Mussels in Brussels

This was a delicious meal.

Mezze in Cyprus was my favorite meal of the trip. We had all organic Mezzes at 7 St. George’s Tavern which is all you can eat courses. Some of the best parts were warm organic wine, pita, tahini, hummas, black olives, eggplant hummas,salas with olive oil, chicken and lamb kabob, eggplant,, eggs and zucchini, vegetable fitters,

Best drinks
Crabbies ginger beer in London during the surpise stop over
Stoli, fruit juice, and seltzer which Kacee made me when I finally made it to Cyprus 4 days late
organic wine at 7 St. Georges Tavern in Cyprus
baby guinesses in Cyprus at the Irish pub
Beer from the Brussels festival-Delirium and Leffe
wierd sangria on the beach in Barcelona

dali

I enjoy that the museum is set up in no particular order and with little descriptions near the works, it leaves lots of room for these questions. It is also neat that Dali designed the museum himself, as this is rare for artists to have the opportunity to show their work in the way they choose. I got lost a few times and had to double back through a room, but that is also ok because everytime you see something from a new angle or for another time in the museum you have to stop in puzzlement, look again, and smile.

Is that a spoon, an egg, a penis, Gala (Dali’s wife), lips, Abraham Lincoln, a dead bird, a loaf of bread, a rhinoceros, a telephone? And in this I believe Dali has accomplished his goal.

I had been wanting to see Midnight in Paris this in the US but missed it in the theatres, so Europe being a bit behind on movies was a good thing for me as Merel and I went to see it in Amsterdam. Gil (Owen Wilson is a writer on vacation in Paris and at midnight each night he goes back to Paris in the 20's and meets all these famous writers and artists like Hemmingway, FScott Fitzgerald, Picasso, Dali.


Luis Buñuel: A man in love with a woman from a different era. I see a photograph!
Man Ray: I see a film!
Gil: I see insurmountable problem!
Salvador Dalí: I see rhinoceros!

castillos

Annabel’s boyfriend, Roger, takes part in this common activity in Barcelona of building human castles. Many of the neighborhoods in Barcelona practice several times per week, and there is a competition every other year with costumes and music. It is a really nice activity to bring a neighborhood together because you need people of all sizes and abilities to build the castle-you need big strong guys on the bottom, limber lighter people to climb up, and a very small girl with good balance and no fear to climb up to the top, raise one hand above her head to signal that the tower is stable and finished.

Japanese family moved to the neighborhood only a few months prior and the whole family is involved in the castillos, with the little 4 year old girl climbing to the top. The kids are all playing around with the other Spanish kids and adults, it was really cool to see a community building activity like this in action.

La Playa

It is really cool to see an amazing and famous for the first time, for Barcelona this means Gaudi, Dali, Las Ramblas, sangria, tapas, the Gothic area, and lots and lots of running around the city. It is also really cool to visit an amazing and famous city that you have already been to without the pressure to see all of the sites and do all of the things that you “have to do when you are in Barcelona.” I spent a lot of time relaxing at a few different beaches in Barcelona, eating, and hanging out with Annabel.

Barcelona was a last minute plan, as it was one of the cities I could fly out of with my miles and I thought I could go to the beach and the the Dali museum which I had not been to. I was so amazingly lucky that Annabel has been back in Barcelona for just a few weeks after finishing her bachelor’s in Rodderdam, and invited me to stay at her apartment. Annabelita was an amazing host making me dinner-tortilla, ensalada, cerveza, chorizo, bocadilla de tortilla, yum! It was so much fun to spend time with her in her home. We went to a beach in the south called. Here Annabel was disappointed because there was a huge gray cloud that looked like it would ruin our beach day, and she said this happens like twice a year in Barcelona. However, with good fortune our cloud passed and we enjoyed the sun, and water, and some weird sangria on the beach.

canal tour

The houses in Amsterdam are very narrow because they used to be taxed by width. They are leaning forward a bit so people can move things in through the first story windows as the staircases are too narrow. Why did Boston not think of this? There is also a housing shortage in Amsterdam, so boat houses are common.

750,000 people and more than 1 million bikes

I do not doubt this statement in the least

Legends are powerful

At first I thought the name of the statue which adorns postcards, corkscrews, and tshifts in all souvineer shops was Manic in Peace, and it was some sort of play on words and the state of the world. However, the name is Mannekn Pis it really means little man pee. in an ols Belgium dialect.

                                                          

There are many, many stories as to why there is a small statue of a boy peeing into a fountain in the Grand-Place in Brussels. Perhaps this is why so many people go to see it, as it’s not very impressive. In the Museum de la Ville, which is a lot about the history of Brussels has a whole room of Mannekin Pis and all of the costumes counties and organizations have dressed him in-the US dressed him as Elvis, Japan did a traditional kimono and sandals, there is an astronaut one. All of the costumes have a little hole so the Manneken Pis can pee. I loved this room-it sort of reminded me of it’s a small world in Disney.Walking into the room there is a video playing from the 80s where they taped tourists from all over the world viewing the boy, and their reactions are all pretty much “why did we spend our time to come see this?”

No one really knows when the statue was built, why it was put in the Grand-Place, or if the statue is actually the original. Consensus is that statue was put up sometime in the 17TH century and the various stories as to why include a witch putting a hex on a little boy who was peeing to the baby of a kind peeing on invading troops. It was stolen several times and there are replicas.

Legends are powerful, and fun.

Beer!

I was really lucky to be in Brussels for the annual beer festival. Kacee and I got a late start due to our normal procrastinating-yoga, running, brunch, coffee, buying jewlry from a stand, buying chocolates, etc, etc. So we had a short amount of time to complete our mission of trying as many different beers as possible-mission accomplished perhaps all too well.

Some really interesting beers we tried were apple, peach, brown sugar, coconut, banana, and really bitter cherry.

Some beers I really enjoyed were the Leffe and Delirium blondes.

Brussels-it will surprise you

This is the slogan of the Brussels government or tourism ministry to promote the city, and I think it’s clever. Pretty much everyone I know who has heard of Brussels, been to Brussels, or is Belgium has told me Brussels is super boring. I don’t really agree. It has rained the entire 5 days I’ve been here, but I like Brussels.

The neighborhoods are made up of narrow cobblestone streets lined with balconies, flower boxes, and bicycles. The city center has lots of well preserved French gothic architecture like old government buildings and churches, as well as many green areas of public parks. This could describe many European cities, but as Brussels is small, there is a quaintness that I enjoy.

Observations about Brussels made after 5 days (so they are definitely accurate):

It smells like waffles everywhere-the metro, outside the palace, the pub. I think it is another pretty clever play of the Brussels tourism ministry to pump the waft of waffles and chocolate into the air.

The train station and system is very confusing, and people don’t really want to help you when you ask questions.

The museums and other public tourist sites do not have lots of English explanations-French and Dutch for sure and maybe an English card on the side of some rooms, if you are lucky. This does not make me mad because I speak English and want to understand what I’ve come all the way to Europe to see. I can sort of understand the French if I want to take the time to read it because of my Spanish. However, it makes me upset for tourists from other places-I have seen a lot of Asian tourists who don’t speak French or Dutch- and they travelled halfway around the world to see these things.

Euro Trip

I feel so fortunate to be on this very very last minute planned Euro trip for 3 weeks. The plan is Cyprus, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. :-)

In Bruges

Kacee and I watched the movie in Bruges and then went to Bruges the next day, and I recommend doing both of these things very much. The movie is a really dark comedy that makes fun of Bruges and showcases the city at the same time.

We did a canal tour

Ray: Do you think this is good?

Ken: Do I think what's good?
Ray: You know, going around in a boat, looking at stuff?
Ken: Yes, I do. It's called sight-seeing.

The swans

The alcoves

I would agree with Harry, the big boss hitman in the movie, that Bruges really is like a ***ing fairy tale-a rainy fairy tale for Kacee and I.

Driving in Cyprus

It was very confusing to drive in Cyprus, because everything is written in English and either Greek or Turkish. However, it is not always written in both languages so one sign might be Greek, the next in English, and your map is in Greek. There are some names that are easy enough to figure out like Lemesos is also Limassol, but it’s enough to make you second quess yourself in the middle of a rotary where you are driving on the left hand side and counter clockwise. Then on the Turkish side the names were not even close our map said Girne and the road signs said Kyprenia, our map said Lefkosa and the road signs said Nicossia. I understand why the man at the rental car place told me a GPS was useless.

The Green line

Cyprus was the last closed border in Europe with a Greek and Turkish side until the 90’s. We crossed into the Turkish side which was less developed and touristy than the Greek side. There were also Turkish flags everywhere. We got to see the Kvsrenia Castle which is some preserved some ruins from about the 7th cen. There was part of a shipwreck from about 300 BC, which they were able to date that far back using almonds which were huge and still whole.

Aphrodite's Birthplace

We went to the beach and rock where Aphrodite was born from the sea. Here is the story Wikipedia tells me about the legend:

Gaia (Mother Earth) asked one of her sons, Cronus, to mutilate his father, Uranus (Sky). Cronus cut off Uranus' testicles and threw them into the sea. A white foam appeared from which a maiden arose, the waves first taking her to Kythera and then bringing her to Cyprus.

Painting from the Dali museum at the end of my trip of this place

Mongolia in 3 sentences

During one of our last days in Mongolia the Boston students took some time to journal and reflect on their experiences. One thing we asked the students to do was describe Mongolia and Mongolian people in 3 sentences. Here is my description:

Mongolians are incredibly proud and warm people. They are proud of their beautiful mountains, vast and diverse desert, and growing city. They want to sit with you, smile, hold your hand, and show you the innumerable goat ancle bone and puzzle games they love, demonstrate traditional throat singing, or just talk with you.

Beautiful Mountains

Vast Desert

Growing City

Distinguished Guests

(Mongolian I can’t understand)


“We would like to recognize our distinguished guests.”

clapping

(Mongolian I can’t understand)

“America group-Caitlin.”

clapping

I give a little wave.

“They will be angry if you do not go up on stage.”-Girlee, the Tuya cabin group leader, whom I am fairly certain was brought up in a military family.

I walk onto stage at Nairamdal children’s camp in front of 500 plus people basically in my pajamas because I packed to be at summer camp with high school students for the week. I shake hands with the Korean, Chinese, and Russian distinguished guests-everyone is a teacher or leader of a school group.

(Mongolian I can’t understand. Mongolian I can’t understand. Mongolian I can’t understand. Mongolian I can’t understand. Mongolian I can’t understand. Mongolian I can’t understand. Mongolian I can’t understand. Mongolian I can’t understand.)
“Have a great weekend.”

The translator whispers to me in a British accent “that was a horrible translation, I am forgetting my Mongolian at boarding school.”

I smile and clap at appropriate times, and somehow the Chinese teacher is taking pictures and gets off stage and the Korean teacher creeps to the side. As I’m sort of alone, I whisper to the translator if I need to stay up here. He tells me yes, he thinks so, it’s symbolic, and kind of a big deal that an American is here.

I am humbled and feel so fortunate with the realization that in camp clothes, flip flops, and a pony tail I am thought of as an honored guest because I am representative of America.

Petrofliffs

The petrogliffs are one of the most famous sites in the gobi-no tourist can miss them. They are ancient writings in rocks-like hieroglyphics but in Mongolia, I told the students at lunch as asked if they wanted to take an afternoon off from hiking and touring in the host Gobi sun or or go to see the Petogliffs. Despite some stomach sicknesses every student decided to make the hike-which seemed like an endless assent to another “last cliff” in search of the ancient writings. When we reached the top the hyped up writings disappointed some students as there were only a few faint goats on the rocks. I was really proud of the students who climbed even feeling a little sick because they told me they didn’t want to miss out on the experience. I was amazed that the writings are there for anyone to hike and look at and not behind bars or glass in a museum.

Twincle Twincle Gobi Stars

In the Gobi Ger camp we were so far from any lights or pollution that you could see the stars twinkling-that’s not just a cute song. I usually need assistance to locate the big dipper, but it was nearly impossible to not look up and pick out the bright stars shaping the handle and bowl. The most incredible part was that there were no trees, so  sitting in the middle of the dessert you felt like you were in a giant planetarium.

The Gandan

I have visited a lot of famous and amazing temples and monasteries in Asia and marveled at the tall Buddhas and intricate decorations. However, visiting the Gandan with the Mongolian students as guides was the most beautiful experience. A group of students showed me how to enter by spinning the golden wheels for good luck for the future, hold my hands in prayer to my heart in front of the giant Buddha, and walk counter clockwise around the monastery turning more gold wheels for good luck and offering prayers to Buddha. The girls showed me how to exit in front of the Buddha without turning my back on the statue, and then to walk in a circle turning the gold wheel on the opposite side of the entrance to complete our circular journey. This is the kind of insight into a culture you can only experience when you are with friends from that culture.

Meat and Milk

Like much of Mongolian culture, Mongolian food reflects the nomadic and herding lifestyle which is still common today. In terms of food this means mainly 2 things-meat and milk. Mongolians love meat-mutton and beef is the most common. I have been served mutton with rice mixed with mutton as a side dish and soup of potatoes and mutton. Milk curd, yogurt, fermented mares milk, milk tea, and milk candies were all offered to me in shows of overwhelming hospitality in my host family, the middle school I visited, and the herding families the students interviewed as part of the student newspaper.


There are also a few fire and ice type “Mongolian BBQ” restaurants where you put your meat, veggies, noodles, and sauce, in a bowl and bring it up to a big circular grill. I tried horse at one of these. I also literally screamed (not my proudest moment) when I lifted the top of a buffest tray to find an entire goat head staring at me.



When we stayed at the Nairmandal children’s camp we ate mainly Korean breakfast because we were with Korean teachers. This was mainly rice, kim chi, eggs, and cured meat. In a very kind effort to serve something the Americans would like they also served cocoa puffs-and this made me very happy.

That's the goat head!

Welcome!

We are here on the other side of the world. From smiling faces holding American and Mongolian flags greeting us as we stepped off the plane to drinking traditional mares milk from a bowl and blue cloth and meeting our host families, we can say we feel truly welcomed here in Mongolia.

This is me and my host sister and group leader Tsing Sig. She's the best!

Mongolia!!!

Next up-Mongolia! I will be leading a group of 11 Boston Public High school students along with 4 teachers. Updates to come :-)