What good crack!

Let’s just say that I will be eternally happy that I hauled my butt out of bed to go running that morning. I was in Dalkey, Ireland. I had no idea what a beautiful morning it was going to be, what a hard workout I was going to get, or that I was going to get lost and end up in three different towns. We had already gone hiking, so I knew exactly where I would run: past the purple house, up the hill and into the trails to get an incredible view of the ocean and Dublin. Once I got to the top of the hill, I ran down the other side and continued along the coastal road, and then kept going… and going…until I didn’t know where I was.

I stopped running and started aimlessly looking around. Coincidentally, I was near Dun Laoghaire, the very destination of Hilary Swank’s character in P. S. I Love You, where she butchers the name but somehow manages to charm Gerard Butler into walking there with her (the Irish we met make fun of that movie because the actual distance from where they were to the town is incredibly far and unrealistic). While running, I was secretly hoping that if I acted like I was enjoying the beautiful suburban scenery enough, Gerard would come strolling up to me, and I would address him smoothly with… “I’m lost.” Then he would smile and fall instantly in love with me, sing “Galway Girl,” and we would get married. Nope-the luck of the Irish must be a myth because that did NOT happen. No swaggering Irish man rescued me from my directional challenges; however, a lady walking her daughter to school kindly helped a lost girl out.

I learned so much on our weeklong visit to Ireland. When an Irish person asks about the crack, they’re not talking about the drug so don’t be a prude and get all offended. They mean, “Are you having fun?” and obviously, if you are hanging with Irish guys, you’re having fun. If you are watching a sporting event but get confused in the first 20 seconds when the players kick the ball, then suddenly pass it forwards and sideways and backwards, and they tackle and punch each other, it’s definitely Gaelic football. If two gingers kiss, the world ends. A note on Irish sarcasm: they use it. That’s why they name their metro, which does not move very fast at all, the DART. Ah, the joys of the leprechaun island.

My three friends and I stayed with the Swan family in their house in Dalkey, Ireland. I had never heard of this suburb 40 minutes from Dublin, and I thought it was going to be dull compared to the capital. Far from it! The coastal small town attracted me immediately, not to mention the fact that it was/is home to legendary world-changers like James Joyce, Bono, Enya, and Van Morrison, among others. I saw Bono’s house, but unfortunately I missed mingling with the countless Asian tourists that often flock there- I would have loved snapping pictures of his tall black gate with them and seeing how many creative poses I could utilize in front of front of it (I’m practicing my Irish sarcasm).

Besides Dalkey, we “DARTed” into Dublin a few times and also took “the long walk” down to Galway...yippie-yi-yay-yi-yay. My favorite day--possibly of my entire European experience--was our bus tour of the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. We saw everything characteristic of the Emerald Isle: rolling green hills speckled with little lambs, crumbling castles, Celtic high crosses, and of course the majestic tall cliffs. Our ancient but cheeky bus driver made me laugh; although a bit elaborate on the flirting, he kept repeating himself in case we did not hear him over the speakers. “Galway City is over there, to the left is Galway City, over there is Galway City.” Well thanks Desmond! You’ve been doing this same tour for 18 years--good thing you still like it, and thanks for the free chips!

I couldn’t help but admire the Irish. In the middle of an awful recession, where jobs are scarce and the young people are leaving because they cannot find employment, these people were resilient. They were in the process of voting in an entire new government (they voted in a CASTLE, by the way) because they were fed up with the old one. No one has much money right now, but the people choose to move on instead of complaining. Their senses of humor and cheery manners help them out, too. I absolutely love Ireland, and I think the pictures speak for themselves (the last one is Enya's castle, however). 

Loving Life in Lutherville

    Wittenburg: I don't think I've ever been so cold in my life. It was 7 in the morning, and as I ran my way up the sleepy main strasse, my lungs were heaving from being in contact with the cold and my breath billowed about me. It was about 30 seconds into the run that I started thinking, Man! I really wished I hadn't dropped that glove in the toilet the other day! My Nike thumb holes were just not sufficient to keep my hands from freezing without gloves, but hey! That's what I get for being clumsy in museum WCs.

     Regardless, it was still a great run because I was in the town of Wittenburg, Germany--otherwise known as Lutherville, Luthertown, Luthercity, Luther Luther Luther! They even have Lutheran food in this city, which I did not try, but I am sure it was quite zesty. This is the town where the big man Martin lived, taught, drank his beer, and started that big huge ruckus we call the Reformation. 

    The town itself is very small--there's really just that one main street I ran on, which is about half a mile long. At one end is the castle church and at the other are some houses and the monastery where Luther lived. But very big things happened in this town back in the 1500s, thanks to an unholy trinity made of Luther, his buddy Melancthon, and their crazy prince Frederick.

     The thing I like about Luther is his sense of humor. He would crack jokes to his university students and poke fun at himself, and a lot of his writings have a touch of spunk and humor that many of the other reformers lack. He was not just interested in theology and reforming people's spiritual lives but all aspects of life: thus his interest in education, family, and gardening. He loved to garden; here's one of my favorite quotes by him: "No matter how much Satan is raging, meanwhile I will laugh at him and watch the gardens...If I am going to stay alive I would want to become a gardener." What a little charmer. 

   How he treated his wife is what really cracks me up though. Apparently Katherina von Bora, among her other great attributes, made fantastic beer (that was probably Luther's favorite thing about her). Katherina was a practical woman; Luther once said, "I keep thinking what good wine and beer I have at home as well as a beautiful wife, or should I say boss?" He called her "my boss Kathe!" How cool is that? His other nickname for her was "Katy my rib," which could be flattering, depending on how you take it. 

    I feel a special bond toward this Katherina lady, mostly because we have the same name. But how could you not like her, when she escaped her nunnery in a barrel hauled on a wagon, gave birth to six kids, and made a man out of Luther? Proverbs 31 sets some pretty high standards for women, and Katherina exceeded them all. She cared for orphans and the sick (part of their huge house was a hospital), counseled her husband, raised her kids, provided money for her family, and was a great intellectual: otherwise her husband would never have let her join him at his table discussions with students (she was the only woman). Yep-Luther had it right: she was a boss.

The main street of Wittenburg, deserted in the frigid morning. The houses and stores are very colorful though.

Sorry for the blur but behind that oak is the place where Luther burned the papal bull  that condemned him and his writings against indulgences. 

This is Luther's monastery-turned-home. Wow- I must have been really cold if I was running this blurringly fast!

The church where Luther preached, married, and baptized his children. The altar-piece has a famous painting by Luther's friend and famous artist Lucas Cranach. The corner of the church had an anti-semitic pig engraving (common on many old churches, but in another area near the church was an honorable Jewish monument.

There's the man himself, and near him (out of view) is a statue of Philip Melanchthon, who holds almost as much notoriety in Wittenburg as Luther, because he was such an important collaborator with Luther as he was educated, courageous, and calm.

The Castle Church, where Luther nailed the 95 Theses to the door.  The original door burned down, but in its place is a metal door with the theses engraved upon it. Luther, Prince Frederick, and Melanchthon are all buried here as well. This church was for the nobility of Wittenburg, and supposedly this church's fortress-like architecture may have inspired Luther to write the hymn "A Mighty Fortress is our God."

 

A Perfect day in Paris

     Crepes, museums, guilded statues, metros, and baguettes filled our four-day stay in Paris. My three friends and I were lucky enough to sleep in a fancy Marriott right along the Champs Elyssees. Running on one of the most famous streets in the world is quite the contrast for an Idaho girl who is used to running by cows and pastures instead of Gucci and Prada stores. Not to mention our destination: we ran to the Eiffel Tower-you’ve heard of it, right?

     I am so proud of the pictures I took! This running photography thing is starting to be quite fun, although it was hard to not feel judged by the French--what they must have thought of me, a tourist running with a camera… hmmm. C’est la vie. 

     Some facts about Eiffel's tower:  Built in 1889 for the Paris Exhibition, it was a significant symbol of the modern industrial era as it was made of iron and steel (7300 tons of it!). It is 984 feet tall, the tallest structure of the time. 2.5 million rivets connect the iron steel. Compared to the beauty of many of the buildings in Paris, the Eiffel Tower seems ugly, and it is ironic that it has become one of the most famous attractions in the world, and also a romantic symbol. The sparkles at night help add to its romance, as does its association to Paris, a very romantic city itself. Personally I can't decide what I think of it because it’s ugly, but you can’t help thinking it’s beautiful at the same time. Maybe it’s one of those things that is made beautiful by familiarity: it is so famous, probably one of the top tourist sites in the world. But why do people want to travel so far to see a tall ugly metal tower? 

    I’ve decided the Eiffel Tower is like a Bob Dylan song: you have to like Bob, at least I have to because I'm a Tracy and he's divine to our family. Even though his voice is scratchy and he likes to play his harmonica every five seconds, he's important. Not just important, but excellent (at least his lyrics are, ha!). He is so familiar to everybody, not only because of the way he’s changed music forever, but he’s an icon, just like the Eiffel Tower.  They're ugly, but you've gotta love 'em!

    Contrast the metallic harsh beauty of the Eiffel Tower with our journey up to Montmartre later that day. Sometimes the best travel experiences happen when you least expect them. For me, sitting on the steps of the Sacra Coeur numbers among the best moments of the trip. There we were with the sun shining, looking out on a panoramic view of the city with the Sacred Heart behind us. 

    “Imagine all the people, livin’ for today…” sang the funny Italian street musician, who highlighted the different nationalities represented on the steps. I have never liked the Beatles song he was covering (John Lennon is my least favorite Beatle), but I couldn’t help feeling differently with this guy Youri playing it. His voice was great, and the sense of unity among the national diversity I felt on those steps was quite moving. Surrounded by Koreans, Brazilians, and Italians, all sharing the same experience of sitting on those steps, we listened to that great song and it gave me the chills. (I forgot to mention the crazy soccer juggler we were watching below--he climbed a light post with the ball balanced on his head.) 

“You could say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one…” 

 Paris is a great city.

This the Champs. The Arch d'Triomphe is in the distance. Our ritzy hotel was in a perfect location, and watching the Arabic royalty eat all day was fun. We'd come back for the night and they'd still be chowing and sipping their 13 euro espressos, right where we left them.  

I got pretty used to looking at cool buildings like this in Paris- I don't even know what this one is but it looks important...

There it is! I had fun editing some of these pictures on my computer. Macs are the greatest.

I love this picture. What a pretty sunrise, and the building's alright too :)

Directly underneath the Eiffel Tower. It's more intricate than I expected- there are 2.5 million rivets connecting all that iron and steel.

What a beautiful sunrise we had that morning! Sometimes it's worth getting up early to run, although it's the hardest thing I ever do...

We ran over this famous bridge back to our hotel, the end of a great run and the start of a great day.

Don't take your shirt off!

    When I stepped off the plane in Girona, Spain, I couldn't stop grinning because of the sunshine that greeted me. 70 degrees felt pretty nice compared to the German freezer I had just come out of. I think the warm temperatures in Barcelona account for the lax--hmm.... decency? standards that Spaniards have, for on our walking tour the next day, our vibrant guide Sophia told us about its nudity laws.     

   Nudity in Barcelona is completely legal, she said, and is quite common, especially on the beaches. But what's really strange is that half nudity is illegal. 

"So men," she said, "if you take off your shirt on the streets because it's getting hot, and a policeman starts coming toward you, just slip your trousers off too and you won't get arrested!" 

   I kept that in mind as I went running around in Barcelona, but the cloud cover didn't make stripping that tempting. The mornings in Barcelona were dreary, but right on cue the sun came out at 11, just like our homeless friend predicted!

 

I wasn't expecting palm trees, but there were plenty. And there is Christopher Columbus on the top of that tower, pointing towards the New World. Barcelona was the city he returned after his trip-- we saw the steps where Ferdinand stood when he greeted Columbus on his return. We also saw the cathedral where the Spaniards baptized the Native Americans who came back with Columbus. Love him or hate him, Barcelona was definitely Christopher's place!

This was one of the ports of Barcelona that had a nice path to run along. Barcelona is a very vibrant city, with plenty of bikers and runners. Unlike the German runners who are STICKS, the Spaniards actually have some muscle on their legs.

 I liked these statues- the elongated green effect... kinda endearing :) Also, Barcelona might just be my favorite city, because EVERYONE rollerblades! It was so fun to see people rollerblading along the coast. Of course I asked someone about renting rollerblades, but she looked at me funny and said no. She was a skateboarder-can't trust them.

You can see the World Trade Center in this picture. It was great running along the coast; we were five minutes from our hostel. There were restaurants, a movie theater, mall, and plenty of crepe stands to make the tourists happy.

This was a view from the bridge back to the city. It moved to let sailboats come through to dock.

Los Ramblas! The most famous street in Barcelona. Mimes lined the street (my favorite was John Wayne) as well as souvenir and flower stands. During the day, it was packed with tourists. Don't try and eat at a restaurant here, though; they charge 10 euros for a coke! That's what the waiter told my friend anyway-maybe his English was confused? We left the restaurant obviously. 

This was the entrance to the street where our hostel was. To the left is an excellent Doner stand. Doners are the best food I've had in Europe so far--we had them three nights in a row in Barcelona. Our Ambex group is obsessed with these gyro/sandwich hybrids; whether it's the slices of lamb meat, yogurt sauce or  their cheapness, they're definitely worth the complete messiness of eating one. 

   Other highlights of Barcelona included:

• Seeing the Sagrada Familia and the genius of Gaudi. The cathedral was unique because of Gaudi's emphasis on nature and integrating it into every part of his architecture. The whole cathedral was supposed to represent a tree and it was an incredible combination of modern, natural, and religious elements.
• Hiking up to Montjuic, the old fortress near the city. There was a beautiful cactus garden and the view of Barcelona from the top was worth sweating a little to get up there, although everyone knows it doesn't take much to make me sweat :)
• Going to a traditional Spanish restaurant and eating snails, calamari, and little silver fish, with their heads still on. Still can't believe I decapitated a fish.
• Going on tours of the city through our hostel and meeting people from all over the world.
• Touring the excavations of the Roman city, Barcino.
• Wading through the Mediterranean Sea

Barcelona was a great combination of sites, weather, people, and things to do! I didn't get close to seeing everything, but it just gives me an excuse to go back someday. With rollerblades of course.

Missing Lincoln

   When I was in Washington, D.C. a few years ago, a nice couple asked me if I would take a picture of them in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I snapped the photo and was pleased to see that it turned out great--no blurry edges, both people had their eyes open, and their smiles looked normal. I was about to hand the camera back to them when my friend Mikayla glanced at it and quickly took another picture of the couple.

"Mikayla, why'd you do that?" I asked surprised.

"Kate, you totally missed getting Lincoln in the picture."

"Oh. Guess that was the whole point of the picture, huh?"

   Since then, I have recognized the fact that great photography has never been a part of my skill set. My pictures are always blurry, crooked, or completely missing Lincoln. I have never wanted to make the effort to focus on picture-taking. I'll let other more talented folks do that, and I'll snag theirs off Facebook (I hope that's plagiarism).

   Well, then I decide to go to Europe for a semester, and all of a sudden people are hounding me with demands for pictures of the places I visit. I now have this duty to perform a task I already didn't like.  I was faced with sure embarrassment if I showed up back in the States with some real goofy-looking pictures.

   But then I came up with this plan. You see, Jim Carrey can be very inspiring sometimes. I remember watching his movie Yes Man and thinking the running photography part was quite funny (red bull!). So I thought to myself: why not practice some German efficiency and run and take pictures at the same time?

   I viewed it as a win-win situation. My pictures were gonna be bad anyways, so I might as well add some artful flare to them by adding some motion. Call it "blurred art." Catchy, right? Also, the German diet isn't known for its healthiness, so I thought it would be good to burn some you-know-whats while I'm here and make my momma proud. I decided to go for it.

   Here are the rules I laid down for myself:

      

#1: Secure camera around wrist at all times (I know my history, and sometimes cameras, gravity and I            don't get along very well).

#2: Only pictures taken while moving no slower than 6 mi/hr count. Moving slower than that is lame and detracts from the art and the whole point of the activity.

#3: Smile at every German you meet. Even if the success rate of a returned smile is less than 1%, spreading some American cheer never hurt anybody.

#4: Be on the lookout for cute rollerblading Gypsies; if you see one, marry him.

#5: Run in every city visited. Don't be lazy.

   So far, my plan has worked out nicely. I have been very motivated to run; I think it maybe just might have something to do with this beautiful city of Regensburg. I think I'm addicted. I invite you to take a look at my first attempt at running photography:

See that graffitied map? Yeah, that's a map of Regensburg. Maybe I should think about actually looking at one of those. Or not--getting lost and aimlessly wandering is more fun.

This is a view of the Regen River right after a snowstorm. And yes-I was running in the snow. I'm dedicated.




This is the old Roman bridge. Completed in 1146, it is a testament to medieval architecture and the bridge connected trade routes from Paris and Venice, making Regensburg economically stable.

 

Cobblestones on the old bridge- just running where Richard the Lion-hearted marched with his army during the crusades. No big deal :)

View of St. Peters's Cathedral from the bridge! I never get sick of looking at it. Although tempted to run around inside, I decided that would be disrespectful. Good decision yeah? Besides it is freezing and there are tombs of dead bishops and important church figures. I had to do wall sits on the pews to keep myself warm. Other than that it is beautiful!

The Danube River from the bridge. The first day we got here, the river was flooded. Since then it's calmed down but it is still moving fast. I try hard not to fall in.

This is a historical Bratwurst restaurant right by the bridge, said to be the world's first fast food restaurant. People say you haven't been to Regensburg until you have eaten a Bratwurst here, but since there are 450 you-know-whats in a Bratwurst, I decided to pass. Sausage: not exactly a great mid-workout snack :)

This is the castle where the princess of Bavaria lives. I didn't see her.

I love this old lady! She's on a building right by our hostel. I'm pretty sure that if the artist would have painted all of her, she would be rollerblading :)

Home sweet home! This is the jugendherberge, our youth hostel. We sleep, eat, and study here. Tony, the cook, is a real jovial Italian that makes good food and jokes. Ibo the desk clerk knows where all the fun places in Regensburg are, and the cleaning ladies always give a cheerful "Hallo!" to us Ambexers. 

Some artwork that I took a blurry picture of. It is along a scenic path up to the dam. It's a great trail, and I just recently met a girl named Julia on it. She is a student at the University of Regensburg and we ended up running together for 45 minutes, and we're already planning many more runs together.