the title of this post is not so much a name...but rather a picture of the swiss alps. :) As i look out the window of our hostel room in Interlaken the snow-covered mountain peaks poke in and out of the clouds and surround us on all sides. its absolutely gorgeous here! we got in around midnight two days ago and followed the directions we had to the hostel. we got a little lost along the way, as it was very dark and foreign to us. we flagged down a taxi to ask if he could point us in the right direction and he said he would take us for 14 fr. we asked if he could just point us in the right direction and he said no...then drove off. we knew it was less than a mile away, we just werent sure which way to walk. a nice man on a bicycle rode past and we flagged him down for directions. he was very kind and gave us directions. Balmers has been a great place to stay with lots of people coming to ski and snowboard in the best snow this part of switzerland has had in 10 years.
the first day after we got here we walked around the town and visited shops along the streets. we got bread, cheese and yogurt from the grocery store and ate lunch next to a pretty river that runs through the city. it was crazy to, after only seeing the town in the dark, wake up to the glorious alps surrounding us. after getting off the train in the dark emily pointed in some direction and said- is that a mountain, or just some clouds. i said-no, i dont think thats a mountain, it must just be dark over there. we felt so stupid to find out that the "cloud" was a giant mountain towering over the city.
theres a list of activities they offer at the hostel including: ski/snowboarding, paragliding over the alps, skydiving, canyon jumping, bungie jumping, night sledding, bowling, ice skating and other extreme sports. we decided to try nightsledding and went last night. it was soooo much fun. we got all geared up with special boots and ski pants then they took us up the mountain at about 630pm where we collected sleds and rode a gondola even farther up. after a quick tutorial the 15 of us started down the mountain on our plastic sleighs. the course was a summer driving road that had been snowed over this winter and it wound all the way down and around the mountain. the views of the mountains and little villages were breathtaking, and the sledding was a blast. we crashed a couple of times and had to walk our sleds through the flat parts. our guide showed us a frozen waterfall on one of the cliff faces, and led our group as we flew down the mountain. sledding in the dark is something ive never done before, and it was a little scary at first, but we loved it. we all wore glow sticks on our backs so we would know where everyone was.
when we got to the bottom of the course there was a yummy swiss dinner awaiting us. we started with salad then shared a swiss cheese fondue with bread dippers and ended with a fried egg-hashbrown plate (a little strange but i guess its a traditional dish). we finished our food and beer and headed back to the hostel.
today we took a bus and conglomeration of trains up one of the mountains to a town called wengen. there emily, victoria (an australian girl we became friends with on the sled ride) and i walked around admiring the views from high up in the snow. it was beautiful, all blanketed with white. we ate lunch at a cute restaurant and talked a bunch.
Interlaken has been a fun little town. and it is a very little town. tonight were going to a chocolate shop to see how they make the chocolate and taste a few. tomorrow we will see a little bit of bern, the capitol, and make our way to lucerne.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
A Venice Fish
Venice was a beautiful city. i loved everything about it! our hostel was a wonderful experience and different than the other ones weve stayed in so far. it was very centrally located with a private bridge and big green door entrance. the balcony looked out over one of the little canals where the gondolas float by and the common room made for a wonderful place to meet new people. each night everyone gathered around the table for dinner at 815 where we talked, shared pasta and wine and chatted. we met lots of australian people as well as some fun americans from all over. it was a very communal atmosphere and felt more like we were sharing a big house than a hostel. Mimo, the hostel owner/manager, was one of the funniest people...hes persian and has a great sense of humor. he entertained us much of the time and was great to talk to.
we spent much of our time walking around the city admiring the hundreds of bridges and canals that run through it. we got nutella crepes (which are the most amazing delight!) and ate more pizza. st marks square is a fun place because theres a hustle and bustle of people eating, talking, shopping and we even got to enjoy a quintet playing classical music outside one of the restaurants. we ate gelato and listened to the nutcracker suite. one of our days there we took a boat ride over to the island of murano where we got to see a glass blowing demonstration and fun glass shops covering the island.
one of the nights we also decided to go to an opera concert in a theater there where the musicians and singers all wore traditional baroque costumes. it was so much fun. the concert was called Baroque and Opera and featured a 9 piece orchestra and 3 singers. it was a compilation of songs from operas such as the barber of seville, don giovonni, the marriage of figuero and others. we got dressed up in our skirts and jackets and enjoyed the show. the singers were wonderful and the music beautiful!
venice was just such a unique city: no cars, busses, motorbikes, trucks or any other sort of transportation. just people walking to and fro with little carts that they pulled up and down the bridge stairs. all the little shops sold masquerade masks, glass-blown trinkets, leather gloves, scarves and other clothes. i was so excited because i have a poster in my room of a scene in venice with a couple in the middle under a red umbrella and we found where the picture was taken! i didnt even think of it until we were at the site and i thought to myself...this looks familiar!
our time there was relaxing and slower paced than some of the other cities we had been in. we took time to read and journal and chat with new friends from around the world. the weather was also pretty...cold in the evenings and nice in the sun during the day. were just glad we have scarves and other warm clothes.
Our time in italy is now over and were moving on to some much colder climates. weve been brushing up on our german phrases in preparation for the change...ich heise brittney. danke.
we spent much of our time walking around the city admiring the hundreds of bridges and canals that run through it. we got nutella crepes (which are the most amazing delight!) and ate more pizza. st marks square is a fun place because theres a hustle and bustle of people eating, talking, shopping and we even got to enjoy a quintet playing classical music outside one of the restaurants. we ate gelato and listened to the nutcracker suite. one of our days there we took a boat ride over to the island of murano where we got to see a glass blowing demonstration and fun glass shops covering the island.
one of the nights we also decided to go to an opera concert in a theater there where the musicians and singers all wore traditional baroque costumes. it was so much fun. the concert was called Baroque and Opera and featured a 9 piece orchestra and 3 singers. it was a compilation of songs from operas such as the barber of seville, don giovonni, the marriage of figuero and others. we got dressed up in our skirts and jackets and enjoyed the show. the singers were wonderful and the music beautiful!
venice was just such a unique city: no cars, busses, motorbikes, trucks or any other sort of transportation. just people walking to and fro with little carts that they pulled up and down the bridge stairs. all the little shops sold masquerade masks, glass-blown trinkets, leather gloves, scarves and other clothes. i was so excited because i have a poster in my room of a scene in venice with a couple in the middle under a red umbrella and we found where the picture was taken! i didnt even think of it until we were at the site and i thought to myself...this looks familiar!
our time there was relaxing and slower paced than some of the other cities we had been in. we took time to read and journal and chat with new friends from around the world. the weather was also pretty...cold in the evenings and nice in the sun during the day. were just glad we have scarves and other warm clothes.
Our time in italy is now over and were moving on to some much colder climates. weve been brushing up on our german phrases in preparation for the change...ich heise brittney. danke.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
When in Rome...
Italy has been a whirlwind of activity. Florence, Pisa, and the Cinque Terra were so fun, but we coudnt wait to get to Rome. that all changed once we stepped out of the train station. Our hostel was located about 100 feet from the train station. we ended up taking the "scenic route" all around the grungy town searching for it. after making a giant loop, and getting directions from a reception guy at a very nice hotel, we found our hostel right back accross the street from where we started from. we explored the area a little bit, thought we were being followed by two creepy guys, got a slice of pizza and returned to our hostel to get bundled up. that night we took the metro to the trevi fountain which was really cool. we tossed our coins in over our shoulders, hopeful to return some day. while at the fountain the vendors there overwhelmed us with their pushy advances. selling camera tripods and noise makers, or asking to take our picture we said no over and over again. one guy got so mad at us he started calling us names and following us around saying "stupid, stupid, you understand me, you stupid." it made our fun visit of the fountain somewhat tainted. weve been really surprised by how pushy some of these sellers and restaurant workers are. they try to get you to buy things and want to get you to come in their restaurant, and then when you say no they get so upset.
after the trevi fountain we walked to where we thought the spanish steps were and came upon a large building that looked over the city. it was really pretty, and we decided to walk down the different levels to see if we could find the spanish steps. once at the bottom we saw a fountain and a courtyard and a plaque that read "spanish steps." i guess we had found them after all...they were just different than we expected. we ate dinner at a little cafe and headed back to our hostel.
in the morning we checked out of mosaic hostel because they were full the next night and moved to eden hostel called a "B&B." the hostel worker buzzed us in the door after we had made our way around the corner through groups of gang-member looking men and homeless people. i told him we had a reservation and had made it online and he smile and nodded and asked if we wanted a room. i said yes, we had made a reservation on the internet. he said, oh yes, we have internet. we quickly learned this would be an interesting night. he led us up a flight of stairs to an elevator that was about 4ft long and 2ft wide. if any of you have seen our backpacks youll know how well that went over. squeezing in, emily and i twisted and turned to get ourselves lodged into the corner while the owner squished in too and shut the door. the elevator stopped with a jolt and we backed out of the small space, unable to fully turn around. our room was behind 2 more locked doors and had a bathroom and kitchen area not too far from it. it was the creepiest place ever! it was not enough that the inside was like a dungeon but we were afraid to walk out the door--it was like being in downtown LA at night.
While in rome we got to see St. Peters basilica which was huge and ornate. the inside was adorned with golden lining, beautiful mosaics and countless pieces of artwork. we went to the top of the cupola which consisted of climbing 520 stairs some no bigger than a foot long in an enclosed spiral staircase. we saw michaelangelos pieta and later went into the museum to see the sistine chapel. the museum was by far the largest museum ive ever seen, and it took forever to get to the sistine chapel. after vatican city we found a cute little cafe/pub that had free wifi, and we ordered some blood orange juice which was delicious. we spent 3 hours there looking up new places to stay for fear we might not make it through the night at our other place, and also looking at some hostels in venice.
we got to see the forum and colosseum that night, and then returned in the morning to see it in the daylight. we thought the ruins were so cool, and were facinated by their building skills from so long ago. all in all we disliked rome when we got there, but liked it more and more as we got to see more of the sites and history. we left yesterday to get to venice a day early and love our hostel here. were staying at a place called "a venice fish" and its in a great location with a fun host. everyone is welcome to free dinner at night and free breakfast in the morning, and weve met some fun travelers from all over. ive fallen in love with venice after only being here a day...its hands down my favorite place weve been so far. we explored the streets today and are going to the opera tonight!
our hostel here has a camera hook up, finally, so we were able to load some pictures on to facebook. if youd like to see them they are in an album titled "europe so far" and have captions telling you where theyre from. enjoy!
after the trevi fountain we walked to where we thought the spanish steps were and came upon a large building that looked over the city. it was really pretty, and we decided to walk down the different levels to see if we could find the spanish steps. once at the bottom we saw a fountain and a courtyard and a plaque that read "spanish steps." i guess we had found them after all...they were just different than we expected. we ate dinner at a little cafe and headed back to our hostel.
in the morning we checked out of mosaic hostel because they were full the next night and moved to eden hostel called a "B&B." the hostel worker buzzed us in the door after we had made our way around the corner through groups of gang-member looking men and homeless people. i told him we had a reservation and had made it online and he smile and nodded and asked if we wanted a room. i said yes, we had made a reservation on the internet. he said, oh yes, we have internet. we quickly learned this would be an interesting night. he led us up a flight of stairs to an elevator that was about 4ft long and 2ft wide. if any of you have seen our backpacks youll know how well that went over. squeezing in, emily and i twisted and turned to get ourselves lodged into the corner while the owner squished in too and shut the door. the elevator stopped with a jolt and we backed out of the small space, unable to fully turn around. our room was behind 2 more locked doors and had a bathroom and kitchen area not too far from it. it was the creepiest place ever! it was not enough that the inside was like a dungeon but we were afraid to walk out the door--it was like being in downtown LA at night.
While in rome we got to see St. Peters basilica which was huge and ornate. the inside was adorned with golden lining, beautiful mosaics and countless pieces of artwork. we went to the top of the cupola which consisted of climbing 520 stairs some no bigger than a foot long in an enclosed spiral staircase. we saw michaelangelos pieta and later went into the museum to see the sistine chapel. the museum was by far the largest museum ive ever seen, and it took forever to get to the sistine chapel. after vatican city we found a cute little cafe/pub that had free wifi, and we ordered some blood orange juice which was delicious. we spent 3 hours there looking up new places to stay for fear we might not make it through the night at our other place, and also looking at some hostels in venice.
we got to see the forum and colosseum that night, and then returned in the morning to see it in the daylight. we thought the ruins were so cool, and were facinated by their building skills from so long ago. all in all we disliked rome when we got there, but liked it more and more as we got to see more of the sites and history. we left yesterday to get to venice a day early and love our hostel here. were staying at a place called "a venice fish" and its in a great location with a fun host. everyone is welcome to free dinner at night and free breakfast in the morning, and weve met some fun travelers from all over. ive fallen in love with venice after only being here a day...its hands down my favorite place weve been so far. we explored the streets today and are going to the opera tonight!
our hostel here has a camera hook up, finally, so we were able to load some pictures on to facebook. if youd like to see them they are in an album titled "europe so far" and have captions telling you where theyre from. enjoy!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Crazy Tuscany?
Our time in florence with jen, jen and ashley was so much fun. we went out to dinner at this sweet restaurant-bar place that had all you can eat appetizers and drink for 8euro. we had lots of fun there and then found a bar to hang out in for the evening. we made friends with the bartenders there, did some singing and dancing, talked with some of the other people there and went to bed really late. it was a fun and crazy night.
we got up the next morning early so we could get to pisa, check into our hostel, and make it to the cinque terre for a day of hiking adventures. our trip to pisa ended up being somewhat of a wild goose chase. we finally found the hostel from the train station but no one was there. it was a simple door with just a small plaque on the wall that said pisa tower. the door was locked. after buzzing and knocking for a while we sat down to have cappachino and pastries at the cafe next door. we saw that the door was open a little later and jen went in to see if she could find anyone. the hallways were just numbered doors and there was no sort of front desk or reception area. she found a lady who only spoke italian and didnt know what was going on, but she called giovanni the mystery hostel boss to see what was going on. he said he was in rome and couldnt check us in, so he had moved their reservation to another hotel across town. wondering how we were supposed to know this, we trudged through the town of pisa (which is gorgeous and sooo cute) trying to find our new hotel. passing the leaning tower, we found our hotel and checked in. it was a nice place, just a very weird circumstance. now we were racing the clock to make it back to the train station to travel to the cinque terra.
We all changed into hiking clothes (the other 4 girls wearing shorts and me in thin work out pants) knowing we would be doing rigorous hiking for about 5 hours along the coast and hurried off to make our train. when we got to the first city we stepped off the train into 40 degree weather and freezing icy winds. ready to start hiking to warm up, we went in to buy our passes only to find out the park was closed due to rock slides!! what a day...we had had so much trouble getting there already and now we were freezing without a purpose anymore. we decided to explore the city of vernazza so we could see what the little towns were like. we ate lunch at a pizza place there (we got put in the very back of the restaurant) and ordered the greasiest pesto pizza ever. (vernazza is where pesto began). we decided to brave the cold once more and went out walking through the city. i couldnt believe the stares we got. without fail, every person we walked by stared and pointed, or laughed or whispered, and some even asked if we were cold. of course we were cold! we were amazed at how bold people were just to sit and openly stare at us for so long and with such confused faces. we hiked the portion of the trail that was open...a whopping 20 minutes and headed back to pisa. lets just say our expectations were not completely fulfilled. once we got to pisa we had to walk all the way back to our hotel in the freezing weather, (it was now night time) with more stares from everyone. we looked like a bunch of crazy people. it was a crazy day, but still we had lots of fun together.
Emily and i left pisa this morning and made our way to rome where well be for the next 3 nights. we saw the trevi fountain tonight and the spanish steps and were hoping to go to the vatican for mass tomorrow. weve had lots of pizza to eat and dont know any italian. were in a pretty ghetto part of rome, but the citys not to far away!
we got up the next morning early so we could get to pisa, check into our hostel, and make it to the cinque terre for a day of hiking adventures. our trip to pisa ended up being somewhat of a wild goose chase. we finally found the hostel from the train station but no one was there. it was a simple door with just a small plaque on the wall that said pisa tower. the door was locked. after buzzing and knocking for a while we sat down to have cappachino and pastries at the cafe next door. we saw that the door was open a little later and jen went in to see if she could find anyone. the hallways were just numbered doors and there was no sort of front desk or reception area. she found a lady who only spoke italian and didnt know what was going on, but she called giovanni the mystery hostel boss to see what was going on. he said he was in rome and couldnt check us in, so he had moved their reservation to another hotel across town. wondering how we were supposed to know this, we trudged through the town of pisa (which is gorgeous and sooo cute) trying to find our new hotel. passing the leaning tower, we found our hotel and checked in. it was a nice place, just a very weird circumstance. now we were racing the clock to make it back to the train station to travel to the cinque terra.
We all changed into hiking clothes (the other 4 girls wearing shorts and me in thin work out pants) knowing we would be doing rigorous hiking for about 5 hours along the coast and hurried off to make our train. when we got to the first city we stepped off the train into 40 degree weather and freezing icy winds. ready to start hiking to warm up, we went in to buy our passes only to find out the park was closed due to rock slides!! what a day...we had had so much trouble getting there already and now we were freezing without a purpose anymore. we decided to explore the city of vernazza so we could see what the little towns were like. we ate lunch at a pizza place there (we got put in the very back of the restaurant) and ordered the greasiest pesto pizza ever. (vernazza is where pesto began). we decided to brave the cold once more and went out walking through the city. i couldnt believe the stares we got. without fail, every person we walked by stared and pointed, or laughed or whispered, and some even asked if we were cold. of course we were cold! we were amazed at how bold people were just to sit and openly stare at us for so long and with such confused faces. we hiked the portion of the trail that was open...a whopping 20 minutes and headed back to pisa. lets just say our expectations were not completely fulfilled. once we got to pisa we had to walk all the way back to our hotel in the freezing weather, (it was now night time) with more stares from everyone. we looked like a bunch of crazy people. it was a crazy day, but still we had lots of fun together.
Emily and i left pisa this morning and made our way to rome where well be for the next 3 nights. we saw the trevi fountain tonight and the spanish steps and were hoping to go to the vatican for mass tomorrow. weve had lots of pizza to eat and dont know any italian. were in a pretty ghetto part of rome, but the citys not to far away!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Florence
Getting to Florence yesterday was a frustrating time. We left our hostel in nice to catch the 7:45am train to ventimiglia and made it there just fine. Then on our next train to Milan the conductor came around checking tickets and told us we had to have a reservation. This had happened to us on another train and we still don't understand that whole process. So we had to pay 8 euro each to be on that train. Meanwhile we had very annoying compartment mates who drove us crazy with their loud iPod music and cell phone conversations. In Milan we went to the ticket desk and waited in line forever to talk to a rude man who told us our next reservation price was going to be 20 euro each unless we wanted to wait 2 hours for another one with no charge. So we decided to wait which made us miss dinner with our friends in Florence. we also got off at the wrong Florence stop because the sign only showed one station in Florence and had to run to platform e to catch a train to the next station. Our 7 1/2 he train ride turned into 12 hrs of traveling but were here and our hostel is great! Today we saw the duomo which was huge! The David which was also huge and beautiful! And micaelangelos piazza with an awesome view of the city. At the open air market today we heard thunder and saw lightning then got poured on! Then as we ran to our hostel it started hailing! We were so drenched. So we changed our clothes and now were off to dinner and karaoke. :)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Nice and Eze
Ever heard that quote...nice and eze? well they beautiful cities. We actually didn't go to eze but drove through it to get to monaco. Our trip to monaco today consisted of a gorgeous bus drive along the mountain coast, a spectacle at the palace, and big money gambling. We got to the palace in monaco about an hour before the changing of the guard, so we walked around the little streets and shops and went inside the cathedral there. at 11:55 the changing of the guards took place which was really fun to see--they're so synchronized and formal. they processed in behind drummers and did fun gun tricks when the commander shouted orders. After that we walked through the market and around the bay to monte carlo where we wound up and down the gardens in front of the monte carlo casino. at 2 they opened the doors to let the public in but we only got to see the entrance area (which was very pretty and ornately decorated) because it was 10 euro to go inside. I think this is the casino in casino royal and oceans 12. we took the bus back to nice and bought food to make a pasta dinner back at the hostel. We also decided to try a 1.85euro bottle of french wine from the store whose cork crumbled into pieces as soon as i put the corkscrew in, and after 10 min of trying to pry it out of the neck of the bottle it popped through the other side into the wine. needless to say, it was not very good wine.
Yesterday was our first day in Nice and we spent the day exploring the city. we went up the street right next to our hostel that led up to a really cool cemetary. all of the graves were above ground and were decorated with marble stones, sculptures, monuments, and flowers. i've never seen anything like it. we also saw the headstone of emile mercedes whose thing said he was the pioneer of the automobile. inventor of the mercedes maybe? after that we climbed up the mountain to what used to be a fortress on the very top of the hill. there was a grand waterfall on one face of the mountain and breathtaking views of the city and ocean from the top. this has been one of my favorite experiences, and some of the most beautiful sites. Along the promenade we watched people skate by and strolled all the way down to where the big hotels are. we saw the hotel negresco which gustav eiffel built the dome for and also walked down to the water. Stepping through the rocks (not sand) we got just close enough to touch the waves as they came in--so now i've touched the mediterranean sea! it's been somewhat cold and windy but the sun warms us up. We found an adorable little restaurant in an open area right off the promenade where we ate lunch then went back for dessert last night. it's called comfortable food restaurant...kinda funny...but they had the best food and the nicest owner/manager who made us feel very special. i had a praline chocolate truffle dessert and emily had an apple tart and cappuchino. We enjoy lounging at restaurants taking our time to relax and talk.
France has been a wonderful place to explore and i'm glad we'll get to come back when we go to Paris. French is for some reason incredibly hard for me to speak any words of, and i just find myself nodding andpointing alot. The gelato is amazing here and i think we've made it a habit to try some almost every day. we take a train to florence tomorrow morning where we get to meet up with jen forbes and jen griffeth--two of our friends from westmont who are traveling in europe for spring break. it will be fun to see familiar faces.
Yesterday was our first day in Nice and we spent the day exploring the city. we went up the street right next to our hostel that led up to a really cool cemetary. all of the graves were above ground and were decorated with marble stones, sculptures, monuments, and flowers. i've never seen anything like it. we also saw the headstone of emile mercedes whose thing said he was the pioneer of the automobile. inventor of the mercedes maybe? after that we climbed up the mountain to what used to be a fortress on the very top of the hill. there was a grand waterfall on one face of the mountain and breathtaking views of the city and ocean from the top. this has been one of my favorite experiences, and some of the most beautiful sites. Along the promenade we watched people skate by and strolled all the way down to where the big hotels are. we saw the hotel negresco which gustav eiffel built the dome for and also walked down to the water. Stepping through the rocks (not sand) we got just close enough to touch the waves as they came in--so now i've touched the mediterranean sea! it's been somewhat cold and windy but the sun warms us up. We found an adorable little restaurant in an open area right off the promenade where we ate lunch then went back for dessert last night. it's called comfortable food restaurant...kinda funny...but they had the best food and the nicest owner/manager who made us feel very special. i had a praline chocolate truffle dessert and emily had an apple tart and cappuchino. We enjoy lounging at restaurants taking our time to relax and talk.
France has been a wonderful place to explore and i'm glad we'll get to come back when we go to Paris. French is for some reason incredibly hard for me to speak any words of, and i just find myself nodding andpointing alot. The gelato is amazing here and i think we've made it a habit to try some almost every day. we take a train to florence tomorrow morning where we get to meet up with jen forbes and jen griffeth--two of our friends from westmont who are traveling in europe for spring break. it will be fun to see familiar faces.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The french have outraaageous accaants!
We our out of the land of somewhat familiar language and into france where we know how to say bonjiour, wee, no, and si vous plait. Yesterday we were in avignon, a city walled in and medeival. the palace there was a cool sight to see, and we learned about the papacy while it was located there during the great schism. our hotel key looked like something out of the 14th century and the architecture of the buildings was really pretty.
our traveling logistics have been a little crazy...finding our way to the barcelona train station and the right train out of avignon sent us into some frantics, but remarkably we made it to our somewhat creepy hostel here in Nice. Walking down a strange alley tonight around 9 we were looking for 20 de droite and found that it was what looked like a dungeon metal door leading to a series of apartments. i rang the button that read hostel smith and the door buzzed opened. opening the lead door we stepped into a pitch black hallway with a flight of stairs leading upward. we fumbled along the wall and found a light switch and were shortly greeted by someone from our hostel who showed us the way. once we got inside it wasn't so bad and the people are really nice, but the initial experience of getting here was a little frightening.
our last day in barcelona we walked down to the harbor and spent some time admiring the beautiful sea, then saw the cathedral and arc de triumph and talked with our friend nassim back at the hostel. he is so fun and tried to teach us some french. yea right! in france so far emily and i have had french cuisine...i had 3 cheese quiche and she had a croquet monsouir or something like that and lots of croissants. the trains have been a nice relaxing part of our travels and we are ready to see more of france here in the cote de azure.
our traveling logistics have been a little crazy...finding our way to the barcelona train station and the right train out of avignon sent us into some frantics, but remarkably we made it to our somewhat creepy hostel here in Nice. Walking down a strange alley tonight around 9 we were looking for 20 de droite and found that it was what looked like a dungeon metal door leading to a series of apartments. i rang the button that read hostel smith and the door buzzed opened. opening the lead door we stepped into a pitch black hallway with a flight of stairs leading upward. we fumbled along the wall and found a light switch and were shortly greeted by someone from our hostel who showed us the way. once we got inside it wasn't so bad and the people are really nice, but the initial experience of getting here was a little frightening.
our last day in barcelona we walked down to the harbor and spent some time admiring the beautiful sea, then saw the cathedral and arc de triumph and talked with our friend nassim back at the hostel. he is so fun and tried to teach us some french. yea right! in france so far emily and i have had french cuisine...i had 3 cheese quiche and she had a croquet monsouir or something like that and lots of croissants. the trains have been a nice relaxing part of our travels and we are ready to see more of france here in the cote de azure.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
City Sights
Today was a great day of sightseeing and exploring the city. Emily´s bag had been lost on our commute and never showed up at baggage claim, so we had been checking in at the front desk ever so often to see if it would come. she finally got it this morning, and we got ready to go exploring. We took the metro up to see Guell Parque...which is the Gaudi park. the architecture was really funky and unique, and we ate our own little picnics on a little stone bench. We had croissants and peanut butter, an orange and some beef jerkey. it was great. we wound our way down the streets and found the metro again to take it to the Sagrada Familia church. the church was beautiful and we each got the audio headset tour things that tell you all about the different aspects of it. We then walked a looong way and got a little lost, but ended up at the Arc de Triomp which was really fun to see. Back at the hostel we took showers with fluxuating hot and cold water then got ready to walk around the evening streets. We ate gelato for dinner (the cappachino flavor was awesome) and found our way to the placa espanya where a big beautiful fountain was supposed to be. it wasn´t until we go there that we found out the water shows only happen in september and october. so we took the metro back to our hostel and ate some left over pizza for dessert. there´s a live band playing in the lounge at our hostel and everyone is bustling around the common room. We´ve enjoyed talking with the people in the city and have made friends with some of the guys in our room. The weather is beautifully warm with a cool breeze in the day and chilly at night. everyone wears coats and BOOTS all day long, and we love the style. we´re still a little jet lagged and will be going to bed soon. Tomorrow i think we´re gonna make our way down to the beach and the market which should be fun!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Emily Brittney Barcelona
we finally made it! this morning we flew from san antonio to houston, then from houston to london, then from london to barcelona. it's about 9am texas time (3pm barcelona time) and we've been up for 24 hrs with a 2 hr nap on the plane. the two of us are exhausted and really really want to sleep but we're gonna stay up so we can get on a regular schedule. for the next three nights we'll be staying at centric point hostel in barcelona. it's safe and clean, we have our own beds, sheets, lockers, room keys and lobby access. they have free breakfast, free internet, free wifi and our room windows and lobby windows look over the beautiful de gracia street. there are motorbikes everywhere (like yours dad) and it's fun strolling along the streets looking at the buildings. At the airport we found our way to the baggage claim and metro station, got our metro tickets and even got off at the right stop! we kinda look like turtles with our backpacks but it's been very convenient to have the day pack clip on the front of my bag. Our flight from houston to london was wonderful with movies, tv shows, and music on demand, and the plane was only maybe half full so em and i both got to sprawl accross 2 rows of seats so we could sleep a little bit. we got dinner and breakfast, then breakfast again on the flight to barcelona, and we're trying to stay hydrated with enough water. It's so exciting to finally be here and tomorrow after a good night of sleep i'm sure we will have more enthusiasm for activities. anyone interested in reading emily's blog as well...here is the url www.emilyharmseurope.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Getting Ready...
Welcome to my Europe blog! :) This week has been crazy trying to make sure I have everything I need for my trip. I've gone to tons of stores to find the right jackets, shoes etc. and am finally almost set! My backpack is definitely heavy, but as my dad told me, "you'll toughen up after a while." I'm sending out my last law school applications, doing my taxes, and I leave tomorrow to join Emily in Texas so we can go over plans together and get everything all squared away. Then we'll be off! Stay tuned for more to come. :)
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