Some Statistics

Reflections on Europe.

In just over 2 months I have crossed a continent. From North West to South East, visiting five very different countries (Six including the Vatican City): Germany, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Vatican and Greece. From here my six months in Asia seem distance, so much has passed since I left. Travelling between both continents served to highlight vast differences between east and west, both in terms of wealth and culture. One day amongst the worlds poorest in India, another amongst the worlds richest holidaying off the Almalfi Coast.

For It's small area, Europe packs in a diverse patchwork of nations and cultures. I only saw a small amount, mostly in the West. As I traveled south from Berlin the climate changed from cool and wet continental to hot, dry and forever sunny Mediterranean. The trains stopped running on time and the people began to talk with their hands. All these variable cultures with only one stamp in the passport and one easy currency experiencing a financial crisis.

Highlights Include:
• Berlin's many museums
• Swimming down the Valta in Cesky Krumlov.
• Art, Art and more Art in Paris
• Parisian street life.
• Meeting Gemma and Nikki in Venice
• Eating Italian pizza, pasta and gelato
• The amazing scenery of the Almalfi coast
• Roman and Greek ruins, such as Pompeii and the Acropolis
• Subsets and swimming on the Cyclades Islands.

Santorini Sunsets

The Greek island of Santorini is in fact the caldera rim of a vast volcano that erupted 3000 years ago, ahniliating the bronze age civilisation that lived upon it. Today towns of whitewashed buildings cling to its high cliff tops overlooking the now sea filled caldera and the new volcanic mass rising in its centre.

I hopped over from Athens on one of the large, comfortable passenger ferries. While my ferry was very nice indeed, I could not help but envy those arriving on the many luxury mega liners to visit Santorini.

I went out to the volcano in the bay on a boat one day. At the moment it is dormant, having not erupted since 1950 . Still you can smell the sulphur in the air and on its shore the water is warmed by thermal vents. I swam into the hot springs from the boat, the water becoming warm and oxide red from the iron. There was a frenzy of people covering themselves with volcanic mud. Perhaps it's good for the skin.

Upon my return to the island I was faced with a hot, steep climb up the cliffs from the port to the main town of Fira. Cruise ship passengers are shuttled up on trains of donkeys. My experience of donkeys in Nepal had given me a dislike of the beasts. Then, as I was walking along, one lent over and bit my shoulder!

From the cliff tops Santorini is most beautiful at sunset. As the sun dips into the Mediterranean the hues of the red streaked cliffs deepen and the sky fades through orange and pink to dark blue, tinting the whitewashed houses. The clarity of the water means you can see the dark shadows of huge schools of fish moving through the bay, they seemed to be swimming to escape some unseen predator.

My second island destination was Paros, an island of less dramatic topography but fringed by golden sandy beaches and cool, crystal waters. I spent much of my time reading and swimming away the last few days of the journey, recuperating after many months of travel.

One night a large religious precession passed through the town. There were Greek Orthodox priests and monks in black robes, children carrying sceptres and incense, marching bands and crew from a navy ship moored offshore. I it was huge but I have no idea what it was about.

Next stop: Athens and it's airport.

Legacy of a Golden Age in a City Fallen on Hard Times

The journey between Naples and Athens took three trains, an overnight car ferry, two busses and 33hours. On the car ferry I tried sleeping out under the stars, on a steel deck. It's not as uncomfortable as it sounds. I made myself a thin bed out of my clothes and slept well for two hours before waking up to find the deck wet with sea spray. It was time to go sleep on the carpet inside.

I can't say Athens is the prettiest city I've visited. It's big, sprawling and shabby by European standards. The recession is highly visible with stalled construction projects, boarded up shop fronts and out of work people who give speeches about their situation (in Greek) and then try to sell lighters or tissues. In yesterday's SMH there was a report of a big round up of illegal immigrants in Greece. I saw this, walking past a large line of police detaining scores of South Asian and African men. Signs of an unhappy country.

 

It's a tragic state of affairs for the city that gave birth to western art, science, philosophy and democracy. The monuments to ancient Greece still stand upon the Acropolis with the Parthenon the most striking and visible structure.

My favourite example of Greek science and technology is a 2100 year old device housed in the archeological museum that was effectively a clockwork computer. By turning a handle multiple a system of complex gears outputs readings on dials that predict the position of the sun, the moon and it's phases, the planners and a prediction of the next solar and lunar eclipses. It's a truly remarkable device for its age.

Greece is the 13th and final destination country on my journey. In two weeks time I will be back in Australia after 8.5 months away.

In The Shadow of A Volcano

After the experience of Northern Europe, Naples came as a bit of a shock. It was shabby, the streets were littered and graffiti covered just about every inch of exposed concrete. It took a little while to adjust to, but Naples gradually grew on me.

The city sprawls along the Bay of Naples, overlooked by the volcano, Mount Vesuvius. At its base lies the ruined Roman city of Pompeii, frozen in time beneath a blanket of volcanic ash. Wander it's streets and you can still see the grooves worn in the road by cart traffic. Many of its buildings still stand, frescos adorning the walls, mosaics on the floors. One of the most macabre and fascinating sites however are the casts taken of bodies preserved in the postures of their final moments.

South of the Bay of Naples is the beautiful Almalfi coast where rugged granite mountains tumble down into the sparkling Mediterranean. I stayed in Positanio for two days, a small town who's whitewashed buildings cling to the steep terrain. From my hostel at the top of the town it was a winding walk down to the pebbly beach. Here the cool water is a brilliant shade of blue and incredibly clear. I was not alone in my enjoyment, the Almalfi Coast is a cruising ground for the super yachts of billionaires. In fact I went there on the recommendation of the crew from James Dyson's (The vacuum cleaner, hand dryer and fan millionaire) yacht who I had met way back in Darjeeling.

Ruins of the Empire

On our first day in Rome we left the country, entering into the worlds sovereign state, the Vatican City. It is a strange little country within a city, existing entirely as the headquarters for a worldwide religious organisation. It's Cathedral, St Peters is enormous, with enclosing a hugely cavernous space. It's also an immensely popular deaination and the museums are packed. There is no room to wander, instead visitors sort of shuffle between galleries in slowly moving lines. It's worth it for the Roman art, frescos such as Raffiel's School of Athens and Michael Angelo's Roof of the Sistine Chapel. I found the chapel itself a bit dark and unimpressive, but it does have an amazingly painted ceiling.



Rome is littered with archeological sights from its days as capitol of the Roman Empire, the colosseum being the most salient feature of the cityscape. Huge and crumbling, it is a structure that embodies the wealth an power of the Roman Empire. Standing in its galleries it's not hard to imagine 50 000 bloodthirsty Romans being entertained by the brutality of the arena below. Today, whenever a country or US state abolishes the death penalty, the City of Rome lights up the Colosseum in gold to campaign against capital punishment.

In the vicinity of the coliseum are the scattered remains of ancient Rome. My favourite was the Pantheon, a domed temple that has stood for 2000 years in Rome. Not only is it a wonder that the dome has stood for so long, but that such a large dome was built in the first place. The light Romans were the masters of the ancient engineering world.

Modern Rome is a product of several thousand years of development. The city today is an architectural patchwork from across the ages. It's also a little bit mad and intense, take the traffic for instance. We certainly saw some "creative" parking solutions. Drivers double park, everywhere and cars are left at all kinds of angles the the kerb, across crossing, in intersections and generally anywhere the owners feel like leaving them.

On my last night in Rome I took Gemma and Nikki to the airport, our Italian journey together was over. Back to Sydney for them, and onwards to Naples for me.

Eating Italy

Italian food must be some of the best in the world. Simple, yet delicious, Pizza, Pasta and more. Then there is my personal favourite for desert, gelato, in so many flavours.

I thought I would compile a list of some of the foods I have eaten an the flavours of gelato I have tried over the past two weeks in Italy.

Pizza:
•Mariara- Oregano and Tomato
•Mhagerita- Tomato and Mozzarella
•Artichoke
•Mushroom
• Eggplant, Capsicum, Spinach and Olives

Pasta:
•Penne al pomodoro
•Spaghetti al pomodoro
•Spaghetti al Pesto
•Ravioli
•Gnocchi

Other:
•Mushroom risotto
•Cannelloni
• Italian bread with olive oil and balsamic as a starter.

Gelato :
• Green Apple
• Forrest Berries
•Peach
•Chocolate
•Tiramasu
•cheesecake
• Watermelon
•Mango
•Cherry
• Rockmelon

I bet your hungry now.

Treasures of the Renaissance

Florence, the artistic capital of the Italian renaissance holds many cultural treasures. The lines are long, but the art worth the wait. To be honest, the galleries do suffer from a slight over abundance of depictions of Jesus and the Holy Virgin. It's a pervasive theme throughout the Louvre's Italian collection as well. Some of the famous works include Botticelli's beautiful fresco, 'Birth of Venus,' and Michael Angelo's massive sculpture, 'David'. So huge it has a whole gallery almost devoted to it (the other works consist mostly of Jesus paintings), David thousands everyday. It is a brilliant working of stone, anatomically accurate down to the veins upon his arms. For an image so widely recognised and used in popular culture, the prohibition of photographs of the sculpture made little sense. When the guard wasn't looking I took some sneaky snaps.

David

For an architectural icon of the Renaissance, there is the massive dome of Florence Duomo. The first time we tried to enter Gemma and Nikki were both rejected by the Catholic fashion police. The second time, the offending shoulders now properly clothed, we succeeded and were able to gaze up at the domed feat of 15th Century engineering. 

The Duomo

Nearby Florence is Pisa, to which people flock to see a structurally unstable building attempting to resist gravity's pull. A tower falling in slow motion. And no, I did not photograph myself trying to hold it up. To get there we took a train through the beautiful Tuscan countryside.

There was yet more delicious gelato in Pisa. I made the mistake of trying a three scoop cone as it was only €2. I was unprepared for how much gelato this actually was, crammed on top a little cone and rapidly melting in the heat. I think it was Mango, Watermelon and Cheesecake. An Interesting combination.

City in the Sea

Venice is a city in the sea, a maze of car free cobbled streets bridging a network of canals. I met my friends Gemma and Nikki here and together we wandered through it's narrow lane ways between the leaning walls of city buildings, hundreds of years old and sliding into the sea. Most alarming is the perilous angle at which some church towers tilt. The city must be a structural engineers nightmare.

It is so easy to become lost in it's structureless spaghetti bowl of a street network. It's probably easier to navigate through the canals, where boats instead of trucks deliver groceries and tourists are paddled on gondoliers. We stuck to the streets, not wanting to fork out €80+ for the privilege. The ferry across to The Lido cost enough, but the swim was well worth it.

The Mediterranean sea offered cool respite from the sweltering heat. It's hot in Italy in the middle of summer. It was the first sight of a coastline since Goa, several months ago.

When in Italy in summer, gelato is everywhere. With many delicious flavours from rock melon to Tiramasu and being cheap in relation to Australia, it is an irresistible afternoon snack. I'm sure I will work my way through many flavours from the myriad to chose from.

From Venice, the city of Verona is only an hour away. Also a very pretty town, it is most famous as the setting for Romeo and Juliet. People come to take their picture on "Juliet's Balcony," forgetting she was a fictitious character who never lived there. Apparently her tomb is somewhere else as well, for mourners of the girl who never lived. More interesting is the ancient Roman arena in the centre of town and the views from the hilltop castle overlooking Verona.

More Photos from my travels in Europe can now be found here. Enjoy

Paris- Paragon of Cities

Paris is a city of beauty. It is in the streets, in the buildings, the parks and gardens. It is elegant and
sophisticated and yet modern and lively. While some historically endowed cities can be museum like, Paris is a living, breathing modern metropolis, modern, with a rich historical past. The weather is volatile, changing the mood of the city by the hour.

Second hand book sellers on the Seine

Beautiful without, beautiful within, Paris's galleries contain a concentration of the western worlds cultural treasures. Most famous of course is the Louvre, a massive accumulation of Europe's art from across the centuries. If the galleries weren't crowded enough, try getting near the Mona Lisa. I managed to squeeze my way to the front of the crowd, through the scrum of shutterbugs, to gaze upon what must be the most famous painting in the world.

Crowds infront of the Mona Lisa

Just as brilliant is the Musee D'Orsay on the other side of the Seine, housing the period 1840 to 1914. As crowded as the Lourve, people flock here to see the works of Monet, Renoir, Cezane and Van Gough amongst others. Most definitely my favourite art museum thus far. To complete the art experience the architecturally inside out Centre Pompidu brings us into the 21st century with Modern and contemporary art. Paris in short, is an artistic dream.

As the worlds most visited city one is never a lone tourist. Patience is required for there is a line up to get into everything. Here are a few of them:

Musee d'Orsay: 15minutes
The Lourve: 20minutes
Eiffel Tower: 1hr 15minutes
Versais: 1hr 15minutes
The Catacombs: 3hr

The sights are worth the wait. Unfortunately the top floor of the Eiffel Tower was closed but the view across the city was just as amazing from the second level. From here I see the Arc De Triomphe on the Champs Elysées, the massive galleries of the Lourve, the towers of Nortre Dame and the beautiful Sacré Cœur, the white domed cathedral on a hill. Excellent views from there as well.

The View from the second platform

Deep below those pretty city streets exists an underworld. Some 30meters down exists a network of tunnels, cold and dark, a city for the dead. Hundreds of thousands of human bones are stacked in these Catacombs. It is a spooky yet fascinating walk, the skulls of Paris residents past peering out at you through the gloom. After wandering these tunnels it was a relief to emerge into the land of the living once more.

To take a day trip out of Paris I traveled to Versailles to the splendid palace there. Walking the halls of this huge building and it becomes clear why the French beheaded those that ruled from there. The rooms ooze opulence from their gold encrusted walls, the fine tapestrys, the crystal chandeliers, the hall of mirrors (then rare and extremely expensive). The lavish beauty and decadence extends to the expansive gardens that extend out towards the horizon. The private domain of the monarchy. The disparity between this vast wealth and the poverty of the French peasantry is extreme. Off with their heads.

And so they did, the populous rose up against injustice, a fact celebrated today, Bastille Day on the 14th of July. Following a big fireworks display the night before, the military paraded down the Champs Élysées in a big show of guns and French might. It was hard to see through the crush of spectators, but I saw the back of President Hollande's head as he drove past on top a heap. Jets and bombers flew overhead, leaving trails of blue, white, red. All the hardware was given a good show, big tanks to the humble de-mining armoured tractor. An armed send off to end my week in the city of love.

German Trains Are Never Late (Except When French Trains Break Down)

Prague to Paris, all in one day.

The ICE train at Frankfurt Station

The train snakes along the winding river, beneath forested hills topped by ancient churches and past quaint little river villages. Up the Valta River and into Germany. From Dresden, across the border, it was onto the high speed rail line, zipping along at 200km through the gentle undulations of fertile farmland. I was in Frankfurt for two hours, not quite enough time to see the sights but enough for a walk around the city. Then the third train for the day to scoot down into France.

After two hours, and just over the French border we stopped. No one knew why. We were in the middle of no where, pulled out alongside a TGV. An hour went by, the last light faded from the sky (it was now after 10:30pm), and then suddenly the train was flossed with people. But from where? Apparently the TGV had broken down and we were rescuing the stranded passengers. When we set off (now very crowded) it was 10:50pm, the time we were due in Paris.

At 12:30am we stopped again in some small town. We must be near Paris. A map revealed however, we had come only Kms from the German border. An LED sign had read for last hour, "we will shortly arrive in Paris."

Adverse situations often bring out the best in people, and everyone in my carriage laughed and joked and talked to each other throughout the night. We were the lucky ones. The people from the other train had to sit in the aisles or stand for hours.

We arrived at 2:40am the next day. According to locals, trains were never, never late on this route so this was an extraordinary event. And of course the Europeans were ready to deal with such extraordinary events. At the station we were met with free meals, water, forms to claim a 50% refund and free taxi vouchers. Then in a logistical feat the French authorities managed to put almost 2000 people onto waiting taxis at 3am and send us all on our way.

No German trains are never late, and when they are, they are very, very sorry.

Sunshine and Rain on the Valta

In the band room near the science corridor at my high school there was a small poster of a little town in Southern Bohemia called Česky Krumlov. It looked beautiful, and so when I found out it was only 3 hours from Prague, I decided to go.


Where is Cesky Krumlov? View Travels in a larger map

What I found was an old historic town overlooked by a castle and surrounded by fields and forests. Through it flows the Valta river (Flowing onwards to Prague), winding serpentine to form an island of the town centre.

I stayed in a lovely small hostel with only 12 beds giving it a homely feel. It had a large deck over the riverside to relax upon in the evening.

On the second day I decided to walk out into the woods, the pine and birch forest on the nearby hill. It was a lovely walk, until the rain began. Thinking it was just a passing shower I donned my raincoat and waited under a tree. The storm in fact had not yet begun. Out of no where thunder began to boom, lightning lit up the forest spectacularly, dangerously close. Then it rained a summer deluge of tropical proportions. Soaking through my coat and turning the trail to a raging torrent. I fled the woods through it.

I thought I had left the heat and the monsoon back in Asia. At least the Czech tropical storm was short lived, leaving the country side smelling fresh and clean.

Another day I swam down the Valta river from my hostel and into town. Yes my few days in Česky Krumlov were relaxed and enjoyable indeed.

From the quiet country I now travel to Europe's largest metropolis, Paris.

Cobbled Streets and Fairytale Castles

Prague is a living museum of Baroque architecture, the embodiment of Central Europe. Trams trundle through centuries old cobbled streets, the skyline is dominated by church spires and the domes of grand buildings. Outside the city fairy tale castles look out over forests and grassy fields. It is a stunningly beautiful city on the Volta river.

The Czech Republic felt quite different to Germany. For one they don't use the Euro here and the Slavic derived language is hard to grasp. Food and transport is cheap and the city easily accessible on foot or by tram. With every street being so beautiful, it's a pleasure to wander.

First stop on my sightseeing list was Prague Castle. On closer inspection it's less a castle, more a cathedral encircled by a palace. Still a beautiful and impressive cathedral, the first of many churches I'm sure I will see in Europe. From the "Castle" the tourists spill down to the river, across the Charles Bridge and swarm into the historic centre of town. Yes, Prague is a city of tourists. Drawn here in the thousands for the history, the culture, the cheap trinkets.

I took a short train ride one day into the country. It was warm and sunny and a pleasant walk through the countryside. It was not far to Castle, up on a hilltop, looking the very picture of what a castle should be. This beautiful 13th century castle was built and lived in by Charles |V, King of Bohemia and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. My favourite object in it's halls was a crudely constructed little chair historians believe was carves by the emperor himself, woodwork as therapy for his arthritis.

The past few days have been hot in Central Europe. 35C, humid, and I thought I had left the tropics behind. Time to do as the locals and head to the pool.

Beijing One Day, Berlin the Next

The folds of undulating green mountains gave way to the flat expanse of orange that is the Gobi Desert. Towards the Mongol-Russian border green returns in vast swathes of Taiga forests. After many hours the landscape becomes ordered into a patchwork of fields. Europe. Wind turbines, the shimmer of sunlight across a solar array, an autobahn, a city; Berlin. Touchdown.

Europe brought a radical change in scenery. Why was everything so clean and the streets were free of cows and other misplaced farm animals. Berlin is a lovely city, it may lack much of the historic architecture of many other European cities (All these were reduced to piles of rubble by British and American bombing), but i guess that gives the city a more youthful vibe, free to reinvent itself as a modern city.


Berlin is a city of museums. In the first three days I went to eight! From the Gates of Babylon (poached from the middle east and reconstructed here) to the famous bust of Queen Nephrotiti to important works of modern and contemporary art, many of the worlds cultural treasures are housed here. Some of the museum buildings are artworks in their own right, such as the Jewish Museum whose hard, angular geometry of concrete and metal speaks of the pain and brutality of the Holocaust.

The sign over Checkpoint Charlie 

Over the 20th century Berlin has undergone many transformations. From the cosmopolitan cultural capital of the early 20th Century, to the centre of the German Reich's European Empire in the 40s, to it's almost complete annihilation at the end of the WW2. From the ashes rose a city, and a country divided, in time by an infamous wall. The city I visited has only existed since 1989, when the wall came down and east and west were reunified. The wall still has a presence, with sections preserved for posterity, one painted as an outdoor art gallery. The famous Checkpoint Charlie, the crossing between the American Sector and East Berlin, still stands. Yet instead of the barren "death strip" of no mans land it once was, the area is now the bustling centre of the city. It's so hard to imagine when I freely walk across the city what it must have been like to live in such a prison city.

One of my favourite parts of the city was the massive park, Tier Garten. From the dome of the Reichterg ( the German parliamentary building) it looks like a vast forest in the middle of the city. Walking through the grassy glades between the woodland and the city can neither be seen nor heard.

The Memorial to The Murdered Jews of Europe 

The East Side Gallery 

I left Berlin on the slick German rail system for Dresden, beginning my European rail journey. Dresden had a very different feel to Berlin, it's old centre was reconstructed after it was firebombed in WW2. That evening I left for Prague.

Photos for Europe will now be uploaded here: http://photobucket.com/gap2012. Or Just click on the Europe Gallery tab above. 

A Short Wrap Up of the Past Three Months

From South Asia to North and across the Himalayan mountains, the past three months have taken me through a diversity of physical and cultural landscapes. Starting in the dirty, crowded, bustling cities of India then up into the alpine tundra of the Himalayas. China's big cities present an abrupt cultural change. Then all of a sudden I'm leaving Asia.


Travels The Past Three Months Map

India

India is a vast and diverse destination. It's many states posses as many cultures making it hard present a single image. Contrast the laid back beachside towns of Goa with the filthy, overcrowded and sometimes maddening cities of Utter Pradesh. Or the modern, cosmopolitan city of Mumbai with the ancient desert forts of Jaipur.

Nepal

Nepal was culturally similar to India but I found it a little more subdued, a little less in your face. Most of my time here was spent in the mountains, a truly awe inspiring landscape. Every day seemed to bring more and more dramatic scenery as we climbed higher and higher.


China

China was a radical change from south Asia. Everything here was built on a massive scale, roads, airports, rail lines. Still I'm conscious that the China we saw was urban china, I'm sure life in the provinces is not all bright lights and bullet trains.

Highlights From India, Nepal and China

• Lazing on a beach in Goa
• Meeting my Mum and Brother in Delhi
• Sunrise on the river Ganges
• Three weeks trekking to Everest Base Camp
• Shanghai at night
• Chinese Gardens
• Climbing the Great Wall 

Cities within Cities, walls and the Beijing Opera

Beijing stews in a photochemical soup. It's hot and muggy and polluted in the Chinese capital.

Mao watches over the crowds

On our first day Tianenmen Square, the centre of the city, was blocked off. Apparently Vladimir Putin was on a visit to China to inconvenience our sightseeing. I actually didn't find the famed square as impressive as its reputation makes it out to be. It's rather cluttered with statues, security fences, giant screens showing propagandist films and then there is Mao's mausoleum, taking up a great deal of space. Inside the soviet style building lies the preserved body of Chairman Mao (who was 70% right and 30% wrong according to the official party line ), resting in a glass casket for thousands of Chinese to file past and pay their respects each day.


Opposite all that stands for the revolution in Tianenmen is all that stands for China's deeper past as an empire ruled by supremely wealthy and powerful emperors. The forbidden city, once forbidden is now a hive of tourist activity. Swarms of sightseers can make wandering this vast city of huge palaces and room upon room of ageing artefacts an exhausting task.

The Forbidden City

China's most famous sight however must be the Great Wall. A short bus ride away, snaking it's way along the ridge lines of the cool green mountains. It makes for pleasant walking, just ignore the crowds. At one point we were trapped in a full on people jam.

The Beauty of the Wall

And the Crowds...

Probably the only place we could go for peace and serenity was the summer palace. One can loose themselves of the city in this vast complex of parks and lakes, once the private domain of the imperial family. A sanctuary from the city. Chinese gardens are designed according to a beautiful aesthetic, with water, rocks, plants and buildings arranged in harmony. These lush and immaculately maintained places have been some of my favourite in China.

On our last night we treated ourselves to the Beijing opera. Yes, some of the singing was as if by a cat being strangled, but the costumes were amazing, as was the acrobatics and dancing. Translations were provided, sometimes with humorous consequences.

Mandarin presents possibly the most bizarre and humorous direct translations as seen on signs and menus everywhere. Even the official signs are rife with errors. This road is "closded" today. Here are a few appetising menu items I have seen, taken from places such as "chafing restaurant."

Spicy chicken gizzard explosion
Mushroom rape
Does the pot carp(?)
On floor grilled fish
Acid noodle soup
Head bubble bread
Gluttonous frog
Clear soup sheep son of karma
Pimple soup
Dry Grass
Blasting can Chineese
Surprise belly cut
It like honey!
Cluck old meat
Fried hair