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!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
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!
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!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
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!
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!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
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!
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!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
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!
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!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
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!
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!
Monday, June 13, 2011
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!
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!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
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!
Friday, June 10, 2011
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!
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!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
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!
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