Kat Zantow's Blog, page 2

Rome & The Vatican: Whatever you do, DON'T BLINK.

Ahh Rome, the heart of Italy.

The Mediterranean Cyprus are the national veins if the sun hits them right.
Otherwise they're just the national tree.
Dear reader, 
I know you. You are like me. We know the danger that winged statues pose.
And they do pose.
You and I, we know Weeping Angels are terrifying. 
Under no circumstances can you ever turn your back on a statue or blink around these horrific creatures, or you will find yourself lost in space and time and cut out of existence and you'll never see your friends or loved ones again! They live in many cities around the world, but there are no cities as dangerous as Rome and The Vatican. 
Shit. This one's got a sword.
Most everywhere I went in Europe, I felt safe. I walked freely in the street, day or night, without a care in the world. But not Rome. I faced unholy legions of statues, and stood immobile, paralyzed with fear, afraid to blink, knowing that to turn my back on one of these creatures meant a fate worse than death. 
In Rome, you are not safe. You cannot cross a bridge without testing fate. 
Don't blink. Recommended: 360 degree vision.
Unfortunately, Rome and the Vatican are pretty unmissable if you ever even thought the words "art history." You might see it from afar and think you want to visit St. Peter's Basilica.

Bright Lights, pope city.

Little could you know, it's guarded.

You aren't getting anywhere near that dome.
Don't Blink.And I do mean heavily. Guarded.

I SAID DON'T BLINK.
But if you do get inside...
It's safe, they're not paying attention to you.Still, be careful inside the Basilica. 
Don't trust anything that looks like a Dove ad.
It's a shame that the place is so dangerous. No tourist vacation is complete without a trip to Rome. Some very old and formative history happened in Rome. If you can manage to get past the weeping angels and sentinels on pedestals, you are in for a very classical experience.
Not-quite-friends in high places.So much history has happened in Rome, since it was built, March 17th, 753 BC. Much of it still exists in ruins that are beautiful and mysterious.
Again, watch for hidden dangers and don't blink.
Your primary mission in Rome is to eat gelato all day every day. I guess you could also visit the Colosseum. There were some fights there once upon a time. 
Gladiator? Hannibal hardly knew 'er!
Most importantly, in Rome, you see the foundations of Neoclassical architecture, by looking at crumbling classical architecture!

Some of it looks straight out of Washington DC.

Weeping Chariots?But Washington DC did not originate this art style, funny enough. Rome did. And if you go to the Forum, you can see where Democracy began! With the very first ever incidences of land-owning males voting as the ultimate expression of freedom, and failing to see a double standard for women/slaves/everybodyelse/etc.

The very pillars of democracy!
The experience is a rich and patriotic one, visiting the crumbling remains of a marble dome-and-column-filled empire that was once the most powerful in the world. In a way it is the democratic spiritual mother of America, the dome-and-column-filled empire that still has roofing material.

As a member of the dominant civilization, you look around and wonder if there is a lesson to be learned about the rise and falls of civilization and power. Then you go buy some gelato and think about other things.

Of course, if you ask the ancient Romans, Rome's spiritual mother was a she-wolf who nurtured Rome's founders. I guess that makes Shakira America's spiritual grandmother?

Romulans and Remus.

DO NOT TRAVEL ABROAD: IT'S UN-AMERICAN AND THE WORST

Goodbye, bridge in Florence!
This is how traveling makes you feel.
Dear readers,

I have seen a pernicious rumor going around the internet lately.

There are people suggesting that "going to foreign countries" is "good" or "broadens your mind" or even qualifies as "fun".

Unfortunately, this is not true. I know young, impressionable Americans have the best of intentions, but really, it's un-American to imply that any country has things that America doesn't.

AMERICA HAS EVERYTHING AND THERE IS NO REASON ANYONE SHOULD EVER NEED TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE. EVER.

Unique? Come on!
Where don't you see these in America?
I was duped into going to several foreign locations last summer, and I am surprised I made it out alive.

As a female traveling alone, it's a miracle that I was not KIDNAPPED IN THE FIRST 30 minutes of walking around in a foreign country, and sold into an Eastern European brothel in some scary place like Budapest.

Budapest: literally contains nothing but illegal brothels
 full of kidnapped American travelers.
I didn't see one bit of hospitality from anyone at any point. Nor did I meet a single person who made me laugh or smile the entire time I was in those horrible places. ALL FOREIGNERS HATE ALL AMERICANS, AND YOU ARE LIKELY TO BE BITCHSLAPPED BY STRANGERS ON THE STREET.

Contains un-American script.
Some countries DO NOT EVEN HAVE ENGLISH AS THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE. *A few* and I do mean a very few people had a marginal understanding of English. But really there was no way for me to make myself understood or to get around in any of these un-American places. I nearly starved.

No English here either.
Please believe me, it's not worth going anywhere outside of the US.

THE USA HAS EVERYTHING EVER, AND THERE IS NOTHING WORTH SEEING IN ANY OF THE LESSER COUNTRIES.

Some places in Europe have some things that are attempting to be "new" or "different" but really look like every American street corner.

Yawn. We have ten in my town.
Others will tell you that the history of foreign countries goes back farther than American history. This is patently false. God created the universe in the seven days it took Thomas Jefferson to draft the Declaration of Independence. SO PLEASE DO NOT BELIEVE THINGS THAT FOREIGN COUNTRIES SAY ARE HISTORICAL. 
Only falling apart due to poor construction.
So please don't travel. YOU WILL BE KIDNAPPED AND MURDERED IF YOU TRY. And there's nothing worth seeing either. America has everything of value.

Stay safe, stay AMERICAN.

Happy April,
Folks.

Top Three Ways to See Through your Venetian Blinders

Heading to Venice? Lucky you! I hope you like water.

Pretty much everyone goes to Venice to see a beautiful, romantic, unique city. Unfortunately, it's a challenge to get past the tourist-centered everything to find the true soul of the city. Yet it still feels, to some extent, like a city in transition from old to new.

A city with half a facelift.
Trust Venice. Allow yourself to get lost wandering the streets (not like you have a choice) and you learn to appreciate Venice for what it is now. Look around long enough, and you will realize that catering-to-tourists is the true soul of the city! 
1. Rain on that Parade


Venice has an intriguing climate that will completely alter your idea of Italy as an arid, warm place. It is said, at least by people with a solid two days of experience with the city, that the sun never shines through the oppressive overcast.
The puddles that form miniature canals through the streets of the city could drown a small child...so watch your small children if you bring them. Fortunately for any tourists walking around, vendors will sell you Disposable Neon Plastic Bags For Your Feet so you can maintain your dignity.
Get your feet wet in Italian culture! ...or not.
Despite the clear and bewildering lack of drainage in a canal/boat based city, the city-planners have their game down for making sure the tourists are not tempted to leave the round-the-block lines for St. Mark's Cathedral.

Tourists are raised up to justify the fees and queues.
2. Turn an Ear to the Canals.

With tourists producing standard tourist volume levels, it takes a while to notice the quiet. But if you happen to walk through the city late at night, you will realize quickly that something is missing. The drone of cars is gone. It's silent in a way they reserve for meditation on high mountain top. Silent in a way they reserve for horror films. Silent, except for the relaxing sound of the water gently lapping against and eroding the crumbling foundations of the Venetian buildings.

Still, water runs deep.
The novel approach to transportation is an amazing concept to ponder, as you walk and re-walk the maze-like streets looking for that one bridge that google maps assures you is there, but does not exist. Hint: go back three island chunks to get forward one island chunk.

without a car in the world...
Admittedly, a lot of the places around Venice are pretty beautiful. Or they would be, if the sun ever existed in the sky.

Every time you see something cool,
you will find you can't get there from here.
3. Window Shop. 
As you wander through Venice, you may find it to be a cold, overcast city that is half-sinking, half-painted, half-touristtraps, and half-masked. Just kidding about the half-masked part. There are approximately 347,941 masks for sale per Venetian resident.
Pick your plumage.
I confess, I love window shopping, and masks are kind of cool. Most of these would not do for every-day wear, but I'm glad, artistically, that they exist.

Venice's long history with masks began when there was a terrible fire in an Opera House, and Gerard Butler was horribly burnt...

What a load of croc. And bull. And frog.
Ok, that's not true. Maybe it's something about the Carnival of Venice, aka Mardi Gras. Which, by the looks of things, would be an event worth attending:

But really. A headless mannequin in a mask-shop window is about as useful as a...
life-size unicorn in a mask-shop window.
Whelp, that's it. That's all there is to do in Venice besides buy overpriced food and overpriced drinks and stay in overpriced hostels. But it's an intriguing place, and worth a trip to see the perpetual overcast that shrouds the city in mystery.

Zagreb: Croatia's Cool Capital.

Budapest is a tough act to follow, but if you are heading back west, why not stop in Zagreb? It's a place with a synthesis of old and new--a tough city with edge. 
Tough Kitty?
Croatia is a country renown for the natural beauty of their lakes and beaches. I strongly encourage you to visit in Summer, or at least sometime before September, to enjoy these nice nature-bits. I didn't, and it was literally freezing at night. But there is still much to enjoy in Zagreb!

Unnatural Beauty.
Great people! Cheap alcohol! It's part of that region of Europe that you can hang out for a while and not worry about all of your money disappearing via cost of living osmosis. So you can hit the town and try quite the range of Croatian drinks, which involve several brewed with honey and other berries, and a variety of artificially flavored beer! And any place where alcohol flows cheap is a good place to keep an eye on the pulse of Europe.
You make my heart beat-beat, beat-beat
like a drum for you-oo-oo 
And cemeteries! Do you like cemeteries? 
As far as free things to do, Mirogoj Cemetery is a beautiful place to walk around and tell ghost stories. Note: it is especially Pretty during the day, and less creepy. Definitely pretty with better light levels. 
Insert plot here.
And if you happen to go when it is dark you can see tons of blinking led lights left on the graves. A traditional electronic touch.

Flowers are so last century.
Don't like cemeteries? Surely you love churches. Zagreb's got that.

8-bit style, ∞-life tile.And there's a cathedral, but don't expect to see more than half of that.

Scaffold scoff.
But it is a lovely church.

I don't mean to be arch.
What else can you possibly want out of a city? 
Yellow. 
That's a weird request, Italics, but no problem! Zagreb's got that.

Arts and Crafts Museum! National Theatre! Horse-statue backdrop building!
Arts Pavilion!
Bonus yellow. Trams!
So check out Zagreb! Croatian hospitality can't be beat. And be sure to try the ajvar. Have a drink or three. It might set you back $5. Go thrift store shopping, and try to find a leather jacket for under $3 (I know I did!). Eight dollars well spent! Tour the city and take in the inspiring architecture above, and the inspiring architecture below!

Maybe less inspiring. Cubist, cubist.

Hungary? Grab a Budapest.

If you're traveling Europe, you should really make time for Budapest. Why? For the awesome.

Budapest: obligatory Hungarian Parliament Building Shot.Oh is it awesome? Thanks for the advice, Kat! I love awesome places! But why should I go all the way to Hungary? 

Good question, Italics! I trust you know I don't exaggerate. This city has significant cool points.
I ain't lion!But really, it's up to you. You just have to ask yourself a couple of questions: do you like artistic hipster night life? The answer is yes. Explore the Pest side (East of the river). So get yourself to Szimpla if you like having a drink while staring at bright trippy graphics or while sitting in a thing formerly known as a car. If you like techno and raving, get to Instant, where you can dance under a hoarde of flying rabbits. And once you've done that, check out all the rest of the less heavily tourist ruin pubs. 
What's that you say? You don't care about nightlife? No problem! Budapest has other things too. Like what? Like, (not pictured) really sweet Thermal  Baths that you can experience as daytime therapeutic relaxation or nighttime hardcore bikini parties. Like, (not pictured) really great second hand shops and used book stores where you can find sweet finds like an old copy of Jurassic Park for 300 Forint! Like, enormous markets with literal tons of paprika and peppers for sale.
I hope you like paprika. And if you go to the Buda side (West of the river) there are plenty of interesting looking buildings to look at.

World's most underwhelming picture of the very whelming St. Stephen's Basilica.On the Buda side of the river, you can see all kinds of churches and old stuff.

It's a roof with scales! Like Music! Or Justice! Or fish!Speaking of Fish, right by the church is the Fisherman's Bastion. Which is pretty.

Pretty Bastion.
It's pretty, from whatever angle.

Lots of pretty.
At night, you can either hit up those sweet Ruin Pubs back in Pest, OR you can look longingly at the beauty that is Buda. Which contains remnants from many different time periods.

The once upon a time castle. Still a castle.A great place to get a good view of the city is by hiking up to the Liberty Statue, which was originally put up to honor the Soviets for liberating (in a manner of speaking) the city from the Nazis. It was later re-branded, but lost none of that blocky Soviet chic.

The rebranded communist statue
Classic yoga pose.
One thing you will notice about Budapest: It has bridges. And a river. Like many European cities.

Back on the chain bridge.And a huge range of architecture, some of which looks like Prague, and some of which looks like sand castles.

And general old things.
In short, it's a cool city with a thriving night life and some pretty old things to look at. And if you go there during the shoulder season, it won't have the tourist overload vibe of many European capitals.

So go to Budapest. Come back from Budapesht.*


*You'll learn to say it like a local. And you won't suffer anyone to mention the city in standard English for a good six months.

Vienna: More than a Palace! But mostly a palace.

Neoclassical? Pretty Classy.Vienna is a beautiful neoclassical city. It's a great place to take the time to get lost and wander down unfamiliar streets. You will find lovely buildings wherever you look. And if you want to get lost, you're in luck! The free maps for this city were the worst I encountered anywhere in Europe! 
There are a lot of amazing facts about this city that you will definitely learn if you spend more than a day there and don't waste it getting lost.
Awww, horse hug.
Vienna is renowned for its Lipizzaner stallions (not carriage horses), which are trained from birth to death to prance and dance. 
Not the training process. I hope.
It's a beautiful city, though it seems cold around the edges at first glance. However, hipsters will find it full of boho-chic undertones. If you know someone that knows someone that isn't a tourist, you'll have fun. There are awesome bars full of board games, friendly people, and if you look around, you might be able to find a pay-what-you-want buffet! What more can you need? 
I have a lot of respect for the cold stone side of Vienna. By the looks of things, they have traditionally allocated the resources to libraries that libraries deserve. 
Forget the books, check out this library!
The other thing you can't avoid in Vienna is the deep and abiding influence of the Hapsburg dynasty. I'm not talking inbreeding and chins the size of a lesser man's head--I'm talking palaces! Big ones!

Not actually pure gold.
This is the Schönbrunn Palace. If you think it looks impressive on the outside, just wait until you see the inside! They didn't allow photography, so I respected their wishes, and stuck to exterior photography. I only cried a little.

The outside is ok, too.
The other great thing about this place: if you're not into seeing palace rooms or spending money, you can check out their sweet gardens for free! (Though if you want to check out the hedge mazes, you'll have to pay a couple euros.)
Not a maze. But pretty impressive.
But wait! There's more! You can also walk through the gardens all the way up to the mostly-useless building on a hill!

Palace gardens don't grow plants, they grow buildings.
But if palaces don't float your boat and you don't want to meet the friendly inhabitants of Vienna, you can always turn to the antisocial joys of night photography!

It's a thing! Yet another house of rats.

 Rathaus: where politicians spend their days.And another thing!
Karlskirche! It's a church!
Where politicians claim they spend their days!

8 Questions to Answer While Planning a Big Europe Backpacking Trip

I WANT TO GO TO THERE. again.If you've never done it before, traveling on your own to another country can be exciting and terrifying. A couple of you have asked me for advice on how to get started planning your own monster trip across Europe. The best advice I can give you is to plan to be flexible, because things can/will/should change as you go!

So here it is! A starting-point guide to planning your traditional grubby train-riding backpack-carrying Eurotrip! How do you get started? (And that is a question for all you veteran travelers out there--what did you do to get started?) At the very minimum, here are seven questions that you need to answer for yourself before you hop a plane to gawdnosewhere.

Daleks need tourist visas, too.1. Getting In: What about Tourist Visas?

Prerequisite to international travel: have a passport that will be valid for the duration of your trip.

Ok, I can't make blanket statements on visa things. If you are a citizen of not-America, I did not do research on your country, but I am sure Google can answer your questions. Americans: just remember you can't just rock up to every single country in the world, and even if you can rock up, you can't stay there forever either. Do your research. Some have fees on arrival, some require visa approval in advance, some require vaccinations. The most useful resource on the planet for understanding visa requirements: A Wikipedia breakdown of visa requirements (for Americans) by country.

Backpacking Europe? You're in luck. You can pretty much rock up and stock up on awesome memories. But don't plan to stay more than three months in Western Europe/Central Europe/Scandinavia/Other. The EU countries, more or less, have an area covered by the Schengen Agreement. It's slightly confusing, but what it means to you is that after you enter the Schengen Area, you won't have to get your passport stamped traveling between Schengen countries. Along with the big downside: you can only spend 90 out of 180 days combined in the whole Schengen Area. So once you've spent 90 days there, you gotta stay out of the zone for three months.

And if you overstay your welcome? I don't know, I assume Europe puts a price on your head.

Hostels: pretty street.2. Staying in: Hostel territory. 

For the classical Eurotrip, you are going to stay in hostels. They are a great place for making friends with other travelers and backpackers with similar interests (looking at old buildings and going on pub crawls). Most people you will encounter are between 18 and 30, though you can find outliers of that-one-Kiwi-who-was-seventy and twelve-year-old-French-school-groups. Of the people staying in hostels I spoke with, 100% reported they had not been murdered, though .05% reported a stolen laptop. If you are traveling on the cheap, you stay in dorm rooms with between four and thirty people, so you will make friends or enemies quickly. Prices vary by country and city, in general Western Europe is more expensive than Eastern Europe. Go figure. You can book hostels in advance via Hostelworld, Hostelbookers, and probably some other sites. I used Hostelbookers, because they don't have booking fees and their footprint logo perfectly illustrates the dirty hippies that stay in hostels. Kidding.

Hostel tips:
On the hostel websites mentioned you can check out hostel ratings and comments so you will know whether to expect lockers in the room or not, kitchen access or not, and mushrooms in the showers or not.If you know for sure you will be in a city (ie flight you aren't changing) you can book your connecting cities in advance so your jetlagged ass can settle in.In general, it worked best for me to book a hostel shortly before I got on the train to the next city so I could load a Google map on wifi and figure out where the hell I was going without stressing.There are random weekends, especially in big cities, everything is booked to hell. If you know where you will be, try to book or plan your weekend accommodation earlier in the week. Places with a rating above 70-80% tend to be preferable. If you go below 50%, you might find a mouse gnawing through your reusable grocery bag (aside: some places in Europe will charge you for plastic grocery bags). Things not to pack: Medusa's severed head.3. What are you packing (backpack)? 

I packed/shopped for a bag that would allow me to fit everything into an airline-carry-on sized backpack, because a) I didn't want to check a bag, and b) I wanted to be able to put everything in one backpack. I went with a 40 liter Osprey thing. It mostly worked, until the end when I decided I had to start stocking up on winter coats in Eastern Europe.
DO pack a backpack. Some people swear by wheely bags. They have never met the ubiquitous cobblestones that is Europe. DO NOT pack a really huge bag. I know you want to put in everything you could possibly need. But instead view packing as carrying the bare minimum. It's going to be on your back for a long time.If you are going camping, you will will need a bigger backpack and have a lot more gear to carry. Good luck with that.No matter what, your rule is to go as light as possible. You don't need more than five shirts, and you don't need more than two pairs of pants. Above all else, make sure you can walk forever in the shoes you pack, because you will.
Instead of counting dollars, we'll be counting...Euros.4. How will you access your Money?

Debit cards + ATMs are currently the easiest way to get money around the world. Why? Not every place you go will take credit cards, and credit cards without chips can be problematic. Also, sometimes retail clerks will run the transaction in American dollars, and you will end up with a much worse conversion fees/exchange rates than your bank will give you. This happened a couple times, which was annoying, so I mainly stuck to withdrawing cash from ATMs. Not too much cash. Rumor has it there are pickpockets, but I didn't see any.

DO plan ahead and check out your bank's fees for 1) ATMs in general 2) Overseas ATMS 3) Foreign transaction fees 4) Currency exchange 5) whatever other random fees you have to worry about. I found a lot of charts online about fees and what card to use, but couldn't figure out a clear winner. I ended up using a Capital One 360 Checking Account/Debit card and I didn't seem to end up with any fees ever, so I was happy.

Before you travel, CALL YOUR CREDIT/DEBIT CARD COMPANIES, and tell them you plan to travel between certain dates. Otherwise they may kindly freeze your card to stop the obvious case of identity theft from happening. You should also bring some kind of backup card in case your gets frozen/stolen/broken. Mine didn't. But if you do have issues, dealing with them is highly inconvenient from a foreign country.
Highly important tips:DO plan a budget, and remember to plan for transportation, accommodation, food, attractions, all the beer you are going to drink, etc.DO pack a wallet with a compartment for coins, because a lot are much more valuable than quarters. Remember that.DO NOT mentally equate dollars 1:1 with pounds or euros. Dollar is not strong. DO watch your wallet. Pickpockets are a thing. I didn't see any, but you should keep your purse close and your passport closer. Or somewhere safe. Whatever.  Travel via space port.5. How do you plan to travel once you get there?

Really, you can do whatever you like. Find people to roadtrip with, stick to trains, stay on the cheap with buses, or take budget airlines all over. Within cities, public transportation and walking are your bffs. I used a Eurail pass, and regretted it because I realized that there were opportunities like roadtrips that come up that can be fun.
Buses are certainly are cheaper than trains. I plan to incorporate much more bus travel on my next trip. The roadtrip segment of my trip was super fun. Pro tip: remember that the UK drives on the wrong side of the road, and mainland Europe does not.If you decide you want to do a lot of travel by train. If you are You can consider getting Eurail passes which are a 50% like saving you money while letting your schedule be flexible and 50% making you pull out your hair while you try to sort out their reservation fees and caveats.  Keep in touch. Just don't get stuck there.
6. How are you staying in contact? 
I boycotted the smartphone idea, and brought a tablet instead (and a netbook). It's kind of like bringing a banana to a gunfight, but honestly, it's really all about the Google maps. You'll either pay for the convenience of a phone, or do technical gymnastics to work within the limits of free wifi. It is super useful to bring some kind of device to access the internet, to you know, book hostels and tell your parents/friends that you haven't been murdered yet. Besides, you may well get bored once in a while, and a quick flip through facebook can cure homesickness. 
If your phone is on contract with a US carrier, read up/be prepared for a wide range or roaming and data fees. Better yet, don't be on a contract. With an unlocked phone, you can get plenty of sim cards around Europe. ...And good luck researching that.DO Copy any really important cell numbers onto a paper something, in case you dive into the ocean with your phone in your pocket and find yourself in a bind.Get International Phone Codes, and emergency numbers for whatever country you're visiting. Mentally, you're never quite coming home.7. When are you coming home?

If you have a firm deadline and a strong necessity to be home again at a certain time, you can save a lot of money by buying round trip tickets or cheap point to point tickets far in advance. Also, if you are the type that wouldn't save enough money while traveling to afford your return ticket, you're better off investing in a return ticket in advance to avoid getting trapped in gawdnosewhere.

But if you don't have a strong necessity to be home immediately? Maybe don't get a return ticket yet. Sure, there's a limit to how long you can stay in (most of) Europe, but you might want to boomerang off somewhere else. Once you start traveling, you will realize there are a whole lot of places to travel to, and you're going to want to see all of them. (Good luck.)

Long distance travel? Better fly.8. Do you actually want to do traditional hosteling?

You can really travel however you like. Hostels are a nice way to go to meet other travelers and never be lonely. Making friends to stay with can lead to really amazing experiences with more depth than hostels, which can result in you learning more about your roommates' cultures than the one you are visiting. Not that that's a bad thing.

What kind of trip do you want to take? Some people used Couchsurfing to stay with strangers. A full 90% of Couchsurfers told me about positive experiences, and 100% reported they had not been murdered. If you are traveling not-solo, you might consider private rooms in hostels or Airbnb for apartmenty-places. A few other travelers used alternative travel/work methods like exchanging farm labor for room and board, or working at hostels for room or money. One guy even told me that it was perfectly reasonable to sleep under bridges, but he may have been a troll.

I am not an authority, so, blatant disclaimering: if you find yourself stranded some small town in gawdnosewhere, I am not accepting responsibility. Google thoroughly about the places you are going. Google is your bff resource.

5 Things to Czech out in Prague

Prague Castle!For years, I wanted to go to Prague. One of my favorite artists, Alphonse Mucha (who designed the window below), is from Prague. Ever since some chick told me about a bunch of great Mucha exhibits she saw in Prague, I've wanted to go there and do that. That made Prague a definite plot point in my trip. Besides, I'd seen pictures. I knew it was an un-bombed masterpiece of a city. Before I ever got there, I knew I was in grave danger of falling in love with the city.
Window with an Art Nouview!
Thanks to a couple of scheduling decisions, I visited Prague in mid September. Now, September is a very nice month in many places. In Prague, September is a cold drizzle that just won't quit. Did I fall in love? No. Will you fall in love? Maybe. Here's a five step guide to enjoying yourself, despite the cold:

1. Bundle up super warm, and look at the buildings at night!
The Vatican, according to Eurotrip.Did I mention that it's cold? There's no denying that the place has a cold beauty. A very cold beauty. Especially at night.
Random towers everywhere!And the art nouveau influences on the buildings are really a great feature of the city. Take some time to wander around aimlessly in the streets and look at the needlessly pretty detail on the faces of the buildings. You won't regret it, unless you hate things that are pretty.

Mucha more art inside
(That particular building, the Municipal House, even has some interior decorating by Mucha. And a huge gift shop of art nouveau stuff.)

2. Bundle up super warm and look at buildings during the day!

Not domed to disappointment.
Really, there are a ridiculous number of overly ornate buildings.

All agog at a synagogue.There's also a castle. Did I mention the castle? Most of it is pretty standard castle. But the cathedral is kind of impressive. And that's where you can find the stained glass Mucha artwork from above.

Yep, pretty much like a Cathedral.
And there are more nice churches. If you're into that sort of thing.



3. Make Fun of the lame, but pretty, Astronomical Clock!

One attraction that is universally panned is the Astronomical Clock.
They say it's on par with the Munich clock. This one seems an even more effective snoozefest. On the bright side, it does have a pretty cool Astrological motif.

Technically, it's an Astrological Clock...
4. Listen to Classical Music in a place with great acoustics and pretty!

If you happen to walk by places when performances are about to start, you can get some very cheap tickets. This was the Mirror room, and they played music like Vivaldi four seasons. The sound quality was pretty great. It was civilized. Maybe too civilized.

Entirely too civilized.
5. Go look at bona fide bone church!
If you get really tired of the civility and class of the beautiful city, take a short train ride to Kutna Hora, a small town outside of Prague. 
Do you ever stop and think to yourself "Hey, self, I wonder what they did with all the bones after everyone died in the plague?" If you went to the Paris Catacombs, you would know that some people developed a femur-stacking hobby. If you make it out to the Sedlec Ostuary, you can see that skeletons are art supplies plus. 
Coat of Arms, Legs, and other Bones.
The whole chapel has a bare bones approach to interior decorating.

There's nothing humerus about a Skull Chandelier.

Facebook Friendships with Travel Friends

So you've been bouncing around somewhere in the world on a massive trip. Your Facebook newsfeed is now in several different languages. (This is awesome, though it sometimes means a sidestep to Google translate to have any idea what your friends are talking about.) Can your new friendships withstand the complicated world of Facebook and internet etiquette across cultures?

There are some very awesome perks of being Facebook friends with the friends you make traveling: 
You get to hear The Fox song before anyone else. You get linked to news stories that are different from those your home country's media is fixated on. You can practice your foreign language skills and get called out when your Spanish grammar is awful.You can share memories with the people you experienced them with instead of annoying your friends. You can watch their humor styles conflict with other friends.You can plan future trips to visit each other. If you are both traveling to a place you can maybe meet up again and explore a city together!They might even read your awesome blog! They remind you that you didn't dream the whole trip. (As soon as you get home and into a routine, this is a clear and present danger.)They're awesome. You're awesome. That's why you're friends. And Facebook makes it official.The people I've met have entirely revitalized my interest in Facebook! It's the easiest way to keep in touch with everyone ever, all at once!

But, you won't see these people in person for, at least, quite some time. How do you ever go about keeping in touch? Everyone is starting from a different cultural context, here.
No matter what your cultural context, Here's Some Basic Guidelines on How to Keep in Touch with your travel friends: Be genuinely interested in what's going on in their lives. Be awesome to each other.Make sure you can remember in which city you met and generally what you did together. Remember, when making jokes, that it is a little harder to convey tone in a Facebook message. When you remember an awesome place and the awesome people, take the time to drop your friends a line and remind them that it was awesome and so are they. Easy! Done and done. What could ever go wrong?
Usually, nothing. And it's awesome. 
But sometimes--sometimes--you catch up with people and realize that you knew them, really, only for a few hours, and that despite a previously pleasant exchange, their version of an online friendship is fatally different from yours.
Here's some Basic Guidelines on How NOT to keep in touch with your travel (or indeed any) friends:Do not confuse them with other people and reminisce on the wrong memories. (This will not make them feel special.)Do not post how much you hate a country, just because you had a bad day the one day you were there. (People from other countries can see you.)Do not post nationalistic/anti-immigration drivel about how foreigners are bad. (Again, PEOPLE CAN SEE YOU.)If someone is talking about travel plans, do not go into one-upping mode and talk down to them as if their plans or experiences are invalid and yours are in any way superior. (Yes, everyone is impressed you've been everywhere. No, it actually isn't all about you.)Do not scream "I've been there!" any time a reference to a place you've been comes up, even if it's a joke. (It's only funny to you. To everyone else it's a little bit braggy.)The best thing about new far-flung friends is that you are reminded to stay open to different ways of thinking. However, as openminded as you want these communications to be, be aware that, regardless of cultural context, there are some lines you should consider not crossing.
Here's some Basic Guildelines on How to REALLY, SERIOUSLY, NOT keep in touch with your travel (or indeed any) friends:Look at the messages you are sending, and consider, before you send it, would it be considered wildly inappropriate if communicated in person? If not, do not send it. (It won't go well.)Do not message them just to tell them that they are super hot. (They're aware.)Do not ask about your new friend's sex lives out of the blue. If an acquaintance wants talk about their personal life, they will bring it up. (Facebook is not OKCupid.)If someone tells you they don't want to talk about whatever subject, respect their wishes and let it go. (Persistence is a virtue. Except when it's not. Then you're annoying)If someone does not want to talk about what you want to talk about, do not bait them and insult them. (It makes you look really mature.)In brief, don't be a creeper in person. Don't be creepy. Don't be creepy online.  It destroys friendships. (Unfortunately, there is no complete guide to internet etiquette. But come on.)Do not message people every day when they do not respond. (See above.)
There you have it! A complete guide to cross-ocean friendships. Travel is broadening, and introduces you to new people and new modes of thought. Staying friends with people from far off places remind you to keep a broad and open way of thinking. But there's a line between broad and open and creepy. It's not even a fine line. It's easy to see, and easy to avoid. Don't be creepy.

How to Avoid Being in Munich, in Munich

All year long, it kinda looks like Christmas.
Chances are, if you find yourself in Germany, you'll stop in Munich sooner or later. 
You may be the kind of person that will walk into the old town and discover a beautiful quaint city of eternal Christmas and fall over from excitement. 
Every year, The Glockenspiel scores just below Prague's Astronomical Clock
as "most underwhelming attraction ever."Traditions are rampant. You can wander around a very traditional food-market, and find all kinds of bratwurst--even horse sausage! But wait, there's more! Like really big May poles!

May Poll Question: do we need a May Pole?And after seeing all that, chances are you might want to change things up a little and see something interesting. You're in luck! There are things to do near Munich.

1. Visit Neuschwanstein castle!

Located in Füssen, a couple hours train ride from Munich, you can visit this lovely castle that inspired Disney's logo. There are some surrounding lovely mountains that you can stroll through. And a lake. Though I'd advise to to stroll around the lake rather than through it.

View from Marienbrücke: aka tourist photo bridge.
It's a magical place. You can take horse carriages or a bus to the top of the hill. But if you take the time to walk, you might get a chance get swept into a fairytale.

And meet your toad prince!

2. Visit Dachau!
For less of a fairytale, visit a concentration camp! You can get photos and ammunition against any Holocaust deniers you meet. And it's only a 20 minutes bus ride from Munich. 
Legally prohibited from inserting a witty caption.

3. Oktoberfest!

Ok, this one is inside Munich. And there's nothing I can tell you about Oktoberfest that you don't already know.

Unless you do not already know the following key points:
It starts in September, not October. Next year the first event is Sept 20th, and the last is Oct 5th.If you want to get inside a beer tent and drink, make a reservation and/or get there stupid early.People watching is awesome: the lederhosen is pretty funny and the dirndls are super cute. Accommodation is super expensive, but you can find a way to make it work.
Oktoberfest is in tents.And if you've had too much to drink and feel the need to get rid of your alcohol, there are a huge range of roller coasters, drop zone rides, and spinning teacups to choose from!

It's like a monster county fair.
4. The Olympic Stadium

It's something like 20 minutes from the central Munich station on public transit.You can pay to do some stuff, like zip line or whatever. But if you are feeling cheap, it's also a nice place to walk around and relive the glory of sports.

It's like a miniature Mount Olympus!A stroll on a lovely day is highly recommended, to take in the sun and sit on the grass, and admire the retro-futurist design elements.

Live your Olympic dreams and sit around in a park!