vanitasvitae's blog

Category: Allgemein

  • Europe Trip Journal – Entry 21: Ferris Wheels and Train Tickets

    This morning I got up at 8:00 which is an hour earlier than during the rest of the trip – and lets not talk about my usual sleep schedule. The reason was that breakfast was served from 7:00 to 9:00 in the hostel. J. and me arrived at 8:15 or so and to my disappointment there was no bread left. As a replacement they served Zwieback onto which I applied a thick layer of jam. After the breakfast it was time to say farewell to J. as he had to catch his train.

  • Europe Trip Journal – Entry 19 – 20: Tranquility

    The sun was slowly starting to set and was sending its warm, friendly beams my way. Birds were singing and the tall grass was ticking my legs. A pleasant warm summer breeze was carrying the distant, muffled sounds of the city which was slowing down after the day. It was a summer evening in France. Suddenly all the exciting and all the wrong that was going on in the world faded into the background. For a short moment priorities shifted and the world seemed to center around me and my laundry. It was a perfectly peaceful moment of tranquility and I enjoyed it.

  • Europe Trip Journal – Entry 18: Change of Plans

    During the night, another guest of the hostel in Barcelona decided that at 3:00 it would be the perfect time to wash his laundry in the rooms sink. Otherwise the night was okay, so at 9:00 I got up and got a nice, rich breakfast consisting of cereals, a croissant, a yogurt and a banana. Plus 2 cappuccinos for good measure.

  • Europe Trip Journal – Entry 17: Separation of Concerns

    I think in my personal life I’m subconsciously following the principle of information hiding to quite some extent. I’m uncomfortable when in a super market a friend would loudly state that “that’s the tooth paste you don’t like, isn’t it?”, thereby potentially revealing this information to others. Even if this piece of knowledge is harmless and mundane, I don’t like it getting leaked uncontrollably.

  • Europe Trip Journal 16: Panthers and Ceiling-Milk

    The past night was bad. Feeling “a bit sick” turned into feeling really sick. My head felt hot and my throat started aching. My lungs also felt strange. Earlier the day I had gotten a red warning on my phone informing me of a risky encounter during the pub crawl in Barcelona. Soon I was 90% convinced I had contracted Covid.

  • Europe Trip Journal – Entry 13-15: Valencia

    After a quick metro ride and some few minutes of walking I was back at the beach. Today it was even hotter than the day before, so when I got rid of my shoes to walk through the sand bare feet, I almost regretted that decision. After setting up my base close to the shore, I decided to first get some more sun to let my towel (which was still a bit moist from a shower I had the day before) dry. Then it was time to get buoyant (hah!).

  • Europe Trip Journal – Entry 12: Positive Vibes and Negative Results

    Yesterday was a slower day. I stayed in bed until 13:00 or so and recovered some well needed sleep. After that I went out to get some breakfast. At a place called Black Panther I got a really nice burger/sandwich made from a buttery smooth croissant topped with salad, tomatoes, mayonnaise, mozzarella and green pesto. As a drink I got a cold brew latte. This was super tasty!

  • Europe Trip Journal – Entry 11: Adiós Amigas

    This “morning” I got up at 10:00 after only around 5 hours or so of sleep. Sadly I was not able to extend my stay in the hostel in Barcelona, since the place was booked out, so it was time for me to pack my stuff. After a rather embarrassing self-made breakfast consisting of a chocolate cookie and an energy drink, I moved my backpack into the community area of the hostel and prepared for check-out.

  • Europe Trip Journal – Entry 10: Pub Crawl

    My plan for today was to further explore the historic part of the city, as well as the Mercat la Boqeria. The best way I can think of to describe the later is that it looks like the hall of a train station, which hosts a permanent funfair, which however only consists of food stands selling weird food. There are stands selling mushrooms, raw fish, crustaceans, ox feet, sweet bakery pieces, all sorts of fried street food, chips, etc. It smells horrible in some places (in my opinion), but its also quite a spectacle.

  • Europe Trip Journal – Entry 9: Cable Cars

    Today started with a small hangover. Headache and a sore throat. After some sips of water however, it quickly vanished and it was time for breakfast. After finding out that the breakfast was served outside the hostel and not inside like B. and me thought at first, we got to enjoy a croissant, some coffee and a bun with jelly plus a yogurt. That’s cost-effective and tasty 🙂 After breakfast I took a quick shower and than it was time to say farewell.