Europe Bound
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At the end of this month I’m going to Europe. It’s basically the first time I’ve been, though I went to England to visit my grandmother when I was like 2. I’ll be going to (tentatively):
Rome, Italy
Venice, Italy
Prague, Czech Republic
Nuremberg, Frankfurt – Germany
London, UK
Dublin, Ireland
Paris, France
Any tips, notes, etc. you have to share would be appreciated. Also, contact info for European supermodels.
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Here’s a tip for you:
Good luck on that supermodel thing.
I recommend the Circle Line Pub Crawl in London. As the name suggests, you get off at every stop on the Circle Line and have a drink. There’s 20 stops, so you may wish to make it halfs.
The Cabinet War Rooms in London.
In Nuremburg (Nuernberg to locals) try the little skinny Bratwurst sandwiches, they typically put them three on a roll that looks maybe like a pack of cards. Good for the non-vegetarian, often sold in shops called “Imbiss” (means roughly “snack” or “bite.”)
Sounds like your tour will be a whirlwind; Nuernberg arguably deserves two days. Lot of art history for a fairly small city, it’s in the middle of a region called Franken (Franconia) with excellent white wine. A predominantly Protestant region in northern Bavaria which is otherwise overwhelmingly Catholic, the locals tend to identify more as Franconians than as Bavarians and the dialect is different. (Of course if you speak German you know all of this already.)
Either see a play in the Globe or visit Stratford. Take in the Edward Lord Leighton museum in Kensington. Not really, do the circle line piss up. When you firm up your dates, I will happily buy you a beer which will probably seem a little stronger than that USA stuff.
My brother goes to Dallas at the end of the month. Is this some sort of exchange deal. BTW Dublin nearly as easy for me to get to as London thanks to budget flights.
Take the eurostar to paris.
In Paris, if you’re looking for art museums and you’re short on time, choose the Musée d’Orsay over the Louvre – especially if you’re partial to the Impressionists’ work. (The Louvre is great, of course, but it’s massive and deserves more than one day.)
The best place to appreciate the Eiffel Tower is from across the river at the Trocadéro. If weather permits, stay awhile and enjoy the view while the sun goes down. (Bring a bottle of wine.)
The best European vacation tip: Just take your time and hang out. Touristy stuff is all right, but you’ll probably look back more fondly on a few hours spent at a Parisian café than on waiting in line at an “attraction” somewhere.
For Dublin: see preceding paragraph, but substitute “pub” for “Parisian café”.
Of these I’ve only been to Prague, Nuremberg, and Frankfurt (well, I’ve really only flown in and out of Frankfurt, and not actually seen much of it.) I second Bruce. I cringe when Americans buy “Johnsonville Brats” and think the gristle-filled crap they’re getting is anything similar to what any German would call a Bratwurst. Different areas have somewhat different bratwurst styles… the Nürnberg is great, and the Münchner (Munich) is a similar long thin, but more finely ground white wurst. What most Americans think of for bratwurst is more the Oktoberfest bratwurst, the shorter thicker Weiss (white) wurst.
In the old town market square in front of the Frauenkirche (“Church of our Lady) there are usually a number of stalls where one can get a quick wurst or Frikkadelle (hamburger-like patty) and a pretzel. In this square is also a popular fixture, the Schöner Brunnen, a curiously decorated tower, covered in statues. The statues represent the Seven Imperial Electors and nine ancient and mediaeval heroes. Around it is a unbelievably ornate iron fence, and woven in between the grillwork is a small brass ring. The local legend holds that if you make a wish and turn this ring three times it will come true. You must get a photo of youtself turning the ring!
Most Americans think of the Nazi era landmarks, the huge Congress Hall and Zeppelintribuene (the latter is prominently featured in the Party Rally seen in “Triumph of the Will”) for tourism, and while they’re worth seeing, far more beautiful is the Imperial castle and Sinwell Tower, and old city landmarks, like the Albrecht Dürer house. Nuremberg was the center of the Holy Roman Empire, and it’s because of that connection to the Imperial history of old that Hitler had all those rallies and buildings built there. It wasn’t a more “Nazi” city than any other… if anything Munich was the spiritual center of the Nazi movement.
Prague is also very beautiful (and has often stood in for a number of European cities in movies!) While in the Czech republic, you must try some of the finest beer in Europe, the Budvar. When the region was under German influence, the same town and its namesake beer was known as “Budweis”; the name shamelessly ripped off by Anheuser-Busch for its domestic piss-water.
Sorry I’ve never been to Europe, but do be safe. Oh and have lots of fun.
The only thing I remember from my weekend in Prague in 1990 (we arrived there the day after Iraq invaded Kuwait) was drinking in a beer garden with a couple of homeless Eastern Germans burning through the last of their deutsche marks. Their English was limited entirely to what they had gleaned from Jimi Hendrix lyrics. One of them had a guitar and the other, a hand wrapped in tissue paper as a bandage for a badly infected dog bite received the night before. The rest of the weekend is a total blank except for the vague recollection of repeated renditions of Purple Haze.
My only advice, then, would be to stay open to random encounters with fellow travelers but to avoid former East Germans, or current Australians, for that matter, if you want to have any actual memories of the trip later.
Oh, and if you can add Florence or Vienna to the itinerary, do it.
Yeah, this will be a very quickie deal, but it’s a chance I can’t pass up. At some point in my life I do plan to take the long-term, take your time trip to Europe (and Asia, and Australia, and Russia, etc.) but I’m not blinged enough to do so yet.
Drink absinthe in Prague and smoke hash where ever it finds you.
Sounds like a fantastic trip.
Two tips for Paris:
1) The Institut du Monde Arabe: great view of central Paris from the rooftop deck, and you can sip tea in the building next door, which feels like a bedouin tent. This is a little off the beaten path for tourists but it’s worth a visit. http://www.imarabe.org/
2) Not far from there, one of my favorite restaurants anywhere; L’Atlas, a very nice and upscale Moroccan place. Very friendly staff. http://www.latlas.fr/
Three restaurants that we liked in Rome were:
3) Gusto, http://www.gusto.it/ It’s a restaurant and a cafe complex around the Augustan mausoleum; you can also go to the Ara Pacis just up the street. I liked the pizza with squash blossoms. The restaurant is a bustling place and it’s nice and warm in there at night.
4) Gran Sasso, on the via di Ripetta not far from the Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish stairs. I had a very good grilled squid there.
5) La Famiglia, near the Termini train station (Via Gaeta 66). Nice family-style place. I had a nettle risotto that was really delicious; there is also a lunch buffet with a good variety. Like most places in Rome, they’re used to tourists as well.
review here
I’d also try to see the city at sunset from the top of the Altare della Patria (the big monument to Italian nationalism in the center of town). The place is crowded and there is only one bathroom up there, so it can be a little uncomfortable, but the view is fantastic.
. . .In Germany, if I were in Frankfurt, I’d probably leave for the day and take a quick train ride to Mainz or Worms or Wuerzburg. The last city has a beautiful old center town with the baroque Residenz, as well as a host of churches worth seeing. And wherever you are in Germany, don’t miss going to the Christmas market and having a hot glass of Gluehwein (or the equivalent hot non-alcoholic drink if that’s your fancy). If you walk around at all, you won’t be able to miss it. Standing around drinking hot mulled wine in a market square that’s been there for several centuries is a real treat.
If you’re in a capital city only for a day, it’s worth it to do one of the bus tours that lets you get on and off when you choose (the buses come regularly). It’s a good way to see the big stuff, and to explore a bit.
Make sure you go for a drink at the Golden Tiger Pub in Prague. The Golden Tiger is to Prague what the White Horse Tavern is to NY. The wonderful Czech auther Bohumil Hrabal was a regular and Bill Clinton actually had a drink with Hrabal there during his visit. Its a wonderful city and I hope you love it.
Oh, I forgot. Go with your relatives to a decent curry house. Nearly every person in the UK knows one. Don’t show off with your choices, and opt for depth of flavour rather than taste. If beer isn’t what you like, have a lassi (like a indian milkshake) Banana or Mango are good.
Also in Dublin, try their sausages. Not as fancy as the germans, they have a much more peppery taste than the British ones. Belfast is also worth a look (must do that myself).
You should definitely drop by Spain, you won’t find a country with better food or friendlier people. Also, in Frankfurt, go to nearby Marburg, Giessen and Darmstadt.
Be prepared to spend much more than you think. The dollar is worth bupkiss in the Eurozone and even less in the UK.
Oh, and go watch a real football match. Especially an English Premier match. They’re a blast and you usually can buy tickets outside the stadium on game day.