Latvia? Yes... Latvia.

Hello all!

Faith and I have been in Germany for the past week and a half, spending time with Philipp and his wonderful family. When we first got off the plane in Germany from Girona (a small one-night stop after Barcelona) we saw him and his mom, Martina, standing at a big glass window overlooking where we were coming off the plane. We were both overjoyed!

We spent a wonderful week and a half with his family: Martina, Andi, Caroline, and Moritz (Mo). Philipp's family lives in Bad Schon Born, very close to a train that takes passengers all over Germany. Because of that we had the opportunity to visit a lot of incredible German cities like Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, and Manheim. 

I spent a lot of time in elementary school reading about The Holocaust for personal interest in the subject. The Holocaust is a subject that a lot of German people don't like to talk about (while, on the other hand, some bring it up during relaxed conversation), so I was a bit nervous to ask about seeing a concentration camp. I got the feeling that Philipp didn't want us to think of Germany as 'the place where the Holocaust happened,' but when I asked about seeing a camp Philipp and his family were all very accomodating and understanding of my request. We went to Struthoff Work Camp in France. The camp was up a mountain and several miles away from a neighboring city so as not to draw attention. When we got to the top of the mountain I was struck by how beautiful the area was, how wrong that felt, and the feeling that something had happened there. It's an experience that is beyond my writing ability, or my ability to understand, but it is one that I will never forget. 

We met a few of Philipp's friends, spent time with his family, and watched a full season of the show '24'... I know... The best way to spend time in Germany? Well, we needed some downtime and even though that show brought a lot of stress into our lives (seriously, this show is insane) it was nice to just relax with one another at night after a busy day.

The food in Germany is AMAZING! My favorite is spetzel, which is essentially thick, short pasta. The breads are all very hearty and grainy, and everything in general is very rich: The chocolate, meats, sauces, everything. That being said it's very easy to find food for days when you're not especially hungry. It's really easy to stereotype a country into having food, music, or people who are a certain "type." What's important to remember and what we have been consistently reminded of is that so much of life and culture in a place has to do with who you are staying with, what their own personal tastes are, and what is accessible to you. Each nationality has pride, and the stereotypes I have been taught are becoming less and less of something I think about as I travel more. This is a good thing, I think.

And so now, we're in Latvia. We left Frankfurt yesterday afternoon and were planning on having a layover here for an hour. Instead, we learned minutes before boarding the plane to Russia that our visas aren't authorized for entry into Russia until the 20th of November. So here we are, in an awesome hostel in Riga, Latvia, enjoying ourselves! 

Love and more love,

Rigel

You Are Tired (I Think)

This poem has nothing to do with our travels.... I just really like it.
-Rig

You are tired,
(I think)
Of the always puzzle of living and doing;
And so am I.

Come with me, then,
And we’ll leave it far and far away—
(Only you and I, understand!)

You have played,
(I think)
And broke the toys you were fondest of,
And are a little tired now;
Tired of things that break, and—
Just tired.
So am I.

But I come with a dream in my eyes tonight,
And I knock with a rose at the hopeless gate of your heart—
Open to me!
For I will show you places Nobody knows,
And, if you like,
The perfect places of Sleep.

Ah, come with me!
I’ll blow you that wonderful bubble, the moon,
That floats forever and a day;
I’ll sing you the jacinth song
Of the probable stars;
I will attempt the unstartled steppes of dream,
Until I find the Only Flower,
Which shall keep (I think) your little heart
While the moon comes out of the sea.

- e.e. cummings

Holla

Hola (not to be confused with "holla"),

We're in Barcelona! It's currently 1:30 in the morning here. I know what you're thinking... "Oh that Rigel, what a teenager. Staying up late in Europe probably up to shenanigans."

False. I am an old woman in a 19 year old's body. Last night Faith and I took an all night train from Madrid to Barcelona and I was in a car with two Argentinean men. They snored. I didn't sleep at all. Today, after visiting the National Museum and 'Plaza de Espana' I went back to the apartment and took a nap. Much to my dismay, I can't sleep now. So here I am!

We have been in Spain for about a week now after staying in Edinburgh for a few days.

In Edinburgh we visited the National Gallery. We were both struck by the interior of the gallery as well as the artwork itself. Faith finds herself gravitating more towards sculpture, whereas I am interested in gothic architecture and figure drawings. We also had lots of fun exploring 'Old Town' and 'New Town'.  We did plenty of walking around, eating scones as per usual, hiked Arthur's Seat, and spent time with Hilary Lynd! We also saw the Occupy Edinburgh protest in St. Andrew's Square and climbed the Scott Monument (287 steps...the ultimate Stair Master).

Malaga was wonderful. We got to see Paula Fernandez, a good friend of ours from junior year in high school (gosh... high schol... that was just SO long ago...if you can't sense my sarcasm we need to have a chat). While Paula was at 'the university' we went into the city and explored. This mostly consisted of tripping over cobblestones and art galleries. The ground was covered in tiles in the  center of town, and there were plazas nearly everywhere. We saw an old roman ampitheatre and an ancient Arabic fortress from 1060, and a beautiful museum dedicated to the spanish artist Revello de Torro...it was wonderful. We also learned about the wonders of olive oil and salt on bread. How mediterranean.

(It's morning now...Faith here!) Then Madrid! Wow this is a lot... I realize we haven't blogged for a while *slap on wrist*. We stayed right near the center of the city, and were able to walk around quite a bit (our feet hurt). We spent a lot of time in Puerta del Sol, one of the city's central plazas, visited the cathedral, saw the Palace (but didn't go inside...these things are expensive!) and visited one of Madrid's famous museums. There was music everywhere, and people dressing up for halloween. We really loved it...we got a chance to meet up with Paula and some of her friends for lunch, also, before we left on an overnight train for...

Barcelona! Yes, here we are in Barcelona, blogging and eating oil/salt bread and a mango before going out to do more exploring. Yesterday we saw la plaza espana and the national museum, which used to be this amazing palace. At night it's all lit up and the fountains are going...we think we may have to see the spectacle, as cheesy as it may be. There's so much to do and see, lots of parks and the beach, of course. Statues everywhere. Gaudi's masterpiece buildings...I saw the Sagrada Familia yesterday which may be the most unique building I've ever seen. I think I may head to the Cathedral for mass so I can see it for free (we're on a budget...6 Euros is a lot of money!) Rig is off to bike about the city and read...
We leave for Frankfurt on Friday, and Girona Spain tomorrow, where our flight takes off. So...Chao!