Sunday, June 7, 2009

Europe Adventure!

I have always dreamed to one day backpack around Europe and see all the sites! Well, my dream came true!! After months of planning and preparation, we (Dad, Mom, cousin Christeen, and I) packed up our huge duffel/backpacks (I mean come on, we're girls!) and headed to Europe for three weeks! It was the most incredible trip! We traveled to these seven countries: England, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. We joke that we saw nine countries if you count the corner of Austria we passed through on a train and Vatican City! We had so many great experiences, including missionary experiences, while taveling to these different parts of the world. I had a lot of fun mingling with the locals... and trying to speak some of their language. In each country, we would speak in that particular accent! So funny! We also kept extremely detailed journals which made the best possible souvenir. I taped ticket stubs, currency, postcards, receipts, and pieces of brochures in my journal. I am so happy to have that journal! I am excited to have it to look back to it in the years to come. I learned many new things and gained great insight from this three week adventure. I will cherish these moments forever! It was a trip of a lifetime and something I well never, ever forget.


London, England
Camden Market, crazy fashions, best donut of my life, Moroccan food, Buckingham Palace, Changing of the Guard, Westminster Abbey, innkeeper identical to Jude Law, double decker buses, Underground/Tube, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Beef Eaters, crown jewels, torture chambers, Flapjack, Harrod's, Phantom of the Opera, Jelly Babies, broken flat iron, Windsor Castle, King Henry VIII, St. George's Chapel, The Long Walk, Gerrard's Cross, Mom's old house, Zara's, "Mind the Gap", Water Closet. Want to live here.

Paris, France
Chunnel, Euros, jambon e fromage, Eiffel Tower, Nutella crepes, guy dancers, dancing in the rain under the Eiffel Tower, "Metro", washing clothes in the tub, Notre Dame, Seine River, patisseries, quiche, no ice, world's largest raspberries, Rue Cler, baguette and cheese, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Sacre Couer, $ to use a public bathroom, Hotel Crillon, Obelisk, "banane", the Louvre, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, Mona Lisa, Code of Hammurabi, Raft of Medusa, strawberry tart, Galleries La Fayette Fashion Show, Place de Vogas, smart cars, yet another Nutella crepe. My favorite. Au Revoir!

Krakow, Poland
flight, roosters, Mercedes van, bell hop, tower clock, Cloth Hall, Dad bought hand carved chess set, Pretzels, Milk Bar, no ice, Polish sausage, potato pancakes, maple-pecan ice cream, LDS missionaries, underground McDonald's with cellar, "Delikatessy", Aushwitz, Birkenau, beautiful countryside, "Arbeit Macht Frei", barb wire fences, barracks, Death Wall, victims possessions and paperwork, gas chambers, crematoriums, fried chicken, cattle cars, train tracks, castles, churches, Subway sandwiches, Army boys, Polish monkey, blue stripes on houses means daughter is at marrying age, $=Zloty. Loved the history, something I will never forget.

Prague, Czech Republic
7 hour train, fields of yellow, "Praha", goulash soup, "Taxi Mafia", caramel/yogurt/chocolate covered nuts, beef stroganov, Astronomical Clock (famous town clock with death skeleton and 12 Apostles), Charles Bridge, artists, nice guy bought me ice cream, "Pub Crawl", 6-seater bike, puppets, Old School American music, "Ahoy". Most beautiful city.
Rothenburg, Germany
4 German Police officers waking Steen and I up to see our passports = scary, Medieval town surrounded by a wall, adorable German B&B, Kabobs, Night Watchman tour, Christmas stores, schneeballs, yodeling, Schnitzel, goulash soup, Bratwurst, torture museum, thumb screws, body stretchers, punishment masks, hot boys from Florida, Gelato, granny and gramps made us German breakfast. Quaint and Cozy.

Feussen, Germany
"Romantic Road" bus ride, cookie with jam in the middle, fresh strawberries, chocolate, swollen feet, glass bathroom door, Salmon, pistachio ice cream, apple pastry, umbrellas, Neuschwanstein castle (Disneyland Castle designed after this), Hohenschwangau castle, King Ludwig II, fragile tour guide, insanely beautiful views, horse n' buggy, treats for train. Amazing.

Interlaken, Switzerland
got there in the dark, woke up to the most gorgeous sight in the middle of the Alps, 2 trains 1 tram 1 train then 3 more trams to get to the top of the Alps, Jungfrau is "The Top of Europe" at 11,333 ft., The "Shilthorn" (where 007 was filmed), lakes ,waterfalls, glaciers, mountains, green valleys, rugged gorges, rolling Alpine pastures, Murren, Gimmelwald, Steen's cows, Swiss cheese and bread, waltzing with Dad, jumping pictures, snow, perfect weather = clear views, Kabobs, guy from Turkey called Dad "Father", Harry Potter in German, laundromat, clothes line across the room, missionary experiences, Paragliding, 15 minute glide, Swiss horn, Swiss Army knives, haircut, fondue, Baklava, Swiss Army boys. Absolutely breathtaking.

Venice, Italy
overnight train with bunkbeds, humid, water taxi, "ciao bella", Grand Canal, St. Marco's Square, no cars, masks, ham and cheese panini, glass, upgrade to an apartment, air conditioning, HOT, pasta, lasagna, bridges, gondolas, Rialto Bridge, Gelato every five steps, soccer with the Italian boys, pigeons, pizza, Murano Island, glass blowing factory, feet in the water, Vaporetto, Simone. So sad to leave. "Mi Amore"

Rome, Italy
crazyyy drivers, Colloseum, World Soccer Cup game between Manchester United and Barcelona, Spanish Steps, Soccer fans everywhere, British fans taught us songs and chants, Italian guys bought Steen and I roses, watched pickpockets and theives, best pizza of my life, watched Barcelona win on TV, Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel, The Last Judgement, St. Peter's Square, Trevi Fountain, "Death by Chocolate" Gelato, The Forum, Apostle Paul's prison cell, Pantheon, Raphael's tomb, Gladiators. Why does this have to end?

This picture says it all...

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