Home sweet home!

So after 23 days of traveling, 8 countries, 10 cities, and 6 languages... I finally made it back to the states. My last day in London didn't involve too much sightseeing despite my later flight. I spent some time enjoying a cappuccino (which I'm now addicted to... thanks, Europe) while journaling in a cute cafe. Then ate my lunch in Picadilly Circus. I had flashbacks to my first day in London nearly a month ago when a swarm of pigeons came flying to me from all directions because the man sitting next to me thought it would be a good idea to start feeding them part of his sandwich. Bad idea. After awhile of people watching, it was time to get over to Heathrow. On the tube, An old man sat next to me, looked at my bag, and says, "Looks like you got your whole life with you!" I felt like quite the bag lady and was definitely ready to not have to live out of my backpack. The airport was ridiculously hot and filled with tons of people, of course. I found the last of my pounds and had enough to buy a cadbury carmel bar... it was delicious, even though it literally started melting when I ate it -- thats how warm the airport was! At last I boarded the plane and we began our 7 hour trip to Boston. I sat with this really nice couple who (small world) were from Beverly.. which for those of you who don't know is the town I went to college. We talked about the atomic cafe and the lady taught me some knitting tricks... she made a sock during our trip! I was very impressed. My legs started getting restless around hour 5 and I wanted off the plane! The time passed and when we finally were hovering over New England, the pilot came on to inform us there was bad weather south of Boston which meant we were going to be delayed at least 15 minutes. Of course! When we finally landed, we ended up having to wait another 15 minutes because all the customs gates were unavailable. Didn't they know I simply wanted to be home? At last I made it through customs  without having my bags checked and reunited with my family.

Now that I have been home for a few days and the events of the last month have begun to sink in, I feel I'm still in a bit of a surreal state. One of those, "Wait, did that REALLY just happen?" feelings. There were so many moments I honestly never thought I'd make it home and others when I genuinely didn't want to come back to the states. Overall, though, I'm so glad I had this opportunity to experience so many different cultures, meet and spend some time with awesome people, and explore some amazing sights.

Nothing like ending a trip in a city erupting in riots.

My ferry ride to London quickly created growing concern over going into London as the BBC showed images of escalating violence spreading across London. I spent much of my journey with my eyes glued to the television with fear about the unpredictable nature of the youths who have taken over the streets in so many parts of London. To be honest, i was more than scared and really felt uncomfortable going to my hotel in Maryleborne, between Camden and Ealing where violence was present. I didn't know what to do but had few options so i prepared myself to become hyper-alert and ready to run at any point. On a more positive note, I'm so glad i took the ferry! It was a beautiful and smooth journey. The ferry was really like a cruise ship and I wasn't exactly expecting that. When i booked the ferry I thought it would be more like the ferries to Marthas Vineyard and didn't expect much. After the nearly 6 hour trip to Harwich, I got off the boat, went through customs, and got on the train to London. Luckily, my hotel was only about 1/4 mile from the tube station and i made it there safely with no problems. When I finally got to the hotel room, i immediately turned on the BBC to see what had happened since i last watched. More violence had spread with fires erupting and shameless looting occurring everywhere. The images were disgusting and frustrating. These youngsters acting like animals with no concern for their community or each other. As an activist for peace and nonviolence, it's hard to understand how an originally peaceful protest to the death of a young man could turn into such horrible and disgusting disorder. And being here in london, i learned in the morning that i wasn't the only person in the city who felt the same. After i finally fell asleep to the sounds of sirens echoing throughout the neighborhood, i woke early in the morning, watched more of the news, and decided to walk around a little bit before my personal curfew of 4:00 p.m. I went to breakfast and the radio dj's spoke of the "idiots" who were running the streets looting and setting things on fire. As I walked down the streets, I overheard several conversations about the disgust of what has been going on, the confusion over why this was even happening, and again those "idiots" needing to stop. The police presence was definitely visible in several areas I walked through which provided some comfort, but not that much. I managed to do some touristy things and didn't come across any issues. I definitely freaked myself out when i saw a big crowd of people a little ways down the road... Then i realized it was a line to get into Madame Toussaud's and my heart stopped pounding so much. I made my way to a kind of nerdy stop: 221b Baker Street, aka Sherlock Holmes! I feel like it was a walk down memory lane because i remember reading Sherlock Holmes with my mom when I was younger.  It was really cool, but it was even more awesome because there was a beetles store RIGHT next door! After i checked that out, i went to Trafalgar Square so i could spend some time at the National Portrait Gallery. The Square was so beautiful and you could see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey down the road. I really enjoyed the portrait gallery, especially because admission was free, but the art ranged from the Victorian period to current, even some Andy Warhol. They had an exhibition called the BP Portrait Awards and there were definitely some interesting paintings, but some of the oils and acrylics of peoples faces looked more like a photograph. The detail just "brilliant" as the British would say. The most interesting was a self portrait sculpture (I guess you would call it) that actually was made partially from the artists own blood. It was in a refrigerated case -- definitely weird. After the museum i walked down to the river, checked out the London Eye, Westminster  Abbey, Big Ben, St James Park, Buckingham Palace, Green Park, and Piccadilly Circus. I decided to grab lunch at the Dover Castle, a pub my friend Michele worked at when she spent some time in London. I had a nice pint of  nut brown ale and fish and chips. More talk about the riots could be overheard in conversations throughout the pub. It was near time to head back to my hotel so i stopped by the grocery store then headed to my room. Aside from being a little panicked about walking into a riot, i had a really good day walking around and seeing some of the sights. Now, I'll have a well deserved night off and relax in my hotel room. After 3 weeks of traveling, I think i need this. Tomorrow is the big day where i finally board the plane to go home. There's been plenty of ups and downs right to the bitter end (thank you, London youths for helping me end my trip with a bang), but its been an amazing experience. 

Holland!

After a good nights sleep, we took our morning shower, ate breakfast, grabbed cappuccinos at the campground center, and decided to go exploring Wageningen by bike. We packed a picnic lunch and headed out. The sky was clear at the moment and it was perfect biking weather. We headed towards the woods and followed the bike trail in. Fun fact about Holland (and reason 623 why I need to move there) is that the entire country is connected by bike trails. Meaning, you could go ANYWHERE by bike! And for the most part, it's a fairly flat ride. Um, amazing? I think so! Anyway, so we had a pleasant ride with LOTS of stops, because nature is really distracting! One stop was this rather large, and toxic, mushroom on the side of the road. It was nearly as big as my face and pretty cool. But not as cool as the next mushroom we found. Once we got onto the train in the woods, it began to rain (again... Apparently it rains more in holland than Seattle) but it was worth finding the edible cauliflower mushroom! It was seriously cool and we took it with us for dinner after we got a positive identification. We kept riding along and the sky cleared up a bit. We came across a field of wildflowers along a corn field that had sugar snap peas nestled amongst the sunflowers! We picked a whole bunch for dinner and our trip was quickly turning into the best bike ride ever! Dark skies were looming so we decided to stop at this pancake house we passed right when we got out of the woods... Because in holland it's also normal to have rather random placement of stores, restaurants, art galleries, you name it. We previously passed a lumbar shop into the middle of this really woody area in this rather remote area. Anyways, the pancakes! Since it started pouring when we sat on a bench outside to eat the lunch we backed, that's when we decided to just get pancakes instead. So firstly, let me attempt to describe the pancake house. Imagine this typical dutch house, situated in the woods with lots of really random knic-knacks all over the walls and hanging from the ceiling, then fill it with lots of families, conversation, and laughter... Then you'll have a slight idea of this place. It was so wonderful! Arno and Blair insisted i tried chocomel... Which is ten times better than chocolate milk or a frappe, so tasty! Then we got these mini pancakes (I forget the name) which were phenomenal and Blair and i shared a tomato, oregano, onion, mushroom, and i think something else pancake... I can't even describe it in words! The Dutch pancakes aren't what we think of in the states where it's fluffy and you drown it in maple syrup. These pancakes are more crepe-like but thicker and just damn good. I tried a bite of Arno's apple and raisin pancakes which was also on the same level of delightfulness. After we were more than full, and the rain finally stopped, we continued on our bike ride. From there we found this very weird trailer park (the Dutch version... Which is pretty fancy and definitely not the trailer parks we think of in the states) and Blair and i were rather intrigued by the window displays. Another fun fact about the Dutch, they want people to look into their windows and actually decorate them so people walking by can admire. I mean sure, why not! We passed more mushrooms including one called a fairies bench that if you knock on it, it's like knocking on a wooden door! We came across more fields of flowers, corn, and farm animals; a weird field that looked as if a UFO may have landed; and a really cool Zimbabwe art gallery. This gallery was also situated in the middle of the woods and had tons of rock carved sculptures. You could even take a class if you wanted, which i thought was pretty cool and wish i could take. Maybe one day. Then, Arno showed us this really cool remains of an abandoned industrial complex. It was a little creepy, but still really cool to walk around... Because there's no trespassing laws like in the states so we didn't get arrested! I guess a lot of these old industrial parks are being torn down and turned into green spaces so it can go back to a more natural landscape. HOW COOL!? All we do in America is take AWAY all the trees and last remnants of green to build houses and buildings that just sit there unoccupied for years! We have a lot of catching up and learning to do... Oh and! Fun Eco fact, they use glass bottle for most things (soda, juice, water) so they can be reused. You can actually see the markings from the machine they go through that cleans and disinfects the bottles for reuse. I swear, this place is just perfect! Okay, so our last stop was at this pick-your-own fruit and flower garden (do you understand why i love this place?!) where we just strolled around and snuck some blueberries which weren't quite ripe but still good! But when we made our way home, we got distracted again and made a detour to this community garden some folks told arno about when we were admiring the cauliflower mushroom in the woods earlier. Arno and blair are on the hunt for a community garden to join and this one is perfectly located right behind this house. The best part, besides the awesome apple tree and lots of vegetables, was the blackberry patch on the other side! There were so many and they were so delicious! We got our fill and headed back (seriously this time) to the house. When we got back, we did some kitchen work and put together part of the countertop. Then, we cooked our "harvest from the wild" dinner and the mushroom was so good! It tasted like buttery pasta -- wicked good! And the snap peas were also delicious! By that time the rain started coming down like a monsoon again so we watched some more Dexter before going to bed. In the morning, we woke to more pouring rain which posed an obstacle for our bike commute to the train station. After breakfast and watery cappuccino (it wasn't as good compared to the day before), the rain didn't appear to be letting up so i wrapped up my bags in plastic and arno and I took on the rain! The ride wasn't too terrible even with the rain, probably because it's so gorgeous even when it's raining. We got to the train station soaking wet but made our trains. When we go to the next station, Arno and i said our goodbyes as he headed to Leiden and i to Hoek van Holland to catch my ferry to England. I must say, the train station was beautiful and so clean! I made all my connections with no problem and made it to the ferry to say goodbye to Holland. I wish i could've explored the Hoek van Holland because the view i got from the boat reminded me of cape cod. The beach went on for what seemed like miles as we departed and i couldn't believe the beauty of it. With a smile on my face and on the last leg of my journey, i now am making my way back to London where i will fly out on Wednesday evening to head back home to Boston. I can't believe the trip is over and that I made it all this way. Its been an incredible journey and one I'm glad i pushed through the bad times to get to the good. Will write more when i get to London. Send over your good karma and peaceful thoughts as i enter a city currently filled with violence and unrest. Until next time, enjoy! 

Bike lovers paradise, aka the Netherlands!

My train ride to the Netherlands to visit with Arno and Blaire (friends i met in moscow -- as in Idaho. Arno and i met on a little skiing trip with some mutual friends, he's originally from holland and his wife Blaire was studying at the University of Idaho) started off quite uneventful, and then quickly turned for what was an interesting ride. I had a few connections to make and only minutes to make them. When i arrived over the border into Venlo, i sprinted to catch my next train in 4 minutes... And of course the platform was a few away. Somewhere i caught it and the person i sat next to was a little, well, a pyro? He was a little younger with some hip haircut and was burning some plastic part of his shoe which i assumed was causing some sort of discomfort. It was weird and i just tried not to stare with a confused look on my face. When we got to boxmeer (not my connecting point) someone came on the speaker and started speaking Dutch about something. I saw some confused looks on the passengers faces and then pyro boy asked me in German something. I just said, uh i don't know. Luckily, the guy next to me knew how to respond and also helped translate for me in English that apparently a train ahead of us hit a car which was causing a delay and everyone had to get off the train at the next station. That's good to know information i thought! They said there would be a bus that would take us to the station after where we could catch our train. I decided to make friends with this guy (Nick, I later learned) so i wouldn't be stranded in this quite small, countryside town that seemed rather uninhabited. We ended up waiting a long time for the bus, and when it finally came the driver said the accident was cleared and we could either take the train that might come or the bus. If we chose the train and it didn't come, we'd be stranded because his shift was over and apparently there were no more buses. Nick and i decided to trust the train and luckily, we made it. Although, we initially were on the wrong platform but thankfully there were only 2. I then made it Wageningan station where i reunited with Arno! We had a lovely bike ride back to their new place which is in this really awesome campground/not-your-typical-American-trailer-park and settled in. Biking proved to be a little challenging with my hiking bag and getting used to the backwards peddling, but i managed to survive without falling over. Impressive i think. Wageningan is in the countryside and is so incredibly beautiful. Community gardens, bikes, fresh air, farm animals, and adorable houses are everywhere and I instantly fell in love. It's a place i could absolutely see myself finding any excuse to get a job at and live -- it's THAT amazing and so KFo. After some talking, we biked into the town center and passed by lots more fields and even a really big patch of black raspberries along the road that you can just pick, which we did, and they were SO good! (reason #153 why i could live there) we tried going for Dutch pancakes but the place was closed (apparently everything closes at 6 -- very Pomeroy-like) so instead went to this rather fancier restaurant at a hotel where Arno is holding a conference at. The food was incredible and i started to realize just how local, fresh, organic, and  health conscious the Dutch are. The whole town smells like the Moscow Co-op, which is like a mini Whole Foods. Do you see why i like it here? We had a beautiful night and sunset. On Saturday, Blaire and i headed to Amsterdam for the day to go to the Noordesmarket (basically a Saturday farmers market) and explore the city. It was incredibly busy with so many people and bikes everywhere! I mean, they have bike parking garages that are about 4 stories. It's incredible. We brought our bikes and i got to experience Amsterdam on bike which was kind of crazy. Actually, it was down right ridiculous. It was so overstimulated especially when we realized that the city was extra crowded because it was gay pride. Boy are the dutch proud! I learned its the gay capital of the world and is so accepted and apart of normal life. There's no stigma and people can be free to be themselves. We ended up watching some of the parade, which was on boats in the canal, and the energy was just so contagious. It was really a lot of fun despite being really overwhelming. The market had the best fruit and veggies I've ever seen and i had some really awesome fresh apple/pear juice and blaire and I split this to die for raw lemon square. Mouth watering. We stopped in a lot of cute shops, smelt a lot of pot coming out of the coffee shops, wandered around the red light district (but there were none on), and met a nice couple at a cafe. when the sky starting turning really dark and the wind picked up, oh and we were just so overwhelmed and wanted to get back to the countryside, we headed home. The ride went by really quickly and we biked our way back to the house. Along the way we stopped to adore some miniature horses and when we got back arno had supper ready for us. We had a nice relaxing night of watching Dexter. It poured rain SO much! I mean, monsoon! We ended up going for a little walk in the rain which was pretty refreshing. So far, I'm in love with Holland. Everything about it is just wonderful and perfect... Maybe one day! Until my next (and last) stop, will write again soon.

Dusseldorf, Germany

I arrived to Germany and finally saw a familiar face. Kathy (she was a foreign exchange student when I was in high school. We did track together) greeted me when i got off the train and i felt so relieved. She currently attends university to become a doctor and she helps other foreign students who are in this program adjust during a short summer program (in a nutshell). Anyway, with her was Giovanni, who is from Milano and very italian! He's a very nice guy and wants to be a neurosurgeon. He had just arrived to dusseldorf the day before me, so Kathy had been spending the day helping him do errands and adjust. We dropped him off at the dormitory and then made way for home, which is in Wuppental about 15 minutes off the Autobahn (!) from dusseldorf. When we arrived at kathy's apartment, which her and her boyfriend Cristian just moved into a few weeks ago, he had made a wonderful traditional German meal, vegetarian style! It was potato pancakes with homemade apple sauce and some delicious mushrooms in a sort of cream sauce... And it paired perfected with a wonderful German beer! We caught up and before long it was far past bedtime. We made plans for the next day then headed for bed. In the morning, the weather looked like it could either way, and eventually it did start to drizzle. Of course. Regardless, we headed towards this castle, which name is literally translated as "castle castle." I got to experience the true Autobahn that has no speed limit. We pushed about 180 km/h which translated to wicked fast, but it didn't last too long since it's only for part of the road and then they actually have a speed limit... Which is still quite fast. The drive to the castle was so beautiful! It reminded me a lot of western Washington because it was very green, forested, and mossy... Oh and by this point it was raining a bit. It felt so good to finally be around people and not traveling alone. It was especially good because Kathy and Christian were able to give me what felt like a private tour of the history of the area and the castle. The castle was from the medieval era and very, very cool. I'm almost sure this was the first castle I had ever been to and it was definitely an awesome experience. Apparently there are people who actually still live there and there were a lot of neat restaurants and shops inside. We walked around for a bit and inside they had a lot of artifacts from the site. In many of the rooms on the first level, the walls had these amazing paintings which, in one room for example, told the history of the family who built the castle. The room before that had paintings of all the lords and kings who presided over the castle. These paintings were done in the 19th century and were in immaculate condition... I mean, it was literally painting on the wall! Very cool! After awhile of walking, we worked up an appetite and so we stopped into this restaurant on the castle grounds so i could experience some waffles. It was probably the best waffle i have ever ate. I ordered it with warm cherries, whipped cream, and sugar (a traditional way I'm told) and i could've licked the plate! Yum! After we stuffed ourselves, we walked outside to take in the beautiful view of the mountains and came across this really cool tree that you could actually live in! The trunk almost makes a bowl the way the branches come up and they had what looked like the frame for a tent inside. I could definitely live there! My own treehouse near a castle with a beautiful view and incredible waffles?! Sold! Anyways, from there went to another medieval town called Zoms. It's literally a town that is surrounded by one of those walls you see surrounding a castle! It was so cool, and yes, another place i could definitely live! The area around the town was very rural and peaceful... And definitely brought me a lot of comfort! I'm so used to the quiet and not the bustling cities that this break in Germany has been very enjoyable! It was just so quiet, the air fresh, and the colors just very natural. It could not have made me feel more at ease. We walked around the town for quite a bit, checking out the herb gardens, windmill, castle wall, goats, and also found a really cute shop with lots of tea and very good hard candy! We also came across a bakery and bought 3 different types of streusel for breakfast the next day! When we 
left, we went back to dusseldorf to pick up Giovanni to check out another castle and grab dinner. The castle we went to was actually more like a mansion and was pink. Seriously! The grounds, however, were beautiful and there was this long pond thats similar to the one in Washington DC. There were some beautiful swans wading in the water and a bunch of geese on the grass. I got to climb a tree too! When we asked someone to take a photo for us, it was quite funny. We apparently asked the absolute best person because he was actually a professional photographer and even had the little things to help with lighting! We were all starved, so we ended up heading for dinner. We went to this really great German restaurant, had some delicious food (not so much traditional as, like Prague, it's all meat!), and very good beer! When I went to the restroom (aka WC as in water closet) I had to come back to the table to ask Kathy if i go in the one with a D or H... It's a good thing i wasnt by myself! I probably would have walked in the mens room (the H door). Stuffed (again), we headed for the airport to pick up another student Kathy was helping from turkey. As I thought about it, i realized that a week from today I will be heading to the airport to head back from boston and conclude my quite epic European adventure! I cant believe it's near the end and i finally feel like I'm in a good place emotionally to enjoy and finish my trip! It's taken long enough. I feel like the more i think about the places I have gone, I start to remember more and more about all the really amazing things I have seen in my travels. Anyways, while we waited for Kathy to help the new student settle in, Giovanni, Christian, and i went to a bar around the corner for a drink. Its funny because at the places we went to the small beer comes in this really adorable 0.2L glass. I guess it helps the beer taste better than having it in a really enormous 0.5L mug like the one i had in Vienna. but what i really want to tell you about is the bar we went to called Lott Jonn. It was so... I actually don't think i have a word to describe it, so let me just tell you about the decorations. There was a shark hanging from the ceiling, this HUGE wizard like statue (I mean HUUUGGGEEEE!!), Lara Croft (from tomb raider) was just hanging out on the bar in the smoking section, then (I saved the best for last) a skeleton riding a horse with a cigar in it's mouth, a cowboy hat, sunglasses, and silver high heels! I couldn't help but laugh every time I looked at or thought about it. When Kathy finished, she met up with us and we headed for home and bed. We were all pretty beat from the long day and tons of food we ate. 

The next day, our breakfast was extremely sweet and filling! We ate the streusels we bought the previous day and talk about sugar overload! All 3 flavors were delicious in their our sweet way, but my favorite was the apple. Since Kathy had to work, Christian and I spent the day exploring. Our first stop was to Essen to visit the Krupp mansion. Instead of taking the Autobahn, Christian took me through the countryside which was so beautiful and very much like home -- except more green and houses. We passed through some very old towns and saw some traditional German houses. Believe it or not, in some parts of Germany they do have enforced speed limits and poor Christian got caught! It was weird because you can pay for your ticket right there when they stop you. He also told me that sometimes they take a picture of you and your license plate if you're speeding and send you a ticket, but if you have a passenger in the car, they block them out. Why you ask? Because apparently some wives were questioning their husbands if it was really just a colleague they were driving with. That's pretty bad! Anyways, we got to the mansion the grounds were so beautiful... As well as the house. The rooms were huge and they had a lot of photos of the family. The Krupp family was very famous in the steel industry and seriously rich. After we walked around for a bit, we headed back home to drop off the car, change because it was actually feeling like summer outside, and head into Dusseldorf. While we walked to the train station, we decided to grab lunch. We passed by this marketplace and decided to get some fried fish. Growing up with fish and chips on Fridays, i have had my fair share of fried fish, however, this was amazing! It was so crunchy and the fish very tasty. Feeling like we could never eat again, we headed to the train and arrived in dusseldorf. We met Tusqa, the Turkish medical student we picked up at the airport, and christian showed us the waterfront. Here there were a lot of rather interesting buildings including one with these colorful frog like creatures crawling up the side. Kind of strange, but in a cool sort of way. On our walk we stopped into this art gallery that had some very, um, interesting artwork. There were photomontages of all kind of random sights in odd places and mirror that had frames that had all sort of knick-knacks glued onto it. There were canvas with barbies and legos... Just really different. Moving on, we stopped into a bar to grab a common dusseldorf beer. Not being much of a dark beer drinker previously, Germany has certainly turned me on to them. It was wonderful! We headed towards the area where we would be meeting for dinner and walked down this super fancy shopping district street. All those high-end stores... Too classy for me! We met up with Kathy and went on a hunt for German chocolates. We found some and Kathy also bought fruit and raspberry bark. The raspberry bark was seriously the best bark I've ever tasted! I mean, i couldn't even think about anything else but what i was eating, it was so delicious. We then met up with Giovanni and headed to dinner at a brewery in dusseldorf. It was quite the experience. There were really no appetizing vegetarian options so i had to suck it up and "do the cultural experience" thing. I tried this traditional dish translated as "liver cheese" -- they assured me it was not actually liver. It was quite a hefty portion with potatoes (obviously) onions, and an egg. I'm sure its insulting, but it tasted like a hot dog... Which I'm still not sure how i feel about it. And between our meals and a few beers, we were all in food comas. We made our way towards Lott Jonn, the bar we went to the night before, so all the exchange students could meet each other. It was a fun night and i brought back my table soccer skills and played a game with Giovanni and 2 of the Turkish students, we won. By the time we left, it was raining. We had a little bit of a walk to kathy's car and it was getting to be quite chilly. It's so hard to believe its summer because vie hd anything but summer weather. 

My last day in Germany, we spent the morning at the japanese garden. The grounds were quite beautiful and when we left the sun was starting to come out. We had lunch at the fish house, had one last ride on the autobahn, and ate some great chocolate cake. When Kathy and Christian dropped me at the train station i thought my bad karma was coming back. We got to the platform and the screen said my train was cancelled. Uh-oh! Though there was another one in an hour, it was one of those unexpected things I've gotten used to on my trip. Christian asked at the service desk and they told him at the train was in fact running, and amazingly it was. When we looked at the screen again, the message about it being cancelled was gone. Talk about a just kidding! I boarded the train for the last time to the netherlands. Amazingly, i have less than a week left in my journey and I've finally been able to enjoy myself. 

I'm so glad i CZECHED out Prague!

Alright! So i woke up and got myself ready for an adventure to Prague! With some time to spare before my train, i decided to grab some breakfast at one of the few markets that was actually open because it was Sunday and head for the parliament, really pretty gardens, insanely large and old museum area so i could take some photos. Of course it was raining so i ended up taking the metro which was probably a better idea than walking. Luckily, the metro in Vienna is quite small (only 3 lines) so getting around wasn't too difficult. I soaked in the sights, literally because it was raining (ah! Kfo joke!), and was really impressed by the rose garden. They probably had at least 100 different varieties of roses and it was nice to see them as an actual plant, rather than some man on the street trying to sell you them while you are trying to eat dinner. Anyway, i made it to my train and I actually had a really enjoyable ride. It was another of one those compartment type deals, but the lady and younger girl i sat with were so incredibly nice. They were from Norway and had been traveling for a little over a week. We talked a lot about scandanavia and they definitely convinced me i have to go. I mean, when i went to Denmark with my soccer team almost 10 years ago (wow, that made me cringe) I absolutely loved it. The landscape was just my type and it was definitely a place for the nature lover like myself. They also filled me in on what happened in Oslo a few weeks ago. I had only heard that something happened, but hadn't had the time to really read about it. It was devastating to hear about the tragedy and they kept saying, "things like that just don't happen in Norway. We are peaceful and nonviolent people. It is horrible." hearing their perspectives was definitely eye opening and I'm glad that i had that opportunity to do so. On the other hand, the scenery we passed was again beautiful. Despite the long hours I spend on trains i would never be able to see such remote and beautiful parts of the countries i visit on an airplane. So I guess it makes it worthwhile... Especially because we passed by TONS of fields of sunflowers! My favorite, of course! After about a 5 hours trek, we finally got to Praha! I did my routine of getting my train ticket to the next place, money, and then figuring out how to get to the hostel. By this point, I have it all mastered. I will say, the metro in prague was a little tricky. The ticket machine was so terribly confusing and i frankly just guessed at what i needed and didn't even end up using it because you can just kind of walk through... Which is probably NOT what you are supposed to do, but hey I don't know! I even made it seem like i knew exactly what i was doing because this chinese couple asked how to buy a ticket and I honestly admitted I had no idea and guessed. Oh well. I managed to figure it out enough, though, and got to the hostel. I'm SO glad this is my last hostel. I stayed at chili hostel and its, well, not very clean. They give you towels and sheets that have probably been used over and over for the past 2 years, and i also didn't find their staff overly enthusiastic. When i got to my room, it wasn't much better. The pillow was pretty nasty and looked like it had years of drool stains piled on it and it just had an interesting odor. I told myself, "it's okay. Only 2 nights and that's it for hostels!" and proceeded to go find dinner. My indecisiveness was at it's worst, and as many of you know, this happens quite often. Trying to find dinner took probably an hour because i just couldn't decide what restaurant to choose. I did however come to the conclusion. Despite my "I need to try the local food" rule i soon realized that wasn't going to happen in Prague because every traditional Czech dish seems to compete with the other to see which can put the most types of meat on one plate and I just wasn't up for that. I can blame part of my indecision on the fact that prague is absolutely beautiful, though. I honestly felt like i was in this movie set like place because all the buildings have so much detail to them as well as great color. Each building is a piece of art and none of them really look the same. Since I was in the old town area, I also came across the square where the anatomical clock is and a few churches... And a lot of people and shops. Eventually, I did fid a restaurant and i decided to treat myself to a good meal for making it this far. They weren't kidding when they said Prague was cheap. I got a beer, water, onion rings (craving, I guess), a delicious smoked trout salad, a crepe-like dessert, and espresso for the equivalent of $20! I was shocked! And, even better, everything was super good! With a full stomach, I managed to find my way home (in the rain, of course) and when i got back I met 2 of my roommates, who i cant remember their names! But heres the important part: one of them is from stow, massachusetts! It was such an awesome moment. We all talked about our travels and where we came from, all that, it was quite nice. Then it was late so i decided to go to bed, despite theses 2 italian boys who were also staying in our room making a ton of noise because they were giggling like school girls... Seriously. In the morning, i woke up to more rain and started thinking i must have made a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in seattle. Regardless, I made my way out to start on my walking adventure. I had a few places in mind i wanted to check out, but first priority was breakfast at Bohemian Bagels. Best suggestions for food.... EVER! Now, my friend Lindsey (aka beaver) always brings me to get what i thought were the best bagels in the world in new jersey. You know, the classic New York bagel. Right, the bagel i had here brought amazing to a whole new level. I couldn't have been more happy, especially because i also had my first cup of "american" coffee since i left the states. I forgot how much I missed it. After i indulged and took in the coffee shop atmosphere (one of my favorite pastimes is to spend hours at a coffee shops...), i headed for my first stop: the Charles bridge. Along the way, i walked through Old Town Square and there was a mass of people standing near the anatomical clock. Thinking something important was about to happen, i figurerd id stick around and see what the big deal was. It was about a minute later i put the pieces together and looked at the time. It was near 11 which meant that bells would start going off, things would move, and a guy on the top of the tower would start playing a trumpet. It was definitely worth the wait! Anyways, I eventually got to the bridge and it offered an incredible glimpse of the city. You could really put together the architecture and just how truly beautiful prague is. Except at this point, the tourists and tour groups had emerged and my level of grumpiness began to soar. Tired of listening to them and being tossed like a salad from one oblivious person to another, i put on my headphones and made for my next (and most important) stop: the John Lennon Peace Wall. Except, since the rain finally ceased, i shed some of my layers and in the process lost my map! I panicked and retraced my steps for a good 5 minutes. I thought, "okay, I know prague is a relatively clean city, but that's pretty quick for trash pick up! And really, who would steal my map? It was free at the hostel!" of course the last place i was, as in the place i realized i lost my map, turned out to be where my map was lying helpless on the ground. I picked it up, and hustled along. When i got to the wall, I was shocked, but please to see that there were NO people there... Well, okay, there were maybe 10, but compared to what I've been used to... Thats nothing! I stayed there for a long time reading the notes people had written on the wall, all sorts of words of peace and love. I took some time trying to think of what I was going to add to the wall and finally it came to me. I traced my hand, drew a peace sign, and wrote: "We can (tracing of my hand) -le (peace sign). Hahaha! I was sure to sign it kfo and was very pleased with my punny message of peace. Pictures will come when i get back so you can get the full effect! I moved on from the wall and i felt relaxed enough to dive into the crowds and made my way up to the mini-Eiffel tower at Petrin Park. It was a nice hike to the top and gave an absolutely amazing panorama of the city. All the red roofs and church steeples...  It was fantastic! I also climbed up that little Eiffel tower (I don't know if it has an actual name) which was slightly frightening. Unless I'm in my climbing harness and hooked to a rope with a trustworthy belayer, I'm not too found of heights. So i took my pictures, got my full of the view, and headed down to safety! The view was really beautiful and it was worth faking i still attended Endicott College so i could get a discounted ticket. But at this point I was sweating! The sun had finally showed up and after that uphill hike and anxiety inducing stair climb, i decided to change clothes then embark on some more walking. In much cooler attire, I decided to grab some lunch at another recommended restaurant called Le Casa Blu. It was a Mexican restaurant and the nachos were incredible! I think all the walking I've been doing in the past few weeks finally caught up to me because my legs were beat. I found a nice bench and people watched for a little bit, then grabbed a late supper and beer then headed for bed. Honestly, I wasn't too fond of the beer here. Sure it was cheap which was fantastic, but it was only alright for me. I guess the microbrews of the northwest have spoiled me. I didn't sleep that well due to my bed situation. It literally formed to my body and the there was a dent in the mattress where i laid... And I'm pretty sure it wasn't a temperapedic mattress! I woke up pretty early so i made one last trip to Bohemia Bagels which was an excellent life decision! Since it was early, there were no tourists milling about and the town was fairly empty besides the locals. Now, not to get ahead of myself because i still have a few more stops on my journey, but I have to say Prague is my favorite city of the trip and a place i would love to visit again. I really didn't see too much of it, but i liked what I did see. After i checked out i made my way to the train station to begin my trek to Dusseldorf, Germany to visit with my friend Kathy from high school. So far, the journey has been uneventful which seems kind of odd for me! Things have gone rather smoothly ever since I got out of Italy so I'm hoping it's smooth sailing until the end... Which is near! I'm officially done with hostels, only have one more train ride (except the metro), and 2 more countries with language barriers! I almost feel like just getting to London is a feat in-and-of itself!  Write more soon. Enjoy!

Wien, aka Vienna!

My day in Vienna continued to be enjoyable. I didn't realize how wonderful having fresh clothes would be. Surely, i didn't get the entertainment I usually do when i do my laundry at the beehler household, but it was so nice to put on my jeans and not see the jam stain from the crepe i ate during the tour de france. After I finished, i wanted to get some food because i realized I hadn't ate anything all day and it was nearly 3. I asked at the front desk for some suggestions and the girl said there was an austrian brewery right down the street that had good food and beer. I went for it and it was an excellent choice! I feel kind of like a sleazy tourist because i have no idea what anyone is saying to me and i don't even know how to say hi. I guess i have some homework to do tonight. but I did have a great red beer and quickly learned that a 1/2 liter of beer is a really big glass. Then again, so was the portion of the traditional Austrian (someone I can't remember the name of..) I had too. Despite being hungry, i couldnt even begin to finish all they gave me, but it did taste like a really awesome macaroni and cheese. After I couldn't stuff my face anymore, and...wait for it... It started to rain again(!), I figured I'd explore the town a little bit because luckily the rain shower didn't last long and it was only a little more than a drizzle. I was smart and grabbed my raincoat at the hostel before leaving and i actually didn't even need it. I found a little health and beauty shop so i could take care of my grizzly woman armpits and legs by buying a razor... And thank god they had some! I headed towards the city center and it was packed with retail shops. There was quite a lot of people out walking about. The thing i noticed, though, is that -- well there's two things, 1) people wait until they get the walk sign and don't cross even if theres not a car in sight and 2) the storefronts are kind of lame with neon signs but above these are absolutely beautiful buildings. The architecture is incredible and its too bad you have to look up to see it. But then again, maybe you are considered "special" if you actually notice the beautiful structure above the materialism. I happened to look down a street and saw a green park. I decided to check it out and I'm so glad I did. There was an outdoor climbing gym! I sat down there for a little bit and watched the climbers, definitely made me wish i was climbing out in the Oregon woods with Phil. I moved on and somehow lost my bearings and thought i was continuing down the street but actually was going back towards the hostel. I'm still not sure how that happened. Anyways, I noticed a lot of gelato places so I was getting those cravings again and fell for it. Definitely not the same as the italians. One of the flavors i had tasted like cough syrup, which was alright for my congestions, but definitely not too enjoyable. I learned my lesson. I ended up back at the hostel early and enjoyed a happy hour beer and started thinking about my day tomorrow. I stopped into Vienna Explorers which does bike tours and has a bike tour into the wine country... You get to taste chocolates, jams, apricots, wine, schnapps, and all kinds of fun stuff so i decided I'd try to join in. I mean really,  how much better can it get and it beats being alone all day. Plus, i seriously miss Celeste. i spent the rest of the night talking with my bunk mate daniel who is from sacramento and is thinking about nursing school. I definitely had plenty to say about that situation, and he was really into the conversation although definitely concerned about the whole commitment thing... Absolutely understandable. Anyways, i eventually went to bed and woke in the morning, after experiencing the mother of all Charlie horses, and headed to the Vienna Explorers tour shop to get on board with the tour. Well, just my luck it was booked. When I went the night before they has 2 spots open and i started to book it online, but then got distracted and apparently missed my opportunity. They let me go "standby" and if someone didn't show up, i had a spot. I got a ride to the city center, and needless to say, it apparently wasn't meant to be. Everyone showed up. Luckily, there was an amazing Saturday market across the street so that made it bearable to have a change of plans. Today focal sense was DEFINITELY smell. Half of the market was food and the other half antiques/random stuff no one want in their house. The most noticeable scent was all the spices. It was amazing. All you could smell was the strong whiff of cardamom, turmeric, and the other assorted spices for sale as you walked closely. There was plenty of people walking about and lots of samples... One in particular i enjoyed a lot and ended up buying way more than I wanted for far too much money I expected. Silly me forgot my grams and I ended up getting some rather expensive almond covered deliciousness. At least it was worth it. Even though it was only 10:30 a.m. by that time, the taste and smell of falafel was taking over my senses and thoughts so i got this AMAZING falafel sandwich. I can't even begin to describe how delicious it was... Just take my word for it. I walked around some more at the market, witnessed a grown man put on a metal military helmet and pretend he was shooting a gun, had some hot chocolate, and began to make my way towards some sights. I had mapped out a rather long walk of the city that hit most of the cool spots around town. I went by a number of beautiful churches and buildings that had just amazing old architecture. It's hard to describe their beauty in words.. Especially when you've walked about 7 miles, been traveling for 2 long weeks, and can't wait to go to bed... The words just don't flow as easily, you know. i happened across one of the many green parks called Stadtpark. There were ponds with lots of geese and a tons of benches lining the walkway. I was a little tired, so i decided to take a nap on one of these benches, and i must say it was quite lovely, and exactly what i needed! I continued on my walk and the sky looked like it could erupt with rain at any moment. Story of my trip...haha. Speaking of the weather, Today it felt like fall outside. It was rather windy and a bit chilly. I walked down to Prater Park expecting just another park with this big ferris wheel and was SHOCKED when i found out it was like a mini Disney world! There was a ton of amusement park rides and games. The majority of these gave me heart palpitations due to my last experience at Silverwood, especially the one that i thought was just another big, fancy monument. No it was a mix between the swing ride and the panic plunge, minus the panic... Well for normal people. Both of these types of rides were very bad experiences in my life and ones I'd rather not go through again. After i walked around for bit and laughed when i saw a lot of American-esque rides and murals, including one that just about killed me: in the same painting, Michael Jackson, one when his skin was black, the other when he went white. Fantastic. After being a little overstimulated, i continued on my walk and came across this massively beautiful, you guessed it, church called Stephansdom. I gazed at that for sometime and thought I'd check out Mozarts house which was incredibly anti-climatic and so terribly boring. There was absolutely nothing special about it in the slightest way and i actually had to really convince myself that it was it. So I promptly moved on. There were a ton of high end shops like versace and, my favorite (only the name really) Marc O'Polo. Which brings me to a point, there have been such a lack of puns during my European adventure, it's quite upsetting. Anyways, I walked all the way down to Sigmund Freud park which is in front of another amazing church and then i saw some mountainous terrain far ahead that got me really excited. I thought i see if i could get a better view, but after about a mile or so of walking, the view was gone and i figured i should probably continue on my jaunt. at some point, I decided i really wanted coffer and an apple streusel so i stopped into a cafe and indulged. It was such a great cultural experience because there were a bunch of old ladies chatting, and going "yah, yah, yah" a lot. I just sat there, taking it all in, knowing they could be potentially be talking about that English speaking girl who probably doesn't realize we're talking about here. The road i chose to walk down had a ton of parks amd more amazing buildings like parliament and a few different museums. As i walked along, i saw what seemed like a big party (fact: autocorrect just change my misspelled party to orgy in that sentence... Awesome) and when i got closer it was actually a film festival. The film wasn't playing until 9 and it was only 7 and it was actually started to rain so i didn't really feel like sitting outside to watch the film. Also during this time, my camera batteries became overly exhausted and officially died on me. After nearly 10 hours of walking, I found it time to go back to the hostel and take a load off. I stopped for another falafel sandwich (which wasn't nearly as good as the one I had earlier) and a beer. Needless to say, my day in Vienna was actually really great. I took in a lot of the city and had, honestly, the best day I've had in the past 2 weeks. The city was quiet from tourists for the most part, the weather held out for most of the day, and i got to enjoy a LOT of parks. There is such a cultural diversity in this city and you see it in their food choices especially. A range from italian, greek, middle eastern, and German. Another refreshing site was to see the acceptance and openness of sexuality throughout town. Girls holding girls hands and boys kissing boys without any fear that someone may view them as "ungodly" and be scolded for their lifestyle. It was great. Also, the sounds of old men playing accordians in the streets and parks made me really feel like i was in austria. As i near my last week of traveling, I find myself starting think about all the things i have seen and done and it's really overwhelming. I think I'm finally at the point where karma has caught up with me and i can look forward to the next small cities I'll be visiting next. I'm finally past the black hole of tourist ridden cities and for the first time am not itching to get to the next place. I feel content with where i am and can finally sit back and enjoy the scenery. It may also have to do with the fact i finally feel clean. It took 2 razors, but i no longer look like a manly woman. I also don't smell like someone who's has been living off the streets. Tomorrow i leave for prague and I'm REALLY looking forward to exploring this city. Until then, enjoy! 

Florence and getting to Vienna!

With more than enough time to make my train, and feeling grumpy while still in Rome, i decided to call dad for a pick-me-up, but also more of a realization that I was incredibly worn down. I really didn't think I could handle anymore traveling or going place to place, because its not as if I'm simply staying somewhere for 4 days and gradually seeing all the sights... Rather I'm there for a day, maybe 2, and trying to see EVERYTHING... ON FOOT! Needless to say, my desire to just be home was at its zenith and so i asked dad to see what it would cost to fly home early. Needless to stay, it would be near $2000 which, well, my AmeriCorps budget just doesn't accommodate for. So, i boarded my train to Florence with hopes of just laying on the sandy beaches of Dartmouth and kayaking down the slocum river sooner than august 10. But during my train ride, i realized i needed to reevaluate my itinerary and slow down. Europe is a big place to visit in just 3 weeks and I'm too much of a 'go getter' to only visit a few -- I want to see it ALL! But of course, that's just not realistic. my train ride was rather uneventful for the most part. When I got to florence, the rain was still falling (shocking...) and i made my way to the hostel. I was shocked! It was awesome, and just what i needed to lift my spirits. The staff was friendly, the place was clean, there was stuff going on, and they even had a sauna, pool, and gym -- you barely get a bed with sheets at some places! I made my way up to my room which i was sharing with 7 others. This proved to also be the exact room i needed to be in. It was near 7 p.m. and when i walked in they were all getting ready to go out for the pub crawl that the hostel was putting on. They invited me along, and knowing better than to be alone another night, I decided to join in. Excellent decision! The group was about 15 and our leader, Alex, was super nice. We got a meal, lots of wine, and specials at all the bars we went to. I met some really awesome people from Australia, ireland, canada, chile, and brazil. We went to a few bars then some club, which was definitely not my seen, but seriously entertaining to watch the Italian men on the prowl for some action. Good thing i made friends with the 2 sisters from Ireland (the younger one actually spent a summer working at an ice cream shop in hyannis! Small world) , well and really the rest of the group, and we stuck together to ward off the creepsters. After that it was near 3:30 in the morning and WAY past my bedtime! we walked back and headed for bed. Since i was leaving that evening for vienna, I said my goodbyes and, luckily, got to leave my bags at the hostel for the day since i wasn't leaving until 10 that night (or so I thought... Keep reading for more!). I headed into town and my first mission was to find a nice little Italian leather purse so i made my way to San lorenzo market.  There were a TON of vendors and my favorite was this artist named Abdul from morocco. I spent some time talking with him about his art. He does etchings and watercolors and they are just so beautiful! He was a really down to earth guy and a few other people came by and we all enjoyed chatting. He even made us on the spot business cards that came out phenomenal. So i guess you could say I got 2 pieces of art for the price of one. During that time, i got my first glimpse of the running of those without permits to sell. All of a sudden you'll see these men sprinting down the streets with whatever they are trying to sell because they just got caught. It was frightening at first, but then after i understood what was going on, it wasn't so nerve wracking. I moved on and checked out the indoor market which also had lots of wine, organs from animals I never wanted to see outside of anatomy and physiology lab, breads, olives, and other assorted things. It was really quite the place. Almost like a mini pike place market with an Italian twist and no fish throwing (that i saw...) or star bucks. After spending quite a bit of time there, i decided to grab some food and what to a pizza joint my friend Lindsey (aka beaver) recommended as the best pizza in Florence (she studied there, so she'd know, and i also never doubt beavers advice). I had an awesome pizza with zucchini and stuffed down as much as i could. I then stopped into the hostel to drop off some purchases before making my trek around Florence... I had a plan! I wanted to at least see the big churches, like the Duoma, but most importantly get up towards piazza michaelango to get the full panoramic view of Florence! Though I had a route planned out, i knew better than to think I'd actually follow it without getting lost. Granted Florence is not that big, but well, this has been quite and unpredictable adventure and I've had to be VERY flexible. Inevitably, i got lost but it all worked out in the end because I had the most amazing gelato at this place i stumbled upon... I had kiwi and watermelon... My mouth is starting to water just thinking about it. Eventually i got up to the view point and it was just amazing. I didn't realize how mountainous the surrounding area of florence was, but it was just amazing. I really did fall in love with the city and i really liked it a lot... I also wished I was staying more than just a night because of the great people i met, but also the good vibes i got from the city. It gave me the true italian feeling that i didnt get in rome, or maybe just missed because of the rushing around and rain. after I made my small hike back down from the piazza michaelango I took the round about way (unintentionally of course) to get some dinner at another recommendation from beaver. When i sat down to eat, the wind began to pick up and I just had a feeling things were going to turn for the worst because the weather and I just have not been friends this trip. I ordered the house white wine which was phenomenal! I later learned from my wine coinessieur friend michele that it's actually called prosecco and is a common house wine in italy. It was like a is mix between champagne and really yummy white wine, not as fruity as a reisling and definitely not dry like a Chardonnay... It was incredible. It began to rain as i started eating my brushetta and thundered a bit.. And then it started to POUR! Of course i was siting outside and near the edge of the awning so i started to get soaked (and again i had a white shirt on, I just shouldn't wear them!). I moved around to the other side of the table hoping to avoid getting splashed but that didn't help either. And then I got my entree of spaghetti and panicked. There's meat in the sauce! Ethical dilemma! What do i do? It took me a few minutes, but i decided that I was going to take this as a cultural experience and look at it as trying true Italian meat sauce. To be honest, i think the meat tasted the same as the fake meat crumbles i get. The pasta, otherwise, was delicious and definitely a good carb load for the train ride. I waited for the rain to stop then made my way back to the hostel to get ready to leave. Along the way, I started to really feel the pressure in my sinuses and the congestion setting in. I walked in a daze, and i actually walked into a small child which really confused me and I'm sure the boy too. I made it to the train station after stopping for one last gelato to make myself feel better about the meat eating and got to the train with plenty of time. I mean, plenty... Because my train was delayed 145 minutes. Thank you, train strikes in rome. I decided that rather waste a few hours in a nasty train station, id go enjoy a glass of wine. So I went to this place called Bondi that I passed several times and had been wanting to go to. They even had prosecco, so of course i had some. I stayed there for awhile, had some tiramisu, and was entertained by the wait staff. Finally it was time to head back to the train and wait a little longer then i finally boarded my train. When i made my reservation I just got a seat, which wasn't exactly the best decision, as there were 6 of us crammed in this one compartment and they had A LOT of luggage and big ones at that. They were all about my age which gave me some comfort because of all the horror stories i heard about people getting their wallets and passports stolen on overnight trains. We eventually left Florence and at some point during the night made a stop and was rudely awoken by a woman with her daughter yelling in Chinese. Apparently 2 of the people in my little room were in the wrong seats and this lady and her daughter joined us. It was horrible. She was yelling, hitting, and kicking her daughter and it made us all really uncomfortable. It was quite the cultural experience because i spoke English, she was speaking chinese, and the others only spoke italian. At one point, one of the boys tried to intervene to tell her to stop but, she wouldn't listen. Its not like it was 2 a.m. or anything. Eventually she stopped and by morning we were traveling through austria which was absolutely breathtaking. We went through the mountains and I got such the craving to hike. There were castles along the way and little rural areas. Again, i found comfort in the precisely defined patches of land that create a quilt of the land. Cows grazed in the fields and I just loved every minute of it. I could definitely have jumped off the train and got lost in the woods... I can't wait to hike when i get back to the states! After about a 15 hour trek between waiting and traveling we finally arrived in Vienna! I found the hostel and it is absolutely incredible. I thought the one in Florence was nice, but this is amazing. It has a very natural, green vibe to it and reminds me of the place I stayed in Portland called the friendly bike guesthouse. I got here a little after 1 and decided to take it easy and take care of some much needed business: laundry! After feeling like a hobo with dirty clothes for the past week, it was definitely time and this is certainly a good place to do it. My next mission after my clothes dry is to find a razor so i can finally shave (probably too much information, but i neglected to bring a razor and when i remembered to look in France and Italy I couldn't find ANY). I mean, I know I'm into the whole natural thing, but this is just a little too weird for me. So far I'm having good vibes about Vienna and am glad to be out this way on the last few legs of my journey. With 2 nights in Vienna, i plan on taking it easy and resting. My next spot will bring me to Prague which I'm really looking forward to. Will write more about my adventures in Vienna when they happen! Enjoy! 

Roma

So my train ride to Rome was a wonderful ride. I got a little confused when i boarded the train because it was so nice! Trenitalia all the way! With only the ticket originally to Milan, when i got to the station and asked how i could get to Rome, there was a train leaving in only 30 minutes... So i hoped on, enjoyed the countryside, saw a double rainbow, and landed in rome around 10 p.m. I had good vibes about Rome, and Italy in general, and i was in good spirits. The directions to the hostel were quite simple and I got there with no problem. The hostel was a little less nice than the ones i previously stayed and felt more like a frat house. When I came in, there was a really sweet girl named Stacey from australia who was in the bunk under me. We talked for a bit and it's a bummer i wasnt staying longer because I'm sure we could have hung out. Either way, I was exhausted and really needed to get some rest. I had plans to wake up early and check out the sights before moving on to Florence the next night. Well, my sleep was quickly interrupted by the sound of the showers that were the room next door and some really obnoxious boys that were staying in the same room. I mean, REALLY obnoxious. So i didn't exactly sleep as well as i would have liked and somehow i shut off the alarm on my phone so i woke up a little later than I wanted but it was okay. I packed my things up and, luckily, was able to keep my luggage at the hostel until my train... Well, that i needed to find out about. My first mission was to get to the station and figure out that situation. I don't think I've had a smoother booking experience and I got not only my train to Florence tonight, but also my overnight train to Vienna tomorrow! Phew! Now i could make my way to the colesseum and then make a big look to the pantheon and trevi fountain before i needed to leave. Well, i got lost, of course, but managed to find my way. Again it was one of those look up and go "OH! There it is!" it was really funny how th is ancient building is situated in the middle of a busy intersection. I guess you just have to work around it... I waited about 1 1/2 hours to actually get in and it was kind of chaotic. There didn't seem to be much of a system and it s a free for all when i got to the ticket counter. By that time i was tired and getting a little grumpy, so the whole experience was a little thrown off. It was certainly really fascinating to see, but i think I'm at the point where I'm really tied of being one in at least 3000 in one place and one time. I started to think about my little rural town and began to miss the lack of commotion... Which i never though I'd say. I left shortly after and began to make my way to the pantheon and again got lost. During this time it started pouring rain and of course I was ill-prepared. With no rain coat or sweater, and wearing a white tshirt of all things, I got drenched. I stopped in at a nearby cafe and decided to have some lunch which was delicious! I ordered some pasta with a spicy tomato sauce and a nice glass of Pinot grigio. It hit the spot. When i left, the rain slowed a little but quickly picked up after only a few blocks of walking. At this point I had it. My grumpiness was getting more and more so i stopped for some delicious gelato and decided forget the other tourist attractions, theres just simply no way that's going to happen today. So now I'm back at the hostel, waiting to leave for my train. I am ready for a quieter place. I guess living rural has given me only so much patience for the city. I'm hoping that Vienna will be a little less crowded compared to these big tourist destinations. If not, I might have to hibernate for the next few days because I'm pretty worn out. Between the stressors of Paris, walking around everywhere, and lack of sleep, I'm looking forward to moving on and getting to the home stretch. Of course its great to be in these amazing places, but it's also seriously overwhelming and exhausting. Will write more when i get to florence. Enjoy.

Paris: I love you, but I'm not IN love with you...

After my adventure getting to Paris, I decided I was allowed to sleep in. So I slept until a little past 11 and frankly i could have stayed in bed all day. I took my time packing my things, hoping I could organize it in a way that would be better on my shoulders and back. Keeping an eye on the time since i had to check out at 12, the room phone rang and it was reception asking if i knew that check out was 12 and it was that time. I'm pretty sure i had at least 3 more minutes, but apparently someone was in a rush to kick me out! Anyways, I finished packing and headed out for the day. Since I was staying by the Eiffel tower i decided to visit it. But first i stopped by the ATM to get euros so i wouldn't get stuck... Again. I followed the crowd and was starting to wonder when I was going to see this thing, i mean it couldn't be THAT far! Well, i turned a corner and looked up and VOILA! C'est le tour de Eiffel! I'm not sure why I thought it was going to be smaller, but it was actually huge! There were, however, masses of people EVERYWHERE! Granted it was Saturday at midday which was probably a bad idea on my part. The lines to go up the stores and the lift that brings you to the top were so long and i definitely wasn't waiting... Not with my all my luggage either. I noticed an area around a vendor truck blocked off by the police and there were military people walking around with their very scary guns. I later learned from the Scottish boy Max who i bunked with at the hostel that there were in fact 2 bomb scares there that day. So i walked around a bit and absorbed that iconic landmark. But there was something a little more obviously threatening approaching... The sky. The cloud were becoming far more dense and dark signaling to me to get moving towards the metro. Well, since i wandered off my previous path I started off in a different direction (away from the metro) and then the rains came. It began to pour. The thunder and lighting started and I thought, "well of course. Paris just doesn't want me to like it!" I found the nearest cafe with an empty seat and got a delightful cheese, tomato, bread thing and loved every bit.... Despite not entirely being blocked from the rain. The family next to me left and so i scooted over more and a few minute later a lady from the U.K. sat down next to me.  We got to talking and she was there to see her partner finish up a 300-mile bike ride from london to Paris for the children's hospital. She was a really nice lady and i enjoyed  her company. After the rain cleared, though, we parted ways to get to our destinations. I found my way to the train and after following somewhat confusing directions of the metro i retrieved a map or the lines (which was my prized possession for the next few days) I eventually got to the hostel. The hostel was in a really pretty location in Montemarte, near Sacre Coeur. When i checked in, i was definitely still emotional from all the events of the previous few days. I felt i was going through the motions and not actually enjoying myself because of my frustrations and anxiety of what was going to happen next. Knowing better, i knew i needed to get out so i took the train towards the Musee d'Orsay. It would be the beginning of many magnificent old buildings with such beautiful architecture and intricate details. Before i got there though, i had my first near altercation with a French man in a souvenir shop. I was minding my own business looking at the tour de France items and when i pulled out a shirt to look at it with a tdf water bottle i was contemplating buying, he interpreted that as i wanted to buy all those items and he winks saying he'll give me a bargain. Confused, I followed him to the register more so because I wanted to figure out if i wanted the bottle. I tried explaining that, and he took it as i was trying to bargain with him. For the 2 items he was going to give them to me for 25 euros -- final price. Well, it surely wasn't a deal and i really didn't want it. Annoyed i ended up just getting the bottle because i wasn't exactly sure id be able to get out of there with nothing. Paris needed to start getting better, i thought. I grabbed a really good veggie sandwich on an amazing baguette and ate it along the river after the rain cleared up (again). I noticed a lot of people taking pictures of this really big building across the way and i went over to check it out. There was a HUGE rainbow and when i pulled out the map i got before leaving the hostel, i realized, duh, it's the Louvre! I walked over the bridge to check out the grounds and then reality hit me. I'm not sure exactly why, but emotions really overtook me with this building and the pyramids and the grounds... I was so moved. It was one of those moments when I really felt like i was there and i think it was the first time that had happened since I came to Europe. Since it was already late, I couldn't tour the museum but decided to at least go inside to check it out. I wasn't expected a mall inside, that's for sure! The foyer was huge and people were everywhere (which was just the whole Paris experience.... People EVERYWHERE!). When i was leaving there were these kids who were laying on the side rail of the escalator, riding down. Um, bad idea kids. The guy behind me made a comment, "nice parenting, huh?" i chuckled, and then we began to talk about the whole situation. I noticed he had a tour de France hat on and asked if he was there to see the race. I soon found out not only that he was and he flew in from L.A. but also his entire life story. My new friend mark and I were both headed towards the Notre Dame so we walked over together and stumbled upon the Latin quarter. It was a really neat area with lots of shops, cares, and, you guessed, people. Eventually we got to the Notre Dame and checked it out. We then decided to grab a happy hour drink and during this time i disclosed i was a nurse and this time it was a bad idea. He went on to tell me about his experience when his mom died and he started crying and then there was the awkward people that come up trying to sell you roses... I should have been an account who worked on wall street, but then again i don't think i could pull that off. I did however enjoy an awesome Belgium beer which got me excited that portion of my journey but the french beer was not so great. Since it was way past my bedtime i said bye to mark and headed for the hostel. By this point i had the metro down to a T (pun for the boston folks!) and had a good night sleep except for the nightmare about the Eiffel tower being bombed thanks to the information i received from my scottish roommate, max. 

Sunday was the big day: the final stage of the tour de France. My dream come true! I got up and decided to check out the area I was staying in then go up to Sacre Coeur and then walk down to the Champs Des Élysées. I walked up towards the church which had a really cool surrounding area with lots of street artists and of course more cafes and shops. I found the Sacre Coeur to be way more impressive than the Notre Dame... It was beautiful! Since it was getting closer to noon and i needed to leave time for getting lost, i started walking to the champs Des élysées. Along the way I didn't have to really have the big red moulin rouge to tell me I made it to the red light district. There were enough sex shops to put the pieces together. As I got closer to the champs, my excitement grew but i also stumbled across the Madeleine and decided to stop in. At first i thought it was a court house or something political by the exterior, but the flowers lining the steps up and the sign which read, "You are entering a church. Please have the decency to be quiet." the interior was quite phenomenal. I also find these old elaborate churches fascinating with the stained glass and statues. I continued down just a little ways and i knew i was close. Roads were blocked off, a special entrance for the VIP guest (where was my pass?), and people crowding the streets. I followed everyone with their bright yellow shirts, hats, and bag towards the champs! My heart began to beat harder with each step and my stride lengthened as i couldn't wait to get there. When I finally arrived a huge smile emerged. "i can't believe I'm here! The tour! This is for real!" since it was early and I knew i had a few hours to wait before the riders came through, I got a crepe avec confectionners (bad spelling) framboise and enjoyed it. But of course not without getting some jam on my pants... I really need to find a laundry mat! Then i walked around a little in the area to find the perfect viewing spot. I found what i thought would be best but when more people came by to claim their spot, i learnt the 2 guys who had been sitting in front of my where at least 6'5"... Go figure! I did however manage to finagle a viewing spot only 3 people deep! I could see the road and that's what mattered to me. Next to me was a really adorable French couple who entertained me for much of the time leading up to the riders coming through. They kept playfully hitting each other and the man made jokes with me despite our language barrier. Then a guy from Atlanta, Ronnie, stood next to me and we started talking. He was nice to talk with except when i thought i was about to pass our from standing so long. After about an hour, they had the sponsor parade where all the tour sponsors swerve down the road with these crazy floats and sing and dance. There was one, i think it was for laundry detergent, and they had these guys in tighty whities dancing rather provocatively on some poles... Only in France, I guess! We had to wait another hour for the riders to come through and by this time the crowd grew to about 15-20 people deep. It was so worth the wait. Suddenly you started hearing "Allez! Allez!" and the cameras raise and people start looking over to the left. They were hear at last! The peloton ZOOMED by and it's no lie that they were going like 40 mph. It was amazing. It was so surreal for me to see all these jerseys and riders in real life and not just on tv. Luckily, I got to see this go on for 8 laps which meant I really saw them go by 16 times since I could see them on the other side. The excitement was contagious and i loved every minute of it. At the end of the race, one of the aussi fans came up to me and we started talking about how exciting it was for australia to get it's first tour win with Cadel Evans. We joked about how the Americans are just letting other countries win after Lances epics streak. He mentioned that he just happened to decide to come to the tour this year and what a tour to go to! Since we could see the tv, we watched the awards ceremony and at this point the lady next to me (the wife of the adorable couple) was crying and i was trying to hold back balling my eyes out from bliss -- something i hadn't done since i got to Europe. After the awards, we waited a little longer and all the teams rode through with their team cars. SO AMAZING! Not only did i get to see most all the riders, but the yellow jersey, green jersey, polka dot jersey, and white jersey! And at this point I moved on up to only 1 person in front of me so i got some amazing pictures! After the yellow jersey, a truck that said "course fin" meant the tour was officially over. Wanting to try and get another glimpse of the riders, i bolted down towards the arc de triumphe and actually got to see some riders up close. And then it was really over. I enjoyed he arc de triumphe and it was probably the first and only time i will ever see no cars on the champs des élysées. As i walked back towards the louvre area with intentions to find food and the metro, I stopped to answer a text from my parents. When i looked up i noticed a man walk by, it was only when i took a double take that I realized it was Bob Roll, the commentator for the tour on Versus! We made eye contact and he just gave a smirk clearly realizing i was starstruck with my bugged out eyes and mouth nearly touching my toes. I just stood there for a minute going, "that was bob roll. THAT was seriously him!" I composed myself enough and made it to a food truck and for some reason was craving American food. So I got some French fries and it was definitely a horrible idea. They were soggy, not salted, and just bad. I should have known better but I was desperate. Exhausted from the excitement of the day, I called it a night. 

The next morning, I planned to take the overnight train to Rome. I woke up, got a croissant at this really cute bakery and headed towards the train station... Of course going the wrong way, but luckily there was one in that direction. When I got there, i waited in line and the 2 girls in front of me, i learned because i liked the one girls Toms and commented on them, were from DC. When I mentioned i was traveling alone they were quite impressed and i think pretty shocked. I got to the ticket counter only to learn there were no trains with room for my Eurail pass at all. The only thing i could do would be to catch a train at 8a.m. The next day and it would only take me to Milano. Needless to say, i couldn't think straight and i didn't know what else to do so i sucked up another day in Paris and got the tickets. One thing i don't like about the pass is the extra reservation fees you have to pay on certain tickets. But what can you do? This meant calling my Dad at 5a.m. To find yet another hostel to stay for the night. Luckily between mom and dad they were able to, and it also meant a room to myself for the night. I got to the hostel, which was a few blocks away from the moulin rouge, and decided to take a really nice shower and figure out my plan for the day. By this time it was nearing 2 so i thought it would be a good idea to go to the louvre. I put on my museum best, meaning I put on a dress and felt clean for the first time in a week, then headed over to the museum. There were so many people on the metro i decided to get off halfway down the champs de élysées and walk the rest of the way towards the louvre that i hadnt the day before. It was a beautiful walk and day, and they were still taking down the viewing area from the tour. I decided to go back to the louvre and go inside simply because I was so moved when I went there the first time. It took me about 15 minutes to get in and get my ticket which i was really impressed by. I looked at the map and got a plan of attack. I wanted to definitely see the Egyptian artifacts as they have always been something of interest for me since 4th grade. We went on this really great field trip to the museum of fine arts in boston and my mom chaperoned (like most field trips). They had an egyptian exhibit and I just really thought everything from the mummies to tombs to hieroglyphics were so fascinating. So anyways, that was on the top of my list to see at the louvre. Despite the short wait to get in, there were mobs of people inside and it was so loud. This really took away from my experience and i felt i couldn't appreciate the art as much as i would've liked because people were bumping into me, snapping photos, and it was so loud. Of course, i forgot my iPod in my room. Not only were the people distracting to the art but the building itself was too. I mean, you're there to see some of the most amazing and historic pieces of art in the world, but you're also in this building that is so breathtaking in and of itself! Which do you look at? I managed though and saw some really neat things. I went by Venus de Milo and this really not so smart boy thought it was a good idea apparently to jump over the little gate to get a picture with the sculpture. The museum security promptly started clapping their hands loudly yelling, "sil-vous plais!" I then happened to go down a corridor that led to the Mona Lisa so i decided to check it out since i was there. There was just flashes and flashes, people pushing and shoving... Not a really great experience and it really is quite small compared to the gigantic French painting that faces it and takes up what could probably be a small storefront. After this, i was ready to leave. As i left though, I was stopped by a museum worker when i was about to step out the door who had to ask me if i wanted to go out with him because he was off work and had nothing to do and i was a pretty lady... I had to kindly decline. It was about dinner time so I figured I'd go back to the latin quarter and find some food since i thought i knew how to get there. I literally went in a circle around the block but eventually found my way. Decisions are not my strong point (as many of my family, friends and colleagues can tell you) so choosing a place to eat wasn't easy. Many of these restaurants offered a 3 course meal which sounded pretty good to me since i knew I'd be on the train traveling the next day and not eating too much. I looked at a few menus and then stopped at this one place where i was sold: the greeter wanted to buy me a drink. SOLD! Even if this wasn't the case, it was definitely the right choice. The workers were hilarious and the food was decent. I had mussels in white wine and fish and chocolate mousse (my favorite dessert!). Things got punchy when the greeter started convincing folks they had "sexy tables" and it created quite the laugh. The waiter was apparently impressed with my French and he ended up calling me the "manager." you see this couple from vancouver came in and sat next to me and we started talking a lot. They wanted to order their food so i just let him know because by this point we built quite the rapport and i didn't want them to starve. So that's how i got my nickname. I did end up getting another free glass of wine which was pretty great for me! The Vancouver folks were super nice and they were so canadiens, the wife even pulled out an "eh" which i chuckled to myself at. After laughing a lot I decided to head out and make my way to the hostel. Needless to say, my last unexpected day in Paris was actually quite good and I'm feeling so much better than when I arrived. I've made it one week and I'm hoping the next 2 will turn around. 

Today, I took a train from Paris to Lyon to geneva to Milan and managed to catch a train to Rome, which i was shocked i caught! The views have been amazing going through the french countryside, the Swiss alpes, and the italian countryside and mountains. I even saw a HUGE ikea and a double rainbow in Italy! So despite being stuck on a train all day, at least the scenery is beautiful! Although i wish i was hiking... But now I am officially caught up with writing and hopefully can do a better job of keeping you up to date! I feel like a new person and i think I'm going to enjoy italy. Will write more about my italian adventures soon! Namaste! 

France and I did not start off on a good foot...

So my adventure to Paris began a lot sooner than I anticipated, but these thing are supposed to happen right? Well, as i mentioned I took the train from Geneva to grenoble with plans to watch the individual time trial stage then move on to the finish in Paris. Firstly, the train ride through the Swiss and French countryside was absolutely breathtaking. Unfortunately I was on the opposite side of the river and mountain view, but I could still appreciate it from the other row. When we arrived at chamberly we had to switch from train to autobus for the remainder of the journey. Something about water, boats, and construction. I'm not too sure how they all connect to my trip but that's okay. I got off the train with plans to just follow those in front of me who were on the train, but somewhere along the way i lost all the passengers and got out to the buses and was REALLY lost! I couldnt find the bus to grenoble and knew i only had a few minutes before I'd be stuck. I just happened to notice more buses and one that, thankfully, said grreenoble. I hopped on the crowded bus and in an hour or so, arrived in Grenoble. We passed the university which had some seriously incredible architecture and took up a few blocks to make a square around another block.... If that makes the remotest sense. Regardless, it was stunning! But i soon found out that would be all i would see of this city, which I definitely misjudged and thought would be more of a rural, countryside town. It was more of a little city with big buildings, lots of traffic, and lots of people. Anyways, Thinking i was smart and knowing that things would be hectic for the tour, i decided to check out that train situation for saturday. Good thing i did. Already exhausted from walking, and running, around Geneva and nearly missing my train, I just wanted to relax and take a nap. The lady behind the counter had other plans for me when she informed me that all the trains to Paris were booked for saturday. I should have known. My only option was to hop on a train in an hour and arrive in paris at 11:30 that night. I mean, great thing about the eurail pass is that I could easily do this, but it also meant I would have to find a place to stay in a city that was about to hold it's biggest sporting event of the year in 2 days... Right. So of course, i freak. With no euros (there wasn't even an ATM in the station!) or internet, i frantically call Dad and Michele for help. I figured my last resort would be to simply sleep in the train station but when i got to paris later on that night I learnt that would have been so not cool. It reeked of urine and was definitely creepy. Anyways, let's stay on track (like a train... Haha!). I board the train and cry most of the way there. Tired, frustrated, and simply worn out, i wanted out. I didn't think i could handle it and the fear of the unknown was starting to get to me. I anticipated some bumps in the road, but i just hoped this wouldn't be the beginning of several terrible obstacles. Thanks to the quick work of my fabulous travel agent sister in-law, my dad and brandi managed to book me a hotel for the night in the vicinity of the Eiffel tower. Yet even with this problem solved, i still felt at unease. Knowing that i needed a pick-me-up and a motivator, i called the one person i knew could do just that - Michele. In the past year, Michele has helped me not only adjust, but enjoy my time in pomeroy and without her, I'm certain I would have moved back home after one week in Pomeroy, but also never came to Europe. When i found out i would be going at this trip alone, Michele encouraged me to just go and helped me get there. So I knew she could help me out in this dilemma. Needless to say, she revived me and i went from overwhelmed and crying to laughing and ready to take on the world. I eventually go on my next train after my connection in Lyon and it didn't take very long after my arrival into Paris Gare Lyon for that revival to dissipate. As I mentioned the station smelt of urine and gave me an eery vibe... Mostly because besides the people getting off the train there was no one to be seen. This posed a rather imminent problem: how was i supposed to get to my hotel without any money or even a map of the city. Now i REALLY freaked out. I circled the station a few times looking for someone with some official identification and found none. All i could think of was the advice from friends who said the french will just not help you or steal your money -- neither of which i wanted to encounter. Now I was just plain pissed off. "Why did i do this to myself?" I thought, "I could be back home at the beach or enjoying visiting with friends in Boston! Why do i always take the hard way out!" i called my dad in a frenzy and he did his best to calm me down... Which unfortunately wasn't working. I discovered there were stairs that led to the metro but when i looked at the map my eyes bugged. It was Iike T times 20 and i definitely had no idea where to begin or even what station would bring me to the hotel. This left me with no option but to try to find a taxi that would accept my debit card knowing it was going to cost probably more than my hostel for the 2 nights i originally planned to stay in paris. Yet when i walked outside, there wasn't even a taxi in sight. What the hell! Now i was doomed. I was breaking down more and more by the second and i couldn't believe it. I began mentally preparing to have to sleep in the train station while dad tried to convince me "there's a way out of every situation like this!" i happened to notice a white van with a younger man in it and it had some sort of security sign on the drivers side. I decided to try my luck and find out if he knew of the hotel i had written down and the address i was given. In my best French, I asked and in his best english he helped me find my way. Karma was finally catching up to me. Using his radio, he got directions (in English!) for me to the hotel via the train and went so far as to show me exactly how to get there on the map. But not only that, when i explained i had no euros to pay for a ticket and my debit card wouldn't work, he used his key and let me through all the gates that led to the train i needed to catch to make it to my hotel. I couldn't say "merci beaucoup" enough for him to truly understand how grateful i was. I made it on the train and surprisingly to the right station. I even got my first glimpse of the eiffel tower when i happened to look out the window and it lit up and sparkled against the night sky. For some reason, this station had an information booth that had people working there and so i asked if they could help me find the hotel. Luckily, they actually helped and i made my way there. Though a little sketchy, i made it to the hotel unharmed and checked in. At last i was safe and sound. I couldn't believe the events of the day. I took a shower, put on a very bad French tv show, and fell fast asleep. I was so glad the day was over. 

Geneva!

Geneva is a really interesting city, and actually quite small. I came across these 2 small children who took every temper tantrum ive ever witnessed, times it by 100, and put it into these 2 kids. The dad (maybe) just stood there with his dog, clearly unsure how to handle the situation. Talk about birth control... Anyways, I made my way down to the path along the water called the Bains Des Paquis and found a really neat area where I could put my feet in le rhone river which was freezing, but refreshing. After a bit, i noticed some commotion on the other side of the river  and decided to check out what the familiar music was coming from. When i got the i realized it was some sort of summer music festival and they were definitely singing songs like "highway to hell" and "I kissed a girl." don't they have any french pop songs? Either way it was a good time, but i definitely needed something to eat. I decided to make my way back towards the hostel with ambitions of getting a good nights rest after a full belly. I stopped into a boulangerie and had a wonderful apple tart and a mediocre cappuccino. When i got back to my room, my other roommate who I had not met yet was there. His name was Saad and he is from Egypt. After talking for a bit we decided to explore a bit of the city and ended up back at the festival. I ended up getting some real food, but learnt that the Swiss aren't the best at making veggie burgers. Some young girls next to us who asked for "money to get eats" ended up with half of a veggie burger and some frites. Though the shops were closed, we walked down this new York style street that had all kinds of name brand, fancy fashion stores and plenty of Mercedes, piracies, and rolls royces. With my stomach ailing again, we made our way back to the hostel and called it a night. The next day I had to get up early to head to the train station and figure out when i could catch a train to Grenoble. Things went smoothly and I was to take a train at 3 p.m. That left me with a good amount of time to explore more of the city. I headed towards the old town area and had my first croissant which was amazing! I washed down the flaky, buttery goodness with an apple juice box then adventured around some streets with the intention of getting lost and finding some cool sites... Which i definitely succeeded at! My first was the Musee d'art et d'histoire. The building was so beautiful and since it was on a hill, gave a spectacular view of the city and the jet d'eau, a 425 foot high fountain on the rivers edge. I mapped out a sort of route, but like most journeys, took a wrong turn somewhere along the way and ended up at the Cathedrale St-Pierre. I arrived from the side and entered to find a gorgeous interior. I saw the biggest organ and can only imagine how beautiful it must sound when it is being played. I decided to spend the 4 euros and climb up the north and south towers to get a view of the city of Geneva. I am sure glad i did. At the top, despite my panic of a very narrow and steep staircase up, it was well worth the view. I could see the entire city, 360 degrees! Though still, cloudy, I learned that one of the mountains you could see was actually the french border, which i thought was really neat. After admiring it for awhile, i made my way down and continued my walk. I got my first glimpse of the outdoor cafe at the Place du Bourgeois-de-Four, saw some impressive murals which served a backdrop to Les Canons, and walked along the Promenade de la Treille. As i came down the hill of the promenade, i came to a busy rotary which circles around a statue of General Dufour and several very impressive sights. Though the buildings of the Conservatoire de Musique, Grand Theatre, and Musee Rath were elaborate, they could not beat the appeal of the gates to Les Bastions where the Bibliotheque de Geneve and Mur Des Reformateurs are located. As i walked in, I was in awe of the trees, flowers, green, and, best of all, ginormous chess and checkers sets! It was just like you see on the movies of old men strategizing their next move in the middle of the street. I only wished dad could have been with me to play a game as its his favorite and he is a collector of sets too... Sorry dad, i don't think they could have fit in under the plane. With my back crying to sit down because of my overstuffed hiking bag, i decided to get my first crepe avec nutella and find a nice tree to sit under. I did so and gosh was it delightful! As I was eating with my rather cool wooden fork, a dog started to make his way over to me and tried to eat my crepe! Ready to attack to protect my delicious crepe in the most selfish way I could think of, the owner promptly came over and apologized. I savored every last bite and then took a walk around the park before i figured i had enough time to make it to the united nations building before i had to catch my train. Along the way i picked up some gruyere for the train ride as well as some Swiss chocolates. And then the fun began...

As the time passed, my mind began to wonder why exactly i wasn't where i wanted to be. I got to a road that just gave me the eery feeling i made a wrong turn and was not remotely close to where I wanted to be... And i was so right! I was on the complete opposite end of town that i wanted to be at and now was cutting it clods to making my train. Yet despite all this, i couldnt help but admire the path i would soon be nearly running on to make it to gare cornavin (the train station). It was set all along the Rhone river and i only wish I could have enjoyed it some more. There was some really impressive graffiti along the walls... Which unfortunately taints much of the city, even beautiful monuments like Monument Brunswick. Somehow, i made my train just in time and i couldnt wait to take off my bag and relax for a little bit. I got on the train, had some gruyere (which was so amazing) with my British rye crackers and took in the scenery of the swiss and french countryside as i rode towards Grenoble. It would soon turn out the last feelings of contentment for the next several hours.