Oh Amsterdam!

Oh Amsterdam! Is all the hype worth it?

Everyone goes to Amsterdam. Anyone you ask who has visited Europe (especially if they're under the age of 25), has probably been to Amsterdam. It's the hub of most vices that are illegal everywhere else but here. No wonder everyone comes here.

Amsterdam however, has way more to offer than just good cheap weed and a quickie for your sex-deprived friend. It offers a great vibe, loads of diversity and a rich cultural history, and is by far one of my favorite cities in Europe!

The structure of the city alone is something to admire, its numerous canals and massive biking culture is unique to most European cities. I will have to say though, with all the buildings tightly structured together and all painted with a similar brown shade, doesn't do much for people with a no-sense-of-direction handicap, like myself. In short I spent a lot of time find "new ways" to get somewhere.

So far my trip has been pretty amazing. I've had great hosts, great beer and free rides with no major upsets to ruin it all... at least not yet. I was sad to leave Munich because I felt as if I didn't have enough time there, but I was glad to get out of Rothenburg. A quaint and charming little medieval town you'd want to visit - yes, but an exciting rambunctious lively town - no. My two nights were more than enough.

I was excited for Amsterdam. I've heard millions of stories about this "magical" city, as they say, with a few mixed reviews here and there. Most people love it, but others hate the insanity of it all. I can go both ways. I hate big cities with nothing but tourists, but I love thriving cities with character. I wasn't sure if Amsterdam would be too much for my taste, all I knew was that I would soon find out.

Arriving at the terminal late in the afternoon put me right in the middle of "rush hour" bike and tram traffic. A lot seemed to be going on and I had no idea where I was in the city. So far I've learned that my first stop in any city should always, ALWAYS be the tourist office. On my first trip to Europe with my friend Sonia, I rejected the idea of needing guidance from a tourist office. "I can get by," I thought. "Tourist offices are for the old tourists who wear big cameras around their necks and khaki shorts." I wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible, but on this trip I've learned my lesson. First of all there's nothing wrong with asking for help or directions (do you hear this men?) as well as getting a free map of the city and second of all it saves you a shitload of time. Most information is free and they're always helpful.

Anyhow, I went directly to the local TI. The line was ridiculously long, but I opted to wait. I knew which tram I needed to take to get to my next host Tineke's place. I had directions and gave myself ample enough time to get lost. I took Tram #13 as directed and amazingly, I didn't get lost! Once in a while my sense of direction actually works.

Tineke greeted me at the door as I struggled to carry my luggage up a flight of narrow stairs. Her place was nice. I could tell she put a lot of time into decorating it. I had read in her CouchSurfing profile, that she recently went to India. There were several pieces of Eastern influence all around. Tineke also had another couchsufer there. Apparently she messed up a little on her requests and let two of us stay at the same time. The other girl was from Sweden, but lived in Florida for a few years. Her English was good, not great, but good enough.

We settled in and talked, attempting to get to know each other in the short time that we had. Holland had just played that day, and they won, so Tineke was wearing her Orange Holland shirt to support her team. I found out that Tineke worked for the government in social services back in her home town of The Hague. She would ride her bike to the station, then take a one-hour train to work everyday. She said she loved Amsterdam so much that she didn't want to leave when she got that job, hence the one hour commute. The other chick (seriously forgot her name), was on holiday from culinary school. She was nice but seemed a bit odd. I wouldn't be surprised if she did way too many drugs back in high school.

We decided to stay in since it was already 10:30 by the time we finished chatting. The sun of course was still up. I think I'm getting too used to the long days here in Europe. I don't know if I'll be able to handle the sun going down by 7pm when I get back to L.A.

We flipped for who would get the couch and who would get the camping bed. Since I was the first one to couch request, I got the camping bed, which was actually quite comfortable. We were both in her living room and I slept soundly that night.

Day 1 Touring the city, Anne Frank and Chinese Dinner!

The next day I was ready to see what all the hype was about. As soon as I walked out the door, I could feel the charm of Amsterdam working its spell. Just watching the people go about their daily lives, biking, walking, eating kebabs or waiting for the tram, gave me a feel for the character of the city. The vibe was good and I knew I was going to like it here.

I got on the tram and headed for Dam Square where the New Europe free tour would start at 2pm. If you haven't heard of them, they're a tour company in several cities around Europe that give free basic tours of the history of a city. If you haven't used them I would highly recommend it. I first took their tour in Dublin a year ago, and ended up having a beer with the tour guide and some girls from Nebraska. Another friend recommended this same tour to me for Amsterdam, and since the price was right (free with tips), I would take up the opportunity.

The New Europe Amsterdam tour took about three hours. I learned a few nifty things about Amsterdam, like how several corners of buildings had "pee-deflectors" to keep drunk men from peeing on the walls. Or how Amsterdam got its name because it was the "Amstel next to the dam." I was also able to observe how bike riding was an art over here - this was proven when I saw a man who had his celfone in one hand and a cigarette in another, making a left turn at a street light; and that it was no joke that they'd try to run you down if you were in their way - don't ignore the bells!

After the tour, I learned a lot about the history of the city and the Dutch, especially during the war, pointing out the infamous Anne Frank House around the corner. I was also hoping the tour would help me orient myself better around the city, but by the end of it I realized that would be a lost cause. Every street, building, corner looked the same! All the buildings were pressed against each other, preventing me from seeing the next closest landmark. I found many "interesting" routes to a destinations during my stay, with highlights such as the Red Light District and innumerous "coffee shops" with potent smells of freshly lit cannabis.

Afterwards our tour guide invited us to go eat some "Stampot" a native Dutch dish of potatoes and sausage. I joined half of the tour group for this traditional dish, while watching the next football match on a big screen. I sat next to a white boy from Arizona, who was cool at first but ended up being a little ignorant and racist. To be fair he was 19 quite too young to know the error of his ways and he was from Arizona. He made a racist comment about Mexicans and I think the unsaid rule still stands, that if you're white you can't openly comment about other colored races in an ignorant and offensive manner. Isn't that why Jesse Helms got in trouble? I'm not saying it's fair, but I didn't make the rules.

I proceeded to the Anne Frank House. I was excited to see where the famous little girl wrote her diary and hid, from a book I read over ten years ago. I knew I would be humbled by the experience, but that was a bit of an understatement. As I said in a previous blog, I want to write about my WWII remembrance experience in a separate blog, along with the Dachau Concentration Camp experience. So I'll save it for that.

The day ended with me meeting up Tineke for dinner at an Asian restaurant. It wasn't that interesting so I'll spare you the details.

Day 2 Van Gogh and pub crawling!

The next day I visited the Van Gogh museum. It was a must-see on my tourist list. Although the art of Van Gogh was impressive to see in person, it wasn't the best layout for a museum. I did learn a lot about the life of Van Gogh as an artist. Since he only painted for about 10 years, there wasn't an explosive amount of work to be displayed. It was fascinating however to see his progression as an artist within the 10 years. He went from very traditional painting to abstract and impressionistic; the gradual change was evident throughout the years of his work. I was bummed that the famous "Starry Starry Night" painting wasn't there, but I already knew that going in. His famous "Yellow House" was displayed and it was again an impressive piece to observe.

Afterwards I met up with Tineke again and signed up for a late night pub crawl! It was with the same tour group company New Europe. We joined the special 15 Euro Red Light District pub crawl with free shots of jager and tons of drunk foreigners. The night ended up being a lot of talking, beer and jager -which by the end of the night ended up being the most disgusting thing to taste. I met two girls from UCLA who were studying abroad in Paris for the summer and two guys from Long Beach. No matter where I go, home is always close behind. The night ended with a headache but lots of fun conversation back and forth. Soon the night was over and It was time to sleep.

Day 3 The Heineken Experience and saying adéu to Amsterdam!

The Heineken Factory was next on my list. I compared it to my Guinness Factory tour in Dublin and assessed that the overall layout of Guinness was better. However Heineken did surprise me with a lot of cool and interesting interactive activities.

First of all they had a ride, yes a ride! Okay not a real ride, but nevertheless a ride. What beer factory has that? It was basically you standing on a platform in front of a screen that took you through the beer-making process as if you were one of the ingredients. The platform moved and wobbled as if you were right on the assembly line. And it played along with temperatures too. If you were "dropped in water" they splashed you with a spray of water; or boiling, the red lights turned on and the heat went up; or if you were about to be cleaned and bottled, they blew wind in your face; just enough to make you squint and want to fix your hair. Afterwards they treated you with a nice cool glass of beer for being such a good sport.

Throughout the factory were other cool things like a sing-along karaoke green screen that recorded you and you could send to your email. They had electronic postcards you could take your picture with and also email to yourself. They had techno-looking brightly lit green chairs with an interactive video and a lounge with images projected all around playing loud music - possibly the Heineken "Coffee Shop?" Finally at the end of it all, you got yet another beer in a bar/lounge you could stand and drink with your friends. Unfortunately I went alone, but the beer was still good to drink solo. I bought a few souvenirs and was on my way to Vondel Park.

I chilled in Vondel Park after a bit then headed back to town do a little shopping. This is when I ran into the two girls from LA who was on the pub crawl. They were headed to a "coffee shop" and invited me along. Now in the spirit of Amsterdam, I tagged along. But I'll leave that story for my informal one-on-ones.

Enjoying the city and spirit of Amsterdam was an experience like no other. Its spell and charm fully worked on me and I will be one of the positive reviewers to come back home with only good stories to tell about this hyped-up city. My fond memories will include, couch surfing, getting lost, watching football, having too much Jager, smelling sweet "fresh" aromas of coffee shops and windows full of low-priced hot/ugly prostitutes; just a block away from a 2 Euro/2 min pep show theater, full of horny dudes who didn't have enough money for the real thing.

Oh Amsterdam I will never forget you!

Medieval charm on Romantic Road

Rothenburg ob de Tauber

A medieval town trapped in time.

Rothenburg ob de Tauber is a small well-preserved medieval town in Germany. Towns in the medieval ages were surrounded by long and high walls, to protect them from their enemies; Rothenburg ob de Tauber is still protected by its walls today. During the the 1150 to 1400 century, this town was well known and important on the trade route along the now famous Romantic Road. It lies between Frankfurt and Munich and is buzzing with tourists all year long, especially during the summer.

Rothenburg survived the war because its political influence was lost centuries ago, and therefore had little importance on its outcome, which is why it was never attacked and still preserved from the Middle Ages. According to my travel Guru Rick Steves, it was worth the trip and deserved a nights stay to avoid the day tourists. After arriving I wasn't sure if my guru would be right on this one.

After arriving at my near-empty hostel, I settled in and went out to explore the city. It was about eight o'clock, but the sun was still out and by now I was used to bustling cities that didn't die down until after one in the morning. Expecting to see a little of that, I found out just how small Rothenburg ob de Tauber really was. I walked for about five blocks before I saw another human being. "Oh thank god," I thought to myself, " I'm not the only one in the town."

Most of the shops were closed and the streets were quite with an occasional car passing through. The old cobblestone streets amplified the echos of feet hitting the pavement making the town seem a little spooky at night. The sun was starting to give way as I arrived at the Market Square - the center of the town with the historic town hall and tower. Streets were barely lit by small dated street lamps worthy of the towns architecture. The "night watchman" was in the middle of his Nightwatchman Tour (which I recalled reading about in my travel book), as he held a single light for his "followers" to easily see him. Strangely it almost looked like a cult following their leader to the next mob attack only with middle-aged tourists using cameras as their weapons. I walked around for another hour, then called it a night.

The next day I was one with the other tourists. By the time I got back into town, all the tour buses had arrived and the place was swarming with people flashing their cameras left and right. I joined a tour guide to learn a little about the history of Rothenburg. Was it fascinating? Yes, but could I repeat it back to you? Probably not. It was fascinating to find out about how the town expanded its walls and the infamous political power struggles they used to have when they had power. Legend has it that back in 1631, the town was attacked by the Catholic army and when the mayor approached the general in a plea, they made a deal that if the mayor could drink an entire three-liter tankard of wine, the town would be spared. And so he saved the town by drinking his way out of it. True story? Still TBD. The outline the wall made around the city was also quite interesting, it formed the shape of a head with a large nose and open mouth.

Later, I trekked to Saint Jakob's Church, a Neo-Gothic style church with one of the best wood-carved altars in all of Germany. By now I've seen a million churches, but I have to say that the altar was quite impressive. Did people really hand-carve all that wood and stone back in the day? The patience of people from the former centuries for the sake of quality and beauty is truly amazing and it still boggles my mind.

To sum up the rest of my day, I had myself a Schneeballen treat or "Snowball," basically fried dough shaped in a ball and covered in sugar or chocolate. It looked pretty good in the window and was a somewhat satisfying treat.

Oh and how could I forget the Germany vs. Australia game, where the Germans beat the Aussies 4-0 and the local Germans in Rothenburg got crazy and paraded around the streets honking horns and waving flags. I wish I could be in Europe during every World Cup.

Loving Munich and beautiful Bavaria

Surfing in Munich

Mexico vs. South Africa World Cup game.

Hohenschwangau Castle where King Ludwig II grew up.

Neuschwanstein Castle in Fussen, Germany - the castle they based the Sleeping Beauty castle on.

*Note to self - traveling and writing is not an easy task.

Anyhow I will attempt to recap my amazing time in Munich and the rest of Bavaria.

Germany was definitely what I expected it to be - full of beer, fun and amazing tales of history and fairy tale lands. I couldn't be more satisfied with my time there and despite my three days, I wanted to stay longer.

Gaby and Zimmi turned out to be amazing hosts! They showed me around almost everyday, driving me in their scooter. Unfortunately it was only made for two, so Gaby had to take the subway often! Sorry Gaby! I basically got to see all of Munich on the back of a scooter, even until the last second when I was about to board my next train.

They invited me to a private football game event for the Mexico vs. South Africa, the first game of the World Cup. I wasn't certain if I would enjoy it since I'm not really into football/soccer, but I decided to give it a try. I ended up having the best time - free beer, a large screen, and eighty screaming Mexicans yelling "Me-hi-co!" It was a private party held by the Mexican consulate of Munich. Was I back in LA? Overall a lackluster game, but a great party with Mexico and South Africa tied 1-1. Since then I've been keeping up with football all over Europe!

Afterward, we walked around the massive English Gardens (possibly bigger than Central Park), and saw all the young kids in their bathing suits drinking beer and jumping in the river. The best part was the section where they actually go surfing! Apparently people have been surfing illegally there for 20 years, but it only became legal a year ago. The fast shift of water from the river to the canal, causes a big rift which results into an amazingly consistent wave. People line up in rows to surf, and after one wipes out, then next person in line is on their way. Simple yet very dangerous, considering you could hit your head against either side of the two narrow walls surrounding the river.

Finally it was time for dinner! Off to the famous Hofbräuhaus München, where getting pints of beer is a must and fellow tourists are just a table away. According to Zimmi, this is where Hitler used to hang out and have a beer when he needed a little R & R. I drank a full pint (bigger than the size of my head) and Zimmi and Gaby were quite proud. I had my wiener, my sauerkraut and my beer; I was good to go.

On one of my days there I took a train to the town of Fussen, about three hours away, to go and check out one of King Ludwig II (King of Bavaria) castle, Neuschwanstein. It was his very last castle before he died, and he lived in it less than a year. It took 17 years to build, but was never finished, and construction stopped as soon as he died a mysterious death.

King Ludwig II was obsessed with castles - seven in total; with Neuschwanstein as his last and best obsession. It was a true fairytale castle, also why Disney used it as their muse for the now famous Sleeping Beauty castle. I took a tour inside and it was as amazing inside as it was outside. With a luxurious chapel and chandelier that weighed over 2,000 lbs, a music hall with built-in sound enhancements, a bedroom that took wood carvers three years decorate, and an artificial cave leading to his private study, no wonder it was his greatest treasure. Had it been finished, it would have truly been the fantasy he always dreamed of. I have no photos because it wasn't allow, but being a rebel, I secretly took video with my camera as I hid it under my sweater. Totally worth the risk.

And to cap off my time in Munich, I visited the infamous Dachau concentration camp.

Dachau concentration camp- now a memorial; was certainly the most depressing, surreal and sobering part of my trip. For this reason, I choose to write about it in a separate entry, along with my Anne Frank House experience in Amsterdam. I want to concentrate and go into depth on my thoughts and feelings as I walked through this former death camp and give it the attention it deserves as a sobering remembrance of a sad and regretful past.

As of now, I wanted to focus on my positive experiences in Munich and how I will always have fond memories of the beer, monuments, and my MJ enthusiast hosts Zimmi and Gaby.

Munich is by far my favorite place in Germany!

Michael Jackson in Munich

Munich, Germany

My summary of Munich in one sentence: "A fun, crowded beer-city filled with happy yet constrained Germans (but unusually and exceptionally happy because of the world cup), who walk amongst the historic and glorious streets of the past, but also tainted with the memories of a regretful war."

I've been excited about going to Germany for some time now. Its history intrigues me and I've been aching to see other parts besides my few days spent in Berlin. I wanted to walk the streets of the past and visit the infamous places of the war. I wanted to see it with my own eyes, to better understand and grasp the severity and consequences of its effect.

After arriving in Munich, I waited for my next couchsurfing hosts Zimmi and Gaby. I didn't know too much about them, but one thing I did know was their love for Michael Jackson (according to their profile page on CouchSurfing). With a bit of mix up on where and when to meet up. After one hour of waiting , I took matters into my own hands and decided to go and find them myself. In a previous email I had received some directions. All I had was a subway line, the stop and an address. I crossed my fingers.

By now I was a bit use to how European addresses work, at least for the most part. I would probably still get lost, but I didn't allow myself to panic just yet. I was already used to the confusion of the first day and the consistent routine of walking down the wrong street. As long as I expected it, I was barely phased anymore.

As always I found it, using my internal compass (who knew I had one!), my knack for persistence and the useful process of elimination. Nymphenburger Strasse was my destination and it wouldn't get the best of me, not this time.

After finding the address, I faced another obstacle. What was their last names? I could be randomly knocking on several doors before I found the right one. FYI, European apartments don't seem to have numbers. I saw the name Zimmerman and took a leap of faith that Zimmi meant Zimmerman. Good intuition because I was right. I walked through the heavy doors and was greeted downstairs by Zimmi - a somewhat overweight, bald older man probably in his forties. This was going to be interesting.

He helped me up the stairs with my luggage and he welcomed me into his apartment. Was this going to be my first "odd" experience with couchsurfing? I would soon find out.
Gaby, his wife was lying down apparently exhausted and feeling a bit ill. I greeted her and walked into my new room. It was filled with Michael Jackson memorabilia; posters, Cd's, books - calling them Michael Jackson "fans" would be an understatement. Later I found out how right I was.

Gaby joined us in my room and we proceeded with the usual "Hi. How are you," and the standard getting-to-know you conversation. I was used to these by now.
I found out that Zimmi and Gaby met at a Michael Jackson concert in Mexico. She was of course Mexican and Zimmi was a native Munich-German. Their love for Michael Jackson brought them together and their love for him would extend into a loving and long lasting marriage of seven years.

We talked for the next hour or so about my trip so far, our backgrounds and of course Michael Jackson. Zimmi became extremely passionate about the topic and even got a bit emotional in regards to his death. He's quite convinced he was murdered, but of course in the non-conventional way. "The media killed him, and so did Sony." I haven't talked about Michael Jackson in a while, but this experience reminded me of how loved he was around the world.
They decided to show me around Munich for my first day and helped me plan out the following days to come. We hopped on a subway to the central station and we walked around the main center of Munich.

Zimmi had an extensive knowledge of history and all the main events of Munich. He showed me where Hitler had his first communist rally held, his old apartment before the outbreak of the war, and the former houses of communist officers. I was fascinated with all of this. I tried to imagine what those times were like and how people must have felt walking those streets back in the early 40's. The buildings helped bring the stories to life and I felt history staring me in the face.

We ended our tour with their personal shrine to Michael Jackson, set up in front of a hotel Michael once stayed at for a concert. The photos of Michael Jackson were splattered up on a statue, with letters from fans and candles all around. I had met two girls who visited L.A. to go on a personal "Michael Jackson" tour, visiting his grave in Glendale (yes where I live!) and Neverland. I had quite an interesting talk with them about their passion for him and now I may never view him in the same way.

Zimmi and Gaby had told me that the day Michael died, they ran to this statue and cried together. They put up the first poster of MJ and it continued to grow from there with the help of other fans in Germany. They've been going there almost every day to light candles.

As I said before... calling them "fans" would be an understatement.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Vienna, a time capsule of elegance.

Vienna, the home of art and classical music.

I felt the need to truly enjoy and appreciate the legend of what Vienna represents. Classical music, palaces, art, museums, and cafes sum up this wonderfully eloquent place.

I wasn't certain what to expect from Vienna. I read a little about it from books and knew it was a hub for the creative, but what would be the highlight of my time here? Would it be the palaces, the museums, the cafes, or the people? I didn't even know what language they spoke there, I guess I should have done more reading.

Now that I've come and gone, Vienna surprised me in the best ways possible.

I knew it would be a beautiful city, I mean all the books said it would be; but aren't most European cities beautiful in their own charming way? I guess since I've been in Europe almost a month now, I was starting to think I had seen it all. Many of the cobble stone narrow streets, quaint houses on hills and beautiful rivers through the cities; were starting to look the same to me. I wasn't sure if I could get surprised anymore, but then again I still had two months to go. I just knew it was supposed to be nice, so I went there blindly as most tourists do.

I was surfing my third couch at this point, with a couple named Lena and Guggi. I couldn't remember too much from their profile, but I was certain they would be fine. I arrived late into Vienna, just past 11pm and all I had were an address and some directions. The first thing I did was to find a map. I've found that you're best friend as a foreigner is always the tourist office. I knew by that hour it would be closed, but I was hoping to find someone at the train information desk to ask for map. I was lucky.
I took the map and proceeded to follow the directions. "Take U6 and exit Wahringer Strabe," easy enough I thought. I hauled my heavy luggage onto the subway and found my way to U6. By now I was pretty familiar with the European subway system. For the most part, they more or less all work the same way, so I wasn't too worried. After exiting, I went to my map and tried to find Liechtenstein Strasse, no luck. I continued to look for another 20 mins before finally finding the tiny street on the upper right had corner. I wrote down the directions, again assuming it would be easy from there. Nope, too good to be true. I proceeded to wander around for the next hour, trying to find one street, Alserbach Strabe. The streets were extremely wide and didn't have crossing zones on every block, forcing me to cross several streets just to find out it was the wrong one. After a while I was not a happy camper and I was starting to feel helpless. I asked a few people walking around but no one could help me. Finally, I pulled myself together and just kept going. After two hours, I finally found it! Whew!

I was greeted by a very tall, skinny guy with a goofy smile - Guggi. "Hello! I'm glad you found it!" "Me too," I thought. He seemed really happy and excited to meet me. I walked in and was greeted by his other half, Lena - a laid back chick with a cool hair cut and a nose ring, like me! Both native Austrians, they welcomed me into their home and showed me to my "couch," which was actually a very nice, comfy guest room next to the balcony. I was more relieved than excited at that point, but once I got settled, the excitement became contagious. I joined them at the dining table to have a little getting-to-know time. We exchanged back stories about how we started with couchsurfing and our experience thus far. Both of us only had positive things to say of course. We continued to talk for another hour and I found out Austrians speak German, my second German-influenced country! I got a long history of Vienna and learned a lot about Austria and its former great dynasty. We kept going for another hour or so, then finally we called it a night. Sleep... that sounded amazing.

I had a good night's rest and woke up to the sound of light knocking at my door. Guggi and Lena were already up and about the have some breakfast. They invited me to join them out on the balcony. Breakfast was bread, cheese, coffee, tea and various meats on a platter; a typical Austrian breakfast? I forgot to ask.

They were telling me stories about Austrians and how their culture was like. They also shared with me the story of their crazy neighbor who yells at them when they're outside in the balcony being "too loud." Of course "too loud" for this lady was anything above a whisper; so Lena and Guggi just tried not to mind it. As we continued to talk, we got louder and sure enough, the crazy-neighbor-lady came out from the bushes and told us to keep it down. I couldn't help but laugh at this point because I was actually hoping to see her. This was our cue to end breakfast and start seeing Vienna.
My time in Vienna started and ended great, and I wish I could write pages and pages about how great my experience was; but frankly I just don't have the time to bring it all to life in these pages. So I will proceed to sum it all up as best I can in the following paragraphs.

Day 1

Lena, Guggi and I rode bikes into the city to try and make it to our 3rd Man Tour, which took you through the highlights of the 1950's movie that was shot in the underground sewers of Vienna. We got to wear helmets and go underground to see where all the fecal matter of the Viennese go on a daily basis. Now if any one has been down in a sewer, then I need not explain much, since I'm pretty sure the sight, smell, and sounds of a sewer are pretty much universal all over the world. But word of advice, don't wear sandals.

Afterward we went to the Museums Quarter - a massive hang out spot for Viennese youth. We went to the MQ cafe and had some coffee and an apple strudel. The average Viennese coffee time, runs about 1-2 hours long; and we stayed true to the tradition.

My last excursion of the day was at the Schönbrunn Palace.

I've seen quite a few palaces and castles by now, but this one is by far one of my favorites. The palace has over 1,000 rooms and has a massive garden that could fit a small city. It's elegance and beauty is remarkable and breathtaking when you sit and let it all soak in. Vienna is certainly the place for classical beauty and appreciation of art; and most of it can be summed up in the expression of this palace. The rooms each had themes and were dress accordingly. Outside there were several gardens with statues and another building overlooking the lake. The Viennese certainly had a knack for elegance.

Within the castle grounds is also a concert hall called the Schönbrunn Orangeire, where an orchestra performs classical music daily. After touring the massive palace grounds, I opted to see one of these fine shows, to get me in the mood for the classical vibe of Vienna. They played all Mozart music and had a few Opera performances with some dancing. A lively and classic show with an audience full of tourists. A great way to end day one.

Day 2

After listening to the classical music of Mozart the other night at the Orangerie, I knew I couldn't leave without having the true Viennese experience of a grand opera. I opted for standing room only for just 4 Euros, and since I knew I wouldn't understand any of it, I figured that was a good deal.
The opera was and wasn't quite what I expected. I felt the presence of a classic air around me but it lacked the capsule of time. At that moment when I was standing and watching my first opera, I wanted the exhilarating feeling the nobles and empresses once felt back in the early 1700's. I wondered what they felt as they watched such an emotional expression of art, but standing there in a crowd of tourists, knowing that they couldn't understand it like me, depressed me in a way. That elegance, that beauty fell on deaf ears of the modern man and woman. Even though I knew I was fully willing and able to appreciate all that this experience could give me, I would never be able to grasp the meaning of it all, nor would they.

I left the opera after intermission. My aching legs and feet along with the crowded, hot area, wasn't quite the experience I was going for. I wanted to stay until the end and even felt quite defeated leaving, but there was no use. The translation monitor was giving me headaches to look up and down over and over again, and I concluded that this was the best it was going to get.

Day 3

My last day in Vienna was a sad one. There was still so much to see, but as always there's never enough time.

I wanted to go to a museum finally, and decided on the Leopold in the Museum Quarter. Just my luck, it was closed. It was my own fault of course, if I had looked into it sooner I would have known and I could have planned accordingly, but oh well. Another day another dollar.

I settled on the Belevedere, which wasn't such a bad alternative. It housed the famous Gustav Klimt's The Kiss. I had seen this painting several times in my youth and was excited to finally see it in person, and thankfully it did not disappoint. I must say, this painting is amongst my favorites, but the greatness of it does not lie in its technique or even elegance, but in its message. The simplicity of a kiss and the pure energy it exudes from a true love, gives this painting its greatness. The gold plated etchings on the painting reflect off its surface and the intricacy and cohesive flow Klimt was able to execute, makes this painting one to last the ages. The Kiss was the highlight of my museum venture and I was determined to be content with that.

After wandering aimlessly around the city, I wandered over to Cafe Sacher, a novelty of the city. It bared its famous Sacher torte - a chocolate cake with two layers, separated by apricot jam and topped with whipped cream. I had to try it. It was sweet and somewhat filling, but after three bites, you may have had enough. It was definitely very good, but a bit too rich for my taste. However, any one and everyone visiting Vienna should try it, just to have its filling taste last in your mouth for a while.

At eight-thirty, I had to meet Lena and Guggi at the Schonbrunn Palace. There was a free classical concert being held on its massive garden and we were all set to attend. I had no clue it would be as crowded as it was and I was quite afraid I wouldn't find them. But, luck was again on my side and I found them at our meeting place in front of the subway station.

Lena and Guggi invited some friends and we all proceeded to the garden area, along with hundreds of other people. I had bought some wine for all of us to share, minus a wine opener of course, but I knew we would find a way. After settling down against the side gate, we sat and tried to listen to the music, but there were just too many people to hear anything. The best thing we could make out was the Star Wars theme playing. Apparently there was a special Star Wars tribute and it came complete with a dressed up Darth Vader.

We talked and listened and sat under the stars. It was relaxing and nice, just like a night with my friends back home. I wanted to share the wine, so I started on my mission to find a bottle opener. We eyed several people and tried to see if they were "candidates," but we mostly ran into duds. I didn't know the word for wine opener, so I used the universal language of hand gestures. I would bring the bottle with me and do the cork screw motions to ask. There was no use in hiding my lack of German knowledge, my image was already enough to make it apparent. Finally, after several fail attempts, I found a woman who had a Swiss army knife and was willing to help me. I came back with the opened bottle feeling triumphant and excited that I had completed the task with little help.
We drank the wine like merry folk from the Renaissance ages and formed a circle to play hacky sack. We each got a bit tipsy and I could tell the mood was lightening up. We joked about the people around us and they joked about how hard it was for them to speak English, even though it sounded fine to me. The venue was stunning and the joy in the air magical.

After the concert we waited for the hundreds of people to disperse, so we continued to play hacky sack in the mean time. Being a bit tipsy, I attempted to hit the ball with my foot and fell flat on my ass. My second clumsy fall in Europe. I'm already collecting a few battle scars to prove it. That might have been a cue for them because shortly after, we called it a night. We walked to the subway station and said our goodbyes.

Couch surfing experience no. 3 was once again awesome. The best time with the best people, showing me around and giving me a truthful look at the world through the eyes of two Austrians. Each "couch" I sleep on, gives me a better understanding of the world through other cultures. I would never get these experiences merely as a tourist staying with other tourists. I felt like an Austrian for three days and I'm so grateful to Lena and Guggi for showing me the way!

On to my next adventure in Munich!

Paragliding in Switzerland!

Up in the air!

Switzerland, the land of cheese, chocolate and adventure...

I spent five days total in the beautiful country of Switzerland. I stayed in Spiez, Bern and traveled to Lake Thun and Interlaken. This country took the place in my heart that's reserved for natural beauty and now holds a permanent residence.

My last three days in Switzerland were exciting, relaxing and inspiring.

Day 3

I made my way to couchsurfing home number two, just 30 minutes away in Bern -capital of Switzerland. When I sent out my requests for couches, I had originally sent it out for just two days, but realizing I might love Switzerland too much, I chose to stay and enjoy its beauty just a bit longer. Having the kind hospitality of Christina and Remo accepting me into their home, I didn't want to burden them with three extra nights for me to stay, so I sent out another set of requests for the remaining days. A few days and several rejections later, I was acceptance by a girl named Eve.
Reading her profile she seemed sweet and outgoing, the kind of girl I knew I could get along with. She said she enjoyed reading my profile and thought I would be someone interesting to meet. We agreed on the dates and I was set to stay in her place the next two nights. Eve had mentioned that she was going to her parents house on Saturday night, so I booked a hostel in Interlaken for my last night.

I left Remo and Christina's place, early in the morning, but not before saying goodbye and thanking them before they headed on to work. I wrote in their little couchsurfing guest book and attempted to draw something artistic- I'm sad to report I failed miserably.

My very first couch surfing experience was amazing. I enjoyed their company and kind hospitality and I was sad to leave their place. But it was time to move on and get ready for my next couchsurfing-venture.

I met Eve at the main train station in Bern. When she picked me up, we took the bus to her place and then walked a few blocks to my new "home." Having been in Spiez and Interlaken the last two days, I realized how small a town it was when I arrived in Bern. I wasn't in little Swiss-land anymore. Bern was big and full of people, buses, restaurants, shopping and more. I'm from a big city myself, but somehow I wasn't used to this. Perhaps I was enjoying too much the calmness and serenity of the small towns on hills that I was learning to get accustomed with these past few days. Perhaps I missed it because it didn't remind me so much of home.

I walked into Eve's place and met two Cali girls. They were on their way out from couchsurfing Eve's place the night before. They were from San Diego and doing their own little Eurotrip and were typing away on their computers when I arrived, looking for the next couch to surf in Luzern. I chit-chatted with them a bit as I settled in. The four of us talked about places to see amongst other random things.

I found out Eve actively participates in a sport called "Orienteering," a cross between a race and a scavenger hunt. She grew up in a small town about one hour away. She finished her "apprenticeship", and now at 21, works for the train company. She seemed a bit shy and sometimes quiet, but for the most part was eager to share her stories of Swiss-living.

After an hour or so, I decided to take off and explore Bern. Originally I attempted to go to Geneva (two hours away), but after finding out it would cost 62 CHF round trip, I decided the trip wasn't worth it. Instead I discovered Bern, and found that I actually enjoyed it more than I thought.Despite my initial hesitation towards this "big city," I soon realized it still had the charm of a small one. It was still very Swiss, with green hills and quaint little houses along a river, but only now there was a transit system and hundreds more people walking the streets. I found Bern to be a nice cross between big city and small town; it reminded me a bit of my college city in the Philippines - Baguio, maybe that's why it grew on me.

I walked around for a few hours, then got tired and headed home. I've been tired a lot on this trip, I no longer have the stamina I had when i was merely 21.

My first day in Bern was a lazy one, but nevertheless an enjoyable one.

Day 4

The night before when Eve got home from work, we sat and discussed our days. I told her how excited I was to go hang gliding the next day. She told expressed her envy and wished she could come along. When she told me it was something she always wanted to do, I instantly thought of a brilliant idea! "You should come with me," I said. She was shocked by my abruptness, but after a second or two of letting it sink it, she gave it a serious thought. "Well, we could go early in the morning. I don't have work until 5pm; if we go early enough I could make it back in time. I agreed and we started planning it out. She called up her friend Karin, who was suppose to join us for breakfast the next morning, and asked her if she wanted to come along. From the sound of things it sounded like we now became a trio.

We woke up around 8am and were out the door by 9am. The train to Interlaken only took about 30 minutes. We arrived and immediately searched for the obvious outdoor sports booth that the different companies had for curious tourists.

It was a gloomy day and it started to drizzle. We weren't sure if the weather would cooperate with us, but we gave it a try anyways. We asked about hang gliding and found out only one company does it. They were unfortunately booked, so we opted for the next best thing - paragliding. We booked for 1:30 so as to give the Swiss Alps some time to clear up for us. Good call...

Right at 1:30 they picked us up and we headed up the mountain to our hilly destination. Rob, one of the instructors explained to us the basics of how it all worked. We would jog a little down the mountain until we caught some air and were lifted off over a cliff. "Sounds fun," we all thought. The two girls were a bit more nervous that I was, which was a bit surprising. I was quite calm, in zen-like mode almost. I was about to fly over Switzerland... it was going to be an exciting day.

As I got into my gear, I started to get a little nervous. "This was safe right?" I instantly remembered how I don't actually like flying.

Rob would be my professional paraglider, he explained what I was strapped to, and I basically had on a mobile seat. Eve was the first off the mountain. They glided off so easily and it was like a bird had taken off nice and easy into the air. We were next... As the parachute caught air Rob and I did some "light jogging" and as we were about to get to the cliff, we took off. We smoothly sailed into the air and were riding carelessly over the city, as if in a dream.

It was peaceful and beautiful. I was mesmerized by how simple and small everything looked like from above. A bustling city below my feet, full of tourists, thrill seekers and summer live-ins. I sat back and enjoyed the ride from above. We were gliding through the air for about 25 minutes, a good amout of time to enjoy the view, get cold and feel queasy all at once.

When we finally started to ascend back down to earth, Rob decided to try end it with style -meaning he rocked me back and forth 'til I felt like I was going to puke. I held it in thankfully, but Karin wasn't so lucky.

Flying over the Swiss Alps was pretty amazing. The feeling of soaring through the air like a bird felt exhilarating and free! Many of the memories I've acquired so far on this trip will be unforgettable, but paragliding will definitely be on my top 10.

Can I move to Switzerland?

Its been four days since my arrival in Switzerland and it's been the best four days of my trip so far!

Granted, Cannes was great; but a completely different experience. Cannes was work and basically Hollywood taking place in France... but traveling is a whole other beast.

Those who know me, know that I'm fairly independent and adventurous when it comes to traveling. I'm usually never afraid to go anywhere (unless it looks completely sketch) and I thirst for knowledge when it comes to other cultures. We become better people, the more exposed we are to the world. We understand other nations better, and slowly our world starts to unite, literally one person at a time. I strive for this each day I'm here in Europe, trying my best to achieve a day-in-the-life-of moment... an authentic one, not a tourist one. This can be extremely hard to achieve considering I don't actually live there, and I'm not Swiss, French, German or Italian. Nevertheless I try my best... and with couchsurfing this has made it 10x easier.

For those of you who don't know what couchsurfing is- it is a site that links you up with other travelers and locals who are willing to provide a "couch" for you to sleep on in their local homes. It's completely free and is based solely on trust and referrals. Yes... I know what you're thinking... strangers = danger = trouble. Of course I can't completely say with 100% confidence that this isn't at all true, but I can assure you it is at least 99% wrong. Now I thought the same thing you were thinking the first time I heard about this, "Wait, people actually do this? For free? And with strangers they barely know?" After the initial shock of the idea, it eventually becomes an amazing idea! Who ever thought up the idea that strangers would welcome other travelers into their homes so they could meet people from around the world, was a genius!

I am happy to say I had my first successful couchsurfing experience in Spiez, Switzerland! I stayed with a cute young couple named Christina and Remo, whom are true Swiss-German folks. They live together in the amazingly beautiful town of Spiez, just 15 minutes away from Interlaken (the sports capital of Switzerland - possibly even Europe).

Day 1

On the first day of my arrival, I nervously called up Remo to let him know I had arrived at the station. I wasn't sure what to expect, this was my first time doing this, and he was a complete stranger. "I could still back out," I thought. But no... I would have faith in this project and trust it would be a good experience. And now I can safely say that my "good experience" was an understatement.

Remo picked me up and took me to his place. Here I met his charming and sweet girlfriend Christina. They were a cute Swiss couple about my age, who have been dating for five years. Their place was really nice, clean and modern. I was happy to find that I would have my own room for the next two nights. On the bed was a lovely note that said, "Welcome TJ," along with a piece of Swiss chocolate.

I settled in and joined them at the table for some water. I sat with them and soon we were chatting away. Their English was superb and we shared stories about our travels around the world. They had done a year long trip around Costa Rica and the U.S. about two years ago. Christina had actually lived in Costa Rica and they could speak Spanish almost fluently. I found out they were a couple who enjoyed nature, hiking and long scenic walks; which is why they chose to live in Spiez instead of Bern - the capital of Switzerland. It was about 30mins from where Christina grew up and about 1 hour from Remo's home town Biel. I found out that Bern and Spiez were the German part of Switzerland and that they spoke Swiss-German which is a combination of German and French. They told me they spoke a language they can't write -meaning their is no proper way to spell or write words in Swiss-German; so instead they were taught to write in German. Geneva - just two hours away is the French part of Switzerland and on the East is the Italian part of Switzerland; all speaking different languages and dialects. Amazing considering Switzerland isn't very large at all!

After a nice long chat, Christina announced that they needed to go to here grandmother's house to fix her TV. They kindly asked me if I wanted to come tag along. Of course I said yes! I jumped in their car, excited as a little school girl going on her first field trip. We drove along the majestic valleys and hills that made up the town. It was so serene that I felt like we were driving through a picture-perfect postcard photo that never depicted real life. If there is a heaven and it was all green with enchanting little houses; I would imagine it looks something like Spiez. Of course I took a million photos, but sadly I was reminded how photos can never do true beauty justice.

We arrived at her grandmother's house that looked like one of the many charming houses we drove past, and knocked on her door. A grey-haired woman with a weathered face with tons of character, opened the door to greet us. They introduced her to me and even though she couldn't speak any English, I could tell I was welcomed. We sat at her dining table and she offered us some tea. As they talked in their beautifully melodic Swiss language, I sat and observed the three of them and how they encountered one another. Christina informed me that they were all speaking different dialects and that Remo can understand her grandma but not speak to her in the same dialect. Christina would have to sometimes translate between the two of them.

Christina's grandmother put out some Swiss cookies and homemade wafer rolls as snacks to go with the tea, as she sat with us and proceeded to ask me questions through Christina. She asked about my background and what I did back home. I found out she was a true Swiss farmer, who raised four children with her husband who passed away twenty years ago. She had a garden in the front of the house, where she grew her own carrots, onions, lettuce and tomatoes.

Later on, after Remo had helped fix the TV; we went to her garden and covered up her newly planted tomato garden, to protect from the harsh summer sun. I helped them cover it with a plastic tarp and was fascinated with the entire process. As much as I hate to admit it, I realized how much of an L.A. girl I truly was; when looking at her garden, I realized I had never seen lettuce in the ground before. To them this was everyday life, to me it was a fascinating sight; especially when one is used to only seeing their lettuce come from a supermarket.

After about an hour and a half of "work," we thanked her for the tea and cookies, then headed off. I couldn't stop telling Remo and Christina how amazing an experience that was. To most people, having tea and cookies with a Swiss-grandma would be boring, to me it was the most thrilling thing in the world.

Driving away I continued to enjoy the scenic views bestowed upon me. They knew I was like a kid in a candy store and fed my astonishment. They drove me to an old castle that used to be a prison tower and was now a court. We stopped and walked around attempting to get inside - unfortunately we never did. We continued to drive and stop, drive and stop, so they could show me their lovely little town as I resumed my amazement at this places beauty.

Eventually we got tired and went back home. Christina's grandmother gave us the lettuce she grew in her garden and we ate it for dinner that night! I helped make the sauce for the salad as they prepared carrots and bread rolls. Soon we had dinner and sat at the table, almost like a family. The lettuce was fresh and crisp, and only now I can say I actually ate something fresh from the ground. We continued to get to know each other better as we chatted for another hour before we were finally tuckered out for the day. We cleaned up and said goodnight, ending my wonderful first day in Switzerland.

Day 2

I woke up relatively early (about 8am) and wrote in my blog attempting to keep up- so far a losing battle. I tried to get out of the house early, but as legend would have it, the rumors are unfortunately true, "Filipinos are never on time for anything."

I didn't get out until 12pm. I wanted to start the day in Interlaken, so I headed to the bus stop. I waited about 30mins before the next bus came, then off to the train station it was. I arrived at Interlaken around 1:15pm and found myself wondering what to do. I read the self-guided walk in Rick Steve's Best of Europe book, so I proceeded to do that. I had a map from the previous day and started my little tour.

Interlaken is a town in between two lakes - Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, where Interlaken literally means "between two lakes." It was the tourist town for those seeking a thrill in Switzerland. Travelers from around the world come to Interlaken year round, for skiing in the winter and sky diving in the summer. The activities you could do ranged from base jumping, to river rafting, to cave diving and more. Inspired by the outdoors and beauty of the hills, I decided I would become an unexpected thrill-seeker while in Switzerland. I signed up to do river rafting, feeling the need for some adrenaline to warm up my body, considering it was a pretty cold day (maybe not the best day for rafting, but who cares). I signed up, payed and waited. Soon, I was suiting up in a wetsuit and life jacket; ready to conquer the rivers of Interlaken. I was paired with two Indian couples who were on their honeymoon. It was me, them and our New Zealand rafting guide Dougie.

I had never rafted before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew it would be cold, that's for sure; but I was hoping the wetsuit would keep me warm. We went through all the safety measures and practiced rowing before hitting the waters.

We carried the raft to the river, then all got in one at a time; then we were off! Down the river we went, fast and proud like an eagle soaring in the sky. The rapids were rough and my adrenaline started to shoot up. "Forward paddle," Dougie yelled, hitting each others paddles in an attempt to row quickly. The Indian couples were having a blast, talking and laughing and yelling at each other; often times forgetting to row and listening to Dougies orders. Good thing he was a sport about it. It seemed like he was used to it and this was nothing new to him. I was just enjoying the view. The best part came later when three of them fell in because they weren't paying attention when he told us to "hold on," as we hit a rock. I had to "rescue" one of them by pulling them by the lifejacket and dragging them in the boat. By the end of the trip, I was the only one that didn't fall in the river accidentally. A small accomplishment, but still a feat.

I never knew how thrilling rafting would be. It never really felt dangerous, although I always thought I would be scared shitless. I was calm and after ten minutes, it almost felt natural. The Swiss alps were surrounding me as we paddled across the river, and I couldn't believe I had never thought about doing this before. The sound of the water hitting the rocks along the river and rushing along with fury, was relaxing and harmonious allowing my mind to to reach a state of quiescence.

Nearing the end of our trip, Dougie allowed us to jump in the river, float on our backs and let the current take us away to the lake. The two Indian men chose to do it and their women freaked out begging each of them to come back in. I jumped in just so I could say I did it... but the ice cold water gave me a nice slap in the face, reminding me that bragging rights come with a price.

The trip came to an end and my fun of river rafting was over. I loved it so much I'm certain I will do it again.

My first two days in Switzerland exceeded my expectations tremendously. Three more to go and out by Saturday.... what awaits me next?

Villefranche and Milan

I'm in Spiez, Switzerland (15miles from Bern and Interlaken) and all I can say is WOW. I'm literally in an outdoors man's heaven. It's amazing up here, gorgeous hills and lakes, and houses that still capture the character of a city hundreds of years old.

Before I get too into Switzerland (I could go on forever about it), I'll play some catch up on the last few days.

My last day in Nice was spent in a little French town called Villefranche - just two stops over on the train. This place was recommended by a few travelers who knew of this secret gem in the south. Not quite a secret though (a Royal Caribbean cruise ship was visiting there), it was still the closest thing I could find to a quite, quaint town on the Riviera, that wasn't completely overrun by tourists. With it's deep blue and amazingly clear fresh water... I willed myself to lay out and take a dip in it's calm shore. The day itself wasn't particularly amazing, overcast with drops of rain, but like other tourists I chose to put on the weather blinders and pretend it was the most gorgeous day ever. The water was freezing cold, but it was just too beautiful to pass up. I jumped in and swam out to get my blood flowing and when I got out far enough, I turned around and saw the most amazing sight I had ever seen while swimming. The little town of Villefrance, spread out on a hill, was towering over me with it's ravishing beauty. It was protecting me almost, possibly from the eyesores of tourist traps and modern technology. This quaint town was intact and dazzling in it's own right and put the perfect end to my time in France.

The following day I took off to Milan, Italy. This was my first train venture of this trip. Sometimes the train system can be confusing - just four transfers! - but I made my way safe and sound. It was an exhausting train ride, about 5 hours long with some interesting sights along the way. On my stopover in Albenga, Italy; I was reading a book when an older man attempted to have a conversation with me. About 20mins in, with neither of us speaking the other's native tongue, the best he could get out of me was that I was a tourist from America, traveling to Milan. He got that I was waiting for a train and that I clearly could speak no Italian. From him I got that he was an immigrant from Algeria who could speak four languages (except English), and that he loved Obama over Bush. After 20mins of hand gestures that provided more laughs than information, I headed back onto the train, astonished by the fact that my "conversation" with him was one of the most interesting I've had to date.

I was welcomed to Milan by the heavens with rain, as I got off the metro to my final destination of the day. I stood in the shelter for 30mins, before giving in to the men selling umbrellas to unprepared civilians. I took my 3Euro umbrella, my luggage and my fatigue to the streets of Milan to find Ciao Bella hostel. Ten minutes later, I was lost and starving. I ran into a little Italian pizzeria and stopped in for some fresh calzone! A nice treat after a long train ride. I asked for directions and headed off, but this time running into two English-speaking folk at the corner. I asked if they knew where Ciao Bella was and the told me they were staying there as well.

Arriving at the door - that had no sign (I would have never found it), we were greeted by Jenny - a hard-nosed New Yorker who brought her east coast attitude to full force. After blatantly offending me for not clearly telling her when I booked my reservation, I soon realized "Jenny-from-the block" was like that with everyone. I took it for what it was, and found her to actually be helpful and entertaining at times. I guess you just had to know how to talk to her, and not be offended by anything she'd say. I was desperate to find out her story, all I knew was that she was a New Yorker who lived in Amsterdam for four years, and has now moved to Italy without speaking a lick of Italian. Unfortunately I never found out... sigh, another missed opportunity.

Milan itself wasn't much of a travelers fantasy. With graffiti on almost every wall, abandoned streets and old-musty looking buildings; the highlight of my Milan adventure was a Stanley Kubrick photography exhibit, from when he was a photographer with Life magazine. The area of Dumo street was the liveliest place in town on a Sunday, where I spent most of the afternoon people watching and eating gelato. Overall a lackluster experience, but hey it's Milano... could I expect more.

I must say though, the most surprising thing I found in Milan, was a hidden society of Filipinos. The most scenic view was in front of a church, and since it was Sunday, I found the hub and meeting place off all the Filipinos on a Sunday afternoon. There were a whole slew of them, speaking tagalog left and right. Filipinos in Milano... who knew!

The next day I left and headed to the dazzling town of Spiez, Switzerland...