Monday 29 May 2006
Highlights: Relaxing
A very easy relaxing day. I met some local students in Antwerp and talking to them about their various lives. Unfortunately it rained while walking to my hostel and then stopped the minute I got in the door 😦
Nathan's Insights
World Traveller: 7 Continents, 90 Countries, 871 Days Overseas
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Sunday 28 May 2006
Highlights: Antwerp Diamond Museum, Fort Breendonk, Rubens HouseAfter staying at a very nice hostel Inge picked me up and we were off on another fun packed day. Today we visited the Antwerp Diamond Museum (over 50% of diamonds come through Antwerp), the security was Very tight so unfortunately no samples or presents for anyone 😦
We then visited the very famous Antwerp artist Rubin’s old house. Rubin made over 2000 paintings and other art works mostly be instructing his students!
The tour ended with a very sobering visit to Fort Breendonk, a Gestapo camp from 1940 to 1944. Hearing the stories and seeing the photos can’t help but move you. I found particularly interesting the stories about the Belgium citizens who joined the local SS.
Also most SS or Gestapo personnel were either unemployment or accountants before the war, both people I dealt with at my last two jobs!
I really need to mention Inge’s family; they made me dinners and a breakfast and let me into their home. I was a very lucky traveller to have such great hosts and I loved Inge’s family including her Grandfather. Lastly I owe a huge debt to Inge who really looked after me and is such a wonderful person. Really this is what travelling is all about.
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Saturday 27 May 2006
Highlights: Our Lady’s Cathedral, Grote Market, Steen CastleSomehow surviving the Munich-Antwerp overnight bus trip (after having to pay 70 euro twice – a long story) my new angel picked me up and we were off on a great adventure.
Inge, my new local friend who I meet earlier on this trip in South Africa, had organised a very full day which started with a nice shower at her place and a beautiful breakfast. Inge has definitely set a standard for me if she ever visits Melbourne. We went on two different walking tours.
Highlights included; Our Lady’s Cathedral which took 170 years to build (1352-1521), in gothic style; City Hall which is located in Grote Market and was built between 1561-1565; and Steen Castle built in the 12th Century.
We ended the night catching up with some of Inge’s friends (Steven, Philippe, Caroline and Steve) who wanted all the dirt on her from South Africa, sorry guys Inge is far too sweet a girl to give dirt out on. I have to say that the beer is very strong in Antwerp.
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Friday 26 May 2006
Highlights: Recovering from too much beer, scouting World Cup venueWARNING MUNICH BEER IS VERY STRONG.
Well I have never ever got in such a bad state as I was last night. The pub crawl motto is ‘the best night you won’t remember’ unfortunately I remember most of it. The crawl starts with one hour of ‘free’ beer, as much as you can have. That was the first mistake; the second one was drinking 1 litre beers as quickly as possible at each place we visited. After starting at 7.30 pm I decided to stop around midnight, unfortunately it was too late.The different beers didn’t agree with each other and after about 20 minutes of sweating with my head resting quietly on the table I was sick. Not once, not twice, but three times. Luckily the guy running it (Steve from memory) was cool and even got me back to my hostel. I’ve been drunk before, I’ve been high in Amsterdam and I’ve been sick with food poisoning however I have never ever thrown up because of beer. I wrecked a top and I’ll need to wash my pants again. I was really wasted.
Waking up the next morning I had to check out otherwise I would have slept the whole day. The good thing is the pure Munich beer meant no hangover, however i still could think straight and I suspect my walking was sight to behold for the first hour walking around.
So I walked very slowly around Munich for about an hour trying not to be sick again, after getting something to eat and sitting in the light rain for another hour (the rain actually helped) I started to pull it together. I suppose I said I wanted to do different things on this trip so I asked for this; it’s weird that I have done heaps of crawls before but never had this happen.
I used the rest of the day to scout out Munich for the World Cup. The Eurolines bus I’m catching tonight is right at the Soccer Stadium (which is already locked down). I also went to the airport to time how long it takes. I think I should be right for operation World Cup on 24 June. Well I’m now off for an overnight bus from Munich to Brussels and then a short train ride to Antwerp to catch up with my new friend Inge, which is a change in my original plans. Hopefully I’ll survive the overnight bus trip.
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Thursday 25 May 2006
Highlights: Fruenkirche Church, Glockenspiel ClockI spent the day walking around Munich. I managed to see people surfing in the middle of the city, yes surfing! Munich has created a river that allows keen people to surf (it was cold and raining and they were still doing it!). The surfing is in the English Gardens which also is supposed to have nude sunbathing, alas not on this day 😦
I visited Fruenkirche (Church of Our Lady) which the current Pope was Cardinal of from 1977 to 1983. Actually Munich is very proud of having a local being the Pope as you can see Pope Benedict’s face in a lot of places.
I also visited the Glockenspiel (Carillon) were 3 times a day the clock comes alive and the German’s beat the France. As this was a public holiday here (Accession Day) most things were closed but I have a Pub Crawl planned for later tonight so that should make up for things not being open.
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This post is on loosely based on my travels and it’s more personal than most posts I make. My travel entries cover what I did and who I meet this one covers what I’m feeling and hoping to get out of this trip on an emotion and maturity level. This trip has been a chance for me to get away from my family, friends and the normal distractions that cause us all to lose focus on really important things. For me I need to find out or rediscover who I actually am. I’ve had many things shape my life, good and bad. I think that the bad has had too big an influence, the lies, the disappointments and the deceit.
In many ways I didn’t really have much growth in my latter teenage years, I didn’t really even start to question who I am. Here overseas, by myself, I can ask these questions when I’m sitting be a canal, or sitting on the bus. I’m a person that needs focus in my life. I’ve lacked it to a degree recently. What do I want? Is it a family, a partner, is it financial wealth, what ultimately would make me most happy? Sometimes I’m my own worst critic. I’m discovering that I can actually connect with people at least on a basic level and that I should have a little more confidence in myself in social settings. I’ve also discovered that I’ve been hiding some of my true feelings over the past few years, hell probably over the past 10 years and that this is not a good thing.
People are both better and worst then I’ve assumed in the past, mostly better (getting robbed colours the view a little). So what are the answers? I still don’t know. I do know that it is time to move onto the next stage and stop waiting for something to happen. Time to stop being afraid of change and to start taking risks. On this trip I’ve taken some risks; bungy jumping (I have a height fear), being more open with strangers, trying drugs (Amsterdam obviously), and partying a little. The net result is some of these risks made me a happier person. This is a path I believe I much continue to explore. I’m only 32 years old but it’s about time I changed a little. Maybe I’ll lose some friends or I’ll be less financially secure but hopefully I’ll gain something more valuable…. happiness.
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Wednesday 24 May 2006
Highlights: Saying goodbye to some travel buddiesToday was mostly travelling with the most notable thing saying a final goodbye to a few fellow BusAbout traveller, namely the trio of Jess, Emily & Rebecca (Bec) + Danny (from England). On the plus side I caught up with Belinda for one final night on this trip.
Have to say Munich hasn’t impressed me much so far, the rain hasn’t helped I suppose. I did learn how to catch my bus to Antwerp and just as importantly were the ground is for the World Cup so I can go from the airport directly to the ground.
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Tuesday 23 May 2006
Highlights: Enjoying the performances at the Vienna State Opera, Habsburg’s Winter and Summer PalacesI just got back from the ‘Vienna State Opera’ and wow, it was just brilliant. I got standing room tickets and over 3 hours watched two operas, Osud and Le Villi. It seems like I might be getting some culture after all on this trip and I didn’t even to it to impress a girl!
They have a screen display that translated the songs into English but you could get a good sense just by watching the performers. I would strongly recommend going to an Opera in Vienna. I suppose I’ll have to start going in Melbourne now 🙂
I also visited the Habsburg’s palaces (winter and summer). The Habsburgs ruled the Austria-Hungry Empire for hundreds of years. The Summer Palace was very special and worth a visit. The Winter Palace one however was the more functional Palace.
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Monday 22 May 2006
Highlights: A brilliant wine and bike tour of Wachau ValleyWow what an enjoyable day. Getting up early I joined a ‘wine/bike tour’ of the Wachau Valley (9 hour tour). This region claims to be the first place that wine was created in by some monks. The country side of Austria is magnificent. A one hour drive out of the city and we arrived at our first wine tasting stop of the day. In total I’d say I had about 12 glasses of wine, mostly white as this is what the region is known for. Have to say I think I’m starting to like white wine (might that a little longer for red however).
The region is mostly a collective of small farmers who worked together to produce first rate wines. The first stop included a man made cave (from 1079) that must have taken a long time to create. We then jumped on our bikes and went to other cellars, the photos should be great. Enjoying a BBQ of traditional Germanic meats (sausages etc) we headed of to the river for some beach volleyball (I suck) and a quick swim. Later we hiked a small mountain (we all struggled up this one) to a now ruined castle that Richard the Lionheart was once held in for 6 months.
At the end of the tour they gave us each a bottle of wine which I later shared back at the hostel with a few BusAbout guests including Rebecca (Bec) and Jess. Amazing that free wine can make you popular 🙂 An amazing day spent outside of Vienna and away from a big city, something I’m starting to like more and more. It seems to be very easy to make friends when you are out having fun with fellow backpackers.
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Sunday 21 May 2006
Highlights: The beautiful countrysideThis was a simple travel day enjoying the countryside as the bus took us to Vienna.
The only interesting thing at my destination was that a bag was left in my hostel room which I had to report (and hoping no drugs etc in it). It looked like that previous occupant had checked in but never checkout or even slept in the room. The police were called as the staff where very concerned. Vienna appears to be a beautiful place. I’ve booked into a Wine / Bike tour around the Wachau Valley for tomorrow which should be great.
Nathan's Insights 