Sisters be trippin'

37 days in Europe a la Clarke

[clarkeconquest]

So far, in all your travels, which is your favorite church?

Now that the trip is concluded, I feel like I can answer: The College Academy Church in Salzburg.  It's all white and gold, and where many churches have elaborate, painted altars (which are always impressive) this one has plaster cherubs on big plaster clouds that rise unobtrusively out of the wall almost all the way to the ceiling.  It's simple, bright, clean, and the perfect mix of modern and ancient.  I loved it.

(The main church on the square in Kraków was a close second though.)

[clarkeconquest]

Prague, you were such a sweet goodbye.  But on this, the anniversary of my country's independence, I must meander homeways.  You, as with the rest of the destinations on this trip, will forever be etched in my mind.  Thank you again to everyone (MOMS) who made this all possible. Gratitude--even eternal gratitude--won't cover it.

And to the rest of my followers out there, it's been a real blast to have you along for the ride.  Stay classy everyone.

[clarkeconquest]

Communist leader selfies are the best selfies

[clarkeconquest]

I know I said I was never leaving Poland

But I meant Prague.

[clarkeconquest]

SAFE IN PRAGUE NOBODY PANIC

Even though part of the railway was out due to "track work" I made it back to Prague again.

Ah, Prague!  Did I even know how much I missed you...

[clarkeconquest]

Beautiful Salzburg. Home to Mozart, the Von Trapps, and lots of Baroque architecture.  Somehow I've managed to navigate it on my own, though I miss my Bratfaced sister quite a bit.  Tomorrow, off to Prague, my final destination, where I had left my heart so many years before.  Salzburg, you were memorable, and I'm sure I'll be back some day, but the rest of the world beckons; how could I but heed its call?

[clarkeconquest]

The Lady Tourist is at it again!

Watch her run!  Down, down the streets of Salzburg with a hunger for Baroque architecture and history that the city only hopes it can satisfy!

[clarkeconquest]

Luxembourg pics.  Fingers crossed the upload works this time!

[clarkeconquest]

The hills are alive...

...with the sound of approaching Clarke.  I'll be in Salzburg this afternoon!  Sorry about the lack of pix from DE--I'll have more up later. I was too distracted by having fun.

[clarkeconquest]

Ahh, Deutschland.  Es ist immer wunderbar bei dir.  Ich gratuliere dich an der guter Fußballspielen!  Go Deutschland!

[clarkeconquest]

Update: A Parting of the Ways

Today, because of reasons, my darling sister must return home. But this is not the end of the adventure documented here! Where will I go? Well...I've got some idea, but I wanna keep y'all on your toes (and myself on mine!) So it's off to Deutschland today. I've missed it, and it'll be fun to practice my skills!

[clarkeconquest]

Pictures from our day at Auschwitz and Birkenau.  So many different kinds of surreality and creeping horror on this land.  And seventy years later, the air still smells burned.

[clarkeconquest]

Sorry we didn't get these up yesterday!  These are from our first day tooling around Kraków, looking at castles and churches and Pope paraphernalia.  Always a good time in Europe.  

[clarkeconquest]

SAFE IN POLAND

So I'll admit Poland was a place I decided to go to push my limits and frankly I had my reservations about coming to Poland but I've been here for two hours and I'M NEVER LEAVING

Literally the FIRST thing that happened to us in Poland, as we were struggling to make the bus ticket machine work, was that two SEPERATE people walked off the bus that had just arrived and just handed us their tickets, unused and plenty good for a ride into the city center.  Plus, things are cheap again here (THERE WAS SOMETHING FOR THE EQUIVALENT OF A US DOLLAR HAIL MARY) and so far the architecture is beautiful and everyone's been helpful.

I'M NEVER LEAVING

[clarkeconquest]

Here are the photos from Elsinore!  Super awesome to chill in the halls where Hamlet once chilled...to brood where he brooded...and to dick around in the gift shop because that's quickly become my favorite pastime here in Europe.

You know.  When I'm not sightseeing and stuff.

[clarkeconquest]

This one's relevant for so many reasons!   First, we made a trip to Elsinore, famous for being the setting of Shakespeare's Hamlet, in the north of the island Zealand, and second, because we're going to Poland tomorrow!

[clarkeconquest]

I had to post this one because I learned that Denmark has two cannons aimed permanently at Sweden in this Royal park near where the Little Mermaid Statue stands.  We find ourselves thinking of these comics very, very often on this Nordic round of the trip.