Well, I'm back in Canada now. Pictures are coming soon; there's about a gigabyte worth that I have to upload, so please be patient with me. But first things first, let me recap the last bit of my Europe trip:
Location: Krakow, Poland
Duration: 1 night, 1 day
Ended up sleeping at the train station when I couldn't find suitable (read: cheap and convenient) accomodations. I wasn't alone in my overnight vigil, surrounded by dozens of other campers. Having locked my bags up in a locker at the station and staked out a spot on an indoor benches with my pillow, I had no real complaints.
I decided that I didn't have enough time to tour both Auschwitz and the Wieliczka Salt Mines the next day while still making my overnight train to Berlin that night. Having already visited the Dachau concentraion camp, I figured I should vary my experiences by attending the salt mines. The salt mines were quite the spectacle (and a reprieve from the 35 degree weather) with statues and a large underground cathedral carved out of salt crystals.
Location: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 3 days, 2 nights
Berlin was great, even if the weather was rather poor (cloudy, rainy, windy). I wholeheartedly recommend taking the New Berlin FREE Walking Tour to start things off. It's a quick visit to most of the major tourist attractions, and the guides will give you great commentary on its historical and pop-culture significance... or at least my guide did. Jesse was his name, if you ever get the chance to try it. Apparently Munich has a similar free walking tour, but I didn't get the chance to go on it.
Being my last free night in Europe, I decided to go on one of those organised pub crawls. Met a bunch of Canadians (we're everywhere!) and we hit 4 bars and 2 clubs that night. Got shitfaced and woke up in a strange bed in a strange hostel.
Fun times.
Location: London, Great Britain
Duration: 1 night
I didn't have time to see the town as I did when I first arrived in Europe, so not much to say other than it cost me about $50 Canadian to take the train from one airport (Luton) to the other (Gatwick) at midnight. Of all the airports and trainstations I've slept at (Dresden, Krakow, Luton), Gatwick was the nicest and most comfortable.
The airport was packed with sleepers and all the best spots (on cushy couches and chairs) were already taken by the time I got there, but luckily I ran into somebody who had a 2am flight and gave me their spot. Two funky shaped soft cushioned chairs that formed an elongated bowl for me to sleep in, and the bottom made for great storage since the only way somebody could take my bags (or even see them) was to separate the two chairs that I would be laying on.
Shopped the duty-free looking for some last minutes gifts and souvenirs, but before I had a chance to buy anything, I saw the screens say that my flight was closing boarding. After a mad dash to my departure gate, I find that they weren't even to begin letting people on the plane for another 45 minutes.
Stupid lying TV screens.
Location: Wandering the wispy, westerly winds
Duration: 11 hours 15 minutes
Hitch, Spanglish, and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events were the films shown on my flight heading home.
Hitch was enjoyable enough, although some of the dialogue (especially near the beginning) was hard to swallow. I liked Spanglish - a story that had a focus around a mother-daughter dynamic - even though it was a total chick flick. Lemony Snicket's, however, has got to be one of the worst movies I've seen. From the poor dialogue, trite plot devices, unlikable characters (all of the adults), and an overall tone that tried to be clever but I saw as just plain stupid, the only redeaming quality of the movie would be the costumes and set design. I realize it's based of a children's book, but that doesn't mean I can't call it a bad movie.
I read the first few pages of the book it's based on when the movie first came out (as a potential gift to a grade-school teacher friend), and the writing style annoyed the heck out of me. I can appreciate the attempt at a more personable, conversational style, as if telling the story in person in front of a group of crowded children, but I hated the tone and style of the narrator.
I suppose I am in the minority since it is apparently a hugely popular series that will be releasing its 12th book later this year. All I can say is that if I paid money to see it in the theatre, I would demand it back with a little extra for wasting my time.
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Duration: A good while, but hopefully not forever
The strangest thing I saw when I got back home was my room. It hadn't changed since I had left, but just the fact that there was but a single bed, and my personal artifacts could be seen all over the room just struck me as being wierd.
After a month of staying in hostel dorms, train stations, and airports, having my own room just felt out of place.
