europe - Roamancing

Pocket Travelers Adventures in Europe

Last summer, after studying abroad in Bristol, UK, I went travelling for two months through France, Italy and Greece with my friend Chloe. Chloe flew in to England at the beginning of the summer and we met in Bristol before we began our travels. With her she brought an envelope from our friend Theresa which was marked not to be opened until we were together in England. Inside, we found a cut-out picture of Theresa and her boyfriend Steven mounted on popsicle sticks and a request from Theresa that we photograph the two on our travels in order to surprise Steven.

Theresa suggested posting the photos on Facebook but Chloe and I, inspired by the film Amelie, had the ingenious idea to print the photos as we went along and mail them back to Steven as postcards. As Steven had been left in the dark about the whole thing, he would have no idea who the pictures would be from, just like in the movie. The idea of Steven receiving a postcard of a photograph of himself and his girlfriend halfway across the world seemed wonderfully hilarious.

We started at Bristol’s most famous landmark, the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It took a few tries to fit Theresa & Steven properly into the frame and we definitely got some stares as we took our photos – I’m pretty sure people thought we were some crazy tourists! We had to pack it in pretty quickly when it started raining and our pocket travelers started getting wet.

At the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, UK

Our next photo came on a day trip to Wales. At Tintern Abbey, a medieval abbey near Chepstow, we took a photo complete with cows in the background. (Shame it wasn’t sheep – kidding!)

Back in Bristol, we had the photos printed at Boots, but were unable to buy stamps before leaving for France. As a result, we were unable to send the postcards until I flew through England on my way home to Vancouver at the end of summer. This in fact turned out to be a good thing, as a postcard from Bristol would have immediately given away who the mysterious postcards were from.

At Tintern Abbey in Chepstow, Wales

After travelling from Bristol to Paris, our next outing with the pocket travelers was at the Eiffel Tower. Despite their name, they in fact did not fit into our pockets, and we kept forgetting to take Theresa & Steven along with us in our purses. On our last day in Paris, we finally remembered and snapped a photo of the two in front of the romantic landmark.

Unfortunately, our next stops in France were in Avignon, Marseille, and Cassis, small towns where we could not locate a photo print shop. As a result, we weren’t able to print the photo until we arrived in Venice, Italy. However, Chloe and I were determined to have the photo sent from France. Chloe still had one French stamp left from sending postcards in France and we thought it wouldn’t be the same if Steven received the photo with an Italian postmark. As luck would have it, when we arrived a week later in Cinque Terre, we met an American named Kevin headed to Paris! After a bit of awkward explanation about the concept behind the pictures, we persuaded him to mail the photo for us from France. We sent the photo along with him and hoped for the best.

At the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

A week and a half later, we arrived in Rome and decided we had to get a photo of Theresa & Steven in front of the Trevi Fountain. Thankfully, the crowds tossing coins and taking photos in front of the fountain were preoccupied enough to not wonder what we were doing and we photographed our pocket travelers without a hitch.

Getting the photo printed was another story. The woman at the print shop was very kind, but because of the language barrier she thought I wanted all of the photos on my camera printed, rather than just the one. It took many hand gestures and both of us repeating ourselves countless times, but in the end we understood each other and I sent the second postcard off.

At the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

For our last postcard, we took a photo of Theresa & Steven at Knossos, the Minoan Palace on the Greek island of Crete. Originally, we wanted a photo at the Acropolis of Athens, but Athens was our last stop on the entire trip and we decided not to risk being unable to send it before leaving. As it was, the Acropolis turned out to be far too windy – our pocket travelers would have been swept right out of our hands! It was a good thing we had got our photo in Crete.

At Knossos, the Minoan Palace on the island of Crete, Greece

At summer’s end, upon returning to Vancouver and reuniting with Steven, I immediately bombarded him with questions: Did he receive all the postcards? What was his reaction when he received the first one? Did he figure out who sent them?

Steven had in fact received all the photos! (Kevin, if you’re reading this, thank you!) He had been highly confused at the arrival of the first photo as many of his friends were travelling in Europe that summer, but Theresa had filled him in when he’d asked. But neither of them had expected another postcard after the first… and then another and then another.

While the concept of pocket travelers may seem crazy to some, the amusement and hilarity that ensued around the Theresa & Steven cut-out ended up being one of the most fun parts of my whole trip. From taking the photographs, to finding a printer, to sending them off from the correct country, we had the best time with our little stowaways.

Celebrating a Decade of the MuseumsQuartier, Vienna’s Outdoor Living Room – Part 1

This is the first part of a 2-Part Series by travel writer Jacqueline Swartz on Vienna’s MuseumsQuartier. This first part, introduces us to the MuseumsQuartier on the Celebration of it’s 10th Year.

Vienna, as photographed by Denis Todorut

Vienna, Austria has long had the reputation as a dreary city stuck in the past, getting by on Mozart and Sachertorte. But, as I found out, anyone who has been there in the last few years will tell a different story. Vienna has transformed itself into a city humming with creative energy. The grand l9th century buildings that so define the city, now feature street level stores and boutiques with cutting edge design, crafts and clothing. This small, walkable city now has a feeling of openness, all the more inviting because prices are lower than in many other major European capitals.

In music, electronica, which began in Vienna, coexists with Opera. Chefs are using the plentiful local produce to make creative versions of old classics, while some go so far as refusing to make that old standby, Weiner schnitzel.

MuseumsQuartier as, photographed by Thomas Weber.

Nowhere is the new, dynamic Vienna more evident than the MuseumsQuartier. Called the largest museum district in Europe, it opened in 2001, with museums, restaurants and performance spaces in an area of over 90,000 square meters, with cobblestone quadrangles tying it together, and the former Emperor Franz Joseph’s baroque cavalry building as the flagship. The location is ideal. Just beyond is the Museum of Fine Arts and the Imperial Hofburg Palace; behind the MQ, as it is called, is the trendy 7^th district, with its avant-garde shops and boutique hotels.

What luck: an iffy area that at one point was going to be turned into a bland convention centre became, thanks to persistent visionaries in the arts and in government, a must-see place for Vienna visitors – and a place for the Viennese themselves.

It’s large, but hidden by buildings and trees, and its cobblestone plaza and mix of old and new buildings give it an almost cozy feel: you’re not merely on a street with a lot of museums.

Vienna's Outdoor Living Room, photographed by Michela Simoncini

“It’s our urban living room,” explained Executive City Councilor for Cultural Affairs and Science, Dr. Andreas Mailath-Pokorny. He was speaking at a press conference to celebrate the 10^th year of the MQ. It was delightfully shocking to hear him and other politicians say that funding the arts is good for the economy – and for the soul of the country. Today, the MQ draws 3.8 million visitors a year, and it’s hard to imagine Vienna without it.

To get the lowdown on what is happening, check out eSel Rezeption. It’s on Electric Avenue as soon as you enter the MQ. It describes itself as an art information office and “a micro museum shop for the dissemination of art in everyday life and on the forms of intelligent conversation.”

Did I forget to add that the MQ is a friendly place, where you can talk to a stranger? Perhaps the mixing up of glitz/grunge, high/low, baroque/modern has the effect of loosening things up. All I know is that it’s a great place to spend time, even if you’re alone.

And I want to return. First to the 2112 mega exhibits of Klimt in museums all over the city. Then to check out what’s being called the Year of Fashion at the MQ. And, of course, just to hang out.

For details on the restaurants, shopping and MUSEUMS, stay tuned for Part 2: Great Eats, Local Finds & the MUSEUMS of the MuseumsQuartier, to be posted on Tuesday January 17,2011.

Vienna Vacations