I’m not sure if you imagined I’d actually sleep on the deck of the ferry; but, I did. See below:
Best bed on the ferry …28.10.2008 – 10:12am
I’m just over one week into my three week InterRail journey throughout Europe. As I write this post, I’m sitting on a train going from Munich to Salzburg. I’ll spend the day in Salzburg before catching a train to Budapest.
I’m fully convinced train travel is the most enjoyable way to travel. If possible, I’d never again set foot on an airplane – let alone a bloody airport full of ques, chaos, security checks, baggage weight limits, and the list could go on. I’m sitting in a six-person cabin which Brian and I have to ourselves. There’s plenty of legroom with no one telling me to wear my seatbelt or when I can and can’t go to the toilet. Instead of the sounds of jet engines and views of only clouds, I’m listening to the clicking of the train tracks and watching the green, mountainous, countryside of southern Germany slowly pass by. I believe you feel much more connected to your journey on a train – you’re able to see the ground you cover and watch the landscapes gradually change.
I greatly enjoyed my three days spent in southern Germany – in Bavaria. Munich was lovely; a perfectly sized city of just over one million people. One million welcoming, laid back, and beer loving people – on average, Germans drink over 130 liters of beer a year. Munich is the perfect example of a city where you could come to spend a week and stay a lifetime. If only I knew German. Other than hello, goodbye, please, and thank you, “Noch zwei dunkle bitte,” is as far as I got. ‘I’d like two more dark beers please.”
Brian and I had our first German breakfast with our couchsurfing host, Tami. Tami took us to a large, open, Bavarian beer hall with tiled floors, dark wooden benches, and a high ceiling where we had pretzels, white sausages, and a wheat beer. Beautiful. I guess there are certain beers you drink at certain times of the day – a fruity wheat beer according to Tami is a breakfast beer. We unfortunately didn’t have much of a chance to get to know Tami as she left Saturday afternoon to see her boyfriend in France. She did give us the perfect introduction to Bavaria.
On Saturday afternoon, Brian and I had a couple hours to kill before catching a train to see the Neuschwanstein Castle in Fussen; the castle is a 19th century Bavarian palce and is one of the most photographed buildings in Germany. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and we decided we would grab a beer in one of Munich’s many biergartens. Our afternoon got off to a questionable start. We found ourselves a sunny table and sat down. Unlike the UK or Ireland, you don’t go to the bar to get your beers. Instead, a waitress comes to your table and takes your order … or so we thought. We sat down and waited. And waited. And waited. Something wasn’t right; there were two or three waitresses running around with food and beers, but none of them seemed to take notice of us.
Finally, someone took pity on us, “This table,” they said in broken English, “is reserved for everyday people.” I later found out that we were sitting in a Stammtisch – a regulars’ table. The waiters and waitresses will refuse service to tourists who occupy a local patron’s table. Some luck! We moved tables, and soon we had two 1 liter steins of Bavarian pilsner to enjoy.
So, I’ll be in Salzburg, Austria, by 11am to spend the day and hopefully go on some Salzburg tours. If all goes as planned, I’ll catch the 5pm train and be in Budapest by 11pm tonight. mk
This post was made possible by Local Salzburg Tours.
Somehow, it’s always a connection to Iowa that drives me to sit down and post to my blog. I send my apologies to those of you who continue to check back regularly – only to find I still haven’t updated you with a new post. Much has happened since I last sat down to write. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure where to start.
First, my connection to Iowa. I was at one of the local pubs after finishing at Deacons last night. As I was waiting to order at the bar, I heard a group of people with American accents order – “Captain and Cokes.” Their accents were enough to at least let me know they were form the US, but so was the way in which they ordered their drinks. Most Scottish folk would order a ‘Morgans and Coke.” A small difference, but considering many of my waking hours are spent working in a pub, this was enough to clue me in to their nationality. Curious as to where they were from, I asked them.
One of the guys in the group said, “We’re from Iowa. Do you even know where that is?” I chuckled and pulled up the leg of my jeans to show my Tigerhawk tattoo. “I’m actually from Iowa myself,” I told them. They were quite shocked and said, “What? But you have an accent!” I don’t think I’ve quite picked up a Scottish accent – but, I think it depends who you ask.
Since sitting down last, I’ve said hello and goodbye to my folks. They were here just about one month ago for two weeks. We had a terrific time and spent some of our time here in Edinburgh and some of our time traveling the Highlands of Scotland. It was fascinating to get out of the city and see other parts of this country which has been my home for the past five or so months. The Highlands provide breathtaking scenery at every turn – lochs (lakes), glens (valleys), and bens (mountains) are everywhere. We hired a car and were out of Edinburgh for just over one week. It was great to again see and spend time with my parents – it was hard to believe it was six months since I had last seen them last in Ireland.
I was glad they were able to spend some time in the city with me and see where I’d spent my time for the last five months. My home, if you will. They were able to stay in the flat with Brian and I – we branded it the M & B B & B (Matt and Brian Bed and Breakfast!). They spent some time with me in Deacons and were able to see me work one evening. I took them to many of my favorite pubs. And, they got to meet Nicole – a girl who I’ve been seeing for the past two months or so.
If you follow the below link, you will be able to see some photos from the week.
I’m still not certain what I’m doing with my life. I’m taking it day by day. I’ll have to leave Deacons at the end of this month as my visa expires. I’ll most likely head to mainland Europe for a week or so before coming back into Scotland on a temporary visa. Ideally, I’ll find some sort of employment and work through the end of August so I can stay in the city for the Edinburgh International Festival. But then again, who knows?
I’m not entirely certain how it has already been two weeks since my last post. Where has the month of April gone? Thanks to those of you who keep checking back … my apologies for the lack of reading material lately.
Spring is beginning to take hold here in Edinburgh. There have been more nice days than rainy days in the past week. Something I’m not entirely used to.
So. Whats the latest? Well. You’ll maybe be excited to know that I’ve decided what to do with my life come the end of June. Actually, thats me being sarcastic. I haven’t the faintest idea. What I do know is this. As of Saturday morning, I no longer live in my wee Thistle Street flat. Brian and I moved across town to a flat where we knew some guys who were moving out. Other working holiday lads … two Americans and a Canadian. Still a one bedroom, but significantly bigger than my old flat – plus, we have bunk beds. And a microwave.
Speaking of bunk beds. This is where my parents will be staying when they come to visit. I cannot wait to see them. We don’t really have much for plans, but I’m sure it’ll be a terrific two weeks. I imagine we’ll do some things in and around Edinburgh for the first week or so (this way, I can still work evenings), and then either head to the Highlands of Scotland … or catch a cheap flight to mainland Europe. Who knows.
Also, I have a quick story that again shows how amazingly small this world is. I was working at the pub the other night when this group of Americans came in. Ten or so of them … I think they were in Edinburgh on some sort of business. One of the gents came to the bar and said to me sarcastically, “That’s quite the Scottish accent you have. Where are you from?”
After finding out where I was from, he informed me there was a lady at his table who he believed was from Iowa as well. Indeed she was. She came up to talk with me and I told her I grew up in Southwest Iowa. It ends up she lived in Adair (twenty miles away). “What is your last name,” she inquired.
“Kyhnn,” I told her.
“No kidding. Is your dad by chance Mark Kyhnn? He did my taxes for twenty years.”
What are the chances?!
I have some pictures for you all below.
me, posting to my blog in the Newcastle Airport, drinking a Newcastle Brown Ale
view of the irish countryside as I was arriving to cork … in three months i managed to forget how unbelievably green the irish landscape is
kinsale, ireland
irish pub of the year, 2004
note to self
when I was leaving ireland, i had a 12 hour layover at the dublin airport. i didn’t really want to spend the day in the busy city of dublin, so a caught a bus to this small, seaside, suburb north of the city. terrific place to spend the day.
a rather unimpressive view of the edinburgh castle
view of the city from atop calton hill
arthur’s seat
a loch in the area surrounding arthurs seat
view of the firth of forth from the top of arthurs seat
Thistle Street. You can see the entrance to the pub on the right. I lived about five doors down.
stay well, mk.
Below, you’ll find some pictures from my time in Spain – a wonderful two weeks of relaxation, sun, brilliant food, and beautiful cities. When needed, I’ve included some commentary and/or explanation of the shots. So, enjoy …
(editors note: you may notice my clothing changes infrequently throughout these photos – for three weeks, i lived out of a day pack sized backpack -luckily, many of the hostels we found had laundry facilities!)
brian, myself, and cat – drinking tinto de verano
Brian standing outside the Sevilla Cathedral. Sevilla’s Cathedral is the third largest in the world and the construction of it began sometime around 1400. It was fascinating. This one blew me away. The organ has 6700 pipes.
Looking up at the cathedral through the orange trees – the trees seemingly lined every street of the city. Unfortunately, a forbidden fruit for the oranges were apparently quite sour.
The cathedral at night.
The Plaza de Espana. A half circle of buildings surrounded by a moat. We didn’t go in, but from what I understand, the buildings are used mainly for government functions. What I do know, is the Plaza was lined with very comfortable looking benches that would be ideal for an afternoon siesta.
Okay, maybe we kind of went inside … a view looking out.
The inside of a Sevilla bar. Hanging from the ceiling, you see the legs of pigs – jamon. Nearly every bar in Sevilla had jamon hanging from the ceiling – hooves and all. Jamon is served very thinly sliced either by itself or on bread. Good, but extremely expensive – a small tapa (four slices
Guadalquivir river running through Sevilla
The Torre del Oro (Gold Tower) in Sevilla. Situated on the banks of the river, it provided protection from enemy ships trying to head upstream … constructed sometime in the 12th century.
Brian and I on our Sevici bikes – we were flying, I’m not sure how Cat was able to get a shot of us (sarcasm, notice the kickstands).
brian, myself, cat, and cat’s friend nancy drinking mediocre beers
Our last evening with Cat – we were on our way to catch the 1am bus to Madrid.
We arrived in Madrid shortly after 7am. We were tired, frustrated, and delirious. After mindlessly studying a map of the city for some time, we decided to leave the bus station (note: we weren’t entirely sure what bus station we were at). We really had no clue where we were going. After ten minutes of walking through the cold, dark, area surrounding the bus station, we promptly turned around. Plan B was getting on the Madrid Metro. After boarding a couple wrong trains, we eventually made our way to our destination, Sol.
Straight from Sevilla to the very center of Spain. This stone block is found in the city center Puerta del Sol in Madrid – it marks the radial center of all the Spainish roads – Kilometer Zero.
brian, lost at Kilometer Zero one Madrid morning
Billboard on the top of one of the buildings surrounding the Puerta del Sol – something like the first billboard ever constructed in Madrid …
Yes! The Iowa Restaurant. In Madrid?!
The Royal Palace of Madrid – the largest palace in Europe with over 2800 rooms. It was nice, but probably not worth my five Euros – equally impressive from the outside where the view was free.
The Madrid Cathedral. Neoclassical design – construction didn’t begin until the end of the nineteenth century, stopped completely during the Spanish Civil War, and wasn’t completed until 1993.
Plaza Mayor in Madrid
Below I have some pictures of the rarer types of tapas I ate while in Madrid. I think I enjoyed Madrid more than Sevilla – the deciding factor was the tapas. In Madrid, you’d go to a bar, order a beer, and get a plate of tapas – free of charge. Brilliant.
braided lamb intestines
kidneys (from some animal)
Oreja a la Plancha – delicious. Okay, well interesting. If you were a ‘food texture’ person, you probably wouldn’t be able to eat them – they chew exactly as you’d expect oreja a la plancha to chew. Oh, oreja a la plancha are diced pigs ears.
Brian, myself, and our two friends from La Sobebria (Lincoln and Julio). In the week that we spent in Madrid, La Soberia was our nightly watering hole. We became the locals … from Iowa. Each night, we’d sit in from of Lincoln who was the tapas chef. We’d spend the night drinking Cruzcampo, eating plates of tapas, and having the craic. I told you most bars would serve you a small plate of tapas with a beer – by the weeks end, Lincoln was shoving plates of food to us throughout the entire evening.
Backpacking Matt 
