Tá an saol go maith.

Trinity College

How I have missed sleeping in airports. Just kidding, but I saved 26 euros! Feeling an all nighter ahead of me, but my 9 hour flight will allow me to catch up on some sleep (in reality I'll be watching an unhealthy amount of How I Met Your Mother). It has been a relaxing, unwinding past few days in lovely ole Dublin. Over the last 3 days, I've done my usual exploring, the free tour where I met a fellow American, Marc from Illinois, & toured the Guinness Brewery which has solidified my distaste for beer. But we had a fantastic panoramic view of the city at the end & watched a storm sweep through.

The new man in my life

This is it...the last one. Looking back at the person I was before I started my journey 2 months ago, I never would have dreamed of the changes that would soon take place. I went into this trip hoping to focus on myself, learning to be ok alone, & to perfect my flaws. It’s funny because I was reading another friend’s blog, & he summed it up perfectly. All this trip was was a distraction. The changes in myself I expected to happen never did. And that’s ok. The experiences that I’ve had over the past 8 weeks are some of the greatest in my life. I’ve changed in ways that I never would have thought & learned quite a few things about myself, especially what I’m capable of.

My Goodness, My Guinness!

The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was the loneliness. I’m a very shy person & knew going into this trip that I would have to reach out to others to meet new people. The first 2 weeks sucked…I was still grasping how the hostel life worked, how to travel to the different cities, & spent money like I didn't have student loans to pay off. One of the greatest things I did was say yes. If someone wanted to go out or do something but I felt like staying in & being a bum, I still said yes & always had a great time in the end. I met some fantastic people this way. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the alone time I have, in fact I need it, but there's something great about having experiences with other people that make it better or more memorable.

Made my day...how did he not know?

I’m a pretty stubborn person (my family can vouch for this) & even though I couldn’t get anyone to join me like I wanted, I was still going through with this trip & to figure it out alone. The confidence that I’ve gained by my experiences has been tremendous…I feel like a healthier, new person, mentally, physically, & spiritually. There were some stressful times, but in the end, everything always worked out, always does. It was for the best that I traveled alone because I met so many great people who have helped me realize what's really important in my life. Since I was 16, I’ve held 2 jobs & gone to school…I love that kind of life. I thrive on staying busy, being productive, but I’ve missed out on many great opportunities & had it affect my relationships (friends & romantic) as well. There are so many things I’ve wanted to do, hobbies to take up, but have always put them on the backburner because I can start on them the next year. But now there is this raging passion to start living my life fully & doing the things I've always wanted. Even though I’ll be going back home to my routine of 2 jobs & school, I’ll be going home with new goals & motivation.

Top o' the brewery tower

Another huge obstacle I triumphed (& never realized was an issue of mine) was living for other people. I base most of my actions on what other people will think because doing this or not doing that may cause someone to get upset instead of living the life I want. A couple of weeks into my trip, it hit me like a brick wall. I remember the exact moment that I was asking myself why should I feel bad for living the life I want, living for myself? I wasn’t making bad decisions, but I wasn’t worried about what other people would think. As long as it wasn’t against my morals or didn't hurt anyone, I was living for myself. This is when I finally started enjoying my trip the way I should have.

Dublin Castle

Something else I’ve learned is every city is pretty much the same. They’ve got the famous landmarks, tourists, nightlife, all of that. It’s what you make of it that differentiates it from all the others. Two & a half years ago I moved from the small city life in Columbia, SC to the busy city life in Boston, MA because I needed some kind of change. I didn’t feel like I was living the life I should have back home & of course changing cities would fix all of my problems. Dead wrong. Although I’m happy in Boston, this trip showed me that the reason why Boston has been such a success is because I’ve made things happen that I never tried back home.

Irish Wall of Fame

I may be in debt for the next 2 years, but I’d do this trip all over again a thousand times. It probably would have been smarter to wait longer & save up more money (which then gets put off to never!), but I would have missed out on amazing opportunities & incredible people…plus I want to do this AGAIN next year so we’ll see how that works out. Although there are many things for me to work on, I feel rejuvenated, high on life, & know myself more than ever. One of the greatest parts is I'm ok alone. Even though I didn’t have my phone for 2 months, I’ve become closer to many people than I was when I could text them anytime of the day. Like a friend recently told me, life is a beautiful & valuable gift.

In less than 8 hours, I’ll be on a plane flying back home to the States. It has been a fantastic, life changing 2 months, but I’m ready to see my family & friends. I’m also excited to do the following (but not limited to): eat chocolate chip waffles & grits at Waffle House, have a Cool Beans date with Stephanie, watch movies at the drive-in with Mom & Dad, eat boiled peanuts & drink a Dr. Pepper, sleep naked, & DRIVE...it's the little things. Europe, it’s been fun. Although it’s a bittersweet departure, I’ll be back very soon (& better prepared). Life is good.

THE OFFICIAL UNOFFICIAL BACKPACKER’S GUIDE (for my next trip)

Clothes

*Lots of dresses-They’re lightweight, don’t take up too much room, & can be worn multiple times before being washed

*Shoes (optional)-I used my shoes 3 times my entire trip. Sandals FTW!

*Socks (see shoes)
*Everything else

Toiletries

*Shampoo…Lots & lots of shampoo (don't even think about doing laundry in the sink)

*Bar soap (lasts longer)

*Shower sandals-To prevent the funk on your feet

*Conditioner (bring it!)-Happy hair=happy you
*Everything else

Misc

*Electrical converter (a must)
*Book-Most hostels have a book exchange so you can keep refreshing on your way.
*Daypack-I was surprised to see many websites against this, but I carried almost my entire life in mine (not the safest way, but I'd rather have it with me).

*Sleeping bag-I would have been fine without mine since most hostels provide the linen.
LEAVE YOUR PHONE AT HOME!! Or on a chair in Ireland before you get ready to leave on a ferry for France only to never see it again. RIP.

My 2 cents

1. Hostels can make or break a place.

            I absolutely hated my visit to Berlin because my hostel was more of a hotel. Part of the time I was staying with an older man who smelled like cigarette smoke. Hostels are one of the main gateways to meeting people & enjoying the city (also my own responsibility to create my own happiness, but this helps). Check the reviews & ratings, & weed out the hostels based on what you’re looking for.

2. A travel day is usually a lost day.

            Very rarely have I been able to travel to another city & still have plenty of time to sightsee. Once you pack up, check out of your hostel, board the train, get off the train, find your hostel, check in, & unpack, it’s already time to go to sleep. It’s relaxing, but tiring at the same time.

3. In the end, every city is just like the other. It’s what you make it out to be that makes it stick out.

            Even though hostels played a huge role in my enjoyment of the city (example, bedbugs vs no bedbugs), you have to make the best of the situation that you’re in. Take advantage of the opportunities you have, the places the city has to offer, & meet the locals.

4. Say yes.

            Ok, there are plenty of times when this is not the best thing to do, but if someone invites you to go out & you feel comfortable with it but want to stay in, SAY YES. Every single time I did, I never regretted it because I met new people & had great experiences. For example, when Mathias & James asked me to go out as soon as I walked in the door in Marseille, I made an excuse that I was smelly & needed a shower which was true. They said they needed one too, so I figured what the hell, might as well go out smelly together. One of the best nights I’ve had. I probably wouldn’t have spent the next day with them if I said no.

5. If you travel with people, you’re going to spend more money than you think.

            EVERY single time I traveled with someone whether it was for the day or for 2 weeks, I spent way more than my budget allowed thus making my last month a frugal one. If you have your trip planned out to the cent, add another grand just in case. I had many unexpected things come up too that caused me to spend such as taking taxis, booking a hotel instead of a hostel, going out to eat for a fancy meal, & reserving & paying for train tickets even though I already had a Eurail pass. It happens.

6. Walk everywhere. Don’t take the metro or taxis if you can help it.

            I realized traveling with Will that there really is no need to take the metro, even in the larger cities unless you don’t feel safe. Personally, I love riding the trains because people watching is extremely amusing & trains are cool. But when you’re sightseeing, that’s exactly what you should do. See the city, explore, get lost. Some of the places I found were by accident because I put up my map & took to the streets not knowing where I was headed. The adventure is the best part. Plus you save TONS of money.

7. Starbucks & McDonalds are a "safe" place.

            They both have free wifi & are familiar, or atleast they were to me. In every single country I went to, these were my go to places if I was lost, needed a reminder of home, or wanted free wifi (many places require you to pay for it). The only problem I ever had was in Italy because McDonalds requires a non US phone number to register to use their free wifi. Also, there are no Starbucks in Italy which makes sense. That’s why I booked hostels with free wifi.

8. Scam artists & pickpockets...

            Luckily, I wasn’t a victim to either of these or that I know of at least (they are professionals at this, right?). The lady with the gold ring in Paris was a dead giveaway, but I heard stories from other travelers when I was in Barcelona about them feeling the person behind them explore their baggage. ZIP UP YOUR PURSES LADIES!! I had a drawstring bag & always held it on one shoulder resting on my right boob. This way I knew that my bag was always closed & could keep an easy death grip on it, especially because my life was in there (passport, laptop, camera, money <--not smart, don't do that). There was another instance in Barcelona when Hugo & I were gallivanting around at 5 am. I bought him a 2 euro bottle of water with a 10 euro bill, but the man gave me 4 euro back in change & walked off (the 1 & 2 euro coins look exactly alike). We caught up to the old man, & he tried to say "have mercy!" because he was old. He actually pointed to his balding white hair & then put his hands together in prayer form. Nope. I also saw a lady get pickpocketed on the metro in Barcelona, but the train doors had already closed before she could go after him.

9. Hostels let you check in your luggage.

The entire first week of my trip, I was so stupid. I carried my huge backpack everywhere I went, not realizing I could keep my luggage in the room if I was staying more than one night or in their checkin/checkout closet (when you checkout by a certain time, say 10 am, but want to explore, they let you keep your luggage there until you can check in to your next hostel which is usually 2 pm or later). Unless you want to look like a bodybuilder, enjoy not sweating all day & your back thanking you.

10. If you think you’ve made a huge mistake because you’re trip sucks at first, it will get better.

            The first 2 weeks of my trip sucked. I wasn’t really enjoying myself because I was still learning all of these things & what being a backpacker meant. The loneliness wasn’t fun either. I would have been ok to go home & save the money. Once I got the hang of it, it was phenomenal. I met more people, I became ok with being alone (actually enjoyed & needed it sometimes), & had great experiences.

11. If you get bedbugs, tell the hostel immediately & wash your stuff a tribillion times!

            It’s one of the risks of backpacking, but trust me. Unless you want a polka dotted scarred body like mine, take care of it ASAP. I wouldn’t wish these little demons on my worst enemy.

12. Eurail Pass…there’s more to it than you think.

            I bought the $1,200 2-month unlimited train pass that covers 24-ish countries all across Europe thinking I wouldn’t have to shell out a dime (or euro) on travel expenses. Plus the convenience to hop on, hop off trains whenever I pleased was comforting. Italy, Spain, & France usually requite a reservation or supplement fee on top of your Eurail pass because many of the trains are privately owned. The fees were never that much, but that was money I didn’t plan for. For example, to go from Barcelona to Paris in a day was 30 euros with the pass. The good thing about the private trains is that they’re MUCH faster & more comfortable. Take a look at these 2 websites below…they helped me out tremendously while I was getting the hang of the train life.

Individual Country’s National Train System (halfway down)

http://www.seat61.com/Railpass-and-Eurail-pass-guide.htm#supplements%20cost

All Train Schedules

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/e?dbkanal_003=L01_S01_D001_KAF0001_affilinet-2894-Reiseauskunft-UK-277984_LZ03

Lessons Learned Along the Way

Lesson #1: Make plans before you arrive in a city.

The first day I arrived in Ireland, I was high on the idea that I would be backpacking to places on a whim! As much fun as this sounded, it ended up being stressful trying to look for a place to stay last minute, and I spent way too much money unexpectedly from cabs & hotels the next 2 days.

Lesson #2: If you’re going on an overnight ferry, spend the money for a cabin!

You get what you pay for. I purchased a ticket for a reclining chair to sleep in because it was the cheapest & cabins were all full (lesson #1). My reclining chair was in a small room with a bunch of other scary men included in a loud part of the ship on my 18-hour journey.
EDIT: Suck it up & save the money. =)

Lesson #3: If you’re traveling to different cities frequently, you probably won’t take a shower but every 2 days.

It happens. Unless you’re staying in hostels in the city for a while, showers become hard to find when you’re on the train or ferry.

Lesson #4: Wear sunscreen.

Or you will get burned (this includes cloudy days!).

Lesson #5: Even if you have the Eurail Pass, plan to pay for traveling (cabs, local metro, & trains included).

The Eurail Pass allows you to hop on an unlimited amount of trains within a certain time period in 24 European countries (England not included). Depending on the country, many trains have required reservation and cabin fees if you’re traveling over country lines which can range from 10-100 euros per trip. This website saved my life à http://www.seat61.com/Railpass-and-Eurail-pass-guide.htm#quick%20guide%20to%20railpasses. The man in seat 61 is THE man.

Lesson #6: Plan your trip in that country’s currency, not yours.

The US dollar is roughly $1.35 per 1 euro. Planning according to the US currency gave me the luxurious life of a backpacker…until I came to Europe & realized things are much more expensive. My bank account started to drain pretty fast.

Lesson #7: Look at the train stop name before you get off.

This isn’t the first time this has happened to me. In my excitement to explore the new city, I heard the German announcer say "Munchen" & got off, only for Will to realize we were not even remotely close to our destination. Some cities have more than one train station, so it’s VERY IMPORTANT to look at the actual station name plus the city.

Lesson #8: Do not book the cheapest hostel available.

You get what you pay for. In my case, it was bedbugs, no toilet paper, & kneeling when taking a shower. No me gusta.

Lesson #9: Have backup money.

Thankfully I never lost my bank card, but I had 2 scares when my account was frozen (on a weekend too) & it wouldn’t work in an ATM even though my bank was told 3 times the dates I would be gone & places I was going. If you do go with just one way to pay, have enough cash to cover shelter & food until you are able to access more. That night in Dublin when it didn't work at the ATM, I actually thought I was going to be outside for the night.

If you've wanted to travel but can't make up your mind or have reasons why you shouldn't, go to this website here, www.priceline.com, make bad decisions, book a ticket quickly, & only possibly regret it later. Then you'll have to go.

THE END.

Wait, & a shout out to Manny!

Ok, now THE END.

"Ní fhéadfaidh an cróga beo go deo, ach ní dhéanann na aireach beo ar chor ar bith." -Irish t-shirt. Ar nóta taobh, is breá liom scamaill na hÉireann.

Friday, July 26, 2013 8:30 pm

On the way to Rosslare

The end of my journey has finally come. Ireland is where it all began (for the few hours I was there) & where it ends. This time I get to enjoy the country's beauty for much longer. At the conclusion of my all nighter on Wednesday morning, Hugo & I enjoyed a nice breakfast before parting ways, he to Prague, Czech Republic (quite jealous) & me to Cherbourg, France. The ferry ride was WONDERFUL compared to the first one I went on in June. There was plenty of space in the room of reserved seats to sleep on the floor, a shower, & peace & quiet. I caught up on my much needed sleep thanks to the soothing back & forth rocking of the ship.

Right before we docked into Rosslare, Ireland, I decided to head to the west coast to Galway for my first stop. Two nights in Galway, one night in Limerick, one night in Cork, & the last 2 nights in Dublin are what await me although Limerick might have to be skipped due to procrastination & lack of hostels for tomorrow night. The train ride from Rosslare to Dublin was fantastic…we were squashed between the sea & high cliffs most of the way. Once I made it to Dublin, I somehow managed to catch the next train to Galway within the 2 minute time frame before it was to leave. Even though I was only in this country for a little over a day, it made quite an impression making me want to come back for a better taste. The Irish people have been the nicest group of people I have met anywhere (even nicer than US Southerners!!). They’re always jovial, willing to help out, & have some kind of story to tell you. Ireland did not disappoint in my expectations as I gawked at the many sheep passing by my window.

Clouds.

Galway is a small college town that is probably as big as my neighborhood in Boston. It is full of young people hanging out in the square, street performers, local shops, & pubs…many, many pubs. I had to splurge & spend the money to tour the Cliffs of Moher which was absolutely worth it. Des & Ray, father & son, were our tour guides/bus driver throughout the day. Des is the cutest, most charming, older Irishman you will ever meet.

Sunday, July 28, 2013 1:42 pm

The Doolin Chocolate Shop

I have been trying to finish this blog post for the past 3 days, but it has been a rollercoaster ride for me. Ok, from where I left off. One of our stops was in a small town called Doolin…if you ever happen to visit this place, you HAVE to go to The Doolin Chocolate Shop & buy a raspberry white chocolate bar & chat up the owner. One of the greatest things about this beautiful country is the Irish folk. No matter who you are, what you want, they are always going to greet you with a big smile & ask how your day is going. It reminds me quite a bit like home in South Carolina…when we drive down the roads through our neighborhood, we wave to our neighbors or other drivers whether we know them or not. When I moved to Boston, there was none of that to my disappointment. On the trains, there is no talking to other people because you would be considered weird otherwise. I remember when I first moved up to Boston how I silently conspired to change all of that, one person at a time. But Boston got to me, & I slowly started to turn into one of them. I have caught myself MANY times going up to an Irish person to ask for help & immediately ask my question instead of greet them. Everytime, before I start talking, they do it first! It’s a nice reminder of what one of my many missions in Boston is. Eventually I will get everyone saying y’all too (got one already!).

Cliffs of Moher

Tempting the wind

Back to my story…the shop owner is an older lady who was sitting outside of her small business people watching. As I made one of the hardest decisions of my life, which delicious, beautiful chocolately chocolate do I buy, she was all smiles, so happy to “talk to an American,” & asked about my life story as I finally settled on the raspberry bar. Lunch of champions. During the ride, Des mentioned a bar in Boston that used to be owned by an Irish guy who died, so his brother took it over. That bar is The Druid, the same bar that my Starbucks regular, John, & I have visited for the Tuesday Irish music nights & have plans to visit when I get back. Small world!! We also stopped by an Irish pub where I drank my first Irish coffee. I should have known better that an "Irish" coffee is not the same as coffee coffee, but I quickly learned as I choked on the surprise whiskey. It made my cup o’ coffee much more enjoyable though.

My adopted family

The Burren

We made it to The Burren as my cute tour guide gave us many laughs along the way, took pictures of the stones, & then headed to the Cliffs. I haven’t seen anything this beautiful in my entire life. The Burren is one of the largest karst-landscapes in Europe hosting the Poulnabrone dolmen, which was probably used as a ritual site through the Celtic period (courtesy of Wikipedia). The Cliffs of Moher are along the west coast & rise as high as 702 feet. Nine people have fallen to their deaths this year. As we got off the bus ready to tempt the wind into pushing us off, 4 Spaniards on our tour adopted me. We made our way to the edge of the cliffs…the EDGE edge on our bellies. Looking over the cliffs with the seagulls flying down below, the waves crashing, thinking how much it would suck if I fell, was perfect. The weather was perfect with the fluffiest, brightest clouds you have ever seen & the sun reflecting against the water. Alfonso, Christian, Cristina, & I made our way to the castle tower on one of the cliffs when of course a thunderstorm out of nowhere comes rolling in. The dark sky & rumbling thunder on one side was a great contrast to the beautiful blue on the other. Back to the bus we went.

Realizing I had a "pee" spot on my dress after sitting in a puddle

More cliffs

We enjoyed a peaceful 2 hour ride back to the hostel listening to Irish music & Des's jokes. Again, I waited the day of to book my hostel on a Saturday night. Why don’t I ever learn!?!? I was hoping to make it to Limerick for the night, Cork the next, & finish my last couple of nights in Dublin. All of the Limerick hostels were booked. All of the Cork hostels were booked. I decided to make my way down to Cork for the day & figure out what to do once I got there. After all, I had to make it to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone! Legend has it, kissing the Blarney Stone gives you the gift of eloquence with a possibility of cold sores (still waiting for that to be determined). Be careful guys, I’m a flirtin’ machine now! Just kidding, I tried it out last night. I’m still socially awkward. I met an au pair, Magdalena, from Austria & joined her as she searched for the Blarney Stone too. Instead of butchering the story, this is what the website says:

A Mandrake plant like in Harry Potter =D

“Some say it was Jacob’s Pillow, brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah. Here it became the Lia Fail or ‘Fatal Stone’, used as an oracular throne of Irish kings – a kind of Harry Potter-like ‘sorting hat’ for kings. It was also said to be the deathbed pillow of St Columba on the island of Iona. Legend says it was then removed to mainland Scotland, where it served as the prophetic power of royal succession, the Stone of Destiny. When Cormac MacCarthy, King of Munster, sent five thousand men to support Robert the Bruce in his defeat of the English at Bannockburn in 1314, a portion of the historic Stone was given by the Scots in gratitude – and returned to Ireland. Others say it may be a stone brought back to Ireland from the Crusades – the ‘Stone of Ezel’ behind which David hid on Jonathan’s advice when he fled from his enemy, Saul. A few claim it was the stone that gushed water when struck by Moses. Whatever the truth of its origin, we believe a witch saved from drowning revealed its power to the MacCarthys.”

Kissing the Blarney Stone/eating my hair...eloquence, here I come.

My new friend.

After successfully not falling through the grate to our deaths as we kissed the stone, Magdalena & I went to a pub where I had my first Guinness. It was…an experience. The waiter sat us down, asked where we were from, then told me to follow him after discovering I live in Boston. I followed his maze as he took me to the back of the bar where a "Mansfield St" street sign was hanging. He took me up to meet the owner, who was born at the hospital a minute's walk down the road from my house. One of his friends from back home took that street sign from Allston/Boston (right beside Brighton/Boston) & sent it to him to proudly show off. On our busride home, Magdalena gave me some great German bands to listen to. At some point in the day, I decided to head straight to Dublin for the remainder of my stay, because a Saturday night in Dublin is going to be a fun one...unless your train has a 2.5 hour delay that involves a bus transfer with a talkative German resulting in you getting home at 1 am. Then you just want to go to bed.

My first Guinness...wasn't...very good.

She knows how to drink a beer.

Lucas, a German ecologist living in Ireland working on his PhD, immediately sat down, offered me a beer, & entertained me for the next few hours as we made our slow journey to Dublin. We had a great time joking around until I went back to my hostel & realized I had visible (dark) food in my front teeth from dinner with Magdalena. My grace never fails me.

When I got off the train last night, I almost had a heart attack. On a Saturday night with no spare money, the ATM machine declined my card saying to call my bank. Thanks bank. Looks like I would not be having an Irish Saturday night after all. I had a feeling it was going to be another repeat of Spain, just without any money! I headed to the hostel at 1 am, told Dave, the midnight attendant, what was going on & reluctantly offered my passport until I could get the money somehow, to which he said was not allowed. Well at least this gave me the opportunity to try something new & sleep on the streets. Thankfully, I went to another ATM that was more than happy to give me my monies. Dave took pity on me (probably the food that was still in my teeth), upgraded my room, & gave me one of the best 3 hours of sleep I have had on this trip. Before heading to bed, I was trying to write this blog, but Dave decided to hang out with me & talk for the next 2 hours. We had a great time discussing how great Budapes(h)t is & swapped our life stories. I swear, these people are fantastic!! As soon as Dave left, some drunk guys & ladies coming in after a late night decided to kidnap me to who knows where in the hostel for shenanigans & good times. So it was a pretty great, late Saturday night after all.

Je vous ai manqué, de belles peuple français.

I miss you, Barcelona.

It's great to be back in Paris again, even if it's for less than 24 hours. My circadian rhythm is jacked...it's 5:30 am, & I can't sleep. I'm supposed to be up at 7 am to get breakfast with Hugo & catch my train to Cherbourg, France at noon, so looks like it's an all nighter for me...unless the drunk Porteguese man that insists on talking to me through our language barrier using Google translate on my laptop comes back again. I don't care about you having to go to sleep by yourself alone last night & have absolutely no thoughts about the situation. ಠ_ಠ On a side note audience, if you ever decide to go to Barcelona, you MUST stop by Cafés El Magnífico to try their locally roasted coffee. They roast it 5 feet away from the counter 3x a week & have all sorts of beans from different regions to choose from. Some of the friendliest people I have met in Barcelona.

Doing what we do best...getting lost

The 6 hour train ride to Paris was quite scenic as we passed a bright, blue body of water with people lining the sand with their colorful umbrellas on one side & mountains in the distance on the other. As soon as I arrived in Paris, there was a mishap with the hostel that I booked, so I met up with Hugo, my French Canadian friend from Barcelona, who had already been visiting Paris. Thankfully, his hostel had some last minute availability. We went to a less touristy, more authentic French restaurant, Chez Fernand, where I had my first Parisian cuisine. The mushroom smothered chicken with mashed potatoes, paired with a French pink wine (there is such a thing) is the best meal I have had since I left the States. It was complete with a delectable, gooey chocolate cake & salted caramel ice cream.

Midnight in Paris

Once I realized I couldn't suck in anymore, we made it to the river (I waddled) & walked along before finding a spot on the wall to sit on. The beautifully lit bridge was picturesque as the moon sat above it & boatloads of people drove by waving to us. Because of our inability to navigate the streets, we had to make sure we made it to the Metro by 12 am since it shuts down early...otherwise it would be a long walk to the hostel. Once I head out tomorrow, no more wifi for me until I reach the beautiful shores of Ireland, which will be a nice break. I'm not quite sure which city I will end up staying in first, but there is plenty of time to plan for that...a whopping 16 hours on the ferry. I booked a reclining chair again & can feel regrets in the near future. But it was cheap! Adieu l'Europe centrale. Je serai de retour! Hey look, the sun is coming up. Crap.

6:21 am
I just realized I spent 27 euro to play on the interwebs for a night. That was a poor decision on my part. Beeeeddddd. 

Mi cuerpo es en el fuego.

Thank you, Manny, for making me keep up with this.

Friday, July 19, 2013 8:46 am

Lovely Marseille

I don't know how I did it on so little sleep, but after I gave my body a small pep talk the night before, it woke up at 6:15 am, just in time to catch the 7:18 am train. The brain is an amazing thing. I’m enjoying my morning riding to Montpellier, France with a large group of Estonian soldiers, trying to make it to Barcelona. Due to my procrastination, I don't think I'm going to make it since I didn't make a reservation in time. Apparently, Barcelona is a popular place to visit on the weekends (should have known better). I’m playing city roulette at the moment.

Marseille is the only city that I’ve actually felt scared to walk around in at night. There’s always the possibility of danger anywhere you go, but when I got off that train Wednesday night, man did I have a bad feeling in my gut. People lurking in the shadows at the station were giving me uncomfortable stares, but I made it to my hostel confidently & safely. This hostel is the inside of someone’s apartment, so there is an 11 pm curfew due to the required quiet time. As soon as I walked through the door, I met a fellow American, Tinn from Minnesota, & 2 Austrians, James & Mathias. The landlord was so kind to let us stay out a bit later that night, so we went to the only open place & had a fun time.

My favorite Austrians

Tinn already had plans to spend the day sightseeing in another city yesterday morning, but the guys & I explored Marseille & then headed out to one of the beaches in the afternoon. I’ve always pictured Marseille to be this beautiful, rich seaside place, but I was surprised at how rundown it looks. It's got such great potential if they took a pressure washer to the sides of the buildings. The beach was picturesque, with large white rocks lining the sand & the city on the horizon. Twas beautiful. I showed off my gracefulness (Mom, you would be proud) as I  walked down the steps incorrectly & have a battle scar/scab on my knee to show for my hard work. Don't worry, the guys were paramedics so I was in good hands.

View at the beach

We had a good time baking in the sun & jumping off of the rocks until a raging thunderstorm came rolling in. I've never had this many thunderstorms at once in my life! I love it! Hold on, just made it to Poudo, time to train hop. Eureka!! Guess whose making it to Barcelona today? This chick. Not only do they have multiple trains, but I don’t have to pay a reservation fee! I just need to find a Starbucks to find a hostel. James & Mathias dropped me off before making their way to Switzlerland, so Tinn & I went out to dinner by the port & enjoyed delicious, fresh pasta & free music.

Monday, July 22, 2013 2:54 pm

The Flintstone mansion, courtesy of Gaudi

Used-to-be longest bench in the world

I made it to Barcelona! I’m sitting on top of the hill in Parc Guell overlooking this stunning city & ocean as a musician plays his hammered dulcimer below & pigeons make love beside me (disturbing image)…quite peaceful though. This park was designed by the famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, who is known for his flamboyant designs that is a cross between the Flintstones & Dr. Seuss. I’ve never done drugs, but I bet this is what it’s like to trip on acid, just without unicorns. One of my favorite things that he incorporated into his work is the use of mosaic. I fell in love with this type of art when I was studying Latin back in high school (making a mosaic has been on my bucket list ever since).

...a parade

La Boqueria Market

Saturday was spent doing laundry, shopping on the well known Las Ramblas Blvd, & ended with an attempt to go to the beach. Las Ramblas is a vibrant boulevard packed with tourists, shops, La Boqueria Market, & street performers. I was lucky enough to catch the creepiest parade I have ever seen, complete with dancing plastic giants. It was quite a walk to the beach, so I never made & got distracted with one of the many bands as the people were salsa dancing in the street.

<3 Barcelona

When I arrived back to the hostel, 2 of my 11 hostelmates, a Russian & a Brazilian, greeted me by showing me their 2 bottles of vodka big enough to be a small cup for those plastic giants (the bottles were half my height) & sticking a blunt right under my nose for me to smell. If you want to make friends, don’t do that. Luckily, they were heading out to party & wouldn’t return until 8 am that morning leaving my French Canadian hostelmates & me to play cards & go out. Hugo, Vanessa, Laick, & I roamed the streets until 4 am because that’s the smart thing to do in Barcelona. The streets were still filled with people drinking & bar hopping. Hugo & I decided to head to the beach since it was still early in the night (5 am-ish), but changed our minds halfway there because of the distance. So instead we “wandered” (got lost in) the scary alleys before making it to the hostel safely.

Sagrada Familia

Three hours sleep was plenty for me to wake up in time to make it to Mass at Sagrada Familia. The Gothic style church is breathtaking, even though it is still in the process of being completed since 1882 (Gaudi was working on it) & won't be finished until 2026 at the earliest. I’ve finally fulfilled a longtime goal of mine…yes, I finally went to a nude beach (or clothing optional beach). There was no way I could have prepared myself mentally for this experience. I knew what to expect & understand that that’s the “normal” thing, but I felt rude for not covering my eyes! Sadly, I was too chicken to join them & show off my bum due to the 140 bedbug bites on my body. But it was a great experience. The best part of it is that people embrace their bodies, not worrying what they look like. No one there looked like a model, they were everyday people, young & old, & all they wanted to do was have a good time soaking up the sun. I stayed out a tad too long in the water & have finally evened out my multiple tan lines with a sunburn. I was going to head out to the beach again today, but because sleeping last night was painful, I plan on staying in the shadows for a while. The pain was also due to another graceful meeting my back, butt, & elbow had with the marble stairs yesterday…stupid sandals & legs that can’t walk down stairs correctly.

My last stop of the day was at the Magic Fountain of Montjuic. This has been the best part of Barcelona (I love the touristy stuff!). A few nights a week at 9 pm, the gigantic fountain dances to all sorts of music while the colorful lights have seizures. The stairs in front of the National Palace were packed with people enjoying the show while my camera & I had a romantic time together. I had one of the best night’s & much needed sleep when I got back & slept through the free breakfast which was very important. I realized on Saturday that my debt card doesn’t work in Spain, but luckily I had just enough cash to pay for my 2 nights hostel stay since I couldn't talk to the bank until today (still working on that).

Once I get my financial situation figured out, I’ll be heading to the train station to book my hostel train ride to Paris for tomorrow. Fingers crossed!!

Monday, July 22, 2013 8:53 pm
I tripped on the stairs again today. This time it was in public in the train station...got to keep up my reputation.

Plages nudistes, ici je viens!

My lazy days kicked in again. Here is some much needed catching up...

Tuesday, July 16, 2013 12:22 pm

Paragliders EVERYWHERE

There couldn’t be a more perfect place for me to be (except Waffle House). Once again, I’m back in the valley of the mountains with a beautiful lake surrounding both sides of Interlaken, Switzerland. It’s quite a small city with an older population, but plenty of tourists nonetheless. When I arrived Sunday night around 10 pm, the city was dark & dead, & my mind was more than happy to sketch out scary scenarios that involved horror movies like Freddy Kreuger & Jason. But I made my way to the oldest hostel in Switzerland safely. As soon as I turned the corner to see it, all the young people showed up (the other backpackers) enjoying the nightlife at the hostel. Considering this isn’t much of a nightlife kind of town, the hostel provides the party since it has its own restaurant, bar, dance room, pool tables, garden area, you name it. Many of the people come here for the outdoor sports like paragliding, hang gliding, hiking, ice climbing, & sailing. No matter where you look in the sky, there are multiple paragliders above making their way to the park in the middle of the city.

Happy times & cartwheels in the field

The secret field

Interlaken was my choice of city because one of my hostelmates in Venice told me how much she loved it. I figured I’d try it out since it’s in Switzerland & didn’t do any research to see what it has to offer. While I was warned many times that Switzerland is an expensive country, I wasn’t prepared for how expensive it would be (5 Swiss franks for a Coke! $1=1.06 Swiss franc). Unless you have money, there isn’t much you can do here but relax & enjoy the scenery. I set off yesterday morning to do some exploring & ended up walking about 10 miles around Interlaken & Unterseen, just across the river. I happened upon a secret field (hidden by some bushes) & plopped myself down to listen to some Death Cab & 90s rock & bask in the sun. You’ve seen people running through the fields with their hands in the air twirling & doing cartwheels in the movies while music is magically playing in the sky, right? That was me. I let myself loose & did something I’ve always wanted to do. Just like in the movies. As dorky as I looked, the freedome felt great. First time I’ve done a cartwheel in years (mastered it in a dress too!).

The scary fortress

Weissenau Ruins

When I started to feel the burn of the sun on my skin, I headed off & happened upon the Weissenau Ruins, which looks innocent on the outside, but when you get up close & personal, the open dark passageway into the tower looks like it belongs in a horror movie. I slowly forced my way through the dark doorway not knowing what awaited on the other side. Honestly, I was expecting some crazy person to shank me as soon as I stepped in or a ghost to steal my soul, but to my relief, a set of stairs leading to the top of the tower awaited me. I made it to the top ghostless to a beautiful, small courtyard (I say a courtyard because there was a tree in the center) overlooking the field, lake, & trail. Very rarely did someone pass by on the other side of the field, but I was hoping they would think I was a ghost because that’s how I entertain myself when I’m alone. Sadly, no one was scared & only stared at me before walking on.

Once I got bored, I made my way back out & found the Weissenhau-Neuhaus Nature Reserve that hugged the lake. Tons of wildlife filled the area & towards the end was a small lakefront with people swimming in the water. Surprisingly, the water felt great! The water is a beautiful blue, only a few shades calmer than turquoise. The rest of the day, I walked along the river to the other end of the city for some great pictures & headed back to the hostel ready to topple over. It was a late night for me though since one of my hostelmates was suffocating, one had sleep apnea, & the other was having an interesting dream according to the conversation with himself.

View from Harder Kulm

Key to my heart <3

Currently I’m eating a banana at Harder Kulm, one of the mountain tops overlooking Interlaken. Because I’m too poor for this country, instead of taking the 8-minute train, I opted to hike the expert trail that averaged 2 hours & 20 minutes time (sloth time) & made it in 2 hours & 15 minutes. Woohoo! It was not pretty. Blood, sweat, & tears were shed, but I mad it. There were many people, younger & older, that passed & encouraged me saying I was almost there because apparently I looked pathetic. All of it was worth it after being rewarded with a fantastic view of the cities! I’m going to hike my way back down & head over to the swimming area in the Nature Reserve to cool off for a few hours before deciding what city my journey will take me to tomorrow. Only 2 more weeks until I head back to the States. On a side note, the Swiss don't play around with their chocolate...

Wednesday, July 17, 2013 1:17 pm

Only 3 train rides are between my next destination & me. After spending a long while scratching my head over what my options are, I finally decided to head to Marseille for 2 days, then to Barcelona before heading up to Ireland next Wednesday. That will give me a good week to explore the country before I fly out. My legs are paying me back after the horror I put them through yesterday…understandably so. It was a rewarding experience & makes me want to keep up with it when I get back home (we’ll see how that goes). After the harrowing journey down the mountain, I decided not to go swimming after a long morning & headed back to the hostel to be a bum, where I hung out with my New Mexican hostelmate. He’s one of the very few American’s I’ve met since the journey started. Even the few I've met are ALL from California. Otherwise, Canadians are the majority.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013 6:08 pm

As I was waiting in the overcrowded Starbucks at the Lyon station in France hoping to use their wifi, I asked to sit with another older lady that was doing the same thing. Turns out, this lady lives in Las Vegas, is from North Carolina, just started her 2 month backpacking trip around Europe to write an article on the different types of chocolate, & is 70 years old. We struck up a conversation about college football, Couchsurfing, & she even trusted me to watch her huge backpack while she went to the bathroom. Every big birthday, she gives herself a big gift. When she was 60, she went skydiving for the first time. Now that she’s 70, she’s backpacking alone & has been Couchsurfing for the past 3 days. This is who I want to be when I’m older. Very inspirational. Her blog is www.globetrotter-1.blogspot.com if you want to meet a cool lady named Bev Hart.

He's real. Best. Costume. Ever.

View from my train

My next train stop was at a city I’ve never heard before, Avignon. Since I had an hour to kill, I ventured out into the streets & lo & behold, there was some kind of street party going on. Some of the most creative street artists I’ve ever seen filled the sidewalks as a piano playing man riding on the back of a large tricycle rides by me. In between the restaurants are groups of people either singing a capella or breakdancing. What a nice surprise to break up the monotony of my day.