ERASMUS TIMES: Zagreb

Salutations. Myself, Phoebe and Katie took a lovely little trip to Croatia this week. We set off early on Monday morn, to make the first leg of our journey to Munich and then we took a train to Zagreb from there. We got ourselves a grand comfy table seat on the train and the journey was very lovely, as we travelled through the Austrian Alps as well as Slovenia. But eight hours is a long time to be on a train. About six hours in I started getting edgy. And the thirty-minute passport checks on the border got me edgier. But it was arriving in a different train station to the one listed on my ticket that engaged full-on rage mode. We hadn't a clue what was going on. Fortunately a very friendly Croatian who had been on our train explained (in English)  that the main train station was undergoing work and was closed. For the week that we were there. Great fun that was.

After a tram and taxi journey, we finally got to our hostel. The Funk Lounge Hostel, to be specific. It's a lovely hostel in a quiet area of Zagreb, near the wonderfully named Maksimir Park. The stress of getting there was remedied by the super-friendly staff staff and the welcome they gave us. They let us get settled in our room, before explaining in detail the sights in the city and how to get to them,  in addition to making recommendations. I then took a welcome snooze on my perch (I took the bunk bed and bestowed upon it the more appropriate title of 'perch').

Said perch.

Our first port of call the following morning was the beautiful inner-city park of Maksimir. Our pale, Irish/ English, vitamin-D starved faces were grateful for the sunshine as we wandered around the park. After a prolonged period of tram-confusion, we went to the upper city. This trip called for a spin in the funicular lift. the funicular was a little blue tram-like vehicle, which took us up the steep hill to the upper town. After taking in the view of the city from that great height, we made our way to the Museum of Broken Relationships. The exhibition is made up of articles which symbolised the break up of a relationship, for those who submitted them. The exhibition was a combination of funny, sweet and affecting. I think the reason the exhibition was so interesting, was the fact people were sharing their own stories. Well worth a visit.

Apply some pressure...

 We wandered further, passing the colourful St. Mark's church, as well as Croatian government buildings. Following that we went to the weird-ass Zagreb City Museum. The exhibit, which in fairness is quite interesting, is housed in an old St. Clare's convent. We entered to find the place empty. No staff, no curator: nothing. We fumbled around the exhibition, before trying to make our escape. But the door we thought was the exit was locked. Cue more fumbling around the museum before we found ourselves back on the Zagreb streets... but not in a prostitutey way.

BRIGHT COLOURS.

After fannying about the main shopping street and getting some pizza, we made our way to Zagreb Cathedral. The cathedral is quite an impressive construction, partly surrounded by 15th century fortification walls. It has quite an interesting history, having being damaged by earthquake in 1880, restored, being neglected under socialism (Communists: not fans of organised religion), etc. In recent times works have been undertaken on the building, which explains the scaffolding.

Small... far away. 

We also visited Mirogoj cemetery on the outskirts of the city. The cemetery is an astoundingly grand and beautiful place, with arcades and arches and domes. It was designed in the 19th century by a German architect, Hermann Bollé and is a feat of civic architecture. Amazing. To resolve a few travel-related issues, we visited the main train station to get information from an amusingly grumpy woman. Also to be seen on the same square as the station is the gorgeous Art Pavilion and the Hotel Esplanade, which was once a famous stopover on the Orient Express. This square gave a glimpse into a period which must have been a golden age in Zagreb's history.

The following day marked the end of our trip to Croatia and we made our way back to Germany. Upon reaching Munich I was quite the Grumpy Gills. I was this close to a Kermit the Frog-style hysterical freak out. I think I frightened Katie and Phoebe. Once I got some caffeine in me I was grand again. Let me reiterate: eight hours is a long time to be on a train.

Sacher Torte. 

To conclude, Zagreb is a place I'd gladly visit again. Croatia is a pretty interesting place and I'd like to see more of the country, including their famous national parks. Everyone we encountered was friendly, welcoming and helpful. The trip has evoked a serious interest in learning more about the history of Croatia. Do consider it for a visit or indeed include it as a stop while inter-railing.

Soundtrack der Woche:

ERASMUS TIMES: Brussels. Belgium.

Oh, hello. A couple of weeks ago me and the others (or should I say the others and I) decided to make a 'blind booking' with Germanwings and take a little adventure. What is a blind booking, you may ask? Well, for the modest sum of €66, Germanwings will send you to a surprise location in Europe on your selected dates. Our destination turned out to be Brussels, Belgium.

Our flights ended up being quite early, which meant we had to got to Stuttgart by train the evening before and dawdle overnight in the airport. We got the night train, which facilitated for many encounters with characters and interesting types. One such character was 'Jesus von Nazareth,' who tried to strike up conversation with us, which was an alarming incident. We then had a little stopover in Ulm, which was spent in Burger King (wherein they were playing The Thrills; oh the nostalgia). The airport was fairly desolate by the time we got there, but we managed to dick about until check-in.

More than just Grand Place. 

Our hotel in Brussels was thankfully near the train station. Unfortunately, this area happened to be what many of us independently referred to as 'the ghetto.' Once checked in we all went for a sorely needed nap. We then roamed the ghetto for awhile, hastily retreating to the hotel before long. After another brief nap we ventured to the city centre, where we saw the Grand Place and got our dindins in the Hard Rock Cafe.

The following morning we sought out the European Parliament, like the good European citizens we are. Unfortunately we were not able to take a little tour, but we got by, by taking a little wander. In the information centre we amused ourselves by looking for documents translated in to Irish (oh EU, you were really duped into that one), most amusing of which was the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in Irish.

Tir gan teanga...

While reading the dutch 'Metro' on train (well, I say reading...),  we noticed an ad, stating that Kodaline, an irish band, were playing a free gig in the main station. Based on Katie's high level fandom of them and the striking coincidence of it all, we went along. The mini-gig was most enjoyable and Katie got a photo with the band (naw!). Also worthy of note is the fact Ron Swanson/ Duke Silver plays drums for them.

 Ron Swanson                       Drummer from Kodaline

One of the highlights of the trip had to be the visit to La Belgique Gourmande in the centre of the city. They must have seen me coming, as they were playing Arcade Fire and Queens of the Stone Age, as well as offering free samples. I got myself some delicious truffles and they we went for another wander around the city. 

While Brussels might not have left the most wonderful impression on me, we still managed to have a nice time. Anyone we encountered or asked for directions while on our travels were friendly and helpful. Parts of the city were very beautiful and there was plenty of noms to be had! The EU Parliament and Kodaline were pleasant novelties and the chocolatier will be missed, despite our fleeting encounter. One lasting impression the place left on me was the language. I'm really up for learning Dutch since; what a lovely language! Perhaps a visit to Bruges or Ghent would be preferable in future, but Brussels wasn't all bad.

ERASMUS TIMES: Fastnacht

Please excuse my shitty photos; I am a very small woman.

Oh hello there. For the past week the konstantians have been celebrating Fastnacht. For those unfamiliar with the festival, it's like a week of pre-lent panic-drinking. It's the exact same principle as Karneval in Cologne or Faschings in Bavaria. It's like everybody goes to themselves, "oh balls! 40 days without sweets or alcohol. Quick let's get pissed!" Coupled with the week of binge drinking are parades and costumes, so it's got a nice family-friendly side to it.

The week starts off on Schmotzige Donnerstig ("Greasy Thursday"). There was a big parade through the city centre. There was brass bands around the place too. There was a nice auld buzz around the place, with everybody in costume. The Germans don't really do Halloween, but they go all out for Fastnacht. I saw a whole family of dragons. I saw three men in McDonald's dressed as Vince, Jules and Mia from "Pulp Fiction." My friends got accosted by a tag team of Edward Scissorhands and Captain Jack Sparrow. The Germans don't fuck about. There's a reason they're an economic superpower.

It's not easy being green.

What made the efforts of the konstantians even more impressive was the fact it was bitterly cold. Shows commitment by the slutty teenage girls.

While the festivities continued over the following days, I didn't go to anything again until the parade on Sunday. The participants in the parade take the whole business very seriously. Every town and village has groups who meet up and make costumes with a common team. Tis all very impressive. The costumes can be pretty out there. The costumes can be pretty out there. While some are based on fairytales and legends, others are a bit more abstract. Think Mr. Susan from "The Mighty Boosh." The parade was very sweet, but plagued by the same painfully cold weather.

Fastnacht was a grand auld buzz and I'm already planning how I can make it work in Cork next year.

Tah-Dah! 

ERMAHGERD BERKS: 'Seducing Ingrid Bergman' by Chris Greenhalgh

'Seducing Ingrid Bergman' by Chris Greenhalgh is a fictional account of the famous affair between Swedish Hollywood icon Ingrid Bergman and legendary photojournalist, Robert Capa. The pair met in Paris at the end of the war and carried on their relationship when Bergman returned to Hollywood and Capa followed after. The affair between these two icons of the mid 20th century has been point of much interest, since it became known through Bergman's biography. Fans of Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' will probably already recognise elements of this story, as the master of suspense slyly based the relationship between Grace Kelly's character and Jimmy Stewart's character film on what he knew of Capa's and Berman's affair.

What drew me to this book initially is the fact it had anything to do with Robert Capa. For the past couple of years I have been steadily gathering books about him, watching documentaries and basically finding out all that I could about the man and his work. Anecdotal evidence of this is when I found a second-hand copy of Robert Whelan's biography of Capa in a bookshop in Cork. I squealed when I saw it on the shelf and as I paid for it, I regailed the man at the till about how I had sought the book for 18 months and generally gushed about Capa. The man admitted that it had only come in the week before and they weren't sure how to price it. I could tell he was thinking 'Jesus, she'd have given her first born for this.' Evidently enough I can get quite fan-girly on the topic of Capa, so I had high hopes for Greenhalgh's account. 

The novel tells the story of the first meeting of Capa and Berman at the end of the Second World War. Bergman is in Europe to entertain the allied troops and Capa is there as a commissioned allied war photographer. The couple begin their relationship in Paris at the around the time of the end of the war in Europe. Bergman extends her stay in Paris as long as possible, spending her time with Capa, until the time arrives when the calls of her family and the studio can no longer be ignored. Bergman returns to America and Capa follows soon after. Finally together the stresses and dangers of their relationship come to the fore. The tug of work and other responsibilities cause Capa and Bergman to reach breaking point. 

Greenhalgh is not only noted as a novelist, but also as a screenwriter. He adapted his own novel 'Coco and Igor,' another account of a famous affair, for film, which was then screened at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. The fact Greenhalgh has done screen-writing work becomes very evident as you read 'Seducing Ingrid Bergman.' The narrative takes on a very cinematic style. Passages are broken up like scenes of a film and he uses very literal imagery. Greenhalgh's vision is put across scene by scene and image by image. While for the most part this style of narrative has it's merits, I thought it was somewhat cold and detached. Capa and Bergman were in a passionate affair and the narrative style doesn't quite match the content. 

While Greenhalgh does well to try and get into the mind of his two characters, he fails to flesh out these two intriguing figures. He succeeds in communicating Bergman's fear that the media would define how she was perceived and highlighting the self-destructive side of Capa. While these two traits give great insight, there is still much more to be explored in the characters of Capa and Bergman. Greenhalgh had artistic license to deconstruct their characters as much as he pleased, in order to create convincing profiles of these enigmatic figures, especially considering he chose to use a first person narrative, which alternated between the two characters. 

Despite these two criticisms, 'Seducing Ingrid Bergman' was a pretty enjoyable read. Greenhalgh's suppositions about the relationship between the two and their intimate thoughts made for interesting reading. My only wish is that he felt the freedom to do a bit more with this. Otherwise it serves well in evoking intrigue about these two dynamic figures of the media. 

Rating: 6/10

ERASMUS TIMES: Zurich

I couple of weeks ago I was in Zurich and I have since neglected to write about it. Despite having flown into Zurich when coming here first, I had never visited the city proper. A couple of Sundays ago the opportunity presented itself, so off I went.

I got the day off to a flying start, by sleeping in and consequently having to run for my bus. Fortunately I caught it and avoided being left at the bus stop sobbing with my companions, who I had also caused to be late. Zurich was only an hour-long coach trip away, which makes it ever the more surprising that it took me 3 months to pay it a proper visit.

Having chosen to visit the fair city of Zurich on a Sunday, most businesses and shops were closed with only a few exceptions. Aware of this, our first stop was the Christmas market at the Bahnhof. If I'm honest, it was a little disappointing, but one fairly awe-worthy element was a Swarovski Christmas tree in the middle of the market.

Leaving the slightly anti-climactic Christmas market behind, we headed onto Bahnhofstraße, which happens to be the second most expensive shopping street in Europe, only being surpassed by the Avenue des Champs Elysées in Paris. Being the classy bunch that we are, our only port of call was McDonalds.

After the life-giving sustenance of McDonalds we were ready to go on a little city tour. We started at the University, which is unfortunately at the top of a seemingly never-ending series of steps. Once we reached the top, we were met with an amazing panoramic view of the city, charmingly paired with coronary failure. At this point my camera battery spontaneously died, which is exactly what you want when wandering the streets of one of Europe's most beautiful cities.

We then went into the older part of the city, which was absolutely stunning. While making our way around this area, I spied the Kunsthalle in the distance, which would warrant another visit to the city. Then we made our way down to the area of the lake, where we spent a solid ten minutes staring at a woman who appeared to be spraying the swans with one of those little misters for watering plants. If my camera hadn't forsaken me I would have certainly made some photographic record of this.

We then went to have a look at some of the festive events around the city. A bandstand had been fashioned into a Christmas tree form, with a choir nestled therein. We marvelled at this trippy sight for a while before heading to get some coffee.

It was growing dark at this point and the Christmas lights of Bahnhofstraße caught our attention. We marvelled not only the lights, but at the windows of shops like Louis Vuitton and Chanel, the contents of which were as intangible as the twinkling Christmas lights above us.

As I said already, I'd like to pay the city another visit, to give the Kunsthalle a go as well as trying to seek out Joyce's grave. It certainly is a beautiful, albeit expensive city.

ERASMUS TIMES: Stuttgart

Last Thursday I went on a lovely adventure to Stuttgart. I had been to Stuttgart before, while I was at secondary school, but tis a nice auld spot, so I went again. And it didn't do any harm. In order to get the most out of our day we left at 7am. I'm not the most coordinated early in the morning, so this mean I had to be awake for 5am. I think it's safe to assume my flatmates hate me, as I was thundering around the flat at 5am.

"Aaaah don't kill me, Daisy!" - Myrtle Wilson

We walked to our meeting point where we got on our private coach (wooooOOOOoooo) and headed north. When I got on the bus, I was disappointed to find that people wanted to do things other than sleep. namely take photos and talk loudly. This displeased me. They soon came around though, falling asleep like the rest of us. That or there was a fumes leak.

Our first port of call was the Mercedes Benz museum (wooooOOOOoooo). I had heard many good things about it, so I was looking forward to it. It didn't disappoint. I wouldn't be the world's biggest motoring enthusiast, but I enjoyed it immensely. There was a pope-mobile, vintage Mercedes Roadsters and delightful cars from the 1920s, which one could imagine Daisy Buchanan mowing someone down in.

Judging Schiller is judging you. 

After a little picnic and another short bus journey, we went into the city centre and did a little tour. We got a look at the new and old palaces, the Konigsbau, Schillerplatz, among a few other bits and pieces. It's certainly a very pretty city. We then were left to wander about for an hour or two, which I spent looking for a Starbucks and then having a Starbucks. They wonderfully got my name right and to put an end to the suspense, I had a hot chocolate. And it was nom.

In order to get some learnings in, we visited the Landtag, which is the parliament for the state of Baden-Wurttemberg. We got to listen to and observe the parliament in session (they were discussing the provision of care for the elderly) and we got to speak to a nice man from the Green Party. One of our guides decided to take it upon herself to translate everything he was saying for us, even though we understood 90% of it. Bless her for making the effort, but it was as if we had put what the man was saying through Google translate. They were indeed English words, but were in very "creative" contexts. At that point we headed home and we got McDonalds when we got back. Winner.

I can highly recommend Stuttgart. It was nice to be in a relatively large urban centre again and there was a nice atmosphere around the city, which was probably owing to the preparations for Christmas markets among other things. I think I should like to go back there again before the year is out.

ERASMUS TIMES: I read a book.

Note the Milka wrapper in the backround.
One of a number of fallen comrades.

So, in an attempt to enhance my German learnings, I decided to try and read a book entirely in German. You'd think that after 8 years of learning German, this kind of an activity would be a regular part of my routine. Well it wasn't. And just because I've read one book in German, doesn't mean I can say that it is. I'd want to be doing it fair regular if it was to be a routine.

 The book I chose to read? 'Nick and Norah: Soundtrack einer Nacht' by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. And before you ask, yes that is a translation of 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist'. I wasn't going to start with 'Vor dem Gesetz,' now was I? And before you tell me that it was written for teenage girls, I already know. There was a general consensus of 'is that all it is?' from anyone I told I was reading it, but I never claimed to be any kind of literary sophisticate.

 It was a pretty enjoyable read, from what I understood and in my defence that was about 80% of it. I'll own up now and admit that I have seen the film version starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, but the plot of the book and the plot of the film differ quite a bit. For those who don't know, 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist' tells the story of two young'uns who are both emerging from weird relationships. Nick had recently been dumped by his girlfriend Tris and Norah is in the midst of an on/off relationship with Tal. In an attempt to win an argument, Norah asks Nick to be her 5 minute boyfriend and following from this encounter, the two spend the evening together. That's about the bones of the plot, if I'm not to give too much away.

 As you will have observed above, the novel was co-authored. What Cohn and Levithan did was split the narrative: Cohn did every second chapter, writing from the perspective of Norah and Levithan did the remaining chapters, writing from the perspective of Nick. This was the element of the novel I liked best. It was quite sweet that there was an increasing overlap of shared ideas and feelings between the two characters as the novel progressed. I thought the translation was pretty solid too. References were made through English in parts, to retain the youth-culture-centric core of the novel. I think it was worthwhile reading, because there was a more youthful, casual register of German used in the narrative.

 So all in all, 'Nick and Norah: Soundtrack einer Nacht' was a pretty enjoyable read and a suitable first assay into reading German-language literature. I highly recommend. Now it's just a case of deciding what to read next, which is likely to be more in the vein of young adult fiction. If I come out of this without developing a Peter Pan Complex, I'll be doing well.

Soundtrack der Woche (yes, I did steal this general idea from the title of the book):
In keeping with the literary theme and simultaneously professing my love for Kate Bush, my song for the week is 'Wuthering Heights'. 'Cos I'm cool like that.