Hunter and I are at the airport. Our plane leaves in an hour an ten minutes. This trip flew by so fast. We're both bummed it's over, but happy to go home.
Also, I just got the worst milkshake in history. I even sent it back to be remade; I've never sent anything back before. The second one was just as terrible. It's watery, like someone blended milk, water, and vanilla extract. :(
Until our plane takes off I'll try to tell everyone all about our last days in London.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Note the Scenery
Hunter blowing a flower thingy on the trail to Eze. One of the beautiful views of the Med. Sea.Keeping You Interested
A water fountain in Brugge. We still aren't sure if the water there was drinkable... but we survived!
Short Update!
We will be back in the States in a little more than 24 hours. It's insane how fast this trip has gone by! Though we are sad to leave so much undiscovered, I think we'lll both be happy to be home. See you all very soon...
P.S. Tomorrow in the airport I'll try to write all about wonderful London. :)
P.S. Tomorrow in the airport I'll try to write all about wonderful London. :)
Monday, June 15, 2009
All is Well
London is great and Hunter's family is even greater. We are having tons of fun, though our high speed travels may be catching up with us. We're both starting to get more and more tired. I guess that's good timing though, since we leave Europe on Wednesday afternoon.
Today we explored the Tower of London, saw all the other big sights, and wowed ourselves with Harvey Nichols and Harrods. AWESOME.
More details to come later...
Today we explored the Tower of London, saw all the other big sights, and wowed ourselves with Harvey Nichols and Harrods. AWESOME.
More details to come later...
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Our last night in Belgium was spent with our favorite prostitutes.
This morning we boarded our first train. We were scheduled for two connections.
In the middle of nowhere the train stopped and people outside were arguing. After 20 minutes an announcement came on: the train track to Antwerp was broken. We were lost but jumped on a train. It was so full we were in the back compartment with the conductor.
The train stopped at the next rural station where weakd be taking busses to either Antwerp or Brussels.
Hunter was mad and wouldn't stop complaining. I was scared we wouldn't get a bus because there were like 200 people stampeding.
Finally we made it to Antwerp, barely made it on a train to Bruxelles, and now are riding the high speed to Calais. Only a ferry and another train to go!
It's been a really long day. By the end of it we will have travelled for 13 or 14 hours.
We can't wait to be at Brian's! And to finally do real laundry :)
This morning we boarded our first train. We were scheduled for two connections.
In the middle of nowhere the train stopped and people outside were arguing. After 20 minutes an announcement came on: the train track to Antwerp was broken. We were lost but jumped on a train. It was so full we were in the back compartment with the conductor.
The train stopped at the next rural station where weakd be taking busses to either Antwerp or Brussels.
Hunter was mad and wouldn't stop complaining. I was scared we wouldn't get a bus because there were like 200 people stampeding.
Finally we made it to Antwerp, barely made it on a train to Bruxelles, and now are riding the high speed to Calais. Only a ferry and another train to go!
It's been a really long day. By the end of it we will have travelled for 13 or 14 hours.
We can't wait to be at Brian's! And to finally do real laundry :)
Friday, June 12, 2009
Anne Frank and More...
Today we started our day at with hot chocolate and the Anne Frank House.
The house is so neat. I read the Diary of Anne Frank in 6th grade, so it was awesome to see. All the rooms are empty, because they were cleared out by the Nazis. The father, the only one who survived, asked that it remained unfurnished. All that remains are the pictures Anne glued to her wall. It was a great experience.
Then we went to the same awesome food place again! I loooove it! Then we shopped a bit and now we're headed to another museum. Our train leaves before 10 am tomorrow. It will be off to London!
The house is so neat. I read the Diary of Anne Frank in 6th grade, so it was awesome to see. All the rooms are empty, because they were cleared out by the Nazis. The father, the only one who survived, asked that it remained unfurnished. All that remains are the pictures Anne glued to her wall. It was a great experience.
Then we went to the same awesome food place again! I loooove it! Then we shopped a bit and now we're headed to another museum. Our train leaves before 10 am tomorrow. It will be off to London!
I Can't Stop Gawking
Amsterdam. We left the train station and walked through Chinatown, right into the Red Light District.
All I can say is: shocking. There really are prostitutes. A lot of them. There really are "coffee shops" and you can smell them a block away. The Red Light District is all sex, hippies, old perverts, and young tourists.
We walked through the rain until we found a steakhouse with a 9 euro special. The food was great, but the decor was hilarious. The Dutch take on the American Southwest is tiki huts, canteens, cave drawings, leather, and Mexican music.
Our hostel is in a historic building right in the action. It shares the block with a sex show, a few "windows" and the Cannabis College. This really is a strange place.
Our roommates are 4 canadian boys and a couple from Australia. All they do is lay in bed and watch the Discovery Channel all day.
Our first morning, Hunter and I took a tour of the city. It was 3 hours long and totally fascinating. We learned:
Amsterdam was once the boat trading capital of Europe. It has had prostitution forever. Sailors loved girls. Interestingly, a huge church is in the Red Light District, because sailors liked to repent afterwards (or buy an Indulgence for future sins).
Amsterdam was also the site of the ONLY direct resistance against the Nazis. When the Germans came in, boxing clubs were formed by non-Jews to protect the Jews. When a Nazi officer was beat into a fatal coma by the boxing group, the troops got pissed. The Jews were immediately surrounded by a barbed wire fence. Within one day, the Dutch went on strike in every line of work, including those building Nazi airplanes. 200,000 people met in Dam Square to protest the Nazis. The Nazis reacted by shooting into the crowd and executing the mayor...
The current state of Amsterdam (totally liberal) is an attempt to avoid crazy regimes. Thus the drugs and prostitution. Prostitutes here rent windows, are protected by the police, are tested regularly, and pay taxes. Crazy. (Oh and it's 50 euro for 15 minutes!)
After the tour we ate at an awesome food market cafeteria. It is seriously my favorite place in all of Europe. Everything is fresh and cooked in front of you: pastries, sandwiches, salads, juice, ice cream, fruit, etc. I had tortllini and got to pick all ny ingredients.
Last night we walked around all night looking at prostitutes. It's actually exciting, especially when you see someone make a deal. We even found a house filled with red light windows!
Side note: we've been offered cocaine at least 5 times. You walk by someone and they whisper it to you. It's weird and scary.
Sorry to scare you guys!!! We haven't done anything bad and feel very safe. Only a few more hours to go!
All I can say is: shocking. There really are prostitutes. A lot of them. There really are "coffee shops" and you can smell them a block away. The Red Light District is all sex, hippies, old perverts, and young tourists.
We walked through the rain until we found a steakhouse with a 9 euro special. The food was great, but the decor was hilarious. The Dutch take on the American Southwest is tiki huts, canteens, cave drawings, leather, and Mexican music.
Our hostel is in a historic building right in the action. It shares the block with a sex show, a few "windows" and the Cannabis College. This really is a strange place.
Our roommates are 4 canadian boys and a couple from Australia. All they do is lay in bed and watch the Discovery Channel all day.
Our first morning, Hunter and I took a tour of the city. It was 3 hours long and totally fascinating. We learned:
Amsterdam was once the boat trading capital of Europe. It has had prostitution forever. Sailors loved girls. Interestingly, a huge church is in the Red Light District, because sailors liked to repent afterwards (or buy an Indulgence for future sins).
Amsterdam was also the site of the ONLY direct resistance against the Nazis. When the Germans came in, boxing clubs were formed by non-Jews to protect the Jews. When a Nazi officer was beat into a fatal coma by the boxing group, the troops got pissed. The Jews were immediately surrounded by a barbed wire fence. Within one day, the Dutch went on strike in every line of work, including those building Nazi airplanes. 200,000 people met in Dam Square to protest the Nazis. The Nazis reacted by shooting into the crowd and executing the mayor...
The current state of Amsterdam (totally liberal) is an attempt to avoid crazy regimes. Thus the drugs and prostitution. Prostitutes here rent windows, are protected by the police, are tested regularly, and pay taxes. Crazy. (Oh and it's 50 euro for 15 minutes!)
After the tour we ate at an awesome food market cafeteria. It is seriously my favorite place in all of Europe. Everything is fresh and cooked in front of you: pastries, sandwiches, salads, juice, ice cream, fruit, etc. I had tortllini and got to pick all ny ingredients.
Last night we walked around all night looking at prostitutes. It's actually exciting, especially when you see someone make a deal. We even found a house filled with red light windows!
Side note: we've been offered cocaine at least 5 times. You walk by someone and they whisper it to you. It's weird and scary.
Sorry to scare you guys!!! We haven't done anything bad and feel very safe. Only a few more hours to go!
Brugge, Beers, and the Belfry
We arrived in Brugge where we found good prices for a private room. Having a private bathroom is so nice!
While getting change at the front desk, Hunter met Steve and Mara, an American couple from Maryland.
We all went out together that night and were bummed to find that the whole city closes at 6 pm. Still, we managed to find an Irish pub where everyone had a drink. The waitress was awesome and I even got a free cookie with my hot chocolate.
That night we stayed up late playing cards with our new friends.
The next morning we met for breakfast. Instead of jam for the bread, they have chocolate spread! It is awesome!
We bought a museum pass and explored an old palace, two churches, and the belfry. The first church was cool, but was second tier compared to those in France. It did have a Michelangelo statue though, the only piece that left Italy during the artist's lifetime.
The other church was... Interesting. It is the church that holds the blood of Christ, which was recovered during the 12th century crusades. Catholics all over the world believe it's the real deal. Right when we arrived the priests started a ceremony. Prayers were said and the blood was placed on a pillow. We walked up and looked at it, but other people touched it and said prayers.
Next we walked up the belfry, which was like 350 old-school spiral steps. The view was awesome, but the trip was definitely a work out.
We ate lunch at a cool pasta place, but they wouldn't give us free water. The first waiter we had was rude and refused to serve us. Also, the first restaraunt we tried kicked us out. It was a bit uncomfortable to feel mistreated.
The guys headed off to a brewery tour and Mara and I went shopping. Chocolates galore!! The belgian and dutch are all about sweets. They also have waffles, which are in the top 3 most amazing desserts ever. The are so tasty, filled with sugar, and smothered in toppings. Mara and I shared a chocolate one.
Later we met up with the boys at the same Irish pub. This time Hunter and I shared a Steak and Guiness Pie, which was amazing! Hunter said I hogged it though.
The next day we said goodbye to our friends. We had so much fun with them. :(
Hunter and I spent the morning buying chocolates and presents for all our friends and family. Then is was off to Amsterdam! We got off at a wrong station, but oh well!
P.S. Brugge really is the Venice of the North. So beautiful.
While getting change at the front desk, Hunter met Steve and Mara, an American couple from Maryland.
We all went out together that night and were bummed to find that the whole city closes at 6 pm. Still, we managed to find an Irish pub where everyone had a drink. The waitress was awesome and I even got a free cookie with my hot chocolate.
That night we stayed up late playing cards with our new friends.
The next morning we met for breakfast. Instead of jam for the bread, they have chocolate spread! It is awesome!
We bought a museum pass and explored an old palace, two churches, and the belfry. The first church was cool, but was second tier compared to those in France. It did have a Michelangelo statue though, the only piece that left Italy during the artist's lifetime.
The other church was... Interesting. It is the church that holds the blood of Christ, which was recovered during the 12th century crusades. Catholics all over the world believe it's the real deal. Right when we arrived the priests started a ceremony. Prayers were said and the blood was placed on a pillow. We walked up and looked at it, but other people touched it and said prayers.
Next we walked up the belfry, which was like 350 old-school spiral steps. The view was awesome, but the trip was definitely a work out.
We ate lunch at a cool pasta place, but they wouldn't give us free water. The first waiter we had was rude and refused to serve us. Also, the first restaraunt we tried kicked us out. It was a bit uncomfortable to feel mistreated.
The guys headed off to a brewery tour and Mara and I went shopping. Chocolates galore!! The belgian and dutch are all about sweets. They also have waffles, which are in the top 3 most amazing desserts ever. The are so tasty, filled with sugar, and smothered in toppings. Mara and I shared a chocolate one.
Later we met up with the boys at the same Irish pub. This time Hunter and I shared a Steak and Guiness Pie, which was amazing! Hunter said I hogged it though.
The next day we said goodbye to our friends. We had so much fun with them. :(
Hunter and I spent the morning buying chocolates and presents for all our friends and family. Then is was off to Amsterdam! We got off at a wrong station, but oh well!
P.S. Brugge really is the Venice of the North. So beautiful.
amsterdam
We are in the red light distric and its quite interesting to walk around and look at all the women in the red rooms and all the guys who pay them. This is a test let's see if it works
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Luxembourg: Better than Expected
Our train arrived early and it was raining outside. The city seemed okay but we were exhausted. The bus driver came off really rude, but he suprised us by dropping us off in front of our hostel, rather than the bus stop.
The hostel is by far the nicest we've had. We fell asleep on the couch waiting to check in. Everything is new, the floors are marble (seriously), and it's clean!
Aside from the hostel, the country is beautiful. All the buildings (churches, businesses, houses) in the Old Town are muted colors with charcoal roofs. They are absolutely beautiful and the whole city is a UNESCO site. There are huge old bridges, a slow river, and all kinds of plants and gardens.
A system of casements runs through the hills, since this site was a major fortification from 1100 to 1870. We toured them and got great views of the city.
There was also a bike race through Old Town, so tons of celebration followed. It was a great experience and surprise for us. The German influence is really present here, even though French is still spoken.
We relaxed all day, explored, and got the best sugared almonds ever. Then we made a huge mistake: Pizza Hut in Europe.
Hunter was wooed by the Cheezy Crust Pizza; I was indifferent. What I expected to be 10 euro of so was 20!! So basically, we bought a stupid pizza we could've had back home for aaporximately 35 USD. We were so mad at ourselves! We've decided to starve ourselves tomorrow for punishment.
Tomorrow we're slowly making our way through Luxembourg and Belgium to Brugge. We wish we could stay here longer, but we're running out of time! Brugge should be cool though. It's a Medieval city called "The Venice of the North."
Miss and love you all!
The hostel is by far the nicest we've had. We fell asleep on the couch waiting to check in. Everything is new, the floors are marble (seriously), and it's clean!
Aside from the hostel, the country is beautiful. All the buildings (churches, businesses, houses) in the Old Town are muted colors with charcoal roofs. They are absolutely beautiful and the whole city is a UNESCO site. There are huge old bridges, a slow river, and all kinds of plants and gardens.
A system of casements runs through the hills, since this site was a major fortification from 1100 to 1870. We toured them and got great views of the city.
There was also a bike race through Old Town, so tons of celebration followed. It was a great experience and surprise for us. The German influence is really present here, even though French is still spoken.
We relaxed all day, explored, and got the best sugared almonds ever. Then we made a huge mistake: Pizza Hut in Europe.
Hunter was wooed by the Cheezy Crust Pizza; I was indifferent. What I expected to be 10 euro of so was 20!! So basically, we bought a stupid pizza we could've had back home for aaporximately 35 USD. We were so mad at ourselves! We've decided to starve ourselves tomorrow for punishment.
Tomorrow we're slowly making our way through Luxembourg and Belgium to Brugge. We wish we could stay here longer, but we're running out of time! Brugge should be cool though. It's a Medieval city called "The Venice of the North."
Miss and love you all!
Paris: I Guess We Can't Get Enough
We made it back to Paris in record time, but almost had nowhere to stay. The first place was in the ghetto outside Paris. The second place had no vacancy. The third place was also far, but it was our only option. The place was 7 stories and very ecclectic. Every inch of wall was painted in primary colors, floors seemed deserted, there was a restaraunt, and a bar/club in the basement. Strange.
We spent the whole afternoon in the Louvre and got in for free. The building is absolutely amazing beyond believe. It amazed me 100 times more than all of the artwork. Every corner and space was detailed; every ceiling featured a painted story. It was awesome to imagine Napoleon walking through its halls.
The artwork was also pretty cool. We saw paitings by Michelangelo, da Vinci, Boticelli, etc. We even saw the Mona Lisa, though we both wonder why it's so awesome. My favorite exhibit was the Egyptian Antiquities. They had everything, including a mummy! Oh yeah, and Hunter was starving and bought a sandwich; it turned out to be cheese and carrot. Haha.
After the Louvre we went to a historic district I'd read about: St. Germaine. We found a cool Italian place where you watch one guy hand make all the pizzas. Hunter got an awesome pizza and I got homemade tortellini creme. The cream sauce was the richest, best I'd ever tasted and the shells were stffed with cheese.
The next day in Paris was really fun, even though we wasted the first 2 hours trying to get to Normandy (maybe I can go with my dad someday though!). We headed to Versailles, got on the wrong train, and met an American couple on their honeymoon.
The palace is amazing, but comepletely overdone. Every inch is marble, bronze, or painted by someone famous. We saw all the Kings and Queens quarters, the Hall of Mirrors, and even the door Marie Antionette used to escape the rioters.
The gardens were also awesome (sorry, everything really IS awesome). The manicured beauty went on as far as the could see. There were fountains, statues, hedges, trees, flowers, lakes, etc. All were perfectly arranged and kept. I kept imagining a Jane Austen novel taking place there.
Hunter and I bought sandwiches, rented bikes, and rode around the whole cross-shaped lake. We also saw Marie Antionette's house, which is hidden in the gardens. I'm not usually crazy about gardens, but I think everyone should see these at least once. They are unimaginable.
That night we went out to the Latin Quarter, which is full of clubs and college kids. We wanted to finally have a night out on the town, since we'd failed to go out so far.
There weren't sketchy bars or skanky girls puking behind bushes. The whole street was bustling: restaraunt owners beckoning you, artists painting, crepes cooking, clubs bouncing, ice cream eating, etc. We ate a gyro in a little shop while we built up our courage to enter George's, a club where a bouncer checked you out and let you in.
We were really nervous because 1) We weren't dressed really nice and 2) We couldn't speak French. After thinking we wouldn't get in... We did! It was my first club :)
The waitresses wore Mardi Gra masks and served drinks to all the packed tables. We looked the menu and almost died: 8euro drinks! After all the hassle of getting in, we gave in to the moment and ordered just one. Hunter had the most expensive Corona of his life, but at least my strawberry smoothie had a sparkler in it!
After the club we headed back to the hostel on the metro. Two crazy guys were belting out the lyrics to Kanye West. Come to find out, they were American and staying at our place.
Their sininging continued all the way home and they even got booed by a group of ten year olds. They were really cool guys and we wish we could've met them earlier. They were all from NY. Emile was Parisian and spoke 4+ languages. Parker was a slight nerd. Nate was a 7 foot giant. It was a great night and we spent 2 hours chatting with them until we decided bed was a good idea.
We spent the whole afternoon in the Louvre and got in for free. The building is absolutely amazing beyond believe. It amazed me 100 times more than all of the artwork. Every corner and space was detailed; every ceiling featured a painted story. It was awesome to imagine Napoleon walking through its halls.
The artwork was also pretty cool. We saw paitings by Michelangelo, da Vinci, Boticelli, etc. We even saw the Mona Lisa, though we both wonder why it's so awesome. My favorite exhibit was the Egyptian Antiquities. They had everything, including a mummy! Oh yeah, and Hunter was starving and bought a sandwich; it turned out to be cheese and carrot. Haha.
After the Louvre we went to a historic district I'd read about: St. Germaine. We found a cool Italian place where you watch one guy hand make all the pizzas. Hunter got an awesome pizza and I got homemade tortellini creme. The cream sauce was the richest, best I'd ever tasted and the shells were stffed with cheese.
The next day in Paris was really fun, even though we wasted the first 2 hours trying to get to Normandy (maybe I can go with my dad someday though!). We headed to Versailles, got on the wrong train, and met an American couple on their honeymoon.
The palace is amazing, but comepletely overdone. Every inch is marble, bronze, or painted by someone famous. We saw all the Kings and Queens quarters, the Hall of Mirrors, and even the door Marie Antionette used to escape the rioters.
The gardens were also awesome (sorry, everything really IS awesome). The manicured beauty went on as far as the could see. There were fountains, statues, hedges, trees, flowers, lakes, etc. All were perfectly arranged and kept. I kept imagining a Jane Austen novel taking place there.
Hunter and I bought sandwiches, rented bikes, and rode around the whole cross-shaped lake. We also saw Marie Antionette's house, which is hidden in the gardens. I'm not usually crazy about gardens, but I think everyone should see these at least once. They are unimaginable.
That night we went out to the Latin Quarter, which is full of clubs and college kids. We wanted to finally have a night out on the town, since we'd failed to go out so far.
There weren't sketchy bars or skanky girls puking behind bushes. The whole street was bustling: restaraunt owners beckoning you, artists painting, crepes cooking, clubs bouncing, ice cream eating, etc. We ate a gyro in a little shop while we built up our courage to enter George's, a club where a bouncer checked you out and let you in.
We were really nervous because 1) We weren't dressed really nice and 2) We couldn't speak French. After thinking we wouldn't get in... We did! It was my first club :)
The waitresses wore Mardi Gra masks and served drinks to all the packed tables. We looked the menu and almost died: 8euro drinks! After all the hassle of getting in, we gave in to the moment and ordered just one. Hunter had the most expensive Corona of his life, but at least my strawberry smoothie had a sparkler in it!
After the club we headed back to the hostel on the metro. Two crazy guys were belting out the lyrics to Kanye West. Come to find out, they were American and staying at our place.
Their sininging continued all the way home and they even got booed by a group of ten year olds. They were really cool guys and we wish we could've met them earlier. They were all from NY. Emile was Parisian and spoke 4+ languages. Parker was a slight nerd. Nate was a 7 foot giant. It was a great night and we spent 2 hours chatting with them until we decided bed was a good idea.
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