Venice, Bologna, and Florence
So! I have been a little lazy about blogging, so I'm gonna try to tell you about different cities I've been to an the best parts of each:)
Venice was our first stop in Italy. It is locsted on the north east coast of italy. We got off the train at 8:30 in the morning and right when we walked out of the station- we see a beautiful canal with it's unique, aqua blue, Venetian color- I was so excited! Started by walking around the city taking pictures of everything, grabbing "un cappucino portare via, per favore" (one cappucino to go, please) and off we go. So, when we were there it was the weekend before the big Carnavale- where everyone wears beautiful masks, people dress up and row gondolas/other boats on the canal- it's one big party. It was the weekend before, so it wasn't super crazy, but they had a few events going on such as the boat parade, vendors selling masks, and as the day went on, more and more people started filling the streets and started wearing masks. It was a fun time. Venice had some beautiful buildings- old churches, balconies with laundry hanging out the window, all kinds of crazy colors on walls- i found my favorite wall there, which I might share with you. In front of the basilica (church) they had a foutain flowing with red wine! I thought it was either blood, wine, or punch- it was definitely wine, so I had myself a glass, served by older ladies in country costumes- it was so cool. It was a gorgeous city- and I'm planning on going back just once more before I head home. Oh and it's definitely a city for lovers- i found locked lips on every bridge.
Bologna and surrounding cities was also a great experience- located in central, north Europe. Bologna was a big city with a lot to see- but even 5 hours of exploring it isn't enough- I visited the university in the city- mainly their art department which had sculptures in the hallways! Adventuring around the building I found different classrooms with art projects going on, drawing lessons, and paint eveywhere- and you know was I was thinking- I want to go to art school! Ah it was so beautiful and I felt like this is a part of me and I can't not do it. Afterwards, we grabbed bologna's best gelato- which is more like the worlds best gelato, I kid you not. I got coffee and dark chocolate flavors- even though pistachio is my favorite, I try to try something different each time. It was SO GOOD!
We also spent some time in Parma/Reggio Emilia with my family (this is where Parmesan cheese comes from) and checked out a few nearby towns. Beautiful countryside.
Now for Florence- this is such a nice city! This town is located about 100 miles or so south of Bologna and is absolutely beautiful- we arrived on a nice sunny day, a tad warmer than up north. Our host, which we met in Amsterdam kindly hosted us and took us around town- we visited an outdoor market and an indoor market where people sold fresh produce, spices, wines, meats, all good things you can think of. It was great! One highlight of this city is that it holds Michaelangelo's David! The real thing! It is so huge, I snuck some pictures of it with my camera- it was really awesome. Another awesome thing here was that we went to Santa Croce church, where Michaelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli were buried. Also, there, were artworks such as Donatello's Aninciation and Cimabue's Crucifixtion.
It was so crazy to actually be able to see these in front of your face!
Other things we did in this city were eating Gelato and going to a Mexican restaurant for the first time since Ive been home! It was called Tiajuana and ha great Mexican food and happy hour margaritas. We went out with a group of 8 and had a great time- the people we Hung out most of our time here were other Americans who were studying architecture abroad, they were all from Kent state and super sweet and Steve, our Canadian travel buddy met up with us as well- it's nice every now and then to hang out with other English speakers and have Mexican. Overall Florence was a great city!
And just to let everyone know- my official return date is now March 30th!
Love and miss you all, and see you on just over a month!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Relaxing in Vienna
Vienna blog
So the last few days have been spent in beautiful Vienna...Vienna is located in Austria and is basically the classical music 'headquaters' in the world. It's surrounded by beautiful mountains and countryside and in it's center lies churches, theaters, opera houses, universities, etc. Oh and a bunch of shops and GREAT places for chocolate, pastries, cakes, and everything in between.
So! We got there Tuesday night, met my sweet uncle and headed home. The next day we hit the city and visited around the city.
Oh! And we also got to experience a live organ concert for free in a local church! It was a beautiful church- see below. It was glorious!
That next day we took a walk by the river which starts in Germany and emptys itself out in the Black Sea. That night me and Casey made dinner- chicken, bruschetta, and salad and started working on a couple cakes- tiramisu and a fruit cake. That night ended with Romanian TV shows. The next day we headed up to a small town in the country for the night- a very much needed day of relaxation- so this blog entry might not be too exciting.
We went on a walk through the village with my adorable aunt and uncle...the mountains around us were topped with snow on top and the hills nearby were jealous of them. Houses had smoke coming out their chimneys, and a hint of fog permeated through the village. We made our way to the dairy farm and left some empty bottles to be filled- I wanted so badly to milk a cow! But wasn't able to. Then we made our way to an organic meat farm where a kind Austrian family welcomed us in and gave us our carne and then to an independantly owned store/restaurant- basically someones house where they butcher, smoke, and cook all kinds of meat. This was the best part- he gave us samples of smoked pork, salami, and even a fresh roast out of the oven! It was so incredibly delicious- I wish all you were there tasting this (except if you are a vegetarian- sorry). I usually don't eat s lot of meat but this I couldn't pass up.
We then headed back, and spent a quiet evening of painting, drinking tea, and listening to classical music.
The next day we got to see a small town called Banden- where Beethoven used to have a house and spend time. It was cute, kinda pricey, but nonetheless beautiful. It's cool because they have bike trails everywhere. Near those two towns and in the summertime it is absolutely wonderful. One day I will come back, next time in the summer. So this was our last day in Vienna, which means we got to eat our cakes and break open the champene haha. Then later that night we were on our way to Venice, Italy! Which you will hear about next. And let me tell you- if 'falling in love' is possible with a city- this would be it:)
So the last few days have been spent in beautiful Vienna...Vienna is located in Austria and is basically the classical music 'headquaters' in the world. It's surrounded by beautiful mountains and countryside and in it's center lies churches, theaters, opera houses, universities, etc. Oh and a bunch of shops and GREAT places for chocolate, pastries, cakes, and everything in between.
So! We got there Tuesday night, met my sweet uncle and headed home. The next day we hit the city and visited around the city.
Oh! And we also got to experience a live organ concert for free in a local church! It was a beautiful church- see below. It was glorious!
That next day we took a walk by the river which starts in Germany and emptys itself out in the Black Sea. That night me and Casey made dinner- chicken, bruschetta, and salad and started working on a couple cakes- tiramisu and a fruit cake. That night ended with Romanian TV shows. The next day we headed up to a small town in the country for the night- a very much needed day of relaxation- so this blog entry might not be too exciting.
We went on a walk through the village with my adorable aunt and uncle...the mountains around us were topped with snow on top and the hills nearby were jealous of them. Houses had smoke coming out their chimneys, and a hint of fog permeated through the village. We made our way to the dairy farm and left some empty bottles to be filled- I wanted so badly to milk a cow! But wasn't able to. Then we made our way to an organic meat farm where a kind Austrian family welcomed us in and gave us our carne and then to an independantly owned store/restaurant- basically someones house where they butcher, smoke, and cook all kinds of meat. This was the best part- he gave us samples of smoked pork, salami, and even a fresh roast out of the oven! It was so incredibly delicious- I wish all you were there tasting this (except if you are a vegetarian- sorry). I usually don't eat s lot of meat but this I couldn't pass up.
We then headed back, and spent a quiet evening of painting, drinking tea, and listening to classical music.
The next day we got to see a small town called Banden- where Beethoven used to have a house and spend time. It was cute, kinda pricey, but nonetheless beautiful. It's cool because they have bike trails everywhere. Near those two towns and in the summertime it is absolutely wonderful. One day I will come back, next time in the summer. So this was our last day in Vienna, which means we got to eat our cakes and break open the champene haha. Then later that night we were on our way to Venice, Italy! Which you will hear about next. And let me tell you- if 'falling in love' is possible with a city- this would be it:)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Poland! A Story to Tell (picture-less though)
So, here we are in Vienna, Austria...pretty freaking cold over here, but we are used to it. Staying at my family's apartment now and going to to mountains tomorrow! So excited...but first, let me tell you about our adventurous trip to Poland, and then to Vienna!
It all started with our early trek out of Prague....it was another cold, cloudy morning as we made our way to the train station from our awesome hostel hopped on a train that was headed to Krakow, Poland...we really wanted to visit Auschwitz Concentration Camp while we were here and that was the closest city to get to. I found a great hostel- that actually provided free laundry and such- which never happens at a hostel.
Anyways. We caught our train, made a few transfers at different stations and as we just crossed the border into Poland, the ticket checker on the train stopped by. (not just to say hi, mind you) hehe. So, we showed him our passes-global passes that allow us to go through 22 countries with this pass and the response we got was that they were not valid. Ooops. Nervous laughter filled the air as we scanned our documents trying to figure out why, I guess we missed the memo. Anyways, no big deal. We paid. He told us in a cute Polish accent we were to pay from our next transfer to Krakow for our train ride. We said ok. We get off next station, go to ticket counter where NOBODY spoke English and wanted to pay. Ok, so I tried to give this lady my credit card twice and she would not take it! She just showed us what platform to go to, which we already knew and told us, I'm assuming that we were all set to go. So off we go. Then another ticket checker came by and asked to see our tickets. We showed him the last one and he started telling us we needed to have tickets as i tried to explain to him that we were told not to...All with a HUGE language barrier! Good luck with that.
So, I pulled out my credit card, and of course his ticket checking device does not have a credit card slot (most checkers on trains in different countries do, Poland is just behind on things)....So he kept saying 'un moment, un moment...' dissapeared for awhile, then came back- only to go through the same thing all over again! We thought we would be screwed, told on the cops or something, but no....In all honesty I wasnt that nervous about it, it was actually kind of a rush, hehe. Oh and we prayed in our heads, God gave us peace, like he always does, because he is an AWESOME Father.
Oh and this whole time we are in an old, noisy train, sitting in a coach that is dimly lit with another stranger (woman) as we are riding into the dusky, mysterious country of Poland...It was cold, both literally and emotionally, staring at the passing shabby houses, lone trees, and distant fields. I could only thing of Jews and what they had to endure traveling perhaps the same tracks we were on.
On a lighter note.....we made it to our hostel, found us some food....oh i have another story! So we go to a grocery store, searching for food and I caught a guy stealing, stuffing shaving cream cans down his jacket...I slowly back away, accidentally run into a store clerk and pointed in the direction of the guy...I guess he ran out....V-day dinner consisted of coleslaw, spicy pepperoni, kebab chips, polish beer, and chocolate. :)
Okay, so next morning we get up early to catch a 7:10 train to Auschwitz only to find out we had to wait till 8:30. NOTE: trains in Poland SUCK. Times suck, trains are old, and they are always late. No offense to the country, just their trains in Krakow area....
We rush to Auschwitz, which took us 20 minutes to walk to with bags on our back, catch the tail end of a tour (which was crazy-we saw human hairs, the gas chambers, clothes and stuff they had to leave behind---crazy stuff. Read about it here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp
So off we go, catch our train right on time- had another 10 minutes to catch another train- then five minutes to catch another train....and we made it just in time. We seriously were on trains that we were not supposed to be on! Seriously. Once, we literally ran off one train, across the platform to another and that one left in under 1 minute....It's like it waited for us, it was seriously insane. God was definitely with us the whole time, I can testify to that on almost everything on our trip! Praise God.
Next up- VIENNA, AUSTRIA!
So about the pictures- not on this blog- sorry I know I am bad at uploading pictures, but as soon as I can I will.
It all started with our early trek out of Prague....it was another cold, cloudy morning as we made our way to the train station from our awesome hostel hopped on a train that was headed to Krakow, Poland...we really wanted to visit Auschwitz Concentration Camp while we were here and that was the closest city to get to. I found a great hostel- that actually provided free laundry and such- which never happens at a hostel.
Anyways. We caught our train, made a few transfers at different stations and as we just crossed the border into Poland, the ticket checker on the train stopped by. (not just to say hi, mind you) hehe. So, we showed him our passes-global passes that allow us to go through 22 countries with this pass and the response we got was that they were not valid. Ooops. Nervous laughter filled the air as we scanned our documents trying to figure out why, I guess we missed the memo. Anyways, no big deal. We paid. He told us in a cute Polish accent we were to pay from our next transfer to Krakow for our train ride. We said ok. We get off next station, go to ticket counter where NOBODY spoke English and wanted to pay. Ok, so I tried to give this lady my credit card twice and she would not take it! She just showed us what platform to go to, which we already knew and told us, I'm assuming that we were all set to go. So off we go. Then another ticket checker came by and asked to see our tickets. We showed him the last one and he started telling us we needed to have tickets as i tried to explain to him that we were told not to...All with a HUGE language barrier! Good luck with that.
So, I pulled out my credit card, and of course his ticket checking device does not have a credit card slot (most checkers on trains in different countries do, Poland is just behind on things)....So he kept saying 'un moment, un moment...' dissapeared for awhile, then came back- only to go through the same thing all over again! We thought we would be screwed, told on the cops or something, but no....In all honesty I wasnt that nervous about it, it was actually kind of a rush, hehe. Oh and we prayed in our heads, God gave us peace, like he always does, because he is an AWESOME Father.
Oh and this whole time we are in an old, noisy train, sitting in a coach that is dimly lit with another stranger (woman) as we are riding into the dusky, mysterious country of Poland...It was cold, both literally and emotionally, staring at the passing shabby houses, lone trees, and distant fields. I could only thing of Jews and what they had to endure traveling perhaps the same tracks we were on.
On a lighter note.....we made it to our hostel, found us some food....oh i have another story! So we go to a grocery store, searching for food and I caught a guy stealing, stuffing shaving cream cans down his jacket...I slowly back away, accidentally run into a store clerk and pointed in the direction of the guy...I guess he ran out....V-day dinner consisted of coleslaw, spicy pepperoni, kebab chips, polish beer, and chocolate. :)
Okay, so next morning we get up early to catch a 7:10 train to Auschwitz only to find out we had to wait till 8:30. NOTE: trains in Poland SUCK. Times suck, trains are old, and they are always late. No offense to the country, just their trains in Krakow area....
We rush to Auschwitz, which took us 20 minutes to walk to with bags on our back, catch the tail end of a tour (which was crazy-we saw human hairs, the gas chambers, clothes and stuff they had to leave behind---crazy stuff. Read about it here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp
So off we go, catch our train right on time- had another 10 minutes to catch another train- then five minutes to catch another train....and we made it just in time. We seriously were on trains that we were not supposed to be on! Seriously. Once, we literally ran off one train, across the platform to another and that one left in under 1 minute....It's like it waited for us, it was seriously insane. God was definitely with us the whole time, I can testify to that on almost everything on our trip! Praise God.
Next up- VIENNA, AUSTRIA!
So about the pictures- not on this blog- sorry I know I am bad at uploading pictures, but as soon as I can I will.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Conquering Berlin and Tasting Prague
Conquering Berlin So! We left Amsterdam for Berlin at 8:26 am and after a long train ride, arrived at 3:20 in the afternoon in Berlin. I get so excited when we land in a new city. It was a beautiful sunny, but cold day in Berlin as we left the train station and headed to former East Berlin, where we were staying. It's not the best part of town, graffiti (or as some call it art) is everywhere, but it's fairly safe. We dropped by a Youth With A Mission base that Casey kept in contact with and saw the place. Then just down the road we tried to find a hostel, most were booked up for it was a Friday night, hut we finally found a cute little hostel just in time for a free 'learn how to cook authentic German food' lesson! Perfect timing. So off we go to the kitchen and learn how to make stuffed peppers. So this dish has Eastern European roots, so it's not 100% German, but close enough. The next day consisted of a walking tour of Berlin and I was blown away by how much history there is in this city. Our tour guide was absolutely awesome- he gave us a greatly detailed tour and he was so passionate about it- it was great. I love seeing people get passionate about what they love or who they love, it's really refreshing. I refuse to not be an unpassionate person- especially in relationships to people. They are most important. Anyways! We got to see things like the Berlin cathedral, that was accidentally bombed by the Americans/British during the war,the Berlin wall- yes I got to see it! The only part that was standing; also where it used to stand they now just have bricks lining the roads, sidewalks, etc (see pictures below). Other things we saw: the "deathstrip"-basically an area between the Berlin wall where a lot of people who tried to come over from the east to west were shot down and killed- hence the name, checkpoint Charlie, "ghost station"- basically the underground train goes through east and west, but because of the division, these stations were highly patrolled and closed down from the outside, so that when you were above ground on either side you wouldn't even know there was an underground station there. We also saw the state opera, Bebelplatz- scene of the Nazi bookburning, Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe, and we stood above Hitlers bunker and where he committed suicide!! Basically it's down the road from the murdered Jews Memorial (where during the Nazi occupation it was a garden just for Nazis). Hitler had some bunkers in that area that were 10 km deep, made from concrete, and were like 3 meters thick. He committed suicide by taking a cianide pill and shooting himself in the head, the last thing he saw before he died was his wife, wearing his favorite dress. When they were rebuilding the city in the 90s, they Put bombs on those bunkers, and Now there is a parking lot on that area. So basically, the bunkers are still down there along with mud and rocks- everything being destroyed though. The second half of our day consisted of eating an organic hamburger and strayberry crepes made by a sweet Asian lady, and shopping in the 'alternative' or second hand store area of Berlin- I found myself some jeans from a store called 'God Bless You' haha. Love it. Now, we are on our way to Prague, it's about 4 in the afternoon. Oh and this morning we went to English speaking church in Berlin!
Prague
We arrived at about 6 pm, and left at 10 am the next morning...Definitely not enough time to visit the city fully,
But, we did a good feel of it from Casey's friend who met up with us and showed us around.
It seems like a pretty cool city, a lot of Americans and people from other countries around, which was pretty cool. The city has an awesome Castle, that reminds me of Disneyland or some princess movie--maybe
Cinderella? That night we basically walked around the whole city, had some coffee and I had a glass of hot wine-
a local delicacy! It was quite tasty- a little "different" but something worth trying. We've heard about it in other countries
and never really got a chance to try it because we heard that it was more of a holiday thing....
Oh, and our hostel in Prague was absolutely amazing! Thanks to Casey's great hostel-finding-skills
it was super nice- the showers were trendy- like something you would find in the Pearl District,
each room had their own bathroom and modern concrete seemed to be the theme in the place.
For anyone wanting to go to Prague, check out Miss Sophie's. And the price is quiet resonable!
Anyways, this blog ends here. And again picture-less. SORRY! But its been hard uploading anything lately
I promise in the end I will give you so many pictures you'll get sick of them...but until then...
Stay tuned for next blog....it explains how our eventful Valentine's Day went on our way to
Krakow, Poland....! You don't want to miss this.
Oh- and to all you lovers out there- HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
Love and miss you all,
Luiza
Friday, February 11, 2011
Brussels and Amsterdam
Brussels and Amsterdam blog Alrighty! I have so much to tell you about this city! It is located in Belgium and is known as the capital of Europe- people all over the world come here to do political and business-minded work- they speak French and Dutch- and basically anything to be understood. 46% of Brusseleirs are foreiners. So! Things are often written in French and Dutch. Anyways- we got in late last night- making it in about 2 and a 1/2 hours from Paris and it was super late- we had like 30 minutes to get on to a metro ( subway system) and get to our hostel. So off we went! First odd thing that happened was when I tried to go down the escalator- obviously this city cares about saving energy because they have sensors on them and only turn on when someone is on them- in this case me. Haha. After we get to our destination, we tried to sleep in the most noisiest hostel I've ever been in! Seriously- it was loud till about 2 am. The next day started early- got up about 7 or so, had a great breakfast and we started walking throughout the city. Our first stop was a HUGE flea market that starts at 6 am and ends at 2pm, I loved it! Reminds me of the old days in California- I bargained for a pipe (a gift for someone) and a beer glass. The square was filled with mostly middle-aged to older men selling their junk and wanting you to buy anything-bargaining is really easy once you get the hang of it- if you really want something- 1. ask how much it is, 2. Pretend like it's too much with a look of disgust on your face, 3. Walk away, 4. Reconsider when the seller starts offering half the price :) Next stoo after that was a bakery- where I found something like a cupcake- and it was really good. I'm gonna get so fat eating over here- thank God I walk everywhere! Anyways, we hit up a museum lobby/giftshop, I got a small art book and then made our way to the Brussels exposition- an artistic, informative thing about the city. Pretty cool. We then went to the library- the 5th floor is a cafeteria and an amazing view as well! Oh and did I mention having a street waffel beforhand- yes they are the best- they claim to have four types: 1. Brussels waffel- with sugar on top 2. Street waffel- with sugar inside 3. Tourist waffel- extra toppings 4. Extreme tourist waffel- just silly So we had our street waffel:) The rest of the day consisted of visiting art expo's, vintage stores, kebab street (where there are like 10 Greek food vendors competing for your service), great views, mannekin pis, chocolate buying and eating, and visit to the atomium- a huge atom. Really huge- see below. At about seven or so we headed to the train station to catch a train to Amsterdam only to find out it was cancelled...so, we waited for the next train which left in another hour. Our little break time consisted of me jogging around the station (just one lap haha) and eating chocolate-hazelnut spread with crackers and drinking a homemade mocha- instant coffee with hot chocolate powder.:) A note about the food here: IT IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! No hydrogenated oils (unless it's imported from America- which ticks me off, bit that's a different story), I can drink milk here without feeling sick! Not that I do all the time, but I won't say no to a cappucino an it actually tastes different and GOOD. No offense to American cows or people that drink milk, but it is soo good here. Back when America was adding hormones to their milk, Europe did not allow the hormone into their continent, they forbade it. Anyways. We made it to Amsterdam, and made our way to the hostel- this time it was a christian hostel- which was awesome- right when we got there they were about to have a bible study and we joined in just in time! There was an Australian, a Londonite, and another American that worked there. We read Psalm 27- and had a discussion about fear (you should read it too). Good stuff- God I love David. Anyways- the next morning we got up, had some food and off we went! Took a walk down some cute shopping areas- found cupcakes and coffee then walked over to the Anne Frank house! About this house- it is a must do in Amsterdam- if you care about history. Anne Frank was a Jew and kept a journal about being in hiding and her life. The house was the actual place where they hid out! We got to walk in their rooms, learn about their conditions, who helped them, etc... Please read about it more here: www.annefrank.org Oh and side note- if you are emotional, an easy crier, and immerse yourself in the history bring lots of tissues with you! It is so intense. I don't know how I'm goin to survive visiting Auschwitz.... Afterward we stepped outside into the first rain of our trip, a light drizzle and definitely not prepared for it- I wore my pea coat that got absolutely drenched- especially after our bike ride in the rain. We rented some and roads throughout the city- not gonna lie- it was quite a scary ride- especially since it was raining and rush hour. But we survived and just follwed other bikers heading in the same direction, hehe. On our way back to the hostel we stopped by 'The Tabernacle'- a Youth With A Mission worship and prayer place right in the heart of the red light district. The tabernacle is just a room with daily worship and prayer sessions- we dropped in, had some quiet time with Jesus as music played in the background. God is awesome. So awesome. If you don't know Him you are missing out- but if you want to know Him- just ask Him- I guarentee He will meet you where you're at! Afterwards we headed back to the hostel just in time for another Bible study and discussion- met some great people- this girl is studying in Florence, Italy and she said she has an extra bed whenwe go down there! And she might come to Greece with us, so that should be fun! Can't wait for Italy and Greece. So excited. What am I doing right now? Listening to Damien Rice and riding to Germany....I'll tell you where later;) Oh and side note for Brenton- we will unfortunately not be going into Hamburg for a hamburger, BUT we promise to eat one in Berlin! Can you ever forgive us? Miss everyone!! And my beautiful cat, QT. Lovelovelove, Luiza
Monday, February 7, 2011
Zurich, Switzerland & Kaiserslautern, Germany
Gueriz!
That's how you say hello in Swiss-German, or that's how it is pronounced anyways. This weekend was very relaxing- we arrived in Zurich at about 10am, meeting Casey's friend, Mahela. She picked us up from the train station in a car! And that's when we realized that it's the first time we stepped foot in a car since we left! Headed to her family's beautiful home that was situated on a hill, surrounded by farmland. Cobblestone driveway, huge country barn, a small orchard, and a chicken coop were in close proximity of the home. It reminded me of the home in Alice in Wonderland- the rabbit's home that she grew really big in. You know what I am talking about? Anyways- it's cool her family grows alot of things; her sister raises chickens- which we had a great omlete from:) and also leeks, walnuts, lettuce, and a variety of other things as well. This makes me want to start growing things again when I get home- only problem is, it would be on a small balconey that would probably add up to one good meal and that's about it. After taking a short bike ride, we had lunch and went into Zurich and walked around the city- there's one main expensive street that has cute little shops, chocolatiers, restaurants, and a lot of people walking on it that we explored that day- this street also goes straight down to the water- a beautiful lake- then loops around to old town Zurich which has cobblestone alleys, old churches, and a laid back small town, friendly feel to it. We ended the night with a great homemade dinner that consisted of salad (super happy about the greens), and boiled potatoes, and of course Swiss chocolate and tea for dessert. Next day we got up for a delicious brunch and headed into town- made a visit to the Zurich toy museum, and shortly toured the university's garden, but because it's winter there wasn't much to see. Speaking of weather, it was clear, sunny, and somewhat warm- we have been very blessed on our trip. Afterwards, we went over to Mihela's work- where she works with Muslim children during the weekend so we got to hang out with them for a bit and they were so cute! They all also spoke at least 4 languages which was pretty impressive because these girls were no older than 12 years old. Pretty awesome what she does. The next day consisted of church in the morning- which was something we both missed as of late and. Lunch together with the whole church afterwards- which was Great! Then headed off to Kaiserslautern, Germany, where Casey had a contact.
We spent the night eating and playing games with other Americans- her
friend does this thing called Cadence International-
a Christian ministry to people in the army and such. We basically hung out
with other Americans which was a nice break from all these "foreigners"
we've been meeting (jk by the way, I like meeting non-Americans :))
The next day we went to a sweet castle on a hill that was actually built
in the 1200s! Crazy! I stood where people stood over 800 years ago. That
is soo wild to think about, oh my goodness.
Then we hung out around the town, and got some dinner at the only brewpub
in town that served authentic German food- I opted out for a beer taster tray
and a market fresh salad with grilled mushrooms--German? No idea, but, we are
hitting up Berlin at some point, so
I'll get my chance :).
I wasn't too impressed with these cities- no offense to them, but they just didn't tickle me fancy.
They were both relaxing and laid back for us though:)
I miss my friends and family.
Here's some pictures:
Zurich- by the lake.
Zurich.
The Castle in Kaiserslautern- built in 1200s.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Beautiful Barcelona: So Far my Favorite
Hola!
Oh my goodness. Barcelona is so great! And that is what i am going to
tell you about since I am on an overnight train to Zurich, Switzerland
and 8:43pm is still an early bed time for me. Even though Ive had a
loooong day.
Well, our venture into Spain started yesterday morning when our
overnight train arrived in Barcelona around noon. As we made our way
through the country after crossing the border, the sun was shining as
bright as I have ever seen it on this trip so far- a warm and
welcoming sunny; and the scenery around us was just as bright- it
kinda looks like southern California-southern shrubs, dusty, snow
capped mountains in the background, and the Mediterranean sea to our
left. Gorgeous!
Oddly, my first meal in Spain was mcdonalds (free wifi) side salad, a
'mini capuccino', carrots, and rice cakes as we figured things out and
looked for a hostel.
I felt really confidant arriving in Spain because I somewhat knew the
language, and we got around fairly easy- people again are really nice
in Barcelona and I could actually communicate with them, which was nice.
Anyways, the weather was about 55-60 degrees and sunny. It felt so
good after being in the cold for the last two weeks!
Our hostel was right on the water- the beaches are so beautiful here.
That day we checked out a main street called 'Las Ramblas' and it's
basically a long wide street where people walk in the middle on a very
wide sidewalk- there you will see some street vendors, outside seating
for cafes, and street performers- or people that just stand there
doing nothing but have gold paint all over them. Anyways- there are
some cool stores in the area, bakeries, cafes, etc. We also walked by
the Barcelona cathedral- an old building gothic style-it looked really
cool at night and also walked by a Salvador Dali museum.
The next day is a little more exciting-
We got up to see the sunrise over the sea- and I decided to try to
paint it as one of my paintings. It was so beautiful! A nice chill was
about us, but slowly turned into a nice warmth.
We then walked all day- went to Parc Guell, Goudi's house, arc de
triomphe, and just wandered about the city. Parc guell was absolutely
amazing- from the top you could see all of Barcelona- from the see to
the mountains- it was so great. All I could think was Jesus Christ-
how awesome He us to create this all for us! And how awesome us He to
make minds so creative to build the things we've seen! Seriously- just think about all the wonderful, sometimes overlooked things in this world- it all shows LOVE, Gods love for all people. Imagine what heaven is going to be like.
Oh, and you know how I am eating a cupcake in every country for Kristen?
Well that same day, just after seeing Barcelona´s Arc de Triomphe, we randomly walked down this street that was not so populated, had some apartments and small shops and I found this place called Lolita´s Bakery- basically the only place in town that had cupcakes! And there I had my chocolate tiramisu cupcake.
That is all for now!
Love
Oh my goodness. Barcelona is so great! And that is what i am going to
tell you about since I am on an overnight train to Zurich, Switzerland
and 8:43pm is still an early bed time for me. Even though Ive had a
loooong day.
Well, our venture into Spain started yesterday morning when our
overnight train arrived in Barcelona around noon. As we made our way
through the country after crossing the border, the sun was shining as
bright as I have ever seen it on this trip so far- a warm and
welcoming sunny; and the scenery around us was just as bright- it
kinda looks like southern California-southern shrubs, dusty, snow
capped mountains in the background, and the Mediterranean sea to our
left. Gorgeous!
Oddly, my first meal in Spain was mcdonalds (free wifi) side salad, a
'mini capuccino', carrots, and rice cakes as we figured things out and
looked for a hostel.
I felt really confidant arriving in Spain because I somewhat knew the
language, and we got around fairly easy- people again are really nice
in Barcelona and I could actually communicate with them, which was nice.
Anyways, the weather was about 55-60 degrees and sunny. It felt so
good after being in the cold for the last two weeks!
Our hostel was right on the water- the beaches are so beautiful here.
That day we checked out a main street called 'Las Ramblas' and it's
basically a long wide street where people walk in the middle on a very
wide sidewalk- there you will see some street vendors, outside seating
for cafes, and street performers- or people that just stand there
doing nothing but have gold paint all over them. Anyways- there are
some cool stores in the area, bakeries, cafes, etc. We also walked by
the Barcelona cathedral- an old building gothic style-it looked really
cool at night and also walked by a Salvador Dali museum.
The next day is a little more exciting-
We got up to see the sunrise over the sea- and I decided to try to
paint it as one of my paintings. It was so beautiful! A nice chill was
about us, but slowly turned into a nice warmth.
We then walked all day- went to Parc Guell, Goudi's house, arc de
triomphe, and just wandered about the city. Parc guell was absolutely
amazing- from the top you could see all of Barcelona- from the see to
the mountains- it was so great. All I could think was Jesus Christ-
how awesome He us to create this all for us! And how awesome us He to
make minds so creative to build the things we've seen! Seriously- just think about all the wonderful, sometimes overlooked things in this world- it all shows LOVE, Gods love for all people. Imagine what heaven is going to be like.
Oh, and you know how I am eating a cupcake in every country for Kristen?
Well that same day, just after seeing Barcelona´s Arc de Triomphe, we randomly walked down this street that was not so populated, had some apartments and small shops and I found this place called Lolita´s Bakery- basically the only place in town that had cupcakes! And there I had my chocolate tiramisu cupcake.
That is all for now!
Love
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