Venice, Bologna, and Florence

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!
 


  

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:)
       

A few random pictures.

This is a castle in Germany we visited. It was built in the 1200s!

Tasty German salad!

Brussels, Belgium museum.

The atomium in Brussels.

A restaurant with my name. Of course it was shut down, it was Italian.

Auschwitz

On the way to Berlin. Snowy.

Brussels.

Auschwitz again.

Locks of love on a bridge in Prague. Couples do this to show their love to each other.

Brussels. Mannekin Pis.

My Brussels cupcake!

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.

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
 

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

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.

Trying homebrews in K-town.

K-town.

The Castle in Kaiserslautern- built in 1200s.

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

The beach-sideways.

Cupcakes in Barcelona.

La Segrada Familia.

The marketplace.

Last but not least...make art and send me €.

Finding France

Bonjour!
The last few days have been splendid.
Last you heard from me I was stil in England. And now I have made my way to France-  our journey started with an afternoon train to Lille, a small town north of paris- where a fellow couch surfer lived. 
We almost missed our stop, the train ride was so fast! And there was a time change as well (+1) We were just chillin on the train when we come to a stop that says Lille Europe- we jumped off and found our way to the metro station. I'm not gonna lie- the first few minutes were a bit intimidating- coming from English England to French France. But we found our way:)
Tried an extremely sweet cherry beer that night so I slept veeery well. Then we headed into Paris the next day- walked up to the Sacre-Coeur and took a few walks around and about. The next day we hit up the Operahouse- oh my! It was so gorgeous! Beautiful chandelleirs, painted ceilings, the grand auditorium, Phantom of the Opera.
I have A new facination with operas and classical music- when I get home im goin to do my share of studying and enjoying/listening to it more- now that is what you call music. 
Anyways, our next adventure included a trip down to Nantes, France- which included a tour of the town, a couch surfing crepe party, Japanese food, local wine, and hanging with our Awesome host and her friends! It was a weekend to remember especially the gigantic crepe party- abou 85 couch surfers show up and we made galletes- which are salty crepes and crepes which are the sweet ones we all know and love.
Common galletes have egg, cheese, and ham in them and they are tasty- also go great with two types of ciders- one sec and one sweeter (they call it deaux).

The next day started out with a 730am train ride back to Paris, filled up with a visit to the Arc de Triomphe, a walk down Champs-Elysees, and a visit to the Eiffel tower.
I am so exhausted though- hoping my bedtime to be 10pm.

So far, my favorite place in France has been the Opera house-but that could change due to the fact that we are going to the Louvre tomorrow and a couple parks! Im going to be honest with you- France is not a huge deal for me- I would much rather see other places than Paris, but nontheless it is full of art and culture which i am a huge fan of. And more than seeing places I have enjoyed meeting people and trying different foods/drinks. And I have yet to eat a cupcake in France! They have amazing pastries, but still haven't found my cupcake- maybe tomorrow...
Crepes are bomb, kabobs are bomb, cafe au laits, and macroons also rock. I could go on forever.  
So far, French people are nice and welcoming, not too anal about tourists maybe because we are visiting off-season?
I've been thinking and I dont think I could ever not travel, it seems like every two years or so I get this itch to travel and it needs to be scratched and it seems like everytime I do it, it's before something big happens in my life or something significant- I dunno I can't explain it really....
Anyways, sorry for lack of pictures, The computer at the hostel doesn't have a USB port and I can't do it on an iPod. Oh and French keyboards are so lame! 
Well goodbye for now, keep praying for us- so far everywhere we go has had amazing weather- no rain just freezing cold days. 
Amore,
Luiza  
 
 

Enjoying England: Hereford and Oxford

Hello,

So yesterday we spent our time in Hereford at Leslie's mom, 
Lina's house. She is soooooo sweet and hospitable! It was a great time to get away from the busyness of 
London and just to relax and enjoy our time... I got to sleep in till 
about ten then we got some breakfast and walked to town with beth, her granddaughter. She's a sweetheart- 18 years old and in college 
and plays bass guitar. So we walked and chatted with her on our way to 
town. Hereford is a pretty small town- most people walk and bike and 
the pace of life is a LOT slower than London. Which was a nice break 
from the craziness o London. We got some coffee, tried some Cornish  pasties (traditional calzones-style thingsr with meat potatoes and  onion, only about 100x better than American ones), got coffee and just 
took in the town- people are more friendly here. Then on our way home 
bought some black pudding and some flowers for lina and made our way 
home just in time to talk to Marshall on the phone. He cares 
about us so much and we definitely appreciate it. :)
After dinner (pasta, salad, grilled veggies, and a sample of black 
pudding- which honestly wasn't so bad! I wouldn't have a whole Piece 
of it, but I wasn't that appalled- maybe because I grew up on liver 
sandwiches anyways. After dinner we watched Mamma Mia! A cheesy movie 
but I didn't mind because I slept for the first half and got to hear awesome ABBA songs.

We got up early today and headed for Oxford for the day. I LOVE this town! Definitely a college town, but full of history and culture...and interesting things such as Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, C.S. Lewis, and JRR Tolkien. 

First place we went to was The Eagle and Child- a pub where CS Lewis used to go to for a pint, sit and talk with JRR, debate about Christianity and spend his spare time. It was a cute little pub, we took some pictures, had lunch, then went exploring around town. Stopped by a Natural History Museum, a few churches, and down to Christ Church....

Oxford is FULL of history...! It's absolutely everywhere- there are a bunch of different colleges, museums, shops, and libraries. 

Now for my favorite part today. 

I could not have left this town without visiting CS Lewis' grave and church he attended. So I looked it up and knew it was in Headington, a suburb of Oxford, so we grabbed a bus and made our way to it. I wasn't sure where it was, so on the bus I prayed God would show us the way. We went to the Post Office, they gave us general directions, but the real help came when one lady, walking her dog, passed us and I asked her if she knew where it was. She gave us directions very clearly and then told us she went to that church! 

The church was enclosed in a gate/brick wall and the cemetery surrounded it. It was so serene, as we walked in a flock of birds flew by, thin mist surrounded us, and cloudy sky dwelled above us. Few people were on the path nearby as well. It felt so still, to no suprise, for it was a cemetery. 

Following signs to his grave, I found it. And it was beautifully laid out on the ground, no headstone or anything. It had a cross on it and some memorable words along with two bouquets of flowers. I almost started crying. 

We then entered the church, a medium-sized church. It looked like the pastor and someone were having a meeting in the front left, but they didn't mind. Saw and sat where CS Lewis would sit with his brother when he would go to church! The back left of the church. You know what's kinda funny is that he would go for 8 am communion, then leave before the sermon was over- he didn't like church singing or boring sermons. ALSO, the Narnia window was there as well. 

Then we made our way back to town, stopped by a Jaimie Oliver Italian place, had some great snacks then caught the bus back to London. 

And that's where my story ends today- Tomorrow we head to France via the Chunnel! 

Also, 

I want to say THANK YOU and MISS YOU to everyone out there who is praying and thinking about us. Could not do this trip without all of your support and love. You are all so special to me and not a day goes by without me thinking of you all! Keep us in your prayers. 

Until next time! 

Loving London- the Last Few Days

Note: read this blog BACKWARDS! Start with Friday
Sunday  
Today started out early, with a walk in Hyde park across the street from our hostel. It was a good morning, I actually got up earlier than I had planned and sorted out some stuff in my bag- it is so heavy. 30 lbs. And I know that may not sound like alot but Its kinda heavy for me, but i try to look on the bright side- I get a little workout while I'm at it. 
Anyways, back to my story. The park was beautiful, chilly, foggy, and perfect for a Sunday morning walk. Greeting people along the way, we made our way to the peter pan statue, a treasure casey has been dying to see. And it was great.  Then we took a walk back to the street our hostel is on and got some coffee and croissants for only £1.50! It was tasty. Then we made our way to Oxford St. (or Oxford circus) with shopping in mind. 
Now let me tell you about this street- it's a shopaholics dream, a husband's nightmare, and our morning enjoyment. There are a million stores in this area ranging from h&m, Zara, Nike, Apple store, EVERYTHING you can imagine- there's big streets, small alleys, classy pubs, starbucks (of course) and everything in between. We got some coffee and waited for the stores to open, here they don't open till 11 or 12 on Sundays. We did some window shopping and found some GOOD deals. We left poor Matt at starbucks while we went on our adventure, And he was super cool about it. 
Then we made our way to victoria station (the big downtown train/subway/bus station) only to find out that we had to go back to the station we came from because the line we wanted was closed...I guess that happens alot here and this weekend was a mess for some lines. But anyways, a few subways later we came to paddington station where we bought tickets to Hereford, our next stop, whose train we are on as we speak.   

Saturday
We left about 10 am from matt's tiny place and eared toward the station only to find out that the subway was down...so off to the bus station we go and get to ride through the east India district Whig was very interesting, i picked up a cupcake from a local bakery (carrot cake) and ate it. That was for Kristen by the way, she challenged me to eat a cupcake in every county I go to and I gladly accepted:). 
Afterwards we headed toward our new hostel and ate at an all you can eat pasta-pizza-salad place then Off we went to the Sherlock Holmes museum! Then we took a Long walk to Abbey road and walked where the Beatles walked! On our way back we stopped at a pub for a Guiness and some shandys- an English drink mixed with beer and Ginger ale (or lemonade). Matt says it's lemonade but I swear it's gingerale haha. We met some Englishman and debated about music, politics, and differences in culture and then we headed off to bed.
 
Friday
Today was the best day ever! Met up with casey's friend matt and did some sightseeing. Started out with walking along the Thames river, then stopping by wesminster abbey- which was absolutely gorgeous! We were able to go into this other smaller church next to it- st. Mary's where we didnb have to pay to get in. I was able to sneak some video if the inside of the church becuase no cameras were allowed. :/ we had lunch that day At another nicholsons, the same type of restaurant we ate at the day before- I think it's loike a mcmenamins because they are all called nicholsons bu different pubs have different names but the same food. We did some more sightseeing that day- going by the London tower and across the bridge, seeing and standing on Shakespeare's stage! Which was awesome- the dors were open and no one was inthere so we took out pics and video and ran out!  The day ended with us riding buses and trains back to our hostel then to east London university, where we stars that night.

Landed in London

Hello everybody! Wish I had a cooler greeting, but here everybody says hello....So, hello.
Things are good....Landed at Gatwick Airport at about 6:54ish this dark and cold morning. When we got off the plane it was dark, when we left the airport it was light, cloudy, and chilly. I can't explain the feeling of arriving in a new place, its like being born on another planet, like giving birth to something strange yet beautiful, like.....okay I'll stop.
We also met our new friend, Steve, as we were waiting for our first train from the airport to downtown London- the Victoria station. The airport we landed at is about 1/2 hour south of London, so we had to take the train. As we got we started talking, he's pretty cool, traveling by himself/his first to Europe/and he's 21. So when we got to London we all grabbed some coffee, used wifi and decided to stay at the same hostel he was staying at which turned out to be awesome- closer and cheaper than the one we were going to stay at. It's all of ours first hostel experience, so we'll see how it turns out, but I expect it to be a good one, everything is clean and people are friendly.
So, after dropping off all our stuff at the hostel at about 10 am, we took off to explore London! Walked what seemed like a lot (maybe because we have been sitting for like 12 hours straight), but saw some amazing things- like the Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guards, double decker buses, 5 Starbucks (none of which we walked into), the Ritz hotel, Green Park (so cute), St. James Church (awesome local church), The Cambridge Pub (AMAZING fish-n-chips and fried Brie), the British Museum (a FREE museum with Europe's art and history including two pieces by Michealangelo and Pablo Picasso) .....it may not seem like alot but the streets are sooo packed with places, people, cars driving on the opposite side the road that drive a little more dangerously than mellow Northwesters.
So far the coffee has been great, had a couple coffees today and can't complain. Oh and there are sooo many pubs, oriental medicine, and ethnic food places almost everywhere. So yep.
I'm still wide awake right now which comes to me as a shock. It's about 5:38pm here and hopefully going to bed by 7 tonight...tomorrow is another big day and it might be our last day in London, so we're going to live it up!
Love and miss everybody home....and thank you for the challenges, we are actively pursuing them and hope to get them all done.
PICTURE OF THE DAY:

Me, Steve, and Casey in front of Buckingham Palace

45 Days Till Takeoff

Buona Sera!

 Hello readers. So basically I'm going to be keeping a blog about my travels, thoughts, and adventures as I prepare and conquer my trip to Europe. Not my first trip, but important and different nonetheless. Every trip is different when you travel. As big as our world is, you can bet it's going to be different and exciting. And this time, its me and Europe- no itinerary, no plans (well, sort of), no time I need to be back...Total nomadicism  (not sure nomadicism is a word, but it should be. It sounds awesome).

I'm traveling with my fellow adventurer Casey- it's her first time in Europe, so that will be exciting. We're studying books and books about culture/art/travel tips/etc...and one tip we find quite amusing is that we need to fabricate wedding rings, husbands, and children for our own safety and sanity. Personally, I've traveled being "single" with a group of people and I never had any problems, except for once, so I think it should be okay. For the fun of it though, a fake wedding ring would be comically pragmatic. I just need a willing manfriend and random child to take "family pictures" with me. Haha.

Well, for the trip I'm going to be packing light-taking only a backpack with me, 3 small books: Bible, Works of Love by Kierkegaard, and the third is yet to be determined, maybe my laptop, and some music, as well as other necessities. 

We will be landing in London and flying out of Rome, with visits to other countries as we so desire...Most of my time I wish to be spent in Italy and Greece. These two countries have seriously been on my list of countries to visit for a long time and there's no better time than now. Right now. Why? Well, why not? I'm young, unattached, and unmarried. Not that those would stop me, but it's easier when you don't feel like you're selfishly leaving things "behind" to explore and follow a dream. And it's two months. You know how fast two months go by? Yeah, exactly. And I actually am considering staying longer if I so desire....

Some things I hope to be doing on my trip are: 1. Paint! and be inspired like crazy. 2. Meet people. 3. Learn Greek Cooking and Italian Baking. 4. Take art courses. 5. Do things that right now I can't tell you what they are because I don't know what they are yet....but I promise to do so when i find out! Yep. 6. Blog...I'm not a huge blogger, I'm more of a journalist, but I would like to keep people updated on my travels and share them with you. 

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~Mark Twain