Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich, Switzerland, the biggest city in a nation most notorious for the Alps? No, I think its cheese and milk chocolate are even more renowned… mmmmm… am I going to starve? Good thing I ate some pomme frittes before I boarded the train from Munich. Barf. The fact that people in this part of the world can eat pomme frittes so leisurely w/ liberal amounts of mayonnaise REALLY concerns me. I’ve been away from the US for nearly 10 days and went until this very day without consuming even one fry… I figured because I was short on time and because my pants are too big in not a good way I could “splurge” for convenience. Bad idea. I wish I took a picture of the serving of fries I was handed. Holy Cow. Everyone else was doing it so I figured it couldn’t hurt… I was wrong. Fried food doesn’t do my tummy well in ANY country. I threw the second half of my ketchup (and curry sauce) drenched fries away as the guy who had ordered before me was finishing his entire cone of them?!?!?! What is this? An Olympic sport? I think you have to have a lifetime of training to eat that many fries at noon while in transit at a train station. I could seriously sit at the fry stand all day and people-watch the fry eaters… big, small, male, female, fat, thin… I just have no more words. See for yourself:

(Thank you bestinchow.net for allowing me to re-publish this photo... I may be strong but not strong enough to even stomach taking a photo like this!)

"My mindset is Munich..."

That's a Madeleine Albright quote of which the rest doesn't pertain to me!

I LOOOOOVE Munich! I think after a few days here I feel completely comfortable with the city in terms of the weather (k, not COMPLETELY), the people ( if only I knew German) , and especially the superb transportation system! I don't know if it's because I become more secure with myself the older, wiser and more traveled I am but I honestly feel more and more at "home" when I go places rather than just feeling like an observing outsider who is merely passing through. I think the art of traveling encompasses this. My motto has always been to think and behave as an explorer rather than a tourist and perhaps I'm just getting better at it. This place is great, accessible, clean and really safe. I am truly sad to be departing today but another adventure awaits ahead!

1.25.10

I arrived to Munich in the late afternoon. The view greeting me when exiting the rail station was a picture replica of the set-up and view from the Frankfurt station. I had to search for some dissimilarities before I was convinced I was in the right place and to keep walking ahead. I was unable to secure a couch with CouchSurfing my first night so I booked a bed at Euro Youth Hostel and it was in very close proximity to the rail station. As I was checking in a crew of about 30 Irish guys crammed in thru the entrance and my immediate thought was "AHHHHH!". I was in no mood to be sociable at the moment and really couldn't get my mind off of taking a shower but in their extremely strong accents some of them insisted on exchanging banter with me about nothing other than beer (typical) and eventually I was able to scurry off to my room. For the next few hours I did boring things like shower, brush my teeth, and check my email. As the sun was setting I realized I had not eaten since dinner in Prague the night before so I ventured out to purchase a baguette and tomatoes, sooooo nutritious! haha.

Atfer eating I decided maybe wearing make-up would do me some good so I went downstairs to the bathroom and met another girl while she was applying her mascara. Her name is Cassandra and she went to USC so we immediately had a California connection to which our partnership for the night was formed. She's also traveling alone so we naturally decided to hang out and explore some Bavarian nightlife. By Bavarian nightlife I mean bouncing between a few Hofbrahauses in the area. First we went to a "non-touristy" one and then to the overpriced touristy one. We shared some beers, some conversation, an over-priced cab after walking in the wrong direction,

and people-watching. It was a good way to orient myself into Bavarian society!

1.26.10

I had arranged to "surf" the couch of a nurse named Katherina who lives in the south of Munich. Because of her hectic work schedule I had to be at her flat before 12:30 pm or after 9:30 . I checked out of the hostel at around 10, bid "Auf Wiedersehen" to Cassandra, and made my way to the U1 subway in order to meet Katherina by noon. Good thing I left 2 hours early! Her directions seemed easy enough and make perfect sense now but I was so disoriented when I finally arrived to her street by bus. I keep blaming my mishaps in direction on the snow so let's not make this an exception! I walked the wrong way a half dozen times before my mind went into overdrive wondering where on earth I was going to seek shelter because I was sure to get frostbite any second. Luckily my phone works internationally so with it beeping red and dying on me I was able to reach Katherina and 3 dropped calls later I found my way! ( like a movie, for sure) I was so happy to see her when I made it to her 4th floor flat that I immediately grabbed her in an embrace before I let myself in to defrost. We chatted for about an hour before we walked out together. My destination: The Residenz of Munich, hers: the hospital down the street for work.

When I arrived, assumably where I was supposed to be, in the Residenz area of Munich the damn snow disoriented me yet again. The subway station exit opens up into a huge courtyard, currently covered in snow, that is squared in by 4 very impressive and presumably important buildings that in some way relate to the Residenz-my destination. There were some people walking about but none anywhere near me and all of them were walking away in completely opposite directions. I was definitely alone in this huge snowy courtyard and it didn't take much to come to the conclusion that of course I was alone! There's half a foot of snow on the ground and snow falling from the skies... who in their right mind goes sight-seeing in such conditions? Oh, well... that'd be me. So, I walked around somewhat aimlessly but with the right intentions, in and out of the buildings unsure of what I was actually looking at. I took lots of pics and marveled at the architecture but eventually I couldn't feel my fingers or toes so I had to seek safety in a cafe with the rest of civilization. Tucked in between all of these important Munich buildings, monuments and statues is San Francisco Coffee Company. My immediate train of thought was: "San Francisco? then they MUST have soy milk!" but because it was called something so familiar and was smack dab in the middle of a tourist hot-spot I masochistically kept walking in search of a more genuinely "Munich" cafe, whatever that means. Moral of the story is: Why do I torture myself? San Francisco Coffee Company was warm, hip and gave me a great place to perch and read whilst drinking my coffee for awhile... and there was only one loud American in there who I am 99% sure is from SF!

After I decided I was satisfied with my wee coffee break I set back out into the world to explore some more. I mostly just wandered around aimlessly but with the right intentions like before and once the overcast sky turned to dusk I set my course straight for Katherina’s flat. I’m afraid I don’t have anything monumental to report about the rest of my night in terms of activities or food. I just finished my baguette and tomatoes from the day before as my dinner and had a banana that I pocketed from my breakfast at the hostel for dessert. I can’t afford to take myself out to eat for EVERY meal! It’s either a real meal… or not much of a meal at all, haha, so far I’ve got a good balance going on! 1.27.10 Let’s Go Europe: 2010 describes Café Ignaz as a “rockin’ eco-friendly café”. Nowhere in the description does it refer to Café Ignaz as a vegetarian restaurant but lo and behold it is! I figured so much when I read “eco-friendly” because IMHO meat has no place in being prepared and/or served anywhere where deserving of being called “eco-friendly”. In the snow and cold everything is harder to find, story of my life; I’ve accepted it. So, because of the lack of humanity within sight I felt lost most of the time I was walking to Café Ignaz. To get there you take the U2 subway to Josephplatz and exit on Adelheistr. to the right where you turn right on Georgenstr., walk about 4 blocks and Café Ignaz is located on the right side of the street at Georgenstr. 67. It’s a warm and small hole in the wall that also doubles as a walk-in bakery (none of the baked goods were vegan to my knowledge).

They supply English speakers with an English menu that makes life that much easier! Things are listed as Vegetarian or Vegan. They serve a buffet at both breakfast and lunch that is a much more economical option that ordering from the menu (approx. 7 euro). I arrived in between breakfast and lunch and was wary to wait and order the lunch buffet because I would have no way of knowing what was and wasn’t vegan because a) the waitress didn’t speak English and b) nothing was labeled. I ordered from the regular menu and got myself .4 L of orange juice to hold me over as I waited for my nudel-gratin. The menu had other things that appealed to me like a stone-oven baked tofu pizza, various stir-fries, and risottos but I felt like ordering a “gratin” would be the most German thing to do! In retrospect I wish I had gone with the pizza. My meal was inspiring because it had dates and I’d never think to make a pasta with dates in it but aside from that it was rather simple for upwards of 8 euro. I’ll admit, there’s something left to be desired when there isn’t cheese holding an oven-baked pasta dish together; perhaps I should’ve opted for a potato gratin instead?

All in all the experience was satisfying. I would in no way call Café Ignaz “rockin’” as Let’s Go did… I think quaint and homey are better adjectives for the atmosphere. With a name like Café Ignaz and a “rockin’” reputation I was picturing something with a Latin vibe or something, but it’s not as such. I would’ve probably gone again during my time in Munich to try a pizza or something but the price of my meal was definitely the only thing worthy of being called rockin’, and not in a good way but in a far out price kind of way. I paid just under 13 euro for my food. Check out a currency converter and you will see that that far exceeds the price of a one person meal at a mid-range restaurant ANYWHERE in the states and is much too much for a lone-traveler with no job and only the money in her checking account to survive on. But, alas, I did it for blogging’s sake. ☺ After eating I made my way to find the Pinakotheken. There are three Pinakothek that make up the Pinakotheken; they are: Pinaktothek der Moderne, Alte Pinakothek, and the Neue Pinakothek. The directions I used to get there were fairly simple but failed me. I walked around the snowy streets void of human-life for about 30 minutes before finding an advertisement that led me to believe I was close and eventually I found my way. (If you know me, you know I am not exactly direction-challenged. I have a photographic memory but have an aversion to maps… there’s something to be said about getting lost in this manner, though, how to verbalize it is another thing… )

In Praha!

Re: Frankfurt, that Maoz didn't exist in the train station like I had read (silly internet), so I opted for a disgusting substitute and ended up waking up the next morning to purge it out. YUM

FYI: Praha is the local name for Prague. Why we don't refer to cities, states and countries by their proper local names is really perplexing to me. Members of other countries do it too, though, not just us Americans.

Well, I am in Praha! It is a BEAUTIFUL city, even when covered in snow. I have spent the last 3 days wearing at least 2 pairs of pants at all times when I am finding myself outside. This also includes 2 jackets of sorts and in some cases 2 scarves. So far I have gotten impressed feedback regarding my attire and compact amount of luggage because it is so "un-American" to have so little ... I'll take that as a compliment, thank ya very much!

I wanted to wait until I departed this lovely country called the Czech Republic before I wrote this entry BUT per the request of my loyal (and maybe only) fan, Brittany, I have hopped online to type a few notes for your (her) enjoyment!

I am staying with a girl named Jitka who I found and met through the wondrous world of CouchSurfing. ( I will later write an entire blog entry about CouchSurfing v. Hostels so look forward to reading it, pleeeease.) When I requested to "surf" her couch she was so friendly and eager to host me because not only did I "seem nice" but also she wanted to talk vegetarianism and practice her English with me. SCORE! She's lovely and has a very endearing uniqueness about her. She goes to school elsewhere in the CZR so when people request to stay with her in Prague she travels "home" to her mother's flat and that is where I am writing from at the moment. Her mother and her mother's partner are very sweet as well, although they don't speak a wink of English except "How are you?" to which they are unsure how to respond when I ask it back...

1.22:

I arrived in Prague in the afternoon and Jitka was kind enough to pick me up from the train station and escort me to her mom's flat. Her mom had prepared a vegetarian meal of fresh-made thick fettuccine noodles lightly tossed in a homemade tomato and dried cremini mushroom sauce. YUM! It just so happened to be vegan although Jitka was under the impression I am just a vegetarian. I quickly learned that her interest in my vegetarianism was due to the fact that she generally considers herself a vegetarian. She told me that she recently started eating fish and I taught her that the English description for someone who eats a diet like hers is "pescatarian" . We then laughed over misconstructions of vegetarianism by friends and family. She informed me that everyone she knows tells her she is going to die and that there "are vitamins in meat we must eat meat to get" she told me that she always asks her concerned friends and family what vitamins these are that she can't possibly find elsewhere and they never have an answer so she's concluded that they are "mythical vitamins", hahaha... oh, I know a bit about those!

For dinner we headed to a local pub that Jitka told me has her favorite food and shockingly has some vegetarian and vegan options as well. I ordered something that had been translated in English as "soya noodles with vegetables. chinese style" under the heading "Vegetarian Options" out of the 4 options listed it was the only vegan friendly sounding one so well, I went with it. When the waitress came to take our order she asked what side I wanted. I had no idea because I was unaware that a noodle dish would come with a choice of rice, fried or roasted potatoes, or a side of meat. Jitka suggested I get rice and I was confused because why would I eat rice when I was already having noodles? well, the food arrived and I not-so- quickly caught on. After discussing what I was expecting and what was put in front of me for a good 5 minutes I was finally able to comprehend that what was meant by "soya noodles" was in fact soy meat tossed with fried vegetables that had been cut in skinny noodle-like pieces... aka not noodles at all. I took a few bites and unintentionally spit out the second because the texture and taste was very unfamiliar to me and upon closer inspection with my fingers looked and smelled like beef. Jitka quickly grabbed my meal and headed in the direction of her friend, the owner of the pub, and explained my predicament. He came over and affirmed it was indeed soy and a-okay for me to eat... so I did. By saying I ate it I mean that I choked down maybe 1/3 of my gargantuan portion of food that was overwhelmed with onions and a taste that like I said, I didn't recognize at all, in the most mannerly way that I could. I will say that I am quite impressed that this small pub had such meaty tofu based mock meat although it was revolting. The owner disapprovingly wrapped my leftovers up for me and I slept better that night by convincing myself that a homeless person thoroughly enjoyed my meal that I ever so delicately disposed of in a snowy park trash can.. although in my 4 days in Prague, I saw all of zero bums. I ended the night w/ some (3 half liters) beers... luckily I erred on the side of caution and chose the beer owned by Budweiser in hopes that isinglass wasn't used. Thanks to a Google cross-reference later, I am happy to announce that I properly drank Czech beer and no fish bladders were harmed in the process.

pub meal, picture may make it appear tastier than it was.

1.23

A Czech-y kind of breaky

Jitka's mom had prepared this meal for us as we were getting ready to seize the day. The spread on the bread is a carrot spread, not bad but I think it's definitely an acquired taste and I just didn't stay long enough to acquire it ;). I did however eat many of those tasty tomatoes! I am surprised at how fresh the produce I've encountered has been thus far. I remember in Ireland it was nearly impossible to find tomatoes or bell pepper at the grocery store and I figured that it's because everything is imported but I guess that's exclusive to the UK and Ireland?

We woke up with the intention to venture out into the cold and planned our day around when we would sightsee and when we would seek warmth in a restaurant or cafe. We didn't make it 5 minutes before departing the metro in the city centre before we moseyed on into Starbucks. I would rather opt for a local cafe when traveling but after being without coffee for 3 days mixed with the lack of soy milk at local places in Prague, the safety net we call Starbucks was seriously calling my name. The bonus, however, was that it was served in a mug and not paper and so we comfortably sat and had some espresso before REALLY starting our day. ( One thing to know about me: I love the European way of cafes. Sitting and chatting with mugs and leisurely sipping coffee. Nothing comes close in the states!)

After our Starbucks detour we made our way to a nearby Ethnography and Anthropology museum. I can't remember the name of it but it was so Czech I couldn't even begin to translate it. The funniest thing about it is that it is mostly artifacts from Indigenous cultures in the Americas and Australias, haha... soooo very Czech! I think not. Super interesting regardless! By the time we left the museum it was nearly 3:30. We hurriedly walked to a vegetarian/vegan restaurant that Jitka and I had both described to each other independently before realizing that we were both talking about Lehka Hlava (Clear Head). When we arrived, famished, we were sadly turned away because they had stopped serving lunch at 3:30 and would only begin serving dinner at 5. They did have tapas but Jitka didn't understand the concept and we were too hungry to eat "small" things. So, we headed out to "another vegetarian restaurant" that she knew of. Along that way she received a text from "an Italian guy and his Spanish friend" who wanted to meet us. So although our stomachs were grumbly we went and met them at the metro station and then the four of us made our way to Beas Indian food, a self-service and vegetarian-friendly safe haven...voila! I was able to dine on some paneer, curried chickpeas and rice. They also had Brita-style pitchers on every table so I was as happily hydrated as I was fed!

1.24.10

We made it to Lehka Hlava for lunch, at last! My cousin Josh met us there, he is currently living in Prague with his wife. Due to eagerness and the onset of what felt like starvation after 14 hours without food, we ordered an appetizer in addition to our meals before he arrived. We agreed upon having hummous with chips as a starter.

The decor and ambience inside of this fine solely vegetarian/vegan establishment was straight out of my imagination. Being in there and exploring each of the dining nooks/rooms felt as if my dream restaurant atmosphere had escaped my dreams and set up shop right in the middle of Prague. The food was one thing but the owners did an exceptional job in creating a complementary mood to match. I suppose that's what makes Lehka Hlava give the "Clear Head".

The menu was quite overwhelming in tasty delights, all friendly for the vegetarian and vegan soul. After eating meager and bland portions for the previous few days (aside from the Indian food) everything looked so tempting. I finally decided on a vegetable risotto topped with a raw sundried tomato pesto. Jitka told me the portions were rather small but as the rest of the patrons around us were having their food served to them my mouth was watering due to the fact that my sight was in complete disagreement with her statement. The portions were HUGE! After waiting for what felt like an eternity this is what I finally got to devour.

Jitka ordered a "burrito"; it was accompanied by cheese and sour cream and therefore vegetarian rather than vegan but it looked pretty delectable although not comparable to a legit California burrito!

It was quite a feat to finish all of this food, physically. It took nearly an hour and some stretching but I was determined! It's funny how your body adjusts to the amount of food you've been consuming in terms of our level of hunger and portion sizes. I forgot how enlightening a satisfying meal could be!

When in Prague:

http://www.beas-dhaba.cz/

http://www.lehkahlava.cz/

Frankfurt = Vegan Hell (K, I like dramatic effects...so what?)

1.21.09

So after 20+ hours of travel I finally made it to Frankfurt, Germany in one piece!

In case you weren't informed before my departure, I have decided to embark on this particular Euro-adventure with a theme in mind. Last time I graced this continent w/ my presence (and also the UK) I was 2+ years deep into a quasi-vegan lifestyle sans eggs and milk, unless they were hiding in things like my grandma's baked goods ;), but I ate CHEESE! (it's addictive... and I had yet to admit I had a problem) Eating cheese in Europe is a very tasty thing to do so I conveniently waited to go full-throttle vegan again when I got back from my travels in January of 2008.

It's been 2 years since then! I have made a lifestyle change that I plan on keeping so to go against it for a 5+ week trip away from the convenience of my American lifestyle would be silly. Thus, the theme of this site. I will be writing about anything and maybe everything, if you're lucky, regarding my travels but my focus from place to place will be the pursuit of vegan friendly food in European destinations or in Frankfurt's case, the lack there-of. My hope is that I can provide adequate stories for my friends and family but also perhaps come out of this experience with some friendly tips for fellow world-loving, travel-seeking, vegans!

Lesson of today: Being Vegan in Frankfurt = closer to anorexia

There's a plethora of bakery type take-away cafes in this town that sell bread and pastries, duh, but the only recognizable word, as an English speaker, is that for Ciabatta. Bread by definition is vegan. In France (bread's honorable birthplace, right?) you can not call bread by its name "Pain" if it has anything more than flour, water, and yeast. Unfortunately Ciabatta calls for milk in most recipes.

I've done some research on Happy Cow and Google and found a few promising places. One is a store that is 45 mins away from my current location, by foot, but they only sell snacks, clothing, and supplements (no real meals) according to some reviews. BUT it is ALL vegan so you don't have to worry about translations and questionable ingredients if you venture there! Vegan Store : Höhenstr. 50, Frankfurt

The second place may just be where I experiment if I've got the time! Its located 25 mins walking distance from the hostel I am staying at tonight. It unfortunately closes for about 3 hours in the middle of the day (when I wanted to go) and then re-opens. (OHHHH, Europe with its lunch breaks and siestas! haha) I translated the website and its a bit iffy... it appears they have "lacto vegan" (nonsensical) and vegan menus? A review I read stated that if you ask for vegan they will comply and understand so, should I press my luck?: Naturbar : www.naturbarfrankfurt.de

Here's a sure thing: MAOZ! If you have never had Maoz well, you're missing out! This will surely not be the last time I mention it in this blog. I had no idea a Frankfurt location exists and I just happened to do a more thorough search of options online, as I was writing all of the above and found out that there is one in the train station directly behind where I am sitting! (also the train station pictured above, and the train station I will be using to depart for Prague and the one I used to get from the airport). Its also generally affordable so I guess I wont be going hungry in Frankfurt after all! I would like to say I am eating some vegan inspired traditional German dish but let's be honest before I even left stateside I wasn't too optimistic about this country! Munich will probably prove to be better because it is a larger city.

I havent ingested food since 6 pm yesterday in Charlotte. According to my comp it is 7:35 am in California and therefore 10:35 am in Charlotte soooo its been a good 16 hours if my time change calculations are correct...of which I've been awake for most.

Schnitzel anyone? ;)

"I am vegan" in German: Ich bin Veganer

If you plan on using this phrase in Frankfurt save yourself the hassle of Googling vegan stuff (I've exhausted it for you) and just get thee self to the main train station and eat Maoz and then make your merry way to Berlin or Munich, not because I've been there but because I've heard options may still not be plentiful but at least more accessible!

K, family and friends, who could care less about what I am eating, expect a more thrilling blog next time! Not too shabby for my first and also jet-lagged entry, right Mom? I am leaving Frankfurt tomorrow... basically I only came here because the flight was cheap, cheap! Good place to get my bearings overnight, though.