was to eat, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging in our hotel rooms and figuring out where we were going to ski.
As u can imagine, skiing in Switzerland is very easy. The trains from Zurich offer a number of train ticket/ski pass packages. Flumserberg, one of the closer resorts, was recommended to us by a couple of people, so we went to the train station and booked our tickets for the next day. As it had been raining heavily in Zurich all day, we had high hopes for the snow conditions in the mountains.
The next morning we caught our 7:25am train and headed up to Flumserburg. We got our rental equipment, although I did bring my own boots, and headed up the hill. The train dropped us off in a small resort town on a huge lake at an elevation of only 400 meters. There wasn't much snow there, but the mountains jetted up from the lake and topped out at about 2500 meters, so u can imagine the stunning and stark difference seen by looking straight up. Although there was no skiing all the way down to the town, there was a gondola lift that takes you up to the ski area. As we travelled up the steep, unskiiable terrain in the gondola, the conditions quickly transformed into a winter wonderland with over a foot of fresh powder. The sun was even peaking out and at that point we knew it was going to be a great day.
And a great day it was! For some reason, the skiers at this resort liked to stay on piste; this means they stayed within the lane of each run and rarely went off piste to enjoy the untracked deep powder. What this meant for us was fresh tracks all day! Even the last run of the day provided some exceptional snow conditions and we were shocked all day at how amazing the snow remained since no one would ski the good stuff.
The mountain itself was fairly small, with 16 lifts, but provided plenty of excellent terrain. The majority of our day was spent on one side of the mountain which peaked at 2222 meters and included some excellent off piste, powder, and black runs which kept us going all day. A highlight was our stop for lunch at the Graube Hutte (nicknamed the Grub Hut). After we walked in, we were surprised to find a traditional Swiss restaurant instead of the normal self service chalet you generally find on the slopes. After we waited for a table, we found that the menu was entirely in German. After we asked for some recommendations, the waitress brought us the chef who was the only one who spoke enough English to help us. He gave us some recommendations and I decided to get the rippli, smoked and then boiled pork served with sauerkraut and bread. When it was served, I found two gigantically thick slices of pork served on a large bed of sauerkraut. The meal was so amazing that we all decided to order dessert as well. I chose a deep fried apple dish covered in cinnamon sugar in a pool of warm custard. The entire meal was absolutely amazing and definitely goes down as one of the best meals I can remember. It was truly incredible in every way from presentation to uniqueness to flavor to ambiance. A great surprise to find on the slopes of a small ski resort.
I think each of us fell asleep at one point on the train ride home, and we arrived back in Zurich absolutely beat and dreading our early start the next morning. We had some dinner at the hotel and got some sleep before meeting downstairs at 5am the next morning to head back to the airport. The trip was quite a bit different from my normal trip, probably because I had a lot of added convenience (like taxis) due to work. It was also strange that I didn't really see any of Zurich at all. It seemed like a beautiful place, so maybe some day I'll be back!
A side note...due to my broken camera, all pics were taken with my new BlackBerry cell phone.
Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Zurich?feat=directlink
The culprits involved were myself, an American mountain boy transplanted in the metropolis of London for work; Eric, an east coast turned Coloradan visiting the London office for a week; and Anthony, an English sales manager in our London office. The purpose was a trip to Zurich to present our software to a premier financial organization looking for a worldwide solution to event management. The other purpose, a quick weekend trip to get some turns in the Alps for a day before heading back to London. The three of us now sit on a train on our way to the slopes. The snow covered landscape getting thicker and whiter as we climb along Zurich Lake out of Zurich and into the alpine countryside. The peaks making themselves visible through the thinning fog and blue mountain streams cutting through the white surroundings. Quaint Swiss villages pass by in a matter of seconds, displaying their classic Swiss architecture, and the buzz of the other skiers who got up at 6am to get on one of many mountain trains is abound.
Yesterday was a long day. A weird day. In fact, a pretty surreal day. Normally when I depart for a trip abroad, I have some details arranged. I know how I will get from the airport to my destination. But I guess in order for that to happen, I also need to know my destination which I didn't. Eric and I arrived in Zurich at 10am and had an 11am meeting with Anthony and the prospect at their offices. Anthony was meeting us there as he was already in town, so Eric and I quickly got through the airport and got in a cab. Unsure of our destination, Eric showed the driver an address on his phone which he thought to be the address. Fortunately he was right. We got there just before 11am, met up with Anthony, and went to check in. Long story short, our meeting was actually scheduled for noon so we walked to a small cafe in the pouring
rain and spent 25 Swiss francs on 4 cokes. Sweet.
I think what I got out of the meeting was an accurate impression on Swiss-German culture. We had a very nice woman who lead the meeting and got us all together, yet stayed quiet for pretty much the entire time. But she gave us sandwiches and smiled a lot, so I liked her. Then there was the procurement guy, which prob explains enough, but he spent the two hours not listening to a word we said until his lecture about how they want to make us rich, but not too rich, so we better offer a good deal. And then there was the man wearing a conservative black suit with a bright orange tie, who seemed to show interest in every topic for about 2 minutes before he asked us to move on. The end result? Probably us voluntarily dropping out because we don't
want to deal with them.
After the meeting, we took a cab to the hotel where Anthony stayed the night before, planning to get some rooms for ourselves. We proceeded to find out that the rooms were 250 francs per night which seemed a bit pricey for our budget. So we used their computer in the lobby to hotwire a deal for us which ended up being at the Holiday Inn. It was brand new, near a train and tram station and had a surprisingly good, yet random, restaurant. The first order of business was to eat, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging in our hotel rooms and figuring out where we were going to ski.
As u can imagine, skiing in Switzerland is very easy. The trains from Zurich offer a number of train ticket/ski pass packages. Flumserberg, one of the closer resorts, was recommended to us by a couple of people, so we went to the train station and booked our tickets for the next day. As it had been raining heavily in Zurich all day, we had high hopes for the snow conditions in the mountains.
The next morning we caught our 7:25am train and headed up to Flumserburg. We got our rental equipment, although I did bring my own boots, and headed up the hill. The train dropped us off in a small resort town on a huge lake at an elevation of only 400 meters. There wasn't much snow there, but the mountains jetted up from the lake and topped out at about 2500 meters, so u can imagine the stunning and stark difference seen by looking straight up. Although there was no skiing all the way down to the town, there was a gondola lift that takes you up to the ski area. As we travelled up the steep, unskiiable terrain in the gondola, the conditions quickly transformed into a winter wonderland with over a foot of fresh powder. The sun was even peaking out and at that point we knew it was going to be a great day.
And a great day it was! For some reason, the skiers at this resort liked to stay on piste; this means they stayed within the lane of each run and rarely went off piste to enjoy the untracked deep powder. What this meant for us was fresh tracks all day! Even the last run of the day provided some exceptional snow conditions and we were shocked all day at how amazing the snow remained since no one would ski the good stuff.
The mountain itself was fairly small, with 16 lifts, but provided plenty of excellent terrain. The majority of our day was spent on one side of the mountain which peaked at 2222 meters and included some excellent off piste, powder, and black runs which kept us going all day. A highlight was our stop for lunch at the Graube Hutte (nicknamed the Grub Hut). After we walked in, we were surprised to find a traditional Swiss restaurant instead of the normal self service chalet you generally find on the slopes. After we waited for a table, we found that the menu was entirely in German. After we asked for some recommendations, the waitress brought us the chef who was the only one who spoke enough English to help us. He gave us some recommendations and I decided to get the rippli, smoked and then boiled pork served with sauerkraut and bread. When it was served, I found two gigantically thick slices of pork served on a large bed of sauerkraut. The meal was so amazing that we all decided to order dessert as well. I chose a deep fried apple dish covered in cinnamon sugar in a pool of warm custard. The entire meal was absolutely amazing and definitely goes down as one of the best meals I can remember. It was truly incredible in every way from presentation to uniqueness to flavor to ambiance. A great surprise to find on the slopes of a small ski resort.
I think each of us fell asleep at one point on the train ride home, and we arrived back in Zurich absolutely beat and dreading our early start the next morning. We had some dinner at the hotel and got some sleep before meeting downstairs at 5am the next morning to head back to the airport. The trip was quite a bit different from my normal trip, probably because I had a lot of added convenience (like taxis) due to work. It was also strange that I didn't really see any of Zurich at all. It seemed like a beautiful place, so maybe some day I'll be back!
Snowboarding the French Alps
Bonjour! I recently took a trip to France to ski one of the premier resorts in the French Alps. Weeks before, I found an incredibly cheap flight to Grenoble which I knew to be a gateway to many ski resorts. I booked it without having any other plans, and waited until just days before my departure to finally figure out where I was going to go. After some advice from a French colleague, I was lucky enough to find a place to stay in one of many villages that make up the ski area of Tignes and Val d'Isere.
Pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Tignes?feat=directlink
This was a solo trip for me, which is always good and bad. I don't mind travelling on my own, especially when skiing, because it means I can do what I like at my own pace. However, it also makes you realize how tired of yourself you can get after a short period of time. It is relaxing in a way, and after landing in Grenoble I made my way through Grenoble and towards the higher peaks in my rental car. My introduction to Grenoble was a tiny airport that comprised of a glorified shed. We actually had to queue outside, in the freezing flurries, to get through Passport control. However, I did luck out with a rental car that had only 5km on it!
Tignes is not the closest ski area from Grenoble, but since I had the flexibility of a rental car and the entire afternoon, I didn't mind the 2.5 hour drive up the mountains. I passed through a number of towns and villages (and typical French toll-booths) until the winding one-lane road abruptly switch-backed up the side of a cliff until we reach a narrow canyon cutting through the jagged peaks. The canyon eventually opened up to a large lake and the staggered villages that were part of the ski area. The village where I stayed, Les Breviers, was the first of these villages.
The village itself was very small; it was basically one road with a parking lot on either end. A number of chalets and cabins surrounded the village and everything in the town was within a 5 minute walk or less. I stayed in a small Chalet that was completely English-run, although I did not know this when I booked it, and found that all of it's guests were either English or Australian. The accommodations were rather hostel-like, but I did have my own room and breakfast and dinner were served each day and included in the very affordable rate. This social environment made it really nice as I was on my own. I spent the late afternoon taking care of my stuff and hung out in my room until dinner, which was served each night at 7pm. Dinner was always served with a starter, a main and a dessert; and although it wasn't gourmet, it definitely did the job!
The next morning I was up and ready to go to get on the first lift of the day after a hearty breakfast of oatmeal. I could see the lift outside my window, which was about a 2 minute walk from the Chalet. The weather was cloudy, but the sun would peak through at times. There hadn't been any fresh snow for a few days, so I wasn't sure what I wanted more...a nice sunny day or a dumping of snow. Unfortunately, the first part of the day didn't bring either. Visibibility was pretty bad since the low clouds and fog made for very flat light. When skiing, this means that you pretty much can't see a thing...even a bump in front of you! But it did make for a decent day of exploring the mountain. I made my way across the mountain to one of the furthest points opposite where I started, and then slowly made my way back. I was happy to discover that I found the best part of the mountain to be the area closest to where I was staying. As the day went on, the temperature slowly dropped and snow showers started building. I had heard rumors of heavy snow that night and it was shaping up to be true! I took a lunch break at a chalet on the mountain and pushed myself as long as I could and finally stopped around 4pm. I spent the evening relaxing and enjoying dinner with the other guests in my chalet before watching a movie and hitting the hay!
When I went to bed, it had been snowing heavily for hours. When I woke up, I saw that it hadn't let up all night. Anywhere between 6-12 inches of fresh snow fell over night depending on where you were on the mountain and it was incredible! So incredible that the lifts actually opened about 45 minutes late in order for them to do some avalanche control and prepare the lifts. I did some laps on the drag lift that was operating until the main gondola opened and I headed up. I spent pretty much the entire day doing laps on one lift, and somehow I had fresh tracks in places all the way through the last run of the day. The snow was incredible and no matter where I went, I found stashes hidden off-piste and was pretty happy with myself when I found a great route down through pockets of trees and off-piste areas. I ventured up to the very top a couple times, but the weather was so cold that I didn't find it worth it. However, the second half of the day cleared up and provided a bluebell sunny day. I honestly could not have asked for better snow conditions or weather. It was one of those days you just don't forget! I breaked for lunch at my chalet before heading back out on the slopes for as long as my legs would carry me.
I had a similar night as the night before knowing that I had an early morning the next day. I was also a bit worried about the drive back due to all the snow we had that day. I got up and left by around 6am hoping to spend a few hours in Grenoble before catching my flight. Fortunately, the road was pretty clear and the drive went quick. I arrived in Grenoble and had about 3 hours before I needed to get to the airport. Since it was Sunday, I found that pretty much everything was closed, as always in Europe. However, I enjoyed walking the empty streets, crossing the many bridges over the river and visiting a number of markets that were open in some of the squares. I bought some fresh croissants to bring back for Nat and took plenty of pictures of the city and the nearby mountain views. Although I didn't really get a good feel for what Grenoble was like, it was a beautiful city in a stunning surrounding. I enjoyed walking around for a while, but was happy to leave since it was fairly boring and freezing cold.
Overall, it was an excellent trip. Although I'm not the biggest fan of France, mostly because I don't understand the language at all, it was a great place to go for a ski trip. I lucked out with a good place to stay and people to talk to even though I was in the middle of the French Alps, and I was lucky to find great deals on a flight and car rental which made the trip pretty affordable. Another succesful trip in Europe!
Pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Tignes?feat=directlink
This was a solo trip for me, which is always good and bad. I don't mind travelling on my own, especially when skiing, because it means I can do what I like at my own pace. However, it also makes you realize how tired of yourself you can get after a short period of time. It is relaxing in a way, and after landing in Grenoble I made my way through Grenoble and towards the higher peaks in my rental car. My introduction to Grenoble was a tiny airport that comprised of a glorified shed. We actually had to queue outside, in the freezing flurries, to get through Passport control. However, I did luck out with a rental car that had only 5km on it!
Tignes is not the closest ski area from Grenoble, but since I had the flexibility of a rental car and the entire afternoon, I didn't mind the 2.5 hour drive up the mountains. I passed through a number of towns and villages (and typical French toll-booths) until the winding one-lane road abruptly switch-backed up the side of a cliff until we reach a narrow canyon cutting through the jagged peaks. The canyon eventually opened up to a large lake and the staggered villages that were part of the ski area. The village where I stayed, Les Breviers, was the first of these villages.
The village itself was very small; it was basically one road with a parking lot on either end. A number of chalets and cabins surrounded the village and everything in the town was within a 5 minute walk or less. I stayed in a small Chalet that was completely English-run, although I did not know this when I booked it, and found that all of it's guests were either English or Australian. The accommodations were rather hostel-like, but I did have my own room and breakfast and dinner were served each day and included in the very affordable rate. This social environment made it really nice as I was on my own. I spent the late afternoon taking care of my stuff and hung out in my room until dinner, which was served each night at 7pm. Dinner was always served with a starter, a main and a dessert; and although it wasn't gourmet, it definitely did the job!
The next morning I was up and ready to go to get on the first lift of the day after a hearty breakfast of oatmeal. I could see the lift outside my window, which was about a 2 minute walk from the Chalet. The weather was cloudy, but the sun would peak through at times. There hadn't been any fresh snow for a few days, so I wasn't sure what I wanted more...a nice sunny day or a dumping of snow. Unfortunately, the first part of the day didn't bring either. Visibibility was pretty bad since the low clouds and fog made for very flat light. When skiing, this means that you pretty much can't see a thing...even a bump in front of you! But it did make for a decent day of exploring the mountain. I made my way across the mountain to one of the furthest points opposite where I started, and then slowly made my way back. I was happy to discover that I found the best part of the mountain to be the area closest to where I was staying. As the day went on, the temperature slowly dropped and snow showers started building. I had heard rumors of heavy snow that night and it was shaping up to be true! I took a lunch break at a chalet on the mountain and pushed myself as long as I could and finally stopped around 4pm. I spent the evening relaxing and enjoying dinner with the other guests in my chalet before watching a movie and hitting the hay!
When I went to bed, it had been snowing heavily for hours. When I woke up, I saw that it hadn't let up all night. Anywhere between 6-12 inches of fresh snow fell over night depending on where you were on the mountain and it was incredible! So incredible that the lifts actually opened about 45 minutes late in order for them to do some avalanche control and prepare the lifts. I did some laps on the drag lift that was operating until the main gondola opened and I headed up. I spent pretty much the entire day doing laps on one lift, and somehow I had fresh tracks in places all the way through the last run of the day. The snow was incredible and no matter where I went, I found stashes hidden off-piste and was pretty happy with myself when I found a great route down through pockets of trees and off-piste areas. I ventured up to the very top a couple times, but the weather was so cold that I didn't find it worth it. However, the second half of the day cleared up and provided a bluebell sunny day. I honestly could not have asked for better snow conditions or weather. It was one of those days you just don't forget! I breaked for lunch at my chalet before heading back out on the slopes for as long as my legs would carry me.
I had a similar night as the night before knowing that I had an early morning the next day. I was also a bit worried about the drive back due to all the snow we had that day. I got up and left by around 6am hoping to spend a few hours in Grenoble before catching my flight. Fortunately, the road was pretty clear and the drive went quick. I arrived in Grenoble and had about 3 hours before I needed to get to the airport. Since it was Sunday, I found that pretty much everything was closed, as always in Europe. However, I enjoyed walking the empty streets, crossing the many bridges over the river and visiting a number of markets that were open in some of the squares. I bought some fresh croissants to bring back for Nat and took plenty of pictures of the city and the nearby mountain views. Although I didn't really get a good feel for what Grenoble was like, it was a beautiful city in a stunning surrounding. I enjoyed walking around for a while, but was happy to leave since it was fairly boring and freezing cold.
Overall, it was an excellent trip. Although I'm not the biggest fan of France, mostly because I don't understand the language at all, it was a great place to go for a ski trip. I lucked out with a good place to stay and people to talk to even though I was in the middle of the French Alps, and I was lucky to find great deals on a flight and car rental which made the trip pretty affordable. Another succesful trip in Europe!
Down in Dover
Dover is generally known in the UK as an industrial port town. It is the departing point for ferries to France as it lies on the narrowest gap across the English Channel. Due to it's proximity to France, it's always been an important strategic location. It also has one of the oldest and most well-preserved castles in England that dates back to 1050.
Pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/DoverCastle?feat=directlink
The main reason for our visit to Dover was to visit the Dover Castle. The castle was originally founded by Romans, and later played a part in Saxon, Norman and Napoleonic times. It originally had two 80 foot Roman lighthouses, one of which still exists.
The most interesting part about the castle was it's purpose during the last 150-200 years. The castle has a series of underground tunnels, originally built to hide soldiers during the height of the Napoleonic Wars. They could shelter over 2000 men and were the only underground barracks ever built in Britain. During the second world war, they were upgraded with a military telephone exchange room. The switchboards were constantly in use and were used both as direct communication with navy vessels and direct air-sea rescue aircraft to pick up pilots shot down in the Channel. Later, the tunnels were used for government officials as an emergency shelter in case of a nuclear attack. It was soon discovered, however, that the chalk cliffs would not be strong enough to protect anyone from nuclear radiation.
Unfortunately, the tours of the underground tunnels were booked for the day, but we still spent the chilly afternoon exploring the castle grounds and the many buildings you can enter. The highlight was the main tower you can climb and the outstanding landscape that was created in order to protect the castle grounds.
Dover is also known for it's White Cliffs. Immediately outside of the city limits, the countryside opens to rolling fields that abruptly end at cliffs directly above the sea. Due to the fact that they are literally made of chalk, they shine white with accented lines of black flint. They cliffs are up to 350 feet high and they really do form a dramatic background to the sea and tiny pebble beaches formed in small coves below.
After dark, we decided to take the short drive up to Canterbury for dinner. We had visited Canterbury in June for a night, and we enjoyed the old center of the medieval town then and now. We found a very nice pub called The Dolphin due to a friend's recommendation and had some excellent food before driving back to London.
Pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/DoverCastle?feat=directlink
The main reason for our visit to Dover was to visit the Dover Castle. The castle was originally founded by Romans, and later played a part in Saxon, Norman and Napoleonic times. It originally had two 80 foot Roman lighthouses, one of which still exists.
The most interesting part about the castle was it's purpose during the last 150-200 years. The castle has a series of underground tunnels, originally built to hide soldiers during the height of the Napoleonic Wars. They could shelter over 2000 men and were the only underground barracks ever built in Britain. During the second world war, they were upgraded with a military telephone exchange room. The switchboards were constantly in use and were used both as direct communication with navy vessels and direct air-sea rescue aircraft to pick up pilots shot down in the Channel. Later, the tunnels were used for government officials as an emergency shelter in case of a nuclear attack. It was soon discovered, however, that the chalk cliffs would not be strong enough to protect anyone from nuclear radiation.
Unfortunately, the tours of the underground tunnels were booked for the day, but we still spent the chilly afternoon exploring the castle grounds and the many buildings you can enter. The highlight was the main tower you can climb and the outstanding landscape that was created in order to protect the castle grounds.
Dover is also known for it's White Cliffs. Immediately outside of the city limits, the countryside opens to rolling fields that abruptly end at cliffs directly above the sea. Due to the fact that they are literally made of chalk, they shine white with accented lines of black flint. They cliffs are up to 350 feet high and they really do form a dramatic background to the sea and tiny pebble beaches formed in small coves below.
After dark, we decided to take the short drive up to Canterbury for dinner. We had visited Canterbury in June for a night, and we enjoyed the old center of the medieval town then and now. We found a very nice pub called The Dolphin due to a friend's recommendation and had some excellent food before driving back to London.
Amsterdam in Black & White
Ok, so I'm two months late to wish you a Happy New Year. I'm sorry about that, but I hope all of you had an excellent New Year. Which really doesn't make any sense because what does that even mean? Am I wishing you a happy New Year day? Because the only thing that really matters is the Eve to New Year day. Am I wishing you a happy entire year? Because if I was I don't think I would say New Year. So let me re-phrase. I hope all of you had an excellent New Years Eve and here's to a happy 2010!
I spent my New Year's Eve in Holland. Technically, it started the States and then I landed in Holland mid-morning.
Pictures Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Amsterdam?feat=directlink
To give some background, Nat's uncle (mom's sister's husband) is Dutch, and his parents still live in Holland. They have a nice house in the village of Hilversum, a rather posh area about 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam. So they generally spend the New Years in Holland visiting the family and lighting fireworks. You think I joke when I mention lighting fireworks, but in fact the Dutch have an oddly strong affinity for fireworks. Not only could you possibly hear them at any time of day or night for the week surrounding January 1st, but the stroke of midnight itself was like being in the middle of World War III. We spent the evening indoors due to the freezing temperatures outside, and enjoyed ourselves with lots of Wii, food and drink. We even built a large fire outside to prepare for the stroke of midnight. After the countdown on TV, I walked outside and honestly could not believe what I heard or saw. Literally every single person in the entire country must have been outside lighting a dozen fireworks at the same time repeatedly for about 15 minutes. The sky lit up as if it was dawn and the sound thundered louder than thunder itself. The Dutch know their fireworks and know how to have a good time. It was awesome.
Unfortunately, the Dutch are also slightly crazy...and I mean that literally. I was warned about the antics that would likely happen that night, and I have to admit I enjoyed it. It basically went like this. We heard loud fireworks. We lit loud fireworks. We lit a lot more fireworks. We saw a lot more fireworks. Someone threw a stack of firecrackers at my feet. A bottle rocket whizzed by my head. I lit a roman candle and pointed at the culprit, making sure to hit them at least once. Another stack of firecrackers were thrown at someone. Roman candles came at me. And so it went until the 4 dozen roman candles, literally thousands of firecrackers, and everything else was gone. I woke up to some burn marks in my jacket, and a bruised ear twice it's normal size. It was an awesome night.
As most New Year Days go, we spent it sleeping in, having a huge breakfast, and chilling out for the day. All of the family came over that night and we enjoyed a lot more food. I even got to watch the Ducks play in the Rose Bowl on the internet!
The highlight of the trip was our day spent in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, my camera has been having it's problems lately and I haven't been happy with the pictures that it produces. However, I found that if I took pictures in black & white, they turned out surprisingly nice! Since I had been to Amsterdam before, I thought it would be fun to take the entire days worth of pictures in black & white.
Despite it's obvious inappropriateness and extreme tackiness, Amsterdam really is a nice city. I once described Amsterdam as Europe's version of Vegas, but was corrected and told that Vegas is America's version of Amsterdam. A lot happens in this city, but no matter who you are, you'll find something you like. We spent most of the day walking the streets and then getting something warm to drink when we were too cold. We visited some of our favorite spots from last time, and when Nat's uncle and family joined us in the afternoon, he showed us some new spots. The streets were still littered with piles of firework debree, and we enjoyed a really chill day exploring the city and enjoying ourselves.
Nat and I decided to stay for dinner while the others went back, and we chose a cozy looking resturaunt that had some Dutch food on the menu. After we ordered our drinks, we were told that they only had two items left on the menu: the burger or the chicken satay. Although we were hoping for some more traditional food, I got the burger and Nat got the Satay and we were both very happy with the meal. I started the day with a classic Dutch breakfast of toast topped with ham, cheese and a few eggs over easy and was still reveling in it's goodness.
The rest of our trip was spent in Hilversum visiting the shops and having a nice meal in one of the local pubs/resturaunts. We had a really nice time, and as always it was dissapointing to leave. Although I should mention that to make room for Nat and I, we were put in a transformed garage where a bed had been placed. I should point out that this was a real garage, however it was made up very well for us and I was quite impressed. It wasn't even too cold...after the space heater was on for a while. I took the ferry back with Nat's family as they had taken the ferry there with their cars. The ferry was overnight and lasted about 8 hours, which was a bit weird but we slept during most of it. And as always, there is never any rest; we went straight in to work the morning we arrived back in London.
I hope you enjoy the black & white for something different. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I spent my New Year's Eve in Holland. Technically, it started the States and then I landed in Holland mid-morning.
Pictures Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Amsterdam?feat=directlink
To give some background, Nat's uncle (mom's sister's husband) is Dutch, and his parents still live in Holland. They have a nice house in the village of Hilversum, a rather posh area about 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam. So they generally spend the New Years in Holland visiting the family and lighting fireworks. You think I joke when I mention lighting fireworks, but in fact the Dutch have an oddly strong affinity for fireworks. Not only could you possibly hear them at any time of day or night for the week surrounding January 1st, but the stroke of midnight itself was like being in the middle of World War III. We spent the evening indoors due to the freezing temperatures outside, and enjoyed ourselves with lots of Wii, food and drink. We even built a large fire outside to prepare for the stroke of midnight. After the countdown on TV, I walked outside and honestly could not believe what I heard or saw. Literally every single person in the entire country must have been outside lighting a dozen fireworks at the same time repeatedly for about 15 minutes. The sky lit up as if it was dawn and the sound thundered louder than thunder itself. The Dutch know their fireworks and know how to have a good time. It was awesome.
Unfortunately, the Dutch are also slightly crazy...and I mean that literally. I was warned about the antics that would likely happen that night, and I have to admit I enjoyed it. It basically went like this. We heard loud fireworks. We lit loud fireworks. We lit a lot more fireworks. We saw a lot more fireworks. Someone threw a stack of firecrackers at my feet. A bottle rocket whizzed by my head. I lit a roman candle and pointed at the culprit, making sure to hit them at least once. Another stack of firecrackers were thrown at someone. Roman candles came at me. And so it went until the 4 dozen roman candles, literally thousands of firecrackers, and everything else was gone. I woke up to some burn marks in my jacket, and a bruised ear twice it's normal size. It was an awesome night.
As most New Year Days go, we spent it sleeping in, having a huge breakfast, and chilling out for the day. All of the family came over that night and we enjoyed a lot more food. I even got to watch the Ducks play in the Rose Bowl on the internet!
The highlight of the trip was our day spent in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, my camera has been having it's problems lately and I haven't been happy with the pictures that it produces. However, I found that if I took pictures in black & white, they turned out surprisingly nice! Since I had been to Amsterdam before, I thought it would be fun to take the entire days worth of pictures in black & white.
Despite it's obvious inappropriateness and extreme tackiness, Amsterdam really is a nice city. I once described Amsterdam as Europe's version of Vegas, but was corrected and told that Vegas is America's version of Amsterdam. A lot happens in this city, but no matter who you are, you'll find something you like. We spent most of the day walking the streets and then getting something warm to drink when we were too cold. We visited some of our favorite spots from last time, and when Nat's uncle and family joined us in the afternoon, he showed us some new spots. The streets were still littered with piles of firework debree, and we enjoyed a really chill day exploring the city and enjoying ourselves.
Nat and I decided to stay for dinner while the others went back, and we chose a cozy looking resturaunt that had some Dutch food on the menu. After we ordered our drinks, we were told that they only had two items left on the menu: the burger or the chicken satay. Although we were hoping for some more traditional food, I got the burger and Nat got the Satay and we were both very happy with the meal. I started the day with a classic Dutch breakfast of toast topped with ham, cheese and a few eggs over easy and was still reveling in it's goodness.
The rest of our trip was spent in Hilversum visiting the shops and having a nice meal in one of the local pubs/resturaunts. We had a really nice time, and as always it was dissapointing to leave. Although I should mention that to make room for Nat and I, we were put in a transformed garage where a bed had been placed. I should point out that this was a real garage, however it was made up very well for us and I was quite impressed. It wasn't even too cold...after the space heater was on for a while. I took the ferry back with Nat's family as they had taken the ferry there with their cars. The ferry was overnight and lasted about 8 hours, which was a bit weird but we slept during most of it. And as always, there is never any rest; we went straight in to work the morning we arrived back in London.
I hope you enjoy the black & white for something different. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
1.12.2010
The Weekend That Shouldn't Have Happened
Wow, well yet again, it's been a while since I've posted a blog. But just so you all know, I have been working on a few blog posts so there will be plenty to come! I started writing this one over a month ago, so I guess I'll begin there...
The holiday season is an easy benchmark to step back and reflect on the previous year. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend the past year in Europe taking advantage of the opportunity I have been given. I’ve been in London for 19 months now and it’s beginning to feel like more of a home than a vacation. Regardless, it’s always important to take advantage of your surroundings instead of take it for granted. This last month has been an excellent time to explore what London has to offer. With that said, Nat and I planned to take a weekend break to Brugge before we went our separate ways for Christmas. Unfortunately, Eurostar (the train provider for all trains through the chunnel to Europe) had a different plan...
Pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Wales?feat=directlink
Amidst the constant barrage of mince pies and holiday parties, Nat and I spent some time in London during the past month exploring the Christmas festivities. Our stops included the lively Borough Market, a Cologne-style Christmas market on the Southbank, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, and the classy shopping district of Oxford Street. I could write a separate blog just about these, but have decided to focus this blog on the final weekend I spent in the UK during 2009.
To top the excitement we all had after our final Friday in the office, Nat and I had planned a 3 day trip to Belgium to see the sights of Brugge and Belgium. We hoped to explore the Christmas Markets and feast on endless amounts of chocolate, waffles, beer, and Brussel Sprouts. Unfortunately, for the first time in it's existence, Eurostar shut down for 4 days due to a number of trains that got stuck in the tunnel under the English Channel. Apparently the final cause was that the extreme contrast of the bitter cold above ground and the warmer temperatures in the chunnel caused an engineering malfunction, which at one point trapped a train and it's passengers in the tunnel for over 10 hours without food, water or decent air. Luckily we weren't on that train, but regardless we found out our trip was canceled only hours before we were supposed to leave. Therefore, we had three entire days to kill before I left for the States and Nat left for Wales to meet her family.
Nat's family rents a house in Wales for a week each Christmas so they all have a nice large place to spend some time together outside of London. Although Nat wasn't planning on arriving until Christmas Eve, her family was leaving the Sunday before. So we decided to do the same and stay for one night before heading back to London to catch my flight. Nat and I left Sunday morning and took a slight detour on our way through what's called the Cotswolds.
The Cotswolds is a large area of small, quaint villages. When you think of classic and traditional England, this is what you have in mind. Villages full of thatched roofs, small one-laned roads winding through the rolling countryside, and friendly people having an afternoon stroll. Getting out in the "wild" is a bit different in England than it would be in Colorado or Oregon, but it doesn't mean it's any worse. Here, it means that you wind through a country lane for 10 minutes before you run in to the next village, which may only consist of a few houses and a small stream. It means seeing sheep grazing on a hillside and a red telephone booth sitting in a turnout on the road. It means waving at the drivers who stop to make room on the road and smoking chimneys filling the cold air with winter. It's a really nice area to see and every turn brings in a new sight to see.
We made our way through a few villages highlighted in a book I had, and wound our way through the countryside between each of them, eventually making our way to the Welsh border and towards the house Nat's family had rented. We eventually made our way through a one-laned dirt track to the house after dark, and I was immediately impressed by the old, stone house that looked like it could have stood centuries ago. I didn't realize how amazing it was until the next morning. Surprisingly, we woke up to a few inches of snow which covered the countryside and the large valley that sat in full view in front of the house. There was a small, ancient church that incorporated itself into the view as if it were built for that purpose. The house itself was amazing; a large two story house framed and sided entirely with stone. We spent the morning walking around the small-laned roads and visiting the church and it's small grounds which is open at all times. It was really something to be in the true Welsh countryside where a church hundreds of years old is left open and neighbors wheel around gravel to shovel on the snowy roads. It's as if traditions from ages ago are still practiced today.
Since Nat and I had to head back to London, we left later that morning, picked up some food in the nearby town, and headed toward Brecon Beacons National Park nearby. I had read about the park in some of my hiking magazines and have been wanting to check it out for quite a while. Unfortunately, the daylight quickly slipped by us and the conditions in the "mountains" were very snowy, but we did get out and walk around the highest trailhead in the area. Although it was foggy and snowy, I was very impressed by the ruggedness and size of the beacons as they rise from the valleys below. Some of the pictures are quite impressive!
After dark we finally headed back to London, and what a journey it was! What should have been a drive under three hours took nearly 8 due to the snow along the way. To make matters worse, we tried our luck off of the motorway and soon learned it was a complete mistake. We passed roads that were impassable and traffic even worse than what was on the motorway. An hour later, we joined the highway only one exit past where we got off. We eventually made it in to London and my flight left the next morning for the States, although it was delayed.
We have rebooked our trip to Brugge for Valentines weekend, so stay tuned to hear about that!
The holiday season is an easy benchmark to step back and reflect on the previous year. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend the past year in Europe taking advantage of the opportunity I have been given. I’ve been in London for 19 months now and it’s beginning to feel like more of a home than a vacation. Regardless, it’s always important to take advantage of your surroundings instead of take it for granted. This last month has been an excellent time to explore what London has to offer. With that said, Nat and I planned to take a weekend break to Brugge before we went our separate ways for Christmas. Unfortunately, Eurostar (the train provider for all trains through the chunnel to Europe) had a different plan...
Pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Wales?feat=directlink
Amidst the constant barrage of mince pies and holiday parties, Nat and I spent some time in London during the past month exploring the Christmas festivities. Our stops included the lively Borough Market, a Cologne-style Christmas market on the Southbank, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, and the classy shopping district of Oxford Street. I could write a separate blog just about these, but have decided to focus this blog on the final weekend I spent in the UK during 2009.
To top the excitement we all had after our final Friday in the office, Nat and I had planned a 3 day trip to Belgium to see the sights of Brugge and Belgium. We hoped to explore the Christmas Markets and feast on endless amounts of chocolate, waffles, beer, and Brussel Sprouts. Unfortunately, for the first time in it's existence, Eurostar shut down for 4 days due to a number of trains that got stuck in the tunnel under the English Channel. Apparently the final cause was that the extreme contrast of the bitter cold above ground and the warmer temperatures in the chunnel caused an engineering malfunction, which at one point trapped a train and it's passengers in the tunnel for over 10 hours without food, water or decent air. Luckily we weren't on that train, but regardless we found out our trip was canceled only hours before we were supposed to leave. Therefore, we had three entire days to kill before I left for the States and Nat left for Wales to meet her family.
Nat's family rents a house in Wales for a week each Christmas so they all have a nice large place to spend some time together outside of London. Although Nat wasn't planning on arriving until Christmas Eve, her family was leaving the Sunday before. So we decided to do the same and stay for one night before heading back to London to catch my flight. Nat and I left Sunday morning and took a slight detour on our way through what's called the Cotswolds.
The Cotswolds is a large area of small, quaint villages. When you think of classic and traditional England, this is what you have in mind. Villages full of thatched roofs, small one-laned roads winding through the rolling countryside, and friendly people having an afternoon stroll. Getting out in the "wild" is a bit different in England than it would be in Colorado or Oregon, but it doesn't mean it's any worse. Here, it means that you wind through a country lane for 10 minutes before you run in to the next village, which may only consist of a few houses and a small stream. It means seeing sheep grazing on a hillside and a red telephone booth sitting in a turnout on the road. It means waving at the drivers who stop to make room on the road and smoking chimneys filling the cold air with winter. It's a really nice area to see and every turn brings in a new sight to see.
We made our way through a few villages highlighted in a book I had, and wound our way through the countryside between each of them, eventually making our way to the Welsh border and towards the house Nat's family had rented. We eventually made our way through a one-laned dirt track to the house after dark, and I was immediately impressed by the old, stone house that looked like it could have stood centuries ago. I didn't realize how amazing it was until the next morning. Surprisingly, we woke up to a few inches of snow which covered the countryside and the large valley that sat in full view in front of the house. There was a small, ancient church that incorporated itself into the view as if it were built for that purpose. The house itself was amazing; a large two story house framed and sided entirely with stone. We spent the morning walking around the small-laned roads and visiting the church and it's small grounds which is open at all times. It was really something to be in the true Welsh countryside where a church hundreds of years old is left open and neighbors wheel around gravel to shovel on the snowy roads. It's as if traditions from ages ago are still practiced today.
Since Nat and I had to head back to London, we left later that morning, picked up some food in the nearby town, and headed toward Brecon Beacons National Park nearby. I had read about the park in some of my hiking magazines and have been wanting to check it out for quite a while. Unfortunately, the daylight quickly slipped by us and the conditions in the "mountains" were very snowy, but we did get out and walk around the highest trailhead in the area. Although it was foggy and snowy, I was very impressed by the ruggedness and size of the beacons as they rise from the valleys below. Some of the pictures are quite impressive!
After dark we finally headed back to London, and what a journey it was! What should have been a drive under three hours took nearly 8 due to the snow along the way. To make matters worse, we tried our luck off of the motorway and soon learned it was a complete mistake. We passed roads that were impassable and traffic even worse than what was on the motorway. An hour later, we joined the highway only one exit past where we got off. We eventually made it in to London and my flight left the next morning for the States, although it was delayed.
We have rebooked our trip to Brugge for Valentines weekend, so stay tuned to hear about that!
12.04.2009
Another year, Another Holiday Season
That's right...my second Thanksgiving in the UK has now passed, and it was certainly one to remember. In similar fashion to last year, some American buddies and I cooked up a huge feast for our friends. We built on our theme last year of strictly traditional American food by stepping it up a bit. With a slightly smaller group, we were able to be less overwhelmed with the quantity of food and focused more on the recipes.
Pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Thanksgiving2009?feat=directlink
I decided to host the event this year, which was great as my flat has room to entertain and a large kitchen space to cook in. My colleague Ellen and I worked from home, which allowed us to start cooking around noon until the guests showed up around 6. Even though the dinner wasn't ready until after 8pm, everyone had a great time eating snacks and drinks that we asked everyone to bring. The night's menu consisted of the following:
- 22 lb Turkey roasted in sage, thyme & rosemary butter and root vegetables
- Big B's Mashed Potatoes
- Homemade Creamed Corn with fresh cream and parmesan cheese
- Candied Yam & Apple Bake
- Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing
- Green Bean Casserole with french fried onions
- Brussel Sprouts with cream and bacon
- Cranberry Sauce with fresh cranberries, pecans and peaches
- Turkey Gravy made from giblets
- Dinner Rolls
- 2 Pumpkin Pies
- 2 Pecan Pies
We had about 15 people to feed and the best part was that we didn't run out of anything!
Without the Thanksgiving holiday, there is really no boundary for Christmas cheer in Londontown. Street decorations, shops and commercials have been in full swing for weeks already. I'll be spending these last couple weeks trying to enjoy the sights and sounds that provide the Christmas cheer around London. Stay tuned to see them yourself!
Finally, with the holidays approaching, I'll be doing some traveling to spend time with family and friends. First, I'll be heading to Brugge, Belgium for a long weekend with Nat. The day after our return to London, I'll leave for Oregon and will be there the 22nd until the 30th of December. Then I'll be in Amsterdam/Holland to celebrate the New Year with some of Nat's family. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season and eats a lot of food. Merry Christmas!
Pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Thanksgiving2009?feat=directlink
I decided to host the event this year, which was great as my flat has room to entertain and a large kitchen space to cook in. My colleague Ellen and I worked from home, which allowed us to start cooking around noon until the guests showed up around 6. Even though the dinner wasn't ready until after 8pm, everyone had a great time eating snacks and drinks that we asked everyone to bring. The night's menu consisted of the following:
- 22 lb Turkey roasted in sage, thyme & rosemary butter and root vegetables
- Big B's Mashed Potatoes
- Homemade Creamed Corn with fresh cream and parmesan cheese
- Candied Yam & Apple Bake
- Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing
- Green Bean Casserole with french fried onions
- Brussel Sprouts with cream and bacon
- Cranberry Sauce with fresh cranberries, pecans and peaches
- Turkey Gravy made from giblets
- Dinner Rolls
- 2 Pumpkin Pies
- 2 Pecan Pies
We had about 15 people to feed and the best part was that we didn't run out of anything!
Without the Thanksgiving holiday, there is really no boundary for Christmas cheer in Londontown. Street decorations, shops and commercials have been in full swing for weeks already. I'll be spending these last couple weeks trying to enjoy the sights and sounds that provide the Christmas cheer around London. Stay tuned to see them yourself!
Finally, with the holidays approaching, I'll be doing some traveling to spend time with family and friends. First, I'll be heading to Brugge, Belgium for a long weekend with Nat. The day after our return to London, I'll leave for Oregon and will be there the 22nd until the 30th of December. Then I'll be in Amsterdam/Holland to celebrate the New Year with some of Nat's family. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season and eats a lot of food. Merry Christmas!
11.13.2009
Bath, Somerset
Well hello there. It's been a while, a long while, and for that I apologize. I have missed writing in this blog and I am here to assure you that I have not dissapeared and that I will not stop. As I'm sure you're aware, it's been a busy summer. And I guess Summer is a pretty loose term because in reality I mean the last 6 months or so. I've set my expectations too high, I think, by planning on writing about each adventure I've had over the last few months. So in the interest of reviving this blog, and keeping it going with strength and vigor, I have decided to scrap that idea and start fresh. For those of you that have access to Facebook, you have at least seen pictures of everything I've been up to. And for those of you that don't, well then just ask if you'd like to hear more about it! So with all of that said...
Click here to see pics: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Bath?feat=directlink
I recently took a surprise weekend trip to the town of Bath, located in the county of Somerset about 100 miles west of London. I say surprise, because I surprised my girlfriend for our 6 month anniversary. Bath is a beautiful town with history that goes back as far as 43AD. This is because it was originally settled by Romans who found it's natural hot springs, the only ones in the United Kingdom, to be something from the Gods. The town of 83k is nestled in a small valley surrounded by hills and is home to a World Heritage Site, the River Avon and a university.
We arrived in Bath on Saturday afternoon and checked in to our B&B which sat just across the river from the center of town. We dropped off our bags in the room and ventured out by foot to explore the city. We decided our first stop would be for some food, and I had read about a place that serves an excellent afternoon tea. Now for those of you that don't know, tea doesn't necessarily just mean tea. A traditional Cream Tea, for example, is a scone served with clotted cream and jam, often some fruit and a pot of tea. It can also consist of small sandwiches, a variety of scones, and cakes. The place I read about was the Jane Austen Center, which was a bit awkward at first. Most of you probably know who Jane Austen is (think Pride and Predjudice), so imagine the two of us walking into a tea shop on the top level of her museum. It was filled with a lot of ladies, most of them older than our combined ages. But I have to say the food, and tea, was excellent. I ordered the "Ladies Afternoon Tea" after Nat refused to order it for me. It consisted of small cheese and cucumber sandwiches and a scone with Strawberry jam and clotted cream. And a huge pot of Earl Gray.
We then spent the afternoon exploring the center. Bath is a city like no other in England. It's the first place I've been in England where with every corner I turned, I wanted to take another picture. It was as if I was somewhere abroad in Europe with it's unique architecture, winding cobblestone streets, and a history rich with a variety of influences. The high street shops were masked by a look and feel that matched the rest of the buildings and the streets were full of market stalls and tourists enjoying the rain-free afternoon. After an afternoon of sight-seeing and shopping, we decided to settle in for a snack and a drink before heading up to the University to watch the Bonfire Night fireworks. Bonfire night, or Guy Fawkes Night, is an annual celebration that marks the anniversary Guy Fawkes tried to blow up The Houses of Parliament (Big Ben). If you've seen V for Vendetta, that's pretty much the story. The tradition is to gather around a huge bonfire and light a bunch of fireworks. Personally, I'm not really sure if they are celebrating the fact that he should have blown up, or did not blow up Big Ben, but I love fireworks so I'm happy.
The next morning, we woke up to a wonderful full English breakfast at our B&B. The Full English never lets me down and always starts the day off right, even if it is the best part of your entire caloric intake for a normal day. After breakfast, we walked back to the center of town with our swimsuits in hand. Along with the historic Roman Baths, Bath offers a large spa that uses water from the natural springs. The Thermae spa includes a rooftop pool, a large indoor pool and 4 scented steam rooms. Both of the pools were quite warm and the steam rooms varied in temperature and "flavor." Surprisingly, my favorite part of the entire morning was the mint steamroom. It was like the Mint Room at the Celestial Seasonings Tea tour in Boulder, but hot and steamy. I didn't want to leave!
After our relaxing two hour spa session, we took a tour of the Roman Baths. I was amazed at how ancient and well preserved the baths were. Our audio guide told us (as we were shown) the progression of the baths over the several hundred years the Romans inhabited the area. We were also able to view all of the baths and see how they were connected by channels, tunnels and drainage ditches constructed by Roman engineers. Only a fraction of the entire Roman Baths complex has been excavated because the city was built on top a lot of it. It's amazing how intellegant the Romans were when building the vast system of pools, baths and heat/steam rooms. I found it very interesting how the current street level is an entire story above where the street level used to be when the baths were constructed.
After grabbing a quick snack, we headed a quick mile out of town to Prior Park. The Park is a National Trust site that sits on a hill overlooking the entire valley and city. It displays beautiful gardens, woodlands and a small trail system through and around the park. It also has a small lake at the bottom of the park with a ornamental Palladian bridge, one of only four in the world. Although the weather was quite cold and cloudy, it was still a short side trip well worth a visit! But to warm up, we decided to head back into town for a hearty meal before going back to London. While waiting for the pub I had read about to open for dinner, we explored a different part of the center that included the Royal Crescent. It's a large row of flats built into a half-circle and faces a large park. It looks surprisingly quite impressive!
At 6pm, the Raven Pub finally opened and they are known for their amazing pies. And when I say pies, I mean the meat variety...not the dessert! I ordered a Steak & Ale pie with a unique addition of chorizo and butter beans. It was delicious and served with a nice helping of mashed potato. And of course the meal wasn't complete without a pint of beer brewed in-house and a Sticky Toffee Putting with ice cream for dessert!
Click here to see pics: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Bath?feat=directlink
I recently took a surprise weekend trip to the town of Bath, located in the county of Somerset about 100 miles west of London. I say surprise, because I surprised my girlfriend for our 6 month anniversary. Bath is a beautiful town with history that goes back as far as 43AD. This is because it was originally settled by Romans who found it's natural hot springs, the only ones in the United Kingdom, to be something from the Gods. The town of 83k is nestled in a small valley surrounded by hills and is home to a World Heritage Site, the River Avon and a university.
We arrived in Bath on Saturday afternoon and checked in to our B&B which sat just across the river from the center of town. We dropped off our bags in the room and ventured out by foot to explore the city. We decided our first stop would be for some food, and I had read about a place that serves an excellent afternoon tea. Now for those of you that don't know, tea doesn't necessarily just mean tea. A traditional Cream Tea, for example, is a scone served with clotted cream and jam, often some fruit and a pot of tea. It can also consist of small sandwiches, a variety of scones, and cakes. The place I read about was the Jane Austen Center, which was a bit awkward at first. Most of you probably know who Jane Austen is (think Pride and Predjudice), so imagine the two of us walking into a tea shop on the top level of her museum. It was filled with a lot of ladies, most of them older than our combined ages. But I have to say the food, and tea, was excellent. I ordered the "Ladies Afternoon Tea" after Nat refused to order it for me. It consisted of small cheese and cucumber sandwiches and a scone with Strawberry jam and clotted cream. And a huge pot of Earl Gray.
We then spent the afternoon exploring the center. Bath is a city like no other in England. It's the first place I've been in England where with every corner I turned, I wanted to take another picture. It was as if I was somewhere abroad in Europe with it's unique architecture, winding cobblestone streets, and a history rich with a variety of influences. The high street shops were masked by a look and feel that matched the rest of the buildings and the streets were full of market stalls and tourists enjoying the rain-free afternoon. After an afternoon of sight-seeing and shopping, we decided to settle in for a snack and a drink before heading up to the University to watch the Bonfire Night fireworks. Bonfire night, or Guy Fawkes Night, is an annual celebration that marks the anniversary Guy Fawkes tried to blow up The Houses of Parliament (Big Ben). If you've seen V for Vendetta, that's pretty much the story. The tradition is to gather around a huge bonfire and light a bunch of fireworks. Personally, I'm not really sure if they are celebrating the fact that he should have blown up, or did not blow up Big Ben, but I love fireworks so I'm happy.
The next morning, we woke up to a wonderful full English breakfast at our B&B. The Full English never lets me down and always starts the day off right, even if it is the best part of your entire caloric intake for a normal day. After breakfast, we walked back to the center of town with our swimsuits in hand. Along with the historic Roman Baths, Bath offers a large spa that uses water from the natural springs. The Thermae spa includes a rooftop pool, a large indoor pool and 4 scented steam rooms. Both of the pools were quite warm and the steam rooms varied in temperature and "flavor." Surprisingly, my favorite part of the entire morning was the mint steamroom. It was like the Mint Room at the Celestial Seasonings Tea tour in Boulder, but hot and steamy. I didn't want to leave!
After our relaxing two hour spa session, we took a tour of the Roman Baths. I was amazed at how ancient and well preserved the baths were. Our audio guide told us (as we were shown) the progression of the baths over the several hundred years the Romans inhabited the area. We were also able to view all of the baths and see how they were connected by channels, tunnels and drainage ditches constructed by Roman engineers. Only a fraction of the entire Roman Baths complex has been excavated because the city was built on top a lot of it. It's amazing how intellegant the Romans were when building the vast system of pools, baths and heat/steam rooms. I found it very interesting how the current street level is an entire story above where the street level used to be when the baths were constructed.
After grabbing a quick snack, we headed a quick mile out of town to Prior Park. The Park is a National Trust site that sits on a hill overlooking the entire valley and city. It displays beautiful gardens, woodlands and a small trail system through and around the park. It also has a small lake at the bottom of the park with a ornamental Palladian bridge, one of only four in the world. Although the weather was quite cold and cloudy, it was still a short side trip well worth a visit! But to warm up, we decided to head back into town for a hearty meal before going back to London. While waiting for the pub I had read about to open for dinner, we explored a different part of the center that included the Royal Crescent. It's a large row of flats built into a half-circle and faces a large park. It looks surprisingly quite impressive!
At 6pm, the Raven Pub finally opened and they are known for their amazing pies. And when I say pies, I mean the meat variety...not the dessert! I ordered a Steak & Ale pie with a unique addition of chorizo and butter beans. It was delicious and served with a nice helping of mashed potato. And of course the meal wasn't complete without a pint of beer brewed in-house and a Sticky Toffee Putting with ice cream for dessert!
8.14.2009
An English Summer
Whoa, it's been a really long time since I've posted on here. My goal was to not turn into one of those distant bloggers that slowly disappeared off the face of the earth. But it looks like that happened. It's been a very busy summer and I do have a lot to post; trips and adventures dating all the way back to May. I promise that I will get everything posted, with pictures, eventually. First, I'd like to give everyone an update on what I've been up to!
In May, a few friends and I took a camping trip to the Southwest corner of England, otherwise known as Cornwall. We enjoyed some excellent weather on the beach and I introduced everyone to the wonderful goodness of Smores. A few weeks later, my friends Ryan and Brianne came to visit. We took a trip to Amsterdam with some friends and then continued our adventure to Berlin where we spent a few days before returning to London. In June, another friend, Susie, came to visit. She spent a week in London before heading to France for 5 days. A few days after her departure from London, another friend, Julie, came to visit. We went to West Africa for two full weeks to visit our friend Kate and it was the adventure of a lifetime. It's going to take me some time to compile my journal and pictures of this trip, but you can expect a very detailed (and hopefully entertaining) reflection of the trip in the future. Finally, last weekend my girlfriend and I took a trip to Sardinia for a long week, an Italian island in the middle of the Mediterranean. Things will finally calm down for the next couple weeks before I leave for the States to attend my brother's wedding festivities and visit my friends in Colorado. By the way, yes, I said girlfriend.
I know that you were probably hoping to see some exciting pictures and read things about my summer. If you have facebook, I have kept the pictures a little more updated there. Otherwise, I have a selective variety of them below. But I do promise that more will follow shortly...a lot more.
Also, although my time will be short, I would love to see all of you when I'm home next month! Here are the dates I'll be around:
In Oregon September 2nd to 16th
In Colorado September 16th to 22nd
Pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Randoms?feat=directlink
In May, a few friends and I took a camping trip to the Southwest corner of England, otherwise known as Cornwall. We enjoyed some excellent weather on the beach and I introduced everyone to the wonderful goodness of Smores. A few weeks later, my friends Ryan and Brianne came to visit. We took a trip to Amsterdam with some friends and then continued our adventure to Berlin where we spent a few days before returning to London. In June, another friend, Susie, came to visit. She spent a week in London before heading to France for 5 days. A few days after her departure from London, another friend, Julie, came to visit. We went to West Africa for two full weeks to visit our friend Kate and it was the adventure of a lifetime. It's going to take me some time to compile my journal and pictures of this trip, but you can expect a very detailed (and hopefully entertaining) reflection of the trip in the future. Finally, last weekend my girlfriend and I took a trip to Sardinia for a long week, an Italian island in the middle of the Mediterranean. Things will finally calm down for the next couple weeks before I leave for the States to attend my brother's wedding festivities and visit my friends in Colorado. By the way, yes, I said girlfriend.
I know that you were probably hoping to see some exciting pictures and read things about my summer. If you have facebook, I have kept the pictures a little more updated there. Otherwise, I have a selective variety of them below. But I do promise that more will follow shortly...a lot more.
Also, although my time will be short, I would love to see all of you when I'm home next month! Here are the dates I'll be around:
In Oregon September 2nd to 16th
In Colorado September 16th to 22nd
Pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bribergey/Randoms?feat=directlink
6.07.2009
Germany/Austria Part 2 - Munich and Salzburg
Welcome back! I last left you as we approached Munich by car from Dachau Concentration Camp. After dropping off the car, we made our way to Central Munich by underground to get our train tickets to Salzburg and spend a couple hours around town.
Pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/SalzburgWithMom?feat=directlink
We strolled around central Munich for a short while, admiring the large cathedral and noticing that absolutely everything was closed for the Easter Holiday. We did manage to find the same brewhouse and beergarden that I had enjoyed the last time I was in Munich. No trip to Munich is complete without devouring the large meat and cheese platter served at Der Pschorr. We then boarded our train for a surprisingly quick ride to Salzburg.
The weather for our final few days of the trip couldn't have been better. We enjoyed endless sunshine and temperatures around 25-30 degrees (around 80). It couldn't have been more fitting for our final destination of Salzburg. If someone told me I had to move to Salzburg tomorrow, I would gladly pick up and move without hesitation. It is truly the only place I've visited so far in Europe where I could see myself living; and wanting to live. With a population of only 150,000, it is a stunning city that somehow feels unspoiled and easy to get around. It is known for it's alpine setting, surrounded by the Alps, and is the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for The Sound of Music. Salzburg's Old Town with its world famous baroque architecture is one of the best preserved city centres north of the Alps. With all of that said, I could have easily spent weeks here rather than a couple days, and every turn provided another beautiful building, open square, a hilltop castle surrounding the city, or the majestic Alps. It really is a great place!
After catching a bus from the train station to our hotel, we set out to find some dinner. Our hotel had an excellent location in the Old Town and we had a great view from our room. We discussed the plan for the next two days over dinner. Since Munich had entirely been shut for Easter, we were worried that Salzburg would be the same. We were happily surprised to find all shops open and the streets crowded with people enjoying the sun and the beautiful city. We also read that there would be a large Easter Market set up in one of the open squares for the weekend which would provide all sorts of food, produce, and gifts.
The next morning, we woke up and strolled through the streets some more and visited the Easter Market where we checked out all of the stands and got some lunch. We then went to board our bus for the Sound of Music coach tour offered a few times each day. Before you make your judgments, the tour lasts 4 hours and spends most of it's time outside of the city. So although we were forced to listen to the soundtrack the entire time and were surrounded by too many people who knew way too much about the stupid movie, we saw a lot of the surrounding area. We were taken around the outskirts of Salzburg to see some of the filming locations and then taken up into the Lake District in the Alps to Hohensee, Lake Gilgen and Mondsee. All of the areas were absolutely beautiful and well worth a few hours of annoying music. I also realized that mom knows far more about the Sound of Music than any human being should ever know.
Our flight left the next day (Easter) in the evening, which meant we had another entire day to spend in the city. After breakfast, we visited the market again to grab some meats and cheeses for lunch, and then headed up to the Hohensalzburg castle nestled atop a large hill dominating the city. After construction began in 1077, it is now one of the biggest castles in Europe. It houses a couple museums and a great tour that takes you through many of the rooms and up one of the towers. The castle is part of a large hill that stretches along the entire length of the Old Town. We walked along the top of the hill enjoying views of the city, castle and the mountains and enjoyed our lunch in one of the parks. We then spent the rest of the afternoon strolling through the streets of Salzburg and chilling out on the banks of the River that flows directly through town.
Please take some time to take a look at the pics...and if you ever make a trip to Europe, make sure you include a visit to Salzburg!!
Pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/SalzburgWithMom?feat=directlink
We strolled around central Munich for a short while, admiring the large cathedral and noticing that absolutely everything was closed for the Easter Holiday. We did manage to find the same brewhouse and beergarden that I had enjoyed the last time I was in Munich. No trip to Munich is complete without devouring the large meat and cheese platter served at Der Pschorr. We then boarded our train for a surprisingly quick ride to Salzburg.
The weather for our final few days of the trip couldn't have been better. We enjoyed endless sunshine and temperatures around 25-30 degrees (around 80). It couldn't have been more fitting for our final destination of Salzburg. If someone told me I had to move to Salzburg tomorrow, I would gladly pick up and move without hesitation. It is truly the only place I've visited so far in Europe where I could see myself living; and wanting to live. With a population of only 150,000, it is a stunning city that somehow feels unspoiled and easy to get around. It is known for it's alpine setting, surrounded by the Alps, and is the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for The Sound of Music. Salzburg's Old Town with its world famous baroque architecture is one of the best preserved city centres north of the Alps. With all of that said, I could have easily spent weeks here rather than a couple days, and every turn provided another beautiful building, open square, a hilltop castle surrounding the city, or the majestic Alps. It really is a great place!
After catching a bus from the train station to our hotel, we set out to find some dinner. Our hotel had an excellent location in the Old Town and we had a great view from our room. We discussed the plan for the next two days over dinner. Since Munich had entirely been shut for Easter, we were worried that Salzburg would be the same. We were happily surprised to find all shops open and the streets crowded with people enjoying the sun and the beautiful city. We also read that there would be a large Easter Market set up in one of the open squares for the weekend which would provide all sorts of food, produce, and gifts.
The next morning, we woke up and strolled through the streets some more and visited the Easter Market where we checked out all of the stands and got some lunch. We then went to board our bus for the Sound of Music coach tour offered a few times each day. Before you make your judgments, the tour lasts 4 hours and spends most of it's time outside of the city. So although we were forced to listen to the soundtrack the entire time and were surrounded by too many people who knew way too much about the stupid movie, we saw a lot of the surrounding area. We were taken around the outskirts of Salzburg to see some of the filming locations and then taken up into the Lake District in the Alps to Hohensee, Lake Gilgen and Mondsee. All of the areas were absolutely beautiful and well worth a few hours of annoying music. I also realized that mom knows far more about the Sound of Music than any human being should ever know.
Our flight left the next day (Easter) in the evening, which meant we had another entire day to spend in the city. After breakfast, we visited the market again to grab some meats and cheeses for lunch, and then headed up to the Hohensalzburg castle nestled atop a large hill dominating the city. After construction began in 1077, it is now one of the biggest castles in Europe. It houses a couple museums and a great tour that takes you through many of the rooms and up one of the towers. The castle is part of a large hill that stretches along the entire length of the Old Town. We walked along the top of the hill enjoying views of the city, castle and the mountains and enjoyed our lunch in one of the parks. We then spent the rest of the afternoon strolling through the streets of Salzburg and chilling out on the banks of the River that flows directly through town.
Please take some time to take a look at the pics...and if you ever make a trip to Europe, make sure you include a visit to Salzburg!!
4.26.2009
Germany Part 1 - Cologne, Heidelberg and the Romantic Road
Gruss Gott! My mom recently visited me in London and we took an 8 day adventure through southern Germany and part of Austria. This post covers the first 3/4ths of our trip which includes Cologne, Heidelberg and a journey down Germany's beautiful Romantic Road into the Alps. Stay tuned to hear about Munich and Salzburg!
See Pics Here: Click Here
Facebook Pics (less formal) here:
Facebook Album 1 and
Facebook Album 2
Our journey began on an early Sunday morning as we made our way to Heathrow to catch our flight to Dusseldorf. After getting moved up in the enormously long and inefficient line, we made our flight which landed us approximately 30 miles from Cologne, our destination for the first night. We caught a train to Cologne and easily found our hotel which was located just a few blocks from the train station. The hotel was surprisingly nice and had an excellent location with only a 10 minute walk to the center of town, the Dom Cathedral and the Aldstadt (or old town).
Cologne is a large city that sprawls from the massive Rhine River which flows directly through it. The banks of the river provide nice running/walking/biking paths and excellent views. The main site to see in Cologne is the giant Dom Cathedral, one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany. Construction of the Gothic church began in 1248 and wasn't finished until 1880. It is 144.5 meters long, 86.5 m wide and its two towers are 157 m tall. It was hit 70 times by aerial bombs in WWII, yet never collapsed. It is an absolutely amazing site and definitely worth a visit both inside and out. The highlight was the climb up one of the giant towers; 533 steps up a steep spiral staircase that provided a close look at the gigantic church bells and excellent views of the city. After the climb, we picked up a snack at a nearby bakery and meandered through the shopping district before heading to dinner. Our host at the hotel told us about a local Brewhouse a bit out of the way, so we went there for dinner and it was absolutely incredible! I enjoyed pork with homemade sauerkraut and plenty of the in-house brewed beer!
The next morning, I went for a run along the Rhine before a huge breakfast at the hotel. After rushing to the train station, we then had to wait in line forever to buy our tickets which means we missed our planned train and had to wait a couple hours. We picked up some lunch and headed down to the river to enjoy the sunny day. We then took the 2+ hour train ride to Heidelberg which was a surprisingly beautiful journey that followed the Rhine valley. After our arrival in Heidelberg, we figured out the correct bus route to the Old City area to find our hotel. I was pleasantly surprised with the excellent location of our pension (hotel). In the heart of old town, it was basically on one of the main squares bordering a massive cathedral. We took the suggestion of our host for dinner and enjoyed an excellent dinner at another local brewhouse. A German couple also sat at our table outside during dinner and we talked to them for quite a while before leaving. It was a really nice evening and we were able to sit outside and enjoy the company.
Heidelberg is an amazing old city. The town spreads along the river with beautiful bridges that cross. A large castle is perched atop the hill overlooking the entire valley and city and every turn provides another narrow cobblestone road or an amazing view. Cars are generally not allowed anywhere in the old town which makes walking and sitting outside really pleasant. On our second day, we got an early start on a walk up to the castle. Unfortunately for mom, it meant more climbing, but the climb was definitely worth it. The grounds around the castle were absolutely amazing and the views of the city were unbeatable. We spent a few hours exploring the castle and it's grounds and enjoying the perfect weather. After our walk back down to the old town, we grabbed some lunch and then crossed the river to the Philosophers Way trail. The trail climbs from the river up along the other side of the valley and follows it above the old city. It is surrounded by gardens and forest and again provides amazing views of the city and the valley. After our long and active day, we grabbed a beer and pretzel at a local beergarden and then made our way to dinner.
The next day, we took the bus to the rental car office where we picked up our car for the next few days. We received a sweet Audi SLine 6 speed, and it went fast. Very fast. At one point I reached around 110mph on the Autobahn, but then mom noticed and I had to slow down. From Heidelberg, we drove toward Rothenberg ob der Tauer, an old fortress town well known for it's well-preserved medieval old town. We stayed at a very nice B&B just outside the city wall with a quick 10 minute walk to the center of the old town. We spent the afternoon exploring the shops, which included a few famous German Christmas shops, and I climbed a sketchy clock tower in the middle of town. We also walked around the majority of the fortress wall that surrounds the old town and provides excellent views of the town and nearby countryside. Rothenberg truly is an amazing place and you could walk the winding streets and explore the nooks and crannys for days. We rested for a quick beer and then went to dinner at a restaurant recommended to us by our host. Dinner was quite an experience! As we entered, we realized that all of the tables were either taken or reserved with the exception of one large table in the corner. We were told by the waitress that there was an "English Conversation" table available if we'd like to sit there. Having no idea what that meant, we decided to take a seat next to a couple from Florida and a few older men/locals. We learned that every Wednesday, the conversation club meets at the same table to speak English. They welcome anyone to join them and different members of the club show up each week. We were joined by a few other tourists that came and went throughout the night along with 4 old German war veterans. They had some excellent stories, newspaper clippings and pictures about their lives and it was a really cool experience. The food was also excellent and it was very nice having someone help us order and recommend items.
The next morning, I went for a run around the entire fortress before eating breakfast and packing up the car to our next destination. We traveled down the Romantic Road through small villages and winding countryside until eventually the massive Alps emerged along the German/Austrian border. We arrived at the southern end of the scenic route at Neuschwanstein Castle, a 19th century Bavarian palace on a rugged hill. We were able to get tickets to the last tour of the day, but it also meant a 30 minute walk up the rugged hill for mom. We did make it and it was well worth it. The castle is enormous and surrounded by snow-capped peaks and alpine waterfalls. It was also the inspiration for the main Disney castle seen in their parks. The drive to Garmisch, our destination for the evening, was spectacular. We drove through snowy mountains and quaint, mountain villages, finally arriving after dark. Our host for the evening, Frau Lily, was a rather old woman who I'm not sure actually expected us regardless of my reservation. After we arrived, she showed us through the dining room and kitchen and began walking us to our room. As she reached for the light switch in the dark hallway, she tripped over a lip on the floor and began falling forward. It felt like her fall lasted about 15 seconds as I saw the start of it out of the corner of my eye, but suddenly she was on the floor moaning weird noises and German words. Since her fall seemed to have happened so slowly, I didn't think it would be very serious, but to my surprise there was an immediate puddle of blood on the floor. As she turned her head toward my mom and I, awkwardly standing in the hallway wondering if what really occurred actually just happened, blood streamed down her forehead and face. She remained on the floor moaning German things as I ran to the kitchen trying to find a rag, which I never found. She eventually got up and we helped her to the kitchen where she cleaned her wound and asked mom to put a large bandage on her head. After asking many times if she needed a doctor or anything else, we hopped over the blood as she showed us to our room and that was that. Holding a laugh the entire time, I began laughing the minute our door closed. My mom and I looked at each other, both secretly thinking that we wanted to go somewhere else but we ended up staying the night and had a nice meal in town. My biggest worry is that she wouldn't live through the night and we wouldn't get breakfast. But she was up before us, making a fresh Easter Bunny cake and an omelet for breakfast! Along with rolls heated on the radiator and some meat that had probably been in her fridge for approximately 8 days. I ate it though.
Needing to return the car by noon in Munich, we got an early start on our 1.5 hour drive and headed toward Dachau Concentration Camp before going into the city. Opened in March 1933, Dachau was the first regular concentration camp established by the Nazi party. Over 200,000 prisoners from more than 30 countries were housed in Dachau and 25,613 prisoners are believed to have died in the camp. I found the camp oddly surreal. Overall, it just seemed like a shut-down prison. However, I was very surprised by how blunt and descriptive many of the museum and informative exhibits were. They were not shy at all about describing what happened in the camp in a very detailed and straight-forward way. I was also surprised to find how well the American Army was regarded when referring to the liberation of the camp by US army forces on 29 April 1945. The most disturbing part of the visit were the gas chambers and crematorium. It is incredible to think that a group of people could even think to do such cruel things, let alone build facilities that can carry it out so efficiently and blatantly. It was definitely an eye-opener and a good experience to have.
The remainer of our trip includes a short afternoon in Munich before spending our final days in Salzburg. Stay tuned for the next post!
See Pics Here: Click Here
Facebook Pics (less formal) here:
Facebook Album 1 and
Facebook Album 2
Our journey began on an early Sunday morning as we made our way to Heathrow to catch our flight to Dusseldorf. After getting moved up in the enormously long and inefficient line, we made our flight which landed us approximately 30 miles from Cologne, our destination for the first night. We caught a train to Cologne and easily found our hotel which was located just a few blocks from the train station. The hotel was surprisingly nice and had an excellent location with only a 10 minute walk to the center of town, the Dom Cathedral and the Aldstadt (or old town).
Cologne is a large city that sprawls from the massive Rhine River which flows directly through it. The banks of the river provide nice running/walking/biking paths and excellent views. The main site to see in Cologne is the giant Dom Cathedral, one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany. Construction of the Gothic church began in 1248 and wasn't finished until 1880. It is 144.5 meters long, 86.5 m wide and its two towers are 157 m tall. It was hit 70 times by aerial bombs in WWII, yet never collapsed. It is an absolutely amazing site and definitely worth a visit both inside and out. The highlight was the climb up one of the giant towers; 533 steps up a steep spiral staircase that provided a close look at the gigantic church bells and excellent views of the city. After the climb, we picked up a snack at a nearby bakery and meandered through the shopping district before heading to dinner. Our host at the hotel told us about a local Brewhouse a bit out of the way, so we went there for dinner and it was absolutely incredible! I enjoyed pork with homemade sauerkraut and plenty of the in-house brewed beer!
The next morning, I went for a run along the Rhine before a huge breakfast at the hotel. After rushing to the train station, we then had to wait in line forever to buy our tickets which means we missed our planned train and had to wait a couple hours. We picked up some lunch and headed down to the river to enjoy the sunny day. We then took the 2+ hour train ride to Heidelberg which was a surprisingly beautiful journey that followed the Rhine valley. After our arrival in Heidelberg, we figured out the correct bus route to the Old City area to find our hotel. I was pleasantly surprised with the excellent location of our pension (hotel). In the heart of old town, it was basically on one of the main squares bordering a massive cathedral. We took the suggestion of our host for dinner and enjoyed an excellent dinner at another local brewhouse. A German couple also sat at our table outside during dinner and we talked to them for quite a while before leaving. It was a really nice evening and we were able to sit outside and enjoy the company.
Heidelberg is an amazing old city. The town spreads along the river with beautiful bridges that cross. A large castle is perched atop the hill overlooking the entire valley and city and every turn provides another narrow cobblestone road or an amazing view. Cars are generally not allowed anywhere in the old town which makes walking and sitting outside really pleasant. On our second day, we got an early start on a walk up to the castle. Unfortunately for mom, it meant more climbing, but the climb was definitely worth it. The grounds around the castle were absolutely amazing and the views of the city were unbeatable. We spent a few hours exploring the castle and it's grounds and enjoying the perfect weather. After our walk back down to the old town, we grabbed some lunch and then crossed the river to the Philosophers Way trail. The trail climbs from the river up along the other side of the valley and follows it above the old city. It is surrounded by gardens and forest and again provides amazing views of the city and the valley. After our long and active day, we grabbed a beer and pretzel at a local beergarden and then made our way to dinner.
The next day, we took the bus to the rental car office where we picked up our car for the next few days. We received a sweet Audi SLine 6 speed, and it went fast. Very fast. At one point I reached around 110mph on the Autobahn, but then mom noticed and I had to slow down. From Heidelberg, we drove toward Rothenberg ob der Tauer, an old fortress town well known for it's well-preserved medieval old town. We stayed at a very nice B&B just outside the city wall with a quick 10 minute walk to the center of the old town. We spent the afternoon exploring the shops, which included a few famous German Christmas shops, and I climbed a sketchy clock tower in the middle of town. We also walked around the majority of the fortress wall that surrounds the old town and provides excellent views of the town and nearby countryside. Rothenberg truly is an amazing place and you could walk the winding streets and explore the nooks and crannys for days. We rested for a quick beer and then went to dinner at a restaurant recommended to us by our host. Dinner was quite an experience! As we entered, we realized that all of the tables were either taken or reserved with the exception of one large table in the corner. We were told by the waitress that there was an "English Conversation" table available if we'd like to sit there. Having no idea what that meant, we decided to take a seat next to a couple from Florida and a few older men/locals. We learned that every Wednesday, the conversation club meets at the same table to speak English. They welcome anyone to join them and different members of the club show up each week. We were joined by a few other tourists that came and went throughout the night along with 4 old German war veterans. They had some excellent stories, newspaper clippings and pictures about their lives and it was a really cool experience. The food was also excellent and it was very nice having someone help us order and recommend items.
The next morning, I went for a run around the entire fortress before eating breakfast and packing up the car to our next destination. We traveled down the Romantic Road through small villages and winding countryside until eventually the massive Alps emerged along the German/Austrian border. We arrived at the southern end of the scenic route at Neuschwanstein Castle, a 19th century Bavarian palace on a rugged hill. We were able to get tickets to the last tour of the day, but it also meant a 30 minute walk up the rugged hill for mom. We did make it and it was well worth it. The castle is enormous and surrounded by snow-capped peaks and alpine waterfalls. It was also the inspiration for the main Disney castle seen in their parks. The drive to Garmisch, our destination for the evening, was spectacular. We drove through snowy mountains and quaint, mountain villages, finally arriving after dark. Our host for the evening, Frau Lily, was a rather old woman who I'm not sure actually expected us regardless of my reservation. After we arrived, she showed us through the dining room and kitchen and began walking us to our room. As she reached for the light switch in the dark hallway, she tripped over a lip on the floor and began falling forward. It felt like her fall lasted about 15 seconds as I saw the start of it out of the corner of my eye, but suddenly she was on the floor moaning weird noises and German words. Since her fall seemed to have happened so slowly, I didn't think it would be very serious, but to my surprise there was an immediate puddle of blood on the floor. As she turned her head toward my mom and I, awkwardly standing in the hallway wondering if what really occurred actually just happened, blood streamed down her forehead and face. She remained on the floor moaning German things as I ran to the kitchen trying to find a rag, which I never found. She eventually got up and we helped her to the kitchen where she cleaned her wound and asked mom to put a large bandage on her head. After asking many times if she needed a doctor or anything else, we hopped over the blood as she showed us to our room and that was that. Holding a laugh the entire time, I began laughing the minute our door closed. My mom and I looked at each other, both secretly thinking that we wanted to go somewhere else but we ended up staying the night and had a nice meal in town. My biggest worry is that she wouldn't live through the night and we wouldn't get breakfast. But she was up before us, making a fresh Easter Bunny cake and an omelet for breakfast! Along with rolls heated on the radiator and some meat that had probably been in her fridge for approximately 8 days. I ate it though.
Needing to return the car by noon in Munich, we got an early start on our 1.5 hour drive and headed toward Dachau Concentration Camp before going into the city. Opened in March 1933, Dachau was the first regular concentration camp established by the Nazi party. Over 200,000 prisoners from more than 30 countries were housed in Dachau and 25,613 prisoners are believed to have died in the camp. I found the camp oddly surreal. Overall, it just seemed like a shut-down prison. However, I was very surprised by how blunt and descriptive many of the museum and informative exhibits were. They were not shy at all about describing what happened in the camp in a very detailed and straight-forward way. I was also surprised to find how well the American Army was regarded when referring to the liberation of the camp by US army forces on 29 April 1945. The most disturbing part of the visit were the gas chambers and crematorium. It is incredible to think that a group of people could even think to do such cruel things, let alone build facilities that can carry it out so efficiently and blatantly. It was definitely an eye-opener and a good experience to have.
The remainer of our trip includes a short afternoon in Munich before spending our final days in Salzburg. Stay tuned for the next post!
4.14.2009
Run Brian, Run!
Well it's been a long and drawn out road full of highs & lows, injuries & personal bests, and health kicks and nights on the town, but I finally completed my first half marathon. As many of you know, I started training for one over a year ago and did very well until I injured my knee. I slowly nursed it back to health and started training again in January. I recently traveled to Northern Ireland for a long weekend to run the Larne Half Marathon, a small coastal town approximately 20 miles northeast of Belfast and ran a great race!
I'm going to try and make this post fairly short so you will all look at these pictures: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/HalfMarathonTrip?feat=directlink
Let me start first with my thoughts on Northern Ireland. WOW! Definitely one of the most beautiful areas I have seen so far in Europe. Breathtaking scenery, rugged coastlines, rolling countryside, green farmlands, alpine peaks, deep forests, winding roads that are steeper and curvier than should be allowed. And that just gets us started. After landing in Belfast, I got my rental car and started driving up the coast toward Larne. My destination for the day was a small town on the Northern tip of Ireland called Bushmills. On my way, I drove the Coastal Causeway Scenic Route which followed the amazing coastline and often gave options for sidetrips into the Glens (or mountains) of the area. The highlight of the drive was a lesser driven section of the highway to Torr Head. It was a small, one-lane road that climbed at amazing steepness and curved around constant corners. It climbed to provide amazing views of the coastline and countryside, and dropped to small harbour villages. The weather over my entire trip provided strong winds which made the water rough and the waves wild and and huge. I also visited the famous Giant's Causeway; a wonderful area of beauty that I'm sure many of you have heard of and scene pictures of. I stayed at a nice hostel in Bushmills, home to the oldest whiskey distillery in the world (apparently).
My 2nd day included a visit to the best ruined castle I have ever seen: Dunlace Castle. I then visited nearby White Rocks Beach and also drove inland a bit to the Glens and Forest Park. It was raining off and on and there were still very strong winds, so I didn't get out as much. I also visited an amazing area along the coast that had a rope suspension bridge from a clifftop to a small island just across a chasm of the sea. Due to winds, I was not able to cross the bridge, but it still allowed for some amazing views and photo opportunities. I ended the day in Larne, where I had booked a bed and breakfast for the night so I could get some good rest before my race. Of course, I had to drive into town to get a nice big pasta dinner to prepare for the run the next day!
Day 3 was the race. It wasn't until 1pm, so it gave me plenty of time to eat the full Irish breakfast provided for me at the B&B and get into town to warm up and prepare. The course followed one of the most scenic coastal routes in the world. Fortunately, it was one of the flatter sections. It left Larne and followed the road about 5 miles up the coast to Ballygally where it turned inland and climbed gently for a mile or so. This provided close-up views of the local Glens and also sweeping views of the countryside and sea. The we went back down into Ballygally and followed the same route back. I started very well and kept my pace, fighting the gale force winds head on and finishing mile four at under 32 minutes. I even tackled the hills well and used the downhill sections as some active recovery. However, the last 2ish miles are a blur. I remember looking at my watch but don't remember what it said. All I know is that I slowed down. Way down! I had to force myself to keep going the last mile, but I made it. My final time was 1 hour and 49 minutes, so I definitely have some room for improvement. I would love to beat that by 10 minutes as I increase my training and try again.
I spent the evening eating a couple dinners, a load of candy and went to a movie since i was pretty beat. I stayed in a Belfast hostel that night and explored the city the next day before my flight left. Unfortunately, I got really sick on Sunday during my travels home which wiped me out the following week. Better training and better recovery next time should help me out.
Please take an opportunity to look at the pictures this time...they are great!
I'm going to try and make this post fairly short so you will all look at these pictures: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/HalfMarathonTrip?feat=directlink
Let me start first with my thoughts on Northern Ireland. WOW! Definitely one of the most beautiful areas I have seen so far in Europe. Breathtaking scenery, rugged coastlines, rolling countryside, green farmlands, alpine peaks, deep forests, winding roads that are steeper and curvier than should be allowed. And that just gets us started. After landing in Belfast, I got my rental car and started driving up the coast toward Larne. My destination for the day was a small town on the Northern tip of Ireland called Bushmills. On my way, I drove the Coastal Causeway Scenic Route which followed the amazing coastline and often gave options for sidetrips into the Glens (or mountains) of the area. The highlight of the drive was a lesser driven section of the highway to Torr Head. It was a small, one-lane road that climbed at amazing steepness and curved around constant corners. It climbed to provide amazing views of the coastline and countryside, and dropped to small harbour villages. The weather over my entire trip provided strong winds which made the water rough and the waves wild and and huge. I also visited the famous Giant's Causeway; a wonderful area of beauty that I'm sure many of you have heard of and scene pictures of. I stayed at a nice hostel in Bushmills, home to the oldest whiskey distillery in the world (apparently).
My 2nd day included a visit to the best ruined castle I have ever seen: Dunlace Castle. I then visited nearby White Rocks Beach and also drove inland a bit to the Glens and Forest Park. It was raining off and on and there were still very strong winds, so I didn't get out as much. I also visited an amazing area along the coast that had a rope suspension bridge from a clifftop to a small island just across a chasm of the sea. Due to winds, I was not able to cross the bridge, but it still allowed for some amazing views and photo opportunities. I ended the day in Larne, where I had booked a bed and breakfast for the night so I could get some good rest before my race. Of course, I had to drive into town to get a nice big pasta dinner to prepare for the run the next day!
Day 3 was the race. It wasn't until 1pm, so it gave me plenty of time to eat the full Irish breakfast provided for me at the B&B and get into town to warm up and prepare. The course followed one of the most scenic coastal routes in the world. Fortunately, it was one of the flatter sections. It left Larne and followed the road about 5 miles up the coast to Ballygally where it turned inland and climbed gently for a mile or so. This provided close-up views of the local Glens and also sweeping views of the countryside and sea. The we went back down into Ballygally and followed the same route back. I started very well and kept my pace, fighting the gale force winds head on and finishing mile four at under 32 minutes. I even tackled the hills well and used the downhill sections as some active recovery. However, the last 2ish miles are a blur. I remember looking at my watch but don't remember what it said. All I know is that I slowed down. Way down! I had to force myself to keep going the last mile, but I made it. My final time was 1 hour and 49 minutes, so I definitely have some room for improvement. I would love to beat that by 10 minutes as I increase my training and try again.
I spent the evening eating a couple dinners, a load of candy and went to a movie since i was pretty beat. I stayed in a Belfast hostel that night and explored the city the next day before my flight left. Unfortunately, I got really sick on Sunday during my travels home which wiped me out the following week. Better training and better recovery next time should help me out.
Please take an opportunity to look at the pictures this time...they are great!
3.22.2009
Riding in Austria
Guten Tag! I recently took a short trip to the Austrian province of Styria, the second largest province in Austria. The landscape is dotted by the spectacular peaks of the alps, fast flowing alpine rivers and large carved valleys holding thermal areas. I flew in and out of the city of Graz, Austria's second largest city (behind Vienna), which almost has more of a Mediterranean feel than it does German. My first couple days were spent in the ski resort town of Schladming, enjoying the vast slopes covered in fresh snow. I spent my final days in Graz, exploring the narrow streets, the riverside path and the iconic Schlossberg in the center of town.
Pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/AustriaRiding?feat=directlink
My journey started by train. After landing in Graz, I caught a train toward the resort of Schladming. The direct train took about 2.5 hours and made a few stops along the way. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and rained the entire time, so I didn't really get to see the mountains or any nice views. But it also meant that I saw the snow line get closer and closer and by the time I got to Schladming I could see the slopes covered in new snow. I had made a reservation at a small guesthouse just outside the resort town, and the guesthouse owner's son was the only one there that spoke English. He had offered to pick me up from the train station and was there shortly after my train arrived. He then drove me to the guesthouse, gave me the tour, and showed me to my room. Without much to do and a lack in English television programming, I went to sleep pretty early.
I woke up to some fresh snow outside, but I had no idea how significant the amounts were on the mountain. Before getting ready, I went downstairs to get breakfast, which was definitely the best part about staying at the guesthouse. The owner prepared a wonderful spread of traditional Austrian staples that included rolls, jam, a wide variety of meats and cheeses, yogurt, muesli, boiled eggs, and juice. I ate as much as I could each morning which gave me tons of energy to hit the slopes. After getting all of my gear, I walked outside to catch a bus to the slopes that picked me up just outside the guesthouse.
The difference between the town and the top of the mountain is over 1000 meters, which is approximately over 3000 feet. That meant the snow conditions at the top vs. the bottom were very different. As I went up the mountain in the gondola, I realized that around 8-10 inches of fresh snow had fallen the night before and I was immediately in heaven carving fresh lines in the powder. It continued snowing all day which made for excellent conditions. But it also made for poor visibility and absolutely no views at all. I was too preoccupied with the snow to care though. The resort itself includes 9 local ski areas, four of which are connected by lifts. I decided to explore as much as the mountain as I could so I would know where to spend my time the next day. I found that the runs covering the resorts were quite varied. I also experienced a breakthrough ski lift invention called "The Bubble." It is a plastic shell that can be pulled down in front of you while riding a lift to protect you from the elements. It's amazing. I stopped for lunch to enjoy some Goulash stew and some fresh bread and pushed myself to enjoy a long day of boarding. Before getting the bus back, I found a grocery store where I got a lot of items to prepare dinner with that night since I had use of the kitchen in the guesthouse.
Day 2 of boarding was crazy. I woke up to rain, and I didn't realize how hard it was coming down until I went out to catch the bus. I was pretty much soaked on the outside after 10 minutes. But I knew, or at least was hoping, that this meant it was dumping snow on the mountain. And it was, big time. The gondola ride took me from slushy rain to a winter paradise in about 10 minutes. It was incredible and I'm not sure I've seen so much fresh snow on any slope. After the previous day's fresh snow, we probably had another 18-24 inches, depending on where you were on the mountain. My first run, however, ended up being surprisingly frustrating. From the top, I headed left toward a lift I had discovered the previous day. I started heading down the massive piste and realized, by looking at tracks, that only a few people had gone that way. Further, the piste had not been groomed and wasn't overly steep. Excited, I strapped in and headed down. Slowly. And then I stopped and fell over. The heavier weight of the snow made it very hard to move and even harder to get up. All I did was sink and continually stop. I decided to continue past the lift as I saw a groomed run below and realized that this was my style. It only had about 8 inches of snow to deal with since it had been groomed. I also realized that most pistes had actually only been half groomed, so whenever I got up enough speed, I would shift into the half that hadn't been groomed and float through the knee deep powder.
With access to other areas closed due to the conditions, things started getting tracked out and busier, which left me longing for the tree runs we find in the Colorado resorts. But Europeans don't seem to like trees as much. Actually, they don't seem to like them at all and as hard as I looked I couldn't find any tree runs. I could have tried anyway, but I was afraid I would have just got buried in snow and unable to get out and didn't think it was worth the risk. So instead I got as close as I could find: a route under a lift that was unpopular, steep and allowed for the occasional dip in and out of the trees. And it was amazing. I was able to get fresh tracks all morning and my legs were dead by lunch time, but it didn't keep me from going back a couple more times after the break. When I needed a break, the normal pistes were still amazing; long cruisers split with some newly formed moguls made a fun and challenging way down the mountain.
I did notice a few differences in Europe vs North American resorts. First, everyone always lowers the foot rest on the lift. They put it down immediately and keep it down until the last second. Also, they don't really have any tree runs, which sucks. Third, they have a lot more surface lifts which usually intimidate me but I've got pretty good at using them. Fourth, they aren't as organized in the lift lines. It wasn't an issue because it was never really busy, but it was still fairly frustrating without being able to speak the language. They also don't seem to care if the on and off ramps are a pure sheet of ice. They just sit and watch everyone fall. Also, all of the lodges, or huts, are privately owned and therefore all different. And there are a lot of them. They make great, home cooked food and of course it's German/Austrian which I love! After the second day, I explored the town a little before heading back to the guesthouse to make dinner and get some rest.
The next morning, the son gave me a ride down to the train station with plenty of time to spare. He told me the night before that a portion of the railway was actually closed due to avalanche danger, so at some point it would let all of us off and buses would be waiting to take us around the dangerous area. He also told me that a friend of his works on the mountain and that they were unable to get an official reading on how much new snow there had been the last few days because their 15 foot measuring stick was completely buried in snow. Incredible! The train ride did take longer than expected, but the clearer day allowed me to see some of the mountains and the bus ride traveled through a few small villages which was quite nice as well. I arrived in Graz around 2 in the afternoon and made my way to the hotel I had booked.
The weather in Graz was very nice...sunny and warm enough for me to wear jeans and a t-shirt. I explored the better part of central Graz that afternoon. My first stop was the Schlossberg, a giant hill with an explosion of trees, historic buildings and endless places for people to enjoy the amazing views it provided. I had read about the historic clock tower that dominates the city from the berg, but unfortunately it was under repair and was completely covered up. From there, I explored the Rathaus area and the small, narrow streets that were filled with shops and restaurants. I had also done some internet research on the best restaurants in the city and found in particular that I had heard about. I took a picture of the menu so I could study it in my room before heading out for dinner later that night. Before dinner, I had to fit in a run since my half marathon was only two weeks away. The Mur river flows directly through town, and where there is a river there is always a path that follows. Before I knew it I was running next to riverside parks and then random fields before turning back into town. It was a perfect evening for a run!
I don't usually go to restaurants on my own. I always feel a little awkward and out of place, but I decided I would give it a try this time. I showed up at the restaurant I had seen earlier and soon realized that every table was reserved. The waiter thought he could find me a place to sit, but every corner was already taken and they were booked solid all night. I asked if I was able to sit at the bar and order food, and I could, so it was the perfect compromise. The waiter talked to me when he was at the bar making drinks for his table and was intrigued by my story on why I was in Graz. I had done some research about the local specialties, and one of them was pumpkin seed oil. It made my starter course an easy decision; a green salad with a pumpkin seed oil dressing. It was very nice and had a sweet, nutty taste. For my main, I ordered roast pork with homemade sauerkraut and potato dumplings. It was amazing. The pork melted in my mouth and even the sauerkraut was savory and pleasant. I washed it down with a local beer and left completely stuffed. Although it didn't stop me from wandering the streets a bit more before turning in. I was really looking for an ice cream place, but I couldn't find any still open.
I woke up on Sunday to roam around the city a little more before heading back to the airport. Unfortunately, the city followed normal European procedures and pretty much everything was closed. Even grocery stores and many restaurants were closed, so it made for a slightly boring final tour of the city. However, I did run in to the University district and a number of large cathedrals and churches with their bells ringing. It was a very nice, and very quiet, morning in Graz and it was awkwardly peaceful. I eventually checked out of my hotel and drug my backpack and snowboard to the train station where I waited for the next train to the airport. Of course I couldn't leave Austria with one last pretzel purchase, and some haribo gummies just for fun!
Pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/AustriaRiding?feat=directlink
My journey started by train. After landing in Graz, I caught a train toward the resort of Schladming. The direct train took about 2.5 hours and made a few stops along the way. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and rained the entire time, so I didn't really get to see the mountains or any nice views. But it also meant that I saw the snow line get closer and closer and by the time I got to Schladming I could see the slopes covered in new snow. I had made a reservation at a small guesthouse just outside the resort town, and the guesthouse owner's son was the only one there that spoke English. He had offered to pick me up from the train station and was there shortly after my train arrived. He then drove me to the guesthouse, gave me the tour, and showed me to my room. Without much to do and a lack in English television programming, I went to sleep pretty early.
I woke up to some fresh snow outside, but I had no idea how significant the amounts were on the mountain. Before getting ready, I went downstairs to get breakfast, which was definitely the best part about staying at the guesthouse. The owner prepared a wonderful spread of traditional Austrian staples that included rolls, jam, a wide variety of meats and cheeses, yogurt, muesli, boiled eggs, and juice. I ate as much as I could each morning which gave me tons of energy to hit the slopes. After getting all of my gear, I walked outside to catch a bus to the slopes that picked me up just outside the guesthouse.
The difference between the town and the top of the mountain is over 1000 meters, which is approximately over 3000 feet. That meant the snow conditions at the top vs. the bottom were very different. As I went up the mountain in the gondola, I realized that around 8-10 inches of fresh snow had fallen the night before and I was immediately in heaven carving fresh lines in the powder. It continued snowing all day which made for excellent conditions. But it also made for poor visibility and absolutely no views at all. I was too preoccupied with the snow to care though. The resort itself includes 9 local ski areas, four of which are connected by lifts. I decided to explore as much as the mountain as I could so I would know where to spend my time the next day. I found that the runs covering the resorts were quite varied. I also experienced a breakthrough ski lift invention called "The Bubble." It is a plastic shell that can be pulled down in front of you while riding a lift to protect you from the elements. It's amazing. I stopped for lunch to enjoy some Goulash stew and some fresh bread and pushed myself to enjoy a long day of boarding. Before getting the bus back, I found a grocery store where I got a lot of items to prepare dinner with that night since I had use of the kitchen in the guesthouse.
Day 2 of boarding was crazy. I woke up to rain, and I didn't realize how hard it was coming down until I went out to catch the bus. I was pretty much soaked on the outside after 10 minutes. But I knew, or at least was hoping, that this meant it was dumping snow on the mountain. And it was, big time. The gondola ride took me from slushy rain to a winter paradise in about 10 minutes. It was incredible and I'm not sure I've seen so much fresh snow on any slope. After the previous day's fresh snow, we probably had another 18-24 inches, depending on where you were on the mountain. My first run, however, ended up being surprisingly frustrating. From the top, I headed left toward a lift I had discovered the previous day. I started heading down the massive piste and realized, by looking at tracks, that only a few people had gone that way. Further, the piste had not been groomed and wasn't overly steep. Excited, I strapped in and headed down. Slowly. And then I stopped and fell over. The heavier weight of the snow made it very hard to move and even harder to get up. All I did was sink and continually stop. I decided to continue past the lift as I saw a groomed run below and realized that this was my style. It only had about 8 inches of snow to deal with since it had been groomed. I also realized that most pistes had actually only been half groomed, so whenever I got up enough speed, I would shift into the half that hadn't been groomed and float through the knee deep powder.
With access to other areas closed due to the conditions, things started getting tracked out and busier, which left me longing for the tree runs we find in the Colorado resorts. But Europeans don't seem to like trees as much. Actually, they don't seem to like them at all and as hard as I looked I couldn't find any tree runs. I could have tried anyway, but I was afraid I would have just got buried in snow and unable to get out and didn't think it was worth the risk. So instead I got as close as I could find: a route under a lift that was unpopular, steep and allowed for the occasional dip in and out of the trees. And it was amazing. I was able to get fresh tracks all morning and my legs were dead by lunch time, but it didn't keep me from going back a couple more times after the break. When I needed a break, the normal pistes were still amazing; long cruisers split with some newly formed moguls made a fun and challenging way down the mountain.
I did notice a few differences in Europe vs North American resorts. First, everyone always lowers the foot rest on the lift. They put it down immediately and keep it down until the last second. Also, they don't really have any tree runs, which sucks. Third, they have a lot more surface lifts which usually intimidate me but I've got pretty good at using them. Fourth, they aren't as organized in the lift lines. It wasn't an issue because it was never really busy, but it was still fairly frustrating without being able to speak the language. They also don't seem to care if the on and off ramps are a pure sheet of ice. They just sit and watch everyone fall. Also, all of the lodges, or huts, are privately owned and therefore all different. And there are a lot of them. They make great, home cooked food and of course it's German/Austrian which I love! After the second day, I explored the town a little before heading back to the guesthouse to make dinner and get some rest.
The next morning, the son gave me a ride down to the train station with plenty of time to spare. He told me the night before that a portion of the railway was actually closed due to avalanche danger, so at some point it would let all of us off and buses would be waiting to take us around the dangerous area. He also told me that a friend of his works on the mountain and that they were unable to get an official reading on how much new snow there had been the last few days because their 15 foot measuring stick was completely buried in snow. Incredible! The train ride did take longer than expected, but the clearer day allowed me to see some of the mountains and the bus ride traveled through a few small villages which was quite nice as well. I arrived in Graz around 2 in the afternoon and made my way to the hotel I had booked.
The weather in Graz was very nice...sunny and warm enough for me to wear jeans and a t-shirt. I explored the better part of central Graz that afternoon. My first stop was the Schlossberg, a giant hill with an explosion of trees, historic buildings and endless places for people to enjoy the amazing views it provided. I had read about the historic clock tower that dominates the city from the berg, but unfortunately it was under repair and was completely covered up. From there, I explored the Rathaus area and the small, narrow streets that were filled with shops and restaurants. I had also done some internet research on the best restaurants in the city and found in particular that I had heard about. I took a picture of the menu so I could study it in my room before heading out for dinner later that night. Before dinner, I had to fit in a run since my half marathon was only two weeks away. The Mur river flows directly through town, and where there is a river there is always a path that follows. Before I knew it I was running next to riverside parks and then random fields before turning back into town. It was a perfect evening for a run!
I don't usually go to restaurants on my own. I always feel a little awkward and out of place, but I decided I would give it a try this time. I showed up at the restaurant I had seen earlier and soon realized that every table was reserved. The waiter thought he could find me a place to sit, but every corner was already taken and they were booked solid all night. I asked if I was able to sit at the bar and order food, and I could, so it was the perfect compromise. The waiter talked to me when he was at the bar making drinks for his table and was intrigued by my story on why I was in Graz. I had done some research about the local specialties, and one of them was pumpkin seed oil. It made my starter course an easy decision; a green salad with a pumpkin seed oil dressing. It was very nice and had a sweet, nutty taste. For my main, I ordered roast pork with homemade sauerkraut and potato dumplings. It was amazing. The pork melted in my mouth and even the sauerkraut was savory and pleasant. I washed it down with a local beer and left completely stuffed. Although it didn't stop me from wandering the streets a bit more before turning in. I was really looking for an ice cream place, but I couldn't find any still open.
I woke up on Sunday to roam around the city a little more before heading back to the airport. Unfortunately, the city followed normal European procedures and pretty much everything was closed. Even grocery stores and many restaurants were closed, so it made for a slightly boring final tour of the city. However, I did run in to the University district and a number of large cathedrals and churches with their bells ringing. It was a very nice, and very quiet, morning in Graz and it was awkwardly peaceful. I eventually checked out of my hotel and drug my backpack and snowboard to the train station where I waited for the next train to the airport. Of course I couldn't leave Austria with one last pretzel purchase, and some haribo gummies just for fun!
3.07.2009
Friday the 13th
Did you know that since February has 28 days (well, most years), that the dates in March are identical? This means that we'll have another Friday the 13th this month! Speaking of February, I haven't written much lately so I thought I would give a quick update. I haven't written because I haven't really been doing a whole lot. Due to the quick move, I had some double rent to pay last month. I also have three trips planned in March so I wanted to keep a little quieter than usual to save some money.
One of the trips I have planned this month is to Northern Ireland to run my first half marathon. I've been training since New Years and it seems to be going pretty well. I haven't been quite as disciplined as I was last year, but I also feel healthier and haven't hurt my knee yet so I'm hoping everything goes well. I'll be running the Larne half marathon, which is located about 30 miles northeast of Belfast on the coast. I'll be running along one of the most scenic coastlines in the world and I'll spend a few days exploring the area before and after the run. I've been doing a lot of training in the gym, and doing my weekly long run along the Thames river near my flat. I'm surprised how nice it is along the Thames, especially as I run away from the center of London. I guess I'm surprised because I'm in the middle of one of the world's biggest cities, but the paths along the river are very park-like and often you wouldn't even know you are surrounded by city life. Some of the paths aren't even paved which makes it easier on the knees. My longest run so far has been 10 miles. Wish me luck!
Since I don't have a camera when I run, I can't don't have any pics to show of how nice the path really is. But I can show you the route I have been running!
Another highlight last month was my first driving experience in the UK! That's right. A friend of mine needed to move and I said I would be happy to drive a rental car if she needed to get one. Due to availability, we had to pick the car up in Wembley, which is about a 10-15 minute drive from where I live. I was surprised how easy it was to adjust to driving on the wrong side of the car, the wrong side of the road, and shifting with the left hand. I only made one major mistake when I instinctly pulled out onto the right side of the road. Ellen was quick to correct me and we survived to tell the tale. I also got to use the car to stop at Ikea to pick up some items for my new room. I don't have everything I want yet, but it's getting close! I do have a few pics of the driving on facebook, but there aren't many so you're not missing much.
This month I'll be heading to Austria for a long weekend to do some snowboarding, the Peak District to visit a friend I met up north last summer and do some hiking, and then to Ireland for the half marathon. My mom arrives the first week of April and we'll be exploring London and heading to Germany and Austria for 7 days. So stay tuned...there is a lot coming up!
One of the trips I have planned this month is to Northern Ireland to run my first half marathon. I've been training since New Years and it seems to be going pretty well. I haven't been quite as disciplined as I was last year, but I also feel healthier and haven't hurt my knee yet so I'm hoping everything goes well. I'll be running the Larne half marathon, which is located about 30 miles northeast of Belfast on the coast. I'll be running along one of the most scenic coastlines in the world and I'll spend a few days exploring the area before and after the run. I've been doing a lot of training in the gym, and doing my weekly long run along the Thames river near my flat. I'm surprised how nice it is along the Thames, especially as I run away from the center of London. I guess I'm surprised because I'm in the middle of one of the world's biggest cities, but the paths along the river are very park-like and often you wouldn't even know you are surrounded by city life. Some of the paths aren't even paved which makes it easier on the knees. My longest run so far has been 10 miles. Wish me luck!
Since I don't have a camera when I run, I can't don't have any pics to show of how nice the path really is. But I can show you the route I have been running!
Another highlight last month was my first driving experience in the UK! That's right. A friend of mine needed to move and I said I would be happy to drive a rental car if she needed to get one. Due to availability, we had to pick the car up in Wembley, which is about a 10-15 minute drive from where I live. I was surprised how easy it was to adjust to driving on the wrong side of the car, the wrong side of the road, and shifting with the left hand. I only made one major mistake when I instinctly pulled out onto the right side of the road. Ellen was quick to correct me and we survived to tell the tale. I also got to use the car to stop at Ikea to pick up some items for my new room. I don't have everything I want yet, but it's getting close! I do have a few pics of the driving on facebook, but there aren't many so you're not missing much.
This month I'll be heading to Austria for a long weekend to do some snowboarding, the Peak District to visit a friend I met up north last summer and do some hiking, and then to Ireland for the half marathon. My mom arrives the first week of April and we'll be exploring London and heading to Germany and Austria for 7 days. So stay tuned...there is a lot coming up!
2.21.2009
I Have Moved!
Shortly after arriving in London, I went on a mission to find an outdoor store to stock up on some gear for a backpacking trip I was planning to the Lake District. I decided to head to the closest shops I could find to the office during my lunch hour. I was headed toward Chiswick, a 20 minute walk down the road from work, and I was more worried about getting back quickly than I was about exploring a new area. As I walked toward Chiswick, however, I was pleasantly surprised. It became much nicer (and cleaner), the sidewalks significantly widened, trees suddenly lined all of the streets, and a number of quaint stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and pubs could be found everywhere. When I got back to the office to inform everyone where I had been, they told me that it was one of those areas that everyone wants to live. That was after they all had a long laugh at me for mispronouncing the area (I'm not going to tell you how to say it correctly!). Since then I knew it was a place I would like and I went back every chance I got, which wasn't that often to be honest. But guess what? Now I live there!
See pics: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/24CranbrookRoad?feat=directlink
Since I'm going to be in London a while longer, I decided it was time to find a better flat. Mine was adequate, but it wasn't big enough and it wasn't in the best area. So I decided to start searching. I didn't try terribly hard knowing that I could stay in my current flat as long as I needed. I thought I would wait for the perfect place and if it came along then great! If not, I was happy staying where I was. After about a month, I finally found it. Nestled on a quiet street just behind Chiswick High Street(high street is another name for main street), my flat is what Londoners would call a house. It's three stories and four bedrooms. It has a large common room, a great kitchen, a dining/sun room, and even a small garden (or yard) in the back. My bedroom is about 4 times as big as my previous room and it's nice to have a common room and space to enjoy other than just my bedroom. Now I just need to get a desk and maybe a bookshelf and I'll be set!
I have three new flatmates, two guys and one girl. I know a lot of you are probably thinking that is strange since I usually live with girls. But I guess things can change. They are all really nice people in their mid twenties and I look forward to having them as friends. One of them works in a recording studio and is also in an up and coming London band. Another works for one of London's biggest banks in their corporate office. The third is a mathematics phd student.
The area near my flat is absolutely amazing. Within a 3 minute walk I have everything I could ever need plus a lot more. Within a 5-10 minute walk there is more than I will ever have time to explore. It's great. Already, I have a few local favorites. They include a board shop, two outdoor gear shops, a number of local pubs, the 2nd best natural food store I have found in London (first being Whole Foods), a great bread shop/bakery, a NORMAL LARGE SUPERMARKET (this is in all caps because it is incredible that I live less than a 10 minute walk to a normal sized grocery store...I am very excited about this), and one coffee shop/restaurant in particular with cozy indoor and outdoor seating. Of course there is are about 8 other grocery stores, a McDonalds, a great looking Kebab shop for the late nights, and around 83 Starbucks. The streets are also lined with trendy clothing shops and countless restaurants catering to all types of food and tastes. It's seriously a wonderful place to be. I'm also about the same distance as I was to the Thames River, less than a 10 minutes walk.
The best news? I have plenty of room for visitors! Multiple visitors at the same time even!
Overall, I'm not sure what I'm most excited about. The flat itself, the flatmates, or the location. I'm sure I'll have many more thoughts and experiences around my new flat as time goes on, so stay tuned!
See pics: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/24CranbrookRoad?feat=directlink
Since I'm going to be in London a while longer, I decided it was time to find a better flat. Mine was adequate, but it wasn't big enough and it wasn't in the best area. So I decided to start searching. I didn't try terribly hard knowing that I could stay in my current flat as long as I needed. I thought I would wait for the perfect place and if it came along then great! If not, I was happy staying where I was. After about a month, I finally found it. Nestled on a quiet street just behind Chiswick High Street(high street is another name for main street), my flat is what Londoners would call a house. It's three stories and four bedrooms. It has a large common room, a great kitchen, a dining/sun room, and even a small garden (or yard) in the back. My bedroom is about 4 times as big as my previous room and it's nice to have a common room and space to enjoy other than just my bedroom. Now I just need to get a desk and maybe a bookshelf and I'll be set!
I have three new flatmates, two guys and one girl. I know a lot of you are probably thinking that is strange since I usually live with girls. But I guess things can change. They are all really nice people in their mid twenties and I look forward to having them as friends. One of them works in a recording studio and is also in an up and coming London band. Another works for one of London's biggest banks in their corporate office. The third is a mathematics phd student.
The area near my flat is absolutely amazing. Within a 3 minute walk I have everything I could ever need plus a lot more. Within a 5-10 minute walk there is more than I will ever have time to explore. It's great. Already, I have a few local favorites. They include a board shop, two outdoor gear shops, a number of local pubs, the 2nd best natural food store I have found in London (first being Whole Foods), a great bread shop/bakery, a NORMAL LARGE SUPERMARKET (this is in all caps because it is incredible that I live less than a 10 minute walk to a normal sized grocery store...I am very excited about this), and one coffee shop/restaurant in particular with cozy indoor and outdoor seating. Of course there is are about 8 other grocery stores, a McDonalds, a great looking Kebab shop for the late nights, and around 83 Starbucks. The streets are also lined with trendy clothing shops and countless restaurants catering to all types of food and tastes. It's seriously a wonderful place to be. I'm also about the same distance as I was to the Thames River, less than a 10 minutes walk.
The best news? I have plenty of room for visitors! Multiple visitors at the same time even!
Overall, I'm not sure what I'm most excited about. The flat itself, the flatmates, or the location. I'm sure I'll have many more thoughts and experiences around my new flat as time goes on, so stay tuned!
2.15.2009
Food, Whole Foods, A Museum, and More Food
If you couldn't guess by the title, this post is going to be mostly about food. Last month we celebrated Hayley's birthday Mexican style! Ellen and I came up with a menu including enchiladas, rice, beans, guacamole, black bean salad, and of course chips and salsa. Throw in way too many batches of my famous margaritas and it was a great night!
You can see way too many food pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/WholeFoodsFoodFoodAndAMuseum?feat=directlink
I've recently decided to start expanding my cooking abilities to include traditional English fare. After visiting Whole Foods London a few more times over the past month, I've decided that it's by far my favorite place in the city. Most of you are probably assuming that it's just full of American stuff, since it is an American store. But wrong you are! Whole Food's specializes in organic and high quality foods. Most importantly, they focus on local products; whether it be produce, cheese, meat, dairy, etc. So as I browse the the endless rows of amazingness, I am more and more intrigued by local cheeses, real Spanish chorizo, freshly baked breads, and the traditional goodness that Whole Foods always offers. Of course, they do have their own selection of American items, along with other hard-to-find foods like Mexican, and one entire floor dedicated to a cafe that offers fresh sushi, burritos, salads, sandwiches, meat pies, gelato, soup, pasta, antipastas, and many more. It's great!
The point of my whole foods rant is that it makes it easy for me to find quality, local products for me to cook with. Certain names, like Dorset, Somerset, and somethingrandomShire, are everywhere. And here it means that the products actually came from these familiar places. So my first goal was simple; a traditional English breakfast bap (or sandwich). It included a freshly baked bap, English back bacon, and an organic egg. Add a side of beans and some fresh fruit and it made for an excellent after work-out brunch.
I also decided to finally check out the London Natural History Museum. Although I had seen the stunning building many times from the outside, I had never been inside the free museum. I had heard it wasn't really that spectacular, but there is currently a temporary Outdoor Photography of the Year exhibit that I wanted to check out. The museum itself was pretty lame. It included a lot of "stuffed animals," some dinosaur fossils, and a huge room filled with rocks. My brother would have loved it. The photography exhibit was well worth it though.
Last weekend we celebrated Ellen's birthday with a traditional English roast dinner. Hayley did most of the cooking, but I volunteered to make dessert. I purchased some apples and blackberries at the local market near work and decided to make Apple Crumble. It turned out pretty good, but I already have some ideas on how I'll change it next time. The roast dinner itself included roast lamb, roast potatoes, and lots of veggies. I was able able to try a couple of new things like mint jelly (for the lamb) and my favorite, Yorkshire Puddings (which are kinda like rolls). It was absolutely amazing!
Finally, this weekend my flatmate and I had a small going away dinner for myself. That's right, I have decided to move flats and more on that will come shortly. We started dinner with some french Foie gras on toast. Then my French roommate offered to make pancakes (crepes), and we had a great time making way too many of them and filling them with a variety of different toppings. Mine included ham and cheddar, tomato and brie, jam, butter and brown sugar, and lots of nutella and fruit varieties. It was great!
You can see way too many food pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/WholeFoodsFoodFoodAndAMuseum?feat=directlink
I've recently decided to start expanding my cooking abilities to include traditional English fare. After visiting Whole Foods London a few more times over the past month, I've decided that it's by far my favorite place in the city. Most of you are probably assuming that it's just full of American stuff, since it is an American store. But wrong you are! Whole Food's specializes in organic and high quality foods. Most importantly, they focus on local products; whether it be produce, cheese, meat, dairy, etc. So as I browse the the endless rows of amazingness, I am more and more intrigued by local cheeses, real Spanish chorizo, freshly baked breads, and the traditional goodness that Whole Foods always offers. Of course, they do have their own selection of American items, along with other hard-to-find foods like Mexican, and one entire floor dedicated to a cafe that offers fresh sushi, burritos, salads, sandwiches, meat pies, gelato, soup, pasta, antipastas, and many more. It's great!
The point of my whole foods rant is that it makes it easy for me to find quality, local products for me to cook with. Certain names, like Dorset, Somerset, and somethingrandomShire, are everywhere. And here it means that the products actually came from these familiar places. So my first goal was simple; a traditional English breakfast bap (or sandwich). It included a freshly baked bap, English back bacon, and an organic egg. Add a side of beans and some fresh fruit and it made for an excellent after work-out brunch.
I also decided to finally check out the London Natural History Museum. Although I had seen the stunning building many times from the outside, I had never been inside the free museum. I had heard it wasn't really that spectacular, but there is currently a temporary Outdoor Photography of the Year exhibit that I wanted to check out. The museum itself was pretty lame. It included a lot of "stuffed animals," some dinosaur fossils, and a huge room filled with rocks. My brother would have loved it. The photography exhibit was well worth it though.
Last weekend we celebrated Ellen's birthday with a traditional English roast dinner. Hayley did most of the cooking, but I volunteered to make dessert. I purchased some apples and blackberries at the local market near work and decided to make Apple Crumble. It turned out pretty good, but I already have some ideas on how I'll change it next time. The roast dinner itself included roast lamb, roast potatoes, and lots of veggies. I was able able to try a couple of new things like mint jelly (for the lamb) and my favorite, Yorkshire Puddings (which are kinda like rolls). It was absolutely amazing!
Finally, this weekend my flatmate and I had a small going away dinner for myself. That's right, I have decided to move flats and more on that will come shortly. We started dinner with some french Foie gras on toast. Then my French roommate offered to make pancakes (crepes), and we had a great time making way too many of them and filling them with a variety of different toppings. Mine included ham and cheddar, tomato and brie, jam, butter and brown sugar, and lots of nutella and fruit varieties. It was great!
2.04.2009
Everyone Panic...it's a Blizzard!
Well everyone, the unthinkable has happened. That's right, six whole inches of snow fell on London earlier this week, basically resulting in a complete shut-down of the entire city. Many of you think this might be an exaggeration, but it's really not. In a way, I almost admire the way one of the largest cities in the world handles inclement weather. Forget about purchasing hundreds of pieces of snow removal trucks and equipment. Forget about buying and storing tons of salt and chemicals to reduce accumulation on the roads, or tons of gravel to increase traction. And definitely forget about overpaying laborers to use all of the expensive equipment. Instead, just systematically cancel all buses and public transportation, use the media to encourage everyone to stay home and allow the estimated billions of pounds (money) to be lost due to a loss in productivity during a weak economy. It was as if everyone knew what to do. Nothing. On the other hand, it's a poor example of how London, what some call the capital of the world, can deal with a twist to the norm. Regardless, it was a lot of fun and made for some great and unusual scenes throughout London.
See pics: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/Blizzard?feat=directlink
The snow started on Sunday evening. I had been in my flat since dark and as I got ready to leave, I noticed that it was snowing quite hard and the ground was already covered. I had plans to meet up with Ellen and some of her friends for a pub quiz that night, and what better excuse to get out and enjoy the snow on the way! I ended up taking a bus because it was cold and snowing, but I still had plenty of time on the sidewalks to enjoy the falling snow. By the time pub quiz was over, more snow had accumulated and it was really picaresque. I took the tube half way home and then caught a bus most of the rest of the way; a distance that only takes about 10 minutes to walk.
As mentioned above, Monday didn't exist for most Londoners. But since I can walk to work, I didn't really have an excuse to stay in. So I took my time in the morning and started the trek in. Most of the main roads were actually pretty clear. The sidewalks ended up being the most treacherous result of the snow, and it lasted an extra day or two after the snow had fallen. The snow had got packed down by the walkers to ice, then slush as it warmed a little, and then refroze at night. It remained to be an obstacle for a few days. The most dangerous part of my walk to work, as usual, was the 50 yards across Lyric Square to the front doors of my building. For some reason, someone thought it would be a great idea to create a huge square in the middle of Hammersmith with polished patio-style bricks. Sure, it looks nice. But anytime it gets wet, it's slick. Real slick. Top that with some snow and ice, and it's even worse. Then as the snow and ice begin to break up, it's like maneuvering across the Antarctic full of icebergs. One wrong step and the chunks of ice slide out from under you. I would have loved to sit in one of the coffee shops or pubs on the square and watch people fall all day!
Regardless of my sarcastic ramblings, the snow was actually really nice. London hadn't seen a storm like this in 18 years and it was great to see parts of London covered in snow. I hope you enjoy the pics!
See pics: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/Blizzard?feat=directlink
The snow started on Sunday evening. I had been in my flat since dark and as I got ready to leave, I noticed that it was snowing quite hard and the ground was already covered. I had plans to meet up with Ellen and some of her friends for a pub quiz that night, and what better excuse to get out and enjoy the snow on the way! I ended up taking a bus because it was cold and snowing, but I still had plenty of time on the sidewalks to enjoy the falling snow. By the time pub quiz was over, more snow had accumulated and it was really picaresque. I took the tube half way home and then caught a bus most of the rest of the way; a distance that only takes about 10 minutes to walk.
As mentioned above, Monday didn't exist for most Londoners. But since I can walk to work, I didn't really have an excuse to stay in. So I took my time in the morning and started the trek in. Most of the main roads were actually pretty clear. The sidewalks ended up being the most treacherous result of the snow, and it lasted an extra day or two after the snow had fallen. The snow had got packed down by the walkers to ice, then slush as it warmed a little, and then refroze at night. It remained to be an obstacle for a few days. The most dangerous part of my walk to work, as usual, was the 50 yards across Lyric Square to the front doors of my building. For some reason, someone thought it would be a great idea to create a huge square in the middle of Hammersmith with polished patio-style bricks. Sure, it looks nice. But anytime it gets wet, it's slick. Real slick. Top that with some snow and ice, and it's even worse. Then as the snow and ice begin to break up, it's like maneuvering across the Antarctic full of icebergs. One wrong step and the chunks of ice slide out from under you. I would have loved to sit in one of the coffee shops or pubs on the square and watch people fall all day!
Regardless of my sarcastic ramblings, the snow was actually really nice. London hadn't seen a storm like this in 18 years and it was great to see parts of London covered in snow. I hope you enjoy the pics!
1.31.2009
January Book Review - Scratch Beginnings
I can tell what you're thinking. A book review on Brian's blog? First of all, this is where I go to read about random European adventures and see what Brian is up to in London! Second, Brian doesn't really read!
Well, hopefully that's gonna change a little; and don't worry, the review won't be long. One of my goals this year is to read a book every month. Not a significant accomplishment to many of you, but for me it's pretty good. My first book, which I completed during my travels in Switzerland, was a book given to me by my Dad and Kathy for Christmas. It's called Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard. It's a true story about a recent college grad who left home with the clothes on his back, $25 in cash, a sleeping bag, and restricted from using previous contacts or relying on his college education. He randomly set out to the city of Charleston, SC where he had a goal of getting a job, saving $2500, have a working automobile, and a furnished apartment. All within one year.
I found the story itself really intriguing, and reading the real life experiences he had with other homeless and disadvantaged people were both funny and sad. You could tell it was Adam's first time writing anything significant and the writing was sometimes a little dry, but the story kept my interest in what was going to happened and didn't cause any hesitation to keep reading. Kinda how I see this blog; not literary by any means but people tell me they enjoy reading it and continue to do so. It also shows pride and the great opportunity that exists in America for those who are disciplined and willing to work hard. You'll also learn a little about homeless living in the south which is interesting enough.
If you're looking for a different type of story and a quick read, I would recommend this book. My next book was recommended to me by my friend Ryan. It's an English authored book called Girlfriend 44.
Well, hopefully that's gonna change a little; and don't worry, the review won't be long. One of my goals this year is to read a book every month. Not a significant accomplishment to many of you, but for me it's pretty good. My first book, which I completed during my travels in Switzerland, was a book given to me by my Dad and Kathy for Christmas. It's called Scratch Beginnings by Adam Shepard. It's a true story about a recent college grad who left home with the clothes on his back, $25 in cash, a sleeping bag, and restricted from using previous contacts or relying on his college education. He randomly set out to the city of Charleston, SC where he had a goal of getting a job, saving $2500, have a working automobile, and a furnished apartment. All within one year.
I found the story itself really intriguing, and reading the real life experiences he had with other homeless and disadvantaged people were both funny and sad. You could tell it was Adam's first time writing anything significant and the writing was sometimes a little dry, but the story kept my interest in what was going to happened and didn't cause any hesitation to keep reading. Kinda how I see this blog; not literary by any means but people tell me they enjoy reading it and continue to do so. It also shows pride and the great opportunity that exists in America for those who are disciplined and willing to work hard. You'll also learn a little about homeless living in the south which is interesting enough.
If you're looking for a different type of story and a quick read, I would recommend this book. My next book was recommended to me by my friend Ryan. It's an English authored book called Girlfriend 44.
1.28.2009
Snowboarding in Switzerland
Bonjour! Last week, I spent a long weekend in Switzerland snowboarding with Hayley and Kat. Our co-worker's (Sam's) parents have a condo in the resort town of Leysin, situated about 2 hours from Geneva near the French/Swiss border in Switzerland. Hayley and Kat were in the middle of their two week holiday in Switzerland, and I went to join them for the weekend.
See some sweet pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/LeysinSwitzerland?feat=directlink
My journey started mid-afternoon on Friday. I left work a bit early and made my way to Luton airport. Although flights are often cheap from "London," it means you have to use airports that are actually outside of the city. After dragging my carry-on backpack and heavy snowboard bag on the tube, I caught a train to the nearest station and then a bus to the airport itself. I arrived in Geneva after dark, grabbed a sandwich and pretzel roll in the airport, and caught the next train to Aigle - my connection to Leysin. After arriving in Aigle, I spent an hour in a nearby cafe before catching the next train to Leysin. This entire area is in the French portion of Switzerland, and since I don't know any French, I just pointed and pretended to get along with "Bonjour" and "Merci" like usual. The train journey from Aigle to Leysin was on a cog train and took about 25 minutes. It went from an elevation of 365 meters with no snow in Aigle to 1263 meters in the village of Leysin, where it was dumping new snow. They already had a few storms pass through over the week providing huge amounts of fresh powder, and this storm meant my timing was even better. It had been dark during the entire train ride from Geneva, so I was excited to see the surroundings the next day.
When we woke up the next morning, it was still snowing. Nice, big flakes. Unfortunately this meant I couldn't see any mountains. But it did mean that the slopes were going to be incredible! The three of us walked down to the lifts around 10am to start our day. My two-day lift pass cost me the equivalent of about £60...not too bad. Leysin is one of the smaller and lower resorts in the Alps and my hopes had not been high for the snow conditions or terrain. However, it ended up being one of the best weekends I've had snowboarding. I did the first few runs with Hayley and Kat, trying to offer help and taking some pics. When they went in for a break, I decided to go off on my own for a bit and explore the mountain. I went to the furthest lift on the backside and the conditions were incredible. It was Saturday, but I only saw a handful of others and I had fresh tracks for every run.
The landscape itself was dotted with old wooden cabins and the occasional Chalet flying it's Swiss flag. The old Chalet's are incredible wooden buildings that provide food and services for skiers. My favorite had homemade desserts and loaves of freshly baked bread along with a cozy inside and plenty of outdoor seating with incredible views. Although there are few "on-piste" runs (groomed or well known trails) marked on the map, the "off-piste" (non-groomed, moguls, or trees) options are vast and the conditions were some of the best that I have experienced. One thing I noticed about the map is that it is much less detailed than those that I am used to in North America. It often only shows one or two runs per lift and no off-piste detail.
A ski pass at Leysin also allows you to use the resort of Les Mosses, connected by a shuttle bus. I thought I would take advantage of that, but never saw a reason to leave Leysin since the conditions were so great. It also looked like most of the lifts at Les Mosses were drag lifts, and I didn't feel like giving effort both up and down the mountain.
The weather on Saturday slowly began to clear up, which provided excellent views of the surrounding mountain range and the valley below caked in fog. I eventually stopped for some lunch and enjoyed some goulash (meat stew) and freshly baked bread. I then met up with Hayley and Kat for a few last runs of the day. We all enjoyed a few post-boarding beers and hot wines at the chalet near the bottom of the lifts and then walked down to the village to stop at the grocery store. We bought some stuff for dinner, including some great regional cheeses and some fresh bread. We still had some time to kill before meeting Kat's friend at the train station who was coming to visit for the night, so we checked out another local pub before heading back home. Kat's friend, Isa, lives in the town of Neuchatel, a 2 hours train ride away. Lucky for us, she brought with her some local sausage called Saucisson Neuchateloise. It was excellent and went very well with our pasta! That night we enjoyed a great meal in, a few beers, and even watched Hunt for the Red October on VHS. I had never seen it before.
We woke up on Sunday to the most perfect day you could imagine. Not a cloud in the sky and, in all, around a foot of fresh powder from the last 24 hours. The others were a bit tired (and sore) from the day before, so I headed down to the lifts on my own to get in an excellent morning of fresh tracks on the back side of the mountain. The slopes were a bit more crowded due to the weather, but still nothing that stopped me from carving my own lines all day long. I also discovered that the very top of the mountain was open, which hadn't been open the day before. The resort actually has "two" summits. The first, at 2048 meters, is La Berneuse. There is a glass building with a balcony at the top where you can enjoy food and apparently a revolving bar. The other top at 2205 meters, Chaux de Mont, provides excellent views and difficult skiing. I did two runs from Chaux de Mont, and they were by far my favorite runs of the day.
I met up with Hayley and Kat when they were ready to go in the mid-afternoon and did a few runs with them. We took turns taking pics and videos of each other on the runs. I even tried a few jumps in the terrain park. I probably got a whole inch or two of air. Hayley and Kat eventually headed back down to the bottom Chalet while I did one last run. Even though my legs were shaking by the time I was done, I had put in a great weekend of snowboarding. We enjoyed one last slopeside beer and headed back to the grocery store and our place for another dinner in. We were pretty beat by the end of the second night, so we eventually turned in pretty early.
The next morning, I was up at 4:30am to catch the first train out of Leysin and back to the airport. I enjoyed one last piece of French food, a fresh croissant, and boarded the plane on my way back to London. I want to thank Hayley and Kat for letting me crash with them for the weekend and an excellent time! I can't wait to board my next European resort!
PS - There were other pics taken with other cameras, as well as quite a few videos. Once I get all of them, I will post another blog!
See some sweet pics here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/LeysinSwitzerland?feat=directlink
My journey started mid-afternoon on Friday. I left work a bit early and made my way to Luton airport. Although flights are often cheap from "London," it means you have to use airports that are actually outside of the city. After dragging my carry-on backpack and heavy snowboard bag on the tube, I caught a train to the nearest station and then a bus to the airport itself. I arrived in Geneva after dark, grabbed a sandwich and pretzel roll in the airport, and caught the next train to Aigle - my connection to Leysin. After arriving in Aigle, I spent an hour in a nearby cafe before catching the next train to Leysin. This entire area is in the French portion of Switzerland, and since I don't know any French, I just pointed and pretended to get along with "Bonjour" and "Merci" like usual. The train journey from Aigle to Leysin was on a cog train and took about 25 minutes. It went from an elevation of 365 meters with no snow in Aigle to 1263 meters in the village of Leysin, where it was dumping new snow. They already had a few storms pass through over the week providing huge amounts of fresh powder, and this storm meant my timing was even better. It had been dark during the entire train ride from Geneva, so I was excited to see the surroundings the next day.
When we woke up the next morning, it was still snowing. Nice, big flakes. Unfortunately this meant I couldn't see any mountains. But it did mean that the slopes were going to be incredible! The three of us walked down to the lifts around 10am to start our day. My two-day lift pass cost me the equivalent of about £60...not too bad. Leysin is one of the smaller and lower resorts in the Alps and my hopes had not been high for the snow conditions or terrain. However, it ended up being one of the best weekends I've had snowboarding. I did the first few runs with Hayley and Kat, trying to offer help and taking some pics. When they went in for a break, I decided to go off on my own for a bit and explore the mountain. I went to the furthest lift on the backside and the conditions were incredible. It was Saturday, but I only saw a handful of others and I had fresh tracks for every run.
The landscape itself was dotted with old wooden cabins and the occasional Chalet flying it's Swiss flag. The old Chalet's are incredible wooden buildings that provide food and services for skiers. My favorite had homemade desserts and loaves of freshly baked bread along with a cozy inside and plenty of outdoor seating with incredible views. Although there are few "on-piste" runs (groomed or well known trails) marked on the map, the "off-piste" (non-groomed, moguls, or trees) options are vast and the conditions were some of the best that I have experienced. One thing I noticed about the map is that it is much less detailed than those that I am used to in North America. It often only shows one or two runs per lift and no off-piste detail.
A ski pass at Leysin also allows you to use the resort of Les Mosses, connected by a shuttle bus. I thought I would take advantage of that, but never saw a reason to leave Leysin since the conditions were so great. It also looked like most of the lifts at Les Mosses were drag lifts, and I didn't feel like giving effort both up and down the mountain.
The weather on Saturday slowly began to clear up, which provided excellent views of the surrounding mountain range and the valley below caked in fog. I eventually stopped for some lunch and enjoyed some goulash (meat stew) and freshly baked bread. I then met up with Hayley and Kat for a few last runs of the day. We all enjoyed a few post-boarding beers and hot wines at the chalet near the bottom of the lifts and then walked down to the village to stop at the grocery store. We bought some stuff for dinner, including some great regional cheeses and some fresh bread. We still had some time to kill before meeting Kat's friend at the train station who was coming to visit for the night, so we checked out another local pub before heading back home. Kat's friend, Isa, lives in the town of Neuchatel, a 2 hours train ride away. Lucky for us, she brought with her some local sausage called Saucisson Neuchateloise. It was excellent and went very well with our pasta! That night we enjoyed a great meal in, a few beers, and even watched Hunt for the Red October on VHS. I had never seen it before.
We woke up on Sunday to the most perfect day you could imagine. Not a cloud in the sky and, in all, around a foot of fresh powder from the last 24 hours. The others were a bit tired (and sore) from the day before, so I headed down to the lifts on my own to get in an excellent morning of fresh tracks on the back side of the mountain. The slopes were a bit more crowded due to the weather, but still nothing that stopped me from carving my own lines all day long. I also discovered that the very top of the mountain was open, which hadn't been open the day before. The resort actually has "two" summits. The first, at 2048 meters, is La Berneuse. There is a glass building with a balcony at the top where you can enjoy food and apparently a revolving bar. The other top at 2205 meters, Chaux de Mont, provides excellent views and difficult skiing. I did two runs from Chaux de Mont, and they were by far my favorite runs of the day.
I met up with Hayley and Kat when they were ready to go in the mid-afternoon and did a few runs with them. We took turns taking pics and videos of each other on the runs. I even tried a few jumps in the terrain park. I probably got a whole inch or two of air. Hayley and Kat eventually headed back down to the bottom Chalet while I did one last run. Even though my legs were shaking by the time I was done, I had put in a great weekend of snowboarding. We enjoyed one last slopeside beer and headed back to the grocery store and our place for another dinner in. We were pretty beat by the end of the second night, so we eventually turned in pretty early.
The next morning, I was up at 4:30am to catch the first train out of Leysin and back to the airport. I enjoyed one last piece of French food, a fresh croissant, and boarded the plane on my way back to London. I want to thank Hayley and Kat for letting me crash with them for the weekend and an excellent time! I can't wait to board my next European resort!
PS - There were other pics taken with other cameras, as well as quite a few videos. Once I get all of them, I will post another blog!
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