backpack.

cannabis cup.

courtunderwood — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:27:20 +0000

Always held the week of Thanksgiving, the Cannabis Cup is a festival where a variety of marijuana is tested and judged by the public. The marijuana is usually provided by local cafes and is available in several forms including brownies, cakes, bubblegum, lollipops, and of course pipes, bongs and cigarettes. To be a judge costs about 200 Euro, but includes entrance to all events, bus tours of coffee shops and the right to vote on the best marijuana. It’s one of the most famous cannabis events in the world.

hiding place.

courtunderwood — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:32:16 +0000

Visiting the Anne Frank Museum is definitely going to be one of the main highlights of my trip. The museum is actually located at Anne Frank’s former hiding place, where she wrote her diary. In his opening speech in 1960, Frank Otto said:

‘With the restoration of the building at Prinsengracht 263, the aim was to leave the Secret Annexe in its original state as far as possible. The Secret Annexe is unchanged. (…) The wallpaper in the room has been renewed, in the same pattern as before, but the section of the old wallpaper where Anne stuck up the pictures in her room is still there, and the papers with the map of Normandy, as well as the lines that show the growth of the children, are original.’

There are no tours or guides – when you walk in you receive a brochure with background info on the different rooms. It’s usually open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and you can buy tickets online before you ever leave for your trip. Apparently though, it’s pretty expensive for a museum tour. You can watch a Travel Channel clip about the museum here.

brown bars.

courtunderwood — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:13:53 +0000

Brown bars, or brown cafes, are cafe-style pubs called ‘brown’ because years of smoke have turned the walls brown. Two bars are listed at pubclub.com: Cafe Luxembourg and Dante’s. Luxembourg is a classic happy hour hangout, popular on Sunday afternoons. Dante’s is newer and attracts a younger crowd.

Cafe Luxembourg

getting around.

courtunderwood — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:58:50 +0000

Getting around in Amsterdam is supposedly relatively simple, the seemingly most simple being the tram. According to the I Amsterdam website…

Trams are a common site in Amsterdam, with routes heading out from the centre in all directions. These are ideal for both short journeys around the centre, or into other districts.
Most tram journeys are paid for using Strippenkaarten, a paper ticket which can be used for multiple journeys. These can be bought from stations and newspaper kiosks. During each journey, your ticket is stamped until there are no more valid strips left. It is also possible to buy a single journey ticket on a tram, though this will cost more than using a strippenkaart.

switching cities.

courtunderwood — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:53:43 +0000

Another stop on my trip will have to be Amsterdam. The Affordable Art Fair at the Westergasfabriekterrein was apparently such a success in 2007, that from October to November in 2009, it’s back. Not only is there affordable art, but workshops as well.

eating in paris.

courtunderwood — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:56:34 +0000

Because I’m on a budget, and because I want to see famous places in Paris, I was excited to find Twelve Famous Restaurants in Paris That Won’t Break the Bank.

Of the 12, a few that I plan to look for:

La Coupole – One of the most famous bistro-brasserie type restaurants that goes back 80 years to the time when famous writers like Hemingway, and painters like Picasso made this place their home away from home. I love the eclectic clientele in an old world atmosphere. Menus are 18 € and 35 €. La Coupole
102 Blvd du Montparnasse
Paris 75014
Tél: 01.43.20.14.20

Le Wepler – Well-known for their oysters and seafood, this restaurant has been around for 115 years and opened the first oyster bar. They even have seafood takeout! It too boast the famous clientele of artists and writers; Picasso, Henry Miller and Modigliani came often.
Le Wepler
14 Place de Clichy
Paris 75018
Tél : 01 45 22 53 24

Fouquet’s – This, over one hundred year old restaurant with the red velvet decor, is a favorite of many celebrities. Situated right on the Champs-Elysées the restaurant serves classic French cuisine. Much like the Café de la Paix, the prices won’t break you unless you want it too! The menu starts at 78,00€.
Fouquet’s
99 Avenue des Champs Elysées
Paris 75008
Tél: 01.40.69.60.50

Les Deux Magots – Who doesn’t know this wonderful cafe and restaurant?! It opened its door on the Rue du Buci in 1812 and then moved to a larger locale in 1873 to the Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés where it still stands today. Probably every famous person who has ever come to Paris has passed through its doors. The food is simple café fare with salads, sandwiches, and omelettes as the main choices during the day. For dinner, however, there is a more traditional dinner menu to choose from.
Les Deux Magots
6 Place Saint Germain des Prés
Paris 75006
Tél : 01.45.48.55.2

i am happy today.

courtunderwood — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:23:58 +0000

Since 1951, Shakespeare & Co. Bookshop hasn’t changed at all. So, I need to see it.

My sister took these pictures while she was there. Apparently, there’s a little corner in the bookshop where people leave notes. My sister found this one – ‘I am happy today – isn’t that important?’

Every saturday in the bookshop, there’s a open creative writing group that meets to share things they’ve written and get feedback from people that want to come. According to the Shakespeare & Co. website, people have said “It’s the best thing about being in paris.”

my future trip to europe.

courtunderwood — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:12:44 +0000

At the end of this summer, the plan is to graduate from college and go backpacking through Europe for a little bit. Hopefully then, I can post pictures and videos of all I’m doing over there, but from here I can only plan. So I’ll be posting all the places I’m researching and all the cool things I want to do while I’m there.

Right now, I’m a journalism student going to school at MTSU and interning at the Williamson Herald. Eventually, I hope to be much more.