HIKES & HAMSTRINGS

Gute Nacht, Europe :(

At the Berliner Mauer East Side Gallery of The Berlin Wall

Back to Germany. After a sad goodbye, David and I were off to Berlin. Why Berlin? Just because. I had been to Berlin many years ago and my memory of the city was quite foggy, so I was definitely excited about a revisit. Berlin has an incredibly interesting history, and we were looking forward to learning a thing or two. We boarded the long train from København to Berlin via Hamburg and arrived on Sunday evening, ready for two days of walking and sightseeing. And boy was there a lot of walking and sightseeing! We visited the Berliner Mauer East Side Gallery of The Berlin Wall on Mühlenstr, the Brandenburger Tor, the Reichstag (German parliament), the Holocaust Mahnmal, the Homosexuellen Mahnmal, Großer Tiergarten, Postdamer Platz, Topographie des Terrors, Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmenmarkt (where I found a chocolate Reichstag!), the Musikinstrumenten-Museum, the DDR museum (…a fantastic museum to learn about what life was like in Socialism for GDR citizens), Museumsinsel, and the Berliner Dom… just to name a few. It was always an adventure.

At one point, David and I had a lovely conversation with a Norwegian street performer on our way to the Ostbahnhof train station. He had drank a lot of Vodka the night before, tripped on acid, and had woken up on a bench that morning with his belongings taken by a girl he doesn’t think he’ll ever see again. He had his guitar with him though, and the clothes on his back. At first he wanted to go to the train station, which is why we all walked together, but then he decided he would go to a section of the Berlin Wall and play some tunes. He also had ambitions of jamming in New Orleans once he’s allowed back into the US. Unfortunately he’s banned from travelling there following an incident involving marijuana possession. He was a nice guy, but I can’t say I was able to relate. I don’t even know if ‘tripped on acid’ is the right way to describe the effects of such a substance. In any case, if there’s anything this trip has taught me, it’s to dream big, my friend. Dream big. You’ll get to New Orleans if you put your mind to it!

I found a chocolate Reichstag at Gendarmenmarkt!

On the last night in Berlin, and before David and I went our separate ways (I would be returning to Göttingen and David back to København), we found a German pub and brewery near Alexanderplatz called Brauhaus GeorgBræu where we sat outside, had a beer and ate some German food. I decided I would get the ‘Brauhaus Hit’. Something described as a ‘Hit’ could only be good, right?! The description was: Boiled knuckle of pork, with stewed peas, sauerkraut, potatoes, 1 0.2L Georg pils beer, and grain schnapps. It sounded quite German to me. Now, I had never heard of a pork knuckle and I was clueless as to what I had just ordered. David knew what it was despite being vegetarian, but I thought it was a ‘lost in translation’ type of description and took it to mean a ‘good portion of boiled pork’. I have no idea why I thought that, but what I received was not expected at all! For anyone who knows me, I’m generally a chicken and turkey kind of guy, and like my extra lean beef from time to time. So when the fattiest epically-sized pork knuckle with all the skin on it came to my table, my appetite was slightly lost and I almost declared my vegetarianism right then and there! However, it tasted good, and I did manage to eat the bulk of that knuckle… until I saw some blood on the inside. At that point I was throwing in the towel. Pork knuckle FTW!

The Brauhaus Hit. Yeah, that’s a pork knuckle.

Thanks for a fun few days, David! It’s been quite the reunion :). As I write this, I’m on the train from Berlin to Göttingen, where I plan to enjoy a few relaxing days and spend some quality time with Darrin before flying back to Calgary. (As of posting, I’m leaving for Calgary today ). It’s been a fantastic trip with great experiences, cherished time with family and friends, busy traveling, and life reflection. And as I’m about to enter my 30’s, I look forward to discovering where I go next and what I do from here. To Europe and to everyone who made this trip truly memorable: Merci, Tak, & Danke. It’s been an absolute pleasure, and I dedicate my pork knuckle to you!

My European trip 2011: France, Germany and Denmark :) — My European trip 2011: France, Germany and Denmark 🙂

To Denmark, With Love…

After a few days in Göttingen, I was off to Denmark to meet up with Malene and David. So who are Malene and David? Well, for starters, they’re pretty awesome friends and people. Last year, I enrolled in epidemiology and statistics courses at the University of Michigan where I lived in the dorms for 3 weeks. There were a few of us living on campus for the full duration of ‘Epi Camp’. Malene from København and David from Seattle were two of the people I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know. So yes, for starters, we’re all nerds. At the time, we had a fun idea that we should do an Epi Camp reunion in Europe, which seemed very possible since Malene lives in Europe! What fun! But we all know how plans are, which is why it’s amazingly incredible that the reunion in Europe happened! Not that I doubted anyone’s willingness for a reunion, but things come up and life gets in the way. Our other friend Anna from the Boston area, who really wanted to come, unfortunately couldn’t make the reunion since she started a new job. She was definitely there in spirit, though. Everything turned out to be the “Best Thing Ever”!

København and Kronborg Castle. After the train ride from Hamburg to København, I arrived at Malene’s place to be greeted by David. Malene joined us after finishing a prior engagement, and the merriment began. It was so great to be reunited and to see them again! It was also crazy that it had been a whole year since I saw them last. We cracked open some Carmina Luna white wine and chatted until the wee hours of the night. Malene had some fun things planned for us in the coming days, and little did she know that she would become quite the tourist in her own city! The next day, after meeting up with Malene’s cousin, we were off to tour København in the best way possible: by bike. København ranks #2 in the world for bike friendly cities (Amsterdam is #1). I hadn’t been on a bike in forever, but as they say, ‘it’s like riding a bike’. In no time, we were all zipping across the city and taking in the sights. We took a canal tour from Nyhavn Harbour; visited the neighbourhood of Christiania, where I enjoyed a nice bottle of Tuborg; ascended the steps of Vor Frelsers Kirke (The Church of Our Savior) for a great view of the city; and saw The Little Mermaid (“To the Mermaid!”), which is one of Denmark’s major tourist attractions. After a long day, we enjoyed some live jazz music at Nørrebro Bryghus, followed by some drinks at Malene’s friend’s rooftop patio, where David announced his candidacy for President. The next day, we started the morning with some American pancakes via squeeze bottle. They were actually really good! Then we were off to walk the grounds of Kronborg Castle near the town of Helsingør… which, I didn’t know beforehand, was the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. We also visited the sleeping Holger Danske deep down in the casemates of Kronborg. He may be sleeping, but according to legend, ‘the slumbering giant will be awakened, whenever Denmark is threatened by a foreign enemy’. Good job, Holger Danske!

Anna, Malene and David on the canal boat tour

Me, Malene, David and The Little Mermaid

The first two days were so much fun. It was especially entertaining to watch the saga of Malene vs. The City Bike, which became a much talked about topic for the remainder of the trip. Make sure to tweet your complaints, Malene! One can rent a city bike for free in København with a deposit, but they were especially difficult to find. Despite finding two broken city bikes, buying a stolen city bike from a Swedish man, and being yelled at by DSB authority, it was awesome to see Malene riding a city bike in her own city! Just like a tourist…

From Zealand to Jutland. After a great day at Kronborg Castle, we gathered our belongings and prepared for a road trip. Malene thought it would be great to head up to the North Jutland region in the north of Denmark, where her boyfriend Peter is working for the summer. First stop: we would overnight at her parents’ house before taking their car for the journey north. Malene has an incredible family :). They are located in the quiet and peaceful village of Ejby outside of København, and they were all so welcoming and warm! I can’t even begin to describe how hospitable they were and how appreciative I am. After a great meal in their greenhouse, we drank champagne and ate hand-picked strawberries from their garden. Strawberries are a big deal during the summer in Denmark. Eat it with some milk/cream and sugar… so good! The next day, we were joined by Malene’s sister and a friend and headed up to Brovst. But first, to the stones! We made a quick stop in Jelling to see the famous Jelling stones. I can’t quite recall the significance of the stones (the link tells it all…), but the build up to seeing them was quite exciting. The roadtrip/stone song for the vacation became Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own”, which has nothing to do with stones, but we totally ‘rocked’ out to the song! Get it? Stones. Rocked out. We also stopped for some food at Jelling Kro where I had smørrebrød. Yum!

In Jelling. Not THE Jelling stones, but some stones in Jelling :) — In Jelling. Not THE Jelling stones, but some stones in Jelling 🙂

We arrived in Brovst and headed to Peter’s parents’ house where we would be staying for two nights. Again, hospitality at its best, and so very much appreciated. Peter’s family was so kind and welcoming, and it was incredibly peaceful to be out in the country :). After freshening up, it was off to the Svinkløv Badehotel on the coast. This hotel is very special to Malene and Peter, with many personal sentiments and memories. Peter is a chef, and was the head chef that night at the restaurant. He prepared a fine-dining 5 course meal of nordic cuisine that is one of the best meals I’ve ever had. The hotel overlooks the ocean, and watching the sunset with wine in hand was a perfect addition to the evening. Mind you, the sun never seems to set completely this far north. Even at midnight it was twilight… 🙂

Casper, Lisbeth, Malene and I watching the sunset

The next day, Peter’s parents treated us with a traditional Danish lunch, complete with curry herring and schnapps. It was all quite lovely. Then we were off to view another stone (Janum Kjøt), lazy around while watching Tour de France, and walk along the beach at Lønstrup. It was amazing to gaze across the North Sea from atop the cliffs. The scenery was pretty unforgettable and I was awed by it all. Thank you, Malene, for bringing us to Jutland and showing us such a special place! Amaze-balls….

Pensive at the North Sea. Or going to the bathroom…

Until Next Time. On Saturday, it was time to leave Jutland and road trip back to København. It had been an extremely eventful week filled with many great experiences. We decided to eat pizza that night, take an evening walk and get some ice cream before retiring for the night. The next morning for breakfast, David was able to have his danish in Denmark. A Danish danish?! Love it… even though we learned that they don’t call them ‘a danish’ in Denmark. We sat and enjoyed coffee and drinks before David and I boarded the train for our next destination. Denmark, we love you…

To Malene and Peter, and your families and friends: Thank you so much for an incredible week. You all went out of your way to make sure David and I experienced Denmark both as a tourist and as the place you call home. The hospitality, the laughs and many jokes, the talks and the food, and the time spent together are moments that I won’t forget. As I travel on from Denmark, I leave you all with this sentiment: “Thank you for tonight. I will see you in the morning.” Well, maybe just “Tak for i aften”, since I won’t see you in the morning. But I can’t say one without the other!

It’s always sad to say goodbye :(. Next stop- Berlin!

Guten Tag, Germany!

Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) in Hannover, Germany.

Wow is this vacation flying by. I’m currently on the ICE train en route to Copenhagen where I’ll be meeting up with friends Malene and David. It’s another travel day- this time about 9 hours with train and ferry transfers. I’ll be back through Germany after Denmark, but as of now, I’ve almost completed half of my vacation. Yikes!

After the long ride from St. Etienne, France to Gottingen, Germany, it was great to see my friends Ana and Darrin, as well as their family that was visiting. I met Ana and Darrin back during the Guelph days 9 years ago, and I’ve seen them every few years since they moved to Germany. This is my fourth time visiting, and there’s never a shortage of fun times! It’s been so good to spend quality time together, chatting and laughing over drinks, having great conversations, and eating like it’s going out of style. It’s always a gastronomic adventure when I visit! And with nieces in the house this time around, it’s been a busy and exciting few days. Thanks Ana and Darrin for your hospitality. 🙂

Ali Nazik– lamb meat on eggplant puree with garlic-yogurt-tomato sauce

I was also able to spend some time in Hannover, revisiting areas that I had seen 6 years ago. Same monuments and buildings, but now at a different time in my life, which brings about a different feeling. This part of the trip has led to some pretty interesting moments of reflection, but not necessarily moments of clarity. I’m not even sure what I’m trying to figure out, but I feel like I’m on the cusp of something. Some. Thing. I get all thinky when I’m on a train admiring the German countryside…

Store in Hannover. Hmm…. I don’t know about this one…

Admiring the German countryside right before boarding the ferry

But enough about that. København, here I come! But first, here’s something I found cool: The ferry crossing from Puttgarden, Germany to Rødby, Denmark. I’ve never been on a train that boards directly onto a ferry before… or at least I can’t remember experiencing this. I thought it was pretty cool :).

The ICE train after boarding the ferry. Cool!

Fabulous in France

And so, the summer vacation of 2011 is officially underway. As I write this, it’s Tuesday and I am on the train, gazing out at the French countryside, en route from St. Etienne, France to Gottingen, Germany. It’s a long 12-hour travel day filled with several transfers and trains. Vacations are interesting- time has a way of flying by. It feels like I just landed at Charles de Gaulle ready for some fun times and adventures. Paris, St. Etienne and Lyon did not disappoint. And how could it really, especially when I had such fantastic company with me!

Fantastic company: My good friend Marie and my cousin Chey, near Notre-Dame — Fantastic company: My good friend Marie and my cousin
Chey, near Notre-Dame

"I'm happy to be in Paris!" — “I’m happy to be in Paris!”

Paris. I was quite jetlagged after arriving, but I was too excited to let that stop me! I met up with my good friend Marie who was able to schedule a short adventure in Paris after completing some work in Sweden. First on the agenda- coffee! There’s nothing like enjoying a café in a café in Paris. My cousin Chey, who has been living in St. Etienne for the past 9 months, joined us shortly afterward. From then on, there was much laughter, chatting and catching up. Time was well spent admiring the Eiffel Tower, exploring the grounds of the Louvre, taking jumping and planking photos, and eating and drinking lots- crepes, wine, cheese, crackers, café au lait, and more wine.

Chey planking and Marie jumping at the Louvre

Two notable events:

a) Paris Pride. Je l’adore! It so happens that Paris Pride was happening that weekend, and it was fabulous. It’s always a cast of interesting people and characters, but everyone is there to celebrate who they are or show their support in one very colourful party. It was all quite aesthetically pleasing- the architecture was stunning, there was much to admire, and there were lots of fun places to sit. French culture at its best!

b) Picnic in the Park. On the second night in Paris, Marie, Chey and I decided it would be awesome to have dinner in a park, so we found a spot on the grounds of the Louvre. There were many people and kids relaxing on what was a beautiful night, while the Eiffel Tower lit up and sparkled in the distance. We had bought a baguette, cheese, some kind of meat (the name escapes me), salads, and most importantly, wine. It was a fantastic way to end our time in Paris. Significantly for me, this experience allows me to cross of item #29 on the List of 30 before 30: Drink wine, eat a baguette, cheese and pastries in a French park. Well, in fairness, we didn’t eat pastries at the time, but we did have chocolate for dessert. Chocolate meets the criteria because I said so.

Eating, drinking and being merry in a French park. You're off the list!! — Eating, drinking and being merry in a French park.
You’re off the list!!

St. Etienne. After Paris and Marie’s dramatic departure from Paris (…okay, it wasn’t dramatic, but it did involve Marie walking away from Chey and I down a long train hallway, and there were many goodbye waves involved in a dramatic fashion…), Chey and I were off to St. Etienne, which is about a 3-hour journey south of Paris. She has an amazing 4^th floor apartment in the city, and it was great to see how she’s been living all this time. One of her friends graciously invited us over for a picnic, which again included much wine. The French do like their wine! There were a bunch of Chey’s friends there, and regardless of the languages that were spoken that night, fun times were had by all!

Enjoying a picnic with Chey and her friends in St. Etienne

Lyon. The next day, Chey and I ventured to Lyon. I had passed through Lyon many years ago en route to Zurich, Switzerland, but I never had a chance to explore the city. The weather was super hot, but a perfect day to wander about. Chey was a great guide, taking me to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourviere, which had a great view of Lyon; some historic theatres; the Vieux Lyon, where we enjoyed the shops and cafés; some plazas; and along the two rivers that intersect in Lyon. Lyon is quite a beautiful city.

And that concludes the France section of my European trip. Marie and Chey- it was fantastic! And Chey, thanks for the great hospitality. Au Revior, France. Prochain arret: Germany! Guten Tag.

Europe, Here I Come!

So as I write this, I’m quite excited! Today, I leave for my summer vacation to Europe, whoohoo! I can’t believe how quickly this day has come, but I’m very happy it’s here. I have my passport, ticket, my Eurail pass, and a fairly loose itinerary. I’ve also packed way too much, but that’s not uncommon- I still haven’t figured out the art of packing light :S. That said, I have to be prepared for anything and everything. Three weeks is a long time, and it’s going to involve traipsing and galavanting through parts of France, Germany and Denmark. I’ll be meeting up with family and friends each step of the way, and spending time with everyone is what I look forward to the most :). First stop- Paris!

There are two significant events that I will be missing in Calgary while I am away:

1) The Calgary Stampede. It’s not that I dislike the Stampede – it’s fun and stuff – but I am very happy to be avoiding everything related to ‘The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”. Actually, that’s a lie. I’ll miss the free Stampede breakfasts. Everything tastes good when it’s free!

2) The Royal Couple!! During their tour of Canada, William and Kate will be stopping by the Ward of the 21st Century, which is located in my work building, right across the hall!! Go University of Calgary! Unfortunately I’ll miss the opportunity to catch a short glimpse of them :(. I think I’ll be okay though.