Posts Tagged ‘Travel’

Hello folks! I apologize for the delay in blogging. Since Alex and I set off into the Highlands of Scotland and then across into Northern Ireland and then I continued into Northern England and down to London to return home I’ve not been able to blog. I’ve got quite a bit of catching up to do. As part of that process I’m now posting some of my writings regarding travel and some fun stuff that I’ve been working on during my trip. You’ll find the first of these below with more to come.

I’ve posted a great video:

And built up a nice follow-up blog of that video in Text:

Train travel and general travel tips in Italy:

Train travel in Italy is a friendly experience and one that can be faced without fear. Traveling by train in Western and Central European countries is the preferred route of travel by most visitors. Buses are an option, and although often cheaper may leave you at the outskirts of a city or have very limited departure and travel times.

I’d like to outline my experiences and draw on my time in Milan and traveling through central and eastern Europe to give you some insight into Train travel. I arrived in Milan, Italy January 20th 2009 and stayed until May 1st before participating in a Travel Study program across Eastern, Central and North Western Europe (Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Bosna I Herzegovena, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Czech, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, British isles). During my Travels I used a mixture of Trains and Buses. I’d like to focus the first half of this post on Train travel in Western Europe.

Specifically I’d like to start with the Italian train system as an example. The system is open, straightforward and efficient. There are three major rules,

1. When you enter a train station, look for automated tellers (usually coded for 3-5 major languages). This has two benefits, the first is that the machines avoid speaking with a teller who may or may not speak more than one language. Second this will help you get written information and possibly provide information in English/German/Native language/ Chinese. Do be sure to check if there are student/youth/senior rates that are only available from a teller.

2. Find the departures board and the regular/regional train board. These provide information on the types of trains (as well as a description of what their symbols mean) and a regular daily time table so you can plan day trips on short notice.

3. VALIDATE YOUR TICKET! I can’t stress this enough. In every country I visited it was required that you validate your ticket. In Italy the fine for failing to do so can be 50-150 euro. It varies country by country but often the cost of forgetting or failing to Validate is 2-5 times that of the ticket. If you notice you’ve forgotten or the machines are out of order, Train conductors (in Italy at least) are required to validate your ticket if you come and find them. If they find you and it’s not validated some will validate it for a in pocket fee of 5 euro.

If you keep these three rules in mind, travel in any country via train is simple, stress free and can be significantly easier.

In Rule 2 I mentioned that there are different types of trains. In Italy there are fast trains, normal trains, and then there are the big commuters – called regional trains. Treno Regionale are the cheapest form of train transport in Italy. They are generally half the cost of normal trains and 1/3 that of the fast trains. They take a little while longer since they stop at almost every station but the difference in cost can make up for the delay. If your traveling across Italy, it may be worth the time to check different major cities along the path and check the Regionale connections. Instead of an express train you can catch a few Regionale commuters for a fraction of the cost. (Note this is not always the case, at times the number of changes can make the cost savings minimal).

The photo’s included here are representations of Italian (Trenitalia) equipment. However, the principles held true in Germany, Poland, Czech, Belgium, Holland, and the UK. Validation, and Train departure/automated systems are nearly universal in developed countries.

The second half of this Blog refers to Bus travel in Eastern Europe.

When I left the European Union and the fringe Shengen countries, I encountered an interesting phenomenon. Major train lines passed through capital cities and avoided smaller principalities. Leaving me with only one option – Buses. Eastern Europe, Greece, and Turkey especially were prone to major inconveniences when using the Train system. The trains were slower, less comfortable (minus sleeper cars) and had less flexibility and variety in travel destination, however to my surprise Bus travel in Eastern Europe is exceptional.

Eurolines is one company that does cross European transit – I’ll use their coaches as an example of the type of buses made available to travelers:

These large, 40+ seat buses generally have media – TV/VCR/DVD and in eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia) they also have in drive refreshments (soda/water/snack food for free) and Orangeways and now some of the other major companies like Eurolines even have WIFI built into the buses. It’s a sense of luxury travel for a fraction of train ticket prices. As an illustrative example, I traveled from Istanbul, Turkey to Plovdiv, Bulgaria for 1/3 the price of the train ticket and arrived in just under ¾ of the time. As I continued my travels through Eastern Europe I ran into a lot of travelers who had purchased Inter/Euro Rail passes and found them to be a bad investment for eastern European countries for two reasons.

The first is that Train transportation in Western Europe is Much more expensive than eastern Europe making a Inter/Euro Rail pass a great investment because it sets a standard cost for each journey. However, Given the lack of functionality on most train lines and the lower cost in E. European countries the pass was more expensive than buying tickets individually and didn’t allow use of bus travel.

Christmas Break… stop. Holiday Break… stop. Vacation… stop. That silly time in the middle of the winter that spans the cold dark days. Yes, that seems more appropriate. A time spent with family and friends harkening of days filled with summer sun and autumn beauty. For me this time of darkness leads to rebirth, a transition. That transition is major – life altering, New. Maybe it will even have that New smell… These days, since the end of fall semester spent at Uni, I’ve spent at home in Prescott with my Mother and Father. Recuperating, preparing, and worrying about my new life which is starting across the ocean even as I type. It has preceded me.

January 20th, February 20th, March 20th, April 20th, May 20th, June 20th, July 20th – August 6th.

That’s a long span of words, a longer span of time. A great many months of hard work and fun, learning and playing. Time spent in Italia, and across Europe. I’m surprised – I’m nervous but not, impatient but wishing the event would take longer to arrive. It’s like stage fright, standing in the wings, waiting for my moment in the spot light, throwing myself but not myself on the mercy of the audience … well this time it is me, Me, ME. I, Myself, Me, I am going, I am ready, I am responsible… This is my affirmation.

The flight, 15 hours cramped in a small seat on a flying aluminum can is something I’m worried about. My family has supported and stood resolute behind me, this is a reality… this is my future… my career… my life? I’m packing, I’m cleaning, I’m preparing. Tomorrow morning at 10:30am I’m working out to get my blood flowing again from the R&R I’ve taken here at home. Then it’s time to focus, get everything in order. Take advantage of the warm dry weather. It will be time to do.

Without my family, my brother Alex, my mother Jo, and my father Ed… where would I be? I am a summation of all their parts and more… MORE I am an original interpretation of those parts, those experiences combining with their knowledge, experience and faith as if it were an aiding catalyst in some ancient alchemic formula. I am creating a stronger potion; I am a stronger human being because of all their parts. This concoction is not just all these pieces mixed together, it is new… best of all it is free.

My family has given me the strength and understanding to become myself. I am beautiful. I am competent, I am ready.

Does it end with my family? No, every person, every action, every second has consequence on the result. This summation of an equation is no potion, no inanimate concoction of chemicals. It is me… plus more. There must be more. Can everything I am be a reaction to actions and events? No… the universal question, the driver that creates me, allows my individual understanding and my genesis of thought from each formula, this is God. God is everything, it is everywhere. There is no one being, no Man or anthropomorphic being. God is the force within us that pushes us, and allows our original creativity, our unique interpretation that makes us more than a simple sum.

God is as my father once wrote: “…not something sitting somewhere on a throne…I know that the god force within me is not there to protect me from other men or injustice on a secular level. The message is powerful on another level, the one that really counts.” The message is that I am connected, I am alive, I am free, and I am original; there is no second me, no other version. I am good. I am okay. I am strong and I will always be a part of this world. This is God’s message as I see it. This is my faith, to be understood, contemplated, argued and prothlesized to me alone. It is not for anyone else, nor is it like anyone else’s understanding. As with every being’s faith, it is personal, it is not right for nor does it belong to any other.

So here I stand, waiting. Eight days until I leave my family physically, spiritually and in heart I’ll never be apart from them. Physically I return to them in August. Nine days before I’m on the ground in a foreign country, on my own, with all the tools I need. Two strong hands, a strong body, two willing feet to carry me and a mind set between my ears – a mind prepared and resolute to discover, enjoy, adventure and quest!

I am here, I am David Nathaniel Berger. I am more than the sum of all my parts.

I think I promised more about Bath and Stonehenge and didn’t really go into detail about the trip so here goes. Our day trip to Bath and Stonehenge was wonderful. For such an ancient place it seems huge, strong, and mystical. The energies flowing around the stones sent tinges down my spine. I can’t really describe it to you, it was simply startling and awe inspiring. I only wish I had gotten the chance to get closer, perhaps touch the stones and be able to experience their wonder firsthand. We spent about an hour and a half walking the circle and reveling in the innate wonder which stems from that magical place upon the hill, cleared pasture lands all around make it even more stunning because it is alone surrounded by plains. We boarded the bus and drove on.

I took a nap, it’s still a bit hard for me to wake up at 7:00 and not nap on the bus. We arrived then in the most beautiful (well a tie with Oxford) city I have seen here in London – Bath. Gorgeous stone works, natural parks, obelisks, and of course the highlights, the Abbey and the Roman baths. We wandered the streets of bath for an hour and a half before our tour began of the Baths. I found a hole in the wall pub up the street from the abbey and enjoyed a hearty meal of corned beef and mash. Then I wandered up to the top of the hill and looked at the crescent (HUGE building full of apartments) and its front lawn (huge park). Then we wandered back toward bath and found the Jane Austen Center, We walked around a bit and had a blast on our way back down to the abbey. We arrived back at the Roman baths at 10 till our tour and decided to grab some fresh fudge from the little shop across the way. It was DELICIOUS! After sitting outside and admiring the stonework and the beauty of the abbey and rebuilt bath complex (museum) we started our tour of the Baths. I’ve got plenty of pictures.

The baths themselves are filled with that trademark green murky water, full of minerals and who knows what. The old ruins have been built over so there’s only segments left, but once down into the ruins (below street level) there’s chunks left of the old roman architecture and ruins. Steam rooms, changing rooms piping and of course the font of the water itself the spring, steaming and gurgling forth into the complex pipes below our feet. The stonework that was left and the engineering that was done by the Romans is awe inspiring. To have accomplished such a thing at such a time is simply amazing. Note that the idea of bathing is one that should always be strongly considered.

There were pieces of bronze gilding and pieced together parts of walls and carved art. It really was wonderful to see it; I only wish it had been more preserved. We finished the tour and I bought a glass for the spring water to drink. We’ll see how it works out for me. Personally I found the entire trip to be quite satisfying. The wonder of Ancient Stonehenge combined with the awe of the architectural mastery of the ruins of the roman baths was stunning. To top it off me also explored the Abbey next to the baths. The abbey itself was beautiful, with stained glass and what seemed like embroidered ceilings. The graves and the sculptures which marked the loved held for those residing within were beautiful. With the exploration completed we wandered back to the bus and headed home.
Stonehenge allowed me a deeper understanding of English prehistory through its myriad of probable uses. Was it religious? Or a show of force? Regardless it is a symbol of an ancient people making a statement about their power, culture and beliefs and that statement is standing tall thousands of years after it was constructed. Whoever those people were who first erected Stonehenge they were competent, able and constructed a wonder that has lasted throughout time. The Romans and their influence on England seem positive. Bringing advanced construction techniques, bathing, social structure, and order they impacted Britain and helped created the civilized society which is here today. Seeing remnants of that mighty influence really brings home just how much of and impact it really had.

Journal Three-
What an exciting morning. I awoke today to discover that it was bright and sunny, such a different city with a little sunlight. We met up with some others in our floor kitchen and decided to all head over to the Natural History museum, an unbelievable place full of wonders and excitement! As we wandered through the museum it felt like we could stay for hours more and only touch the surface of the history enclosed therein. My two favorite displays were the Green display (wildlife, birds etc) and the gemstone collection on the third floor. The collection of Aurora diamonds was beyond compare, and in black light some of them glowed different colours. Sparking, gorgeous rocks which captivate and scintillate. Out of the green exhibit the most terrible and yet beautiful piece was a long glass window approximately 8 by 5 filled with what seemed like thousands of birds. Layered four deep there literally were only a few inches between each bird on branches inside the case. It was sad because all those birds were killed and stuffed to make the display, but beautiful for their feathers and stunning colours.

I stayed later than my companions at the museum and later caught up with them outside where they had been waiting for me. We walked back toward the housing and ended up stopping at a little sandwich place where I bought some spaghetti, it was the first food I had bought all day, and without a doubt it was amazing. Ordering it was interesting; I was trying to learn how this baguette sandwich worked. I asked the girls at the counter who gave me odd glances and shrugs… despite the fact that they make them… that was fun. Instead I turned to a man in a suit next to me and asked him. He was happy to help and I managed to order without a hitch. After getting some food we walked up to Hyde Park and lay out in the sun in the thick grass. We rested for a few hours then came back to the housing to nap for a while.

I woke up a little late at 6:45 after my nap, which was unfortunate because I was to meet some girls at Kings Cross at 7:00. I felt bad but it worked out for the best. They had left by the time I arrived and I had the pleasure of wandering about Kings cross for two full hours. I stopped by a local market and picked up some pastries and a 700ml bottle of water. I wandered some more and found myself intrigued by a sculpture which had been erected on an ally wall. I walked down the alleyway and found myself at a restaurant which was doing a pre opening special. I got a whiskey and sour and had a nice conversation with the bartender.

The bartender was friendly and offered me advice on places to go dancing. One place he mentioned was a club called salsa. This club played primarily its namesake in dance with a lot of Meringue and a tiny amount of Bachata. There was a live band that played Salsa, Mambo and Raeggeton. After midnight there was a DJ who picked songs. I paid the £8 cover which was hefty and stayed from nine until 2 when the club closed. They dance a slightly different style but I figured it out and after starting their way drew the women to my way of dancing. I had a blast and danced all night.

When I left an older women recognized my accent as foreign and asked if I’d ever ridden the bus. I said no so she walked me to the bus station and showed me how to tell which line to ride. I caught the bus and learned a stop too late that the drivers don’t announce the stops. One must know where they want to stop before they board and what it looks like. It only added ten minutes onto my walk which was fine. By three I had made it to Sainsbury’s a local grocer and picked up supplies to make sandwiches for the next trips and cheap lunches. I wandered home and was in bed by four. All in all, a great day.