July 22nd, 2011 Room 320, Youth Hostel, Bern, Switzerland 8:56 PM
Well, okay, let me PROPERLY summarize the day because I did not do it justice earlier.
So after we disembarked from the train, we proceeded to get thoroughly confused by the directions to the hostel (though they were relatively straightforward and we got to the Hostel eventually. Also, when I say 'WE got turned," I mean "THE MOMS got turned." The teenagers just followed them around.) But we got to the hostel, dumped our stuff, and proceeded to walk around Bern (this was around noon). We did a touristy photo op in front of Parliament (which, due to my tiredness, I often feel inclined to call it 'Palisaides,' 'Pandora,' and 'Pagoda' before remembering its official title) before deciding that it was time to eat food (aka lunch), which we got at the Co-op (that's the name of the supermarket. Most people in our group call it the 'coop' like chicken coop, but I'm pretty sure it's co-op). I had couscous, iced tea, a really good roll, and a paper box/ bowl of a local berry called Stachelbeerne that we got at the open-air market. That's German and I forget how to pronounce it - I just know it sounds rather dissimilar to how it's spelled. It's sort of like a pommegranite that's the size of a grape and tastes like a full-sized pommegranite ate a little tiny blackberry. (that's a lousy way of describing it... I just added that sentence in August).
Anyway, we went on a meandering walk around Bern for the rest of the afternoon. We crossed several bridges, went though a park, took lots of photos on the grounds of the Einstein museum (which was eighteen Francs for admission inside). We didn't actually go to the exhibits (partly because of price, partly because we would have been confused by the German info plates) but we DID Get some much-needed caffeine and hung out outside a lot.
Then we had dinner, and then everyone showered, and I wrote some letters, and now I'm the only one still awake in my room.
This is awkward.
I'm only staying up to let my camera finish charging - it gave me the 'low battery' mark by noon today.
Oh, wait, Mom's still up. I think my light is bugging her.
Well, then, goodnight. Will write tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Entry # 6, Europe Journal
July 22, 2011 Room 320, Youth Hostel, Bern 6:18 PM Swiss Time (12:18 EST)
Well, here we are. It's been a LONG day, and we're not allowed to sleep for another three hours so we can conk out ad overcome jet lag at the same time.
It'll be easier than walking all over Bern running on nothing but coffee and adrenaline and an hour and a half of fitful non-sleep. I am utterly EXHAUSTED, even though it's only noon back home. I've tried to nap, but something (or someone) has woken me up (probably on purpose) from the slumber I crave.
From the train station, we went to the hostel, which is a rather nice place, though a bit cramped. In my room is me, Paige, Mom, and Jean. I sort of wish the two Motivated Moms (aka nit-picky, can-sometimes-be-annoying-to-travel-with, I'm-going-to-be-with-you-for-three-weeks-so-why-can't-I-get-away-when-I-have-the-chance (that's my feelings on the topic) moms) weren't the moms I would be staying with in Bern, especially as one of them is mine (no offense to Mom...) but I'll just have to deal. I also have to write a LOT of letters.
And Paige and I are being summoned for dinner. Will write later. Probably.
Side note:
what I've noticed, looking back on this, is that I'm really pissy when I'm tired but I write really well (in a non-straightforward flowy, enhancy way, that is).
Well, here we are. It's been a LONG day, and we're not allowed to sleep for another three hours so we can conk out ad overcome jet lag at the same time.
It'll be easier than walking all over Bern running on nothing but coffee and adrenaline and an hour and a half of fitful non-sleep. I am utterly EXHAUSTED, even though it's only noon back home. I've tried to nap, but something (or someone) has woken me up (probably on purpose) from the slumber I crave.
From the train station, we went to the hostel, which is a rather nice place, though a bit cramped. In my room is me, Paige, Mom, and Jean. I sort of wish the two Motivated Moms (aka nit-picky, can-sometimes-be-annoying-to-travel-with, I'm-going-to-be-with-you-for-three-weeks-so-why-can't-I-get-away-when-I-have-the-chance (that's my feelings on the topic) moms) weren't the moms I would be staying with in Bern, especially as one of them is mine (no offense to Mom...) but I'll just have to deal. I also have to write a LOT of letters.
And Paige and I are being summoned for dinner. Will write later. Probably.
Side note:
what I've noticed, looking back on this, is that I'm really pissy when I'm tired but I write really well (in a non-straightforward flowy, enhancy way, that is).
Entry #5, Europe Journal
July 22nd, 2011 9:10 AM (Swiss time), 3:10 AM EST, train to Bern
Well, last night... argh. I got about an hour and a half of not-exactly-sleep, and breakfast was a cold, packaged apple turnover and some blueberry yogurt.
Getting through customs was relatively easy, but I nearly left my suitcase outside the bathroom.
We accidentally sat in first class when we boarded the train. There's not much difference between here and there, except here the seats are blue and they're red and a bit bigger (though not a lot) in first class.
Now Leila wants me to record an exchange that just occurred between her and Emily (as dictated by Leila after a super-long Photo Op Break):
Leila: when's lunch?
Emily: well, it's 9 AM, which means that it's 3 AM at home... so... it's NOT lunchtime!
The scenery here in Switzerland is amazing. Clouds hang low over the Alps, easily viewed from basically anywhere, because nowhere is more than several kilometers away from them. It seems like we're in rolling farmland one minute, and then two minutes later (like, literally two minutes), we're in suburbs/ urban areas that have French and German graffiti on the insides of tunnels. The only difference in graffiti here and graffiti in the US is the language - the big letters and hard corners in them are the same. But here, I've noticed, there are a lot more pictures in the graffiti as opposed to just words.
The hardest thing about being here is that everyone speaks French or German (in Geneva, mostly French). Luckily, a lot of people speak English too, but their first inclination is to ask you to move in French rather than in English.
I'm going to try sleeping before Bern.
Paige and Emily's French Ordering Lesson:
Can I have a coffee, please? = es-que e peu une cafe, si vu play?
Sugar = sucre
Je voudrais un cafe = I would like a coffee
cafe au lait = coffee with milk
Well, last night... argh. I got about an hour and a half of not-exactly-sleep, and breakfast was a cold, packaged apple turnover and some blueberry yogurt.
Getting through customs was relatively easy, but I nearly left my suitcase outside the bathroom.
We accidentally sat in first class when we boarded the train. There's not much difference between here and there, except here the seats are blue and they're red and a bit bigger (though not a lot) in first class.
Now Leila wants me to record an exchange that just occurred between her and Emily (as dictated by Leila after a super-long Photo Op Break):
Leila: when's lunch?
Emily: well, it's 9 AM, which means that it's 3 AM at home... so... it's NOT lunchtime!
The scenery here in Switzerland is amazing. Clouds hang low over the Alps, easily viewed from basically anywhere, because nowhere is more than several kilometers away from them. It seems like we're in rolling farmland one minute, and then two minutes later (like, literally two minutes), we're in suburbs/ urban areas that have French and German graffiti on the insides of tunnels. The only difference in graffiti here and graffiti in the US is the language - the big letters and hard corners in them are the same. But here, I've noticed, there are a lot more pictures in the graffiti as opposed to just words.
The hardest thing about being here is that everyone speaks French or German (in Geneva, mostly French). Luckily, a lot of people speak English too, but their first inclination is to ask you to move in French rather than in English.
I'm going to try sleeping before Bern.
Paige and Emily's French Ordering Lesson:
Can I have a coffee, please? = es-que e peu une cafe, si vu play?
Sugar = sucre
Je voudrais un cafe = I would like a coffee
cafe au lait = coffee with milk
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