Romania!!

ROMANIA

Romania is a a crazy country. The people drive crazy! There are dogs everywhere, and families walk alongside the highway. It is a semi-poor country, for it is hard to think otherwise when you land in Romania and open your eyes. You can especially see the poverty when you escape the city and see life in the rural areas of Romania. Some people even live in movable trailers alongside the highway which doubles as their means of making money. They sell produce and vegetables and other things from these "movable homes."

While there, I was able to see the Peles Castle(the first picture is the landscape in front of the Peles Castle) in Sinia, Romania. In Bran, I saw the town, the market, and Bran Castle(Dracula's Castle). In Brasov, which is the city that I stayed in, I saw the Black Church among other things. I spent my last day in the capital city of Bucharest. I spent the majority of my time in a museum there as well as the People's Palace/The Palace of Parliament. This palace is used as an administration building and is the second largest administration building in the world, only second the the Pentagon in Washington DC. Bucharest is a bustling metropolis! I found it to be a little overcrowded and painted with advertisements and billboards. Parts of it were pretty, but as a whole I wasn't a big fan.

I had an amazing Christian couple to stay with in Brasov while I was in Romania, so that was probably my favorite part. They spoke NO English! Conversation was very difficult, but it was what made the trip so interesting and exciting. The food was sooo tasty! I had the opportunity to share two Romanian meals with the couple during the two nights of my stay.

Would I go back to Romania? You can count on it! It is a very interesting country that is a good example of an old Christian, faith based nation that is filled with tradition. It was my first look at eastern Europe, and I loved it!

The second image is of a small traditional town in Romania. You can see, by looking at the houses, that there is no sign of wealth around. This is reality in most all of Romania.

ITALIA!!

ITALY

Wow...I have to make an apology for it being so long since my last posting. There has just been so much going on here in Leiden and elsewhere. A week of so ago, my fellow students and I had a week off for Fall Break, and I chose to spend it in Italy. What a good decision on my part. I have to give a professor back home, Dr. K, some credit for my enjoyment while in Italy. His advice was very handy and I enjoyed my stay thoroughly. I chose Siena as my homebase while in Italy. Siena is a very beautiful city with charming alleys and gorgeous views of both landscapes and architecture. It carries with it a unique color that can only be understood by seeing it yourself. The Duoma, or "Cathedral" in English, is a site in itself. The marble work within the duoma is unlike any marble work I have seen. Many argue that it possesses the "best" floor of any Cathedral within Italy, but one could argue as to what they mean by the "best." The above picture is one of many many scenes that are depicted on the floors of the Duoma. I am honestly not sure what the artist was trying to say through this piece. Maybe it is obvious, but I'm not sure.



While in Italy, I also went to a small city that resides on a hill, a hill-side city. It was amazing. When you get off the train, you look up and see this Italian city on a hill. Its about 2 miles away, but you can't miss it. I could have taken a bus, but I chose to hike up the mountain side. The city is beautiful when you reach it, and the views from a-top are breath-taking. I will add a picture of the view, but the picture will do little justice if you appreciate nature/landscapes.





I also visited Rome while I was in Italy. Rome is like a walking museum. There is history all around you and if you blink, you will miss some of it. DON'T BLINK!! I was only able to spend two eight hour days in Rome. I advise several days if you want to see more than just the normal tourist attractions. Rome was also a gorgeous city if you can use your tunnel vision and block out all the tourists who are constantly in your view. The picture here is obviously the Colloseo, Rome's largest monument. It is also one the most visited sites within Rome. Though, I do believe that the Vatican Museums and the St. Peter's Basilica have more visitors. This is probably due to the fact that Vatican City is more so as a religious site, while the Colloseo is not. This is only partially true because the Colloseo also has religious references.

Well I could go on and on about my adventures in Italy, but that would take quite a bit of time, something that is limited to all of us.
All in all, my Fall Break spent in Italy was great. The food, the landscapes, the architecture, and simply being able to relax and take it all in was wonderful. Italy is definately on my "places to re-revisit" list!! Until next time, Tot ziens!!

TEXEL ISLAND, NEDERLAND

Texel Island - the largest island off of the coast of Holland. It is part of the province of Noord Holland, which is the same province that both Leiden, my current residence, and Amsterdam, and Haarlem are a part. West of Texel Island is the North Sea and east of Texel Island is the Waddenzee. I was able to visit both seas from each side of the island. Texel Island is a very quite and peaceable farming island. The biggest town on the island is Den Burg, a very charming town filled with typical Dutch shops and clothing stores. The most famous item on Texel Island would be the sheep. They outnumber the people on the island, and you can buy all sorts of wool products at different shops throughout the island. Also the island is home to five museums, two of which I was able to visit, the Maritiem & Jutters Museum and the Ecomare Museum. The Maritiem & Jutters was filled with different objects that are and were used by island dwellers of today and yesterday. The Ecomare was more related to the wildlife on and around the island of Texel. It is home to 10-15 wild seals and hundreds of other fish that are native to the North Sea and Waddenzee.

While on the island, I took part in a boat tour that went shrimping in the North Sea. While on deck, the ship captains carried out all of the normal shrimping procedures and explained to we "deckhands" the importance of different tasks and the value of different fish from the local waters. Near the end of the tour, I was able to eat some the shrimp that we caught while on board. They were very tasty, but quite small compaired to what one is used to in the United States.

• The second picture is a memorial within the burial grounds of a Georgian grave site. These were Georgians that gave their lives during WWII, and the Texel citizens honor them for there bravery against the German Nazis and thank them for risking their lives for them.
• The first picture is of the Texel countryside as I biked around the island. What you see is a gravel path that weaves between and along the canals on each side. The picture does no justice to what the eye could see. You would had to have been there!!

De Hoge Veluwe National Park/Kroller-Muller Museum

The visit to the Hoge Veluwe National Park was a visit that was unforgettable. The park was beautiful in its own way and what makes it so enjoyable is that you can tour it by bike. I mean what other way is there, the Dutch might bluntly say. The park's terrain ranges from thick long leaf pine forests, to marshlands, to grassy plains/desert areas (which is what you can see in the above picture). If a beautiful and vast terrain of different vegetation doesnt trill you, then head to the center of the park to see the Kroller-Muller Museum. This is a very famous museum due to its superb quality and quantiry of artwork. It is home to works by Picasso, Gris, Renoir, Sisley, and Manet. If that just doesn't do it for you, then maybe the stunning collection of 278 works by Mr. Vincent van Gogh will tempt you to visit this one of a kind world class museum. On top of all that art work is a sculpture garden that has pieces from some of the best known sculptures. It is without exaggeration, a place you must see if ever in Nederland.

The first picture is only one of hundreds of art works in the museum's collection by the famous Vincent van Gogh.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam can not be fully explained or defined by words. It is simply one of those things where you have to "see it for yourself." I will say that the atmosphere is very welcoming in Amsterdam, maybe too welcoming. We have all heard about the prostitution and drug market of Amsterdam. This is old news. What you should go to Amsterdam to see are the beautiful canals lined with four and five story, gable roofed warehouses that are now used as homes and some businesses. Also a part of this notorious city is an abundance of world class museums, monuments, and unrivaled art work. One must honest when saying that Amsterdam in with no doubt a "sin city," but it is also a place of nearly unlimited history, museums, art, and a culture of its own.

>The picture above is an inside view of one of Amsterdam's prized museums: "Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder" or " Our Lord in the Attic." It is a seventeenth century home with a church in the attic. It is Amsterdam's 2nd oldest museum and was used for private church services, Catholic of course, during the time of Reformation in Holland. A site that is DEFINATELY worth seeing!

Bicycles!!

Well I'm officially becoming more and more Dutch as we speak. I bought a bicycle a few days back, and it is great. I don't mean great in terms of beauty or reliability, but it beats all the time it takes to walk from one place to the next. If you don't know much about Holland, here is a random but shocking fact - There are more than 13 million bicycles in this very small country, only the size of Maryland. For your information, a new bicycle of moderate quality costs you about 200 Euro which is roughly $280. A used bicycle of moderate quality costs roughly 80 Euro or $110-$115. I was able to acquire a bicycle for only 20 Euros. It was a steal, a once in a lifetime Dutch bargain. Oh, and if you have never biked in Holland, be warned. The bicyle traffic can be disasterous. It will take some time to blend in with the more experienced bikers.
The picture is of a bicycle garage in Amsterdam. That is right - I said a bicycle garage. This garage has room for nearly two or three thousand bicycles.

I'll be posting a small piece on the city of Amsterdam within the next several days.

Well I arrived safely in Leiden on Wednesday. Even though it has been four or so days, I am just getting adjusted while getting over the jetlag. Leiden is a small, but beautiful city. It has so much to offer and see. To the left is one of many beautiful sights here in Leiden. The church in the background was a Catholic parish until the Reformation came and banned Catholicism. This is only one of many sites that have been made important due to the effects of the Reformation. Stay tuned, as I will be posting atleast once a week. Until then, tot ziens!