Europe from a Backpack: Real Stories from Young Travelers Abroad (From a Backpack series)

384 Pages·2004·4.14 MB·English

by  Mark Pearson

Real Stories from Young Travelers Abroad
Edited by
Mark Pearson and Martin Westerman
Pearson Venture Group
Seattle, Washington U.S.A.
www.EuropeBackpack.com
Europe From a Backpack: Real stories from young travelers abroad
First Edition
Copyright © 2004 by Mark R. Pearson
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conven-
tions. Published in the United States by Pearson Venture Group, publisher of the
From a Backpack series. Reproduction or translation of any part of this work
beyond that permitted by section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright
Act is unlawful. Requests for permission should be addressed to:
Pearson Venture Group
P.O. Box 70525
Seattle, WA 98127-0525
U.S.A.
www.EuropeBackpack.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Europe From a Backpack: Real stories from young travelers abroad / edited by
Mark Pearson and Martin Westerman. –1st ed. Pearson Venture Group.
p. Cm.
Does not include index
ISBN 0-9743552-0-8
1. Anthology—Travel Book. 2. Travel—Essays
Library of Congress Control Number: 2003095329
Cover design by Greg Pearson (www.gregpearsondesign.com)
Coliseum photo, 3rd and 4th from left on back: Copyright © Nicolay Thomassen
Top left cover photo: Copyright © Andrew Schein
Top right and bottom left on cover, 1st on back cover: Copyright © Katie Brown
5th from left on back cover: Copyright © Kiersten Throndsen
Printed in the United States of America by Central Plains Book Manufacturing
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my Grandfather and fellow traveler, Waldemar E. Pearson

The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a
page.
SAINT AUGUSTINE
The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is
at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.
G.K. CHESTERTON
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ...........................................................13
Chapter 1: SPAIN
The Running of the Bulls -- Billy Anderson...............................18
Camino de Santiago -- Heather Neale .........................................22
Madrid at Midnight -- Cara Nissman............................................27
My First Day in Spain -- Peter Malcolm......................................32
24 Hours in Ibiza -- Avi Vichniac.................................................39
Pushing the Limit -- Tyler Toby....................................................45
Soy Escritora, Soy Pintor -- Rose Skelton...................................48
Hostels: The only way to stay -- Jasper Liao ..............................53
The Bullfight -- Sarah Spradling....................................................58
Chapter 2: UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND
Belfast by Accident -- Arin Greenwood......................................64
Dublin: Just for the Craic -- Martin Ashplant.............................69
A Week’s Worth of Blisters -- Joanna Nesbit.............................73
City Reflection: London -- Billy Anderson .................................78
Lambing Season: Life and loss -- Jason Stevenson....................83
Chapter 3: AMSTERDAM
Romancing Amsterdam -- Victor Borg........................................96
Chapter 4: FRANCE
Parisian Angel -- Janna Graber................................................... 106
Living with an Aristocrat -- Courtney Lochner....................... 112
Dancing Like a Chicken in Paris -- Lee Anne Hasselbacher 119
Will Work for Food -- Lisa Cordeiro ......................................... 125
April 29, 2003 -- Eunice Chung................................................. 130
Fiasco By Train -- Sarah Hainley............................................... 133
Freedom From the Future -- Bradley Charbonneau............... 138
Guest Lessons -- Sarah Steegar.................................................. 142
Wine and the Blues in St. Emilion -- Adele McDonald......... 149
Chapter 5: GERMANY
German Follies -- Jennelle Menendez....................................... 158
Dachau: A Place to remember -- Hollister Marie Marx......... 162
The Hofbräuhaus: A shared space -- Spencer Stoner............. 166
The Berlin Love Parade -- Tina Gregory.................................. 170
Reinventing Berlin -- Victor Borg.............................................. 175
Chapter 6: CZECH REPUBLIC
“Do You Like Beer?” -- Melanie Curtin................................... 184
Prague: The time is now -- Kara Alaimo.................................. 190
Chapter 7: HUNGARY
Budapest by Accident -- Lynda Twardowski........................... 196
I’ll Always Have Paris -- Lisa Cordeiro .................................... 203
Fancy a Shag? -- Billy Anderson................................................ 208
Chapter 8: AUSTRIA
A First Encounter -- Robin Gandhi .......................................... 214
Plenty of Salt, Not Enough Food -- Davis Bawtinheimer.... 219
The People You Meet -- Linda Sands....................................... 228
Chapter 9: SWITZERLAND
We Were Going to Kill Each Other -- Kase Johnstun........... 234
The Kindness of Strangers -- Richard Alderton ..................... 244
Chapter 10: ITALY
Anticipation -- Ben Ingram......................................................... 250
Bums in Venice -- Steven Simicich ........................................... 253
The San Lorenzo Market -- Christopher Felton...................... 259
Il Palio -- Chelsea Bauch............................................................. 264
The City of Beautiful Towers -- Maria Ivkovic ...................... 270
All Roads Lead to Rome -- Michelle Tay................................. 279
Sneaking in -- Tyler Toby............................................................ 284
Upon These Jagged Cliffs -- Peter Hallinan............................. 288
Cinque Terre -- Bradley Fink...................................................... 293
Chapter 11: GREECE
The Transition -- Tracy Shar....................................................... 302
Escaping Ios -- Jo Shuttleworth................................................. 307
The Greek Goddess -- Christopher Ruth ................................. 313
Chapter 12: OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Baby Blue Underwear -- Mike Riley......................................... 322
The Other Side -- Ben Bachelder.............................................. 329
Terror In Tongues -- Zenia Frendt............................................. 339
Trying Times in Transdniestr -- Kim Wildman........................ 348
A (Slovenian) Christmas Carol -- Millicent Bennett............... 355
Angels of the Adriatic -- Rebecca Kraus................................. 360
The Leaking Lada -- Elliott Dykes............................................ 366
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 372
ABOUT THE EDITORS 373
RESOURCES 374