My favourite City

It's been a while... transitions ain't easy, but I've settled in to it (and one can't really get up to much when searching for employment).

Just for more change to occur (and I shouldn't be surprised!).

I now have a vehicle (yay) and a job starting in the new year (yay) that requires me to move...not so yay but required.

A couple of weeks ago finally made my way down to the Cape. The first time in nearly two years, and of course the first opportunity I've had since I've been back in SA.

Cape Town is by far my favourite city!
(although I think one day I'll have to have a fav city per continent...for now I'll just stick to CT being my fav).

The occasion - my sibling's graduation!

Graduating is always quite momentous despite the actual event being bum-numbing.

(It was also a not-so-subtle that I really am getting older despite not feeling like I'm in my mid-twenties; and then next month I officially enter my late twenties! eek...I think)

The Cape was glorious for the two week period I was there. I have missed my mountain

Our time in the Cape was spread between Stellenbosch, the Strand, Gordon's Bay, Genadendal and of course Cape Town itself.

There really is nothing like the South African sunshine, and we had plenty of it.

How does one begin to describe Cape Town?

For some, it's just a place to visit.

For others, it captures your heart and it's where you want to live.

Three guesses under which category I fall and the first two don't count.

The Cape has mountains, the ocean and winelands...a rare combination to be found in one place don't you think?

The best way I know to describe anything is of course via pictures

Freshly caught fish...and then of course one has to have SNOEK!

A trip to the Cape is not complete without having this yummy fish at least one (I really have NO idea what the English name is).

The Strand has a beautiful beach (and it's also a whole lot warmer than the beaches found in Cape Town like Camp's Bay & Clifton.


Fishermen at Sunset.

Stellenbosch is a town in the Winelands, and of course a student town (and where my sibling graduated from the University of Stellenbosch)

Onward to Genadendal - the first missionary in South Africa. It's a historical town, and the missionary station established there was Moravian. The Church is still there and there's a museum with the history of the town.

Gordon's Bay and the Strand are so close one may be forgiven for thinking they're the same place. The beach is not as great as the Strand, but being right on the beach front is always awesome.

Had some great finds...











Then there's Cape Town...

From the District Six Museum ( a must! www.districtsix.co.za) to the Cape Coons (also known as the Cape Minstrels)



And let's not forget Simon's Town (with Boulder's Beach and it's penguin's although I didn't go this visit)
That, more or less covers my wee cape visit (for more find me on flickr; I've embarked upon a 365 project - some days I have inspiration, others not so much, but I'm beyond Day 100 so it's all good).

My parting photographic gift: panoramic of Cape Town, as viewed from Silver Mines Nature Reserve

Venezia

From Austria back to Italy...and YAY! Good weather is back!

And about time too...having been sick from Milan through to Austria (funny how I think in terms of places I visited instead of time..time really is relative when travelling. Most of the time I don't even know what day of the week it is!) and had grey weather, sunshine was most welcome!

Twas another long day on the bus, but we did stop at the highest Mickey D's in the world...right by the highest bridge in Europe, near Innsbruck...and the view was pretty cool

Watched the Full Monty en route...movie doesn't fail to make one laugh :)

Finally get to Venice, or rather, the hostel outside of Venice, as staying there will just be ludicrously expensive! Check in, find my bungalow (which I had all to myself for 4 days...bliss baby, after a month of sharing my personal space it was most welcome. Another girl I'd met also had a bungalow to herself and as she put it, the cheapest we'll ever pay for a 'single' room, since it's supposed to be shared between three but wasn't.), drop pack, dig out bikini and head to the pool!

That water was most welcome after a long day on the bus. And that dip set the tone for my stay in Venice...every day after being tourist I lazed in the pool, soaked up some rays and just chilled.

Sunshine and blue skies...what more could a girl ask for.

Venice is a great city. No car traffic, it's only foot traffic and canals. Forget a map...because you will get lost, but that's half the fun in discovering a new city - getting lost in it. You discover things you wouldn't if you'd been following a map.

In Venice it's pointless anyway, you're unlikely to find the place you want and will just end up frustrating yourself. A girl was saying how they found this cool mask shop the one day, wanted to buy a souvenir and the next day spent goodness knows how many hours trying to find it again!

Did a walking tour of the area around St Mark's Piazza and the Doge's Palace. St Marks Basilica is insanely decadent on the inside (no photos allowed, sorry). The church itself took about 29 years or so to build while the decor took 400 years to complete!

Insane! There's detail everywhere - the walls, the floors, the roof and most of it is mosaic. There is the beautiful gold leaf piece behind the altar and the detail in it is astounding!

In Venice I didn't do too much...it being my last stop and my budget blown a few cities back...I thought it best to not spend an excessive amount of money. If you avoid the stores and just wander the streets and soak up the atmosphere, it's possible. This doesn't mean I spent no money...of course not! But I did (more or less) behave financially.

It didn't matter though..just wandering the streets you see so much, and it being Italy, and filled with tourists, people aren't afraid to stop and talk to you. Or fellow solo travellers stopping you to ask you to take their photograph...got chatting to this uber tall German dude that way... he was cycling through Europe...I mean seriously! Craziness...fun at times I'm sure, but definitely insane. And he'd started in Prague of all places!

The food was of course good. It's Italy... wander a few streets away from the big tourist areas and you'll find some really reasonably priced and oh-so-yummy food stores! And don't forget the gelati! Never forget the gelati...

Yes, yes...I love food :p

The strangest compliment I have ever received was from some Spanish guy...stopped me asking for a light (like I smoke), had no clue South Africa was a country...gave up trying to explain to him since English was clearly not his first language and I don't speak Spanish...and as I'm about to walk off he shakes my hand and tells me 'Congratulations, you're beautiful.'

To my credit, I didn't laugh in his face...but I did have a giggle after I'd walk off...certainly a new one! And yes, I said thank you...one has to accept compliments graciously...Italian men are very free with their 'ciao bella's'... One gentleman stopped me in passing, Ciao, I greet back, smiles, says 'bellissima' I reply with grazie and then walk off with a ciao....

How can a girl not feel good amidst all of this? :p

So being complimented aside...an awesome way to end a great trip I must say... I had fun in Venice, doing an impromtu study in black and white. Venice is a city that just begs for it...






My last day in Venice, post chill time in the pool of course, I headed back in to the city...failed attempt at sunset photos ( I realised that I needed to be on one of the islands off the main one to get proper photos) and I got lost anyway, after having found my way to St Mark's Piazza - successfully - numerous times..the one time I want to find it fairly quickly I get lost...such is.


I eventually got there - and it was the day Andrea Boccelli had a concert. It was a paid concert so they'd closed off the concert area...but acoustics and microphones and such, just because you couldn't see him...didn't mean you couldn't hear him...It was pretty awesome.

Couldn't stay until the end though, had to weave my way back to the main land to catch the last shuttle back to camp.

The next day was the last leg of my journey...return to Rome, with an evening arrival, just to overnight and head back to London town.

And that is the end of my euro trip!

I had tons of fun, met some pretty cool people and all it did was confirm that the travel bug has bitten good and proper and it ain't letting go!

So, here's to more travels...not only a return to the continent, but the rest of the globe!

St Johann in Tirol

How was Austria...again wet, wet, wet!

Not as wet as Munich, but it was that iffy drizzly weather. The kind that lets up, then starts up again pretty much ruining all outdoor plans!

And yep, St Johann known for outdoor activities. I tell you, hiking in drizzle and mud ain't fun.
Apparently there are beautiful mountains surrounding the town...uh, gonna have to take that one on faith because I didn't see the top of any of them!

Not even in the closest big town - Innsbruck! Although, Innsbruck was a nice change from miserable weather because at least the sun shone through the clouds (even though they didn't lift!).

One activity that isn't affected by iffy weather is canyoning...was awesome fun! Abseiling down a 20m waterfall...and then jumping into the river from a height of apparently 7m though for some reason it looked higher. I looked at the guide like he was mad when he told me to jump! A few others had jumped before me already so I knew it was ok but still.

Of course, I jumped. Such fun! Yay for wet suits - with all the rubbish weather the water was pretty cold, not seeing the sun and all 10-12 celsius. Would definitely go canyoning again! I wasn't sure what to expect but it was over before I knew it... hour and a half went pretty quickly.

St Johann I shall share in pictures...because rubbish weather, well, not much to say is there?

Reflection on a cloudy day

:p

Innsbruck

München

How was Munich you ask?
My reply: Wet, wet wet!

The rain that started whilst in Switzerland didn't ease up (and this while London was having sunshine and blue skies! I mean seriously...went to the continent to escape the myth that is an English Summer - that only lasted about 2 weeks...but I digress).

Everyone on the bus hoped the weather would clear up...but alas this was not to be. Left Switzerland, lunched in Liechtenstein, drove through Austria and entered Germany...all with rubbish weather as company.

Arrive in Munich and checked in at Wombats...pretty cool hostel, as hostels go.

Of course, it was raining and after a long day on the bus really wasn't in the mood to do much.

Next day...more rain! But I was determined to do the New Munich Tour; seeing how it runs in all weather. It rained for the entire walk! Yay for waterproofs...but it eventually got chilly that I wish I had thermals on...and I don't particularly like thermals.

So much for summer was the though running through my head!

But, despite the really crappy weather, Munich was totally awesome! The walk was amazing and our tour guide just brilliant.

Finding out all about Munich, old history, to WWII, to modern day...it was pretty amazing.


Started off at the glockenspiel - does it's thing twice a day, and is pretty
much as exciting as the astronomical clock in Prague. The people
are more interesting to look at. Add that it was pouring down...standing in the rain, watching some mechanical thing dance around for like 10min or however long it was...not quite appealing.

The glockenspiel has a story though - dates and names, not my thing if you haven't realised yet. But it was a Prince, and it was for his wedding...and there are 2 knights - with lances - one French, one Bavarian...and of course the Bavarian one wins.

And there are mechanical men in lederhosen doing their jig...and every few years real men do it in person...that should be quite a funny sight.

From the glockenspiel walked the city centre - the New Town Hall, the Old Town hall, a few churches and quite a few memorials to WWII.

Munich, as it stands today is 64 years old. I don't know why this struck me, but for whatever reason it did.

The only buildings that weren't bombed in WWII were the glockenspiel and the towers of the Frauenkirk - and this was for practical purposes only. Radar had just been discovered and the Allied bombers needed some sort of reference. These two buildings were the highest, and pretty much in the city centre.

The rest of Munich - is all restored. Impressive!

Our tour guide, Matt, was really good. And he'd told us that the tour would take on the theme of memorials...WWII is not a particularly proud segment of German history, but it is an important one.

Munich had it's own role in all of this - not only was the Nazi party founded here, but a failed coup occurred, and the nearby town of Dachau and the first work camp, turned concentration camp, which then went on to serve as a model for the hundreds that were subsequently established. Many of the guards at Auschwitz were trained at Dachau...But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Munich has many many memorials - but subtle ones, not in-your-face ones. I think there's something to be said for a more subtle memorial. I'm paraphrasing Matt, but it rings true. It encourages people to find out more, do their own research, and in that way the memory of WWII won't fade. It will be spoken about, and speaking about it and acknowleding it is one way to ensure that such an atrocity does not occur again.

There are numerous plaques on buildings across the city, and you wouldn't know what they were unless you asked. Or looked. Matt only pointed out a few. It made me want to explore the city centre and find all these memorials (and see the rest of Germany, Berlin in particular).

The one memorial he told us about looks a bit arbitrary - it's bronze cobble stones in an alley between two parallel streets.
In the failed coup, Hitler and his fellow partymen walked down both these streets. They started down the one, saw police ahead, headed down the alley and continued along the other - Residenz Strasse...shots were fired. Policemen and Nazis and a innocent bystander were killed. Hitler ran in the opposite direction. When the Nazis came to power the propganda told a different story - he (Hitler) apparently saved a little girl's life. There was no little girl.

At the top of Residenz Strasse a memorial plaque was put up to this event, and a wreath was hung up too. Today the memorial is no longer there but you can see the marks left on the building, and the holes where the nails were.

Everyone that walked passed this memorial had to give the Nazi saulte - if they didn't they were harassed. Now, there was this alley, that bypassed the memorial, and all it added was an extra minute if that, to one's journey...because of the parallel streets.

A silent protest if you wish, to the Nazi regime was going down Dodger's Alley, as it became known as. The Nazis of course cottoned on to this and stationed a guard that the entrance of this alley. They wrote down the names of people using this alley, and if you had no valid excuse for using it (other than the unmentioned one of avoiding saluting the memorial) you were harassed anyway!

So, the bronze cobblestones serve as a memorial to those who silently protested the Nazi regime...and possibly even risked their lives.

Another memorial is outside the University of Munich. It is in honour of the White Rose movement. This was a group of students and professor who printed what was considered propaganda but was in fact the truth, about the Nazis.

These students printed flyers en masse and tossed them in the corridors of the university hoping that students will pick them up and read them. This went on for months. A brother and sister - Sophie and Hans Scholl were part of this group. Both were in their early 20s.

One day, the janitor who'd been sweeping these corridors for months now spotted them dropping the flyers...reported them to the dean, the dean reported them to the Nazis. Hans and Sophie and a third student were arrested and interrogated. They refused to give the names of the rest of the group but the Nazis eventually found out and in the end these students and their professor were executed.

For telling the truth.

The Nazis spared no-one.

And this memorial is dedicated to these brave students who wanted to do something, however small, about the injustices that reigned supreme under the Nazi regime

There's far more to Munich than just the dark history of WWII...there's Oktoberfest! And beerhalls (and of course the history from when it was founded...but that kinda thing you can research yourself...better yet - visit Munich)!

And really really good German beer! This from a non-beer drinker!

After a wet, cold three hour walking tour, yummy Bavarian Stew (2 helpings!) and beer was most welcome.

The rain remained...and after a cold day, the warmth of the hostel was most welcome.

I only spent two full days in Munich...not very long...but long enough to leave a lasting impression. I visited the Dachau Memorial and Concentration camp.

I've been asked so many times wasn't it tough. And I have to reply that no, it wasn't.

It wasn't because I have nothing to compare and even to begin to imagine what these prisoners went through. There are photographs, you get told stories...but there's nothing to make it hit home if you wish.

You really need to take yourself out of where you are, away from all the tourists and somehow transport yourself to a place - which as you're standing there is surprisingly clean, and roll call square looks vast - a place where roll call square held 20 000 men! And not just the 6000 the camp was build to house. A place where sanitation was the last thing on mind of the guards. A place where human filth reigned, and it was smelly, and lice were a problem (amidst many). Food was vile and you are treated as a second class citizen, or worse.

This is difficult to imagine. Very.

Through work, freedom. Cruel Nazi sense of humour

Roll Call Square


One prisoner's words on being in the bunker

A memorial to those who died and survived Dachau. Done by a survivor of the camp.

But it was an eye opener...and has given me a curiosity to find out more about the Third Reich...but not only that, to find out more about the history of my country.

Not the same...but definite similarities. South Africa must have similar stories! Now, to find them. To do the research...and seek out the memorials (if they are there...and if they're not...perhaps attempt to do something about it? Ambitious, possibly.)

The Alps

Switzerland is a postcard.

You know how it looks in postcards, green, mountainous, snow covered peaks in the distance, stunning lakes, wooden houses, cute shutters and window boxes with pretty flowers?

That's how it looks in reality!

From the city of Milan I headed to gorgeous outdoors of the Jungfrau region, the village of Lauterbrunnen in particular. It was a long day's drive from Milan to Switzerland - but the beauty was reward enough after a long day on the bus.

Arrived at the campsite early evening, checked in and didn't really do much else.

I'd picked up a cold in Milan (started out as sinus issues...and I really hope I'm now nursing the last of it. I've been through dunno how many packs of tissues already!)

Lovely night...and sad to say, the only clear one of my stay in the Swiss Alps. I had a lie in on my first morning, while some people doing busabout went skydiving! I just couldn't bring my sick self to get up that early... in some ways I'm glad my time in Switzerland turned out the way it did. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

My first full day in Switzerland I did what was called the Murren loop - a cable car/train journey from Lauterbrunnen to Murren, past the Trummelbach falls and back again. It was a gorgeous day, and I was able to fully appreciate the beauty of the Alps.

I've used that word a lot - because it is beautiful.

There's an Afrikaans word - asemrowend - and that describes it far more aptly than any English one I can think of.

For those who don't speak the language, a poor substitute (but a translation nonetheless) would be the word breathtaking.

How does one describe being thousands of meters above sea level, up in the mountains, in little villages and looking down on the valleys below?


If there is one place (of the few I've seen, and having absolutely loved Italy!) you should see and experience for yourself it is the Swiss Alps. Nothing you see or read will ever compare to the experience of actually being there and feeling oh-so-small with the towering mountains all around you.


The villages I saw included Murren, Gimmelwald and Stechelberg. From Stechelberg I took a walk to the
Trummelbach falls - these are the only internal waterfalls still accessible to the public. The falls consist of ten waterfalls and is the drainage of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau - glacial water at -2 centigrade - being inside and viewing the gushing of the water is a chilly experience :p

Photographs won't do these falls justice.

How the water has shaped the rock and curves through the mountain...just the sound of the water gushing - how powerful!

Mother nature one definitely needs to respect.

After gawping at the falls, I headed back into sunshine and warmth and took a lovely walk back to Lauterbrunnen.

The Jungfrau region has many many hiking trails and is a fabulous place for both summer and winter sports! We were told that one cliff face near our campsite is famous for basejumping - I think I might have seen one on one walk I took on my last day - I'd just heard the whoosh of a glider opening (on the otherside of the valley might I add) - and there was definitely no sky divers around, so it had to be a base jumper as the glider opened quite close to the ground as far as I could see!

Day two was supposed to be my day to do my bit of outdoor adventure sport, but alas, I got rained out! And for the rest of the day it remained raining on and off, mostly on. Didn't do anything, found a book in the lounge, read, fell asleep and I guess continued recovering from my cold ( I really am fed-up of blowing my nose already! At least it is far less than what it was...going through four packs of tissues in a day - not fun!)

Day three...and success! I went paragliding! It was such an awesome experience...and I wasn't nervous or frightened at all. There were two sisters from camp who went paragliding as well - we were all quite disappointed that we didn't go get to do it the day before and were hoping like crazy that we could. And we did.

There was cloud cover - the weather was pretty iffy for the rest of my time in Switzerland but hey...need to take such things in your stride (or end up not doing anything at all!) We went paragliding through Outdoor Interlaken- great pilots.

The one thing I didn't think about was how I'd actually get up in the air - yeah, by running down a short strech of mountain! Perhaps a wee bit apprehensive, but still no nerves, it was a very short run (for me at least, being on the short side, the pilot did a bit more running) and then we were up and floating away into the clouds, through the clouds...and all of Interlaken and the valleys below us!

It was gorgeous - floating away above the world - wished it were for longer! It really is the dream of flying come true :)

It was an overcast day again, but thankfully not as wet as the previous one! Wondered Interlaken, grabbed coffee and then took the train back to Lauterbrunnen.


Went for a short walk later that afternoon, viewed the Staubbach falls, the falls closest to the campsite I was staying at, and viewed Lauterbrunnen from above. Last day in the alps and yet more rainy weather (if I'm not used to rainy weather by now then I never will be!).

Another chilled day, another walk, in a different direction, just soaking up the beauty around me. It was great having some chill time, even somewhat enforced chill time with the rainy weather and all.

Sometimes you're on this mission to just see as much as possible of a place and kinda forget to relax - even though technically speaking you are on holiday :p

From the Swiss Alps it was onward to Munich...

A Day in the Life of...Milano

What's there to say about Milan?
It's a city - financial capital of Italy; fashion capital
One of the few buildings that survived WWII is the gothic duomo, and if you didn't know (I didn't) Mussolini was executed here.

Milan I will share in pictures

16 June 2009

from flea markets...

to designer shopping...

only 500 euro if you want to wear a cup on your foot!

to stores we commoners can afford