For some reason, Windows Movie Maker would not upload an .avi video. I downloaded the codec but still no luck. Anyways, I used the sample clip that comes with the computer in "MyDocuments/MyVideos"... it's pretty boring but here you go
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
London
After the overnight boat ride across the North Sea, the group arrived in London at the Paddington Underground Station during the afternoon. The London Underground, also known as the Tube, proved to be the cheapest and fastest way around the city. The five of us ate dinner at a nearby pub, where we met up with Goldscher, a friend from high school. The food was actually very good. Later, we went out to the Picadilly Circus area and roamed from bar to bar. We actually met some girls that study at the University of Maryland, which was pretty random but cool.
On Sunday, we walked through Hyde Park. Hyde Park is the most amazing park I have ever seen. In my opinion, it kills Central Park. Below are some pictures of Hyde Park:
Another reason we walked through Hyde Park was to find tickets to the concert that night. The concert venue, named Hyde Park Calling, hosted one of the two Live 8 Concerts, along with over a million spectators that witnessed it. We finally found the concert venue around 5pm. We found a few girls who were selling their extra tickets back, but we didn’t have any cash. They gave us five minutes to get some cash so Brett and I ran to the nearest ATM, which was far off in the Hyde Park Corner Underground Station. We came back around 15 minutes later and luckily they were still waiting for us (although we figured they wouldn’t strand us because they wanted money). The band Jet started about 10 minutes after we bought drinks and claimed our place in the crowd. They were amazing during their 90 minutes on stage, but there was much more to come. Next was Audioslave, who was also good. The grand 90 minute finale was Aerosmith. Their music, especially the song “Love in an Elevator,” captured me. Run D.M.C. came out on stage to perform the encore, “Walk this Way,” with Aerosmith. The concert was unbelievable. Below is a concert advertisement that I found on Google:
On the third day, I went on a computer science field trip to Bletchley Park. The location was just over an hour away. Bletchley Park hosted American and British scientists who cracked strategic German military codes during World War II. The site was very interesting. At night, we met with Goldscher and another high school friend named Carie. We went out to the Roadhouse Bar, which was American-themed. The bar/club was actually very nice, along with the live music.
Tuesday, I attended some personal business. I returned to the hospital I was born, named Wellington Humana Hospital in the St. John’s Wood area. Next, I visited my former house between the Maida Vale and Warwick Avenue Underground Stations on the Bakerloo Line. It was located on Sutherland Avenue. Interestingly, when we lived there, Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Hackman were our next door neighbors. Afterwards, I met up with the other guys and we visited the London Bridge and the Tower Bridge. The surrounding area was very nice. The Tower Bridge is amazing.
The London Bridge, on the other hand, is very boring. I thought it was supposed to be iconic. We attempted to see the British War Museum, but they closed early that particular day. Again, we met with Carie and Goldscher and went out to the Sports Café, a popular two-story pool bar. It was college night and pints of beer were only one pound.
For our last day, I unsuccessfully searched for “The Who” concert tickets. I was very disappointed due to the fact that “The Who” is one of my favorite rock bands. Afterwards, we visited the British War Museum, this time successfully. It was very interesting and authentic. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel for the Eurotour reception to commemorate the last night.
On Sunday, we walked through Hyde Park. Hyde Park is the most amazing park I have ever seen. In my opinion, it kills Central Park. Below are some pictures of Hyde Park:
Another reason we walked through Hyde Park was to find tickets to the concert that night. The concert venue, named Hyde Park Calling, hosted one of the two Live 8 Concerts, along with over a million spectators that witnessed it. We finally found the concert venue around 5pm. We found a few girls who were selling their extra tickets back, but we didn’t have any cash. They gave us five minutes to get some cash so Brett and I ran to the nearest ATM, which was far off in the Hyde Park Corner Underground Station. We came back around 15 minutes later and luckily they were still waiting for us (although we figured they wouldn’t strand us because they wanted money). The band Jet started about 10 minutes after we bought drinks and claimed our place in the crowd. They were amazing during their 90 minutes on stage, but there was much more to come. Next was Audioslave, who was also good. The grand 90 minute finale was Aerosmith. Their music, especially the song “Love in an Elevator,” captured me. Run D.M.C. came out on stage to perform the encore, “Walk this Way,” with Aerosmith. The concert was unbelievable. Below is a concert advertisement that I found on Google:
On the third day, I went on a computer science field trip to Bletchley Park. The location was just over an hour away. Bletchley Park hosted American and British scientists who cracked strategic German military codes during World War II. The site was very interesting. At night, we met with Goldscher and another high school friend named Carie. We went out to the Roadhouse Bar, which was American-themed. The bar/club was actually very nice, along with the live music.
Tuesday, I attended some personal business. I returned to the hospital I was born, named Wellington Humana Hospital in the St. John’s Wood area. Next, I visited my former house between the Maida Vale and Warwick Avenue Underground Stations on the Bakerloo Line. It was located on Sutherland Avenue. Interestingly, when we lived there, Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Hackman were our next door neighbors. Afterwards, I met up with the other guys and we visited the London Bridge and the Tower Bridge. The surrounding area was very nice. The Tower Bridge is amazing.
The London Bridge, on the other hand, is very boring. I thought it was supposed to be iconic. We attempted to see the British War Museum, but they closed early that particular day. Again, we met with Carie and Goldscher and went out to the Sports Café, a popular two-story pool bar. It was college night and pints of beer were only one pound.
For our last day, I unsuccessfully searched for “The Who” concert tickets. I was very disappointed due to the fact that “The Who” is one of my favorite rock bands. Afterwards, we visited the British War Museum, this time successfully. It was very interesting and authentic. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel for the Eurotour reception to commemorate the last night.
A Night on the North Sea
The overnight cruise from Copenhagen to London was pretty entertaining. We played more poker on a small table near the bar. The drinks were very expensive, however. When the bar closed at 1am, we moved our poker game to another room. After we were playing for a bit, some English men from the bar arrived. One gentleman asked Brett for his lighter, to which he obliged. When he came back from outside, he did not give the lighter back. When Brett asked, the man gave him back his lighter and then paused for around 20 seconds before telling Brett that he wanted his lighter back. This man was extremely drunk, but after some convincing from the other Englishmen, the man finally accepted that it was Brett’s lighter after all.
Copenhagen
1st day
We arrived around 6pm. For dinner, we ate Mexican food. My quesadilla was reasonably good but it was overpriced. Everything in this city is overpriced. I bought twelve pints later at “7 Eleven” for around $35. It cost 177 Kronen. What a rip-off, but I didn’t have any other options. The sun sets around 10:30pm-11:00pm around here, so it is quite deceptive. When it set, I thought it was 8pm but I was sadly mistaken. Zach’s friend lived in Copenhagen for five years, so he told us the places to hang out. We were walking to a bar named “The Moose” when three girls rode up on their bikes. We asked them for directions and they told Brett to hop on. Next thing we know, Brett is long gone. Zach, Red, Kuhn and I continued to walk. There were no seats or space in “The Moose,” so we went to a close bar called “L.A. Bar.” We had a few drinks, which cost only 20 Kronen per pop. Soon, we moved on to a club called “Culture Box.” The music was good. We got back around 4 or 4:30am.
2nd day
This was one of the latest starting days so far this trip. Me, Red, and Zach woke up around 1:30pm and went to go eat and wander the town. I didn’t really want to see much of this dreary city. We attempted to go to the Viking museum but it is an hour train ride away. Since I like Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Television show but haven’t watched an episode for a couple years, I wanted to go to the museum. We paid 66 Kronen to enter. It was a pretty poorly done museum, and but I thought a few things were interesting. The video about the 8’8” man was interesting, and next to him was the world’s smallest human being. This Egyptian dwarf was roughly 18” tall. When we arrived back at the hotel, we played some poker.
Tonight we went back to the Moose bar; since we heard it was good on Tuesdays and Thursdays (Tonight was Thursday night). The drinks were reasonable and we stayed until about 4:30am. The sunrise occurs around 3pm, so it was already light out by the time I had left.
Before the group left for the train station, we went to the Carlsberg Factory. It was even better than the Heineken Experience. The tour was much more authentic, and the beers we received at the end were much better. My favorite types were the Elephant Beer, which was 7% alcohol, and their new beer called Jacobsen Extra, which is a whopping 12% alcohol. Jacobsen Extra is very smooth as well. Below is a picture of the gate to the Carlsberg Brewery:
We arrived around 6pm. For dinner, we ate Mexican food. My quesadilla was reasonably good but it was overpriced. Everything in this city is overpriced. I bought twelve pints later at “7 Eleven” for around $35. It cost 177 Kronen. What a rip-off, but I didn’t have any other options. The sun sets around 10:30pm-11:00pm around here, so it is quite deceptive. When it set, I thought it was 8pm but I was sadly mistaken. Zach’s friend lived in Copenhagen for five years, so he told us the places to hang out. We were walking to a bar named “The Moose” when three girls rode up on their bikes. We asked them for directions and they told Brett to hop on. Next thing we know, Brett is long gone. Zach, Red, Kuhn and I continued to walk. There were no seats or space in “The Moose,” so we went to a close bar called “L.A. Bar.” We had a few drinks, which cost only 20 Kronen per pop. Soon, we moved on to a club called “Culture Box.” The music was good. We got back around 4 or 4:30am.
2nd day
This was one of the latest starting days so far this trip. Me, Red, and Zach woke up around 1:30pm and went to go eat and wander the town. I didn’t really want to see much of this dreary city. We attempted to go to the Viking museum but it is an hour train ride away. Since I like Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Television show but haven’t watched an episode for a couple years, I wanted to go to the museum. We paid 66 Kronen to enter. It was a pretty poorly done museum, and but I thought a few things were interesting. The video about the 8’8” man was interesting, and next to him was the world’s smallest human being. This Egyptian dwarf was roughly 18” tall. When we arrived back at the hotel, we played some poker.
Tonight we went back to the Moose bar; since we heard it was good on Tuesdays and Thursdays (Tonight was Thursday night). The drinks were reasonable and we stayed until about 4:30am. The sunrise occurs around 3pm, so it was already light out by the time I had left.
Before the group left for the train station, we went to the Carlsberg Factory. It was even better than the Heineken Experience. The tour was much more authentic, and the beers we received at the end were much better. My favorite types were the Elephant Beer, which was 7% alcohol, and their new beer called Jacobsen Extra, which is a whopping 12% alcohol. Jacobsen Extra is very smooth as well. Below is a picture of the gate to the Carlsberg Brewery:
Berlin
Berlin, Germany: The group arrived at Hotel California in the afternoon. The city looked to be promising from the walk to the hotel. The buildings looked sleek and powerful. On Monday, I visited the Berlin Zoo, which is acclaimed as the premier zoo in the world. There was no denying that. We witnessed just about every animal I can think of. Here are some of my pictures from the Berlin Zoo:
We returned to the hotel to meet with the entire group for the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the tour of the Berlin Wall. Checkpoint Charlie was the geographical focal point of the Cold War.
Afterwards, we walked past the Holocaust Memorial, where Hitler’s body lies. Brett, Zach, Kuhn, Red, and I caught a public double-decker bus back to our hotel’s area.
At night, five of us went to a club called Maxxim. Red’s birthday began at midnight so we celebrated. The club included a poker tournament that was still going on when we arrived. We danced the night away until the break of dawn. It was a very good night.
The next day was not very easy. I did not sleep before going to the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin, which was part of Computer Science 101. It was an interesting museum and I managed to keep together and learn, but afterwards I had to rest. For dinner, I ate at the Hard Rock Café. The food was very good and I noticed that the coasters were advertising an Aerosmith concert in London when we were going to be there. I was definitely going to try to get tickets.
We returned to the hotel to meet with the entire group for the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the tour of the Berlin Wall. Checkpoint Charlie was the geographical focal point of the Cold War.
Afterwards, we walked past the Holocaust Memorial, where Hitler’s body lies. Brett, Zach, Kuhn, Red, and I caught a public double-decker bus back to our hotel’s area.
At night, five of us went to a club called Maxxim. Red’s birthday began at midnight so we celebrated. The club included a poker tournament that was still going on when we arrived. We danced the night away until the break of dawn. It was a very good night.
The next day was not very easy. I did not sleep before going to the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin, which was part of Computer Science 101. It was an interesting museum and I managed to keep together and learn, but afterwards I had to rest. For dinner, I ate at the Hard Rock Café. The food was very good and I noticed that the coasters were advertising an Aerosmith concert in London when we were going to be there. I was definitely going to try to get tickets.
Prague
Prague, Czech Republic was our last stop in Eastern Europe. We arrived at our hotel in the afternoon. Apparently Hotel Evropa’s dining room was the model for the one on the ship Titanic and it was also the hotel in which Mission Impossible was filmed. Our (Peter, Zach, and I) enjoyed the penthouse suite. The room was massive and comprised of three rooms put together. However, the room came with a price: we were forced to climb over ten sets of stairs to reach it. Although Kuhn, Red, and I had shared many rooms that were on the highest floors before, this was brutal. That evening we enjoyed another group dinner before everyone parted their ways.
We heard the city was wild, but we did not know it would be this wild. Don’t get me wrong: it was a lot of fun. The city was a bunch of hustlers, which reminded me of Budapest. We referred to walking down the street as ‘running the gauntlet’ because every five feet we were propositioned by promoters of bars, clubs, strip clubs, and cabarets. They would not take no for an answer, following us down the street. It was very annoying.
Saturday we visited the Prague Castle. The walk to the castle consumed our time and energy. The walk was over an hour, including the second half which was very steep. The castle overlooks the entire city and creates great views. The castle includes the St. Vitus Cathedral, which was very nice.
The picture below is the view from the Prague Castle.
We heard the city was wild, but we did not know it would be this wild. Don’t get me wrong: it was a lot of fun. The city was a bunch of hustlers, which reminded me of Budapest. We referred to walking down the street as ‘running the gauntlet’ because every five feet we were propositioned by promoters of bars, clubs, strip clubs, and cabarets. They would not take no for an answer, following us down the street. It was very annoying.
Saturday we visited the Prague Castle. The walk to the castle consumed our time and energy. The walk was over an hour, including the second half which was very steep. The castle overlooks the entire city and creates great views. The castle includes the St. Vitus Cathedral, which was very nice.
The picture below is the view from the Prague Castle.
My favorite part of the city was the beer called Budvar Budweiser Bier, which is not to be confused with American Budweiser. The two companies hate each other and have fought over the name. Overall, Prague was one of my least favorites due to the countless number of hagglers and hustlers that were impossible to avoid.
Krakow
I had no expectations prior to visiting Krakow, Poland. Hotel Polski was very spacious and luxurious. In addition, our hotel was located right off one of the main streets. The city also blew my socks off. Krakow is a medieval town protected by a surrounding wall. The night life was also fun. The town contains many universities and we were told by Dr. Bob that it has the most bars and clubs per square meter than any other city. This statement was not a stretch of the imagination.
On Tuesday, Kuhn, Red, and I went to check out Krakow’s central church. It was free and extravagant. Afterwards, we went to nearby markets. Eventually we made our way to Wawel Castle. We purchased tickets for certain sections of the castle, including the Crown Treasury, Armoury, and the State Rooms as well as the Dragon’s Lair. The Dragon’s Lair was spectacular and reminded me of the cave that the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ kept their treasure in that movie.
On Tuesday, Kuhn, Red, and I went to check out Krakow’s central church. It was free and extravagant. Afterwards, we went to nearby markets. Eventually we made our way to Wawel Castle. We purchased tickets for certain sections of the castle, including the Crown Treasury, Armoury, and the State Rooms as well as the Dragon’s Lair. The Dragon’s Lair was spectacular and reminded me of the cave that the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ kept their treasure in that movie.
Dinner was pretty good, and the waiter did not charge me and Kuhn for our meal. We stumbled upon students juggling sticks that were on fire. The show drew a large crowd in the middle of the Central Market Square. The show is hard to describe in words, but it was fascinating and spectacular. Note: Don’t try this at home. Later at night, we went to a recommended club named Ministerstwo. The underground club was fascinating, containing a two-story room with couches, a bar, and two rooms containing dance floors.
During our last day in Krakow, we set on our schedules to make the journey to Auschwitz. It was probably the most important place I visited all trip. Needless to say, it was extremely depressing but necessary to see. We visited both Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. I do not want to describe the concentration camps in detail, but I will say that it was a cold reminder of how fortunate we all are. I purposely did not take any pictures during the visit, although I bought a folder of pictures in one of the gift shops. My scanner is terrible; therefore I will display some images of the concentration camps that I pulled off the internet. The first image frames the “Death Wall” of Auschwitz I and the second image shows the entrance (by train) of Auschwitz II-Birkenau.
Budapest
Budapest, Hungary: There was a lot of hype for this Eastern European city. People on last year’s trip really enjoyed this city. Budapest definitely did not conform to these pre-existing thoughts. We thought we were going to take this city by storm, but instead it dominated us. Budapest has been my least favorite city thus far. Although I always enjoyed myself in the moment, there were many negative aspects about Budapest. The city was unclean, not cheap as we expected, and the people were terrible. Each day I was there, I was ripped off by someone.
There were some positives though. For one, Hotel Queen Mary was nice. An American-style restaurant and bar named The Cactus Juice was amazing. The food and service were great, and amazingly they did not try to rip customers off. Both Friday and Saturday night I enjoyed the barbeque turkey and pineapple dish. Also, the dinner boat ride on the Danube River on the last night was fun. The views from the middle of the river were extraordinary as well as the sunset. The ‘all-you-can-eat’ buffet did not hurt either. It was an enjoyable last night but I was happy to be leaving the city soon.
There were some positives though. For one, Hotel Queen Mary was nice. An American-style restaurant and bar named The Cactus Juice was amazing. The food and service were great, and amazingly they did not try to rip customers off. Both Friday and Saturday night I enjoyed the barbeque turkey and pineapple dish. Also, the dinner boat ride on the Danube River on the last night was fun. The views from the middle of the river were extraordinary as well as the sunset. The ‘all-you-can-eat’ buffet did not hurt either. It was an enjoyable last night but I was happy to be leaving the city soon.
Rome
We caught a train in the early morning to spend 12 hours in Rome. Since we had such little time, we crammed in tons of tourist sites. I was dying of fatigue from the night before. We started at the Vatican and saw the Sistine Chapel, which was amazing. The rest of the city was less than my expectations. The city was dirty and overcrowded. After the Sistine Chapel, we went to St. Peter’s Square and St. Peter’s Basilica. We walked all over town and visited the Coliseum and the Pantheon. The Coliseum was ruined beyond recognition, so it was not worth the wait. After the Pantheon, a large group of us went to the nearby bar, The Drunken Ship. The Drunken Ship was one of my favorite bars. The atmosphere was very interesting.
Florence
The group arrived at Hotel Porta Faenza in Florence, Italy during the evening. The hotel was very nice. Immediately after settling our luggage, we dined at an Italian restaurant. I ordered lasagna. There were illegal street vendors everywhere near the Duomo Church. We stumbled upon an Italian ice store, which sold Absenthe. We bought a bottle just to try it and find out what the hype was about.
During the second day, we rented bikes for a few Euros and peddled to the Italian countryside. The vendor wrote down my driver license information to make sure I would return the bikes. My tires were flat, which I soon found to make a bike extremely slow and unstable. About half the way up, we stopped in a park to relax for a few minutes. At the summit, we visited a fort that overlooked the countryside. The view was great. The journey down was considerably easier. Later at night, we went to a club called Faces that gave us a fake black American Express card for some unknown reason. The club was awesome and it was all-you-can-drink until midnight. Afterwards, we crossed the bridge to go to another club, where I remained until dawn.
During the second day, we rented bikes for a few Euros and peddled to the Italian countryside. The vendor wrote down my driver license information to make sure I would return the bikes. My tires were flat, which I soon found to make a bike extremely slow and unstable. About half the way up, we stopped in a park to relax for a few minutes. At the summit, we visited a fort that overlooked the countryside. The view was great. The journey down was considerably easier. Later at night, we went to a club called Faces that gave us a fake black American Express card for some unknown reason. The club was awesome and it was all-you-can-drink until midnight. Afterwards, we crossed the bridge to go to another club, where I remained until dawn.
Interlaken
1st Day
When we arrived in the afternoon, we met with the extreme sports coordinator. I chose to go ‘canyoning’. Afterwards, 7 or 8 of us ate dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. Every single person ordered a Bratwurst with a pint. The food was delicious. Even more importantly, in the stalls of the bathroom there were soccer balls attached to soccer nets, which was amusing.
After dinner, we stopped at the ATM and then the supermarket to buy some supplies. Around 5 of us hung out in our room until it was time to go out. We made our way to the well-known hostel and night club named Balmer’s, which was on the completely opposite side of town. The club was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with mainly tourists, especially Americans, Canadians, and Australians. The club had a square dance floor with booth-style seating on three sides and a bar on the last side.
2nd Day
Today, took a train two-thirds to the “Top of Europe.” The location was called Jungfraujoc. The ascending train ride provided spectacular views.
We got off the train at a small tourist location with about a dozen shops and restaurants. For lunch, we ordered Bratwurst with a plate full of rosti potatoes (big ass hash browns). At a nearby bar, we got a nice hot chocolate. The bar played Learning to Fly- Tom Petty but in techno. They also had a techno rap song, which was also off-putting. There were huge dogs that carried liquor for their owner. Below is a picture of one of the dogs.
Canyoning, as well as any other “extreme” sport, forced me to descend the mountain. The weather conditions were too dangerous to canyon, so I White Water Rafted instead, which turned out be a lot of fun anyways. I chose the helmet named “Batman.” The instructor said we could jump out and float along side the raft near the end. That was also a blast, but after 5 minutes, my hands started to become cold. The stormy clouds retreated, so the views became better as the day continued. We floated all the way to the Interlaken Lake, where the pearly green water was refreshing, along with the amazing view.
When I returned home after White Water Rafting, I showered and went to a Jamaican Bar. The bar was literally 15 meters outside the hotel. The lady was very nice, as well as her son and his friend. They were both from Colombia.
Later that night, we went to the fairly nice casino. Poker was closed but the blackjack tables were open.
Red, Kuhn, and I found a night club near Balmer’s that was even better than Balmer’s. There were like 8-9 more parties going on deeper into the underground bar. We arrived close to the closing time and left when they booted us from the bar. Surprisingly, the club played a funny song by Tenacious D.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Paris
The group arrived in the Parisian train station around 1pm, where we transferred to the subway. After we settled into our rooms in the Hotel La Serre, the three of us went to the local grocery store and found that wine bottles were dirt cheap, including a bottle priced at one Euro (about $1.40). We would soon learn that the outrageous prices would not be our friend after all. We consumed a few bottles each and missed the second group dinner later that evening. Anyhow, Kuhn and I woke up a bit later and consumed some more wine. The city was pretty dead because it was a Monday night, but Kuhn, Jamie’s brother, and I found a nice Karaoke bar.
Tuesday was our first full day in Paris. Since I was the only person who had any French experience, I served as the navigator and communicator for this leg of the trip. We learned that the metro was a great source of transportation. Today, the three of us visited the Hotel National des Invalides. It was a large building that housed thousands of French soldiers at one time.
For dinner, the entire group went to a restaurant that was known for its tall giraffe beers. Afterwards, the group dominated a Canadian bar, which was happy to have our business. At night, many of us went the bar near our hotel and split bottles of wine.
On Wednesday, Kuhn and I woke up early to go to the Parisian science museum named “Cite des sciences & de l’industrie.” The activity was part of my computer science class. Only five of the nine computer science students were present. Later, the three of us as well as Emily visited the Catacombs. They were intriguing, and surprisingly they did not smell. Later, we walked to Le Tour Eiffel and climbed the stairs to the second platform. The climb was very nerve-racking because my fear of heights affected me. When we arrived at the platforms, on the other hand, all my nerves were calmed and the view of the entire city was amazing.
Thursday was our last day in Paris. We woke up early to make the long voyage to Le Chateau de Versailles, which forced a large group of us to take both subways and trains. Versailles was worth it. It was the largest building I had ever seen. In addition, the rooms contained the most expensive things I have ever seen. The garden, which is pictured below, was amazing.
After our trek back, we visited L’eglise de Notre Dame. The church contained an amazing stained-glass window. The circular window was extremely colorful. Right as darkness settled into the night, I visited the Tour Eiffel once again. I wanted to view the Eiffel Tour’s flashing light show during the first ten minutes of every hour, as well as the view of the city at night. This time, we went to the summit. Afterwards, six of us walked to the Arc de Triumphe and strolled along Les Champs Elysees. 
Tuesday was our first full day in Paris. Since I was the only person who had any French experience, I served as the navigator and communicator for this leg of the trip. We learned that the metro was a great source of transportation. Today, the three of us visited the Hotel National des Invalides. It was a large building that housed thousands of French soldiers at one time.
The Army Museum was very interesting, displaying all the weapons and armor throughout history. Next, we visited the Dome Chapel, which contained the large tombstone of Napoleon.
For dinner, the entire group went to a restaurant that was known for its tall giraffe beers. Afterwards, the group dominated a Canadian bar, which was happy to have our business. At night, many of us went the bar near our hotel and split bottles of wine.
On Wednesday, Kuhn and I woke up early to go to the Parisian science museum named “Cite des sciences & de l’industrie.” The activity was part of my computer science class. Only five of the nine computer science students were present. Later, the three of us as well as Emily visited the Catacombs. They were intriguing, and surprisingly they did not smell. Later, we walked to Le Tour Eiffel and climbed the stairs to the second platform. The climb was very nerve-racking because my fear of heights affected me. When we arrived at the platforms, on the other hand, all my nerves were calmed and the view of the entire city was amazing.
Thursday was our last day in Paris. We woke up early to make the long voyage to Le Chateau de Versailles, which forced a large group of us to take both subways and trains. Versailles was worth it. It was the largest building I had ever seen. In addition, the rooms contained the most expensive things I have ever seen. The garden, which is pictured below, was amazing.
After our trek back, we visited L’eglise de Notre Dame. The church contained an amazing stained-glass window. The circular window was extremely colorful. Right as darkness settled into the night, I visited the Tour Eiffel once again. I wanted to view the Eiffel Tour’s flashing light show during the first ten minutes of every hour, as well as the view of the city at night. This time, we went to the summit. Afterwards, six of us walked to the Arc de Triumphe and strolled along Les Champs Elysees.
Amsterdam
The entire group of 40 arrived to the Amsterdam at 7:20am local time, which is the same as 1:30am Baltimore time. I could not sleep on the flight from JFK, and in addition I was too excited to sleep when we arrived in Amsterdam. In effect, I did not sleep at all that night. Once we got off the plane, we hung around in the airport while Dr. Bob purchases different necessary tickets for our journey. Afterwards, we took 20 minute cab rides in Mercedes Benzes to our hotel, Hotel Loek Van Onna, on Bloemgracht canal/street. The canals, which were a new concept to me, amazed me.
Our first night in Europe, the group went to a comedy club called “Boom Chicago.” The show was performed in English while poking fun at Americans. I enjoyed the show; however, the dinner that accompanied the show was okay.
Our first night in Europe, the group went to a comedy club called “Boom Chicago.” The show was performed in English while poking fun at Americans. I enjoyed the show; however, the dinner that accompanied the show was okay.
After dinner, Kuhn, Red, and I explored the Amsterdam night life. We found the local bar on Prinsengracht. After a few drinks and some peanuts, we walked around. We stopped at most of the bars we passed, enjoying either one or two drinks before moving on. Everyone in the city seemed to speak English because it was a tourist town, so we did not encounter any difficulty. We had no idea what we were doing, but it was a fun time anyways. Getting lost had never been that fun.
After we enjoyed wandering that night, the next morning we decided to go exploring again. We walked around aimlessly, stopping at a random bistro to have lunch. This was our first challenge. It was difficult to decide what to order when the entire menu was in a different language. If I remember correctly, I think all three of us ate sandwiches we did not think we ordered. When entering the hotel, we bumped into another group and decided to accompany them to the Heineken Brewery at 4pm. The tour is named the “Heineken Experience.” While waiting in line, a man in a chicken suit entertained us. My favorite part of the “Heineken Experience” was the exhibit called the “Day in a Life of a Heineken Bottle,” which lived up to the name of the “Heineken Experience.” We stood on a platform that shook and moved every which way as we watched from a 1st person view the making of a Heineken beer bottle. We got to send videos to our parents for free as well. Lastly, we received three beers at the bar as well as a Heineken bottle opener.
After we enjoyed wandering that night, the next morning we decided to go exploring again. We walked around aimlessly, stopping at a random bistro to have lunch. This was our first challenge. It was difficult to decide what to order when the entire menu was in a different language. If I remember correctly, I think all three of us ate sandwiches we did not think we ordered. When entering the hotel, we bumped into another group and decided to accompany them to the Heineken Brewery at 4pm. The tour is named the “Heineken Experience.” While waiting in line, a man in a chicken suit entertained us. My favorite part of the “Heineken Experience” was the exhibit called the “Day in a Life of a Heineken Bottle,” which lived up to the name of the “Heineken Experience.” We stood on a platform that shook and moved every which way as we watched from a 1st person view the making of a Heineken beer bottle. We got to send videos to our parents for free as well. Lastly, we received three beers at the bar as well as a Heineken bottle opener.
For dinner, the same large group accompanied me to an Argentinean steak house called “Toro Dorado” around 9:30pm. For some reason, everyone trusted me to lead them to the steak house. We made a good choice: the meal was very good. Afterwards, we went to our neighborhood bar, where our favorite bartender worked. Among a few other places, we went out to the “Ice Bar,” in which we wore hats, coats, and snow boots. The drinks were very cold, but not many people were there.
By this time, I think we got the hang of the city. We improved at navigating through both a city we did not know, but also one with canals and streets. Again, we walked around and visited museums. At night, we went to the local pub and played some stimulating chess games while getting ready for the night. Our night ended up well, although we had to wake up at 6:30am, pack, and shower to make our train to Paris. This was a familiar routine we would soon grow accustomed to.
By this time, I think we got the hang of the city. We improved at navigating through both a city we did not know, but also one with canals and streets. Again, we walked around and visited museums. At night, we went to the local pub and played some stimulating chess games while getting ready for the night. Our night ended up well, although we had to wake up at 6:30am, pack, and shower to make our train to Paris. This was a familiar routine we would soon grow accustomed to.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Lab 1 Images Continued
This is the lab1-20 image. It is 57,344 bytes.
This is the lab1-40 image. It is 81,920 bytes.
This is the lab1-60 image. It is 110,592 bytes.
This is the lab1-80 image. It is 176,128 bytes.
This is the bitmap image. It is 3,936,256 bytes.
Monday, May 14, 2007
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