Some pictures of Philly for the Euro friends:

Wow there is a really smelly woman next to me in the internet cafe...wow. Anyhow--it really flippin stinks in here--the internet cafe has less than stellar internet capabilities (how ironic), thus I probably won't be able to post many pictures until I get back to Philly. Because of train problems and such, I'm still in Groningen, NL. On Thursday afternoon I will leave for Lake Como for a week and then off to meet WEBER in Spain (how strange!!). I'll most likely see a bit of Spain and Switzerland before I head to Germany and the Netherlands to end my trip. Hopefully I'll make it to London for my flight on the 15th...

Some pics of the Netherlands:

The specimen you see in this picture is the Dutch version of white trash. Dutch white trash likes to do "dirty dances" to fulfill the requirements of the species' bachelorette parties. The American researcher seen with this rare species is quoted as saying: "That was easily the worst day of my entire life."

Here are some more pictures of Groningen:

I'm still in Groningen, Netherlands drinking coffee, sitting in the park, reading, etc. It's quite the life. I think I'll take a day trip to Amsterdam and the Hague for a change of scenery. But I would like to clear up this misconception about Amsterdam that everyone seems to have. Amsterdam is not the best place in Holland (let alone Europe) to have fun in! In Amsterdam, for instance, bars and coffee shops close at 1AM. In Groningen or Utrecht, on the other hand, bars will stay open 24 hrs. unless everyone leaves. Amsterdam also has a severe shortage of good bars, and if you aren't with someone that's from the city, forget about finding any. These grievances are all in addition to the fact that the only people you will meet in Amsterdam are Americans, and you will be constantly harrassed by shady folk to buy hard drugs. Do you really need any harder drugs if you're in the Netherlands?!?!? Don't get me wrong; Amsterdam is a very beautiful city with a wealth of incredible museums (the Verzets Museum is my personal favorite), but it is far different than most people think. Anyhow, here are the rankings of Groningen (I tried to be impartial):

Aesthetic appeal: 4 - By either European or Dutch standards Groningen lacks. I gave Groningen special consideration, however, as the city was bombed fairly heavily during WWII.

Toilets: 5 - Student houses aren't the cleanest places
Friendliness: 8 - It's a student town...
Affordability: 7 - No Western European nation will score over a 7 in this category, but Groningen is quite affordable. Beer is quite cheap (24 of bottles for 8 Euro), and you can eat out for under $20
Transportation: 7 - The city is small enough to walk
Food: 5 - Like the US, they don't really have a "Dutch" cuisine.
Nice Cafes: 5 - The line between cafe and bar is rather blurred here. The Dutch are absolutely crazy about their coffee and will serve it wherever. Most people frequent outdoor cafes and will drink either beer or coffee. This, in turn, leaves a shortage of cafes that have different coffee beans and "gourmet coffee". I only drink "gourmet" coffee.
Fun Stuff To Do: 10 - Probably the most fun, lively town in the Netherlands because of the 50,000+ student population and lax liquor/bar regulations.

London:

Ireland:

Some pics from London/Dublin:

Here are some pictures of Groningen, Netherlands. I studied here Fall '04 and it was wonderous. I am a bit disappointed, however, because I saw my first fight here just a couple of nights ago. Just as I was talking with my friend/old student manager, I saw a group of people (+/- 20) swaying back and forth. Before I could even blink my eyes, there was a whole crew of people brawling on the dance floor and up the stairs. Incidents like this are incredibly rare in the Netherlands, thus I've been left with a bad taste in my mouth ever since.

Here are a couple from Edinburgh:

These pictures are almost entirely from Ireland. The second one is of the Dublin Airport after it was evacuated because of a terrorist threat. I was there. Fun. Not Really.

So I've just arrived in Groningen, Netherlands after nearly 24 straight hours of plane/bus/train rides. When booking my flight out of Edinburgh, I thought at the time that it would be a good idea to simply find the cheapest destination - regardless of distance away from the Netherlands - and buy it. Frankfurt turned out to be the cheapest, but the thickness of my skull prevented me from checking the time of arrival in Germany. To make a long story short, I got into Germany at 11:15 last evening and have been jumping from bus to train to bus to train ever since. I suppose it wasn't the most logical thing I've ever done, however, it was an adventure nonetheless.

Prior to my arrival in the Netherlands, I was staying with friends in Edinburgh, Scotland. It just so happens that Ed and Max both study evolutionary biology (they're finishing up their PHD's) which is a subject that I remember opting out of all throughout college because of my difficulty with the sciences. Thus everytime I go and visit them I am reminded of how academically inept I am at the moment, but I suppose my "Masters of Education" is comparable????? Wishful thinking. Anyhow, I had a grand time visiting them, and Edinburgh remains my favorite city in Europe. Here are the ratings:

Aesthetic appeal: 10 - gorgeous mountains, unbelievable buildings, wonderful castle
Toilets: 10 - They keep a very clean apt. for the amt. of people living there
Friendliness: 10 - Everyone was very welcoming, despite my lack of footballing ability
Affordability: 4 - Scotland rocked the wallet
Transportation: 8 - Edinburgh isn't terribly big and the bus system is pretty comprehensive
Food: 8 - a variety of good restaurants
Nice Cafes: 5 - Too many Starbucks (even though I still went)
Fun Stuff To Do: 10 - Football, hiking, castle, shopping...

Here are the rankings of Galway, Ireland. My friend Karen lives there and was kind enough to have me for a couple of days. After a whole bottle of vodka split between the two of us the first evening and an all nighter the next night, I've actually somehow been fortunate enough to make it to Edinburgh alive. I was blown away by Galway because of its beauty and quality of the downtown area. Since it's a college town, it's quite vibrant...Here are the rankings:

Aesthetic appeal: 9 - nice parks and gorgeous beaches and countryside
Toilets: 10 - Karen and family keep a very clean house
Friendliness: 10 - Everyone was very welcoming
Affordability: 6 - Ireland is expensive, however, Galway is far better than Dublin
Transportation: 6 - If you want to go to the beach, a car is almost necessary
Food: 8 - a variety of good restaurants
Nice Cafes: N/A - Only there for 2 days...not enough time
Fun Stuff To Do: 10 - Went to an incredible bar called The Living Room...It was like a modern living room!!!!! Anyhow, there are a lot of cool bars and picturesque beaches.

Dublin's a huge disappointment despite its rather lively nightlife.


Aesthetic appeal: 3 - Cross between Warsaw, Poland and Antwerp, Belgium (?)
Toilets: 8 - Great for a hostel, but the plumbing is atrocious
Friendliness: 4 - What residents?
Affordability: 3 - Beer is expensive as eva (6 dollars apiece), but everything else is ok
Transportation: 5 - The train will take you to stuff you don't want to see, the busses are slow...walk it
Food: 3 - crap
Nice Cafes: 7 - there are plenty and it isn't compulsory to tip
Fun Stuff To Do: 8 - Good bars, but the tourist attractions aren't that plentiful if you are non-Catholic (still went to all of the cathedrals however)

I'm in Dublin at the moment. I was most excited to see this city because of its reputation, good beer, history, etc. I have been nothing but disappointed. The city itself is rather ugly; yes, there are some very beautiful buildings, and Trinity College is lovely, however, the city is rather dreary. Anyhow, time running out in cafe...final rankings in a day or two. I will make a bold statement: Dublin is the most overrated city in Europe!!!