The other day, my friend Ben and I decided last minute to rent a car and go up to Crazy King Ludwig's summer Palace, Schloss Linderhof. I had been before, but it was winter, so the beautiful gardens the Palace is known for were dead, and the incredible fountains were all boarded up. I was so excited to see the gardens, and to ride in a car! It is funny how much I am getting sick of traveling by train. The freedom of jumping in the car and just going is something I dearly miss!
So we went down to the local car rental agency and rented a brand-spankin' new VW Passat. It was SWEET! Of course Ben drove, as my 6-speed skills are severely lacking. We headed up to Linderhof and walked around the beautiful gardens, saw the fountains and statues, and just had an all-around great time. After we had taken in the gorgeous gardens and scenery, we headed to Oberammergau to see the Passion Play Theater and walk around town. We stopped at a bakery for breakfast, and I had a really good plum torte. Ben had almond cake and some coffee to get him started for the day. I had some of his Almond cake and it was divine! I am really going to miss German bakeries! After breakfast, we walked around the little town, stopping to get Ben a authentic Bavarian sweater vest, which he had wanted for quite a while. He looks very sharp in it, if anyone is wondering ;) We went and looked at the theater where the Passion Play is performed every ten years, and saw some of the history in a picture presentation set up in the lobby of the theater. I had been to the play already, but Ben hadn't seen it yet. When we left, he was vowing to find a ticket to the play.
After Oberammergau, we headed down to Ettal, a tiny little town that houses a huge monastery known for their liqueur and cheese production. We saw the ornate Rococo-style chapel, and toured the grounds when we accidentally got lost. It was so funny, because we couldn't figure out how to get back out o the front of the monastery, so Ben decided to try to jump the wall that surrounds the back of the place. He gave the woman on the other side of the wall quite a fright! He stopped trying to jump the wall after that! We had a good laugh, and did eventually find out way to the front of the monastery. We had a wonderful lunch at a local restaurant, and then headed back to Garmisch. But the day was FAR from over!
When we got home, we went to Post (the U.S. Army garrison) and ran some errands. Then we went to watch a softball game which ended up being canceled. Earlier in the day we had looked at movie times at the English theater in Munich and saw that Inception was playing at 10:15. We thought it would be fun to go and see it, as I hadn't seen a movie in theaters since before I came to Germany. We asked our friends Ryan, Emily and Zach to go with us, and we headed up to Munich at around 8. When we got to the theater and picked up our tickets, we had about an hour to waste time so we walked around downtown Munich. The movie was great, (although I had really weird dreams the next morning) and we just had a great time in general. My favorite part of the night was driving home, because I convinced Ben to go really fast on the Autobahn. We got up to 200 kph (about 124 mph). It was awesome! At this point it was 2:00 in the morning, and I was ready for bed. But it was such a fantastic day! I hope I can have some more great days like that before I have to leave this dreamworld I live in!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
For Angela
This weekend I spent Sunday and Monday in Munich. Sunday was for Church and YSA activities, and Monday was to spend time with my good friend Angela. Angela has really been a blessing in my life here in Germany. She works as an Opera singer for the Bayerisch Staatoper in Munich, and she is truly gifted. I had the opportunity to sit in on a few of her practice sessions, and it was such an incredible experience! We had such a great day. After the first couple of practice session, we went to Olympia park for Tollwood, only to find that it was already done and over with. So, we improvised, and went to BMW World. It was so fun! We took some fun pictures in our dream vehicles, and let me tell you, they were sweet! I love BMWs!!! After drooling over the beautiful German machinery, we went to the Olympiaeinkaufzentrum, which is the biggest mall (with the longest name) in Munich. We had some fun trying on clothes and looking at home furnishings. We also ate four scoops of gelato. Each. Yep.
After we were finished trying on expensive clothing, we decided to go somewhere we could actually afford, so we headed back into the city center and went to a little dress shop to look around. We tried on more cute clothes, and Angela even found a great summer dress! Then we went shopping for postcards and a key chain for me, as I hadn't gotten anything in all of my days in Munich. so we did that, and then went back to the Operahouse for a final practice session. After that we went back to Angela's apartment and relaxed for a few minutes before meeting her opera friends for a birthday dinner. Angela's birthday was on Sunday, but they waited until Monday to celebrate. It was a wonderful time at a small Mexican restaurant. After dinner was over, I needed to catch the last train out of Munich to Garmisch. I said goodbye to Angela, letting her know it was definitely not for the last time, and then began the long journey back home. I loved spending so much time with a good friend, and I had such a great time seeing the career she has chosen with her incredible talent. I am so grateful for good friends, and I am blessed to count Angela as one of them. So this one's for you, Ang!
After we were finished trying on expensive clothing, we decided to go somewhere we could actually afford, so we headed back into the city center and went to a little dress shop to look around. We tried on more cute clothes, and Angela even found a great summer dress! Then we went shopping for postcards and a key chain for me, as I hadn't gotten anything in all of my days in Munich. so we did that, and then went back to the Operahouse for a final practice session. After that we went back to Angela's apartment and relaxed for a few minutes before meeting her opera friends for a birthday dinner. Angela's birthday was on Sunday, but they waited until Monday to celebrate. It was a wonderful time at a small Mexican restaurant. After dinner was over, I needed to catch the last train out of Munich to Garmisch. I said goodbye to Angela, letting her know it was definitely not for the last time, and then began the long journey back home. I loved spending so much time with a good friend, and I had such a great time seeing the career she has chosen with her incredible talent. I am so grateful for good friends, and I am blessed to count Angela as one of them. So this one's for you, Ang!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Can I make it?
I don't know! It has become increasingly hard to concentrate on being in Germany when all of my thoughts are of the future. I know I am always one to worry, but I am going a little bit crazy thinking about what I have to do when I get back to Colorado. Get a job, get a phone, get health insurance, get a car, car insurance, etc. I am pretty much freaking out. Luckily, my amazing parents are going to graciously let me stay in their home until I get everything figured out, so I don't have to get an apartment yet, but somewhere down the line I am going to have to do that too. It feels like I have been avoiding life in a dream world where nothing matters except having fun and getting to work on time, and now I have to suddenly grow up and deal with real life. I am ready (I think...) to take that step, but at the same time, I'm afraid of failing at it. But onward and upward, right? I think I am coming off a little bit sad, but that is not the case at all! I am super excited, and cannot stand having to wait the month and a half I have 'til I come home! I am excited to have a real job, drive a car (finally!) and be able to start living a fulfilling life. But it is all a little bit terrifying at the same time. I am so grateful for having parents who prepared me for being a contributing member of society, and I hope I can live up to what I know they expect from me. I am also grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who watches out for me and lets me know when I am going he wrong way, no matter how much I wish I wasn't. I am grateful for the knowledge of the Gospel, and for Joseph Smith, a prophet of the Lord, who was faithful enough to stand up for what he knew was true to bring the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Mom's Visit and Lake Garda
Well, for the last little while I have been kept occupied by my Mom! She came out to Germany for three weeks this month, and we had a blast! She flew to Munich on June 22, and went straight to our friends' home in Mueldorf. She stayed with them until the 6th, when I met her in Munich for church. It was exciting to see someone here from back home, but also a little weird, like my old life meeting my new one. Anyway, we had some fun in Garmisch for a week, taking a three country tour on Monday the 7th through Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It was along day of mostly sitting on a tour bus, so we were pretty happy when it ended. On Tuesday we hung out with my friend Ben in Mittenwald, a little Bavarian town just before the Austrian border. It was a beautiful sunny day, and it was such a great outing! On Wednesday I had to work for eight hours, a full shift, so my Mom kept herself busy baking and just relaxing in my room, after which we went to a Bible study group with several of my friends. Thursday we went to a softball game and rooted for my roommate Tyane, and Ben. Friday we went to the town Farmer's Market and then got everything squared away with our rental car and hotel in Italy, where we were going to spend Sunday through Thursday of the following week. I also attended a girls night to say farewell to a Bible study friend. There were quite a few girls there, and we spent the night at a married friend's home, for which her husband was sent to spend the night with Ben. On Saturday we all (all the girls, Ben, and the woman's hubby, also named Ben) went to a swimming pond, a super cool man-made pond at the base of one of the mountains in town. The entrance fee was so small we were all very excited to relive childhood memories of swimming in non-chlorinated water.
On Sunday My Mom and I left for Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. It happens to be a three hour drive from where I live, so it was a nice ride down to the little vacation villa we had rented for the week. On Sunday we pretty much just chillaxed in our apartment, reading library books, cooking dinner, and watching chick flicks. It was wonderful to finally have a real vacation where I didn't have to run around a huge city trying to see everything!
On Monday we hit a local market, then hit a huge Botanical Garden complex about a twenty minute drive from Cavalcaselle. It was incredible! Not only did it cover 600,000 square meters, but it had everything from castle ruins to koi ponds to an actual church on the grounds! We wandered the gardens for a good portion of the day and then went back to our apartment for some more chill time.
Tuesday we went to a charming little town called Sirmione, where we ate Gelato, took in a Castle and some Roman Baths, and ate delicious pizza. On the way home we picked up some groceries for the rest of the week.
Wednesday was supposed to be the lay-out-by-the-pool-with-70spf-sunscreen-on day, but it rained all day, so we decided to see another little town instead. We walked around a place called Desenzano, and saw some pretty sweet panoramas of the lake. After we got back from that, we went to a street market in the town we stayed in Cavalcaselle, which had some great stuff. Then we ate our last dinner in the apartment and got ready to leave.
On Thursday we checked out early and headed back to Garmisch. We had the car for the whole day, so the afternoon was spent running errands that are much easier with a car. We went to the Army Post for groceries, hit up the library, and went around town with my friends to help them out as well. It was a nice day, and it had finally stopped raining!
Friday rolled around and I had to go back to work, so I did. Mom kept herself occupied with watching movies and baking, and I hurried home as fast as I could. We spent the evening watching a movie and having some dinner together.
Saturday I worked early in the morning, and then we just had a nice walk around town, which ended up in a little shopping at H&M. Boy do I love that place! For a follow up, we watched Star Trek. My favorite! Chris Pine is so...easy on the eyes...haha.
Sunday we attended the local Prodestant service as we were both a little drained from so much traveling. After the service we had a little girl time coloring our hair, painting our nails, and baking some more. We Smiley girls sure do love to bake! At nine, we met up with Ben, who had his parents in town for dinner at Zum Wildchutz, a great Bavarian restaurant in town. We had a lovely evening, and I tried Wild Boar for the first time. Yum!
Monday was Mom's last day here, so we went to the local swimming complex and sat around in the hot tub. After that we went home, baked some more, and then watched one last chick flick before she went back to our boy-infested home in Colorado. She left early the next day, and we said a groggy goodbye, then she left! sad day. But on the bright side, I only have a couple of months left here! Then it's off to the real world!
On Sunday My Mom and I left for Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy. It happens to be a three hour drive from where I live, so it was a nice ride down to the little vacation villa we had rented for the week. On Sunday we pretty much just chillaxed in our apartment, reading library books, cooking dinner, and watching chick flicks. It was wonderful to finally have a real vacation where I didn't have to run around a huge city trying to see everything!
On Monday we hit a local market, then hit a huge Botanical Garden complex about a twenty minute drive from Cavalcaselle. It was incredible! Not only did it cover 600,000 square meters, but it had everything from castle ruins to koi ponds to an actual church on the grounds! We wandered the gardens for a good portion of the day and then went back to our apartment for some more chill time.
Tuesday we went to a charming little town called Sirmione, where we ate Gelato, took in a Castle and some Roman Baths, and ate delicious pizza. On the way home we picked up some groceries for the rest of the week.
Wednesday was supposed to be the lay-out-by-the-pool-with-70spf-sunscreen-on day, but it rained all day, so we decided to see another little town instead. We walked around a place called Desenzano, and saw some pretty sweet panoramas of the lake. After we got back from that, we went to a street market in the town we stayed in Cavalcaselle, which had some great stuff. Then we ate our last dinner in the apartment and got ready to leave.
On Thursday we checked out early and headed back to Garmisch. We had the car for the whole day, so the afternoon was spent running errands that are much easier with a car. We went to the Army Post for groceries, hit up the library, and went around town with my friends to help them out as well. It was a nice day, and it had finally stopped raining!
Friday rolled around and I had to go back to work, so I did. Mom kept herself occupied with watching movies and baking, and I hurried home as fast as I could. We spent the evening watching a movie and having some dinner together.
Saturday I worked early in the morning, and then we just had a nice walk around town, which ended up in a little shopping at H&M. Boy do I love that place! For a follow up, we watched Star Trek. My favorite! Chris Pine is so...easy on the eyes...haha.
Sunday we attended the local Prodestant service as we were both a little drained from so much traveling. After the service we had a little girl time coloring our hair, painting our nails, and baking some more. We Smiley girls sure do love to bake! At nine, we met up with Ben, who had his parents in town for dinner at Zum Wildchutz, a great Bavarian restaurant in town. We had a lovely evening, and I tried Wild Boar for the first time. Yum!
Monday was Mom's last day here, so we went to the local swimming complex and sat around in the hot tub. After that we went home, baked some more, and then watched one last chick flick before she went back to our boy-infested home in Colorado. She left early the next day, and we said a groggy goodbye, then she left! sad day. But on the bright side, I only have a couple of months left here! Then it's off to the real world!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Barcelona
Well, time for another late update! About two weeks ago I had the opportunity to go to Spain, and the Catalunya region in particular. So let the chronicling begin!
Day 1: I went on this trip with a guy named Jeremy because I had heard that Spain was a dangerous place. We took a later train to Munich and caught our plane to Barcelona. We got to the city pretty late, and had a forty minute train ride to the area our Hostel was in. I had directions, and it seemed simple enough. It was easy to find, at the very top of a very steep hill that seemed to stretch on forever at 12:30 at night. We finally made it to our room, and crashed.
Day 2: We woke up in time to eat breakfast, then headed out to a famous park in the city that was designed by it's most famous artist-Gaudi. The park was owned by a man named Güell, who was a patron of the artist, and even had him design his home. The park was beautiful, and we enjoyed hiking around it and seeing all the different installations by Gaudi. After taking in our fill of beautiful scenery to a soundtrack of local musicians, we headed into the heart of town to see the famous cathedral Sagrada Familia, also designed by Gaudi. We took a round-about route, taking in more of the local flair. We marveled at one of the most unusual and magnificent cathedrals in Europe, and thought it was quite the sight. After that we went to see a big building that looked a lot like the Gherkin in London, and walked a bit more around town, including the famous Las Ramblas shopping district. By this point, we were both pretty tired, because all this sightseeing entailed several miles of walking. So we got on the train back to our hostel and called it a night after once again braving what came to be known as "The Hill".
Day 3: Our first task of the day was looking for the Picasso Museum. When we finally managed to find it, it was closed! Sad! So instead we went to the Choolate Museum. I thought it was a suitable substitute. We ate some chocolate (our tickets were actually small bars of dark chocolate), looked at some amazing chocolate art, and then ate more chocolate. After filling up on that, we headed back to the shopping district to actually do some shopping. For the rest of the day we wandered around looking into interesting shops and such until we were ready to head back to the hostel.
Day 4: We both agreed that we needed a break after ll that walking, so we headed down to the beach on this day. Once we located a suitable spot(which, incidentally, involved quite a bit of walking), we laid out for a good four hours. Of course, I slathered on tons of sunscreen and did not get the least bit of color. But its okay, because pasty is my favorite color. When we were finished baking, we went straight back to the hostel.
Day 5: This was another busy day! We began by heading up to the top of Mount Tibidabo to see a huge church on it's peak. We had to take two trains, one bus, and one funicular(small, one-segment train) to the top. Once there, we paid two euro to take an elevator to the middle floor of the roof, and from there climbed to the very top of the cathedral. The view of the city from this platform was incomparable to anything we had previously encountered, and we took a lot of pictures. It was cool to see Barcelona from that point of view, because we could also see all of the surrounding countryside. When we had taken in the beauty of the Catalunyan countryside, we made our way bak down the mountain, using all of the aforementioned means of transportation. When we were back in the city, we went to the National Museum of Catalynan Art. We walked through a teeming mass of Futbol fans gathered before the biggest game of the season, and incidentally, the stadium is located directly behind the museum, so they were completely surrounding the place. Once we fought our way through, we saw some amazing art from the Byzantine era all the way up to the most modern art. When we had finished at the museum, we went back to the hostel and were in bed by 8:30. We were bushed!
Day 6: Going home! We woke up, got packed, took one last jaunt into town for a few last minute items, and then made our way back to the airport, and eventually rain-sodden Garmisch! Yay!
Day 1: I went on this trip with a guy named Jeremy because I had heard that Spain was a dangerous place. We took a later train to Munich and caught our plane to Barcelona. We got to the city pretty late, and had a forty minute train ride to the area our Hostel was in. I had directions, and it seemed simple enough. It was easy to find, at the very top of a very steep hill that seemed to stretch on forever at 12:30 at night. We finally made it to our room, and crashed.
Day 2: We woke up in time to eat breakfast, then headed out to a famous park in the city that was designed by it's most famous artist-Gaudi. The park was owned by a man named Güell, who was a patron of the artist, and even had him design his home. The park was beautiful, and we enjoyed hiking around it and seeing all the different installations by Gaudi. After taking in our fill of beautiful scenery to a soundtrack of local musicians, we headed into the heart of town to see the famous cathedral Sagrada Familia, also designed by Gaudi. We took a round-about route, taking in more of the local flair. We marveled at one of the most unusual and magnificent cathedrals in Europe, and thought it was quite the sight. After that we went to see a big building that looked a lot like the Gherkin in London, and walked a bit more around town, including the famous Las Ramblas shopping district. By this point, we were both pretty tired, because all this sightseeing entailed several miles of walking. So we got on the train back to our hostel and called it a night after once again braving what came to be known as "The Hill".
Day 3: Our first task of the day was looking for the Picasso Museum. When we finally managed to find it, it was closed! Sad! So instead we went to the Choolate Museum. I thought it was a suitable substitute. We ate some chocolate (our tickets were actually small bars of dark chocolate), looked at some amazing chocolate art, and then ate more chocolate. After filling up on that, we headed back to the shopping district to actually do some shopping. For the rest of the day we wandered around looking into interesting shops and such until we were ready to head back to the hostel.
Day 4: We both agreed that we needed a break after ll that walking, so we headed down to the beach on this day. Once we located a suitable spot(which, incidentally, involved quite a bit of walking), we laid out for a good four hours. Of course, I slathered on tons of sunscreen and did not get the least bit of color. But its okay, because pasty is my favorite color. When we were finished baking, we went straight back to the hostel.
Day 5: This was another busy day! We began by heading up to the top of Mount Tibidabo to see a huge church on it's peak. We had to take two trains, one bus, and one funicular(small, one-segment train) to the top. Once there, we paid two euro to take an elevator to the middle floor of the roof, and from there climbed to the very top of the cathedral. The view of the city from this platform was incomparable to anything we had previously encountered, and we took a lot of pictures. It was cool to see Barcelona from that point of view, because we could also see all of the surrounding countryside. When we had taken in the beauty of the Catalunyan countryside, we made our way bak down the mountain, using all of the aforementioned means of transportation. When we were back in the city, we went to the National Museum of Catalynan Art. We walked through a teeming mass of Futbol fans gathered before the biggest game of the season, and incidentally, the stadium is located directly behind the museum, so they were completely surrounding the place. Once we fought our way through, we saw some amazing art from the Byzantine era all the way up to the most modern art. When we had finished at the museum, we went back to the hostel and were in bed by 8:30. We were bushed!
Day 6: Going home! We woke up, got packed, took one last jaunt into town for a few last minute items, and then made our way back to the airport, and eventually rain-sodden Garmisch! Yay!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Paris
What can I even say? Paris was...indescribable! But for the sake of all my dedicated readers (Hi Casey!) I will try!
Day 1: There were five of us going to Paris together, but we left a different times. Two girls left early Monday morning, and the other three (including me) left Monday night. We took the four o'clock train to Munich, and caught our plane at around 8:55 p.m. Upon arrival, we bought five day train passes, and headed into the city. Our hotel was in the financial district of La Defence, and was really, really inexpensive, considering we were going to shove five girls into a four bed room. But it was cozy! We got to the hotel at midnight, and went straight to bed. Before retiring, Kelly and I decided to get up early to catch a bike tour of the city that we believed started at 7 am and went until 11:30 at night. We had to meet the tour at the Eiffel tower, so we needed to get up at five in order to be on time.
Day 2: So Kelly and I get up super early and head to the Eiffel tower. When we arrive, we see that the area is completely deserted, and cannot see anything even remotely resembling a bike tour. So we sent a message to the friend that told us about the tour, and he told us it began at 7 PM!! So we went to get breakfast and rest before meeting up with the other girls to take a free walking tour. On the way to meet them, we saw the Arc de Triomphe, a famous monument in Paris. It was really cool to see the monuments in person after seeing them so many times in movies and in pictures. We met up with the girls by the town hall, and discovered that our map had listed the incorrect meeting place for the tour. By the time we found the actual meeting point we had missed the tour, so we went to eat lunch and wait for the next tour to start, around 1pm. We had some amazing Chocolate Banana Crepes, and met up with the tour just in time. The tour covered quite a bit of the major sights in the city like the Louvre, Notre Dame, Champ E'Lysses, the Eiffel Tower, The Arc de Triomphe, and many more. It was a great tour, and it helped us decide what we wanted to do the next day. After the tour we went to the Eiffel tower as a group and took the elevator to the top. It was such an amazing experience! The city was all lit up, and we enjoyed seeing it together. After descending the tower, we ate another Crepe (I know, I know. But we were in Paris!) and headed back to the hotel.
Day 3: This day we split up for the morning. Kelly, Jade and I went to the Montmarte district to see the Sacre Couer, and amazing basilica right in the middle of the tourist area. Before seeing the church, we stopped and saw Moulin Rouge, a famous sight in the red light district. It was...interesting. The place itself was cool to se, but the area was a little sketch. But we quickly vacated the area for the basilica. It was a very beautiful sight, and we really enjoyed seeing it. After that, Jade left to do her own thing, and Kelley and I went to the Orangerie, a museum that houses several impressionist masterpieces, including work by Monet, Degas, Picasso, and others. It was amazing! Monet did some incredibly beautiful work, and I was reminded of how much I enjoy impressionist art. When we were done there, we headed to Champ E'Lysses, the most upscale shopping street in all of Paris. Kelly had her heart set on a Louis Vuitton bag, and she would not leave without getting it. It was one of those things that I thought was crazy, buying a handbag that cost upwards of $500, but the heart wants what it wants, I guess! After her purchase, we went to meet Jade at the catacombs. Unfortunately, they had closed, so we were unable to see them. At 5:30, we headed for the Louvre, and saw some of the most famous works of art of all time. We saw the Mona Lisa, Victory, Venus De Milo, several Michelangelo sculptures, and countless other masterpieces. It was breathtaking! When the museum closed at ten, we headed back to our hotel for the night.
Day 4: DISNEYLAND PARIS! That is what Kelly, Jade an I did on our last full day in Paris. I know, why would anyone want to go there? I don't know, we just did. And it was a blast going on rides and seeing characters from our childhood. We went on Space Moutain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World, Phantom Manor, Indiana Jones, Star Tours, and Tower of Terror. We had a blast! Half-way through the day we got a message from Katie and Erin, who were supposed to catch their flight that afternoon saying that their flight had been canceled due to and erupting volcano in Iceland. In disbelief, we wrote it off until we got back to the hotel and talked to them about it. We found out that not only had their flight been canceled, but ours had as well. That is when we went to bed.
Day 5: In the morning we headed straight to the airport to get the lowdown. We found out that our only option to fly out was the following Monday (This was on Friday). Obviously, we could not afford to stay in Paris for another three days or longer. So we tried to rent a car, but they were all rented out already. So then we headed to the main train station, only to find that all the trains were booked until Monday as well. In desperation, we went to the platform of the next train to Munich and asked the conductor if we could get on the train at all. He aid we could, but we wouldn't have seats. At this point, we didn't care. So for 6 1/2 hours, we sat on the floor of the bar on the train. And paid 150 euro each to sit there. It was interesting. But we made it back!
Don't forget to check our my post on Rome, right below this one! ;)
Day 1: There were five of us going to Paris together, but we left a different times. Two girls left early Monday morning, and the other three (including me) left Monday night. We took the four o'clock train to Munich, and caught our plane at around 8:55 p.m. Upon arrival, we bought five day train passes, and headed into the city. Our hotel was in the financial district of La Defence, and was really, really inexpensive, considering we were going to shove five girls into a four bed room. But it was cozy! We got to the hotel at midnight, and went straight to bed. Before retiring, Kelly and I decided to get up early to catch a bike tour of the city that we believed started at 7 am and went until 11:30 at night. We had to meet the tour at the Eiffel tower, so we needed to get up at five in order to be on time.
Day 2: So Kelly and I get up super early and head to the Eiffel tower. When we arrive, we see that the area is completely deserted, and cannot see anything even remotely resembling a bike tour. So we sent a message to the friend that told us about the tour, and he told us it began at 7 PM!! So we went to get breakfast and rest before meeting up with the other girls to take a free walking tour. On the way to meet them, we saw the Arc de Triomphe, a famous monument in Paris. It was really cool to see the monuments in person after seeing them so many times in movies and in pictures. We met up with the girls by the town hall, and discovered that our map had listed the incorrect meeting place for the tour. By the time we found the actual meeting point we had missed the tour, so we went to eat lunch and wait for the next tour to start, around 1pm. We had some amazing Chocolate Banana Crepes, and met up with the tour just in time. The tour covered quite a bit of the major sights in the city like the Louvre, Notre Dame, Champ E'Lysses, the Eiffel Tower, The Arc de Triomphe, and many more. It was a great tour, and it helped us decide what we wanted to do the next day. After the tour we went to the Eiffel tower as a group and took the elevator to the top. It was such an amazing experience! The city was all lit up, and we enjoyed seeing it together. After descending the tower, we ate another Crepe (I know, I know. But we were in Paris!) and headed back to the hotel.
Day 3: This day we split up for the morning. Kelly, Jade and I went to the Montmarte district to see the Sacre Couer, and amazing basilica right in the middle of the tourist area. Before seeing the church, we stopped and saw Moulin Rouge, a famous sight in the red light district. It was...interesting. The place itself was cool to se, but the area was a little sketch. But we quickly vacated the area for the basilica. It was a very beautiful sight, and we really enjoyed seeing it. After that, Jade left to do her own thing, and Kelley and I went to the Orangerie, a museum that houses several impressionist masterpieces, including work by Monet, Degas, Picasso, and others. It was amazing! Monet did some incredibly beautiful work, and I was reminded of how much I enjoy impressionist art. When we were done there, we headed to Champ E'Lysses, the most upscale shopping street in all of Paris. Kelly had her heart set on a Louis Vuitton bag, and she would not leave without getting it. It was one of those things that I thought was crazy, buying a handbag that cost upwards of $500, but the heart wants what it wants, I guess! After her purchase, we went to meet Jade at the catacombs. Unfortunately, they had closed, so we were unable to see them. At 5:30, we headed for the Louvre, and saw some of the most famous works of art of all time. We saw the Mona Lisa, Victory, Venus De Milo, several Michelangelo sculptures, and countless other masterpieces. It was breathtaking! When the museum closed at ten, we headed back to our hotel for the night.
Day 4: DISNEYLAND PARIS! That is what Kelly, Jade an I did on our last full day in Paris. I know, why would anyone want to go there? I don't know, we just did. And it was a blast going on rides and seeing characters from our childhood. We went on Space Moutain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World, Phantom Manor, Indiana Jones, Star Tours, and Tower of Terror. We had a blast! Half-way through the day we got a message from Katie and Erin, who were supposed to catch their flight that afternoon saying that their flight had been canceled due to and erupting volcano in Iceland. In disbelief, we wrote it off until we got back to the hotel and talked to them about it. We found out that not only had their flight been canceled, but ours had as well. That is when we went to bed.
Day 5: In the morning we headed straight to the airport to get the lowdown. We found out that our only option to fly out was the following Monday (This was on Friday). Obviously, we could not afford to stay in Paris for another three days or longer. So we tried to rent a car, but they were all rented out already. So then we headed to the main train station, only to find that all the trains were booked until Monday as well. In desperation, we went to the platform of the next train to Munich and asked the conductor if we could get on the train at all. He aid we could, but we wouldn't have seats. At this point, we didn't care. So for 6 1/2 hours, we sat on the floor of the bar on the train. And paid 150 euro each to sit there. It was interesting. But we made it back!
Don't forget to check our my post on Rome, right below this one! ;)
Roma
Rome was an amazing trip! I had such a good time seeing one of the first great civilizations that once covered a huge portion of Europe and the Mediterranean. It was also my first solo adventure, and it turned out to be so relaxing to just do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted!
Day 1: I flew out of Munich and straight into Rome. The flight was only about an hour long, so I got to Rome with some daylight left, around 2 p.m. The first thing I did was locate my hostel (which took a while, as I got lost-no surprise there) and check into my room. The room was nice, and I was sharing with four other girls. I always pay a little extra to have a nicer room, and if I can find it, a girls only dorm. I dropped off my things and headed out toward the Spanish Steps to find my tour guide. I had booked three tours before I left, knowing that seeing the city by myself would not be as cool as knowing some of the history behind the places I was seeing. This tour covered most of the city's main sights and was very informative. We saw the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, Valentino's house, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Campo Di Fiori. Our guide was a very knowledgeable Brit who once came to Rome on vacation and never left. At the end of the tour I took a bus back to the main train station, which is a few blocks from the hostel, and went to bed, knowing I had to be up early for a tour in the morning.
Day 2: Woke up early and had breakfast in the hostel, which consisted of rolls and jam. I guess that's what you get for 15 euro a night ;) I got an early start, and made my way to Piazza Del Poppolo, the main square in Rome where three of the main streets converge, and the Vatican can be seen straight down the road. It took me a while to find it, because maps are confusing, but I made it there in a round-about manner. After seeing the famous piazza, I wandered toward the Vatican, where I would eventually meet up with my tour of the Vatican. I wandered around by the Vatican, buying postcards and other souvenirs, then found a Pizza shop (I found one every day) and took a break. After some delicious pizza and a Gelato chaser, I met up with my tour. We saw some incredible works of art in the Vatican Museum, learned about St. Peter's Basilica, saw Pieta by Michaelangelo, and learned about the Country of the Vatican. It was very informative, and such an interesting place to see. When the tour ended, I made my way back to the Hostel for dinner, and went to bed early.
Day 3: I had a nine a.m. tour of the Roman forum and Colosseum, so I got up early and headed out. I had met some people in the hostel the night before, and one of the girls decided to take the same tour I was on, so we went together. We met up with our tour and made our way past the Constantine arch and into the Roman Forum. The Roman forum was the seat of government for Rome back in the day, kind of like an ancient Washington D.C. We saw Mussolini's home, which he had built among the ruins, old temples to the pagan gods, homes, palaces, and so much more. In it's glory days, the Forum would have been incredibly magnificent to behold! After seeing the Forum, we went to the Colosseum and learned all about the epic battles between Gladiators, lions, and prisoners that provided entertainment for the Roman masses. It seemes very barbaric to me, but I suppose that humans have been doing horrible things to other humans for a very long time (Cain and Abel anyone?). That Colosseum was very cool, and the tour ended on a high note. After the tour, my new friend and I wandered the city, and I showed her the big sights like the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Del Poppolo. We walked quite a bit, and had a great time seeing more of the city. After we couldn't walk any more, we headed back to the hostel, where I met up with another girl from my room to go to dinner. I had wanted to have a nice Italian dinner, but didn't ant to go alone, so we decided to do it together, both of us being solo travelers. We took the bus back to the Trevi Fountain, and ate at a cute little cafe down one of the side streets surrounding the plaza. Our food was excellent, and we had a wonderful time. After dinner I headed to the airport, where I had to spend a horrible night trying to sleep on a bench before catching my plane at six in the morning. It was not the best night I have ever had, but all in all, I had such a fantastic time in Rome that it didn't matter!
Day 1: I flew out of Munich and straight into Rome. The flight was only about an hour long, so I got to Rome with some daylight left, around 2 p.m. The first thing I did was locate my hostel (which took a while, as I got lost-no surprise there) and check into my room. The room was nice, and I was sharing with four other girls. I always pay a little extra to have a nicer room, and if I can find it, a girls only dorm. I dropped off my things and headed out toward the Spanish Steps to find my tour guide. I had booked three tours before I left, knowing that seeing the city by myself would not be as cool as knowing some of the history behind the places I was seeing. This tour covered most of the city's main sights and was very informative. We saw the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, Valentino's house, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Campo Di Fiori. Our guide was a very knowledgeable Brit who once came to Rome on vacation and never left. At the end of the tour I took a bus back to the main train station, which is a few blocks from the hostel, and went to bed, knowing I had to be up early for a tour in the morning.
Day 2: Woke up early and had breakfast in the hostel, which consisted of rolls and jam. I guess that's what you get for 15 euro a night ;) I got an early start, and made my way to Piazza Del Poppolo, the main square in Rome where three of the main streets converge, and the Vatican can be seen straight down the road. It took me a while to find it, because maps are confusing, but I made it there in a round-about manner. After seeing the famous piazza, I wandered toward the Vatican, where I would eventually meet up with my tour of the Vatican. I wandered around by the Vatican, buying postcards and other souvenirs, then found a Pizza shop (I found one every day) and took a break. After some delicious pizza and a Gelato chaser, I met up with my tour. We saw some incredible works of art in the Vatican Museum, learned about St. Peter's Basilica, saw Pieta by Michaelangelo, and learned about the Country of the Vatican. It was very informative, and such an interesting place to see. When the tour ended, I made my way back to the Hostel for dinner, and went to bed early.
Day 3: I had a nine a.m. tour of the Roman forum and Colosseum, so I got up early and headed out. I had met some people in the hostel the night before, and one of the girls decided to take the same tour I was on, so we went together. We met up with our tour and made our way past the Constantine arch and into the Roman Forum. The Roman forum was the seat of government for Rome back in the day, kind of like an ancient Washington D.C. We saw Mussolini's home, which he had built among the ruins, old temples to the pagan gods, homes, palaces, and so much more. In it's glory days, the Forum would have been incredibly magnificent to behold! After seeing the Forum, we went to the Colosseum and learned all about the epic battles between Gladiators, lions, and prisoners that provided entertainment for the Roman masses. It seemes very barbaric to me, but I suppose that humans have been doing horrible things to other humans for a very long time (Cain and Abel anyone?). That Colosseum was very cool, and the tour ended on a high note. After the tour, my new friend and I wandered the city, and I showed her the big sights like the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Del Poppolo. We walked quite a bit, and had a great time seeing more of the city. After we couldn't walk any more, we headed back to the hostel, where I met up with another girl from my room to go to dinner. I had wanted to have a nice Italian dinner, but didn't ant to go alone, so we decided to do it together, both of us being solo travelers. We took the bus back to the Trevi Fountain, and ate at a cute little cafe down one of the side streets surrounding the plaza. Our food was excellent, and we had a wonderful time. After dinner I headed to the airport, where I had to spend a horrible night trying to sleep on a bench before catching my plane at six in the morning. It was not the best night I have ever had, but all in all, I had such a fantastic time in Rome that it didn't matter!
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