Anna and I took the morning train from Florence to Rome in time to meet her family. We walked for a while through the China Town of Rome until finding their hotel. We said our hello's and such before heading to lunch. they all ordered pizza's which looked delicious but I just got some bruschetta since I was meeting my family later in the day. After lunch, the Gleason's headed to the Vatican for a tour and I made my way toward my parent's hotel. As luck would have it, I was walking into the entrance of the hotel just as they were getting out of their taxi from the airport!
They were staying at the Hotel Bristol Barnini which was massive and luxurious! We settled in for a few minutes but were all starving so we headed out to find some lunch. Mom ordered pizza, I got a caprese salad, and Joe also ordered a salad. Everything was delicious and filling so we walked around to explore for a while. We went to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain before heading to get gelato and then to the hotel for a nap before dinner. For dinner I wanted to take them to a restaurant with a set menu that I had been at back in January. Unfortunately the restaurant didn't have any available tables so we moved onto the next restaurant which also had a set menu and was just as good!
Saturday we started the morning a little later than expected by taking the Hop on, Hop off bus tour. The bus showed us all the major points around Rome without us having to walk too much and the sunshine was perfect for sitting on the top deck! We hopped off near the Vatican and walked to a fort. Inside the fort there was paintings and facts about Rome. The top of the fort gave the perfect view of Rome! After the fort, we walked to Piazza Nuova and got lunch. After lunch we went to the Pantheon and then the National Monument.
After the National Monument we planned to walk around the Collossum since Mom was feeling tired. Outside the Colosseum there were crowds of people and we debated going inside until a guide came up to us and asked if we wanted to join his tour group. The group was leaving in about 10 minutes and included a tour of the Colosseum, a tour of the Roman Ruins, and a tour of the gardens beside the Ruins. The tour guide was funny and the group was small but it was a little difficult to understand him since he was Italian. Once we finished at the Colosseum and walked to the garden next to the Roman Ruins where we met up with another tour guide. The second tour guide was really informative and easy to understand since he was from Ohio! It was getting late and we were all tired of walking so we headed back to the National Monument to get back onto the bus. We waited for almost half an hour for the bus and then the bus stopped at evey single stopped before bringing us to our stop which was the last stop. The bus also decided that for that day, they weren't going to be stopping at our hotel and were going to be stopping at the Trevi Fountain instead. So instead of walking the 15 minutes to the Trevi Fountain and then 10 minutes home, we waited 30 minutes, rode the bus for another 30 minutes, then had to walk 10 minutes back to the hotel. Talk about a waste of time!
We all got ready and headed out toward a place Joe picked out from his guide book. It was supposed to take 10 minutes walking but 40 minutes later and hungrier, we were no where near finding a place to eat. The restaurant Joe picked didn't exist at the address provided so we ended up improvising and had a mediocre dinner. Back at the hotel, I slept like a baby in the luxurious hotel bed.
Monday, April 25, 2011
The week the weather changed!
The week we got home from spring break, the weather changed and it was suddenly spring time! It was sunny and 70-75 degrees everyday! We all had school work to dive back into after the break but we couldn't help ourselves from wanting to be outside and soak up the sun that we had missed for the past few months!
Wednesday, I barely made it through class before heading to the open air market, getting lunch to go from Ganzo, and then meeting Anna at the train station! Wednesday was the final day to use our Eurorail pass so we decided to head to a beach town in Italy, Viareggio. Viareggio is known for its outlandish floats and parades during Carnivale each year but we headed to the town simply to enjoy the sun and the smell of the ocean. Once we got onto the train, we were both hungry so we opened out lunches and of course I had the wrong one. There were several poeple waiting for salads while I was at Ganzo and I was given the wrong one. I was hungry so I tried eating it even thought I had no idea what was on it and I found out that I like feta cheese!
The train was a double decker and was basically empty leaving Florence but at the next stop, a school field trip of boys filled the entire cabin. In fact, there wasn't even enough room for all of them so Anna and I moved our stuff in order to make room. The boys were young and Italian. Anna and I kept eating and chatting while they played "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt from their phone. After a while one finally worked up the courage to try and talk to us asking how old we were. At first they guessed 17, do we really look that young?! They ended up being only 16 and couldn't speak much English at all.
After getting off the train, we didn't have a map or any sort of directions we just headed in the general direction that we thought the beach was in. We wandered down suburb like streets for about half an hour before reaching the beach. We got gelato, took off our shoes, and headed toward the water. The sand was more like dirt and the water was freezing but it was a beautiful day so we enjoyed ourselves. After the beach we walked down the pier where there were tons of people fishing and cleaning off their boats in preparation for the summer. We were wandering through the shops and streets when we saw a giant cartoon churro. We followed the cartoon to a little churro hut where the worker made us a cup of fresh churro's covered in sugar. They were amazing and so filling! We made our way back to the train station and I was actually a little sun burnt!
Thursday during my wine class we took a field trip to a wine bar. I had never been to one so it was quite the experience and totally different than I was imagining. The entrance led into a food store and the hall brought us into a liquor store. Our teacher explained that where were were was the largest liquor store with the widest variety of wine and liquor in all of Florence. I was a little confused since, yeah they had a lot of bottles but nothing compared to even tiny liquor stores in the United States. They had bottles of wine in every price range starting from 5 Euro all the way up to 2,000 Euro. Who could afford 2,00 Euro on a bottle of champagne? I have no idea. After our brief introduction we headed downstairs and that's when I understood; there were wine bottles covering every square inch of wall in four rooms and there were stands all over each room with even more wine!
We looked around and then sat down at a giant table and were brought a sample of prosecco, a sample of white wine, and a Chianti. In addition to the three amazing samples, we were also served bruschetta, chicken liver(YUCK), and pecorino cheese with honey and pears (YUM). We talked about wine, Florence, and travelling for the remainder of class getting to know one another. It was an amazing experience, and just think; I'm getting college credit for it! Even thought it was a short week, I watched the minutes tick by until I was released from my Italian class that afternoon. After class I met the girls in Piazza San Marco where we shared a bottle of prosecco as a the sun set, it was so relaxing and I was completely happy. For dinner we headed to our favorite pizza place near Piazza Santa Croce.
The next morning, we all slept in and then Anna, April, and myself headed to Boboli Gardens to enjoy the day. We chatted, listened to music, and read for hours before being kicked out at closing time around 6pm. Anna and I headed to Ganzo for dinner when we both realized that we were definitely sun burnt! We went home to pack and get ready for our trip to Rome on Saturday!
Wednesday, I barely made it through class before heading to the open air market, getting lunch to go from Ganzo, and then meeting Anna at the train station! Wednesday was the final day to use our Eurorail pass so we decided to head to a beach town in Italy, Viareggio. Viareggio is known for its outlandish floats and parades during Carnivale each year but we headed to the town simply to enjoy the sun and the smell of the ocean. Once we got onto the train, we were both hungry so we opened out lunches and of course I had the wrong one. There were several poeple waiting for salads while I was at Ganzo and I was given the wrong one. I was hungry so I tried eating it even thought I had no idea what was on it and I found out that I like feta cheese!
The train was a double decker and was basically empty leaving Florence but at the next stop, a school field trip of boys filled the entire cabin. In fact, there wasn't even enough room for all of them so Anna and I moved our stuff in order to make room. The boys were young and Italian. Anna and I kept eating and chatting while they played "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt from their phone. After a while one finally worked up the courage to try and talk to us asking how old we were. At first they guessed 17, do we really look that young?! They ended up being only 16 and couldn't speak much English at all.
After getting off the train, we didn't have a map or any sort of directions we just headed in the general direction that we thought the beach was in. We wandered down suburb like streets for about half an hour before reaching the beach. We got gelato, took off our shoes, and headed toward the water. The sand was more like dirt and the water was freezing but it was a beautiful day so we enjoyed ourselves. After the beach we walked down the pier where there were tons of people fishing and cleaning off their boats in preparation for the summer. We were wandering through the shops and streets when we saw a giant cartoon churro. We followed the cartoon to a little churro hut where the worker made us a cup of fresh churro's covered in sugar. They were amazing and so filling! We made our way back to the train station and I was actually a little sun burnt!
Thursday during my wine class we took a field trip to a wine bar. I had never been to one so it was quite the experience and totally different than I was imagining. The entrance led into a food store and the hall brought us into a liquor store. Our teacher explained that where were were was the largest liquor store with the widest variety of wine and liquor in all of Florence. I was a little confused since, yeah they had a lot of bottles but nothing compared to even tiny liquor stores in the United States. They had bottles of wine in every price range starting from 5 Euro all the way up to 2,000 Euro. Who could afford 2,00 Euro on a bottle of champagne? I have no idea. After our brief introduction we headed downstairs and that's when I understood; there were wine bottles covering every square inch of wall in four rooms and there were stands all over each room with even more wine!
We looked around and then sat down at a giant table and were brought a sample of prosecco, a sample of white wine, and a Chianti. In addition to the three amazing samples, we were also served bruschetta, chicken liver(YUCK), and pecorino cheese with honey and pears (YUM). We talked about wine, Florence, and travelling for the remainder of class getting to know one another. It was an amazing experience, and just think; I'm getting college credit for it! Even thought it was a short week, I watched the minutes tick by until I was released from my Italian class that afternoon. After class I met the girls in Piazza San Marco where we shared a bottle of prosecco as a the sun set, it was so relaxing and I was completely happy. For dinner we headed to our favorite pizza place near Piazza Santa Croce.
The next morning, we all slept in and then Anna, April, and myself headed to Boboli Gardens to enjoy the day. We chatted, listened to music, and read for hours before being kicked out at closing time around 6pm. Anna and I headed to Ganzo for dinner when we both realized that we were definitely sun burnt! We went home to pack and get ready for our trip to Rome on Saturday!
Spring Break, Day 11 - Home!
We were woken up at 6am by the other guests being insanely loud (they were from South Africa...weird!) This morning I woke up feeling terrible; stuffed up nose, sore throat, headache, and tired. The breakfast was minimal with strange corn flakes and toast made by the B&B owner's friend or something? We yet again walked in the rain to the train station. We were in another Harry Potter train which I half read/slept through the entire time. We made it to Pisa at the perfect time since a transfer train was supposed to be departing for Florence but it ws delayed 5 minutes making it a perfect ride for us! We made it onto the regional Florence train so it only took an hour before we were home safe and sound!
The trip was the perfect mix of relaxation and excitement! I wish things had gone more smoothly but I still enjoyed myself and wouldn't have changed anything since it all worked out in the end! In the future, I still would like to travel to Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, and Greece.
The trip was the perfect mix of relaxation and excitement! I wish things had gone more smoothly but I still enjoyed myself and wouldn't have changed anything since it all worked out in the end! In the future, I still would like to travel to Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, and Greece.
Spring Break, Day 10
Before going to bed we all reset our clocks for the time change and quickly fell asleep. I woke up and looked at my clock only to realize that it was 7:20 and my alarm was supposed to sound at 6:40. When I had changed the time, I some how switched the time from AM to PM so my alarm was seriously wrong. We started to rush to get ready but realized it was a lost cause and went downstairs to enjoy breakfast. The breakfast was by-far the best breakfast we had on the trip. There were criossants, muffins, donuts, eggs, cereal, fresh fruits, cakes, and a tons of different juices! We all ate until we were stuffed then we checked out and went to catch the 10am train.
We went straight to the ticket office who told us tht we needed to buy new tickets then go up to customer service to try and get our money back from missing our train the night before. We went up to customer service, they were not happy to hear that we already had new tickets and so they sent us back down to the ticketing office to get a refund on the tickets we had just purchased. Such a mess. On top of all this running around, we are told that the train leaves every hour on the hour for Genova, EXCEPT 10am since theis is when they clean the train.
We shopped and sat around in the station until getting on the 11am train. The train was just like the Harry Potter trains since there are all cabins with six seats in each cabin. We didn't have seat reservations so we just sat in 2nd class and hoped no one would ask us to move. I was still nervous about checking into the B&B since we were supposed to check in by 11am and now we wouldn't be arriving until around 1pm. We had a little trouble finding the B&B since everything was closed on all the streets and there were no signs. We walked down the street a lot further than we thought we were supposed to so we had to turn around. We went into the only open store on the block, a rotissery chicken restuarant. The women working inside didn't speak any English but were able to point us in the right direction of the B&B. We were still aimlessly walking when a man asked us if we needed help. We told him the address and he kindly walked us right to the B&B which didn't look like a B&B AT ALL.
The outside and the walk up to the 2nd floor was creepy but the inside was really cute and homey. There were three beds and a view of the sea port from our room. There were also two large bathrooms with towels and sheets included. We put our stuff down and headed into town to look for some lunch. Since nothing was really open, this task seemed nearly impossible. We walked off the main path toward where we saw lights but everything was still closed and about 10 times more creepy. Genova is basically the Italian version of Newark, NJ. All the men hang out on street corners starring at you and making comments under their breath. While walking, I saw a family and said, "Quick, follow the white people!". This may seem really ignorant of me, but it also explains the gravity of the situation we were in. The family ended up being a lost cause anyway since they were slow walkers and just wandering without a destination. We finally saw a little open shop with what looked like pizza so we went inside are ordered 3 slices of cheese pizza and a hot dog in a croissant. What we got ended up being the exact opposite of pizza; it was cold, basically uncooked bread, with rough and crumbling bad cheese. I ate less than half before I couldn't eat anymore and moved onto my hot dog. It was good except it was barely cooked and the little it was cooked, tasted like it had been done hours ago.
We walked over to the aquarium on the harbor since it is the largest one in Europe. We didn't go inside though since it was 18 Euro per person which didn't even include the entire experience. We then walked around the rest of the harbor and got gelato. It was pretty good but I think we thought that since we hadn't had any gelato in over a week! I got chocolate and cookies plus I got an entire cookie and it was in a cone cup! I was a happy camper. We shopped for a little but there wasn't much to do so we took a boat tour of the harbor for 6 Euro. TOo bad when they sold us the tickets they didn't warn us that the whole tour was in Italian. The ride was chilly, foregin, and boring since all we looked at was giant running cargo frieghts. After the unsuccessful boat tour we went into the city center. On the way, we finally passed some pretty buildings and fancy churches which gave us hope for the rest of the day. The center ws an enourmous fountain with smaller fountains all around it. Very pretty! We kept walking and saw a partial castle, a garden, and more pretty architecture. The main strip of the town had a ton of shopping but since it was 4pm and raining on a Sunday, everything was either closed or in the process of closing. I did manage to get into H&M and bought a shirt since I can't go into that store without buying st least one thing!
'
We planned to go out for a long, relazing dinner but we again couldn't find anything open. We settled on a bar/cafe that served food which was a plus. I ordered a Bloody Mary but the Chinese worker only spoke Italian and had no idea what I was ordering even thought it was on a the menu so I ordered a margarita. For dinner the girls got pizza (which they watched be pulled out of a freezer) and I got one giant chicken finger and salad. It wasn't bad, but not the dinner I was expecting in Italy. We went to the market to buy some snacks and some wine to enjoy at the B&B for the rest of the night.
We walked back to the B&B in the pouring rain without umbrellas. If my flats weren't already ruined, they were after that rain storm! Back at the B&B we got comfy and turned on the TV which didn't have many working channels and none of them were in English. The B&B also didn't have a wine key so while I channel surfed, Anna used a pen to force the cork INSIDE the bottle. It was hard and she ended up covered in wine but it was successfully opened! Too bad that after all that hard work, the wine was so awful it, it was basically undrinkable. We drank it anyway, ate Pringles and filled in our own dialogue for Italian TV shows. After a while I showered and was immediately exhausted and ready for bed.
We went straight to the ticket office who told us tht we needed to buy new tickets then go up to customer service to try and get our money back from missing our train the night before. We went up to customer service, they were not happy to hear that we already had new tickets and so they sent us back down to the ticketing office to get a refund on the tickets we had just purchased. Such a mess. On top of all this running around, we are told that the train leaves every hour on the hour for Genova, EXCEPT 10am since theis is when they clean the train.
We shopped and sat around in the station until getting on the 11am train. The train was just like the Harry Potter trains since there are all cabins with six seats in each cabin. We didn't have seat reservations so we just sat in 2nd class and hoped no one would ask us to move. I was still nervous about checking into the B&B since we were supposed to check in by 11am and now we wouldn't be arriving until around 1pm. We had a little trouble finding the B&B since everything was closed on all the streets and there were no signs. We walked down the street a lot further than we thought we were supposed to so we had to turn around. We went into the only open store on the block, a rotissery chicken restuarant. The women working inside didn't speak any English but were able to point us in the right direction of the B&B. We were still aimlessly walking when a man asked us if we needed help. We told him the address and he kindly walked us right to the B&B which didn't look like a B&B AT ALL.
The outside and the walk up to the 2nd floor was creepy but the inside was really cute and homey. There were three beds and a view of the sea port from our room. There were also two large bathrooms with towels and sheets included. We put our stuff down and headed into town to look for some lunch. Since nothing was really open, this task seemed nearly impossible. We walked off the main path toward where we saw lights but everything was still closed and about 10 times more creepy. Genova is basically the Italian version of Newark, NJ. All the men hang out on street corners starring at you and making comments under their breath. While walking, I saw a family and said, "Quick, follow the white people!". This may seem really ignorant of me, but it also explains the gravity of the situation we were in. The family ended up being a lost cause anyway since they were slow walkers and just wandering without a destination. We finally saw a little open shop with what looked like pizza so we went inside are ordered 3 slices of cheese pizza and a hot dog in a croissant. What we got ended up being the exact opposite of pizza; it was cold, basically uncooked bread, with rough and crumbling bad cheese. I ate less than half before I couldn't eat anymore and moved onto my hot dog. It was good except it was barely cooked and the little it was cooked, tasted like it had been done hours ago.
We walked over to the aquarium on the harbor since it is the largest one in Europe. We didn't go inside though since it was 18 Euro per person which didn't even include the entire experience. We then walked around the rest of the harbor and got gelato. It was pretty good but I think we thought that since we hadn't had any gelato in over a week! I got chocolate and cookies plus I got an entire cookie and it was in a cone cup! I was a happy camper. We shopped for a little but there wasn't much to do so we took a boat tour of the harbor for 6 Euro. TOo bad when they sold us the tickets they didn't warn us that the whole tour was in Italian. The ride was chilly, foregin, and boring since all we looked at was giant running cargo frieghts. After the unsuccessful boat tour we went into the city center. On the way, we finally passed some pretty buildings and fancy churches which gave us hope for the rest of the day. The center ws an enourmous fountain with smaller fountains all around it. Very pretty! We kept walking and saw a partial castle, a garden, and more pretty architecture. The main strip of the town had a ton of shopping but since it was 4pm and raining on a Sunday, everything was either closed or in the process of closing. I did manage to get into H&M and bought a shirt since I can't go into that store without buying st least one thing!
'
We planned to go out for a long, relazing dinner but we again couldn't find anything open. We settled on a bar/cafe that served food which was a plus. I ordered a Bloody Mary but the Chinese worker only spoke Italian and had no idea what I was ordering even thought it was on a the menu so I ordered a margarita. For dinner the girls got pizza (which they watched be pulled out of a freezer) and I got one giant chicken finger and salad. It wasn't bad, but not the dinner I was expecting in Italy. We went to the market to buy some snacks and some wine to enjoy at the B&B for the rest of the night.
We walked back to the B&B in the pouring rain without umbrellas. If my flats weren't already ruined, they were after that rain storm! Back at the B&B we got comfy and turned on the TV which didn't have many working channels and none of them were in English. The B&B also didn't have a wine key so while I channel surfed, Anna used a pen to force the cork INSIDE the bottle. It was hard and she ended up covered in wine but it was successfully opened! Too bad that after all that hard work, the wine was so awful it, it was basically undrinkable. We drank it anyway, ate Pringles and filled in our own dialogue for Italian TV shows. After a while I showered and was immediately exhausted and ready for bed.
Spring Break, Day 9
We had to wake up at 6am this morning in order to make our 7:45am train to Genova. Before we boarded the train we bought snacks since we wouldn't be arriving into Genova until around 10:30 pm. I tried to buy a criossant, a blueberry muffin, anda sandwhich with my debit card but for some reaso nthey wouldn't let me so I had to borrow money from Anna. Our first train went from Amsterdam to Koln, Germany. From Koln, we hada 10 minute time frame to make it to our next train which would bring us to Zurich. From Zurich we were headed to Milan and everything was fine until the train stopped and announced that they were making the final stop and everyone needed to exit the train. The problem was that we were stopped in Chiasso (NOT MILAN) and teh announcments were all in Italian so we had no idea what to do. Luckily, an Italian woman saw how confused we looked and explained to us that we had to get on the train next door as a transfer and then transfer again which would bring us to Milan. We had to choice but to trust her and board the train.
The train was basically a subway car and took half an hour to get to our transfer stop. The second transfer station was on a five minute delay and wasn't scheduled to arrive for another 30 minutes. We clearly weren't going to make the train to Milan in time for our train to Genova so we called the bed and breakfast we were staying at and explained that we wouldnt be checking in until the next morning. Once we got into Milan basically everything was closed since it was so late. We walked outside the station and started our search for a hotel room for the night. The first few we went to were either too expensive or fully booked but we finally found a room for 120 Euro a night. The room was massive with a king bed and a twin bed. The shower was heavenly with towel warmers and slippers! After putting all of our stuff down, we walked to the nearest pizzeria and got three margarhita pizza's to go.
We watched an ENGLISH version of the Jersey Shore while eating our delicious pizza. This may not seem too exciting but it's the first English television I had watched in two months! For anyone that knows me, this is probably the longest time I have ever gone without TV!
The train was basically a subway car and took half an hour to get to our transfer stop. The second transfer station was on a five minute delay and wasn't scheduled to arrive for another 30 minutes. We clearly weren't going to make the train to Milan in time for our train to Genova so we called the bed and breakfast we were staying at and explained that we wouldnt be checking in until the next morning. Once we got into Milan basically everything was closed since it was so late. We walked outside the station and started our search for a hotel room for the night. The first few we went to were either too expensive or fully booked but we finally found a room for 120 Euro a night. The room was massive with a king bed and a twin bed. The shower was heavenly with towel warmers and slippers! After putting all of our stuff down, we walked to the nearest pizzeria and got three margarhita pizza's to go.
We watched an ENGLISH version of the Jersey Shore while eating our delicious pizza. This may not seem too exciting but it's the first English television I had watched in two months! For anyone that knows me, this is probably the longest time I have ever gone without TV!
Spring Break, Day 8
We only had a few hours a sleep before getting up to get ready for our walking tour! We missed the meeting time for the tour at the hostel so we had to take the trolley into town and search for the meeting point. The meeting point was a monument in the center of town which was covered with people when we arrived. Everyone waiting at the monument was waiting to go on the tour since it was a free tour; we were all put into groups of about 25 which was the perfect size. Our guide was Julian who was from Australia and had been living in Amsterdam for the past two years with his girlfriend. We were on the tour for a few hours before breaking for lunch. We were all starving and craving french fries we had seen earlier. We walked and found the stand again which served cups of fries with a sauce. The menu of sauces was in Dutch so we had no idea what to order; we saw alot of people walking away with white sauce but I played it safe and ordered cheese. We met back up with the group and asked Julian what the sauce was, it was MAYO!
We continued our tour onto the canals of the city. I knew Amsterdam was on the ocean but I had no idea it was also covered in canals. Another unique part of the city, is that the houses were all built on swamps, so to prevent sinking, buildiners layed down large trees for the foundation. This method worked for a whie but now the houses are all starting to slant into eachother and to the side. Also, on top of the houses are ledges that were used as pulleys to lift things such as furniture inot the apartments since Dutch stairs are notoriously skinny and steep. The walking tour ended in front of the Anne Frank house so we decided to go inside since it was only 8 Euro. The tour took about two hours and I was surprised at how big the house was. When I read the book years ago, I some how imagined the house to be small and cramped but the building as well as the Annex were large and mildly spacious. Inside we walked into the rooms of the house which were covered in quotes from the book as well as photographs and televisions showing clips from a documentary about the Anne Frank story. We also walked into the Annex with crazy steep stairs and were in the actual rooms that Anne Frank and her family hid in for nearly two years. By the end of the tour, my feet were throbbing and I was ready for a nap.
We all layed down at the hostel for a while before getting ready for our dinner cruise which started at 8pm. The cruise met at the main train station, it was 70 Euro and included a four course meal (appetizer, soup, main course, and dessert), plus prosecco, unlimited wine and water, bread, and tea/coffee. The cruise was on the canals and toured the city for two hours. Before being served the first course, we were given the 'Chef's Specialty' which was a spoon full of goat cheese. I didn't like the cheese but I tried it anyway. The appetizer was shrimp over avocado and watermelon salad. I was nervous for the combination but it ended up being really good. Next came out the soups but since they were from the summer menu, they were served cold and in baby shot glasses. The first soup was cucumber and the other was gazpacho. I didn't like either one but I think it was because of the coldness. Next came the main course which was herb crusted salmon over mashed potatoes and mashed carrots. Everything was amazing, I basically licked my plate clean. Finally came the dessert which was creme caramel and strawberry soup. The texture of the creme caramel was strange but it tasted similar to creme brulee so I liked it. The strawberry soup was sweet and I really liked it. After the cruise we went back to the hostel and passed out. Unfortunately I spent the night tossing and turning and hadn't had much sleep the rest of the week either so I woke up with the beginnings of a cold.
We continued our tour onto the canals of the city. I knew Amsterdam was on the ocean but I had no idea it was also covered in canals. Another unique part of the city, is that the houses were all built on swamps, so to prevent sinking, buildiners layed down large trees for the foundation. This method worked for a whie but now the houses are all starting to slant into eachother and to the side. Also, on top of the houses are ledges that were used as pulleys to lift things such as furniture inot the apartments since Dutch stairs are notoriously skinny and steep. The walking tour ended in front of the Anne Frank house so we decided to go inside since it was only 8 Euro. The tour took about two hours and I was surprised at how big the house was. When I read the book years ago, I some how imagined the house to be small and cramped but the building as well as the Annex were large and mildly spacious. Inside we walked into the rooms of the house which were covered in quotes from the book as well as photographs and televisions showing clips from a documentary about the Anne Frank story. We also walked into the Annex with crazy steep stairs and were in the actual rooms that Anne Frank and her family hid in for nearly two years. By the end of the tour, my feet were throbbing and I was ready for a nap.
We all layed down at the hostel for a while before getting ready for our dinner cruise which started at 8pm. The cruise met at the main train station, it was 70 Euro and included a four course meal (appetizer, soup, main course, and dessert), plus prosecco, unlimited wine and water, bread, and tea/coffee. The cruise was on the canals and toured the city for two hours. Before being served the first course, we were given the 'Chef's Specialty' which was a spoon full of goat cheese. I didn't like the cheese but I tried it anyway. The appetizer was shrimp over avocado and watermelon salad. I was nervous for the combination but it ended up being really good. Next came out the soups but since they were from the summer menu, they were served cold and in baby shot glasses. The first soup was cucumber and the other was gazpacho. I didn't like either one but I think it was because of the coldness. Next came the main course which was herb crusted salmon over mashed potatoes and mashed carrots. Everything was amazing, I basically licked my plate clean. Finally came the dessert which was creme caramel and strawberry soup. The texture of the creme caramel was strange but it tasted similar to creme brulee so I liked it. The strawberry soup was sweet and I really liked it. After the cruise we went back to the hostel and passed out. Unfortunately I spent the night tossing and turning and hadn't had much sleep the rest of the week either so I woke up with the beginnings of a cold.
Spring Break, Day 7
We got a few hours of sleep before we had to get ready for our train to Amsterdam. We got on the train at 9:55am and transferred in Frankfurt before arriving in Amsterdam at 5:30pm. We took our first trolley ride which landed us in the middle of Liedensplein which is a square filled with shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars. We walked around lost for a while before finding a sign that directed us to the hostel. The hostel (Stay Okay Vondel Park) was incredibly nice and modern. There were giant red and orange arm chairs all over, a few foosball tables, a bunch of computers, and a bar/cafe.
We were on the top floor since were stayed in a 20 person room! The room was situated alot differently than we expected since there were nooks with two bunk beds and lockers. There were two toilets and three showers but no blow dryers! Luckily, the beds were super comfy! We made our beds then went down stairs to look at all the information we had collected about things to do. We decided to do a pub crawl of the Red Light District and the crawl started at 8 so we didn't have any time to get ready or get dinner!
The crawl only cost 15 Euro and included a t-shirt, free shots from 8-8:30, a shot at each pub, entrance into 4 pubs, and entrance into 1 club. At the first bar we were all hungry so I got a hot dog (AMAZING) and the girls split chips and dip. Some how Anna and I were convinced to try guacamole; not all bad but I still don't like it. Two guys came to sit with us who were from Canada, Brian and Ryan (holy confusing!). They had been traveling for the past six months and seemed like great people. We ordered some run and cokes and chatted until moving onto the other pubs. Walking through the Red Light District I was amazed at all the girls in their booths. There was every type of girl you could image, most of them were actually really attractive and clean looking. We made tons of friends with all the people on the Pub Crawl who were from all over the world; Australia, the UK, Canada, Brazil, and the US. The pub crawl was definitely a good choice, I had an amazing night!
We were on the top floor since were stayed in a 20 person room! The room was situated alot differently than we expected since there were nooks with two bunk beds and lockers. There were two toilets and three showers but no blow dryers! Luckily, the beds were super comfy! We made our beds then went down stairs to look at all the information we had collected about things to do. We decided to do a pub crawl of the Red Light District and the crawl started at 8 so we didn't have any time to get ready or get dinner!
The crawl only cost 15 Euro and included a t-shirt, free shots from 8-8:30, a shot at each pub, entrance into 4 pubs, and entrance into 1 club. At the first bar we were all hungry so I got a hot dog (AMAZING) and the girls split chips and dip. Some how Anna and I were convinced to try guacamole; not all bad but I still don't like it. Two guys came to sit with us who were from Canada, Brian and Ryan (holy confusing!). They had been traveling for the past six months and seemed like great people. We ordered some run and cokes and chatted until moving onto the other pubs. Walking through the Red Light District I was amazed at all the girls in their booths. There was every type of girl you could image, most of them were actually really attractive and clean looking. We made tons of friends with all the people on the Pub Crawl who were from all over the world; Australia, the UK, Canada, Brazil, and the US. The pub crawl was definitely a good choice, I had an amazing night!
Spring Break, Day 6
This morning we woke up, got ready, and went down for breafast. After breakfast we rode our bikes into town to return them but hte shop didn't open until 11am so we went down the street for some coffee at Coffee Fellows. Since I still can't stand coffee, I ordered "Fruity Diva" tea which tasted exactly like normal berry tea. The bike rental place ended up not even opening until 11:15am so we had to bascially run to the train station in order to catch a train to Chimsee. Unfortunately we got lost and ran out of time so we missed the train. We didn't know where else to go so we asked the ticket booth who suggested Augsberg which was an hour ride into an 'old town'. The fare was cheap and we didn't really have any other options so we took the train.
We got into town and had no map and no idea where to go so we just wandered. At one shop I bought a new scarf for just 2 Euro! We kept walking throug ht town in the sunshine until we all got hungry. As we were looking for lunch, we went down another street which was filled with adorable shops! We planned to get lunch then go gback to shoppping. It turned out to be alot more difficult to find somewhere to eat than we thoguht but we finally decided on a little cafe with outdoor seating. I got prosecco and pepperoni pizza and the 3 of us split a snack platter of mozzarella sticks, chips, french fries, chicken, and jalepeno poppers. We didn't have much time after lunch but we went into a little store called Pimkie which I loveddd. I bought 2 skirts, a long sleeve shirt, and a tee shirt; all for under 65 Euro! By the time we left Pimkie, we only had a few minutes to catch the train so Jen and I went into a book store where I bought 2 new books.
We jumped on the first train back to Munich and it was especially nice. We went to get on a train marked with a 2 ( symbolizes 2nd class) but I walked off because it seemed too fancy inside. We all got back on and it wasn't until we were almost back in Munich that a ticket checker looked at our tickets and told us that we didn't have the right tickets for that particular train! OOPS! She was sweet and just told us to be more careful the next time we boarded a train. Since we took such a nice train, we got back to Munich with some extra time so we went into H&M. As we were walking down the stairs onto the main floor, I slipped and fell banging my ankle and foot! I walked it off but it still killed! Even in pain, I ended up buying a pair of flower keds.
We headed to Marzinplatz to meet the rest of the group for our beer tasting tour! The group was small consisting of 2 guys from NY, 2 girls from the UK, 1 guy from Australia, and a couple from Stockholm. First , our guide walked us to a near by beer garden to give us a history lesson about Munich, beer, and beer gardens. Next, we walked to Schneider Wiessie, which was a former brewery turned into a restaurant. It has been family owned and operated for 6 generations! There were 3 different types of beer being offered, a wheat, a dark, and a strong beer so the three of us each ordered a different one to mix! Surprisingly, my favorite was the dark. I didn't like the wheat and the strong was too strong to taste like beer. Next, we got on the underground and headed toward Paulaner, which is a brewery that has been open since 1634. I was pretty surprised at how small the brewery was and how small all the tanks were. After our tour, we headed back upstairs to the restuarant where we were given 3 little samples of beer which was all produced in house. My favorite was the classic. After everyone finished thier beers and food we went back to the underground and walked to the Hofbrauhas again. This time there, we got a classic beer which is a full liter and came in a giant mug costing 7 Euro! I also got a pretzel which was huge and delicious for Jen and I to share.
One of the girls from the UK challenged one of the guys from NY to chug a full liter of beer. The girl ended up winning but then also promptly ran into the bathroom to throw it all up. After we finished we tried asking our tour guide how to go to the underground to go out for drinks but instead we walked us to a cocktail bar. It was pretty expensive but we all ordered drink anyway; I got a Scarlett O'Hara which was Southern Comfort and a whole bunch of juices! Since the drinks were pricey, we left after the first drink and got onto the underground to go out in a known bar area. The girls from the UK were tired and scared to take the underground and he boys from NY didn't want to leave them alone so they all left. This left Anna, Jenn, myself, and the guy from Australia (Daniel). Daniel was on a full expense paid account for work so he bought us some drinks which was nice. Everyone was leaving as we were walking into the nearly empty bar. We asked a guy where everyone was going and he told us of another bar near by. We went to the next bar which was down a dark alley and had a rickety old door. Inside it was insanely crowded and full of Germans, we were the only non-locals in the whole place. We got some beers and grabbed a table. We sat chatting and meeting locals for a while. Jen and I went to the bathroom and Jen went into the men's room and was yelled at by a guy inside! When we got back, somehow Daniel ended up being really drunk and sat for a while with his head down on the table. The waitress came over with some water but he was too lethargic to drink it. We were getting ready to leave so we tried to wake Daniel up when all of a sudden he picked up his glass and threw it full force at the guy I was sitting next to, causing the glasses to shatter. We took this as our que to leave. We just got Daniel outside when he crossed the street and started throwing up all over. We basically had to carry him to the line of cabs waiting to take us home. What an eventful evening!
We got into town and had no map and no idea where to go so we just wandered. At one shop I bought a new scarf for just 2 Euro! We kept walking throug ht town in the sunshine until we all got hungry. As we were looking for lunch, we went down another street which was filled with adorable shops! We planned to get lunch then go gback to shoppping. It turned out to be alot more difficult to find somewhere to eat than we thoguht but we finally decided on a little cafe with outdoor seating. I got prosecco and pepperoni pizza and the 3 of us split a snack platter of mozzarella sticks, chips, french fries, chicken, and jalepeno poppers. We didn't have much time after lunch but we went into a little store called Pimkie which I loveddd. I bought 2 skirts, a long sleeve shirt, and a tee shirt; all for under 65 Euro! By the time we left Pimkie, we only had a few minutes to catch the train so Jen and I went into a book store where I bought 2 new books.
We jumped on the first train back to Munich and it was especially nice. We went to get on a train marked with a 2 ( symbolizes 2nd class) but I walked off because it seemed too fancy inside. We all got back on and it wasn't until we were almost back in Munich that a ticket checker looked at our tickets and told us that we didn't have the right tickets for that particular train! OOPS! She was sweet and just told us to be more careful the next time we boarded a train. Since we took such a nice train, we got back to Munich with some extra time so we went into H&M. As we were walking down the stairs onto the main floor, I slipped and fell banging my ankle and foot! I walked it off but it still killed! Even in pain, I ended up buying a pair of flower keds.
We headed to Marzinplatz to meet the rest of the group for our beer tasting tour! The group was small consisting of 2 guys from NY, 2 girls from the UK, 1 guy from Australia, and a couple from Stockholm. First , our guide walked us to a near by beer garden to give us a history lesson about Munich, beer, and beer gardens. Next, we walked to Schneider Wiessie, which was a former brewery turned into a restaurant. It has been family owned and operated for 6 generations! There were 3 different types of beer being offered, a wheat, a dark, and a strong beer so the three of us each ordered a different one to mix! Surprisingly, my favorite was the dark. I didn't like the wheat and the strong was too strong to taste like beer. Next, we got on the underground and headed toward Paulaner, which is a brewery that has been open since 1634. I was pretty surprised at how small the brewery was and how small all the tanks were. After our tour, we headed back upstairs to the restuarant where we were given 3 little samples of beer which was all produced in house. My favorite was the classic. After everyone finished thier beers and food we went back to the underground and walked to the Hofbrauhas again. This time there, we got a classic beer which is a full liter and came in a giant mug costing 7 Euro! I also got a pretzel which was huge and delicious for Jen and I to share.
One of the girls from the UK challenged one of the guys from NY to chug a full liter of beer. The girl ended up winning but then also promptly ran into the bathroom to throw it all up. After we finished we tried asking our tour guide how to go to the underground to go out for drinks but instead we walked us to a cocktail bar. It was pretty expensive but we all ordered drink anyway; I got a Scarlett O'Hara which was Southern Comfort and a whole bunch of juices! Since the drinks were pricey, we left after the first drink and got onto the underground to go out in a known bar area. The girls from the UK were tired and scared to take the underground and he boys from NY didn't want to leave them alone so they all left. This left Anna, Jenn, myself, and the guy from Australia (Daniel). Daniel was on a full expense paid account for work so he bought us some drinks which was nice. Everyone was leaving as we were walking into the nearly empty bar. We asked a guy where everyone was going and he told us of another bar near by. We went to the next bar which was down a dark alley and had a rickety old door. Inside it was insanely crowded and full of Germans, we were the only non-locals in the whole place. We got some beers and grabbed a table. We sat chatting and meeting locals for a while. Jen and I went to the bathroom and Jen went into the men's room and was yelled at by a guy inside! When we got back, somehow Daniel ended up being really drunk and sat for a while with his head down on the table. The waitress came over with some water but he was too lethargic to drink it. We were getting ready to leave so we tried to wake Daniel up when all of a sudden he picked up his glass and threw it full force at the guy I was sitting next to, causing the glasses to shatter. We took this as our que to leave. We just got Daniel outside when he crossed the street and started throwing up all over. We basically had to carry him to the line of cabs waiting to take us home. What an eventful evening!
Spring Break, Day 5
I ended up getting creative and squatting beneath the hand dryer in the bathroom to blow dry my hair which turned out surprisingly well. The breakfast at the hostel was basically identical to Munich's but the room was completely empty. After breakfast we bought an underground ticket from the hostel which worked for all 3 of us and only cost 9.80 Euro. The underground was really simple so we made it to the bike rental shop easily. The owner of the shop was about 10 minutes late but when he did show up, he convinced us to rent the bikes for 24 hours for 15 Euros. We also bought our tickets for the Brewery Tour but were told that the Haunted Ghost Tour wasn't currently running. Eric (the owner) gave us a map and suggested a few sights to see.
First we went to the English Garden which were massive. We found a beer garden inside next to a giant Asian structure so we stopped for a beer. We weren't sure what to order so the bartender suggested a beer that was mixed with lemonade. It was pretty tasty but what I really liked was the sunshine. Next we rode to the Olympic Park which was even bigger and beautiful. The structures within the park were so modern that it was difficult to image the Olympics being held there in the 70's, it looked more like the 00's! Next we decided to ride into the city's central square, Marinplatz. On the way we stopped at most of Munich's major sights and monuments.
For lunch we were lame and went to Pizza Hut. We shared brushetta and mozzarella garlic bread, a pepperoni pizza with fun stuffed crust, a cookie dessert, and beer. Of course everything was DELICIOUS. We got lucky and got into Marinplatz at 5:00pm just in time to see the clock tower ring and all the figureens dance! We also went to the open air market which had the most bizarre fruit, the most crowded beer garden, and adorable Easter themed toys and decorations. Next we went to the Hofbrouhouse since its one of the most famous pubs in the world since 1619.
We were surprised when we walked in since it asn't a pub at all but was actually a giant cafeteria! We joined an elderly German couple at a table and told the waiter to bring us 3 of any beer he prefered since we yet again had no idea what to order. Sadly, he brought us 1/2 liters of wheat beer which was the kind I don't like. I drank as much as I could but just couldn't finish it. Around the time we were getting ready to leave the band started playing which was fun since they play traditional Bavarian music.
It was getting cold and dark around 6:30 so we headed back to the hostel to rest before dinner and going out! We all climbed into bed and then before we knew it, it was 8:45! We took the subway to Lowenbrau, which was another restuarant suggested by the hostel except this one was supposed to be more traditional. I asked the waitress about the color of the bratwurst and she said they had the red and the white; Jen and I ordered the red. Of course it comes out and its the white kind. Jen tried it first and said it was good so I went for it. It tasted exactly like sausage, YUCK. Then I tried to saurkraut and it was nothing like the kind in the States, it was weak and had an odd after taste. Luckily, I wasn't that hungry and the meal also came with delcious mashed potatos and I of course had my beer!
After eating, we were all too full and tired that we decided not to go out and to just go back to the hostel for an early night.
First we went to the English Garden which were massive. We found a beer garden inside next to a giant Asian structure so we stopped for a beer. We weren't sure what to order so the bartender suggested a beer that was mixed with lemonade. It was pretty tasty but what I really liked was the sunshine. Next we rode to the Olympic Park which was even bigger and beautiful. The structures within the park were so modern that it was difficult to image the Olympics being held there in the 70's, it looked more like the 00's! Next we decided to ride into the city's central square, Marinplatz. On the way we stopped at most of Munich's major sights and monuments.
For lunch we were lame and went to Pizza Hut. We shared brushetta and mozzarella garlic bread, a pepperoni pizza with fun stuffed crust, a cookie dessert, and beer. Of course everything was DELICIOUS. We got lucky and got into Marinplatz at 5:00pm just in time to see the clock tower ring and all the figureens dance! We also went to the open air market which had the most bizarre fruit, the most crowded beer garden, and adorable Easter themed toys and decorations. Next we went to the Hofbrouhouse since its one of the most famous pubs in the world since 1619.
We were surprised when we walked in since it asn't a pub at all but was actually a giant cafeteria! We joined an elderly German couple at a table and told the waiter to bring us 3 of any beer he prefered since we yet again had no idea what to order. Sadly, he brought us 1/2 liters of wheat beer which was the kind I don't like. I drank as much as I could but just couldn't finish it. Around the time we were getting ready to leave the band started playing which was fun since they play traditional Bavarian music.
It was getting cold and dark around 6:30 so we headed back to the hostel to rest before dinner and going out! We all climbed into bed and then before we knew it, it was 8:45! We took the subway to Lowenbrau, which was another restuarant suggested by the hostel except this one was supposed to be more traditional. I asked the waitress about the color of the bratwurst and she said they had the red and the white; Jen and I ordered the red. Of course it comes out and its the white kind. Jen tried it first and said it was good so I went for it. It tasted exactly like sausage, YUCK. Then I tried to saurkraut and it was nothing like the kind in the States, it was weak and had an odd after taste. Luckily, I wasn't that hungry and the meal also came with delcious mashed potatos and I of course had my beer!
After eating, we were all too full and tired that we decided not to go out and to just go back to the hostel for an early night.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Spring Break, Day 4
We boarded our train to Munich and luckily we were seated together! For the ride, I finished my book, ate my Swiss Chocolate ( :( which was dark!), listened to my ipod and updated my journal. The Munich train station was alot more modern than the Zurich station; it reminded me of Newark Airport except with cuter shops! We easily found the information center which directed us in the direction of our hostel. The walk to the hostel was simple except it took about 40 minutes. The hostel was a large, easily identifable building. We checked in and lukcily we were able to fix the dates and number of nights we were staying since we had screwed up in Zurich. We made our beds, checked out the hostel, and then headed out to a recomended lunch spot. The place was pretty empty but I was able to order a cheap burger and beer so I was happy.
After lunch we walked to the Nymphemburg Palace which was a cluster of large buildings and gardens. In front of the palace there was a giant lake with a crazy amount of perfect looking swans. We wanted to go to the beir garden that was near by according to the map but we weren't able to find it so we walked home.
The hostel recomended for us to go down the street for some authentic German food. All of the waiters wore silly German costumes. I wanted to order bratwurst but they were out so I asked to order what a man sitting near us was eating. It was called something insanely German but was basically roast beef and a moist bread ball on the side. I asked another waiter what the ball was made of and he described it as a hot dog bun smushed together. We all were laughing hysterically, still not having any idea what I was eating. Anna and Jen had ordered Schnitzel which tasted pretty good but I'm not the biggest fan of fried food. After dinner we planned to grab a beer at a bar across the street from our hostel. We walked up to the bar but the door wouldn't open so we rang the belll. The door opened and we went inside but were greeted by curious, staring eyes. The bartender asked me something in German but Anna was desperately trying to tell me about how Jen had fallen into the door on her way inside. Next thing I know, an old man runs over to us yelling in German then asks if we have a membership card. We obviously didn't even know what he was talking about so he said," You must leave at once, PLEASE!" While pushing us out the door and slamming it shut behind us. Confused we walked to another beer garden we had seen earlier in the day and went inside but it was completely empty so we left.
Once back at the hostel, Jen and I showered and got ready for bed. We didn't think ahead to bring a different converter for Germany so Jen's blowdryer couldn't work. Air dry my hair it is!
After lunch we walked to the Nymphemburg Palace which was a cluster of large buildings and gardens. In front of the palace there was a giant lake with a crazy amount of perfect looking swans. We wanted to go to the beir garden that was near by according to the map but we weren't able to find it so we walked home.
The hostel recomended for us to go down the street for some authentic German food. All of the waiters wore silly German costumes. I wanted to order bratwurst but they were out so I asked to order what a man sitting near us was eating. It was called something insanely German but was basically roast beef and a moist bread ball on the side. I asked another waiter what the ball was made of and he described it as a hot dog bun smushed together. We all were laughing hysterically, still not having any idea what I was eating. Anna and Jen had ordered Schnitzel which tasted pretty good but I'm not the biggest fan of fried food. After dinner we planned to grab a beer at a bar across the street from our hostel. We walked up to the bar but the door wouldn't open so we rang the belll. The door opened and we went inside but were greeted by curious, staring eyes. The bartender asked me something in German but Anna was desperately trying to tell me about how Jen had fallen into the door on her way inside. Next thing I know, an old man runs over to us yelling in German then asks if we have a membership card. We obviously didn't even know what he was talking about so he said," You must leave at once, PLEASE!" While pushing us out the door and slamming it shut behind us. Confused we walked to another beer garden we had seen earlier in the day and went inside but it was completely empty so we left.
Once back at the hostel, Jen and I showered and got ready for bed. We didn't think ahead to bring a different converter for Germany so Jen's blowdryer couldn't work. Air dry my hair it is!
Spring Break, Day 2 and 3
I'm skipping to most of day 2 since if you read my last post, I was in bed most of the day. The other girls went out for the day exploring the little towns between Zurich and Ritcherswill while I recovered. By the time they got home, we were all ready for dinner. We found the other restaurant we were supposed to go to the night before where I ordered a Sprite to settle my stomach and tomato soup for a light dinner. After dinner I was still feeling sick but not terrible so we called it yet another early night with plans to explore Zurich the next morning.
By the next morning I was feeling much better so we headed down to breakfast and filled ourselves to the brim with plans on skipping lunch and its expense. While sitting at breakfast I was being blinded by light so I looked up only to find an old man with 2 teeth using a mirror to shine sunlight into my eyes. He laughed and said he thought I needed a little more light in my life. Welcome to hostel living.
We got ready and took the S-Bahn into Zurich and then from there we walked entirely uphill to the Zurich Zoo. The zoo had a long line of parents and children outside but inside it was pretty spaced out. All the animals were beautiful, well cared for, and barely in cages so they were basically out in the open. THe penguins made crazy noises that I have never heard made by any animal before but were still adorable. The monkies were extremely active by fighting and playing with each other and swinging around the cage. The gorillas had a fresh baby that didn't even have any hair yet, being held by the mother. The zoo was so cool since it had slides and parks all over for kids to play on. We went by the bamboons which were ugly and saw them cleaning eachother and eating it. One of them even took poop off of anothers butt and ate it, of course the kids had a field day with that. Lastly, we went into the garden which was literally 90 degrees and pure humidity.
After leaving the zoo, we began walking to the Dolder. On one of the back roads we just happened to see a man walking a camel on a leash. Strange! We walked to the Dodler with the thought that we could walk around inside and take pictures but it was actually just a hotel and a restuarant. Instead we sat on a near by park bench which overlooked the city. We walked entirely downhill through the suburbs of Zurich to the botanical gardens. The gardens werent anything too exciting but it was free so we walked around for a while and then sat on another bench overlooking the city. We left the botanical gardens in search of the Chinese Gardens and a cove with a pretty view of Lake Zurich.
When we reached the water, we were greeted with swarms of people. There were couples walking the promenade, children playing soccer and riding scooters and groups of young adults just lounging around talking. Sadly, the Chinese Garden was closed since through the windowwe were able to see it and it was gorgeous! We walked around instead and found the cove on the lake which had a dock so we sat on it talking for a while. As we were leaving we found a pond with cute stones making a walking path. We also passed a guy just picking up random rocks on the shore and somehow using balance to stack one on top of another. We also passed a guy set up doing magic and juggeling flaming batons while balancing on a free standing ladder.
We walked through the center of town to a place with a purple cow outside on display. We ordered 2 pots of fondue (one traditional, one bacon) and garlic bread and wine. The fondue was simply delicious and we finished every last piece of bread. We walked back to the train station and have some time so we went exploring and ended up finding a chocolate store which we had been looking for. I bought a little bar for myself and a little bunny for Nicole. On the train ride back, Anna just happened to look at her hostel receipt and noticed that we only paid for 2 nights, not 3 nights. We walked back to the hostel and we re immediately confronted by the reservation desk about why we hadn't returned our keys and why all of our things were still in the room. Embarrassed by our mistake, we paid for another night, showered, and went to bed. In the morning we got ready and had breakfast. The timing seemed to be perfect until we realized that the trains left at 8:15 and 8:45 while it was currently 8:01. We booked it to the station and luckily the train hadn't left yet but we also hadn't bought our tickets. We made a split second decision to jump on the train without tickets since if we had wasted time buying them, we would have missed it! The whole train ride we sat with knots in our stomach until we saw a uniform climb the steps. I just about fainted when I realized it was just a train cleaner. As soon as we reached the central train station we ran out onto the platform and breathed a giant sign of relief!
By the next morning I was feeling much better so we headed down to breakfast and filled ourselves to the brim with plans on skipping lunch and its expense. While sitting at breakfast I was being blinded by light so I looked up only to find an old man with 2 teeth using a mirror to shine sunlight into my eyes. He laughed and said he thought I needed a little more light in my life. Welcome to hostel living.
We got ready and took the S-Bahn into Zurich and then from there we walked entirely uphill to the Zurich Zoo. The zoo had a long line of parents and children outside but inside it was pretty spaced out. All the animals were beautiful, well cared for, and barely in cages so they were basically out in the open. THe penguins made crazy noises that I have never heard made by any animal before but were still adorable. The monkies were extremely active by fighting and playing with each other and swinging around the cage. The gorillas had a fresh baby that didn't even have any hair yet, being held by the mother. The zoo was so cool since it had slides and parks all over for kids to play on. We went by the bamboons which were ugly and saw them cleaning eachother and eating it. One of them even took poop off of anothers butt and ate it, of course the kids had a field day with that. Lastly, we went into the garden which was literally 90 degrees and pure humidity.
After leaving the zoo, we began walking to the Dolder. On one of the back roads we just happened to see a man walking a camel on a leash. Strange! We walked to the Dodler with the thought that we could walk around inside and take pictures but it was actually just a hotel and a restuarant. Instead we sat on a near by park bench which overlooked the city. We walked entirely downhill through the suburbs of Zurich to the botanical gardens. The gardens werent anything too exciting but it was free so we walked around for a while and then sat on another bench overlooking the city. We left the botanical gardens in search of the Chinese Gardens and a cove with a pretty view of Lake Zurich.
When we reached the water, we were greeted with swarms of people. There were couples walking the promenade, children playing soccer and riding scooters and groups of young adults just lounging around talking. Sadly, the Chinese Garden was closed since through the windowwe were able to see it and it was gorgeous! We walked around instead and found the cove on the lake which had a dock so we sat on it talking for a while. As we were leaving we found a pond with cute stones making a walking path. We also passed a guy just picking up random rocks on the shore and somehow using balance to stack one on top of another. We also passed a guy set up doing magic and juggeling flaming batons while balancing on a free standing ladder.
We walked through the center of town to a place with a purple cow outside on display. We ordered 2 pots of fondue (one traditional, one bacon) and garlic bread and wine. The fondue was simply delicious and we finished every last piece of bread. We walked back to the train station and have some time so we went exploring and ended up finding a chocolate store which we had been looking for. I bought a little bar for myself and a little bunny for Nicole. On the train ride back, Anna just happened to look at her hostel receipt and noticed that we only paid for 2 nights, not 3 nights. We walked back to the hostel and we re immediately confronted by the reservation desk about why we hadn't returned our keys and why all of our things were still in the room. Embarrassed by our mistake, we paid for another night, showered, and went to bed. In the morning we got ready and had breakfast. The timing seemed to be perfect until we realized that the trains left at 8:15 and 8:45 while it was currently 8:01. We booked it to the station and luckily the train hadn't left yet but we also hadn't bought our tickets. We made a split second decision to jump on the train without tickets since if we had wasted time buying them, we would have missed it! The whole train ride we sat with knots in our stomach until we saw a uniform climb the steps. I just about fainted when I realized it was just a train cleaner. As soon as we reached the central train station we ran out onto the platform and breathed a giant sign of relief!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
