Embrace all experiences

July 28, 2014July 28, 20143 Comments

This week marks my last in Lithuania and I have yet to discuss any of my adventures here. My days have been incredibly busy as we tour various areas after work- visiting churches, museums and castles (oh and spending the weekends in other countries or on the coast). It has been a whirlwind of activity to say the least. Today I will attempt to start a small series of posts of my travel thus far within Lithuania.

I can’t quite explain what I expected upon arrival, but it was not this. It could have been due to exhaustion from prior travels, it could have been thousands of other reasons, but I arrived and was shocked. I allowed myself to be swallowed by all my doubts, worries and vivid imagination once I was at the dorm. The common rooms were stark and the dull paint glared down while you attempted to get the only wifi access available. The showers were deep within the basement (luckily there was a toilet in our room). Promptly at midnight all lights in the entire building go out. So, that night I went to bed exhausted and consumed with a nervous energy.

My bedroom in the dorm.

The common room.

Experience is just that – you live, you learn and you try new things. It was the following morning after my arrival that I decided to push out all the negative thoughts and embrace this experience fully. I was determined to have the most enjoyable time in Lithuania and have easily managed it. My dorm has since become home and I find myself missing it when traveling on weekends. Lithuania is a beautiful country and filled with incredibly kind people. It is funny how negative thoughts can quickly influence you, but better yet is to recognize it and be able to push them all away.

I am thankful for being able to be in this country and to be exposed to their culture and way of life. I think it is one of my favorite aspects of traveling, that every experience leaves you with new knowledge of not only the land and people, but gives you a deeper understanding of your true self.

Vienybės Square in Kaunas

Main street in the beautiful Kaunas

Kaunas Castle – first mentioned in print in 1361

“Together we love Kaunas”

From Paris to Amsterdam

July 20, 2014July 20, 20141 Comment

There sadly isn’t much I can say about Paris. I have never been the biggest fan of Paris, and after visiting again, I still am not. So my advice? Don’t go. (Ha, I am only partially kidding) But really, once you get past the monuments and museums, it is a dirty city with cruel intentions. However, rather than continuing to why I do not like Paris, I will just leave you with a few tips to the city.

1. No matter how comfortable you feel, or how at home you may be – when you are out in the city NEVER leave your bag unattended. This means sitting on a chair next to you, on the ground near you or any other way where it is not physically on you in some manner. In many cases it will be gone in an instant (and sadly my mom found out the hard way).

2. The city is full of gypsies that not only take your purse, but have these cunning tricks (so please be aware – we ran into all of these): “Do you speak english?” a simple yes will have them harassing you to sign their piece of paper for supporting orphan children. While you are signing, they or their partner will pick pocket you- if you refuse to sign they get closer and closer to you, often touching your face in hopes to convince you to sign. Best to just shake a no and ignore their further questions. Another con includes a “gold ring”. A gypsy will generally toss a “gold ring” on the ground as approach you, pick it up and exclaim what amazing treasure they have found! They continue on to ask if it is yours, or if you would like to buy it from them. It is fake and they just want your money. And then there are the gypsies with fake babies – while the woman I encountered did not throw her fake baby at me in hopes I would try and catch it and rob me in the meantime, she kept tapping me on the shoulder to ask for money. Use caution in any situation!

3. Overall, just be a smart and self-conscious traveler when going to Paris. (or any other big city!) The advice can’t get more simple than that!

Our trip to Paris wasn’t entirely awful- the following pictures document some of our favorite highlights of the city.

Having lunch on a Seine River cruise – it was phenomenal! (One plus for Paris)

Locks upon locks

The beautiful Notre Dame

Luxembourg Palace fountains and gardens

Versialles! Absolutely stunning – a do not miss when in Paris (or perhaps the only place to go when visiting)
Continue reading →

London in a hurry…

July 15, 2014July 16, 20141 Comment

Me in front of the Tower Bridge

So much has happened in the past week, and I will try my best to cover what I can. I have decided to briefly discuss London, Paris and Amsterdam so I can more accurately describe my current conditions and activities within Kaunas, Lithuania, (which has proved to already be an adventure within the first few hours!). So here is my attempt at London and the top sights I would suggest seeing…

Slightly off the beaten trail is the Churchill War Rooms museum. It depicts life within the wartime bunker, the decisions that had to be made during World War 2 and stories of the people involved. Once passing through many of the rooms that were left untouched and abandoned after the war, you enter the larger museum which houses articles of clothing, letters, pictures and others from throughout Churchill’s life. As you meander through the aisles, you will find that each section is incredibly interactive. Some allow you to touch screens resembling filing cabinets to dig deeper into specific dates and what happened, and others will start playing one of Churchill’s speeches when standing on a certain spot. Pictures dance and music plays. The main museum can keep one occupied for quite some time. (Keep track of time if planning to visit other sights at specific times). Upon exiting the main museum, you find yourself deeper in the bunker, around the call center, the map room and finally Churchill’s bedroom. It is best to give yourself a minimum of 2.5 hours to venture through the exhibits – I found that 2 hours was too little because you can easily get caught up in the main museum (as we did) and then rush through the end (we were expected at the changing of the guards at 11:30).

A very popular sight, the Tower of London, was equally as fascinating. Originating in the 11th century, it is vastly older than anything in the United States, so to me, it is understandably fascinating. The stories that go with the castles history are grotesque, brutal and equally as captivating as the age and beauty itself. The Crown Jewels are also kept here! I would recommend spending at least 2.5 hours to be able to tour it all without being rushed – we actually ran out of time because we went too close to the closing hours.

Nestled underneath the London Bridge rests the Borough Market, and is the last stop on my quick tour through London. It can be accessed many different ways, but I would recommend completing the Queen’s Walk and passing by some wonderful sights, local vendors and delicious food trucks (one is even a double-decker frozen yogurt stand!) Before you even reach the market, the aroma of the fresh food hits you. I would suggest that you arrive slightly hungry – as everything looks tasty. You can purchase sandwiches, paella, cheese, wine, beer, pastries of all sorts, fresh produce and beautiful flowers. It is worth checking out!

Double Decker frozen yogurt along the Queen’s Walk

Food and flowers of all kinds

I had a wonderful 4 days in London, we were constantly moving in the hustle of all the locals and tourists, hardly stopping. Rather than continue with more descriptions of places, I’ll leave you with a handful of photos taken throughout our London days.

The obligatory “photo in the phone booth”

When in London, every Beatles fan has to visit

We battled crowds to get this picture

Me, in the Kensington Palace gardens

The hygge of Copenhagen (Part 2)

July 11, 2014July 11, 20142 Comments

The Danes are some of the happiest people on earth, and it isn’t hard to see why. They have some of the most beautiful countrysides, waters and cities around (plus the people are pretty fabulous too). Copenhagen itself boasts 390 km of bike paths! (which is roughly 245 miles for my non-metric folk.. which is probably most of you reading this, and lets be real.. I know km in distances of 5k and 10k) So what is there to do besides cycling?! And that is just what Ryan (my new pharmacy friend) and I did.

Ryan and I in front of Rosenborg Castle
We set off from our hostel on rented bikes, which were perfect (if you ignored the squeal from Ryan’s back tire). It may have been a bit misguided at first from my meandering directions, but we eventually found our way. Once righted in our directions, we bounced down the cobblestone street a couple of blocks from our hostel to a local restaurant to try their smørrebrød (a Danish open faced sandwich). They were surprisingly delicious! (I always love to recommend trying the local food… “When in Rome…”)

My herring sandwich!
Normally when traveling, there are restrictions on the distance of visiting certain locations- these become open when you have a bike! Ryan and I set out for the oldest amusement park in the world, Dyrehavvsbakken, located about 13 km from the city. Being Copenhagen, there was a paved path following the highway out to the park and farther… The ride itself was relatively flat and the weather just phenomenal. If I had to guess, we made it in less than 45 minutes.
We were surprised that the park was open to any visitor. We parked our bikes and strolled in just expecting to pay an entrance fee. Luckily no fee existed, and we were able to explore the area. (Rides themselves were expensive). I loved the fact that everything there was in Danish… it gave way to the authenticity and separated itself from a tourist destination. I felt in the hours in which we explored, that I was Danish. (A side note for visitors: I cannot comment on the exact price, but seeing the rides, I would not advise buying a ticket… Since you are able to just walk through, check out the rides and then purchase a ride ticket if a ride speaks to you)

The ride home always seems faster than the ride out… We made it back to the city center in record time (even managed to ride though some spots of rain) Upon our return, Ryan and I headed straight out to an Italian pizza spot and gobbled up some amazing pizza (on the cheap! which is 50 dkk so roughly 10 USD)

I had such an amazing time in Copenhagen and would highly recommend anyone to visit. Between the people, sights, tours, bikes and food, it was phenomenal. I would have to place it relatively high on my list of places to visit, as well as those to come back to.
Visit Copenhagen!!!

The hygge of Copenhagen (Part 1)

July 4, 2014July 4, 20149 Comments

As I am sitting in the lobby of my hostel in London, I cannot help but miss the beauty and adventures of Copenhagen. (Don’t get me wrong.. I am very excited for my upcoming travels, too.)

Copenhagen has a certain, well, “hygge” to it. “Hygge” is a Danish word, with no direct english translation. It was explained to me as being a feeling, a feeling in which you experience comfort, warmth, and a family-like sensation while in the company of others. And Copenhagen felt just like that.

It will be hard to summarize exactly everything that went on during the time I spent in Copenhagen. I was moving non-stop. Let’s see how well I do!

I arrived at my hostel after taking the train into the city from the airport. It was relatively quick and convenient – right into the city center. (Oh and cheap too!) I walked with my luggage (those 30lbs were starting to feel heavy) through town with the limited map I had printed out online. In reality, it was more like walking blind – I had assumed all the streets would be reasonably labeled, and of course found none… even when I did, the Danish words were horribly confusing. At one point I was attempting to just match letters on my map to what was on a building wall. I was about to hail a taxi and admit defeat, but was pleasantly surprised when I looked up – I was right in front of my hostel.

As soon as I had finished checking in, their system crashed and my key was unable to open my shared room (4 bed mixed dorm). So I tossed my luggage into storage and walked through the city! First thing I noticed, as anyone would naturally, was the amount of bikes. Bikes everywhere! You are more likely to get hit by a biker when crossing the street than a car. (They also do not lock them to anything and only use a small rear wheel lock to ensure no one could ride away with your bike). Luckily when I returned I was able to check in. Due to my long flights and sleeping 4 hours at most, I retired to bed.

The following morning, I awoke feeling refreshed- my little twin bunk bed in my dorm was worlds better than sleeping on an overly packed airplane from Dallas. I skipped the breakfast offered at my hostel (plus it was 65 dkk, which is roughly 13 USD) and decided to find a local cozy spot in town. I didn’t have to go far. Around the corner from my hostel is the oldest street in Copenhagen – the Mastraede. Along this street was a quaint little coffee shop that reminded me of being home in my own living room. It was farm house inspired and had a green table which was chipping paint – similar to my own coffee table. Each table was adorned with fresh flowers and newly lit candles that flickered in the soft morning light. Although I was alone, it was very hygge.

The once empty coffee shop was soon bustling with activity, as was Mastraede. I soaked it all in, enjoyed ever last bite of my flakey croissant and each remaining sip of my coffee. By 11, I was back at the hostel and awaiting the start of the free walking tour. (If you are traveling, alone or with anyone for that matter- I would highly recommend the walking tours! They are especially great when you have nothing else planned and want to learn the history of the city you are in.) It may come as a surprise to some, but I have to say it – pharmacy is a small world. And as such, I met a fellow pharmacy student who was setting out to partake in the same APhA Student Exchange program! We were both traveling prior to setting out to our final destinations and just happened to be in the same city and staying at the same hostel. But I digress.. enough pharmacy talk for the moment!

The tour was fabulous – we saw all the major sites – Town Hall on Raadhuspladsen, Strøget (a large pedestrian street filled with shopping and restaurants), Amalienborg Palace where we witnessed the changing of the guards, Nyhavn (my favorite and probably most photographed place of Copenhagen), canals, cathedrals, museums, and heard tales of vikings, fires and politics of the city. Our tour guide, Ben, (captured in some pictures below) was wildly enthusiastic and entertaining. It was the best way to spend the morning/early afternoon. Post walking tour a handful of us went to enjoy some Danish ice cream and a glimpse at the infamous “Little Mermaid.”

Town Hall

The controversial fountain (notice the water emerging from the woman’s breast, and the child urinating… oh and our tour guide, Ben)

Me in front of Christianborg Palace.

The Nyhavn area – so beautiful!

Changing of the guards at Amalienborg Palace

The Little Mermaid

The evening involved a trip to Christiania. Christiania is an interesting place. They do not believe that they are a part of Copenhagen, nor Denmark. They ask that you do not take photographs in their “green district” due to their selling marijuana and apparently all of Copenhagen just turns a blind eye. It reminded me of a mix of Boulder (if all hell broke loose and it turned into a crazy commune of the hippie-est of all hippies) and a lot dirtier.

Entrance to Christiania.

Own a share of Christiania!

Rest did not come until 3 am after my first full day in Copenhagen. It was such a fantastic day and I met such lovely people. Hostel travel when alone is like moving into the dorms for the first time as a freshman – you are nervous but everything is exciting, everyone is interesting, you all make plans to hang out constantly, take group trips to the grocery store and have new experiences with each other. It is actually an interesting way to travel, one in which I am grateful for. I would highly recommend everyone to take a step out of their comfort zone and try it out!

Until part two, as the Danes would say – “Skål!”

Paige Ashley

A prescription to travel

Month: July 2014