Since I started my trip back in June, I've noticed the most outgoing and friendly people all seem to be Germans. The typical stereotype played up in most television shows and movies is that Germans are always hardworking, punctual, and utterly lacking in personality due to their cold hard adherence to facts and schedules. While I'm sure there are many Germans who fit this mold, in my experience such lunacy could not be further from the truth. From day one in Faro (and later Lisbon and Valencia) the friendliest people I meet all seem the German. I've greatly looked forward to finally visiting Germany especially since I missed out on visiting the country (along with Switzerland) while on exchange in Milan back in college.
After spending the previous day enjoying the serene landscape of Bern , I woke up with the insatiable urge to go hiking. Growing up, I was never particularly fond of “the great outdoors," but after a few years of living in Manhattan, I craved the occasional escape from the concrete jungle. Once I experienced the joys of hiking and camping, I couldn't ever seem to get enough. Since no trip to Switzerland would be complete without at least one hiking trip into the Alps, the decision was obvious.
Since my semester abroad back in college, Switzerland held the title of “the one that got away.” Even though I studied in one of the most northern cities in Italy, Milan, I never made the trip up to visit my neighbor to the north. For years Switzerland (and Germany for that matter) remained my biggest regrets of that semester. Both countries were unbelievably close to me, but even after six months of living in Milan, I still didn’t have enough time to visit them. I now have a second chance on this trip and I wasn't going to let it slip through my fingers again. Before I even left the US, I knew I would eventually travel through Switzerland even if it meant completely sinking my budget.
After spending several days in Marseille exploring the old town and hiking through the calanques along the southern coast, I accomplished much of what I set out to do, but there was one landmark that continued to elude me - Chateau d’If. Touristy as it may be, I was determined to see it as long as the forceful mistral winds took a day off. Every morning for the past five days, I've walked down to the ferry dock in Vieux-Port to check if the boats were running, and five times I've returned disheartened. Finally my stubbornness paid off and on the sixth day the mistral took pity on me.
This day and age people tend to put a great deal of emphasis on their 25th birthday. On this momentous occasion, us so-called ‘millennials’ take a moment to reflect on our lives and - based on the countless Facebook postings I’ve seen - go through a complete mental breakdown. They realize they are in a terrible job, working all the time, have no relationships on the horizon, can’t seem to get their life together, and the pressure is compounded by the looming “tick-tock” of youth slowly slipping through their fingers.
Of all the cities I've visited over the years, none has surprised me more than Marseille. I spent an incredible five days in this glorious city and every single one of them was filled with wondrous activities, many of which I didn't even know existed. Since my semester abroad in college five years ago, Paris held the title of my favorite city in all of Europe, but this week my rankings have officially changed. Marseille now occupies the number one slot and ranks up there with Lisbon as my favorite city so far on this trip.
Today I sit overlooking the Bosphorus Strait from a rooftop patio in Istanbul. I arrived over three weeks ago and this is literally the fifth day of sunshine I’ve encountered. The preceding days were cloudy, rainy, and cold with only a handful of moments where the sun managed to break through the thick blanket of ominous clouds. The weather isn't quite what I was hoping for, but then again, it is the beginning of December. All things considered, I can't really complain since I’m sitting outside in shorts, flip-flops, and t-shirt. As surprising as the weather may be, today marks a far more important milestone - the sixth month anniversary of my departure from the US.
It’s that time of year again, I have successfully managed to orbit the sun without perishing and I am yet another year older. Customarily this event would call for a night filled with copious amounts of alcohol and the mindless squandering of a small fortune, but this year the glorious 7/11 holds a special meaning. I will cross the quarter-of-a-century milestone and celebrate the one-month anniversary of traveling in the magnificent city of Marseille.
