Belle Epoque: Miss Broadway

Right about now I’m feeling like the dude wearing the sandwich board.

Hall and Oates: Private Eyes

Morcheeba ft. Biz Markie: In the Hands of the Gods

Rio En Medio: Let’s Groove

Margo Guryan: The Hum

Pinback: Fortress

White Williams: Route to Palm

I’m on solid ground, my friends; back in sunny Cali recuperating from the flight and a month’s worth of adventures and life changing experiences. Its nice to be back and I feel engulfed by a radiating glow of inspiration and energy that is a most awesome result of this whole journey. I can’t wait to get started on my new projects and ideas and feel like I can’t waste a moment’s time to start on them all. I saw 3 interesting films on the flight back; The Kite Runner (I was pleasantly surprised by this one and enjoyed it. It was a little bit overproduced and shmaltzy at parts but all in all it was a nice film) Cloverfield (Ok I really liked this one. Its a movie without a plot, story and the usual character developments but its meant to be that way. A great new spin on the monster movie genre, totally recommended) and We Own the Night (this one was okay and while watching it I kept thinking of The Departed, Scorcese’s last film which was similarly themed and also had Mark Whalberg playing a cop in it. Just replace the Irish mafia with the Russian mafia, replace Martin Sheen with Robert Duvall and add Joaquin Phoenix to the mix. It was okay but The Departed was way better). Decent netflix recommendations for all. I think in the coming days I’ll post selections from my trip in usual P&C style and put the rest up on Flickr. Once I sort that part out I’ll post the link for everyone. This photo was taken in Helsinki. I found all bicycle and walking signs in Europe to be so friendly and inviting. I mean just look at it; father and daughter walking together, holding hands? Love it.

France: check. Germany: check. London, Edinburgh, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Helsinki: check. Its all finished folks; the European whirlwind tour has come to an end I’m a much better person for it, I can already tell. I heartily recommend a big kick-your-ass trip to everyone out there, especially if you find you’ve gotten too comfortable doing whatever it is you do and you need to rediscover what life’s all about. Paris was really awesome and since I felt like such a retard not being able to speak french with the locals I am determined to take some classes and tame that beast. Plus; I heard that French spoken with an American accent is considered sexy. Woohoo! In 2 days (note to self: watch 2 Days In Paris when you get home) my mom and I went up the Eiffel tower, saw Napoleon’s sarcophagus, strolled down the Champs Elysees, rocked the Arc d’Triomph, kicked it at Notre Dame Cathedral, went to the Natural History Museum (note to self: watch La Jetee when you get home) and the Louvre. The next day we all went to Montmarte and ate baguette sandwiches at the bottom of the cathedral hill (note to self: watch Amelie when you get home). We rode the metro tons of times and it was very easy to get from point A to point B in Paris. All in all, Paris was quite lovely and I’m looking forward to going back. Germany was a quick although lovely little expedition; just 2 and half days spent with one of my best friends from high school who lives with her husband in a small, lush, green village close to Bonn and Cologne. I did most of my tourist shopping here and came away with a cute jacket and a fake license plate with my name on it (because NOTHING in America EVER has my name on it. I have to go all the way to Europe to get my ‘Marina’ toothbrushes and fake mini license plates. Psshh..). Spent a day in Bonn and spent the next day in Cologne. I found it absolutely amazing that there were no old buildings there outside of the Cologne Cathedral (which was quite a monumental sight) because something like 95% of Cologne was annihilated during WW2. Sheesh… It was hot and humid in Germany and I made sure to eat sausages and REAL weiner shnitzel during my stay. Both were quite tasty. I also ate lots of ice cream which comes very soft, gooey and yummy in Germany. Mmmmm! Came back to London last night and flying back home tomorrow morning. In a few hours I’ll be on a 11 hour transatlantic flight back to America. It was an amazing experience and I feel totally refreshed and ready for action once I’m back in the states. Looking back, its hard to believe I actually went to all these places. For so long I was the one that only listened to everyone’s travel stories and said "oh man, that sounds so cool.. I’d love to do that one day" and finally now I got the chance to give it a go, Marnie style. Being away from the states made me appreciate a number of things like customer service, smoking laws, cheap gas and free water at your dinner tables (I was seriously thirsty 75% of the time I was in Europe, maybe 95% in Germany). It also made me appreciate a lot of European things we don’t have like metros, sophisticated fashion, Marks & Spencers, the Autobahn, saunas and er, culture. Do I wanna go back and maybe live there? You bet. But first I’ll come home, get started on some projects and spend a lot of money on things that cost twice as much in Europe ("Go worthless dollar! woo!") cuz I can. If you see a tiny red Virgin Atlantic plane in the sky tomorrow wave cuz I’ll probably be in it. Farewell! -Marnie

Pat Boone: I’ll Be Home

Napoleon is inside here.

One very triumphant arch.

Not so much a picture of the Eiffel Tower; more a picture of me.

Okay, that’s more like it.

Natural History Museum. Probably my favorite destination in Paris.

Seriously, the Mona Lisa was a) so ridiculously small b) very far away c) surrounded by crazies with cameras. Er, me being one of them…

The Louvre at night.

Montmarte Cathedral (lots of steps to get to the top but I made it).

Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

I basically paid one Euro for this photo. I think it was worth it, though.

In Bonn. Beethoven was born here. Crazy, eh? I totally went inside too.

Just having a small cappuccino in Germany. What..?

My friend Erika and I took lots of pictures of the clothes we tried on in shops. A pretty normal thing to do, no? Also, this is the jacket I bought. Love it!!

Enjoying a locally brewed Kölsch beer and great company in Cologne.

It just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t eat this in Germany.

Hey peeps! I’m back from Scotland, writing this post from London HQ. Though I was only there for 3 days, Edinburgh made a really good impression on me. Its green green green, laid back and the people are really friendly. The accents are super rad and I couldn’t get enough of listening to locals saying pretty much anything. I think you all would love visiting Scotland so make it out there one day. The further you go into the Highlands the more magical it gets as I’m sure unicorns and leprechauns often get together for tea parties on the lochs. At least this is how I see it in my head. We started our Scotland adventure with Whisky drinks and fish & chips at a very old Inn in Edinburgh (Hawes Inn) which was featured in Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Kidnapped. He came up with the idea for the book while staying here! I had 2 Whiskys, as did pretty much everyone else in my party and we definitely got our jollies on as a result. The famous cantilever Forth Rail Bridge was just across the way and it was quite an impressive sight. (ps: Scottish whisky is spelled with a "y". American whiskey is spelled with an "ey") While in Edinburgh we stayed at a Holiday Inn which was evacuated the next morning because of a tripped fire alarm. I was in the bathroom at the time and heard the alarm but for some reason didnt register that it might be something important and worth evacuating for. After 5 minutes I opened the door and saw people running down the hall with their suitcases and only then did I think, "oh shit, I gotta get outta here" so I did. Everyone was lined up in the parking lot and after about 10 minutes we went back inside after the fire truck came and made a quick inspection. It was all very random and funny. Downtown Edinburgh is seriously picturesque with soot-stained, stone gothic cathedrals and castles dotting the landscape alongside green hills, craggs and the sea in the background. My dad and I went up to Edinburgh Castle which was quite a treat. It sits on the top of a tall hill and overlooks all of Edinburgh. Lots of decorated guards in Kilts stood watch at specific posts and every few minutes performed a sentry patrol/changing of the guards maneuver; I couldn’t get enough of it. My biggest achievement was eating Haggis. I had it twice and the 2nd time it was fried. Friends, I have to say I really enjoyed it. Its got such a bad reputation but all it really is is an oatmealy sausage. Sure its made of liver, hearts, lungs and wheat but all you really taste is wheaty, salty spiceyness. Frankly, I think one should be more afraid of regular American hot dogs. Yeah, its really heavy and it doesnt look so pretty but do yourself a favor, have a haggis! (T-shirt slogan alert…) All in all I really enjoyed Scotland and its probably owed to our Edinburgh friends who graciously took us round and showed us the sights. We had a wonderfully gigantic fish and chips dinner at their seaside flat and I even got asked out by lovely Scotch lad who wanted me to stay the night. Unfortunately he was only 4 and I told him I forgot my toothbrush and had to go back home. He’s expecting me next Friday to play with cars but I’m afraid I won’t be able to show up. Ahh, C’est la vie… Tomorrow the M&D and I are heading for Paris on the Eurostar train. Good news is that there will be a labor strike in Paris in the next few days and rail travel is expected to be disrupted as a result, agh! Hopefully we’ll miss the action on our particular routes but I suppose only tomorrow will tell. At any rate, it’ll make for an interesting post when (if) we get back. Slanj! -Marnie (Slanj = cheers in Scotland’ish)

Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Fire alarm fun at the Holiday Inn

Helllllooo…

One for me.

Just the slightest bit of nice weather caused everyone to scurry out for some sun.

 

 

Kebabs, pizzas, burgers, pasta, chicken, fish n’ chips, sit in, takeaway, seriously; what can’t you get here? ps: tons of these multi-purpose food joints in Edinburgh.

 

 

Lollies. Seriously one of my favorite words.

 

Camera Obscura! Perhaps where they got their name? Next to Edinburgh Castle was this optical illusions museum that I think is from ye olde times. The one thing I kept thinking about before getting to Scotland was, "Maybe I’ll run into Camera Obscura or Belle & Sebastian!" 1 out of 2 ain’t bad.

Hey! My cafe! In Edinburgh of all places!

Fish and chips and….

Fried Haggis! Hooray! How appealing you look, Mr. Fried Haggis.

Damn, you are one hot tattie.

Me at the National Monument on top of a hill in Edinburgh.
 

One last thing:
Today i walked around the neighborhoods where my uncle lives (Hampstead and Golders Green) and bough a Phoenix cd for one pound fifty (read: $3) at a thrift shop. I’m really digging this song right now and it definitely feels like this afternoon in London, so maybe if you listen to it you’ll be able to feel it too. Farewell for now! -Marnie

Phoenix: If I Ever Feel Better

Top of the morning to you! Wait, I think thats what the Irish say… what do the English say? Oh bugger.. yeah that. Anways, I’m back in London and can confidently say that our travels to Finland and Russia were a success! I’m sure its pretty apparent by now that I’m ready to move to Finland. As for Russia; wow. I’m still digesting everything and trying to make sense of my impressions of this gigantic place. I’m also nursing a cold that tried to kick my ass in Moscow but I ate some healing super-honey that our Russian friends had in their pantry and I think it kept me from going completely under. I experienced all 4 seasons in Russia; the first day was superbright and warm (seriously; the sun is so much brighter here its crazy!) the next day it was overcast and rainy, then it was windy and super freezing and we amazingly witnessed sporadic spurts of snow falling. (Not enough to wear a ushanka and pretend you’re in Dr. Zhivago but close enough.) I think its safe to say that I liked Moscow much more than St. Petersburg though I understand that each city has its own unique story and amazing cultural treasures. Its pretty late right now so I’ll save the philosophical details for when I get back (mostly since I’m still figuring that part out) but I will share some photos from my stay in Moscow for fun (like the cocoa pops straws from Finland: "For fun"). I’ll tell you one thing; traveling and seeing other parts of the world and how people live has definitely flipped some kind of switch in me in an indescribable way. I cant put my finger on it but I’m definitely hungry for more, which makes my going back to the states a bit more confusing for me than I hoped, ha. But my travels are certainly not over and maybe I’ll make more sense of this je ne sais quoi in the coming weeks. Or tomorrow, while I’m in Scotland. Yes, that’s right, Scotland. Edinburgh, to be exact. 3 days there and then 4 days in Paris thereafter. Then its off to Germany for a few more days and back to the states we go. But one at a time for now. Tomorrow hopefully I see what Haggis is all about and maybe medicate my sore-throat self with some proper whiskey too. Stay tuned! Dosvedanya moyi druzya (goodbye my friends), Marnie.

This totally looks like a paper cutout but its not! I’m really in Red Square! ps: its waaayyy smaller that you’d ever imagine it to be. I thought it went on for miles and miles. Its not small by any means but just more compact than I thought. Maybe Red Rectangle might be more appropriate.
This is me chillin in front of Lenin’s masoleum. Doodes, I totally went inside and saw Lenin. It was one chilling experience. We first went through serious metal detectors and our bags were searched (all cameras were prohibited, poo). At the entrance the guard told my dad to take his hands out of his pockets, and my dad thought he heard "put your hands in your pockets" which made for a tense but funny couple of seconds. Down we went a dark dark marble staircase (guards at each corner, mind you. Staunch, unflinching officers in full uniform standing under dramatic spotlights that made me think at first they weren’t human, but wax. Then they told me to keep walking and I thought, ok, they’re real.) until we turned a corner and saw Lenin resting in his glass case, bathed in a red glow which seemed like the only light in the room. It was spectacular, spooky and just unbelievable. My parents and I stopped walking and just stared but this wasn’t allowed and again, we were told to keep walking. then we walked past the Kremlin Wall Necropolis which features the graves of Communist bigwigs such as Stalin and Brezhnev. Insane, just a totally insane experience.

 
I feel bad not knowing the name of this cathedral at the top of my head at this sleepy moment but its one of the prominent cathedrals inside the Kremlin. Its old old old and very pretty inside. One of more than a dozen old churches we saw in Russia.

 
Again, the name escapes me at the moment but this is another church inside the Kremlin where many ancient Russian monarchs are buried in grim stone caskets including one very famous Ivan the Terrible.

This might look like the word "Mempo" to you but in Russian it says "Metro".

Its no joke; the Russian metro is a thing of beauty AND function which is a rare combination anywhere.  Each station had its own motif, from chandeliers to mosaics to sparkling marble floors and walls. One of my favorite things about this country for sure.

*attention* Read the previous post on Finland first to follow everything chronologically. It’ll make more sense! This morning I wrote a loooong, detailed report on yesterday’s painful arrival into St. Petersburg which included sweeping generalizations and harsh criticisms of an entire nation I spent less than 24 hours in. I’ve decided to swap it for a more accurate account based on a fresh new perspective of Russia which came as a result of waking up to a whole new day. Dean Martin, you were right. What a difference a day makes indeed. I’ll be honest; yesterday I was pretty close to tears, ready to get back on the train to Helsinki and piss all over the Russian experience. We were greeted with a kick in the balls and a ‘you’re on your own’ attitude that hit me hard. Cold stares outnumbered the mangy pigeons on the streets and I was convinced there’d be no way into Russia’s core and that we’d be stuck above this icy facade our entire stay. I’ll let this photo speak for our ordeal at the train station; it pretty much says it all. If you’re confused by what you’re looking it, its a wheelchair ramp. Thats right, its expected that if you’re in a wheelchair, you will hoist yourself upon these iron rails and plummet to your death. Or you can look at it more metaphorically. Russia is like these handicapped rails; if you don’t have the balls to give it a shot, you’ll never get any further from where you are. This is me in the death-cab on the way to our apartment. This was one of those cab rides that you see so exaggerated on TV say, from India or hey! Russia! Our driver was a maniac and apparently I was the only one in the car with white knuckles, eyes bugging out and face drained of color. My mom was quietly laughing up a storm (as crazy drivers apparently are the funniest thing to her) and my dad was enjoying the sights out the window and loving every minute of it. At one point our driver pulled out a loudspeaker (wtf?!) and yelled at some parked car to our right. Yeah, good times. But like I said, a new day makes all the difference. Today we woke up and ate some tasty piroshkis and cakes with tea and coffee at a charming little cafe all for mere chump change. I found an internet cafe that actually worked and even made some photocopies of our passports at a neat Kinko’s lookalike. On our way to a well-known market, an old lady stopped to tell us about a building we were looking at and explained that it used to be a grand hotel for all kinds of socialites, writers, poets and actors in the early 1900’s. At the Kuznechny Market we were in heaven surrounded by fruits, veggies, pickled specialties, meats, honey, cream, bread, fish, all from the many corners of the former  Soviet Union. Samples were handed out wherever we went and the clerks called out to me, "young lady! what do you desire? please tell me young lady!" The best part was the impromptu accordion performance given by an old man in one of the stalls. Well, actually that was one best part. The actual really best part was my dad talking with a couple of guys from Tajikistan who were selling fruits and veggies. Conversation ensued and one of them asked if I was married yet. My dad laughed and told me, "he just asked me if you were married yet." I told the guy "oh.. no. Not me." He then told me that I could stay in Russia and marry him and take him back to America with me. Alright! My idea of a good time! I decided we should move on before my dad traded me for a sack of oranges and we made our way to the honey stand. There my dad called the lady a ‘Grazhdanka’ which in Russian means ‘lady citizen’ and apparently is a very outdated pre-soviet term which made the lady laugh. I told my dad, better you don’t call people by that term from here on. He agreed. Later we accidentally found Dostoevsky’s apartment and popped in for a tour. It was tiny but very cool and amazing; I was standing in the very same place that the man who wrote Crime and Punishment breathed his dying breath. Wow. (note to self: finish reading that book. Shame on you Marnie, shame.) After that we got back to the apartment, ate the goodies from the market and called it a day. I realized that today Russia finally let us in; I suppose it just needed some time. And I’m glad that I gave it some time because I’m starting to see what this place is all about and I’m slowly starting to love it. Russia isn’t easy and the ratio of discouragement to satisfaction looms rather high but you can’t let it get you down. This is one hard nut to crack for sure, but if you give it a chance you’ll find a pretty delicious creamy filling waiting inside (just don’t expect that creamy filling to be less than 5000 calories). Main square in St. Petersburg, or as it says here, Leningrad. The coolest Optometrist’s office I’ve ever seen. This is a pack of Dostoevsky’s cigarettes. On the day that he died, his daughter wrote on the back of the box, "January 28, 1881, today my dad died." Pretty amazing. The Kuznechny Market of fun! Very friendly lady who sold us some crazy-amazing honey that is supposedly medicinal and super good for you. This is one dumpy looking Marnie pretending to eat a whole pickled garlic. Here are some of the goodies we came away with from the market. Thats it for now! I’ll put together another monster post the next time I get a chance. It might not be until Moscow or even London but I’ll do my best to make it sooner! Dosvedanya!

Finland. The end. Or rather, just the beginning since I’m pretty sure I’m coming back to hit up Nokia for a job and tiny hip cottage in the country. The Finnish way of life works perfectly for me and their attitude towards life is refreshingly pleasant. Its amazing how new the country is too; for hundreds of years Finland was occupied either by the Swedes or the Russians (for which I apologized for to our friend Antero, on behalf of the Russians for being such bullies for so many years) and only since around 1917 have they been an independent nation with its own unique identity. From what I gathered, if you’re Finnish you don’t worry, you help your neighbors, you don’t bother other people and if you get a parking ticket you say "oh, looks like we have a visitor on our window." (this actually happened to us when our friend Antero drove us to a national park and we returned to the car with a parking ticket on it. My mom proceeded to throw her hands up in the air and whisper a few loud "Oh no’s!" but I think thats because she’s Russian. Now it all makes sense…). Here’s a few photos from my stay in Helsinki. I’m writing this report on the train from Helsinki to St. Petersburg and am anxious to see what awaits at the end of our journey. Chill attitudes and pragmatism will likely be at a minimum in ostentatious Russia and I’m interested to experience all the extremes it has to offer. More from Russia when I get there! (if I can find a wi-fi signal that is…) If you’re ever in Finland, stay at the Hotel Scandic Simonkentta. You get to experience a complimentary breakfast buffet that engulfs the entire restaurant floor. Here i’ve sampled bacon, eggs, cold cuts, pickled herring, veggies, beans, salmon, patЋ, baby sausages (my fave!), potato dumplings, fresh bread and jam. In Helsinki we met up with my dad’s good friend Antero from waaay back when who is basically a Finnish MacGyver/James Bond but way cooler. He showed us all over the countryside in his four wheel drive with his dog Sissi in the back. This is Antero’s house in the country that overlooks a beautiful lake. Amazing no? Good ol’ Antero is holding a bear spear that he made. Thats right, a bear spear. That he made. That includes the handle and the actual cast-iron  bits; everything. Oh and you remember how I said bear spear? Yeah. Its for that off-chance that a bear stumbles upon him. No biggie. Just a bear spear. Good times. Hello, can I please live in this tiny child’s cottage? Why don’t we have these on our properties in the states? C’mon people… Our dinner at Antero’s house. We all helped make lamb skewers that he cooked in his fireplace. Breakfast, day 2. The Finns love their yogurt and berries in the morning. I decided that I love it too. How many of you knew that the iconic Fiskars orange-handled scissors came from Finland? They do! And the town they’re made is called? Fiskars, of course. Me in Helsinki. The rest of the gang in front of the Russian Uspensky Cathedral in downtown Helsinki. Those Ruskis definitely wanted to make their presence known while they occupied Finland. Super awesome Sibelius monument sculpture. (see his face in the back?) Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer. Just 3 minutes after taking this photo, the grounds were invaded by a busfull of Japanese tourists. It was the most hilarious thing I’ve ever seen. Coco Pops Straws; they’re for fun.

Aaahh! I’m in Russia! Oh my god, I have so much to say but not much time right now. I’m at a Russian internet cafe and I gotta run in a few minutes. I just wanted to say that we arrived in Russia yesterday and had a hell-poop day full of frustration, running around, and a taxi cab ride that I thought I’d never walk away from alive. We arrived at the train station and our driver who was to pick us up never came. Chaos ensued, a lot of unhelpful Russians didn’t help, couldn’t find a phone to use, the ticket agent pitied us and let us use her kiosk phone, I called the agency, they said the driver is waiting, we kept running outside and no one is there, an old russian babushka pities us outside and lets us use HER cellphone (ha!), she yells at the agency saying we’ve been waiting for 3 hours and finds out that they were at a station on the other side of St. Petersburg. OKAY…. so after a few minutes, our contact arrives, we hop in the death taxi, get home, our apartment is a whole other story in itself, it didnt get dark all night, we woke up today, i found an internet cafe, we ate some piroshkis and tea, life is slowly getting better and thats the short of it all. I’ll try to post some pics when i get a chance. But I am alive and well, despite all the insanity. AAAH, RUSSIA!!! kiss kiss, Marnie.

Hello from Helsinki! Life is good and jet lag is officially overcome. Had a big nordic breakfast this morning complete with herring, mini sausages and ligonberries and I’m on my way to meet with my dad’s old Finnish friend from 35 years ago down in the hotel lobby. (Possible Finnish countryside madness may ensue). All in all, Helsinki is supremely awesome with alot of young folks roaming the streets in hip clothes and smart haircuts. I think they put American style to shame a bit. (ps: girls, its all about leggings). People smoke like crazy here and if you want to go to the park to escape it, you’re going to the wrong place cuz thats exactly where all the smokers be. Oy, I’m being given the stinkeye by my mom so I gotta go (Hi, I’m on vacation with my parents). More later; I promise!! Hei Hei! (goodbye in Finnish).

Camera Obscura: Let’s Get Out Of This Country

Goodbye America and hello Europe; I’m off to the other side of the world for the entire month of May! Pop! & Circumstance will serve as my travelogue and I hope to post frequent updates on my travels with photos and detailed descriptions of the natives (especially cute Finns). First stop: London. From there: Helsinki. From Helsinki: St. Petersburg. From St. Petersburg: Moscow. From Moscow: back to London. From there: Scotland, France and Germany. Its gonna be crazytimes, especially since I’m with my parents. I have a feeling those crazy kids are gonna get into a good amount of trouble but its okay cuz Zorba the Greek said it best: "Life is trouble. Only death is not. To be alive is to undo your belt and look for trouble." Ciao for now!