Frost

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
A luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night.

Venice

Venice was as astounding as anyone would suspect. It's aging architecture, location on the Adriatic, and flow bring everything together to make for a postcard looking shot every time one would turn the corner. And, if you're looking to take great photographs, only wait a few minutes and a gondola will come right around the corner, making your perfect picture even that much more classic.

Having just recently given an architectural presentation with a good friend of mine in the fall semester on the history of Venice, this was truly an experience to be had. This entry does not go into depth of all of the fantastic food we ate, the pastries we indulged in, nor the countless amounts of gelato we consumed.

This trip was a getaway for Maryann and I from our already getaway of a semester. We decided to take a trip by ourselves to a place that we have always wanted to visit. Albeit that it is the very closest in Italy we could get to, it was a great trip and something we will never forget. In total, we spent three days on the island of Venice itself, and one day at Alberoni beach - a small island very near to Venice. Here is a recap of our experience:

Day 1: April 10, 2009

After having arrive to our camping sight in Treviso, the closest city on the mainland, the night prior, we started our day ready to take on the tourist hot spot of Venice. First we purchased our boat ticket that would allow us to go to and from Venice as often as we liked within an allotted time period. Although this ticket was 25 euro for three days, it was entirely worth it considering the amount of bus changes and travel time it took to get to the camp sight. Once we had arrived, we started by wandering aimlessly (which was truly a treat in itself) until we found ourselves at the Ponte de Rialto (or Rialto Bridge), the most famous bridge that was not constructed by Palladio or Michelangelo, oddly enough, but Nicolò Barattieri. After enjoying our stay near the bridge for quite some time on a nearby dock, we finally decided to venture to the famed Piazza San Marco to see Napoleon's work and all the hype. So. Many. Tourists. Being Easter weekend, Venice was packed and, sadly enough, was too crowded to see Saint Mark's Basilica from the inside. On the exterior, it is as grand as imagined. St. Mark's square borders the Adriatic, and countless amounts of gondolas dock there. Finding a dock with no gondola, Maryann and I sat and watched the Adriatic, and were amazed at the fact that we were in Venice. Wandering for the remainder of the day finally brought us back to the campsite for some food.

Day 2: April 11, 2009

Our first day of breakfast pastries! We eat on the dock that we found right next to the Rialto Bridge the day prior, and enjoy the possibility to finally relax somewhere. My new found love for photography drove us to search for the most fantastic shots in the entire city - I think we found some (check my Flickr link on the left side of the Blog). After enjoying the morning, we wander to another part of the city next to the beautiful St. Maria Formosa church and rest with sandwiches at a cafe. The luxury of time in this place was truly fantastic - as my leisure of sketching in Venice became a daily activity. Next we decided to search for the famed Arsenal - a military complex that was once used as a shipbuilding yard during the late days of the Roman Republic. It employed a vast majority of the residents of Venice, and is today used as some form of a police base - which prevented us from entering. After continually exploring for the remainder of the day, we decided to sit on a dock and face the Adriatic, entertaining ourselves with the water taxis that passed and the amount of traffic that flooded the harbor. Watching a Venetian sunset was truly remarkable.

Day 3: April 12, 2009

The last day on the island of Venice, we arrive on Easter Sunday, 2009. While everything is packed and Piazza San Marco is unbearable, Maryann and I searched for a church not overcrowded and say our prayers of thanksgiving on Easter. From there we start our walk to our newly appreciated dock next to the Rialto Bridge but stop to get some late breakfast at a crepe shop (there is a picture of this particular crepe on my flickr). Sitting on the dock, I was able to sketch again, capturing so much of this amazing place through my pen. What a privilege. From there, we grabbed lunch and returned yet again to our dock (we silently claimed it as our own) and I quickly fell asleep after having promised Maryann I would help her with her experiment: counting how many gondolas went by this particular spot at the Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal. Granted, this was one of the busiest places on the water way, but was still perfect for such an experiment. Finally counting, Maryann calculated that in one hour 216 gondolas went by, and since they were 80 euro a pop that weekend, that put the total earnings at 17,280 euro in one hour. I need to get a gondola. We enjoy the rest of the day and the start our return back, only to be delayed by the biggest cruise ship I have ever seen go by the outskirts of Venice. I am so glad we were not on that thing. Camping was too good to pass up!

Day 4: April 13, 2009

Our last day in Italy brought a different experience. Now that our ferry passes were up, we decided to pay 10 euro for a ferry to Alberoni Island to check out the beach. We relaxed for a few hours, walked around, and decided to head back early. We ended that day with playing cards at the campsite outside.

Venice is exactly what you would picture it to be. If you ever visit, make sure that you have plenty of time. It would be easy to see all of the tourist attractions in one day, but to really experience it - and it is worth it - taking extra time is best. We were able to get away from the beaten path and experience quiet areas of Venice, where people actually lived and we weren't crowded by tourists the entire time. One of my favorite stops on our vacation.

Thanks for reading.

Brief

Back in Budapest after our 10 day adventure to Madrid, Barcelona, and Paris.  The world is just awesome.  Testimonials to come next week.  Tomorrow, Maryann and I will tour this lovely city for one last time, before jumping on the bird to Seattle.  We are very excited to come home.  

Time to sketch the coolest cafe in Budapest: Eckermann's.  Very chill vibe - makes me love my favorite type of music even more: instrumentals.  

If you want a sample of what I listen to  - hit last.fm and search 'similar to bonobo'.  That is what gets me through the long hours of drafting in the studio, and just chillin' out.  Great jazz and smooth percussions.  Love it. 

More to come!

Thanks for reading.

Tales from the Hang

My Flickr

Alright, one more thing:

I leave for Madrid tomorrow, hit Barcelona on Thursday morning after a lunar bus ride, and venture to Paris on Sunday with Maryann and Nick.  Should be a blast.

Today after Maryann and I visited the architecturally astounding St. Stephen's Baszilika near Deak Ference Ter one last time before we depart this phenomenal city, we got some Joe.  Following, there was a dread locked man on the steps playing one of the coolest instruments I have ever seen.  I bought his cd:

It is called a Hang Drum and was invented in Bern, Switzerland in 2000.  It is essentially two hemispheres put together to make an orb looking thing - or as Maryann put it, two turtle shells. There are only 2 people in the world that make them and it costs around 1500 US bones with a two year waiting list to boot.

His CD set me back 2000 HUF (round $10) and it was called Tales from the Hang.  Awesome instrumental music if you're into it, and great for yoga and just meditation in general.  Very spiritual.  Anyways, I'm hooked, and will pass it around to anyone who wants it back home.   I definitely suggest looking into it.  If you are a product of your environment and have an iPhone, there is an App for it on itunes.  

Lastly - I have to plug what I just stumbled upon: I found a blog of one of the only people of substance I went to high school with, and someone who has always meant a great deal to me.  He is spiritually inspiring, and one hell of a person - check out his blog/glorified Twitter account if you have time: 

http://chrstophrjames.blogspot.com/

This just in: Lego has introduced Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" ground breaking and genius design in a set -

Vitruvius Would Be Proud

Peace in Soul. 

Thanks for reading.

The Strongest Armor

I have to post this, as it is my new favorite Biblical guidance:

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:11-12

Truth.

Peace in Soul. Thanks for reading.

Haitus

http://www.flickr.com/photos/customfun

Readers -

Due to a combination of traveling, increase in schoolwork, and being unorganized my posts have struck a form of psuedo writers block which is sure to end soon.  Since my last post of Istanbul, Maryann and I ventured to the beautiful Venice on the perfect weekend of Easter and had quite an experience camping on the mainland of Italy and exploring the ever intriguing maze of Venice's makeup.  In addition, I traveled to Krakow, Poland with my group from the U.S. and explored that city for about a day and a half before seeing Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II - Birkenau.  That experience was at the end of April, and will be followed directly after Venice's post.  Lucky for me, I keep a journal of every day's events when I travel, and have all the information on a lengthy amount of cheat sheets; waiting to be put into this glorified moleskin.  For both Venice and Krakow, I aptly documented both via photography and posted the best shots on my Flickr page, so please check them out.  As soon as I send in my last paper for school I will be trying to get these posts done.  The 25th of May marks the day when Maryann, myself, and my roommate Nick embark on our final journey of Madrid, Barcelona, and Paris.  I will have plenty of pictures and stories for this blog.  I apologize for the inconsistency of my blog since mid-March, and will get everything up, including my recap entry once I return home, by the first week in June.  Will post soon.

Thanks for reading.

Istanbul

www.flickr.com/photos/customfun

This entry comes two weeks past due because I just had a wonderful week and a half with my parents.

By far my favorite of our excursions to date, Istanbul provided for much more than we could have ever bargained for. With no expectations in mind of our travels even further east, my roommate Nick and I set out for Turkey on the Thursday before our spring break. With great hopes of escaping the cold winter weathers of Hungary for some much needed warmer weather coming up from the Mediterranean, the Aegean, and the Black Seas, we landed to slightly warmer, but very rainy, weather. Nevertheless, we were excited to arrive. After over an hour trying to find our hostel, and Nick and I trudging through small side streets with our gear in torrential downpours, we finally arrived to Mavi Guesthouse with the aid of about five incredibly friendly Turks. The first thing we learned is that we were in by far the most hospitable place we had yet visited. And our hostel was the exact same - with a great breakfast every morning, topped off with Apple tea or Chai (traditional Turkish tea). After checking in I was greeted by a nice surprise of a note left from someone I had not seen since high school - Erin - who was studying abroad in Istanbul. To break us into this massive city (with 15 million residents) she took us to a very cool restaurant with some of her friends and to play backgammon afterwards. The density of Istanbul is nothing short of amazing - like San Francisco but on a much, much larger scale. This first night's introduction was great.

Friday - Nick and I set out to search around our hostel before Maryann and her friend Kelli arrived from Budapest. Waking up to realize that we could see Aya Sofya, or Hagia Sophia, from our window was one of the best treats I could have asked for - as I have studied that particular building in almost each one of my semesters of architecture school. [Brief history - Aya Sofya was founded in the mid 6th century by Emperor Justinian and was declared a Christian house of worship, seeing that Istanbul, or then, Byzantium, was the center for the Eastern Orthodox religion. It remained so until the mid 15th century when a Muslim conquest occurred and the building was turned into a mosque. The best part is that the mosaics and relics from the Christian use are still there today, and were not removed for Muslim use. The sheer size of this building is breathtaking.] Directly across Aya Sofya is the Blue Mosque, which is one of the most notable mosques in the world, and one that has six minarets - being the only other mosque to have so many minarets other than Mecca itself. I was in architectural heaven. From there we took municipal transit and were packed in like sardines for an hour to get to the airport to pick up the girls. Once they arrived we checked them in and took them around town. Seeing all the bazaars made them excited for the shopping to come - and in walking down the street we met our newest friend, Tom Jones. Not really Tom Jones, but that is what he liked to call himself. He wanted us to come into his restaurant so badly, and with so many promises of free and/or discounted food that we promised we would be back that night. (A common thing, since we were literally the only Caucasians we saw for days on end, was for shop owners to come out and approach us to get us into their restaurants). Ending up at that restaurant that night we ate dinner and then were ready to leave - but Mr. Jones wasn't ready for us to leave just yet. He proceeded to start a dancing party with the few people in the tiny restaurant, and had all of us doing classic Turkish dances - a very cool experience. This was cool until he started playing bad American pop music and doing his own dances, which were a sight to see in themselves, and wouldn't let us leave until he was done. About an hour and a half later we finally escaped the restaurant, unable to catch our breaths from laughing and wondering - did that really just happen?

Saturday - After an early breakfast, we decide to head out to see some more of this incredible place. Walking to bazaar after bazaar, and being hounded by every shop owner saying "My friend! My friend!. . ." we eventually decided to venture away from Sultanahmet (where our hostel was) to see another side of Istanbul, and to hopefully catch a soccer game. Once there and about to buy tickets, we were hit by one of the biggest hail/rain/thunder/lightning storms I have ever been in - and once we sought refuge in a local cafe, we left a puddle on the floor from our being so wet. However, with Maryann's excellent encouragement, we pressed on to get our tickets for the game - she could tell this was something I did not want to miss. After being unable to read the ticket due to our extreme lack of knowledge of Turkish, we finally got into the correct gate at the stadium with the help of more friendly locals after about four failed attempts and circumnavigating the stadium multiple times. When the game started, and with 50,000 screaming Turks (for a domestic club match, nonetheless) is was every bit worth it. Easily one of the coolest things we have done over here.

Sunday - The visit of Aya Sofya finally happened. The history of the building was so alive in every piece of stone and mortar that was crumbling, and the height of the main dome was astounding. The techniques that the peoples of that time used in order to create such massive works of architecture will always amaze me. From there, more bazaar searching occurred and lasted the majority of the day. From the small bazaars outside of Aya Sofya to the Grand Bazaar's outdoor shops, we got plenty of haggling opportunities in that day. My favorite instance was when I was approached by one shop owner who said "My friend! My friend! Where are you from? Germany?" - "No!" - "Holland?" - "No!" - "Switzerland?" - "No!" - "Mars?" - "Yes! Mars!" We were frequently asked where we were from because being from half a world away usually meant that we carried more money. I came to the conclusion here that if one was depressed or did not have many friends, they should just come to Istanbul, where everyone is your friend! As the day carried on, we wandered aimlessly and soaked up as much of the culture as possible.

Monday - Since now the Grand Bazaar was actually open, we decided to visit the massive tourist stop and see what it was all about. Insanity. Shops squeezed in everywhere with things that just made it seem as though it were the black market on a large scale made this fantastic. This was short lived as Maryann and Kelli were leaving for the airport soon. Before she left, we both ate a kebab in front of Aya Sofya - an awesome way to end our trip together. From there, I took Maryann to the airport and came back feeling very claustrophobic from transit, so Nick and I decided to relax by playing backgammon at a local joint called 'backpackers' which would be the following night's destination as well.

Tuesday - The last major historical thing to see in Sultanahmet was the Basilica Cistern. This cistern was constructed in the 6th Century also by Emperor Justinian, can hold 27 million gallons of water, is the size of two football fields, and has a colonnade that consisted of Roman historical influence. Completely lit up and with an ambiance created, this with a sight to see. The craziest part was that it was directly under everything we had been doing - the tram lines, restaurants, shops, and the whole busy city was just above where we were. From there we made our way to a bridge that connects land masses over the Golden Horn, which is a strip of water that runs up from the Bosphorous Straight - which connects Asia to Europe. Here, we had the freshest fish sandwich - as it would be caught, cleaned, and cooked within a matter of minutes. Incredibly delicious. More wandering and taking in the massive views of the city led us to relaxation and backgammon with apple tea at Backpackers again that night.

Wednesday - We wake early, eat, and pack for the trip home.

Istanbul was an absolutely amazing journey. It was the greatest form of separation that we have had, as we journeyed even further from our home. Being in a country where the national religion is Islam was also very interesting, and seeing their faith and devotion to their religion was incredible. The cultural pride is ever strong, and the sense of love for their city's history and development over centuries is very present. The culture is alive, the people were incredibly friendly, and I honestly loved being called everyone's 'friend,' as my skin color made me stand out like I never have before - it was truly something to experience.

Thanks for reading.