Anywhere I Lay My Head

It's less than two months until I board a plan for Frankfurt, and the B.Eng (as of May 28th) and I have been stepping up in our planning. We've got all of our hostels booked, and none of them seem to threaten us with gratuitous nudity, death, or really bad writer/directors.

First stop is Amsterdam, where we've got two options in terms of sleeping arrangements. One is what I have been lovingly referring to as "Chateau Alex", as our friend currently lives in Amsterdam while he finishes his insane masters degree that I *think* has something to do with artificial intelligence. Right now, Alex in is Uganda visiting his equally brainy girlfriend (this couple is smart and well-travelled, yo), so we've booked a place as a back-up plan.

Lucky Lake Hostel seems like the most likely place that we'll meet our demise, as the name constantly reminds us of Camp Crystal Lake. If we dodge a homicidal Dutch mom and her clog-wearing, rosy-cheeked son, then we'll be staying just outside of Amsterdam in... caravans. These little rooms are are touted as trailers "that people in Europe put behind their car and travel with." So not regular, North American trailers... the European kind. The ghetto Dartmouth girl in me (I call her Tiffanee) is pleased.

The draw for non-ghetto me was a) not sleeping in a room with strangers and b) not staying downtown in a hostel where theft/insanity is more prevalent. And heck, there's a lake you can swim in if the urge strikes you, a bunch of outdoor barbecues, and a giant hammock. I'm so there.

Onto Paris, where Andrew convinced me that we must stay in the land of Amélie, Montmartre. Awesome things within walking distance of our hostel, Le Village, include: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Moulin Rouge, and former hang-outs for artists and writers such as Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Langston Hughes.

Probably the worst hostel website for this trip is that of the Pensione Ottaviano in Rome. But, heck... the thing is that the place is about thirty seconds away from the the Vatican. Like, THE Vatican! You can see the dome of the St. Peter's from your window! That is just NUTS! There are some sketchy details surrounding the place (like, how you're not allowed to stay there if you're over 40 or have kids under the age of 13), but the price and location should make up for it.

The hostel we're staying at in Venice seems kind of magical as it's on an ISLAND that will give you BICYCLES if you feel like exploring. The hostel, Il Lato Azzurro, is more like a cultural centre which different groups can rent for retreats and workshops. They offer fair-trade breakfasts, a chef whose specialty is couscous, and WINE. Sold.

One thing we didn't know going into this trip was that the European Cup (Soccer) is being held this year in Austria during the same time as our visit (BTW: if asked, what country should I say I support?). We were basically doomed before we knew it, as hostels were booked MONTHS ahead of time in places like Innsbruck, where we very much wanted to visit but now have to skip. Instead, we're sticking to Vienna, where the risk of death by soccer-riot isn't as large. The Wombat Hostels there have a great reputation and offer nice extras like drink vouchers to the womBar and an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet.

Frankfurt is where I bid adieu (or auf wiedersehen) to my red-headed companion, as he heads to parts unknown (okay, kind of known---Switzerland, Spain, and Morocco are some of his destinations). The hostel there seems pretty cool, but seeing as we're there for such a short time, I don't think we'll get to really "experience" Germany that well. That'll be another trip.

With accomodations out of the way, the fun really begins: what the heck are we going to do in these fabulous cities? If you have any recommendations for places to do and things to do, please tell me! I have a lot of ideas for Paris and Rome, but would love suggestions for the other cities, or we might end up wandering Before Sunrise style. Dangerous, as I am no Julie Delphy.