Day 3: South Iceland

Tags

Öræfa, Öræfajökull, basalt, basalt columns, black sand, Black Sand Beach, Breidðakvík, Busmills, church, County Antrim, culture, Diamond Beach, Dyrholaey, Eldhraun, Europe, fjords, food, Giant's Causeway, Gjálp, glacier, Glacier Lagoon, Grímsvötn, Höfn, Hella, horses, Iceland, Icelandic horses, Ireland, jökulhlaup, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Knappafellsjökull, lava field, museum, Northern Ireland, Pakkhús Restaurant, puffins, Reynisdrangar, Reynisfjara, Ring Road, sandur, Seljalandsfoss, Skeiðarársandur, Skogafoss, Skogar, Snotra Hostel, South Iceland, Suður-Vík, travel, Vatanajokull Naitonal Park, Vatnajökull, Vatnajökull National Park, Vík, Vík í Mýrdal, wanderlust, Wasteland, waterfalls, Woolly Fringe Moss

We left Snotra Hostel while the sun was coming up, stopping on a side road to photograph horses with the sunrise in the background.  We passed a couple of wind turbines on the way up to Hella, then stopped at a local bakery before heading east on the Ring Road again.  By the time the sun was up, we had made it to our first stop: Seljalandsfoss.  I was worried about finding it, but it was actually very obviously to the left of the Ring Road.  Another indicator was a large puffin statue on the right before the turn as well as one on the turn itself, both advertising tours.

1. Seljalandsfoss
A lot of birds were circling the cliffs at these falls.  The stop includes a little café, restrooms, and – oh, yeah – a parking meter.  You can walk up to the falls which have a cave behind them and you can also walk along the trail to some smaller falls along the cliffs.  The cliffs face a vast expanse of fields that eventually empty out into the sea.  Just remember, getting close to the falls means getting wet and then freezing in the weather…

2. Skógafoss and Skógar
After Seljalandsfoss, we stopped at Skógafoss near Skógar.  The legend to Skógafoss is there’s a buried treasure in the pool behind the falls, so many people go in there to look for the gold.  Supposedly someone managed to tug on the chest once, but the golden ring on the side pulled off and the chest plunged back into the waters.  That ring became the door handle to the local church for some time before being retired to the cultural museum in Skógar where it is still on display.

When you get to the falls, not only can you walk up to them from underneath but you can also hike up a long, shaky stretch of metal stairs to the top.  There are options for photos from the top view and also the option to walk out the gate behind you.  If you go through the gate (and close it behind you!), you can hike far into the glacier-lined settings.  We followed this trail along the river for quite some time.  I stopped at a peak where people had made piles of rocks.  The one danger with this trail is, if it has snowed over little streams dropping into the canyon, you may find what was once stable becoming soft and penetrable in the morning sun.  The mud too thaws and poses a danger if you lose your footing or follow the trail with small children.  Otherwise, it is relatively safe and easy to hike quite a way into the gorge.

From the falls, we stopped at the cultural museum in Skógar.  For about 2,000 Crowns per person we were able to see three museums: the cultural museum, the turf house museum, and the technical museum.  The first featured lots of artifacts from clothes to side saddles and kitchen tools; the second was a display of housing replicas.  The third museum showed everything from the first communications (like telegraph machines) to early vehicles in Iceland.  It even featured a section on the Icelandic Coast Guard and rescue teams, showing a map of solar-powered communication towers that are used to coordinate not only the rescue of individuals but of entire villages under the threat of a volcanic eruption (which has definitely been a problem in the past!).

3. Vík: Dyrhólaey, Reynisfjara, & Reynisdrangar
We continued along the Ring Road east into Vík, stopping at the restaurant Suður-Vík for lunch.  Here they had a delicious Borg Brugghús beer called Snorri which features Arctic barley and thyme.  They also had mushroom soup which wasn’t too rich and which was served with homemade bread and smjor (Icelandic butter).  One of the servers moved here from Thailand, likely having influenced the menu which features panang curry and rice.  From a window along the wall opposite to the bar you could look out and see the fingers of Reynisdrangar reaching out of the sea.

From Suður-Vík, we backtracked up the mountain to the very obvious turn-off to the Black Sand Beach (Reynisfjara).  This road leads you to a parking lot on the edge of the beach, immediately next to a wall of basalt columns.  Although in Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland, these columns are eerily similar to the Giant’s Causeway near Bushmills in County Antrim, Northern Ireland (which I visited in this post).  My first instinct was to wonder if Iceland and Ireland were once flush to each other.  And while a map of Pangaea indicates this was likely true, this site about basalt columns around the world make me realize such landscapes can form wherever there is volcanic activity…which also happens to be in a lot of places that have divided over geological time.

The black sand across the beach of course gave Reynisfjara its name of the Black Sand Beach.  Beware of the “sneaker waves” as you walk along.  Looking to the west, you can see the rock formations of Dyrhólaey.  To the east are the three fingers of Reynisdrangar which were seen from the restaurant.  Legend has it three giants were towing a ship when they were frozen in place in the water…which is funny to have another giant’s story so near to basalt columns.  This beach is yet another Icelandic site featured in the Game of Thrones.  (And I do think people must care about that, because I encountered a man in the Þingvellir National Park who was dressed fully like a Crow, minus the sword).  After walking around a bit, we headed back to Vík for some photos from the church on the hill, then we continued east yet again along the Ring Road.

4. Vatnajökull National Park Pt. 1: Svartifoss & Skaftafell
Vatnajökull is the world’s largest glacier and it can be found in the Vatnajökull National Park.  This park occupies 14% of Iceland and is the second largest in the world by area, following a park in Russia.  It is unique in its diverse landscapes, ranging from glaciers to volcanoes and geothermal activity.  As we left Vík for this park, we rounded the southernmost part of Iceland and began a slight northward direction, stopping once at Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

On both the east and west sides of Kirkjubæjarklaustur we encountered the Eldhraun lava field.  It’s remnants from the biggest lava flow in the world after Laki errupted in the 1700s.  The flow covers 218 square miles and was used to train Apollo 11 for their moonwalk.  What it looks like is a field of black rocks or strange stacks for as far as the eye can see and, in many stretches, those rocks are covered with a thick Woolly Fringe Moss similar to the appearance of the fields around the Blue Lagoon.  It’s crazy to think that the majority of animals and crops in Iceland – and about 20% of the humans – died in that 1783-4 natural disaster that resulted in the altered landscape.

Not much past Kirkjubæjarklaustur we entered Skeiðarársandur, the largest sandur (outwash plain) in the world at about 500 square miles.  The outflow continues to swallow more and more farmland since settlement began in Iceland.  In 1362, a volcano bellow Öræfajökull (or Knappafellsjökull) erupted, destroying the entire area with a jökulhlaup (flooding) which cause the name to be changed to Öræfa, or Wasteland.  This was one of the last sections of the Ring Road to be finished (in about 1974), so before that people in the southwest had to drive the east, north, and west sections to get to the capital city.

Gravel dykes were built to keep floodwaters away from this particular stretch of the Ring Road, but they did nothing for the three bridges washed away by a jökulhlaup from the Grímsvötn (Gjálp) eruption in 1996.  As we made our way into Skeiðarársandur, we noticed the high snowy mountains peaking around our view and the intense wind gusts whipping us both towards the mountains and then to the sea.  The vegetation was completely gone and a vast, empty plain is all that could be seen.  The road carried on straight forever across the plain and dusty sand could be seen blasting through the air.

When we crossed a relatively new bridge and looked to the south, we saw a large, twisted metal object embedded in the sand.  “I hate to say it, but I think that might even be a tractor trailer that got blown off this bridge,” said my mom as I fought to keep the car on the road.  When I looked up this region later, I realized it was not a trailer piece but instead a twisted girder – what little remains of one of the original Ring Road bridges ripped from the ground in 1996.  Maybe it’s good I didn’t know, while in the middle of that enormous plain, the history of Skeiðarársandur jökulhlaup disasters.

When the winds were finally calming down slightly and some greenery returning, we noticed enormous glaciers to the north of the road.  We were now able to see Vatnajökul peaking over the mountains.  We stopped at a pull-out to take photos, then realized we could also drive straight up to Skaftafell where Svartifoss is also accessible.  We drove in closer, saw the parking fees and the time, and decided we didn’t really want to touch another glacier.  I’ve hiked glaciers in Alaska and mom has had her share in British Columbia, so we continued on our way.

5. Vatnajökull National Park Pt. 2: Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon & Diamond Beach
I was worried we would run out of daylight, but we reached the Glacier Lagoon at the Golden Hour.  The wind coming off the glacier was brutal, but we parked and hiked down to the lagoon to take shots of the lake with icebergs floating in the foreground and the glacier with mountains looming in the background.  (I was later befuddled to see this article of some dumb tourists risking their lives and the lives of their potential rescuers to walk across thin ice only days before we arrived.)

Next we popped over to the other side of the road, getting out just before the bridge that crosses the inlet to the lagoon.  We drove to where there were still significant rocks in the sand, parked, and walked the rest of the way to the shoreline.  We passed some deep ruts where some idiot tried to be lazy and drive straight to Diamond Beach.  Just as the sun was ducking behind the mountains and making all the sky and snow pink, we saw it: chunks of crystal ice lining the shoreline on black sand.  I kneeled down to take some photos without being consumed by icy waves, my goal to catch the sun in the ice.  These ice chunks are why the beach is called Diamond Beach (but I’m not sure all locals know it by that name because some I’ve encountered asked what it is).

6. Höfn & Driving the Fjords
From Diamond Beach, we returned to the Ring Road, crossed the long one-lane bridge, and continued less than an hour to the city of Höfn.  Here we ordered some dinner at the toasty Pakkhús Restaurant right along the dock.  It was very busy but featured locally sourced fish and potatoes, vegetarian options, and good drink selections.  From there, we had to get to Breidðakvík in the heart of East Iceland’s fjords.

By this point, the drive was in the dark.  The wind was still relentless, including on this stretch, except now it was starting to include some snow blowing in from the mountains.  After Höfn, the Ring Road clings in many places to cliffs – sheer drops to the sea that may or may not include guardrails.  The lanes here – as with all of the Ring Road – have no berm and very little wiggle-room within the narrow lanes themselves.  Add that to gusts of wind and I was struggling to keep the car on the road while passing anyone, let alone buses and campers and let alone across patches of ice.

I became quickly familiar with einbreð brú (one-lane bridge).  We would along the fjords, at one point going from pavement to gravel.  Google Maps made two mistakes in getting us to Breidðakvík: 1) It told us a 2.5 hour drive would be under 2 hours and 2) It still thinks the Ring Road goes up the mountain pass to the west when in fact the old section of 1 has been renamed to 95.  Our guesthouse was off of 95, just past the turn to Breidðakvík on 97.  Since November 2017, 1 (Ring Road) now continues along the coast to the next fjord.  I’m pretty sure I saw tourists still making this error and ignoring the closed/lokað signage.  It was changed because the pass just gets too much snow and costs too much to maintain it.

When we found our AirBnb, we were greeted by Helga and Stefán who waited up to show us around, offer hot tea and Viking beer, and chat for a bit.  After such a long day of driving, we were grateful to have a slow start to our next day.

The Heart of the Homeland

Tags

climate change, COP22, COP23, cows, flags, horses, Imider, indigenous rights, Morocco, Native American, NoDAPL, North Dakota, Sacred Stone Camp, solidarity, South Dakota, Standing Rock, travel, winter

The following is a guest post by Skylar Henry. It was created as part of the COP23 SustainUs Delegation creative challenge.  Please see the end of the submission for his bio.

The story I am about to tell you is one that should be heard and heard again, a story never to be forgotten. If it could be, then it should be declared a National Monument, one that Trump can’t take away and that will be placed right beside the Declaration of Independence. —No, not really, but what is in the story is the concept of reflection, how to make the most out of what we have, and how to learn from each other. This story is not one like those our families discuss or tell us about, but it is a story that teaches us just the same. I am fortunate and lucky to be alive to tell and witness this living story…

The Dakota Access Pipeline, also known as DAPL, was the cause for my friend Kayla DeVault’s journey to Cannonball, North Dakota on the land of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She is dear friend to many and a known worker and scholar to Arizona State University. Her travels around the world and the issues that she’s involved with are astounding to hear, and can have an impact on others. On one of her travels she was fortunate enough to travel to and return from Imider, Morocco. While there, she was able to view, listen, comprehend, and protest proudly with the people of Imider while in solidarity with them against infractions on their indigenous sovereignty by a colonizing government. For her to attend a university, travel, and work all at the same time says something about her not on the outside, but on the inside.

Kayla DeVault, addressing her stand and cause while giving a summary of her travels to Imider. Also, she did a shout out to me on the radio about how I slept along the way to Standing Rock.

With Kayla’s stories and getting to know this exceptional, awe-inspiring person, it was a bit of a wake-up call to myself about how to lead and inspire others from my own stories I have to share. On Kayla’s return back from Morocco, she set a goal for herself not only to share the story about the Imider people but also to travel to Standing Rock to present a solidarity poster made in Morocco. The people of Imider had also stood with the cause at Standing Rock for #NoDAPL.  She read their solidarity statement on the camp radio and held one of only two copies of the poster.  One poster remains in Imider at the protest camp there; we left the second post at Sacred Stone Camp.  I was fortunate enough to join her on her quest to travel to Cannonball, North Dakota; however, we never knew what was going to lie ahead of us.

The campfire of those who stand with against the pipeline.

The issue of the DAPL is the process of drilling and placing oil pipelines underneath a body of water sacred to the Lakota without their consent. It also involves destruction of treaty land in order to transport oil from First Nations’ land in Canada to the United States. The people involved with implementing this project allegedly consider it the best possible solution to transport the viable oil in order to meet the demand of oil in the United States. They also claim that, with the best materials and equipment of the pipelines, there shall be no possible way of some malfunctioning to happen, including a break in the pipeline. However, through history and other events related to oil pipelines and their effects, we – the protesters, environmentalists, scientists, activists, socialists, and the rest of those who stand with us – say otherwise about the pipeline. We know all too well what will happen to the environment and to the impacted communities were the pipeline to be established. Along with the DAPL, there is also the other side of the story and that is through the eyes, hearts, minds, bodies, and souls of the Native Americans and their sovereignty. Yes, we may be the first people of the Americas and separate in our own way but we should not be forgotten, nor should we treated less than humans, animals, or plants. We are still alive, surviving, and fighting for what seems like others have the opportunity to have but which we don’t have yet.

Knowing the issues with the DAPL and hearing the stories involved with the conflict between the protesters and the opposite party, we knew that we had to protect ourselves. The unpredictability of the situation meant it could be a completely different day and circumstance when we arrived. In many ways, the journey to Standing Rock was grand, engaging, and majestic. I was fortunate and able to call myself a traveler as my friend, Kayla, and many others like us on this tiresome trail. The days were great and long because I was able to see and explore what the States had for me. In a matter of hours, I had driven through areas I knew and others which I had never seen before. During our travel north from New Mexico into Colorado, I was more or less blessed to be greeted in the presence of three hawks alongside the road. I felt that I was safe, blessed, and protected, then I watched the sunset over the Coloradan grasslands in traditional Comanche territory.

A nice sunset that Kayla had to pull over for.

It was early morning when we arrived in Cannonball. A recent blizzard had left the roads treacherous. As Standing Rock had diverted so many funds to the #NoDAPL cause, maintenance was even worse on the Reservation. We arrived with the first morning light to the camp and were greeted by the dire, icy cold weather which tugged at the flags lining the entrance. These flags were representative of all the nations who stand strong against the pipeline. I was amazed and shocked at how many flags there were, and that I was here to witness what they were protecting. I don’t know if I saw what they saw, but I am sure it was a realization only that can only be captured by being present.

My mind began to wonder and think of the movie, Dances with Wolves, and how that movie was able to capture and enrich the beauty of the land, land which I stood on now. Realizing I had just driven through the movie’s setting of North and South Dakota, that is what struck me the most. I began to question that this is maybe this sensation is the quest others are attracted to, that maybe they could feel awe in the same way about this land. Perhaps their goal in being here is they do not want this land to be corrupted by an oil spill or to have the environment go to waste. That they want the land to live as well as the plants and animals along with it. I know that I am not associated with the tribe, nor is this land anywhere near where my tribe resides, but I felt connected to the cause. I could agree with Standing Rock’s goal of protecting their ancestral homeland and what it means to them and their people pertaining to Native identity.

Here is a picture of some horses and cows that were huddling together to stay warm in the cold, which I was amazed to see up in North Dakota.

Knowing what I have experienced and seen, it was quite a journey and a story to tell many who may ask what it was like in North Dakota. My friend, Kayla, was able to complete her quest of placing the poster from Imider, who stood with Standing Rock, at the sacred campfire. Also with that day, I was able to meet with Kayla’s other friend, Jackie Keeler, a Native American journalist, and to hear her experience with Standing Rock and of the people there as well. Unfortunately, being tired throughout most of the day, I did happen to fall asleep during their conversation with one another. As embarrassing as that is, I hope I did not make a bad impression upon Jackie, and I wonder if she will add me in her article about her experience in Standing Rock. I guess you could say my exhaustion was to be expected, however, as I had slept outside in temperatures falling below -20°F after completing a long, spiritually tiring journey.

The morning of our arrival in Cannonball and near the Sacred Camp Fire.

With what has happened and what I have experienced, I know that this was an unforgettable journey for my sophomore year at Arizona State University. As I grow as a person, I think about this trip and how it has inspired me to think differently about how I participate with my community and with others. I look forward to developing my skills, as an artist, a writer, a storyteller, and a life-experiencer. I know that the fight will not be over for climate justice and protecting cultural resources because there will be those who think otherwise, but with an open mind and heart, one can find the realization I have felt.

 

AUTHOR BIO:

Skylar Henry (Navajo/Paiute/Zuni) is a Junior at Arizona State University and an upcoming artist.  He draws on his heritage as inspiration and frequently incorporates artistic interpretation into his interdisciplinary Business and Communications studies.  Having grown up in the Western Agency of the Navajo Nation, which is near the Grand Canyon, he is familiar with the intersectionality of natural resources, culture, and climate justice.  In December 2016, he was fortunate enough to visit to Standing Rock and deliver artwork at the sacred campfire.

Riding Horses in Camargue

Tags

anglais, animal treatment, animals, Arles, beach, bilingual, Camargue, English, Europe, flamingoes, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, francais, France, French, galloping on the beach, horseback riding, horses, horses of Camargue, IES, Les Arnelles, outdoors, Provence, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, sand, sea, solo, solo travel, south of France, sports, student, study abroad, travel

(English translation and photos below):

Aujourd’hui, j’ai visité le grand marché et trouvé des amis à la gare d’Arles à midi.  Nous sommes parties ensemble sur un bus pour Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.  Dans moins qu’une heure, nous sommes arrivées à la ville pour montrer à cheval à Les Arnelles.  Pendant deux heures, Arianna, Ali, Chrissy, Sara, et moi faisions une promenade avec nos chevaux.  J’avais eu le dressage, donc j’ai trotté (et « posté ») beaucoup et j’ai aussi galopé à la plage sur le sable.  Il faisait chaud, mais il n’y avait pas des moustiques.  Le cheval d’Ali était très, très lent ; c’était amusant.

A Arles, il y avait beaucoup de monde chez moi, donc j’ai travaillé à Calendal et trouvé des autres.  Annabel et Naomie m’ont invitée au diner chez Annabel.  Nous avons fait de la salade et des omelettes.  La mère d’accueil d’Annabel nous a données des bières avant de partir pour une fête à Saint-Remy.  Nous regardions Bewitched et un film avant de dormir.  Annabel veut venir avec moi demain quand je loue un vélo et vais à Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, aller retour.

*****

Today, I visited the big market and found some friends at the station in Arles at noon.  We left together on a bus for Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.  In less than an hour, we arrived at the city to ride horses at Les Arnelles.  During two hours, Arianna, Ali, Chrissy, Sara, and I rode our horses on a walk.  I used to do dressage, so I trotted (and posted) a lot and I also galloped at the beach on the sand.  It was hot, but there weren’t any mosquitoes.  Ali’s horse was very, very slow; it was funny.

At Arles, there were a lot of people at my house, thus I worked at Calendal and found some others.  Annabel and Naomie invited me to dinner at Annabel’s.  We made salad and omelets.  Annabel’s host mom gave us beers before leaving for a party in Saint-Remy.  We watched Bewitched and a movie before sleeping.  Annabel wants to come with me tomorrow when I rent a bike and go to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, round-trip.

Ali and Arianna.

Flamingoes.

Crossing water.

On the beach.

Me with Lousitc.

Sara and her Peche.

P.S. We were a little disappointed that the horses seemed be very angsty and hungry.  The tack was not removed after we had finished our ride and the horses were tied back up without any water during the hottest part of the day.  It was a fun experience, but I wouldn’t go back, especially when I saw how the horses were treated after the trip.

Picnic, Camarague, and The Gypsy Kings

Tags

amphitheater, ancient architecture, anglais, Arles, Avignon, beach, bilingual, Camarague, Case Western Reserve University, church, concert, driving, English, Europe, flamenco, francais, France, French, horseback riding, horses, IES, Les Arenes, Mediterranean Sea, Monaco, photography, photography project, Roman architecture, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, solo, solo travel, south of France, student, study abroad, swimming, The Gypsy Kings, tour, tourism

En français, puis en anglais: (In French, then in English:)

Ma mère d’accueil a acheté des autres choses pour le petit déjeuneur ce matin, donc j’ai mangé plus qu’un oiseau…ou, j’ai essayé…  C’était la raison pourquoi j’étais en retard pour mon premier cours.  Je suis arrivée à 9h03.  Nous regardions beaucoup de photos qui démontrent de types différents et anciens de prendre les photos.  Aujourd’hui, il n’y a pas un « language lunch », donc Alex a organisé un déjeuneur ensemble dans le jardin.  J’ai invité Johannes à la piquenique à midi.  Puis, Alex et moi travaillait sur notre projet de la photographie : un photo d’un objet qui expresse plus que juste l’objet.  Après beaucoup des photos de nous tenons une chaise dans des manières différentes, de la chaise dans des positions qui ne sont pas naturelles, et cetera, nous avons sélecté une photo qui montre une chaise dans un rôle différent.  Je suis restée au café pendant Alex chercherait pour de la nourriture pour notre piquenique.

La piquenique était très simple mais bonne : il y avait du pain, des tomates, du vin, du chèvre, et d’avocat.  Alex, Gina, Johannes, Nia, et moi nous asseyons sur les herbes où beaucoup d’enfants jouant.  J’ai eu mon deuxième cours, mais Johannes m’a trouvé dehors de mon école et nous sommes partis pour la plage.  Il y avait moins vent qu’avant.  Nous avons visité Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer et pris des photos de la mer, des bateaux, des gens, des magasins, et d’une église.  Nous avons payé pour ascendeur l’église et prendre des belles photos panoramiques.  Puis, nous avons acheté de la nourriture dans un magasin, demandé au sujet des promenades à cheval, et nous somme partis à la plage.  Nous avons mangé sur le sable.  J’ai vu la Méditerranéen quand j’étais en Monaco, mais c’était ma première fois de nager dans l’eau.  C’était le plus froid eau dans qui je nageais pendant ma vie entière !

J’ai conduit la voiture de Johannes de Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer à Arles.  Il y avait beaucoup de chevaux et des champs et j’ai vu des flamants !  Ce soir, nous avons été avec les étudiants au concert dans des Arènes : Les Gipsy Kings.  C’était un concert de la musique flamenca et nous sommes été dans une arène ancienne et romaine !  J’ai apporté une bouteille du vin et la nuit était très amusante !

*****

My host mother bought some other things for my breakfast this morning, thus I ate more than a bird… or, I tried… It was the reason why I was late for my first class.  I arrived at 9h03.  We looked at a lot of photos that demonstrated the different ancient ways to take photos.  Today, there was no “language lunch”, thus Alex organized a lunch together in the garden.  I invited Johannes to the picnic at noon.  Then, Alex and I worked on our photograph project: a photo of an object that expresses more than just the object.  After a lot of photos and us holding a chairs in different ways, and the chair in unnatural positions, etc., we selected a photo that shows a chair in a different role.  I stayed at the café while Alex searched for food for our picnic.

The picnic was very simple but good: there was bread, tomatoes, wine, goat cheese, and avocado.  Alex, Gina, Johannes, Nia, and I sat on the grass where a lot of children were playing.  I had my second course, but Johannes found me outside of my school and we left for the beach.  There was less wind than before.  We visited Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer and took photos of the sea, the boats, the people, the shops, and the church.  We paid to climb the church and took beautiful panoramic photos.  Then, we bought some food at a store, asked about horse rides, and went to the beach.  We ate on the sand.  I saw the Mediterranean when I was in Monaco, but it was my first time swimming in the water.  It was the coldest waster I’ve swum in in my whole life!

I drove Johannes’ care from Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer to Arles.  There were a lot of horses and fields and I saw flamingos!  This evening, we went with the students to a concert in the Arena: The Gypsy Kings.  It was a flamenco music concert and we were in an ancient roman arena!  I took a bottle of wine and the night was fun!

Our picnic before Nia arrived.

Me on the roof of the church in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.

 

At the concert (Gypsy Kings) with my wine I bought in Camargue.

Spanish music in an ancient Roman arena!

 

Schönbrunn Palace & Bratislava

Tags

abroad, America, Appalachian Trail, AT, Austria, bike, bike rentals, biking, Bratislava, Bratislava Castle, Burgteater, Burgtheater, Case Western Reserve University, castle, City Bike, concert, concert house, Czech, Danube, driving, Europe, France, horses, hostel, India, Labyrinth Hostel, Marie Antoinette, melange, metro, Oldtime, opera, palace, police, rentals, river, Schonbrunn Palace, Slovakia, solo, Spanish Riding School, Staatsoper, standard cars, student, study abroad, subway, tickets, tour, tourist, train, travel, Vienna, Vienna Staatsoper, Vienna State Opera House, Wien, Wien Staatsoper, Zilina

I got up early this morning to rush back to Schönbrunn Palace so I could see the inside.  I was super excited to take all kinds of pictures, but photographing was prohibited.  I took a couple photos where there was no sign on the way out, but I decided just to add some photos of my favorite things from online sources:

The main ballroom.

An example of some paintings and a cermic heater in the back, tended from behind using passages so as to keep dirt out of the rooms.

The porcelain room.

I like that I have now been to where Marie Antoinette grew up as well as where she ended up spending most of her time while in France.

After seeing the Palace, I grabbed a pretzel and a melange and jumped back on the metro.  I have it down now, how to ride two stops per three legs and where I can simply run across the platform to the next train versus where I have to transer by going upstairs first.  I also know how to evade paying completely.  Heh.

Vienna State Opera House: one of the side fountains.

Back at the Labyrinth Hostel, I took advantage of the free wi-fi to verify locations of some places, time tables, etc.  Then I grabbed my stuff, turned in my key, and started walking towardsthe Vienna State Opera House (Vienna Staatsoper).  Along the way, I stumbled upon the Burgtheater and found a rack of City Bikes.  Unlike the rack in Warsaw which used a touch pad, these bikes required a card swipe and I was able to rent one.  I picked good ole bike 11, a nice yellow.  All bikes had a basket on the front so I was able to put everything I was holding in front of me.  With the bike lanes and ligts ahead of me and new variations of speed, I took off cruising through the parks around the opera houses.  I hit a cobblestone roundabout and almost lost it.  Looking up, I was surrounded by parades of horses, carriages, and tourists.  I had found the Spanish Riding School.

My friend texted me that I needed to take the train in a couple of hours.  I used my phone to make a few guesses then followed signs on familiar streets to head back to the train station.  On the way, I stopped at a couple of tabacs to find stamps to send my postcards.  They directed me to a bank that had postal service.  The teller helped me with my cards, then looked at me like I was crazy when I was confused about where the station was and where I could take the bike back.  He told me there was a rack at the station for the City Bikes and that all I had to do was stay straigt.  Sure enough, I continued down the street and the station was only a couple blocks from sight.  I dropped off the bike, went in and bought a ticket, then crossed the street for a meal.

Me on my City Bike before I returned it.

I had an hour, so I decided to grab something real to eat.  I found a place that looked attractive and quick, but then I ended up not wanting any of the food.  Instead, I had a beer and got talking to the bartender.  He reminded me a lot of one of my professors at school.  He was very enticed that I was there from America, having arrived to Europe from India, and he had originally mistaken me as being from Yorkshire.   Quite specific!  He took me and another guy at the bar – his friend – out to the patio for drinks on him.  He said, “There are two kinds of people: Ones who learn how to run a restaurant, and ones who know how!”  He also told me, when I watched him skip and whistle back inside and asked his friend if the guy likes his job, “I like being my own boss.  I can eat and drink whenever… and whatever I like!”  I paid for my beer, then he gave me some plum brandy and another small beer on the house.  I stood while he ran between his cigarette and his customers and was soon introduced to another friend who arrived, one who told me he plans to hike the AT when he comes to America in 2015.  The first friend took some pictures of the rest of us, then I headed off towards the station.

Me with the second friend and the bartender/owner.

I had read my ticket wrong…The train left the minute I thought it was supposed to arrive.  I was frustrated, had to tell my friend so he could change my tour arrangements for later, then I had to wait for an hour for the next train.  I got on and off the wrong train twice in that time, confused by the platform signs which were not changing with the trains and which read the train I wanted the whole time.  Once on the correct train, I had a quick one hour nap, failing yet again to have a ticket validated.  I was shortly in Bratislava where I paid a guy way too much money to drive the American five minutes to the state theater.  It was there that I met the trains for the Oldtimer tour.

Oldtimer tour train.

The tour lasted for an hour.  I got to get out and see the outside of the Bratislava Castle, but had to keep my distance due to the squads of police protecting a couple dozen world presidents having a conference there…or so Juraj explained as we later drove along the Danube.

Me with the Bratislava Castle behind.

On the way home, I got a crack at driving his new car.  I drove the standard about 100km, adjusting to the Slovak signs and driving habits.  I panicked when I got in the town and became overwhelmed, stalling the car out once and saying I had had enough…no need to push my luck.  I told Juraj about my time in Vienna, the interactive performance I saw (the conductor last night even had the audience clap to his direction at the end), and about the tour I saw.  Back at home, Patrik sat with me as he watched the Disney channel in Czech.  Juraj later played clips of him driving my family antique car from a decade ago when he was in America.  We even spent some time analyzing my unvalidated train tickets, trying to see if they could be used by someone again.  Looks like tomorrow will be a relaxed day and my last one here in Slovakia before I say goodbye and move on to Budapest.  I feel sad with the thought of leaving…