Sunday, May 29, 2011

Spring time

Spring is a time of renewal. I think of the blossoming trees, gushing streams, and just warm enough sun. I think of bright colours, cottage season, and good friends. I am very fortunate that since my return home I have been able to experience all that I associate with spring. Since I came home I have gone up to the cottage a few times since we are in the middle of renovating a bathroom, an outdoor porch, and switching a shower to a bath/shower in another bathroom. Each time I went up, for the day only, I had the chance to see spring emerge from winter. The first time I came up, the lake was still covered in ice and snow and although it was March, it felt like it was January. The next time I came up the snow was mostly gone and although the weather was still cold, you could feel the sun getting stronger. The streams along the road which disappear by summer were gushing at full force. Each time after that the sun got warmer, the trees got greener and you could literally smell spring.





Last weekend was the May long weekend and marked the beginning of the cottage season. Each year Canadians look forward to that time of the year where they spend glorious weekends relaxing in the country. Since everyone in my family seemed to have plans, the cottage would be empty as of Sunday. I figured why let the cottage go unused so I invited a few close friends up. Nothing like the cottage parties of late, but still so enjoyable. In the end there was a total of 6 of us. There was some lounging, some amateur photographing, water falls sightseeing, brewery tasting, and a 90's music dance party, but the best part was being able to spend time with amazing friends. If this is spring I can only imagine what summer will bring ;)

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Home sweet home!

WOW I cannot believe I have been home for over a month now. I never ended up getting to write a blog post about the end of my travels. I spent a weekend in Brussels and a day in Amsterdam on my way back to Paris from London. All amazing!!! I also managed to surprise my father by arriving home a day earlier than he expected and the look on his face when I walked through the door was priceless.
As for being home I have mixed feelings. I love being home for the obvious reasons- amazing family and friends, but at the same time there is a certain let down when the whole journey is complete. How do you go from this amazing 7 month adventure around the world and be content to jump back into your old routine? The transition is something I am learning to work through and make being home feel more like an adventure.

Tonight was a classic example. It started off with catching up with a good friend in town that I have not seen in about a year. After I met a few other friends at Dave and Busters. We had an amazing night goofing off and really enjoying ourselves. I love my friends dearly for being able to put up with some of my crazy ideas. Since I have come home a few of us have been discussing going to Niagara Falls and as Dave and Busters was closing at 2 am, we came up with the idea to go. For most people that thought would be crazy! who would start diriving at that hour knowing that until we would all finally leave the city we would not get there until 4 am. Well, everyone went along with it and we ended up having two cars that went. Hours later, after what felt like another night entirely it was time to leave the casino and head for home. It was probably one of the funniest rides I have had in a long time. There was actually a first. Never before has anyone had to go to the washroom sooo badly that they actually went in a bottle! LOL. I thought I was going to die of laughter and puke.

After arriving home with the thought "I cannot believe this night actually happened" I realized that I didn't need to be off exploring a foreign country to find the adventures I was seeking, all I needed was some good friends who are always along for the ride. I love my friends and I am so lucky to be around people who want to live life to the fullest and experience as much as they can. They help make life interesting ;)

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Eurotrip: Day 19- 26 London, Bath, and Stonehenge

After an amazing trip in Italy, it was time to set out for London. I was realy excited to reunite with friends. In order to get there though I had to take a 15 and a half hour train ride from Rome to Paris and then switch train stations to catch the eurostar to London. Well all I can say was that was one interesting ride. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was having a heart attack. I get on the train and a man offers to help me with my bag. Perfect, that was so nice of him. When he looks at my ticket to see which room I am in, he says "oh your with me". Secretly I am starting to freak out. This is an overnight train where I get a bed and go to sleep. When I made my reservation, the agent failed to mention he had booked me in a mixed male/female room and I was feeling very uncomfortable. Now I thought the situation could not get worse, but of course it did. Next walks in a 450 pound woman who is crying because she does not really fit down the halls and it was a clearly a very upsetting and humiliating walk to our room. She proceeds to take out the worst smelling fish I have ever smelt and it stunk up the room. Just after the walked in came another woman who felt compelled to say only one thing to me when she walked in "Me, Arab". I was not quite sure why that was relevant, but she felt that was the only thing I should know about her, since we had no language in common and therefore it was really difficult to communicate. To make a long story short, in the end the man ended up moving (thank god) and that made the situation a lot better. The large woman stopped crying and screaming into her phone at somebody and that made it easier to sleep. And as for the Arab woman, even without verbal communication we managed to be friends. We made eye contact about the smelly fish and then she sprayed perfume in the room. We also figured out that we both had to change from Paris Bercy train station to Gare du Nord and ended up splitting a cab ride. Now that it is all over I look back at this insane experience, but hard to deal with as it was happening.

Now for the good part London! London was amazing and I cannot thank my friends there enough for the hospitality they showed me. A friend of mine who is originally from London had his parents host me while I was in town. What made it awesome was that he was also visiting for the weekend. His family welcomed me like there own and made it so comfortable for me to be there. Also, I had previously met some of his friends from London who had come over to visit Toronto over the summer so it was great getting a chance to see all of them again. My first day in London I spent at the British Museum. Four hours later I had still not seen everything, but I had seen the things that I had gone to see and it was amazing. I stood and stared at the Rosetta Stone for quite some time marvelling at how instrumental this stone was in deciphering hieroglyphics and all we have learned because of that.




After that was Shabbat and a great get together on sat night with old and ne friends. Sunday my friends took me siteseeing in the city. It was great fun, not just because I got a hance to see the touristy sites with local "tourguides" but I got a chance to hang out with people that make smile. We had a fantastic day starting at Buckingham Palace which we got to just in time for the changing of the guard plus the flag was up so we know the Queen was in residence. After that we walked to Whitehall, then Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the London eye. At that point it started to rain so we went into a market where I picked up a few souveniers and then made our way to Maple Leaf (the Canadian bar). After that we went over to one of their friends places and watched the football game Birmingham vs, Arsenal. My first real introduction to the world of football by people who really follow it. I honestly had a great day :)



The next day I was heading out to Bath and was lucky enough to get a ride to Bristol which is a city very close to Bath and an easy train ride. The company was much better than taking the train :). Bath was one of those places that might seem off the beaten path for the usual trip to London, but I had been dying to see the Roman baths and they did not disappoint. They were every bit of amazing I had thought they would be. Water still flows into the baths and  it makes you want to just walk in. You could really get a picture of what the place would have looked like 2000 years ago. To really understand why this place has been so popular for thousands of years, I went and checked out the modern spa and spent time in the therapeutic waters. It was a perfect end to the day. The day after I went to stonehenge. I had wanted to do a whole day tour, but since it was winter and not many tourist go at that time, they were only offering the half day tour. It ended up being just perfect! I got to see stonehenge get guided around the area by someone who has spent his entire life in Bath and make new friends. I made friends with a girl around my age who was travelling around with her father. After the tour was over, we ended up going to one of the pubs in town and trying a pint of locally brewed beer. Even though I was travelling alone at this point, it didn't feel like it.



After Bath I went back to London for a day to see a friend from university who had moved out there and then I went to Brussels..... Stay tuned for more!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Eurotrip: Day 10-18 Barcelona, Venice, Florence, and Rome

I have been so busy lately that I have not had a chance to update on my adventures, and there is so much to tell! After France I took a 12 hour train ride to Barcelona. This was the first time I have ever taken an overnight train and it was a wonderful experience. I had an amazing time in Barcelona. It was the first time I have ever been in Spain and I loved it. I was only in town for a day and a half but I managed to see so much. I wandered down Las Ramblas, saw the local marked, took a walking tour of the Gaudi buildings, and saw Roman Barcelona (an underground museum of the archaeologial excavations of the Roman city). It was a lot to pack in but it was so worth it!
Barcelona Market
Gaudi


After Barcelona I hopped on a plane to Venice. Venice is an amazing and beautiful city. Carnivale officially started while I was there so it was amazing to see all the costumes and everyone walking in the streets with their masks on. Of course I had to buy a mask and add it to my collection. Last year when I was in new Orleans I bought a Mardi Gras mask. In Venice I had the chance to spend Shabbat at Gam Gam kosher restaurant which is run by the Chabad of Venice. It was such an amazing experience to put Jews from all around the world at one table and see how many people we have in common. As I sat down I looked at a couple and said "Aren't you the couple who helped me out at the airport"? Turns out it was! How amazing is that. Also, Murano is now one of my favorite places. Watching the glass blowers do their craft is a must see on any trip to Venice and the pieces they make are incredible and beautiful.



Rialto Bridge
After Venice I took the train to Florence for one day and a night. I fell in love with the city almost immediately. My first stop was the leather market. This is one of the best places I got to go during my travels. The scarves and the leather products are just amazing. I picked up a pair of torquoise leather gloves with rabbit fir inside for only 23 euros! This adds to the 2 pairs (pink and purple) of leather gloves I have purchased in Venice for 30 euros each. I picked up a few bright and colourful scarves which tends to be a conversation starter. I wandered through the streets and enjoyed the beauty as I tried (horribly) to find the Kosher market. In the end I hopped in a cab and five minutes later I was there. Florence is such a confusing city, but I loved having the time to just wander around. The next morning I had a few hours before my train to Rome so I hopped over to the Academia and had the chance to see Michelangelo's David. What a spectacular site to see. It is huge and amazing. Although my favorite sculpture is still Bernini.

After Florence I went to Rome for 2 days and one night. It was nice to wander the streets again after a few years since spemding 3 weeks living there on an exchange. I was surprised that even though I didn't know street names, I somehow managed to always know which direction I should be walking and make it to my destination. Since I only had a short amount of time I wanted to get in as much as I could. I showed  a friend around Piazza Navona and Campo de Fiori on our way to the Jewish Ghetto for dinner. Honestly I think that dinner was the best food I have eaten on my entire trip. The gnocchi literally melted in my mouth. Amazing :). The next day I went on a tour of the Vatican Museums which is incredible but exhausting. It took longer than anticipated and after that it was time to go pick up food and snacks for the 18 hour train I was embarking on. More on that in the next post.

swiss gaurd

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Eurotrip: Day 5-9 Loire Valley and Paris

My eurotrip continues :) After a day trip to Versaille I went down to the Loire Valley for a few days to see see other chateaux. All |I can say is the area is spectacular. My friend and I decided to stay in the village of Amboise. It is a sleepy little French village and I loved it! In town there was Chateau D'Amboise and Cos Luce (which the place Leonardo Da Vinci lived in the last years of his life and is buried there). One of the other smaller villages (Chenonceaux) has Chateau Chenonceau which was grander than Amboise but less than Versaille. The scenery was gorgeous and it was nicle to be able to do things on a more relaxed pace.


 Main entrance to Chateau Chenonceau


Chateau Chenonceau


Leonardo Da Vinci grave

Chateau D'Amboise

After spending a few days down in the valley we returned to Paris. Originally we were supposed to go further south down to Provence but timing just didn't work out for us. Instead we decided we were better off coming back to Paris, a city we were very much enjoying. We had been doing a lot of siteseeing up until that point and upon our return we spent our time wandering through the interesting shops in the Maraise. I was told I must find this clothing store called COS which is a higher end version of H&M (also owned by them) and I loved it! I only ended up walking out with one sweater but I could have bought ouot the whole store. The clothes were gorgeous but not super expensive and good quality. Canada really needs to bring in this store.

Last night I said goodbye to my friend Keren as I left for my train to Barcelona (12 hours but at least I gota bed). I hate saying goodbyes or see you laters when I have no idea the next time I will see the person. Keren was an awesome travel partner and is a great friend. Hopefully one day I will get the change to visit her in her home country of Australia.



The train ride was uneventful which is just perfect for me. I reserved a bed instead of a seat and it was great. I had a 4 person room but there only ended up being 2 of us which was nice. Seriously though, this should be the new way to travel. You get to close the lights and lie down in bed and get a good nights sleep and wake up in your destination fully refreshed. They give you a bottle of water and a toiletries kit that includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, and earplugs. You hardly notice the time pass. And now its time to enjoy Barcelona :)

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Eurotrip: Day 1-4 Paris


Wow. I don't even know where to start. The past few days gave been amazing. On sunday I arrived in Paris after finishing 5 and a half months in Israel. As my sheirut (shared taxi) left Jerusalem on the way to the airport I couold not help but feel emotional. Even though I will be coming back to Jerusalem soon enough, I still felt the tears welling up as I saw the exit sign of the city.
On a more exciting note my eurotrip has officially started. Paris is a spectacular city, even in the winter. Day was a travel day. By the time I got to my hotel and checked in it was about 2:30 in the afternoon. That evening, after my friend arrived, we went out looking for a kosher restaurant in the area. Turns out there is actually quite a few within a 15 min walk of our hotel - great for me :)


Day 2 we walked to the Marais and got breakfast on Rue de Rosiers and got to see a little bit of the Jewish neighbourhood. After breakfast we walked over to the Louvre and had a fantastic day there. This is noy my first time at the Louvre but it was definately a more enjoyable experiene the second time around. Since it is winter there are a lot less people in the museum which made it easier to get closer to the things I wanted to see like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Mesha stele and Hammurabi`s law code. I was in museum heaven. After the museum we found a nice restaurant called Gaspard where I tried carpaccio for first time, too bad the plate had broken and my friend had a piece of plate in her food. Aside from that though we enjoyed the meal and the ambiance of the restaurant.






Day 3 we went to the Musee D`orsay which was amazing. I have never been before and I was just in awe of the collection of talent under one roof. Two paintings which stuck out in mind were Degas` La Class de Dance which I have framed in my room at home, Van Gogh`s Starry Night. After the museum we went to the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately the very top was closed that day, but we went up as high as we could and got to see the spectacular views of the city. I was worried that since it was a cloudy day that we would`t be able to see anything, but it just added a bit more mystique to the city. Once we finished with the Eiffel Tower we went to see the Arc de Triumph. We got another great view of the city from the top and we go to see the memorial for the unnamed soldiers. That night we had reserved tickets for Moulin Rouge which words cannot describe how amazing it was. I do not know exactly what I was expecting, but I don`t think I was expecting the nudity. Aside from that though the show was like nothing I had ever seen before. The costumes were spectacular and the show was extremely entertaining. There is a reason this place has been famous for a long time.





Day 4 we spent at Versaille. I have waited a long time to finally make it there. I have never been in Paris long enough to make the trip out there, but I am so glad I finally got there. Versaille is linked with absolute power, decadence, and the French Revolution. It was amazing to be able to bring the revolution to life by understanding the context in which it took place. Also, the place is just spectacular. I loved the coloured brocade walls, the gilded mouldings and all the ceiling paintings. The gardens literally took my breath away and I cannot wait to come back when it is summer time and I can have a picnic outside in the gardens.



Saturday, January 22, 2011

Closing Seminar: reflections

As I sit here trying to put  'pen to paper' so to speak I am suddenly at a loss for words. How do I describe what I am feeling? On one hand I feel like I have been in Israel forever and on the other hand I feel like the program started yestereday. When I look back and think of all the amazing experiences I have had, I can see where the time went. I have made amazing friends from all the around the world who will be in my life for a long time. We lived together, we laughed together, and occasionally we cried together. There is a certain bond between us having experienced something like this together. We have had an incredible opportunity here and I do not take it for granted. Not only did I make amazing friends, but I had the internship of my dreams.


Closing Seminar group picture
 When I first started my internship I was not sure what to expect. Going in I had one simple criteria, to learn as much as I possibly could. At the end of it all I can say that it was a huge success. My supervisors made sure that I was able to get work in different aspects of the museum allowing me to learn something about everything. They helped foster relationships with people in the museum that would be able to teach me, and teach me they did. The experience that I have had is not something that you could buy. I came in a student willing to learn and now I feel I have come out of it with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the industry. I cannot possibly thank them enough.

As it all winds down, and we have had our closing seminar, I cannot help but feel sadness that everything is over. I really felt it as I was saying "see you later" to the Tel Aviv people on the program who I won't see before they leave.
Top (left to right): Rivka, me, Alex, Shelby, Yael
Bottom: Caryn, Joanne, Keren, and Ellie

 As much as I have had an amazing time, all good things must come to an end, and I am excited to embark on a new journey... A month in Europe!!!!! Stay tuned for the escapades of the Aussie and the Canadian do France, the Canadians take on Spain and Italy, the Torontian in London, and wherever else I end up!