Where to begin? Last time we were in Strasbourg and were catching up on some sleep from all the traveling we had been doing with the whole passport debacle. The next morning we took a boat tour that went around Strasbourg. It was beautiful and worth it especially with such little time in the city. We were able to see historical bridges, buildings, and the home for the EU. It was a beautiful day until mid afternoon. When we got back from the tour we made sandwiches like gypsies again. We sat in front of the huge cathedral and took it all in. It started to drizzle so we headed inside. It was HUGE. The rain had calmed down so we decided to look for the one dessert we have been craving this entire trip...profiteroles!!!! We finally found them after looking for quite some time and we were extremely excited. They were everything we had dreamed about and more! Unfortunately after we endulged ourselves in this delicious afternoon dessert, it was pouring outside. It was time to take out our fashionable ponchos and run in the rain. We made it across the river after looking for a stairway to get onto a bridge and went into a museum that was FREE...my new favorite word. The museum basically displayed what houses used to look like in the late 1800's. It was pretty interesting. It was time to head back to the hostel and pick up our bags. We played some more ping pong while waiting then headed toward the station. This time, however, we had to put our ponchos on over our huge backpacks. We were the site to see in Strausbourg because everyone was staring at us. Someone even took a picture of us at the hostel. We were laughing the entire time and managed to get to the station and head to Brugge.
When we arrived in Brugge, about 6 hours later, it was a little bit different than we had expected. I was wearing shorts, a hoody, and flip flops. The natives were wearing winter coats....we were NOT dressed appropriately because it was absolutely freezing. We took a cab to our hostel and called it a night. The next morning we rented bikes and toured the city of Brugge. The weather was quite cool and windy but the city was pretty nonetheless. We saw huge churches and ate at this inexpensive pasta place. We headed back to the hostel and took a nap. We then met one of our roomates who turned out to be one of our traveling companions for the next day. His name is Andy and we have come to the conclusion that he lives like a rock star and we are quite jealous.
Anywho the next day we rented bikes again and took a tour of the countryside. It was sooooo windy so it was difficult riding against the wind. We stopped in Dam, a little village outside of Brugge and we toured the churches and semetary. We then went to a cafe and had some tea, coffee, and afternoon snack. We then decided we wanted to see the beaches. About 20 kilometers later we couldn't find the beach and the Lance Armstrong's AKA Adam and Andy were going fine on their mountain bikes but my beach cruiser was a little bit more difficult. The weather wasn't getting any better so we decided to head back. We rested and had changed rooms where we met another fellow Jerseyan. She was from Clifton and we ended up hanging out with her that night as well.
That night we went down the street to one of the local pubs and hung out. We played pool while sipping on one of the 500 Belgium beers that this country has to offer. Each beer here has its own glass and it is considered a sin to put a beer in the wrong glass.
Yesterday morning we left Brugge and headed to Brussels to meet up with my Aunt Irene's friend, Serge. He met us at the train station and gave us a wonderful tour of Brussels. We stopped at one of the local pubs and enjoyed a nice beer. We were able to see the Kings palace, the gardens, churches, and a lot of EU buildings. Unfortunately we didn't have a lot of time and we had to leave pretty quickly to head back to Paris.
We are now in Paris and about to leave for the airport. It is a bitter sweet feeling but I am certainly ready to sleep in my own bed. We have met a lot of awesome people and some interesting characters as well. I have seen a lot of beautiful places and can't wait to come back to do more. Adam and I were able to survive a month with each other and didn't end up killing each other... not even close! All's well that ends well and this trip certainly has! A couple requests for when I return: I would like a nice piece of chicken breast and other bbq type foods. And hey if anyone would like to host a barbeque in honor of my return that wouldn't be so bad either! I can't wait to see everyone and let me know what you are doing tonight!!! I could possibly want to go out tonight but we'll see...I'll definitely need a nap in between then! Au revoir!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Jesus take the wheel
We arrived in Munich, quite tired and not ready to site see. When we got there we went to our hostle and made dinner. Actually Adam made it and it was quite delicious...pasta with pesto and then a mozarella and tomato salad. The next morning we were feeling better and rented bikes again. We managed to get yelled at by a German woman for riding our bikes on the sidewalk.....apparently that is not allowed in the area where we were Ooops! We walked through Meunster Square and saw the cathedral. It was really pretty. We got our usual bread, salami, and mozarella sandwich and made it gypsy style on the side of a road on a rock. It is sad that I actually crave these sandwiches even though we have had them about every day so far.
Since we were in the Black Forest we took a gondola to the top. It was sooooo cold at the top. The weather in Freiburg was quite different from the rest of our trip but this was really cold. We took pictures then came right back down. It began to pour so we took out or stylish ponchos that smelled like mold since we didnt let them dry when we put them away last time. We stuck out like a sore thumb...typical tourist.
At night we made dinner again and played some ping pong at the hostel. The night before an Indian man challanged me to some ping pong...he actually said I was pretty good. It was a compliment and I was going to take it! We went to the Freiling Beer Garden down the street for a beer then called it an early night.
This morning however we encountered and recovered from a serious disaster. We were on the train to Strasbourg, about half way there, when Adam realized that he forgot his passport at the hostel. When he looked in his walled of important documents he resembled McCaughly Culkan in Home Alone when he put his hands to his face and dropped his jaw. We both started laughing and then tried to come up with a plan. Long story short we went back to Freiburg then finally back to Strasbourg.
I'm running out of time...Aunt Irene we have a problem...we can't make outgoing phone calls on teh cell phone because we ran out of minutes for some reason. We are going to call Serge when we get into Belgium which wont be until late tomorrow night so we will probably call him on Tuesday morning. Have my mom call me or something if there are any problems.
PS The other night when we were hanging out with the British guys they requested that I speak in a British accent. I did and they said I was horrible yet requested that I keep doing it. And what did I do? I went all night like just like Lionel Richie.
Talk to you soon...I can't believe we are going to be home at the end of the week :(
Since we were in the Black Forest we took a gondola to the top. It was sooooo cold at the top. The weather in Freiburg was quite different from the rest of our trip but this was really cold. We took pictures then came right back down. It began to pour so we took out or stylish ponchos that smelled like mold since we didnt let them dry when we put them away last time. We stuck out like a sore thumb...typical tourist.
At night we made dinner again and played some ping pong at the hostel. The night before an Indian man challanged me to some ping pong...he actually said I was pretty good. It was a compliment and I was going to take it! We went to the Freiling Beer Garden down the street for a beer then called it an early night.
This morning however we encountered and recovered from a serious disaster. We were on the train to Strasbourg, about half way there, when Adam realized that he forgot his passport at the hostel. When he looked in his walled of important documents he resembled McCaughly Culkan in Home Alone when he put his hands to his face and dropped his jaw. We both started laughing and then tried to come up with a plan. Long story short we went back to Freiburg then finally back to Strasbourg.
I'm running out of time...Aunt Irene we have a problem...we can't make outgoing phone calls on teh cell phone because we ran out of minutes for some reason. We are going to call Serge when we get into Belgium which wont be until late tomorrow night so we will probably call him on Tuesday morning. Have my mom call me or something if there are any problems.
PS The other night when we were hanging out with the British guys they requested that I speak in a British accent. I did and they said I was horrible yet requested that I keep doing it. And what did I do? I went all night like just like Lionel Richie.
Talk to you soon...I can't believe we are going to be home at the end of the week :(
Friday, June 22, 2007
Sorry I don't speak freaky deaky Deutch!
Well Adam and I have been enjoying ourselves in good old Germany. We don't know a lick of the language and to our advantage a lot of people speak English. And if they don't I usually just look at them with a weird face and just agree with what they say.
We arrived in Munich on Wednesday night and did a bike tour throughout the city. It ended up working out perfectly and we were able to receive comical relief from our tour guide, Chris, along with his sexual inuendos and puns that were made throughout the four hour tour. We stopped at several monuments then headed to a man made 'river'. We didn't know this was part of the tour and were given the opportunity to go for a jump. When in Munich! We got down to our scivies...actually only I did, Adam kept his shorts on, and we jumped in as a group of about 25 and let nature run its course. The current was actually quite strong and we made our way to the side almost immediately so we could get out. I made sure to cover myself up, being that I had on my WHITE sports bra. We did it again and it was awesome. I ended up banging my foot on a rock as we went through but it only added to the numerous bruises I have accumulated throughout this trip. It seems as though I have developed anemia because I bruise instantaneously if I am bumped into or nearly brushed up against. Speaking of my feet I now know why soldiers keep their feet comfortable and dry at all times. My feet have been to hell and back these past three weeks and I am in desperate need of a pedicure! My sandals are about paper thin, particularly on the left foot, and I can just about feel every groove on the streets that we walk on. My next best option, my sneakers, have given me a run for my money as well. The damn things have bumps in the back by the heels and have given me two nice blisters on each foot. I guess I never wore them for such long periods of time to realize that they hurt my feet.
Back to the tour....at the end of the tour we went to a Chinese beer garden...the second largest in the world! We all got a beer then carried on on way through the Rose Garden where naked men are about as frequent as each breath I took. Not exactly what I was expecting to see. When we finished the tour Adam and I were both in desperate need of the toilet. Adam decided to go to the Burger King but I decided to wait. When Adam came out of the Burger King he had a fire in his eyes, similar to when he flipped his shit at the gas station and threated the guy that he was going to 'lost a lot of bidness buddy'. For those who were in the car I'm sure this gives you a great visual. Anywho he basically got scammed by the cleaning lady/gypsy that was downstairs. She made him give her money to use the toilelt and he tried telling her he didn't have to pay. She of course pretended not to know English and Adam threw his 1.30 down on the plate. He then asked a man if you had to pay and he said absolutely not. Adam then tried grabbing his money back from the lady and all of a sudden God created a miracle and she could all of a sudden speak English. Of course Adam responded with 'Oh now you spekenze English HUH!' He came out and demanded I go down there and rip her a new one. I was laughing so hard though I literally almost peed my pants. We got half way down the street when he demanded we go back and try to get his money back. I decided I would go down and see if she tried to pull the same stunt on me. When I got down there she greeted me with 'Gruss Gutt' (Gods Blessing) which is the standard greeting. I replied back and she let me on my way. This was her way of checking if you are a tourist or a German. It came down to Adawg got ripped off and I have been laughing about it ever since.
That night we went across the street to the worlds largest beer garden. We had a great meal then headed back to our hostel where a bunch of raging high school Germans were screaming to karaoke. We decided it was time to go to bed. However, the Irishmen staying in our room came back and turned the place into a freakin discotech. I tried to stay cool and think they would pass out. This was not the case. They then started making mature farting noises then it got better. They started taking their 'extra appendage', if you will, and slapping it across their leg. I just about had it and said 'Could you please stop' I could then hear pin drop and I slept like a baby. They apologized in the morning and all was good. I just had to show them who was boss.
Yesterday we took a 3 hour train, not what we had expected, and went to a castle built by Ludwig II. The Disney castle is modeled after it and it isquite beautiful. Unfortunately for Ludwig he died before it was finished so only half of it is actually complete. We took the tour then got out of there. We met a guy named Adam and stuck with him until we got back to Munich. We decided to go to the Hofbrauhaus, a famous beer garden, and check out the scene. We sat with three really cool guys from Manchester, Britain and got to know each other. We ordered the liter size beers and I was compliminted several times on how great I was at drinking the beer and being able to keep up. Way to make you proud Mom! Aparently NO girls drink beer in England so they were quite surprised. We ended up hanging out with them the rest of the night and went to some club area. We had a great night and got back to the hostel. The Irishment were there to greet us and we had an interesting conversation when we got back. I'll leave it at that. Anyway Adam woke me up in the morning and we quickly packed up our things to go to Freiburg. The Irishmen also mentioned that I was snoring the whole night and now I was the one making all the noise. I told them to get outahere.
Well we are both quite tired to which I have last night to blame for. We are making dinner and then going to bed. Auf Wiedersehen!!
We arrived in Munich on Wednesday night and did a bike tour throughout the city. It ended up working out perfectly and we were able to receive comical relief from our tour guide, Chris, along with his sexual inuendos and puns that were made throughout the four hour tour. We stopped at several monuments then headed to a man made 'river'. We didn't know this was part of the tour and were given the opportunity to go for a jump. When in Munich! We got down to our scivies...actually only I did, Adam kept his shorts on, and we jumped in as a group of about 25 and let nature run its course. The current was actually quite strong and we made our way to the side almost immediately so we could get out. I made sure to cover myself up, being that I had on my WHITE sports bra. We did it again and it was awesome. I ended up banging my foot on a rock as we went through but it only added to the numerous bruises I have accumulated throughout this trip. It seems as though I have developed anemia because I bruise instantaneously if I am bumped into or nearly brushed up against. Speaking of my feet I now know why soldiers keep their feet comfortable and dry at all times. My feet have been to hell and back these past three weeks and I am in desperate need of a pedicure! My sandals are about paper thin, particularly on the left foot, and I can just about feel every groove on the streets that we walk on. My next best option, my sneakers, have given me a run for my money as well. The damn things have bumps in the back by the heels and have given me two nice blisters on each foot. I guess I never wore them for such long periods of time to realize that they hurt my feet.
Back to the tour....at the end of the tour we went to a Chinese beer garden...the second largest in the world! We all got a beer then carried on on way through the Rose Garden where naked men are about as frequent as each breath I took. Not exactly what I was expecting to see. When we finished the tour Adam and I were both in desperate need of the toilet. Adam decided to go to the Burger King but I decided to wait. When Adam came out of the Burger King he had a fire in his eyes, similar to when he flipped his shit at the gas station and threated the guy that he was going to 'lost a lot of bidness buddy'. For those who were in the car I'm sure this gives you a great visual. Anywho he basically got scammed by the cleaning lady/gypsy that was downstairs. She made him give her money to use the toilelt and he tried telling her he didn't have to pay. She of course pretended not to know English and Adam threw his 1.30 down on the plate. He then asked a man if you had to pay and he said absolutely not. Adam then tried grabbing his money back from the lady and all of a sudden God created a miracle and she could all of a sudden speak English. Of course Adam responded with 'Oh now you spekenze English HUH!' He came out and demanded I go down there and rip her a new one. I was laughing so hard though I literally almost peed my pants. We got half way down the street when he demanded we go back and try to get his money back. I decided I would go down and see if she tried to pull the same stunt on me. When I got down there she greeted me with 'Gruss Gutt' (Gods Blessing) which is the standard greeting. I replied back and she let me on my way. This was her way of checking if you are a tourist or a German. It came down to Adawg got ripped off and I have been laughing about it ever since.
That night we went across the street to the worlds largest beer garden. We had a great meal then headed back to our hostel where a bunch of raging high school Germans were screaming to karaoke. We decided it was time to go to bed. However, the Irishmen staying in our room came back and turned the place into a freakin discotech. I tried to stay cool and think they would pass out. This was not the case. They then started making mature farting noises then it got better. They started taking their 'extra appendage', if you will, and slapping it across their leg. I just about had it and said 'Could you please stop' I could then hear pin drop and I slept like a baby. They apologized in the morning and all was good. I just had to show them who was boss.
Yesterday we took a 3 hour train, not what we had expected, and went to a castle built by Ludwig II. The Disney castle is modeled after it and it isquite beautiful. Unfortunately for Ludwig he died before it was finished so only half of it is actually complete. We took the tour then got out of there. We met a guy named Adam and stuck with him until we got back to Munich. We decided to go to the Hofbrauhaus, a famous beer garden, and check out the scene. We sat with three really cool guys from Manchester, Britain and got to know each other. We ordered the liter size beers and I was compliminted several times on how great I was at drinking the beer and being able to keep up. Way to make you proud Mom! Aparently NO girls drink beer in England so they were quite surprised. We ended up hanging out with them the rest of the night and went to some club area. We had a great night and got back to the hostel. The Irishment were there to greet us and we had an interesting conversation when we got back. I'll leave it at that. Anyway Adam woke me up in the morning and we quickly packed up our things to go to Freiburg. The Irishmen also mentioned that I was snoring the whole night and now I was the one making all the noise. I told them to get outahere.
Well we are both quite tired to which I have last night to blame for. We are making dinner and then going to bed. Auf Wiedersehen!!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The hills ARE alive with the sound of music!!!!
Last time I had posted we were about to venture into Venice. We took a water boat to the main island of Venice and walked through all of the amazing streets and crossed several waterways. I took soooo many pictures. I was extremely dissapointed that the concert was cancelled and I had heard from someone that Steven Tyler was walking around on the streets in Vence. Of course we didn´t see him. I guess God figured I had my celebrity fix in Interlaken with Naughty By Nature...oh well. At our hostel we still were getting eaten by mosquitos. Adam turned into one giant welt and I unfortunately was attacked as well, but not as bad, which is surprising since I am so sweet.
The next day we had a lot of time to kill until our train to Austria. We hung around at the hostel then took another boat back to the main island. We hung out at the train station and patiently waited to get onto a nice air conditioned train. Boy were we wrong again...this time my patience was worn thin and I spoke up. When we boarded the train it was not so bad. We figured since we weren´t moving yet it would be ok. We started toward the next stop and all of a sudden a wave of heat came over us. Out of frustration we both took tours of the train trying to find some solution to this awful problem that seemed to be following us wherever we went. It has been one sweat box to the next lately and I had just about had it! During my mission I found some Irish girls that were about as angry as I was. We found the conductor who was a nasty old guy. He told us he would find out what the problem was and when the Irish girls demanded he come back with a report they also suggested he get a hair cut while he was at it. Luckily they came back and told us we could move...fortunately for us Americans we did not just settle for the less than sub par car that was next and went about 5 cars ahead where we had our own booth and was cool as a cucumber.
We arrived in Austria where we had to wait to catch our connecting train to Salzburg. It was Sunday, which in Europe means that everything shuts down and you are SOL if you want to get something to eat. We hoped that the food cart would be good on the next train but of course it wasn´t. We settled on another salami sandwich, which has seemed to be the common meal for us here in Europe, and scarfed it down. A few minutes later Adam was not feeling quite well then shortly after that I felt the same. We finally arrived in Salzburg, about 3 hours earlier than we had expected (I guess we read the arrival time wrong) which was an added plus! We got lost on the walk to the hostel but eventually got on track and arrived at Yoho hostel. We had a pizza then called it a night.
Yesterday we tried to go canyoning which is basically jumping off cliffs and swimming through water and such. Unfortunately it is booked until Thursday so we went to our next best option...THE SOUND OF MUSIC TOUR!!! We strolled around Salzburg in the morning then I patiently waited for the tour that would make this trip complete. I forgot to mention that this entire trip I have been singing the soundtrack and I also watched the movie on the train on the way to Austria. The bus came to pick us up at the hostel and we were well on our way. We had an entertaining host who told jokes and even called Adam and I the real `Lisel and Ralph´. We laughed it off then quickly corrected him. Throughout the tour we were able to listen to the soundtrack, which I belted out of course. We were able to see so many of the places where the movie took place...I was in heaven. We saw the house it was filmed at, the famous gazebo, the church they got married at, the abby and we were given several behind the scenes information. At one of the stops we made we were able to do a summer tabogen which is equivalent to like an alpine slide for those who have done it. Adam and I went on a double and laughed our asses off as we went up the mountain. There was barely enough room for the two of us on this 3 foot piece of plastic. We went down the slide and taped the whole thing...screaming and all. It was pretty fun. When we got back we arrived infront of the Mirabel Gardens where another one of the scenes was filmed. This is where they perfromed Do rei me. Needless to say I did a performance in the gardens as well and it is on film for all to see when we return. It is quite funny and has had us laughing everytime we watch it. The gardens really were beautiful and quite breathtaking...and I certainly am not one who is in awe of nature but this place was really cool. After dinner we strolled around Old Salzburg and went to a famous Beer Garden. It was really cool and they had really good food. We then got a cafe somewhere and as I turned around I noticed right behind us was the birthplace of Mozart! I again tried to absorb some musical talent while being in the presence of his old house...but you can ask Adam I have enough musical talent already and have been displaying those talents throughout this trip...especially where the hills are alive with the sound of music.
Today we heard that it was going to be about 35 degrees Celcius which is almost 100 degrees Farenheit. In the morning we walked around Salzburg again and saw some churches, which were all so intricate and beautiful. We then went to the public pool right next to the Von Trapp household. This public pool is certainly not like something you would find in the United States. It was sooo nice...they had waterslides, huge diving boards, and it was really clean. I even decided to jump off the 5 meter diving board. Needless to say I did end up taking up the French cultures here in Austria. I was wearing my strapless bathing suit and somehow it fell right off as I jumped into the water, even though I held on to it for dear life. As soon as I was under water I panicked to get my top back on before I surfaced...no such luck and as soon as I got to the top I had all my hair in my face and couldn´t breathe. I´m pretty sure everyone who was waiting on the diving board had a nice view of my very white ass. Adam also got this on tape but don´t worry there won´t be any Paris Hilton type videos hitting the internet because it was taken from very far away...whewwww!
Well that is pretty much it. Tomorrow we are heading to Munich, Germany and we still have hope that we will be able to do some type of adventure sport because the diving board and the tabogen slide just isn´t cutting it. Adam has taken a lot of videos...mostly of me doing something rediculous but nonetheless funny. I´m sure everyone will enjoy them when we get back. Auf Wiedersehen!!
The next day we had a lot of time to kill until our train to Austria. We hung around at the hostel then took another boat back to the main island. We hung out at the train station and patiently waited to get onto a nice air conditioned train. Boy were we wrong again...this time my patience was worn thin and I spoke up. When we boarded the train it was not so bad. We figured since we weren´t moving yet it would be ok. We started toward the next stop and all of a sudden a wave of heat came over us. Out of frustration we both took tours of the train trying to find some solution to this awful problem that seemed to be following us wherever we went. It has been one sweat box to the next lately and I had just about had it! During my mission I found some Irish girls that were about as angry as I was. We found the conductor who was a nasty old guy. He told us he would find out what the problem was and when the Irish girls demanded he come back with a report they also suggested he get a hair cut while he was at it. Luckily they came back and told us we could move...fortunately for us Americans we did not just settle for the less than sub par car that was next and went about 5 cars ahead where we had our own booth and was cool as a cucumber.
We arrived in Austria where we had to wait to catch our connecting train to Salzburg. It was Sunday, which in Europe means that everything shuts down and you are SOL if you want to get something to eat. We hoped that the food cart would be good on the next train but of course it wasn´t. We settled on another salami sandwich, which has seemed to be the common meal for us here in Europe, and scarfed it down. A few minutes later Adam was not feeling quite well then shortly after that I felt the same. We finally arrived in Salzburg, about 3 hours earlier than we had expected (I guess we read the arrival time wrong) which was an added plus! We got lost on the walk to the hostel but eventually got on track and arrived at Yoho hostel. We had a pizza then called it a night.
Yesterday we tried to go canyoning which is basically jumping off cliffs and swimming through water and such. Unfortunately it is booked until Thursday so we went to our next best option...THE SOUND OF MUSIC TOUR!!! We strolled around Salzburg in the morning then I patiently waited for the tour that would make this trip complete. I forgot to mention that this entire trip I have been singing the soundtrack and I also watched the movie on the train on the way to Austria. The bus came to pick us up at the hostel and we were well on our way. We had an entertaining host who told jokes and even called Adam and I the real `Lisel and Ralph´. We laughed it off then quickly corrected him. Throughout the tour we were able to listen to the soundtrack, which I belted out of course. We were able to see so many of the places where the movie took place...I was in heaven. We saw the house it was filmed at, the famous gazebo, the church they got married at, the abby and we were given several behind the scenes information. At one of the stops we made we were able to do a summer tabogen which is equivalent to like an alpine slide for those who have done it. Adam and I went on a double and laughed our asses off as we went up the mountain. There was barely enough room for the two of us on this 3 foot piece of plastic. We went down the slide and taped the whole thing...screaming and all. It was pretty fun. When we got back we arrived infront of the Mirabel Gardens where another one of the scenes was filmed. This is where they perfromed Do rei me. Needless to say I did a performance in the gardens as well and it is on film for all to see when we return. It is quite funny and has had us laughing everytime we watch it. The gardens really were beautiful and quite breathtaking...and I certainly am not one who is in awe of nature but this place was really cool. After dinner we strolled around Old Salzburg and went to a famous Beer Garden. It was really cool and they had really good food. We then got a cafe somewhere and as I turned around I noticed right behind us was the birthplace of Mozart! I again tried to absorb some musical talent while being in the presence of his old house...but you can ask Adam I have enough musical talent already and have been displaying those talents throughout this trip...especially where the hills are alive with the sound of music.
Today we heard that it was going to be about 35 degrees Celcius which is almost 100 degrees Farenheit. In the morning we walked around Salzburg again and saw some churches, which were all so intricate and beautiful. We then went to the public pool right next to the Von Trapp household. This public pool is certainly not like something you would find in the United States. It was sooo nice...they had waterslides, huge diving boards, and it was really clean. I even decided to jump off the 5 meter diving board. Needless to say I did end up taking up the French cultures here in Austria. I was wearing my strapless bathing suit and somehow it fell right off as I jumped into the water, even though I held on to it for dear life. As soon as I was under water I panicked to get my top back on before I surfaced...no such luck and as soon as I got to the top I had all my hair in my face and couldn´t breathe. I´m pretty sure everyone who was waiting on the diving board had a nice view of my very white ass. Adam also got this on tape but don´t worry there won´t be any Paris Hilton type videos hitting the internet because it was taken from very far away...whewwww!
Well that is pretty much it. Tomorrow we are heading to Munich, Germany and we still have hope that we will be able to do some type of adventure sport because the diving board and the tabogen slide just isn´t cutting it. Adam has taken a lot of videos...mostly of me doing something rediculous but nonetheless funny. I´m sure everyone will enjoy them when we get back. Auf Wiedersehen!!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
What is going on!?!?!?!
In the past 24 hours Adam and I have quite the turn of events. In the morning we went and walked through the Roman Forum, which was incredible. It was so crazy to imagine that people actually built these massive buildings without the types of machines we have today. We then walked to the Coloseum which is HUGE!! Everywhere we went in Rome it turned out that Michelangelo had either built it or designed it...talk about an over achiever!! Everything really was incredible and I have taken tons of pictures.
We then got on a train heading to Venice so that we could go to the Heinken Jammin Festival. Of course the cart we were sitting on in the train was the ONLY cart whose air conditioning was broken. We couldn't open windows or anything...we pretty much turned delusional and tried to enjoy each others company. I basically laughed at everything possible and tried to take everything in stride. We finally got to Venice where it was absolute chaos! We were waiting for a bus to go to our hostel. The streets were flooded with people and we figured it was because of the festival. Little did we know that there was a terrible storm and a tornado that ripped through the area where the concert took place. Some crazy girl with green hair and piercings covering her face told us in English that "cows died"...what she tried to say was that a boy died. It was a little scary and we didn't know what to do but after about an hour and a half of waiting for our bus we hoped on the number 11. Unfortunately this was the wrong bus and wasn't stopping where we needed it to. Luckily we knew that and just figured we would try to get as far away from the train station as possible and either get a cab from there or another bus. To our advantage a lot of people had the same idea and we hung out with them at the next bus stop. Two British girls hung out with us and we got 4 beers for all of us from the local restaurant down the street. Soon enough our bus came and we arrived at what looked like Woodstock. No but it really wasn't that bad. Adam got eaten alive by mosquitos and has made use of my Rhuli gel (bug gel) which he was making fun of before he started using it. He is now thankful. We found our room which was pretty small but it had two beds so it was only for us which was nice especially after the day we had.
We got some dinner at the pizza bar which was delicious. We then headed for bed in our mosquito infested room and hoped for the best to not get eaten during our sleep. I ended up fine only about 2 bites. Our bad luck just seems to just never be ending because the concert was cancelled. Aparently the storm was really bad but we put a positive spin on things and realized we just saved a lot of money.
Today we plan on touring the city of Venice. We are going to take our time then get on a train tomorrow to Salzburg, Austria to see if the hills ARE alive. I'm pretty psyched and so is Adam. One downside to the rest of our trip is that neither one of us has the slightest bit of an idea as to how to speak the languages in the next few countries. We really will be relying on my good looks, I mean OUR good looks, and try to get by on that. Well I need to be going...Ciao ciao :)
We then got on a train heading to Venice so that we could go to the Heinken Jammin Festival. Of course the cart we were sitting on in the train was the ONLY cart whose air conditioning was broken. We couldn't open windows or anything...we pretty much turned delusional and tried to enjoy each others company. I basically laughed at everything possible and tried to take everything in stride. We finally got to Venice where it was absolute chaos! We were waiting for a bus to go to our hostel. The streets were flooded with people and we figured it was because of the festival. Little did we know that there was a terrible storm and a tornado that ripped through the area where the concert took place. Some crazy girl with green hair and piercings covering her face told us in English that "cows died"...what she tried to say was that a boy died. It was a little scary and we didn't know what to do but after about an hour and a half of waiting for our bus we hoped on the number 11. Unfortunately this was the wrong bus and wasn't stopping where we needed it to. Luckily we knew that and just figured we would try to get as far away from the train station as possible and either get a cab from there or another bus. To our advantage a lot of people had the same idea and we hung out with them at the next bus stop. Two British girls hung out with us and we got 4 beers for all of us from the local restaurant down the street. Soon enough our bus came and we arrived at what looked like Woodstock. No but it really wasn't that bad. Adam got eaten alive by mosquitos and has made use of my Rhuli gel (bug gel) which he was making fun of before he started using it. He is now thankful. We found our room which was pretty small but it had two beds so it was only for us which was nice especially after the day we had.
We got some dinner at the pizza bar which was delicious. We then headed for bed in our mosquito infested room and hoped for the best to not get eaten during our sleep. I ended up fine only about 2 bites. Our bad luck just seems to just never be ending because the concert was cancelled. Aparently the storm was really bad but we put a positive spin on things and realized we just saved a lot of money.
Today we plan on touring the city of Venice. We are going to take our time then get on a train tomorrow to Salzburg, Austria to see if the hills ARE alive. I'm pretty psyched and so is Adam. One downside to the rest of our trip is that neither one of us has the slightest bit of an idea as to how to speak the languages in the next few countries. We really will be relying on my good looks, I mean OUR good looks, and try to get by on that. Well I need to be going...Ciao ciao :)
Thursday, June 14, 2007
When in Rome...
Last night we experienced what the Romans did for fun while they were studying here at American University of Rome. We went to the "spot" and the bartender recognized Mike and Adam and gave us all free shots....it was a little difficult to throw back but I did it. We had a fun night which made it a little difficult for today's adventures. Mike's friends are realllly cute...especially one of them in particular. There are so many things to sightsee in Rome but oh man these guys are a sight to see! We woke up at the butt crack of dawn which is when Adam then realized that he lost his wallet. Just about a half hour ago he finally found it. He apparently hides things when he gets home and managed to hide his wallet in his toiletries bag under band -aids and qtips. Right away we headed to the Vatican Museum. The line was pretty long but we were in within an hour. It was pretty cool although we were realllllly tired and everything started to look the same after a while. We had some lunch and recharged our batteries then split up after walking through St. Peter's Bascillica. I stayed behind with four other guys that are Mike's friends and everyone else did their own thing. We climbed to the top of the church and it was sooooo cool. It was a little weird when walking to the top..it felt like the walls were closing in on us but it was worth it when we made it to the top. The view was fabulous and we were able to see the entire city of Rome. Tonight we are going to take it easy and get some dinner and go to bed early to head to Venice tomorrow afternoon. In the morning we are going to the Coloseum which is right down the street from our hostel. I need to go now but I hope everything is going well at home and the weather is nice to go to the beach. Right now I have a farmers tan and will most certainly look like a BENNY when I come home :( Ciao ciao
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
What goes up must come down...
Whether it is refering to heart rates, morale, the trails or should I say mountains of the Cinque Terre, or the path that we have taken through Italy it really has been a roller coaster. Last time I had posted everything was great....we were in Nice and had planned on going to the beach for the day. On the way we decided to stop at the train station to reserve our seat for the trip to the Cinque Terre. When we finally got up to the desk the lady basically flat out told us get the hell out of the country as fast as you can because all transportation is going on strike in France and Italy. We both looked at eache other with a look of astonishment and tried to figure something out. Adam let out a 'oh shit' which the French woman did NOT like and started hitting him with his beach mat. She then managed to yell at me for interrupting her mid sentence. I came to the conclusion that we needed to book it and get back to the hostel, pack up, check out and get over the border to Italy as soon as possible. I now know what it is like to flee a country...a felt like a Mexican crossing the border it was scary! Everyone in the train station seemed to be in a panic and in disbelief as to what was going on. Luckily on the way back up to the hostel we saw one of the workers who gave us a ride. We were able to get our money back and make it to the train station with what we thought was enough time to get on the train. We asked the lady where the train was and she slowly said we needed to take the train to Ventamille which was leaving in 3 minutes. It was like a fire was lit under my ass because as soon as Adam knew it I came flying up the side of him screaming PARDON PARDON!!! He then went into double time to catch up and we basically threw ourselves onto the train. We safely made it to Italy 4 hours later!
Once we made it to Italy we did not have a place to stay. We thought that relying on our good looks was going to be good enough but apparently not! We went to the hostel that we had planned on staying at the following night and perfavore'd our asses as much as we could. They said there was no room but we could stay at her friends apartment at the top of town. She then told us that it was 'much too expensive - 30 Euro (only 5 more than we would be paying there) I quickly said WE'LL TAKE IT!! She then informed us that it was at the top of town and it was a far walk. I was hoping that her concept of money was about as good as her concept of distance but of course it was quite different. When she meant it was at the top of town she was right on the money. We climbed all the way to the top and I was just shy of resucitation when we finally made it to the top. We got to see a bride and groom walking through the town after they had just been married, which was beautiful. A crazy Italian man ran the place and talked a million miles a minute to Adam in Italian. We quickly got changed and headed back to the bottom for some food. We then strolled around the town with gelati in hand and took it all in. We then unfortunately had to climb ALL the way back to the top. I decided to hand wash a couple of my shirts then managed to get yelled at AGAIN by another man. I am three for three in each country so my new goal is to get yelled at by someone in each country that we go to. So far I'm going strong. We called it a night and showered.
The next day we took it easy and went to the beach. We checked into our hostel which was like an apartment. When we were at the beach we met some Australians who suggested we go snorkling with them on this boat. We decided what the hell and did it. It was pretty cool - the water was kind of cold though but we were able to see some fish. Then when we got on the boat I noticed something wasn't right and I thought some scuba divers were missing. Well it was true although they were not making a huge deal of it. Luckily they had two great lifeguards on board and Adam and I spotted them right away, practically in the next city over. They got yelled at and then it was over. We also met some really cool girls from Germany - Elisa and Lena that were our flat mates in the hostel. They were studying in Florence which was convenient since we were going there two days later.
On Monday night we met up with Mad Mike and 8 of his friends. Mike studied abroad in Italy with Adam. We all went out to dinner that night and went up to the Bar Centrale for the night. The next morning we planned to hike the Cinque Terre so we headed off to bed early. Tuesday morning we were FINALLY able to activate our phone so feel free to call! We then took the train to Montorosso to begin the hike - and what a hike it was! If I thought the hike to the top of the town to get to the hostel was bad I was sadly mistaken. I don't know when but I seemed to have developed asthma and was weezing like a freakin whistle of a train. The stairs were soooo steap I nearly died. The views were magnificent though. After the first trail we took a break and relaxed on the beach. As we began to do the next hike we ran into Mike and his friend Justin and continued the trail together. The second trail was difficult but we knew what to expect. Luckily the last two trails were pretty flat - making it much more enjoyable. At the end we jumped into the water and of course I had a difficult time getting out. Adam had to throw me my flip flops so I could wabble my way out. We were exhausted by the end of the night and grabbed dinner then went to bed.
Yesterday morning at the train station I had asked some guy what time it was. I asked where he was from and it turns out he is from Maryland. I mentioned I went to Towson and he went to CP. We were shooting the shit and it turns out of course he is from Ellicott City (where I interned) and went to Waverly Elementary School - also where I did my student teaching. AND Meredith he knows you!! Their names are Field and TJ Simmons - small world getting smaller. We then hopped on the train and headed to Pisa. We saw the leaning tower, took the traditional tourist pictures then got on a train to Florence.
In Florence we walked around and looked at the Duomo. It really was beautiful. We got some lunch, walked around, then decided we were in dire need of a nap. We were still exhausted from the hike and took a two hour nap. We then met up with our German friends and went to their apartment for dinner on the terrace. The view was beautiful. We shared stories over two bottles of wine and exchanged contact information.
This morning we got on what we thought was a train heading for Roma. Somehow and for some stupid reason we were on the wrong platform and got on a train to Bologna. We were pretty pissed but took it all in stride. We found a train and finally got to Rome. We just toured the city on foot and did most of the free tourist things. We saw Adam's old aparment and the school that he studied at. I feel like there are so many more things to write but I am very limited and people are waiting for the computer. Hope everything is going well and I will write back as soon as I can! Ciao ciao!!!
Once we made it to Italy we did not have a place to stay. We thought that relying on our good looks was going to be good enough but apparently not! We went to the hostel that we had planned on staying at the following night and perfavore'd our asses as much as we could. They said there was no room but we could stay at her friends apartment at the top of town. She then told us that it was 'much too expensive - 30 Euro (only 5 more than we would be paying there) I quickly said WE'LL TAKE IT!! She then informed us that it was at the top of town and it was a far walk. I was hoping that her concept of money was about as good as her concept of distance but of course it was quite different. When she meant it was at the top of town she was right on the money. We climbed all the way to the top and I was just shy of resucitation when we finally made it to the top. We got to see a bride and groom walking through the town after they had just been married, which was beautiful. A crazy Italian man ran the place and talked a million miles a minute to Adam in Italian. We quickly got changed and headed back to the bottom for some food. We then strolled around the town with gelati in hand and took it all in. We then unfortunately had to climb ALL the way back to the top. I decided to hand wash a couple of my shirts then managed to get yelled at AGAIN by another man. I am three for three in each country so my new goal is to get yelled at by someone in each country that we go to. So far I'm going strong. We called it a night and showered.
The next day we took it easy and went to the beach. We checked into our hostel which was like an apartment. When we were at the beach we met some Australians who suggested we go snorkling with them on this boat. We decided what the hell and did it. It was pretty cool - the water was kind of cold though but we were able to see some fish. Then when we got on the boat I noticed something wasn't right and I thought some scuba divers were missing. Well it was true although they were not making a huge deal of it. Luckily they had two great lifeguards on board and Adam and I spotted them right away, practically in the next city over. They got yelled at and then it was over. We also met some really cool girls from Germany - Elisa and Lena that were our flat mates in the hostel. They were studying in Florence which was convenient since we were going there two days later.
On Monday night we met up with Mad Mike and 8 of his friends. Mike studied abroad in Italy with Adam. We all went out to dinner that night and went up to the Bar Centrale for the night. The next morning we planned to hike the Cinque Terre so we headed off to bed early. Tuesday morning we were FINALLY able to activate our phone so feel free to call! We then took the train to Montorosso to begin the hike - and what a hike it was! If I thought the hike to the top of the town to get to the hostel was bad I was sadly mistaken. I don't know when but I seemed to have developed asthma and was weezing like a freakin whistle of a train. The stairs were soooo steap I nearly died. The views were magnificent though. After the first trail we took a break and relaxed on the beach. As we began to do the next hike we ran into Mike and his friend Justin and continued the trail together. The second trail was difficult but we knew what to expect. Luckily the last two trails were pretty flat - making it much more enjoyable. At the end we jumped into the water and of course I had a difficult time getting out. Adam had to throw me my flip flops so I could wabble my way out. We were exhausted by the end of the night and grabbed dinner then went to bed.
Yesterday morning at the train station I had asked some guy what time it was. I asked where he was from and it turns out he is from Maryland. I mentioned I went to Towson and he went to CP. We were shooting the shit and it turns out of course he is from Ellicott City (where I interned) and went to Waverly Elementary School - also where I did my student teaching. AND Meredith he knows you!! Their names are Field and TJ Simmons - small world getting smaller. We then hopped on the train and headed to Pisa. We saw the leaning tower, took the traditional tourist pictures then got on a train to Florence.
In Florence we walked around and looked at the Duomo. It really was beautiful. We got some lunch, walked around, then decided we were in dire need of a nap. We were still exhausted from the hike and took a two hour nap. We then met up with our German friends and went to their apartment for dinner on the terrace. The view was beautiful. We shared stories over two bottles of wine and exchanged contact information.
This morning we got on what we thought was a train heading for Roma. Somehow and for some stupid reason we were on the wrong platform and got on a train to Bologna. We were pretty pissed but took it all in stride. We found a train and finally got to Rome. We just toured the city on foot and did most of the free tourist things. We saw Adam's old aparment and the school that he studied at. I feel like there are so many more things to write but I am very limited and people are waiting for the computer. Hope everything is going well and I will write back as soon as I can! Ciao ciao!!!
Friday, June 8, 2007
Boobies Boobies Everywhere
We are in Nice, France where the women do NOT where bathing suit tops. As much as I have been trying to absorb all the cultures of the various countries we have visited this is one of the customs I chose not to take part in. Last night we got into Nice at about 4:00 pm. Our phone worked for about a hot second as we passed through Italy and quickly ended as we arrived on the French side. It should work by Sunday when we are Italy for an extended period of time. We checked into our hostel which is loaded with Americans our age, which is pretty cool. We went to the grocery store and bought wine so that we could use the bottles at this winery we plan on going to. One thing we did miss on the bottle was that it said sans alcohol...WITHOUT ALCOHOL. I had mentioned to Adam that it tasted funny and very much like grape juice. He looked at the bottle and started screaming! Just another little story of stupid things we've done to add to the books. We called it an early night and went to bed. We ended up dumping everything down the sink.
Today we went to the beach in Old Nice. The water was beautiful and very inviting. The weather was perfect and the breeze kept us cool even though the powerful sun was making us bronzed and beautiful. Once we were hot enough we decided it was time to step into the Mediteranean and venture onto the stones. What I did not realize was that I was going to look like a geriatric patient without any sort of balance walking into the water. I wore my flip flops as far as I could then let gravity do its thing and hope that I didn't fall. Adam laughed as he jumped in and watched as I slowly eased myself into the water. Once I was in it was great. The water was clear...a little cool but very refreshing. Getting out was also quite the comical event of the day. Adam got out easy- no problem. Me on the other hand tried crawling out like a crab and got pummelled backwards into the stones as a tiny rippel crashed into me. I was laughing so hard that I couldn't move and failed at each attempt that I made to get up. For those who know me well they know what happens when I am laughing hard...Jen, Mom and Aunt Irene should know in particular! Adam got a great kick out of it.
Anyway after a day in the sun we decided to head back to the hostel. The bus ride from the beach to the hostel kind of takes a while but it's worth it. Tomorrow we plan on going to a different beach. Apparently there is a place we can jump off cliffs into the water. I have my brown strapless bathing suit with me so we'll see how that all works out. I may end up taking up the French culture after all! Oh and by the way we found out that the entire EU's railway system is on strike as of last night and you can only use intercity transportation. Luckily we had crossed borders by the time it had gone into effect. We are hoping they end the strike by Sunday night which is when we plan on going to Italy. Luckily we aren't in a bad place to get stuck in! Ok well I need to get a shower and then maybe get some dinner. Au revoir!
Today we went to the beach in Old Nice. The water was beautiful and very inviting. The weather was perfect and the breeze kept us cool even though the powerful sun was making us bronzed and beautiful. Once we were hot enough we decided it was time to step into the Mediteranean and venture onto the stones. What I did not realize was that I was going to look like a geriatric patient without any sort of balance walking into the water. I wore my flip flops as far as I could then let gravity do its thing and hope that I didn't fall. Adam laughed as he jumped in and watched as I slowly eased myself into the water. Once I was in it was great. The water was clear...a little cool but very refreshing. Getting out was also quite the comical event of the day. Adam got out easy- no problem. Me on the other hand tried crawling out like a crab and got pummelled backwards into the stones as a tiny rippel crashed into me. I was laughing so hard that I couldn't move and failed at each attempt that I made to get up. For those who know me well they know what happens when I am laughing hard...Jen, Mom and Aunt Irene should know in particular! Adam got a great kick out of it.
Anyway after a day in the sun we decided to head back to the hostel. The bus ride from the beach to the hostel kind of takes a while but it's worth it. Tomorrow we plan on going to a different beach. Apparently there is a place we can jump off cliffs into the water. I have my brown strapless bathing suit with me so we'll see how that all works out. I may end up taking up the French culture after all! Oh and by the way we found out that the entire EU's railway system is on strike as of last night and you can only use intercity transportation. Luckily we had crossed borders by the time it had gone into effect. We are hoping they end the strike by Sunday night which is when we plan on going to Italy. Luckily we aren't in a bad place to get stuck in! Ok well I need to get a shower and then maybe get some dinner. Au revoir!
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
You down with OPP...yeah you know me!!!!
So you would never believe it but guess who was staying at funny farm with us....NAUGHTY BY NATURE. They put on a free concert downstairs in the bar and it was awesome!! As it turned out I had been helping out the one guy from the group with using the internet. I was the idiot that had no idea who it was until much later. Then when word got out that they were staying at our hostel I went into psycho stalker celebrity mode and was on the prowel. Noticing that there were only three African American men at the hostel I figured that the gentleman with the enormous bling on his wrist and finger had to mean he was a member of Naughty by Nature. He was wearing a Jason Kidd jersey so I opened my fat mouth and asked if he was from good ole NJ. He said he was from East Orange and I shared that I was from glorious OT. At this point we still werent positive so I ran into the computer room and googled imaged his name and it turns out it was him wearing the same jersey!! The entire time I have been on this quest to find a celebrity and it finally happened!!! The concert was awesome we stood literally right in front of them and I got down with my badass OPP self and then hip hop horrayed it for the night. I ended up on stage singing into the microphone and everything and I got pictures with both members of the group. There was a cameraman shooting the concert and mentioned he is making a DVD to hit stores. Adam and I will be the first customers to find our rediculous selves screaming on the top of our lungs. My wine turned out to be delicous and so was the local beer. We bonded with our Jersey friends and it turns out they work at the Norwood in Avon and have gauranteed me free admission to Nip Night for life...SWEET!!!
Anywho we are in Lugano right now. The weather wasnt so great today but we went to this miniature Switzerland thing that they have set up. Its basically every monument in Switzerland shrunken down to a small version...it was pretty cool. We had a delicious dinner at an Italian restaurant. Adams Italian has come in handy and it turns out he speaks it very well!! He is just modest I suppose but actuallz very good!! I need to be going before I get kicked off the computer!! Buona Cera!!!
PS. Happy Birthday Jen Jen one day early!!! - I wanted to make sure I put that incase I dont get internet tomorrow.
Anywho we are in Lugano right now. The weather wasnt so great today but we went to this miniature Switzerland thing that they have set up. Its basically every monument in Switzerland shrunken down to a small version...it was pretty cool. We had a delicious dinner at an Italian restaurant. Adams Italian has come in handy and it turns out he speaks it very well!! He is just modest I suppose but actuallz very good!! I need to be going before I get kicked off the computer!! Buona Cera!!!
PS. Happy Birthday Jen Jen one day early!!! - I wanted to make sure I put that incase I dont get internet tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
My derriar hurts AKA my ass is killing me!!!!!
Halloooo!!! We are now in Interlaken, Switzerland. It is absolutely beautiful here but your wallet definitely needs to be full when coming here. There are so many activities to do outdoors such as sky diving, parasailing, paragliding, horseback riding, bunjijumpin - it's awesome!
Yesterday we were in Bern which is also beautiful. When we got to the train station we rented bikes again, this time we had to pay, and journeyed around the city. Unfortunately a lot of the museums are closed on Monday's but we made the best of it. We rode to the bear pits and I took tons of pictures - unfortunately there were only two but they were cute. We mostly just wondered around on the streets and stumbled upon famous landmarks. The water there is sooooo nice- I have never seen water so green before. Aparently it is from lime deposits that are in the water (completely safe to swim in). We were able to see Albert Einstein's house - I hoped to absorb some wisdom that might still be lingering around but no such luck! They speak mostly German here so the chance that I did have at understanding the French language has come and gone. My ass had already been hurting from the previous days bike riding adventure so yesterday's adventure only added to the pain. I threatened Adam and told him we were NOT riding bikes again for a while - although they are a great mode of transportation for seeing a small city! We stayed with my mom's family friend for the night and he took us to the top of this mountain via funicular. The view from the top was magnificent giving us a great view of Bern. We had a great nights sleep and headed out early in the morning for Bern.
So as I was saying there are tons of adventure sports here in Interlaken. Of course they are all extremely expensive so we opted for the cheapest - kayaking. Of course it was closed so we decided to go horseback riding. I don't know what the f I was thinking because the pain I was feeling before is nothing compared to what I am feeling now. An hour and a half on the damn horse and now it hurts to even walk!!! Oh well...we were able to see the incredible mountains and the beautiful water. We are now staying in this hostel called "Funny Farm" and boy is it funny alright. As Adam and I were sitting down twidling our thumbs I overheard some guys speaking English and sounded just how I sound. I decided to ask where they were from and what do you know NEW JERSEY!!! Of course I followed with a "Shut up! Where?" and they said "Umm like the Jersey Shore like Asbury Park area" and I still said "Shut up...us too! We are from Ocean." Meredith I know you would enjoy this seeing as I can always find someone from New Jersey wherever I go! When we got back to our room I found out our roomate is from Severna Park, MD...I have my two worlds coming together here!! Anywho Adam and I were pretty stinky and in desperate need of a shower. If I was going for chills up my spine then I was in the right place. I knew something bad was going to happen when on the back of the shower door it read "Disaster Farm". I opted to wash my hair in the sink and lather up outside the shower before using the water straight from the friggin Swiss Alps to rinse me off. Adam and I were dying laughing the entire time. Funny Farm ain't so funny anymore. It is pretty cool here though ... a lot of young people. There is a club downstairs and a Guiness tent outside starting at 10. I plan on hitting that up along with my $1.30 bottle of red wine...still tastes good and that's all that counts. In the morning we are waking up at the butt crack of dawn and heading for Lugano. Unfortunately there is no direct route to Lugano from Interlaken so we are heading up North only to come right back South to our destination. It will all be worth it though! Well I need to be going! Auf wiedersein goodnight!!!
PS our phone isn't working until we get to Italy. Adam bought an Italian simm card so it needs to be activated once we go over the Italian border. Hopefully on our way to Nice on Thursday it will start to work.
Shana - give me any updates on your interviews and stuff!! and anyone else too!!!
Yesterday we were in Bern which is also beautiful. When we got to the train station we rented bikes again, this time we had to pay, and journeyed around the city. Unfortunately a lot of the museums are closed on Monday's but we made the best of it. We rode to the bear pits and I took tons of pictures - unfortunately there were only two but they were cute. We mostly just wondered around on the streets and stumbled upon famous landmarks. The water there is sooooo nice- I have never seen water so green before. Aparently it is from lime deposits that are in the water (completely safe to swim in). We were able to see Albert Einstein's house - I hoped to absorb some wisdom that might still be lingering around but no such luck! They speak mostly German here so the chance that I did have at understanding the French language has come and gone. My ass had already been hurting from the previous days bike riding adventure so yesterday's adventure only added to the pain. I threatened Adam and told him we were NOT riding bikes again for a while - although they are a great mode of transportation for seeing a small city! We stayed with my mom's family friend for the night and he took us to the top of this mountain via funicular. The view from the top was magnificent giving us a great view of Bern. We had a great nights sleep and headed out early in the morning for Bern.
So as I was saying there are tons of adventure sports here in Interlaken. Of course they are all extremely expensive so we opted for the cheapest - kayaking. Of course it was closed so we decided to go horseback riding. I don't know what the f I was thinking because the pain I was feeling before is nothing compared to what I am feeling now. An hour and a half on the damn horse and now it hurts to even walk!!! Oh well...we were able to see the incredible mountains and the beautiful water. We are now staying in this hostel called "Funny Farm" and boy is it funny alright. As Adam and I were sitting down twidling our thumbs I overheard some guys speaking English and sounded just how I sound. I decided to ask where they were from and what do you know NEW JERSEY!!! Of course I followed with a "Shut up! Where?" and they said "Umm like the Jersey Shore like Asbury Park area" and I still said "Shut up...us too! We are from Ocean." Meredith I know you would enjoy this seeing as I can always find someone from New Jersey wherever I go! When we got back to our room I found out our roomate is from Severna Park, MD...I have my two worlds coming together here!! Anywho Adam and I were pretty stinky and in desperate need of a shower. If I was going for chills up my spine then I was in the right place. I knew something bad was going to happen when on the back of the shower door it read "Disaster Farm". I opted to wash my hair in the sink and lather up outside the shower before using the water straight from the friggin Swiss Alps to rinse me off. Adam and I were dying laughing the entire time. Funny Farm ain't so funny anymore. It is pretty cool here though ... a lot of young people. There is a club downstairs and a Guiness tent outside starting at 10. I plan on hitting that up along with my $1.30 bottle of red wine...still tastes good and that's all that counts. In the morning we are waking up at the butt crack of dawn and heading for Lugano. Unfortunately there is no direct route to Lugano from Interlaken so we are heading up North only to come right back South to our destination. It will all be worth it though! Well I need to be going! Auf wiedersein goodnight!!!
PS our phone isn't working until we get to Italy. Adam bought an Italian simm card so it needs to be activated once we go over the Italian border. Hopefully on our way to Nice on Thursday it will start to work.
Shana - give me any updates on your interviews and stuff!! and anyone else too!!!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Christina and Aladin take over Switzerland
We arrived in Switzerland in Loussane to stay with Cedric, Ursula, and Emilie (my cousins). The train ride through the country side was beautiful and quite green! Emilie (who is 4 1/2 thinks Adam's name is Aladin for some reason. Today she showed me a Jasmine doll to which I said go show Aladin I'm sure he will just love that. She thinks Aladin and Jasmine are actually friends in real life!
On our last night in Paris I had mentioned that we had a beautiful day and I had slept great...well I spoke too soon. As soon as we headed out to grab a bite to eat it began to pour. We took the metro to what we thought was going to be this great inexpensive restaurant. After trecking through the rain we finally found it and it was closed. The rain started to hold off and we thought we found a good restaurant. The menu looked decent so we gave it a shot. I thought I was ordering poulet (chicken) and what came back was a 2 inch square ensemble of vegetables consisting of asparagus, a piece of a tomato, and two unknown vegetables. No wonder the French are so damn skinny...it turned out to be an $11 snack. We then headed the the Eiffel Tower which was amazing. Who knew that it was brown? I could have sworn it was a silver color or greenish but certainly not brown! None the less, it was beautiful. As we took the elevator to the top the light show began. I took great pictures and took in the fabulous view of Paris. Adam and I both got crepes and took the metro back to the hostel for what I thought was going to be a great nights sleep. WRONG! The damn German girl, who was so lovely during the day, snored like she was a 300 pound man. The girl had some great lungs let me tell you because at 4:45 in the morning I was ready to put her pillow on her head or start shaking her. I decided to take the high road and take out the old iPod and listen to some tunes. I finally fell back to sleep around 6:30 and woke up again around 8:15. We had a lovely conversation with another one of our roomates, Perry from LA who is aspiring to be an actor in NY. He goes to school in Boston and ironically did his undergrad in good old Philly. We sat for quite a while and shared stories. The German snorer then joined us at the table and I stared at her as she looked so nicely rested. It turns out we will be staying in the same hostel at the same time in Nice. I told Adam we are switching rooms if we are sharing rooms again...either that or bust!
Today in Switzerland we took the train to Geneva. It was awesome. We discovered in our "Lets go Europe" book that we could rent free bikes. We got a little lost trying to find the store. We even asked some girl on the street who said she didnt know where it was. After roaming the streets aimlesslz like an American fool, we finally found it along with that girl who knew exactly what she was doing! I thought the Swiss were supposed to be neutral and friendly...after all I am one of them! We got our bikes and headed through the town. We rode along the lake and saw beautiful roses. I decided to take a picture of one and put it in my hair. As a turned around there was an angry Swiss man waiting to rip me a new one. He said, "What are you doing" and I replied with a "Oh I am just putting this in my hair. No? Oh shit". He then came back with "Is that how they do it in your country" "Yes" "Well that is a dissappointment" I was so shocked and upset I didnt want the damn thing anymore. I threw it in my basket and got over it. Fifteen minutes later it was in my hair adding a great accessory to the whole outfit. Word to the wise: dont pick at wildlife in Switzerland even if there are about two thousand other roses around you!
On our adventure we stopped at the St. Pierre Cathedral and climbed all the way to the top. I was sure to take tons of pictures after I caught my breath of course. Once we got back to Lousanne we had a fondu. Tomorrow we plan on meeting up with Claudine (my aunt) either in Geneva again or she will take the train to Lausanne. We still havent been able to catch the view of the Swiss alps due to the foggy weather over the mountains. The view from Cedrics house is unbelievable. To wake up to that everyday would be amazing. I guess I'll settle for my neighbors trees. Well I hope everyone is doing well at home. BIG props to Natalie on getting a job at RALPH LAUREN!!!! Big celebrations when we get back for sure! Talk to you all soon.
On our last night in Paris I had mentioned that we had a beautiful day and I had slept great...well I spoke too soon. As soon as we headed out to grab a bite to eat it began to pour. We took the metro to what we thought was going to be this great inexpensive restaurant. After trecking through the rain we finally found it and it was closed. The rain started to hold off and we thought we found a good restaurant. The menu looked decent so we gave it a shot. I thought I was ordering poulet (chicken) and what came back was a 2 inch square ensemble of vegetables consisting of asparagus, a piece of a tomato, and two unknown vegetables. No wonder the French are so damn skinny...it turned out to be an $11 snack. We then headed the the Eiffel Tower which was amazing. Who knew that it was brown? I could have sworn it was a silver color or greenish but certainly not brown! None the less, it was beautiful. As we took the elevator to the top the light show began. I took great pictures and took in the fabulous view of Paris. Adam and I both got crepes and took the metro back to the hostel for what I thought was going to be a great nights sleep. WRONG! The damn German girl, who was so lovely during the day, snored like she was a 300 pound man. The girl had some great lungs let me tell you because at 4:45 in the morning I was ready to put her pillow on her head or start shaking her. I decided to take the high road and take out the old iPod and listen to some tunes. I finally fell back to sleep around 6:30 and woke up again around 8:15. We had a lovely conversation with another one of our roomates, Perry from LA who is aspiring to be an actor in NY. He goes to school in Boston and ironically did his undergrad in good old Philly. We sat for quite a while and shared stories. The German snorer then joined us at the table and I stared at her as she looked so nicely rested. It turns out we will be staying in the same hostel at the same time in Nice. I told Adam we are switching rooms if we are sharing rooms again...either that or bust!
Today in Switzerland we took the train to Geneva. It was awesome. We discovered in our "Lets go Europe" book that we could rent free bikes. We got a little lost trying to find the store. We even asked some girl on the street who said she didnt know where it was. After roaming the streets aimlesslz like an American fool, we finally found it along with that girl who knew exactly what she was doing! I thought the Swiss were supposed to be neutral and friendly...after all I am one of them! We got our bikes and headed through the town. We rode along the lake and saw beautiful roses. I decided to take a picture of one and put it in my hair. As a turned around there was an angry Swiss man waiting to rip me a new one. He said, "What are you doing" and I replied with a "Oh I am just putting this in my hair. No? Oh shit". He then came back with "Is that how they do it in your country" "Yes" "Well that is a dissappointment" I was so shocked and upset I didnt want the damn thing anymore. I threw it in my basket and got over it. Fifteen minutes later it was in my hair adding a great accessory to the whole outfit. Word to the wise: dont pick at wildlife in Switzerland even if there are about two thousand other roses around you!
On our adventure we stopped at the St. Pierre Cathedral and climbed all the way to the top. I was sure to take tons of pictures after I caught my breath of course. Once we got back to Lousanne we had a fondu. Tomorrow we plan on meeting up with Claudine (my aunt) either in Geneva again or she will take the train to Lausanne. We still havent been able to catch the view of the Swiss alps due to the foggy weather over the mountains. The view from Cedrics house is unbelievable. To wake up to that everyday would be amazing. I guess I'll settle for my neighbors trees. Well I hope everyone is doing well at home. BIG props to Natalie on getting a job at RALPH LAUREN!!!! Big celebrations when we get back for sure! Talk to you all soon.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Stupid Americans?
Hello all...so Adam and I have been recognized as Americans and we don't know how. We are constantly being cut in line and not even given so much as a look from the French. Other than that everything is great. Today we slept in until about 9:15 (I got 13 hours of sleep last night) and we headed to the Louvre. We saw the infamous Mona Lisa, which was not anything special compared to all the other magnificent pieces of art that are there. We had a beautiful day and ate our lunch outside of the Louvre on the grass. We then headed to Notre Dame which was awesome. We took plenty of pictures at both places. I have also been enjoying the crepes that are here. I got one yesterday and one today - both with Nutella. They were delicious! Adam and my feet have been KILLING us. All the walking and being tired has not helped but it's okay - when in Rome I suppose. Adam has been using a new deoderant called "Showtime" and announces it every time he puts it on because that won't get old or anything haha We are about to head out to go get some dinner then see the Eiffel Tower for the night show. Tomorrow night we will end up in Switzerland to stay with Cedric and relax and see the homeland. Au revoir!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Bonjour!
We made it to Paris safe and sound after a very interesting flight on Air India. It was a little smelly in the airport to say the least, but the plane wasn't so bad. Adam and I were asked to change seats so a family could sit together...luckily we were able to sit in a two seater next to the window and an aisle. The seats were rather uncomfortable and we had the luxury of seeing the box office hit - "Freedom Writers" I was a fan but Adam was not. The food was quite different as well. We dediced to starve instead of eating the meals. Once we landed in Paris we dropped our bags off at the hostel and began to site see. We walked up to the Sacre Coure right down the street then walked the streets of the Champs Elysee and walked through the Louvre. Tomorrow we plan on doing a more thorough walk through of the Louvre. We are both so exhausted and can't wait to go to bed. I will write back soon!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Euro Adventure 2007
As Adam and I adventure through Europe this summer, I will be posting blogs and giving updates on our travels. We will be traveling through France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria (to see if the hills are alive), Germany, and Belgium. We will be backpacking from May 29th - June 29th. Check periodically to catch up on our tales from our journey.
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