...Dont Know When We Will be Back Again...
We were happy to particpate in festivities as Germany won third place in the world cup!!! We also found out that when walking around in Heidelberg in Germany gear people assume you are German. We had at least four people ask us for directions, some in English and some in German haha.
That evening there was fireworks too! We do not know what they were celebrating but it was a very spectacular and long display. There were so many people and we all ohhed and awed in unison haha.
The next day we left Heidelberg and went to Regensberg, a medieval town on the Danube River. We enjoyed the ambiance of the town and soaked up the local culture...by relaxing and eating :). It was a perfect end to our travel through Europe.
We do not think that we are quite ready to go home but are currently at a hotel in Zurich...we will be on a plane in less then twelve hours. (Also when we arrived in Zurich today it was raining... so it has rained in every country we have been in.) It has truely been a wonderful journey and thanks to all those who have followed our blog. We are looking forward to conversing with all of you in English upon our return. :)
See you back in the USA!!!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
We LOVE Heidelberg!
We are in Heidelberg, Germany!
We arrived yesterday and it was hot (like Fresno weather right now). But checking into our hostel made eveything better, our double room is twice the size of our eight person room the night before. Crazy! Our hostel reminds us of freshman year in the dorms, it could be a dorm as we are very close to the university but we don´t know. We do know that our room is big, it has closets, desks, a private shower and bath, and we can do cartwheels in the middle. Awesome!!!
After we came back to reality we decided to go explore the city. We went on a nice walk with some awesome views of the town. We crossed the old bridge to enter the old city center with beautiful towers and a big gate. We stumbled upon a church that happened to be having an organ concert...so we went! We might have been the only tourists there. The music was remarkable and it was fun to hear all of the different tones an organ can produce.
Following the relaxing time in the cool church we went back into the heat and strolled along cobbled streets. We ate dinner at a nice bier garten and talked to some nice locals.
Today we slept in (it was amazing!!!) and had a great breakfast at our hostel (along with 300 students attending a science and technology conference).
Later on in the day we ended up in the Student Prison...it was a museum from when the university had jurisdiction over its students from 1712 to 1914. We both fun and were entertained by stories, and the graffiti on the walls. If a student did not go to prison it was considered uncool...so cool!!! We also saw old lecture halls and a university museum.
Then we went to the castle on top of the hill. We wondered around enjoying the ruins and the views from the top. We also saw the largest wine barrel...it can hold 220000 liters of wine...man, that is alot of wine. We went to the pharmacy museum and the castle gardens.
Soon we are heading out to watch the World Cup game and are all decked out in Germany gear. So needless to say...GO DEUTSCHLAND!!!!
We arrived yesterday and it was hot (like Fresno weather right now). But checking into our hostel made eveything better, our double room is twice the size of our eight person room the night before. Crazy! Our hostel reminds us of freshman year in the dorms, it could be a dorm as we are very close to the university but we don´t know. We do know that our room is big, it has closets, desks, a private shower and bath, and we can do cartwheels in the middle. Awesome!!!
After we came back to reality we decided to go explore the city. We went on a nice walk with some awesome views of the town. We crossed the old bridge to enter the old city center with beautiful towers and a big gate. We stumbled upon a church that happened to be having an organ concert...so we went! We might have been the only tourists there. The music was remarkable and it was fun to hear all of the different tones an organ can produce.
Following the relaxing time in the cool church we went back into the heat and strolled along cobbled streets. We ate dinner at a nice bier garten and talked to some nice locals.
Today we slept in (it was amazing!!!) and had a great breakfast at our hostel (along with 300 students attending a science and technology conference).
Later on in the day we ended up in the Student Prison...it was a museum from when the university had jurisdiction over its students from 1712 to 1914. We both fun and were entertained by stories, and the graffiti on the walls. If a student did not go to prison it was considered uncool...so cool!!! We also saw old lecture halls and a university museum.
Then we went to the castle on top of the hill. We wondered around enjoying the ruins and the views from the top. We also saw the largest wine barrel...it can hold 220000 liters of wine...man, that is alot of wine. We went to the pharmacy museum and the castle gardens.
Soon we are heading out to watch the World Cup game and are all decked out in Germany gear. So needless to say...GO DEUTSCHLAND!!!!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Mountain Explorers
Today we had quite an adventure. We got up early and went to the train station, our first destination was Grindelwald. The scenery was beautiful and we walked around the town enjoying the small shops, views, and cows with bells (well Katie did).
We took the train up to Kleine Scheidegg (2061 m). Which we pronounce as kline shin-dig. haha, but dont worry that is an inside joke. Here we had stunning views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountaions. (We can also see the Jungfrau from our hostel). We did a down hill and then uphill hike. It was hot but the views were worth it. The mountains are so amazing. Breathtaking views the entire time.
Up next we went to the Lauterbrunnen Valley. We first went to the Staubbach waterfall. Then we walked the length of the valley (which was longer than we thought) and enjoyed the views of the sheer cliff faces, big mountains in the background, and green. So beautiful. We waited for people to base jump but did not see any. =( We did talk to a great older couple from Monteray while we waited.
Back on the train home we talked to a couple with kids from Davis. Its a small world after all....
We cooked dinner again tonight. Lots of pasta and we ate a lot too... a lot a lot. =) We still dont know where we are going tomorrow. We will let you know. We are deciding before we go to bed.
=)
We took the train up to Kleine Scheidegg (2061 m). Which we pronounce as kline shin-dig. haha, but dont worry that is an inside joke. Here we had stunning views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountaions. (We can also see the Jungfrau from our hostel). We did a down hill and then uphill hike. It was hot but the views were worth it. The mountains are so amazing. Breathtaking views the entire time.
Up next we went to the Lauterbrunnen Valley. We first went to the Staubbach waterfall. Then we walked the length of the valley (which was longer than we thought) and enjoyed the views of the sheer cliff faces, big mountains in the background, and green. So beautiful. We waited for people to base jump but did not see any. =( We did talk to a great older couple from Monteray while we waited.
Back on the train home we talked to a couple with kids from Davis. Its a small world after all....
We cooked dinner again tonight. Lots of pasta and we ate a lot too... a lot a lot. =) We still dont know where we are going tomorrow. We will let you know. We are deciding before we go to bed.
=)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Germany LOST =(
So we had a great day but then Germany just lost against Spain so that had to ruin it all... sad face. Man, the game was intense and our hostel even played it in ENGLISH which was amazing...but they still lost. =( Now the question is where to go next? Since we were hoping to go back to Germany for the final. Any ideas??
Back to reality, yesterday we arrived in Interlacken, Switzerland and found our hostel Balmers. It feels like a summer camp-college party town. But it is wonderful to speak English with all of the other American travelers and share travel stories.
Today we went kayaking on Lake Thundersee near Interlacken. It was so beautiful with views of the mountains. We enjoyed the peace and quiet as well. Then we went swimming in super super cold water (it took us a very long time to jump in but everyone else was doing it.. haha). It was refreshing to say the least.
We have forgotten to mention that we have been cooking dinner lately. It has been so wondrful. We cooked all of our dinners in Innsbruck and expirimented with what we could subsitute for missing ingredients. Grocery shopping in German is always interesting. haha
On a side note, Katie has become a broken record proclaiming `It is so pretty` on train rides, hikes, walks, kayaks, and just about everywhere we go. Makenna is starting to sound like a broken record too with her consistant agreements of yes it is. =)
That is all for now, tomorrow we are going hiking, exploring the Lauterburnen Valley, and hope to watch base jumpers free fall (thanks to the tip from a local worker who likes to come to the hostel Beer Garden to mingle with internationals).
Pretty cool to be here... still sad Germany lost... Update soon.
Back to reality, yesterday we arrived in Interlacken, Switzerland and found our hostel Balmers. It feels like a summer camp-college party town. But it is wonderful to speak English with all of the other American travelers and share travel stories.
Today we went kayaking on Lake Thundersee near Interlacken. It was so beautiful with views of the mountains. We enjoyed the peace and quiet as well. Then we went swimming in super super cold water (it took us a very long time to jump in but everyone else was doing it.. haha). It was refreshing to say the least.
We have forgotten to mention that we have been cooking dinner lately. It has been so wondrful. We cooked all of our dinners in Innsbruck and expirimented with what we could subsitute for missing ingredients. Grocery shopping in German is always interesting. haha
On a side note, Katie has become a broken record proclaiming `It is so pretty` on train rides, hikes, walks, kayaks, and just about everywhere we go. Makenna is starting to sound like a broken record too with her consistant agreements of yes it is. =)
That is all for now, tomorrow we are going hiking, exploring the Lauterburnen Valley, and hope to watch base jumpers free fall (thanks to the tip from a local worker who likes to come to the hostel Beer Garden to mingle with internationals).
Pretty cool to be here... still sad Germany lost... Update soon.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
It is Raining Again...
We thought it had to happen sometime...so far Switzerland is the only place it has not rained. Luckily, in two hours we board a train to go to Interlaken, Switzerland.
So our plans to go hiking on the 4th changed. It was Sunday and in Austria it appears the whole city (including supermarkets) are closed. So since we could not get food for the hike and it was starting to sprinkle we decided to postpone the hike.
Instead we went to an Austrian Alpine Museum...it was so cool! We saw all sorts of old hiking gear, pictures, journals, and other interesting things. We liked it very much and it made us excited to go hiking.
That evening we went out and had a beer and some freedom fries to celebrate the fourth of July. haha
The next day we did go hiking!!! We rode the bus to Hunderburg, elevation 860 meters. Then we hiked up the mountian to three different huts...our highest point we reached was Bodenstein Alm, elevation 1661 meters. We had lunch and enjoyed the beautiful view. We could see the ski jump and ice arena where the winter olymics were held many years ago...so exciting! We saw cows on our hike with little bells (Katie thought it was adorable). The hike the fun and we didn't feel sore at all and we never got lost! GO US!!!
That night we went to a Tyrolean Evening performance, it was full of folk dancing, shoeplattelning, Tryolean flok songs and yodeling,and traditional Austrian instruments. We did not stop smiling and took many videos throughout the whole evening. We are not sure how to discribe it so you will just have to wait and see the videos when we get back.
This morning we woke up and discovered we are indeed sore from our hike, it was very, very uphill (but worth the view). The grim reality is settling in that we only have a week left...we are not ready to leave.
On to Switzerland and the World Cup is on tonight!!! =)
So our plans to go hiking on the 4th changed. It was Sunday and in Austria it appears the whole city (including supermarkets) are closed. So since we could not get food for the hike and it was starting to sprinkle we decided to postpone the hike.
Instead we went to an Austrian Alpine Museum...it was so cool! We saw all sorts of old hiking gear, pictures, journals, and other interesting things. We liked it very much and it made us excited to go hiking.
That evening we went out and had a beer and some freedom fries to celebrate the fourth of July. haha
The next day we did go hiking!!! We rode the bus to Hunderburg, elevation 860 meters. Then we hiked up the mountian to three different huts...our highest point we reached was Bodenstein Alm, elevation 1661 meters. We had lunch and enjoyed the beautiful view. We could see the ski jump and ice arena where the winter olymics were held many years ago...so exciting! We saw cows on our hike with little bells (Katie thought it was adorable). The hike the fun and we didn't feel sore at all and we never got lost! GO US!!!
That night we went to a Tyrolean Evening performance, it was full of folk dancing, shoeplattelning, Tryolean flok songs and yodeling,and traditional Austrian instruments. We did not stop smiling and took many videos throughout the whole evening. We are not sure how to discribe it so you will just have to wait and see the videos when we get back.
This morning we woke up and discovered we are indeed sore from our hike, it was very, very uphill (but worth the view). The grim reality is settling in that we only have a week left...we are not ready to leave.
On to Switzerland and the World Cup is on tonight!!! =)
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Bike, Swim, Cheer!
Hello!! Sorry for the delay we have been void of internet. So we´ll get you all caught up.
When we last blogged we were on our way to Bregenz. We actually stayed in Hard, Austria. Which is a 10 minutes bus ride from Bregenz but is actually not hard at all to find. We went and asked the bus office how to get there and they printed out a map and everything, wow! What a concept!! We found our hostel no problem and our beds were not hard! The room was great! Junges Hostel Hard. Nice place. Now that the hard travel part was over on to fun!
We spent the afternoon (July 1) at Lake Constance. We swam, ate, and read for over 4 hours and were just a little burnt in the end. It was so relaxing and nice! Very fun to people watch too. We could communicate with everyone that the water was cold when you first got in with hand gestures and facial expressions! Go us!
The next day we rented BIKES! Which is not hard to do in Hard! We really wanted to rent them because all the non-tourists ride them around. We wanted to fit in, the previous day we think we only saw about 10 pedestrians!! Our plan was to ride one direction around the lake and then return. So we headed east, found lunch at a market along the way, stopped a few times to enjoy the view, and then realized something peculiar. The license plates had changed and we were most definitely in Germany again!! We saw a sign that said Bregenz was 9.3 km away!! (Hard was a 45 minutes bike ride to Bregenz). We hadn´t realiyed we had gone so far because the views were sooo beautiful! Although our bottoms were beginning to tell us yes we had indeed gone that far! We had lunch watching a dog play fetch in the water and then headed back. We went swimming on the way back and returned our bikes. Wonderful day!
In the evening we stumbled upon what appeared to be some sort of competition at the lake, so we watched. Three teams were making rafts out of trashcans, wood, and rope. Then they put their creations in the lake and paddled around! What fun!
We also watched the Uruguay vs. Ghana game that evening with locals. It was a lovely senery and great game, except the mosquitos came out in FULL FORCE! We both look like our legs have chicken poxs!!! They look rather discuting and we are doig our best not to itch!!!
So we are done with all the Hard stuff and on July 3 we headed to Innsbruck. We got to Innsbruck in the afternoon and found our adorable hostel! It is in the center of town and is old and cute (Nepomuck´s B&B). After getting settled we headed off to watch the Germany vs. Argentina game! WOW what a game! We watched at a public viewing area, there were both Germany and Argentina fans! It was quite hot but Radler made it better. haha Go Germany!
Today, Happy Fourth of July!!, we went to church at Dom St. Jacob. The organ gave us goosebumps and the choir was incredible! We did not understand a word but still had a very nice time. Beautiful church as well.
This afternoon we are going on a hike in the hills. Then we plan to do something to celebrate the 4th of July! =)
Until later! Enjoy the fireworks for us!!
p.s. the y and z are in different places in case there are a few mistakes
When we last blogged we were on our way to Bregenz. We actually stayed in Hard, Austria. Which is a 10 minutes bus ride from Bregenz but is actually not hard at all to find. We went and asked the bus office how to get there and they printed out a map and everything, wow! What a concept!! We found our hostel no problem and our beds were not hard! The room was great! Junges Hostel Hard. Nice place. Now that the hard travel part was over on to fun!
We spent the afternoon (July 1) at Lake Constance. We swam, ate, and read for over 4 hours and were just a little burnt in the end. It was so relaxing and nice! Very fun to people watch too. We could communicate with everyone that the water was cold when you first got in with hand gestures and facial expressions! Go us!
The next day we rented BIKES! Which is not hard to do in Hard! We really wanted to rent them because all the non-tourists ride them around. We wanted to fit in, the previous day we think we only saw about 10 pedestrians!! Our plan was to ride one direction around the lake and then return. So we headed east, found lunch at a market along the way, stopped a few times to enjoy the view, and then realized something peculiar. The license plates had changed and we were most definitely in Germany again!! We saw a sign that said Bregenz was 9.3 km away!! (Hard was a 45 minutes bike ride to Bregenz). We hadn´t realiyed we had gone so far because the views were sooo beautiful! Although our bottoms were beginning to tell us yes we had indeed gone that far! We had lunch watching a dog play fetch in the water and then headed back. We went swimming on the way back and returned our bikes. Wonderful day!
In the evening we stumbled upon what appeared to be some sort of competition at the lake, so we watched. Three teams were making rafts out of trashcans, wood, and rope. Then they put their creations in the lake and paddled around! What fun!
We also watched the Uruguay vs. Ghana game that evening with locals. It was a lovely senery and great game, except the mosquitos came out in FULL FORCE! We both look like our legs have chicken poxs!!! They look rather discuting and we are doig our best not to itch!!!
So we are done with all the Hard stuff and on July 3 we headed to Innsbruck. We got to Innsbruck in the afternoon and found our adorable hostel! It is in the center of town and is old and cute (Nepomuck´s B&B). After getting settled we headed off to watch the Germany vs. Argentina game! WOW what a game! We watched at a public viewing area, there were both Germany and Argentina fans! It was quite hot but Radler made it better. haha Go Germany!
Today, Happy Fourth of July!!, we went to church at Dom St. Jacob. The organ gave us goosebumps and the choir was incredible! We did not understand a word but still had a very nice time. Beautiful church as well.
This afternoon we are going on a hike in the hills. Then we plan to do something to celebrate the 4th of July! =)
Until later! Enjoy the fireworks for us!!
p.s. the y and z are in different places in case there are a few mistakes
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Germany to Switzerland, Next up Austria
Greetings from Zurich (again). This morning we saw Cassie off at the airport... so the trio is now a duo. Cassie had no problems checking in and will be arriving in San Francisco this evening. It was sad to see her go but know she will have fun with her family and boyfriend in Seattle.
The rest of our stay in Germany was wonderful. We spent one day shopping in Köln with Maria and Franzi, it was fun to not feel like tourists. At some points we felt like we were shopping at home due to every store playing American music. So weird. In some stores the music choice did not match the atmosphere at all...haha.
The next day we traveled to Schaffhausen to meet up with Flo (Marias boyfriend). We explored the Rhine Fall, the biggest waterfall in Europe. We took a series of boat rides and climbed a boulder in the middle of the falls...SO COOL!
That evening we had a marvolous dinner at Flos parents house, which is in the Black Forest in Southern Germany. It was again another evening of great food, laughs, and excellent company.
The next morning (yesterday) we said goodbye to Maria and Franzi and thanked them for showing us around Germany. The rest of the day Flo played tour guide...we saw the largest coo-coo clock in the world, the tallest waterfall in Germany, and part of Lake Constance. After our wonderful day of adventures Flo dropped us off at the train station and we headed to Zurich.
During this German chapter of our trip Katie learned how to speak some German from Franzi. She can say "Hello. Excuse me. My name is Katie. How do you get to the main train station? I dont speak German, please use English. Thank you." And good night or good day depending on the situation. The best part was eating dinner last night, Katie said thank you to the waiter in German he replied in German "Oh you speak German" and then began rambling the specials in German. We stopped him and Katie used her sentence "I dont speak German please use English"... the waiter gave a hearty laugh and started the specials in English. Way to go!
Today Makenna and Katie are adventuring to Bregenz, Austria. It is on Lake Constance (we liked it so much we want to explore some more of the lake). Our plan is to swim and relax on the beach.
We will let you know how it goes. :)
The rest of our stay in Germany was wonderful. We spent one day shopping in Köln with Maria and Franzi, it was fun to not feel like tourists. At some points we felt like we were shopping at home due to every store playing American music. So weird. In some stores the music choice did not match the atmosphere at all...haha.
The next day we traveled to Schaffhausen to meet up with Flo (Marias boyfriend). We explored the Rhine Fall, the biggest waterfall in Europe. We took a series of boat rides and climbed a boulder in the middle of the falls...SO COOL!
That evening we had a marvolous dinner at Flos parents house, which is in the Black Forest in Southern Germany. It was again another evening of great food, laughs, and excellent company.
The next morning (yesterday) we said goodbye to Maria and Franzi and thanked them for showing us around Germany. The rest of the day Flo played tour guide...we saw the largest coo-coo clock in the world, the tallest waterfall in Germany, and part of Lake Constance. After our wonderful day of adventures Flo dropped us off at the train station and we headed to Zurich.
During this German chapter of our trip Katie learned how to speak some German from Franzi. She can say "Hello. Excuse me. My name is Katie. How do you get to the main train station? I dont speak German, please use English. Thank you." And good night or good day depending on the situation. The best part was eating dinner last night, Katie said thank you to the waiter in German he replied in German "Oh you speak German" and then began rambling the specials in German. We stopped him and Katie used her sentence "I dont speak German please use English"... the waiter gave a hearty laugh and started the specials in English. Way to go!
Today Makenna and Katie are adventuring to Bregenz, Austria. It is on Lake Constance (we liked it so much we want to explore some more of the lake). Our plan is to swim and relax on the beach.
We will let you know how it goes. :)
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Now it is too hot...
We are currently in Köln, Maria's hometown. We arrived last night and were greeted by her warm, loving family and lots of food. It was our first home cooked meal since we have been gone...much needed and appreciated. We enjoyed the dinner of lots of meat (literally there were three different types to try), bread, cous cous, salad, and Köln beer. The conversation switched back and forth from German to English with many laughs and explanations. Dinner lasted about four hours and we went to bed feeling full and happy.
THis morning we repeated the food event with breakfast, lasting an hour plus. We wish we had breakfast like this all the time. Yum Yum!!! After breakfast we went to city center, Hauptbahnhof (the train station). We saw the most famous cathedral in the city...it was not destroyed in WWII and is one of the oldest churches in Germany. Then we walked across a famous bridge...where people put locks along the fence representing special occasions. There were so many!!! And thanks to Maria and her parents we added our own to the collection. Then as tradition states we threw the keys into the Rhine River. So cool!
It was getting quite warm by now...actually way too hot according to Katie and Cassie. We went up to one of the only tall buildings in Köln to get a great 360 degree view. Afterwards we enjoying a cool drink with Maria‘s mom and watched people walk by the Rhine River.
The next goal was to find a place to watch Germany vs. England soccer match. We went to a biergarten in a park. It was extremely packed with German fans, but by the middle of the first half we had two chairs to share between the five of us...and we managed to fit four of us on those two chairs. Go us!!! It was an intense game and Germany came out victorious, 4 to 1 win! On our walk to dinner it looked like Köln had morphed into a drunk parade times a thousand on every street and street corner. We have never seen so many flags, heard so many honking cars, or just plain happy people celebrating in the streets. It was truly fascinating and slightly ridiculous to see, but the enthusiasm was contagious.
We had dinner at a different biergarten, walked around Köln, and then came home to Maria‘s house. We are excited for tomorrow‘s adventures. Nothing on the schedule...just going to go with the flow. Ahhhhhh...
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Guten Morgen
That is good morning...to all of you non-German speakers.
This morning we slept in; which is a crazy concept in our world. It was much needed. Yesterday we arrived in Munich at 8:30am to meet Maria and her friend Franzi. We were greeted with big smiles and hugs and got some breakfast. Cassie finally got her Starbucks coffee.
Then we got in the car (which seemed unusual and was very welcomed) and went to the Neuschwanstein castle. This is the castle that Disney modeled the Cinderella castle after. It is even more incredible than Disney makes it look...It is certainly fairytale status and every little girls dream to visit...we were just like those little girls in princess heaven.
We then drove back to Munich and went to the famous Hofbräuhaus for dinner. It is the most famous beergarden in Munich, it is a typical Bavarian beergarden. We had Radler, which is a combo of lemonade and beer, and why it is not in America is beyond us! It really should be! We also had typical Bavarian meals that were outstanding and certainly satisfied our craving.
We wandered around Munich looking at farmers markets and shops after dinner. Then drove to Bayreuth, where Maria and Franzi go to university.
Today we are going to explore Wagner's Hall and other Bayreuth specailties, of course that is after a wonderfully prepared breakfast at Maria's with Flo, her boyfriend, (We met Flo when he came to visit Maria in the States and she lived with Cassie) and his brother.
Food is calling...
This morning we slept in; which is a crazy concept in our world. It was much needed. Yesterday we arrived in Munich at 8:30am to meet Maria and her friend Franzi. We were greeted with big smiles and hugs and got some breakfast. Cassie finally got her Starbucks coffee.
Then we got in the car (which seemed unusual and was very welcomed) and went to the Neuschwanstein castle. This is the castle that Disney modeled the Cinderella castle after. It is even more incredible than Disney makes it look...It is certainly fairytale status and every little girls dream to visit...we were just like those little girls in princess heaven.
We then drove back to Munich and went to the famous Hofbräuhaus for dinner. It is the most famous beergarden in Munich, it is a typical Bavarian beergarden. We had Radler, which is a combo of lemonade and beer, and why it is not in America is beyond us! It really should be! We also had typical Bavarian meals that were outstanding and certainly satisfied our craving.
We wandered around Munich looking at farmers markets and shops after dinner. Then drove to Bayreuth, where Maria and Franzi go to university.
Today we are going to explore Wagner's Hall and other Bayreuth specailties, of course that is after a wonderfully prepared breakfast at Maria's with Flo, her boyfriend, (We met Flo when he came to visit Maria in the States and she lived with Cassie) and his brother.
Food is calling...
Friday, June 25, 2010
...here are some more...
OK, so we cant write on each picture to tell you which is what and where. So you will just have to figure it out yourself...just like we have been doing the whold trip...kinda just kidding. So here you go: :)
Here are some more pictures!!!!
We are in Germany with Maria...and enjoying our wonderful day of stress free communication and great sight seeing. We are going to bed soon and will fill you in later. We wanted to add some more pictures while we had the chance. Hope you enjoy them!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
German...in Salzburg...
OK, so we had some trouble leaving Italy...the train station said to take a bus and the bus station said we had a train ticket. now what? Eventually we did figure it out (we left from the bus station) and even made the right one!
Salzburg is our first experience with German...thankfully we meet up with Maria (Cassies former roomate) tomorrow. What a relief.
Salzburg is beautiful. When we arrived we got a little lost finding our accomidation. Silly us, we left with only the address of our location...we should know better than that. We didnt have directions or a map... oops.
We did however, somehow stumble upon the right place due Makenna realizing we were on the right street. Our sign of civilizazion that we were going to ask for help turned out to be our hostel. GO US!
The next two days we have spent wandering the city seeing highlights such as Mozarts house and birthplace, the fortress, the trick fountians...which are actually tricks due to water pressure when people walk by. (where Cassie got all wet, Katie slightly wet, and Makenna somehow lift dry).
We have had a lot of fun and our favorite part is moving past the pasta and pizza onto meat and potatos! Tomoorow we are in Munich with Maria and will be traveling with her for the next few days.
Keep in touch...we love your comments!
Guten Nacht
Salzburg is our first experience with German...thankfully we meet up with Maria (Cassies former roomate) tomorrow. What a relief.
Salzburg is beautiful. When we arrived we got a little lost finding our accomidation. Silly us, we left with only the address of our location...we should know better than that. We didnt have directions or a map... oops.
We did however, somehow stumble upon the right place due Makenna realizing we were on the right street. Our sign of civilizazion that we were going to ask for help turned out to be our hostel. GO US!
The next two days we have spent wandering the city seeing highlights such as Mozarts house and birthplace, the fortress, the trick fountians...which are actually tricks due to water pressure when people walk by. (where Cassie got all wet, Katie slightly wet, and Makenna somehow lift dry).
We have had a lot of fun and our favorite part is moving past the pasta and pizza onto meat and potatos! Tomoorow we are in Munich with Maria and will be traveling with her for the next few days.
Keep in touch...we love your comments!
Guten Nacht
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Salzburg
just wanted to let you know that we are safe and sound in Salzburg...our switch to German has been difficult...but we are surviving...all details to come tomorrow, but we are off to watch the Germany futbol game.
must catch our bus.
We have had an eventful and great day
must catch our bus.
We have had an eventful and great day
Monday, June 21, 2010
and we thought rain coats would be sufficient....
ok, we know this is very short period of time for us to blog again, but we just couldnt wait to tell you what just happened...
We visited San Marco Plazza today and when we arrived, there were small little puddles in the middle. We thought that was strange, but continued our sightseeing. After admiring the music of orchestras and the views we realized the water was bubbling from the puddles. As we walked around the square the puddles got larger and larger. Cant go around it, cant go under it, cant go over it, must go through it. So off our shoes came and away we went with the other tourists.
Much to Cassie and Katies dismay, this was after making fun of Makenna that she wanted to do this in the first place. Katie and Cassie tried to go around, but it was impossible...the water was shin deep already, and Makenna laughed when we met up with her and our shoes were off anyway.
We did find it rather funny that we are definitly in other toursits photos because they were ones not taking their shoes and laughing at us. We posed for at least 3 pictures...what fun!
Now we are off to eat our last Italian dinner and hopefully will stay dry, both from the rain and the sea...
Ciao! Pictures to come...
We visited San Marco Plazza today and when we arrived, there were small little puddles in the middle. We thought that was strange, but continued our sightseeing. After admiring the music of orchestras and the views we realized the water was bubbling from the puddles. As we walked around the square the puddles got larger and larger. Cant go around it, cant go under it, cant go over it, must go through it. So off our shoes came and away we went with the other tourists.
Much to Cassie and Katies dismay, this was after making fun of Makenna that she wanted to do this in the first place. Katie and Cassie tried to go around, but it was impossible...the water was shin deep already, and Makenna laughed when we met up with her and our shoes were off anyway.
We did find it rather funny that we are definitly in other toursits photos because they were ones not taking their shoes and laughing at us. We posed for at least 3 pictures...what fun!
Now we are off to eat our last Italian dinner and hopefully will stay dry, both from the rain and the sea...
Ciao! Pictures to come...
A picture from Paris!
We finally found a computer with SD capatibility!!! =)
But we dont want to use any more internt time so that is all you get for now. hehe
Its good weather for ducks (or backpackers with raincoats)
Ciao! We have lots of updates for you all so lets get started since we have been in a land of no internet, and we also wanted to say we love all the comments!!!
Three days ago we left Florence and headed to Cinque Terre on a lovely regional train with no problems of seats or finding the train. GO US! We arrived in a rainy Manarola (the second town in a set of five when heading northbound). First goal was to find a place to stay, many people had told us it is no problem to find a room in Cinque Terre. They were correct... there are lots and lots....but finding an empty one for three people is a slighlty different story. We found one with one big bed, the owner was happy to make up another bed but the owner suggested we all share the big bed and save 15 euro. we said you bet. Surprisingly we slept great, sorry Greg and Matt we snuggled without you. We went to a quant little place for dinner and Makenna has mixed fried fish, and created quite a lovely pile of fish heads and vertebre on the side of her plate. Cassie and Katie were glad they got pasta and lobster.
The five towns are adorable fishing villages on cliffs overlooking turquise water. We spent the next day exploring in the rain 4 towns. We did a walk between two of them called Via della Amore. The other walks were sadly closed due to the storm. Exploring was fun and it was beautiful, Katie hopes her future husband wants to go on their honeymoon here. haha
Cinque Terre was beautiful and Sunday we headed to Venice. All trains were again uneventful. go us! Sadly, we missed the Italy and New Zealand game due to train travel. But we did see the Brazil vs. someone in a cute little Venizan resturante and there were many cute old brazilian fans with there flags watching the game. One old Italian women stood up every time they scored and clapped above her head. Adorable!
Today we went to Murano Island and watched Glass Blowing demonstrations and browsed show rooms and stores. It was fun and we each found a souvionir we are currently wearing. And the water taxi was fun.
This afternoon we are going to explore San Marco plazza and who knows what else!
Tomorrow we are ridding a bus to Salzburg, Austria!! We hope to blog soon but dont know when. Hope you can see the picture, it is from Cinque Terre before we got on the train to leave and we actually had sunshine then! haha
Maybe when we leave Italy we will leave the rain behind too. Too bad we are finally feeling some what comfortable with Italian. Oh well. Toodles!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Ciao Florence...Ciao Cinque Terre
We had the best breakfast of our life this morning. With a view and the sun shining. Priceless, and cheap hehe. We also had our first bit our coffee in a while. (well except Makenna)
Now we are in the train station and leaving in 30 minutes for Cinque Terre. OUr conversation skills are improving...some of us at least. We do not need a reservation for this train and that is exciting...and we have been told we can sit everywhere, so lets hope we dont have to move mid train again...
We are rested and ready to explore a new part of Italy...
Ciao!
Now we are in the train station and leaving in 30 minutes for Cinque Terre. OUr conversation skills are improving...some of us at least. We do not need a reservation for this train and that is exciting...and we have been told we can sit everywhere, so lets hope we dont have to move mid train again...
We are rested and ready to explore a new part of Italy...
Ciao!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
its raining its pouring
It is raining buckets in Florence, but it is as pretty as ever!!! Today we hiked up a hill to Michaelangelo Piazza and enjoyed a view of the entire city! It was stunning. As we were admiring the view, we noticed dark clouds forming overhead. So we started down the hill and almost at the base of the hill it started POURING and hailing!!! We ran to a church porch and took shelter. A local joined us in our shelter and exclaimed "Mama Mia". This makes it officially our new favorite word! We have never seen hail so big and were laughing at the amount of rain pouring down (we brought our rain jackets yesterday...not today)! About 10 minutes later it seemed to have stopped so we headed out, only to dash to another covering a few moments later! Katie bargained with a sales man and bought an umbrella for 2 euros, original price 5. oh yeah! And we can all kind of stand under it. haha
Lets give a food update. Food is amazing!!! Meal times are always a joy, and each meal seems to be better than the last. Amazing we are staying within our budget as well. Go us!! =) We cannot seem to get enough gelato!! We have it almost every day and are trying to find the best in Italy, so far each place we go to gets better and better!
We decided to stay another night in Florence because we love our hostel so much. It is nice to be out in the country and enjoy the views and relaxation. Today we are heading back there soon to journal, read, and watch more World Cup with the fun workers. We might swim but dont know about the weather.
Tomorrow off to Cinque Terre! Until then, arriverderci!!
Ti Amo you all!
Lets give a food update. Food is amazing!!! Meal times are always a joy, and each meal seems to be better than the last. Amazing we are staying within our budget as well. Go us!! =) We cannot seem to get enough gelato!! We have it almost every day and are trying to find the best in Italy, so far each place we go to gets better and better!
We decided to stay another night in Florence because we love our hostel so much. It is nice to be out in the country and enjoy the views and relaxation. Today we are heading back there soon to journal, read, and watch more World Cup with the fun workers. We might swim but dont know about the weather.
Tomorrow off to Cinque Terre! Until then, arriverderci!!
Ti Amo you all!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
more Rome and now Florence
Our second day in Rome was just as eventful as the first. We spent the morning walking towards the Vatican taking in all the sights and along the way we saw many fountains, and the Spanish Steps, and panthenon. We finally got the Vatican and we awed by the architecture. We then enjoyed the beautiful organ music and choir while attending mass at the Vatican in Italian. We were excited when we understood some words. We also attended a little bar we found and watched the world cup with the locals. The best part was when they exclaimed "Mama Mia" during the broadcast, what fun. We also got our faces painted with Italian flags.
The next day we were going to Florence, we missed our train due to many circumstances, but got another one in 45 minutes and sat next to wonderful Aussies and a Swedish boy. We talked the whole way, Cassie taught the Aussies how to shuffle cards and in turn they taught her a new card game...what a trade.
We got to florence and found our bus tha took us out into the middle of the country to our hostel. It is so beautiful with green hills, vinyards, sheep, and a pool!! It is dreamy...
We have had a great day exploring Florence today and we are heading back out to our country resort.
Ciao!
The next day we were going to Florence, we missed our train due to many circumstances, but got another one in 45 minutes and sat next to wonderful Aussies and a Swedish boy. We talked the whole way, Cassie taught the Aussies how to shuffle cards and in turn they taught her a new card game...what a trade.
We got to florence and found our bus tha took us out into the middle of the country to our hostel. It is so beautiful with green hills, vinyards, sheep, and a pool!! It is dreamy...
We have had a great day exploring Florence today and we are heading back out to our country resort.
Ciao!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Where to begin...
Last night we traveled on a 15 hour sleep train to get from Paris to Rome. Little did we know, that we were traveling first class with the high society people...a delightful surprise. Although, even with first class we still did not get much sleep, but we got a kick out of discovering the hidden ammenities around the room, which we had all to ourselves.
Ok, Rome. More trouble with hostels...thankgoodness this is the last one we had reserved! The beds we reserved we not available, they were not actually rooms yet. But the man was helpful and allowed to take a shower and got us another hostel at the same price...which is super good. Just some extra walking...just what we needed.
We visited the Colosseo, or Colosseum for you non Italian speaking friends. It was a novel of archeticture and we are glad we saw it. Next, we visited Palatino Hill and the Roman Forum, they are a picture of the past which we enjoyed. After we wandered...actually we were lost we just knew where we wanted to go and didnt know how to get there. But along the way we found gellato...so it was worth the aimless wandering and was amazing...we will never return to ice cream the same way again...
Anyway we are off for pasta and vino.
Ciao!
Ok, Rome. More trouble with hostels...thankgoodness this is the last one we had reserved! The beds we reserved we not available, they were not actually rooms yet. But the man was helpful and allowed to take a shower and got us another hostel at the same price...which is super good. Just some extra walking...just what we needed.
We visited the Colosseo, or Colosseum for you non Italian speaking friends. It was a novel of archeticture and we are glad we saw it. Next, we visited Palatino Hill and the Roman Forum, they are a picture of the past which we enjoyed. After we wandered...actually we were lost we just knew where we wanted to go and didnt know how to get there. But along the way we found gellato...so it was worth the aimless wandering and was amazing...we will never return to ice cream the same way again...
Anyway we are off for pasta and vino.
Ciao!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
The Spectacular Time in Paris
Bonjour again. First we'll upate you from what we did yesterday, it was the perfect but also longest day imaginable. smile! we started off by waking up at 6:45am because we couldn't sleep any longer. We had breakfast at the hostel, yummy coffe or tea and pasteries. Then headed out the door by 8:45 and started our marathon!
Notre Dame was our first stop. When we saw the beautiful cathedral in the distance we were so excited to be approaching our destination, since we were walking. haha. The stain glass, arched ceiling, detail outside, and other feautres were breath taking.
We continued on our journey and enjoyed bookenistas, we think that is how it's spelled. They are all along the river and are trunks that vendors sell old books, posters, magazines, and other trinkets. What fun along a picture perfect walk.
Next we made it to the Louve gardens and devoured a whole package of salami and cheese. Best we've ever had!!! With the backdrop of flowers, trees, and greenery galore.
Later in the evening we discovered the METRO! And we liked it a lot! So...we rode it to the Eiffel Tower instead of walking the 8 km that we were planning to, since our millage for the day was already over 8 km. We are going to be really fit when we get back! YA!
The Eiffel Tower is beyond words. We got there at dusk and watched the sunset. We stumbed upon the World Cup Game of France vs. Urugauy at the International Fifa Fan Fest, they were projecting it on a huge movie screen with the Eiffel Tower directly behind it! THERE WE SO MANY PEOPLE and so much energy it was crazy. Today we realized the location was also a historic monument that we were sitting on the lawn of, Palace de Chaillot. hehe
We finished the day eatting food from a French Cafe along the river looking at the now lit Eiffle Tower. All and all this day was unbelieveable and spectacular. We had to keep reminding ourselves that it was real!
Today, June 12, has been wonderful as well.
We went to the Arc de Triomphe, back to Eiffle Tower, walked along the south side of the river, went to the Musse d'Orsay and saw Monet, Degas, Renoir, and other famous artists.
On the walk back we finally found a Cafe with a long line and were happy we had finally found a popular one! The pastries were AMAZING and the sandwiches too. It was another great meal; like all of our meals have been.
We are waiting impatiently to leave on our night train from Paris to Rome. Tomorrow morning we'll be there!
Until then Au revoir Paris and Buongiorno Rome.
Notre Dame was our first stop. When we saw the beautiful cathedral in the distance we were so excited to be approaching our destination, since we were walking. haha. The stain glass, arched ceiling, detail outside, and other feautres were breath taking.
We continued on our journey and enjoyed bookenistas, we think that is how it's spelled. They are all along the river and are trunks that vendors sell old books, posters, magazines, and other trinkets. What fun along a picture perfect walk.
Next we made it to the Louve gardens and devoured a whole package of salami and cheese. Best we've ever had!!! With the backdrop of flowers, trees, and greenery galore.
Later in the evening we discovered the METRO! And we liked it a lot! So...we rode it to the Eiffel Tower instead of walking the 8 km that we were planning to, since our millage for the day was already over 8 km. We are going to be really fit when we get back! YA!
The Eiffel Tower is beyond words. We got there at dusk and watched the sunset. We stumbed upon the World Cup Game of France vs. Urugauy at the International Fifa Fan Fest, they were projecting it on a huge movie screen with the Eiffel Tower directly behind it! THERE WE SO MANY PEOPLE and so much energy it was crazy. Today we realized the location was also a historic monument that we were sitting on the lawn of, Palace de Chaillot. hehe
We finished the day eatting food from a French Cafe along the river looking at the now lit Eiffle Tower. All and all this day was unbelieveable and spectacular. We had to keep reminding ourselves that it was real!
Today, June 12, has been wonderful as well.
We went to the Arc de Triomphe, back to Eiffle Tower, walked along the south side of the river, went to the Musse d'Orsay and saw Monet, Degas, Renoir, and other famous artists.
On the walk back we finally found a Cafe with a long line and were happy we had finally found a popular one! The pastries were AMAZING and the sandwiches too. It was another great meal; like all of our meals have been.
We are waiting impatiently to leave on our night train from Paris to Rome. Tomorrow morning we'll be there!
Until then Au revoir Paris and Buongiorno Rome.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Oh lala Paris
Bonjour from Paris!!!
Well.... yesterday was as long day to say the least. It started with our train ride from Zurich to Paris, it took three train transfers and 6 1/2 hours. We did quite well navigating between stations but had many adventures on board. The most exciting adventure was on the last train where the seats were reserved. We were unaware of this until a nice French man informed us we were in his seat. Katie responded in German asking the French man if he spoke English. He politely smiled and said "yes" and turned out to be a huge asset to our success. He informed us that the first two cars on the train were non reserved. So we picked up our stuff and headed forward and let us tell you it is not easy to walk on a moving train with twenty pound backpacks. We continued walking forward three cars until we were face to face with the engine. We must have passed it so we turned around and headed back three cars. Hum...... Luckily a conductor stepped out and said up ahead. So we did just that and looked for empty seats. We reached the engine again to realize the only compartment with empty seats was the first one, two cars back. So we turned around walked by the compartments for the fourth time and could feel people stare and laugh. And we made it to Paris.
We then hiked 3 km to our hostel in the rain (only making one wrong turn :).) to discover our hostel had lost our reservation. They eventually helped us find another hostel that had a room available (it was another 30 min walk away with French directions). It is called the Blue Planet and is delightful.
Today has been a great day exploring Paris. We will fill you in later. Off to have more fun.
Well.... yesterday was as long day to say the least. It started with our train ride from Zurich to Paris, it took three train transfers and 6 1/2 hours. We did quite well navigating between stations but had many adventures on board. The most exciting adventure was on the last train where the seats were reserved. We were unaware of this until a nice French man informed us we were in his seat. Katie responded in German asking the French man if he spoke English. He politely smiled and said "yes" and turned out to be a huge asset to our success. He informed us that the first two cars on the train were non reserved. So we picked up our stuff and headed forward and let us tell you it is not easy to walk on a moving train with twenty pound backpacks. We continued walking forward three cars until we were face to face with the engine. We must have passed it so we turned around and headed back three cars. Hum...... Luckily a conductor stepped out and said up ahead. So we did just that and looked for empty seats. We reached the engine again to realize the only compartment with empty seats was the first one, two cars back. So we turned around walked by the compartments for the fourth time and could feel people stare and laugh. And we made it to Paris.
We then hiked 3 km to our hostel in the rain (only making one wrong turn :).) to discover our hostel had lost our reservation. They eventually helped us find another hostel that had a room available (it was another 30 min walk away with French directions). It is called the Blue Planet and is delightful.
Today has been a great day exploring Paris. We will fill you in later. Off to have more fun.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
goodbye Zurich, hello Paris
alright. today we have some more thinking power. We have gone to the grocery store and bought breakfast and lunch for the train ride. we fell asleep to the sound of a wonderful live band last night at a resturant below us. we figure thats what happens when you go to bed before the evening has begun. :)
here is yesterdays recap:
our first advendture was switching planes in phildelphia where we bought a cheesessteak steak sandwhiches. upon arrival in frankfurt, we asked a nice gentleman where to get our boardding pass. his reply was, "what the f*** is that?" refering to the leftover cheesesteak...it took us some time to realize what he was talking about. in the end we walked off laughing and found our boardingpasses.
in zurich, we figured out how to purchase a train ticket and find the correct train...all in german. we were very proud of our accomplishment.
for lunch we found a place called the coop which is now our favorite store in zurich. we can successfully buy food. YEAH! we took our lunch out to the lake and decided to watch the swans and admire the beautiful scenery. the swans decided that our toes looked yummy too. although we proceded to eat our lunch without the swans eating us.
our hostel was a quaint place with friendly people. we were excited when we navigated to the correct place. we opened the door walked up three flights of spiral stairs, walkeed down a hallway, up one more flight of spiral stairs, checked in, and had one more flight of stairs to get to our room. success!
we visited three beautiful churches.
1. famous for largest clock face in europe
2. famous for stained glass by chagall
3. simply beautiful from the reformation
now we are off to conquer train changes and navigation in paris. we hope to be to our hostel by 6pm, but it is a 2.5km, by our rough estimation, to get there from the station.
wish us luck! talk to you soon...
here is yesterdays recap:
our first advendture was switching planes in phildelphia where we bought a cheesessteak steak sandwhiches. upon arrival in frankfurt, we asked a nice gentleman where to get our boardding pass. his reply was, "what the f*** is that?" refering to the leftover cheesesteak...it took us some time to realize what he was talking about. in the end we walked off laughing and found our boardingpasses.
in zurich, we figured out how to purchase a train ticket and find the correct train...all in german. we were very proud of our accomplishment.
for lunch we found a place called the coop which is now our favorite store in zurich. we can successfully buy food. YEAH! we took our lunch out to the lake and decided to watch the swans and admire the beautiful scenery. the swans decided that our toes looked yummy too. although we proceded to eat our lunch without the swans eating us.
our hostel was a quaint place with friendly people. we were excited when we navigated to the correct place. we opened the door walked up three flights of spiral stairs, walkeed down a hallway, up one more flight of spiral stairs, checked in, and had one more flight of stairs to get to our room. success!
we visited three beautiful churches.
1. famous for largest clock face in europe
2. famous for stained glass by chagall
3. simply beautiful from the reformation
now we are off to conquer train changes and navigation in paris. we hope to be to our hostel by 6pm, but it is a 2.5km, by our rough estimation, to get there from the station.
wish us luck! talk to you soon...
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Hello from Zurich
We are here in Zurich, Switzerland and we are super tired and going to bed within twenty minutes. We had a long and successful day of travel and exploring. All of the fun stories will be shared tomorrow.
Until then,
Guten Naught
Until then,
Guten Naught
Monday, June 7, 2010
So long, farewell...
We arrived in San Francisco around dinner time and had a great little reunion from the two weeks we have been apart. We are all anxious to leave in the morning and have our shuttle arranged to pick us up at 3:45 AM. Oh boy... err... gross....
Now all we have to do is try to get some shut eye and let the slow moving clock tick bye...
So long, farewell
Auf Weidersehen, goodbye
We leave and heave
A sigh and say goodbye
Goodbye
We're glad to go
We cannot tell a lie
We flit, we float
We fleetly flee, we fly
The sun has gone
To bed and so must we
So long, farewell
Auf Weidersehen, goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Now all we have to do is try to get some shut eye and let the slow moving clock tick bye...
So long, farewell
Auf Weidersehen, goodbye
We leave and heave
A sigh and say goodbye
Goodbye
We're glad to go
We cannot tell a lie
We flit, we float
We fleetly flee, we fly
The sun has gone
To bed and so must we
So long, farewell
Auf Weidersehen, goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Departure Today...
Off we go...into the wild blue yonder. :)
We have officially been graduated for 16 days and we are heading out of the country!
We are meeting in San Francisco in a few short hours and we will be beginning our adventures. We will keep you posted as often as we can. Please enjoy our thoughts and keep us posted with what is happening at home. We love you all and will miss you.
Thanks for your love, support, and prayers!
We have officially been graduated for 16 days and we are heading out of the country!
We are meeting in San Francisco in a few short hours and we will be beginning our adventures. We will keep you posted as often as we can. Please enjoy our thoughts and keep us posted with what is happening at home. We love you all and will miss you.
Thanks for your love, support, and prayers!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
40 days...
We are now 40 days away from leaving on our exciting adventure and the excitement is building. Not quite ready, but we are getting closer as the days come. We will soon be off and running...
Saturday, April 10, 2010
59 days and counting...
Only 59 days until we are off on our adventure to Europe. Today we are making a more specific itinerary. The excitement is brewing...
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