Historical Event: I witnessed Lee B. in a rush!

So, the past few days have been kind of crazy. Since everything has been going so swimmingly on the trip thus far, we decided to push ourselves a little more. For our first act, we bought tickets for the 9:30 train to Bratislava... at 9:27. We thought we had allowed ourselves plenty of time to get to the train station, but one more cup of coffee, etc. We still had time when we showed up to the train station in Budapest.

First we ran downstairs to the ticket office. No, we wanted upstairs for the international ticket office, on the left of platform 6. We ran upstairs. We ran to the left, but we had to enter the ticket control area, and we had no tickets. We ran to the right, but signs directed us back left to the international office. (Also, several hundred people were milling about waiting for their own trains, and we cut through them expertly, half ton backpacks and all. I attribute this feat to our navigation of the hallways where we work, and gaggles of girls are shrieking and hitting each other every whichway.) We ran back to the left, and realized we COULD go through the ticket control area to the international ticket office. Whew!

We thought we were home free, but once inside the office we had to take a number and wait for it to be called. About ten slow, leisurely travelers were in front of us in line. We watched the minutes tick by and resolved to take the next train about an hour later, though it was a less direct route.

Once our number was called, Lee asked the cashier, "Is it at all possible to buy tickets for the 9:30 train to Bratislava?"

She looked at us like we asked her if we could take a poop right there in the international ticket office.

"Maybe it is late?" Lee prompted. She sighed. Stupid Americans, she was probably thinking.

"Four minutes," and she gave us two tickets.

We ran out the door. Back outside, we looked for platform numbers, for a time table, for anything. (This is a good time to mention that the Budapest train station could really be better organized.)

"Bratislava?" some construction workers shouted.

"Yes!"

"Go!"

They pointed several tracks over and motioned for us to run.

So there we were, running pell-mell across the railroad tracks toward a train. I don´t think there were trains on the tracks we were running across, but I couldn´t say for sure. We jumped up into the car and looked around for some indication that we were in the right place. It was 9:31. Lee ran to ask some people sitting on the bus. I saw him wipe his forehead in relief, and we celebrated our success with a high five.

Then the train sat there for 15 more minutes.

***

I am writing this from a luxury hotel in Salzburg, a city that was not on our original itinerary. Yesterday we spent seven hours in Vienna, where the last semi-final game of the Euro Cup Football tournament was taking place. But that´s a story for another day. It´s time to wake Lee up and figure out which Sound of Music tour we´re going to take, and how we´re going to make it to Ljubljana, Slovenia next. (Me: Lee, how do you spell "Ljubljana?" Lee: "L-j-u-b-l-j-a-n-a." Me: Oh! I just missed a couple of j´s.

Arrival in Riga, last week sometime

DSC02771
Originally uploaded by Jess is a dinosaur

In his poncho, Lee thought he resembled a Jedi.

HOT in Hungary

Lee B. and I are at an internet cafe in Budapest, Hungary. The funniest thing about the Hungarian language that I've learned so far, in learning one word only, is that "thank you" is pronounced in a way that it sounds like "curse your name" (Köszönöm).

Lee's mom asked in our last post about cool weather clothes. While we were in Scandanavia I definitely wondered if I should have brought another long sleeve shirt instead of one of my tees. (For anyone interested, I brought three t-shirts, two tank tops, one orange hoodie, two pair of convertible pants, one skirt, one scarf/sarong, four pair of socks, seven pair of underwear and two pair of shoes, one hiking, one flip-flop, on this trip.) In the Baltics, I still got a little chilly, especially when it was rainy, but when we got to Warsaw it was hot. When we got to Krakow it was Hot. Now that we're in Hungary, it is HOT. I got so hot today walking around that I was hiking my skirt up around my thighs, highly tempted to raise it above my head, little-girl-in-a-church-dress style. No, mom, I did not. We took an air-conditioned break to eat Hungarian Goulash. Of course, not as good as mom's ;) Lee had mushroom, I had chicken. Mmm.

As a result of the heat and our proximity to the sun, I am really tan. (Yes, I am wearing sunscreen.) I suddenly realized today why I must have been so tan as a child. It's because I was outside ALL the TIME. So it is now. Were I in Saint Paul, I'd probably be on the couch. I think all last summer I was outside maybe as much as we have been in the last week.

So, yeah. We're two weeks in, starting week three, and everything is great. I got to call my mom the other night because some girl in a hostel left me a Polish phone card and she was leaving Poland that day. The card advertised "15 kredits," which I mistakenly thought meant 15 minutes. Well, not when you call America. I talked to my mom for about two minutes and the last thing she asked was, "Are you and Lee fighting?" I hope she heard me shout, as the Polish operater's voice cut the connection, "NO!!!" It's true what you've heard; the longer you spend doing this the easier it gets. (Not sure if you've heard that or not. That's what I'd heard.) I am surprised by what I notice. I don't miss any of my clothes. (But I do want to buy all new ones-- European women, mullets withstanding, have great fashion.) I'm not homesick, as in, I don't miss Saint Paul, but I miss our kitchen and knowing where everything is and that everything works. I miss grocery shopping and knowing what everything is. I don't miss driving. I don't miss mass media marketing. I didn't realize how inundated I've been with media-- walking around here there are, of course, advertisements everywhere, but I don't understand them. So I am active in the visual choices I'm making, whereas at home I'd probably just read every sign, billboard and newsstand I passed.

I'm hoping to be able to add more pics to the blog but I'm loading some onto Flickr right now and it's taking FOR-EV-ER. Maybe the advertised price for this internet cafe-- 170 Florint for 30 minutes, 300 for an hour, really WAS too good to be true. (1000 Florint= about $6, so 300 Florint= $1.92. And Boy Howdy was it ever difficult to find the calculator function on this computer. In Hungarian it's called "Számológép.")

In closing, we're doing well, no major catastrophes. We're moving even more quickly than we expected to. Here's where we've been since June 9th:

Oslo
Stockholm
Vaxholm (part of Sweden's archipelago)
Helsinki
Tallinn
Riga
Majori (part of outlying Riga coastal area)
Vilnius
Warsaw
Krakow
Auschwitz/ Birkenau
Budapest

And I think tomorrow we'll go to Bratislava, Slovakia, where I hope they'll have faster internet and cooler weather.

Ferry to Helsinki

Ferry to Helsinki
Originally uploaded by Jess is a dinosaur

This is a view from the top deck of the ferry we took from Stockholm to Helsinki a few days ago. It was about 10 p.m. and misty and foggy. No one else was up there and it was cold. You'd think it would be a very lonely place but it was quite invigorating. After taking this picture I returned to the casino lounge with Lee where a band was covering American oldies music. This ferry was like nothing I've ever seen. It was a 16 hour journey but there was so much to do on the boat: they had a store, a casino, several restaurants, a cafe, a few decks outside, a sauna downstairs, an arcade and lots of people to watch and mullets to document. We had our own little two bed berth with a private bathroom, very small but swank. Traveling by ferry is traveling in luxury.

Quick post before bed

Hey everyone, we're leaving for Vilnius in the morning and I'm not sure how the internet access will be there. Even though we're footloose and fancy free traveling the world, I want to acknowledge all the events in the lives of the friends we left behind:

* Congratulations Brenda and Andy on pledging your lives to each other in holy wedded matrimony!
* Happy birthday to Julie, who is still young and vivacious!
* Happy birthday to my mom, who birthed me and who is awesome!
* Happy birthday to Lee's sister, and my friend, Kate!
* Happy birthday to Allison!

Okay, gotta run, scary Ukranian guy lurking around computer waiting his turn.

p.s. Kate, Allison and my mom are still young and hot too. I give special assurance to Julie because she had worried that at this milestone birthday, she has lost some of her appeal, which, if you've ever met Julie, you know is a ridiculous fear :)

Still alive, from Riga!

Whew. We made it to Riga, Latvia. We spent yesterday in Tallinn, Estonia and the previous day (Sunday) in Helsinki, Finland. The trip is going by so fast already. We have been traveling only one week and it feels like a lifetime-- in a good way, I mean. We have seen and experienced a lot of new things in a short amount of time: A delicious makkaraperunat in Helsinki (a delicacy of potatoes and wieners which even "vegetarian" Lee enjoyed); a ginormous pannkook peekoni ja suitsujuustuga in Tallinn (a big old pancake, full of smoked cheese and ham).

Lee is currently making me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, our own US speciality.

We'll write more later, but it's time to eat my pbj and enjoy the hostel's free coffee.

Some Photos So Far

In case you don't want to look through all unedited photos on my Flickr page, here are some favorites to whet your appetite:

Oslo


Lee at our hostel with the complimentary marshmallow

Pretty fountain

One of the statues at the Vieglandparken, which houses many of sculptor Gustav Viegland´s works

And Stockholm:





Wow, this stuff is addictive. I could have just stayed home and played with computers all summer!

Photo Upload Successful!

Here is a nice sign we saw on our walk around Vaxholm. Note the squiggly lines emanating from the poo: proof that stink waves are universally recognizable. This notation needs to go in the PicturePhone rule book and will serve to disqualify any stink waves that the drawer claims are actually any of the following: excitement, nervousness, thought, radiation, or time travel. Stink waves are stink waves. Swedish dog poop sign has proven it for all time.

From the City Backpacker's hostel in Stockholm

I want to be just like Lee, so I am currently uploading my photos onto Flickr as we speak. However, it is QUITE slow. Maybe it's because I am uploading 163 pictures. Currently it reads 6% complete. There is supposed to be a 20 minute time limit on these computers, but two units are open and I see no one waiting... we'll see. I'm also a little technically inept, so let's hope this works.

Onto the blogging! Today we explored old town in Stockholm. Well, actually the FIRST thing we did was wake up "early" at 7:45 to book our hostel again for the night. There had been some cancellations so we were lucky to get our same spot. We were also the first people to do this since the reception opened at 8. They quickly booked up for the night. Since we had another whole day, we decided to sleep a "little" longer. Until 10. Whoops. We were well rested but not alerted because when you wake up at 10 in a hostel, most everyone has already showered. Now, some might argue that COLD showers are exactly what Lee and I need... some would be wrong.

I was less than clean when we trekked out for breakfast and then to City Hall (where it hailed for just a few minutes) and then to the old part of Stockholm. The Royal Palace is the biggest one in the world. After a much needed caffeine boost and some sidewalk strolling, we decided to hop on a ferry from central Stockholm to one of the 24,000 islands in the archipelago system. It was called _____. We hiked all over this little island.

I am currently at 14% of my photo upload and ten minutes over my time limit. We'll see if I can get away with it.

Tomorrow at 16:45 we take an overnight ferry to Helsinki, Finland!

Pictures Are Here!

We've managed to find a hostel in Stockholm that offers free internet connection. As a result, I've finally been able to take advantage of my Flickr account (Flickr is a website convenient for sharing photographs). I've posted all of my pictures (not Jessica's) from the first three days of our trip. Check out my Flickr page to see the photos.

40279 Steps and Counting

Yep, that's my pedometer reading for today (HealthPartners recommends 10000 steps per day).

I'm unable to hook a camera up to this computer, which is truly unfortunate. I believe that Jessica and I got the ideal overview of Oslo today (it helped that both of us were fully awake - 12 hours of sleep will do that).

Fortresses, ferries, fjords, formidable sculptures in the park, and fricken Viking ships! Keep an eye out for pictures of all of the above - perhaps tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow...tomorrow afternoon we'll be in an entire different city in an entire different country. Stockholm, Sweden for those who are keeping tabs. Takk!

Safe Arrival and some time in Oslo!

Hello from beautiful Oslo, Norway! Where the wind is refreshing and the people are blonde. We had a nice flight on which Lee slept the whole time. Highlights include:

* The man behind us who snorted snot into his throat via heavy sniveling, then hawked it around in there but did not spit... Gross.

* The young man next to me who ordered two bottles of champagne. The flight attendant set one bottle on my tray, thinking he was ordering it to share with me. ("It's not for you," he said to my dismay.) This could be considered an honest mistake; the dude was youngish, sitting next to me, attractive enough to date me, however: This was not an honest mistake, as Lee Barnett flanked my other side, and we are not known for our subtleties in public displays of affection. (And let me tell you, here in Europe, we are not judged for outwardly being in love and for illustrating it with the occasional butt tap, nuzzle, etc.

We arrived in the Oslo airport Tuesday and took the train into Setrum Station (Central Station). We wandered briefly until we found our hotel, the lovely Sentrum Pensjonat (Central Pensjonat). On Tuesday we walked up the pedestrian shopping mecca, Karl Johans Gate, to the place where the king of Norway lives. We snuck into the historical museum to use the Toualett. We went to the National Gallery where we saw Edward Munch's Scream and some other cool stuff.

About this time, we were both pretty exhausted but tried to stay up as late as possible. I had only slept a few hours on the plane and my body felt like it was about noon, so my body thought it had been awake since 7:30 a.m. the previous day. My body, much like Shakira's hips, does not lie.

We slugged up the steps to Dolly Dimple's and ordered a delicious Margherita pizza for about 30 bucks. (I can't find the dollar key on this keyboard, but I can find ø, æ, ¤ and å.) The food is really, really expensive here. But the pizza was delicious, and I did it four pieces (Whattup, Julie?!) I could barely keep my eyes open so we somehow stumbled back to the hostel and passed the frik out. It was about 19:30 local time (that's 7:30 for you math lovers). We slept until 7:30 this morning. (Again, this one's for the mathees: 12 hours, fool.) Our sleep was totally comfortable and interrupted only briefly by the two brothers who stumbled in at some point to sleep. (Mom, don't freak out. We were staying in a four bed room and they occupied the other two beds.)

Today we're on a normal sleep/ wake schedule and we had a great day. I may let Lee tell you all about it. Tomorrow we depart for Stockholm!

Backpacking Across Midway

Midway Motel
Originally uploaded by Lee Barnett

Saturday night before the trip.

Jessica was invited to Brenda's bachelorette party and I wasn't. Needing to feel productive, I decided to test out my fully-packed backpack, my camera, and my brand-new hiking shoes.

Took some touristy photos of Hamline's campus (none of them turned out - too dark).

Strolled through the lively Midway stadium immediately after the Saints' victory.

Watched Tight Phantomz through the door of the Turf Club.

Returned home, set up a Flickr account, pretended I was at a European internet cafe, and published this blog post.

Two...more...days...

The adventure begins Monday

This is a cross post that I posted on my original blog, trouble in paradise. I thought I could include it here to further elucidate my hopes and goals for the trip, and address a bit of the why and how such an adventure came to be. This trip will be the cap on one end of an amazing year. ('Round these parts we measure years by the school calendar, not that there new fangled New Years' Eve nonsense.)

This was the year I

- moved in with a man
- didn't work during the summer for the first time since age 14
- started writing a book for real
- finished writing a book
- finished my Master's Degree

and now, starting Monday, 2007/2008 will be the year I spend an entire summer

- learning new things
- challenging myself to grow and expand
- leaving behind 99% of all my material goods
- leaving behind all responsibilities and obligations
- leaving behind a lot of really amazing friends and family

and having

the adventure

of a lifetime.

Six days to go

On Monday, June 9, Lee and I will hop a plane to Europe to begin what will surely be the adventure of our lives. We will spend 73 days backpacking through Europe. That's the whole summer. That's right.

It is my hope that this blog will be a space for us to post updates on our travels, and for our loved ones to check in on us whenever they miss us. With less than a week before we leave, Lee and I are doing epic amounts of laundry, dumping assorted items from the fridge into a skillet and calling it "dinner," playing map games with SmartBoard software and buying things from Target we may or may not need. (Those last two activities apply to only one, not both of us. See if you can guess who is doing what.)

For my next act I'll see if I can post our itinerary.

P.S. The name of this blog came about because, before Lee and I met each other, we each had blogs. His is called Dinosaur in Trouble. Mine? It's called Trouble in Paradise. Now that we're together, we've both lost the "trouble." (Seriously though, isn't the name coincidence a little surreal?)