Europe 2009: The Weather Map

For those of you looking to travel to Europe, I found a great site that uses the Google Maps API and overlays information about current weather statistics. I have posted an embedded map below. If you want to generate your own code, please check out this page.

Things to do: Munich, Germany

Visit the Dachau Concentration Camp

Dachau was Germany's first concentration camp, started in 1933 because the prisons were overflowing with people the government didn't like. They didn't have enough money to just build more prisons the way we do in our War on Drugs, so the Nazis built work camps like Dachau. Dachau was not setup to be an extermination camp like Auschwitz however almost 30,000 prisoners were killed here, and many others lost their lives due to other causes while at the camp. The exact numbers are hard to determine.

I'm positive this will be one of the more sobering times of the trip, but the history cannot be forgotten. If you decide to do this, you should allow at least 3 hours of time. Dachau is suburb located 45 minutes from downtown Munich. The best way to get there is to take the S-Bahn (S2) to Dachau station, and then follow the signs. Bus service runs regularly between the station and the camp. It's a 10 min walk from there to the main entrance. The Memorial Site is open on all days except for Mondays, between 9 am and 5 pm. Entry is free but paying a guide is highly recommended.


Visit the Munich Hofbräuhaus

The world-famous Hofbräuhaus was founded in 1589 and has since been one of Munich's most popular tourist attractions. This place is everything that Bavaria is all about. It is a huge beer drinking hall and you'll see all the traditions of a Bavarian beer drinking place. Long wooden tables and benches, beer which is only served in 1 liter sized glasses (the beer "Maß"), giant pretzels on sale - to soak up the beer and an ompah band playing traditional Bavarian brass band music. I've also been told by a reader that they also play some modern pop/hip-hop. This should certainly be interesting. :)


I have a lot more to post. I just have to finish doing some editing. So check back.

Things to do: Interlaken, Switzerland

Ok. I've been waiting and doing my homework on Switzerland for awhile now. I finally think this post is ready to go. Switzerland looks like a hidden gem in Europe. Everyone thinks of Berlin, London, Paris, Rome etc as the place to see but Switzerland should not be forgotten.

Interlaken is frequently visited by adventure-seeking backpackers throughout the year. The town is home to numerous backpacker-friendly hostels and companies that provide guided services in skydiving, canyoning, hang gliding, paragliding, and skiing, to name a few.

Canyon Swinging? I found a great blog that has some good information and video of a girl who attempted it.

Skydiving? Interlaken has it! In fact this is one of the things I would love to do. If I could knock out two of the things on my all time "gotta do" list within a two week span, that would rock! From the homework I did, skydiving in the Swiss Alps will set you back no less than $300 and it is all or nothing. There is certainly no wuss out money back policy.


If you seek the thrill like I do, Skydive Interlaken is your place to do it. One of my friends Josh, just came back back from a trip to Europe. Here is his video of him skydiving in Interlaken:



Canyon Diving? For more information on Canyon Diving in the Swiss Alps, check out our previous post here.

Hostels? After you are worn out from all the extreme sports, Balmers is a great place to wind down the day.

Nightlife? You probably won't find much in Interlaken. I've heard from multiple sources that nightlife is almost non-existent. The best bar is Metro Bar which happens to be at Balmers!



Last Two:
Groove Armada - Lightsonic
Kings of Leon - Crawl

Things to do: Paris, France

Take a free walking tour.

The best way to see Paris is on foot, and there is no better way than with an experienced tour guide. Sandeman's New Europe offers a free 3.5 hour walking tour through the heart of historical Paris highlighting the Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Tuileries Gardens and the Eiffel Tower. The tour guides live off of tips, so tips are appreciated.

The free tour meets daily at 11am in front of the fountain at Place Saint-Michel in the Latin Quarter. To get there, take Metro Line 4 to Saint-Michel and exit the station using the exit Fontaine Saint-Michel.

Visit The Eiffel Tower

Few things symbolize Paris like the Eiffel Tower. It is found on postcards, paintings, books, tee-shirts, and even home furnishings like lamps are fashioned into the recognizable shape. Of course, a trip to Paris simply isn't complete without a trip to the Eiffel Tower.

New Paris Pub Crawl

(Thanks for the tip Jacqueline) If you had a couple of weeks, you could probably figure it all out on your own. But we will only be here a few days, and we need someone to show us the way. So one option we have is the New Paris Pub Crawl. It is a favorite amongst travelers looking for a fun night and to check out the scenery.

How much? €12 gets you unlimited vodka shots all night long and a dedicated expert leading the pack. When? Every night of the week at 9 pm.

Paris After Dark

On a Paris night, the cheapest entertainment, especially if you're young, is "the show" at the tip of Ile de la Cité, behind Notre-Dame. It attracts just about everyone who ever wanted to try his or her hand at performance. The spontaneous entertainment usually includes magicians, fire-eaters, jugglers, mimes, and music makers from all over, performing against the backdrop of the illuminated cathedral. This is one of the greatest places in Paris to meet young people in a sometimes-euphoric setting.

Also popular is a stroll along the Seine after 10pm. Take a graveled pathway down to the river from the Left Bank side of pont de Sully, close to the Institut du Monde Arabe, and walk to the right, away from Notre-Dame. This walk ends near place Valhubert, is the best place to see spontaneous Paris in action at night. Joggers and saxophone players come here, and many Parisians arrive for impromptu dance parties.

Niiiiiice.

London at Night

My friend Mike shared this link on his Google Reader account the other day. These are great pictures of London at night.

From Jason, the photographer:

"Shooting aerial photography during the daytime had its own difficulties, you are strapped tightly into a harness leaning out of the helicopter, shouting directions through the headsets to the pilot. If shooting in the day can be difficult, night and the lack of light causes its own set of problems, but overcoming them is half the fun and the results can be stunning. I shoot at night using the very latest digital cameras, mounted on either one or two gyro stablazied mounts, depending on the format of the camera and length of lens I'm having to use."

Check them out!

Trip Tech: The iPhone LoJack Mod

Being the techy guy I am, I have to have a way to stay connected. This past year I purchased an iPhone. To put it bluntly, this device is badass but I'm not here to sell you one. Your BlackBerry is badass too.

Most users purchase devices and never use them to their full potential. I on the other hand buy devices and find a way to reverse engineer them. Everything from roomba vacuums, iPods, Xbox consoles, watches, PlayStation consoles, wireless internet routers and dvd players. My original iPod video lasted a whole 3 days before I modded the firmware, unlocked it and gave it the freedom a device like that deserves. It's been running like a champ since 2005. So far, my iPhones original software has lasted this long because of my company participating in the Apple 2.0 iPhone software beta program and the additional applications that you can now download. But, all good things must come to an end. Like Tom Bradys ACL.

Enter, the iPhone Jailbreak mod.

Simply put, this mod requires you to do something that Apple would never recommend, nor would they promote doing. If you are uncomfortable making operating system level changes to your computer or don't know what a shell script is, I'd probably advise against trying this. Now before I go crazy and you hear me vent my hatred towards DRM; I'm going to tell you that by doing this, you will be opening your iPhone up to a whole new world of possibilities but at the same time you will void your warranty. Google it.

So Ryan, what does this have to do with Europe? Ahh, thanks for getting me back on track.

Enter, the iPhone LoJack mod.

After you jailbreak your iPhone (or iPod touch) and install the LoJack mod you can sign up for a twitter account and use the findme script that is provided. So, long story short...I can be walking down the street in Brussels, Belgium, hit the "findme button" and have my iPhone triangulate through the nearest cell phone towers where I am (down to the street) and post it on my twitter feed and then to this very blog.

This entire process can be automated. It was created as more of a theft deterrent but for a techy backpacker like myself it works both ways.

Sweet huh!

Last Two:
Crystal Method - Roadhouse Blues (Original Dub)
Coldplay - Clocks (Gabriel and Dresden Remix)

Things to do: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Tour Heineken Brewery

One of the must see places for beer lovers. The original Heineken brewery in Amsterdam dates back to 1930. Between 1930-1988 tasty beer was made right at this spot. Now the building is the Heineken Experience beer museum.

For an admission price of 10 EUR you can discover the secret of making one of the best beers in the world. From the big malt silos to the steering wagons, and of course to the bar where you'll be given a Heineken beer to "taste".

In my opinion, Heineken is a good beer, but gives me nowhere near the level of drinking satisfaction of a Goose Island 312, Bells Oberon Ale or Red Stripe. (I sound like an alcoholic don't I? I'm just a beer snob, trust me.) Nonetheless, I think this would be interesting. Has anyone been there?

The Red Light District

Ok, I have to make a confession. This is one of the places I am not leaving without seeing. To me Amsterdam is everything I am not used to and I think that is part of the attraction. This trip is about getting outside of the norm. Walking down these very streets will ensure that this is not a usual "Disneyland" type trip. For those who do not know, the Red Light District is known for its legalized prostitution and legalized Marijuana.

After some googling, I stumbled into some organized tours of the Red Light District. The tour seems to be the best idea when you want the inside scoop. There are some good reviews of that particular tour. From the research I've done, this costs 13 EUR. Some of the reviewers said that the tour guide even takes you out to a bar and buys everyone a round at the completion of the tour. It looks pretty sweet and I think would be worth looking into.

To my readers, I know you are out there. I've seen some rapid blog growth as of late. Got any tips or Red Light District stories?

Go Clubin' - Amsterdam Style

Little known fact: Amsterdam has over 1200 pubs. Each very unique in its own way.

For pre-partying, head to Lux (Marnixstraat 403), Bitterzoet (Spuistraat 2), or Seymour Likely (Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 250) for live DJs.

Join the dance crowd at Club More Amor (Rozengracht 133), and Paradiso (Weteringschans 6-8). For a laid-back vibe and chillout atmosphere check out Café Alto (Korte Leidsedwarsstraat 115) for local jazz acts. According to iamsterdam.com, Café Alto is a great first date place so I guess if I meet the woman of my dreams in Amsterdam, I'll take her there.

This list is also a great resource for those of you who might be staying in Amsterdam for a longer period of time. It was created by Thomer M. Gil, who once was a resident of Amsterdam. The site was updated this past January so it has information that is relevant and not dated.

I cannot wait to hit the clubs here. You have no idea. I'm a drummer and Amsterdam is DJ Tiesto country. I've got to be honest though, Oakenfold and Tiesto are about the only electronic artists I get into. I'm not really sure why this type of music only exists in niche clubs over in America because musically its more in depth than a lot of garbage they play on the radio these days over here in the states.



This post will be updated....

Last Two:
Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around
The Crystal Method - London

Things to do: London, England

National Gallery

The National Gallery, London houses one of the greatest collections of European painting in the world. These pictures belong to the public and entrance to see them is free. The National Gallery's permanent collection spans the period from about 1250 to 1900 and consists of Western European paintings.

Tower of London

One of London's most famous landmarks, the historic Tower houses the Crown Jewels, the prison cell of Sir Walter Raleigh, known as the Bloody Tower, and the Chapel of St. John and the Royal Armories.

Borough Market

Borough Market is London’s oldest food market. It was established on the south bank of the Thames when the Romans built the first London Bridge. It has occupied its present site for 250 years. Borough has a long and distinguished history as a wholesale fruit and vegetable market - wholesale trade takes place every night except Saturday from 2am – 8am.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837. It evolved from a town house that was owned from the beginning of the eighteenth century by the Dukes of Buckingham. Today it is The Queen's official residence, with 775 rooms.

Eat at Hard Rock Cafe

Standing on Old Park Lane since June 14th 1971. It still houses the first ever piece of memorabilia donated to the Hard Rock Cafe, Eric Clapton's Lead II Fender, originally donated to reserve a space at the busy bar, the London Cafe is as charming and authentic now as it was 35 years ago.

Europe 2009: The Map

Here is the start of a Google map. I'm still researching georss and how I can embed that data into this map.

Note: This map is a work in progress. It will be updated as we determine which places are a must. Green pins mean the destination is a go, yellow means the destination still needs to be ironed out. We'll eventually turn them green or red based on our decisions.



View Larger Map

Europe 2009: The Calendar

Global ATM Alliance

If you think paying the $2.50 "convenience fee" at ATM's not owned by your bank sucks, imagine what it's like overseas. They hit you with service fees, currency charges, and other random "convenience" charges every time you swipe that card... that is, unless you have Bank of America. BOA has agreements with most of the major banks in Europe, where all fees are waived. When I lived in the UK for those couple months back in 2006, the Barclays ATM became my best friend. If you don't have BOA, it might be worth it to open for your trip overseas.

Light reading...

So I picked up a couple books on European travel this past weekend and started reading them on yesterday's flights to California: Europe from a Backpack and Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door (chuckles all around). Steves' book isn't bad, especially when it comes to unknown and "off-the-beaten-paths" things to see and do in Europe. I remember having to watch boring PBS videos of this guy back in middle school and high school language classes. While he's still out-of-touch with the 25-and-under crowd, I'll defiantly utilize his travel tips. That's where the second book comes in. Written by young backpackers, the authors share their stories and experiences from a variety of towns, some of which we'll be visiting.

Backpacking Europe: Facebook groups

Just out of curiosity today, I hopped on facebook and looked to see if there were any groups dedicated to backpacking. I was sure some would pop up and I ran into these.

• Generic Backpack Europe Group
• Backpack Europe in May 2009 (This is the exact time we are planning to go)
• Backpack Europe in Summer 2009

If anything, ideas could be pulled from these groups.

Last two:
Coldplay - Things I Don't Understand
Terror Squad - Lean Back

Trip tracking with Google Maps

I have been a huge fan of Google stuff since I stopped using altavista back in middle school. I think one of the coolest features that Google has is the ability to track your trip. They have a few ways you can do this.

• Static route. Point A to point B.
• Dynamic route. Point A to point B, with various stops in between.

However, what happens when you decide to veer off course? What if you want to build a hybrid map? Answer: Use the API they released.

One thing I want to do on this trip is to build an initial map. All of our stops could be pinpointed. For instance like this guys city to city map, except I want to take this idea a step further. We will be traveling with GPS enabled phones so I am going to research a way to geotag photos as they are taken and uploaded.

So, we will have an intitial route planned and as we go another line will pop up on the map in case we decide to split off.

All of this thanks to the power of the Google Maps API.