tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82212242969690478252024-03-21T09:42:10.580+00:00travelcraze101Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-74030295998105760602013-05-26T04:00:00.001+01:002013-05-26T04:01:51.662+01:00Berlin -- my current home...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWY2FCDhr_b_9GT9IFxcYUb5la2f-ac_Tvt-DWw8z2uxsVFN_alNiO2otE14PLMWZ1N52LKn7v6KyInEVCtD9hyphenhyphenSMzWljm1qCdQsNIIjto3l6WXEqgvyVxS9lq8ozAiYgh4Ua7EY9tac/s1600/Jewish+Memorial.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWY2FCDhr_b_9GT9IFxcYUb5la2f-ac_Tvt-DWw8z2uxsVFN_alNiO2otE14PLMWZ1N52LKn7v6KyInEVCtD9hyphenhyphenSMzWljm1qCdQsNIIjto3l6WXEqgvyVxS9lq8ozAiYgh4Ua7EY9tac/s320/Jewish+Memorial.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">So people always ask me why I love Berlin so much, and I always say it's because of the culture and diversity that you can find here... However, sitting here in the Memorial to the Murdered Jews, I am reminded of all its history. Berlin is not just culture, good food, grafitte (spray painted walls) and music. Berlin is also history, and horrifying things that happened as recently as my own lifetime. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545;">"Es ist geschehen, folglich, kann </span></b></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545;">es </span></b><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545;">wieder geschehen." Primo Levi</span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Somehow this is also a reason that makes me love Berlin. Not because it can happen again, not because it happened, but because even though it happened, it has changed, and today, Berlin is one of the most accepting and diverse cities in the world. They make it a point to remember all the atrocities committed, in order to prevent it from happening again. They learn from their mistakes, instead of perpetuating them over and over again. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">The first time I came to Berlin, I was overwhelmed by all the history and horrors that happened here. It was hard to wrap my head around it. Now, almost 3 years later, it is still hard. But it's not overwhelming anymore. It is a part of Berlin, and ironically, it is a part of what makes it such and interesting and fascinating city. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">Lately there's been a lot of talk about racism, particularly against the Turkish/Muslim community. There's the whole <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22423785">trial</a> going on of the woman who committed several racial crimes against the Turkish people, for more than a decade, before being caught. It's horrible! But the upside is that *she was caught* and is on trial for everything she did. It is not accepted as normal. It has no place in modern-day Germany! But unfortunately, there are still isolated cells that think that way... :( </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">All we can do is hope that Primo Levi's words don't come to be proven right, and that it never, ever! happens again... </span>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-81623964296048944472011-12-24T11:54:00.001+00:002011-12-24T11:54:00.242+00:00*Home* --> What is that anyway?I arrived in Frankfurt on Monday afternoon. You know that feeling you get when you haven't been home for a long time, and you open the door and all the familiar comforts are there? I felt that while walking through the giant Frankfurt Hauptbahnhoff (main train station) and feeling the cold wind on my face, seeing the Christmas decorations, smelling the sweet smell of roasted nuts.<br />
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It's hard for me to describe how I feel when I get back to a place I love.<br />
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On Tuesday, I had that feeling again. Arriving in Berlin at 10pm, taking the S-bahn, my feet carried me without thinking. I was going home. Going up the stairs, fishing for the keys in my bag, opening the door to my flat. Familiar sights and smells. Drop backpack. Take off shoes. Run to living room. How could I have forgotten? it's Tuesday. Tuesday means Movie Night! And food!<br />
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Happy faces, friends, hugs, laughter, warmth, good food.<br />
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Yeah, I'm home. Even if technically, I don't really live here. My name is still on the door though...Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-4969783140317698242011-12-23T11:31:00.000+00:002011-12-23T11:31:39.007+00:00And the adventure begins!! :)For someone who travels quite a lot, I should have gotten over this already. I have this bad habit of missing airplanes. Getting to the airport about 30 seconds *before* check-in closes seems to be my goal, but sometimes I get there 30 seconds *after* it closes and I get screwed.<br />
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This time was different though. My flight was at 10:15pm. I arrived at the airport at 8pm. A full 2hrs and 15min before the flight. On the Condor Airlines ticket rules, it said check-in closed 60min before departure, so I was way ahead of schedule. Right? Wrong.<br />
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I get to the check-in counter and the woman informs me that check-in is closed. There was another woman there already complaining, and other people came in behind me. She said there was nothing she could do about it, that we're 10 minutes late. At this point, my head is spinning. What do you mean 10 minutes late? The flight leaves in 2hrs!! And she says nope! The flight leaves in 50 minutes!<br />
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For a moment, I freak out. I bought that ticket 6 months ago. Did I check the time wrong? Am I nuts? Did I really miss this transatlantic and non-refundable/non-changeable flight?<br />
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I didn't have my reservation printed out, but I had it saved on my computer. So I get the computer out and check. Nope. I'm not crazy. It says Salvador-Frankfurt -- 10:15pm. I take a deep breath. Ok, so I didn't screw up. They did. So I show it to her and she asks me if they hadn't sent me an email telling me there was a time change. Obviously no, they didn't. So she tells me to wait right there, that she'd go talk to her supervisor.<br />
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To make a long story short, they take me to the company office where they'll try to figure something out (because after all, I'm in Salvador, I live in Brasilia, and if I missed the flight it was their fault, so hotel, meals, etc, will have to be taken care by them!). At this point, it is 8:36pm and they're doing the final head-check in the airplane, when lo and behold, they discover there's ONE empty seat. They turn to me and ask "do you want to go?" OF COURSE!!!<br />
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So all hell breaks loose, we start running through the airport, this woman carrying my backpack and flashing her badge everywhere, passing me through security checks and passport control, getting to the gate, hand-writing my boarding pass (no joke!) and putting me in the plane.<br />
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It was epic!!<br />
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All this goes to show that if they really wanted to, they could put you on the flight even 14 minutes before the departure time. And the kicker? We weren't even late. We left on time!!<br />
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And I arrived in Frankfurt safe and sound and happy!<br />
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--> My backpack however, did not. But that's another story... :) <--Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-37494494888989701992011-10-07T21:10:00.001+01:002011-10-07T21:10:40.802+01:00Yuuppiiieeeeee!!!!Haven't posted in here in a while, but just wanted to mention how extremely happy and excited I am to be going to Buenos Aires and seeing all my friends again!!!<br />
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Oh, happy me!!!!!!!<br />
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:)Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-85590529112101344642011-07-17T13:56:00.000+01:002011-07-17T13:56:56.233+01:00Car rental debacle...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8KWxNwX88q_oWBeFGP8gHkkfMfp4tR5i-4T2Xg6fUrKSC_MhQz5aN3dy5ZduGDU08lLN9RL545Tc4mPlIBFrP9jMbTteeLL3w68jlYBuNeFZp7t2SmYp4JEdAzjmqtYzuex5e7XrMDU/s1600/Opel-Astra-50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8KWxNwX88q_oWBeFGP8gHkkfMfp4tR5i-4T2Xg6fUrKSC_MhQz5aN3dy5ZduGDU08lLN9RL545Tc4mPlIBFrP9jMbTteeLL3w68jlYBuNeFZp7t2SmYp4JEdAzjmqtYzuex5e7XrMDU/s320/Opel-Astra-50.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Opel Astra-- the car we rented...</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I had planned this trip for a while. Croatia is one of my dream destinations, and I really, really wanted to do this trip. Finally I found a friend who wanted to come with me, so we planned it and decided to make it happen. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Only problem is, I found out that you absolutely need a credit card <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in the name of the driver</i> in order to rent a car. I have a driver’s license, but no credit card. She has a credit card, but no driver’s license. </div><div class="MsoNormal">My credit card was being sent from Brazil, and I expected it would arrive on time for me to get the car. Except when it was already one day before the trip and still no card, I realized we had a real problem. My friend N. had already bought a plane ticket from Paris to Bratislava, where we would meet to start our trip. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Luckily, while talking to her on the phone, she told me that she had already rented a car for someone else to drive, so I figured maybe this was a German/Austrian rule, but that other countries wouldn’t mind the fact that the person driving and the person paying would not be the same (as long as they were traveling together, of course). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In a brilliant moment, I found a car rental place in Slovakia, called them, and the girl told me there was absolutely NO problem, and that would I like to make a reservation. YES! Please! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Problem solved... now I only had to find a way to get from Berlin to Bratislava, but that was easily solved with a train to Prague (where I could stay for a few hours and remember all the places I love in Prague) and another train to Bratislava, arriving with plenty of time to meet my friend, rent the car, and be on our way! :) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And so, the adventure begins... </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-23661702189327459812011-03-15T19:08:00.003+00:002011-03-16T00:55:05.265+00:00Backpack or suitcase?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16cN0fpxZ-ZcOEBQOrMEFpD6SuhINMrSIgzK3ZautgIdv_8nkLqhqPPDGeCJpMUNFPcuKhLryjdtcENfP0phiCi_nuSUR9Y0SF45V7Y1qJSQw3M51I8ZB8E1hbF941caKaWUAAXlBCN0/s1600/IMG_6741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16cN0fpxZ-ZcOEBQOrMEFpD6SuhINMrSIgzK3ZautgIdv_8nkLqhqPPDGeCJpMUNFPcuKhLryjdtcENfP0phiCi_nuSUR9Y0SF45V7Y1qJSQw3M51I8ZB8E1hbF941caKaWUAAXlBCN0/s400/IMG_6741.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I'm a backpacker. It doesn't matter where I go or for how long, you can be certain that I'll be carrying a backpack. And the more I travel, the smaller the backpack is getting. It's amazing how much stuff you <i>don't</i> need.<br />
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But I'm not here to convince you to travel with a backpack (even if they are more convenient, easier to carry in all terrains, have several pockets to help you organize your stuff, and are generally better in every respect...), because ultimately, it's your choice.<br />
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There are occasions when suitcases are perfectly acceptable, and even necessary. If you're going to a 5 star hotel, and you walk in with a backpack, they immediately look at you a bit weird. (Trust me, I've done it). If you're traveling with an organized tour and they'll pick you up at the airport, take you to your hotel, and generally take care of all your transport so that you don't have to walk or lift a finger, then by all means, take a suitcase. If you're traveling in your own car, and you're driving straight to the hotel where someone will take your bags and take them to your room, again, by all means, take a suitcase.<br />
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What I don't understand is this: people who travel like backpackers, i.e.: stay in backpackers hotels/guesthouses/hostels, around dirt roads or beaches, having to rely on public transportation (which sometimes means moto-taxis) and still bring a suitcase. Tell me, how do you carry a suitcase in a moto-taxi???<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8N0byxLnWDCIKDtRHNxy784c5CsNNVXnUFccq_OaNkS66gv4DB-8c-WD5riNoWzPJ461gsXI_0oDSHqdFG3VZ_AynpeF_0cn-a5hLEW7USAELR6XtZpK3Qrc3HEZOP_5qglpDDfa5tZg/s1600/IMG_6769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8N0byxLnWDCIKDtRHNxy784c5CsNNVXnUFccq_OaNkS66gv4DB-8c-WD5riNoWzPJ461gsXI_0oDSHqdFG3VZ_AynpeF_0cn-a5hLEW7USAELR6XtZpK3Qrc3HEZOP_5qglpDDfa5tZg/s400/IMG_6769.JPG" width="264" /></a></div><br />
Honestly, either get some money and travel on the 1st class circuit, or buy a backpack already!!Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-75167323555607144882011-03-13T11:30:00.000+00:002011-03-13T11:30:02.583+00:00Bangkhaos-- Bangkok is Chaos! :)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9O1cI92mp97ZSRSoBI9RnqBW3Tb2d3JgwMJKwqw-1uZo5G0Ke_xtx6RJtq3gTdngkgomSzU8dIDdFm37IVkBuJsVZpTEVcTbDd9GvlwyUa2s2syq-uSbHcBiawI2Hl9ENl8e3trBuzP0/s1600/FH000014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9O1cI92mp97ZSRSoBI9RnqBW3Tb2d3JgwMJKwqw-1uZo5G0Ke_xtx6RJtq3gTdngkgomSzU8dIDdFm37IVkBuJsVZpTEVcTbDd9GvlwyUa2s2syq-uSbHcBiawI2Hl9ENl8e3trBuzP0/s400/FH000014.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Khao San road*</div><br />
There's something fascinating about chaos. Order is nice. It's clean. It's organized. It's... boring. But chaos... ah, chaos can come in millions of different shapes, smells, forms, colors. It changes all the time. It's busy, noisy, unpredictable. --> It's Bangkok.<br />
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I arrived on Friday evening and took the express bus from the airport (RE2 = 150 Baht) which drops me off directly at Khao San road, and in front of my hotel. I actually booked ahead this time, for the simple fact that arriving at 10pm at night on a Friday and then trying to find accommodation would be a little insane even for me...<br />
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Immediately after checking in, I dropped my bag and went to walk around the wonderful chaos of Khao San. It hasn't changed much. I'm sure the particular restaurants and travel agencies have changed since I was last here (7 years ago!) but the general appearance of it all is exactly the same. People. Happy people. Smiley people on vacation, enjoying the warm weather, chaos, and amazing Pad Thai for 30 Baht.<br />
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It's the mecca of backpackers in Bangkok, and even if you're not staying there, you should go for the experience. It's wonderful. I love it. And yes, it's chaotic and noisy, but somehow it's also--magical.<br />
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*This picture was taken 7 years ago and happens to be the only one I have. Unfortunately every time I walked out of my room to walk around KSR I happened to not have my camera with me and didn't want to go back to get it. Oops. :(Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-6515052400654413282011-03-03T09:27:00.000+00:002011-03-03T09:27:38.276+00:00A world of friends...<img src="http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge_479/1266734575P7KTlH.jpg" /><br />
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People always ask me if it isn't hard moving to a different country every few years leaving all your friends behind... and I always answer the same way: yes, it's a bit hard, but you always end up making new friends...<br />
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By now I have lived in so many places, and met so many wonderful people, that it's a joy traveling anywhere (besides the obvious fact that I'm traveling!) because I know I can meet a friend here, another there.<br />
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Today I'm flying to Thailand. I was there in 2004 and I loved it SO much! In fact, the <a href="http://travelcraze101.blogspot.com/2008/09/inspiration.html">picture</a> that inspired me to start this blog was taken there, in the hills of northern Thailand.<br />
A few days ago, I discovered through Facebook that a friend I met in England 3 years ago has been living in Thailand for a year, and we're planning on meeting. I had no idea I had friends in Thailand!!! But I do. And I'm so happy and excited about it!<br />
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This trip is going to be a very short one, unfortunately... but I'm looking forward to the sunshine and the ocean... and also, to leaving the computer behind. I won't be posting anything for the next couple of weeks, because I need to "unplug". I promise to update it when I get back though, with plenty of pictures!! :)Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-61728697165714375552010-12-16T16:39:00.000+00:002010-12-16T16:39:35.410+00:00Life-sized Pacman!Ok, so despite the fact that I owe like a thousand posts about my travels of late, starting with the entire trip with my mom (promised but not posted!! oops!) and everything that happened since, I thought I should start now or I'd be stuck and never post here anymore...<br />
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So I thought I'd start with just a couple of pictures of my weekend in Geneva, and the great tradition they have called <a href="http://www.arbresetlumieres.ch/">Le Festival Arbres et Lumières</a>. (Or The Festival of Trees and Lights). It's such a great addition to the city, when the night comes so early and the dark hours are more than the light hours, it's nice to walk around the city and see beauty on the bare trees....<br />
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This year, the one that called my attention the most was inspired by one of my favorite games when I was a kid: Pacman!! Come on, who didn't like PacMan??? :)<br />
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Without further ado, the pictures! :) <br />
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</div>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-5214310936849861282010-08-14T23:59:00.000+01:002010-08-14T23:59:20.267+01:00Universal Passport<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVuu8i7j9sugMnaNb44lIh3xEclbyuZaxsZfrXyg1py79D0Tj2Yf0cOfqhJ9Xchu9364MKnbsqMucBK_QiVbV3MnswdiXPn3hmlWEa6DWTi_uHGDzDwt8AbtgGc65SUINpn4Y8yVSixk/s1600/UUniversal+passport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVuu8i7j9sugMnaNb44lIh3xEclbyuZaxsZfrXyg1py79D0Tj2Yf0cOfqhJ9Xchu9364MKnbsqMucBK_QiVbV3MnswdiXPn3hmlWEa6DWTi_uHGDzDwt8AbtgGc65SUINpn4Y8yVSixk/s400/UUniversal+passport.jpg" width="393" /></a></div><br />
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There's something that unites us crazy travelers of the world, the ones that don't ever stop and are always hungry for more. That something is our reaction to the dreaded "Where are you from?" question. We wince. We cower. We don't know how to answer it.<br />
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But finally, it seems there's an answer that would satisfy, if not our interlocutor, at least ourselves in replying: "I'm an Earthling." Simple. No complications. No explanations. Short and to the point.<br />
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I always thought borders and visas were artificial inventions that spoiled a little bit the joys of traveling. We were all born on the same planet, why should some of us have different rights than others? Following a discussion with my good friend J., he sent me a link to this <a href="http://www.256colores.com/passport/"> Universal Passport</a>. It's an awesome idea, and I love what it says on the bottom right corner:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>"The bearer of this passport is allowed to travel freely throughout the entire planet.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>As a citizen of Planet Earth, the owner of this document agrees to maintain and respect all the traditions and cultures of the lands he or she travels or lives in."</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I couldn't have said it better myself. It's perfect! I just hope someday it becomes a reality and we don't need to go through <a href="http://www.gadling.com/2010/08/14/xkcd-solves-the-problem-of-anxiety-at-the-airport-body-imager-li/">full-body scans</a> before we are allowed to border a plane. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-45260075520828894342010-08-07T18:35:00.000+01:002010-08-07T18:35:31.018+01:00Travel companions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/kimmelgnomes/TravelGnome.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/kimmelgnomes/TravelGnome.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Choosing your travel companion is probably the most important decision you will ever make about a trip. Not where you're going, or for how long, or what you should take in your backpack. Those are all important considerations that may affect the quality of your trip, but nothing can make or break a trip as much as who you travel with. That is probably why most of the time I prefer to travel alone.<br />
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However, sometimes you find yourself with the opportunity of realizing someone else's dream, and you can't say no to that. So this time I decided, against all my better judgment, to travel for 40 days with my mom, and make her dream of visiting Israel and Greece a reality-- something she would never have done on her own.<br />
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The thing about travel companions is that it doesn't matter how well you know them. How well you get along in normal life. How much you enjoy spending time with them. None of those things matter. The three things that are vital in a travel companion are these: independence, flexibility, and the ability to go with the flow and not stress out. If those 3 characteristics are met, you will not have any problems. Example:<br />
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A- You want to spend a day in a museum, but your travel companion wants to go shopping instead. No problem! You go to the museum, he/she goes shopping, and you meet back at the hotel before dinner. <b>That's independence.</b><br />
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B- You have a bus/train pass that allows you to travel around. You had decided to go from Barcelona to Marseille. Unfortunately the bus that took you from the hostel to the bus/train station took forever to go by, and you missed the bus/train. But you've already seen Barcelona and you were planning on leaving today, so you simply check where the next bus/train is going to, and take it just for the heck of it. After all, you've never been to Andorra before. <b>That's flexibility.</b><br />
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C- You really want to continue your trip as fast as possible. You have a bus ticket for early the next morning. You're excited about it. However, you eat something for dinner that makes you feel seriously ill. You know it'll go away, but you just want to be on that bus in the morning!!! Except there's no way you can face 15hrs in a crappy bus on crappy roads puking your guts out the window.... so you just <b>lay back, relax, and go with the flow.</b> Another day in this little town is not what you would've wanted, but it's no big deal after all...<br />
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Any travel problem can be solved or at least endured if you and your travel companion have those three characteristics. If you don't, you're in for some seriously stressful times.<br />
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That was just a little introduction to the posts that will follow, the trip with my mom. By the very nature of the trip, and the fact that my mom had never before traveled the way I do, independence was not in the cards. Flexibility was good, and we had some good laughs about that, but the art of relaxing when things don't seem to go exactly your way is hard to achieve and only seasoned travelers have it. So we had our stressful moments. But no amount of stress can beat the joy of making someone's dream come true, and since this trip was her dream coming true, I'd have to say I'd do it all over again. :) We had some great times, saw some amazing places, met some awesome people, and the memories will definitely last a lifetime. Stay tuned for pictures and details!<br />
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--> Word to the wise: 40 days was perhaps a little bit too long though. But oh well...Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-67804677916053003632010-05-01T18:26:00.001+01:002010-05-01T18:28:04.199+01:00Mitfahrge...what???<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m0YtPN5vgmI/SI3ryjFjMYI/AAAAAAAAEpc/OZDTsHBzscg/s1600/crowded+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="363" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_m0YtPN5vgmI/SI3ryjFjMYI/AAAAAAAAEpc/OZDTsHBzscg/s400/crowded+car.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Now I have to mention the crazy <b>Mitfahrgelegenheit</b> rides I had.<br />
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First, let me explain: Mitfahrgelegenheit is a shared ride system, where you can post on a website when you’re going from point A to point B by car, how much you would charge people to come with you. Trains in Germany are quite expensive, so this is a fairly cheap and good alternative, although you never know quite what to expect. I used it 3 times in total.<br />
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The first one was short and mostly normal ride, just 2hrs, from Tubingen to Frankfurt…<br />
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The second was from Berlin to Stuttgart (which is close to Tubingen, where I was going by bus). First of all, the guy gave me a meeting point way outside Berlin, and it took me like an hour to get there, but I did, and on time. The guy, however, wasn’t there, and called me to say he would be 15 minutes late. One hour and 15 minutes later, he finally appeared, with his girlfriend, who he was going to drop off in some other undetermined location. Anyway, I’m already getting antsy because all I want is to get back to Tubingen, but ok. Then we start the trip, and he starts talking about the French, how he really did not like them, how they were mostly men with small penises and big egos, and were always trying to compensate for something. No joke. A few hours later, we stopped for drinks and water, and guess what? The car wouldn’t start again!! So we had to get out and push, but luckily it was a small car and we were on an incline, so it worked, and we started off again in a few minutes. But seriously!!!<br />
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Anyway, I was tired, and if you know me, you know that you put me in a bus/car/train/boat/plane or any other form of transportation, and I get sleepy, immediately. So I sort of dozed off. I had to make it to Stuttgart by a certain time, because there was only one bus an hour to Tubingen, and the driver knew it. He said no problem, we should make it there right on time. When I woke up however, he was pissed off and even though he didn’t say it out loud, it was clear that he expected me to stay awake and talking to him (about French men and their penises??). By this time we’re arriving in Stuttgart, and should be at the airport 10 minutes before the bus leaves. Perfect. Except the guy PASSES THE AIRPORT!!! He keeps going! And I’m like “But.... The airport!!!” and he says that wasn’t the entrance, there’s another one. But he was making it up, and we had to drive several minutes in one direction, then turn around and drive several minutes in the other direction, to finally get to the airport, by which time I had obviously missed the bus. I have no doubt he did that on purpose, to “punish” me for sleeping!! Idiot. <br />
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Anyway, the third one was from Tubingen to Berlin, with this crazy, old hippie woman, in a fairly old station wagon, and 5 people, one of which happened to be this Brazilian guy who was visiting his girlfriend. Small world. She was kinda funny, and her car also had issues (she had to manually start it by opening the hood and pumping gas into the motor!!) but we made it to Berlin safely, and she dropped me off at the corner of A’s house, which was great!!! <br />
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So I have to say that I think I’ll avoid mitfahrgelegenheit in the future, unless I really, really need it. :)Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-88136393468322786332010-04-28T18:26:00.005+01:002010-08-06T01:22:09.442+01:00Germany... History, surprises, smiles and more old friends...<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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Hmmm… Germany. So many things happened in Germany that I’m not sure where to start. Let’s try with the beginning…<br />
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I was going to Tubingen with E. on Tuesday night, and didn’t even notice when we passed the border, although I wish I had… not that it makes much difference, but I’m a silly girl.<br />
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Then spent a week in Tubingen, going to all sorts of little places, eating out, staying in, cooking, and generally having a well deserved break… before going to Frankfurt for only one night and couchsurfing with a lovely British girl and talking for hours… next day I had a flight to Berlin, where I arrived in the evening, and was staying at A’s house.<br />
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It’s strange what happens when you see people who mean a lot to you after you haven’t seen them for a while. It happened when I saw E. in Zurich. It happened again when I saw A. in Berlin, though on a smaller scale because with E, I hadn’t seen him in 7 years, and with A it hadn’t even been a year yet. But it was definitely one of those special meetings full of memories and joy. We walked around Berlin for hours and hours, and I got to see as much of the city as you can see in 5hrs, then went home to sleep for like 3hrs, and get up at 5am to get a train at 6am and go to Magdeburg* (sorta) where I was going to spend the weekend.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcn_X4OzbjcRwS-94YGEivTews6BSqi2CTh_P7w9oPSp2ZWkKGoqPofXJwHYl1kMaEwcFL1-90lK_VZLaisfn_xD3-K548SvYFlwoFnc7qT9SGWeW-lY15sixI8HSZ6NB38U0EYRa8k4/s1600/IMG_2661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcn_X4OzbjcRwS-94YGEivTews6BSqi2CTh_P7w9oPSp2ZWkKGoqPofXJwHYl1kMaEwcFL1-90lK_VZLaisfn_xD3-K548SvYFlwoFnc7qT9SGWeW-lY15sixI8HSZ6NB38U0EYRa8k4/s400/IMG_2661.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> Berlin Wall... If you turn around, </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">on the same street there's a sign for the Holocaust Museum.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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Berlin is amazing though. I don’t know, I felt quite overwhelmed all of the time I was there. Granted, I didn’t spend much time there, but I guess there’s so much history, so many incredible and awful things happened there, that somehow my brain kind of exploded and I couldn’t grasp it all. It was a very strange feeling, and I think I have to go back there and spend a decent amount of time, read a lot, see a lot, and try to absorb some of that history, in order to feel more at ease… <br />
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The weekend in Magdeburg was great, with lots of little coincidences and a lot of laughter. I met some important people and hopefully that means good things for my future… but more on that later.<br />
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Then back to Berlin on Monday morning and straight on to Tubingen for another few days with E. before coming back to Berlin and heading to Paris to meet my mom! You may wonder (and A., this one is for you) why I’m going back and forth all the time, but it wasn’t originally planned that way… but the beauty of traveling without a schedule is being able to change it at will...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-juw3Ll3JzyIZsVK7dwoD1KIsNCx8COivycrrR9jO-vCms4LRz3taNAjq8nLFFjHiE_DO29EPGBevEB5bsUCK3P3emHR3_RJLUMxjdGOA9zoTXELPRHpThGBofvH48CFv_VJHPWCOoXQ/s1600/IMG_5241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-juw3Ll3JzyIZsVK7dwoD1KIsNCx8COivycrrR9jO-vCms4LRz3taNAjq8nLFFjHiE_DO29EPGBevEB5bsUCK3P3emHR3_RJLUMxjdGOA9zoTXELPRHpThGBofvH48CFv_VJHPWCOoXQ/s400/IMG_5241.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> Hanging out with C. and J. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
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My last night in Germany, was in Berlin again, and I got to see my other dear friends J. and C. They came to pick me up, were totally happy to see me, and we spend a few hours talking and catching up on the last few months since we had last seen each other in Argentina and Colombia. <br />
The next day, my flight from Berlin to Paris had a few interesting moments, but you can read about that <a href="http://travelcraze101.blogspot.com/2010/03/fight-powers-that-be.html">here.</a> </span>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-2798001421126441092010-04-09T12:19:00.001+01:002010-04-09T20:45:42.291+01:00Switzerland-- part II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmGhVv1MKoTagVPV5Qt-G5qU2I5CWORkYQWiN4quJ58wsAeJURY2p81wclWbkAoxmkHm3G1zQ49KjWYfjMUiwuX0mUpRiybcPPhezmwnTc4W8qDbq47nygwGBpOJmK9HV0pw3kOGok2I/s1600/IMG_2557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOmGhVv1MKoTagVPV5Qt-G5qU2I5CWORkYQWiN4quJ58wsAeJURY2p81wclWbkAoxmkHm3G1zQ49KjWYfjMUiwuX0mUpRiybcPPhezmwnTc4W8qDbq47nygwGBpOJmK9HV0pw3kOGok2I/s400/IMG_2557.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Zurich</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The next day, I got up early and took a train to Zurich, where I was going to meet a dear old friend I hadn't seen for 7 years. 7 YEARS!! Ok, so it's true that it ends up happening to me a lot, since I'm always going everywhere and have friends all over the place... but 7 years is a looooong time!!!<br />
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We met in Argentina (where he's from) and became really good friends very, very quickly. That's probably why we had managed to stay in touch, and I couldn't wait to see him. He's been doing his PhD in Medical Genetics in Germany, but took a week off work and came down to Zurich so we could hang out, before we went back to Germany together for a few more days before I went to Berlin.<br />
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So I arrived a few minutes before him, and was waiting at the train station. Then I saw him, and it was like we had seen each other the day before. Sure things had changed... we had changed, grown up, evolved... but we were still the same, and we realized we're just as good friends now, as we were back then.<br />
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Zurich was great... we were just staying for a couple of days, so we had to make the best of it. The first day was sunny and beautiful, and we walked around aimlessly in the little streets, looking at old churches, statues of reformers, and chocolate shops. Oh, yes... the chocolate... ;)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Aoa1Wopm0Y8i6r9TWB-ckcRaXbmkbnkBROUO-2H0byX-IbSGiCH2kYLGqXiP4WLyIHZHncqvDl3vw6QF6g6VyZfyII6vnx19RXRer5EowFAIFlfInM9XF_Zth3NkU9WpGLiGDSV_NZ0/s1600/IMG_2514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Aoa1Wopm0Y8i6r9TWB-ckcRaXbmkbnkBROUO-2H0byX-IbSGiCH2kYLGqXiP4WLyIHZHncqvDl3vw6QF6g6VyZfyII6vnx19RXRer5EowFAIFlfInM9XF_Zth3NkU9WpGLiGDSV_NZ0/s400/IMG_2514.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">City view... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqshN2ZJ93LqMtE1hoErePch4ZSarynhaRw1rLw8UAnEgba_PQ0v64Cll6PJwndH2WZFFid9RLnfA4WKTBmOrlpxtorXfvYc5c90_yQ-u4Xgb2xEh5jZNzaCrYMYkfD73VS4y93uMmKzc/s1600/IMG_2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqshN2ZJ93LqMtE1hoErePch4ZSarynhaRw1rLw8UAnEgba_PQ0v64Cll6PJwndH2WZFFid9RLnfA4WKTBmOrlpxtorXfvYc5c90_yQ-u4Xgb2xEh5jZNzaCrYMYkfD73VS4y93uMmKzc/s400/IMG_2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Frozen fountain which attests to the fact</div><div style="text-align: center;">that it may have been sunny, but definitely wasn't warm!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGndbAHwiTc7mM4FQuX5ebBAQwXfFNsSALyUHYZhVBeu-b-ThgV9QKJG4M61bhyphenhyphenbFKn1nB_TOcp2y_MJcw1N-_RpsujflOmgKx3WW3wH2S-q5_EuXfjJHJ-cfebsV2vZnAOhApR7Jm_E4/s1600/IMG_5203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGndbAHwiTc7mM4FQuX5ebBAQwXfFNsSALyUHYZhVBeu-b-ThgV9QKJG4M61bhyphenhyphenbFKn1nB_TOcp2y_MJcw1N-_RpsujflOmgKx3WW3wH2S-q5_EuXfjJHJ-cfebsV2vZnAOhApR7Jm_E4/s400/IMG_5203.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Us in front of a fountain...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr789rn2pE0Vx2ttGC0rXllUcQ8S_-M1o_Z8vqhKnar2BxykRBGzMkFX-aXVEVbuxyO4JacqKFcQqxSyY-zhu7eRvUqH2yrLQ-3PbvowouKgnnWZkQZQrnmUa8xvyplUPucMZYZ-r8-PA/s1600/IMG_2564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr789rn2pE0Vx2ttGC0rXllUcQ8S_-M1o_Z8vqhKnar2BxykRBGzMkFX-aXVEVbuxyO4JacqKFcQqxSyY-zhu7eRvUqH2yrLQ-3PbvowouKgnnWZkQZQrnmUa8xvyplUPucMZYZ-r8-PA/s400/IMG_2564.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A well deserved Starbucks break... :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">However, the second day was cold and windy, and walking around against the elements is just not fun... so we decided to go off the beaten track, and check out the Medical Museum of the University of Zurich. It was really cool, sometimes a little crazy, and pretty informative... It was also inside, which means away from the cold and the wind! After that we went to find some food, and grab our stuff and head to the train station, to get our train to Germany! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So watch out Germany, here I come!!!!!!!!!!! :) </div>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-37955604477239539942010-04-05T20:25:00.000+01:002010-04-05T20:25:27.468+01:00Switzerland-- part IAfter a lovely week in Denmark, I flew to Geneva, where I finally got my nice fondue with good friends... :) But that was for just 24hrs, before taking a train to Neuchatel, where I was meeting my wonderful friend Ewa, to go on a hike on the Jura mountains, overlooking the lake. We met a couple of her friends, took a cable car up to the middle of the mountain, and then walked the rest of the way up, through the dark, snow-covered forest, in a beautiful, quiet night, until we found the refuge, where we had another fondue! My second fondue in 2 days!! :)<br />
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Here are some pictures...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvZJQnF6Yf31XIq8Q_maDDZF4DsfdDjlAQHqEpn9l6l0cuHc1aMRSxvex2IOBz6SGjBwODryRsIv5eN-azSIjd5hQ1oTNOkMXYn88MtzbpDt3IRtu55L71pAvutBRrUsnnUVegrJZSMY/s1600/IMG_2446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvZJQnF6Yf31XIq8Q_maDDZF4DsfdDjlAQHqEpn9l6l0cuHc1aMRSxvex2IOBz6SGjBwODryRsIv5eN-azSIjd5hQ1oTNOkMXYn88MtzbpDt3IRtu55L71pAvutBRrUsnnUVegrJZSMY/s400/IMG_2446.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">View from the cable car</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uWpIV7CzgaojlLeVKbCLdhvYCZkf2qSSkQTjt7-8T5uhCSubk5C2EybmtiZ46mZ_hOzendx6evezw5yptjhAdeXnO4lbw4mvid8Ix_fu4ffq893iDSqA-dJbNmfLIiSPxJtOb0EyGUc/s1600/IMG_2450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0uWpIV7CzgaojlLeVKbCLdhvYCZkf2qSSkQTjt7-8T5uhCSubk5C2EybmtiZ46mZ_hOzendx6evezw5yptjhAdeXnO4lbw4mvid8Ix_fu4ffq893iDSqA-dJbNmfLIiSPxJtOb0EyGUc/s400/IMG_2450.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The four of us on the mountain somewhere...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCddlBGnRkq89FYj3opBthpzSaogGeAZdyMjSz9oA0ZnIqdpbCpmVYDRxBsU-KRvYELWiKLzfI46dyD_2vu4Z_378BNwaDRc5zwueQE-sqc8pfXF2DA1Z7aB3KeoKZGcbrnom6Nlv0zA/s1600/IMG_2453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCddlBGnRkq89FYj3opBthpzSaogGeAZdyMjSz9oA0ZnIqdpbCpmVYDRxBsU-KRvYELWiKLzfI46dyD_2vu4Z_378BNwaDRc5zwueQE-sqc8pfXF2DA1Z7aB3KeoKZGcbrnom6Nlv0zA/s400/IMG_2453.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">And the fondue!!! :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The next day, Ewa and I went to Fribourg, stopping along the way in Morat, a lovely little medieval town by another lake, with an impressive castle and beautiful views! It was sunny and warm enough for a coffee on terrace overlooking the lake... :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxi8GGTsk2RvETLjeW6ygn3QUFKlOx1O1UR8SWIQK1qfH-YQ1DuwMhEfwCi2DjwhLJrRY_-uyTOPVlVKHBcXo1qIZZXIe1RPcGO_1faSVDWW-Mkt4rt_gbmFVr3DvPtnRzfZ2X29D7oo/s1600/IMG_2481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxi8GGTsk2RvETLjeW6ygn3QUFKlOx1O1UR8SWIQK1qfH-YQ1DuwMhEfwCi2DjwhLJrRY_-uyTOPVlVKHBcXo1qIZZXIe1RPcGO_1faSVDWW-Mkt4rt_gbmFVr3DvPtnRzfZ2X29D7oo/s400/IMG_2481.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The view... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3x-IZs9FWkjkj6E-8JmQ6LRsdnX_5Be2qHyVY0zjEqIz9-gkHoYSl96XMHAMaAA7u_lQyJRhjzMbJnieImb1p4lB0fDyPEWdEUDhpj0fJCTZFtZ-xWlmD58XqkHo_FCl7-RLw6MRBLI/s1600/IMG_2466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3x-IZs9FWkjkj6E-8JmQ6LRsdnX_5Be2qHyVY0zjEqIz9-gkHoYSl96XMHAMaAA7u_lQyJRhjzMbJnieImb1p4lB0fDyPEWdEUDhpj0fJCTZFtZ-xWlmD58XqkHo_FCl7-RLw6MRBLI/s400/IMG_2466.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">With Ewa on the castle... :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then we went to in Fribourg, we had a nice, calm weekend, went to the movies, cooked great food, including some good ol' fashioned Argentinian empanadas! :) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoGUiHvYJemDpBEL9OGS-rToEkyj901bXdxNaVeo2jIMWS_rbQldftP6vqBW1YyyUy_DVOJWLpiSiny7g4exjtJEngKXa271CAzCWr_0GwIagsiuVZCPQQWIgYYVgj0SgH27zLapAbQM/s1600/IMG_2507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoGUiHvYJemDpBEL9OGS-rToEkyj901bXdxNaVeo2jIMWS_rbQldftP6vqBW1YyyUy_DVOJWLpiSiny7g4exjtJEngKXa271CAzCWr_0GwIagsiuVZCPQQWIgYYVgj0SgH27zLapAbQM/s400/IMG_2507.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Me with the empanadas! :) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks for a lovely time Ewa! :) I'll be back soon to visit and have some more fun!! :) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-2810089805456287382010-03-30T12:46:00.000+01:002010-03-30T12:46:08.372+01:00FIGHT THE POWERS THAT BE!!!I'll have to skip a couple of blog posts about Switzerland and Germany (they're coming, no worries) to talk about my latest fight for the rights of passengers everywhere, and my victory over annoying check-in airport employees... :)<br />
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Yesterday evening I arrived at the airport in Berlin with my nice little backpack, the same one I had been carrying around for 2 months in 7 (count them, SEVEN) low-cost flights, always as a carry-on, and with absolutely NO PROBLEMS. The bag is pretty small and even fits properly in the box they have at the airport that says "If it fits, take it on board!"<br />
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Well, the lady at the counter decided that I couldn't take it on board, and would have to pay, even though the bag WAS in the box! She argued that I couldn't easily put it in the box (which by her description meant in one move, like a nice little suitcase). This is a backpack, so it takes more than one continuous movement to put it into the box, but it fits. She said "I'm not going to argue with you. Will you pay to take your backpack, or will you stay?" I picked up my passport from the counter and left, furious, because NO, I was NOT going to pay.<br />
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So I called E. and we started talking about what to do, he went on the Easyjet website to look for their terms and conditions of carriage, and it states clearly that if it fits into the box, you can take it on board. It says nothing about how you manage to put it into the box. Now please, look at the pictures below and tell me if the woman had ANY reason to complain!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ78g4tLBZuUUGS1QNhmBmoXnz-UWN1HFniXsuhkYKnafyvkvJK2htfDdcCEqGKdsJSbA3Aac-4wTr0sNziRBsNIVn-vZsYu700HWbKfICaWJ2bluHBOlQ0XZnykEVLdV7-NI6BvjtyBg/s1600/IMG_5250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ78g4tLBZuUUGS1QNhmBmoXnz-UWN1HFniXsuhkYKnafyvkvJK2htfDdcCEqGKdsJSbA3Aac-4wTr0sNziRBsNIVn-vZsYu700HWbKfICaWJ2bluHBOlQ0XZnykEVLdV7-NI6BvjtyBg/s640/IMG_5250.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">From one angle...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRKTxErZoY-AdrmLl6na_-N-kMoG1BVuRd46LFpB5hQa7CcNUZoE1uv98NoZvPY0PMdMWFS-N4RQlaI25tUyiGIzcPvjSehBmhnqSzl5RLiKNIi4xeZzDsFFO_JiAFoWMqOU2NhemHG0/s1600/IMG_5248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzRKTxErZoY-AdrmLl6na_-N-kMoG1BVuRd46LFpB5hQa7CcNUZoE1uv98NoZvPY0PMdMWFS-N4RQlaI25tUyiGIzcPvjSehBmhnqSzl5RLiKNIi4xeZzDsFFO_JiAFoWMqOU2NhemHG0/s640/IMG_5248.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">From another angle... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3DxBUCs7cRqAq1kQjsdxvPTdtElT23O34eQGPNJ7sMpheva_2Tn8iYmEFDoDe1i0ZzIBYxDP7xp7Ffi3E-TyKzwnSBWchJFbFGrE69FEz3mK42pIIwzgqbGDE3Uwb71HSX2VWW-t8ms/s1600/IMG_5249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3DxBUCs7cRqAq1kQjsdxvPTdtElT23O34eQGPNJ7sMpheva_2Tn8iYmEFDoDe1i0ZzIBYxDP7xp7Ffi3E-TyKzwnSBWchJFbFGrE69FEz3mK42pIIwzgqbGDE3Uwb71HSX2VWW-t8ms/s640/IMG_5249.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The backpack is completely in the box, and you can't even see it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So I took pictures of the backpack in the box, went back to the woman, put my phone in her face and stated that I was recording this conversation, and started to tell her about the terms and conditions of carriage stated on the Easyjet website. She wouldn't even look at me, she told me to go talk to her supervisor. I did, and again, stated that I was recording the conversation and that I had taken pictures of the back inside the box and that if she didn't let me in the plane I would contact Easyjet, customer service, passenger rights and every "proper authority" I could think of to make my rights heard. I guess she decided she couldn't really argue with me, and that if I really was going to make such a big deal, I could take it on board... so the only words she said to me were "ok, you can take it then" and signaled to the check in lady to give me a boarding pass. The lady, having lost her battle, of course, didn't even look at me, just handed me the boarding pass, and I smiled triumphantly at her and said "thank you." </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Moral of the story: don't try to cheat me of my rights. I already have so few, that I am damn right going to make them be respected! Low-cost airlines make it cheap to take flights everywhere, it's true, but they've got no right to cheat me and make me pay things I don't owe them. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>For all of you friends and travelers out there: don't let them cheat you!!! :) </b></div>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-33076490130139896112010-03-26T15:24:00.000+00:002010-03-26T15:24:18.191+00:00Denmark--old friends, new friends, and even older friends... :)After a week in Italy, eating to my heart's content, I went to Denmark to visit my friend Jonas, and also get to see my friend Thomas... and since we all know that the world is a handkerchief (El mundo es un pañuelo), I also managed to meet up with Matt, a friend from the US who I hadn't seen in at least 5 years, and who happened to be in Denmark for 3 days, EXACTLY at the same time I would be there, without us having organized it as such. :) And that's not even counting the fact that Dan and Diana flew to Copenhagen for a couple of days just so we could meet up! If Italy was a food-fest, Denmark was certainly a friend-fest! :)<br />
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I flew from Milan to Billund, and had to wait for Jonas at the airport for a couple of hours... that's when I realized something, and you can read about that <a href="http://randomlightningbolts.blogspot.com/2010/03/expecting-and-being-expected.html"> here </a>.<br />
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Hanging out with Jonas and his family was great... we had great laughs, food, conversation, and always a roaring fire to warm up by from the cold outside... :) I also had the opportunity to meet Jonas' grandparents, and that gave me a great idea for a book (no joke!). We can learn a lot from elderly people, and it makes me sad that my own grandparents aren't around anymore...<br />
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We also did a little sight-seeing, went to Aarhus, met up with Stien and saw the old town, which consists of original buildings brought from all over the country to preserve the heritage of old shops and professions...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeXqtd0-OF1vH1aSbKGDV5B_AR-gaKROI9S-Tfz8ZkpyZfti1NorekaquSw5vGV5M9NX205heUxcAu724fvrxK8CGu1XyKN6rUhOqQpzq0iyH-lZmzctEUovDxD_FTUvMZFb7H0_PE2c/s1600/IMG_2317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeXqtd0-OF1vH1aSbKGDV5B_AR-gaKROI9S-Tfz8ZkpyZfti1NorekaquSw5vGV5M9NX205heUxcAu724fvrxK8CGu1XyKN6rUhOqQpzq0iyH-lZmzctEUovDxD_FTUvMZFb7H0_PE2c/s400/IMG_2317.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jonas, Stien and I in Aarhus</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefjb6sUdUgKokdUjlcE8fJGHaJZMXwCmd81X4lELdljrZYhpbPJj86QtusoymtSe4NN1OyJVZF423GvCNpkd7PaeZMAYimJZ_2uhrpaPex_HNi86v7IQiNoYHs-NRLMD9ZUIo5d8sBos/s1600/IMG_2309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgefjb6sUdUgKokdUjlcE8fJGHaJZMXwCmd81X4lELdljrZYhpbPJj86QtusoymtSe4NN1OyJVZF423GvCNpkd7PaeZMAYimJZ_2uhrpaPex_HNi86v7IQiNoYHs-NRLMD9ZUIo5d8sBos/s400/IMG_2309.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Doesn't it kinda look like something out of Disneyland?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrGw2S-q8c6BuH24A65RdjnZzwvQ8zSDWziz8-54zELKSukL2GGKm2pHhiVGo9ONmjj9Vun2vHSVsFrupLsqsXsaL50xoFj0shw6cBEtmdinNCaddM6K8OrKRhQ7DIHwDQ5Bjct1y3mo/s1600/IMG_2329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrGw2S-q8c6BuH24A65RdjnZzwvQ8zSDWziz8-54zELKSukL2GGKm2pHhiVGo9ONmjj9Vun2vHSVsFrupLsqsXsaL50xoFj0shw6cBEtmdinNCaddM6K8OrKRhQ7DIHwDQ5Bjct1y3mo/s400/IMG_2329.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately, Jonas and I didn't have the appropriate shoes to walk in the snow, </div><div style="text-align: center;">so we had to blow-dry them to keep our feet from falling off... :) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then I went to Copenhagen with Thomas, who happened to be driving there on Sunday morning, and met up with Matt for the day while he gave his conference about Life-connect (which was great, good job Matt!!) :) After that I met up with my amazing host Anna, and the next day I met up with Dan and Diana and we walked around everywhere, in freaking cold, windy weather...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Copenhagen is beautiful... It's definitely a city I would like to go back to and visit with more time, preferably when it's warm!!! :) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GyJrx5T7C-u-EAKQNalhL7d3J2lVsqkUU8MMZk5E8TGxlS4lehuNjlE-NdGGQd1oUxr1o5itd7_pLtgwxGEGXy8JFvKC0_zxEifAUzXFCUKzEYfBTva_H_usCjOw3Pn9gByDBasUT-c/s1600/IMG_2342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GyJrx5T7C-u-EAKQNalhL7d3J2lVsqkUU8MMZk5E8TGxlS4lehuNjlE-NdGGQd1oUxr1o5itd7_pLtgwxGEGXy8JFvKC0_zxEifAUzXFCUKzEYfBTva_H_usCjOw3Pn9gByDBasUT-c/s640/IMG_2342.JPG" width="427" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Interesting protest in front of the city hall:</div><div style="text-align: center;">"You don't pee in your trash can, so why throw trash in the toilet??"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpvG65bjCn4lwRPK7y8b9yyP0J5tAXZ8kQCvCkDmKSPAFUdKra8Is1ZIesjBvd8M8XfiTtMA1rYj6nLIUUrcYCGvqKREOEV-iPOhIAmoWctT3GJNv_xSYwFgbigBkqwQ3Um0JvvwqhKE/s1600/Christiania.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpvG65bjCn4lwRPK7y8b9yyP0J5tAXZ8kQCvCkDmKSPAFUdKra8Is1ZIesjBvd8M8XfiTtMA1rYj6nLIUUrcYCGvqKREOEV-iPOhIAmoWctT3GJNv_xSYwFgbigBkqwQ3Um0JvvwqhKE/s400/Christiania.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">With Di in Christiania</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraNUB731IHGWHeFJrHE-W1_zsyFf_K-PIYZSoQBTo9XH84p6AhS1SFqFLgk_Zf-A1JPL-kFR122paTFudWV4I9FS9iaofynMYstgmhnbkH7ukWfl84ZF1b263vB2h32OQab5dsh_QbA0/s1600/IMG_2368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraNUB731IHGWHeFJrHE-W1_zsyFf_K-PIYZSoQBTo9XH84p6AhS1SFqFLgk_Zf-A1JPL-kFR122paTFudWV4I9FS9iaofynMYstgmhnbkH7ukWfl84ZF1b263vB2h32OQab5dsh_QbA0/s400/IMG_2368.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Gloomy message on a gloomy day...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sgS7ZnrnqJKP2_jfIIRSLrSt7qHKYwwM-ScOQyfyasFLsCVSWqAUxfCt-ROYnhtYrXuOyLN6O-NG5uknCnbOwxPjXgzCxXqaX-mq2sSlrSC9J24aKjsBCQzDwURiB0P8ospABydw3G0/s1600/Dan+and+I+KBV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sgS7ZnrnqJKP2_jfIIRSLrSt7qHKYwwM-ScOQyfyasFLsCVSWqAUxfCt-ROYnhtYrXuOyLN6O-NG5uknCnbOwxPjXgzCxXqaX-mq2sSlrSC9J24aKjsBCQzDwURiB0P8ospABydw3G0/s400/Dan+and+I+KBV.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">With Dan...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZASWSKneoGADplLNtT6I8xEM4x2JXbBG05Mo8CSjI-OgnquRLXDjrl7rSayel_i-6MS_z70WCkFDPfGq4GJH8S93At6E0ZaYGLOHDmNU2ADiDoCl-JMRol91S5CyJRnVk6c_ffiSF0o/s1600/With+Anna+at+Tivoli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZASWSKneoGADplLNtT6I8xEM4x2JXbBG05Mo8CSjI-OgnquRLXDjrl7rSayel_i-6MS_z70WCkFDPfGq4GJH8S93At6E0ZaYGLOHDmNU2ADiDoCl-JMRol91S5CyJRnVk6c_ffiSF0o/s640/With+Anna+at+Tivoli.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">With Di and Anna in front of the Tivoli Gardens...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And now on to more familiar territory... Switzerland!! and.... CHOCOLATE!! :) :) :) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-25896806883951811142010-03-26T14:42:00.001+00:002010-03-26T14:43:46.180+00:00Italy is a food fest...After going back to Oslo for a couple of days (and meeting this crazy, incredible guy who lost 28 years of his memory-- blog about that coming up soon!) I went to the north of Italy, close to Lake Como (where George Clooney has a house!) to see one of my best friends in the world, Joel.<br />
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The week was very mellow, and consisted on a crash course in intensive Italian, a million calories, great laughs, playing with a beautiful baby girl, and a few liters of coffee a day. Can it get any better than this?? hehe...<br />
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Here are a few pictures: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfqmBgtu4cI2jVQ3yh1KlzuglQEf0AG7Q5_Y8eG-1jetfzpiGMt9AXjGlZ_ysT36_YJxVlZlV7PuumiZKIo_5nTX-OYxK9tbIuOxCPAo21cIY5VcvkmdOUUCVQfTebPKDHEGrgHcjnz8/s1600/IMG_2181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfqmBgtu4cI2jVQ3yh1KlzuglQEf0AG7Q5_Y8eG-1jetfzpiGMt9AXjGlZ_ysT36_YJxVlZlV7PuumiZKIo_5nTX-OYxK9tbIuOxCPAo21cIY5VcvkmdOUUCVQfTebPKDHEGrgHcjnz8/s400/IMG_2181.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Joel and the beautiful Sunshine lady... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pdzztWaFgX6JyM3QmzNVrVugz0oCiYCMUmOZ4vQVskoCQVB8B8xd4Wf_bg2i1uGJChjvjq7MsxVshJFeOru8taGJtusCTz770dLZB78L7jI3opoeFbnOF6n-G0ANUp9KS-Kjq7zfAUM/s1600/IMG_5158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pdzztWaFgX6JyM3QmzNVrVugz0oCiYCMUmOZ4vQVskoCQVB8B8xd4Wf_bg2i1uGJChjvjq7MsxVshJFeOru8taGJtusCTz770dLZB78L7jI3opoeFbnOF6n-G0ANUp9KS-Kjq7zfAUM/s400/IMG_5158.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Having loads of food with lots of friends...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxPiZNmgTjw3b4eyIEGdfW5aCPi5uop457ovGT5wYADETsfGqqw8Cg8Eg8efoQyiF-zckaGySGeNTGTG7btNYxl2Pr5HbvydJlDSdazOQrpNTVqDHWNqfiJRHXxRpI39ohZUqbWLuF3U/s1600/IMG_5161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxPiZNmgTjw3b4eyIEGdfW5aCPi5uop457ovGT5wYADETsfGqqw8Cg8Eg8efoQyiF-zckaGySGeNTGTG7btNYxl2Pr5HbvydJlDSdazOQrpNTVqDHWNqfiJRHXxRpI39ohZUqbWLuF3U/s400/IMG_5161.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Beautiful, wonderful food... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMrNybkvP-VdtMoaQlRKS4jny3pGcn088CTwGNaIwPrIf7W3JFPyDW6hrtnSb88j-JKMV4SvZmxtdQ3hRUlUILpFIXu9IvqKC2ZKWMaOIrlvqEC3n4nZ0yN8nKBfiBtWoxCBZEyOgTLA/s1600/IMG_5171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMrNybkvP-VdtMoaQlRKS4jny3pGcn088CTwGNaIwPrIf7W3JFPyDW6hrtnSb88j-JKMV4SvZmxtdQ3hRUlUILpFIXu9IvqKC2ZKWMaOIrlvqEC3n4nZ0yN8nKBfiBtWoxCBZEyOgTLA/s400/IMG_5171.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Espresso... hmmm! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0oCtZtzChYFCuk4npG3M1MXgoOhyphenhyphenjv_2yHDIt_vcjVUOfLfHzcVHV5IXzi0LPAZyLBc24zWFuWplf7g-NIaxwqv6b5Fip2DYyYSBoosT0i_cFZd0OmwKuUzyHDI8c2wottKqSsDQAsQ/s1600/IMG_2135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0oCtZtzChYFCuk4npG3M1MXgoOhyphenhyphenjv_2yHDIt_vcjVUOfLfHzcVHV5IXzi0LPAZyLBc24zWFuWplf7g-NIaxwqv6b5Fip2DYyYSBoosT0i_cFZd0OmwKuUzyHDI8c2wottKqSsDQAsQ/s400/IMG_2135.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Has anyone ever seen a more beautiful baby?? I doubt it!!! </div>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-32547922671308755972010-02-26T23:20:00.002+00:002010-02-26T23:30:08.531+00:00Norway- Part II = Tromsø<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuBCHdk5mc36WGYihyphenhyphennZoPT1YXDIW-M45j2i0twOwMTTEINPL9l6rpL8DPPOcezx8PW6D5diRF_9fq81ZVgoRtVvW3u4rdHcr3LYr1IK0vYlTyBg4fs55O_TCnyZSlxW34_EJ3yXycRg/s1600-h/IMG_1849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPuBCHdk5mc36WGYihyphenhyphennZoPT1YXDIW-M45j2i0twOwMTTEINPL9l6rpL8DPPOcezx8PW6D5diRF_9fq81ZVgoRtVvW3u4rdHcr3LYr1IK0vYlTyBg4fs55O_TCnyZSlxW34_EJ3yXycRg/s400/IMG_1849.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The view flying into Tromsø</div><br />
Picture this: a Brazilian, from a city where the worst weather, in the dead at night in the middle of winter MAYBE gets as low as 10 degrees Celsius (about 50F), going to a place way above the Artic Circle in the middle of the winter, a place where the average temperature in the middle of the summer, is 11 degrees Celsius. I'll let you imagine what the average temperature in the winter is... <br />
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But I happen to have a friend there (and if you're thinking that I have friends EVERYWHERE in the world, yes, you're absolutely right, I'm lucky that way! :) ) so I wanted to go visit him... and the result is a Brazilian in the Artic Circle... :) <br />
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If I thought that Oslo was winter wonderland, I now know better... Tromsø is winter wonderland... :) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMjSn7k0ROfxqidb-QAZSuVmOIyHko4mSjmpOYK92zKokotvFEpcniDUOP_2WKTCW1LAd6318Y1SpqXIy5GPa16ydaX4MhEfAOy91xNwNyT1_20SqIqKWjxGd2fRFZCRCkvGN_o6iDcQ/s1600-h/IMG_1861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMjSn7k0ROfxqidb-QAZSuVmOIyHko4mSjmpOYK92zKokotvFEpcniDUOP_2WKTCW1LAd6318Y1SpqXIy5GPa16ydaX4MhEfAOy91xNwNyT1_20SqIqKWjxGd2fRFZCRCkvGN_o6iDcQ/s400/IMG_1861.JPG" width="400" /></a>"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Joar is there, although he moved so he looks a bit like a ghost... but he's real... really!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">(This picture was taken close to the ocean, on the same <a href="http://joarandre.blogspot.com/2009/12/family-photo.html"> pebbly beach </a> where Joar took that much better picture with his family...)</div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">It was very, VERY cold and the wind from the ocean didn't help at all, but it was beautiful... </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6zEixp5LQ60eVwUrbylSIoi00xPXd_9_DyWkn3l2BcswoK8-6hPw_uYXSwNqy-vcr2Ygda-h9jW4gRIx6Xgkvu5IuJIDmL_cUe_NMU3NbyMmySAVPsV2hPAGsFUcKPBUqX-WoTUgndE/s1600-h/IMG_1867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6zEixp5LQ60eVwUrbylSIoi00xPXd_9_DyWkn3l2BcswoK8-6hPw_uYXSwNqy-vcr2Ygda-h9jW4gRIx6Xgkvu5IuJIDmL_cUe_NMU3NbyMmySAVPsV2hPAGsFUcKPBUqX-WoTUgndE/s400/IMG_1867.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I took that picture when we were leaving... from inside the car cuz by that time I was already too frozen to have the motivation to get out into the cold again... </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The next night I insisted we go out in an attempt to see the Northern Lights.... we had gotten a LOT of fresh snow during the day... and this is where my slight obsession with snow-angels (already mentioned in the previous post) kicked into high gear... :) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvPHHPurfgJBDsiMO02IpAh4b8CLMQqghjf6DLncn3CFAkOpxSTER-pABtd02vpqJXLMbSr_Ii2pWuOX5OAKMnxsJpgD24PeOU0Yh6HiCNOk-FLgUGTJTlPpBsR1kNG-mdffr8YoFNnk/s1600-h/IMG_1902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvPHHPurfgJBDsiMO02IpAh4b8CLMQqghjf6DLncn3CFAkOpxSTER-pABtd02vpqJXLMbSr_Ii2pWuOX5OAKMnxsJpgD24PeOU0Yh6HiCNOk-FLgUGTJTlPpBsR1kNG-mdffr8YoFNnk/s640/IMG_1902.JPG" width="427" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I've sunk in above my knees!!! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67qBEKzuBzOGOYP390-7BkqStDFf8MkJNqwP4SkiDI10GnBu7WLfEC3aBrMWT6Zuu4WEov3683XssPA4rwT48e5xE2-3H61Ez1ELAwj3r6kvAdJJ6x8VGam4eAXw5yPWaEWLhoIx7WYs/s1600-h/IMG_1907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67qBEKzuBzOGOYP390-7BkqStDFf8MkJNqwP4SkiDI10GnBu7WLfEC3aBrMWT6Zuu4WEov3683XssPA4rwT48e5xE2-3H61Ez1ELAwj3r6kvAdJJ6x8VGam4eAXw5yPWaEWLhoIx7WYs/s640/IMG_1907.JPG" width="428" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Falling....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNoeysseJgUfbriplvOs7hZDCHbGorYQN57HrBCkfcUEf0f0aqsFdPi5x-Huc3M1GpZKILyACUywi3V5T8fdUd4uV4Fvzepfu_8iQl6KWddisNzn5BvwaAKUtFo2mwwQunyaVQmlRiOw/s1600-h/IMG_1909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNoeysseJgUfbriplvOs7hZDCHbGorYQN57HrBCkfcUEf0f0aqsFdPi5x-Huc3M1GpZKILyACUywi3V5T8fdUd4uV4Fvzepfu_8iQl6KWddisNzn5BvwaAKUtFo2mwwQunyaVQmlRiOw/s640/IMG_1909.JPG" width="428" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Like an angel... :) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthzNf5ajAzEt1VGF1PrZbn1NZQVSNop3GP77pwHyCsRK-LS1A73qF3h7egEWRWyOW-ol3R5rCfC2gqxfaqBhANnLsFrRLIn_j8QKipGSjrGJQt-NQwao7q2SHH0UlLregA7P-ZNWsVrk/s1600-h/IMG_1914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthzNf5ajAzEt1VGF1PrZbn1NZQVSNop3GP77pwHyCsRK-LS1A73qF3h7egEWRWyOW-ol3R5rCfC2gqxfaqBhANnLsFrRLIn_j8QKipGSjrGJQt-NQwao7q2SHH0UlLregA7P-ZNWsVrk/s400/IMG_1914.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy! :) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTODRLq6LStkGFayrZjeIqUk0zNbBvPK2mUB0ANR8GRCpf9AvEbLq4P-G9bcIKgEb0Hy91Zwb8WwFy5F4teQD2cjot-ZU61iL1kmb-s02BSZkxKGILmjfNLRPxTdZCrx4zNMn2D4jsodE/s1600-h/IMG_1944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTODRLq6LStkGFayrZjeIqUk0zNbBvPK2mUB0ANR8GRCpf9AvEbLq4P-G9bcIKgEb0Hy91Zwb8WwFy5F4teQD2cjot-ZU61iL1kmb-s02BSZkxKGILmjfNLRPxTdZCrx4zNMn2D4jsodE/s400/IMG_1944.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We had a good walk... unfortunately the ski did not clear... No Northern Lights for me... :(</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The next day we walked around, had some tea, went to a photo exposition and then went to the Artic Cathedral... it's an awesome place to take pictures... </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAm7C205Dgks80DhyYcSz5tKyuZivCInQ3vkzZnku2dAAC53n48iLdBIRl3am1VEXTx4J1HbMuVg1yHRCtcs2JknVwXoDBDQzPDuZAa2m_CFayZlqX84QysR1mF1eDu31BPViJcCPT30/s1600-h/IMG_1960-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAm7C205Dgks80DhyYcSz5tKyuZivCInQ3vkzZnku2dAAC53n48iLdBIRl3am1VEXTx4J1HbMuVg1yHRCtcs2JknVwXoDBDQzPDuZAa2m_CFayZlqX84QysR1mF1eDu31BPViJcCPT30/s400/IMG_1960-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is it from the back...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsUkI6RFJP-yZyTGsEYrLQ_M5uF-vSNpY02vQ-8PzS-3ITHtfn-lLiQKjfqE_0MM6EV3ASIccIaxvv1zN4ZizmASw6ZjqMcJkN5HRpvwkDEpDOaf5NtjtV32c_WR1GZSfCzq8sJHUjcU/s1600-h/IMG_1983-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIsUkI6RFJP-yZyTGsEYrLQ_M5uF-vSNpY02vQ-8PzS-3ITHtfn-lLiQKjfqE_0MM6EV3ASIccIaxvv1zN4ZizmASw6ZjqMcJkN5HRpvwkDEpDOaf5NtjtV32c_WR1GZSfCzq8sJHUjcU/s400/IMG_1983-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I just love this picture! :) Possibly one of the best I've ever taken...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Well, unfortunately my time in Tromsø was VERY short, but it was SO good to see my friend again, and we had a great time... But I really wanted to see the Northern Lights and that didn't happen... I left 12hrs too soon because that night they showed up in full glory... you can see some of Joar's <b><i>magnificent pictures </i></b> <a href="http://joarandre.blogspot.com/2010/02/northern-lights-amazing.html">here. </a><br />
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But I guess that only means I'll have to come back next winter... ;)</div></div>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-4625441232424724282010-02-14T20:39:00.002+00:002010-02-14T21:34:05.937+00:00Norway-- Part I- OsloAfter the disaster mentioned on the last blog post, I went back to Paris where I stayed until I got on a plane to Oslo... Didn't feel like doing much, but managed to hang out with a couple of friends, and even meet a good friend of a good friend... :)<br />
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Then I bundled up and layered up with as much clothing as I could, and headed for the airport. Temperature in Oslo -5C (about 20F).<br />
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My first impression when getting out of the plane was that I had arrived in a black and white winter wonderland. Everything was beautiful and white...<br />
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(So the picture isn't great but it was taken from the bus, so give me a break...)<br />
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Arriving in Oslo, I met one of my hosts in front of the National Theater, and we went home. The people I stayed with could NOT have been more wonderful. There were 6 of them to begin with, and I had moments of great fun and interesting, stimulating conversation with each of them, and a really incredible experience in Oslo. Here are a few pictures... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd91EuIyMcx5NFG-RW-tuD6fOoTb9iJ2NOSDbOflAgHfAsde_FxR1PGg5x4SiFsPdMAJUWPTSS9w1P1n-S1Kh5_q-LjMNf8kT0rjKKm4Z_YJNMCEj21bSjGaMUsnHi5t-FgmF2OqpZpac/s1600-h/IMG_1437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd91EuIyMcx5NFG-RW-tuD6fOoTb9iJ2NOSDbOflAgHfAsde_FxR1PGg5x4SiFsPdMAJUWPTSS9w1P1n-S1Kh5_q-LjMNf8kT0rjKKm4Z_YJNMCEj21bSjGaMUsnHi5t-FgmF2OqpZpac/s400/IMG_1437.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Sunday morning on the way to Korketrekken with my hosts Meera, Frode and Gunnar. The 1952 Olympics used that same route for their sleigh competitions... and it was perfect weather, clear blue skies, no wind, just perfect!!! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaOkQIqsPqLfu2T06_dAEer-zZGWDNdMCJyyURvYkrBMUlF_QEXIDRj58nyURTgzi0cBYay5BcZ5H0kHRPU83rD2bR1R0V_0s_XSQ9oMbzUiCDdmiQ6p9tpCnak05LOBZag4RfYdLpvc/s1600-h/IMG_1469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiaOkQIqsPqLfu2T06_dAEer-zZGWDNdMCJyyURvYkrBMUlF_QEXIDRj58nyURTgzi0cBYay5BcZ5H0kHRPU83rD2bR1R0V_0s_XSQ9oMbzUiCDdmiQ6p9tpCnak05LOBZag4RfYdLpvc/s400/IMG_1469.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
That's Meera flying by... I stopped in the middle of the track to take pictures of people, and then when it was going to be my turn, I ran out of battery... silly me. :(<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGUYQPX7dNyr5qUqadMTDRYvkQkMYGebQgPvzFZ3WkW-I-MXHi4ZUPGDdwDCx-oaKp1rze11XxwobH21KmjK4dF_r57B90YT-mBYuVhTmeYLzwvpev0aG_7tW32FJxBaQM_66XFhhbGM/s1600-h/IMG_1576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGUYQPX7dNyr5qUqadMTDRYvkQkMYGebQgPvzFZ3WkW-I-MXHi4ZUPGDdwDCx-oaKp1rze11XxwobH21KmjK4dF_r57B90YT-mBYuVhTmeYLzwvpev0aG_7tW32FJxBaQM_66XFhhbGM/s400/IMG_1576.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
That was this crazy "let's all dance like we're in kindergarden" thing on Monday night. It happened at a pub, but there's nothing there on Monday, the place is closed, they don't even sell anything, but during one hour, this girl puts silly dance music and makes us all dance like maniacs. It was a LOT of fun!!! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDyREO4W7I0HplR6t-JWtohwcRsEIK_1dR76BwVW0vTyeGofms5sxiX-uj9YBNrTVKH2NnSk3uBb9Jw3UAEMkfrRxlzmerdA3IN4BQLC1b5FBuqte1auFNdOgVzeYsssyn18tIdSBuw4/s1600-h/IMG_1565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDyREO4W7I0HplR6t-JWtohwcRsEIK_1dR76BwVW0vTyeGofms5sxiX-uj9YBNrTVKH2NnSk3uBb9Jw3UAEMkfrRxlzmerdA3IN4BQLC1b5FBuqte1auFNdOgVzeYsssyn18tIdSBuw4/s400/IMG_1565.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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The opera house by night...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvyojBcjlJhumnS3nFSIdDbGoD-YyEtmRjgN_7l22AEQFkVM7qhcZuE54loIdN-6Cix1ANCvm53SXjlJAKTxOMzWbqW4p1vmVeUoWEwtPCTL18IaAStsMDWG03K9ZBJEbGK09K_lwaDg/s1600-h/IMG_1613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvyojBcjlJhumnS3nFSIdDbGoD-YyEtmRjgN_7l22AEQFkVM7qhcZuE54loIdN-6Cix1ANCvm53SXjlJAKTxOMzWbqW4p1vmVeUoWEwtPCTL18IaAStsMDWG03K9ZBJEbGK09K_lwaDg/s400/IMG_1613.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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That's me standing on a frozen river.... yep, that's right... frozen RIVER! See the bridge behind me? yeah, it's not cold at all over here...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSh-7Lalo7sY_lCg7LsmGZDcR6D5nPyS-ktb-t5xLM04O98KV9lBjwoowS4gbcMTXlMOFlSSKHxFnHXCBbHw6ALV2s5EOe6tRah5GbgqCD4N05njKmh-9_5JnFvrRTPYXvQQWfWRSGvc/s1600-h/IMG_1632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSh-7Lalo7sY_lCg7LsmGZDcR6D5nPyS-ktb-t5xLM04O98KV9lBjwoowS4gbcMTXlMOFlSSKHxFnHXCBbHw6ALV2s5EOe6tRah5GbgqCD4N05njKmh-9_5JnFvrRTPYXvQQWfWRSGvc/s400/IMG_1632.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After we got home I made dinner for all of us at Bianca and Ingrid's house... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyiuKQmgNtVNZ7GbG_i2tx6HPgyQB1lMSXq2gXMXl58qvr42p1zEp5vw-5GcffIlL3C9tlKd6GE5y9HMPpaAbvMvwWeFAbmJUW_YBZmLlxNyBA-telUskkUKSZuQa6biured5TTJZ1hs/s1600-h/IMG_1716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyiuKQmgNtVNZ7GbG_i2tx6HPgyQB1lMSXq2gXMXl58qvr42p1zEp5vw-5GcffIlL3C9tlKd6GE5y9HMPpaAbvMvwWeFAbmJUW_YBZmLlxNyBA-telUskkUKSZuQa6biured5TTJZ1hs/s400/IMG_1716.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Another beautiful and sunny day at Vigeland Parken, with hosts Katrina and Tine...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKggnPYOuhqPhfXqP8e3m7W3k5cg83cKZS4ZGmXVIZp9lkJ82-ozNoLOg5duDAJOAbWQ6ewTFEoPT_vlFx3Dyqyr95qLBXXEv22ESk7WlcL0oVmhqJrDQBxKbxMpMr9GcEZkJz8zNEukA/s1600-h/IMG_1681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKggnPYOuhqPhfXqP8e3m7W3k5cg83cKZS4ZGmXVIZp9lkJ82-ozNoLOg5duDAJOAbWQ6ewTFEoPT_vlFx3Dyqyr95qLBXXEv22ESk7WlcL0oVmhqJrDQBxKbxMpMr9GcEZkJz8zNEukA/s640/IMG_1681.JPG" width="428" /></a></div><br />
Jump! :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vpW1RGAEcFPy7m-Dnkl7jipLVeL1pCbRK3eLMJ80tIsLZESMG4gts0NXqKlTjpTDkDstlPazcdMTX5EkSU9rakmXqcrxN-n3ooxwUpceBaD7rnBxJ_54OKDHU-kyFqcaF0uuDwYyh6k/s1600-h/IMG_1704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vpW1RGAEcFPy7m-Dnkl7jipLVeL1pCbRK3eLMJ80tIsLZESMG4gts0NXqKlTjpTDkDstlPazcdMTX5EkSU9rakmXqcrxN-n3ooxwUpceBaD7rnBxJ_54OKDHU-kyFqcaF0uuDwYyh6k/s400/IMG_1704.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I seem to have developed a strange obsession for making snow-angels...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEhCa73Ha7dMakkxn2Ior7LpMxwt6dCs69J55DqsTJyhHqYUQ7g7BVOeEnwagfXuL13sk_LxuRukCbFz8L8rUtd2NlIld7nFv7L1OXslk8BuOkqGmCOD6mpoPXcYqB74GI3LPFWz40gg/s1600-h/IMG_1738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEhCa73Ha7dMakkxn2Ior7LpMxwt6dCs69J55DqsTJyhHqYUQ7g7BVOeEnwagfXuL13sk_LxuRukCbFz8L8rUtd2NlIld7nFv7L1OXslk8BuOkqGmCOD6mpoPXcYqB74GI3LPFWz40gg/s400/IMG_1738.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Beautiful sunset over the frozen fjord... (yep, it was frozen... so much so that the boat cruises weren't operating... bummer!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y864JjpE-zdD6sjRfy0kpASKYai8G1dpwM1KJmjviPurEm9oa-qW_YawJIipTXYDxIZLa-rlXAkmFSE64ssZc0-cXBFW-XNFBMqSQbhMB-R4ynqC0dX6FP2e0yOYzV2xD5e40lr-AfQ/s1600-h/IMG_1773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y864JjpE-zdD6sjRfy0kpASKYai8G1dpwM1KJmjviPurEm9oa-qW_YawJIipTXYDxIZLa-rlXAkmFSE64ssZc0-cXBFW-XNFBMqSQbhMB-R4ynqC0dX6FP2e0yOYzV2xD5e40lr-AfQ/s400/IMG_1773.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>My last night in Oslo, I made dinner for my 6 hosts plus 4 friends, and it was wonderful! :)<br />
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But tomorrow, I fly to Tromsø, way north of the Artic Circle, to visit my good friend Joar...Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-13267579943531614472010-02-01T21:17:00.001+00:002010-02-02T11:39:39.147+00:00Balance of the last 48hrs<img src="http://msp461.photobucket.com/albums/qq339/sbmontano76/tears.jpg" /> <br />
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The first part of the 48hrs was great... It involved 2 great meals, 1 in Paris Saturday night, the other in Lyon, Sunday lunch. Lots of friends. Loads of food. Lots and lots of laughter and fun. Even made a few new friends, a French/Greek guy who told me what to do and what not to do in Greece, and even a couple of Brazilian girls! The day Sunday was amazing, clear blue skies, crisp clear air, absolutely beautiful and perfect!!<br />
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Then the 2nd part of the 48hrs came...<br />
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Grams of great food ingested in a happy mood* with great friends= 0<br />
Moments of laughter and fun= 0<br />
Friends= -2 (yes, that means I lost 2, possibly 3 friends)<br />
Weather= -10 and snowing<br />
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*To be honest there was one meal with great friends, but unfortunately the happy mood was not there. <br />
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And if that hadn't been enough, 136 Euros flushed down the toilet...<br />
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At least they kinda balance each other out... despite the fact that I'm emotionally drained, physically exhausted, quite a bit poorer, and lost something priceless= the friendship of 2 people I thought were some of my closest friends. <br />
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<b>But I survived through it all... </b>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-23000910413732122342010-01-28T18:47:00.000+00:002010-01-28T18:47:02.369+00:00I wish I was insanely obese...<img src="http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/6UNA0EP/4295123_l_651602b1e87f6ecefdab1c591d3816da.jpg" /> <br />
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You might think I'm crazy, but I have a point.<br />
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Today I walked around Paris, up and down, left and right, some of my favorite places. And EVERYTHING is on sale. I bought a hat, really cute, warm woolen beenie for 2 euros. That's ridiculous.<br />
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But I am on a tight budget (as mentioned on my previous post) so I have 2 choices: I can either buy half of Paris, or eat for the next 2 months.<br />
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If I was obese, not only would I get to buy half of Paris, but I'd also be on a forced diet.<br />
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Unfortunately, I have no choice in the matter... no, I'm not suicidal. And I love food. And cheese. And plan on eating lots and lots of it...<br />
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Sales? maybe another time...Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-85399613168302093122010-01-28T09:56:00.000+00:002010-01-28T09:56:08.096+00:00And off we go again! (Rough itinerary!)<img src="http://www.webjet.com.au/site/images/world_globe_multistop6.jpg" /><br />
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I have just landed in Paris!!!!!!!!!! Could not be more excited, as you can imagine!<br />
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This is a rough itinerary, some of the dates are set in stone because of plane tickets which unfortunately allow no flexibility, (those are in bold) but everything else is still up in the air...<br />
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<b>27 Jan = Brasilia - Paris </b><br />
31 Jan = Geneva?<br />
<b> 5 Feb = Paris - Oslo</b><br />
<b> 11 Feb = Oslo - Tromso</b><br />
<b> 15 Feb = Tromso - Oslo</b><br />
<b>17 Feb = Oslo - Milan</b><br />
<b>24 Feb = Milan - Billund (Denmark)</b><br />
<b>28 Feb=</b><b> Billund- Copenhagen</b><br />
<b> 3 Mar = Copenhagen-Geneva</b><br />
3 Mar - 18 Mar = Make my way through Switzerland and Germany until I reach Frankfurt<br />
<b>18 Mar= Frankfurt-Berlin</b><br />
29 Mar= Paris<br />
<b>31 Mar= Mom arrives in Paris</b><br />
<b> 1 Apr = Paris - Tel Aviv</b><br />
<b>22 Apr = Tel Aviv - Athens</b><br />
<b> 7 May= Athens - Paris</b><br />
<b>10 May= Mom flies out of Paris</b><br />
11 May= Paris - Stockholm<br />
24 May= Stockholm - Paris<br />
<b>27 May= Paris - Brasilia </b>(unless I "accidentally" miss my flight!!!)<br />
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This trip has a lot of potential. It is the first trip I take with my mom (obviously not counting when I was a kid), I have planned everything and all the responsibility is on me, she's just along for the ride... for her, it will definitely be the trip of a lifetime, and the accomplishment of a life-long dream (to visit Israel). For me, it'll add a few more countries under my belt (somewhere between 5-7 new countries! YEY!), give me the chance to spend quality time (hopefully!) with my mom, see a lot of my friends who happen to be scattered around the Old Continent, and then when time comes to leave, have an overwhelming desire to jump off a bridge or "forget" I have a plane to catch, and just stay over there... and probably starve to death.<br />
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Needless to say, I'm going to be on a VERY tight budget. It's incredible that you can buy a Ryanair flight from Oslo to Milan for <b>5 euros </b>but can't buy yourself a sandwich with that. I bet if they still served food on planes, people would take flights just to eat for cheap. So if I cross your path while I'm there, <b>please remember I'm poor</b>, and will definitely not be able to join you at a restaurant (even if it's the cheapest restaurant ever!) or any other outing that requires money. However, I do have 2 very good legs, and don't mind walking anywhere... that's the best way to discover a new city, so if you're showing me around, don't hesitate to plan walking tours, etc...! :)<br />
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And if you happen to not be on my itinerary, but would like to join me for part of it, feel free to do so also! :) I'd be delighted to have people come visit me... :)<br />
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Alright, looks like I've already written too much....<br />
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Hope to see you soon!!!!!!!!!! :)Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-82606627099875115202009-12-10T03:23:00.000+00:002009-12-10T03:23:54.841+00:00Ooohhhh... here we go again...I feel it coming. That familiar feeling. That swelling in my chest that makes me excited and feeling like I'm about to explode. Yep. It's here. My disease has caught up with me again. I have to do something about it. I have to indulge in it once again. I have to scratch the itch. Yes, this disease manifests itself with an indescribable, and unbearable itch.<br />
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What disease is this you ask?<br />
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Itchy feet.Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8221224296969047825.post-47804858470471116752009-09-26T02:57:00.000+01:002009-09-26T02:57:23.528+01:00Surfer's paradiseThere's a city in Australia, just a bit north of Sydney, called Surfer's Paradise. I'm pretty sure the people who named that place hadn't been to Florianopolis, otherwise they would've thought <i>this</i> was a surfer's paradise...<br />
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After spending 5hrs in a bus from Pantanal to Campo Grande, and another 27hrs on another bus from Campo Grande to Floripa, we were exhausted, smelly and hungry. Shower was top priority, and since it was already past midnight, we decided to forget about food and crash instead...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCBK1xwkMsa4tXB1HNWoc8sLm-ZbcDedakGzhixFxHHpyN5xh2kobtjQkq7d5hzQEZ5gE7YdDX_Pzpg5nrqCre8VXjBcNSlKTJuMrZGh0fZzptqwPx9eT5DEd1w-UB2ktydgxBwvefwM/s1600-h/Floripa+%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCBK1xwkMsa4tXB1HNWoc8sLm-ZbcDedakGzhixFxHHpyN5xh2kobtjQkq7d5hzQEZ5gE7YdDX_Pzpg5nrqCre8VXjBcNSlKTJuMrZGh0fZzptqwPx9eT5DEd1w-UB2ktydgxBwvefwM/s400/Floripa+%283%29.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Next morning, I wake up and realize I've just landed in paradise... <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Perfect day, not a cloud in the sky, warm, beautiful! Breakfast is included, so we head up immediately and eat to our heart's content...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeK0wszmLriTFOtrh52ST4bgqLBS9VAPCTl7Dx2Yyye1sljFb7zb4mG9uwH2q6fzpzfvbz2O3_0fCCx5_d9d55s-RtIkLFC6xwtMnD24aTDfGUgtWype5B_ajI2S_9asrEP5jOP7GXSw/s1600-h/Floripa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeK0wszmLriTFOtrh52ST4bgqLBS9VAPCTl7Dx2Yyye1sljFb7zb4mG9uwH2q6fzpzfvbz2O3_0fCCx5_d9d55s-RtIkLFC6xwtMnD24aTDfGUgtWype5B_ajI2S_9asrEP5jOP7GXSw/s400/Floripa.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Delicious strong Brazilian coffee that I know and love! :) <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then, after checking the surf conditions which were apparently very good, my surfer friend starts to itch and we take off immediately to head to the beach, where I have a beautiful afternoon in the sun, playing with an awesome camera, taking loads of pictures and eating Acai... (his camera, so pictures will come a little later...)<br />
</div>Pattybutterflieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11332407876522950482noreply@blogger.com0