In celebration of the birth of our King Willem Alexandar, we wear orange, drink loads, laugh with friends and dance dance dance. Last Konings Dag, I was tormented by a terrible stomach flu, so this year, we went all out. Inviting friends over to start the day with Mojitos and snacks, the day turned into night and the party still went on! Waterguns, pints, loompjes, and orange everything, oh yeah- our party pants!:) So much fun and I am so thankful for the amazing friends we have. Shout out to Dames Twee and Pusphaira.
Tag: adventure
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Pisa, Italy
I just had to try and make it stand up right, and considering my arms are weaklings, I went for using my legs.
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Niagara Falls, New York
I think for all of those who ever see Niagara Falls, one thing comes to mind: power. The force at which the Niagara River pumps water from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario is almost inconcievable. But, obviously, this is why it is a world wonder. It has the highest flow rate of all the waterfalls in the world, making it so powerful and can crush most anything that comes under its direct passage. Not to mention, the fierce ice swords it forms. I can’t even say icicle here, because an icicle is too soft of a word for the products of the Niagara during winter. In all, my cousin Sara and I were totally in awe, freezing, but in awe.
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Meadville, Pennsylvania
Being that I am away from my family the majority of the time, unfortunately (I wish I could take them everywhere with me), I usually spend around a months time at home during the Christmas Season. Therefore, when someone in my family needed some help, I flew up to small town Meadville, Pennsylvania. Though it was just a three day trip, I knew some natural beauty was to be found there and that I could finall see where my grandfather was born and grew up. So with only really one free day, we went and explored northern nature, frozen lakes and made snow angels. The area was silent, peaceful, and slow; only the howl of the wind and tires on snow could be heard.
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The Matterhorn, Switzerland
Another solo trip to another mountain top. It is now December and I have only one week to prepare myself for leaving. How can I explain how the air here soothes my soul, how being one step away from the mountains brings the easy rhythm to my heart? The joy of independence and the pride I have for getting myself here. Switzerland, you are the piece of my independent heart. You have provided me a space to find myself, and for that, I am forever indebted to you.
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Jungfrau, where I fell in love with the world
At the end of our incredible journey as Mother and Daughter, I had to head back to work.
But, my Mom still had a few days to do some exploring herself. So- I sent her to no other destination than the Swiss Alps, for a view she just had to see. Jungfrau- The top of Europe. And though it took her from 7am-12am to complete the journey, I know she felt its worth.It’s a powerful rush and an enticing call to take a long stare into the beauty of the Swiss Alps. White crystals dancing on masses that can move even the most dim of all souls. Mother nature at her finest.
Back in 2011, it was these same mountains that moved me to a new explorative level. After seeing this sight, just as my Mom did on this day, a love for nature and the world bloomed inside of me. A spring that never fades into fall.
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Prague, The Czech Republic
Prague is a city for wayfarers; a city with boundless beauty best discovered by wandering up and down hills, through small alleys, amongst trees, and speaking to statues in frozen silence. What is still from the outside, is more than lively in its sentiments. Small dark windows with candles, shadows sitting next to mulled wine. It is captivating in its history and how entwined it once was with the now western world; Hitlers hideaway once he captured what he wanted. Today the veil is off and its beauty is for the world.
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Budapesht, Hungary
rriving in Budapesht was, in hindsight, really funny. First, let me say, that besides booking our hostel and getting tips from my Hungarian friend (Andrea), I really didn’t prepare for Budapesht. Like all of my travels, I expected it to be pretty simple to figure our way around. But, Budapesht was different. Well, our arrival anyways.
Upon arrival, like any other time, we stepped off the train and into the station, bags and directions in hand. So, I lead my Mom and we start following the directions step by step. The station is the oldest in Europe, we know now, so it was decrepit and a little scary. People were screaming at one another and gypsies, in their abundancy, were begging for money. We were told by Andrea not to flag down a taxi and Budapesht, as it is unsafe and we are most likely to get ripped off. So, we found the bus stop and hopped on. It all happened really fast, so I just supposed that it was headed into the city. But, it definitely was not. All of the sudden, we were way far outside the city and I had no clue what to do. I said to my Mom, “hey we are going the wrong way, let’s get off”. So, we did. As follows, we ended up sitting on the side of the road, lost, with no hungarian language skills- not even a self-help language book. My Mom did not like the idea, but I decided to ask a woman if she could help us find our way to our hostel. Not that either of us are judgemental, but it was a creepy part of town. Luckily, the woman was extremely helpful and called us a taxi to our destination. Of course, I didn’t have enough Forints to pay… gratefully the cabby accepted Euros. The whole experience tripped my Mom up a good bit. She hadn’t been to a city so tarnished before. Post-communism and the realities it created are still very real and felt. We did end up making it to our hostel, but it itself was unlike any other that I had ever stayed at before. It was a huge historic building, atramentous and blood curling. But, once we found the “front desk”, we did start to feel a bit better. Then we rushed off to dinner, having the receptionist order us a cab. The cab got us lost and drove for 45 minutes like lighting, for what would have been a ten minute drive. Eventually, we made it to the underground cave restaurant we had booked. Dinner, wine, and the good company all made our long day very worth it.
The picture above is of the Szechenyi Bathhouse. It is one of the largest Turkish bathhouses in Europe and located in the heart of the city; equipped with 15 indoor pools, 3 outdoor pools and 10 saunas. It was built in 1913. Szechenyi made for the perfect day of relaxation with my Mom. We loved it and we loved Hungary.
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Schonnbrunne Palace, Vienna, Austria
Schonnbrun Palace is a former imperial 1,441-room Rococo summer residence in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most important cultural monuments in the country. Since the 1960s it has been one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna. The palace and gardens show the tastes and interests of Habsburg monarchs, who controlled territory from Austria to Slovenia, and parts of Germany and Itlay from 1860-1918.
On this day, we had an evening train ride planned to Budapesht, Hungary. So, we only had the morning to see the Palace and the Gardens. Had we planned it better, we would have stayed the entire day. BUT, that is traveling. Regardless, our time at the Schonnbrun was faultless.
We began our tour inside the Palace. And though the days of Sissy are long gone, one can’t help but imagine what life was like and how or if you could ever live in that time yourself. And if you did, what would it be like? I imagined someone brushing my hair, getting me dressed in the morning, serving me only the finest of things, bathing… man, what was bathing like? The clothing, days within the palace walls, strolls in the gardens, rumours of riots and war- only never to reach within. Crazy.
But I think my Mom really loved it. I know she loved the history to it. And I loved spending the day with her in such a beautiful place.
Another seemless day of travels. Growing both our minds and curiosity for the world.
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Vienna, Austria
After a day of exploring Vienna by foot, we decided to go to the famous Viennese Philahamonic Opera! It was sensational. The Opera House was completed in 1869 and in its opening premier, Mozart played Don Giovanni with Emporer Franz Jospeh and Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) present. You could feel the history present in the walls, the seats and in every note.
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Moutain biking in Gstaad, Switzerland
Distinct Memory: Cher- “Allison I am going to kill you. No, I mean really KILL you.” ahhahhahahaha. Such an awesome day trip! She had not been on a bike in 30 years and then I take her for extreme moutain biking. It was also the first day she ever met Rob! What better way to get to know someone then going through physical pain and fear, right?
No but seriously, it was incredibly beautiful and an experience of a lifetime. I love her. I love him. And oh yes, besides the fear, cow shit flew in our faces:)
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My Mom made it to Geneva
I try to only post pictures of the places I go…BUT, this moment, the time I got to spend with my MOM, was unforgetable for me! She is THE most amazing woman I know and I was so proud and happy that she came! And shortly after her arrival, the fun began to unfold. First stop for us was Gstaad, then Paris, then Vienna, Budapesht and finally Prague.
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Time keeps flying
I, at this point, am really struggling to keep this blog up at the pace I would like to. I am so incredibly busy. I have visited a lot of new places in the last couple months. Some old places too, like home (Texas). And where I am at right now, is working 40 hrs. a week as an intern with CARE International (a non-profit humanitarian organization) (an awesome one at that) and finishing up my Masters Program in Geneva. I have to make so many decisions soon. How do I choose between wanting to be with Rob in the Netherlands, wanting to do field work (IE… somewhere in Africa, Asia, or Middle East) or find a niche that can within a year or two help me get my foot in the door into a big non-profit . The right thing to do, for my career, would be to get field work. And if I can get one job, I know eventually that I can find a way to WRITE for an organization and travel. To give people real perspective on what is going on outside of the U.S.. I also still want to apply to the discovery channel and travel channel. So that is definitely not off my list. Hoping to start applying everywhere by this coming OCTOBER. But as I walk around SWITZERLAND, I cannot help but think of how much I am going to miss this country. So much of me wants to stay here. And I can’t say it is for the people or such… but it is for the air. For the water. And for their home, the mountains. It all feels so alive and so vital to my life. My freedom. My clarity. I step outside, breathe, and its like each breath I take or water I sip, it can never last long enough. The air and water are characteristically so crisp, faultless, unprocessed. They are critical to my ecstasy. I could write a full novel about the earth and its life, and its soul- the ALPS.
Anyways, I need to soak up my time here. Winter is on the brink. And my days of full enjoyment are almost up. Sad as it is. I hate that I feel the end of my time here coming. I am forever torn between the breath of life of the Swiss Apls, the peace and truisms I hold dear in Asia, my heart in the Netherlands, and my family heart home in Texas.
I know there is so much life ahead, well I hope anyways. And I know nothing is forever, but to live a full life, I need somehow to incorporate all these pieces in one big picture. Problem is I do live for right now- since as I said, forever is not promised.
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La Tomatina Festival, Bunol, Spain
Slosh slosh slosh. As my feet walk through chunks of red. slosh slosh slosh. Aghhh gross, ok pick it up.. you can do it. Slam. Ya that guy got it good. Bam- I think that went inside my mouth.
Biggest tomatoe fight in the world:)
Only advice: drink heavily and DO NOT ENTER INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE SMALL STREETS, THE TOMATOE TRUCKS CAN AND WILL RUN YOU OVER.
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Toledo, Spain
Toledo- said to have been populated since the Bronze Age, and one of the oldest fortified cities in Spain. The whole city is surrounded by water, with impressive castles and and churches galore. Some of the streets are so small, you need to form a line to get through. The best part about our visit to Toledo, was the fact that my friend Lucas, who is originally from the Toledo area, showed us around the city. We ate, we drank, we walked, we all talked, and by the evening time, we got to settle in a bar near Lucas’ home. Oh yeah, PS- the stories are true. Tapas are free if you buy drinks!
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Day dreaming in leather
Old roads through the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium. Though I am decked out in leather and riding on a motorcycle, I somehow always find a way to be with nature.
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Lucerne, Switzerland
When you are at the edge of the world, when you are on the brink, when you feel like you could fall, then I would say that is one of they days you feel most alive. And I needed this day, to feel alive again. After being crammed indoors with school papers, my internship, and busy city life for a whole few weeks, I needed to retreat. And this is what I love about Europe. I just hopped on a train and off I went. I woke up early Saturday morning, took the tram to the station, found the next train to Bern, got on it, switched in Bern, and then traveled to Lucerne. Yay! A day for myself in a city I had yet to explore. I love that. But, I did have a plan. I wanted to go for a long one day hike- IE why I picked Lucerne. So, simple enough, I got a map at the train station and took the tram to the bottom of Pilatus. And I simply started walking, humming out of pure lightness. A day of solitude awaited me, and I was ready to swim in it. It is these moments when I realize and remind myself of my purpose and what really makes my soul fly.
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Billet-Doux in Amsterdam
It’s one of those places that you realize you are there, but it feels as though you are reading about you doing it. You are imagining yourself walking through a canal ridden city with odd shapes and sounds all around you. The haze of smoke on some small streets and nature in her perfection on others. So much life going on. So many choices. The whole city hums to its own tune. Doors far too small and doors far too large. Old and new, slightly slanted. Simultaneously spleenful and orectic. Not to mention, it is where I met HIM again.
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The Memorial to the Murdered Jews, Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas, Berlin
Situated near the Brandenburg Gate lies Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas, a 25 million dollar memorial dedicated to the lost lives of Jewish people during WWII. There are no words. Nothing written. No sounds. Only you, and blocks of cement on a slope. I say it plainly because, to me, it is so facinating that the artists were able to bring life to cement blocks, to push the spectator to feel. While it does not compare, in my opinion, to the feeling I get when entering an old jewish camp, this piece of art comes creepily close. Never Forget.
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European Parking
A perfect sunny day. Grass that leaves your body’s imprint behind. Crisp mountain air funneling through the city. Friendship at its finest. Loving the life I live. That is European “Parking”.
Allison A Janssen 