Eww...It Looks Like Communism Threw Up Here

That was the reaction I had when I saw some of the gross buildings in East Berlin. However, the rest of Berlin was absolutely gorgeous!

I just got back from Berlin yesterday, after having a fabulous weekend there visiting Alex (and please, everyone refer to her as Tour Guide Extraordinaire). We saw so much of the city in like 2 and a half days! I got there late Thursday night, so we didn't really do anything. Then on Friday we started early by going to the Brandenburg Gate area, where I saw Brandenburger Tor (the monument) and the Reichstagge (Parliament building)...see pictures. It was beautiful and sunny and great, even though we had to wait on line...but the building and the view from the top was really cool.


Then we went on to the Holocaust Memorial, which I have to say I was totally disappointed in. It was a kind of a weird artistic interpretation of a "monument to the victims" (they didn't actually call it a memorial) - it was basically a big group of coffin-like boxes, and then there was a pretty typical information center inside (see picture). I don't know, it wasn't bad, I guess I just expected something more from a Holocaust memorial that is in the capital city of Germany.




After that, we tackled communism - i.e. went to see Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall. Checkpoint Charlie was fine (and I got to take a picture at the famous spot, see picture) but the real treat was the East Side Gallery (the massive part of the Berlin Wall that artists from all over came and drew graffiti on after the wall came down). It was so cool.



Later that day we went to Berliner Dom, the largest Cathedral in Berlin. It was huge, and had a big dome and looked really pretty, but I was kind of Cathedral-ed out after Rome, Sevilla and Madrid. We also saw the TV Tower (that giant phallic symbol in the middle of the city) and Postdammer Platz, where the Sony Center is. Both were nice, but were only there as tourist sites (i.e. they didn't really offer anything special). Then we went home and I took a long nap to prepare myself for the Berlin nightlife. Jesus - they're worse than Spaniards! We didn't get home until 6am - the sun was literally rising! And it was a totally typical Friday night in the city!


The next morning we went to Kaiser Wilhelm Gedachtniskirche (I laughed every time I tried to pronounce that), the old church that was bombed during World War II (see picture). They left it destroyed as a reminder of harsh times, etc., and I certainly understand why. Then we went to Postdam, which is right outside Berlin, to see all the pretty palaces. It was nice. Saturday night was an "early" (aka 3am night) since I had to wake up early for my flight...

...and now I am home. It feels weird. I need to get back into the swing of things, but I'm not really sure how. I think it will take a few days. I plan to veg out and watch a lot of TV.

Well, I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this blog. I might post again if I find any really cool photos I think I should put up, but other than that, I think this will be my last post. Thanks to all who have read it, since I am very grateful to have documented my travels in this way.
xoxo Pam

It's Not Unusual To Be Loved By Anyone

"Why did you use a Tom Jones song as your blog title, Pam?"

Good question. I will get to that later in the post.

I spent the last few days in Sevilla, Spain. Sevilla is a great city - it's much smaller than the major European cities like Rome, so it's like Edinburgh in that way. However, the Spanish lifestyle is completely different than the Scottish lifestyle. People wake up late, then siesta in the afternoon, then eat dinner at 10 and go out until 5am. It's crazy. I don't know how Spain has a functioning working population. People in Sevilla are also really friendly, but speak no English. That was fine when I was with Amanda (because her Spanish is awesome now! I hope you're reading this Lillie), but kind of difficult when I was alone.

Sunday night, when I got to Sevilla, Amanda, Becky and I went out for dinner. Seeing Sevilla at night was beautiful. The river runs right through the city and there are amazing views from the bridge. And the Cathedral looks awesome (see picture).




On Monday I went inside the Cathedral in the morning. The Cathedral is massive. Totally massive. It's gorgeous (see pictures), and when you climb to the top of the Bell Tower there are great views of the city. After that I walked around Barrio Santa Cruz, the old Jewish Quarter, and into some of the parks around there.


Then I walked to Plaza de Espana, this massive plaza (see picture). After that I met up with Amanda and we had a drink at a bar on the river. And I realized she has been living in Spring Break mode for the last 4 months...lucky girl. Monday night I had the full Spanish club experience...and I was exhausted (despite my siesta...I don't know how they do it).



Tuesday I went to Alcazar, the old palace in Sevilla. It's amazing, and it has this incredible garden in the back that you can walk around (see pictures). After that I went to the train station to pick up my ticket for Madrid (you can't reserve it online). It was chaos - first of all, I went during lunch time, which was a big mistake since I didn't realize that Spaniards simply leave work for 2 hours for lunch, so there were like 3 tellers trying to handle a mass of people trying to buy train tickets. Finally, it was my turn...and the teller spoke no English. I tried to ask her if anyone else spoke English, but all she said was "espanol y francais" so I was like sweet, I speak French. So, in my broken French, I told her I had made a reservation for the train to Madrid the next day, and gave her my confirmation number, so it was all good. Isn't it ironic that the first place my French was actually useful was in Spain? (Whenever I tried to speak in Paris people just responded in English).

After the train experience I walked around a few other barrios, which were really cute, and then met up with Amanda. We had dinner and went out for a drink, and at the bar this old Spanish guy was chatting up Amanda and started talking about American music, and his love of Tom Jones. Amanda wasn't feeling the Tom Jones love, so of course I stepped in and started singing "It's Not Unusual," hence the blog post title. Good times.

Today I took the train to Madrid and spent the day walking around the Plaza Mayor and Puerto del Sol. Tonight is the Real Madrid/Barcelona soccer match, which should be really intense. It's actually probably safer to be an American tonight than it is to be Spanish.

I'll try to post again before I leave for Berlin tomorrow (since I have free wireless in my hostel! Yay!)
xoxo Pam

All Bernini, All the Time

Another 2 days in Rome have come and gone. We leave tomorrow (Mom is going back to New York and I am off to Seville to visit Amanda and see Becky while she's still there) and I will definitely be missing this city.



Friday was another chock full day. We started at Circo Massimo, a park where they used to have games in Ancient times. It was pretty, but really hot. We started walking north, towards the Pantheon (because Mom wanted to see it again, and I was more than happy to oblige because it was awesome) and on the way we passed the Palazzo Venezia where Mussolini declared war. Also, the Pantheon looked very different on a sunny day, since much more light was shining through the open top. After the Pantheon we had coffee at Tazza D'Oro, this super famous espresso place in the city center. Then we made our way to the Trevi Fountain (where we began what was going to become a two day Bernini-fest). I can see why people don't like the Trevi Fountain during the day - it's extremely busy and touristy and annoying, but it's still a gorgeous fountain (see picture). After that we walked to the Piazza Spagna to see the Spanish Steps, but first we had lunch in Piazza Mignanelli (the restaurant made amazing ravioli). Once fortified with food, we trecked up the the steps - the building was under construction, which kind of ruined the facade, but the steps were still really pretty (see picture).



Later in the day we went to Piazza del Popolo and relaxed in the park for a bit. I liked Piazza del Popolo a lot - it was less crowded than Piazza Navolo, and had more space and fewer annoying men trying to sell you stuff (see picture). After we rested we decided to stop in a cafe for a drink - now, I don't know if you all have seen Fellini films (i.e. La Dolce Vita), but Fellini is a super famous Italian director, and restaurants in Rome fight about which one he preferred/which establishment he frequented the most/blah blah blah. One of the biggest fights is over where he liked to go in Piazza del Popolo (since he lived on Via Margutta, a nice street near Piazzo del Popolo). Some say Rosati, some say Canova - I will settle this right now: he preferred Canova, if for no other reason than the simple fact that Rosati has the worst service ever. Seriously, it was way worse than any other cafe/restaurant we had been to in Rome, so Mom and I just got up and went across the street, where we had lovely service at Canova (we also saw an adorable little homage to Fellini inside Canova).

Friday night we had dinner in Trastevere with Alex Holmes, which was lovely - he suggested an amazing pasta place called "Sale e Pepe". I highly recommend it for those traveling to Rome any time soon - it's on Viale Trastevere.




Saturday we went to the Villa Borgese in the morning. The parks and gardens are beautiful (see pictures, especially the cute one of me and Mom), and so is the Galleria Borgese (the museum with all the famous Bernini statues)...but they didn't let me take pictures! Lame.



After the Villa Borgese we went to the Piazza Barberini, walking along Via Venutto (the super fancy street featured in "La Dolce Vita"). At the Piazza we saw the Fontana de Tritone (see picture). This is my favorite Bernini fountain (it's the famous one of the guy chugging the jug of water). After that we walked towards the Campidoglio, stopping along the way at the Pallazo Barberini (another Pallazo that will remain in my mind) and the San Carlo Quattro Fontane, a church with a lot of Bernini statues around it. It was also nice to see the Campidoglio again - it's such a nice square (see picture).


Well, tomorrow we leave, and I will certainly be sad to go. I must recommend the hotel we are staying in - it's called Pallazo del Velabro on Via del Velabro (near the Campidoglio and Santa Maria in Cosmedin) and it's gorgeous. Our room has a great view from the balcony (see picture).

Mom also wanted me to mention that I have done ALL the navigating on this trip - now, any of you who have traveled with me recently will not be surprised by that fact, but just so you know: all of my travel neurosis genes come from my mother, so it was a big deal that she let me be the map reader (and thank god she did because she has no sense of direction...her anxiety over getting lost is completely justified).

Anyway, I'll try to post when I'm in Seville/Madrid/Berlin, but if I can't, I'll be back in the States on May 11 and will have plenty of pictures to show you then.
xoxo Pam

Ciao Salvo!

Roma! This city is great...it is the perfect antidote to my extreme sadness over leaving Edinburgh.

Mom and I have been here for 3 days so far, and I figured I'd better post, since I've already taken like 300 photos.

First of all, I must tell you - our hotel is fabulous. We are staying in a building right next to the Arco di Giani (see picture). It's a famous arch, although I'm not really sure why it's famous (I guess because it's still standing) and it's incredible.

First thing on Tuesday we went to the Roman Forum where the ruins are. It's so cool, you get to walk around the area where an entire empire was based thousands of years ago, and there are still architectural structures that are standing and stable(ish). It's incredible that anything man-made could possibly last this long, but it has and it's beautiful (see pictures). We walked up the Palatine Hill, which is connected to the Forum, and has important things like the House of Augustus and Livia. Oh, p.s., I forgot how CRAZY Livia was...you know how they used to say "behind every great man there had to be a great woman?" well, not so much in this case.





After Palatine Hill we went to the Coloseum, which is amazing. Words really can't describe it - just see the pictures. After that we went to San Giovanni, a really amazing church that had some kind of historical religious significance that I can't remember. After that we went to the Pantheon, which is also incredible (see pictures). I can see how churches and cathedrals and synagogues, no matter how beautiful, might fade from your memory at some point, but the Coloseum and the Pantheon must stay. They're just too incredible to forget.



We also saw some incredible monuments, like the Monument to Vitorio Emannuel and the Campidoglio, which Mom thought were tacky but I liked (see pictures and judge for yourselves). Tuesday night we went to the Trastevere and had a great dinner with Becky. After that Becky and I went for a drink, and she only got us lost for about 15 minutes. I was very impressed (and happy when Alex showed up :)



As if we didn't do enough on Tuesday, Wednesday was even more intense. In the morning we went to Campo di Fiore and Piazzo Navono, stopping at numerous Palazzos along the way. I can see how some things in Rome blend together in your mind - I was going through the pictures later that day and I couldn't tell one Palazzo from the other, but they were all great. Campo di Fiore was kind of like a small Manhattan street fair - tacky shirts, good food and nice flowers (see picture of Mom smelling the lilacs). Piazzo Navono was great because we went when there was hardly anyone there (see pictures). We also stopped in a bread shop recommended by Frank Bruni, and it was very good (Frank Bruni is the New York Times food critic who only gave one star to the newly opened restaurant Perilla, season one of Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle's restaurant...yeah, don't think I forgot about that Bruni).





Later in the day on Wednesday we were planning on having a relaxed time walking around the Trastevere, but then Mom realized it was May Day on Thursday and the Vatican would probably be closed (which it turned out it was), so we needed to do it on Wednesday (so we wouldn't have to do it on a weekend when it would be way too crowded). So we raced to St. Peter's Basilica, and waited on line. Holy crap, it was madness. Seriously, nuns were cutting the line...nuns! at the Vatican! cutting the line! Forget pedophilia, that's the real problem the Catholic Church should be dealing with! Despite the madness, St. Peter's was great (see pictures). After that we waited on line at the Vatican Museum for one hour, had some good Gelatto, and then got in. The Museum was great (see picture), and obviously the Sistene Chapel was beautiful, but it was so crowded. I don't think anyone can appreciate it for its true value when it's in a space that is that packed.

Wednesday night we had a dinner that was amazing. But so expensive...the euro sucks.

Thursday (today) was another packed day. The first thing we did was go to Santa Maria in Cosmedin, the famous Church right near our hotel. It was great to see a church that wasn't unbelievably gaudy (see picture). In the morning we saw the Isola Tiberna, the little village in the island in the Tiber River - it was pretty cool (see picture). We also walked around the Jewish Ghetto and saw the famous Synagogue there. And guess who was also there - a friggin tour group from the Oceanside Jewish Community Center! I'm not kidding! People asked us if we were Jets or Giants fans! In Rome!






After that chilling experience we went to the Trastevere and had a really good lunch. Then we walked up Gianiculo Hill to the Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi. There were really amazing views (see pictures). Then we walked up the Tiber River towards the Castel Saint Angelo, which was closed but still looked cool. Then we walked towards Piazza dei Tribunali which is one Palazzo I will definitely remember - it was massive! I couldn't believe it! And it also had a great view from the river (see pictures). Then we walked to the Piazza Navolo, which vastly more crowded than the last time we were there, and then went home.

And now I am exhausted. I will post again soon to tell you about what we are up to.
xoxo Pam

The Final Countdown

Ok, I'm going to try to do this post without crying.

These past few days have been great, but also bittersweet. On Thursday I had my last day of work. While I was happy to not have to think about certain things, like free hospital car parking, ever again, I was really upset that the internship was ending. I had such a great experience working for Margaret, and I didn't want to leave. On Friday Mom got here, and she got to meet a bunch of my friends. But Friday night the goodbyes began - I was making fun of people for being emotional, but I was actually starting to get emotional myself.

Saturday Mom and I did some touristy stuff - we went to the Castle, which was nice, but once we got to the Parliament I started to get kind of upset, realizing that I wasn't going to be back there on Monday. So I was kind of in a funk for the rest of the day. Then Saturday night we went to Glasgow to have dinner with Margaret and her husband Rab, which was great.



Today (Sunday) was absolutely gorgeous. It was an amazing day - the sun was shining and it was warm (you rarely get both in Edinburgh). We hiked up Arthur's Seat for the amazing views, then we walked around New Town and lay in St. Andrew's Square for a bit.

Tomorrow we leave for Rome, and I start my Europe trip. I'm really excited, but I just don't want to be leaving Edinburgh...at all. Ok, I'm going to have to stop now before I start to cry.

I'm not sure how much I'll be able to post in the next few weeks, but I'll try to do it as much as possible, and hopefully I'll get some pictures in too. I'm going to Rome, then Seville, then Madrid, then Berlin. I'll be back in NYC on May 11.
xoxo Pam

A Tribute to Glasgow

I dedicate this blog posting to Glasgow - a city I have come to love since I've been in Scotland.

Pretty much every Monday and Friday I have gone to my MSP's constituency office in the East End of Glasgow. Many people who live in Scotland have never been to the East End of Glasgow because they're afraid they'll get knifed. However, every morning I was in Glasgow I took the X19 bus from the city centre to the East End, and I'm still standing - so there you go.

Glasgow and Edinburgh have a long time rivalry (similar to the New York/Boston rivalry), so I assumed that if I loved Edinburgh I wouldn't like Glasgow. I was wrong. Glasgow might not be as picturesque as Edinburgh, but it has some amazing architecture and good people, and any city with those two things should certainly be appreciated. My two favorite buildings in Glasgow are the city chambers building in the middle of George Square (see picture) and the Glasgow Museum of Art (see picture). Queen Street Station is also beautiful, as is Buchanan Street (see pictures).

Another part of the city I now love is Easterhouse. The whole East End of Glasgow has this kind of "survivor" character, but no neighborhood has attitude like Easterhouse. Imagine you are from England, and you come to Brooklyn and hear the Bensonhurst accent. That is what it was like for me in Easterhouse every Monday and Friday...lets just say I did a lot of smiling and nodding.


Basically, the East End is the reason Glasgow is seen as the city bringing Scotland down. The housing, health and general demographic picture of the East End is worse than most of Scotland (see picture). But it is improving, and East Enders are survivors.

So, I salute you, Glasgow. It's been a pleasure knowing you.
[Please forgive the melodrama of this post. I'm getting sentimental as I get ready to leave.]
xoxo Pam

Square Pegs, Round Holes

That is the metaphor my Highland tour guide used to describe the Jacobite Rebellion and the general hostilities between Catholics and Protestants in Scotland. Glad to have sectarianism sorted out in one simple phrase.

I spent the weekend in the Highlands and the Isle of Skye. It was my last trip in Scotland, and it was incredible. We had fantastic weather (which was really lucky because if you don't have good weather on Skye there's a good chance you won't be able to see anything). It was a very busy weekend, so I'll break it down day by day.

Friday morning we left Edinburgh and traveled through the Highlands. We stopped at Loch Tummel, which was beautiful, but nothing compared to what was about to come. Then we continued through the Highlands via Aviemore (a quaint little town where we had an overpriced lunch) and Culloden Battlefield. The Battle of Culloden was the final stand between the Jacobites (the Catholics in the Highlands who supported King James) and the British Army (who served William of Orange). The Jacobites were massacred (mainly because Culloden is a flat field and the only military prowess the Jacobites had was an ability to run down a hill screaming and freak people out) and it secured William's rule over Britain - the battle also completed changed life in the Highlands, ending clan rule and leading up to the Clearances. Also, the fact that Britain had a secure government allowed the Industrial Revolution to really take hold (since people weren't worried about anarchy taking hold anymore). So yeah, Culloden is a pretty important place in world history. After seeing that, we continued through the Highlands towards Skye, arriving just before a miraculous sunset (see picture). We also hung out with the locals at a bar near our hotel, and some of them were pretty funny (this one guy had completely white hair and virtually no teeth...but that didn't stop him from showing his moves on the dance floor!)





Saturday we traveled around Skye through the Cuillin Mountains, which were gorgeous (see picture). But the best part of the day was hiking up the Old Man of Storr (see pictures). The view was incredible, and it was amazing being smack in the middle of the Highlands on such a clear day. We also visited Dunvegan Castle, which was a little disappointing (it was small and kind of boring), but still very pretty. Saturday night we did karaoke at the bar, and Tom and I did a fantastic rendition of "Proud Mary" and boy did we do Tina proud. And here's something I've learned - no matter where you go in the world, no matter what cultural differences there might be, everyone is able to sit down and enjoy listening to some Ike & Tina tunes. Remember that.




Sunday was also a great day - we left Skye for the Highlands, passing through Eilean Donan Castle (see picture) which was absolutely gorgeous, and then continuing on towards Loch Ness. Loch Ness is nice, but it's not the prettiest loch in Scotland, so I understand why they had to make up some money making scam (i.e. the Monster) to get people to come. Then we went to Glen Coe, which was incredible. The pictures don't even come close to doing it justice.

Anyway, I'm having a total panic attack about leaving Edinburgh, but I'm psyched for my Euro trip starting next week! I'll keep you all posted as the last days wind down.
xoxo
Pam