Primavera

My God!!! Has ever a girl been so lucky? Has ever a girl been so blessed? I came back from the most amazing spring break to find that Florence has warmed and bloomed in my absence! I'm wearing sandals for the first time today (although many Italians are dressed like its snowing still) and I am on top of the blue sky world! I think my cheeks are sunburned and its AMAZING!!! Now I'm going to give you the run throught of the spring break that changed my life...

Amsterdam: Three days in in this gorgeous city, which I discovered was the Venice of northern Europe. There are countless canals teeming with swans, cranes, ducks and strange species of birds I have never seen before. There are colorful houseboats and rowboats and tourboats and all kinds of boats, while I myself stayed on a house boat not far from the center of this gem of a city where the people there were so kind and so incredibly beautiful. Everyone was dressed as if returning from a magazine photo shoot, and their faces, their clear eyes, their fair hair and statuesque physiques, man oh man they can make a short, English speaking, travel clothes wearing, girl of diluted European blood feel-shall we say-out of place? Every building and home along the crowded streets looked like a dollhouse-not too lavish, not too bare, neatly organized, incredibly charming. There were tall open windows and blocky, but not burdened architecture that gave the whole of the city a feeling of cohesiveness and beauty.

Also, I have, unfortunately, been geographically ignorant and didn't have a clue where Amsterdam was (its in Holland, they speak Dutch, and use the Euro. If you knew this you were much smarter than me). There were clogs everywhere! And illegal substances that were here made legalized... lots of "coffee shops" exuding certain smells, and no, I did NOT get sucked in! The whole place was overwhelmed with bicycles of all colors carrying all sorts of strange bins on front or in the back for carting personal items or small children. There was even a lane in the street just for bikes and it was always full of traffic. I almost got hit several times (its not easy to get used to!) It was such a weird experience for me in Amsterdam. The second we got there, a man dressed in a banana suit came running at us and beat us over the head with an inflatable penis as his friends video taped him and the stunned reactions of his victims. I laughed so hard I forgot to take a photo. Each day we walked miles, and found ourselves in museums exhibiting artists such as Avedon, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh. The Van Gogh museum was showing a "Colors of the Night" exhibit displaying some of the most inspiring work I've seen in my lifetime. I was, to my surprise, drawn to his paintings such as "Starry night over the Rhone", "Portrait of a poet", "Wheatfield under Thunderclouds" and "The Potato Eaters" as opposed to his most famous "Starry Night" which was much larger, and had more muted colors than are advertised in any photo, pamphlet, or textbook I have ever seen. I was in an artist's heaven and stood in front of "Wheatfield" for maybe twenty minutes, falling into the electricity of the colors, the infinite directions of the brushstrokes, the movement, the suggestion of wind and rain to come and of a depth in space that seemed impossible for the simplicity of the composition. I have so much respect for this man who could take the mundane and make it somehow electrified and alive.

The day we saw the Van Gogh museum was our last day, and that night we walked through the red light district just to say we did. Oh my god I've been corrupted. I refuse elaborate on the things I saw, and will only say that inside I was cringing for those girls standing in red lit windows, staring at the passing crowd with such intensity as if to cast a line and reel someone in. I'm sure they do, I wonder if they wish they didn't.

On another note, the beer was phenomenal. The Heinekin brewery held tours (we weren't going to pay an arm or leg to experience what we could in the bar), and we also tried a few other ales from Belgium and the Netherlands that were so light and crisp and packed a mouthful of flavor. Yuuuum. During this time I'd been with a group of five, and the last day I split off to join my eccentric friend Ethan on further adventurings...

Scotland: Around 6 P.M. Ethan and I got on board the flight to Scotland. I could not describe the excitement bubbling up inside me...which soon turned into the jaw dropped, nose plugged crestfallen disgust upon our arrival at our paper mache scottish castle hostel. EEEW. Oil stains on the sheets, I could not sleep at night because of the smell which I would describe as a "Scottish warriors foot". No matter, it was late, I was exhausted, and the next day I met some new friends who were Brown graduates touring Europe. Together, we explored Edinbugh castle which was right around the corner. There, we saw the "Scottish Honours": A sword, scepter, crown, wand, sword belt, and the STONE OF DESTINY!! (did you hear that echo?) The stone of Destiny is a giant square rock which each successive king of Scotland would sit on during their coronation. Once stolen by the British and returned decades and decades later after a tearfelt plea to the Queen. I also saw the prisons there, which had grafitti from the 1700's. One image was a boat carved into the door planks by an American that had been captured at sea. Flying from the boat's mast was an early version of the American flag...woah.

Later that day we entered a bag pipe shop to learn a bit about it... dont remember much... and then climbed a gigantic craggy hill called "Arthur's seat". It was a gorgeous day and the climb was so refreshing. At this point Ethan, who wasn't fond of my new friends as he is very particular about his company, trudged ahead without a word and we didn't see him again until we reached the very top, at which point he again, trecked off in another direction (no offense to Ethan, but I didn't mind. He was starting to drive me insane. He was so indecisive and shifty and irresponsible with his things over the  course of this trip so I often let him do his own thing. Don't worry mom and dad, I was not afraid for my well being, I did a really good job taking care of myself I promise!). Anyway, the view from the top was increcible, I saw the sun set at the exact same time that the moon rose over the ocean and bordering hills, giving either side of the sky a golden and a navy-violet hue as the sun sank low and the moon--a perfect silver dollar--pushed slowly out from behind the clouds. On the way down, we found a stone jutting out of the crag (only two feet off the ground momma...) which we christened our own stone of destiny, and each took a photo standing on the precipice of Edinburgh.

The next day was my long awaited trip to Glasgow where my darling Sammie Francis studied! I was so excited I could barely contain myself. We hopped aboard a train and were there in about an hour and a half. When we got there we were in Glasgow's center. It was raining and the downtown area was not too exciting. I asked a station employee how to get to West End and I swear, that man could NOT have been speaking English! The accent in Glasgow was my absolute favorite--sometimes impossible to understand, but so thick and rich and rolling and rugged and beautiful. Politely nodding (though I had no idea) I followed in the direction he pointed and after making about three circles around the city center we eventually stopped, dismayed, in a pub called the Admiral. There, we ate burgers with brown sauce...BROWN SAUCE? Don't ask, I don't know. And I asked the bartender if he could direct me to Sammie's pub, Jinty McGuinty's. Just my luck, he knew! He drew a small map which I've saved and we followed it down a few blocks, a couple stops on the underground, out the door and around the corner to stumble upon the one and only Jinty's. My face was killing me from smiling so big and I couldn't help myself, I had to jump!! The locals probably thought I was a psycho but it felt so great to be so close to something so special to my best friend. It was like coming home.

We walked around a bit before going in because we were so full to begin with, and we came across some amazing cathedrals and shops of all kinds. The coolest of them all was the University of Glasgow. It was a collosal structure with highly decorative, gothic architecture and looked straight out of Harry Potter. We walked around and eventually came to the chapel which I was compelled to enter. Inside, to my pleasant surprise, it was exactly like the chapel back at Bowdoin. Long, with side pews, stained glass, and a piano at the end. The only difference: This piano was unlocked. I sat and I played and I sang and no one came in, no one protested, and I let every notion of where or who I was slip away so that I was just one happy girl with every worry erased, at least for the moment. I left feeling cleansed and we made our way back to Jinty McGuinty's where I had my first Guinness in honor of Sammie. This cold, dark, coffee bitter, creamy smooth delight capped by a foam equally as smooth was quite possibly the most delicious thing I've tasted. My oh my. It was actually really hard for me to leave that bar, and I won't lie, I clutched that table hard before I left because for a moment I was choked up. It felt like I was leaving home again, leaving comfort, leaving Sammie. At least I took tons of photos and I will never forget how wonderful it felt to sit in that bar, knowing my eyes were resting on all these things that Sammie had seen and touched. We got back into Edinburgh late at night and found an Indian food restaurant, which I tried for the first time in my life. So many flavors! It was so delicious and spicy and nutty and good, and that night I would have slept well had I not spent the entirety of it in the downstairs lounge avoiding my bedroom, and chatting with my new made friends before my departure for England. They taught me how to play Backgammon!

Ambleside: It was exactly what you would imagine! Rolling hills, fields speckled with the forms of distand sheep and horses within low stone walls stretching for miles. There were high, fast rolling clouds in gray and yellow and baby blue and moments of sun on endless green. Welcome to the real English countryside. Once we got off the train, Ethan and I took a double decker bus into town and went in search of food. We didn't find much but we did go in a cafe where I purchased a slice of chocolate cake and a glass of hot cocoa with the works: marshmallow, whipped cream and flakes and I happily sipped the chocolatey concoction while a Beetles soundtrack played in the background. Ethan eyed my cake for the longest time without blinking, after he had greedily devoured his Indian food leftovers, but I ignored his lack of manners (can you tell I'm pretty fed up at this point?) Leaving the cafe we went back up the street and walked up a long hill past quaint English cottages whose garden's infused the moisture heavy air with the scent of basil. We found the hostel very easily and it was like a dream. Stone walls, small porch, cozy lounge with a gas fire and an old Melodica upright piano, a tv, and my god... Finally clean, crisp, wonderfully fresh linens. We put our bags down on our bunks  and I ran downstairs to take pictures of the lounge because with its floral patterned arm chairs it was just too good to be true. I was caught in the act. A thirty five year old physical therapist from Yorkshire with a short grey buzz cut and worn down flip flops entered the room and looked at me curiously, so of course I had to explain the difference between here and the hostel I'd just left! We struck up conversation, Ethan soon entered, and we became friends. Turns out he works for the most famous rugby teams in England and vacations alone in the countryside to go rock climbing and enjoy a bit of quiet. After a while he told us he was heading into a nearby town called Rydall to have a bite to eat at the Badger Lodge and he invited us to come alone. Happy to have something to do we accepted and made the ten minute drive to the old, authentic English pub and enjoyed chips with our meals! I love how they call fries, "chips" it just sounds so cute. Also, as it turns out, its called Badger lodge after the gigantic Badgers that emerge from the night and frequent the yard of the pub to feast upon its scraps. It was an amazing sight because they were some of the strangest animals I've ever seen with short stubby legs on their squat but heavy gray bodies with huge black heads that had two lightning like stripes down the front. Very interesting. When we got back into town we went to another pub down the street where the therapist and I ordered a glass of port to go with our glass of Guinness. Here's a tip:

1 glass draft Guinness - one large sip + one small glass of port = sweet, sweet Guinness delight. Although I'm still partial to its pure state.

Ethan, highly effected by the alcohol content, went on a forty five minute talking marathon with not one word from either of his companions, which I'm sure was therapeutic for him, however our English guest had to interrupt at a point on my behalf because I was literally falling asleep on the table.

The next day we had to catch a late train and I was so comfortable in that lounge with the tv and soft pillows that I didn't budge. Ethan walked out an onward into the rain and fog but I was quite content with my decision. I lazed and wrote in my journal, and maybe a half hour in an alarm sounded! I was the only one left in this hostel and I was terrified that maybe I had set of a motion detector or someone had broken in. I peeked out in the hallway and the alarm was ear piercing. My heart was racing and I froze. I just didn't know what to do! Two minutes in and the old man who owns the place violently opens the door which nearly took a chunk out of my face and starts yelling, "It's a fire alarm! It's a fire alarm! Get out! Get out, get out!" Completely disoriented I grab my coat from the sofa and he rages, "LEAVE EVERYTHING AND GET OUT!" I run out the front door into the pouring rain and turn around just as he shuts the front door and stands in the shelter of the doorway. He shuffles and sputters, "Well! That was a fire alarm test and I am incredibly annoyed that after TWO MINUTES I still find you in there. Did my wife not explain to you when you checked in what a fire alarm sounds like? Now I have to mark it as a FAILED TEST and it is VERY annoying!" Shocked and insulted I followed him back inside babbling about how I thought it was a robbery and how the alarm sounds different than the ones I'm used to and he continued to condescend to me, humiliating me. I apologized, "I'm sorry to be a disappointment"and walked into the lounge where I sat stunned for a good ten minutes and then began to cry. I couldn't stop! I had been so shaken by the scare and so shocked and offended by his rudeness that I just broke down. He made a half apology later which prevented me from giving him a passive aggressive note I'd written to make him aware of how much of a prick he had just been, pulling a stunt like that on a lone girl in a foreign country, and I left more than ready to leave that place behind. Unfortunately, I also left my umbrella and toothpaste. Oh well.

London: The very second I got off the train I understood why this was Laine, my cousin's city. It was so young and classy and stylish and fun! What a beautiful place. Ethan and I had arranged to stay with his cousin Rohan for the next two nights to save money, so Rohan was the one who came to pick us up. We rode the tube a couple stops and arrived right next to the Thames river. Walking down the riverside at night, with all the people out and all the buildings lit so brightly and Tower Bridge like a blue and gold masterpiece rising out of the darkness, I thought I was walking in a dream. When we got to Rohan's place I was yet again surprised by my housing, seeing as Rohan lives in a dorm room no bigger than a closet, had another guest also sleeping on the floor, and Ethan and I were to fit in there as well on small dorm couch mattresses laid out in the remaining space. At that point I didn't care how comfortable it was, I just wanted to sleep, but again, the smell of a boy's room was a little hard to overcome. 

The next day Ethan and I grabbed a quick bagel breakfast at a teahouse around the corner where he told me he had been planning to leave for the day and meet up with a friend just outside London. I had noooo qualms about that so off he went and off I went in another direction, bouncing happily down the street feeling in charge of my own destiny! The first sign I saw was for Shakespeare's Globe Theater so I followed it down and down until there it stood before me! I bought a ticket and went on the tour. Forty five minutes after that I was off again in search of Big Ben and along the way found a ridiculously cool skate park with bright graffiti and gravity defying skaters so I took maybe one hundred photos! After that I found Big Ben (which is actually the name of the bell and not the tower, made by the same company-the White Chapel Foundry-that made our very own Liberty bell). It was so tall, and so beautiful, and I was so excited to have found it all on my own! Next stop was Trafalgar Square where there was a huuuge concert celebrating the Kurdish new year. After that I had my photo taken with some of those stationary guards. Actually, after a nice woman had snapped a photo of me and one of these poor guys I looked up at him and said "Thank you! If I could bring you a snack I would!" He kind of laughed through his nose and the corners of his mouth went up... SUCCESS!! haha. On the way out I shouted "Thanks mate!" and he winked!!! Hee hee hee. Fun times. It was late in the evening by the time I got back, Ethan was a half hour late in meeting me, but he had gotten lost, and lets face it, so did I earlier so I couldn't really blame him. We got our last hearty meal at a nearby pub and our last Guinness and then it was off to bed. Early the next day we took a train to the airport and had an uneventful flight over the alps and back to good ol Florence. 

I am so thankful I was able to experience such wonderful things in such amazing places. It even  made me appreciate Florence so much more, being able to walk around without a  map and feeling sure of where to find food and a warm cozy bed. And now the weather here is beautiful and I feel like I've caught spring fever. I've been walking around drinking in the sun and feeling so peaceful and lazy. Its amazing. I feel so confident now after making my way around! And so very, very fortunate. I will absolutely remember these times for the rest of my life. Love you.