Il Dolce Far Niente http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com the sweetness of doing nothing posterous.com Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:37:00 -0700 City vs. Country http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/city-vs-country http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/city-vs-country

Media_httpsweetlydoin_hhili

Before heading to Iowa last weekend, the only thing I could remember about that particular state was the boredom of driving through it as a child on the way to Colorado.  In fact, up until last weekend, every time I thought of "Iowa," the only thing that came to mind was a golden brown rectangle somewhere west of the Mississippi and cornfields as far as the eye could see. I take my identity as a city girl pretty seriously.  While some people might find the so-called concrete jungle nerve-racking -  with all of the strange characters, honking of horns, screaming of sirens, and strange smells - I could not be any more at home.  So when I venture out of the Chicago, I sometimes feel the same anxiety many people feel when they venture in, but opposite.  All of the trees, and open empty spaces, forlorn gas stations and enormous grocery stores, and the silence...!

Media_httpsweetlydoin_rabei

My trip to Iowa was different.  First of all I was amazed about how beautiful north-western Illinois is.  It was my first time ever driving through Galena, a quaint little town  with beautiful old houses built up in the hills that reminded me of Europe.  In that area, just as we were crossing the border into Iowa is hilly with valleys of trees that were just beginning to lose their leaves for winter.  We stayed with my roommate's grandparents in a very rural area of northeastern Iowa, very near Amish country, and very far from any city.

Media_httpsweetlydoin_licfd

I must have asked 100 questions over the course of the weekend, about the crops and the livestock, about the Amish and the economy.  It truly is a different world out there.  My roommate's grandparents drove us around and showed us all of the family land, which to me looked like an inconceivable amount of work.  I could imagine his grandparents getting a good laugh after we left: us kids, constantly pulling out our phones to take pictures of things that are quite ordinary in Iowa.

Media_httpsweetlydoin_dpvwy

Soon it was time to head home.  On the way back we had time to stop and spend a few hours in Galena.  I was in love within minutes of stepping out of the car.  Galena was a mix of everything I appreciate in America with the atmosphere of a little European town.  We were able to visit the local brewery and even had time to take a short tour.  My favorite part of the day, however, was driving up in to the hills and checking out some of the old houses.  I know now, that I would consider leaving the city -- but only if it meant moving to Galena!

Media_httpsweetlydoin_hjluf

Media_httpsweetlydoin_jcugo
Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4: Jacob Huston; 5 & 6: Maryjane Schiltz

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:52:59 -0800 London http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/london http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/london I would describe London as cold and very expensive, however I was only there for one day and one night, so I might be too quick to judge.

Media_httpsweetlydoin_lsavg

Media_httpsweetlydoin_cbrdz

 

Media_httpsweetlydoin_cjwtp

Media_httpsweetlydoin_nydzf

Media_httpsweetlydoin_uoecf

Media_httpsweetlydoin_phcpb

Media_httpsweetlydoin_lmide

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Sun, 12 Dec 2010 22:00:49 -0800 Amsterdam http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/amsterdam http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/amsterdam Many people who visit Amsterdam have very positive experiences.... I personally did not. I found Amsterdam to be dirty, creepy, and awkward. I did not have a good meal the entire time I was there (except for one bowl of soup) and spent a majority of time walking around in the cold, dreading returning to my hostel.  I took no pictures and bought only food and drinks. Dates: October 26 - 29 (3 days) Flight: British Airways (I would definitely recommend British Airways.  They even give you a complimentary newspaper!  It is a little frustrating if you have to transfer flights in London, however, because it means going through security all over again.) Stayed at: The Marnix Hotel - Marnixstraat 382 - 1016 XX Amsterdam.  www.marnixhotel.com) Do yourself a favor and DO NOT STAY HERE.  The pictures on the website are extremely misleading.  The bathroom photos are definitely stolen from somewhere else.  I will explain the full story below, but at this point its necessary to list the other place we stayed at: Hotel de Paris - Marnixstraat 372 - 1016 XX Amsterdam.  (http://www.deparis-amsterdam.com/)  After the Marnix "Hotel" this place was like paradise.  Rooms were slightly pricey (130 euro for a room for one night, aprox. 180$), but then so is everything in Amsterdam. We arrived in Amsterdam and took a train to Amsterdam Central, which was easy enough.  Jacob and I knew we had to take a tram to our hotel, but we were confused about where to buy tickets.  I got on the tram to ask the driver and the doors shut behind me, leaving Jacob still standing outside.  So I sat down on this strange tram, without paying, and listened to the automated voice announcing in Dutch which stop we were arriving at.  Thankfully Jacob texted me the stop we needed to get off at and I waited for him there until he got off the next tram.  At this point we realized that we knew the address of the hotel/hostel but not the name.  Fortunately we were able to find the place and check in. We paid for the next three nights, got the key and went upstairs.  I should have started being concerned when I saw the dirty hallway, but trying to stay positive, I said nothing.  We opened the door to a dark and dirty room that smelled like it could use to be aired out.  The room had 4 sets of bunk beds, a sink, garbage can, and one chair.  The door to the private bathroom had a hole punched through it.  The bathroom itself was horrifying, smelled as if it had never been cleaned, with mold on the shower curtain and urine on the floor.  By this point I was semi-hysterical and called my friend who had earlier texted me "The hotel is really nice!"  Had she mistakenly checked into another hotel?  Did we have the extra-special horrible room?  I demanded to know the name of the hotel she was staying at and she confirmed Marnix....  "AND YOU SAID ITS NICE???!"  By this point she was laughing so hard she could barely talk and admitted she had been joking. We left the hotel as soon as possible and tried to enjoy the rest of the day, but it was difficult considering it was misting rain and was terribly cold.  Within 30 minutes of leaving the "hotel" I was screamed at (in Dutch) for accidentally stepping into the bike lane.  If you do decide to ignore all my advice and visit Amsterdam, make sure to STAY OUT of the bike lane!!!  You are risking your life by not triple checking every time you think about crossing the road.  It is not a pedestrian city! When we returned to the hostel late that night, I was surprised to discover there were three other men sleeping in there (I was the only girl!).  The man sleeping in the bed 3 feet away from mine was at least 50 years old and reminded me of the Hargrid character from the Harry Potter movies, however less trustworthy.  He begin making conversation while Jacob and I were getting ready for bed, asking us where we were from, how much he loves Amsterdam, etc.  Meanwhile, he also started getting ready for bed.  This process included taking out his fake eye in front of us and putting it in a glass filled with some kind of solution.  I was obviously trying my absolute hardest to convince myself this was a normal behavior, and said nothing.  He explained to us that he lost his eye in a car accident (one of many in his life) and then began to recount each of them for us, in detail. He also confided about his health insurance in six different countries and multiple passports.  I had head enough by this point and I was in bed, covering my head and trying not to cry.  At five in the morning, I woke up to him having a late night/early morning snack of two full bags of chips. The next day, I insisted that we check into a different hotel so I could take a shower and actually feel clean afterward.  The shower that morning had been less than successful considering the amount of mold I was exposed to.  We checked into the Hotel de Paris, conveniently located next door, however the rest of the girls we were with decided to stay at Marnix.  Their situation was slightly better because it was only the five of them in a room together, and although it was extremely small, they at least had a window, which also provided some fresh air. The following day, we had to check out of the Hotel de Paris because they had no vacancy for the night.  We ended up back at Marnix, begging to change rooms.  The man at the desk had no sympathy for our situation but eventually agreed to put us in a 12 bed room.  [He also very rudely started questioning our friend Kelli, asking if she had actually paid to stay there or not.  She explained that she was in a different room and gave him her key.  The man didn't believe her!!  For some unknown reason he had the idea that someone would actually want to stay there after seeing the rooms.  Eventually, after some harsh words and lots of dirty looks, he allowed her to go upstairs to her room.] When the next morning came, I could not have been more ready to leave Amsterdam and on to the next part of our trip, Barcelona! [You may have wondered why I mentioned nothing except the hotel situation, however its because there isn't much more to say and I am in the process of blocking it all out of my memory.  Between the prostitution, the dirty "coffee shops" everywhere, the carnival -like atmosphere, the crappy food, and the constant feeling of being part of a disgusting bachelor party, I can honestly say that the only thing you want to do after leaving Amsterdam is to take a long hot shower and go to confession!]   Here is another blogger's experience with the Marnix "Hotel": http://jamesobrien.id.au/2008/08/22/thank-god-for-marco-and-sandra/

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane
Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:41:45 -0800 Paris http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/paris http://sweetlydoingnothing.posterous.com/paris I realize I went on this trip almost two months ago, however, I am just getting to writing about it now (that I have already returned home). Dates: October 23 - 26 (4 days) Flight: EasyJet (I would recommend EasyJet to students and other low maintenance travelers in Europe.  For a low price, you can find early morning flights to the more difficult to reach airports in many cities in Europe.  If you can put up with the delays, open seating, and baggage restrictions for lower fares, EasyJet is a decent airline.) www.easyjet.com Stayed at:  Auberge Internationale des Jeunes, 10 Rue Trousseau - Paris www.aijparis.com Despite the fact that the week before i arrived in Paris, the city was having some issues with strikes and terrorist threats, I was extremely excited about the trip.  After arriving in the airport and following signs to the train, i realized that this trip was going to be somewhat difficult because of the enormous language barrier.  English-speaking tourists are often told horror stories of their difficulties  in French-speaking countries.  In a daze, somehow we (I was traveling with my friend Jacob) managed to get tickets and get on a train headed into the city.  We had to switch trains three times to get to the metro stop closest to our hostel.  All went smoothly until we arrived at the metro stop and realized we didn't know the exact address of the hostel.  I won't bore you with the details of how this information was attained, but 45 minutes or so later, we arrived at our hostel, conveniently only 4 blocks away.  I will however mention that it was pouring rain. This was my first hostel experience.  I was seduced into the idea of hostels by the low rates per night (usually around 20 euro, which depending on the exchange rate is about 28$) and ideas I had been given in movies (in particular, "What a Girl Wants," thankfully i have never seen the movie, "Hostel").  In this particular hostel, i soon discovered,  you had to pay for towels, keep your luggage in a monitored luggage room (instead of your bedroom) and you slept in bunk beds.  It wasn't exactly the romantic honeymoon suite I had imagined, but looking back on it now, it wasn't too bad. [caption id="attachment_172" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Not exactly the lap of luxury...."]
Media_httpsweetlydoin_fibrb
[/caption] After dropping off our luggage, Jacob and I mentally prepared ourselves to venture out and try to find something to eat.  The only thing I for knew how to say was: " L'addition s'il vous plait" (the check, please.)  We found a cafe very close by and after sitting down, we discovered that the menu was entirely in French.  After staring at it for 15 minutes, I decided to order Boeuf Bourguignon, a dish very similar to pot roast with vegetables.  I knew (or hoped) this would be delicious because it is a French specialty, or at least so i was informed by the movie "Julie and Julia."  The meal was delicious and less embarrassing than I though, although still very stressful.  By this point in the trip, i had become very used to ordering in Italian, so to enter another country where I literally spoke none of the language was very strange.  It made me really admire people who visit or move to the United States without knowing the language.  The do this knowing that they quite possibly will encounter no one who speaks their language.  As Americans, we often assume that the world is our playground and that while we are traveling, people should oblige us and speak in English... For the remainder of my time in Paris, I experienced many of the typical things: -Ordered random things off menus, hoping that I was translating them correctly.  For the most part, this had good results. -Visited the Louvre, twice. (A tip for American student studying abroad with a visa, show your visa at museums and other historical sites requiring you to pay admission.  Many times you can enter for free or at a discounted rate because you are a student.) Another note i would like to mention here is that I was able to see Ruben's "Queen Marie di Medici Cycle," and it was more fabulous than i expected! [caption id="attachment_173" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Louvre"]
Media_httpsweetlydoin_kaqbd
[/caption] -Ate French Onion Soup and Crepes -Visited Notre Dame and Sant' Chapelle [caption id="attachment_174" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Notre Dame"]
Media_httpsweetlydoin_gbjhh
[/caption] [caption id="attachment_175" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Inside Sant' Chapelle"]
Media_httpsweetlydoin_hagjl
[/caption]

 

-Took pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower [caption id="attachment_176" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Tour de Eiffel"]
Media_httpsweetlydoin_ocaef
[/caption] -Bought post cards and Eiffel Tower key chains. On Monday, Jacob and I went to the town of Versailles to see the Palace and the Petit Trianon.  Unfortunately since we did not have internet at the hostel, we didn't plan ahead for the fact that it is always closed on Mondays.  It was one of the biggest disappointments thus far in my life that I was unable to see them, however, I am sure that I will return to Paris.  We instead spent the day walking around the grounds taking photos and when it got too cold, went and had lunch. [caption id="attachment_177" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Looking out to the enormous grounds of Versailles"]
Media_httpsweetlydoin_zphev
[/caption] [caption id="attachment_178" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Gardens at Versailles"]
Media_httpsweetlydoin_dzgif
[/caption] The following morning, we headed out of the city to Amsterdam... [caption id="attachment_180" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Eternal Love "]
Media_httpsweetlydoin_wcchs
[/caption]

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

]]>
http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1635961/me21.jpg http://posterous.com/users/cQczTF0uxH1vc Maryjane sweetlydoingnothing Maryjane