Eat, Sleep, Breathe, Travel

Europe will be buzzing with Euro 2012

Going to Europe this June? If so, get ready to be caught up in Euro 2012 fever. The UEFA European Championship (Euro, for short) happens every four years, and it’s the biggest soccer event in Europe after the World Cup. Obviously soccer is huge in Europe, and the Euro championship pits 16 national teams against each other to compete for the ultimate honor. It’s a huge deal. People go nuts for it.

Euro 2012 kicks off on June 8 and lasts three weeks, with the Final played on July 1. The host countries are Poland and the Ukraine, but the whole continent will be buzzing. Lots of EF College Break trip destinations are competing (Greece, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, France, England), so get ready. It’s a blast watching games, seeing the locals going crazy, feeling the national pride, soaking in the festive atmosphere. And if you’re lucky enough to be in the country that wins the whole thing, well that’ll take the life-long memories to a whole new level.

I’ve experienced big international sporting events while abroad, and there’s nothing quite like it. I was living in Prague during the World Cup, watching tons of games at the beer gardens and pubs around the city. I will never forget being at a beer garden for the semi-final between Italy and Germany, when a table full of Italians sitting next to us went completely bonkers after Italy’s go-ahead goal late in the game. Weirdly, I also remember there was a big spider at the bottom of my beer. (It’s funny the things that stick with you.)

Photo: Radio Nederland Wereldomroep via Flickr (CC)

Memories of New Year's in Prague

With New Year’s coming up, and EF College Break’s traveling bloggers posting away on the Stories Tumblr, I’ve been doing a lot of reminiscing about my own New Year’s experiences over in Prague. Fond memories all around.

I lived in Prague for two years. So I had two New Year’s Eves. The first was the one I will never forget (to be honest, I can’t remember what I did on the second one). But that first one, yes. I remember it like it was yesterday (it was seven years ago).

I’d just moved to Prague a month or so before the New Year, so I was still new to the city. I was training to become an English teacher, and some other trainees and I asked where the center of the New Year’s action was. The answer was Old Town Square.

The scene was crazy. The whole square was packed. People were blowing horns, cheering, laughing, partying, and generally bursting with joy. It was a totally free and easy atmosphere, much less regulated than what I was used to back home. People were setting off firecrackers right over the crowd (terrifying and fun at the same time). I had never experienced a New Year’s like it, and I imagine I never will.

It's not every year you get to watch the New Year’s stroke of midnight on a clock like this.

Anyway, wherever you may be, Happy New Year. Next time do it in Europe.

Photo: Jelle Druyts via Flickr (CC)

Remembering Prague’s Velvet Revolution

November 17 is an official holiday in the Czech Republic. It’s the anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution, which brought an end to Communism in the country.

I got to experience a couple of November 17ths when I lived in Prague. It’s not a huge celebratory day or anything, no big parties or events or parades, but it’s a chance to look back on that historic day (and all that’s come since). For a quick history lesson on how it all went down 22 years ago, here’s a good summary.

These days, traveling through Central and Eastern Europe you can still learn what life was like under Communism. Prague and Berlin are great examples, especially for those visiting these cities on EF College Break trips.

In Prague, you can hang out in Wenceslas Square, which today is a huge central area of shops, bars and restaurants. This was where hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered back in 1989, packing the square and forcing the Communist regime to step down. Today you can go check out the Museum of Communism at one end of the square, which does a great job painting a picture of life here during the Communist era.

In Berlin, you can visit Checkpoint Charlie, which was an infamous crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Now there’s a museum here, where you can learn the history and see how people tried to escape to the West.

You should also check out the East Side Gallery, which is the longest surviving section of the Berlin Wall, about three quarters of a mile. It’s been turned into a long stretch of murals, all celebrating freedom. It’s very cool. I highly recommend it.

Photo: Diego's sideburns via Flickr (CC)

For Halloween: world's best cemeteries

Happy Halloween, everybody. I’d like to keep things spooky today, so I’m going to fill you in on the world’s best cemeteries to visit.

This article gives a good breakdown. Happily, five of these cemeteries are in cities on EF College Break trips, so you can visit them yourself if you’re feeling up to it. I actually haven’t been to any of the cemeteries mentioned. I’d love to go to that Waverly Cemetery in Sydney. It looks amazing, with the dramatic views of the sea adding to the already-dramatic element of the tombstones.

Two of my personal favorite cemeteries did not make this list. One is Père Lachaise in Paris. When I studied abroad in Paris, I lived around the corner from this famous cemetery. It houses the remains of many famous French people, including writer Marcel Proust and mime Marcel Marceau. It’s also the final resting place of Jim Morrison (his grave is by far the most visited, always covered in flowers and notes and other tokens of admiration).

My other favorite cemetery is in Prague, where I also lived for a spell. It’s up on Vyšehrad hill. This cemetery has nice views of the Vltava River, and it houses the graves of famous Czechs like composer Antonin Dvořák and writer Jan Neruda.

I like visiting cemeteries in foreign cities. It has sort of a weird effect—somewhere between spooky and peaceful. Always nice and quiet. And seeing the final resting places of the country’s famous citizens is an interesting way of connecting to the culture.

Anyway, hope you're having a scary Halloween.

Photo: geoftheref via Flickr (CC)

Europe’s best bone church

One of the more memorable churches I’ve visited may be in danger of collapsing. I’m talking about the Sedlec Ossuary (more commonly known as “the bone church”) near Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic, an easy hour train ride from Prague. If you have a free afternoon in Prague, I recommend going to check it out. Especially if you like churches decorated almost entirely with human bones.

Here's the story:

When a family purchased the small monastery in 1870, its crypt was filled with centuries-old bones. Massive amounts of bones. Seventy-thousand people’s worth of bones. So they hired a local woodcarver to decorate the church’s interior with all the skulls, femurs, tibias, fibulas, and so on. Today, the church has everything from huge pyramids of stacked bones to a giant chandelier containing at least one of each bone in the human body.

Yes, it is macabre. Maybe even a little twisted. But with all the run-of-the-mill magnificent churches and cathedrals throughout Europe, it’s kind of a nice change of pace to see one decorated in human bones. I hope they do whatever it takes to keep the church intact (its foundation is slightly sinking, and the whole structure is leaning to one side).

Speaking of churches decorated with human bones, the other day a coworker sent me a link to this church in Rome. I didn’t know there were other bone churches. This one in Rome looks impressive, but I have to say the Czech bone church will always remain the closest bone church to my heart; it was the first, and so far, the only bone church I’ve seen in person.

Photo: swimparallel via Flickr (CC)

Almost St. Nicholas Day in Prague (and elsewhere)

One fun thing about going to other countries is seeing their own regional tweaks on international holidays. One such tweak that I always enjoyed during my time in Prague was the tradition of St. Nicholas Day. It’s this Sunday.

St. Nicholas Day is actually celebrated in many European countries, including Italy, Germany, Portugal, and others. But the only place I’ve seen it with my own eyes is in Prague, where they have their own twist on it. According to the tradition, every December 5 (other countries celebrate on the 6th), St. Nicholas wanders the streets accompanied by an angel and a devil. The three figures represent the three spiritual concepts of confession (Nicholas), punishment (the devil), and reward (the angel). In the lore, the devil goes around giving out coal to the bad kids, while the angel gives goodies to the good kids.

When I first arrived in Prague, I didn’t know about this holiday. So I was surprised and confused one day in early December, when I saw kids all over the city dressed as either Santa, a devil, or an angel. It seemed like some bizarre mashup of Christmas and Halloween. Later, when I learned about St. Nicholas Day, it made more sense.

That reminds me of Easter, when I was similarly confused by the sight of men smacking ladies in the butt with little twine sticks. Another Czech tradition.

I very much enjoy odd holiday traditions in other countries. It’s always a bonus to find yourself in another country during a regional holiday. You get an extra dose of local culture. Here’s a good website to see what holidays are happening in the countries you’re going to be visiting. Who knows what strange traditions you’ll experience.

Photo: tomu via Flickr (CC)

Spooky Prague

With Halloween nearly upon us, I’m feeling spooky. This has me thinking about Prague.

Prague is my favorite city in the world, and it's definitely one of the spookiest, thanks to its Gothic architecture, shadowy cobblestone streets, and medieval vibe. And Prague has the spine-chilling tales to back up its ghoulish atmosphere.

For instance, look at Charles Bridge. Charles Bridge is one of Prague’s most loved tourist spots. It’s a picturesque bridge spanning the Vltava River, full of street musicians, vendors, artists, and tourists. But did you know that during the Middle Ages the heads of ten executed lords were put up on posts on the bridge? Many believe these lords’ ghosts haunt the bridge to this day, and you can sometimes hear their sad singing if you walk across the bridge at midnight. Try it.

Then there’s under the Charles Bridge. That’s where the water goblin hangs out. The water goblin eats the souls of those who jump off the bridge or otherwise drown in the Vltava. Stay away from the water goblin.

Finally, there’s the tale of Prague’s wandering skeleton. As the story goes, one night a very jealous wife got angry at her husband and thrust a nail into his head. The man died instantly, and to this day his skeleton (with rusty nail in skull) wanders the city at night. If you see him, you should remove the nail from his skull—it will free his soul.

Europe is full of ghost stories and tales of haunted cities. London is particularly haunted. In fact, EF College Break has introduced a Haunted Pub Walk option on some of its tours to London.

Wherever you go, Halloween or no Halloween, you cannot escape the ghosts...

Photo: goldberg via Flickr (CC)

Hitting the beach in Paris and Prague

We’re entering the dog days of summer, and people are looking for ways to beat the heat and enjoy that summer vibe. Well, two of my favorite landlocked European cities happen to offer that very opportunity.

In Paris, they have recently opened up the annual Paris Beach (Paris Plage, in French). First started in 2002, Paris Beach has gone on every summer since. From July 20-August 20, every day from 8 AM to midnight, certain areas along the banks of the Seine are transformed into seaside resorts right in the middle of the city. Complete with chaise lounges, umbrellas, sand, and even some palm trees, it allows the locals and tourists to be all summery without leaving the city. Here's a photo gallery.

They have a similar thing in Prague, my other favorite city in Europe. It’s called Žluté lázně, and it’s actually way more elaborate than the temporary beachfronts in Paris. The Prague beach is on the spot of a 100-year-old spa (the name Žluté lázně means Yellow Spa). Since a major makeover in 2005, the area has been transformed into a huge riverside recreational complex of beach volleyball courts, tennis, soccer cages, sandy lounging areas, boats-for-rent, a bar, a restaurant, and many more activities. Located just a short tram ride away from the city center, Žluté lázně is a great place to spend a hot summer day in Prague. I only found out about this place at the end of my two years in Prague, so I only went once (I think the renovations had just been finished). Too bad, I wish I had gone more. I recommend it.

Summer in the city. Don't let anyone tell you it can't have beaches.

Photo: Josh Clark via Flickr (CC license)

It’s World Cup time in South Africa

Finally, after all these years, the World Cup is just one day away. Tomorrow’s game between South Africa and Mexico will kick off one month of soccer mania. It’s the first time an African nation has hosted the World Cup, and South Africa has been preparing for this moment for years. From Johannesburg to Cape Town to Pretoria, the venues are ready.

Anyone traveling anywhere in the world these next few weeks is lucky. You can’t beat the electricity of World Cup time in Europe and elsewhere in the soccer-loving world. I was living in Prague during the last World Cup in 2006, and some of my fondest memories of my two years abroad are of watching World Cup games in various beer gardens and sports bars, along with all the crazy European soccer fans.

One game in particular stands out in my memory. It was the semi-final between Germany and Italy. The winner would go to the World Cup Final. Some friends and I went to watch the game in our favorite beer garden, a huge one in the park near our apartment. The place was packed with a couple hundred rowdy fans—mostly Czechs, plus plenty of foreigners, including a table full of Italians to our right. The game was thrilling and tense, and headed into extra time tied 0-0. Just a minute or so before the end of extra time (and a move to penalty kicks), Italy scored. The beer garden went bananas. (The mostly-Czech crowd had no love for Germany, and as for the table full of Italians—this was probably the greatest moment of their lives.) Then, just moments later, Italy scored another goal and the place went even more bananas (the second greatest moment of those Italians’ lives).

I also remember finishing my beer at one point and finding a dead spider at the bottom of my glass.

Ah, World Cup memories...

Photo: Shine 2010 - 2010 World Cup good news via Flickr (CC license)

The wide world of cheese

One of my favorite things to do when I'm abroad is to eat. And one of my favorite things to eat is cheese.

When I studied in Paris, brie and comte were staple snacks of mine. When I lived in the Czech Republic, I once ate fresh goat cheese no more than ten feet from the goats that made it. And when I visited Italy, the mozzarella on my pizza put all previous pizza cheese to shame.

I’m no cheese expert, so I found cheese.com, which is a great resource for all things cheese. You can learn more than you’d ever want to know about every cheese on earth. You can arrange cheeses by country, by name, by texture, and by milk. If you like cheese, you could get lost for days on this site.

Here are a few of the world’s most famous cheeses:

France – Brie. Brie is the most famous French cheese. It’s soft and best served room temperature. It smells fairly bad, but it tastes great.

Italy – Parmesan. I love parmesan cheese. It’s named after the region of Italy where it's produced, and it is one of the world’s most popular cheeses. I love it grated on pasta.

Greece – Feta. I have to be in the mood for feta, but when I am, I do like it. It’s crumbly.

Netherlands – Gouda. Smoked gouda is pretty good. It’s pretty creamy on the inside, with a hard brown rind that you can eat.

Switzerland – Gruyere. I love Swiss cheese. I put it on all my sandwiches, and I like it on its own too. Gruyere, named after a Swiss village, is one of the country’s most famous cheeses. It has very small holes.

I could go on forever, but you would be better served browsing cheese.com on your own. And, of course, you’d be even better served traveling to these countries and eating the cheeses in the lands where the cheeses were born.

Photo: chez loulou via Flickr (CC license)