Bienvenidos a España: Barcelona y Madrid

I took a morning flight from Brussels to Madrid. My first RyanAir flight and all went smoothly. This airline is known for being extremely cheap, but if you don't follow their rules to a T then they get you, 50euros for each wrong doing. It compares to Southwest airlines back home because you choose your seat when you board. Landed and made my way to my best friend Lauren's best friend's house. A phrase jumble of best friends. I knew it was going to be a fun stay because I always hear such great stories about Lauren's friend, their group goes back years and consists of like 12 girls or something. It was Claudia's birthday as well so I was happy to get to share in on her Feliz cumpleanos festivities.

     I helped Claudia and her mom create some tapas for her party and I played with her kitties-I miss my two back home. Her friends started arriving and I soon realized this was going to be a hell of a lot of people, twenty something, all speaking a language I haven't practiced in 2 years. Although it was a little hard at first, some of Lauren's friends spoke with me in English. It was fun meeting all the girls Lauren holds so close to her heart, to realize which ones she was probably closer with (since I knew which ones I would be closer with). A few hours later and we were moving the party to some DJ concert, something like 12 euros with 2 drinks included. It was a crazy scene, so many people, lightshows...and I was so into it I never even got my 2 free drinks. By the time we were walking home it was 6AM. Bienvenido a (Welcome to) España.



Me and one of the finicky kitties

 Slept in until 12pm, but that was only 5 or so hours sleep. After a little couch action, Claudia took me on a walk through the city. Just as we were walking out of the metro, Rain. But by the time we got some tapas, shopped for new headphones for me (an essential), it had pretty much stopped. We walked by some pretty fountains, important buildings (where royalty lived), and took a bus back starting on the street that today's Spain Day parade took place. That night we met with Rocio at a bar, each 1 euro beer you got a tapas. Pretty great deal. Then we met up with Angelica and her boyfriend and got some Kalimoxto (red wine and Pepsi), a pretty refreshing combo, and walked the streets. Early night in, around 1AM (haha, but really it was early for Spanish standards). Next day, rainy, chill in day. Went out that night with more of Lauren's friends, had some tapas and talk at Rocio's beforehand. First bar was a hipster spot followed by this more clublike scene. It was only when we had to go to the bathroom did we realize....SECOND LEVEL. Wahoo. More party.

Walk in the Park

The following day Claudia's mom let me drive her car. It was awesome being behind the wheel again. Driving to the park was a little annoying since there was absolutely no parking. Once I finally found a spot, I do have to admit, my parallel parking skills have gotten pretty close to poor. So it was a little bit of a laugh getting the job done. The park was pretty and we had another nice dinner in cooked by her mom-oh how I've missed home cooked goodness.
  By the last day I'd started getting adapted to conversing in Spanish. It was still a bit of a struggle, especially the way that a lot of people from Madrid speak super fast. At least in comparison to Latin America it is definitely the case. But I'm getting better, and I'm happy it's coming back to me.
     Morning ride to Mallorca. Landed, off to catch the bus just taking where the info counter directed me. As the bus was getting more and more crowded, and I was getting more and more squished, I looked out the window and saw a sign Bus 29 to S'Arenal. Shit, fuck, wanka, bollocks. I was on Bus 1. After some people departed I asked where to go, a bus in the other direction, yeah gotcha, of course. The next bus driver, not so nice when I was trying to ask for specific directions to my hostel (all in Spanish at least). He was a character, just grumbled a lot. On the way to my stop I saw him smoke a cig even though there are 5 signs all over the bus of no smoking, and I saw him take 10euros from a German guy for the fare (which he pocketed). I felt kinda bad for the German guy, seemed like he had the money anyway, but c'mon the fare was 1.50euro. The guy just got confused because there is a sign in Spanish that says no change over 10euros, and it's all in Spanish and the 10euros part is red and bigger font. I wonder how many tourists get confused, I wonder if it was in a different language if I'd get confused too.



Like I said, Aint Nothing Better than a Sunset

   My hostel was more like a hotel. Super 8 Hotel style, but still a hotel. I had two beds all to myself, a balcony, my own bathroom! Heaven for a backpacker like me. The beach, a 3 minute walk out the door. I tried to catch a bus to the main city so I could catch an epic old style train to check out this quaint village. Public transport failed me yet again and I ended up waiting forever on a bus that doesn't exist. I ended up just walking the streets and rented a car for the following 2 days. I wanted to check out the whole of Mallorca. And if I was going to do that, I just needed to suck it up and pay a little more to have convenience at my fingertips. I just followed the sun all along the coastline as it was dipping down. I found the perfect rocky beach side to walk. Took a few photos and looked down and was overcome with sea glass at my feet. So much of it. I was like a scavenger pilling loads into my shirt pocket. I soon realized this was probably a bad thing that I was able to find this much sea glass, not cool pollution creators, not cool. The sunset was epic, and about 20 planes flew in right above my head. Sunset has got to be my favorite time of the day. It's just breathtaking. Back to the place with pizza in hand, Spanish ham- the best.

 Oh I forgot to mention. This island is German tourist central. All the restaurants are marketed to them, even menu items include German classics. I found it annoying, it was like "German Shore" instead of Jersey Shore in the way this beach set up could be compared. That's why I didn't care on spending a fortune on a car, I needed to see the real gems on the island. First day driving I went along the coast to beautiful lookouts and top rated beaches. I stayed a while at one but was still overwhelmed with Germans, so I left. If they were espanolas I wouldn't have cared, but since they were speaking their language that didnt match the scene, I was aggravated. Next I ventured to the small village of Deia and took an awesome, windy ride up and then down a mountain. Such a fun ride, could have paid a toll to go through the mountain, but the extra miles were completely worth the view. Deia was such a beautiful quaint town with nice people. Set on the mountain all the houses were one with nature. I played with a kitty cat and then I went on my way to another village, Valdemossa. This town was very cute as well, but more geared towards tourism with high-end shops, so I preferred the smaller Deia. None of the places blogs had recommended were open so I chanced on a restaurant that smelled delicious. When I asked for the check the waiter said, "would you like the small check or the big one", I was quick to giggle in Spanish "the small one". A nice discount, and a great meal...I guess traveling alone can have its perks.



Village of Deia

The next day I went to conquer the north and northwest since that's all I had left to uncover. I got lost in a town or two, but finally found my way to the bluest of waters. I know I continually say blue waters, but I swear the water has gotten clearer and clearer along my journey. Midday I trekked to a beautiful bay and cliff top lighthouse. Another crazy mountain driving experience where the whole time my mouth was dropped to the floor in awe of how naturally amazing this island is. Once I reached the light house i got to chat privately with a mountain goat, then it was back down the mountain before it got too dark. I dinned at a local place, which served great food. But I hate eating alone, especially out to eat, it's such a social thing I think. There's only so much I want to think with to myself.


Formentor Bay

     The next morning I returned the car. I said I was going to catch the sunrise the past 2 days. I've said it a lot of the trip. And I can just never make myself. The comfort of the bed, where I can just dream about the pretty rays is always more appealing. A nice lounge on the beach for the remainder of the afternoon until I had to catch the plane back to Madrid.
    What wonderful island time. I believe I'm meant to live by the water, at least most of my life. There is something so calming by having it around you. I could look out at the water and think forever. So captivating.
  One of the many college apps I'd written was: "Write page 190 of your life journal". I know the context had something to do with environmental work, and the setting was Mallorca. I know I'm just here on vacation, journey of self exploration you may call it...but I'm here in Mallorca, and I think that counts for something.


Me, At Peace, In Love

Amsterdam: Beautiful Greenery Inside and Out

High School Picture, Marika and I

We arrived in Amsterdam in the afternoon. The boys set off to find their hostel and we boarded the tram to my friend Marika's place about 20 minutes out. Marika Freaka, she's the best, we've been buds since 2nd grade when she moved from NY to VA. We always got ourselves into harmless trouble, putting a frog in my bathroom sink, playing pranks on Marika's family members. Such good fun and such good memories. It was great seeing her, it never feels as if we have spent time apart but it had been I think about 3 or 4 years since I'd last seen her. She's one of the only people who can always make me laugh so hard I cry. Just a word, a face, and bahahah. Well, that day we went to a local bar where Marika is well-known to get some drinks and stick around for a poetry session. I stepped outside to sit by the water, walking back to the bar with my mind at ease I couldn't help but have a big smile on my face, how lucky am I, to be walking the streets of Amsterdam, to be in Europe, to be with my friends, so absolutely lucky.  So we walked to a nearby restaurant, a real Dutch classic. The menu was on the wall and all in Dutch so Marika read it off to us and helped us decide. I became obsessed with this bar snack called bitterballin, seriously delicious, kinda like croquettes but I think better. After dinner we were a bit cold and headed back to Marika's place for some warmth.

      The next morning we woke up and it was 11am! Agh we'd slept in so much, and sniffle sniffle now I had a cold to add to my bad health. We went to the pharmacy, then headed to a nearby park. It was so easy to sit there and enjoy the beauty of the place. It wasn't even one of the biggest or best parks in Amsterdam and it had such a variety of birds and plants. We had wanted to rent bikes, but since both of us were a bit under the weather Marika suggested we not. And after seeing the constant flow on the streets, I realized that bike riding in Amsterdam can be a bit dangerous and you've gotta be on your game. They always have the right away, which was very hard to get used to as a pedestrian. We made up some salad for dinner and we all three watched some Sex and the City, sharing laughter with a girls night.                                                 

Park Near Marika´s, Colors of Fall

         The next morning we woke up and  took the tram to an awesome pancake place. But as I was walking on the street, shit fuck bollocks wanka, I'd left my bag on the tram. Contents: camera bag, Marika's book, $300 sunglasses. The day ended up just being a pretty stressful process of trying to locate my bag. But we got some shopping in and walked through the red street district. I thought it was quite interesting, basically every street set into different categories-white, black, asian, pregnant, so on and on. This one guy tried taking a photo and this big black lady strutted out cussing him out. Although Caitlin was repulsed by it, I thought it was pretty fascinating, I mean Marika told me that lots of these women are the richest in their area. Ok, I would never do it myself. But it was a pretty crazy spectacle and something to definitely check out once you are there.                                                                                                                            



Pancake House


        Caitlin went back to the house and I spent the remainder of the day waiting in line, searching for a local phone to call the lost and found, and finally I obtained the                 information that it would take a full day after my complaint to get my bag, and that was if, and only if, my bag had been turned in. I wasn't so upset about the contents, I mean I had my camera itself and although I lost the memory sticks of past countries, I had downloaded almost every photo from my camera to Caitlin's computer and saved it there, and I was gifted the sunglases, but I was upset about the bag. It was this cool stitched/crocheted bag I had bought in Costa Rica when these             aborigenese people had visited our school. That was what I was pissed about losing. But in the grand           scheme of things, I also realized this was the first time I´d lost something so far. And after 2 months,            constantly on the move, I think that's a pretty good feat. Before I returned to Marika's I decided to meet up with the American guys we had travelled with. We hadn't seen them yet, I was sick and we were in different neighborhoods, but it was a definite necessity to see them before we both left the following day. I went to their hostel, was introduced to some fellow backpackers they had met at their hostel and we all went to a coffeeshop in their area. It was fun sitting and just talking about the cool places we had been in Europe, music we all liked, and what we all had going on once we got home. I said goodbye to the boys, knowing that I would definitely be visiting them in Oregon in the future.                                                                 



Beauty of the Amsterdam Riverways

     Another night chilling at Marika's and then in the morning I was anticipating good news about my bag. I had to wait around until 3pm for the news, so Caitlin went ahead of me to Brussels. Breakfast and then chilling with Marika. Some tv, introduced to the show The Girls and finally some Greys Anatomy catchup. My bag hadn't been turned in, so I took the first train after 3 to Brussels and made it there around 8pm. I didn't get to really see any of Brussels, just went straight to the coach surfers place and had to wake up super early in the morning to      make my flight to Madrid. The coach surfers were very nice and made us dinner. I will have to return to     Belgium on my next Europe trip.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                                
                       Now ready to spend the next 23 days practicing my Spanish! Adios!                                    

Munich, Germany: Let´s Brost to Oktoberfest!

The PARTY Tent

I was so excited to get off that night train. Caitlin and I had taken the cheap route and saved 20 euros to not book a sleeper. I don't get much sleep on these trains anyway and luckily I got to sprawl out my legs. So a tiresome sleep-waking up every stop once in a while to check the time and see where we were coupled with the border control constantly turning on the lights in our cabin to check our passports.
   Arriving at 6am to my friends flat, Claire woke up and we chatted until breakfast time. It's pretty awesome how solid friendships are able to take off right where they left-it had been 2 years since I studied Uni in New Zealand. We learned there were 2 American guys also crashing there, in addition to another Kiwi. So a one bedroom apartment housed 9 that weekend! That day we decided to walk around the city. To our surprise we walked right into a city parade, obviously applauding to our arrival (really it was National Unity Day). Cool scene, tons of people, lots of tents, the smell of sausages and German food, and good jams. I said, I bet Oktoberfest isn't busy today, Lauren laughed-even on a slow day Oktoberfest is crowded. We walked to a park, grabbed some beers, and found a nice spot to chat. This was the only day Lauren actually got to hang out with us. She works as a bar girl during Oktoberfest and has very long hours, and when she had a later shift we were drinking at the festival. As we were leaving the park, we walked past this river popular for surfing. It was a very cool spectacle.

National Unity Day Parade

      We went to bed early that night as we were all waking up early the following day for our first Oktoberfest experience. I was crazy tired that morning, but once we were waiting in line all I wanted to taste was beer. Doors opened at 930, and we all sprinted in searching for a table without a reservation. We found a clutch spot by the band and chose a long table to have visitors. Purposefully we had gone to the German party tent, there are tons of tents, but another popular one is usually full of Aussies and we wanted to spare ourselves and get a genuine experience. Who asks to sit next to us than a group of Aussie boys, oh well at least there were some cuties. German songs. American songs. Everyone dancing on the table. 5 or so masts later I had lost the group and left the tent to realize it was night time. Wow. 12 hours had gone by in the blink of an eye. Off to find Lauren at her liquor tent and figure how to return home.

First Beer

          The next day with a mighty hangover, cured by some Asian food with Liam, us Americans took a day trip to Salzburg, Austria. Wow, breathtaking. Besides feeling horrible the train ride was amazing. We walked around the city using a new App called Triposo the guys had shared with us. So convenient to have a pocket guide of a city, and you don't need wifi to access it! Salzburg had the river ways and awesome mountain views as a backdrop. I knew I was hurting beyond a hangover when we walked up a hill to a castle and my body was aching. I hate being a quitter and I don't like giving up on things, but I sensed I should see a doctor so I left the group and took the next train back to Munich. Wandering to the station I took a nice leisurely path and snapped some great scenic pictures of the city. Doc ordered rest and no more drinking, but we had one last day of Oktoberfest and I wanted to at least give it a try.

Salzburg, Castle on the Hillside

Line Behind Us Before We Got Shafted

        The following morning was a Saturday so Lauren suggested we be out the door at 630AM. Once we got to the tent I realized we could have woken earlier. The whole park was PACKED. 2 hours of waiting and we continually got pushed to the wall side, I took a picture of behind us and was happy we had gotten there early. Although the group in front was pretty large as well I thought we were definitely guaranteed to get inside. Well, about 20 minutes before entering I looked behind us and there were only a handful of people. Shit, fuck, wanka, bollocks. Turns out security was having enough of the pushing so they just lifted the rope barrier, allowing everyone behind us to loop in front. The boys were getting anxious and decided to just go check out other tents. Caitlin was stern on staying put. Luckily with batting of some eyes we got into the outside area, the beer garden. With a mast in hand we were still keen on getting inside, as that is where the true fun lies. We did our best at knocking on the window and trying to convince passerbys to open the door. No luck. Security finally made us move once they saw what we were trying to do. Finding some friendly Germans by the entrance door they welcomed us to sit at their table. After helping the table consume some more masts, us girls started smoosing the security. I guess they took a liking to me, or maybe it was Caitlin's short dirndle, but we were finally allowed to sneak in. Aghh! The music, the gusto, the best tent. To my dismay I was seeing lots and lots of younger people. Lauren told me later this was because school was out and on the weekend this is the young tent. After talking to way too many 19 year olds and after 3 liters of beer consumed i just wasn't feeling the craze I had experienced before. I think it was the combination of this young crowd and the fact that none of my mates were there, last time we had a whole table of just friends, and maybe, just maybe, coupled with the fact I was truly sick. So I had to wave the white flag and left Caitlin to conquer Oktoberfest from 2pm on by her lonesome. She was the happiest girl with all those Germans so it made me gutted I had to leave. After checking in with Lauren at her liquor who was definitely the best looking and nicest bartender of them all.

Day 2, Mast 3

             I slept at the flat, then made a dank meal of fajitas for dinner for the Oregon boys. YummO. The group left around 10 to go out with Lauren since we hadn't spent any time with her. My body was still aching so I opted out. Tick tok, tick tok and all I could think about was how I wasn't going to see my best friend in who knows when since we were leaving Munich at the crack of dawn the following day. So up and out I went, on the metro, and then walking against the crowd to find my clan. I asked someone which direction the park was and was told it was closed, yeah I'm meeting up with friends, no you can't drink, i know can you just point me there, if you want to drink just join me. Ayayaya! I figured out the direction as I started seeing all the drunk people walking away. It was so dirty, incredible how in 6 hours they make the whole place look immaculate. Sometimes it's really funny to be completely sober whenever is off their face. I'll have to try that more often. We tried to make our way to a bar, but all had covers, and once we found one we were set back by Caitlin's german love affair. We ended up walking back to the place as it was 1AM and the last metro was about to pass, plus us Americans had to be up at 6AM to begin our 5 hour train journey to Amsterdam.

Croatia: 3 Days of Traveling for 3 Days of Enjoyment

Well...this was one long journey. Frustrating, tiring, stressful...and I was pressed to practice patience, calm, and an easy going nature. Sure, we fucked up. We went to the wrong areas of Croatia, we took the cheap route which entailed 19 hours in just landing ourself in this beautiful country. But in the end, you just gotta throw your hands up in the air and accept the experience. Accepting that this was the only time in my month and a half abroad that something did not go completely by plan. Shit happens. So keep reading if you'd like to know how life threw us lemons, and by some chance of it all we mustered up some lemonade.

Agean Sea water is clearer than Med Sea, I'd Say

       Morning AM train from Budapest, still slightly intoxicated wreaking of vodka walking through the train station drooling at the kebab station. Funny thing is I have been off put by kebabs since the excess of consumption in Greece, but what I needed in that moment was grease. Too bad, I was some coins short and decided upon an extra large water bottle. H2o all the way. Anyways, boarding the train we searched for empty compartments and lucked out on a room of our own. Tunes on, earphones in and it was snooze time until we arrived in Zagreb in the afternoon. We stored our bags for the few hours layover we had at the station and walked around the city. Pizza was all I could think in my head, and we finally found our spot.
    After a very slow lunch we set off to explore the city for the remainder of our time. Some churches, pretty stone walls...but I was really just on the hunt for a nose ring (mine had fallen out the night before). Although I would have been fine with it closing up, I've had it in for this long and I've taken out all my other piercings...it's one ornament I quiet like on myself. After 5 or so shops I found the jewlery jackpot. Wahoo! Soon it was time to hop back on the train, off to Rijeka. By night time we had arrived, walked a short distance to our hostel, walked into an apartment by accident, and then finally found the right door. Hello? Anyone there? (This should have been a sign the place wasn't attentive). But finally a man came back who spoke nothing of English, just did a lot of pointing and I was able to understand somewhat with Spanish in my system, but very broken conversation. We lucked out to a room by ourselves. Cuddled up to watch Eat,Pray, Love and tried to not be bothered by the constant party scene in our hostel. We had been asked to join, but seriously I was repulsed by alcohol from the prior nights escapades. Everyone needs a night off.

Before A Swim 

    The next morning we woke for our bus to the national park, Krk, heard from friends to be one of the worlds wonders. Excitement whirled in us as we had taken a full day of travel to land ourselves in this country. Rijeka was a port town and not much of a looker anyway. Turns out we were 2 minutes late to the bus, so we had to wait an hour for the next. Couple hour ride to Krk. And once we landed we were giddy for some nature, approaching the visitors center asking how to get there. Well, the receptionist was puzzled, told us that the national park was KirkA and we were in Krk, Krka was about a 5 hour journey. Shit. Just our luck. Off to the information center in town to find out the timetable, hoping we could at least make it to our next destination early. Welp, we missed that early transport too. So, after unsuccessfully trying to find alternative forms of transport-bus, car, etc...we learned our only option was to leave at 3pm and arrive in Split at 8am the following day. We thought, we hoped, once we got back to the station in Rjeka there would be an earlier train. That was not the case. The trains in Croatia are a joke. Seriously I could run faster than them at points. Well, we had no choice but to take this long 16hr train travel, not including the bus we had to take back from Krk. We decided to at least get some nice lunch and enjoy Krk. Calamari...yummO. I found a swimming spot to ge my fix of the Adriatic sea, we walked through the woods, and right as we were headed back it started raining.
    Bus to Rjeka. Then we had 25 minutes to retrieve our luggage from the hostel and make the train. After someone else buzzing us in, we sprinted up the steps and knocked on the door. No answer. We knocked harder, rang the bell more. No answer. Panic. 15 minutes until train. Caitlin ran down the stairs to see if our lazy ass attendant was out on a smoke break, I took out a card and attempted to break in. Constantly knocking, working in the card, ringing. 10 minutes left. We thought we were doomed, then I heard someone on the inside trying to open the door. Yes! We grabbed our stuff and were off, shit the door was locked. I had to reawaken the tenants and Caitlin helped explain our chasteness. Amazing Race off again.

After some hours on the train we had a layover in Ogulin. A crazy homeless guy in the station started my uneasiness of this place. We found a warm small cafe and I went off to try and find a restaurant or pub to help pass the next 5 hours until 1AM. As I walked around I realized there was no restaurant to be found, only a grocery store. I returned back to get Caitlin so we could get some midnight snacks and cough, cough. Gross. People were basically hot boxing this cafe with cigarette smoke. I breathed in twice, grabbed my bags and told Caitlin to meet me outside. Croatia is pretty bad for ciggy addicts, I really don't like the smell of tobacco and I get series headaches from being surrounded by the smoke. Smoking in the environment of eating is even more bothersome in my opinion. After Caitlin finished her tea we went back to the station to sit and watch Breaking Bad from Caitlin's computer. A great show. Everyone had been recommending it to me...Caitlin and I basically finished the first season that night haha. We were constantly bothered by another homeless crackhead in the station who was making weird noises and cat calls at us-literally he was like "meowww". So we returned to the cafe, sat outside and cuddled watching the show with no interruptions. Of course the computer ran out of battery with an hour or so to spare so we took a quick nap. On the train again. I awoke right before we arrived, ready to run to the ferry ticket counter. As the ferry departed and I was looking out at the water, I was happy to finally be back on track-to Hvar Island.

Getting Centered, Stari Grad Port

    The ferry landed, we walked to the coffee shop to get Internet and directions to our hostel and realized then that we were at the other end of the island and would have to wait 2 hours for the next bus. It might have been a "disaster" situation because we had been traveling for so long, and yet again made another mistake...but I took  a solo walk and soon realized while looking out at the clear blue water that I was in paradise. While swimming in the Aegean Sea I had some nice time to think to myself...and that quote "Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere you find yourself" held true. I thought a lot about how attitude can so dramatically change your experience, and how when you focus on the positive you are able to create the positive. I mean, I was floating by myself in Croatia, how more beautiful can life get? That day we walked around, found ourselves content with a hostel roomed with two other young girls, and enjoyed what the island had to offer. Caitlin wasn't feeling the best, so I took a long walk to watch the sunset. A lot of the island has started shutting down for the season, and although it makes things not as convenient, I actually enjoy being somewhere when it's not at the peak tourism saturation. As we were dozing off for the night I was remember of a comment of the hostel, it being super loud because it was housed right over a bar. Well, good thing for earphones.
     I woke up early and went on a nice run, returning just to put on my suit and find a spot to lay out by the rocks. It was a scorcher, didn't take long for me to jump in the sea! It was October and the temperature was like this, how perfect. We took the afternoon ferry back to split and then jumped on a bus to Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik

Entrance to the City

    A 5 hr drive to this beautiful old city, protected by high stone walls. We had rented an apartment and our host was so kind, she told us she would be our surrogate mother for the next 2 nights. She brought us fruit for breakfast, and laid out the city for us. It was very comforting and our space was perfect- two single beds in the bedroom and then a lounge and kitchen to share with another couple. The next day I woke early to go exploring while Caitlin had some work to finish. A nice 25 minute walk to the old city was a bit of a journey, but a few look out points made it well worth it. Upon entering the city I took a picture of the gate and this stunning man asked me if I wanted him to take my picture. I declined, with my earphones still in and realized I should take them out to really enjoy the city. It was very busy, bustling with tourists, so I just walked around random side streets and tried to find ways to sneak up to the city walls, which cost about $10. No luck, so I decided to find out where the closest beach was because I was already sweating and knew after lunch with Caitlin I would want to go for a swim. As I was walking to the info center I passed that stunning man again, this time he approached me and proceeded to profess his love for me. He said he had crossed my path a multitude of other times after the entrance and just couldn't walk by without telling me how beautiful I was. Giggling I let this man tell me how he was the "best" for me, asking me where I came from and trying to flirt me into getting a coffee or lunch at his restaurant. I continued to tell him I was meeting up with my friend soon and so he looked me in the eyes and asked if we could sit down and he could have just 2 more minutes of my time. I was intrigued, like I said, he was a striking guy and so confident and forthcoming that it made him ever more attractive-plus I was in the middle of a bustling tourist center and knew he wouldn't pull anything shady. He told me how he would shut his restaurant early today and how he wanted to take me to the beach, on the boat, do anything I wanted and show me the real Croatia. I continued to giggle and laugh, knowing that I wouldn't just go off with some stranger. The flattery really was enough but I parted with the man with a great grin on my face. Caitlin and I met, grabbed some pizza, walked around a bit more and then headed to the beach. After a few hours there we walked the city walls which was the most fantastic way to get a real picture of the old city. Boy was it hot, but the 2km walk went by pretty fast...guess Caitlin and I are mastering that speed walking. I made carbonara for dinner and was ancy for a day of traveling to bring us to Munich.

Walking the City Walls

   We left at 8am, bus, train, and 24 hours later passing through 4 countries-Croatia, Bosnia, Slovia, and Germany we finally arrived in Munich!!!

Wien in Austria & Hungary- Vienna and Budapest

We departed from Prague 630 AM beginning a morning train ride of 5 or so hours. Sleepy, we found a place aboard. Comfy seats granted us a good journey, but yapping English girls sitting next to us made me think of how old I am getting on this trip.  I'm 22, and girls talking about high school romance and drama makes me roll my eyes and dazzle at the fact 6 years of teenage adolescence  went by so quickly. Once we landed in Austria, we found the info desk and found we only had 5 hours until our next departure to Hungary. They told us to take the tram (such solid directions, right?). We walked outside, saw 3 trams and went right back to the station to a different info desk to ask for more specifics. With more information we returned to the tram spot, told to stay on until the last stop-the Opera House. Well, the tram stopped and we were in the boonies, no Opera House to be found. We walked into a grocery store hoping for a point in the right direction, but they looked at us baffled when we said the Opera/City Center....their response after some austrian talk "far, not sure". Luckily, as we were walking outside deciding what kind of situation we had put ourselves in, a kind man approached us asking if he could help. Turns out we took the tram in the wrong direction, so we had to take it all the way back, and then beyond. After a good hour and a half deprived from our short visit we were staring at the Opera House, tummies growling for some wienerschnitzel.

    Coming from school in the south, this classic dish could be compared to country fried steak, but instead made with veal. Complimented by something like potato salad. Seriously, some of these eastern European dishes just remind me so much of southern US dishes. After a hearty meal we wandered around to the tourist hot spots-some palace where the Hampburg Dynasty used to rule, some pretty gardens, the city hall. I thought it was all pretty, but my camera had died so I relied on my iPhone which isn't as fun with taking pictures. And we really had no in depth knowledge at all the attractions we were walking by, so I just felt a little detached from it all. Maybe I will have a different experience in the future when I have more money and more time, as Vienna is pretty expensive and has a lot to explore. Just brushing the surface of Austria I was excited to get a good delve into Hungary, as we were staying for 3 nights.

Beautiful Fountain, Austria

    Saving some money and taking in a novel experience, we decided to couch surf. For those who don't know this term, use my friend google. Our couch surfer had received rave reviews from the website and after Caitlin had Facebook friended him we learned how it's kinda his part time job hosting strangers. So yes, to make things clear, I stayed at a complete strangers house. But this complete stranger also gave Caitlin and his keys, and thus total faith and trust in his apartment for 3 days. A fair trade. The first night he pointed out the "must sees" and directed us to cheap eats. While in Budapest we got by on $35 total, pretty good I'd say. The next morning I woke up for a run, totally forceful though. It was one of those mornings when I was trying to talk myself out of it, and the whole run I was trying to tell myself to walk while my legs were moving fast. Just not the right mental state, which is probably why on my way back I got completely turned around. I thought I found our apartment, but the code didn't work. 20 minutes wandering with no luck, I decided to call Caitlin. Being without 4G and my oh so helpful map app has aided in separating myself from relying on technology, but moments like those I crave being "linked in". After eating at a cheap Turkish place we decided on joining a free tour (slightly disappointed by the small group as I knew we would have to tip more). But the 3 hour tour covered an extensive look into Hungary history-looking at the Jewish quarters, hearing about them landing on the wrong side of the iron curtain, and learning of their smart tourist misnomers calling buildings the "largest in the European continent" to avoid coming #2 from the Uk. It was all very captivating, but the most raw was a story of our tour guide, about 27 years old, who for a few years in his young years had to smuggle goods from Czech to Budapest wearing shoes 4 times to large and wrapping jeans around his body. His job-to pretend to sleep and cuddle under a blanket, since most controllers wouldn't bother such a young kid. Crazy, someone just a few years older than me had to deal with the horrors of Communism. And that isn't even it, they had to bring their grandparents along the journey to make it cheaper-a senior discount you could say. Well, if a grandparent passed along the journey, they had to carry the body back, making pretend they were still alive to help credit the journey as money was so short. I couldn't imagine. So maybe that is part of the lesson of this Europe travel experience-to put into perspective how very, very fortunate I am to be raised as an American. Such a grave appreciation I have been building of this concept.

Tour Guide Explaining Bomb Shelter for Royalty

     Sad stories aside, after the tour we joined our couch surfer for dinner at a hummus restaurant. Boy do I love hummus. I always said, if I were to be on an island with one food island, it would have to be hummus. And this whole trip I haven't been able to hinder that craving, none in Greece of all places, but finally in Budapest! Our couch surfer then took us up to the most beautiful panoramic view of the city, we ousted for public transport as we had walked a lot already. What a view. Stiff competition to that of Florence. The city sparkled, the beautiful buildings illuminated...I could have stayed up there for days. Of course, it's in those instances when the cameras just don't capture the same exact image. Click, mental picture. Nadir, our couch surfer, then took us to the #1 and #3 bars in Budapest.

 He tooted that Budapest has the best life in Europe, but we couldn't judge since we came mid week. So, the #1 bar was very hipster, I could see it in Charleston but in a smaller state. They have been using rundown buildings to house bars in Budapest because historical restoration costs so much, so they basically let buildings crumble until they rebuild. As a UNESCO city I understand the high cost, but I think its just funny when our tour guide said oh yeah we have great plans for this or this building...we just have to wait. Anyways, probably not up to city code in US standards but a very cool concept and it was full of random bath tubs and old cars turned into seating. Also, a random event, some girl walked around the bar asking the tables if they wanted to buy a carrot stalk. I laughed, what an interesting bar snack.
     A good night sleep, I passed on the morning run, which in hindsight was a good choice as we walked something like over 4k that day. Wandering around heroes square, where some colonel overcame the Magyars, chowing down on more Turkish food, and taking the hike to an island in the middle of the Danub* river. We napped on a bench overlooking the water, it's funny how I've come to be able to sleep on almost any surface. I used to be such a snob for my temperpedic, cloud-essence of a mattress, but I can sleep on the floor now. Granted, I will be desiring an ultimate chiropractor session and a deep tissue massage to get my body back in sorts. Caitlin always makes me laugh when she says what an old woman she feels she has become from this euro trip. While walking off the island, I saw a cyclist completely tumble on her bike. Across the road, and with people immediately aiding her, there was nothing we could do. But those moments just jolt me and make me realize how in any moment a random injury could occur. We visited a castle, supplementing our walk with a long set of steps. On our return home Caitlin and I agreed we could use some salad in our lives. After returning home and setting up the kitchen, chopping veggies, Id realized in Caitlin's delirious state she grabbed cabbage instead of lettuce. I swear my dad has done that a handful of times when my mom has sent him to the store. The salad was still good, finally being able to dress it with something other than just oil and vinegar. Although we had previously planned to check out the club scene, Caitlin and I couldn't imagine walking any further, and we had a train to catch at 630 am for Croatia. Our couch surfer had invited a friend over though, so we felt obliged to drink some and we had vodka left over from Poland that I didn't really want to keep lugging around. As Europeans do, we took shots. Palinka is this Turkish liquor made 100% from fruit, it burns like whiskey in the throat but is a clear liquor. So we shared music, browsing through YouTube, and took shots of the various alcohol we had available. They also don't use chasers, making it an experience of holding back a gag face. A fun night with new company, and so suddenly it was time to depart for the train.

View from the Castle

A great close to our Eastern Europe adventure. But after venturing so many cities and hearing about so much disturbing and raw history, I was craving the coast. The ocean brings me a peace of mind that cityscapes just don't compare. Off to Croatia we go.....

Caitlin and Me In Front of Parliament 

To Poland for Heritage, To Prague to Czech it Out

Learning Polish History

I had told Caitlin I would do whatever she wanted for our Europe adventure together, which was concentrated in the eastern Europe area. But as we were going over our itineraries in the South of France at Becky's I knew I wanted to add Poland in there. Why poland?

My mother's side of the family is purely polish. Both of my great grandparents came from Poland on Ellis Island together and used some sort of matchmaker to maintain family nationality. My grandpa's surname was Americanized from wisnieski to walker...to make things easier for him. I wish I had learned more about this heritage before visiting because we descend from a beautiful region called Swalaski...all national park to this day.

Polish Castel in Krakow

So I came to Poland to learn about the history of this place...figure out why my family left this place. Having one day in Warsaw, Caitlin and I decided to take a free tour of the city. I learned this place has only maintained 20 years of freedom, which has been only very recently. We visited the basilica where the 2nd constitution in the world was signed (the first being the USA, of course). But the democracy system backfired on the poles because neighboring European mega powers paid off nobility votes-and they worked with a unanimity decision process rather than majority. So this place has been ruled by greedy kings with each reign concerning an entirely different agenda, and was split up into pieces after WW2. Also, Hitler was pissed that the poles were able to withstand his troops for so long-they were estimated to last 3 days and but actually they held strong for 60-so he completely decimated the city to show one to them. The city is therefore a very modern representation of what it might have been like...so much has been rebuilt because of war and such. All in all I learned quiet a bit about why this place gets such a poor reputation-and how different it is today filled with life wheras it used to be a place where people hid and rarely interacted.

Warsaw City Walls. . . Reconstructed to Look As It Might Have

This is what I wanted, to get some understanding of what my ancestors had to go through when they lived over here. Just the essence of it helps get to know my Polish lineage.

So our one day in the capital consisted of walking around the gardens where the tomb of the unknown soldier lies. It was a beautiful morning, walking and just talking with Caitlin about life and our aspirations while passing pretty fountains adorned with weeping willows. We then took the free walking tour, where I learned some background history of the place. The tour ended with a vodka shot and lard pickle sandwich-the grease helps with the intensity of the shot. Poles do not like when others decline drinking, so for future reference say you have health issues if you prefer not to join in festivities. We wanted to indulge in some traditional perogies at a local restaurant, but the moment we sat down we realized we had to run to catch our train. Amazing Race back on again, we sprinted back to the hostel, swiftly grabbed our bags, and speed walked to the train. With a few minutes to spare I grabbed a hot dog and sweet cherry pie. Once on the train I put my tunes in and zzzzzzz. Then I awoke and a polish controller was asking for my ticket. Turns out we were in 1st class, which made me laugh because it looked just the same as 2nd.

The Park in Warsaw

    A few hours later we were in Krakow. Our hostel was perfection! It was like home. Nice living room with flat screen TV, newly renovated kitchen, comfy beds with fluffy pillows...and get this, they did our laundry and folded it all nice like Mama would :D Recommended to a place from the hostel staff, we went to Chata for real polish fare. Wooden tables comforted by fur, low lit by lanterns, I felt as if we had just returned from a long day of hunting. We ordered the hunters stew and dumplings, such a hearty meal. The Polish are well known for their vodka so we decided it would be our drink of choice for the night. But by the time we were ready to go out it was raining. Krakow was suggested by friends and told to be a great party scene...but the rain must have scared everyone away. We landed at the first bar semi filled with college students, but while we were ordering I noticed the crowd slowly disperse with glass drinks in hand. By the time I had taken my first sip it was just Caitlin and I. I asked the bartender if we could take the drink with us, he was short to reply with a negative. We were going to try another place but it was freezing cold, rainy, and the streets were empty. The following day we slept in, it was pretty hard to wake up since the bed was the most comfortable to date. But we made it to another walking tour through Krakow which furthered the Polish education. Unlike Warsaw which is pretty modern since so much was decimated, Krakow is very old and the buildings are the same from years ago. It also used to be the capital, so it was also rich in history. A long day of walking calls for a delicious meal. Caitlin and I found a place where we ordered soup again-rye bread this time. When the weather is cold, all the body wants is something warm and comforting. We returned "home" to our hostel and although we weren't staying there another night, they still let us crash in their lounge and use their kitchen for dinner. Caitlin prepared some epicly delicious perogies before we had to catch a ride to the night train. Bellies full I was so ready to fall asleep on the train to Prague. A little mix up on buses over to the train station, but we made it just in time. Luckily there was only 4 of us in the 6 bed train room...but the sleep wasn't the best as I kept on thinking someone was going to take my stuff. It was pure paranoia though, we had very friendly roommates and our door was locked.

Rainy Days in Poland

Caitlin's Rib Platter

   Early morning we arrived in Prague. I was very excited as I have been told it is the best city in Europe. 3 nights there was just enough to czech it out ;) Our hostel staff wasn't very helpful, when I asked her for a breakfast spot she suggested the train station or McDonald's...so I knew google would be my main source of local knowledge. We decided upon a free tour which lasted over three hours. It's really helpful to take these right as you get to a city because they provide great background knowledge you need to understand exactly what you are looking at it. Granted, things can look beautiful regardless...but knowing some back story is always nice. Post tour we followed the tour guides suggestion for a lunch spot, I ordered the farmers plate. Duck and a whole bunch of other meat, signature pancakes... Very yummy, and of course complimented with a beer. Later that night I went on a run to take a different perspective of the city. 

 Although I much prefer summer weather, fall weather has me feeling like I could run for miles on end. I got pretty nostalgic of my lacrosse team while running. Something about that team aspect and probably also the fact every time I log into Facebook I have a few notifications of practice back home. After a hot shower Caitlin and I decided to walk to the grocery store, load up on local beer, and make a beer tour of our own. While cooking dinner I met some other fellow hostel stayers, two girls from Iraq. They had just finished working in the war and were taking  vacation to "get some distance from it all". I hadnt really ever taken much time imagining employment in war as mandatory. One girl said she really doesnt like talking about it, because she may not agree with whats going on...but she just feels the need to support her country. Its not a choice, she said. I took pride in being American in that moment. I was raised with such freedom, and I too often take it for granted.

Beauty of Prague

     Ok...back to the beer tour. We had the intention of making it to the 5 story club that night but the company of a Canadian talking politics and ethics brought us to 2am and we didn't find the cover worth it at that point. Next morning we slept in a little late, then joined a walking tour of the other side of Prague which includes the magnificent castle...basically a new town in itself. This tour guide spoke as if we knew a lot of the history already so we were very happy we had the knowledge of the previous days tour. 

Tour to Cathedral, Prague

We choose to go to one of the cheap eats Google suggested and it was delicious. Pig slaughtering goulash might not sound appetizing, but it was. And my friend Tess insisted I try the pate in Prague so I ordered a starter of the goose pate....yummO, delicious food and affordable prices. We continued to tour the city and take pictures, getting lost is sometimes the best thing when you are in an unfamiliar city-especially when it's all safe. Another pre dinner run, catching a great sunset and running through another area we had yet to explore. That night we joined a pub crawl-$20US for 3 hours of open bar and free shots and entry at the following bars, and a free tshirt :D Currently there is a prohibition going on in Czech. Some vulgar individual decided to taint the liquor with methanol resulting in 20 deaths and 5 or some blinded. In order to stop this toll the country has banned all liquor over 20%. At some points I felt like I was back in time, but during the pub crawl it was actually handy to be limited to beer and watery shots. Caitlin and I entered the first bar where the 3 hours started and immediate smiles on our faces-we were the only girls. Coming from College of Charleston where the girl to guy ratio at times is 60/40, we were super giddy. I mean, there was a line for the boys bathroom-that never happens! Let's just say we had a great time, spending a lot of time with a group of Scottish guys, in Prague for a mates bachelor party. When the first one introduced himself Caitlin responded "I only speak English" hahahaha, hilarious, good thing they have a great sense of humor! We took the time to get used to the heavy accent. A night well worth it, but a pretty rough morning on my part to follow. We wandered around again, visiting some gardens that had been closed before for a wedding. That day we rescinded on our statement "We will never eat here, that's only for 'those' types of Americans", and we indulged on some Mexican for lunch. Our bodies just didn't want meat anymore, and in combination with Poland everything recently had been like Thanksgiving food-which is delicious but can be a little much. We returned to the hostel later and spent a lot of time planning for Croatia (I'm super excited about this part of our euro trip). For dinner, we had some cheap Pho, Vietnamese soup and egg rolls. This was actually fitting to the culture is surprisingly a supple Vietnamese population. I was so tired and think I might have also been coming down with something, so I crawled into bed early and was out for the night. I thought it might be hard since there was someone kids getting ready for a Sunday rage fest, remember we are in Prague, but I even passed out with the lights on. Early morning wake up to pack up and continue the backpack adventure to Vienna, Austria.
   Overall, I enjoyed Prague. But I wouldn't call it my favorite city so far. Maybe its the fall season, and if the weather was nicer I could have had a more positive attitude. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful. But top of my list so far is Florence and Santorini.

View from Castle, Prague