Here it is folks. The last one. The very final blog post. No more after this. At least not to do with the EuroTrip. That is so awfully bittersweet. Of course we'll continue to hop, skip and prance around this Earth though; exploring every corner and curve. Don't you worry. Our hearts are meant to travel this world, no doubt about that. We thought we should do one last post though, updating and reflecting, then call it a day.
Bailey made it to Australia safe and sound, after incredibly long days of flying. She is living in Caloundra, situated on The Sunshine Coast. I'm jealous just typing it! She is living with a family she was close to growing up, who have taken her into their Australian home and basked her in sunshine and happiness. She gets a pool in her backyard, and the ocean and beach only a few minutes walk away. She is happy and tanned and has yet to hug a koala, but I am forcing her to make that happen ASAP.
I was overjoyed being able to spend Christmas with my family and friends, and nothing will ever beat the look of surprise on so many of their faces, watching me walk threw the doorway. Running into all of their arms was the most perfect Christmas gift I could have ever asked for.
We are now both continuing on with our daily lives, but never forgetting what we just experienced the past 4 months. It was truly the absolute time of our lives and we both could not have asked for a more perfect experience. We learnt so much about ourselves, one another and this big, beautiful world. Every single city we visited offered us something we snatched up and locked into our hearts forever. We had more fun then we'll ever be able to talk about, and created more memories to even remember! Throughout the trip, we met some wonderful human beings. It's so easy to meet great people when you travel, because you all have the same common thread running threw you, igniting everyone with the passion to see the world. Our friends that we met; thank you all for gracing us with your presence, and becoming parts of wonderful memories for us that we will cherish forever. This is only the beginning for me and B though. We can't help but giggle and smile when thinking about what the future holds for both of us. We can't wait to dip our toes into the next ocean we visit. We can't wait to feel the sun beams while sitting on a hill somewhere in some foreign land. We can't wait to feel unknown in a giant city. We can't wait to ride an elephant, or swim with sharks! We can't wait to go somewhere and taste the local cuisine that looks absolutely bizarre, but is absolutely delicious. We can't wait to watch one hundred more sunrises from airplane windows. There are so many things we just simply cannot wait for. This world is a place meant to explore. Every time you find a new destination, you will find things hidden away inside yourself you never even knew existed. You will become smarter, you will become happier, and you will become a wanderer. (Our very favorite kind of folk). We urge you to get out there. Just go. Go anywhere. Go down the block and look at things you never saw before, or get on a plane and fly somewhere so far away you forget what home even feels like. Set your life on fire, and enjoy every second of it.
We'll leave with some of our favorite little compilation of words:
"Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be. Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before."
All our love, and thank you for reading,
Molly and Bailey.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Hey London! We're Back!
Our last stop, London. We were feeling so bittersweet arriving back to this bustling, rainy metropolis. It was our LAST DESTINATION on the trip. I think we were entitled a bit of a semi freak out!
We arrived at about 5 am, and well the metro doesn't open till 6 am, so there was basically nothing to do. We were just going to stick it out for another hour, when a lovely elderly man who happened to be a taxi driver offered us a ride. We asked how much the cab fare would be to our hostel and he said about 25 Pounds, which is $40! No way could we afford that! We told him we were travelers and had only 10 pounds between us, which he bought! Or maybe just felt sorry for us. Either or, we got a ridiculously good deal and were taken right to the front steps of our hostel. We stayed at St. Christopher's, which was just peachy. We got there at 5:30 am though, and check in wasn't till 2 pm. So, we got them to show us to the chill area and found some nice couches to fall asleep on. I for one, had a very nice deep sleep, limbs spread this way and that. After we were rested and all checked into our VERY LAST HOSTEL ROOM, we went to one of our favorite places in London. Pret! For some reason, we are just obsessed with this restaurant chain. We went the first time we were in London, and of course needed to go again! The cool thing about the store is that it's pretty much a walk in, take your sandwich, pay for it and leave deal. You of course can sit in too. Anyways, it's delicious, nutritious and all natural. And, best part is that all the food is prepared daily so it's super fresh, and then all the food that is doesn't sell in that day and is left over gets donated to homeless shelters!
Something all of you people should know, Europe goes BIG when it comes to Christmas. They blow all of our decorations out of the water! The streets look like Christmas upchucked everywhere, and it could not be more beautiful! In December we looked forward to seeing all the cities light up with cheer. So of course, we went down to the famous Oxford Street (which is just a giant shopping street). It is known for its Christmas decor during the holidays though, so we strolled along enjoying the view and tucked into a few stores (did you know Topshop has cupcakes and frozen yogurt!? That place is everything a girl needs.) We then headed over to London's Winter Wonderland! It's this giant carnival that is Christmas themed! We mostly just walked around, admiring the classic carni-scent. Churro's, popcorn and hot mulled wine filled the air. There was a little Christmas market there that we wandered around as well. Then I started getting reaaaally sleepy (which London does to me for some reason). We started heading back to the metro, and there was a little girl walking in front of us with a big Santa balloon dragging on the ground behind her, then it would bob around and hit a fence or two. Sad thing was, this was the literal scene of me and Bailey. I hung onto her purse strap and literally dragged along behind her, bumping into a few fences as well.
Once we were home, I mustered up energy and started getting ready for THE END OF THE WORLD PARTY! It was also our VERY LAST NIGHT TOGETHER, so I mean, it was kind of nice the world decided to do that. Go out with a bang, right!? We met our roommates, two super cool girls Natalie and Emma. We all put on our favorite jewels, bangles, smeared on some deliciously red lipstick and were ready to celebrate! The night was full of dancing, laughing, singing, new friends and an all around wonderful way to end the world, and our time together in Europe! The next morning was quite the unfortunate series of events though. We hadn't had much sleep to begin with, and didn't think to pack our bags the night before; so guess what we had to do in the morning! Yep, pack! It was the LAST TIME we had to do it though, which also brought on another semi freak out! We were an hour late checking out, and oh boy did we ever look marvelous. (Not!) We had pre-planned our last day in London, and it was to be started with food, of course! We went down to The Maple Leaf, which is where our friend Steph works, but she was on vaca in Spain so we sadly didn't get to see her. It's really strange walking into a place though that you spent so much time in a few months ago. It still has the classic beer smell that lingers around the place. We made ourselves right at home, and dove into a delicious poutine. Then, we kept that food train rollin' and headed next door to a restaurant called Polpo. We noticed it the first time we were in London, well I guess we mostly noticed the super cute guy that took out the garbage every evening. Speaking of super and speaking of cute and guy, well Polpo knows where it's at! You could literally go there and just sit all day admiring the views. The building itself is so quaint and lovely. But we don't think they hire anyone even relatively ugly though. The guys all have great vintage glasses and cheekbones that look like they were chiseled out by the Gods in a past life. The girls that work there are also adorably adorable! But let's talk food. Please take our word for it, and go here if you are ever in London. It is absolutely divine. We were overjoyed that Polpo was the place we chose to have our very last meal together. Me and B each got a serving of meatballs. You got three each, and we got the chickpea, spinach, ricotta ones. We both agreed that they were so good someone could literally feed us them the rest of our lives and we would never get sick of them. We then shared a bread that had a beautiful honey and roasted grape bruschetta spread across it (and yes, it was beautiful), then the most fresh, delicious goat cheese on top, along with the most perfect little pine nuts. Words can't even describe how wonderful that little meal was.
We hadn't been to Camden Market when we were in London back in September, so we metro'd our way over to that side of the city. Camden is such a cool area that we wish we would have spent way more time in. It seems like the area of the city that the coolest people in the world spend their time in. It's full of young people with face piercings and awesome hairstyles, stomping around in their Doc Marten's.
The time sadly started creeping up on us, and it was time to send Bailey off to the airport. We went back to the hostel, grabbed our bags and went to endure what would be possibly the worst metro ride of our lives. We had been walking around all day, so our feet and legs were a bit sore to begin with. Then to top it all off, we had our heavy backpacks on, and went down to the subway during rush hour (yes, even underground has rush hour). It was the most packed we had ever seen it, and it was so crowded and cramped in there it was almost hard to breath. It was about an hour ride to Heathrow, and let's just say we practically bolted right off when we arrived. Bailey checked in and figured everything out for her flight, then we sat on the ground in the airport each handwriting a letter to one another, to be able to read on the planes. What I will say is that I think people that work in airports are probably immune to tears and people bawling their faces off. No one hardly even batted an eyelash at us two, sobbing our eyes out and hugging the crap out of one another. It was so unbelievably sad to part ways after being together every single day for 4 months. That's a long time! And we're very proud of ourselves for lasting so long without wanting to kill each other! All jokes aside though, it did make us even that much closer and we both feel so blessed we were able to share this experience together. So after we realized we looked like the biggest losers just standing there crying, it was time for B to go. I started jumping in joy because of how truly, fantastically excited I was for her! I got to send this chick off to Australia! Does anyone know how exciting that it!?
I then had to get my butt over to Gatwick Airport, which was on the other side of the city, so off I went! I took a shuttle bus that was driven by the most darling old man ever. He dropped us off at the airport about 10 pm. I sauntered my way up to the chill lounge and scoped out the place for a spot to call my bed for the night. Let's just get it out there right now: airport floors are not comfortable, nor are their stupid benches! I tried avoiding sleep for the longest time, so I did a bit of Internet surfing, went and had some porridge and tea at Cafe Nero, read a bit and then tried to waste even more time by unpacking and repacking my entire backpack. I picked my warmest, comfiest clothes to use as a lovely little bed (except it was the farthest thing from lovely). I'm just going to put it out there and let you know it was THE WORST SLEEP EVER. Well no, it could have been a lot worse, at least I was inside. But still, it was pretty brutal. My inflatable neck pillow I was using as a pillow did not stay inflated, ever. My back and my neck hurt so bad. My legs fell asleep because I was hugging my backpack so bad people probably thought I was a koala hanging onto my eucalyptus tree. I only slept probably 2 hours in total, and had a flight the next morning that I really didn't want to be exhausted for. But I gave up on it and went for breakfast at the Cafe. Also, getting changed and ready for the day on bathroom floors in airports is super glamorous, I know, don't gotta tell me. I went and had a croissant and some hot chocolate while staring at the departures and arrivals screen for about an hour. Once a family moved out of the booth they were sitting in, I snatched it up and sprawled myself out. Oh man, did I sleep like a baby! For about three hours! Then it was time to go get myself organized for my flight. There's this weird kind of feeling you get when you look at the time and the departure board and you see YOUR flight. I was scared shitless to put it bluntly. The moment had really snuck up that fast on me, and was now demanding me to get on a plane to take me home. NO! I DON'T WANT TO DO IT! As I walked towards my gate, I cooled down a bit and stopped at a window that was to be my last view of Europe other than threw a plane window. It was rainy and looked rather cold out, but the clouds started to part a bit and a beautiful ray of sunshine bursted its way out and beamed down. I knew I was leaving with nothing but love, and was suddenly very alright with going home (but I still promised Europe I would leave a little bit of my heart with it, so you know, it doesn't get too lonely).
On the plane I sat with the hippest, cutest couple on the face of the planet. First off, they were gorgeous and looked like they had just jumped off the pages of a magazine. They both had really great outfits on and to top it all off; were reading the same book, and would discuss each chapter when both were done, then continue to whisper sweet nothings into each others ears. It was so adorable it almost made me puke. I went total antisocial and plugged in my earphones, and watched Mrs.Doubtfire. I've seen this movie a zillion times, but for some reason, watching it this time around it turned into the funniest movie ever. I was laughing so hard people from rows in front of me turned around to check out what was happening. I also cried like a baby during it, which is just straight up weird. I mostly spent my time reading, writing, listening to music, sleeping... the works. I touched down in Calgary, Alberta and was greeted by family members Kelly, Donna and there two cuties. I could not believe first off; I was on Canadian soil! And second; how flipping cold it was! I had a lovely evening with them and was so thankful for a warm bed, shower, delicious food, nice chats and great company. My flight left for home the next morning, so off I was to the airport one last time! I situated myself by the window and all I kept thinking was "I'M COMING HOME BABY!". I love flying and I love when the plane starts gearing up to take off and you start bracing yourself for the second the wheels lift from the ground, I absolutely love the feeling of butterflies in your stomach and the way your heart almost lifts along with the aircraft. I listened to all my favorite old school Christmas carols, especially "I'll Be Home for Christmas". (P.S-coming home early was a surprise!) My absolute favorite part of the flight though was when I looked around the plane just as the sun started rising. It casted such a delicate light across all the peoples sleeping faces. I spent a good long while watching the sky turn beautiful hazes of pink and purple. There is just something so pure and amazing about being the same level as the sun, watching it do its thing. I love it. I thought about B and wondered where in the sky she was flying around. It made me miss her so much thinking of how far away from each other we were now, but I couldn't help but have the biggest smile on my face reflecting on how unbelievably astounding our trip was.
And just like that, the plane touched its wheels to the ground, and there I was... home.
M & B
I then had to get my butt over to Gatwick Airport, which was on the other side of the city, so off I went! I took a shuttle bus that was driven by the most darling old man ever. He dropped us off at the airport about 10 pm. I sauntered my way up to the chill lounge and scoped out the place for a spot to call my bed for the night. Let's just get it out there right now: airport floors are not comfortable, nor are their stupid benches! I tried avoiding sleep for the longest time, so I did a bit of Internet surfing, went and had some porridge and tea at Cafe Nero, read a bit and then tried to waste even more time by unpacking and repacking my entire backpack. I picked my warmest, comfiest clothes to use as a lovely little bed (except it was the farthest thing from lovely). I'm just going to put it out there and let you know it was THE WORST SLEEP EVER. Well no, it could have been a lot worse, at least I was inside. But still, it was pretty brutal. My inflatable neck pillow I was using as a pillow did not stay inflated, ever. My back and my neck hurt so bad. My legs fell asleep because I was hugging my backpack so bad people probably thought I was a koala hanging onto my eucalyptus tree. I only slept probably 2 hours in total, and had a flight the next morning that I really didn't want to be exhausted for. But I gave up on it and went for breakfast at the Cafe. Also, getting changed and ready for the day on bathroom floors in airports is super glamorous, I know, don't gotta tell me. I went and had a croissant and some hot chocolate while staring at the departures and arrivals screen for about an hour. Once a family moved out of the booth they were sitting in, I snatched it up and sprawled myself out. Oh man, did I sleep like a baby! For about three hours! Then it was time to go get myself organized for my flight. There's this weird kind of feeling you get when you look at the time and the departure board and you see YOUR flight. I was scared shitless to put it bluntly. The moment had really snuck up that fast on me, and was now demanding me to get on a plane to take me home. NO! I DON'T WANT TO DO IT! As I walked towards my gate, I cooled down a bit and stopped at a window that was to be my last view of Europe other than threw a plane window. It was rainy and looked rather cold out, but the clouds started to part a bit and a beautiful ray of sunshine bursted its way out and beamed down. I knew I was leaving with nothing but love, and was suddenly very alright with going home (but I still promised Europe I would leave a little bit of my heart with it, so you know, it doesn't get too lonely).
On the plane I sat with the hippest, cutest couple on the face of the planet. First off, they were gorgeous and looked like they had just jumped off the pages of a magazine. They both had really great outfits on and to top it all off; were reading the same book, and would discuss each chapter when both were done, then continue to whisper sweet nothings into each others ears. It was so adorable it almost made me puke. I went total antisocial and plugged in my earphones, and watched Mrs.Doubtfire. I've seen this movie a zillion times, but for some reason, watching it this time around it turned into the funniest movie ever. I was laughing so hard people from rows in front of me turned around to check out what was happening. I also cried like a baby during it, which is just straight up weird. I mostly spent my time reading, writing, listening to music, sleeping... the works. I touched down in Calgary, Alberta and was greeted by family members Kelly, Donna and there two cuties. I could not believe first off; I was on Canadian soil! And second; how flipping cold it was! I had a lovely evening with them and was so thankful for a warm bed, shower, delicious food, nice chats and great company. My flight left for home the next morning, so off I was to the airport one last time! I situated myself by the window and all I kept thinking was "I'M COMING HOME BABY!". I love flying and I love when the plane starts gearing up to take off and you start bracing yourself for the second the wheels lift from the ground, I absolutely love the feeling of butterflies in your stomach and the way your heart almost lifts along with the aircraft. I listened to all my favorite old school Christmas carols, especially "I'll Be Home for Christmas". (P.S-coming home early was a surprise!) My absolute favorite part of the flight though was when I looked around the plane just as the sun started rising. It casted such a delicate light across all the peoples sleeping faces. I spent a good long while watching the sky turn beautiful hazes of pink and purple. There is just something so pure and amazing about being the same level as the sun, watching it do its thing. I love it. I thought about B and wondered where in the sky she was flying around. It made me miss her so much thinking of how far away from each other we were now, but I couldn't help but have the biggest smile on my face reflecting on how unbelievably astounding our trip was.
And just like that, the plane touched its wheels to the ground, and there I was... home.
M & B
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Antwerp, Belgium
We took a bus from Paris to Belgium, and arrived in Antwerp; a darling and charming little city. Our wonderful hosts for the next few days, Frederike and Lore, picked us up from the station. We'll give our big shout out to Graeme right here and now for hooking us up with these wonderful gals! If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have been able to spend our time in Belgium with such nice company. The girls brought us back to their apartment, which is super cool by the way! Exposed brick, nice big rooms and a lovely little garden terrace. These sneaky girls knew it was my birthday the next day, so they were gracious enough to cut me a piece of cake complete with candles. They sang me Happy Birthday, but in their language, which trust me; sounds so much nicer than in English! It was the perfect little welcoming.
There's just something about waking up on your day of birth, that makes the air feel so fresh and new. I hope that isn't just me, because it's such a divine feeling. We had a lovely breakfast, then went with the girls down to a little market to look for Christmas gifts for our nearest and dearest. We hopped on the back of their bicycles and peddled our way through town. The market was full of handmade jewelry, baby and children's clothing, hats, jams, and everything in between. After that we went to the most lovely little cafe for beers. We tried the famous Belgian "Duvel". And a side note: not many things beat birthday cheers while in a city as great as Antwerp. Pizza for supper and cupcakes for dessert is fabulous as well.
The next day, Lore took it upon herself to be our own personal tour guide and show us around the city. We went to an Oxfam shop, and we were able to purchase lots of cool little gifts for our family and friends, all while partaking in fair trade! She showed us around a Christmas Market and some second hand clothing shops. We popped into a bookstore called Copyright, and shuffled through the pages of some beautiful art, fashion, and photography books. We of course couldn't be in Belgium without eating Belgian chocolate, so Lore took us to a little shop that had row upon row of top-notch deliciousness. We ate some, then ate some more. It was heavenly. We went home and enjoyed a delicious dinner made for us by our fabulous hosts. That evening, us three girls along with another lovely person from the Belgian household, Klausse, went down to the local cinema to see The Hobbit! The cinematography of this film is unreal!
The following day, everyone either worked or had class at Uni, so me and B were set free on the streets! Ha, only kidding. We mostly just wandered around, did a bit of gift shopping and then made our way to the Fashion Museum to see the Madame Gres collection. It was beyond amazing! I have dreamed of seeing her dresses and designs, and they blew me out of the water. This woman sure knows her stuff. Every dress and article of clothing is so intricate and perfected, it's hard to believe a person actually handmade it. She is an amazing designer, and it is so unbelievably evident. There was everything in the exhibit from her day dresses, to cocktail dresses, beach wear and evening gowns. Remember that these are all from the 40's-80's primarily, so they are remarkable! Then to see real Lanvin and Jean Paul Gaultier is nothing short of sensational. Cherry on top of it all though was walking into a tiny little room that housed a collection of Madame Gres's sketches. We loved it!
Our time in Belgium had sadly come to an end. We said goodbye to everyone at the house, and told them just how much we'd miss them all. Lore walked us to the bus stop and we said our goodbyes. Not before having to wait an extra long time for the bus, and having a miniature dance party on the sidewalk. Thank you once again for taking us into your home and showing us a wonderful time. All of you in that house are such kind, genuine people. We will for surely be back to Belgium one day!
M & B
There's just something about waking up on your day of birth, that makes the air feel so fresh and new. I hope that isn't just me, because it's such a divine feeling. We had a lovely breakfast, then went with the girls down to a little market to look for Christmas gifts for our nearest and dearest. We hopped on the back of their bicycles and peddled our way through town. The market was full of handmade jewelry, baby and children's clothing, hats, jams, and everything in between. After that we went to the most lovely little cafe for beers. We tried the famous Belgian "Duvel". And a side note: not many things beat birthday cheers while in a city as great as Antwerp. Pizza for supper and cupcakes for dessert is fabulous as well.
The next day, Lore took it upon herself to be our own personal tour guide and show us around the city. We went to an Oxfam shop, and we were able to purchase lots of cool little gifts for our family and friends, all while partaking in fair trade! She showed us around a Christmas Market and some second hand clothing shops. We popped into a bookstore called Copyright, and shuffled through the pages of some beautiful art, fashion, and photography books. We of course couldn't be in Belgium without eating Belgian chocolate, so Lore took us to a little shop that had row upon row of top-notch deliciousness. We ate some, then ate some more. It was heavenly. We went home and enjoyed a delicious dinner made for us by our fabulous hosts. That evening, us three girls along with another lovely person from the Belgian household, Klausse, went down to the local cinema to see The Hobbit! The cinematography of this film is unreal!
The following day, everyone either worked or had class at Uni, so me and B were set free on the streets! Ha, only kidding. We mostly just wandered around, did a bit of gift shopping and then made our way to the Fashion Museum to see the Madame Gres collection. It was beyond amazing! I have dreamed of seeing her dresses and designs, and they blew me out of the water. This woman sure knows her stuff. Every dress and article of clothing is so intricate and perfected, it's hard to believe a person actually handmade it. She is an amazing designer, and it is so unbelievably evident. There was everything in the exhibit from her day dresses, to cocktail dresses, beach wear and evening gowns. Remember that these are all from the 40's-80's primarily, so they are remarkable! Then to see real Lanvin and Jean Paul Gaultier is nothing short of sensational. Cherry on top of it all though was walking into a tiny little room that housed a collection of Madame Gres's sketches. We loved it!
Our time in Belgium had sadly come to an end. We said goodbye to everyone at the house, and told them just how much we'd miss them all. Lore walked us to the bus stop and we said our goodbyes. Not before having to wait an extra long time for the bus, and having a miniature dance party on the sidewalk. Thank you once again for taking us into your home and showing us a wonderful time. All of you in that house are such kind, genuine people. We will for surely be back to Belgium one day!
M & B
The City of Lights
We took a flight from Madrid to Paris. We were lucky enough to fly into the city during nighttime, so the entire place was illuminated with light. I even got to point out the beautiful Eiffel Tower to Bailey, from the tiny plane window. After our flight touched ground, we made our way to our hostel which was located in the super cool, hip area; The Latin Quarter. Our home for the next few days was called Young & Happy, which we thought seemed quite fitting for us. We got there quite late, and we're super tired so we got our beds ready and were set to sleep; except when the lights go out, we somehow turn into the biggest giggle pants EVER. Me and B were laughing so hard, over basically nothing at all, but isn't that always the funniest thing to laugh about!? Our bunk bed was shaking we were giggling so hard, but trying to hold it in as to not wake up our roommates. We were finally able to get some shut eye, and we're ready for our first day out and about in Paris! This city is well, FULL of incredible fashion and jam-packed with really awesome vintage/thrift stores. We hit up one called Free'P'Star, which was floor to ceiling covered in clothes. I was like a kid in a candy store. We dove right in and found a few cute finds, all for ridiculously cheap! Now that is the way to shop! We then made our way over to the big, beautiful, fabulous Eiffel Tower. She really is amazing, you gotta admit. We hung out with her for a little while, got some cool pictures, then headed over to Musee du Louvre. The first time I was in Paris and went to The Louvre, it was very fast paced (b/c we had a guide), so I was only able to see a few hand picked pieces. This time around, we were able to mosey slowly around and really take in and appreciate all the place had to offer. One of my favorite things about looking at art is standing in front of a massive piece, and contemplating where exactly was the very first brushstroke. I like thinking about those sorts of things. We spent a nice couple hours in the museum, and checked out the famous glass pyramids outside. On our way home, we stopped at the cutest little crepe shop and had delicious Banana Nutella. The woman made it with so much love and care, and you could taste the goodness. We met our roommates from London, and had a night full of incredible laughter.
We started our next day, with climbing to the top of the Arc De Triomphe. Being able to gaze over Paris is magnificent. We spent about half an hour just taking in all the different views; the streets, the houses, the famous monuments. It started to get really windy and rainy, so we made our way down the famous street; Champs Elysees. We tucked our way into a little cafe and sipped cappuchino's while people watching. We then hopped on the Metro (which by the way, we felt like we spent half of our lives on while in Paris b/c it's too big of a city to walk from place to place quickly), and arrived at Notre Dame Cathedral. It's free to go outside so we went in and appreciated the beautiful stained glass windows. We also couldn't help but reference to "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" probably more times then necessary. Another side note: for some unknown reason we find the most strangest things to talk about while in churches. Like seriously, things that have nothing to do with religion, or buildings or anything related to a basilica. It's weird. Anyways, something to note about this city, is the people really are ridiculously gorgeous. As in; "Is that person even human? They aren't allowed to be that beautiful if they are. Oh, screw them!" The French men dress to a T, and the women ooze sexiness and simplicity. It's the best city in the world to people watch, take our word for it!
On a rainy day in Paris we went underground. Yep, that's right...WAY underground. Down into the Catacombs of Paris. It was creepy and eerie and really, really cool. There is 6 million skeletons buried beneath the streets and the metros. It's the largest underground necropolis in the world. You follow the underground trail for a good long while, stopping at points of interest and reading about the workers and how they built these underground tunnels. It's really neat to see all their initials and names carved into the walls around you. Then you hit the skeletons, and those babies don't stop! We were absolutely blown away at the never ending amount. They aren't just chucked in though, they are meticulously set up in such an order that makes it look quite artsy. In columns and rows, so precise and planned out. Once we made our way through the millions upon millions of skulls and bones, we walked up to the brightness of daylight.
Our umbrella was practically getting raped from the rain and the wind. If it wasn't smacking one of us in the face, it was snapping backwards and smacking a stranger in the face! So we scurried into a nice warm coffee shop. This was in December remember, so all the shops were decked out in full out Christmas cheer, making fresh holiday drinks and gingerbread treats. I couldn't take it much longer and had to express my love for the scents. I said something to Bailey along the lines of "It smells soooo good in here!". She replied back with, "Uh yea. Yea it fricking does. It smells like someone baked fresh cookies and shoved them up my nostrils!". She's a real gem that girl.
We found the nearest metro station and headed on home. We had some dinner, dried off a bit, and relaxed. It was our last night in dear Paris, and Bailey had yet to see the Eiffel Tower at night, when it sparkles and shows off. I knew it went off every hour on the hour so we bargained on getting there for the 10 o'clock hurrah. Left the hostel. Got on the metro. Rode the metro. Sat across from an old, drunk bum puking. Ew. Got off the metro. 9:58 pm. Started running. 9:59 pm. Running faster. 10:00 pm. There she goes. Seeing her burst into a magnificent disco ball, makes your heart burst just as big it seems. The Eiffel Tower at night is truly amazing. The entire city at night for that matter is amazing! We went to our favorite viewing spot and just rested against the cold, metal gate staring up at Paris' beloved landmark. This was another favorite moment. We were both so in awe and bewilderment that THIS is our lives. That we get to stand right here, in this moment, and this is what we get to be looking at. We reflected on all the wonderful things we have done, and all the truly stunning things we have seen. Trust me, we have never not once taken this trip for granted. We do realize how lucky we are to be so young, and already have done so much. Not everyone gets to do these kinds of things in the span of their entire lifetime, and we counted our lucky stars every single day that we were able too. We played this little game where we would close our eyes, block the outside world and just think of everything wonderful we've done, and then open our eyes and add what's right in front of us to that list. Those are the moments you can take a big, giant stamp that says BLISS and smack it down straight across our foreheads.
With love,
M & B
We started our next day, with climbing to the top of the Arc De Triomphe. Being able to gaze over Paris is magnificent. We spent about half an hour just taking in all the different views; the streets, the houses, the famous monuments. It started to get really windy and rainy, so we made our way down the famous street; Champs Elysees. We tucked our way into a little cafe and sipped cappuchino's while people watching. We then hopped on the Metro (which by the way, we felt like we spent half of our lives on while in Paris b/c it's too big of a city to walk from place to place quickly), and arrived at Notre Dame Cathedral. It's free to go outside so we went in and appreciated the beautiful stained glass windows. We also couldn't help but reference to "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" probably more times then necessary. Another side note: for some unknown reason we find the most strangest things to talk about while in churches. Like seriously, things that have nothing to do with religion, or buildings or anything related to a basilica. It's weird. Anyways, something to note about this city, is the people really are ridiculously gorgeous. As in; "Is that person even human? They aren't allowed to be that beautiful if they are. Oh, screw them!" The French men dress to a T, and the women ooze sexiness and simplicity. It's the best city in the world to people watch, take our word for it!
On a rainy day in Paris we went underground. Yep, that's right...WAY underground. Down into the Catacombs of Paris. It was creepy and eerie and really, really cool. There is 6 million skeletons buried beneath the streets and the metros. It's the largest underground necropolis in the world. You follow the underground trail for a good long while, stopping at points of interest and reading about the workers and how they built these underground tunnels. It's really neat to see all their initials and names carved into the walls around you. Then you hit the skeletons, and those babies don't stop! We were absolutely blown away at the never ending amount. They aren't just chucked in though, they are meticulously set up in such an order that makes it look quite artsy. In columns and rows, so precise and planned out. Once we made our way through the millions upon millions of skulls and bones, we walked up to the brightness of daylight.
Our umbrella was practically getting raped from the rain and the wind. If it wasn't smacking one of us in the face, it was snapping backwards and smacking a stranger in the face! So we scurried into a nice warm coffee shop. This was in December remember, so all the shops were decked out in full out Christmas cheer, making fresh holiday drinks and gingerbread treats. I couldn't take it much longer and had to express my love for the scents. I said something to Bailey along the lines of "It smells soooo good in here!". She replied back with, "Uh yea. Yea it fricking does. It smells like someone baked fresh cookies and shoved them up my nostrils!". She's a real gem that girl.
We found the nearest metro station and headed on home. We had some dinner, dried off a bit, and relaxed. It was our last night in dear Paris, and Bailey had yet to see the Eiffel Tower at night, when it sparkles and shows off. I knew it went off every hour on the hour so we bargained on getting there for the 10 o'clock hurrah. Left the hostel. Got on the metro. Rode the metro. Sat across from an old, drunk bum puking. Ew. Got off the metro. 9:58 pm. Started running. 9:59 pm. Running faster. 10:00 pm. There she goes. Seeing her burst into a magnificent disco ball, makes your heart burst just as big it seems. The Eiffel Tower at night is truly amazing. The entire city at night for that matter is amazing! We went to our favorite viewing spot and just rested against the cold, metal gate staring up at Paris' beloved landmark. This was another favorite moment. We were both so in awe and bewilderment that THIS is our lives. That we get to stand right here, in this moment, and this is what we get to be looking at. We reflected on all the wonderful things we have done, and all the truly stunning things we have seen. Trust me, we have never not once taken this trip for granted. We do realize how lucky we are to be so young, and already have done so much. Not everyone gets to do these kinds of things in the span of their entire lifetime, and we counted our lucky stars every single day that we were able too. We played this little game where we would close our eyes, block the outside world and just think of everything wonderful we've done, and then open our eyes and add what's right in front of us to that list. Those are the moments you can take a big, giant stamp that says BLISS and smack it down straight across our foreheads.
With love,
M & B
Friday, December 28, 2012
Spanish Fever
SPAIN! Beautiful, luminous, incredible Spain! What a fantastic place. It's full of passion and fire and is truly magnificent. Our first stop was in Barcelona, and we immediately fell in love. We stayed at a really great hostel that was just a five minute walk from La Sagrada Familia. The first thing we noticed about Barca, is that everywhere smells like oranges! You get constant whiffs from all the little fruit markets. It is amazing! Even better, you can buy about 20 of these oranges for only 1 euro! (We probably ate 500 in total during our stay.)
Our first day, we ventured out to explore the city. This is a place you can literally spend all day just walking around and looking at everything beautiful surrounding you. I have long been a huge fan of Antoni Gaudi, and Barca is dripping and oozing in him and all his work. He is so prominent in this city, and it's so unbelievable seeing his creations in real life, before your own eyes. Me and B hiked up to Parc Guell, which was BEYOND! So incredibly cool. There is the park area itself, which would have probably been more enjoyable during warmer months, but was still very nice. There is a lookout point that you can stand on and look out over Barca and gaze upon the sea. Spectacular! We also went to the famous street Las Ramblas for a lovely stroll. We gave our taste buds a trip to heaven and back at Mercat de la Boqueria. (A huge, awesome, organic food market). We literally just stopped in the middle of the crowds and simply smelt the air around us. It was the most delightful combination of fresh fruit, artisan breads, dark chocolates, spices, and anything else to make your nose go crazy!
One of the things that made us fall in love with this place (because there were MANY), was the fact it is so colorful and bursting with life. Not to say we don't absolutely adore other European cities, we DO, but if we're being honest, a lot of their color schemes are brown, grey, cream, pastels, etc. And still so beautiful, but something about how artsy Barcelona is in every aspect really just is a delicious feast for the eyes.
We will just tell you all right now; meeting wonderful human beings while traveling is such a great thing. It really does make a place that much more fun and memorable. That being said, in Barcelona we met some Canadians, and Australians who were loads of fun! We also were graced with the presence of our dear friends Bri and Tom. Meeting up in cool cities, with cool friends is FUN. Us four rang in our reunion with pizza and homemade sangria. Yums! We then ended our night, or better said; began our morning, with a pub crawl! (They were free at our hostel, so we all made sure to take full advantage of that!). We pranced from bar to club, danced, laughed and I even got a free samosa at the end of the night! (That a dude dropped for 3.5 seconds on the ground but absolutely refused to eat...I'll take it Ms.Priss!) We all got a good nights sleep and were up and ready for a new, beautiful day in Barca. And oh boy, was it ever beautiful. :)
Since Bri and Tom arrived after me and Bailey did, they hadn't been to Parc Guell yet. We of course had no problemo going again, so up the big hill we trekked! It was the most perfect day. Blue skies, the faintest of breezes and palm trees basking over top oneself. We all made our way to the highest lookout point and as all four of us snuck away from the crowds, the bustle of everyday life; and we were able to immerse ourselves into such a beautiful moment. The city of Barcelona beneath us, the sea as our horizon and nothing but absolutely everything in front of us. Tears of complete, indescribable joy streamed down our faces. It is one of those moments that slips its way into your heart forever.
The next morning Bri and me went on a walking tour (B had to rest her knee) that was all about Gaudi, and his impact on Barcelona. We got to see some of his most famous, gigantic homes he was assigned to design and build, the incredibly cool Casa Battlo, and of course ending at his unfinished masterpiece; Sagrada Familia. Bri and myself were told incredibly interesting facts about the construction, the outside and each facade, but we KNEW we had to see the interior. So off we went with our tickets, our headphones, and one audio guide (so we literally looked like we had each other on a leash). It's funny because right before you step inside, the little voice says "when you are ready...enter." They have that warning for a reason. The second you step inside is like lighting your eyeballs on fire. They burn with sheer desire for what you are gazing at. We looked like we ran into an invisible glass wall; unable to move and our jaws practically dragging on the ground. It is one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen. (And it isn't even complete! Not for 30 more years!)
We then kept the day incredibly exciting by picking up out beloved Bailey and heading to where you may ask? A TATTOO SHOP! Take a wild guess what we did there! :) Our tattoo artist was named Sebastian, who was funny and provided us with rolls of toilet paper to use as pillows. Considerate lad. Us three girls had decided we were wanting to get inked together when in Rome, and Barcelona was the perfect place! Bailey got "Wanderlust" (which means; the desire to travel an understand ones own existence), I got "mad to live" and Bri got "burn, burn, burn" (both from a quote in the book On The Road by Jack Kerouac). So that was pretty exciting!
Bri's last night in Barcelona was spent snuggled up in beanbags and the company of Bailey, Tom and myself. We watched the movie that is so near and dear to all of our hearts; Into The Wild. Goodbyes really suck, but we just know we will see our fellow Canadian comrade sometime and somewhere in this big, beautiful world.
We shared another last day with our other companion, Tom. Except it was the LAST day of his entire EuroTrip, so we decided to make it the most lovely day possible for him. That meant popping the corks of wine bottles in the park facing Sagrada Familia, eating baguettes and sharing conversation completely from the heart. After the bottles were empty, the bread was gone, the words began to slow and the sun began to set, we headed home. Of course his last night had to an absolute blast though, so we put on our prettiest little outfits, met a fabulous couple that go by the names of Riki and Eric and all of us were off! We made our way to a shot bar, that well...nearly killed us. Not really, but close. The place had over 200 different shots, that were nothing of the ordinary! Some were on fire, one involved toasting a marshmallow, and one was so bitter and horrendous I actually contemplated spitting it at the bartender. Of course I didn't! It was definitely a fun experience, with extremely fun people! This is a bit embarrassing to admit, but we stayed three extra days in Barcelona because well, we can be really lazy bums in the morning. We would wake up, be either too hungover or just way too tired to pack, so we would simply book another night and go back to bed for a few hours, before seeing and exploring more of Barca during the day. But yea, it got into a bit of a routine where the front desk would know exactly what we were coming down for, and would just kindly say "Hi darling, go back to sleep." Barcelona was wonderful.
The day we did ACTUALLY-WE-ARE-FOR-REALS-LEAVING-NOW, was spent heading to Madrid. Funny thing about our hostel though. It was called Cat's Hostel. (Us being the huge cat freaks that we are, assumed this place was MEANT for us.) Hmm, not so much. It was our own fault though, our friends DID mention that "whatever you do, do not stay at Cat's!" Sorry, we will pay attention next time guys! Anyways, it was pretty nasty. The interior/chill space was incredibly decorated and very pretty. The rooms were pretty bad though. The mattresses were most likely constructed out of stone, and the pillows were wafer thin. Bailey was stuck on the top bunk, which was situated in the very middle of the room with no walls beside her, and no guard rail on her bed either. So she consistently was petrified she was going to fall out of bed. The bathrooms were a joke too! We each went into the showers, which are just push buttons and really annoying. Mine was absolutely ice cold, which is one of the most terrible things ever. Baileys was piercing her body so hard she could barely stand it. So a blonde and a ginger, one crying and one screaming. Good news about the place though is that we met some super awesome Aussie girls. They have the most cool names ever as well; Ailee and Prudie. Thanks to them, the place was much more bearable!
The thing about Madrid, is that all it is pretty much is tapas and museums, museums and tapas! Nothing wrong with that, it just gets a tad boring at times. So, as you imagine; we walked and ate, and looked and walked and looked some more. The city has beautiful architecture so the walks were lovely, other then the frigid coldness we weren't yet used too! We warmed our chilliness with fresh churro's and melted hot chocolate, right across from a teeny little Christmas Market. It was too die for. Something that good shouldn't even be legal! The next morning we woke up and checked our bank accounts, and well, pretty much realized we had 4 Euros. It was quite the low point, walking to the store and buying a baguette that was to be our breakfast AND lunch. Then, sweet salvation; bank-account-money-transfer-magic-stuff! We of course, went for Pad Thai. (Duh.) We then sauntered over to The Prado Museum, which we wish we had more time in. We were pretty rushed for time and didn't get to see all we would have liked, but what we did see we enjoyed! Especially the sculptures. Trust us, we have seen loads of sculptures on the trip and they still blow our minds every single time. Anyone can pick up a paintbrush and paint; no it might not be good, but anyone can still do it. How many people do you know that can take a huge slab of marble and carve a life size naked woman holding her child while stabbing a knife through her ribs...yea, me neither. Total respect and props to these peeps. In Spain of course you must, must, must have tapas. It would be a sin against the country, and your taste buds, if you left the country without partaking in this awesomeness. We basically just picked five different things off the menu that we had no idea what they would be like, but it paid off. All our little dishes were amazing! Like I said, Madrid is full of museums and The Reina Sofia is most definitely one that cannot be skipped! Me, B, Ailee and Prudie marched our way down to Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. It was really great! Some work from Picasso, Salvador Dali, vintage postcard collections, photographs and a room full of abstract paintings to turn and tilt your head at.
As our Madrid days started unraveling to its end, we couldn't help but keep repeating the phrase "We catch a flight to Paris tomorrow". Doesn't that just have the most lovely ring to it...
Till next time,
M & B
Our first day, we ventured out to explore the city. This is a place you can literally spend all day just walking around and looking at everything beautiful surrounding you. I have long been a huge fan of Antoni Gaudi, and Barca is dripping and oozing in him and all his work. He is so prominent in this city, and it's so unbelievable seeing his creations in real life, before your own eyes. Me and B hiked up to Parc Guell, which was BEYOND! So incredibly cool. There is the park area itself, which would have probably been more enjoyable during warmer months, but was still very nice. There is a lookout point that you can stand on and look out over Barca and gaze upon the sea. Spectacular! We also went to the famous street Las Ramblas for a lovely stroll. We gave our taste buds a trip to heaven and back at Mercat de la Boqueria. (A huge, awesome, organic food market). We literally just stopped in the middle of the crowds and simply smelt the air around us. It was the most delightful combination of fresh fruit, artisan breads, dark chocolates, spices, and anything else to make your nose go crazy!
One of the things that made us fall in love with this place (because there were MANY), was the fact it is so colorful and bursting with life. Not to say we don't absolutely adore other European cities, we DO, but if we're being honest, a lot of their color schemes are brown, grey, cream, pastels, etc. And still so beautiful, but something about how artsy Barcelona is in every aspect really just is a delicious feast for the eyes.
We will just tell you all right now; meeting wonderful human beings while traveling is such a great thing. It really does make a place that much more fun and memorable. That being said, in Barcelona we met some Canadians, and Australians who were loads of fun! We also were graced with the presence of our dear friends Bri and Tom. Meeting up in cool cities, with cool friends is FUN. Us four rang in our reunion with pizza and homemade sangria. Yums! We then ended our night, or better said; began our morning, with a pub crawl! (They were free at our hostel, so we all made sure to take full advantage of that!). We pranced from bar to club, danced, laughed and I even got a free samosa at the end of the night! (That a dude dropped for 3.5 seconds on the ground but absolutely refused to eat...I'll take it Ms.Priss!) We all got a good nights sleep and were up and ready for a new, beautiful day in Barca. And oh boy, was it ever beautiful. :)
Since Bri and Tom arrived after me and Bailey did, they hadn't been to Parc Guell yet. We of course had no problemo going again, so up the big hill we trekked! It was the most perfect day. Blue skies, the faintest of breezes and palm trees basking over top oneself. We all made our way to the highest lookout point and as all four of us snuck away from the crowds, the bustle of everyday life; and we were able to immerse ourselves into such a beautiful moment. The city of Barcelona beneath us, the sea as our horizon and nothing but absolutely everything in front of us. Tears of complete, indescribable joy streamed down our faces. It is one of those moments that slips its way into your heart forever.
The next morning Bri and me went on a walking tour (B had to rest her knee) that was all about Gaudi, and his impact on Barcelona. We got to see some of his most famous, gigantic homes he was assigned to design and build, the incredibly cool Casa Battlo, and of course ending at his unfinished masterpiece; Sagrada Familia. Bri and myself were told incredibly interesting facts about the construction, the outside and each facade, but we KNEW we had to see the interior. So off we went with our tickets, our headphones, and one audio guide (so we literally looked like we had each other on a leash). It's funny because right before you step inside, the little voice says "when you are ready...enter." They have that warning for a reason. The second you step inside is like lighting your eyeballs on fire. They burn with sheer desire for what you are gazing at. We looked like we ran into an invisible glass wall; unable to move and our jaws practically dragging on the ground. It is one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen. (And it isn't even complete! Not for 30 more years!)
We then kept the day incredibly exciting by picking up out beloved Bailey and heading to where you may ask? A TATTOO SHOP! Take a wild guess what we did there! :) Our tattoo artist was named Sebastian, who was funny and provided us with rolls of toilet paper to use as pillows. Considerate lad. Us three girls had decided we were wanting to get inked together when in Rome, and Barcelona was the perfect place! Bailey got "Wanderlust" (which means; the desire to travel an understand ones own existence), I got "mad to live" and Bri got "burn, burn, burn" (both from a quote in the book On The Road by Jack Kerouac). So that was pretty exciting!
Bri's last night in Barcelona was spent snuggled up in beanbags and the company of Bailey, Tom and myself. We watched the movie that is so near and dear to all of our hearts; Into The Wild. Goodbyes really suck, but we just know we will see our fellow Canadian comrade sometime and somewhere in this big, beautiful world.
We shared another last day with our other companion, Tom. Except it was the LAST day of his entire EuroTrip, so we decided to make it the most lovely day possible for him. That meant popping the corks of wine bottles in the park facing Sagrada Familia, eating baguettes and sharing conversation completely from the heart. After the bottles were empty, the bread was gone, the words began to slow and the sun began to set, we headed home. Of course his last night had to an absolute blast though, so we put on our prettiest little outfits, met a fabulous couple that go by the names of Riki and Eric and all of us were off! We made our way to a shot bar, that well...nearly killed us. Not really, but close. The place had over 200 different shots, that were nothing of the ordinary! Some were on fire, one involved toasting a marshmallow, and one was so bitter and horrendous I actually contemplated spitting it at the bartender. Of course I didn't! It was definitely a fun experience, with extremely fun people! This is a bit embarrassing to admit, but we stayed three extra days in Barcelona because well, we can be really lazy bums in the morning. We would wake up, be either too hungover or just way too tired to pack, so we would simply book another night and go back to bed for a few hours, before seeing and exploring more of Barca during the day. But yea, it got into a bit of a routine where the front desk would know exactly what we were coming down for, and would just kindly say "Hi darling, go back to sleep." Barcelona was wonderful.
The day we did ACTUALLY-WE-ARE-FOR-REALS-LEAVING-NOW, was spent heading to Madrid. Funny thing about our hostel though. It was called Cat's Hostel. (Us being the huge cat freaks that we are, assumed this place was MEANT for us.) Hmm, not so much. It was our own fault though, our friends DID mention that "whatever you do, do not stay at Cat's!" Sorry, we will pay attention next time guys! Anyways, it was pretty nasty. The interior/chill space was incredibly decorated and very pretty. The rooms were pretty bad though. The mattresses were most likely constructed out of stone, and the pillows were wafer thin. Bailey was stuck on the top bunk, which was situated in the very middle of the room with no walls beside her, and no guard rail on her bed either. So she consistently was petrified she was going to fall out of bed. The bathrooms were a joke too! We each went into the showers, which are just push buttons and really annoying. Mine was absolutely ice cold, which is one of the most terrible things ever. Baileys was piercing her body so hard she could barely stand it. So a blonde and a ginger, one crying and one screaming. Good news about the place though is that we met some super awesome Aussie girls. They have the most cool names ever as well; Ailee and Prudie. Thanks to them, the place was much more bearable!
The thing about Madrid, is that all it is pretty much is tapas and museums, museums and tapas! Nothing wrong with that, it just gets a tad boring at times. So, as you imagine; we walked and ate, and looked and walked and looked some more. The city has beautiful architecture so the walks were lovely, other then the frigid coldness we weren't yet used too! We warmed our chilliness with fresh churro's and melted hot chocolate, right across from a teeny little Christmas Market. It was too die for. Something that good shouldn't even be legal! The next morning we woke up and checked our bank accounts, and well, pretty much realized we had 4 Euros. It was quite the low point, walking to the store and buying a baguette that was to be our breakfast AND lunch. Then, sweet salvation; bank-account-money-transfer-magic-stuff! We of course, went for Pad Thai. (Duh.) We then sauntered over to The Prado Museum, which we wish we had more time in. We were pretty rushed for time and didn't get to see all we would have liked, but what we did see we enjoyed! Especially the sculptures. Trust us, we have seen loads of sculptures on the trip and they still blow our minds every single time. Anyone can pick up a paintbrush and paint; no it might not be good, but anyone can still do it. How many people do you know that can take a huge slab of marble and carve a life size naked woman holding her child while stabbing a knife through her ribs...yea, me neither. Total respect and props to these peeps. In Spain of course you must, must, must have tapas. It would be a sin against the country, and your taste buds, if you left the country without partaking in this awesomeness. We basically just picked five different things off the menu that we had no idea what they would be like, but it paid off. All our little dishes were amazing! Like I said, Madrid is full of museums and The Reina Sofia is most definitely one that cannot be skipped! Me, B, Ailee and Prudie marched our way down to Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. It was really great! Some work from Picasso, Salvador Dali, vintage postcard collections, photographs and a room full of abstract paintings to turn and tilt your head at.
As our Madrid days started unraveling to its end, we couldn't help but keep repeating the phrase "We catch a flight to Paris tomorrow". Doesn't that just have the most lovely ring to it...
Till next time,
M & B
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Florence, Italy & Avignon, France.
This post will combine our adventures in two very beautiful, wonderful cities. After Rome, we headed to Florence, and got to once again meet up with and stay at the same hostel as Bri! It was a darling little hostel, with a really great layout and even free meals and wine! It was just a stone´s throw away from Le Duomo. The first time you see it, you are truly blown away. The outside is a piece of artwork in itself. Thank goodness the inside is free though, because it pretty much looks like they used so much paint on the outside, they didn´t have anything left to decorate the inside. Pretty blah. Us girls went to the Uffizi Gallery, and saw probably enough portraits of ¨Madonna and Child¨ to last us a liftime! We saw the real Adam and Eve paintings though, which was COOL. We strolled around the bustling Florence market, and Bri bought a beautiful leather jacket, and Bailey bought a real Italian leather purse. I enjoyed just standing really close to them and smelling them for extended amounts of time. It was nice. We strolled along Ponte Vecchio and went out for ¨HOLY CRAP PIZZA!¨.
We met up with our friend Steve, whom we met in Rome. He is such a fantastic lad. Us four went down to a pub called Lion´s Fountain, and spent the night laughing, discussing, and singing as loud as our lungs could carry us.
Florence is such a darling, romantic city. We were blessed with beautiful weather, so we´re able to wander the streets and explore every corner and curve. On our last day, us girls went to see The Basilica of Santa Croce, had gelato twice within the span of an hour and hiked up to Piazzale Michelangelo, to be graced with the most amazing view over the entire city.
After we left Florence, we made our way to Avignon. We had to make a bit of an unexpected pit stop in the Italian city Ventimiglia. We stayed a night there, and made sure that our last day in Italy was spent eating gelato. Duh. We got on a train and we were off to France! We arrived in Avignon and checked into our hostel, which was on the fabulous Rue de la Republique. There was a little Christmas market at the end of our street and this might not be any sort of interest to any of you, but our hostel beds had curtains around them. CURTAINS. Anyone who has ever stayed in a hostel knows how awesome this is. Privacy is definately something you give up while travelling. There isn´t a whole lot of sights to see in Avignon, so we mostly walked around and enjoyed the city. We did go to Palais des Papes (Pope´s Palace), as well as Pont D'Avignon. It did rain quite a bit while we were there, so we spent those moments mostly eating croissants. Don´t judge us...nothing beats French croissants.
M & B
We met up with our friend Steve, whom we met in Rome. He is such a fantastic lad. Us four went down to a pub called Lion´s Fountain, and spent the night laughing, discussing, and singing as loud as our lungs could carry us.
Florence is such a darling, romantic city. We were blessed with beautiful weather, so we´re able to wander the streets and explore every corner and curve. On our last day, us girls went to see The Basilica of Santa Croce, had gelato twice within the span of an hour and hiked up to Piazzale Michelangelo, to be graced with the most amazing view over the entire city.
After we left Florence, we made our way to Avignon. We had to make a bit of an unexpected pit stop in the Italian city Ventimiglia. We stayed a night there, and made sure that our last day in Italy was spent eating gelato. Duh. We got on a train and we were off to France! We arrived in Avignon and checked into our hostel, which was on the fabulous Rue de la Republique. There was a little Christmas market at the end of our street and this might not be any sort of interest to any of you, but our hostel beds had curtains around them. CURTAINS. Anyone who has ever stayed in a hostel knows how awesome this is. Privacy is definately something you give up while travelling. There isn´t a whole lot of sights to see in Avignon, so we mostly walked around and enjoyed the city. We did go to Palais des Papes (Pope´s Palace), as well as Pont D'Avignon. It did rain quite a bit while we were there, so we spent those moments mostly eating croissants. Don´t judge us...nothing beats French croissants.
M & B
Roma
Wow. What can we even put into words about Rome, to help sum it up for everyone? It was truly such an amazing time. One of the highlights of our entire trip, for sure. First off, the city itself is absolutely beautiful! The architecture, monuments, sights and smells just draw you in. This ancient city steals your heart incredibly fast.
We arrived in Rome, and headed to our hostel The Yellow. (Which lots of people recommended! Thanks friends!) It was FUN. If you or someone you know is going to Rome, make sure to book a room here! Well, the rooms really aren´t that great. And our bathroom didn´t have a sink, it was literally ripped off the wall, pretty funny. But the main floor/bar/patio is awesome. This has been one of our favorite hostels so far, just because of the atmosphere of the place. It was so easy to interact and meet new people, which we did a lot of! We look back on our time in Rome, and the reason it holds such a dear place in our hearts is truthfully because of all the wonderful individuals we met!
Speaking of friends, our dear one Bri was luckily in Rome the same time we were. We met up and went for dinner at a lovely restaurant near our hostel. Personally, best pasta in Italy. It was so unbelievably delicious. (So delicious that when we went back the second time, I got the same dish! Bailey got ´pasta pillows´, Eeee! How cute is that!?). After our bellies were full of goodness, we mosied on back to our hostel, had some beers and met some new friends that insisted we accompany them on going to an Irish pub. Why not, we thought...we did LOVE Ireland after all. It was a night full of fun! Just so everyone is aware, we literally ate our body weight in gelato while in Italy. Both me and B are so keen on this stuff, we could probably ensure it never goes out of business. We had to get our gelato fix on average about three times a day. Yea, we´re talking nine scoops per day.
So, Rome is really fun and nights you drink Absinthe with really dear friends is even funner. Me, Bailey, Bri, Daniel and Tom decided to crack some green stuff and stumble the streets of this beautiful city. There is nothing more remarkable then being able to walk down the middle of one of the busiest streets of Rome, at 4 in the morning with hardly a soul in sight. We skipped and pranced around full of so much happiness. Our hearts almost burst when we saw the Colusseum for the first time. Having it all to ourselves was truly something of dreams. It was definately a moment we will remember the rest of our lives. We went back to the hostel and had the funnest dance party probably ever.
The next morning, we all practically crawled downstairs for breakfast. Something we have learnt on the trip though is that no matter how you feel, you still have to make the most out of each and every day! So off to explore the city we went! Me, Bailey, Tom and Daniel wandered around, checking out the Colusseum, Roman Ruins, Arco di Costantino, and ending our day having a nice bite to eat at a restaurant overlooking the city. Did we mention how amazing a tomato is in Italy? Probably have, but I feel it needs to be said every five minutes. Also something I should mention. Absinthe hangovers are NOT, I repeat NOT fun! End of discussion.
We were up bright and early for a tour the next morning. We met a fabulous new human being that goes by the name of Steve, so us three were led all around the city by our tour guide Jason. We visited about four churches, learnt A LOT about Christianity, saw the Roman Forums, Piazza Del Popolo, Trevi Fountain (which gets on average €3000 per day chucked into it!), St.Peter´s Basilica The Vatican and ending with the holy grail; The Sistine Chapel. This famous ceiling is by far Michelangelo´s greatest masterpiece. He worked on it from 1508 to 1512, and let us just tell you; it is REMARKABLE. All you want to do is lay on the ground, with arms spread wide and bask in this insane piece of artwork.
We truly had the perfect last night in Rome. Being at The Yellow, you are almost obligated to meet the best people in the world, which we feel we did! A lovely bunch of us played card games at the hostel which was accompanied by delicious drinks and loads of laughs. We all headed on over to the local liquor store, bought some cheap liquids, and sat directly beside the Colusseum. I would say that is a pretty good backdrop. Everyone looked marvelous next to it. We have love all around for these people, and truly had the most amazing time in Rome. We will for surely be back one day!
M & B
We arrived in Rome, and headed to our hostel The Yellow. (Which lots of people recommended! Thanks friends!) It was FUN. If you or someone you know is going to Rome, make sure to book a room here! Well, the rooms really aren´t that great. And our bathroom didn´t have a sink, it was literally ripped off the wall, pretty funny. But the main floor/bar/patio is awesome. This has been one of our favorite hostels so far, just because of the atmosphere of the place. It was so easy to interact and meet new people, which we did a lot of! We look back on our time in Rome, and the reason it holds such a dear place in our hearts is truthfully because of all the wonderful individuals we met!
Speaking of friends, our dear one Bri was luckily in Rome the same time we were. We met up and went for dinner at a lovely restaurant near our hostel. Personally, best pasta in Italy. It was so unbelievably delicious. (So delicious that when we went back the second time, I got the same dish! Bailey got ´pasta pillows´, Eeee! How cute is that!?). After our bellies were full of goodness, we mosied on back to our hostel, had some beers and met some new friends that insisted we accompany them on going to an Irish pub. Why not, we thought...we did LOVE Ireland after all. It was a night full of fun! Just so everyone is aware, we literally ate our body weight in gelato while in Italy. Both me and B are so keen on this stuff, we could probably ensure it never goes out of business. We had to get our gelato fix on average about three times a day. Yea, we´re talking nine scoops per day.
So, Rome is really fun and nights you drink Absinthe with really dear friends is even funner. Me, Bailey, Bri, Daniel and Tom decided to crack some green stuff and stumble the streets of this beautiful city. There is nothing more remarkable then being able to walk down the middle of one of the busiest streets of Rome, at 4 in the morning with hardly a soul in sight. We skipped and pranced around full of so much happiness. Our hearts almost burst when we saw the Colusseum for the first time. Having it all to ourselves was truly something of dreams. It was definately a moment we will remember the rest of our lives. We went back to the hostel and had the funnest dance party probably ever.
The next morning, we all practically crawled downstairs for breakfast. Something we have learnt on the trip though is that no matter how you feel, you still have to make the most out of each and every day! So off to explore the city we went! Me, Bailey, Tom and Daniel wandered around, checking out the Colusseum, Roman Ruins, Arco di Costantino, and ending our day having a nice bite to eat at a restaurant overlooking the city. Did we mention how amazing a tomato is in Italy? Probably have, but I feel it needs to be said every five minutes. Also something I should mention. Absinthe hangovers are NOT, I repeat NOT fun! End of discussion.
We were up bright and early for a tour the next morning. We met a fabulous new human being that goes by the name of Steve, so us three were led all around the city by our tour guide Jason. We visited about four churches, learnt A LOT about Christianity, saw the Roman Forums, Piazza Del Popolo, Trevi Fountain (which gets on average €3000 per day chucked into it!), St.Peter´s Basilica The Vatican and ending with the holy grail; The Sistine Chapel. This famous ceiling is by far Michelangelo´s greatest masterpiece. He worked on it from 1508 to 1512, and let us just tell you; it is REMARKABLE. All you want to do is lay on the ground, with arms spread wide and bask in this insane piece of artwork.
We truly had the perfect last night in Rome. Being at The Yellow, you are almost obligated to meet the best people in the world, which we feel we did! A lovely bunch of us played card games at the hostel which was accompanied by delicious drinks and loads of laughs. We all headed on over to the local liquor store, bought some cheap liquids, and sat directly beside the Colusseum. I would say that is a pretty good backdrop. Everyone looked marvelous next to it. We have love all around for these people, and truly had the most amazing time in Rome. We will for surely be back one day!
M & B
Naples (Our first taste of Italia!)
Italy. Italy. Italy. We love the way it rolls off the tongue. If we try hard enough we can still taste the pizza. Mmm. Thin, delicious crust. Tomato sauce. Basil. Cheeeese.
Sorry. I'm back...
So. What can we all say about this magnificent country? That it has been one of our favorites so far? That we met some of the greatest people ever? That we ate enough carbs to last us a lifetime? Sounds about right! This place is like no other. We GET why people from every corner of the globe flock here. Once you're there, and you experience it...you just understand completely.
Our first stop in Italy was Naples. This place really does deserve a giant stamp of approval for kicking ass when it comes to pizza. Oh and GELATO. Neopolitan's know where it's at, that's for sure! We stayed at a really nice hostel tucked away beneath an old abandoned church. We got there around supper and could hardly stand to wait any longer for real Italian pizza. After all, we have been waiting our entire lives! The hostel recommended a cool area of the city to go too, which was bustling with bars, cafes, shops, and PIZZERIA'S! We practically broke the door down going into the first good one we saw. It was the perfect first experience. It was a smaller restaurant, most likely family owned. We had the cutest little waiter, who was so interested in learning about Canada, but spoke little to no English. Hand gestures, we'll put it out there now, are a god send! The pizza was made in about five minutes flat and we devoured those babies to say the LEAST. An entire pizza-pie down and digested. And yes, we of course each got our own! Who do you think we are!?
Although we were full to the brim, there is always room for dessert. And as we have come to find out, there is literally ALWAYS room for gelato. Morning, noon or night. Give it to us! We sauntered around, bellies full of fresh Italian goodness and found the best looking Gelateria. It was DIVINE. We each got a waffle cone dipped in chocolate and nuts and three TO DIE FOR scoops of different flavors. We then plopped our butts down on a curb and basked in what Italy had intended for us all along. It was glorious.
Naples is a pretty darn dirty city, and we only spent one night there because we were on our way to the motherland; ROME! We got up the next morning to head to the train station. Not before eating leftover pizza for breakfast. Then having more pizza at the station, we even tried a slice with FRENCH FRIES on it! Weird! And of course got our daily fix of gelato. Straccitella gelato to be exact. (most amazing thing in the entire world). So yes, as you can tell, mostly all we did in Naples was eat!
Ciao for now!
M & B
Sorry. I'm back...
So. What can we all say about this magnificent country? That it has been one of our favorites so far? That we met some of the greatest people ever? That we ate enough carbs to last us a lifetime? Sounds about right! This place is like no other. We GET why people from every corner of the globe flock here. Once you're there, and you experience it...you just understand completely.
Our first stop in Italy was Naples. This place really does deserve a giant stamp of approval for kicking ass when it comes to pizza. Oh and GELATO. Neopolitan's know where it's at, that's for sure! We stayed at a really nice hostel tucked away beneath an old abandoned church. We got there around supper and could hardly stand to wait any longer for real Italian pizza. After all, we have been waiting our entire lives! The hostel recommended a cool area of the city to go too, which was bustling with bars, cafes, shops, and PIZZERIA'S! We practically broke the door down going into the first good one we saw. It was the perfect first experience. It was a smaller restaurant, most likely family owned. We had the cutest little waiter, who was so interested in learning about Canada, but spoke little to no English. Hand gestures, we'll put it out there now, are a god send! The pizza was made in about five minutes flat and we devoured those babies to say the LEAST. An entire pizza-pie down and digested. And yes, we of course each got our own! Who do you think we are!?
Although we were full to the brim, there is always room for dessert. And as we have come to find out, there is literally ALWAYS room for gelato. Morning, noon or night. Give it to us! We sauntered around, bellies full of fresh Italian goodness and found the best looking Gelateria. It was DIVINE. We each got a waffle cone dipped in chocolate and nuts and three TO DIE FOR scoops of different flavors. We then plopped our butts down on a curb and basked in what Italy had intended for us all along. It was glorious.
Naples is a pretty darn dirty city, and we only spent one night there because we were on our way to the motherland; ROME! We got up the next morning to head to the train station. Not before eating leftover pizza for breakfast. Then having more pizza at the station, we even tried a slice with FRENCH FRIES on it! Weird! And of course got our daily fix of gelato. Straccitella gelato to be exact. (most amazing thing in the entire world). So yes, as you can tell, mostly all we did in Naples was eat!
Ciao for now!
M & B
Monday, November 26, 2012
Ugh. (Yep, that's the name of this one).
Well! Have we got some stories for all of YOU! First off, by the title of this post I'm sure you already get the sense it's going to be the best one ever and SO TOTALLY AWESOME. Ha, think again!
First off, if any of our lovely blog followers/readers are from the countries of Masadonia, or Albania...the LAST thing we want to do is offend you or put your country in a negative light. We go to every single place with an open mind, so this didn't necessarily have to do with the country itself, we're just simple writing of OUR experience.
That said, we didn't have much fun. We really wish we could say we had a blast, we really really do. But that just wasn't the case. It all started with us being situated in Croatia, trying to plan our route to get to Santorini Island, Greece. It has been a place we both dream of going, so we tried REALLY hard to make it work. After many tiring and confusing hours, we realized that since there weren't any trains running into Greece, and the bus route was way to complicated and way too long, we had to give up. It sucked. It was a moment neither of us wanted to come too, but looking back we really did save a LOT of money and time, so we've come to accept that that's just the way the cookie crumbles. But! We didn't realize Greece was out of the question until we were already a quarter of the way there! We took a bus to Skopje, Masadonia; which was the coldest bus ride of our entire lives and to our delight we were stuck in the back with a dude who insisted on smoking while in his seat. Ugh. (Told you!) So, we were kind of thrown into an Eastern Europe culture shock stepping off the bus. No one spoke English, you're instantly bombarded with guys wanting you to support whatever business they're throwing out at you, and it's just a complete different atmosphere from everywhere we had been so far. We missed the bus we wanted to catch by literally 10 minutes, so we were kind of forced into spending a night there. We did so at a hostel called Art, which had good intentions and a super cool vibe, but holy dyna were those beds NASTY. We're talking so bad that we used our own clothes as pillows and blankets. To top it off, our room had a beautiful broken window! (We can just feel the jealousy oozing out of you!). Although, we did have a really cute, giggly, dimpled-cheek Mexican woman staying with us. And we got free breakfast. And Masadonia is incredibly cheap. We went out for supper, which we estimated would be about $60 in Canada, was only $13! The 10 bills also have really pretty peacocks on them, so we made sure to each keep one. The weather was really cold, dreary and grey when we were there so we fixed our homesick woes by going to Amigo's Cantina! (Saskatoonians will pick up on this one). We stuffed our faces with chimichangas, rice and beans for REALLY cheap. It ruled.
So, because we cancelled Greece, we decided to head straight over to Italy. We were to get there by Ferry, but had to take it out of the port in Durras, Albania. Hmm, there really isn't a lot to say about this place other than the fact we really wanted to leave. Something to keep in mind is that we ARE two young, Caucasian females, and the only travelers in sight. We make sure to keep safe wherever we go, but when little children come chasing after you literally digging in your purse trying to steal your belongings, it's pretty hard to keep a calm mental state. The most heartbreaking thing is having to tell starving children to leave you be. Ugh! (Again!) Durras isn't pretty either. Not compared to all the other breathtaking places we've been in Europe. People harassed us, men stared, and we didn't have anywhere to go for about 15 hours because our ferry didn't start boarding till 8 pm. But, after seven cappucino's and two RedBull each, we FINALLY were able to hustle our butts onto the ferry. We practically ran up the ramp, smiling super big. It was relieving to get into our teeny tiny, but oh so cute room on the boat. Very "Titanic". It might have been one of the best sleeps of our lives. And once we woke up and had breakfast, we were docking into Bari, Italy's port!
We truly wish we had better things to say about these places, because we HAVE heard good things about them. Unfortunately, our experience just wasn't a good one. But! To not make this entire post depressing, we'll leave you with a funny little story...
We first arrived in a city about half an hour from Durras, so in order to get there we had to take a minibus. What is this you ask? Well, one would think it would just be a smaller version of a bus, right!? Kind of. It is. But it's run by two guys, one driving, and one with his head out the window yelling at passerbys the destination of the bus to see if they are wanting rides. It only cost us the equivalent of $2 to drive almost forty minutes. But those forty minutes, OH DEAR LORD. We were lucky to be some of the first ones in this ten person ride, because we were thankfully able to sit down as it would have been impossible standing in there with our huge backpacks. I think we each both had about an inch and a half of room to ourselves. The thing should have a warning on it: CLAUSTROPHOBIC PEOPLE; GET LOST. WE PACK THIS THING LIKE A CAN OF SARDINES. If bad driving, too many people in one space, lack of oxygen and your feet falling asleep isn't just the cherry on top, this is. A boy about 12 years old, who runs down the road and every chance he gets; bursts the back doors open. It became about a ten minute painful struggle of the boy opening the doors, the driver getting out to close them and the boy continuing to be a little shit-disturber. (Excuse my French). At the time, we just sat there wondering what the heck we got ourselves into, but now we look back on it all and realize we got some pretty good stories!
M & B
First off, if any of our lovely blog followers/readers are from the countries of Masadonia, or Albania...the LAST thing we want to do is offend you or put your country in a negative light. We go to every single place with an open mind, so this didn't necessarily have to do with the country itself, we're just simple writing of OUR experience.
That said, we didn't have much fun. We really wish we could say we had a blast, we really really do. But that just wasn't the case. It all started with us being situated in Croatia, trying to plan our route to get to Santorini Island, Greece. It has been a place we both dream of going, so we tried REALLY hard to make it work. After many tiring and confusing hours, we realized that since there weren't any trains running into Greece, and the bus route was way to complicated and way too long, we had to give up. It sucked. It was a moment neither of us wanted to come too, but looking back we really did save a LOT of money and time, so we've come to accept that that's just the way the cookie crumbles. But! We didn't realize Greece was out of the question until we were already a quarter of the way there! We took a bus to Skopje, Masadonia; which was the coldest bus ride of our entire lives and to our delight we were stuck in the back with a dude who insisted on smoking while in his seat. Ugh. (Told you!) So, we were kind of thrown into an Eastern Europe culture shock stepping off the bus. No one spoke English, you're instantly bombarded with guys wanting you to support whatever business they're throwing out at you, and it's just a complete different atmosphere from everywhere we had been so far. We missed the bus we wanted to catch by literally 10 minutes, so we were kind of forced into spending a night there. We did so at a hostel called Art, which had good intentions and a super cool vibe, but holy dyna were those beds NASTY. We're talking so bad that we used our own clothes as pillows and blankets. To top it off, our room had a beautiful broken window! (We can just feel the jealousy oozing out of you!). Although, we did have a really cute, giggly, dimpled-cheek Mexican woman staying with us. And we got free breakfast. And Masadonia is incredibly cheap. We went out for supper, which we estimated would be about $60 in Canada, was only $13! The 10 bills also have really pretty peacocks on them, so we made sure to each keep one. The weather was really cold, dreary and grey when we were there so we fixed our homesick woes by going to Amigo's Cantina! (Saskatoonians will pick up on this one). We stuffed our faces with chimichangas, rice and beans for REALLY cheap. It ruled.
So, because we cancelled Greece, we decided to head straight over to Italy. We were to get there by Ferry, but had to take it out of the port in Durras, Albania. Hmm, there really isn't a lot to say about this place other than the fact we really wanted to leave. Something to keep in mind is that we ARE two young, Caucasian females, and the only travelers in sight. We make sure to keep safe wherever we go, but when little children come chasing after you literally digging in your purse trying to steal your belongings, it's pretty hard to keep a calm mental state. The most heartbreaking thing is having to tell starving children to leave you be. Ugh! (Again!) Durras isn't pretty either. Not compared to all the other breathtaking places we've been in Europe. People harassed us, men stared, and we didn't have anywhere to go for about 15 hours because our ferry didn't start boarding till 8 pm. But, after seven cappucino's and two RedBull each, we FINALLY were able to hustle our butts onto the ferry. We practically ran up the ramp, smiling super big. It was relieving to get into our teeny tiny, but oh so cute room on the boat. Very "Titanic". It might have been one of the best sleeps of our lives. And once we woke up and had breakfast, we were docking into Bari, Italy's port!
We truly wish we had better things to say about these places, because we HAVE heard good things about them. Unfortunately, our experience just wasn't a good one. But! To not make this entire post depressing, we'll leave you with a funny little story...
We first arrived in a city about half an hour from Durras, so in order to get there we had to take a minibus. What is this you ask? Well, one would think it would just be a smaller version of a bus, right!? Kind of. It is. But it's run by two guys, one driving, and one with his head out the window yelling at passerbys the destination of the bus to see if they are wanting rides. It only cost us the equivalent of $2 to drive almost forty minutes. But those forty minutes, OH DEAR LORD. We were lucky to be some of the first ones in this ten person ride, because we were thankfully able to sit down as it would have been impossible standing in there with our huge backpacks. I think we each both had about an inch and a half of room to ourselves. The thing should have a warning on it: CLAUSTROPHOBIC PEOPLE; GET LOST. WE PACK THIS THING LIKE A CAN OF SARDINES. If bad driving, too many people in one space, lack of oxygen and your feet falling asleep isn't just the cherry on top, this is. A boy about 12 years old, who runs down the road and every chance he gets; bursts the back doors open. It became about a ten minute painful struggle of the boy opening the doors, the driver getting out to close them and the boy continuing to be a little shit-disturber. (Excuse my French). At the time, we just sat there wondering what the heck we got ourselves into, but now we look back on it all and realize we got some pretty good stories!
M & B
Monday, November 19, 2012
Croatia
From Austria, we decided it was time to start heading South! We had heard only but wonderful things about Croatia, so off we went! From Salzburg we had to take a 14 hour night bus to Split (our first Croatian destination). It was a bus ride from hell. First off, we don't think many people enjoy being on a bus for that amount of time. Second, we usually each have 2 seats to ourselves (able to stretch out and sleep), yea not on this baby! Bailey was stuck with a woman who insisted on spreading her legs out as far as they could go, and I was situated next to a man I swear was a part of the Mafia. We got about 3 hours of sleep each, and the bus was really really hot. Fun had by all!
Arriving in Split, was like heaven on Earth! We stepped off the bus and had to start takin' off some layers! Plus 18 degrees and sunny! Yay! We were oh so very happy. Another thing that made us happy is that Croatia is cheap! Compared to all the other countries we had previously been in, we felt loaded here. Our hostel was cheap and as a bonus we had it all to ourselves! Nice room, big kitchen, and a lovely little veranda to hang our freshly washed clothes on. Like having our own apartment. We had been pretty hustle-bustle so it was really nice to just relax. And doing so on a beach doesn't really hurt. We were only about a 10 minute walk down to the water, so most days we sauntered down threw the market and got to laze by the sea for as long as we liked. :)
Theres a large, large hill in Split called Marjan. It has about 3000 steps, but trust us it's worth it! The view from the very top is breathtaking. Mind you, our breath had already been taken climbing our bums up the hill! (that was a bad joke). Anyways, the hike was at times a struggle but it was fun and refreshing and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! From the top you can see most of Split, as well as all the surrounding islands. Seriously, SO beautiful. Blissful moment indeed. Our last evening, we sat along the water, drank some Stella's and watched the sun set over the horizon with sailboats casting their shadows upon the light. Perfection if we do say so ourselves.
From Split, we headed to Dubrovnik (capital of Croatia). The bus to get there took us on a crazy, windy coastal road. But beautiful view! Although, at some points it was really quite nauseating. At one point I had to close my eyes and keep telling myself "we're just on the highway to Humboldt, we're just on the highway to Humboldt" (anyone who has driven it knows it's the straightest road ever). But we made it to beautiful Dubrovnik, and once again stepped off the bus loving the sun and the warmth. We stayed at Dubrovnik Backpackers Hostel, owned by the sweetest, kindest old couple ever. And the BEST THING EVER, the hostel had a KITTY! We're pretty huge cat freaks, so this made our life quite complete. It was the cutest little thing ever, that loved to follow us around and cuddle.
We spent lots of time down by the harbor, which is beautiful! The Old City part of Dubrovnik is awesome. You feel like your in a completely different place, lost somewhere thousands of years old. There are so many little alley ways and old stairs leading you to the coolest tucked away cafes and stores. Our last day in Dubrovnik, was plus 22 degrees. We of course headed to the beach! Copacabana Beach! ("At the Copa! Copacabana!", c'mon you know the song!). On our way back to the hostel, the weirdest most awesome thing ever happened. We walked down a residential/beach house kind of area and we saw a pretty little kitty. Then! There were two cats. Then, all of a sudden five cats. All different colors, all so cute! We walked, they followed. It was awesome. Then, we look back and there is cats literally coming out of every bush, from under every car, everywhere! We just stood there, would take a few steps, another cat would emerge. It got up to 15 CATS. We aren't even kidding. One five. Fifteen! They kind of just all sat there and surrounded us. So yes, you may now refer to us as "the cat whisperers".
You have cat to be kitten be right meow ;)
M & B
Austria
We went from Prague to Vienna, and to be honest don't really have that much to say about it. We were there only one night so we weren't really able to see or do to much, which sucked. We stayed at Wombat's hostel, which was nice but pretty distant from the city centre. It was really cold while we were there, but we braved it out and went and checked out the Imperial Palace. We also went to The Zoo! Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Actually, none of those animals were there. Ha. But! There were koalas, giraffes, hippos, penguins, monkeys, and the most beloved elephants.
Hmm, what else to say about Vienna. We ate a lot of pizza, and did I mention it was cold? Yea, that's about it then!
From Vienna, we went to a place where THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC!! (You just sang that in your head, didn't you!?) Yep, we went to Salzburg, Austria. The place overflowing with all things Sound of Music related! We literally came to this city, just because of the movie. It was our childhood, we were practically spoon fed Do-Re-Me. And still to this day, it is one of our most favorite musicals.
We stayed in a hostel, which was pretty cheap and so nice it should be called a hotel, called the Meininger. We made friends with an awesome couple Amberley and Jason, as well as some lovely lads Steven and Matt. They had us laughing for hours, and also not want to eat a burrito for a long, long time. (Not even going to try and explain). Salzburg is an absolutely beautiful place, nestled within a valley surrounded by mountains and trees bursting with delicious fall hues. The place kind of reminded us of Banff. A European Banff!
Now! On to the goodies. Our tour started bright and early, so we grabbed some breakfast and headed out! It was such a beautiful, crisp fall day. We were very lucky! First off, the tour guide was THE BEST tour guide in the world. Hilarious, knowledgeable and super friendly. The tour was about 4 hours in total and we spent some time in Salzburg, seeing famous monuments and locations used in The Sound of Music, such as the pond where Maria and all the children fell out of the canoe, the bridge that her and the children filmed some scenes on, and the glass gazebo where the oh so familiar "16 going on 17" was shot. We ventured out into the countryside and made some stops along the way with the most beautiful views! The tour also showed us The VonTrapp house, as well as the trees and road the movie had the children swinging and frolicking around in their curtain clothes. We made a stop in a neighboring town and got to see the famous church used in the wedding scene of Maria and The Captain. All in all, it was really quite awesome. We were filled with so much happiness, both of us ALMOST started tearing up listening to the soundtrack on the way home. Don't judge us.
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu!
M & B
Prague
Prague rules. Like super lots. It's got a really cool vibe to it and is incredibly beautiful. The architecture is amazing and there is so much to do and see, we wish we could have extended our stay!
We slept nice and easy at an awesome hostel called Blind Eye. The staff was great, rooms were great, and we even got to watch Step Brothers while we were there! Triple great! Anyways, we spent most of our time wandering the city and hanging out in Old Town. Checked out some cool cafes as well as famous sites, not to mention climbing a very large hill to get the most amazing view of the city! As recommended by some lovely friends and family we made sure to grab some bites to eat at a place called Bohemia Bagel, as well as Cafe Louvre (best squash soup ever).
Our last night in Prague we went on a pub crawl, which to save our parents from going grey early, we'll just say it was lots of fun :).
One not so fun thing that happened though at the end of our Prague trip, was that my wallet got stolen/accidentally lost. It really, really, really sucked. Thank god just my money was in it and not my passport. Bailey should have gotten some kind of honorary medal for being so wonderful helping me out until my parents dumped me some cash through her account. Mucho appreciated!
Ending on a funny note. People often tell us how jealous they are of our trip. And I mean, it is really awesome. Something not so much to be jealous of; having 10 cents to your name, our hair looks like birds nests because we haven't washed it in 7 days, all your clothes smelling like..I don't even know, and having crappy sleeps on buses to finish that lovely list off! Oh well, such is life! We're happy.
Love,
M & B
Krakow, Poland & Auschwitz
After being in Germany for a solid month and a few days, we decided it was time to spread our wings. We never really had Poland in mind as a place to visit, but we really wanted to do a tour of Auschwitz/Birkenau Concentration Camp. I'll get to that in a second.
Things to know about Poland in October. It is REALLY cold. It has SNOW! To be honest, it has a bit of a depressed feeling looming over it. It's super cheap, which rocks. Having supper at The Hard Rock Cafe in Krakow is delicious, cheap and will 100% guarantee in giving you a lovely little food baby. The Old Town area is pretty!
Now, about Auschwitz. It's difficult to write about it and put it into words, but I will do the best I can. Throughout school and such, me and Bailey had both shared an interest in learning about WWII. We knew going to the worlds biggest and most famous death camp would be difficult, but it was what brought us to Poland, and something we knew we wanted to experience. Let me tell you though that it is the most overwhelming, heartbreaking, unsettling and eye-opening experience. With the tour package we did, we got a guided tour of the Auschwitz Museum, which was full of all evidence and records and belongings of the lives lost during Nazi terror. We also were taken to the Auschwitz/Birkenau camp. Which is what people of the world have seen pictures, videos, etc of. The barracks and crematoriums are located here. It was so unbelievably sad walking the grounds knowing that exactly where your feet were stepping, millions of innocent others took there last. There are certain things we saw that can never be erased from our minds, and certain emotions we felt that can never be forgotten. You can truly feel all the lost souls. Walking out of the gates at the end of the day was filled with many mixed feelings. Confusion and sorrow for all those we never got to do it, but also so much thankfulness for the gift of life we're blessed with. Go hug your parents, tell someone you love them. Spread kindness everywhere you go and shut hatred down just as often. Love every single breath that enters your lungs, because this life is much to precious to take for granted.
Love,
M & B
Saying goodbye to Germany!
We won't share every detail of our last night in Berlin, but just get the picture that it was everything you hope for during your last night in one of the worlds most glorious cities. We didn't get back to our apartment till 7 am (which honestly is the norm there), and realized we had to be up at 8 am to clean our place and pack our bags. So that's super fun! Not. Bailey got about a 20 minute snooze in, while I went into zombie mode and did sinks full of dishes and cooked up all the food we had left in our apartment. Yep, we had pasta for breakfast and walked down the street eating bags of popcorn.
That's way in the past though, so fast forward and we're in Flensburg, Germany! Bailey did a three month exchange a few years ago here, and lived with the Broderson family. Our dear friend Janna, whom was her exchange partner, sadly wasn't home during our stay. But she's in Australia, so we'll let her go easy this time ;). Just jokes, we did miss her and would have loved to spend time together but at least we got to have a short but sweet Skype date!
Bailey mostly showed me around her little German hometown, which is SO cute! We spent some evenings with her friends from there, which was loads of fun! Our last night there, we decided to go to a movie. (We were actually just really cold and wanted to prolonge our freezing bike ride home). Anyways, we went to the film called Bachelorette or something, and yep, we went to it in German. No English subtitles either. It was fun though. We got to make up what we would like them to be saying, and we just laughed when everyone else in the theatre laughed. It worked out great!
We were very fortunate to stay with the Broderson's and they made us feel very welcome! They provided us with everything we needed and more! We miss them already!
Until next time,
M & B
Friday, October 26, 2012
Beloved Berlin.
Wow, what can we say about Berlin. It really can't be put into words. This is a place you truly have to experience. It might just be the coolest city in the world. At least so far for us. It is amazing, awesome, beautiful, strange, kickass, and just all things wonderful. We had booked a hostel for 3 nights and after about our first or second night, realized there was no way we could part from this city just quite yet. We got online and found a very cute, decently cheap apartment and booked it! No questions asked, we knew this was the place we needed to spend our time at. So, all in all we spent about two weeks in Berlin, and we could have spent a lifetime. There is SO much to do and to see, no time is enough time. We were lucky to have pretty beautiful weather, so everyday we ventured out and saw what we wanted to see, and did what we wanted to do.
A bit about our apartment! Because it was really really cute! It was located in a beautiful leafy square, in a really awesome neighborhood bustling with cafes, shops, bars, parks and everything else under the sun! We were on the top floor (which was sometimes really unfortunate), but it was a cool old building. We rented a studio apartment, so one big room for the bed, living space, etc. We had a little kitchen, which was SO nice to be able to buy all our own groceries and do so much cooking! Best part was laying in bed with coffee every morning, listening to the neighborhood wake up to a beautiful autumn day. We even had a tub and washing machine! It was heaven! Awesome bikes were provided for us, so we got lots of miles in with those babies! We miss our lovely abode already!
It will take a long time to explain every site we visited, and every single thing we saw, so we will just list everything in a crazed, lazy way. The following....
-Berliner Dom (the view from the top is beautiful!)
-Potsdamer Platz
-Brandenburg Gate
-Hackescher Markt
-Jewish Holocaust Memorial/Museum
-Ramones Museum
-Botanical Gardens
-Berlin Wall/Topography of Terror
-Checkpoint Charlie
-Gay Museum
-Tempelhofer Park
-East Side Gallery
-Tiergarten
-Unter den Linden
(there is probably more, but we really can't remember!)
Okay, nightlife in Berlin. That is on another level. This is the nightlife capital of the world for a reason. Clubs don't close till the sun rises, and some just simply pull down the blinds and keep the party rolling. It is insane and mind blowing and wonderful. We went to one of Berlin's most famous clubs, and one of the worlds highest rated techno clubs, Berghain/Panorama. This is just a place you need to be in, to understand. You forget about the time or day it is, any thoughts you had from the outside world, and feel almost as if this is what present day Andy Warhol factory life would be like. We spent other nights checking out other famous clubs and bars, and dancing all hours of the night, basking in the true Berlin, never wanting to leave.
Sadly, our time did come to an end. Our last night in Berlin was spent having the most fun probably possible, at a club called Cookies. Our day went slightly downhill though once on our way out of Berlin to get to the main train station a ticket checker busted our asses for not having a subway ticket. I mean, come on. We hadn't bought one single subway ticket yet, and on our LAST ride, on our LAST day...Seriously!? It was not fun handing her 40 Euros. Ugh. That was literally the only negative thing about our time in Berlin. It is full of breathtaking sights, beautiful people, and everyday comes accompanied with bliss.
We love you Berlin, xo.
M and B.
A bit about our apartment! Because it was really really cute! It was located in a beautiful leafy square, in a really awesome neighborhood bustling with cafes, shops, bars, parks and everything else under the sun! We were on the top floor (which was sometimes really unfortunate), but it was a cool old building. We rented a studio apartment, so one big room for the bed, living space, etc. We had a little kitchen, which was SO nice to be able to buy all our own groceries and do so much cooking! Best part was laying in bed with coffee every morning, listening to the neighborhood wake up to a beautiful autumn day. We even had a tub and washing machine! It was heaven! Awesome bikes were provided for us, so we got lots of miles in with those babies! We miss our lovely abode already!
It will take a long time to explain every site we visited, and every single thing we saw, so we will just list everything in a crazed, lazy way. The following....
-Berliner Dom (the view from the top is beautiful!)
-Potsdamer Platz
-Brandenburg Gate
-Hackescher Markt
-Jewish Holocaust Memorial/Museum
-Ramones Museum
-Botanical Gardens
-Berlin Wall/Topography of Terror
-Checkpoint Charlie
-Gay Museum
-Tempelhofer Park
-East Side Gallery
-Tiergarten
-Unter den Linden
(there is probably more, but we really can't remember!)
Okay, nightlife in Berlin. That is on another level. This is the nightlife capital of the world for a reason. Clubs don't close till the sun rises, and some just simply pull down the blinds and keep the party rolling. It is insane and mind blowing and wonderful. We went to one of Berlin's most famous clubs, and one of the worlds highest rated techno clubs, Berghain/Panorama. This is just a place you need to be in, to understand. You forget about the time or day it is, any thoughts you had from the outside world, and feel almost as if this is what present day Andy Warhol factory life would be like. We spent other nights checking out other famous clubs and bars, and dancing all hours of the night, basking in the true Berlin, never wanting to leave.
Sadly, our time did come to an end. Our last night in Berlin was spent having the most fun probably possible, at a club called Cookies. Our day went slightly downhill though once on our way out of Berlin to get to the main train station a ticket checker busted our asses for not having a subway ticket. I mean, come on. We hadn't bought one single subway ticket yet, and on our LAST ride, on our LAST day...Seriously!? It was not fun handing her 40 Euros. Ugh. That was literally the only negative thing about our time in Berlin. It is full of breathtaking sights, beautiful people, and everyday comes accompanied with bliss.
We love you Berlin, xo.
M and B.
Kiel, Germany
Kiel! The best thing about this place, is our dear friend Johanna! She was gracious enough to let us stay at her place for a nice amount of time and we were so grateful! She even picked us up from our hostel in Hamburg, and being in a car for the first time (other then taxi's, was really weird!) It was so nice of her though, and we can't thank her enough for the wonderful accommodation. All three of us snuggling in her bed together watching movies, made the coldest of nights warm and lovely. Having a 'home' was really nice, compared to always being in hostels. We haven't had any hostel horror stories (yet!), but being able to sleep in as long as you want and have breakfast set out for you in the morning really rules! We spent the days either just hanging out, or doing things around Kiel. One day we decided to go to Ikea, to well I don't know, go to Ikea I suppose! We were all feeling super cheap so we had some food there, and we had a LOT of it. We all had major food babies, and once we hit the bedroom part of Ikea, found Johanna snuggled up in a bed unable to move. We went out a few nights and had a blast dancing and meeting new friends!
We were in Kiel when it would have been Canadian Thanksgiving. They don't celebrate Turkey Day in Germany, so we made our own! We in no way could look at people's pictures of delicious food and be jealous, so we decided to prepare our very own feast! It was also our way to thank Johanna and her parents for letting us stay. We got our shopping bags and headed to the store! Thinkíng it would be really easy to find everything we needed, well think again. They didn't have squash. They didn't have canned pumpkin, and finding cream is almost impossible! We managed though, and ended up with a nice haul to be cooked up the next day. Sunday was spent in the kitchen, listening to good music, with good company, and good food. We made mashed potatoes, corn, peas, salad, garlic bread, sangria, cheesecake and we even made CHILCHA! (A delicious dish our Grandma prepares, that we were SO stoked to accomplish). We had the classic Thanksgiving food coma's, so we would say it was a success!
M and B.
We were in Kiel when it would have been Canadian Thanksgiving. They don't celebrate Turkey Day in Germany, so we made our own! We in no way could look at people's pictures of delicious food and be jealous, so we decided to prepare our very own feast! It was also our way to thank Johanna and her parents for letting us stay. We got our shopping bags and headed to the store! Thinkíng it would be really easy to find everything we needed, well think again. They didn't have squash. They didn't have canned pumpkin, and finding cream is almost impossible! We managed though, and ended up with a nice haul to be cooked up the next day. Sunday was spent in the kitchen, listening to good music, with good company, and good food. We made mashed potatoes, corn, peas, salad, garlic bread, sangria, cheesecake and we even made CHILCHA! (A delicious dish our Grandma prepares, that we were SO stoked to accomplish). We had the classic Thanksgiving food coma's, so we would say it was a success!
M and B.
Frankfurt, Cologne & Hamburg
After enough German beer and pretzals to last us nearly a lifetime, we departed Munich and set off for Frankfurt, Germany. We were really excited to go to Frankfurt, as we had heard a lot of great things about it. A bit of a bump in the road, being terribly sick, got in the way though. We both were feeling a bit groggy after Oktoberfest, but were assuming that was just our bodies way of giving us heck for having too much fun. Nope, not the case. We were S-I-C-K. Ill enough to go out and buy real medicine, with real money! (Sorry Moms, but we're travelers and are kind of poor). So, Frankfurt was a bust. We spent the entire time in our hostel room. Oh wait, that isn't true! We ventured out down the street to find some Haagen Daaz. Ice cream fixes everything.
We departed Frankfurt and headed to Cologne, Germany. We were still semi sick, so doing things and getting places took an extra long time. That being said, we didn't really do much there. It is a really beautiful city and we walked around for a day and saw some sights, including the famous bridge with locks that lovers put on to symbolize their love, blah blah blah! :) Seeing the sunset go down and turn the sky all kinds of pink and purple was a beautiful site indeed to end our time there!
Then, to Hamburg, Germany! (I don't know why I keep mentioning all these places are in Germany, I think you all know that...) Anyways, Hamburg. Cool city indeed. We have to mention something weird. At the Hauptbahnhof (main train station), there is the best mashed potatoes/squash/sour cream/corn combination thinger, that is SO good. It comes in a little take out box and seriously, all kinds of wonderful! Anyways, our hostel was super close to the train station, so we were pretty central which was nice. Our first day there we walked around the city seeing main sites, went to a sushi place and picked the most random ones that looked the most yummy, then grabbed some coffee's and found a beautiful little park to sit and chat in. Our last night there we met up with my friend Nils and had a lovely evening full of wine, leftover spagetti and lots of laughs. So nice to catch up with old friends! After a good nights sleep, we were up bright and early ready to get moving on to Kiel!
Xo,
M and B.
We departed Frankfurt and headed to Cologne, Germany. We were still semi sick, so doing things and getting places took an extra long time. That being said, we didn't really do much there. It is a really beautiful city and we walked around for a day and saw some sights, including the famous bridge with locks that lovers put on to symbolize their love, blah blah blah! :) Seeing the sunset go down and turn the sky all kinds of pink and purple was a beautiful site indeed to end our time there!
Then, to Hamburg, Germany! (I don't know why I keep mentioning all these places are in Germany, I think you all know that...) Anyways, Hamburg. Cool city indeed. We have to mention something weird. At the Hauptbahnhof (main train station), there is the best mashed potatoes/squash/sour cream/corn combination thinger, that is SO good. It comes in a little take out box and seriously, all kinds of wonderful! Anyways, our hostel was super close to the train station, so we were pretty central which was nice. Our first day there we walked around the city seeing main sites, went to a sushi place and picked the most random ones that looked the most yummy, then grabbed some coffee's and found a beautiful little park to sit and chat in. Our last night there we met up with my friend Nils and had a lovely evening full of wine, leftover spagetti and lots of laughs. So nice to catch up with old friends! After a good nights sleep, we were up bright and early ready to get moving on to Kiel!
Xo,
M and B.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Oktoberfest!
Oktoberfest summed up in one word: FUN! This is a huge festival celebrated every year in Munich, Germany. It's complete with lots of beer, traditional German costumes and sausage and pretzals as far as the eye can see! We spent three days basking in all the craziness, and when it was time to go we were very sad indeed! Let's start at the beginning though!
We stayed at a hostel that was about a half hour train ride to get to Munich city centre. We made it from Munich airport to the cute little town our hostel was situated in, but once there, SO LOST. Some may wonder how exactly this could be so difficult. Let us tell you! First off, we had just gotten off a flight so we were quite tired and hungry. Secondly, we had the luxury of everyone speaking English up until now, soo that was daunting when we realized that was over with. We asked more people than we can count how to get to our hostel, and most if not all, spoke zero English. After wandering around for about an hour we gave up, layed in the grass and contemplated making that our bed for the night. But no, we did finally find it. Tucked DEEP in the woods, away from all civilization, was the hostel! We were delighted!
Up early the next morning, ready to hit the town, we put our best beer drinking pants on and headed to the tents! There are many to choose from, each serving their own delicious brews, and each tent complete with music, food, and fun to be had by all!
We spent the next days doing the same thing over again, making new friends and cheering our glasses! It was such an awesome experience that we're so happy we got to partake in. It really is true that it's nearly impossible not to have a blast and a half!
Cheers!
M & B
We stayed at a hostel that was about a half hour train ride to get to Munich city centre. We made it from Munich airport to the cute little town our hostel was situated in, but once there, SO LOST. Some may wonder how exactly this could be so difficult. Let us tell you! First off, we had just gotten off a flight so we were quite tired and hungry. Secondly, we had the luxury of everyone speaking English up until now, soo that was daunting when we realized that was over with. We asked more people than we can count how to get to our hostel, and most if not all, spoke zero English. After wandering around for about an hour we gave up, layed in the grass and contemplated making that our bed for the night. But no, we did finally find it. Tucked DEEP in the woods, away from all civilization, was the hostel! We were delighted!
Up early the next morning, ready to hit the town, we put our best beer drinking pants on and headed to the tents! There are many to choose from, each serving their own delicious brews, and each tent complete with music, food, and fun to be had by all!
We spent the next days doing the same thing over again, making new friends and cheering our glasses! It was such an awesome experience that we're so happy we got to partake in. It really is true that it's nearly impossible not to have a blast and a half!
Cheers!
M & B
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Ireland!
Oh dear, sweet Ireland. So many great things to say about this place. We flew into Dublin and had the hugest grins on our faces. We really, really recommend people who love beautiful things, to go to this country! We also recommend the hostel called The Generator. Actually, hotel is more like it! We were shocked at how huge and modern it was, complete with a bar, food and best of all, mirrors and plug-in's actually in our room! Yay! We were especially excited to meet up with our new friend Bri, whom we had met in Liverpool. She's simply fantastic. Us girls had a few drinks at the hostel bar, then hit the town. We went down to Temple Bar area and hit up a few places along the bustling Dublin streets that come to life when the sun goes down.
The next day, we found ourselves at The Guinness Storehouse! It was a very neat tour, learning every step of the process that goes into perfecting a Guinness. The view from the top, as well as a free pint was the perfect cherry on top of it all!
We knew that if we were to be in Ireland, there was no way we weren't going to take in some Irish countryside. One girl we met recommended a tour that she did, and loved, so we booked a 2 day tour of the best of Ireland! We were up early and ready to hit the road, so into the tour bus we climbed. This was the true Ireland people dream about. Driving down skinny roads lined with grazing sheep and rolling hills, with the sea in the distance. Truly so beautiful! Very fortunate for us, we had nothing but beautiful weather. Locals said it was some of the most gorgeous September weather they have had in years! We are all about soaking up any vitamin D we can get, but not really when on a bus full of people and no A/C. Molly experienced a weird heat flash on the bus and had to fan herself with our Guinness Factory flyer for about an hour. Her words to Bailey at one point were "If this is what menopause feels like, no freaking thank you!" Yea, not fun. The roads in Ireland are incredibly winding and we ended up somewhat hating life for a solid hour because of being extremely car sick. Not fun! We luckily made a few pitstops to grab a bite to eat, check out the scenery, and see some castles and abbeys. We ended up getting to our destination Galway, around supper time. (Listen to Steve Earle's song, and you'll get a hint of our incredulous joy). Bailey helped convince our new 60 year old friend Lin to come out on the Galway Pub Crawl with us, with about 50 people. It was a grand time. We sadly left the next morning, and headed to our new destination Cliffs of Moher. We got nicely acquainted with the Irish Sea, and it is like a breath of fresh air! So peaceful and breathtaking. The Cliffs are a MUST see if you're ever in that neck of the woods. Huge, kind of scary, but downright awesome.
We're super in love with Ireland and will probably buy a farm there to raise sheep. Who's in?
M & B
The next day, we found ourselves at The Guinness Storehouse! It was a very neat tour, learning every step of the process that goes into perfecting a Guinness. The view from the top, as well as a free pint was the perfect cherry on top of it all!
We knew that if we were to be in Ireland, there was no way we weren't going to take in some Irish countryside. One girl we met recommended a tour that she did, and loved, so we booked a 2 day tour of the best of Ireland! We were up early and ready to hit the road, so into the tour bus we climbed. This was the true Ireland people dream about. Driving down skinny roads lined with grazing sheep and rolling hills, with the sea in the distance. Truly so beautiful! Very fortunate for us, we had nothing but beautiful weather. Locals said it was some of the most gorgeous September weather they have had in years! We are all about soaking up any vitamin D we can get, but not really when on a bus full of people and no A/C. Molly experienced a weird heat flash on the bus and had to fan herself with our Guinness Factory flyer for about an hour. Her words to Bailey at one point were "If this is what menopause feels like, no freaking thank you!" Yea, not fun. The roads in Ireland are incredibly winding and we ended up somewhat hating life for a solid hour because of being extremely car sick. Not fun! We luckily made a few pitstops to grab a bite to eat, check out the scenery, and see some castles and abbeys. We ended up getting to our destination Galway, around supper time. (Listen to Steve Earle's song, and you'll get a hint of our incredulous joy). Bailey helped convince our new 60 year old friend Lin to come out on the Galway Pub Crawl with us, with about 50 people. It was a grand time. We sadly left the next morning, and headed to our new destination Cliffs of Moher. We got nicely acquainted with the Irish Sea, and it is like a breath of fresh air! So peaceful and breathtaking. The Cliffs are a MUST see if you're ever in that neck of the woods. Huge, kind of scary, but downright awesome.
We're super in love with Ireland and will probably buy a farm there to raise sheep. Who's in?
M & B
Edinburgh
Scotland! What a beautiful place. Among all the green, rolling hills stand so many castles. Very cool place indeed! You can just feel the freshness and purity of the land and the air surrounding you. Edinburgh is an awesome city. Right in the heart of Scotland, it's got lots to offer. Including men in kilts and cable-knit sweaters everywhere you look.
We spent most of our days here checking out the areas our hostels were located in, and just admiring the architecture and the scenery. We met an Australian girl and a French girl from our hostel, who were both super lovely! Us four decided to trek our way up a giant hill to get the full view of the city and surrounding landscape. It was quite tiring, but because of our crazed addiction to pad Thai, we just kept accepting the burn! It was a clear day, allowing us to see for miles and miles.
Our last night in Edinburgh led us to a place called "Sneaky Pete's" which was something we probably wouldn't exactly recommend to anyone, but it was fun! And we ended up each eating a whole pizza later on, which was even funner. (And regrettable the next morning).
Now, anyone reading this.. Unless your traveling somewhere and don't have access to one, we want you all to go and hug the crap out of your washing machine and dryer. We will never take clean laundry for granted again, ever! Most European hostels have washing machines, but very few have dryers. Yea, we could hang our clothes to dry but that's just really annoying when you have no hangers, or much space for that matter. So! We gathered all our very best smelling articles of clothing and headed to the nearest laundromat. It was a beautiful feeling walking home with bags full of freshness. We rewarded ourselves with Pad Thai... :)
Be thankful for your irons too! We have to use our straighteners!
M & B
We spent most of our days here checking out the areas our hostels were located in, and just admiring the architecture and the scenery. We met an Australian girl and a French girl from our hostel, who were both super lovely! Us four decided to trek our way up a giant hill to get the full view of the city and surrounding landscape. It was quite tiring, but because of our crazed addiction to pad Thai, we just kept accepting the burn! It was a clear day, allowing us to see for miles and miles.
Our last night in Edinburgh led us to a place called "Sneaky Pete's" which was something we probably wouldn't exactly recommend to anyone, but it was fun! And we ended up each eating a whole pizza later on, which was even funner. (And regrettable the next morning).
Now, anyone reading this.. Unless your traveling somewhere and don't have access to one, we want you all to go and hug the crap out of your washing machine and dryer. We will never take clean laundry for granted again, ever! Most European hostels have washing machines, but very few have dryers. Yea, we could hang our clothes to dry but that's just really annoying when you have no hangers, or much space for that matter. So! We gathered all our very best smelling articles of clothing and headed to the nearest laundromat. It was a beautiful feeling walking home with bags full of freshness. We rewarded ourselves with Pad Thai... :)
Be thankful for your irons too! We have to use our straighteners!
M & B
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