EUROTRIP

Here it is, finally; a "brief" overview of my European adventure/thoughts on backpacks, trains, and walking shoes. Straight from the journal I kept along the way.

Berlin

Saturday:
On Friday night, we took an overnight bus from Copenhagen to Berlin... a 9 hour commute of which I slept (you guessed it) not at all. I had been banking on sleeping in our apartment when we arrived at 7 am, but it turned out the room wouldn't be ready until 3. Oops. Instead, Sebastian and I passed out in booths in the lobby and then we all walked around the city (in the rain) before making a bee-line to Starbucks aka the American Embassy. Once we were able to get into our room, we ate, showered, and napped in preparation for an evening of exploring. Now, I shouldn't admit this, but I know (well, knew) very little about the history of Germany... like, enough to get by without sounding like I live under a rock... so I asked Michael and Susanne for a history lesson. Turns out, I know all the names of people, places, and events, but no idea how they fit together. Give me any organic chemistry reaction mechanism and I'll do it with my eyes closed, but ask me why the Berlin Wall was put up and I'll mumble something about the sick graffiti on it. Okay maybe not to that extreme, but the point is, I've been so clueless and honestly, I was more concerned with Mr. Paquin's jokes and Mr. Zaza's stories about boy scouts than actually paying attention in high school history class. My weakness, I suppose. History just never interested me so I never listened... just crammed for tests, passed them with flying colors, and then forgot everything. The one subject in history that did interest me, though, was the Holocaust. Maybe I shouldn't tell anyone that either, but really, it fascinated me... I just didn't really know anything about WW2, The Cold War, East vs. West Germany (who controlled each side, why it split, etc.) So after my history lesson (East = Soviet Union/communism, West = France, U.S. U.K./capitalism). Then the country split and the wall went up through Berlin. Literally tore down houses on the boundary, split up families and friends, the East had to board up their westward facing windows so they weren't tempted to flee, etc... scary stuff. So tonight, when I climbed the stairs of the Wall memorial and looked out onto the remaining part of the Wall with Neimansland (or the "death strip") complete with flood lights and military gun towers, I was beside myself with emotion. And not in the same way when walking the ancient ruins of Rome. That is untouchable, almost inconceivable history. This wall... that people tried to dig under, fly over, drive through and were killed on the spot... this happened less than 30 years ago. That's tangible history and that makes it interesting to me. I couldn't move; I just stood there and stared. Thinking about everything I had just learned. Trying to imagine life then, with a wall straight through the middle of a life that I once knew, and that would never really be again. Haunting, to say the least.

anddd we're off

Wall marker throughout the city

the Wall and the "death strip"

Sunday:
Today was the most beautiful day. We rented bikes in the morning and toured the city, making stops at the East Side Gallery (the famous murals on the Wall), Checkpoint Charlie (the most well known Berlin crossing point between East and West Germany), and the Brandenburg Gate (think, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"). After a long morning, we picked up some fruit and rode our bikes to Tiergarten, a beautiful park/forest for lunch and a nap in the sun. Then we stopped at the site of the Global Stone Project on our way out to the Berlin Victory Column (aka the Siegessäule), which we climbed all the way to the top for an incredible view of the city. As the sun started to set, we rode home along the Spree River, stopping at a small hillside park before heading home for dinner. After dinner, we walked to Hackescher Markt and then down to the waterfront to relax, drink coffee, and listen to live music. That's definitely what I loved most about Berlin; they really take advantage of their waterfront in the form of outdoor restaurants, cafes, parks, bars, and even dance clubs. The river on a warm sunny day is the place to be.

East Side Gallery

"there are plenty of walls to tear down"

Checkpoint Charlie

he asked me on a date lol

Brandenburg Gate

so did he lolol

Holocaust Memorial

Tiergarten

Global Stone Project

Victory Column

view from the top

Ampelmannchen

Monday:
Today wasn't anywhere near as nice as it was yesterday, but it was way better than Saturday. Michael brought me to Checkpoint Charlie Museum for the afternoon while Susanne and Sebastian climbed the TV Tower. The museum was pretty heavy in the way that it was filled with old photos, newspapers, and footage from the time during and after the Wall, plus tons of real stories of those who tried to flee from East to West. Seeing the Wall was one thing, but reading first hand accounts of those affected by this sick oppression was on a whole new level; families split, children separated from their parents, innocent people shot dead, it even went so far as to enact forced adoptions to punish the parents for not conforming to the communist government and to ensure that their children not grow up learning such an "unlawful" way of life. People catapulting over the wall, digging their way under it, hiding in surfboards and under car seats, kayaking and flying in homemade planes... people were beyond desperate to get out. It was a really heavy, moving experience. After a few hours in the museum, we met back up with Susanne and Sebastian for coffee and then said goodbye to Michael (he had to go home to work) before heading to the Reichstag building where we were escorted under high security into the building and up to the roof where we could climb a ramp in the glass dome to see the whole city. Definitely prettier from ground level, but still a cool sight. Finally, we had our last meal at an outdoor restaurant; asparagus salad with almonds and strawberries and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing and a GIANT Weissbier.. a new favorite. After dinner, we got Häagen-Dazs ice cream for a real German treat. Somehow so much better when you're actually in Germany. All in all, I really liked Berlin for its many parks (so much green area since they turned all of No Man's Land into parks and gardens), cheap food, good beer, cool buildings, happy people, live music, top notch graffiti, Ampelmännchen crossing signals, remnants of the Wall/markers throughout the city, and its rich history. Makes you really appreciate what you know to see things first hand. Everyone always says that you learn more from travelling than you do from a textbook, and I never disagreed, I just never knew how true it was until now. TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL!

Reichstag

Prague

Tuesday:

After catching the 7 am bus (aka waking up at 5:30), I made it to Prague AND figured out the metro system ALL by myself. A couple of hiccups along the way (sat in front of creepy Albanians on the bus and thought I was going to get "Taken", almost lost my credit card in an ATM, walked in a 2 mile circle before finding the hotel), but essentially, all went smoothly. When I made it to the hotel, the bellman (yes, there was a bellman) took my bag and sat me down in the comfiest velvet couch with cold water and one of the concierges brought me a welcome package and virtually walked me through the city from the hotel before bringing my things up to the Queen's Palace of hotel rooms. We walked through the courtyard gardens and up a red carpet staircase into a room with ceilings 20 feet high, a bed that could comfortably fit 4 people, and a mini kitchen. Absolutely unbelievable. While I waited for Mel to get there, (she got lost and basically toured the city before finding the hotel), I took a much needed shower and relaxed. After our exciting reunion, we got ready and hit the town. There was still some sun out, so we walked across the Charle's Bridge (right across from the hotel) and over into Mala Strana and the castle district, marveling at the indescribable beauty and charm of the city. It reminded me a bit of Florence and Tuscany, with its terracotta buildings and winding cobblestone streets. We were absolutely smitten the second we set foot on the bridge overlooking the Vltava river and up to Prague Castle. We had no idea that it got even more perfect as the sun set and the castle and bridge lit up; it was like a freaking Disney fairytale. We got dinner at a restaurant near our hotel and then sat on a bench by the water, jaws dropped in awe. Really, no words or pictures do it justice. After a night walk through the charming Old Town Square (including the overrated Astronomical Clock) we made the short walk back to the hotel and slept like logs on our cloud, I mean bed.

our balcony

courtyard at our hotel

castle district

Old Town Square

Charle's Bridge and Prague Castle

Wednesday:

The next morning, we met our friend Kanika (from Potsdam) and spent the day exploring the city. First stop, the bakery down the street where I had my first Trdelník. Basically, fried bread dough rolled and wrapped around a metal stick and baked over fire, dipped in cinnamon sugar, and pulled off the tube leaving a hollowed out rope cylinder. Can't even explain it, but it would be the first of three, each one better than the last. My God I'm going to miss those things. As we started to venture out, it started to downpour so we ran for cover into the nearest building, conveniently a local pub. Beer for breakfast... na zdravi! What better way to immerse ourselves into real Czech culture. Just to put it into perspective, a 0.5 liter mug of Pilsner Urquell (the local beer) costs 34 Czech Kroner... which is about $1.40... which is about $2.00 cheaper than water. Oh, Czechs. After getting dry, we walked down to the river and rented a paddle boat to ride around under the many bridges of the Vltava River. Even with clouds filling the sky, the city's charm is unparalleled. After a bit, we made our way back, got lunch in a cafe in Stare Mesto (Old Town), signed up for a pub crawl recommended by everyone we knew who had been there, and went back to the hotel to get ready. We ate dinner at Klub Architektu; a cozy, dimly lit basement restaurant housed in the old underground tunnels Prague is famous for. Great atmosphere and a very sweet and helpful waiter named Petr who explained some Czech traditions to us and told us the story behind the (in)famous Absinthe. After dinner, we made our way to the square to meet the rest of the pub crawl and walked to to the first bar where we got unlimited shots of absinthe (not the real stuff), vodka shooters, beer, and wine for an hour. We basically paid $25 for unlimited alcohol, free admission into 3 more bars, entrance into the largest dance club in central Europe, and a sick t-shirt. Can you say "SWOLLID"?! (Mel's creation.. a combination of "holler" and "solid") On second thought, no.. don't say that. Ever. Moving on. We met some really great friends from New Zealand, Australia, and England. The Aussies and the Brits are seemingly everywhere. And no, I'm not complaining. I could listen to them talk for days. We became what college girls would call "insta-bffs" after Mel yelled "you sound like yo from london" down the bar, quoting the ever famous and horrendously overused movie line. We crawled to pubs, danced alot, spoke with British accents, stole pizza out of windows, cartwheeled through the streets, and climbed buildings until the crawl ended.. conveniently across the street from our hotel in a 5 story club with an ice bar. 

KANI

na zdravi!

Klub Arkitektu

Mel, Loz, Mel, Liz

Thursday:

Another sightseeing day for Mel and me. We made our way up to the Prague Castle, of course eating a Trdlnik on the way. Again, no words. This place was out of this world. The castle/cathedral are HUGE and breathtaking, the gardens inconceivably perfect, and the view from the lookout.. just wow. Almost hard to believe it's real. We sat on the ledge overlooking the entire city and once we could form words again, we hugged each other and registered just how lucky we were to be on this adventure. Experiencing and seeing so many things. After what seemed like hours of getting lost in the view of the sea of orange roofs and multicolored houses, we started to walk back down the hill, only to run into our English friends from the night before. Small world. But not really. On our way home, we stopped at St. Wenceslas Square; the expansive shopping district and tourist attraction. We made a pit stop at H&M after realizing that as much as we wanted it to be a hot, sunny three weeks, it wasn't going to be. And we had no warm clothes. Dejlig. Around 9, we decided to just walk around the old town square and JUST as we said how funny it would be if we saw our English friends again, they turned the corner. No joke. It was bizarre. So we went to an all white bed bar; the name is fairly self explanatory.. it was a bar with giant white beds instead of booths and fluorescent lighting. We celebrated our friend Sarah's birthday with some other backpackers from Kent, Jake and Ben, and then on to a live music bar. By the time we left, it was pretty late and the rowdy bar goers were getting thrown out onto the streets, so Jake and Ben walked us home. After an hour of hanging out/imitating each other's accents on the Charle's Bridge, we planned to meet up in Amsterdam and said our goodbyes. 

walking up to the castle

Mel's 23rd icecream cone

couch bar

our english mates

the tallest man in the world

friends

Friday:

This morning after a depressing departure from our beloved palace, we begrudgingly returned our key and stored our luggage while we spent the day like we spent most days; walking around the winding streets of the city, getting lost, and finding our way back, which was probably the best part of this leg of our adventure. We finally found the John Lennon Wall, where given the opportunity, I could have spent hours sitting and reading, listening to the guy playing Beatles songs on his guitar. It was so underrated and not as touristy as I was expecting (nothing like the Berlin Wall), which was really very refreshing. Just people coming and going, looking and leaving their mark, and taking in the peace of the quiet afternoon. A definite favorite. Then we walked to the famous Dancing House (aka Fred and Ginger), and then it was time to head to the train station. We actually had no idea how to get there, but luckily we found some friends on the street who had us follow them there. That was followed by about 45 minutes of chaos, as nothing was in English, no one spoke English or was able to help us, and we had no idea what we were doing or where to go. Really convenient for the country's main train station. Finally we found someone who told us where to go, and after some record breaking sprinting, we made it in just enough time. Extremely frustrating, but we were able to figure it out and now we're sitting in our triple bunked cabin beds with our new Czech friends, Franka and Mikaela (who have now downed 3 Pilsner Tall Boys, a liter of rum and coke, and are moving onto a bottle of gin) for a 15 hour train ride to Zurich. Bohemia, Bohemia, is NO LONGER a fantasy in my head. And it is most definitely not dead (just a little RENT counter-reference for my fellow musical enthusiasts). 

Rivers and Roads

Fred and Ginger

don't make me leave

Zurich

Saturday:

We got into Zurich this morning and Andre, the brother of a friend of Mel's, picked us up and brought us back to his house about 10 minutes outside of the city. We dropped off our things, got settled, and went back into the city to explore. Andre was so sweet and accommodating and his 15 year old son, Josh, was a doll. Back in the city, we walked the streets lined with high end stores I've never heard of (nor care about) and filled with Ferraris (too many of them). Someone please take my gypsy soul back to Bohemia where I left my heart. I had a $13 bowl of Swiss Muesli at an overpriced restaurant, watched Andre try out $3000 fountain pens (still confused as to what you could possibly want a pen more expensive than my whole month of backpacking for?), followed Mel in and out of stores that I apparently should have known about, and talked with locals in a sports bar with a Mexican bartender who missed his calling as a standup comedian. It's not too late, Pedro. Actually, Pedro was the highlight of our short stay in this ritzy and incredibly overpriced city. If I could do it again, I would stay more than one day and see the real beauty of Switzerland (Interlaken, the Alps, etc.) but I enjoyed what I could of it.. Pedro's one liners, free accommodation, Swiss cheese and chocolate, and the fact that it saved us from a 24 train ride to Paris. Silver linings and such. 

$2000 dollar fountain pens. wut?

Lake of Zurich

PEDRO 

view from the lookout

Swiss Muesli

Dinner!

Paris

Sunday: 

After Andre fed us and sent us off on our high speed train to Paris, we spent the four hour ride singing, planning, and learning French, obviously. When we arrived, we took the metro (supposed to be incredibly confusing, but this girl's a pro now so..) to St. Christopher's Hostel. It was actually pretty nice... for a hostel; hella friendly staff, great location, big comfy beds, etc. Unfortunately, they were booked for the rest of the week so we only had one night there before we moved on to Vintage Hostel, which was actually pretty freaking horrible... for a hostel. We asked the girl at the front desk where she recommended grabbing dinner in the area and she pointed us in the direction of two restaurants across the street from each other, one blue, one red. Of course you don't care what the colors were, but it is a key point in this story, as our choice would ultimately decide our fate. Sound familiar? Thought so. Poor Keanu.. if he had only chosen the blue pill he wouldn't have had to bear witness to the true nature of The Matrix. Okay, okay, enough with the drama. We of course weren't in an illusion vs. reality sort of pickle, but picking the blue restaurant did in fact change the course of our five days in Paris; as we opened the door, we entered a Parisian dream that I'm almost certain I have yet to wake up from. Thanks for the life lesson, Keanu.. when life gives you a choice between primary colors, just pick blue, okay? It was the kind of restaurant where you'd imagine a beautiful French woman in a beret sitting under an invisible spotlight reflecting off her flawless, Lancome ad skin while French men with Dali-esque mustaches whispered sweet, French nothings in her general direction. Also, there's probably a fan in the corner simulating a light breeze.. for dramatic effect, of course. We took our seats next to strangers, as there were no separate tables: just a long row of small tables pushed together. Needless to say, strangers were not strangers for long. Just as we were about to leave, two adorable French men sat down next to us, one sporting a Yankees hat. We told him (with hand gestures.. our "learn French on your iPod" didn't prepare us for this conversation) that we were from New York and thus began the start of a very interesting and VERY rewarding friendship. Sam and Baptiste (both about 26 year old Paris natives) kindly offered to share their bottle of wine with us so we accepted and decided to stay. Over dessert (creme brulee, compliments of our new friends) Baptiste told us about the hotel that he helps manage near the Champs-Elysees. The Plaza Athenee (if you don't click that link, I will come and click it for you because you will not believe the rest of this story if you don't) is a 5 star luxury hotel in Paris where all the big names from around the world come to stay.. where a Standard Guestroom costs no less than $1200 per night and a Signature Suite costs up to $8000 per night (Here's the Eiffel Suite.. care to indulge? Or spend your life's savings in one night? ME EITHER!) Anyway, he went on and on about the rooms and the gardens and high tea on the terrace. High tea caught Mel's attention (she was drooling with her jaw to the table at this point.. high roller), as this was the one thing she was adamant about doing before we left. He invited us to come the next day, but cautioned us that it was in fact a 5 star luxury hotel, and prices were characteristically steep. We went, but we'll get to that. After the sun went down, we went out to the restaurant terrace for coffee before they walked us back to the hostel around the corner. They were so kind and genuine and I know you're probably all thinking, "Liz, your dad is strong, but he's not Liam Neeson" and I'm fully aware/kept my guard up at all times, but these guys knew EVERYONE; waiters, neighbors, street vendors, the dry cleaner, bartenders, etc. I at least knew that if we went missing, there would be a neighborhood of witnesses. Jokes, jokes. But really, they were wonderful, Baptiste in particular.. Sam didn't speak much English and was usually busy running his family bar/restaurant down the street. We said goodbye at the hostel with a kiss on each cheek, of course, because it's Paris and why not. For the rest of the night, we sat at the hostel bar, talked with other backpackers, and watched a dog with sunglasses drink beer. Too bad for the dog, we were already too impressed with our new friends to pay much mind to him. 

behind our hostel

at "the blue restaurant"

creme brulee

Monday:

This morning, we moved our stuff to our new hostel, picked up our Paris Passes, and planned out our day. It was already a beautiful day, even though rain was in the forecast for the five days we were there so we went to Montmartre and climbed all the steps up the hill to the Sacre-Coeur. Absolutely breathtaking against the perfect blue sky. We sat on the steps overlooking the city in front of it and ate lunch in silence, taking in the view. After a while, we made our way down the winding Parisian streets, stopping at the Dali exhibit on our way to the Montmartre Cemetery and the Moulin Rouge at my insistence. Being a theater enthusiast and an avid musical-goer (and also that I went through a phase where I watched the movie every day for weeks on end.. because I can-can-can) I was fairly disappointed. I'm not sure why I wasn't expecting it to be an overdone tourist attraction, but I wasn't.. and it was. We took a picture for proof (I wanted to re-enact the can-can, but Mel wouldn't let me) and moved on down the hill. Actually, the Moulin de la Galette near the top of the hill is one of the only remaining windmills in the city, and much more appealing than the sadly anti-climatic Moulin Rouge. Since we spent the morning doing what I wanted to do, we took the metro to the Plaza de Athenee where we got our first view of the Eiffel Tower and reenacted Audrey Hepburn's Bonjour Paris! scene from Funny Face. As soon as we walked up to the rose covered face of the hotel and through the gold plated doors, we stopped breathing and I don't think we started again until we left. It would be an afternoon to remember for the rest of our lives and no, I'm not exaggerating this time. Baptiste showed us through the Royal Gallery (gold and velvet everything) and the bar before seating us out on the terrace. I'm not even going to try and describe it because there are literally no words... straight out of a movie. But better. When I try and explain it, it just comes out in long drawn out sighs and "oh my gods" so I'll just tell you what happened. We were thinking of just ordering tea (~$30 for a small kettle), but as soon as we stopped drooling over pastries we couldn't afford, Baptiste was at our table with fresh raspberry puree champagne and a strawberry tart with pistachio cream puffs on top. Before we were halfway through, he was back again with a butter creme pastry and a caramel frosted mini cake with a caramel filled cream ball on top. And then the famous specialty house tea came out. Good God, I never wanted it to end. It was like that scene in Anchorman where Christina Applegate and Will Ferrell are riding unicorns on rainbows through "Pleasuretown"... except they were having sex and we were eating pastries. These pastries needed a throne and a crown and a castle where I could eat them for the rest of my life. I wanted to take a bath in them. I have never been so happy to be so full in my life. Oh, and our sweet friend told us it was all on the house and when we protested he said all he was just so humbled that we actually came and he wanted to give us a taste (pun intended) of the Parisian lifestyle and of the city he loved so dearly. I know I'm a dramatic person, but I swear to Christ my life was changed and my world was rocked by the course of events that played out on that sunny afternoon in Paris. To thank him, we left him a note that we would take him out to dinner at any non-touristy restaurant of his choice when he got off of work. He took us to a place called Mama Shelter.. a very "hipster" restaurant/hotel with chalkboard ceilings, strung beads for doors, couches instead of chairs, vintage light fixtures, etc. Definitely one of the coolest places I've been and an old favorite of Baptiste's. We indulged in gazpacho, eggplant-mushroom ravioli, greens and beans, buratta cheese, and more, and then split chocolate souflee and fresh berry crumble pie. Oh, and also a $300 bottle of champagne. Another favorite of Baptiste's and since he probably made that much in tips from his first two tables that afternoon..... Just so generous! We sat out on the terrace overlooking an old railroad covered in wild flowers until he took us back to the hostel - right to the front door because he didn't want us walking in that area alone at night. Naturally, when I told Mom about the day/night (and then promptly lost internet connection for 2 days) she had a panic attack and called the American Embassy. Well, almost. Back at the hostel, we met Mel's Australian friend Nate who had studied at Clarkson the previous semester and his friend Tim. We talked a lot, laughed even more, and then went to bed. I didn't know it yet, but Nate and Tim would quickly become great friends and two of my favorite people in the world.. and not even because they're Australian. Just genuinely sweet, always happy, and ridiculously fun to be around.

walking up the steps of Monmarte

tell me that's not motivation enough to climb the last 300 steps

Moulin de la Galete

Monmarte Cemetary

Moulin Rouge

first sighting!

Plaza Athenee

does life get any better?

is your mouth watering yet?

surely it is now

outside of Sam's bar before dinner

Mama Shelter

Tuesday:

We had originally planned to go to the Louvre, but on our way down to the metro, we read that it was closed on Tuesdays. Naturally. Instead, we decided to go to Notre Dame. It was a cold, rainy, morning (perfect for standing in an outdoor, 200 person queue) but beautiful nonetheless. We toured the inside, watched the beginning of a service, and then set out in search of sandwiches. It is probably important (or not) to note that Mel ate more sandwiches and ice cream cones in these three weeks than she has ever eaten in her life. By the time we got back to the city center, it was sunny and beautiful. We actually got really lucky with the weather, considering the forecast showed no relief from the rain. Everyday, we had a good chunk of sunny skies, and today was no exception. We had the perfect evening/night, walking along the banks of the Siene with homemade (hostelmade?) drinks, exploring the gardens, and finally arriving at the far end of the Champs-Elysees where we made the exciting trek to the Arc de Triomphe at the opposite end. And yes, more steps.. we climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and got an absolutely breathtaking view of the city. I'm actually obsessed. The whole city is so beautifully designed and laid out. It's perfect.. more so than I could have ever imagined. I know a lot of people who find Paris touristy and overrated, but I just don't get it. We spent forever up there without even realizing it. When we finally made our way down (singing the whole way of course.. we were like a two-woman act in every city we set foot in), we walked in some of the stores on the Champs and then went to dinner at a little Italian place. After dinner, we walked back down the river toward the Eiffel Tower where we boarded our boat for a night tour on the Siene and got to see firsthand why Paris is called "the city of lights". UN-FREAKING-REAL. The tower sparkling on the hour, the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, the Bastille, La Conciergerie, etc. It was the perfect way to see the gems of the city and to end the perfect day. As we pulled back into dock, the Eiffel Tower lit up in all different colors (midnight in Paris!) and we skipped home (literally, skipped) singing and eating Kinder Bueno; chocolate filled with hazlenut cream that Julia got me hooked on in Copenhagen and I got Mel and the boys hooked on here. Like, four a day, hooked. You can't get them in the states, so we had to get as many in as we could. Buenos brought us together in a "we've been living out of a backpack and our feet are destroyed from walking, but life doesn't get much better than this" sort of way. Four bars for two euro in every vending machine of every metro stop? It's like they knew we were coming. It even turned into our "mating call" where if we got split up, we would just yell BUENO like a sultry Spaniard and the rest would respond in unison. It was our thang and that's all I have to say about that.

cutie patooties

Paris at sunset 

just dancing

the most perfect night

we're on a boat

Musee d'Orsay

the Louvre

sparkling! definitely NOT overrated

buenos

human chair 

it was a really REALLY long day

nothing a bueno couldn't fix

Wednesday:

Today, we woke up early and spent the morning at The Louvre. The building itself is beautiful, but so unmanageably huge that I had a really hard time appreciating all that it held. I managed to see a lot, but nowhere near what I was expecting. I did, however, love the outside of the building and the Jardin des Tuileries, with all of its flowers, fountains, and statues. After sitting outside for a while, Mel went with Nate and Tim to meet up with one of their friends and I crossed the "love locks" bridge over the Siene to the Musee d'Orsay. I could have spent days there. With each painting, I fell more and more in love with the impressionists I was already fascinated by. This is my kind of museum, whereas with the Louvre (as much as I wanted to love it) I feel like I can only say that I went and saw the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.. but I did not enjoy it as I did the d'Orsay. Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Renois.. my boys. After a wonderful couple of hours, I met back up with Mel and the boys and we napped in the sun in a park, singing and braiding hair, and just enjoying each other's company. And eating the world's best banana-nutella crepes. Then, we walked to Eiffel Tower with the intention of climbing it, but after waiting five minutes in a two hour queue and watching a storm brew overhead, we decided to take some pictures from the Champ de Mars and make our way back to the room. With a bagette, a bottle of Bacardi, and homemade cards, we got as cozy as you can get during a storm on the floor of a moldy 10' x 10' room. Considering the circumstances, we had a surprisingly fun night. Another perfect day.

i louvre you

there she is!

journaling outside the louvre

tuileries gardens

STARRY NIGHT 

love locks

in love with this city

Thursday:

This morning, we took the train to Versailles and for just about the millionth time on this European adventure, I was at a loss for words.  This was by far the most extravagant and beautiful building I have EVER seen. Just huge and daunting and covered in gold. It stayed dry for most of the time we were waiting outside, but as soon as we got in, it started to pour. Convenient for the time being, but one of the best parts about the palace is the expanse of gardens surrounding the building out back. Lucky for us, as soon as we walked outside the rain stopped and the sun came out for a good hour. Anyway, the palace was unreal. The hall of mirrors lined with chandeliers, the King and Queen's chambers, halls of statues portraying generals, rooms filled with paintings depicting famous French battles, I learned SO much, again. The amount of history I'm finally learning, understanding, piecing together, and actually caring about is unbelievable. Call me ignorant, but until today, I didn't even know who Marie Antoinette was (besides a big deal in France, or something), or why she and the King were executed, or what the French Revolution was even about, until I was walking through the enormous halls, reading about and having battles explained to me by the boys. There's something about actually being there that hits a little closer to home and makes me want to know everything. I mean, I was walking through the same halls that King Louis and Marie Antoinette walked through. How cool is that? After lunch in the palace cafe (yes, sandwiches), we spent the hour of sunshine we got exploring the gardens that stretch for miles and miles in every direction. We saw all that we could.. walking, laughing, eating, dodging the bursts of rain, taking family portraits, and just loving life. As the clouds started to roll in, we walked back and took the train home, eating Buenos and watching videos from the night before over and over, laughing so hard we were crying. When we got back, we had one last drink together at the bar down the street where a belt salesman (yes, a man selling belts in a bar) harassed us in the friendliest way possible and made the most of our last hour together. Never thought it would be so hard to say goodbye to people I just met, but how can you not instantly fall in love with two adorable Australians who never stop smiling or laughing? I'm certain that was not the end of our journey together, and I hope to see them again, either here or in Australia. We still keep in contact as much as possible on our Facebook group chat titled "Four buenos and a hairbrush." Really, don't even ask because I couldn't tell you, but I love it and I loved every second we spent with them. After we saw them off at the train station, we met up with Baptiste one last time. This guy, I tell ya. Just an absolute sweetheart. Paris would not have been the same without him. He showed us the real thing, beyond the typical tourist attractions. Tonight, he brought us to Harry's New York Bar; the oldest American bar in Paris, opened in 1911. Another one of the coolest places I've been, with red velvet couches and chairs, and a basement piano bar where we were serenaded by a piano-sax duo in the cozy, dim lighting, drinking $25 cocktails made by bartenders dressed as professors. The walls were lined with old photos of people from all over who had been to and worked there; Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Humphrey Bogart, etc. It was the perfect way to end the best experience and my favorite part of this adventure so far. After, we walked around the center of Paris, watching people on the streets and marveling at the opera house.. AT MIDNIGHT. Midnight in Paris.. there's nothing better, really. After a quick stop at a swanky hotel bar, we took a cab home and exchanged another unexpectedly difficult goodbye to a true gentleman who reminded us that there really are still wonderful, kind-hearted people in this world and who gave us the experience of a lifetime. Granted, it may have seemed sketchy at first, but I knew the second I met him.. he just had kind eyes and a sweet way about him. He showed us a side of the city that we never would have seen had we picked the red restaurant or left the blue one a few seconds earlier on that first night. The universe has a funny way of working things out and these last five days in Paris have brought with them unforgettable memories and irreplaceable friends.

buenos at versailles

sick timing

Queen's chambers

King's chambers

hall of mirrors

bag feet

Champs-Elysees

Arce de Triomphe

Eiffel Tower from the top!

always climbing

cheers buenos!

the man himself

Friday:

I am currently sitting on the train to Brussels, wishing I didn't have to leave this city (and stuffing my face with fresh croissants). How could I say goodbye to the adorable streets of Paris with all their charm and character. Or the sound of the French sirens, the gardens, the cheese, the bread, the pastries, the lights of the city at night, the old men walking home with bagettes under their arms, the marvelous, art deco buildings, the colors, the architecture, the flowers on the balconies, the accordian players on the metro, the patisseries on every corner, the smell of fresh baked goods, the crepes, the walks along the Siene, the hustle and bustle of the Champs-Elysees, the view from the Arc de Triomphe, the steps of Monmarte, and the streets of Paris at midnight? J'adore, j'adore, j'adore Paris... that's for me!

Brussels

Friday: 

Our seven hours in Brussels started off with an accidental detour through an Islamic ghetto, but the cold dark morning turned into a perfect sunny afternoon by the time we made it to the city center. So here's the thing about Brussels: it takes about 13 minutes to see everything and their claim to fame is a small statue of a peeing boy. Am I selling it to you yet? We spent the afternoon in the old town square, drinking Belgian beer, and eating Belgian waffles, chocolate and french fries. A cardiologists nightmare. Heaps of famous Belgian fries (fun fact: they originated here, not in France) with curry ketchup, fruity Belgian beers from Delirium Cafe, known worldwide for having thousands of beers on tap, Belgian waffles made with dough instead of batter, like an explosion of sugar in your mouth and no calories at all, Belgian chocolate: Leonidas, Neuhaus, Nirvana (and basically anywhere else with unlimited free samples). A classic tour de fat. Now am I selling it? We walked around to get a feel for the city and found both Manneken Pis (the peeing boy) and the female counterpart, Jaenneke Pis, apparently one of the city's hidden treasures. The intrigue... it's too much, I know. We actually didn't find it ourselves, we watched a group of obnoxious Asian tourists with film crews sprint down the alley next to us and take pictures for an hour. You're probably thinking it must be some wonderfully extravagant statue. It's not. It's a cement child the size of my hand squatting over a fountain. It is, however, charming in it's own, understated way. After quick purchase at Neuhaus (belgian chocolate>swiss chocolate, by the way), we drank peach beer in the sun in front of the Grand Palace and then headed back to the train station to board the train to Amsterdam. I know a lot of people don't really love Brussels because let's face it.. there's NOTHING to do there besides eat and drink, but I really did enjoy our short time there... 3000 calories later. Had we stayed any longer, I probably would have had to factor in an early heart attack.

Delirium

Jaenneke Pis

Manneken Pis

Amsterdam

Friday:

We arrived in Amsterdam around 8pm (that's right, third country in one day betches) and took the tram from the city center to our hostel about ten minutes outside. Only our hostel is more like a bed and breakfast straight out of an H&G magazine and I don't think I ever want to leave. The Coco Mama staff are beautiful and fun and from all over the world. There's a fully equipped kitchen and lounge in the basement, "family" dinners at night in the backyard, a sweet hostel kitty named Joop, and a perfect opportunity to meet new friends on their own adventures. Oh, and it was Amsterdam's first brothel. How's that for history, Sven? Tonight we decided to just shower and take it easy (we hadn't done either in a quite a while). We talked with our roomies, Kiran and Michelle, explored the area, made dinner, and went to bed. 

hostel kitchen

original strip pole. classy eh?

canal behind the hostel

Saturday:

This morning, we got up and basically spent the entire day exploring the city/going to museums. It was sunny, but pretty cold, so we walked to the Heineken Experience across the canal from our hostel and then on to the museum park  to people watch. When the clouds started to roll in, we got in line at the Van Gogh Museum, where I was at a loss for words, walking the halls of the exhibit. They had it set up by period/style and even included paintings by artists he was inspired by.. I could have spent hours there, I loved it so much. After Van Gogh, we went to the Anne Frank House. As you can imagine, I was choking back tears the whole time. Literally walking through the building where her father worked, climbing the stairs behind the bookcase where they hid, touching the walls of her bedroom, reading pages from her original diary. Little things like the old photographs glued to her wall still there made it so real and the quotes from her diary on the walls created a heartbreaking perspective. Videos, photos, clips of family and friends talking about her, etc. Very moving. I'm so happy I was able to see something so powerful and real after only reading the book, as was mandatory in 8th grade. It did, of course, put a slight damper on the rest of the day, but after an hour of watching a wedding party dance and drink on the canal, all was right again. That's my favorite part about Amsterdam; everyone is just so frackin happy. All the time! Happy people, canals on every corner, beautiful parks, what's not to love? After dinner, we went out with a big group from the hostel (still talk to all of them on Facebook occasionally) to the infamous Red Light District. Just boobs. Everywhere. Naked women in windows with curtains lining the street. Basically, if you're interested, you just walk up to a window and, if she likes what she sees, she lets you in. If not, she closes the curtain. Absolutely wild, I've never seen anything like it. We walked around the area for a while and then went back and all watched a movie together.

National Milk Day..?

Van Gogh's last painting

Red Light District

roomies!

Sunday:

The PERFECT day. It was sunny and beautiful out so we rented old vintage Dutch bikes from our hostel and set out to explore the famous Vondelpark. We spent almost the entire day there, riding through trees and flowers and fountains, stopping once in a while for "a lie down" in the sun. We met up with our British friends (hence, "a lie down") Jake and Ben that we met in Prague and just sat in the park, drinking, talking, laughing, and enjoying the perfect day. This city is the tits, no pun intended. Canals, trees, parks, flowers, bikers, everywhere you go. It's amazing and I can't get enough of it. We all went out together again to some cool pubs and coffeeshops in the city center, took pictures on bridges and with the statues in Rembrandtplein, went to the world's first condom shop, checked out some prostitutes in De Wallen, and had an awesome night with great friends. 

Ben!

Vondelpark

the hostel crew

Rembrandt Square

The Condomerie

Monday:

Today, we rented bikes again and explored the city's many canals and hidden, non-touristy areas. We got Wok to Walk for lunch, as per Tom Ward's request/insistence and sat in Rembrandt Square eating. We took touristy (yet completely necessary) pictures at the "Iamsterdam" sign and then spent our last couple of hours at the hostel with our friends.

Iamsterdam

bye Joop!

Now, as I sit on this final train back to Copenhagen, I'm trying to decide which city is my favorite. I keep getting asked to pick one or to rank them, but now, I realize that I can't.. nor do I want to. Each place holds a special place in me and I think that I've left a little piece of my heart in each. I love Copenhagen because it has become home. I have a family there, a life. It is where I am comfortable, confident, know where I'm going (most of the time), have favorite places, and know the best (and cheapest) cafes. I've had the time to make it mine and I would say that the biggest piece of my heart is, and will always be there. Time and genuine shared love with family will do that I guess. I would say that the next biggest part of me lies in Kenya, with the mommas and the babies on the streets, the little boys with nowhere to go because their families fell victim to political violence, the struggling and recovering drug addicts who had nowhere else to turn, the Masai people who walked for days through savannas and over mountains to sit for ten minutes with a doctor, the poor sick babies in orphanages whose families couldn't (or wouldn't) take care of them, the women in factories making beads and jewelry for a living, the children yelling "sweets" and holding out their little hands on the roads, the salespeople on the street saying, "my sister, come, I make good price, special for you." Those are things that don't leave you and when you live in a place where people have so little but are so much happier and more appreciative than anyone you have known, it makes you reevaluate and appreciate life more. I definitely changed the most after my time in Kenya, but I think I grew the most from my time in Denmark. My other visits over the last five months were of course much shorter than those two, but each one had an impact in one way or another. Stockholm, Tallinn, Florence, Pisa, Rome, London, Berlin, Prague, Zurich, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam... all wonderful in their own right. Stockholm is adorable, even in the dead of winter. The old town and the architecture were stand outs. Tallinn I didn't love, except for the old town. All of Italy was perfect, everywhere we went.. Rome was of course very touristy, but the history is unbelievable and I'm so happy I got to go there, especially with Mom. Florence, Pisa, and the smaller Tuscan villages were my favorite though... more charming, artsy, comfy/cozy; they felt like home. I also have found that who you're traveling with makes a huge difference in your perception of a place. I don't think I loved Stockholm or Tallinn as much as other places I went because I didn't get to pick who I travelled with and everything was decided for me by my school. Being with Mom in Italy was a lifelong dream come true and we loved every second of it. London, though almost overwhelmingly big, was definitely up there in favorites. So much to do, both touristy and otherwise, but plenty of small, non-touristy areas as well. Plus, we had beautiful weather so that always helps. I would love to go back and just enjoy it now that I have done all the touristy stuff. Berlin was amazing for all the visible history and the parks. Luckily we got one perfect day to see the whole city on bikes and spend lots of time in Tiergarten. I loved seeing the wall and relaxing in the park with the family. Prague is literally a fairytale and nothing can even compare to it. The castle, the bridges, the gardens, the winding streets, the beer, the rooftops from the lookout, Trdlnik, the lights at night... like a dreamland. Just a truly magical place. Zurich would probably have been incredibly beautiful on a nice day, but we didn't get so lucky. The lake and the area around it was gorgeous with the prettiest blue/green water. I would like to go back sometime and see more because we didn't really have the time to get a real taste of the the city itself. Paris. Oh, Paris. I fell in love the second we got off the train. We also got very lucky having met Baptiste and getting a real taste for the city aside from just the touristy part. Our hostel situation wasn't the best, but our friends made up for it a million times over. The people weren't super friendly as a whole, but just being there in itself sent me over the moon. Being in the presence of such incredible architecture and history and beauty. Everything about it was WOW. It's the kind of place I could see myself going back to for a long time, just like Italy. Except I would live in Italy if I could. Brussels, even though we only had a day there, was pleasantly surprising and though I really enjoyed the day, I would probably never go back. Amsterdam on the other hand... if I could go back once a year for the rest of my life I'd be a happy girl. Aesthetically one of my favorite cities and the people! As soon as the sun came out, the whole city was in Vondelpark. I loved it all. It actually reminded me a lot of Copenhagen, but the people are a little less reserved and the canals everywhere just do something to make the city even more beautiful. So really, I could never pick one favorite because I have so many favorites for so many different reasons. I'm just so happy and so blessed to have had this incredible opportunity. My life is forever changed and I've got a serious case of the travel bug now. Can't stop, won't stop. 

To close, I will quote my Danish homeboy, Hans Christian Andersen, because I couldn't say it any better myself, and because he's a Dane and Danes rule.

"To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote, to TRAVEL is to LIVE."