Sweet Home Alabama

   Sunday was our last full day in Brussels. We enjoyed it by sleeping until two in the afternoon. Our plan was to be really well rested when we got home. It was a great plan! It was sunny for the first day in three weeks so we headed to a park and went for an afternoon walk. Then we had one last Belgian meal before packing and heading to bed.
   We woke up early Monday morning. We were so excited about coming home to see our friends and families! The airport bus was great and dropped us off right where we needed to be. We were so early that the check-in counter for our flight was not open yet. We sat on the floor of the airport and waited for about an hour. While waiting, we realized that we could weigh our bags on the scales. Anna's bag was 3 kilos over the weight limit and mine was 3 kilos under. I crammed three pair of Anna's shoes and some of her clothes into my bag. I've never carried such a heavy bag in my life. We had lunch in the airport and spent our remaining Euros on chocolate...of course.
   The first flight was from Brussels to Amsterdam. It was less than an hour and went very smoothly. After an hour layover in Amsterdam we boarded the ten hour flight from Amsterdam to Atlanta. I ended up in the aisle seat of one side of the plane with an older couple beside me. Little did I know that I would soon become the couple's personal flight attendant. First the woman could not make the headphones stay in her ears so I fixed them and then put them on her ears for her. Then they couldn't get their personal screens to work so I used the remote to get the entertainment systems on the movie selection for them. They needed to use the bathroom several times which meant that I had to get out into the aisle and wait for them to crawl over all our seats. After the second bathroom trip, I could not figure our what was taking them so long to get back into their seats. I walked back up the aisle and found out that the man had lost his hearing aid. He had been looking for it but had no luck finding it. So of course here I go onto all fours crawling around on the airplane floor to find his hearing aid. I did find it and then helped him find his medicine too. We finally all got situated back into our seats. The ten hours passed quickly since I was occupied with the couple and my personal entertainment system. I watched all kinds of movies and television and before I knew it we had touched down in Atlanta.
   We were scheduled to have a two and a half hour layover in Atlanta. That would have been the perfect amount of time to go through customs and make it to our next flight. Instead our flight was delayed and we had a five hour layover in Atlanta. It was torture. We were so close yet so far away from home! Finally we got on the plane and had a thirty minute flight to Huntsville. We arrived at the Huntsville airport about one thirty in the morning and then drove on to Scottsboro.
   I spent Tuesday catching up on the sleep I missed the day before and trying to recover from my jet lag. Mom and I visited my Thebus grandparents and then we had dinner at my Westmoreland grandparents. I also go to see my sweet Aunt Mary, thanks for the blueberries, and my cousins. It was a great day! Today I have packed, visited a few more people, and even fit in an hour at the pool, another great day!
    Tomorrow I am moving to my very first house! I cannot wait to live with Meg, Caroline, and Anna. I've missed Meggers and Crill so much all summer. We are going to have a great time! Of course this is the hottest week in Auburn so far and we will be moving all kinds of stuff into the house. I just love the south Alabama heat. I cannot believe I will be starting my junior year of college this month. It seems like yesterday I was moving into my freshman dorm.
    Thanks for reading my blogs. I have really enjoyed being able to keep up with friends and family though them. Sorry for any typos or grammar mistakes. For the most part I was typing on a wireless fold-up keyboard onto my iPhone. Every time I told someone in Europe that I was from Alabama they would ask: Sweet Home Alabama? Apparently the song is a European favorite. Yes, Sweet Home Alabama I would say and then tell them they should come visit. I had the most amazing summer abroad. Seven weeks in Europe was the perfect amount of time. I enjoyed every minute of it but was also ready to come home. Coming home is even more fun when you know you are headed right back to the greatest place in this state...Auburn University! The number on thing I missed eating from the United States was cereal. I've already had several bowls of multigrain cheerios with fresh blueberries and cold skim milk. My it is great to be home!
      I could not have asked for a better travel partner. So glad I got to see the world with you, Anna Cragon, I see many more trips in our future. We have way more of the world to see! I proved to myself that I can do anything and go anywhere. Toto, I'm back in Alabama and so glad to see you! I will not however been here for long. Watch out world, I'm coming to find you. From the biggest cities to the smallest villages, I want meet the locals, enjoy the food, and immerse myself into the culture. This trip sparked my need to travel more than I could have ever imagined. I'm so thankful to be home safe and sound, but I am counting the days until I am jet set again!  

The Best

Since I last blogged, I've had the best week. Tuesday and Wednesday we had our last classes which were a joke. Anna and I wrote a six page paper on mayonnaise for our major grade in our culture class. We spent the afternoons visiting chocolate shops we had missed during our month here and enjoying the city. Thursday we had our final for our culture class. Anna and I ate at our favorite lunch place, Made in Salad, one last time. We also got some chocolate and a new favorite cookie the macaron. I am on a mission to make the perfect macarons when I get home and back to my kitchen. I have had awesome flavors over the last two weeks including: rose, cherry, caramel, champagne, violet, raspberry, chocolate, and vanilla. They are the most wonderful melt in your mouth little cookies. I already bought a cookbook and have been studying up on how to create them.
Most of the group left on Friday so we had one last meal all together on Thursday night. It was a great dinner at a place called Ommergang right off the Grand Place. We also watched the light show in the Grand Place. It was a great last night all together. Most of the group left early Friday morning. Anna, Sarah, and I slept late and then finished packing up our things. Sarah's flight was today so she stayed at the hotel with us for one night. We checked in and love our hotel. It is so nice to have a little mini vacation at the end of our trip. It is also nice to be out of the house we were staying in. No more long tram rides to the suburbs or dogs barking in the middle of the night. Our hotel is right off a main metro stop. The location is perfect.
I researched what people said were the best frites in Brussels. Maison Antoine was what I found on all the websites I read. It just happened to be about a three minute walk from our hotel. Of course we ate them with mayonnaise for lunch. I agree with all the websites. They were amazing. Double fried perfection! Sarah wanted to go to the automobile museum so we split up with her for the afternoon. Anna and I put on our tennis shoes in preparation for our marathon afternoon of shopping. We have tried ALL the chocolate shops in Brussels to find the best chocolate to bring back to our families. Dad-no worries, I've done great research and found the best for you. Anna had on her Auburn sweatshirt and right as we walked into the shopping area we got a War Eagle. So nice! We went to tons of chocolate stores all over the city. People were giving us the strangest looks as we took the metro home. Anna says her arm is hurting from carrying our bags yesterday. I'm calling it the tragic shopping injury. We had so much fun at the stores. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. For dinner, Sarah joined us and we went back to our favorite place from our first weekend in Brussels. I had steak with frites. Then we had chocolate mousse for dessert. A great last meal for Sarah. We all really enjoyed it. It was for sure one of the BEST days we've had in Brussels.
Sarah left early this morning. Anna and I slept until eleven. It is so nice to be able to sleep late for the first time all summer. We got ready and took the train to Antwerp. We had heard that the train station was the nicest part of the city. It was absoultely gorgeous. Antwerp is home to a huge fashion school and many clothing stores. It is also the place to buy diamonds. We visited the clothing stores but diamonds were a little out of the budget. We had a nice late lunch and shopped around in all the stores. Then we headed home to Brussels.
For dinner we had frites and mayonnaise while we discussed our eating healthy diet we are going on once we are back in Auburn. We also went to Delirium for our last time. It was a great last Saturday in this wonderful city! Tomorrow is our last full day here and then we are headed home on Monday. I cannot believe how fast time has gone by this summer. I also cannot believe that I will be back in Auburn on Thursday. I am so excited to see all my friends and family and to be headed back to the Plains!

Catching up!

Wow, I haven't blogged in over a week. I've really missed it! Our trip to Amsterdam was a short trip with the whole group. We stayed at the Marriott-amazing. We were all way to excited about the pillows. When we got to Amsterdam Friday morning, we walked around the city. I read about a place on TripAdvisor called Pancakes!Amsterdam. Of course we had to try it, so we went for lunch. Emily and I split our pancakes so we could have savory and sweet. The savory pancake was spinach, goat cheese, and pine nuts. It was one of the top ten things I have ever eaten. Amazing. We also had the apple, cinnamon, and raisin pancake. It was also very good. The Heineken Experience had been highly recommended so we went for the tour. It was great to see the brewery and try the beer. I liked it way better than the Guinness beer! After the tour we took a canal tour of the city. It was very interesting to see the city by water. It was getting late after the canal ride so a few of us went to dinner together. I had a warm goat cheese salad that was great. We were so exhausted and headed back to the hotel to get a good night of sleep.
When we woke up on Saturday, I started feeling awful and so did a few of the other girls. I thought I would be fine so we headed out for the day. Anna and I had a great brunch and then shopped at the flower market for a few minutes. Our next stop was the Van Gogh Museum. It was the most crowded museum I have ever been too. I still enjoyed it though. The paintings were gorgeous. We started walking back to the train station right as it began to rain. Instead of walking we took the tram back and then hopped on the train to come back to Brussels. We went out for dinner and then came home to bed Saturday night.
Sunday morning I woke up ready to go to the Sunday market they have downtown. As I reached for my alarm, I realized how awful I felt. Apparently several stomach bugs have been going around Brussels. Several of us caught them but I had the worst case. The next four days are a total blur for me. I had a fever, stomach pains, and could not keep anything in my system. All I wanted to do was sleep. I have never wanted my own bed, my own doctor, or my parents so bad. This was the worst stomach virus I had ever had and the most sick I have been in years. I went to the doctor in Brussels and he basically told me my body would just have to fight the symptoms. He prescribed some medicine and some rice water. The most nasty thing to drink ever. I spent the week asleep and trying to feel better. As terrible as the week was, I am glad I was sick here and not during the three weeks we were constantly traveling. I don't think I could have done it!
By Thursday I was feeling much better and regaining my strength. July 21st is Belgium's Independence Day so we were out of school for the day. Anna and I went to the festival near the Parliament buildings in the morning. I even ate some bread! Then we boarded the Chunnel and went to London for the weekend. We arrived in less than two hours. We found our hostel and left our bags. Our hostel was right off the Piccadilly Circus Tube line. The hostel was a little small and strange but it was clean and in a very central location. We walked around for a little while and then bought tickets for the London Eye. We took our ride on the London Eye and had a great view of the city. For dinner we stopped at a place near the hostel. Then we headed to bed to get some rest.
I was feeling much better on Friday. We had a great breakfast and then walked to Buckingham Palace. We waited for the changing of the guard and watched the whole ceremony. It was way longer and more elaborate than I had expected. I really enjoyed it. Next we toured Westminster Abbey. The church was beautiful and they had a whole exhibit of pictures from William and Kate's wedding.We also saw Big Ben before going to the Tower Bridge. The bridge was gorgeous. We walked around the area for a little while and had dinner at a restaurant by the water. After dinner we went to the Globe Theater. It was so cool! We saw Anne Boleyn from our standing seats in the yard. We thought we would only stay for a little while since we mainly just wanted to see the theater. But once the play got started we loved it and ended up staying the whole time even when it started to rain. It was a fun end to a very tourist day.
Saturday we started the day by going to Notting Hill. Such a cute neighborhood. I could live there for sure! We started at one end of the Portobello Market and made our way to the other end. They had a huge selection of goods form antiques to fruit to clothes. We enjoyed looking at all the vendors merchandise. After we went to Harrods to enjoying the beautiful department store. One of my favorite parts was the Food Hall downstairs. We had a great lunch when we got there. Next we started at the top and worked our way to the bottom floor. We saw everything in the beautiful department store. High tea was next on the list of things to do. We went back near our hostel and I had tea and scones. It was a fun way to spend the afternoon. We bought discounted tickets for the musical Jersey Boys. The musical was so great! We really enjoyed all the music and it was fun to have a relaxing night in the theater. We ended up getting gourmet burritos after Jersey Boys was over. They were so good. We had been craving Mexican, yum yum yum.
Sunday was much more relaxing. We slept in and then went to a restaurant for the traditional English breakfast. The sausage, beans, eggs, and toast was good but I would take a scone over it anyday! We shopped around for a little while and then made our way to the train station. The Chunnel brought us back to Brussels and we made our way home.
Today we had a tour of Ghent, a small city about an hour away from Brussels. It was a cute little town. We had a walking tour and then was the Adoration of the Lamb painting in one of the churches. It was a nice way to spend the day. Anna and I came back to Brussels and finished our paper for our culture class. Six pages on mayonnaise. We had a great time writing it and can't wait to try making our own mayo when we get home. I can't believe our last week in Europe is here. This time next week I will be back in the United States. We are savoring our last week here and making the most of it. After not eating last week, I have a lot of chocolate to catch up on! I am so thankful to be feeling like myself again. I can't wait to finish out our last week abroad!

Bike Lessons

Tuesday we started out the day with nutrition class. Our teacher is so hilarious, we've really been enjoying laughing about the situations she gets us in. We had a lunch break and then she led us to the African museum. The museum was in the middle of some woods. It was a miracle that she knew how to get there on the tram and how to find the museum. The museum had gardens all around it. They were in need of a little maintenance but were still pretty. We walked through the museum. It reminded me of the natural history museum. The Congo was at one time a Belgium colony. The museum was mainly focused on the Congo. It was interesting to see the artifacts and stuffed animals.
Anna and I left the museum and made our way to the Midi train station. We had to find out about chunnel tickets to London. Apparently we hit the train station at rush hour. We found the Eurostar center and waited to talk to the ticket office. Finally we were able to book our chunnel ticket for one way and then booked the ride back online. We both needed some groceries so we stopped at the store before coming home. I made myself a great little meal out of cherries, blueberries, some cheese made with beer, multigrain bread, and a lemon tart. It was great! The whole group decided we wanted to go downtown for a little while. We made it into the city and had a great time trying differnet beers.
Wednesday was the day.....bike riding. I had been stressed about this day since we got the email about bike ridding in April. My roommates, friends, and family had given me tons of lessons and pointers about riding a bike. Something I never really mastered as a child. We made it to Brugge, a small city about an hour away from Brussels. The bike tour guide met us in the main square and we walked back to the garage where the bikes were stored. She handed me a bike and I practiced for a minute in the garage area. I made sure I knew which brake controlled what. The last thing I needed was to knock my teeth out in Belgium. We started the ride all in a line. We were in the city. Cars passing us on one side and parked cars on the other. I was terrified. Jessie has a picture of me with the look of terror in my eyes. We made it through a few traffic lights and then to a bike path. Thank goodness for the bike path. We were able to get out of the line formation. I made my way, slowly, down the path to the old windmill. Then we went to another even smaller city and had a snack. I treated myself to a waffle and fries. It was freezing cold, windy, and spitting rain the entire trip so it felt nice to warm up inside the little restaurant. I tried to relax but was still a ball of nerves. We got back on our bikes to go back to Brugge. I had a hard time getting back into my bike momentum and slowly made my way back to the city. The tour guide was so nice and was explaining things about the countryside the whole time. The only thing I saw was the pavement in front of me that I was totally foccused on. I was determined not to fall. After cobblestone streets, traffic lights, and the smell of cows in the country I had just completed my first bike ride ever. NINE miles. Huge for me. An item crossed off my bucket list for sure.
We had a walking tour of the city and went inside several beautiful churches. Then we shopped around for a little while. Dinner was great. We went to a place on the main square and had the fixed menu. I had a cheese croquette, Flemish beef stew, and chocolate mousse for dessert. It was great to all be together after our bike ride in the country. We caught the train back into the city and worked on some homework before going to bed.
Today we had nutrition class this morning. For lunch we all went to a local place with Dr. Haley. She had arranged for us to have a family style meal so we could all taste different dishes. We had tons of great traditional food. I even ate the mussels that Brussels is famous for. We were all stuffed for our afternoon class. Anna and I did our presentation on chocolate and then class was over. For our chocolate fix today we headed into the city. Best of the day was the dark chocolate filled with mango passionfruit flavored ganache. Great! It has been cold(high 58 degrees) and rainy these last few days. I never thought I would say it but a part of me actually missed the warm Alabama temperatures. I hate wearing a coat in July! All of us are going to Amsterdam for the weekend. I know we are going to have a great time being all together for a weekend trip!

The Luck of the Irish

Our Dublin weekend started at 2:45AM on Friday. We had to fly out of the airport that is an hour south of Brussels so our taxi picked us up at 3:45AM. We got to the airport and checked in no problem. Our first RyanAir experience was great. I had heard horror stories about this airline but we had a nice flight. We got into Dublin by 9:00 and found our hostel. Abigail's hostel was amazing and on the corner of Westmoreland Street! They told us to leave our bags and to eat breakfast. We were exhausted from our early flight so we ate and rested for a little while. We also researched good places to eat in the city. Then we headed out to explore the city.
We've only missed one food item from the United States-Nature Valley granola bars. While walking we saw a bus drive by with a huge Nature Valley add on the side. Next, we were on a mission to find our favorite snack! We found them in the second grocery store and both bought three boxes. I'm sure they will last us the rest of the trip! Nice to have a little piece of home after a month away. Our friends from Auburn were meeting us at the hostel so we went back to meet them. The six of them are studying abroad in Italy. It was so fun to meet up with some Auburn girls in Ireland! As soon as they got in we made our way to the Guinness Storehouse. I read that the storehouse is Ireland's number one tourist attraction. It was the coolest building. I really enjoyed learning about the history of the beer, how it is made, and the building itself. I did not enjoy the beer. I am not a Guinness girl I guess! The bar at the top was all glass and we could see the entire city. It was totally worth the trip! After the storehouse we had dinner at a traditional Irish restaurant. I had Irish Stew with brown bread. We also went to the bar where P.S. I Love You was filmed. It was an intersting bar in a non touristy part of town. We ended up in the bar next door because it was less crowded and we all wanted to catch up and talk.
Saturday we started the day with a three hour walking tour of the city. Since my Irish knowledge was pretty limited, this was a great activity. Our tour guide taught us all about Dublin, maybe more than I needed to know! We did stop for a break on the tour and Anna and I had an Irish coffee. For lunch we went to the cutest place called Queen of Tarts. I had a chicken, cheese, and vegetable tart with a great salad. For dessert I had a chocolate pecan tart. So good and the place was adorable! We all wanted to see the countryside but with our limited time we didn't know how to make that possible. We chatted with a man at the hostel and he suggested a small fishing village. We rode the bus for about thirty minutes and then arrived in Houth. It was a sweet little town. We walked to the end of the pier and enjoyed seeing the mountains and the water. Exactly what you think about when you think about Ireland! We also saw a seal in the water. It was so cool! For dinner we went to a place called the Bloody Stream. We don't know why the restaurant had this horrible name because it was amazing. I had Irish Stew again....I hate to repeat things but it was just so good. I loved the stew at this place way more too. We also split the apple crumble for dessert. It was the most cozy restaurant. The perfect place for eight Auburn girls! After dinner Melissa, Lauren, Anna, and I went to the Temple Bar. It is a huge pub and was soooo crowded. We left and ended up in a pub across the street. Two guys were singing and playing guitars. It was so relaxing and fun. We all tried some Irish beer, not Guinness!
We said goodbye to the Auburn girls because we had an early flight to catch. We made it back to Brussels no problem. It was also nice to have a free afternoon. We went on a jog to the nearby park and caught up on some schoolwork we needed to do. Today we had our culture class for six hours. So long! But our teacher is so fascinating that it doesn't even bother me. For lunch a few of us went to a cute place called Made in Salad. We all had great salads and then had to stop for some chocolate of course. Favorite of the day-white chocolate filled with dark chocolate raspberry ganache. YUM! After class we stayed at the school to use the good internet connection for a little while. Then we stopped for fries on our way home. I watched the cook as he prepared them. I think I've figured our what makes them soooo good. They fry them not once....but twice! The perfect end to a great Belgian day!

Willy Wonka

We went on our first field trip on Tuesday. The train left at 9:05 and we were headed to a little town called Leuven. On the train ride in we passed the Stella Artois brewery. It was huge! Stella is a huge name around here. They brew many of the local beers. When we arrived at the station, our sweet culture teacher, Marie-Therese, met us. She gave us a walking tour of the city. It was once a walled city and you could still see the path of the original design. It is also a college town. The schools are all on holiday but it was still interesting to see how different a college town is in Belgium. We toured the most beautiful library that the students use. The old cloth hall was a huge trade center many years ago. Now the college uses it as the admissions building. We saw the town hall, churches, and many other beautiful buildings. Then we had lunch all together. I had a traditional Belgian dish that was chicken in a pastry dough. It was almost like chicken-pot-pie but way better. Of course it came with fries....the best part! Anna and I also tried the beer they brewed at the restaurant.
After lunch we headed to the University hospital located in Leuven. We listened to a presentation about how the healthcare system works and differnt dietitians explained the areas of need nutrition wise in the hospital. We got to tour the kitchen too. They have a bakery and bake fresh bread every morning. All the food looked way better than any hospital food I've seen in the United States. We also toured the ICU. It was very intersting to see the differences and simularities in the hospital. We got back on the train and headed back to Brussels. Of course Anna and I had to get chocolate as soon as we came back into the city. We tried Elisabeth and were so not disappointed. They had nougat that was amazing and I had a chocolate with cinnamon inside. Yum! They have a festival each year called the Ommergang. We sat in a cafe and watched all the parade participants line up. It was so neat to see all the differnet costums and traditions. They paraded down the street and then had a huge play at the Grand Place. We loved hearing the music and seeing all the familes.
On Wednesday we had our culture class in the morning and brought our lunches. After our little picnic outside, we headed to Planete Chocolat. It was fabulous! We learned about the history of chocolate, how it is made, and got to make our own. We used dark chocolate for all the demonstations and then got to eat it all. It did not have a chocolate river but even without that I still felt like Willy Wonka. After our chocolate we came home to relax for a little while. Our house mother cooked spaghetti for all of us. We had a fun meal all together and then went out for a little while downtown.
Today we had our culture class this morning and then another picnic for lunch. After lunch we went on a walk with our teacher and she told us all about one of the huge local parks. Some of the class had a plane to catch so they left early. After they left we had ice cream with Marie-Therese. I had Cassis sorbet and it was great! Anna and I went to Jean-Philippe Darcis today for our chocolate treat. I had a raspberry macaroon. So good! On our way home we tried the Duvel beer. We wanted fries for dinner so we went to the stand at our metro stop and bought some. I don't know what they do to the fries here but they are so much better than any I've ever had. We have been eating them with the mayonnaise too something about it is also different. Dad, you would be proud! We are finished for the week and packing for the weekend now! More fun to come as we take off for our first weekend getaway.

Bonjour!

Brussels is our new home for the month! We arrived Friday afternoon to the address we gave the taxi driver. He kind of pointed across the street and said I think that might be it. What? We both looked at each other in shock. Anna's sister studied abroad with Clemson a few years ago and they stayed in a hotel like building almost in the city center. The cab driver had just dropped us off in a suburban neighborhood. We approached the door and we were greeted by the house mom. She led us upstairs and we were still so shocked. We all have our own rooms here but it is not the hotel like feel we were expecting. We were a little disappointed at first but we are now making the best of the situation. We met the other eleven people in our group. We have a wonderful group of twelve girls and one guy, we should call him a saint for putting up with all of us. After putting our bags down, we all headed to the grocery store to get some essentials. Instead of peanut butter I got this awesome spread called Speculoos. It is Belgium's version of peanut butter. I've been making great little sandwiches with it. We also got Greek yogurt. The perfect protein packed breakfast for our long days here. Anna and I went out for dinner with the whole group and then we all headed back home.
Saturday we had a tour of Brussels at 10:00. We started to learn the tram and metro system and were feeling better about our new home once we learned how to get into the city. Our tour guide, Sasha, was amazing. He told us all kinds of cool history, where to find great chocolate, and fun things to do in the city. We even stopped at a chocolate shop on the tour for a quick sample. Yum! After the tour, we stopped at a local lunch place called EXK. They have all kinds of great soups, salads, and sandwiches. This is Brussels answer to fast food and it is sooo much better than any fast food we have in the States. We had a great little lunch and then explored the area of Grand Place some more. Neuhaus is the oldest chocolate distributor in Belgium so of course we had to try it! It was a fabulous first Belgium chocolate for me. So wonderful! I wish I could bring the whole store back! We walked around some of the city and then headed home for a little while. We are starting to settle in and it is feeling much better. For dinner Anna and I read about this little place called Saint Catherine. We found it and could not have been happier. It was a very small little restaurant brimming with locals. The chef was this adorable little old man. He cooked for one table at a time as if you were in his home for dinner. I had pork with an apple, cream, and white wine sauce. It was the best experince for our first real Belgian meal. We then headed to Delirium which is bar that claims to have more beers on tab than any bar in the world. I tried the cherry beer that Brussels is famous for. It was like drinking a cherry blow pop, way too sweet for me but glad I tried it! Then we headed home for bed.
Sunday we all slept in very late. Some of the other people were still recovering from jet lag. Anna and I were just exhausted from three weeks of non-stop travel. We headed back downtown to walk around for a little while. I had a Belgian waffle complete with strawberries and chocolate. So good! Then we went to a little shop called Mary and had another taste of great chocolate. Anna and I are determined that we will be eating chocolate, and good chocolate, everyday while we are here. It has been very cold here these last few days so we found an H&M to pick up a few more cooler weather things. We all headed back home to prepare for the week. Anna and I found a laundry place very near our tram stop so we washed all our clothes from the weeks before. It was so nice to put clean clothes onto a shelf and not into my big backpack. We also went for a little jog around the neighborhood. It was fun to see the houses all around.
Today we had our first class at 9:00. Anna and I thought the tram was only coming at 8:26 and then at 8:53. We had to be on it by 8:26 in order to make it to class on time. We walked our the door at 8:20 and it was about to leave. After a little run towards it, we saw it drive away in the distance. We were in a huge panic. Then I talked to some locals and realized that we had been looking at the wrong schedule. Another tram came in seven minutes and we made it to class still 15 minutes early. Nothing like a little cardio to get you going in the morning, now we know what schedule to look at! Our first class is about Belgium Culture. The teacher is a very European older lady. She is so knowledgeable and interesting. Even though our class is three hours long, I think it is going to be enjoyable. We had a lunch break after and Anna and I booked our flights to Dublin for the weekend. Our next class is a nutrition class. Funny to be eating chocolate, beer, and waffles and then to go to class to discuss healthy eating. Oh well, I'm a Food Science major not nutrition I keep telling myself. Many of our class days will be involving a field trip so I think both classes are going to be great!
After class ended, Anna and I made a trip to the Leonidas chocolate shop. Dark chocolate with salted caramel filling was my favorite of the day. So much chocolate everywhere. As a chocoholic, I can't imagine a place more perfect. We visited the Atomium next. It was built for the 1959 World Expo. We rode the elevator to the top and had a nice view of the city. We hopped back on the metro and went back to our school building. Instead of a closing reception we had an opening reception. We had a nice toast, some good sandwhiches, and some yummy little fruit tarts. No Dad, not Tart Lemon...but I wil be finding one soon! We wanted to find sometihng semi American to do since it is July 4th but without ribs, the lake, and fireworks we were out of luck. We went to one of the more casual pubs and tried another local beer. It was great just to be all together for a little while.
The adjustment from traveling has been a big change. I was much better after we got a schedule and a syllabus today. As Dad always says, I am turning into my mother. I love being able to plan things. We have our first excursion/field trip tomorrow and I know we are all going to really enjoy it. I could not ask for a better group of people to be sharing this experience with. We are going to have a fantastic month! Happy 4th of July to all! Eat some ribs for all of us!

Science Nerds

Anna and I started the day yesterday with a trip to the Deutsches Museum. This museum is the world'd largest technology and engineering museum and for some reason admission was free for the day. We are obsessed. We saw all the top sights including the musical instruments, power machinery, marine navigation, aviation and space travel, telecommunications, and a special 50s exhibit. Galileo's workshop is located in this museum but of course our luck-it was under restoration. Our favorite room was the Pharmaceuticals exhibit. It was soooo awesome. The best thing to see was the human cell magnified 350,000 times. You could walk inside the cell and see all the different parts. Another lady in the cell laughed at us as we named all the parts and stood in amazement. Thanks to some awesome science teachers, it was by far the best! They also had a Food Technology exhibit. It was so cool! We realized how nerdy we sounded as we walked back to the metro stop. We could not stop talking about THE cell.
After the musesum, we headed to the soccer arena. From the metro map it seems like all you have to do is follow the soccer balls and it will drop you off right at the stadium. We thought we had just enough time to make it to the stadium by 1:00 for the English tour. When the train stopped we were a solid mile from the entrance of the stadium. We booked it over, found the right steps to go up, and then found the ticket man. We had missed the English tour by about 12 minutes. If not for the mile long hike we would have been just on time. Oh well we thought, we can just go on the German tour. This will be interesting. We had lunch at the cafe and then shopped in the fan shop. Since we know nothing about soccer, excuse me-football, we asked the salesmen a few questions. They looked at us like we were crazy. The time came for the German tour. It ended up being the most hilarious tour we have been on. The nice tour guide would give the long history or explanation about something in German and then give us the two minute version in English. It was perfect. We could pretty much figure out the difference between the locker room and the field even with the language barrier. The best part however was a group of tourists also in the group with us. I have no idea where they were from but they took pictures of everything. White walls, check. The bathroom sink, check. The steps, check. They were like a group of ants. Anna and I started laughing and could not stop. Neither could the tour guide. It was hilarious. We learned a little about football and had a great time.
Next we headed to a different beer garden to check it out. It was the Lowenbraukeller and was much smaller than the first two we visited. It was a nice afternoon spot. Then we ate dinner at the Weisses Brauhaus pub. It was great! I had the Wiener Schnitzel and it was fabulous! We went to our favorite beer hall one more time and then headed home. A great day in Munich!
Today we slept late! For the first time in a long time. It was raining outside and we wanted to rest before getting into Brussels to start our class. We ate a nice lunch at a cute little organic lunch spot. Our waiter was from Kansas. Really one of few Americans we have met in Munich. We love not being surrounded by American tourists here. We ended up shopping since it was cold a rainy. I got some jeans, a jacket, and two dresses at H&M. Oh how I love H&M, thank you Laura Hobbs for introducing me to H&M so many years ago! When we walked in we were greeted by a wall of orange and blue clothes. It was like they had made them just for us! We enjoyed a relaxing day. We are about to head out for one last Bavarian meal. I would never have imagined that of all the places we have been over the last few weeks that Munich would be one of my top rated. I told Anna at lunch this morning that of the cities we have been to, I would choose Munich to live in. We love it here and only wish that they spoke Italian rather than German. Italian is just so much more fun! I hope one of my next European adventures will be exploring more of this great country.
We have had so much fun traveling over the last three weeks. Tomorrow we head to Brussels to meet up with the group from Clemson. Our classes will start on Monday. It is going to be nice to have a home base for the next month. We will still be traveling on weekends, but will have the week to rest and oh yeah...learn something too! I know our adventures will continue!

Germany > Switzerland

We have had such a fun last few days! Our second, and last, day in Switzerland started early. We were on the train by 9:04 headed to Interlaken. Interlaken means the city between two lakes. It is supposed to be a town for young people to enjoy visiting. Our friends from the cultural festival suggested that we go visit. Since we had already visited everything to visit, and because the train travel was free thanks to our Eurail pass, we headed to the mountain town. The train ride only took about an hour so it was a nice day trip. It was a very cute little town. Swiss Army knives were visible in all the shop windows as we walked by. We thought finding the two lakes would be idiot proof since we thought it was kind of named after them but not so much. We walked and walked before getting on a bus that took us to the best lake, as the bus driver put it. When we finally found the lake we were so hungry. The only restaurant was connected to the hotel. We sat down to have lunch and while eating noticed that we were for sure the youngest people in the whole place. I felt like we were having lunch at a retirement home. We looked up and realized that all the young people were skydiving and hang-gliding instead of eating lunch. It was good though and just what we needed! We walked down by the lake to enjoyed the view. The Alabama girls both had chill bumps from the cool mountain air. The Swiss girls were decked out in bathing suits enjoying the "warm" weather.
Anna and I headed back to the train station and then arrived back to Bern. We collected our bags and got on the train again to make our way to Munich. I absoultely love public transportation. I have always loved to fly and just to be in an airport people watching. The European trains have taken this love to a new level. I think riding the train around Europe is part of the fun. However, somehow Anna and I ALWAYS end up on a plane or train with a shrieking child. On the train from Bern to Munich we had two children who made the ride oh so enjoyable. I was sitting next to a man who ate a whole chicken, two rolls, two beers, some chocolates, and some mints on the train. Who eats that on a train ride? I wanted to hand him a sandwich. Anna sat next to hair girl. She would not leave her hair alone. It was super gross. All these people make traveling even more fun! I still love riding the train. We arrived in Munich late Sunday night and fell straight into bed after our day of traveling.
Monday brought all kinds of Munich fun. We started the day at the Marienplatz. The Neues Rathaus, new town hall, provides visitors with a show at 11:00 every morning. The figures at the top dance around and music plays for a solid ten minutes. We enjoyed getting to see this. Next, we climbed the steps, over 300, to the top of the Peterskirche clock tower. The view was amazing! They also have a great outdoor market in the area. We loved seeing all the fresh fruits and veggies. Anna and I split some blueberries for a snack. Aunt Mary, how are the blueberries at home coming along??? They are one of my favorite fruits! We also saw the beautiful Frauenkirche church. It is topped by onion domes and is known as Munich's symbol. It was nice inside and out. Of course they were doing restoration work so some of it was covered up. This seems to be our luck everywhere! We left the old town area and made our way to the Olympiapark. I LOVE the Olympics and everything Olympic related. Being in this park was so fun for me! I will go to the Olympics one day. I am determined. We wanted to eat lunch in the Olympic tower but it was not open for the day. We did take the elevator to the top to get a nice view. After the tower, we walked around the park to find the festival that was going on. It is called the Tollwood Festival and it celebrates different cultures. We had lunch at the festival. It was a fun afternoon.
The largest beer garden in Munich is the Hirschgarten. We headed in that direction next. After getting lost in the large park and having a nice little stroll, we finally found the actual beer garden. It can hold 8,000 people. So HUGE! I will say that I think we were the only tourists there. After being a little confussed about what to do, we thought we had it figured out. Anna walked up to a counter and pointed to a name. The man handed her a glass. I told him I wanted something different and he handed me a glass too. When we started to pay the man asked Anna if she had apple juice. Again we were super confussed. Anna accidentally ordered fizzy apple juice. We laughed so hard! We both enjoyed our afternoon then headed back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. We read about a place with Bavarian food and decided to give it a try. It was great! I had farmer's duck, potato dumplings, and red cabbage. The couple next to us kept looking at us and we wondered why. Finally the man turned around and said, "Are you girls from Alabama?" Yes we told him and asked how he knew that. He had been to training on the Arsenal in Huntsville and said he could pick out the accent anywhere. We talked about all his favorite places to eat in North Alabama. Big Bob Gibson's BBQ was his favorite. We had a great discussion about southern food. He and his girlfriend were from Connecticut. We had planned on going to the Hofbrauhaus after dinner. They were going too so we walked together and ended up sitting with them for about two hours. We all had a great time chatting and people watching in the beer hall. Anna and I both love the beer gardens and the beer halls. We want to open one in Auburn. Our new friends walked us to the metro station and we told them good bye. We have been so lucky to meet the best people all over.
Today we started with a train ride to Dachau. Most people ride the train to Dachau and then take the bus straight to the concentration camp. We had not decided how we were going to get there yet. We exited the train and saw a family walking together. The dad had a Kentucky Wildcats hat with him. After pulling the Go Wildcats/SEC card, Anna and I were in the middle of a family vacay. Our luck continued as we discovered that the family we were with was complete with a German cousin who lives in Munich. We followed them and had a nice walk through the neighborhood. As we neared the camp, in one block the scenery changed from happy suburban backyards to a chilling Concentration Camp. Anna and I broke away from the family and headed into the main building. They have done a wonderful job with the displays and memorial throughtout the building. We spent about two hours walking through the rooms and reading all the information. Thank you Coach Hass for providing me with a world class education. I could never have asked for a better World History teacher. You prepared me for all the information that came with the camp this morning. It was a somber way to start the day, but I am so thankful to have had the experience. It was a learning trip for sure and a morning I will never forget.
Our next stop was the University district for lunch. I had a salad. I don't know how the Germans eat meat all day everyday. The English Garden was next. The garden is huge! Kind of a Central Park for Munich. We watched tons of people sun bathing, biking, running, and walking. After a loop around the park we went to the Augustiner-Keller beer garden. Again we were so confussed. The locals are serious in this garden. They have tables wating for them that are decorated with the family name. It was interesting to see all the locals coming by after work. Anna and I had dinner in the beer garden. After dinner we decided to check out the Munich Film Festival we keep seeing publicity for. We made it to the site no problem but then realized that we had no clue how this worked. We can just get a tee shirt we decided. But no tee shirts were to be found. We asked several people. I guess we are a little tee shirt crazy in the United States. We checked out a different beer hall, the Augustinerbrau, but it was not nearly as fun as the night before. So we ended up back at Hofbrauhaus. We even made a visit to the gift shop. We've decided our favorite Munich drink is the Radler. It is half beer and half lemonade.
We are really loving Munich! One thing might be that we are in a HOTEL! We have our own room and bathroom. So nice to not be in a hostel for a few days. We have also mastered the metro system. It is so easy. We feel like locals getting around on it. Another fun day in Germany tomorrow!

Excuse me sir, could you tell us where to find Yodelers?

We arrived in Switzerland late last night. We hopped into a taxi because we were mapless and had only 25 minutes to make check in at the Hostel. We didn't want to chance missing check in. The cab driver should have laughed at us. Bern, Switzerland is a tiny town! We could have easily walked to the hostel. Oh well, we learned to navigate today. The hostel is a lovely upgrade from Florence. Anna and I have a room with bunk beds to ourselves. It reminds us of freshman year in the dorm! The hostel is so quiet-the whole town is-and clean. We slept great with some cool Alps air.
This morning we asked the man at reception where we went to find yodelers. We thought this was a serious question. He laughed so hard and looked at us like we had three heads. Everything you've ever heard about Yodelers is a big fat myth. He said yodelers are only in the mountains. We were a little disappointed but headed out for the day anyway. It was super chilly! People had on winter coats. We were fine in jeans and a sweater. So weird to be cold in June! We walked down a block and ran straight into a festival. JACKPOT we thought, yodelers! We started talking to a woman who was handing out the schedules and asked what time they were going to be on stage. She laughed too! The festival was celebrating all the other cultures in Swizerland but, in her words, "nothing Swissy" would be happening. Again we were so disappointed!
We explored the city today, it didn't take too long. Everywhere you look you can see a fountain. I think we've seen most of them in the city. They are all very cute! Einstein lived in Bern for several years and while here developed the Theory of Relativity. We toured his apartment this morning. It was so interesting to be touching the same walls and walking up the same staircase as one of the most fascinating men in history. We read all about his life and works and left feeling a little more nerdy than before. Ms. Townsend would be so proud! I thought of you the whole time we were there. We also went to several churches and the Parliment building. The next stop was the ancient bear pits. They have now constructed a kind of bear park. We saw the two brown bears who live there. The river runs beside the park and it is beautiful. The most clear water I have ever seen. We headed back into the main city to find a chocolate bear. This is easier said than done. We ended up in a chocolate store with only really expensive weird looking bears. I opted for a small piece of cranberry chocolate. I also bought a Toblerone candy bar. I can remember Great always brought these back for us when she visited Germany, and I always thought they were the coolest things ever! Who doesn't love chocolate shapped like a triangle?
Anna and I went back to the festival to enjoy the music while we ate our chocolate. An older couple sat down beside us. The man saw Anna pull out her map and asked if we were on holiday. Do we look like we are from here I wanted to say! He and his wife were the sweetest people. They also had a friend with them and the five of us talked for an hour. They told us some other things to do while we are here and we enjoyed getting to spend some time with the locals. One of the suggestions they gave us was to walk down to the water. We did and it was even better than from the bear park. We sat at a restaurant for a few minutes and then headed back up. Dinner was next at a place they recommended. While in Switzerland, we had to try cheese fondue. We had it tonight! It was good, glad to say we've eaten it. I still much prefer chocolate fondue. After dinner we saw another beautiful church and the town hall.
Our check list for Swizerland included four things:
1. Get some rest
2. See snow on the Alps
3. Eat cheese fondue
4. SEE YODELERS.
Tomorrow we will venture into the mountains to continue our quest. Our favorite response to the yodeler question was from a man at the festival:

Beth and Anna-"Excuse me sir, could you tell us where to find yodelers?"

Festival Man-"Where are you all from?"

Beth and Anna-"Alabama"

Festival Man-"We don't have them in Bern. That would be like me coming to Alabama and saying where can I find a cowboy. Do you really have cowboys in Alabama?"

Beth and Anna-"Yes sir, actually we do. If you come visit we can introduce you to some cowboys."

We think his sassy little remark kind of backfired on him! We all laughed about the yodeler search. We are enjoying the adventure!

Under the Tuscan Sun

We left Rome after the most wonderful stay. Laura, the owner of the bed and breakfast we stayed in, was just so great. We can't stop talking about her! She has also inspired us to learn Italian. So on top of the seventeen hours I'm taking in the fall, I hope to fit in a little Italian learning too! Laura, we will be back to see you soon!
Anna and I arrived in Florence Sunday night. We unpacked our things at the hostel and went out to explore a little bit. This city is beautiful. We ate a quick bite and then headed to bed. Monday we fit in a full day of shopping! We loved the leather market...spent way too much time there but it was wonderful! When in Florence, you buy leather and paper. We stayed true to the tradition. Anna and I both have cute new purses. We had a nice little dinner at a place with gluten free pasta. It is amazing how aware Italy is of Celiac disease. Everyone has been so helpful and Anna has had some wonderful meals!
Tuesday we started the day with the walking tour that our hostel offers. It was a very informative two hours. Since we are both student recruiteres, we like to be in the know about where we are. When Mom and Dad arrived at 2:00 we knew everything to tell them about the city. They thought we were so smart, thanks to our lovely tour guide! We showed mom the leather market and she got a few things too. Beautiful leather everywhere! Next we climbed the 415 steps of the bell tower. Man was it a long way but the view was totally worth it from the top. We could see the city from every side. We came back to shower and get ready for dinner. My friend Matt Brown's family friend John has been traveling by himself for a few weeks. He met us for dinner at a place called Ciro and Sons. It was one of the best meals we've had so far! A wonderful pizza for me, gluten free pasta for Anna, and other great dishes all around. Complete with chocolate souffle for dessert! Fabulous meal and we loved meeting John. We all wish him well with the rest of his travels!
Wednesday we had museum day! First the Uffizi and then the Accedemia. We saw tons of famous pieces of art. We also saw David. Wow. I was skeptical that any sculpture could be that magnificent. As soon as we walked into the gallery, I understood totally. It is amazing. Something everyone needs to see in person. The detail is unbelievable. We headed back towards the Duomo to admire the beautiful church. The whole building is a piece of art. Anna and I came back to the hostel and did laundry. Meg Wilson and Caroline Jackson know this about me but many people dont.....I LOVE LAUNDRY. Really I love clean clothes but I don't mind laundry at all. It was wonderful to clean our clothes. It is hot and it was time for a washing machine ride. We feel much better and will be able to make it to Brussels with clean clothes. We had another great dinner with mom and dad too!
Today we shopped for paper all morning. Dad laughed at us because Mom, Anna, and I all love paper. Anna and I have found that we both shared a love for office supplies and school suppiles when we were younger. Actually we both still love them. Dad watched as the three of us looked over everything in several paper stores this morning. We all got some lovely things. We left this afternoon for a wine tasting tour. It was so fun! We went to Chianti and toured two vineyards. We tasted wine, olive oil, balsalmic vinegar, honey, and even some lotion made from lavendar on the organic farm we were on. It was a perfect afternoon Under the Tuscan Sun. The view from our little van was just like the movies. All the grapes growing in uniform rows, the hills spotted with trees, and little houses tucked in here and there. It was incredible. The only downside was the drive back to the city. We didn't want to leave the countryside. Also, the Italians are fierce when it comes to driving. New York City cab drives have nothing on the everyday citizen of Rome or Florence. We made it home safely and then had one last meal with the parents. Mom is calling Anna her Italian daughter since everywhere we've been people think we are sisters or even twins. We said goodbye to them and they headed back to their hotel. We have LOVED been with you all in Italy! We are going to miss you! But I can't wait to have more stories and fun things to tell you when we return home. The Westmoreland clan will be visiting Italy again soon.
Anna and I have a few more hours to enjoy Florence tomorrow. Of course we will get Gelato one last time. Anna has been keeping up with how much money we've spent on gelato. I don't even want to know, we love it! Fun flavors these last few days have been mango, papaya, lemon, yogurt, cheesecake, and cherry. We love them all! We love Italy! It is going to be sad to leave tomorrow, but our time here has been more than fabulous. I couldn't have asked for a better stay in Italia!

Two-a-days

   We've had an amazing last few days! Our flight left Santorini early Thursday morning. Aegean airlines....SO nice! On our two hour flight they served us a delicious breakfast. The American airlines need to take lessons from them. We arrived in Rome and it took forever for us to get into the city on the train and Metro. After exiting the Metro, we were so lost trying to find our hotel. We walked around forever and were about to give up when we saw a tiny sign on a tiny side street. We found it! Hooray! When we got inside we could not have been more suprised. We are at the most wonderful little bed and breakfast. The house has four rooms that Laura, the owner, rents out. She and her daughter, Emma, live here. They are the sweetest people! Our room is lovely and she prepares us breakfast each morning. Laura even made a special trip to the grocery store to find some Gluten Free food for Anna, she suffers from Celiac Disease.
   As soon as we dropped our bags off, we were off to the Spanish Steps. We met up with three of our friends who are studying abroad in a town right outside of Rome. It was so fun to run into friends in Rome for some Gelato! Then my parents met us right after at the Spanish Steps. We all had a blast sitting in the shade and catching up on all our travels. Anna, Mom, Dad, and I then headed to the Trevi Fountain. It was beautiful! I felt just like I was in the Lizzie McGuire movie! We then walked to a cute little neighborhood called Trastevere. It was fun to see the locals getting off work and coming home for the evening. We enjoyed a nice dinner together and then headed home. Anna and I were exhausted from our long day of travel.
   Yesterday we started the day off with Vatican City. We joined Mom and Dad for a tour. The tour guide was unbelievable and we didn't have to wait in any lines, even bettter! Amazing morning filled with lots of education about the history and other facts about all the buildings. We all really enjoyed it. We had lunch with Mom and Dad and then they headed to the train station. See you again in Florence! Anna and I headed to the Pantheon next. From the back of the building it looks like I could have built it. Bricks everywhere some in no kind of order at all. Then you walk to the front. My jaw dropped at the beauty. The inside was even more gorgeous. We headed to Piazza Novona next and of course had some gelato too. It was also great! Then we walked through Campo De Fiori. It was another nice neighborhood. We headed back to the Trevi Fountain to do some people watching before dinner. Oh my was that fun! Our favorite thing to watch is people taking pictures by themselves-solo shots. We saw many interesting shots in front of the fountain. A great place to take a walking break in the shade. We had dinner at a place nearby, spaghetti for me! We had gelato again too. It was the best we've had the whole trip. I had chocolate and caramel. Anna had cinnamon ginger and chocolate chip. AMAZING. We went back the the fountain so we could see it at night. While waiting for the sun to set, I started chatting with a couple next to us. They were farmers from Wisconsin. We told them we went to Auburn and they told us that was their favorite college. That's random I said and they responded, "Our daughter-in-law went to Auburn and they have a great agriculture school school. We love it!" War Eagle moment number...oh I've lost count. The Auburn family is EVERYWHERE!
  We were determined to figure out the bus system so we got on the 85 bus. It didn't take us where we had planned. Let's face it we were very lost. When the bus got to the turn around point we knew we were really lost. As I went to the front to ask the driver for help, the nicest guy appeared. I don't know if it was my tennis shoes, the three maps in my hand, or my accent that made me look like a lost tourist, but he had figured it out. He helped us so much! And he admitted that he was a little lost too and he has lived here for three years. We felt much better about it and decided it was just a little tour of Rome! We returned home safe and sound.
   This morning we had a wonderful beakfast with a couple staying here and Laura. We laughed and chatted for a long time. Then we headed to the Colosseum. The line was not even too bad. It was a beautiful place. We walked around and took some great pictures. The Roman Forum was next on our way to Vittorio Emanuele. All great places! We took the bus to a gluten free bakery called LeBen. Anna got to have a pizza! And she got a great looking little chocolate and strawberry cake. A great spot to find. We are going back to the same area for dinner at a place that can make gluten free pasta too. Exciting for both of us!
   Rome is amazing and we are loving it here! Two-a-days=the number of times we eat Gelato each day. What can I say...When in Rome!

Don't fall in love....

What an amazing two days we've had! Yesterady we started the day in Oia with some shopping. Anna and I both bought earrings that we love! The people in all the shops were so sweet and talkative. We really enjoyed the day there. For dinner we had a fabulous meal at a restaurant with an incredible view. We had a wonderful eggplant appetizer with feta and tomatoes. For dinner I had the best lamb dish and then for dessert we split a chocolate soufflé. The people next asked "what part of the south are you from?" shocker to get this question. We told him Alabama and then we had a great chat with them. They also gave us tips on places to eat in Boston-another trip soon!
After our wonderful meal, we headed back to Fira. We knew that everyone was going to ask if we had tried ouzo while we were here. We asked the man at the reception to recommend a good non "sketcy" bar. He said, "sketchy? I do not know this word. What does it mean?" We explained to him that we meant a safe bar with no werid old men. He responded, "This is not Mykanos. Everywhere is safe!" We ended up at a bar with an Alabama tag on the wall. Small world! The bar tender wasn't sure we would like the ouzo so he let us try it. GROSS!!!! We did not like it at all. Yuck yuck yuck! We tried a local beer instead. Then headed to bed.
The first thing this morning was donkey riding. First we had to walk down to the old port which took about thirty minutes to get down. The donkey rides are not nearly as glamourous as in the movies. It smelled like donkeys, people were everywhere, donkeys were running down the path and we had to stand on the side trying to avoid donkeys stepping on us. This was not my idea of fun and my hatred for large animals came rushing back to me. I decided to take the cable cars back up to the main town. Anna was a trooper and stuck out the donkey ride. I don't regret my decision at all! While in line for the cable car I chatted with the two sweetest old sisters. One was from Maine and the other Sweden. We had a great time waiting in line. Anna and I have met people from everywhere, so fun!
After the donkey chaos, we boarded a bus to head to the beach. The black sand beach was so interesting. Nothing like our white sand at the Gulf. One of the restaurants had chairs outside so we sat and had a cabana boy serve us while we soaked up the sun. Not a bad afternoon! The water was freezing and the black sand really easy to clean off our feet. Wonderful! Back on the bus for dinner in Fira.
We showered and got ready for our last meal on the island. Our favorite things have been eggplant, Greek salads, and yogurt with honey. So for dinner we split all these things one last time and watched the famous sunset again. It was the perfect end to a lovely stay in Greece. The number one thing we've heard from the locals here is "are you sisters?" second would have to be "are you form Australia?" I think people are a little thrown by the accent, but it makes it super fun!
As we were leaving the hostel in Athens, the man at the front desk said, "don't fall in love!". We laughed as were headed out to the ferry. But after three days here, we've both fallen in love. We love the sunsets, the people, the views, the food, the beaches, the crazy drivers, and most of all the Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts. We fell in love. Not with a boy, but with a beautiful island! We will return soon Santorini, we LOVE you! On to Rome tomorrow, can't wait to see you Mom and Dad!

Welcome to Santorini!

Anna and I left Athens yesterday afternoon and headed to catch the ferry to Santorini. We arrived at the port no problem. We were semi-confused on where to go from there. The lady told us to get on the bus and go to the end. We did as she told us to. The bus starting moving and people were yelling at the bus driver to stop at different places. This sweet Greek woman could see the look of distress in my eyes I'm sure. She took the paper I was holding and tried to point where for me to go and for me to get off now! Anna and I jumped off the bus and then realized this was totally the wrong place. ALmost immediately a taxi pulled up and the sweetest man helped us, in very broken English and hand motions, and drove us to the correct area. The best 4 Euros spent so far on the trip!
We boarded the ferry and walked upstairs to our air seats. I thought that air seats meant airplane type seats when I booked the ferry online. Oh was I wrong! We got to sit in a very cozy lounge and had our own window and chairs and table to watch the sunset. It was great! We both fit in a little nap during the five hour trip. We arrived in Santorini around 1:00 this morning and were greeted by a cheerful shuttle driver from our hotel. When we got to the hotel, we meet George, the owner. We have been so excited about this man and his hotel. He lead us down to our room. IT IS AMAZING. In Athens we had no air conditioner, a small weird shower, one toilet, bunk beds, and six other people in our room along with a very loud street. I thought it was pretty cool there....then we came to San Georgio. Anna and I have our own room, wifi, a lovely bathroom, a pool right outside our door, really cool windows, and so much peace and quiet. We are in enjoying every minute of it!
This morning we had abother frappe-I love this coffee drink- and then chatted with the reception lady about the island. She was so helpful, we love her! Our morning was spent shopping around Fira. We visited many cute shops and I loved chatting with the locals. For lunch we shared a Greek salad that was to die for and some wine leaves stuffed with rice. I had baklava for dessert and Anna had yogurt with honey and walnuts. Then the waiter brought us lemoncello, yum! The whole meal was fabulous! Aunt Lisa-the Baklava was great, but Greece has nothing on yours, keep up the good work! We spent the rest of the afternoon seeing more shops and enjoying the view. Santorini is known for jewelry. We both found many pieces we would LOVE to have. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
Oia is another town here on Santorini. It is known for having a great sunset. Anna and I rode the bus to Oia so see for ourselves. We were not disappointed! We stopped at a market and picked up some cheese, crackers, cherries, and wine so we could have a picnic as we watched. It was a super idea! We saw the bright pink sun set down into the bluest water I've ever seen. This is the most beautiful place I have ever been. I cannot describe to you how wonderful it is. I hope to come back many times! The people are incredible, the food is divine, and the views are breathtaking everywhere you look. Westmoreland and Cragon families....Anna and I may never come home! Tomorrow morning donkey rides are the first thing on our list, this will be interesting!

Wait, which way is North?

Wow, it has been a great two days in Athens! Yesterday we woke up bright and early and headed to the Acropolis which is the highest point in Athens. The view was amazing! We saw the Parthenon, the Temple of Athina Nike, and the Propylaia. It was crazy to see all the places I've seen in history with my own two eyes. We saw the changing of the guard, had our first Frappe-iced coffee drink-and toured the new Acropolis museum. We also had lunch there and it was great! Anna and I then had leather sandals made for us. Finally some shoes that really fit my big feet! We had a great dinner, sat on the rooftop for a few minutes, and then had some sorbet. Great day! This morning we toured the National Archeological Museum which was very interesting and then went to Anciet Agora to see some more of old Athens. It started pouring down rain so we went to eat lunch in a little cafe. While at lunch we saw a man in a Memphis hat and told him to eat with us. He and his wife were here with a group of students. He has traveled the world and we really enjoyed chatting with him for two hours while we waited out the rain. We have met the most wonderful people here and loved all of them. We are chatting with two guys from California who just graduated from UNC. Matthew Dillon-they are very impressed with all my technology thank you so much for all your help! Such cool people everywhere. The title of the post...we've really learned the importance of turning your map with North pointed the right way. Thank you Lyda Burnette for the wonderful Christmas present! Anna and I are about to head to Santorini on the ferry for a few days. More to come later! We can't wait to see Mom and Dad in Rome. Loved Skyping with you this morning too!

Wait, which way is North?

Wow, it has been a great two days in Athens! Yesterday we woke up bright and early and headed to the Acropolis which is the highest point in Athens. The view was amazing! We saw the Parthenon, the Temple of Athina Nike, and the Propylaia. It was crazy to see all the places I've seen in history with my own two eyes. We saw the changing of the guard, had our first Frappe-iced coffee drink-and toured the new Acropolis museum. We also had lunch there and it was great! Anna and I then had leather sandals made for us. Finally some shoes that really fit my big feet! We had a great dinner, sat on the rooftop for a few minutes, and then had some sorbet. Great day! This morning we toured the National Archeological Museum which was very interesting and then went to Anciet Agora to see some more of old Athens. It started pouring down rain so we went to eat lunch in a little cafe. While at lunch we saw a man in a Memphis hat and told him to eat with us. He and his wife were here with a group of students. He has traveled the world and we really enjoyed chatting with him for two hours while we waited out the rain. We have met the most wonderful people here and loved all of them. We are chatting with two guys from California who just graduated from UNC. Matthew Dillon-they are very impressed with all my technology thank you so much for all your help! Such cool people everywhere. The title of the post...we've really learned the importance of turning your map with North pointed the right way. Thank you Lyda Burnette for the wonderful Christmas present! Anna and I are about to head to Santorini on the ferry for a few days. More to come later! We can't wait to see Mom and Dad in Rome. Loved Skyping with you this morning too!

It's all Greek to me!

  We arrived in Athens at 10:45 this morning after a great flight, but we were all exhausted. We made our way out of the airport and onto the Metro to find a family standing on the platform with an LSU backpack. Of course we started talking to the family of four and explained our trip. They've lived in Europe for about a year and a half now and gave us all kinds of travel tips. It was great to meet some sweet people from New Orleans! Before we got off the train we got our first WAR EAGLE from a man who is an Auburn Alum. It felt like home already.
  Next we made it to our Hostel to find a perfect little place! Besides the fact that we don't have an elevator on our side it is wonderful. Lots of people here from all over the world. We explored Athens some this afternoon and ate a very late lunch. I had lamb, one of my favorites! As we stood up from lunch we noticed a family pointing at us. One of the daughters approached Anna and said is her name Beth? This sweet girl had been on one of my tours at Auburn! She will be starting at AU in the fall! Wow, another War Eagle. How small is this world, really? It was amazing that she remembered me and totally made my day! We chatted with her family before heading to the Plaka.
   After walking around this afternoon we realized just how jet lagged we really are. We did some people watching and looked in a few stores. As you walk in Athens you see modern building and then right behind them some ruins all over the city. It is beautiful. Anna and I agree that the mountians here remind us a little of the mountains in Arizona. We sat in a lovely little park for about an hour this afternoon and planned out our day tomorrow. At the park we finally saw some real Greek people. They had just gotten off work and we enjoying the afternoon too. Pictures soon hopefully, the internet at the hostel is not great tonight. What a great way to spend our first day in Athens. We are off to bed now! We will conquer this jet lag!

Ready, Set, GO!

    Over eight months ago I decided that this was going to be the summer for me to be in Europe. After throwing the idea around for years, I started making the trip a priority. I "Googled" Food Science Study Abroad. The first thing that appeared was a month study in Brussels through Clemson University. Wow, that would be great I thought! I talked with my friend Anna about the program and found out her sister had spent a summer in Brussels through Clemson. She had only great things to say about the programs. From this point Anna decided she wanted to go too!

   We would spend four weeks in Brussels and it would be great. After some talk we then decided that if we were going to pay for airfare we should get at least a few more weeks out of the flight. Greece was on the top of both of our travel bucket list so we used it as a jumping off place for the journey we will begin tomorrow! Anna and I spent many long nights in Auburn discussing ideas, many hours on our computers researching the best of each city, and many days smiling from ear to ear because we are so excited. During a community service project in the spring, I invited my friend Matt to go with us too. I am so glad that he and his friend, our friend now too, Andrew will be joining us for some of the first three weeks of the trip.

   I've been home for a month this summer and it has been wonderful! I managed to fit in a visit to Birmingham, a weekend at Riverview Camp, and a trip to Rosemary Beach. Between traveling, I have been packing and preparing for seven weeks abroad. I have loved being home. Scottsboro is such an amazing little town. I am blessed to have grown up here and to have some many wonderful people in my life. All the warm wishes for a great trip, the lectures about being careful, and the knowledge on international travel will be with me the entire time I promise! Thanks Mom and Dad for ALL your help! I could never have prepared for this trip without you.

   My bag is packed, weighing in at exactly thirty pounds. We shall see what is weighs when I return home with some souvenirs! Everything is ready for a wonderful summer. More updates to come on our journey. After eight months of preparation the day is here. We are all ready, everything that needed to be taken care of before the trip has been set, and tomorrow we will GO!