Julie and I arrived in Dublin with no glitches at all. Thank god! We got to our hostel and checked in. We ended up meeting a new friend from Canada and she went to lunch with Julie and I. We later went back to the hostel and took naps because we were so exhausted from our traveling that morning. After our nap we saw that it was raining outside so we decided to go and see a movie. The movie was really good and totally worth it since there isn't much to do in Dublin at 530. Everything is closed for the night.
We got back to the hostel and made a delicious dinner and then went to Temple Bar for some drinks. That night the three of us met a brother and sister who were visiting family in Ireland. We decided that we should all meet up in Galway in two nights.
The next day Julie and I had a bit of a lie in and woke about around ten-thirty or eleven and we went to an early lunch\ late breakfast. It was the longest meal of our entire trip. The service was horrible. We wasted what felt like our entire day. We then made our way to O'Connell St to pick up a hop on hop off bus tour of Dublin. It was a lot of fun and very interesting. We stopped of at one of the Cathedrals and we snuck in so we wouldn't have to pay the entrance fee. The Cathedral was really beautiful. We spent very little time there because we felt that we had bigger things to do... Like go to the Guinness Factory.
The Guinness Factory was really cool the building is huge. There is a self guided tour that takes you through all of the steps of how Guinness becomes Guinness. Then at the top floor of the building you get a free pint. I skipped out on the pint because I really don't like beer all that much, but Julie learned how to pour the beer and how to make a shamrock with the foam. Needless to say we really enjoyed the tour. When we got back onto the bus the last few stops that we could take were closed so we didn't see anymore of Dublin, but we were much more productive in Galway.
We arrived in Galway on Saturday which turned out to be the best day to arrive in the city. On Saturday's Galway has an open market so Julie and I visited and I had the best crepe that I have ever had. I am in love with them. I might have to open my own stand somewhere in Santa Barbara. We spent a little while walking around the market when it started to rain so we went back to the hostel.
We got back and noticing that there was a tv we went and joined another girl. She was from Australia and we later learned that she was going to be our roommate. Her name is Leah and she is amazing! I miss her and I just saw her last night. So we wouldn't wake each other up late at night we decided that we should just all go out together that night. It was a great idea. The thing to do in Ireland is to drink before you go out to the bars because alcohol is so expensive here. It isn't even worth it. So we played a bunch of drinking games and then headed to the Kings Head a pub that was around the corner from the hostel.
Our idea to stay with Lead all night ended up being a lot cause Julie and I headed in early because we had a tour early in the morning to the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs of Moher is the most beautiful place that I have ever been to in my life. We really lucked out because we had great weather. It was perfectly clear out but the wind was enough to blow a person away.We then went to the caves in The Burren and after going spelunking or to Moaning Caverns it was kind of a let down. The whole day was worth it thought just to see the cliffs.
That night we went to the first pub that we saw and watched the EuroCup finals. Since we were out of Germany and Austria it wasn't as packed as we were expecting and the fans were very mellow. We had a good time anyways and ended up staying until the place closed.
The next morning Julie and I woke up bright and early to get on the tour to the Aran Islands. It is a long journey for a small little island. We thought that we would rent a couple of bicycles for the day because that is supposedly the best way to see the island but when we got there it was pouring rain and we decided against it. Instead we payed the same amount that we would have for a bike rental and sat in a van and took a tour of the island.
There are very few places to visit on the island, but it is beautiful just the same. We went to the fortress on the east side of the island. It was our one and only hiking excursion in Ireland. It is so windy near the coast line here. It amazes me! The scenes are spectacular. The fortress is situated on the cliffs and it is a straight drop right into the ocean. Most people laid on their stomachs to peak over the edge, but Julie decided that, that wasn't enough. She was going to dangle her feet over the edge of the cliff. It made a lot of people around us really nervous.
Our next few stops on the tour were just places of interest where we stopped to take pictures. When we got back to the main village we still had two hours to kill before our ferry left. We thought it would be no problem to fill in the gaps, but we were completely wrong. We sat in a cafe and twiddled our thumbs because it was raining outside again!! When we got back to the mainland and got on our bus we found out that there wasn't any room left. There was no way that Julie and I were going to wait two hours until the next bus arrived at 730! So we jumped onto a different bus that ran with a different company. (the bus driver took pity on us!)
That night we met a lot of people while cooking dinner. We met three Canadians, a boy from Vermont; Forrest; a girl from Oregon; Katie; and a girl that attends UCLA; Caroline. We had a great time sitting around the kitchen singing Beatles songs while Forrest played the guitar. After eating the group decided that they were going to go out to the clubs but Julie and I were going to stay behind and actually get some sleep. Before they all left Julie and I talked them into going on the bus tour through Connemara and to the Kylemore Abbey.
The next morning at breakfast we met up with Josh, one of the Canadians, and Caroline and even though they had gotten in really late they were going to join us on our tour along with Katie, Miles, and Mike (the other two Canadians). Our third tour did not prove to be as exciting as the previous two. The views were awe inspiring and we got the best pictures from our trip. It was beautiful. We got back later that night and Julie cooked for eight of us. It was by far the best meal that I have had. It was delicious. We then met a friend of Katie's who was on a seperate tour and we joined her group of friends and Leah, our old roommate, and headed to Monroe's the pub just a few minutes walk from the hostel.
Leah and I decided that we didn't want to stay at Monroe's so we ditched everyone and went to a different pub just down the street. When we left we were going to go to one of the pubs but decided to get a midnights snack instead. We ended up sitting and talking for an hour and a half about life. It was great to be able to talk to her.
Meanwhile Julie and Katie were at Cuba the club that Leah and I were going to go to after eating. Leah and I never made it though. We were side tracked by our life discussion. We both had a really good time away from eachother that night and when we woke up the next morning we grabbed Katie and Forrest and headed to Cork!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Amsterdam and Bilthoven
There is no better way to spend two days in the middle of your trip than to stay with a family. After the train issues getting there anyway. The Smits were the most hospitable people that you can imagine. They wouldn't let us lift a finger. Jackie (the mom) barely let us do our laundry. It is nice to be babied after traveling, trust me. They took us to a fantastic dinner and we had a very nice visit talking about what we have done previously. They had 4 computers that we could use it was so nice! I couldn't believe it, it was nice to not have to fight for it. haha... The two younger kids were there Benjamin and Sophie. I love kids it was really refreshing to be with a family. Sophie was absolutely adorable, so was Benjamin.
The next day Bob and Jackie took us out and about in the area and showed us the most beautiful historic towns. It was really cool because neither of them had been to one of the towns that we visited it was called Marken. It was a really cute port town that you can really only walk around. They said that it was one of the only towns that still works around the town the same as it did in the past.
That evening we had a delicious meal at home and enjoyed the company of the two older girls who came to visit for desert. Desert was the real treat. Bob made delicious crepes from scratch with strawberries and icecream.. Yummy.. We enjoyed a quite evening after that we watched a movie and slept in nice and late the next day.
Upon arriving in Amsterdam we were a little overwhelmed, we certainly wish that we could have had more time there to see all of the sights. The first thing that we did was go on a boat tour of the city as well as go to the Van Gogh museum. What an incredible place! I am not a huge fan of all of his work, but some of his pieces are just incredible. I was hoping to see his really famous piece with the night sky, we cant remember the name of it at the moment.. Anywho it was really fun to see everything.
We got back to the hostel and these guys stopped us and said "hey you guys are in our room!!" They had been resting when we arrived and recognized us. It turns out that they are from Oakland! What a small world, another Californian in Europe haha.. We have meet so many people from California its crazy! Well we went out and about with them to see the night life. We went to a couple of bars and had a drink or two. Good times, learned a new card game.
The next day we went on a walking tour of the city because it is free of course. Well we were under the impression that it lasts about 2 1/2 hours maybe 3 it lasted like 3 1/2-4! We weren't complaining too much except for our hangovers. Our tour guide was so good, she didn't top our guide in Rome but she definitely came close.. We were a little worried because we had booked a reservation to go to see the Anne Frank house, luckily it got out just in time..
The Anne Frank house was really cool, she had so many hardships and so many fears. I cant believe how very brave she was. That was a huge highlight of the trip.
We hadn't eaten too much so we splurged on the Hard Rock, we were craving a good cheese burger and what better place? That night I stayed in because I was a little tired from the night before, but that didn't stop Alison and Ellen and the boys from going on the Pub crawl. They had a lot of fun, it sounded like. One of the bartenders blew fire that sounded pretty cool! But I like sleeping, and I don't regret it at all..
We could not believe how crazy it is to see all of the women in the windows in the Red Light. They literally stand in the windows and do everything but strip naked it is so gross. Most of them are really nothing to look at. We also didn't look too long it was very uncomfortable. I saw a couple of them calling and chanting for the guys walking on the street. It was a little too much for me, so we didn't stay around too long.
We left on the 26th and were sad to go, especially because we were leaving Ellen. It was such a blast to have her on the trip with us even for just a little while. She is such a doll, I think that we are going to have to get her to move to California for a little while.. haha... I guess we will be seeing her again soon so no worries..
The next day Bob and Jackie took us out and about in the area and showed us the most beautiful historic towns. It was really cool because neither of them had been to one of the towns that we visited it was called Marken. It was a really cute port town that you can really only walk around. They said that it was one of the only towns that still works around the town the same as it did in the past.
That evening we had a delicious meal at home and enjoyed the company of the two older girls who came to visit for desert. Desert was the real treat. Bob made delicious crepes from scratch with strawberries and icecream.. Yummy.. We enjoyed a quite evening after that we watched a movie and slept in nice and late the next day.
Upon arriving in Amsterdam we were a little overwhelmed, we certainly wish that we could have had more time there to see all of the sights. The first thing that we did was go on a boat tour of the city as well as go to the Van Gogh museum. What an incredible place! I am not a huge fan of all of his work, but some of his pieces are just incredible. I was hoping to see his really famous piece with the night sky, we cant remember the name of it at the moment.. Anywho it was really fun to see everything.
We got back to the hostel and these guys stopped us and said "hey you guys are in our room!!" They had been resting when we arrived and recognized us. It turns out that they are from Oakland! What a small world, another Californian in Europe haha.. We have meet so many people from California its crazy! Well we went out and about with them to see the night life. We went to a couple of bars and had a drink or two. Good times, learned a new card game.
The next day we went on a walking tour of the city because it is free of course. Well we were under the impression that it lasts about 2 1/2 hours maybe 3 it lasted like 3 1/2-4! We weren't complaining too much except for our hangovers. Our tour guide was so good, she didn't top our guide in Rome but she definitely came close.. We were a little worried because we had booked a reservation to go to see the Anne Frank house, luckily it got out just in time..
The Anne Frank house was really cool, she had so many hardships and so many fears. I cant believe how very brave she was. That was a huge highlight of the trip.
We hadn't eaten too much so we splurged on the Hard Rock, we were craving a good cheese burger and what better place? That night I stayed in because I was a little tired from the night before, but that didn't stop Alison and Ellen and the boys from going on the Pub crawl. They had a lot of fun, it sounded like. One of the bartenders blew fire that sounded pretty cool! But I like sleeping, and I don't regret it at all..
We could not believe how crazy it is to see all of the women in the windows in the Red Light. They literally stand in the windows and do everything but strip naked it is so gross. Most of them are really nothing to look at. We also didn't look too long it was very uncomfortable. I saw a couple of them calling and chanting for the guys walking on the street. It was a little too much for me, so we didn't stay around too long.
We left on the 26th and were sad to go, especially because we were leaving Ellen. It was such a blast to have her on the trip with us even for just a little while. She is such a doll, I think that we are going to have to get her to move to California for a little while.. haha... I guess we will be seeing her again soon so no worries..
Monday, June 23, 2008
Ah Pari
Wee wee, you must say it like the French oh wee wee... haa haa.. Ok so I love this city. I am so glad that I have had a change of heart because the first time that I went I didn't think much of it. This time was much better!
Once we finally got there at least. After arriving we had to figure out how to get in touch with Jullien the old exchange student who was housing us. We had no cell number for him so we were on a hunt for the internet. Lucking (we could have used a little luck by now) we found one just a block away from the station. Feeyew.. Even better he had finally written me back. With great directions where we would be staying and we had just enough time to get there before his sister would be leaving. Yea.. We soon realized that he forgot to mention the street number. And the street that she lives on is Gigantic! And the pay phones only take credit cards!
We have heard some terrible stories about credit card numbers getting stolen for phone machines like that so we were not about to go and do that. Luckily we headed in the right direction and a very nice receptionist loaned us the phone for just a couple of minutes. We happened to be a half a block away from where she lived. Yea!
When we got there she was very nice her name is Charlotte but it was a really tiny flat. Like the size of a small dorm room and in it was a kitchen and a bathroom and a bedroom all in one. Well the bathroom did have a door. It was a very cozy place. We were not about to complain, we were so thankful to not only have a nice place to have for ourselves. But it was also a 10 minute walk to the Eiffle tower! So that was what we did. We had lunch first of course, we were starving it was about 3:30 by this point so food was good. On the bright side it forced us to get used to the Perasian lifestyle of eating. It began to rain.. Just our luck, more rain. We were hoping that this would send the tourists away so we wouldn't have to wait as long in line. But we were wrong. Unfortunate. But, umbrellas are a blessing. For we were blessed to have them.
Julien didn't get off of work until 7 and it would take about an hour for him to be able to meet up with us. SO we had a lot of time to burn and nothing was open anymore so we sat in the cafe and enjoyed the fact that you dont have to leave until you want to. I do like that about the European lifestyle, you aren't pushed out of your table when you go to a cafe or resturant. I guess it is the price you pay to have bad service.
When we met up with him and his girlfriend Emilie we all went to dinner. And what a gentelman, he paid! For the cocktails, the wine, the entree's, and the dessert. It was really nice to be treated for a change. We all went to bed early just after dinner (well early to the Perasian standards, 12:30). It was a good thing too because we got up nice and early the next day to see as much as possible. We went to the Louvre in the morning for like 3 hours. Alison really appreciated it after taking the Art History class, and I apprecited that she took it because she could tell me cool things about the art. Then we went to lunch and had a quick bit. The to the Muse de Orsay; Alison's and my favorite movement is the Impressionist movement so it was really fun for us to go see all of the art. We probably spent about 2 hours there, plenty of time. Following that we took a break at the house so that Ali could take a shower (the shower would only stay hot for about 10-15 minutes every 6 hours). We went to the Opera house only to find that it was closed due to rehearsal I was so mad! It was like one of the things that I really wanted to see.. Oh well, we went to Notre Dame next and there was a girls choir performing. Everything happens for a reason I suppose, because they were really good!
That evening we met up with Emilie and Julien in her neighborhood for dinner because the night life is a lot better. Where we were staying apparently is where mostly politicians live so the night life is not very big. I couldn't believe the difference in how the people are in the streets alone there it was really cool. We went to a creep place for dinner and I had alcoholic cyder for the first time, it was really yummy.. I also had creeps that werent sweet for the first time, they had egg and ham and all kinds of things in it. It was really like an omlette place, a creep wrapped around an omlette. We had a lengthy dinner and walked around the area for a little while then went back to the flat.
The next day was a huge festival (Saturday at this point). On the first day of summer (June 21) every year Paris has a huge festival in the streets. There are people playing music on every corner. Everything that you can think of! Rock, jazz, drumbs, dancers, trumpets, alternative... It was fantastic. Julien had to finish up a project so Emilie showed us around the town that day. She took us to the Moulian Roughe area and we wandered around and took some cool pictures. Then in the evening we had a couple of cocktails at a really cool bar in the Notre Dame area. To save a little money we made dinner that night at Emilies place. Julien made an awesome salad with chicken and fresh croutons. It was delicious. The plan was to go out that night in the area because there were supposed to be a lot of concerts for the festival. When we went out we saw the French men for their true selves. We haven't gone out really yet at night so we didn't know what it would be like. And well, let me put it this way they like to grab. There is no sence of personal space or sexual harrassment. Ill spare the details. We left the mobbed area because they could tell that we were really uncomfortable. After walking down a couple of side streets (where there were no people) we found a great little cafe style bar with some alternative music playing and we could finally relax. We really enjoyed it there.
Lots of fun, we went back to Emilies where we all stayed for the night and crashed after a little yogart. We slept a little the next day and I made breakfast to thank them for their hospitality. Then we hit the train for Bilthoven to spend a couple of days with the Smits.
Once we finally got there at least. After arriving we had to figure out how to get in touch with Jullien the old exchange student who was housing us. We had no cell number for him so we were on a hunt for the internet. Lucking (we could have used a little luck by now) we found one just a block away from the station. Feeyew.. Even better he had finally written me back. With great directions where we would be staying and we had just enough time to get there before his sister would be leaving. Yea.. We soon realized that he forgot to mention the street number. And the street that she lives on is Gigantic! And the pay phones only take credit cards!
We have heard some terrible stories about credit card numbers getting stolen for phone machines like that so we were not about to go and do that. Luckily we headed in the right direction and a very nice receptionist loaned us the phone for just a couple of minutes. We happened to be a half a block away from where she lived. Yea!
When we got there she was very nice her name is Charlotte but it was a really tiny flat. Like the size of a small dorm room and in it was a kitchen and a bathroom and a bedroom all in one. Well the bathroom did have a door. It was a very cozy place. We were not about to complain, we were so thankful to not only have a nice place to have for ourselves. But it was also a 10 minute walk to the Eiffle tower! So that was what we did. We had lunch first of course, we were starving it was about 3:30 by this point so food was good. On the bright side it forced us to get used to the Perasian lifestyle of eating. It began to rain.. Just our luck, more rain. We were hoping that this would send the tourists away so we wouldn't have to wait as long in line. But we were wrong. Unfortunate. But, umbrellas are a blessing. For we were blessed to have them.
Julien didn't get off of work until 7 and it would take about an hour for him to be able to meet up with us. SO we had a lot of time to burn and nothing was open anymore so we sat in the cafe and enjoyed the fact that you dont have to leave until you want to. I do like that about the European lifestyle, you aren't pushed out of your table when you go to a cafe or resturant. I guess it is the price you pay to have bad service.
When we met up with him and his girlfriend Emilie we all went to dinner. And what a gentelman, he paid! For the cocktails, the wine, the entree's, and the dessert. It was really nice to be treated for a change. We all went to bed early just after dinner (well early to the Perasian standards, 12:30). It was a good thing too because we got up nice and early the next day to see as much as possible. We went to the Louvre in the morning for like 3 hours. Alison really appreciated it after taking the Art History class, and I apprecited that she took it because she could tell me cool things about the art. Then we went to lunch and had a quick bit. The to the Muse de Orsay; Alison's and my favorite movement is the Impressionist movement so it was really fun for us to go see all of the art. We probably spent about 2 hours there, plenty of time. Following that we took a break at the house so that Ali could take a shower (the shower would only stay hot for about 10-15 minutes every 6 hours). We went to the Opera house only to find that it was closed due to rehearsal I was so mad! It was like one of the things that I really wanted to see.. Oh well, we went to Notre Dame next and there was a girls choir performing. Everything happens for a reason I suppose, because they were really good!
That evening we met up with Emilie and Julien in her neighborhood for dinner because the night life is a lot better. Where we were staying apparently is where mostly politicians live so the night life is not very big. I couldn't believe the difference in how the people are in the streets alone there it was really cool. We went to a creep place for dinner and I had alcoholic cyder for the first time, it was really yummy.. I also had creeps that werent sweet for the first time, they had egg and ham and all kinds of things in it. It was really like an omlette place, a creep wrapped around an omlette. We had a lengthy dinner and walked around the area for a little while then went back to the flat.
The next day was a huge festival (Saturday at this point). On the first day of summer (June 21) every year Paris has a huge festival in the streets. There are people playing music on every corner. Everything that you can think of! Rock, jazz, drumbs, dancers, trumpets, alternative... It was fantastic. Julien had to finish up a project so Emilie showed us around the town that day. She took us to the Moulian Roughe area and we wandered around and took some cool pictures. Then in the evening we had a couple of cocktails at a really cool bar in the Notre Dame area. To save a little money we made dinner that night at Emilies place. Julien made an awesome salad with chicken and fresh croutons. It was delicious. The plan was to go out that night in the area because there were supposed to be a lot of concerts for the festival. When we went out we saw the French men for their true selves. We haven't gone out really yet at night so we didn't know what it would be like. And well, let me put it this way they like to grab. There is no sence of personal space or sexual harrassment. Ill spare the details. We left the mobbed area because they could tell that we were really uncomfortable. After walking down a couple of side streets (where there were no people) we found a great little cafe style bar with some alternative music playing and we could finally relax. We really enjoyed it there.
Lots of fun, we went back to Emilies where we all stayed for the night and crashed after a little yogart. We slept a little the next day and I made breakfast to thank them for their hospitality. Then we hit the train for Bilthoven to spend a couple of days with the Smits.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
It's been awile...
Julie, Ellen, and I have been to three cities since the last time that we got a chance to write in our blog. So much has happened.
In Munich Julie and I met up with Ellen. We all realized that nothing much has changed in the two years that we had seen eachother. Julie and I were happy to have another person to keep us company. The first thing that we did in Munich was to go and have a cheeseburger and fries at the Hard Rock Cafe. It was amazing!! It hit the spot. The streets were packed in Munich becase it was the 850th anniversary of the city, or something like that.
After eating lunch Ellen and I went to one of the museums in Munich. Although, I have no idea what the name of it was. I do remember that they had a really good art collection. We then went back to the hostel and went to eat dinner.
The next morning we woke up to yet another day of rain. The night before we had been talked into doing the free tour of Munich that our hostel gave. The tour came highly appraised. Unfortunately the rain put a damper on the tour. The three of us only lasted an hour.
After bowing out of the tour we met with Ellen's parents and had a lovely Italian meal. We then traipsed around the town because it was not raining anymore. We had a great time walking to the English Gardens. They were beautiful and it is supposed to be the largest city park in the world. After our walk through the garden we went to have some ice cream and afternoon tea. My ice cream was delicious and Julie and Ellen's tiramisu looked just as good.
On our third day in Munich we decided to visit Dachau. It was an experience that I do not regret. I found the concentration camp very interesting and I think that it is something that everyone should do in their lifetime. It was chilling standing there in the museum. It did not help that it was freezing outside.
Later that day we went to Heidelberg to see Julie's sorority sister Veronica. We arrived in Heidelberg just in time to make dinner and to talk until early in the morning. The next day after sleeping in for awhile. The three of us girls went up to Heidelberg castle.
The views from the castle were spectacular, and it was quite a trek to get up there. We walked around the castle for a couple of hours and met a really nice couple from England who suggested that we go to the University museum and to the student jail. They both were really interesting.
The student jail was set up in the seveteen hundreds and over the two hundred years that it was open students had taken up the tradition of painting on the walls. There was grafitti everywhere. From floor to ceiling the walls were covered with names and silhouettes of people who had been kept in the jail. Later on after Veronica had finished with her classes we went to a traditional German restaurant and had a fabulous meal.
Our train was set to leave a 12:54 that night so we went back to Veronica's and got our stuff and headed to the train station. We got to the station at about twelve thirty and started to wait for our train. The train never came. Turns out that the station that we were supposed to leave from was in another city and we had not been told that. We spent an hour at the train station trying to figure out what we were going to do. Luckily Veronica was still awake and we were able to spend the night at her apartment a second night. The next morning we were able to get on the 9:14 train to Paris after a long conversation with the people who worked at the train station. We did not believe that we were in the wrong because they were the ones who had not told us that we needed to go to a different city to get our train.
In Munich Julie and I met up with Ellen. We all realized that nothing much has changed in the two years that we had seen eachother. Julie and I were happy to have another person to keep us company. The first thing that we did in Munich was to go and have a cheeseburger and fries at the Hard Rock Cafe. It was amazing!! It hit the spot. The streets were packed in Munich becase it was the 850th anniversary of the city, or something like that.
After eating lunch Ellen and I went to one of the museums in Munich. Although, I have no idea what the name of it was. I do remember that they had a really good art collection. We then went back to the hostel and went to eat dinner.
The next morning we woke up to yet another day of rain. The night before we had been talked into doing the free tour of Munich that our hostel gave. The tour came highly appraised. Unfortunately the rain put a damper on the tour. The three of us only lasted an hour.
After bowing out of the tour we met with Ellen's parents and had a lovely Italian meal. We then traipsed around the town because it was not raining anymore. We had a great time walking to the English Gardens. They were beautiful and it is supposed to be the largest city park in the world. After our walk through the garden we went to have some ice cream and afternoon tea. My ice cream was delicious and Julie and Ellen's tiramisu looked just as good.
On our third day in Munich we decided to visit Dachau. It was an experience that I do not regret. I found the concentration camp very interesting and I think that it is something that everyone should do in their lifetime. It was chilling standing there in the museum. It did not help that it was freezing outside.
Later that day we went to Heidelberg to see Julie's sorority sister Veronica. We arrived in Heidelberg just in time to make dinner and to talk until early in the morning. The next day after sleeping in for awhile. The three of us girls went up to Heidelberg castle.
The views from the castle were spectacular, and it was quite a trek to get up there. We walked around the castle for a couple of hours and met a really nice couple from England who suggested that we go to the University museum and to the student jail. They both were really interesting.
The student jail was set up in the seveteen hundreds and over the two hundred years that it was open students had taken up the tradition of painting on the walls. There was grafitti everywhere. From floor to ceiling the walls were covered with names and silhouettes of people who had been kept in the jail. Later on after Veronica had finished with her classes we went to a traditional German restaurant and had a fabulous meal.
Our train was set to leave a 12:54 that night so we went back to Veronica's and got our stuff and headed to the train station. We got to the station at about twelve thirty and started to wait for our train. The train never came. Turns out that the station that we were supposed to leave from was in another city and we had not been told that. We spent an hour at the train station trying to figure out what we were going to do. Luckily Veronica was still awake and we were able to spend the night at her apartment a second night. The next morning we were able to get on the 9:14 train to Paris after a long conversation with the people who worked at the train station. We did not believe that we were in the wrong because they were the ones who had not told us that we needed to go to a different city to get our train.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Austria!!
Wow this is such a beautiful country. Our favorite of the two cities was hands down Salzburg. We went on the Sound of Music tour today. A little pricey but worth every penny. It takes you all around the town to see all of the scenes that they use in the movie. Then there are a few scenes in the mountain region like the lake scenes and the scene where they are hanging in the trees. We didn't hang in the trees, we thought that we had better not. We did get pictures and eat at one of the oldest bakeries ever it was established in 1604 yes that is right 1604!! A very long time ago. It was absolutly beautiful the country side is unlike anything that you can imagine. There were hangliders traveling about, we were so jealous. If we had known about that we might have looked into it. Probably a better thing that we didn't, save a little money ha ha..
Yesterday we spent quite a while at the castle which is another really old building! The building was something like 900 if I remember correctly and it is huge! It ranges over 100,000 square feet! Gigantic! No joking about that either! It was a highlight for me. I really enjoyed not going to a Cathedral for a while. You can only go to so many before they start looking the same. Oh wait they do all look the same, ha ha just kidding. Actually Venice was very interesting with all of the gold. Very gothic, I didn't love it but some people do.
The fanzone with all of the drunken futball fanz are totally nuts! There are mobs of them everywhere here because the Euro cup is being held in Austria and Switzerland. It is nothing like the people in the US these fanz come in from all over the place! And the sure do have crazy pride. It isn't just a couple of die hard fanz there are like 100s. In Vienna there were so many people that they closed the Fanzone, it covers like a mile or two in radius. Can you imagine how many people were in there! Then people would crowd around outside the gates to watch the game too. We of the 100s that couln't get in. I wasn't sad though, I hate crowds!
Our next adventure is in Munich with Ellen and her family! We are so excited to see her. Maybe a little too much! ha ha.. It will be a nice break to have someone else to talk to then just eachother..
We wish all of the Fathers a happy Fathers day tomorrow! Love you all!!
Yesterday we spent quite a while at the castle which is another really old building! The building was something like 900 if I remember correctly and it is huge! It ranges over 100,000 square feet! Gigantic! No joking about that either! It was a highlight for me. I really enjoyed not going to a Cathedral for a while. You can only go to so many before they start looking the same. Oh wait they do all look the same, ha ha just kidding. Actually Venice was very interesting with all of the gold. Very gothic, I didn't love it but some people do.
The fanzone with all of the drunken futball fanz are totally nuts! There are mobs of them everywhere here because the Euro cup is being held in Austria and Switzerland. It is nothing like the people in the US these fanz come in from all over the place! And the sure do have crazy pride. It isn't just a couple of die hard fanz there are like 100s. In Vienna there were so many people that they closed the Fanzone, it covers like a mile or two in radius. Can you imagine how many people were in there! Then people would crowd around outside the gates to watch the game too. We of the 100s that couln't get in. I wasn't sad though, I hate crowds!
Our next adventure is in Munich with Ellen and her family! We are so excited to see her. Maybe a little too much! ha ha.. It will be a nice break to have someone else to talk to then just eachother..
We wish all of the Fathers a happy Fathers day tomorrow! Love you all!!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Craziness...
Well Alison and I are continuing to have a fantastic time. We have hit a couple of bumps in the road, but I guess we wouldnt be doing it right if not. In Florence we went to see the David and shopped around a little bit. What can we say we are girls? Well at about lunch time I realized that I was missing something very important... Oh yes our camera was stolen, what a joy. Well I ended up buying one for an outragous price, and it is no good. No more pictures and that makes us sad, we were really upset about the pictures lost. We have a solution though, we are going to make it back to Rome and Florence when our first child graduates either college or high school. Whenever it is more convienient of course, ha ha.
Other than that we had a great time in Florence. We both felt that the David was very good but not anatomically correct which is defeating the purpose of a perfect man isnt it? We much preferred Bellinis David much more. We had a lot of fun shopping with two girls that we met upon looking for the hostel. Elyse and Bianca, who were here teaching in Naples. Bianca was from the East Bay and Elyse was from Canada. They were very nice, they really liked to shop...
In Vinice we met up with Uncle Jim yesterday and that was the highlight of those days. The city itself is very beautiful but overrated. When we left we caught our next bit of trouble we missed our train!!!! It was for the night to end up in Vienna. Well we made it here, but barely another story though for another time because the computer is going to shut me off... Love you all and talk to you soon!!!
Other than that we had a great time in Florence. We both felt that the David was very good but not anatomically correct which is defeating the purpose of a perfect man isnt it? We much preferred Bellinis David much more. We had a lot of fun shopping with two girls that we met upon looking for the hostel. Elyse and Bianca, who were here teaching in Naples. Bianca was from the East Bay and Elyse was from Canada. They were very nice, they really liked to shop...
In Vinice we met up with Uncle Jim yesterday and that was the highlight of those days. The city itself is very beautiful but overrated. When we left we caught our next bit of trouble we missed our train!!!! It was for the night to end up in Vienna. Well we made it here, but barely another story though for another time because the computer is going to shut me off... Love you all and talk to you soon!!!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
When in Rome!
Our second day of Rome started bright and early do to the noise from the loud cars coming in through the window. So Julie and I started our morning at eight, which for us is pretty early. We ate breakfast and joined our roomates Katie, Jeff, and Ken. Our first stop of the day was to the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. The second time into the chapel was a much better experience than the first, from my pespective. For the first time I knew what I was looking at. I have my year of Art History to thank for that. I am awestruck that it took Michelangelo only five years to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
The second stop of the day was to the catacombs. The ones that we wanted to visit were unfortunately closed on Wednesday's. Luckily for us there are about 175 miles of catacombs underneath Rome and we were able to find somewhere else to go on a tour. The catacombs were really intersting, but the particular ones that we went to, the tour was only fifteen minutes and was not worth the money.
That night we went to the Trevi Fountain and it is beautiful. The night time is the best time to see the fountain even though it is extremely crowded. After staying at the Trevi Fountain we went to the Coloseum to see that at night, and it too proved to be majestic in the night time.
Our third day in Rome was jam-packed with activities. We started out much to my ultimate happiness at the Galleria Borghese! I was so excited when we were able to get reservations. The galleria was really difficult to find but it was worth the hassle to get there. Julie and I decided that our favorite piece of artwork there was the statue of Apollo and Daphne by Bernini. The statue was amazing. The marble looks as if it is made of wax. When we got out of the museum it was raining so we decided to make our way over to Saint Peter's so we could tour the cathedral. I think that every other tourist in Rome had the same exact idea that we had. So Julie and I left and went down to the Spanish Steps.
After getting a quick bite to eat we went to the Coloseum and got picked up from one of the tour groups to do a tour of the Colosseun and the ruins. I am so glad that we finally made it to the Coloseum after being annoyed that we didn't make it the first time. On our tour we made a couple of friends who are in Rome for the week. Chris and his brother Patrick. We then joined the second half of the tour in the ruins. They were really cool. We all really enjoyed our tour guide and joined her next tour which was a foot tour of the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and we made a few other stops along our way. By this time it was eight thirty and we found a restaurant and the four of us stopped and ate. Julie and I are planning our trip to Florence because we leave tommorow!
The second stop of the day was to the catacombs. The ones that we wanted to visit were unfortunately closed on Wednesday's. Luckily for us there are about 175 miles of catacombs underneath Rome and we were able to find somewhere else to go on a tour. The catacombs were really intersting, but the particular ones that we went to, the tour was only fifteen minutes and was not worth the money.
That night we went to the Trevi Fountain and it is beautiful. The night time is the best time to see the fountain even though it is extremely crowded. After staying at the Trevi Fountain we went to the Coloseum to see that at night, and it too proved to be majestic in the night time.
Our third day in Rome was jam-packed with activities. We started out much to my ultimate happiness at the Galleria Borghese! I was so excited when we were able to get reservations. The galleria was really difficult to find but it was worth the hassle to get there. Julie and I decided that our favorite piece of artwork there was the statue of Apollo and Daphne by Bernini. The statue was amazing. The marble looks as if it is made of wax. When we got out of the museum it was raining so we decided to make our way over to Saint Peter's so we could tour the cathedral. I think that every other tourist in Rome had the same exact idea that we had. So Julie and I left and went down to the Spanish Steps.
After getting a quick bite to eat we went to the Coloseum and got picked up from one of the tour groups to do a tour of the Colosseun and the ruins. I am so glad that we finally made it to the Coloseum after being annoyed that we didn't make it the first time. On our tour we made a couple of friends who are in Rome for the week. Chris and his brother Patrick. We then joined the second half of the tour in the ruins. They were really cool. We all really enjoyed our tour guide and joined her next tour which was a foot tour of the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and we made a few other stops along our way. By this time it was eight thirty and we found a restaurant and the four of us stopped and ate. Julie and I are planning our trip to Florence because we leave tommorow!
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