Tuesday, December 22, 2009
First Class Baby!
The flight was delayed about an hour and a half, but they just put me in first class! (I'm sure its only for the short flight to Munich ;))
Interesting Journey to the Airport
I don't know if your remember, but I brought two big suitcases weighing around 80 pounds each, one backpack weighing about 50 pounds, and one laptop. Since I got ripped off by the can on the way here four months ago, I decided that I would make up for it and take the metro... With all my things! I had to switch three times :) But I made it!
Something also happened along the way that kind of made me mad. Obviously most people would be flustered and disoriented carrying all of that stuff on the metro. So someone thought that they could try and pickpocket me!!! I am always very aware of my pockets on subways and noticed a little nudge from the guy standing next to me. I looked down and saw his hand move away from my leg. I looked him in the eye to let him know that I was aware and kept my eyes down, looking at my pocket. I saw and felt his finger slip into my pocket so I moved out of the way looked him in the eyes again and shook my head no. I put my hand in my pocket which made him look sad that I had caught him and then he got off the train... I can't believe people sometimes!
Anyways, I am in line at the airport and I have about two hours until my flight. I am a bit nervous because the lines are huge... I hope I make my flight!
Something also happened along the way that kind of made me mad. Obviously most people would be flustered and disoriented carrying all of that stuff on the metro. So someone thought that they could try and pickpocket me!!! I am always very aware of my pockets on subways and noticed a little nudge from the guy standing next to me. I looked down and saw his hand move away from my leg. I looked him in the eye to let him know that I was aware and kept my eyes down, looking at my pocket. I saw and felt his finger slip into my pocket so I moved out of the way looked him in the eyes again and shook my head no. I put my hand in my pocket which made him look sad that I had caught him and then he got off the train... I can't believe people sometimes!
Anyways, I am in line at the airport and I have about two hours until my flight. I am a bit nervous because the lines are huge... I hope I make my flight!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Last Night
I guess it snowed last night in Madrid, but I'm not writing about last night... I am writing about my last night here! Right now I am sitting at Mercado de la Reina - the restaurant that Jefe, Manelay, and I frequented during the first week here. A lot has happened over the past few months. In fact, I even wrote a little document on what I gained, but I don't know if I want to post it ;)
Anyways, I have to wait here for another hour before they start dinner and I'm alone, so I'll be bored!
Can't wait to see you all tomorrow!
Anyways, I have to wait here for another hour before they start dinner and I'm alone, so I'll be bored!
Can't wait to see you all tomorrow!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Aiport Hotel
My last few days in Florence were very relaxed. The Boboli Gardens were closed when I went the other day, so I went today. I wandered around for a couple of hours, listening to music and enjoying the scenery. I also met up with the two girls I met on the plane ride to Europe. It was their last day of school so we went to a club to celebrate :)
The clock is ticking down. I am in the Milan Malpensa airport on my way back to Madrid. My flight leaves at 7 am and the airport is a good hour away from any hostel, so I decided to rough it and sleep on a bench tonight inside the airport! I feel like a bum, but there is a first time for everything!
Anyways, once I am in Madrid I only have 4 more nights left... I am both sad and happy :)
The clock is ticking down. I am in the Milan Malpensa airport on my way back to Madrid. My flight leaves at 7 am and the airport is a good hour away from any hostel, so I decided to rough it and sleep on a bench tonight inside the airport! I feel like a bum, but there is a first time for everything!
Anyways, once I am in Madrid I only have 4 more nights left... I am both sad and happy :)
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Florence
Florence has been pretty amazing so far. I saw the David two days ago and it was breathtaking! It is soooo huuge - something like 13 feet tall. I can't believe that someone could carve such a magnificent work of art out of stone!
Today I am visiting the Boboli Gardens which are supposed to be beautiful :)
Today I am visiting the Boboli Gardens which are supposed to be beautiful :)
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Final Countdown!
I just realized that I only have ten days left! Time flies when you are having fun!
The last few days in Switzerland were amazing! The snow stayed great and I mastered the 180 and accidentally did a 360 off of a small jump. Last night we went to a club, so I am a bit tired. Right now I am on a bus to Milan where I will catch a bus or train to Florence.
I am excited to see more of Italy and hope to do a bike tour through the Chianti region in the next couple of days. After Florence I head to Venice and then back to Spain for my last five days.
I can't believe this adventure is coming to an end, but I am excited to come home!
The last few days in Switzerland were amazing! The snow stayed great and I mastered the 180 and accidentally did a 360 off of a small jump. Last night we went to a club, so I am a bit tired. Right now I am on a bus to Milan where I will catch a bus or train to Florence.
I am excited to see more of Italy and hope to do a bike tour through the Chianti region in the next couple of days. After Florence I head to Venice and then back to Spain for my last five days.
I can't believe this adventure is coming to an end, but I am excited to come home!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Best day of snowboarding in my entire life!!!
Unlimited powder, no lines, fresh snow = Best day ever!!!!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Corviglia Day 2!
This morning we woke up at 6:30 so we could be the first people on the slopes. It snowed about 4 or 5 inches last night, so there was powder everywhere! But, when we got to the top, it was so snowy and windy that you couldn't see two feet in front of you. Luiggi stayed at the lodge while I went down the mountain to check and see if the conditions were ok for his level of expertise. It was, so we snowboarded for a couple of hours and now we are eating.
The sun is now shining and I am ready to hit the powdery slopes again!
The sun is now shining and I am ready to hit the powdery slopes again!
Monday, December 7, 2009
A day in the Swiss Alps!
I had so much fun today! Corviglia, the resort we snowboarded at, was fun, huge, amazing, breath-taking, and overall one of the best places I have ever snowboarded at!
Again, I feel so lucky! Tonight we are having lasagna and then we are at it again tomorrow!
Love and miss you all!
Again, I feel so lucky! Tonight we are having lasagna and then we are at it again tomorrow!
Love and miss you all!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Crisis Averted!
So I didn't miss the plane after all! My cab got there about 5 minutes after it was supposed to have departed so I ran immediately to the front of the check-in line and asked if it had left. She said yes and then paused for a second and ran to the gate. She then ran back and told me to go get my ticket stamped and to run to the plane.
After flying through the airport, I ran onto the runway and ran into the plane - only to hear the loudspeaker saying that we would be arriving late "due to late passengers". :) Whoops!
Anyways, I landed safely in Milan to find Luiggi and our yellow Fiat waiting. We drove to St. Moritz, Switzerland (with me getting sick twice along the way). I guess small car and windy mountain roads = car sickness!
Upon arrival we rented our gear and snowboarded the alps! It was incredible! So, for the next 5 days, I will be in the Alps in my friends cabin enjoying life!!!!
Life is good!
After flying through the airport, I ran onto the runway and ran into the plane - only to hear the loudspeaker saying that we would be arriving late "due to late passengers". :) Whoops!
Anyways, I landed safely in Milan to find Luiggi and our yellow Fiat waiting. We drove to St. Moritz, Switzerland (with me getting sick twice along the way). I guess small car and windy mountain roads = car sickness!
Upon arrival we rented our gear and snowboarded the alps! It was incredible! So, for the next 5 days, I will be in the Alps in my friends cabin enjoying life!!!!
Life is good!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
In case you were wondering...
It pays to be honest...
Today I was riding the metro with two girl from my tour who decided they didn't want to pay. I decided that I would pay because that is what I do. Anyways, they got caught immediately and had to pay €50
I guess it both pays AND saves to be honest ;)
Today I was riding the metro with two girl from my tour who decided they didn't want to pay. I decided that I would pay because that is what I do. Anyways, they got caught immediately and had to pay €50
I guess it both pays AND saves to be honest ;)
Paris - Day 1
Paris has been incredible so far! I decided to do another free walking tour and we have seen most of the main sites so far! (The Lourve, the Eiffel Tower, the Latin District, and Notre Dame). We are only half way through so I'll write more about it later :)
Oh yea, and I just found out I get into all of the museums for free because I am under 26 and have a student visa!!!
Oh yea, and I just found out I get into all of the museums for free because I am under 26 and have a student visa!!!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Last Day in Rome and a Few Hours in Madrid
The last day in Rome was just as incredible as the rest, although I had to deal with the customs office in Spain for most of the morning (on the phone)... Anyways, after that debacle, I went to the Roman Forum and the Hill where the palace used to be. Walking through these particular ancient grounds was amazing. I really started to feel like I knew what it was like to live during those times.
My final night consisted of an amazing meal followed by a movie at the hostel... GLADIATOR! :) It was perfect!
This morning was kind of crazy, I arrived in Madrid early in the morning and then had to deal with customs at FedEx for a few hours. Then, I was off moving my suitcases from one end of town to the next. I am still waiting to get them to their final destination, but everything is packed and ready to go!
Only 20 more days!!! I am excited and sad. I know that these next 20 days are going to fly by so fast. This experience has been incredible. I am going to just keep enjoying every second. Even little hiccups this like the one this morning don't phase me. I've learned to just take a deep breath and move along with the flow - enjoy the little things.
I'll keep updating you all via my Blackberry, but unfortunately I won't be able to show anymore photos until I get home. Then I will spend hours finishing up this blog!
My final night consisted of an amazing meal followed by a movie at the hostel... GLADIATOR! :) It was perfect!
This morning was kind of crazy, I arrived in Madrid early in the morning and then had to deal with customs at FedEx for a few hours. Then, I was off moving my suitcases from one end of town to the next. I am still waiting to get them to their final destination, but everything is packed and ready to go!
Only 20 more days!!! I am excited and sad. I know that these next 20 days are going to fly by so fast. This experience has been incredible. I am going to just keep enjoying every second. Even little hiccups this like the one this morning don't phase me. I've learned to just take a deep breath and move along with the flow - enjoy the little things.
I'll keep updating you all via my Blackberry, but unfortunately I won't be able to show anymore photos until I get home. Then I will spend hours finishing up this blog!
Monday, November 30, 2009
ROME!
I have no idea why I haven't been updating my blog... I have a computer at the hostel and everything!
My first day here was pretty jam packed with site seeing. I asked the front desk at the hostel where I should go and he drew me a loop with about 10 sites and said I could do them all in one day - which was almost accurate... I couldn't quite do them all :)
The first thing I saw was the Santa Maria Maggiore. It is a beautiful church that is right down the street from our hostel. It was pretty impressive during the day, but it is gorgeous at night! In the evening it has this sort of surreal aura to it. It's almost eerie... I know, it is weird to describe a church like that, but it is really different :)
Anyways, my next stop was to the Piazza della Repubblica. The plaza had a very old brick church (if I remember correctly) that was dedicated to the great scientists of our times - namely, Galileo Galilee. I found it quite interesting to have a church dedicated to science, but then I realized that they were simply trying to say that through science we can discover the beauty that God has created for us. There was a very neat stain glass dome with pictures of stars. I will put in a photo later, but I don't know if you will be able to see the details. One other cool thing that I liked about this particular church was a video that they had playing in a back room. It was an experiment that a man conducted on the moon that proved Galileo's theory that if you dropped a hammer and a feather at the same time on the moon that they would hit the ground at the same time, as the moon has no atmosphere. Anyways, watching a hammer and a feather drop and hit at the same time was pretty cool!
My next stop was at the Trinita del Monti, which I didn't know where the Spanish steps until this morning - three days later :) Anyways, they were pretty cool, but I hear that if you go at night time, they are packed with people.
Later, I went to the Piazza del Popolo, but I don't really remember what was there... I guess when I update the blog with photos later, I will be able to fill you in on it a little more!
Next, I made my way to the Pantheon! Apparently it was dedicated to all of the gods of Ancient Rome and actually means "all gods" in Greek. It has the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world - which is pretty impressive considering that it was built over 2,000 years ago! Another interesting fact is that the famous artist Raphael is buried there because it used to function as a tomb as well.
My next stop was the Fonta di Trevi or Trevi Fountain. It was the most impressive fountain that I have ever seen. I believe that it is made almost completely out of marble or some other stone. The carved figures are all Roman of course and they are huge! The water falls surround them... truly incredible. I can't wait to show pictures of this one! On last fact is that supposedly 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain DAILY! The proceeds are used to help the needy. Also, it is said that if you throw a coin in the fountain, you are sure to return to Rome in the future. I guess I am going to see Rome again sometime!
My final stop before seeing the Roman Coliseum was the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II. An incredibly huge monument that I can only describe with photos. This too is incredibly beautiful at night. It seems as if all of Rome is lit up at night.
My final stop was the Roman Coliseum, which I will visit the inside of today. Let's just say that at night, this site is epic! I found myself imagining what it would have been like in the past - gladiators, chariots, lions, horses, fighting, and thousands of people. I am really excited to tour the inside today!
So that was day one, I will have to update you about the Vatican Museum later tonight! I hope everyone is doing well! I haven't heard from you all in a few days!!! Must not miss me that much ;) haha
My first day here was pretty jam packed with site seeing. I asked the front desk at the hostel where I should go and he drew me a loop with about 10 sites and said I could do them all in one day - which was almost accurate... I couldn't quite do them all :)
The first thing I saw was the Santa Maria Maggiore. It is a beautiful church that is right down the street from our hostel. It was pretty impressive during the day, but it is gorgeous at night! In the evening it has this sort of surreal aura to it. It's almost eerie... I know, it is weird to describe a church like that, but it is really different :)
Anyways, my next stop was to the Piazza della Repubblica. The plaza had a very old brick church (if I remember correctly) that was dedicated to the great scientists of our times - namely, Galileo Galilee. I found it quite interesting to have a church dedicated to science, but then I realized that they were simply trying to say that through science we can discover the beauty that God has created for us. There was a very neat stain glass dome with pictures of stars. I will put in a photo later, but I don't know if you will be able to see the details. One other cool thing that I liked about this particular church was a video that they had playing in a back room. It was an experiment that a man conducted on the moon that proved Galileo's theory that if you dropped a hammer and a feather at the same time on the moon that they would hit the ground at the same time, as the moon has no atmosphere. Anyways, watching a hammer and a feather drop and hit at the same time was pretty cool!
My next stop was at the Trinita del Monti, which I didn't know where the Spanish steps until this morning - three days later :) Anyways, they were pretty cool, but I hear that if you go at night time, they are packed with people.
Later, I went to the Piazza del Popolo, but I don't really remember what was there... I guess when I update the blog with photos later, I will be able to fill you in on it a little more!
Next, I made my way to the Pantheon! Apparently it was dedicated to all of the gods of Ancient Rome and actually means "all gods" in Greek. It has the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world - which is pretty impressive considering that it was built over 2,000 years ago! Another interesting fact is that the famous artist Raphael is buried there because it used to function as a tomb as well.
My next stop was the Fonta di Trevi or Trevi Fountain. It was the most impressive fountain that I have ever seen. I believe that it is made almost completely out of marble or some other stone. The carved figures are all Roman of course and they are huge! The water falls surround them... truly incredible. I can't wait to show pictures of this one! On last fact is that supposedly 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain DAILY! The proceeds are used to help the needy. Also, it is said that if you throw a coin in the fountain, you are sure to return to Rome in the future. I guess I am going to see Rome again sometime!
My final stop before seeing the Roman Coliseum was the Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II. An incredibly huge monument that I can only describe with photos. This too is incredibly beautiful at night. It seems as if all of Rome is lit up at night.
My final stop was the Roman Coliseum, which I will visit the inside of today. Let's just say that at night, this site is epic! I found myself imagining what it would have been like in the past - gladiators, chariots, lions, horses, fighting, and thousands of people. I am really excited to tour the inside today!
So that was day one, I will have to update you about the Vatican Museum later tonight! I hope everyone is doing well! I haven't heard from you all in a few days!!! Must not miss me that much ;) haha
Saturday, November 28, 2009
The Vatican Day I
Today I am visiting Vatican City! But I won't be seeing all of it because I found out that, since tomorrow is the last Sunday of the month, I can go for free!
So now I am going to St. Peter's Basilica and then probably to the inside of the Coliseum :)
Rome has been great so far! I am staying at the Chianti Hostel. It has a very friendly staff and the people are all social and fun! I'll update you all later on what I've been up to more detail (I'm about to go through security at the Basilica!!!
So now I am going to St. Peter's Basilica and then probably to the inside of the Coliseum :)
Rome has been great so far! I am staying at the Chianti Hostel. It has a very friendly staff and the people are all social and fun! I'll update you all later on what I've been up to more detail (I'm about to go through security at the Basilica!!!
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