6/13/17
We woke up very early this morning (5!) to catch our train to Amsterdam. Most of the day was spent traveling to Amsterdam but this evening we were able to go back into Amsterdam. There we ate some lovely Dutch pancakes that we missed the first time around and some frites for dinner (I'm sorry mom for this not nutritious meal). It was very delicious! Now we're at our airport hotel packing our bags one final time. It's a little surreal for this trip to be almost over but it's been a memorable one!- E
We woke up very early this morning (5!) to catch our train to Amsterdam. Most of the day was spent traveling to Amsterdam but this evening we were able to go back into Amsterdam. There we ate some lovely Dutch pancakes that we missed the first time around and some frites for dinner (I'm sorry mom for this not nutritious meal). It was very delicious! Now we're at our airport hotel packing our bags one final time. It's a little surreal for this trip to be almost over but it's been a memorable one!- E
6/12/17
We started our day off by going to the main train station to check the time for our ticket for our train to Amsterdam tomorrow. It took way longer than expected. After the train station, we went to Schloss Charlottenburg but we didn't realize it was closed. Instead we took a stroll around the very large gardens of the castle. We later went to Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which was extremely interesting because it is a display of the remnants of the church from the WWII bombings. Later we went to Tiergarten and the Victory Column, which is located in the center of a very large roundabout. There were no cross walks so it took us awhile to figure out we had to take tunnels to get to it. When we finally got to the Victory Column there were a ton of police officers shutting down the roads and a bunch of angry German people honking their horns. After a decent amount of time a motorcade finally came through, but we couldn't figure out who the motorcade was for even though there was a flag on the car (we looked up the flag and it literally doesn't exist). After the motorcade we tried to go to Pergamon (a museum for Greek and Roman art), but it was closed due to construction. After that we tried going to dinner at a certain restaurant, but when we got there we realized they were using the restaurant as a set to film a movie. Basically our day did not go as planned, but it was still a great day to end our time in Germany! ~L
We started our day off by going to the main train station to check the time for our ticket for our train to Amsterdam tomorrow. It took way longer than expected. After the train station, we went to Schloss Charlottenburg but we didn't realize it was closed. Instead we took a stroll around the very large gardens of the castle. We later went to Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which was extremely interesting because it is a display of the remnants of the church from the WWII bombings. Later we went to Tiergarten and the Victory Column, which is located in the center of a very large roundabout. There were no cross walks so it took us awhile to figure out we had to take tunnels to get to it. When we finally got to the Victory Column there were a ton of police officers shutting down the roads and a bunch of angry German people honking their horns. After a decent amount of time a motorcade finally came through, but we couldn't figure out who the motorcade was for even though there was a flag on the car (we looked up the flag and it literally doesn't exist). After the motorcade we tried to go to Pergamon (a museum for Greek and Roman art), but it was closed due to construction. After that we tried going to dinner at a certain restaurant, but when we got there we realized they were using the restaurant as a set to film a movie. Basically our day did not go as planned, but it was still a great day to end our time in Germany! ~L
6/11/17
We started off the morning early heading to the Reichstag Building. The Reichstag is the German Parliament Building and is known for its large modern dome on top. We visited and toured the dome with an audio guide for about an hour. The dome was a great place to see important aspects of Berlin. Following the Reichstag Building, we took another tour with Sandeman. Our tour guide Rochale was really good especially considering the large size of our tour group. She took us to a lot of places we had already visited but it was still good to hear the stories from her. Rochale was very interesting and informed on the history of Berlin. After the tour we headed to the East Side Gallery which is a section of the Berlin Wall that has been professionally painted with various depictions of both World War II and East Germany. We walked along the mile strip and appreciated the art pieces until dinner time. For dinner we went to Pirates Berlin (it was not our first choice but we had very limited options by the gallery). It was a funny restaurant that was amusing to eat at. Now, we're back at the Airbnb planning out tomorrow. It's crazy to think that tomorrow is our last full day of touring!- E
We started off the morning early heading to the Reichstag Building. The Reichstag is the German Parliament Building and is known for its large modern dome on top. We visited and toured the dome with an audio guide for about an hour. The dome was a great place to see important aspects of Berlin. Following the Reichstag Building, we took another tour with Sandeman. Our tour guide Rochale was really good especially considering the large size of our tour group. She took us to a lot of places we had already visited but it was still good to hear the stories from her. Rochale was very interesting and informed on the history of Berlin. After the tour we headed to the East Side Gallery which is a section of the Berlin Wall that has been professionally painted with various depictions of both World War II and East Germany. We walked along the mile strip and appreciated the art pieces until dinner time. For dinner we went to Pirates Berlin (it was not our first choice but we had very limited options by the gallery). It was a funny restaurant that was amusing to eat at. Now, we're back at the Airbnb planning out tomorrow. It's crazy to think that tomorrow is our last full day of touring!- E
6/10/17
In history class we always learn about World War II, but like everything in history class it seems to be a part of a distant past. In actuality World War II is very recent, it only started 78 years ago. Today Elizabeth and I visited Sachsenhausen Concentration and Extermination Camp and it put many things into perspective. Many of you reading this may have never heard of Sachsenhausen because it "relatively" doesn't seem as devastating as other camps, such as Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and Dachau. However out of all the camps, Sachsenhausen was the most lethal because it is where it all began. Sachsenhausen was the first concentration camp to be created and it is where many of the methods that led prisoners to their deaths were first implemented, such as gas chambers. From 1936 to 1945, 200,000 people endured the camp and 30,000 people died there. Our tour guide kept saying "relatively" it doesn't seem like a lot of people compared to the 1.1 million people who died at Auschwitz, but Sachsenhausen was still a place where 30,000 people met their death. Today we stood on the ground where 30,000 Soviets, Communists, political opponents to the Nazis, gypsies, Jews, homosexuals, and prisoners of wars lost their lives. If you get a chance in your life, please visit a concentration camp because there is nothing textbook about it. When you are able to see, smell, and touch just a little bit of what the prisoners experienced, it makes atrocity even more real and not so distant from reality. ~L
In history class we always learn about World War II, but like everything in history class it seems to be a part of a distant past. In actuality World War II is very recent, it only started 78 years ago. Today Elizabeth and I visited Sachsenhausen Concentration and Extermination Camp and it put many things into perspective. Many of you reading this may have never heard of Sachsenhausen because it "relatively" doesn't seem as devastating as other camps, such as Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and Dachau. However out of all the camps, Sachsenhausen was the most lethal because it is where it all began. Sachsenhausen was the first concentration camp to be created and it is where many of the methods that led prisoners to their deaths were first implemented, such as gas chambers. From 1936 to 1945, 200,000 people endured the camp and 30,000 people died there. Our tour guide kept saying "relatively" it doesn't seem like a lot of people compared to the 1.1 million people who died at Auschwitz, but Sachsenhausen was still a place where 30,000 people met their death. Today we stood on the ground where 30,000 Soviets, Communists, political opponents to the Nazis, gypsies, Jews, homosexuals, and prisoners of wars lost their lives. If you get a chance in your life, please visit a concentration camp because there is nothing textbook about it. When you are able to see, smell, and touch just a little bit of what the prisoners experienced, it makes atrocity even more real and not so distant from reality. ~L
6/9/17
Today was kind of a big day. We arrived early in the morning via our sleeper train but accidentally got off one stop too early. This created a few complications in finding our Airbnb but our trusty sidekick, Google Maps, helped us figure out what to do. After checking into the Airbnb, we headed to Brandenburg Gate. This gate became iconic due to its proximity to the wall. It can often be seen in photographs depicting the separation between East and West Berlin. We walked through the gate to the Memorial to Murdered Jews in Europe. The memorial is made up of a series of tall steel blocks that vary in height. Visitors are encouraged to walk in and among the blocks giving them a lost feel. We decided to take the audio guide tour of the visitors center after wandering through the memorial. The visitor's center was a very touching, solemn exhibit on the atrocities committed during World War II. The memorial was unique in that it focused on individual people and their unique stories. The exhibit had a clear focus on how people were affected rather than HItler's regime. Next door to the memorial is the Fuhrebunker. This bunker was Hitler's last resort during the end of World War II and ultimately the location he committed suicide in. It was an odd sight to visit because the Fuhrebunker was completely destroyed during Soviet Occupation of Berlin and is now a parking lot. We both noticed that Berlin did a good job of recognizing these seemingly innocuous spots with signs containing an explanation of what occurred there. We then walked to Potsdamer Platz. The square wasn't very interesting but is notable for the Potsdamer Agreement, the agreement that determined the regulations placed on Germany after the war. The square also had a portion of the Berlin Wall on display which was neat to see. We then headed to the Topography of Terror, a memorial/ museum on the acts of terror committed during the war. It contained a large part of the Berlin Wall but mostly focused on the acts committed under Hitler's Regime. This was enhanced by the memorial being on top of the former SS Headquarters. We then walked to the Checkpoint Charlie. Hardly anything remains at the checkpoint but we both felt like we should see the famed location. Then, we headed to the Gendarmenmarkt, which according to Wikipedia is the most beautiful square in Berlin. It is framed by a Huguenot Church, a Catholic Church, and the National Theater. After the Gendarmenmarkt, we went to St. Hedwig Catholic Cathedral. The Cathedral was more modern than we were used to but was interesting to see nonetheless. This said, it stood in stark contrast to the Berliner Dom we saw next. The Berliner Dom is a catholic cathedral famous for its dome. The interior is gorgeous with intricate paintings and gold leaf detailing. We sat outside of the Berliner Dom and had a milkshake afterwards. We were disappointed to learn that European milkshakes are mostly milk and not much shake. Finally, we went to the Hackenschermarkt, a popular shopping avenue where we walked around for a while. After grabbing a pretzel and tomorrow's breakfast, we headed back to the Airbnb to get some much needed rest.- E
Today was kind of a big day. We arrived early in the morning via our sleeper train but accidentally got off one stop too early. This created a few complications in finding our Airbnb but our trusty sidekick, Google Maps, helped us figure out what to do. After checking into the Airbnb, we headed to Brandenburg Gate. This gate became iconic due to its proximity to the wall. It can often be seen in photographs depicting the separation between East and West Berlin. We walked through the gate to the Memorial to Murdered Jews in Europe. The memorial is made up of a series of tall steel blocks that vary in height. Visitors are encouraged to walk in and among the blocks giving them a lost feel. We decided to take the audio guide tour of the visitors center after wandering through the memorial. The visitor's center was a very touching, solemn exhibit on the atrocities committed during World War II. The memorial was unique in that it focused on individual people and their unique stories. The exhibit had a clear focus on how people were affected rather than HItler's regime. Next door to the memorial is the Fuhrebunker. This bunker was Hitler's last resort during the end of World War II and ultimately the location he committed suicide in. It was an odd sight to visit because the Fuhrebunker was completely destroyed during Soviet Occupation of Berlin and is now a parking lot. We both noticed that Berlin did a good job of recognizing these seemingly innocuous spots with signs containing an explanation of what occurred there. We then walked to Potsdamer Platz. The square wasn't very interesting but is notable for the Potsdamer Agreement, the agreement that determined the regulations placed on Germany after the war. The square also had a portion of the Berlin Wall on display which was neat to see. We then headed to the Topography of Terror, a memorial/ museum on the acts of terror committed during the war. It contained a large part of the Berlin Wall but mostly focused on the acts committed under Hitler's Regime. This was enhanced by the memorial being on top of the former SS Headquarters. We then walked to the Checkpoint Charlie. Hardly anything remains at the checkpoint but we both felt like we should see the famed location. Then, we headed to the Gendarmenmarkt, which according to Wikipedia is the most beautiful square in Berlin. It is framed by a Huguenot Church, a Catholic Church, and the National Theater. After the Gendarmenmarkt, we went to St. Hedwig Catholic Cathedral. The Cathedral was more modern than we were used to but was interesting to see nonetheless. This said, it stood in stark contrast to the Berliner Dom we saw next. The Berliner Dom is a catholic cathedral famous for its dome. The interior is gorgeous with intricate paintings and gold leaf detailing. We sat outside of the Berliner Dom and had a milkshake afterwards. We were disappointed to learn that European milkshakes are mostly milk and not much shake. Finally, we went to the Hackenschermarkt, a popular shopping avenue where we walked around for a while. After grabbing a pretzel and tomorrow's breakfast, we headed back to the Airbnb to get some much needed rest.- E
6/8/17
We started our day off by heading to the train station to drop our bags in lockers for our overnight train. We then went to St. Stephen's Basilica, which had a beautiful interior and a really cool view at the top of its dome. After that we went to the Great Market Hall and got lunch. The Market had a lot of cute shops selling produce and little trinkets along with restaurants upstairs. At the Market we bought a slice of traditional Hungarian cake, Dobos Torte, and it was really good! We attempted to go to the Opera, but when we finally got there a sign said that all of the tours for the Opera were cancelled for today (Operas really just don't like us). We then tried to go to on a free walking tour about communism, but not enough people showed up so it was cancelled. So we went to Heroes Square and sat in a park to figure out the plan for the rest of our trip. After dinner and some ice cream, we headed to the overnight train to Berlin. It was really weird because at midnight there was a knock on our train car door and it was a police officer, which was really weird but he just asked for our passports so everything was okay! Now onto our final city... Berlin! ~L
We started our day off by heading to the train station to drop our bags in lockers for our overnight train. We then went to St. Stephen's Basilica, which had a beautiful interior and a really cool view at the top of its dome. After that we went to the Great Market Hall and got lunch. The Market had a lot of cute shops selling produce and little trinkets along with restaurants upstairs. At the Market we bought a slice of traditional Hungarian cake, Dobos Torte, and it was really good! We attempted to go to the Opera, but when we finally got there a sign said that all of the tours for the Opera were cancelled for today (Operas really just don't like us). We then tried to go to on a free walking tour about communism, but not enough people showed up so it was cancelled. So we went to Heroes Square and sat in a park to figure out the plan for the rest of our trip. After dinner and some ice cream, we headed to the overnight train to Berlin. It was really weird because at midnight there was a knock on our train car door and it was a police officer, which was really weird but he just asked for our passports so everything was okay! Now onto our final city... Berlin! ~L
6/7/17
We slept in a little this morning before heading to the Hungarian Parliament building for our tour. The Hungarian Parliament building is the second largest in the world and is filled with gold leaf detailing. It was very beautiful and interesting. After our tour of the building, we grabbed lunch and headed up to the Hungarian National Palace which houses two museums: the national art gallery and the Hungarian history museum. We had access to both museums for free through a Budapest card we purchased earlier but only went into the art gallery. The gallery had pieces from a variety of eras and the Hungarian artists gave insight into how Hungary has shifted over the years. We were able to go up in the dome attached to the palace which was neat. It had a great view of the Pest side of Budapest. We then walked down Castle Hill towards the Danube. We took another river cruise along the Danube where once again we both slept a little. After the river cruise, we decided to head back to the Airbnb to finish up some laundry. Unfortunately, we have no dryer or drying rack so every surface in the room is now filled with clothing. Tomorrow is another day in Budapest but we leave in the evening for another sleeper train.- E
We slept in a little this morning before heading to the Hungarian Parliament building for our tour. The Hungarian Parliament building is the second largest in the world and is filled with gold leaf detailing. It was very beautiful and interesting. After our tour of the building, we grabbed lunch and headed up to the Hungarian National Palace which houses two museums: the national art gallery and the Hungarian history museum. We had access to both museums for free through a Budapest card we purchased earlier but only went into the art gallery. The gallery had pieces from a variety of eras and the Hungarian artists gave insight into how Hungary has shifted over the years. We were able to go up in the dome attached to the palace which was neat. It had a great view of the Pest side of Budapest. We then walked down Castle Hill towards the Danube. We took another river cruise along the Danube where once again we both slept a little. After the river cruise, we decided to head back to the Airbnb to finish up some laundry. Unfortunately, we have no dryer or drying rack so every surface in the room is now filled with clothing. Tomorrow is another day in Budapest but we leave in the evening for another sleeper train.- E
6/6/17
Today we woke up to a steward knocking on our train door to give Elizabeth tea. Our train arrived in Budapest at 8:30 this morning. We were able to get in a little bit of sleep because we stayed in a sleeper car on the train. We then headed to Deak ter (the town square) for a walking tour. During our tour we learned a lot about Hungarian history and saw many different buildings, such as the Parliament building, Chain Bridge, Fisherman's Bastion, Matthias Church, and much more. After the tour we grabbed lunch and explored Matthias Church more in depth. It was an extremely unique looking church. Once we were done exploring the church we headed back to our Airbnb and took a nap because we were both really tired from our slightly restless night of sleep on the train. We later went out to dinner and the food was really good, but it took them over thirty minutes to give us our bill and they had people waiting for tables! We are excited to explore more of Budapest tomorrow! ~L
Today we woke up to a steward knocking on our train door to give Elizabeth tea. Our train arrived in Budapest at 8:30 this morning. We were able to get in a little bit of sleep because we stayed in a sleeper car on the train. We then headed to Deak ter (the town square) for a walking tour. During our tour we learned a lot about Hungarian history and saw many different buildings, such as the Parliament building, Chain Bridge, Fisherman's Bastion, Matthias Church, and much more. After the tour we grabbed lunch and explored Matthias Church more in depth. It was an extremely unique looking church. Once we were done exploring the church we headed back to our Airbnb and took a nap because we were both really tired from our slightly restless night of sleep on the train. We later went out to dinner and the food was really good, but it took them over thirty minutes to give us our bill and they had people waiting for tables! We are excited to explore more of Budapest tomorrow! ~L
6/5/17
Another day in Prague! We started off the morning relatively late after a breakfast of eggs and bacon. After leaving the Airbnb, we dropped our bags off at the station and started the day. We began with a tram ride up to Strahov Monastery. The monastery is known for the beer the monks brewed but rather than enjoy the beer garden attached to the monastery we entered the gorgeous library. We were slightly disappointed with the limited access to the library but nevertheless thought it was pretty. After the monastery, we took the tram to the Rolfinium where we met up with the Sandeman Castle Tour. Our tour guide walked us up the hill to the top of the castle where we walked behind the castle walls enjoying the gothic part of town. The castle as different than ones we have previously experienced because it was a collection of various buildings rather than one giant mansion. We were glad to have the tour guide with us making it easier to follow along. Within the castle walls was St. Vitus Cathedral which was in the process of being built for over 600 years this caused the exterior to be gothic and the stained glass to be relatively modern. It was an interesting, different vibe that was refreshing after the many churches we had been in. We also watched the changing of the guard outside of the presidents office which was slightly overrated. After our tour, we ate dinner at a restaurant near the castle. Unfortunately, we were unaware that the restaurant was cash only so upon receiving the bill and being told we could pay with card we panicked a little. Adding up all of our money we came up 6 cents short and our sassy waiter was very rude despite our attempts to ask about the nearest ATM. The experience put a bit of a damper on our day but we continued on. After dinner, we headed to Charles Bridge. The famous bridge has been standing since the 14th century and is always packed full of tourists. Which was why we waited until the evening to visit the iconic bridge. We still had five hours until our train at that point so we ate a trdelnik again and went to the main square. In the main square we watched a street performed for half an hour before heading to the station. Now we are waiting in the station for our overnight train to Budapest. If all goes to plan we will be in Budapest by morning.- E
P.S. pictures to come once we're in Budapest!
Another day in Prague! We started off the morning relatively late after a breakfast of eggs and bacon. After leaving the Airbnb, we dropped our bags off at the station and started the day. We began with a tram ride up to Strahov Monastery. The monastery is known for the beer the monks brewed but rather than enjoy the beer garden attached to the monastery we entered the gorgeous library. We were slightly disappointed with the limited access to the library but nevertheless thought it was pretty. After the monastery, we took the tram to the Rolfinium where we met up with the Sandeman Castle Tour. Our tour guide walked us up the hill to the top of the castle where we walked behind the castle walls enjoying the gothic part of town. The castle as different than ones we have previously experienced because it was a collection of various buildings rather than one giant mansion. We were glad to have the tour guide with us making it easier to follow along. Within the castle walls was St. Vitus Cathedral which was in the process of being built for over 600 years this caused the exterior to be gothic and the stained glass to be relatively modern. It was an interesting, different vibe that was refreshing after the many churches we had been in. We also watched the changing of the guard outside of the presidents office which was slightly overrated. After our tour, we ate dinner at a restaurant near the castle. Unfortunately, we were unaware that the restaurant was cash only so upon receiving the bill and being told we could pay with card we panicked a little. Adding up all of our money we came up 6 cents short and our sassy waiter was very rude despite our attempts to ask about the nearest ATM. The experience put a bit of a damper on our day but we continued on. After dinner, we headed to Charles Bridge. The famous bridge has been standing since the 14th century and is always packed full of tourists. Which was why we waited until the evening to visit the iconic bridge. We still had five hours until our train at that point so we ate a trdelnik again and went to the main square. In the main square we watched a street performed for half an hour before heading to the station. Now we are waiting in the station for our overnight train to Budapest. If all goes to plan we will be in Budapest by morning.- E
P.S. pictures to come once we're in Budapest!
6/4/17
We started our day off with a walking tour of Prague. Our tour guide Neil was really good and provided a ton of interesting information about Prague. He gave us lots of fun facts such as that The Rolling Stones gave a concert in Prague after they were no longer a communist state. After this concert, they toured the castle and realized that the government couldn't pay to light the castle so they paid to light the outside of the castle along with part of the inside. This lighting was all done by their concert lighting director and is still the lighting used today. Along with learning interesting facts we saw different sights, such as Old Town Square, Astronomical Clock, Jewish District, Wenceslas Square, and many other amazing places. It was an extremely interesting tour especially because the Czech Republic was constantly changing throughout history, especially within the last 100 years. After our tour we grabbed some lunch and took a boat tour. Elizabeth and I decided that the boat tour was the worst purchase we made so far on the trip... it was a really bad tour. Then we decided to treat ourselves with ice cream filled trdelnik, which was basically a churro cone. It was delicious and a great way to end a rainy day! ~L
We started our day off with a walking tour of Prague. Our tour guide Neil was really good and provided a ton of interesting information about Prague. He gave us lots of fun facts such as that The Rolling Stones gave a concert in Prague after they were no longer a communist state. After this concert, they toured the castle and realized that the government couldn't pay to light the castle so they paid to light the outside of the castle along with part of the inside. This lighting was all done by their concert lighting director and is still the lighting used today. Along with learning interesting facts we saw different sights, such as Old Town Square, Astronomical Clock, Jewish District, Wenceslas Square, and many other amazing places. It was an extremely interesting tour especially because the Czech Republic was constantly changing throughout history, especially within the last 100 years. After our tour we grabbed some lunch and took a boat tour. Elizabeth and I decided that the boat tour was the worst purchase we made so far on the trip... it was a really bad tour. Then we decided to treat ourselves with ice cream filled trdelnik, which was basically a churro cone. It was delicious and a great way to end a rainy day! ~L
6/3/17
We got up early and hopped on a train from Vienna to Prague. We arrived in Prague around 2 but were unable to get into the city until mid afternoon. Upon reaching Prague, we immediately headed to the city center. There, we had lunch (two pieces of chocolate cake), wondered around the main square, and admired the amazing architecture. While wondering around, we encountered 11 bachelor parties! Apparently Prague is certainly the city to be in if you are a bachelor. After about an hour we headed back towards our airbnb where we picked up some groceries to make dinners. Our airbnb is a private apartment so we decided to save a little money (even though Prague is really cheap- which is amazing) and cook our own dinners aka I am cooking dinner. The airbnb is nice but we spent about half an hour trying to get back into the apartment due to the door being jammed. This put a bit of a damper on the experience but overall its a nice set up. Tomorrow we will be touring Prague to the fullest which is very exciting.- E
We got up early and hopped on a train from Vienna to Prague. We arrived in Prague around 2 but were unable to get into the city until mid afternoon. Upon reaching Prague, we immediately headed to the city center. There, we had lunch (two pieces of chocolate cake), wondered around the main square, and admired the amazing architecture. While wondering around, we encountered 11 bachelor parties! Apparently Prague is certainly the city to be in if you are a bachelor. After about an hour we headed back towards our airbnb where we picked up some groceries to make dinners. Our airbnb is a private apartment so we decided to save a little money (even though Prague is really cheap- which is amazing) and cook our own dinners aka I am cooking dinner. The airbnb is nice but we spent about half an hour trying to get back into the apartment due to the door being jammed. This put a bit of a damper on the experience but overall its a nice set up. Tomorrow we will be touring Prague to the fullest which is very exciting.- E
6/2/17
After 25,905 steps (at least according to Elizabeth's phone), we have successfully conquered Vienna! We started our day off early getting breakfast at a cafe near the Schonbrunn Palace and afterwards we took a 40 minute audio tour of only a small part of the palace. The palace was owned by the Hapsburg family, so of course it was gigantic but beautiful. (Mom and Dad ask Armeen who the Hapsburgs are and if he can't tell you, then he definitely shouldn't have passed AP Euro...) Following the audio tour we went outside to the palace garden, which was magnificent and once again gigantic. While we were in the garden a family asked us to be in a photo with their daughter... it was weird. Later we asked a lady to take a photo of the two of us (see photo above) and her friend took a photo of us on her camera, so after visiting the palace two people have random photos of us on their cameras... it was a weird morning. After strolling around the garden, we went to the city center of Vienna. There we went into St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Catholic Church of St. Peter, which were both spectacular but Elizabeth and I were really impressed by St. Peter's. Following that we went to the Vienna State Opera house, but we weren't able to go inside. Then we met for a tour by the Albertina, which our guide took us on a tour explaining a lot about the history of Vienna. We saw different sights throughout Vienna, such as Emperor Joseph's Square, St. Michael's Square, Jewish Quarter, St. Rupert's Church, and much more. After the tour we attempted to go to the Opera to get standing room tickets, but when we got there we were told we couldn't go in because Elizabeth was wearing shorts (it was for the best though because we were not going to be able to stand for five extra hours... we are really tired). Instead of going to the Opera, we went on a ferris wheel to give us a view of the city. It was not a very good view, so we were slightly disappointed but we were glad we were able to do as much as we did in Vienna in one day. We called it a day after the ferris wheel because we are off to Prague early tomorrow morning!~L
After 25,905 steps (at least according to Elizabeth's phone), we have successfully conquered Vienna! We started our day off early getting breakfast at a cafe near the Schonbrunn Palace and afterwards we took a 40 minute audio tour of only a small part of the palace. The palace was owned by the Hapsburg family, so of course it was gigantic but beautiful. (Mom and Dad ask Armeen who the Hapsburgs are and if he can't tell you, then he definitely shouldn't have passed AP Euro...) Following the audio tour we went outside to the palace garden, which was magnificent and once again gigantic. While we were in the garden a family asked us to be in a photo with their daughter... it was weird. Later we asked a lady to take a photo of the two of us (see photo above) and her friend took a photo of us on her camera, so after visiting the palace two people have random photos of us on their cameras... it was a weird morning. After strolling around the garden, we went to the city center of Vienna. There we went into St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Catholic Church of St. Peter, which were both spectacular but Elizabeth and I were really impressed by St. Peter's. Following that we went to the Vienna State Opera house, but we weren't able to go inside. Then we met for a tour by the Albertina, which our guide took us on a tour explaining a lot about the history of Vienna. We saw different sights throughout Vienna, such as Emperor Joseph's Square, St. Michael's Square, Jewish Quarter, St. Rupert's Church, and much more. After the tour we attempted to go to the Opera to get standing room tickets, but when we got there we were told we couldn't go in because Elizabeth was wearing shorts (it was for the best though because we were not going to be able to stand for five extra hours... we are really tired). Instead of going to the Opera, we went on a ferris wheel to give us a view of the city. It was not a very good view, so we were slightly disappointed but we were glad we were able to do as much as we did in Vienna in one day. We called it a day after the ferris wheel because we are off to Prague early tomorrow morning!~L
6/1/17
We started off the morning with a large breakfast at a nice cafe that overlooked the Marienplatz. The Marienplatz is a square in the center of Munich this is also where we met up with our Sandeman tour guide. After breakfast, we headed out on our town with Jake, an American who now lives in Munich. It was interesting to hear his perspective on the city because he is also American although I think we both would have preferred a local. He showed us around the city center and informed of us the rich history in Munich. The town was interesting because it had a very small town feel despite its large size. In addition, most of the city has been reconstructed to appear old due to the damage down during World War II. We left Munich shortly after our tour to head to Vienna. The four hour train ride went by relatively quickly. Once in Vienna, we found our airbnb, grabbed dinner, and planned tomorrows adventure. We realize that we have a short while in Vienna so tomorrow will be a very pack filled day.- E
We started off the morning with a large breakfast at a nice cafe that overlooked the Marienplatz. The Marienplatz is a square in the center of Munich this is also where we met up with our Sandeman tour guide. After breakfast, we headed out on our town with Jake, an American who now lives in Munich. It was interesting to hear his perspective on the city because he is also American although I think we both would have preferred a local. He showed us around the city center and informed of us the rich history in Munich. The town was interesting because it had a very small town feel despite its large size. In addition, most of the city has been reconstructed to appear old due to the damage down during World War II. We left Munich shortly after our tour to head to Vienna. The four hour train ride went by relatively quickly. Once in Vienna, we found our airbnb, grabbed dinner, and planned tomorrows adventure. We realize that we have a short while in Vienna so tomorrow will be a very pack filled day.- E
5/31/17
Today was a travel day, so we left the beautiful country of Switzerland and arrived in Munich! We were on the train for a little over four hours leaving us just enough time to see a little bit of Munich. We walked around the city and explored Holy Ghost Church and Marienplatz. We didn't get to see much of the city today, but we are really excited to go on a tour tomorrow and then we will be off to Vienna! Sorry the blog was boring... travel days always take away from the fun! ~L
Today was a travel day, so we left the beautiful country of Switzerland and arrived in Munich! We were on the train for a little over four hours leaving us just enough time to see a little bit of Munich. We walked around the city and explored Holy Ghost Church and Marienplatz. We didn't get to see much of the city today, but we are really excited to go on a tour tomorrow and then we will be off to Vienna! Sorry the blog was boring... travel days always take away from the fun! ~L
3/30/17
Yesterday we got a late starting taking the 10:30 train to Interlaken. Interlaken is a ski town on Lake Thun. It is surrounded by incredible mountains but the town itself is a bit rundown. During lunch we decided to look up the cost of going up some of the nearby mountains. Realizing how incredibly expensive they are, we decided to visit the Spiez Castle on Lake Thun. We took the ferry around the lake before visiting the castle. The castle was a bit of a let down because despite its beautiful appearance the interior wasn't very exciting. It was filled with history of the lords who had lived there but lacked interesting elements to pull us in. We finished up at the castle, getting ice cream at the boat stop, before heading back towards our airbnb. We called it an early night and watched some TV before going to bed. Now, we're on our way to Munich to enjoy the German city for the day. -E
Yesterday we got a late starting taking the 10:30 train to Interlaken. Interlaken is a ski town on Lake Thun. It is surrounded by incredible mountains but the town itself is a bit rundown. During lunch we decided to look up the cost of going up some of the nearby mountains. Realizing how incredibly expensive they are, we decided to visit the Spiez Castle on Lake Thun. We took the ferry around the lake before visiting the castle. The castle was a bit of a let down because despite its beautiful appearance the interior wasn't very exciting. It was filled with history of the lords who had lived there but lacked interesting elements to pull us in. We finished up at the castle, getting ice cream at the boat stop, before heading back towards our airbnb. We called it an early night and watched some TV before going to bed. Now, we're on our way to Munich to enjoy the German city for the day. -E
5/29/17
We started our day off by going to Bern. When we got to Bern we walked around Old Town Bern and we visited the Cathedral at Munsterplatz. The city was filled with unique fountains and bears. This may seem odd... but there were bears in the middle of the city. (Don't worry they were in an enclosed habitat.) We watched the bears climb trees and run around enjoying themselves. It was really cool to see them, but we found their location in the middle of city to be really weird. After we watched the bears, we climbed up a really steep hill to get the Rosengarten (Rose Garden). This gave us a great view of the city, however it reinforced the idea that Switzerland makes you work for its beauty. The Rose Garden had plenty of picturesque roses along with other flowers. In the midst of the flowers, we found a really cute cat taking a nap (it was really cute)! We ended our day with a boat ride at Lake Thun and it was gorgeous! The snow capped mountains provided an amazing backdrop for the beautiful blue water, which was a perfect way to end the day! ~L
We started our day off by going to Bern. When we got to Bern we walked around Old Town Bern and we visited the Cathedral at Munsterplatz. The city was filled with unique fountains and bears. This may seem odd... but there were bears in the middle of the city. (Don't worry they were in an enclosed habitat.) We watched the bears climb trees and run around enjoying themselves. It was really cool to see them, but we found their location in the middle of city to be really weird. After we watched the bears, we climbed up a really steep hill to get the Rosengarten (Rose Garden). This gave us a great view of the city, however it reinforced the idea that Switzerland makes you work for its beauty. The Rose Garden had plenty of picturesque roses along with other flowers. In the midst of the flowers, we found a really cute cat taking a nap (it was really cute)! We ended our day with a boat ride at Lake Thun and it was gorgeous! The snow capped mountains provided an amazing backdrop for the beautiful blue water, which was a perfect way to end the day! ~L
2/28/17
We started the morning off with an hour train ride to Lucerne, a small town in Switzerland. There we saw the Chapel Bridge- the centerpiece of the town. The bridge was relatively crowded but we still managed to take some wonderful photos of the picturesque bridge. Following our walk across the bridge, we decided to go to lunch in Lucerne. The problem with this plan was that almost all the restaurants were closed due to it being Sunday. The few who weren't closed were relatively high end and expensive. This left us with a few options the most favorable of which was to find a take away place at the Lucerne station. Following lunch, we hopped on another train headed towards Mount Pilatus. Standing at 6981 feet, Mount Pilatus had a gorgeous view of the taller alps as well as Lucerne. To get to the top we took the "steepest cogwheel railway in the world." The railcar had amazing views the entire ride up. Upon reaching the top, Leila and I walked up to the highest points of the mountain. The cool temperatures, after the heat in Lucerne; amazing views; and calm atmosphere was incredible. We spent about an hour exploring the top of the mountain before heading down the other side of the mountain. This involved a cable car. The cable car stopped twice along the route. The first stop, we exited and found ice cream and "the longest summer toboggan run in Switzerland." So naturally, we stopped there for another hour. The ice cream was delicious and provided a wonderful rest where we could view the Alps. This was followed by a traditional alpine slide. We both found the ride back up the mountain, in which you were pulled up, to be more pleasant than the speedy ride down but nevertheless enjoyed the experience. So far, I think Mount Pilatus has been both of our favorite stops but we can only wait to see what the next adventure is like. - E
We started the morning off with an hour train ride to Lucerne, a small town in Switzerland. There we saw the Chapel Bridge- the centerpiece of the town. The bridge was relatively crowded but we still managed to take some wonderful photos of the picturesque bridge. Following our walk across the bridge, we decided to go to lunch in Lucerne. The problem with this plan was that almost all the restaurants were closed due to it being Sunday. The few who weren't closed were relatively high end and expensive. This left us with a few options the most favorable of which was to find a take away place at the Lucerne station. Following lunch, we hopped on another train headed towards Mount Pilatus. Standing at 6981 feet, Mount Pilatus had a gorgeous view of the taller alps as well as Lucerne. To get to the top we took the "steepest cogwheel railway in the world." The railcar had amazing views the entire ride up. Upon reaching the top, Leila and I walked up to the highest points of the mountain. The cool temperatures, after the heat in Lucerne; amazing views; and calm atmosphere was incredible. We spent about an hour exploring the top of the mountain before heading down the other side of the mountain. This involved a cable car. The cable car stopped twice along the route. The first stop, we exited and found ice cream and "the longest summer toboggan run in Switzerland." So naturally, we stopped there for another hour. The ice cream was delicious and provided a wonderful rest where we could view the Alps. This was followed by a traditional alpine slide. We both found the ride back up the mountain, in which you were pulled up, to be more pleasant than the speedy ride down but nevertheless enjoyed the experience. So far, I think Mount Pilatus has been both of our favorite stops but we can only wait to see what the next adventure is like. - E
5/27/17
Today we got to explore a beautiful city named Zurich. We initially wanted to get a tour of the city today, but we were running a little late this morning because we have to share a bathroom with all of the other people in our Airbnb so we missed the tour. Instead we started off by heading towards the docks where you can see Lake Zurich surrounded by a mixture of green and snow capped mountains. Then we visited the Grossmunster and the Fraumunster (they are both churches). At the Grossmunster we climbed up a steep spiral staircase to get to the top of the church's tower, which provided us with an amazing view of the city. Our legs were a little tired after the climb, so we took a break and ate lunch. After lunch we went on an hour and a half boat ride on Lake Zurich. It was really hot today, so the boat's breeze was amazing (the slush puppies we ate earlier in the day helped too). We ended our day by going to Uetliberg Mountain, where once again we walked up steep hills and a ton of steps to get a great view of Switzerland. Switzerland is a gorgeous country, but it really makes you work for the view! ~L
Today we got to explore a beautiful city named Zurich. We initially wanted to get a tour of the city today, but we were running a little late this morning because we have to share a bathroom with all of the other people in our Airbnb so we missed the tour. Instead we started off by heading towards the docks where you can see Lake Zurich surrounded by a mixture of green and snow capped mountains. Then we visited the Grossmunster and the Fraumunster (they are both churches). At the Grossmunster we climbed up a steep spiral staircase to get to the top of the church's tower, which provided us with an amazing view of the city. Our legs were a little tired after the climb, so we took a break and ate lunch. After lunch we went on an hour and a half boat ride on Lake Zurich. It was really hot today, so the boat's breeze was amazing (the slush puppies we ate earlier in the day helped too). We ended our day by going to Uetliberg Mountain, where once again we walked up steep hills and a ton of steps to get a great view of Switzerland. Switzerland is a gorgeous country, but it really makes you work for the view! ~L
5/26/17
We traveled from Frankfurt to Zurich this afternoon after arriving we headed straight to our Airbnb where we were greeted by our host Sandro. Due to it already being 5 O'Clock, Leila and I decided not to head into Zurich and instead stay in Adliswil, the small town our Airbnb is located in. Sandro recommended that we take the cable car to the top of the hill. Up there, we had a great view of the Swiss Alps. It was a wonderful preview of what we will see later this week. After the cable car (which we got to go up for free through our Eurail pass!) we had dinner at a local Italian restaurant. There was more of a language barrier than in any other place we've been this trip. Despite a few difficulties with the menu, the meal was good and had a more authentic vibe to it. Now, we're back at the Airbnb working on our plans for this week. I think we're both very excited to see the rest of Switzerland this week!-E
P.S. You can now visit our Belgium and Amsterdam tabs to see more photos from our adventure.
We traveled from Frankfurt to Zurich this afternoon after arriving we headed straight to our Airbnb where we were greeted by our host Sandro. Due to it already being 5 O'Clock, Leila and I decided not to head into Zurich and instead stay in Adliswil, the small town our Airbnb is located in. Sandro recommended that we take the cable car to the top of the hill. Up there, we had a great view of the Swiss Alps. It was a wonderful preview of what we will see later this week. After the cable car (which we got to go up for free through our Eurail pass!) we had dinner at a local Italian restaurant. There was more of a language barrier than in any other place we've been this trip. Despite a few difficulties with the menu, the meal was good and had a more authentic vibe to it. Now, we're back at the Airbnb working on our plans for this week. I think we're both very excited to see the rest of Switzerland this week!-E
P.S. You can now visit our Belgium and Amsterdam tabs to see more photos from our adventure.
5/25/17
We travelled to Frankfurt by train this morning. We then checked into our hostel and went out to explore the city. We came across a festival where we stopped and grabbed some German food for lunch. We them visited a town square called Romer and the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew. We discovered pretty early on that Frankfurt didn't have much to see other than skyscrapers because the city is pretty modern. So we ended our day early (also because I got pooped on by a bird) to just rest and regroup for the rest of the trip. We are off to Switzerland next!~L
We travelled to Frankfurt by train this morning. We then checked into our hostel and went out to explore the city. We came across a festival where we stopped and grabbed some German food for lunch. We them visited a town square called Romer and the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew. We discovered pretty early on that Frankfurt didn't have much to see other than skyscrapers because the city is pretty modern. So we ended our day early (also because I got pooped on by a bird) to just rest and regroup for the rest of the trip. We are off to Switzerland next!~L
5/24/17
This morning we ate breakfast at Hostel Snuffle in Bruges. We walked from the hostel to the train station to head to Ghent. Ghent is an active town full of churches and an old castle. Leila and I arrived mid-morning and decided to head straight to the Gravensteen. The Gravensteen is the medieval castle in the heart of the city center. It houses a large collection of medieval weapons and torture items. Despite the unpleasant collection, the Gravensteen had great views of the city and was a fun way to see a medieval castle. Following the castle, we headed to lunch at Soup'R a local soup place. It had great food and was a relatively cheap eat. After lunch we wandered around the city center entering the various churches. This included the Belfort, Saint Nicholas Church, Saint Bavo's Cathedral, and St. Michael's Church. Saint Bavo's has beautiful gothic architecture with incredible art pieces inside. One such art piece was the Ghent Altarpiece by Jan and Hubert Van Eyck. The altarpiece is known for having two panels stolen in the 1930's. One of these panels is still missing. We spent about half an hour listening to the various tidbits of information provided to us by our audio guides. Saint Nicholas's Church had a food truck festival outside of it along with a small artisan market inside. There, we enjoyed the church's structure as well as another waffle from the food truck festival. Following Saint Nicholas's Church, we headed to St. Michael's. Saint Michael's is just off of the city center and therefor was a little less crowded. It was a nice break from the crowds of the other sights. We neglected to go up the Belfort but admired the wonderful clock tower from outside. Feeling a little churched out, we headed to the graffiti street of Ghent. It is an entire street dedicated to graffiti and allows local artists to paint whatever they like. The street had layers upon layers of paint and was filled with unique graffiti. After the graffiti street, we headed to the train station to go back to Leuven where Jolien would meet us. From there, we headed back to the Coninx's to have dinner with them. Tomorrow, we will be heading out of Belgium and to Frankfurt for the night in order to break up the long train ride to Switzerland.- E
5/23/17
This morning Mrs. Coninx gave us a quick tour of the town, Lier, where she works. We were able to see the school she works at along with the town's unique bell tower. After the tour, she dropped us off at the train station so we could head to Bruges. Bruges is extremely cute! It's a small town filled with cobbled streets, old buildings, and a canal. We got lunch at a little shop, then we went on to explore the city. We saw the Belfort tower along with other buildings in the town, such as the Church of Our Lady. We also ventured to the Market, where we went into the Historic Center of Bruges to a balcony where we got a very nice view of the town. After that we went on a boat tour of the town and got extremely close to the many swans living in the city. We loved Bruges, but there were a ton of tours throughout the city which made it really hard to avoid masses of people. Later in the day we went to dinner at a restaurant called De Vagevuur. The dinner was great, but Elizabeth got locked into the restroom stall because the door handle broke! She wasn't able to climb out because European stall doors go all the way to the floor, so I had to get a restaurant worker to open the door (which he had to open with a knife). It was quite the adventure! We then went to our hostel that we are staying in for the night. We can hear the live jazz music from the lobby right outside our window. Tomorrow we have one last stop in Belgium... Ghent! ~L
This morning Mrs. Coninx gave us a quick tour of the town, Lier, where she works. We were able to see the school she works at along with the town's unique bell tower. After the tour, she dropped us off at the train station so we could head to Bruges. Bruges is extremely cute! It's a small town filled with cobbled streets, old buildings, and a canal. We got lunch at a little shop, then we went on to explore the city. We saw the Belfort tower along with other buildings in the town, such as the Church of Our Lady. We also ventured to the Market, where we went into the Historic Center of Bruges to a balcony where we got a very nice view of the town. After that we went on a boat tour of the town and got extremely close to the many swans living in the city. We loved Bruges, but there were a ton of tours throughout the city which made it really hard to avoid masses of people. Later in the day we went to dinner at a restaurant called De Vagevuur. The dinner was great, but Elizabeth got locked into the restroom stall because the door handle broke! She wasn't able to climb out because European stall doors go all the way to the floor, so I had to get a restaurant worker to open the door (which he had to open with a knife). It was quite the adventure! We then went to our hostel that we are staying in for the night. We can hear the live jazz music from the lobby right outside our window. Tomorrow we have one last stop in Belgium... Ghent! ~L
5/22/17
We started the day off early so that Jolien Coninx could get to her first class on time. This allowed us to sit outside of the Grand Plaza and eat scones while watching the city wake up. During this time, we began planning the train times for our adventure to Switzerland. The original plan was to head to Switzerland through Luxembourg and stop in Luxembourg for the day. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we realized that going through Luxembourg wasn't going to be as realistic as we thought. Instead the more logical train route is through Frankfurt to Zurich. While we are bummed to be canceling another stop on our trip it's definitely the decision that makes the most sense. After evaluating our next couples of days, we met up with the Sandeman tour group. Sandeman tours is an organization that does free tours in most major cities and you tip the guide based on your personal evaluation of their performance. Our guide Simon was very animated and gave us a tour of the major sites of Brussels. This included the Grand Plaza, Meineken Pis, the Imperial Palace, and so much more. After our wonderful tour we stopped by Simons favorite chocolate place called Mary. The founder of Mary was the first female chocolatier of Brussels and first personal chocolatier to the royal family. We purchased the wonderful chocolate and then made our way to lunch. We sat at a cafe just outside of St Michaels Cathedral. Following lunch, we entered the church. The beautiful stained glass and rich atmosphere was wonderful. We then ate some chocolates on a bench outside of the church. We began to worry about the chocolates melting so we decided to move to the park outside of the palace. There, we sat in the shade, people watched, and ate more chocolate. But what's Belgium without a lot of chocolate? Deciding we had seen most of the historic sights in Belgium, and realizing the museums were closed on Mondays, we tried to head to the Atomium by subway. I say tried because we once again ran into a hiccup on public transportation. The subway kiosks did not accept one Euro coins or our credit cards resulting in us abandoning the idea to go to the Atomium. Good news is that by not going to the Atomium we found a Belgian Waffle truck. The waffles were good but not amazing I think we'll have to try them again in Bruges. That evening, we met with Jolien who showed us around her college town of Leuven. We had authentic frites at a local place near her room. Following dinner, we had drinks in the main square where the university students hang out after class. Mrs. Coninx was kind enough to come pick us up in Leuven and allow us to sleep in their home. This morning we are headed off to Bruges. We've heard so much about the city that we're just hoping it lives up to expectations.- E
We started the day off early so that Jolien Coninx could get to her first class on time. This allowed us to sit outside of the Grand Plaza and eat scones while watching the city wake up. During this time, we began planning the train times for our adventure to Switzerland. The original plan was to head to Switzerland through Luxembourg and stop in Luxembourg for the day. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we realized that going through Luxembourg wasn't going to be as realistic as we thought. Instead the more logical train route is through Frankfurt to Zurich. While we are bummed to be canceling another stop on our trip it's definitely the decision that makes the most sense. After evaluating our next couples of days, we met up with the Sandeman tour group. Sandeman tours is an organization that does free tours in most major cities and you tip the guide based on your personal evaluation of their performance. Our guide Simon was very animated and gave us a tour of the major sites of Brussels. This included the Grand Plaza, Meineken Pis, the Imperial Palace, and so much more. After our wonderful tour we stopped by Simons favorite chocolate place called Mary. The founder of Mary was the first female chocolatier of Brussels and first personal chocolatier to the royal family. We purchased the wonderful chocolate and then made our way to lunch. We sat at a cafe just outside of St Michaels Cathedral. Following lunch, we entered the church. The beautiful stained glass and rich atmosphere was wonderful. We then ate some chocolates on a bench outside of the church. We began to worry about the chocolates melting so we decided to move to the park outside of the palace. There, we sat in the shade, people watched, and ate more chocolate. But what's Belgium without a lot of chocolate? Deciding we had seen most of the historic sights in Belgium, and realizing the museums were closed on Mondays, we tried to head to the Atomium by subway. I say tried because we once again ran into a hiccup on public transportation. The subway kiosks did not accept one Euro coins or our credit cards resulting in us abandoning the idea to go to the Atomium. Good news is that by not going to the Atomium we found a Belgian Waffle truck. The waffles were good but not amazing I think we'll have to try them again in Bruges. That evening, we met with Jolien who showed us around her college town of Leuven. We had authentic frites at a local place near her room. Following dinner, we had drinks in the main square where the university students hang out after class. Mrs. Coninx was kind enough to come pick us up in Leuven and allow us to sleep in their home. This morning we are headed off to Bruges. We've heard so much about the city that we're just hoping it lives up to expectations.- E
5/21/17
We started our day off with a tour around Amsterdam with our amazing tour guide Lee. The tour gave us more background information on the city and the best places to eat in the city. It would have been nice to have the tour on the first day in Amsterdam rather than the last, but it was still an awesome tour. After the tour we hurried to get our bags to head off to Antwerp, where we met Mrs. Coninx (the Rickert's family friend). She took us back to her home where we ate pizza for dinner with the Coninx family. ~L
We started our day off with a tour around Amsterdam with our amazing tour guide Lee. The tour gave us more background information on the city and the best places to eat in the city. It would have been nice to have the tour on the first day in Amsterdam rather than the last, but it was still an awesome tour. After the tour we hurried to get our bags to head off to Antwerp, where we met Mrs. Coninx (the Rickert's family friend). She took us back to her home where we ate pizza for dinner with the Coninx family. ~L
5/20/17
We started our day off early with an attempted visit to the royal palace. I say attempted because we quickly learned that it was closed due to the royal family being home. Moving past this hiccup, we headed to Vondel Park for a nice stroll. The park is absolutely beautiful and large. We wandered around there until it began to rain. Thankfully (thanks Mrs. Gartner) Leila had her travel umbrella and we were able to make it to a lunch spot before getting too wet. Following lunch, we went to the Rijksmuseum. The museum is full of magnificent art pieces by famous Dutch painters such as Frans Hals, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh. This said, there's only so much art you can absorb (aka Leila and I got bored). We ended up leaving after two hours feeling very cultured. Feeling fulfilled in Amsterdam, we headed to the small town of Haarlem. In Haarlem we attended the local market, toured an elaborate church, and saw a windmill. The market was adorable and contained a mixture of food and clothing. Leila ate a fruit salad snack and I had some fresh juice. The market was fun because it had a very local feel to it. After the windmill, we had dinner and ice cream in Haarlem before calling it an early night back at the room. We (at least I am) are still exhausted from the trip over. - E
We started our day off early with an attempted visit to the royal palace. I say attempted because we quickly learned that it was closed due to the royal family being home. Moving past this hiccup, we headed to Vondel Park for a nice stroll. The park is absolutely beautiful and large. We wandered around there until it began to rain. Thankfully (thanks Mrs. Gartner) Leila had her travel umbrella and we were able to make it to a lunch spot before getting too wet. Following lunch, we went to the Rijksmuseum. The museum is full of magnificent art pieces by famous Dutch painters such as Frans Hals, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh. This said, there's only so much art you can absorb (aka Leila and I got bored). We ended up leaving after two hours feeling very cultured. Feeling fulfilled in Amsterdam, we headed to the small town of Haarlem. In Haarlem we attended the local market, toured an elaborate church, and saw a windmill. The market was adorable and contained a mixture of food and clothing. Leila ate a fruit salad snack and I had some fresh juice. The market was fun because it had a very local feel to it. After the windmill, we had dinner and ice cream in Haarlem before calling it an early night back at the room. We (at least I am) are still exhausted from the trip over. - E
5/19/17
A combination of getting lost yesterday and getting lost today started us off with a really low attitude about our trip. The machines to get tickets for the trains for some reason don't accept our credit cards and we didn't have enough coins to get us where we needed to be, so we may have broken a few rules. 😬 But now we have the appropriate ticket to get us where we need to be, so no more risky decisions! Our stressful start to our morning got us to the Anne Frank house three minutes late, but the ladies at the entrance were nice so we got in (thank you to the very nice ladies at the entrance). The house was extremely interesting to see and it made Anne Frank more real to us. For example, we always read about the stairs being steep, but you don't understand how truly steep they are until you are walking up them and hoping every step you don't fall flat on your face. After the Anne Frank House, we went to the cheese museum... it had a lot of cheese, then we went to Dam Square and got lunch. After roaming the city for a little bit, we went on a boat tour (one of us fell asleep... hint it wasn't me). Following the canal, Elizabeth and I went to the floating flower market where we had stroop waffles! Finally, we found a place to eat for dinner and then took a ferry to a lookout, which had a really cool view of Amsterdam. Overall this morning was really stressful, but now we understand how their public transportation works! Fun Fact: there are almost as many bicycles in Amsterdam as people (they are everywhere)! Unfortunately, we have decided that there is so much to do in Amsterdam and not enough time that it doesn't make sense to head to Paris for the day. ~L
A combination of getting lost yesterday and getting lost today started us off with a really low attitude about our trip. The machines to get tickets for the trains for some reason don't accept our credit cards and we didn't have enough coins to get us where we needed to be, so we may have broken a few rules. 😬 But now we have the appropriate ticket to get us where we need to be, so no more risky decisions! Our stressful start to our morning got us to the Anne Frank house three minutes late, but the ladies at the entrance were nice so we got in (thank you to the very nice ladies at the entrance). The house was extremely interesting to see and it made Anne Frank more real to us. For example, we always read about the stairs being steep, but you don't understand how truly steep they are until you are walking up them and hoping every step you don't fall flat on your face. After the Anne Frank House, we went to the cheese museum... it had a lot of cheese, then we went to Dam Square and got lunch. After roaming the city for a little bit, we went on a boat tour (one of us fell asleep... hint it wasn't me). Following the canal, Elizabeth and I went to the floating flower market where we had stroop waffles! Finally, we found a place to eat for dinner and then took a ferry to a lookout, which had a really cool view of Amsterdam. Overall this morning was really stressful, but now we understand how their public transportation works! Fun Fact: there are almost as many bicycles in Amsterdam as people (they are everywhere)! Unfortunately, we have decided that there is so much to do in Amsterdam and not enough time that it doesn't make sense to head to Paris for the day. ~L
We successfully landed in Amsterdam! The journey has finally begun! We tried to act as locals and take the public transportation. This worked super well until we got lost. My friends in DC- remind me to never complain about the DC Metro ever again! Thankfully, Uber works everywhere and our nice Uber driver dropped us off at our AirBNB. The AirBNB isn't glamorous but you get what you pay for. Leila and I are calling an early night after having dinner in downtown Harlaam.- E
WE HAVE ARRIVED...at the airport. One headache clinic appointment, several goodbyes, and five hours later (thanks mom!) Leila and I arrived at the Chicago Airport. We have successfully gone through customs and eaten cubans sandwiches in preparation of our upcoming flight. Tomorrow we'll be landing in Amsterdam to begin this great adventure. I think I can speak for the both of us when I say we cannot wait for it to start. I can hardly believe that everything we have been planning is finally happening! We can't wait to keep all of you updated on this wonderful journey.- E