Europe
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Eiffel Tower
It’s a new day and I walk out to the street and scream, literally scream: – GOOD MORNING PARIS! They laugh and one or another head turns to see “that crazy girl screaming”. My friend’s flat is within walking distance from the famous EiffelTower. We are so excited that we walk very fast, as if there wasn’t going to be time enough to visit it.
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Et voilá, Je suis a Paris!
While I’m waiting for Aga and Marie, I observe the street and after about 15 minutes I realized that the walking zebra for pedestrians is not understood as such: for the drivers it’s like they have a sign saying “let’s see who goes faster!” Because the drivers DON’T stop at all! It’s a marathon departing from different places, going in different directions! What do they all have in common? Everybody wants to go first! It’s madness!
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Anthem of Bayonne
Heading to the city center… people are already celebrating, promising another night of dancing and singing, drinking and cheering! There are several stages with different performances across the city center and we are heading to one. But it is very busy in here and through the crowds we make our way to the main stage. In order not to lose anyone, we hold the red scarf attached to the waist of the person in front of us and off we go following each other. As we walk along, we greet the people passing by “OLÉÉÉ!” and we get back another greeting with a lifting of the hat or a glass half full!…
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Fêtes de Bayonne
I open my bag… What am I going to wear?! The colors don’t change much: white or… white! So white will be! I tie the red scarf on my waist and on my neck I put the small scarf that Aurelien gave me. Well, now I’m properly dressed to the party, let’s go!
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Arrived in Bayonne!
After 16h on the bus, without eating anything (I feel travel sick easily), I arrived in BAYONNE, south of France! The driver told me there was a change to the bus stop, as they had to close some streets because of the festivities in the city center. That’s ok, I thought, but I wasn’t expecting to be left on my own in the middle of a big roundabout, where I could only see big warehouses, well pretty much in the middle of nowhere, at 1:20am! The driver explains to me the way to my destiny – the train station in the city center where my friend is expecting me: “… It’s about 2km…
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Christiania
Where are we going today? Let’s get out of the country without leaving the city: let’s go to Christiania!!! My full-of-holes-map keeps me in the right direction… straight forward, turn first left, then right, pass in front of the cathedral (quite high!), again left… walking 50 meters and the entrance is somewhere around heeeeere…Ah there!!! We arrived in Christiania! The walls are covered in graffiti and the buildings look old, well lived, with doors wide open for bars, small shops and a sort of museum! Let’s get in! 2 floors up, we found a little exposition and a little shop. There was a guide, a man who lives in the neighborhood that told us the story…
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Black Diamond – Royal Library
Today I have to study and it’s a rainy day! But not one of those days when you feel like staying at home… Got my laptop in my bag, my notebook and a book about dialysis. Get on my bike and I’m heading to the Royal Library, also known as Black Diamond!
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Ice Bar
It’s Saturday, it’s already 10pm and we are just hanging around on the couch, tired from a day walking miles exploring every corner of Copenhagen. Odilia and Alberto are visiting me and I have been showing them around. – “So what are we up to tonight?” -“We could go to this ice bar…” (Just the thought of the cold makes my body feel heavier on the couch!) -“But if we go, has to be right now, the bar closes at 1am!” -“Let’s get ready then!”
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Nyhavn
Copenhagen, March 19th, 2010 Hello World’s Greatest Dad! I’m 2500 km far from home but I have you in my heart. Today, to celebrate the portuguese Father’s Day, I’m taking my heart for a walk in Nyhavn, my favourite place in Copenhagen.
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The Little Mermaid
Incredible! Today it’s 4ºC, the highest temperature I’ve had since I arrived in Copenhagen 1 month ago. The other day, me and some friends went for a walk, that day was so cold that I couldn’t feel my feet, my nose was tomato red and my tongue was hardly articulating the words… We visited the Little Mermaid! This statue has history: it was made because the son of the founder of Carlsberg Beer liked the fairytale, The Little Mermaid by the danish Hans Christian Andersen, so much. It was created in 1913 but it only became famous after 1964, when she was decapitated! The original head never showed up, so they’ve…
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Snow, Ice and Hot Chocolate
Despite the cold outside, I dare to go for a walk… I want to feel the city! 3 pair of socks, 2 winter coats, a warm scarf, winter hat… ah, I almost forgot the gloves!, and here I go! At first I think it is not that cold… but after 100 meters I’m trying to wear the scarf up to the cheeks!
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Copenhagen!
I look out the window, the little white flakes rush down to the street, covering the roads with a fluffy blanket of snow… It’s -3ºC and I’m living in the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, for the next 3 months!
