Feast Your Eyes on Turkey

Fresh off the plane from Istanbul, Turkey. It was certainly one of the best trips in my repertoire, and it was possibly the most unique place that I've ever been to. Istanbul really is the definition of East meets West with its European style and Islamic traditions. I know that my blog cannot do it justice, but I will do my best to put it into words for my loyal readership.


We arrived to our hotel at about 6pm on Friday. It was a long day of flights, connecting to Istanbul via Munich. The sun had already set by the time we reached the city, so we had to navigate our way in the dark. I traveled with my friend Sarah, who is studying in Prague with me, and my friend Katie from Georgetown, who is studying in France. We were staying in the old part of town called the Sultanahmet, just steps away from the most famous sights including the Aya Sofia and Blue Mosque. Before calling it a night for an early day of sightseeing to follow, we settled in at a cool bar nearby. Hookah (Nargila) is on every corner, and every Turkish person partakes in this ancient smoking technique. We did not stray from tradition.


Saturday was jam packed with the greatest hits of Istanbul. We started at the Sultanahmet, which is Turkish for Blue Mosque (the first picture above). Interestingly enough, we were unable to enter because it was prayer time. The call to prayer for the city's Islamic population sounds throughout the day from the hundreds of mosques. It was such a strange experience, considering I have not traveled outside of a mostly-Christian country before this. In order to kill a little time before returning after prayer time, we made our way to the Aya Sofia (pictured above).


The Aya Sofia (or Hagia Sophia) is one of the world's oldest mosques, built around 500 AD. It was the largest building in the world when it was built, and it is a lasting symbol of Turkey's Islamic traditions. It has been converted into a museum, where you can view the inside. It is a truly MASSIVE house of prayer, and the preservation and detail are just astonishing. It's also really interesting that there are Christian art works throughout the building because of the Byzantine conquest of Constantinople around the 10th century.


Next, we made our way to the Topkapi Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans for several hundred years. It sits next to the Aya Sofia on the edge of the waterway known as the Golden Horn. Absolutely astonishing views. Finally, we made our way back to the Blue Mosque. This was my first time inside of a mosque. We had to remove our shoes before entering, and it was interesting to see Islamic prayer first hand. So different than most Americans/ Europeans are used to.


After grabbing a street kebap for lunch, we went shopping at Kapalı Çarşı, the Grand Bazaar. It is a whirlwind experience, with literally thousands of vendors selling all kind of goods and crafts. You can buy scarves, hookahs, purses, lamps, plates, clothes, food, etc. The greatest part is that you are expected to call your own price and/or haggle with the storeowners. Not a Western experience in the least.


After a long day on our feet, we made our way out of the historic city center up to Istiklal Avenue in the north. It is basically the Times Square and Broadway of Turkey, with hundreds of shops and restaurants and big bright lights. Interestingly enough, Taksim Square at the end was the sight of last month's bombing in Turkey. I am glad we were not in Istanbul for that, but otherwise I felt very safe in this big city (the 5th largest in the world!). We had dinner at a nicer Turkish restaurant, and the food is similar to what you would expect of Greek food. Lots of tzatziki sauce and shish kebap. And of, course we smoked a little more hookah. It is difficult to drink in Turkey because alcohol taxes are approximately 100% with 99% of the citizens practicing Islam. A beer still only costed about $5, but that was a lot for Turkish prices. The Turkish lira runs about 1.50 to the dollar, making it an inexpensive weekend.


Sunday was our last full day in Istanbul, so we decided to take a boat cruise down the Bosporus to the other side of Istanbul, which lies in Asia. The main part of the city is considered to be technically on the European continent. Look, mom, I've been to my third continent! The cruise was about 1.5 hours each way, making it an all day experience. We stopped at Anadolu Kavağı as our final destination. It was a small seaside town, where we had lunch on the waterfront. We also climbed to the top of the large hillside where Roman ruins were to get a better view of the Bosporus Strait from the Asian side (pictured below).


That night, we settled into a really chill place near the hotel for some more hookah and a few beers. Notice, there is no such thing as Turkish made beer, so they mostly sell Danish and Belgian brands. The people we met in Turkey were by far the nicest I have met so far in Europe as a whole. Their English may not be the best, but it was certainly better than my Turkish! Every time we sat down at a restaurant or bar, the servers could not wait to talk to us to practice their English or learn why Americans had made their way to Turkey. One guy even said that he dreamed of moving to California because he was so thankful for what Americans had done in Iraq to free his Kurdish brothers. Pretty cool to see someone appreciate your culture and government (controversial or not) from halfway across the world.


Really, Istanbul was one of the most amazing cities that I have been to. I was not disappointed once...well except for the snow in Munich and Prague that delayed our return for 8 hours. But you can't have everything.

I will be back in Paris by Thursday - assuming the weather allows with more than 8 inches of snow on the ground in Prague already. Czech in l8r!

Scandinavia: Denmark & Sweden

My third-to-last weekend travel took me to a new region of Europe for me: Scandinavia. These Nordic countries make up some of the largest, coldest, and wealthiest nations on the continent, and I visited Denmark and Sweden. I was also joined on my trip by my friends Kim and Megan from Georgetown who are studying at the London School of Economics and University of Edinburgh, respectively.


After arriving early in the morning by plane to Copenhagen, Denmark, the three of us met up and checked into our hostel. The weather was significantly colder than in Prague, and it was actually snowing when we arrived! We started to the day at the Carlsberg factory museum, the largest and most famous Danish beer. They have the largest collection of unopened beer bottles in the world. At the end of the tour, we were entitled to two free beers, which we selected after deciding our personalized taste preferences from smelling samples. In order to avoid the terrible weather, we spent most of the day inside between the Carlsberg Brewery and seeing the latest installment of Harry Potter at a Copenhagen movie theatre. It was very interesting that we were able to just walk up and order tickets right before the show, seeing as that would never happen in the US.


Saturday, the weather was much better in Copenhagen, although it was still cold. So we spent the whole day seeing all the different tourist sights of the Danish capital. We began at Christiana, an anarchist commune within the city walls. This strange place is a free, self-governing territory based on 1970s flower-power type of principles, where weed and freedom run free. You can see by the picture that the residents consider themselves non-EU citizens.


We walked almost the entirety of the city, through historic and modern shopping districts. Pictured above is a typical Danish architecture sampling, from the Nyhaven canal area.


The Little Mermaid, written by Hans Christian Andersen, is one of the most famous works of Danish literature. This statue picture above is a tribute to the author and story. Strangely enough, we happened to arrive to see the statue on the very day it returned to Denmark after a year-long absence at the Danish exhibit at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. There were news crews and even a crane to lift her back into place, what a good luck!


Above is the world-renowned Tivoli Gardens, a more than 100-year old amusement park in the center of Copenhagen. It is known for its Christmas display, and we paid to enter just to see them without riding any of the rides. The displays were incredible, and it was nice to see Europe from a Christmas-time perspective.


Here are some fun observations of my experience in Denmark. It was great that English is spoken almost universally, so it was easy to maneuver in a otherwise difficult Germanic language of Danish. There are 7Elevens on every corner, a strange American chain to arrive in Europe. The city very much reminded me of Amsterdam, with the architecture and friendly people. Also, Copenhagen is one of the WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES. Meals ran $12 minimum for fast food, a Coca-Cola was at least $3 in a can, and we won't even talk about the cost of going out at night.


On our final day, Sunday, we took a short train ride to Sweden. Malmo, the 3rd largest city, is located just across the waterway from Denmark. It was cool to see a new country, use some Swedish currency, and experience what truly is the land of tall, beautiful, blonde people. We strolled around the city center, while grabbing lunch and coffee on a relaxing day.


Also, H&M is a Swedish chain originally!

We had such a great time in Scandinavia, and I managed not to spend TOO much money. Finals are coming up here in Prague, so I've been hard at work on my final papers (4) already. Next weekend, I will travel to Istanbul, Turkey, then back to PARIS the following weekend.

Last note, I just found out that I received a paid spring internship with the Department of the Interior in Washington. It's going to be tough to manage a busy schedule with that and classes next semester after being abroad for so long, but I am ready for the challenge. I'll czech in later!

Bratislava and Back

On Wednesday, we had off from school for a national holiday celebrating the Velvet Revolution and the end of communism in Czechoslovakia. To take full advantage of my free day, I took a short trip to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, which was part of the former Czechoslovakia.


Many people think that Slovakia is the "younger brother" of the Czech Republic because it has always been a little behind while being related. However, today, the Slovak Republic is a thriving country, a member of the European Union, and even uses the Euro as their currency. After arriving late Tuesday night, I took a quick stroll around the city at night. I stopped in the Irish pub for a Guinness and grabbed a street kebab for dinner. So good, and so inexpensive for Europe. Wednesday morning started off early with a walk to the Bratislava castle, pictured above. It looks more like a four-poster bed than a castle, but it was still beautiful.


Fun fact: Bratislava was called Pressburg until the 1900s because of the German-language rule of the Austrian Empire.


Pictured above is Michael's Gate. It lies on the border of the Old Town and is one of the last remaining artifacts of medieval Bratislava.




This is the UFO bridge, named obviously for its strange architectural style. It was built during the communist rule in the 1970s. Bratislava was badly damaged by communism and was left in ruins when the Soviet Union pulled out in 1989. There was a rebirth in the 1990s when the town was spruced up and the economy was thriving. With the entrance of Slovakia into the European Union in 2004, even more funds for beautification and historical preservation poured in.


I spent the remainder of Wednesday in the most beautiful and amazing mall I have ever been too. WIth the town being very small and compact, I was able to cover all the historical sites in just half a day. I decided to see a movie in the theatre to kill some time, and tickets were only 4 euros! PS - go see the Social Network, so good. You can also see Christmas decorations all over Europe already, since there is no Thanksgiving celebrations to kick off the Holiday Season.


I had a great little day in Slovakia, for just under $50. Being in Eastern Europe has its perks, and seeing towns like this are part of a once-in-a-lifetime chance to explore the other side of Europe. Next post: Copenhagen.

Berliner Braüs and Bears

For the second weekend in November, I traveled to Berlin, the largest city and capital of Germany! My cousin Joe and his girlfriend Daniela met me there after flying in from Florence, Italy. Although Berlin was not exactly what I had expected, it was definitely an amazing city rich with culture and history. Unlike many other European capitals, Berlin is a place to be savored and experienced, rather than just running from sight to sight and from museum to everywhere in between.


We started Friday at Checkpoint Charlie, the famous historic crosspoint between a divided West and East Berlin during the Soviet control of Eastern Germany. It is hard to imagine that only 20 years ago, Berlin was a divided city, as was Germany. It is even harder to believe that I was not even born yet when the Berlin Wall fell - my cousins were not very pleased when I reminded them of this fact (ha). So much of the modern history of Berlin is colored by this division and subsequent tearing down of the wall. The museum at the checkpoint was dedicated to history and artifacts of the resistance and secret crossing movements from the East to the democratic West.


We also saw the Brandenburg Gate, another famous marker in the division of Berlin during the 20th century. It is also the place where President Reagan made his famous "Tear Down This Wall" speech in 1988 at the beginning of the end of European Communism. It is interesting to learn more about the history of Berlin, as many of the other places I have visited in Eastern and Central Europe this semester were under the same rule as East Germany.


After a good night's rest and a long day of traveling, we slept in a little late on Saturday. Our first stop was the Reichstag, or German Parliament building. It is a prominent and grand structure complete with lots of recognizable German flags flying from every corner. Interestingly, there is often an absence of European Union flags, even though Germany (West) was one of the founding members. Unfortunately, the line for entrance to see the building was hours long, and we decided to spend our time elsewhere in the city.


After a long lunch complete with a few famous Berliner Braü beers (a light pilsner similar to most Czech beers), we made our way to Museum Island. This island in the Spree River is home to several of Berlin's most famous museums. This includes the Pergamon museum, which houses three large structures of antiquity. There is an entire Greek Altar of Zeus, a Roman Market Gate, and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon (pictured above).


Next stop was the Berliner Dom. This massive cathedral was constructed mainly King Frederick William III of Prussia; however, its extensive history lends it style to various different periods of architecture. Most notably, the inside is very ornate for a Protestant church, as most are rather simple compared to Catholic churches.


FInally, the views from the rotunda of the Berliner Dom were fantastic! You could see much of the see from the circular rooftop terrace. Pictured above is one view, which includes the Rathaüs (city hall) on the right and the TV Tower on the left. After an exhausting day of sights, we went to a traditional German brewpub for some meaty cuisine and German Weißbier (wheat beer) traditionally made in Munich.


On Sunday, our final day in Berlin, we made our way back to the East to see the Jewish Museum of Berlin. This unique modern establishment tells the history of German Jewry from 1000 AD until today. Obviously, German Jews have a long history in this region, and the museum paid particular attention to the Holocaust and commemorating its victims. Next stop was the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall. It currently serves as an art gallery with many different artistic drawings and interpretations. And, of course, it makes a nice Berlin photo-op.


Our very last stop of the day was in Charlottenburg Castle, the summer residence of the Hohenzollern. This is very similar to the Schoenbrunn Castle of the Austrians and Maria Theresa in Vienna, just on a smaller scale. Overall, it was a great weekend to see a new city and to spend time with family before returning back to Prague then the United States. Tomorrow evening, I will be traveling to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. I will be spending most of Wednesday there seeing the other major city of the former Czechoslovakia, since we have a national school holiday vacation. Then Copenhagen on Friday. Cheers!

Oh, and the bear on two hind legs is the symbol of Berlin!


Lastly, my sixth column in The Hoya from abroad has been published this week! Make sure to czech it out! Click here to read my article in this week's The Guide!

WWII and the Czech Republic

On Sunday, November 7th, we traveled to Lidice and Terezin, two towns located relatively close to Prague in Bohemia. These cities are modern parts of the Czech Republic; however, they are most renowned for their history during World War II and Nazi occupation of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Lidice was a small village that was randomly selected for complete destruction for Nazi revenge, and Terezin was a former Habsburg fortress and prison that was converted into a holding concentration camp for Bohemia Jews.


Our first stop on the trip was Lidice, which is noted because of the atrocity that occurred there in 1942. After Reinhard Heydrich, one of Adolf Hitler’s favorite commanders was assassinated in Prague by Czech paratroopers, the Nazis decided to randomly destroy two Czech cities as a sort of revenge. Lidice was one of these cites which was devastated not only physically but also in its population. Every single man over the age of 14 in the town was lined up and murdered in a firing squad by the Nazi SS officers. The remaining women and children were shipped off to concentration camps or Germany, where many were killed or forcibly adopted by German families. This horror is unimaginable, and it is unique because it was not related directly to the Jewish “problem” and the Nazi Holocaust. Today, this awful event is commemorated in a memorial and museum in the new town of Lidice. I was particularly struck by this event because the horrors done to the children of the town. Not only were they separated from the parents and siblings, many were sent to live with German families instead of being murdered just because they looked “more German.” It is hard to believe that a whole city was just wiped off the face of the earth in one day.


The second and more in-depth part of the day trip was Terezin, a Jewish holding camp during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia. Many of the Jews of Bohemia and Moravia, including those from Prague, were shipped to Terezin to wait to be taken to other concentration camps in Germany and Poland. Although life was certainly horrific in the despicable conditions that the Nazis forced Jews to live in, Terezin was relatively better than most other concentration camps. I was surprised to learn that there was such a cultural life for the Jews forced to live in this camp, when the situation during WWII had become so desperate in other places of the Nazi occupation. Compared to my previous visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, I was not as emotionally moved by Terezin. While it is difficult to comprehend the senseless horrors of the Holocaust, there is certainly something to be said of the difference between a holding camp and an extermination camp. Overall, it was very interesting to see how the Czech Jews were particularly affected by the Holocaust.


The histories of Lidice and Terezin are awful and difficult to comprehend by just seeing pictures and stories in museums; however, it was a powerful trip that helped me further understand the modern Czech and Jewish history of the World War II period.

45 Days and Done

WOW. 45 days until I go back to the United States. It's hard to believe that I've been living in Prague for over 2 months and that I have about six weeks left to my European adventure. Next on the agenda, BERLIN/BRATISLAVA/COPENHAGEN/ISTANBUL/PARIS.

As a reflection of my experience in Prague so far, I figured that I would come up with a top 10 best and worst aspects of my time here.

Things to Love:
1) Cheap and delicious pivo (beer)
2) Amazing new friends from across America
3) Traveling
4) Prague prices
5) Vinohrady
6) Having my Blackberry
7) ATMs
8) Easy classes and all A's
9) UNESCO World Heritage Sites
10) Nightlife


Things to Not Love:
1) The calories in cheap and delicious pivo
2) A weakened US Dollar
3) The commute to classes
4) THE COLD WEATHER
5) Mean Czech people
6) Cooking for myself
7) Smokey bars
8) European showers
9) Grocery Stores
10) Not being at Georgetown

Switching gears, I'm in the process of registering for classes for next semester already back at Georgetown! I've applied to six or seven different internships for the Spring, so we'll see how things shake up. I've got my tickets back to Washington from New Orleans on December 28 (54 days), and my whole family will be coming up with me to move me in and see a Georgetown Hoyas basketball game! I've almost figured out the paperwork to move into my townhouse in the spring. Senior year housing is also settled (7 months), and I've signed a lease for a townhouse off-campus from halfway across the globe.

Cheers to the rest of my Euro2010!

Fall Break: Budapest & Vienna

This past weekend, I traveled to Budapest, Hungary, and Vienna, Austria, for my fall break! After a week of busy midterms (still one more tomorrow), it was really nice to relax and sightsee. My friends from Georgetown, Katie and Lauren, had an 11-day fall break from their abroad university in Strasbourg, France (GAH WHY PRAGUE NOT ME TOO?). So they stayed here in Prague during my midterms before we all left together for our two-city adventure four-day weekend.


After a 7-hour bus ride from Prague on Thursday, we arrived in Budapest, Hungary. Our hostel was pretty convenient, and we rarely used public transportation since the city is so compact. Like the Czech Republic, Hungary was under communist rule from WWII until the fall of the Berlin Wall. Many of the features of the city and society resemble Prague, but Budapest has its own unique character. Hungarians use the Forint, their own currency, even though they are members of the European Union; and the exchange rate is about 200 Forints to the dollar. That means a lot of large bills at the ATM. A meal costs 1000 forints (weird).


On our first afternoon, we climbed to the top of Gellert Hill on the Buda side of the river. The city used to be divided into two separate towns on each side of the Danube until the 1860s...Buda and Pest. Buda is more historic and cosmopolitan, and Pest is more touristy and lively. From the top of Gellert, we could see the whole cityscape and even the Hungarian version of the Statue of Liberty.


After a night checking out some of the interesting Budapest bar culture (which includes "ruin bars," we took a free walking tour of the city. Our guide showed us many of the historical sites and stories of the Hungarian capital. St. Stephen's Basilica and the Hungarian Castle were the main stops. After the tour, we had a typical Hungarian meal for under $6, consisting of meatloaf, potatoes, onion soup, and beer. For the whole two days including hostel and eating-well, I spent less than $90. This is a testament to the affordability of Eastern Europe.


We ended our trip to Budapest by seeing the Hungarian Parliament (modeled after Westminster in London), the Great Synagoge (the largest in Europe), and Hero's Square. Budapest was a surprisingly cosmopolitan and interesting city. The architecture is very Western (following from Austro-Hungarian rule), and the people are so friendly.


The next and final stop of our tour of the Golden Triangle of Central Europe was Vienna, Austria. We took a bus on Saturday morning before checking into our hostel and figuring out the public transportation. There is definitely a visible difference between Vienna and Budapest or Prague, as the German language and heritage gives the city a wealth and power. The lack of communist legacy makes Austria expensive and advanced, but the sights are absolutely the best. We started by seeing the city cemetery, which houses the graves of all the famous composers that worked in Vienna, including Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss, and Brahms.


Back in the city center, we walked through the Hofburg Palace area. While there is not a lot to do in Vienna, it is definitely a city to be appreciated for its beauty and history. Once the seat of Europe's most powerful Empire, the Habsburgs, Vienna has more castles than you can count. The city center also is home to more than four major palace buildings all within a 4-square block area.


The food in Vienna was also very good, but expensive. So were the drinks, and the Euro strength does not help matters. I spent at least 50% more in Vienna than I did in Budapest, but that's the way Western Europe works. We spent Saturday night at a really cool club called Prater Dome, located in a carnival grounds. When you enter, they take your picture and hand you what looks like a hotel key. At the end of the night, you return your key and pay for cover entry charge and any drinks you may have charged. Quite expensive, but the more than five clubs inside was an experience.


On Sunday, we toured the Schloss Schönbrunn, the summer palace in Vienna of the Habsburgs. It is most famous for being the getaway of Maria Theresa (mother of Marie Antoinette) and Emperor Franz Josef (who lead Austria-Hungary into World War I before the collapse of his empire). The palace grounds are similar to Versailles in Paris, with expansive gardens and grounds. Vienna was really wonderful and relaxing. I had such a good trip with my Georgetown friends and got to cross off a few more cities in Central Europe.

This is my final weekend in Prague before finals. On Sunday, my Judaism class will travel to Terezin, a holding camp during the Holocaust in the Czech Republic. I'm sure that I will have an update for you, my loyal readers, in the near future!

Finally, my fifth column in The Hoya from abroad has been published this week! Make sure to czech it out, and feel free to give me suggestions for future columns! Click here to read my article in this week's The Guide!