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!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
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!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Venice
As requested (by Casey) I will continue to chronicle my adventures travel-log style. So heeeeeeeere's Venice!
Day 1: Tyane (my roomie) and Andrew (a friend) decided to rent a car and drive the four and a half hours to Venice, Italy for a weekend. We left on Saturday night and drove non-stop all the way. When we finally arrived, we checked into our hotel and crashed.
Day 2: After discovering that our bathroom and shower were one whole unit and marveling at the flood that resulted from taking a shower, we headed out to the train station. It was a little bit chilly, but much warmer that Garmisch. We took the train onto the island and decided that instead of taking the water taxi, we wanted to explore by walking the city. So we started by finding Piazza San Marco, the most famous Piazza in Venice. The view was incredible! Venice is such an amazing place! We wandered around, going into random churches and shops as we pleased, and I even took in my very first Catholic Mass in a Benedictine Monastery. It was such a neat experience to see the people of Venice in their everyday lives. We saw so many cool things, and the city is truly a beautiful place! Every picture I took was a postcard! After a substantial amount of walking, we decided to call it a day. Venice is a very small city, and perfect to see in a day or two. We took the train back to the mainland and took a nap on the rock-hard mattresses before setting out to find dinner. We all wanted to experience some good Italian food, so we asked the front desk clerk to recommend somewhere. He pointed us toward a great little seafood joint, where we had amazing food and great conversation. After that, we decided the day couldn't get any better, so we went to bed.
Day 3: This day we decided that rather that having to rush home, we wanted to take the day slow and meander back. We had seen that the next town over had an Ikea, so we thought it would be a great idea to take advantage of having a car and stop in to see if they had any good deals. They DID! Tyane and I got some shelves, a rug, and lamps for our bedside tables, as well as some picture frames for the great oil paintings we bought in Venice. We loaded our loot in the car and set off through the beautiful vineyards of northern Italy and steadily made our way back to the German alps we call home!
Day 1: Tyane (my roomie) and Andrew (a friend) decided to rent a car and drive the four and a half hours to Venice, Italy for a weekend. We left on Saturday night and drove non-stop all the way. When we finally arrived, we checked into our hotel and crashed.
Day 2: After discovering that our bathroom and shower were one whole unit and marveling at the flood that resulted from taking a shower, we headed out to the train station. It was a little bit chilly, but much warmer that Garmisch. We took the train onto the island and decided that instead of taking the water taxi, we wanted to explore by walking the city. So we started by finding Piazza San Marco, the most famous Piazza in Venice. The view was incredible! Venice is such an amazing place! We wandered around, going into random churches and shops as we pleased, and I even took in my very first Catholic Mass in a Benedictine Monastery. It was such a neat experience to see the people of Venice in their everyday lives. We saw so many cool things, and the city is truly a beautiful place! Every picture I took was a postcard! After a substantial amount of walking, we decided to call it a day. Venice is a very small city, and perfect to see in a day or two. We took the train back to the mainland and took a nap on the rock-hard mattresses before setting out to find dinner. We all wanted to experience some good Italian food, so we asked the front desk clerk to recommend somewhere. He pointed us toward a great little seafood joint, where we had amazing food and great conversation. After that, we decided the day couldn't get any better, so we went to bed.
Day 3: This day we decided that rather that having to rush home, we wanted to take the day slow and meander back. We had seen that the next town over had an Ikea, so we thought it would be a great idea to take advantage of having a car and stop in to see if they had any good deals. They DID! Tyane and I got some shelves, a rug, and lamps for our bedside tables, as well as some picture frames for the great oil paintings we bought in Venice. We loaded our loot in the car and set off through the beautiful vineyards of northern Italy and steadily made our way back to the German alps we call home!
Friday, March 26, 2010
London, Extended Version
Okay, so here is how it went down...
Day 1: Katie and I went to Memmingen (west of Munich) to catch our Ryan Air flight to London-Stanstead. We got into London at around 7:00, and took a bus into town. Because we weren't sure about where our hostel was, we wandered around the Liverpool station a little bit before we found the right place to go. We ended up being able to walk there in around ten minutes, so we braved the streets and got acquainted with London right away. We decided to be crazy and both dyed our hair in the hostel that night, although we both did colors we had done before, so nothing drastic (although Katie's was pretty red...). Then we crawled into bed and crashed after our long day of traveling.
Day 2: Both Katie and I really wanted to do some shopping an such while in London, so we decided to go to Camden Town, which is the market district in London. We found some really good deals, and ended up getting our hair cut as well. We both cut a lot of hair off! I cut off about five inches! It was a fun change for both of us. Because my hair was taking such a long time, Katie decided she wanted to go see a museum of Modern Art, so we chose a meeting time (7:00) and place (outside the entrance to the Museum). Unfortunately, there were several entrances to the museum, and we lost each other for about two hours. I have to admit, I thought she was taken by white slavers. But we are both very responsible people, and thought that going back to the Hostel was a safe bet, and we found each other there. After vowing to never separate again, we set off to meet up with a tour of some of London's best Pubs. Because I didn't want her to go alone, I decided to tag along, and just be the designated bus/cab finder at the end of the night. Plus, I got all my drinks free! Water is usually free, but even if I had had to pay, there were plenty of willing parties to do that for me ;) We ended up meeting some cool people, and having a good time, even though it is tough to find your way back to a hostel with four semi-drunk people in tow. I am now very confident that I could be the designated driver/bus/cab-finder anywhere.
Day 3: The best day ever! We began with a free tour of the most famous sights in London, including Buckingham Place, Big Ben, and Westminster. After this tour, we had a great lunch of Fish and Chips with Smashed Peas, and made our way to the afternoon tour of Old London. That was a great tour that took in the Lawyer's area (it's a city within a city within a city!) the church of the Knights Templar, Covent Garden, and more. We ate dinner at our favorite restaurant (Pret Manager) and discovered Love bars (best things since chocolate bars). After this tour we rushed back to change into our finery for the best part of London by far, which was seeing Wicked!!! It was amazing and so much fun!
Day 4: Caught the bus back to the airport and made our merry way back to Garmisch!
Day 1: Katie and I went to Memmingen (west of Munich) to catch our Ryan Air flight to London-Stanstead. We got into London at around 7:00, and took a bus into town. Because we weren't sure about where our hostel was, we wandered around the Liverpool station a little bit before we found the right place to go. We ended up being able to walk there in around ten minutes, so we braved the streets and got acquainted with London right away. We decided to be crazy and both dyed our hair in the hostel that night, although we both did colors we had done before, so nothing drastic (although Katie's was pretty red...). Then we crawled into bed and crashed after our long day of traveling.
Day 2: Both Katie and I really wanted to do some shopping an such while in London, so we decided to go to Camden Town, which is the market district in London. We found some really good deals, and ended up getting our hair cut as well. We both cut a lot of hair off! I cut off about five inches! It was a fun change for both of us. Because my hair was taking such a long time, Katie decided she wanted to go see a museum of Modern Art, so we chose a meeting time (7:00) and place (outside the entrance to the Museum). Unfortunately, there were several entrances to the museum, and we lost each other for about two hours. I have to admit, I thought she was taken by white slavers. But we are both very responsible people, and thought that going back to the Hostel was a safe bet, and we found each other there. After vowing to never separate again, we set off to meet up with a tour of some of London's best Pubs. Because I didn't want her to go alone, I decided to tag along, and just be the designated bus/cab finder at the end of the night. Plus, I got all my drinks free! Water is usually free, but even if I had had to pay, there were plenty of willing parties to do that for me ;) We ended up meeting some cool people, and having a good time, even though it is tough to find your way back to a hostel with four semi-drunk people in tow. I am now very confident that I could be the designated driver/bus/cab-finder anywhere.
Day 3: The best day ever! We began with a free tour of the most famous sights in London, including Buckingham Place, Big Ben, and Westminster. After this tour, we had a great lunch of Fish and Chips with Smashed Peas, and made our way to the afternoon tour of Old London. That was a great tour that took in the Lawyer's area (it's a city within a city within a city!) the church of the Knights Templar, Covent Garden, and more. We ate dinner at our favorite restaurant (Pret Manager) and discovered Love bars (best things since chocolate bars). After this tour we rushed back to change into our finery for the best part of London by far, which was seeing Wicked!!! It was amazing and so much fun!
Day 4: Caught the bus back to the airport and made our merry way back to Garmisch!
Friday, March 12, 2010
London
Well, it's taken me this long to post about London, who knows when I'll get around to Venice and Rome! I had a blast in England, soaking up the local culture with my friend Katie. We saw everything, and then some! We went to see Wicked on our final night in town, and just had a blast! If you want to see pictures, you'll have to go to facebook, because my internet is too slow to upload pictures on blogspot. Sorry!
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