Around The World in 14 Days

I'm back! Did you miss me? It feels like forever since my last post. Don't worry, I'll get you caught up on all my adventures in the past two weeks and how it feels to be back in Luxembourg. This is a long post, so settle in with your drink of choice and prepare to be amazed.

Song of the week: I Get Around by The Beach Boys

Four countries. Seven cities. Two weeks of epic travels. I feel like I have just stepped off set of a movie starring myself. Everything feels surreal, like these experiences can't really be mine. After traveling at such a fast pace for the last 14 days, I am glad to be back in my cozy room in Luxembourg. In the interest of keeping up some pretense of organization, I have split up my travels by city. Below, you'll find a mini-guide of sorts for the seven cities I visited, and my impressions and stories from each one.

Brussels, Belgium: The Chicago of Europe

As I mentioned in my previous posts, Brussels is one of the most diverse cities in Europe. During our week long study tour, the class was able to dig in to the history of Belgium and the effects of Belgian colonialism on the Congo. We participated in a "de-colonial" tour, visited the EU's Parliament and the Herge Museum, toured the Matonge district and had a conversation with a curator at Belgium's Museum of Africa. While I enjoyed learning about the lesser known facts of Belgian history, I would have preferred to visit different towns in Belgium instead of staying in Brussels. The city is interesting, but it is a lot like Chicago. After a few days, the grey skies and weather gets to you, and you are constantly surrounded by people who are rushing from one place to the next. You can feel the stress and fatigue rolling off the people like steam, and it gets suffocating after a while.

One day we got off the metro and saw an unusual number of armed police. We asked them what was going on, and they said there was a football match later tonight and not to worry about anything. When we got out to the street, it felt like we were standing in the middle of a riot. Smoke and flares could be seen down the street, and loud bangs were also coming from that direction. Strangely, no one seemed to be too alarmed. Some people were filming the scene with their phones or cameras, but no one was running away. Once we returned to our hotel, the staff confirmed that the people causing the commotion were indeed on their way to a football match and were simply cheering for their team. They offhandedly remarked that this happened every week or so.

Overall impression: While the history of Brussels is fascinating (and somewhat horrifying), I don't think I would be able to handle everything that goes down in the city on a daily basis. My recommendation is to spend two or three days maximum in Brussels then take some time to explore some smaller towns like Bruges or Arlon.

Rotterdam, Netherlands: The Harbor of the World

Rotterdam is where many of our goods reside for a time before being distributed to their final destination. We took a boat tour of the harbor and got to see where the magic happens. While many of the other harbors in the world have been completely mechanized, Rotterdam still has people operating the cranes and other machines that move the containers of goods from one transportation vessel to another. The ships that dock here are technically flying under the Dutch flag, but they operate according to International Maritime Laws. As such, no one can really regulate their carbon output, causing these ships to be the biggest contributors to carbon dioxide (and climate change) on the high seas. There are a lot of ethical and environmental questions that go along with this knowledge, but the most pressing one is this: why are there so few agencies or organizations pushing for regulations or solutions to curb these emissions, and what needs to change so that they will be considered seriously? This Washington Post article does a good job of proposing some answers as well as reasons this issue is becoming a hot topic in the discussion on climate change.

Overall Impression: I found it extremely interesting to see behind the scenes of the global shipping industry. Rotterdam's history of trade and transport has made it into a hub of sorts, and one of drivers of globalization.

Leiden, Netherlands: Just Your Average Dutch Town

Leiden actually reminded me a lot of Killarney, Ireland. It has cute streets and shops and the people are very nice too. Canals intersect the city, making it extremely easy to navigate. Everyone rides their bikes around and you don't have to worry about cars or polluted air like in the big cities. Instead of pubs, however, you have stores that sell an amazing variety of things. You can find everything from clothes to blenders to lamps to chap stick all within five feet of each other. The organization makes absolutely no sense to anyone except the Dutch, to whom it makes perfect sense. Why wouldn't you put the party supplies next to the laundry hampers?

While visiting Leiden, we took a tour of the Volkunende Museum, the Netherlands' museum of culture. It was strange to see culture on display, especially ones that we as Americans are familiar with, such as Native American culture. While the museum did a reasonably good job of displaying culture as it might have been in the past, it described very little of how the each culture had evolved in the present. The museum's representation of Bali (an Indonesian island previously colonized by the Dutch) and the Balinese people were particularly paradoxical. It showed some environmental and social problems the people of the island were facing, but the exhibit also seemed like a tourist brochure trying to convince the Dutch to visit Bali. I was confused by what the museum was trying to communicate about Bali, but I did enjoy seeing the pieces they had on display.

Overall impressions: This town was a nice break from the big cities. The air was clean, and there were plenty of quirky places to explore and enjoy.

Amsterdam, Netherlands: Canals and Weed

If it was spring, I would say love was in the air, but it's Fall, so I can only say it's weed. The air reeks of it, and it does put a bit of a damper on the beauty of the canals and unique architecture. That didn't stop me from enjoying the city, though. I had the pleasure of going on a riverboat cruise while I was there, and it was fascinating to see the city from the water. The four and five-story houses that line the canals each have their own character, but all of them have winches at the top so furniture can be moved in and out of the wide windows. The wider the house, the more expensive it is, but there are no height restrictions. The stairs in the buildings are so narrow and steep, a person can barely fit, let alone a normal size sofa. Like the houses, the bridges each have their own character as well. This city is also relatively easy to navigate, but the public transportation is somewhat confusing. After getting on a tram going the wrong direction twice, I decided it was better just to walk to the metro station and find my way back from there.

While France may be the cheese capital of the world, one should not underestimate Dutch cheese. I went to a cheese tasting at the Old Amsterdam Cheese store, and I was not disappointed. The cheese has a unique flavor, but I would say it is most similar to Parmesan cheese. During the tasting, I sat with a group of Germans, one of whom had just moved to Amsterdam. They were all extremely friendly and spoke perfect English, and we struck up a conversation throughout the event. By the end of it we were laughing and joking like we had been friends for a long time, although I suppose that could have been the wine we had with the cheese too.

You can see the Dutch and Berber flags in the background

One experience I had trouble understanding was the gathering of Berbers in the central square. The Berbers are an ethnic group originating from North Africa, but they have a presence in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe as well. They go by many names in Europe (the Moors, Maghreb, Tuareg, Amazigh), and have an extremely rich history as well. At first I didn't know they were Berbers, but I looked up the flag they were waving and identified it as the Berber ethnic flag. I was surprised to find out that over 350,000 people Berber heritage live in the Netherlands. I am not sure what they were gathering for, but before seeing it, I had assumed that most of the immigrants or non-European Dutch would be people of Indonesian heritage, since that was where the Netherlands' largest colony was stationed. I felt like I was only getting half the story, but I didn't really feel comfortable asking someone what was going on. One of the lessons I have learned on this trip is that some questions have to go unanswered, but it doesn't hurt to be curious and that's what Google is for.

Overall Impression: If you're willing to ignore the weed, Amsterdam is a really cool city. It's a bit like an onion, where you have to pull back some layers to get the experience you want. Unlike an onion, the city (probably) won't make you cry.

Prague, Czech Republic: The Paris of the East

Simply put, Prague is beautiful. Every townhouse is a different color and castles seem to be around every corner. Although it is much smaller than Paris, it definitely has the same feel. There are tons of shops featuring local artwork, handcrafted goods and fresh baked pastries. The history of Prague is also rich, and many of the buildings date back to the early 14th century. One of my favorite places in the city was a place called Vysehrad, a walled fortress sitting near the south end of the city. On top of the fortress is a church with some of the most colorful illustrations I have ever seen, a garden that was also a graveyard and the most stunning view of the river Volta that runs through the city. Prague is full of hidden gems like Vysehrad, and I would love to spend more time exploring the city.

One of the surprising aspects that I noticed in Prague is that there are very few people of color present in the city. Almost all of the countries I have previously visited had a history of colonialism, but the Czech Republic does not. One of reasons there are so few people of color in the country could be that the Czech Republic was part of the Austrian Empire during the "Scramble for Africa" during the late 19th century. This absence of a colonial tie with people outside of Europe could also explain lack of immigrants in the country, who only total about 5% of the total population. The Czech language is also somewhat tricky. Phonetically, it sounds quite Slavic, but it is written with the Roman/Latin alphabet, not the Cyrillic alphabet. The result is usually five consonants strung together, and a lot of words that seem to have an extra syllable somewhere in the middle. Regardless of the language barrier, it was easy to ride the buses and trams around the city, allowing us to traverse the city relatively quickly.

Overall impression: Prague is a place that has a little something for everyone. Whether it's castles, gardens, history, shopping or something else, Prague will exceed your expectations.

Warsaw, Poland: Edgy and Resilient

Warsaw is where the cool kids hang out. The young people dress like they are in a pop-punk band, the middle age people dress like avant garde bohemian models, and the older crowd dresses like they should be in the Godfather. The people have their own sense of fashion, and they roll with it. Their fearless fashion sense could be due the fact that up until 30 years ago, Poland was part of the Eastern Block dominated by the USSR. Before that it was occupied by both the Germans and the Russians during both World Wars, with only brief periods of autonomy. Now, Warsaw is a blooming metropolis, and the people are tired of others telling them what to do. I got the feeling they are going to do as they like, starting with how they dress.

During the month of November, entrance to the royal residences is free, and we decided to visit the royal palace in Old Town Square. After walking through a few of the rooms, I realized that most of the palace had been destroyed during WWII and many parts of it had been reconstructed recently. Many of the murals on the ceilings were artists' interpretations of the originals based on past records. If I hadn't seen the rubble in photos, I would have believed the palace had been standing unaltered since the 17th century. I didn't get the chance to use the audio guide, but it must have been a huge undertaking to reconstruct something like this. As a special treat to visitors, the last room of the palace tour contained two Rembrandt paintings on loan from a Dutch national museum. It was incredible to be standing only a few feet away from these masterworks and I was glad we took the time to visit.

Overall impression: Warsaw is an up and coming city, and you should definitely keep an eye on it. Its modern city center is still developing, making it a possible powerhouse for tourists in the next few years.

Krakow, Poland: The Faded Jewel

Back in the day, Krakow used to be the royal seat of the country and where the law of the land was laid down by the king. The marriage of East and West was especially prominent in the architecture around the city, creating a unique blend I haven't seen anywhere else. Much like Warsaw, it was unclear how many of the original buildings had been destroyed during WWII and how many survived the devastation of the the war. Regardless, I was impressed by the effort it took to maintain or rebuild structures like these. We didn't have much time in the city but we were able to tell that Krakow must have been quite the city back at its peak. Inside the royal chapel of Wawel Castle rests what I believe was a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, solid marble pillars and many, many gold plated things. The abundance of churches was even more prominent here, with one on just about every corner. I didn't get to go in all of them, but there were Orthodox, Protestant and Catholic churches all within a couple block of each other. While Krakow is known mostly for its proximity to Auschwitz, the city itself also has a lot to offer. Its Old Town Square contains just as much history as Warsaw's and the food is even better.

Overall impression: I enjoyed Krakow almost as much as Prague, and wish we had spend more time there. My suggestion is to spend at least two, maybe three days there if you want to fully experience the history.

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As much as I loved seeing all these beautiful cities, there were a few drawbacks with seeing them so quickly. In order to really get to know a country, I believe you have to stay there for at least four days. My gallivanting through Europe allowed me to see an incredible amount in a short amount of time, but I also felt that I missed out on some of the important aspects that a normal tour would cover, like social customs, language tips and historical fun facts. While I did pick up some phrases and felt like I learned a lot, I know that there is always more you can learn. The other drawback is that I was completely exhausted after returning. I have found that two weeks is my limit for traveling at that pace and anything more would probably incapacitate me fore at least three days. This "fast travel" is something we have to do while we are here, but when I return to Europe next time, I think I want to try "slow travel," which would really allow me to dig in to each country's culture.

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I felt that I learned a lot about myself on this trip and I am very glad that I had these two weeks to really experience Europe in a way that I haven't before. This weekend I am headed to Nice for some R&R by the (chilly) Mediterranean!

Any suggestions for while I'm there? Is there a city you would like to hear more about? Let me know in the comments!

Until then, I'll keep wandering.