Back in NYC

Which Way Did They Go? (Part 2)

Officially two months in as of today. So to recap, I figured it would be interesting to show the breadcrumb trail we’ve left behind with an updated interactive map. Only 22 days left to go, but we’re still feeling fairly fresh.

Click for Interactive Map

Canada Day in Flanders Fields

Tomorrow, Canada Day, Megan and I will be spending the day in Flanders Fields in Ypres, Belgium. Being a proud Canadian, I’m always lucky to be able to say where I’m from, wherever I travel in the world – and especially here in Europe. I owe this honor, and privilege, to the generations that came before me. My great-grandfather, Secord Switzer, subsequently died from inhaling a gas attack in Ypres back in WWI and my grandfather had his own father taken from him. So if any Canadians are reading this, I would ask that you take time tomorrow to raise a glass, take a moment of silence, or maybe even sing “O Canada” with more pride than you ever have before. Because from my own personal experience over the past few months on this trip, it’s become apparent to me that being Canadian is one of the luckiest gifts I’ve ever been given. Simply put, we’ve had some great people come before us, and it’s our duty to continue that in our travels and the way we treat others.

Many of us are Canadians simply because we were born on Canadian soil – but we’re loved for the things our grandfathers and great-grandfathers did. I am excited to show my respect tomorrow and look forward to wearing my poppy, as always, come November.

Cheers from Belgium.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

A Tale of Two Cities

“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times…” Wait – that’s a different story. With apologies to Dickens, I steal his title, “A Tale of Two Cities”  to describe our past week in Berlin and Amsterdam – two stalwarts of the Tour d’Europe itinerary.

Each city revealed its multiple personality disorders to us in a variety of ways which I refer to as City #1: The City you Expected to Find and City #2: The City You Didn’t Know was Even There.

Berlin – City #1 – The Berlin you Expected to Find…

filled with the richest of ancient and recent history. From the Prussians to Martin Luther and the Reformation, to Kaiser Wilhelm leading to WWI, WWII, the building and the tearing down of the wall and the reunification of the city. We spent over 4 hours in the German History Museum, and we could have spent 2 days there alone. The Holocaust Memorial established in 1992 directly behind the US Embassy and the way that the History Museum dealt very directly with Auschwitz were particularly moving for both of us. I did my undergrad honours thesis (eons ago) on the body of work by Nobel Prize-winning writer, Elie Wiesel – and spent a year studying most of the writing about the Holocaust experience (inc amazing works by Tadeusz Borowski, Art Spiegelman, Hannah Arendt). Wiesel wrote one of the definitive accounts of the concentration camp survivor experience – Night – and his message is ultimately one of hope and renewal. I expected to find some of this renewal story in Berlin; that this vibrant city had been able to shake off some of this legacy of its war and recent communist history; and I did.

Berlin – City #2 – The Berlin you Didn’t Even Know Was There…

Wow – Berlin is a city for the young, hip, and artistic. Artists were everywhere – whether in the pervasive graffiti, the avant garde “art project” hotel that we stayed in (www.michelbergerhotel.de), the muscians on every block. We stayed in Frederichshain – an area of the city that was grungy, dirty and just a bit perfect because it was edgy and cool. It reminded us so much of Williamsburg, Brooklyn or Far Queen Street West, Toronto that we immediately felt like it was home. Berlin was one of the most welcoming places we had been because it was the most cosmopolitan city we’ve been to on this trip – something we take for granted in some of our great cities in North America.

Amsterdam – City #1 – The Amsterdam You Expected to Find…

filled with blocks upon blocks of locals and tourists hanging out in the cafe and pub sidewalks drinking beer taking in the sunshine (it was 30 degrees the full four days we were there), the red light district that is a tourist attraction for everyone which seems odd, and lovely canal houses and houseboats lining the water. Amsterdam is the Vegas of Europe and you can see the collective masses of weekend tourists letting off steam. Fun for all.  

Amsterdam - City #2 – The Amsterdam you Didn’t Even Know Was There…

Firstly, you will not find the Dutch anywhere near the red light district or in the tourist haunts that are famous around the world. It’s like New Yorkers  – they avoid Times Square at all costs and find midtown too “busy” Amsterdam is stunningly beautiful and its people are refined, are very into design and aesthetics (interiors of canal apartments are design-magazine-worth), they are family-oriented pedaling their kids everywhere on their pervasive bikes, and they seem to live a charmed life. In our web research, we read that polls show that the Dutch are the happiest people in Europe and I swear that about 50% of the people that I saw passing me on a bike were smiling. Strange! Also, one last thing you might not know – the Dutch have great hair – both women and men – long, curly – bounties of hair that always seems to look perfect.

No wonder they are happy.

Friends, Germans, Countrymen…

Lend Me Your Ears…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

On this Father’s Day when we are so far away from our fathers, I’m reminded more this week of our grandfathers - many of whom served Canada so admirably during WW II. Later this month, we will be heading to Flander’s Fields in Belgium and the beaches of Normandy so that we can properly pay our respects. This week, we spent  a few nights in Dresden in the Saxony region of Germany -  a city famous for being demolished by the Allied forces during February 12th-13th in 1945. You can still see the remaining signs of the devastation half a century later – the “newness” of the main square, the opera house where you can see that the top 2/3rd’s have been rebuilt. 1200 cargo bays of explosives dropped on this city within two days. Unbelievable.

My Great Uncle Bud flew 48 sorties over Germany through the war – he was a hero for having survived each mission where the chance of not returning was about 50/50. I texted my Dad this week, “Dad, did Uncle Bud drop bombs on Dresden?” wondering just how linked we were to this town. Dad responded, “I think it was mostly the Ruhr Valley” – and here were are – almost 60 years later. Two Canadians joining Germans in this town that was flattened at the end of the war happily cheering on the German soccor team as they played their World Cup match against Serbia. Would our grandfathers and great-grandfathers ever imagined such a scene? Jordan asked one of hotel staff (a kid about 23) about what life was like in Dresden – he could name all of the help that the Americans and Brits had given this town as it restored itself, especially during German reunification – there is a lot of pride here in how the Americans and Brits treated Eastern Germany during the Communist occupation that lives on into the next generation. You have to really admire decisions that other generations made for us to heal the wounds after the war. 

Having spent the past week and a half in Prague and Eastern Germany, we also glimpsed the spirit of people emerging 20 years post-Communism. It’s amazing to witness the optimism and enterpreneurship that has emerged so quickly. Our friends, Tara and Brandon, who moved to Prague over a year ago from New Hampshire, literally took us all over Prague last week (we
couldn’t have had better hosts and can’t thank them enough)  – it was a wonderland of architecture, history, monastery-brewed pilsner, pork!!, and a city that you could only fall in love with.

Now that we’re in Germany and I’ve had the pleasure of working with many Germans over the past two years, I’m going to share my learnings on Germans vis-a-vis Canadians now that I have maven insight into their national psyche after my first 48 hours here

1) Both Germans and Canadians like to camp – we only passed about 27 camper vans on the highways north – felt like the migration of “snowbirds” to Florida; 
2) Both Germans and Canadians drive faster than Americans (Americans, if you don’t believe me about Canadians and their cars -
try the 401 Highway outside of Toronto).  However, Germans (and Italians for that matter) make Canadian drivers (even the Quebecois) look conservative. On the Autobahn, you will be passed when you are driving 160 km/hour. However, on the plus side, you’re usually passed by a very nice car (what isthe big deal with the black Audi station wagons here?);
3) Germans = quieter sports crowd – We watched the Germans play Serbia and yes – everyone was waving the flags and wearing crazy soccer fan gear but so much quieter than home. Firstly, the Canadians would probably have started drinking beer at breakfast; secondly, Stompin’ Tom would have raised the crowd into a frenzied-like state, and thirdly, we have to keep moving to keep warm which probably adds to the atmosphere.

So, Happy Father’s Day. Here’s to our Dad’s – Joe, Don and Ted – for teaching us the art of humility, to be curious about the world, and for never taking for granted the country we were so lucky to have been born in. And here’s to our grandfathers – William, Claire, Joe, and Peter – for their hard work to take care of their families, for their service to our country, and
for giving us such a proud heritage.

Cheers, megan

Drawing the Line.

 ”20% of Europeans need to learn what a line is.”

There. I said it.

I’ve written three posts now that I have deleted, because, I felt a mean, angry rant may not suit the overall jovial tone that our blog has set so far. But, I can take it no longer. This travel blog needs some balance. So, if you are European and my lead line is something that never crossed your mind, you might be in that 20%. I’m hoping this post won’t only offend you, but I also hope it will bring self-awareness to your immediate surroundings, a little continental enlightenment, and, in the end, the tools in which to be a better global human being.

To the other 80% of Euopeans who know exactly what I’m talking about, a high-five to you. I’ve seen you all approach crowded situations with order and grace. Plus, you have to deal with it much more than I. For that, I applaud you and stand arm-in-arm. Maybe together we can make the biggest line, ever.

Okay. Let’s get it on.

At first I thought this anger had to do with me being Canadian. We are a very polite society. Too polite perhaps. Heck, we apologize when someone bumps into us. That being said, a lot of this is also coming from my time in New York City. Although 99% of people think New Yorkers are rude, the truth is that we all live by a very strict code in our franetic city. Without the unspoken sanctity of “the line” crime would be up, tourism would be down, and we’d have people pushing us onto our subways like they do in Japan. One time, I saw a guy try to bud in line at a Home Depot and he was almost physically removed from the building by the other people in the line. In the end, they just yelled at him until he felt so bad that he ran out in shame.

From what I can see so far, this social order hasn’t quite taken fuly yet here in Europe. So, as I type this rant and the world becomes even flatter, I would like to address a few countries specifically.

Dear Italy,
When they call your flight at the airport you don’t all have to get up and press yourselves up against each other like the terminal just caught fire. Quick Tip: The flight will not leave until we’re all on it. Capish? I’ve seen you make lines while on the football pitch, so I know you can do it.

Dear France,
When the metro car pulls into the station there’s almost a 100% chance that although you want to get on, people also want to get off. Here’s the math: when crowded, one has to happen before the other can be achieved. Although I know you guys dig clowns, we all can’t fit into a small space like clowns magically do. They’re professionals. Stand outside the car “in a line” and wait until the people inside get off.

Dear Croatia,
You guys are cool. Front of the line for you.

Dear Greece,
Yes – I know you are a boisterous bunch. And most of the time we love you for it. But, I don’t care how loud you scream “How much is this Mythos?” over my head while I’m trying to pay for my delicious beverage. I’m here, in this line, trying to support your economy. And right now, given your current situation, you should probably not make it difficult for me to pay for your goods.

Dear Austria,
I kinda understand why you’d be slightly adverse to, dare I say, alining yourself with anybody anymore. I get it. Doesn’t work out well often. So I’ll just say this bluntly: Yes – pasteries in Vienna can make a person weak in the knees. But that doesn’t mean the open seat is obviously yours. You don’t see me jumping over old ladies to get a seat at Tim Horton’s. And trust me, their donuts would put Demel’s out of business if one were to open next door.

To conclude, Canadians have adopted your food, your cultures, and many of your people. We love you guys. We’ve taken the best of your cultures to create our own because we didn’t really have one for a while. So, 20% of you Europeans, try to take something from Canada. Let’s work on “the line” together. Because after us Canadians have tried the “polite approach” we go straight to the other thing we’re known for – the cross check.

Game on.

Love,
The creepy dude who’s in the line and wearing a hockey helmet

The Amadeus Trail

Last week, we gobbled up Austria – hitting the traditional highlights
of Salzburg and Vienna on what could only be described as the “Amadeus” trail; Austrians are justifiably proud of this musical demi-God and we fell right in line – visiting the Mozart museum at one of his residences in Salzburg, attending the Mozart/Stauss concert at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, buying a book of Mozart’s letters and watching Amadeus. We almost overdosed on Mozart but – then again, how can you?  We ultimately learned that like so many creative genuises, the story of the person often is much more complicated than that of the art that they create but we will contiune to have strains of the Marriage of Figaro swimming through our heads for weeks.

Both Salzburg and Vienna are filled with mini-miracles – churches, palaces, and castles that hint at the former golden age of the Hapsburg empire before WWI. The fact that so many of these gilted-structures were not destroyed during the wars or have been restored brilliantly is the miracle. I often think about the service that much of the people and governments of Europe have done for all of us by restoring and maintaining these world treasures. I mean, I know we all love that CN Tower in Toronto but…

In the past week, we’ve also significantly stepped up our sightseeing itineraries. If May was about chilling out in stunning places like Amalfi and Santorini, then the theme for June seems to be enlightenment – awakening our senses with art, architecture, music – and the ever present – food.

Three food memories of Vienna…

1) Sacher Torte and chocolate pastries from Demel near St. Stephen’s cathedral – so good that I broke down and took pictures of food. Jordan imbibed in strudel on more than one occasion;

2) Tafelspitz -  who knew that eating beef soup out of a copper pot would be so wonderful (world’s best  comfort food);

3) Jordan’s birthday dinner at Walter Bauer – a parade of beautifully constructed and served food. We were near the heart of Vienna University and saw graduates celebrating with their parents and families in that time-honoured tradition. Did I mention the weiner schnitzel and bratwurst? (Kim – if you’re reading this – be warned – the Austrians and Germans are trying to give you a run for your money with their brats. I still love yours!)

So, we’re hitting the cobblestones hard and still pinching ourselves to awake from this dream. We’re now in Prague for the week (too bad we can’t go some place nice, right?) and the World Cup has started. Can anyone else understand how the US tied England on Saturday? Is that the first sign of the apocolypse? We’ll ride the four horsemen to the next beer garden on Saturday.
Chat soon!

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag, Jordan

better known as….HAPPY BIRTHDAY JORDAN!

I must confess that it is difficult to think through how you create a special gift or a special moment for a person who is in the middle of a 3 month tour of Europe. Last night, for instance, we roamed the streets of Vienna, attended a concert of Mozart and Strauss in the Hofberg Palace followed by a late dinner. This would have been a lovely birthday evening for anyone…anyone who hadn’t just done this the night before….so you see my dilemna. We are having the trip of a lifetime that we’ve dreamed of for over a decade – you would think you’d be satisfied

But that would not do. I’m too lucky in life that I’ve gotten to share it with you not to commemorate your 35th year in a way that I hope you’ll remember for the next 50. So, Here it is….

“LAST NIGHT IN PARIS”
On our last day of this trip – July 23rd, you will be treated to the gastronomic day of dreams – an opera in two parts.

Part 1 – LE JOURNEE – you will spend the day in class but it’s not algebra. You will tour the Markets of Paris with an instructor of the Cordon Bleu school. You will test your high school French proficiency as you learn the secret French artistry of picking the absolute best of ingredients while seeing your favourite city in a new way.

Part 2 – LE SOIR – Dinner is served at Pierre Gagniere in the Hotel Balzac. Let’s give Daniel’s in New York a run for its money. Pierre Gagniere is listed as one of the World’s 10 Best Restaurants by Food and Wine (with the French Laundry) and is a Zagat Top Food pick for Paris (“Before you die, go to this Haute Cuisine table in the 8th”)

How is that for bliss?

Thank you for an incredible journey this spring and over the past 10 years. Salut to you on your 35th! Much love, meg

Live from Kotor

Earlier, Megan mentioned that one of the most beautiful places that you’ve never heard of was a stunning little town called Kotor, Montenegro. So we took some video while we were there. Amazing place. Get there before Disney’s radar gets onto this magical little slice of magic.