A Day in the Life...

I'm already 2 weeks in to my Liverpool experience. It seems like I've lived here for much longer, not because it's a bad spot, but because I've become a part of things so quickly. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm settled, but I'm working towards it.

I've managed to land myself a job -- bartending. Of course, I had to get hired at the most busiest bar in Liverpool, an Irish Pub called O'neils. As if I didn't have a hard enough time understanding the Liverpoodlians (isn't that a fun word) or the Scousers [(skaus-sir)Brit. Inf. ~n. a person who comes from Liverpool.Scouse (skaus)n. 1. the dialect spoken by such a person] my job requires me to deal with those individuals from Ireland and fun places like Cork. Now, I can hardly understand what people from Cork are saying at the beginning of the night -- so you can just imagine what it's like after a few pints. I'm sure they think I'm retarded when I ask them to repeat themselves about 4 times before they order a drink, but I provide the excuse that I'm new and if that doesn't work I tell them that I'm Canadian and they seemingly understand. I love that I can play the foreigner card and rely on my accent to get myself some slack.

Anyway, I'm bartending part time which is fine by me. I don't think I have it in me to do that kind of work full time like I once had... Drinking over here seems to be like a sport. And when there is a football match on the tube drinking gets shifted into full gear and I begin to run around like a chicken with my head cut off. An interesting sight. Nevertheless, I enjoy my job and it keeps me in some kind of social circle. Bartending is hard work and as I found out tonight in my training session -- Bartenders in England are in the same category as Pharmacists in that we too are distributing a controlled substance... imagine! Lots of pressure.

Apart from this I'm working at a hostel and going to the gym. I've come across this work for stay business... it's not a bad deal for the time being. I'm in a huge hostel (which my roomate Sally likes to describe as a refuge rather than a hostel) anyway, its more like a big house -- perhaps like a half way house, minus the convicts of course. Being here also keeps me in a another social circle. There are some other 'long termers' hanging around and we've managed to forge some kind of family unit. Being here also has meeting people from countries that I hadn't encountered in my other travels -- Greece, Iran, Turkey, Argentina, and some countries that I haven't even heard of. It's fun but at times difficult to both work and live in one place. It's like hanging out at the office I suppose... but for the moment, it is home.

The gym... this too is an interesting experience. They have a pool -- so that's enough to keep me interested. I have perhaps even come across some womens hockey here -- though I haven't qutie followed up on that lead yet.

Anyhow, I am busy to say that least. So much so that I haven't even gotten around to snapping one photo of my new town upon returning. I had complained about not working for so long and I'm certainly making up for it now. I work over night shifts at the hostel from mid night until 7 am, sleep for a couple of hours and am off to work at my bar job only to begin the routine all over again the next day and some how squeeze in time for the gym and a very brief life outside of my 2 jobs. The long term goal is to save some money up and rent a room on my own some where in the downtown area. And I'd like to find a day job... I suddenly have a whole new respect for the office job. I miss Monday to Friday's... and having evenings to myself. I'll see if my years of university incarceration will finally pay off -- if not... may be Starbucks will take me in -- god help me.

Apart from it all I think I'm settling in quite nicely and am growing to love the city. It's difficult to describe what it is exactly that I really enjoy about the city... I think it reminds me a lot of home (home being Canada) in an odd way. The streets are broad and wide unlike most of the other European cities -- the only problem that I'm having here is that it will be any day now that I walk out and finally get hit by on coming traffic - considering that I am constantly looking the wrong way (almost got run over by a bus in Dublin... and still haven't learned). Also alluring is that Liverpool seems to be a blue collar town therefore making the people much more friendlier and life here is genearlly laid back.

So... this is what occupies my time here in Liverpool for the moment. I don't predict any major changes in the near future -- Ideally I'd like to stay here until the end of August and then mosey on some where else for a while...but we'll see when the time comes really.

And the winner is...

Drum roll please... Liverpool. I'm sure you could have guessed it. I quite liked this little town my first time around and knew immediately that I would come back. There was just something in the air... It seemed perfect to me.

I am on the coast of the Irish Sea and in the town where the Beatles made a name for themselves. What more could I ask for? Liverpool is a rather small city, may be I like it because in some ways it reminds me of Ottawa, but with a British Twist. It's population is just around half a million and the core of the city itself is small and walkable. The people here are friendly, but at times I struggle to understand exactly what they are saying when they speak -- who would have thought that there would be a language barrier for me. The accent here is a combination of your traditional British accent coupled with some mumbling...

Work? Yeah.. that would be nice. At the moment I am living and working at a hostel. We've negotiated a deal ... I volunteer some hours a week offering my excellent skills as a front desk receptionist and in return, I get to live and stay there for free. Can't go wrong. It does however provide me with the motivation that I need to get out and look for a real job. Ahh.. a real job. I'm anxious to become a contributing and functioning member of society again... I'm not sure how functional I'll be or what I'll be contributing to... only time will tell.

I've been back in Liverpool for about 4 days and I've managed to get myself a library card and a bank account -- not a bad start. The real trick is to find a job... it's difficult to wrap my brian around working a minimum wage job that pays only £5.50 an hour. It sounds like so little... I guess it is in a way. I'm afraid my university incarceration isn't going to get me much further ahead over here. Office work pays just on or pound more and it would bore me to death... so I've opted for the former option and will hope to find a place on the other side of the bar again -- at least there's a chance to have some fun and be social... no longer incarcerated to a cubicle. Yuk!

That's it for me at the moment. Somedays are better than others you know? Looking for a job is a full time job, and not always a fun one.

What is fun is mocking the (and I quote) "style" over here... let's just hope that I don't return back to Canada wearing the very popular polyester half dress, half shirt top... or the "city shorts" with lycra nylon things underneath... oh my! Alcohol consumption is something else over here as well... tricky to avoid especially when you're manager brings you beer and cider while you're working the front desk.

So with that, I'm going to dive into Liverpool life and try to escape unscaved by the fashion and beer belly (which is seemingly in style with the some of the ladies...compliments the the nice polyester tops... but that's a different story).

Thomastown, Ireland

"Good news Claire!"

--Did you get time off of work?

"The restaurant closed so we got let go and now you can come whenever you want."

--So, I take the train to where?

"Thomastown."

--So I want to be going to Thomastown?

"Not many people do, but yep that's where your going. I'll wait for you at the train station because there aren't many women around Thomastown and I wouldn't want someone to steal you from the station."

Who would have thought being fired was good news? Chris, that's who! This was my introduction to Thomastown that I'd received over the phone with my great friend Chris who I'd met in my hostel days in Victoria, B.C.

Thomastown is a little Irish Village about 2 1/2 hours south of Dublin. That's about all I can say about it. Everything was picturesque as Europe has proven to be... but there wasn't much else here but my friend Chris, random occurances, and lots of laughs. Chris gave me the tour and showed me the horizons, which he said were important to see so that you don't forget that there is more to the world than Thomastown. I thought he was joking when he said this to me, except when I walked into his kitchen and saw the message posted up on the wall... I just about died with laughter.

Jagerbombs away! Okay, only had one for old times sake, but boy was it good. We had lots of catching up to do and were just in awe that I was actually in Ireland. We had some laughs about the good old days and some new ones -- like the random occurance of underpants that littered the streets of Thomastown. How does one lose their underpants on the street??? Guess may be one too many Guiness's could do that to a person.

The next day was one of those days... 5 movies and the couch is what happened to us. Plans foiled for our super work out and jogging day. Oh well...collecting wood for the fire place was work out enough for that day.

















Being in Thomastown was great. I doubt many people would say this... but I will. I'd spent a total of 3 nights here with Chris and his flat mate Tim and let me tell you, these boys know how to live and certainly knew how to cook. The meals that I had here had rivaled any restaurant that I'd ever been in. It was like I was at some elite spa -- the plates were colourful and creative and more importantly, healthy and all vegetarian. Oh my.

We spent most of our time around the townhouse... they planted their organic garden in the back yard and planned meals all day, while we had the occassional drink and enjoyed the sun. Mojito's had been the drink of choice this time around -- we couldn't let the fresh mint in the garden go to waist. Okay, so judging by that photo -- perhaps we could have slacked off a little bit from the mohito's.

There were nothing but good times to be had here. We sat around and simply enjoyed life. Good meals, a wonderful fire place and the funniest of company with the most random of occurances.
Thomastown is the last destination of my travels around Europe... was great to meet up with old friends and with that... and without further adew, here are the boys responsible for my week end of good laughs.

Chris & Tim

Dublin, Ireland

I was too tired to care. That would be how I would answer your question if you asked me what my first impressions of Dublin were. Nicole and I had boarded our first train at 7 am that morning -- 3 trains later, a long ferry ride, and a long wait for the public bus we had finally arrived in Dublin at about 11pm that night. This was also the day that my MP3's player decided to go on the brink, excellent timing.

Dublin... um.. yeah... well just think of every Irish pub that you'd been in your entire life and then put them all in one square and call it Temple Bar. The lonely planet guide quotes Dublin as boasting of some 850 pubs... that's just nuts! The pubs, just like they are were you are at this moment are not filled with people -- but rarely any Irish. Granted, we were in the tourist area. The unique thing about the Dublin Pub experience was that there was plenty of Live Irish Music going on.





The first night was a quiet one as you could well imagine. All I wanted when I got to Ireland was some Bailey's... one would think that it would be cheaper here considering, but I was still dishing out a whopping 5 Euro's for a shot, therefore, making it even more expensive than ordering it at a pub at home. Rubbish.

The second night had proved more promising... Nicole and I had agreed to meet up in a pub the next evening. I found myself there first and by the time Nicole had arrived I'd found myself caught up with a group of guys celebrating their birthday wearing pink shirts and having to drink 57 pints each in the span of 3 days. They had stacks of coasters in their pockets to mark the pubs that they'd hit and had used black markers to write on their arms to keep track of each pint consumed. These drunkards had attracted a crowd and provided a great form of entertainment and before we knew it Nicole and I were just standing back and taking in the show and having a great laugh.

We'll never know what became of these very intoxicated birthday boys... as I'd realized that I was old and tired and still sickly... I had to bow down by mid night before I turned into a pumpkin and found comfort in my dorm on my top bunk. Since when did I become all responsible like that??? I left going on about having to get up early to take the train... oh my god, what has become of me???

Speaking of the early morning train... you'lll never guess who I ran into on my way there in the morning. Our old friend Fido Dido! I'd always wondered where he went, as it turns out it seems as though he picked up and made a new home in Ireland... living here inconspicuously amoung the billboards. I just had to snap a photo for old times sake.



Dublin was a small city. A river ran through it and there were plenty of walking bridges. We checked out some museums and a castle or two. My quest while I was in Dublin was to find a new journal -- and if you know me, I'm quite particular about what I'll write in. So my day was spent looking for a journal to keep me sane and with great luck and way too much money later -- I found exactly what I was looking for. That was basically it for me in Dublin. My travels are catching up with me and my body is beginning to revolt. I'm tired, feeling sick most of the time, and am losing motivation... blah.



So, yeah... Dublin. It was alright.

Pilsdon, England

Okay, so I wasn't really sure where I was going this time around. I had a vague idea and Nicole would be there so I was up for an adventure. After a train, a bus, a train and another bus I had finally arrived at the train station where Nicole was there to collect me to bring finally show me where she'd been keeping herself busy for the last few months. I went to spend Easter Week end with her where she was now working on a self sustaining community out in the middle of the rolling green pastures of South Western England -- affectionally known as the Pilsdon Community.


Pilsdon community for those of you are wondering is a place where people go to sort their lives out. It's like taking a time out from everything to collect your thoughts, dust yourself off and get on with it life again. Very peaceful and a strong knit community.

Pilsdon community was like something I'd never seen before -- I sort of felt like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie and was about to live my own version of the simple life on this farm, except I'd like to think that I had a little bit more smarts about the whole situation. There were cows, chickens, geese, ducks, pigs, donkey's and chickens there to great me and some of the most lovely people that I could have hoped to come across to spend Easter week end with.


The place was busy with life. There was a larger than usual group of people there for the Easter week end, but everyone seemed to have an assigned role within this little community in order to keep things going. There was someone hanging the laundry, someone milking the cows twice a day, feeding the chickens, shaping the butter that was made from the cows milk, preparing dinner and planning out tomorrows lunches. Brilliant. I had suddenly been reverted back to when I was 5 years old and had been visiting a farm... I was estatic.



There was this huge house that was the hub of activity. It was so big that it was maze like to me and I often wandered in and out of rooms wondering how I ended up there. There was always someone doing something to peak my interest in this place and I wondered how I could ever find the motivation to leave -- I thought this was all so amazing.



If there was a place where I could say that I ate myself chubby it would be here. Breakfast at 8-8:30, morning tea with biscuits at 11 am, lunch at 1pm, afternoon tea & toast at 4pm and finally dinner at 7 pm with dessert. Oh my. There were plenty of first there for me and everyone had a good laugh about it -- little things that they had taken for granted in life were the things I'd never had eaten ever. It was mind boggling to them that they asked if I had heard of grocery stores where I'd grown up. Rice pudding, lamb, parsnips, custard were amoungst the few things that I hadn't ever eaten. At Meal time one of the men would turn to me and crack a joke about my inexperience with English food... it was a great time.



As I eventually blended myself into the group I too was delegated duties, but didn't mind one bit. Nicole had allowed me to help her plan and make lunch one day which as it turned out, was a 4 hours job, beginning at 9:30 am to have lunch prepared for 1 pm. Wow. Another time I was able to make bread for everyone and of course, since I had been given the opportunity to be in the kitchen again I couldn't very well go without making some banana bread for everyone. Even making Banana Bread was an adventure -- I realized that I didn't have enough eggs. Forget about going to the grocery store... I was sent straight to the chicken coop and got my eggs straight from under the hen. A friendly reminder as to where our food really comes from... I felt so guilty taking the eggs from under this hen that I would have rathered to not make banana bread... but that would just be silly.


Nights were spend sitting around talking over tea and playing some scrabble. It was great. I had the opportunity to hear stories from other travellers like myself, some who had been travelling with a bag on their back for up to 25 years. Each person had their own charm and amazing stories -- I was in heaven.

We took walks out into the country side. The country side had the greenest pastures I'd ever laid eyes on and were littered with life. Sheeps and lambs were everywhere and the growns of cows filled the air along with baaa's of the sheep, it was surreal. I found myself a favorite spot, it was called Pilsdon Pen. It was one of the highest peaks around and I would hike up there daily just to lay in the sun and take it all in. It was a nice place to collect my thoughts and to realize just how lucky I am.

The mountain that I loved sitting up on...and what's got me to all of these great places....

I had spent a total of 4 nights there and although I secretly had no intentions of leaving, the expanding wasteline of mine had lead me with no other choice but to go. While I was there I had made some great connetions with both the workers and the people living there so, as it stands, I've received an invitation to go back and I will surely will not pass that up.

Guildford, England

Guildford, England? Where am I? Hmm.. about 40 minutes south west of London that's where. I found myself in a small university town visiting my friend Matt who I'd met over the summer in Ottawa during my working experience at the hostel. Away I went on the train to begin my reunion. I've grown quite accustomed to the train and can now forge some decent sleep on it, so now, I often look forward to it.

There wasn't much going on in this little town, especially so as we were tucked away up on a hill hidden in amoungst the University buildings in a quaint Residence. It was weird to find myself on campus again and gave me a bit of a sickly feeling in my stomach because it had reminded me of all of the years of academic incarceration that I'd put myself through. One thing was forsure, after hearing everyone talk about mid-terms, essays, and master thesis's I was glad that I'd gotten that part of my life over with... for the time being at least.

Matt did his best to entertain me but I'd arrived in one of my classic moods... you know... tired, cranky, whiney... what a strong man he must have been to put up with the likes of me. Thanks for that. I just wanted to sleep and that I did. We did the campus tour and checked out some of the local drinking establishments. The University of Surrey Campus was dead considering it was Easter break. We had some pints, brushed off some very arrogant Physics Phd students which we could have done with out, watched some films and eventually ventured out into the bustling downtown centre of Guildford.

On our way we had checked out a castle that was way up on top of the hill. I fancied the chains doubling as a door way at the top and the bars everywhere... felt like I was in some sadists home, but my delusions were put to rest when Matt told me it was probably all just to ensure the Pigeons don't fly into the castle... blah. Anyway I took the usual touristy photos as the castle gave a nice view of the city and for a moment I imagined being held captive up there... I didn't have the long braids to have my knight in shining armour climb up to save me though, shouldn't have cut my hair.




Two main streets, that's it, but it wasn't a bad place. I rather liked it there. It had all of the amenities, most importantly, hug cups of coffee -- wheeeeee. Being a bit of a tea man Matt looked a bit frightened by his massive cup of coffee that was so big it had 2 handles on the cup...


I had been able to get caught up on some old times with Matt and we checked out some book shops and I'd gotten some major writing out of my system over the massive cups of coffee that we'd found. All in all, Guildford was a nice break from the bustling cities that I've been in on this trip and allowed me to step away from the well worn backpackers trail to catch some of the life in England and meet an old friend.

Liverpool, London

She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah... oh England! oh Liverpool! Okay, so I really was a tourist this time around. After my very moving experience in Berlin I had decided that it was time to do something fun so, it was my love of the Beatles that had brought me here. The entire experience is surreal to me, even still. I landed in John Lennon airport! I think I was more excited about that than anything else on my first day. I kept asking people if the airport really was named after John...it wasn't until I saw the sign that I would actually believe it.

I was floored. Everyone in Liverpool had received me so well. People were so helpful and out going it was like I had been trasported back to Italy -- okay, may be not, but it was nice. Eventually I found my hostel and it was exactly what I needed. A big old house that was let out to hostellers and it was run by a father and son. The walls were welcoming and it had satisfied my need to be 'home'. I was quick to get going on my tour, as the owner shared my enthusiasm for the Beatles...so off I went.




My first destination was the Beatles museum called, The Beatles Story. In my hunt I had found myself wandering down near the shores of liverpool and even thought that I had an Elvis sighting. I thought it strange to have found Elvis in Liverpool but everyone wants to be close to the beatles... upon closer examination though I'd discovered that Elvis had eluded me and it was just a look alike. After my faux Elvis sighting I made my way into the museum just in time. I had found myself absolutely awestruck as I wandered the halls and rooms of this museum that had brought the beatles back to life for me. It was amazing.



The last part of the museum meant the most to me, it was entirely dedicated to John and his relationship with Yoko. There was his white grand piano in the white room and photo's of he and Yoko. I couldn't escape the room, it had captured me entirely... so much so that I had been ushered along by one of the workers reminding me of closing time...I was mesmorized by what John had stood for in his later years and touched by the love that I could only assume he and Yoko shared. Truth be told, after I left the museum I felt a bit saddened and wondered if I'd ever find my Yoko (the male version of course).

Next stop, The Cavern Pub. After my week of shunning alcohol I decided that it was imperative to have a beer at the Cavern where my beloved Beatles had a pint or two in there day. I wandered around the street and read the stones in the wall dedicated to the Beatles and marvelled at the sculpture of John Lennon outside of the Cavern Pub. While I was admiring the memorbilia I had overheard the door man at the Cavern Pub turn away 4 well dressed women saying that they were full -- it was only 6 pm. I felt rather disheartened and disappointed.

I decided that I wouldn't let that rain on my parade and then decided to check out the other places...but something pulled me back and I mustered up the motivation to ask the door man if I had heard right and if he really was full... he motioned me in. I was estatic... though keeping my cool on the outside. I thought it was quite amusing that I was ushered in considering that I had my usual backpacking clothes on and these women were done up to the nine's. I didn't question my luck and quickly went down the stairs to see what I'd come to see.


The place was so full that I had no idea what direction the bar was at I actually had to ask. There was a live band playing on the small stage just in front of a glass enclosure containting a drum set of the Beatles and the mood in this small basement pub was simply beyond words. The music was loud, beer was flowing, and everyone was smiling...I found my spot in the crowd and would find myself not long after dancing the night away. Yes, me... dancing. I tell you, there was something magic about being in there...oh what a night!

The next day there was one more thing that I needed to cross off of my list... there was this beatles tour. Our tour guide drove a mini van, had red hair, and told tasteless jokes but he did offer amazing sites and stories. We drove and I felt ever so stalker like...driving by the former houses of the beatles which were converted into museums, birth places, marriage locations, and the old neighborhoods that the beatles themselves had paid to restore. It was just so beyond me to be seeing the places that the songs were about... Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, Elenore Rigby's grave... Lime Street, wow.























So Liverpool... the hostel had everything that I had needed and so did the city. It had been so long since I'd seen the water and here I found myself in a port town -- the company that actually behind the titanic still on the shores. The city was full of life and most importantly, English speaking people. I had found my share of organic shops, good pubs, and good people. I kinda like it here...

Berlin, Germany

German Wings... that was the flight company. I was solo now and thought I was going to die on my flight from Munich to Berlin, seriously. The plane would make sudden drops and quick sharp turns and my stomach would be up in my throat...suddenly I was having visions of Edward Norton in fight club and I wondered if the oxygen masks would make me high enough not to care that my plane was going down. It was all very dramatic for me and I couldn't wait for the flight to be over -- but even the landing was something else. We came in so fast that I thought we were going to overstep the run way. Needless to say, I was quite happy to be on solid ground. Welcome to Berlin.

Berlin was a suggestion of Megans and really, where else would I go if I was in Germany? My impressions of this city was that it was just so run down I couldn't see the beauty of it, as soon as I was there I found myself online looking for another destination to get me out of there. I was still feeling ill and longed for the comfort of the English language. After I had made the appropriate travel arrangements I decided to see what this city had to offer. My priority was to find some dinner.

Dinner... now realizing that I was in a country where sausage, potatoes, pretzels and beer were the main courses this would prove to be tricky. Still feeling ill, I really didn't have the stomach to think about beer or any alcohol for that matter and the sight of "curry wurst" (a sausage drenched in curry sauce) wasn't doing a whole lot for me. I had read about a falafel place that was to die for so this was my desitination.

I had left the hostel after dark in search of this place...didn't look far on the map. After a while I had suddenly felt as though I was back in Zurich on the hunt for the lindt chocolate factory. Eventually, about after an hour of walking I had given up and gave into my hunger. I was dead set on having falafel so I allowed one of the vendors to lure me in and ate perhaps the wurst falafel ever, but I ate it anyway... no wasting food mom says. The irony of it all? As soon as I got up to leave feeling unsatisfied and looking for something more to eat I looked just behind these awful street vendors and there it was, dada falafel the vendor I sought after. Feeling rather spiteful and still hungry I went over and ordered up a proper falafel and boy was it good... mmmm falafel. What a fatty I was.

My efforts to find the falafal place had paid off and I had met a local who had showed me around the city and had taken the edge off of what I had perceived as a cold boring city. He was an artist and he would allow me to see parts of the city that I would have never noticed. The first place he had taken me was this place called Cafe Zapata. Had I not done any reading about the place there would have been no way I'd followed him into there.

The Cafe Zapata, like the rest of Germany had a long history. It was a building that had been abandoned but saved by squatters just after the war. There was a dance bar in the basement along with a funky coffee/dining area -- but there was more. We had walked into the building and began to walk up the stairs, graffiti had lined the walls and it was actually a rather surreal experience. Each level opened up to a new world, one being an art gallary with some unique art, another level being a quiet candle it bar over looking the city, and yet another having an open area where a live band would be performing. The building was frequented by people of all ages and social classes, it was nice to see the unification.

We wandered around the city in and out of art gallaries and trendy cafe's for the rest of the evening. It was amazing to see the city through an artists perspective, it was refreshing. The next morning would however provide me with a perspective that wasn't so cheerful.

I'd been encouraged to go on a free historical tour offered by the hostel and I would not be disappointed. I am not a fan of tours, but with the limited knowledge that I had about Berlin I thought I could broaden my horizons with the help of a tour guide. The tour guide was genuine and the tour itself was moving.

The tour had provided me with a new understanding of Germany, Berlin, and the people that had inhabited this newly rebuilt, newly restructured city. It's difficult to believe that you are standing amoungst a city that was ruins not so long ago and even more so to be standing in a city that had been separated from the rest of the world by a wall. It wasn't just the wall, but it was the stories of escape and death that had accompanied the wall often motivated by love and a sheer determination to live a free life. Standing in the presence of the wall itself was a powerful experience.

Below are the contrasting photo's of both the German's happy view of communism verses the reality of it for the people it had directly affected. Most of the people in the black and white photo's were shot to death for protesting against the communist regime.

I had struggled most with the amount of death that had occured in this one city due in part to almost one person entirely and to be in the presence of where he'd given his famous speeches to his troops (below). I was perplexed as to how people could treat one another so horrendously. The most moving experiences was to be in the Jewish Memorial which had been recently built in the heart of the city purposively to remind the people of Berlin to never forget their history. The memorial was symbolic and represented the rise of the Nazi reign. It had blocks that were at first inlaied into the walking path and slowly they would come to rise above one another. It portray how the underlying hate was there lying dormant and how quickly hate could esclate without much effort. It was frightening to me.

I hadn't taken many picture when I was in Germany as it was an experience that I would not soon forget but I'll leave you with a few of the images that were the most powerful to me.

A man sitting on the Jewish People's Memorial

Remaining bit of the Berlin Wall

Freising, Germany

Germany? What am I doing in Germany? That's what I was thinking. Freising Germany lies just south of Munich Germany -- that's all I knew. Megan and I found ourselves there visiting a friend of hers, it was something that we had looked forward to. I had been still feeling the effects of Zurich so I didn't do much. They say Munich is a beautiful city, I couldn't tell you, because I didn't go. For the entire week after Zurich I felt ill. It wasn't a great time really, all I was capable of was sloth like behavour and I didn't move around too much.

Freising was however a cute little town. Admittedly though I was getting a little bit tired of cobblestone streets, cute towns, and foreign languages -- it began to seem like all of these places that I'd been were meshing together to create one cobblestone hell. Perhaps it was due to my being under the weather...may be it was just my frustration often being lost in translation. Whatever the case I took myself out for a walk to explore this quaint little town.

A town of bears. That's what Freising was. It was kind of amusing really. Large bear statues littered the town and each had its own theme. Outside of the cheese store there was the swiss cheese bear, outside of the police station the police bear, and the same goes with the bakery. I think my favorite bear was the gummy bear with gummies painted all over him and of course the bear with a big hole in his stomach. If only I had a huge hole in the place of my stomach to have all of the chocolate I'd eaten fall right through... if only.

That was about it for Freising. A little bit of relaxing and a lot of reading. If there is one thing to be remembered about Freising is isn't the bears for me, but the first town that I had actually read my first book from cover to cover in the run of a night... though the bears were quite impressive.