My first box is officially unpacked, which means I have plates, bowls, cups, etc! Those have been packed up since I left NYC two years ago, so it was nice to find that I packed everything very well and nothing was broken! Yay! That box may be done, but there is so so much left to go. Today the closet people are installing some of the closets, so hopefully I can start unpacking my clothes this afternoon! Wow, I am not loving this unpacking thing haha.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Goodbye California, Hello Michigan
So my time living in CA has come to and end (for now). Last night I had a fun going away party and it to see a lot of people I haven't seen in a while which was really nice. My parents had a lot of good food and I had a great time. I also let the puppies sleep in my room since I won't get to see them until Christmas!
This morning I got to wake up super early and get the rest of my things together and Christine drove me to the airport (thanks again!). I got to the airport crazy early since the traffic ended up not being bad at all and then my flight was delayed almost an hour, but I eventually was able to head out of San Francisco. I had a minor freak out moment where I thought I left my phone in Christine's car, but I found it. I'm sure I looked awesome attempting to walk through the airport with four suitcases by myself since the curbside guy wouldn't let me check three bags there and he wouldn't help me. Ugh.
Anyways, the flight to Chicago was uneventful. I fell asleep before we left the gate and woke up again when the captain said the seatbelt sign was off, just in time to have the most amazing view as we flew right over Lake Tahoe! It was one of the most beautiful things I've seen from a plane. I bet it's pretty awesome in the winter too. Man I'm going to miss Tahoe; I wish I had gone up more!
We landed pretty late so my layover was shorter than I anticipated which was actually nice. I got to Detroit with no issues, got my bags pretty quickly, and met Chelsea to head to Ann Arbor. I got to my condo without any issues and spent the night doing miscellaneous things including grocery shopping and setting up my tv in my room so I could catch some Olympics! Using my car was awful because there were at least 6 spiders on it, eww! One was huge and right on my driver side mirror. This thing even survived a CAR WASH. Wtf!! Why won't it just go away?!
So, now it's late and I am overwhelmed by how much work there is to be done, but it will get done! Can't wait to get blinds cause it's really light in here. I am definitely missing the darkness of my backyard at home where the only light comes from the moon and the stars!
This morning I got to wake up super early and get the rest of my things together and Christine drove me to the airport (thanks again!). I got to the airport crazy early since the traffic ended up not being bad at all and then my flight was delayed almost an hour, but I eventually was able to head out of San Francisco. I had a minor freak out moment where I thought I left my phone in Christine's car, but I found it. I'm sure I looked awesome attempting to walk through the airport with four suitcases by myself since the curbside guy wouldn't let me check three bags there and he wouldn't help me. Ugh.
Anyways, the flight to Chicago was uneventful. I fell asleep before we left the gate and woke up again when the captain said the seatbelt sign was off, just in time to have the most amazing view as we flew right over Lake Tahoe! It was one of the most beautiful things I've seen from a plane. I bet it's pretty awesome in the winter too. Man I'm going to miss Tahoe; I wish I had gone up more!
We landed pretty late so my layover was shorter than I anticipated which was actually nice. I got to Detroit with no issues, got my bags pretty quickly, and met Chelsea to head to Ann Arbor. I got to my condo without any issues and spent the night doing miscellaneous things including grocery shopping and setting up my tv in my room so I could catch some Olympics! Using my car was awful because there were at least 6 spiders on it, eww! One was huge and right on my driver side mirror. This thing even survived a CAR WASH. Wtf!! Why won't it just go away?!
So, now it's late and I am overwhelmed by how much work there is to be done, but it will get done! Can't wait to get blinds cause it's really light in here. I am definitely missing the darkness of my backyard at home where the only light comes from the moon and the stars!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Happy Olympics!
So excited for the Olympics! I am so in love with the games, especially after attending them four years ago in Beijing. The Olympic spirit is so contagious and amazing and I am so excited for the next few weeks! Go USA!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Kelly Clarkson!
Yesterday I saw another Kelly Clarkson concert, my 7th time seeing her sing live! Carolina Liar opened and The Fray co-headlined. The show was at the Concord Pavilion (I guess its the Sleep Train Pavilion these days) and it was a great show as always. I went with Christine, which was really fun because she knows all the lyrics too. Her fan choice song was a Katy Perry song called Wide Awake and it was quite good. I love that she can laugh at herself and really connect with her audience. It also helps that she has one of the most amazing voices I have ever heard. Literally perfect.
Today was a bit more relaxing. I went with mom and her sailing buddies on a sail to Tiburon and ate at Sam's. We also sailed around Angel Island and by Alcatraz which was nice. I finished up my day with a fun dinner with some old friends. Good times!
Today was a bit more relaxing. I went with mom and her sailing buddies on a sail to Tiburon and ate at Sam's. We also sailed around Angel Island and by Alcatraz which was nice. I finished up my day with a fun dinner with some old friends. Good times!
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| Chris and I at the concert |
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| Not great quality but yay! |
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| I loved the top of her dress! |
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| Mom, Paul, and Ned on the boat |
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| Sailing! |
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| SF city front |
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Immune!
Good news! I am officially immune to Hepatitis B! Woo! Thank goodness, because I really didn't want to have to deal with figuring out what to do in the case that I had another negative titer.
Besides the relief of immunity I spent my day hanging out at Stanford while my mom worked in Mountain View to cover for a friend of hers. It is always so nice to be on campus since it's such a beautiful place. I relaxed in Old Union and just read for a while and explored the bookstore. I really wanted to buy a sweatshirt or something, but I couldn't make up my mind so I didn't get anything. Another great day in CA :)
Besides the relief of immunity I spent my day hanging out at Stanford while my mom worked in Mountain View to cover for a friend of hers. It is always so nice to be on campus since it's such a beautiful place. I relaxed in Old Union and just read for a while and explored the bookstore. I really wanted to buy a sweatshirt or something, but I couldn't make up my mind so I didn't get anything. Another great day in CA :)
Titers
I must have been really tired last night because I didn't wake up until 11am and I was having some crazy dreams. Of course I always forget them after a few minutes of being awake. It's amazing to me how something so vivid and memorable at the time can disappear without leaving any traces in an instant. Anyways, I hung out for a bit before heading out to San Ramon to get a lab slip for my oh so very fun Hepatitis B titer that I need done to start medical school. I got a titer done in early 2006 for a class I took at Stanford, and it was negative so I am not exactly thinking this one is going to go well either. I got a booster after the last titer so hopefully that helped, but I guess I will see tomorrow when I get the results!
After getting my blood drawn for the titer (a pretty small amount, just one small vial) I headed out to the Oakland airport to pick up my cousin who was flying back from a weekend in SoCal. I only got about four blocks before becoming so nauseous I had to pull over to the side of the road and lay down. I have had this reaction after getting my blood drawn before, but it was much more blood before, so I really didn't anticipate feeling that awful. After laying down for a while I felt good enough to at least drive myself two blocks to McDonalds to get some liquid to replace the volume I lost during the blood draw. Having a little Sprite helped me feel better and I was able to head out to the airport.
I got Christine with pretty good timing and headed back to WC with only some traffic at the beginning of the drive. I spent a little time at home before headed to FedEx to send a key to some friends who are going to help me get my stuff soon in Michigan! I ran a few other small errands and then went home for the night! Heres to hoping the titer come backs saying I am immune to Hep B!
After getting my blood drawn for the titer (a pretty small amount, just one small vial) I headed out to the Oakland airport to pick up my cousin who was flying back from a weekend in SoCal. I only got about four blocks before becoming so nauseous I had to pull over to the side of the road and lay down. I have had this reaction after getting my blood drawn before, but it was much more blood before, so I really didn't anticipate feeling that awful. After laying down for a while I felt good enough to at least drive myself two blocks to McDonalds to get some liquid to replace the volume I lost during the blood draw. Having a little Sprite helped me feel better and I was able to head out to the airport.
I got Christine with pretty good timing and headed back to WC with only some traffic at the beginning of the drive. I spent a little time at home before headed to FedEx to send a key to some friends who are going to help me get my stuff soon in Michigan! I ran a few other small errands and then went home for the night! Heres to hoping the titer come backs saying I am immune to Hep B!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Enjoying the Bay Area again
I have now been home for a week, and man has it gone by fast. I have actually done a lot while I have been home and have left the house every single day. So much for my pan of sitting around a lot! I guess thats tough when there isn't a lot on TV in the summer, haha.
Anyways, I have been shopping and got some really great new shirts (all striped of course, I think I really only own stripes these days), some new shoes, a new dress for who knows what, and a great dress for my white coat ceremony on August 5th! I also got my pants hem let down, and they are ready to be picked up, so hopefully they are long enough now!
Besides shopping I have met up with my old coach and her kids for lunch, I have made the inevitable trip to IKEA, hung out and watched a Giant's game at my grandparents house, eaten some of my favorite bundt cake, gone to a strange play, and so much more. I can't believe I only have one more week living here!!
The plan for today is to go to the farmer's market downtown, which I haven't been to in months so I am pretty excited. I am also going to meet up with an old friend and teammate and then go to my neighbors homecoming party since he just returned from a two year Mormon mission in Japan. Pretty fun stuff!
Oh, and the Olympics start in less than a week and I couldn't possibly be more excited!!!!
Anyways, I have been shopping and got some really great new shirts (all striped of course, I think I really only own stripes these days), some new shoes, a new dress for who knows what, and a great dress for my white coat ceremony on August 5th! I also got my pants hem let down, and they are ready to be picked up, so hopefully they are long enough now!
Besides shopping I have met up with my old coach and her kids for lunch, I have made the inevitable trip to IKEA, hung out and watched a Giant's game at my grandparents house, eaten some of my favorite bundt cake, gone to a strange play, and so much more. I can't believe I only have one more week living here!!
The plan for today is to go to the farmer's market downtown, which I haven't been to in months so I am pretty excited. I am also going to meet up with an old friend and teammate and then go to my neighbors homecoming party since he just returned from a two year Mormon mission in Japan. Pretty fun stuff!
Oh, and the Olympics start in less than a week and I couldn't possibly be more excited!!!!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Magic Mike
Yesterday I saw Magic Mike with my cousin Christine. It was a pretty good movie actually, and wow was it full of a lot of male stripping. I guess there really isn't much for me to write about now that I'm at home, but it's nice to be relaxing for a little bit before the big move and school. I just wish my stuffy nose and itchy puffy eyes would go away. Stupid allergies!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Back Home
I finally arrived home on Monday evening after about two and a half months of traveling. It was a really great trip, but it is so nice to be able to relax again, and to not feel like I have to constantly be doing things! I was so so ready to sit on the couch all day and not move. That hasn't really happened yet though. I have, however, had ample snuggle time with my beloved puppies! They have also triggered my allergies since I was away so long and am not used to them right now, but I don't even care I am just so happy to see them.
I went to the dentist yesterday and my teeth were perfect as usual (yay still no cavities!), and spent the rest of the day shopping and hanging out with my cousin and my mom. I also had dinner with my cousins and aunt and we had a great time and a super yummy meal (thanks Christine!). Today the agenda includes getting a haircut to get rid of those dead ends! I'm a little scared to get rid of length, because it weighs my hairs down and de-frizzes, but I guess I will just have to pray that it doesn't go back to the way is way pre-Ireland (the point at which my hair finally started cooperating for the first time since I was like 10). Anyways, fingers crossed!
I went to the dentist yesterday and my teeth were perfect as usual (yay still no cavities!), and spent the rest of the day shopping and hanging out with my cousin and my mom. I also had dinner with my cousins and aunt and we had a great time and a super yummy meal (thanks Christine!). Today the agenda includes getting a haircut to get rid of those dead ends! I'm a little scared to get rid of length, because it weighs my hairs down and de-frizzes, but I guess I will just have to pray that it doesn't go back to the way is way pre-Ireland (the point at which my hair finally started cooperating for the first time since I was like 10). Anyways, fingers crossed!
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| Barb and Chris enjoying the meal! |
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| Pesto stuff portobellos, polenta with vegetables, and a delicious salad! |
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Last day of my trip
Today was officially my last day away from home! I can't believe it is already over, but I am ready to be home and to see my family and most importantly to see my puppies Max and Koa!!
This morning while Molly went to work on her model I had some breakfast and watched some tv. Man I can't wait to watch on a real tv in an air conditioned room! I'm so sick of being hot and sweaty!! When Molly got back she had lunch and then we went down to see the 9/11 memorial which was really cool! I think they did a wonderful job executing the monument.
After visiting the World Trade Center site we headed back uptown where Molly went back to the studio and I met up with Lindsay and Andy for some ice cream and a quick catch up. It was great to see them! After we parted I went to the studio to get the apartment key and to see Molly's model. I can honestly say that I don't really get it at all, but it looks cool!
I just basically hung out at the apartment the rest of the evening, leaving only to get some dinner at the market down the street. I was supposed to have dinner with a friend but I couldn't get ahold of her all day, which was a total bummer.
So, I will not miss being this hot, but I will of course miss the city as always. I will miss hanging out with my sister too, but at least I will see her soon when she visits Michigan! Yay!
This morning while Molly went to work on her model I had some breakfast and watched some tv. Man I can't wait to watch on a real tv in an air conditioned room! I'm so sick of being hot and sweaty!! When Molly got back she had lunch and then we went down to see the 9/11 memorial which was really cool! I think they did a wonderful job executing the monument.
After visiting the World Trade Center site we headed back uptown where Molly went back to the studio and I met up with Lindsay and Andy for some ice cream and a quick catch up. It was great to see them! After we parted I went to the studio to get the apartment key and to see Molly's model. I can honestly say that I don't really get it at all, but it looks cool!
I just basically hung out at the apartment the rest of the evening, leaving only to get some dinner at the market down the street. I was supposed to have dinner with a friend but I couldn't get ahold of her all day, which was a total bummer.
So, I will not miss being this hot, but I will of course miss the city as always. I will miss hanging out with my sister too, but at least I will see her soon when she visits Michigan! Yay!
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| The South Pool of the 9/11 Monument |
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| One of the new towers being constructed |
A fun day with NYAC
Yesterday was such a great day seeing my friends again! I set out super early in the morning for Travers Island in Pelham for NYAC water polo practice. My first water workout in about two years went surprisingly ok. We only had to do 10 50s thank goodness (long course) and then a 100 for time. I totally died in the last 25 meters, but a 1:15 after two years seems pretty good to me! I definitely got tired quicker than I used to but I had a good time.
After practice a bunch of us headed out to Cutchogue, NY on Long Island to hang out at Žarko's weekend house. We went to the beach for a while, then went wine tasting, and finally had a wonderful BBQ! It was so great to be able to spend the day with my friends that I don't get to see too often these days.
We headed out just before 9pm and made the two hour drive back to NYC. I felt bad getting back to Molly so late, so I took the bus crosstown before catching a cab up Amsterdam to her apartment. Luckily she woke up to let me in and a went to sleep! I woke up with a really sore neck though so I must have slept funny. Anyways, last day in NYC today!
After practice a bunch of us headed out to Cutchogue, NY on Long Island to hang out at Žarko's weekend house. We went to the beach for a while, then went wine tasting, and finally had a wonderful BBQ! It was so great to be able to spend the day with my friends that I don't get to see too often these days.
We headed out just before 9pm and made the two hour drive back to NYC. I felt bad getting back to Molly so late, so I took the bus crosstown before catching a cab up Amsterdam to her apartment. Luckily she woke up to let me in and a went to sleep! I woke up with a really sore neck though so I must have slept funny. Anyways, last day in NYC today!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Art Supply Store and he Highline
Yesterday Molly had class in the morning so I used that time to do some laundry. Yay for clean pants! And the other pants (for Cahristine). Molly actually got home roughly on time from school and after lunch we headed down to soho to find her an art supply store her teacher told her about for her model.
We got down to soho (but really Canal street so basically Chinatown) and I got to go to a five story art store yay! Needless to say art isn't exactly my thing and it was a bit boring but that's ok! I know Molly needed her stuff and turns out she's just as indecisive as me, but for different reasons.
After art supplies were procured we walked around in soho for a bit and I showed her that it wasn't really a sketchy area. We went into a few stores and I got a yummy mango on the street. We walked all the way to the top of the neighborhood and then decided to go to the Highline park.
We set off to catch the bus, but in turn ended up walking all the way there. The Highline is as beautiful as ever and it has really evolved since the last time I was in the city. I think Molly enjoyed it too.
We were so tired from walking (at least two miles I would say) so we made the trek to the subway (yes trek the Highline is way west of the subway) and took the 1 back to Columbia. We got back with two minutes to spare (5:58) and Molly was happy. I ended up getting a turkey burger downstairs for dinner and it was pretty tasty. We listened to music while Molly came up with model concepts and had some fun mini sitting dance parties and sang. Pretty good day I would say.
I have now finished my daily chore mom, can I go out and play? :)
We got down to soho (but really Canal street so basically Chinatown) and I got to go to a five story art store yay! Needless to say art isn't exactly my thing and it was a bit boring but that's ok! I know Molly needed her stuff and turns out she's just as indecisive as me, but for different reasons.
After art supplies were procured we walked around in soho for a bit and I showed her that it wasn't really a sketchy area. We went into a few stores and I got a yummy mango on the street. We walked all the way to the top of the neighborhood and then decided to go to the Highline park.
We set off to catch the bus, but in turn ended up walking all the way there. The Highline is as beautiful as ever and it has really evolved since the last time I was in the city. I think Molly enjoyed it too.
We were so tired from walking (at least two miles I would say) so we made the trek to the subway (yes trek the Highline is way west of the subway) and took the 1 back to Columbia. We got back with two minutes to spare (5:58) and Molly was happy. I ended up getting a turkey burger downstairs for dinner and it was pretty tasty. We listened to music while Molly came up with model concepts and had some fun mini sitting dance parties and sang. Pretty good day I would say.
I have now finished my daily chore mom, can I go out and play? :)
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Back in the Big Apple
It feels so nice to be back in NYC after over a year! I took Molly down to her firm tour so he wouldn't get lost and then killed time by finally going to Donut Plant! I had a cashew orange blossom mini filled donut and a wild blueberry cake donut and they were fabulous!
When Molly was done with the tour I took her to the Bowery Whole Foods and then we went back to the apartment for lunch, after which he went off to class and I went off to roam.
I went down to the wet village and found out a lot has changed in a year. My favorite cookie is no longer carried by Milk and Cookies, the lobster place has closed and Murray's Cheese Shop has expanded into the space. Other things have come and gone as well. Luckily Joe's Pizza has stayed the same and is just as delicious! I had a fab slice and then headed uptown to 34th street to look around. Macy's is under some serious renovation construction which was weird, and the Victoria's Secret is under such intense renovation that the whole location is closed until the fall. So weird. I ended up walking to 42nd street where I noticed that the ESPN store is gone too!
I took the subway uptown back to Columbia and roamed around the bookstore for a while. I ended up buying a new book and then went to wait for Molly to get out of class an hour and a half late. We went back to the apartment and ate dinner and stuff and now it's bed time! Tomorrow laundry and soho are on the agenda. Night!
When Molly was done with the tour I took her to the Bowery Whole Foods and then we went back to the apartment for lunch, after which he went off to class and I went off to roam.
I went down to the wet village and found out a lot has changed in a year. My favorite cookie is no longer carried by Milk and Cookies, the lobster place has closed and Murray's Cheese Shop has expanded into the space. Other things have come and gone as well. Luckily Joe's Pizza has stayed the same and is just as delicious! I had a fab slice and then headed uptown to 34th street to look around. Macy's is under some serious renovation construction which was weird, and the Victoria's Secret is under such intense renovation that the whole location is closed until the fall. So weird. I ended up walking to 42nd street where I noticed that the ESPN store is gone too!
I took the subway uptown back to Columbia and roamed around the bookstore for a while. I ended up buying a new book and then went to wait for Molly to get out of class an hour and a half late. We went back to the apartment and ate dinner and stuff and now it's bed time! Tomorrow laundry and soho are on the agenda. Night!
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| Wild Blueberry Doughnut, yum |
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| My favorite, Joe's Pizza! |
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| Milk and Cookies! Yay! |
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Three countries, one day... Again!
This time not so exciting travels, but I have in fact been in three countries today (though one was only in an airport so I guess it's sort of a technicality). I packed up my stuff for the second to last time and headed for the Madrid airport. Of course, once I got to the airport I realized I left something at the hostel again, ugh!! Anyways, they will send it back to CA at my expense and I hope it works because it's fragile and I have been carrying it on everywhere instead of packing it so it doesn't get damages.
Anyways, I got checked in just fine and went to the terminal. I got my final European stamp in my passport (yay!) and went shopping to get rid of my last sixteen or so euros. I ended up getting a Spanish cookbook and some Lion pop things. Yum. They announced my name over the loud speaker I come to the desk at the gate, so I went up there and basically sat an waited while they did absolutely nothing to even tell me why my name was called. Finally after almost the whole plane was boarded the said it was to check my passport (wtf why me, it was already checked at least twice?) and so I got on headed for the lovely row 38. When I got just through the door of the plane the gate agent ran up to me and changed my seat to 12C, to which I though yay row, boo loosing window and thing to lean against! I was only sad for like a second though when I got there and realized I now had the sweet bulkhead! So I had lots of leg room for the long flight!
The flight was great actually. Good food and great entertainment selection. I watched Fishing in the Yemen, Friends with Benefits, and Moneyball, as well as two episodes of 2 Broke Girls, and episode of Modern Family, and part of a documentary about the Amish. basically I was happy and it went pretty quickly!
When I got to Canada I had the pleasure of retrieving my bag and going through US customs, which of course took forever, but at least the airport had free wifi and it killed most of the time of my layover. I got on my flight easily and had a short flight to NYC during which I watched half of the Lorax!
Now I'm just waiting for my bag in te airport and will soon head to see my sister! Excited for some NYC fun before heading back to CA!
Anyways, I got checked in just fine and went to the terminal. I got my final European stamp in my passport (yay!) and went shopping to get rid of my last sixteen or so euros. I ended up getting a Spanish cookbook and some Lion pop things. Yum. They announced my name over the loud speaker I come to the desk at the gate, so I went up there and basically sat an waited while they did absolutely nothing to even tell me why my name was called. Finally after almost the whole plane was boarded the said it was to check my passport (wtf why me, it was already checked at least twice?) and so I got on headed for the lovely row 38. When I got just through the door of the plane the gate agent ran up to me and changed my seat to 12C, to which I though yay row, boo loosing window and thing to lean against! I was only sad for like a second though when I got there and realized I now had the sweet bulkhead! So I had lots of leg room for the long flight!
The flight was great actually. Good food and great entertainment selection. I watched Fishing in the Yemen, Friends with Benefits, and Moneyball, as well as two episodes of 2 Broke Girls, and episode of Modern Family, and part of a documentary about the Amish. basically I was happy and it went pretty quickly!
When I got to Canada I had the pleasure of retrieving my bag and going through US customs, which of course took forever, but at least the airport had free wifi and it killed most of the time of my layover. I got on my flight easily and had a short flight to NYC during which I watched half of the Lorax!
Now I'm just waiting for my bag in te airport and will soon head to see my sister! Excited for some NYC fun before heading back to CA!
Segovia
Today I decided to take a last day trip (and get one more use out of my expensive rail pass too!) so I headed out to Segovia. Claire Rudder, a synchro swimmer who used to swim at WCA as well is studying abroad there, so I met up with her and she showed me around the small city.
The train ride out was long, bug quite easy. I wouldn't say the seats were very comfy though. I got to Segovia around 2pm and slowly walked towards the city center where I grabbed a bite to eat.
Claire and I met up around 3pm and she showed me around. The castle in Segovia is quite beautiful, as is the area in general. I quite like the smaller quieter cities. After walking around for a bit we sat down and had some sangria before I had to catch the train back to Madrid. The walk back was supposed to take a half hour and I only had 40 minutes, so I booked it while freaking out that I would miss the train. It only took 15 minutes, so I definitely did NOT need to speed walk. Oh well, at least I had time at the train station to get situated. I hopped on the same uncomfortable train just before 7pm and headed back towards Madrid with an expected arrival time of 8:50pm.
I got back just fine and headed back to the hostel for a bit before heading out to get a super cheap bocadillo de jamon y queso at a place off Plaza Mayor. Now I'm just checking on a few things before bed.
It's been a great trip over here and I can't believe I'm headed back to the USA tomorrow. See ya soon NYC!!
The train ride out was long, bug quite easy. I wouldn't say the seats were very comfy though. I got to Segovia around 2pm and slowly walked towards the city center where I grabbed a bite to eat.
Claire and I met up around 3pm and she showed me around. The castle in Segovia is quite beautiful, as is the area in general. I quite like the smaller quieter cities. After walking around for a bit we sat down and had some sangria before I had to catch the train back to Madrid. The walk back was supposed to take a half hour and I only had 40 minutes, so I booked it while freaking out that I would miss the train. It only took 15 minutes, so I definitely did NOT need to speed walk. Oh well, at least I had time at the train station to get situated. I hopped on the same uncomfortable train just before 7pm and headed back towards Madrid with an expected arrival time of 8:50pm.
I got back just fine and headed back to the hostel for a bit before heading out to get a super cheap bocadillo de jamon y queso at a place off Plaza Mayor. Now I'm just checking on a few things before bed.
It's been a great trip over here and I can't believe I'm headed back to the USA tomorrow. See ya soon NYC!!
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| The Segovia train station |
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| The Roman aqueduct. Its really big and quite a bit more amazing than this picture shows! |
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| A small view of the gorgeous Segovia castle |
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| A washed out view of Segovia (sorry my iPhone camera makes it hard to control lighting) |
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Madrid
Sorry I didn't post yeaterday! When I got home I was so tired that I went straight to bed, an this morning the Internet wasn't really working on my phone. Anyways...
Yesterday I explored Madrid. I went on my fourth Sandemans free walking tour and it was just as good as the rest. I saw the oldest restaurant in the world (established and continually running since 1725), he royal palace, the opera house, some neat plazas, and more. I even heard about the strangest fight ever. So there are people who dress as characters in the main plazas who take pictures with people and ask for money just like in many major cities. Apparently recently there was a fight that broke out between Minnie Mouse and Dora the Explorer and it had to be broken up by SpongeBob SquarePants!! Imagine that scene! It sounds like the funniest thing ever. Apparently it was in the papers and everything. Haha. No fights yesterday, but definitely saw many a character.
After the walking tour I went back to the hostel and had my leftover pasta for lunch before taking a little siesta. I attempted to do a little reading as well but ended up chatting with people and people watching instead. Around 6:30pm I headed out to meet up with my friend Rodrigo at Parque Retiro. We walked through the park a bit and it was really cool! Definitely a beautiful place.
After the park we went to meet up with his Australian friend and her two friends who were also in town. They said to meet the in Plaza d'España, but we ended up going to three different plazas before finally connecting with them. The area try were actually in was really pretty and there was an awesome view and sunset. The five of us hung out there for a bit before heading out to get some food! I finally got some paella and we walked around a bit more of Madrid. It was a fun night.
Because the Spanish people generally don't even go out until midnight it was a normal night to them, but felt really late to me. We had eaten dinner around 111pm and I didn't get home until just before 2am. Man I am not built for late nights. Anyways, I had a good time exploring Madrid!
Yesterday I explored Madrid. I went on my fourth Sandemans free walking tour and it was just as good as the rest. I saw the oldest restaurant in the world (established and continually running since 1725), he royal palace, the opera house, some neat plazas, and more. I even heard about the strangest fight ever. So there are people who dress as characters in the main plazas who take pictures with people and ask for money just like in many major cities. Apparently recently there was a fight that broke out between Minnie Mouse and Dora the Explorer and it had to be broken up by SpongeBob SquarePants!! Imagine that scene! It sounds like the funniest thing ever. Apparently it was in the papers and everything. Haha. No fights yesterday, but definitely saw many a character.
After the walking tour I went back to the hostel and had my leftover pasta for lunch before taking a little siesta. I attempted to do a little reading as well but ended up chatting with people and people watching instead. Around 6:30pm I headed out to meet up with my friend Rodrigo at Parque Retiro. We walked through the park a bit and it was really cool! Definitely a beautiful place.
After the park we went to meet up with his Australian friend and her two friends who were also in town. They said to meet the in Plaza d'España, but we ended up going to three different plazas before finally connecting with them. The area try were actually in was really pretty and there was an awesome view and sunset. The five of us hung out there for a bit before heading out to get some food! I finally got some paella and we walked around a bit more of Madrid. It was a fun night.
Because the Spanish people generally don't even go out until midnight it was a normal night to them, but felt really late to me. We had eaten dinner around 111pm and I didn't get home until just before 2am. Man I am not built for late nights. Anyways, I had a good time exploring Madrid!
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| The oldest restaurant in the world. This show the Guinness Book of World Records certificate. |
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| The first town hall of Madrid |
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| Parque del Retiro |
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| Sunset over España |
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| The Royal Palace just after sunset |
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Adios Barcelona, voy a Madrid
Today was another major travel day, my last within Europe. I packed up yet again and took the metro to Barcelona Sants station. To get on the high speed AVE train you have to actually go through some security, but it took all of like ten seconds. I got on the train with plenty of time to spare and ended up sitting next to two girls from Canada who were the same age as me, which was fun. The ride was only 3 hours and it went by really fast. The scenery was really different from most of the trains I have taken thus far. It was a lot more barren and relly cool in contrast, but sadly I did not take any pictures.
When I arrived in Madrid I took the metro to Sol station and walked to short distance to my hostel. I am in two different rooms over the next three nights because originally I wasnt going to arrive until tomorrow, so I will switch tomorrow afternoon. The hostel here is pretty good and I think I will enjoy it. I rested in the hostel for a bit today and then walked around the area for a little bit, but didnt see too much. I bought some food at the super market and cooked myself some pasta with tomatos, asparagus, and mushrooms with a bit of parmesean on top. Yum. I ended up finishing dinner after nine so I just went on the computer (where I still am yay real keyboard!) and I fixed the pictures on my blog back to Slovenia! Now most have captions and are sized better. I can´t believe I only have three more nights here and two more full days! Ciao y buenos noches.
When I arrived in Madrid I took the metro to Sol station and walked to short distance to my hostel. I am in two different rooms over the next three nights because originally I wasnt going to arrive until tomorrow, so I will switch tomorrow afternoon. The hostel here is pretty good and I think I will enjoy it. I rested in the hostel for a bit today and then walked around the area for a little bit, but didnt see too much. I bought some food at the super market and cooked myself some pasta with tomatos, asparagus, and mushrooms with a bit of parmesean on top. Yum. I ended up finishing dinner after nine so I just went on the computer (where I still am yay real keyboard!) and I fixed the pictures on my blog back to Slovenia! Now most have captions and are sized better. I can´t believe I only have three more nights here and two more full days! Ciao y buenos noches.
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| Dinner |
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Final day in Barcelona
So today was already my final full day in Barcelona. Wow, that went fast! I definitely haven't seen everything there is to see here and I will have to come back again some day to keep exploring. That being said, I have had a wonderful time here over the past few days!
This morning I stayed in the hostel until around 11:30 eating breakfast and catching up on life. When I eventually left the hostel I walked towards Sagrada Familia to pick up the ticket I ordered yesterday, saw I didn't really need to get it early, and instead went back to the train station for more reservation attempt fun times. I picks a number and waited for about 30 minutes before realizing it was going to take forever and a half. I got a second number just in case and went back to the Sagrada Familia to finally view the inside.
The inside of this iconic church is unlike anything ive seen before. The stain glass has the most beautiful colors of any stain glass I've seen and the columns are made to look like trees forming a canopy instead of just columns. The stair cases and detail were stunning as well. It really was quite spectacular and way more than I ever expected. I spent just under an hour between the subway and exploring and then headed back to the train station.
When I got back to Barcelona Santa station I thought I may have been late, but it was still about 30 people before the first number I had picked earlier! Crazy! That was at LEAST an hour and a half after I chose the number. I was finally called and got the reservation , and guess what? They didn't need to see my rail pass! Ughhh! I started to walk away, realized she booked me on a train for Tuesday instead of Sunday, went back and had it fixes, and finally left the station with a proper reservation to get to Madrid tomorrow. That was a lot of work!
After my train was worked out I went to Park Guell to see some of the Gaudi work. It was really cool and there were some great views of the city. Sadly my major thoughts were, "this is where the Top Model runway show was in Barcelona" and "these are the steps from the Cheetah Girls 2 movies when they were singing 'Strut'" and then I proceed to sing the song over and over in my head. Haha. Anyways it was a pretty cool place.
The day went by super quick and after the park I had to go straight to the Gotic area of town to begin my Tapas tour! There were three of us on the tour, which was a great size and it was really fun. We went to four different tapas places and at each one has some tapas and a drink. I had a great time and had some delicious food. The couple with me on the tour live in Bristol, England (one was originally from Wales though) and were really nice so we had great fun.
After the tour I tried to go in one of the Gaudi houses near-ish my hostel, but it had closed so I missed it. Instead I went back to Tapas 24 from last night and had a yummy dessert. Afterwards I walked back to the hostel and chatted with a really nice girl from Korea for a while, and now it's bed time! Night!
This morning I stayed in the hostel until around 11:30 eating breakfast and catching up on life. When I eventually left the hostel I walked towards Sagrada Familia to pick up the ticket I ordered yesterday, saw I didn't really need to get it early, and instead went back to the train station for more reservation attempt fun times. I picks a number and waited for about 30 minutes before realizing it was going to take forever and a half. I got a second number just in case and went back to the Sagrada Familia to finally view the inside.
The inside of this iconic church is unlike anything ive seen before. The stain glass has the most beautiful colors of any stain glass I've seen and the columns are made to look like trees forming a canopy instead of just columns. The stair cases and detail were stunning as well. It really was quite spectacular and way more than I ever expected. I spent just under an hour between the subway and exploring and then headed back to the train station.
When I got back to Barcelona Santa station I thought I may have been late, but it was still about 30 people before the first number I had picked earlier! Crazy! That was at LEAST an hour and a half after I chose the number. I was finally called and got the reservation , and guess what? They didn't need to see my rail pass! Ughhh! I started to walk away, realized she booked me on a train for Tuesday instead of Sunday, went back and had it fixes, and finally left the station with a proper reservation to get to Madrid tomorrow. That was a lot of work!
After my train was worked out I went to Park Guell to see some of the Gaudi work. It was really cool and there were some great views of the city. Sadly my major thoughts were, "this is where the Top Model runway show was in Barcelona" and "these are the steps from the Cheetah Girls 2 movies when they were singing 'Strut'" and then I proceed to sing the song over and over in my head. Haha. Anyways it was a pretty cool place.
The day went by super quick and after the park I had to go straight to the Gotic area of town to begin my Tapas tour! There were three of us on the tour, which was a great size and it was really fun. We went to four different tapas places and at each one has some tapas and a drink. I had a great time and had some delicious food. The couple with me on the tour live in Bristol, England (one was originally from Wales though) and were really nice so we had great fun.
After the tour I tried to go in one of the Gaudi houses near-ish my hostel, but it had closed so I missed it. Instead I went back to Tapas 24 from last night and had a yummy dessert. Afterwards I walked back to the hostel and chatted with a really nice girl from Korea for a while, and now it's bed time! Night!
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| Inside of Sagrada Familia |
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| Steps in Parc Guell (also in The Cheetah Girls haha) |
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| Delicous dessert |
Biking through Barcelona
Yesterday I did the Fat Tire Bike Tour through Barcelona. It is the same company I did the bike tour with in Berlin and it was really fun (minus the sunburn I got even though I most definitely WAS wearing sunscreen).
The bike tour took me through some of the highlights of Barcelona, like the cathedral, the old bull fighting arena, the Arc de Triumph, the Sagrada Familia, the beaches, etc. By the beach there is a really cool architectural sculpture by Frank Gehry that looks like a sparkling fish in the sunlight. It's pretty cool. Besides me there were three other groups on the tour. One group from Texas, one from Dixon, CA, and a couple who went to Cal (and worked at the Nordstrom in WC!)
After the tour I walked around a bit and then went back to the hostel to relax some. I needed to buy a train reservation so I eventually headed out to Sants station to buy it. I took a number and waited for jut under an hour for my number to be called. When I finally got up to the window the man wouldn't speak any English (not that I expect people too, but your working in a train station in one of the most tourist frequented cities in your country), he was intolerant of my attempted Spanish and wouldn't speak any slower, and wouldn't sell me a reservation because my pass was at the hotel and not with me at the station. I have purchased at leader 5 train reservations and never have I needed my pass to buy it. It was so frustrating!!
Since my super long train experience made me upset and aggravated I decided I needed to eat dinner and on the way stumbled upon one of the famous Gaudi houses. I went to this tapas place called Tapas 24 and had a good meal. A girl sitting to my left was from SoCal originally and did her two masters at Michigan where she lived basically across the street from where I'm living. The lady to my right was from New Jersey and was an eating disorder therapist who made a documentary that happened to have debuted in Walnut Creek. So so weird. When those couples left, two girls sat next to me from DC. One is starting next month at the military medical school and doing Army! So many random connections, but it didn't stop there. On the way home from dinner I passed a girl I went to the Virginia state fair with back in October! I have now officially run into five people I know in four different countries (one in the Louvre in Paris, one in the British Museum in London, one walking down the street in Beijing, one on the Olympic green in Beijing, and one walking down the street in Barcelona). I love randomness like that!
Anyways, I had a pretty good first day here (once again minus the sunburn).
The bike tour took me through some of the highlights of Barcelona, like the cathedral, the old bull fighting arena, the Arc de Triumph, the Sagrada Familia, the beaches, etc. By the beach there is a really cool architectural sculpture by Frank Gehry that looks like a sparkling fish in the sunlight. It's pretty cool. Besides me there were three other groups on the tour. One group from Texas, one from Dixon, CA, and a couple who went to Cal (and worked at the Nordstrom in WC!)
After the tour I walked around a bit and then went back to the hostel to relax some. I needed to buy a train reservation so I eventually headed out to Sants station to buy it. I took a number and waited for jut under an hour for my number to be called. When I finally got up to the window the man wouldn't speak any English (not that I expect people too, but your working in a train station in one of the most tourist frequented cities in your country), he was intolerant of my attempted Spanish and wouldn't speak any slower, and wouldn't sell me a reservation because my pass was at the hotel and not with me at the station. I have purchased at leader 5 train reservations and never have I needed my pass to buy it. It was so frustrating!!
Since my super long train experience made me upset and aggravated I decided I needed to eat dinner and on the way stumbled upon one of the famous Gaudi houses. I went to this tapas place called Tapas 24 and had a good meal. A girl sitting to my left was from SoCal originally and did her two masters at Michigan where she lived basically across the street from where I'm living. The lady to my right was from New Jersey and was an eating disorder therapist who made a documentary that happened to have debuted in Walnut Creek. So so weird. When those couples left, two girls sat next to me from DC. One is starting next month at the military medical school and doing Army! So many random connections, but it didn't stop there. On the way home from dinner I passed a girl I went to the Virginia state fair with back in October! I have now officially run into five people I know in four different countries (one in the Louvre in Paris, one in the British Museum in London, one walking down the street in Beijing, one on the Olympic green in Beijing, and one walking down the street in Barcelona). I love randomness like that!
Anyways, I had a pretty good first day here (once again minus the sunburn).
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| Beautiful fountain in Park of the Citadel |
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| The Arc de Triumph |
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| The most famous facade of Gaudi´s Sagrada Familia |
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| The Barcelona beaches |
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| Casa Batilo by Gaudi |
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Made it to Barcelona :)
My flight was ok, though we didn't start boarding until our scheduled departure time so we arrived about 45 minutes late. Once we arrived I embarked on a two hour journey from the airport to my hostel. There is no way it should have taken two hours! I had to take a bus to the other terminal, then take the train to Barcelona Sants, then take the Metro (which I thoroughly screwed up and ended up having to buy two tickets so I could exit to see the metro map), and when I finally got to the right metro stop I only had to walk about two blocks I the hostel!
The hostel I'm staying at is really great! Most importantly I have a small fan by my bed, but all the facilities are really nice and it had a really comfortable and home like atmosphere. I think I'm really going to enjoy my three nights here!
I spent a whole setting some things up for school, and when I finally decided I needed to eat dinner I was too lazy to walk very far since it was already after nine. I walked around a bit and didn't find much, but the guy working at the hostel offered me his leftover pasta and chicken so I had that.
Pretty boring day in comparison o most of this trip, but travel days usually are. Excited to explore the city tomorrow!!
The hostel I'm staying at is really great! Most importantly I have a small fan by my bed, but all the facilities are really nice and it had a really comfortable and home like atmosphere. I think I'm really going to enjoy my three nights here!
I spent a whole setting some things up for school, and when I finally decided I needed to eat dinner I was too lazy to walk very far since it was already after nine. I walked around a bit and didn't find much, but the guy working at the hostel offered me his leftover pasta and chicken so I had that.
Pretty boring day in comparison o most of this trip, but travel days usually are. Excited to explore the city tomorrow!!
Voy a Barcelona
I'm at the airport on my way to España for the first time! Nice was fun, but the room was so hot I woke up a ton in the middle of the night. Here's to hoping Barcelona has some A/C!
I guess we'll see over the next few days how good my Spanish is after eight years of never ever using it. I'm not counting on much, though I did get much for comfortable with French over the past five days (much better than I was in Paris with dad stressing me out about it!). Surprisingly this will really be my first time ever in a Spanish speaking place. I went to Cozumel once for a half day, but that doesn't really count. Now that I think of it I guess I've been to Puerto Rico twice too. I can't believe I only have six more nights is Europe. This trip has gone by so fast and so slow all at the same time.
Talk to you next from Barcelona!
I guess we'll see over the next few days how good my Spanish is after eight years of never ever using it. I'm not counting on much, though I did get much for comfortable with French over the past five days (much better than I was in Paris with dad stressing me out about it!). Surprisingly this will really be my first time ever in a Spanish speaking place. I went to Cozumel once for a half day, but that doesn't really count. Now that I think of it I guess I've been to Puerto Rico twice too. I can't believe I only have six more nights is Europe. This trip has gone by so fast and so slow all at the same time.
Talk to you next from Barcelona!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Three countries, one day.
This morning when I got up I decided I desperately needed Italian pizza, so I got ready and headed to the train station to go across the border to Ventimigila, Italia! The town was pretty quiet, but it felt so nice to have a few "chill" hours an I got my pizza! The farmers market there was also amazing a I had some delicious raspberries. Of I was living in this area I would be there every day for sure!
After I was done walking through the town (it was siesta time when I was done with lunch so nothing was open really) I headed back to the train station to hit up my next country, Monaco!
This was my first time in Monaco, so yay, I can check another country off my list! I wandered around a bit and ended up near the palace which was up a huge hill. Someone in my hostel told me to go to the Oceanographic Museum, so I walked around until I found it. I started at the bottom in the aquarium which was pretty cool. They had a great cuttlefish and more importantly a couple hundred baby clown fish! They were so small and so cute. I wanted to steal them and take them home with me so bad! They also had jellyfish and huge eels and sharks and other cool marine life.
After the aquarium section I headed to the roof to see the view. It was quite nice to see the entirety of Monaco. I headed down to the level below and to the left there was an exhibit that was okay, but a tad bit boring. When I headed to the other side of the building is when things got über weird. The first thing I saw was a cast of a human head. It was red and looked like a normal model or something until I read the building materials: blood (artist's own), something else I forget, and refrigeration materials! WTF!! Who makes art out of their own blood! That was seriously creepy moment number one. Then I walked into the room.
This room was full of more sculptures, mostly made of bronze. Most of these statues were of skeletons. These weren't just normal skeletons though. There were about three cross legged praying skeletons, one of whom was surrounded by actual flames, a kneeling praying baby skeleton, and two skeleton positioned as though they were having sex and were also surrounded by real fire. There were a few other super weird things in the room too, but I was creeped out and didn't stay in there too long.
After I left creepfest I walked to a sort of park area and read for a bit before walking to the Monte Carlo area for a bit. Monte Carlo has really pretty buildings that look very posh, whereas the other areas of Monaco kind of look like they sprung up in the 60s and 70s. That was such a lovely era for architecture (sarcasm definitely intended).
Anyways, I had a good day overall on my day trip and headed back to Nice where I grabbed a baguette for dinner again (can't beat a dinner that less than €5!) and headed back to the hostel. Hopefully I can get some sleep tonight through the heat! I don't want to be up from 4:30-6:30am again!
After I was done walking through the town (it was siesta time when I was done with lunch so nothing was open really) I headed back to the train station to hit up my next country, Monaco!
This was my first time in Monaco, so yay, I can check another country off my list! I wandered around a bit and ended up near the palace which was up a huge hill. Someone in my hostel told me to go to the Oceanographic Museum, so I walked around until I found it. I started at the bottom in the aquarium which was pretty cool. They had a great cuttlefish and more importantly a couple hundred baby clown fish! They were so small and so cute. I wanted to steal them and take them home with me so bad! They also had jellyfish and huge eels and sharks and other cool marine life.
After the aquarium section I headed to the roof to see the view. It was quite nice to see the entirety of Monaco. I headed down to the level below and to the left there was an exhibit that was okay, but a tad bit boring. When I headed to the other side of the building is when things got über weird. The first thing I saw was a cast of a human head. It was red and looked like a normal model or something until I read the building materials: blood (artist's own), something else I forget, and refrigeration materials! WTF!! Who makes art out of their own blood! That was seriously creepy moment number one. Then I walked into the room.
This room was full of more sculptures, mostly made of bronze. Most of these statues were of skeletons. These weren't just normal skeletons though. There were about three cross legged praying skeletons, one of whom was surrounded by actual flames, a kneeling praying baby skeleton, and two skeleton positioned as though they were having sex and were also surrounded by real fire. There were a few other super weird things in the room too, but I was creeped out and didn't stay in there too long.
After I left creepfest I walked to a sort of park area and read for a bit before walking to the Monte Carlo area for a bit. Monte Carlo has really pretty buildings that look very posh, whereas the other areas of Monaco kind of look like they sprung up in the 60s and 70s. That was such a lovely era for architecture (sarcasm definitely intended).
Anyways, I had a good day overall on my day trip and headed back to Nice where I grabbed a baguette for dinner again (can't beat a dinner that less than €5!) and headed back to the hostel. Hopefully I can get some sleep tonight through the heat! I don't want to be up from 4:30-6:30am again!
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| The market in Ventimiglia |
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| Monaco |
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| Me in Monaco |
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| Baby Clownfish! |
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| A pretty building in Monte Carlo |
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Nice
Today was my first full day in the south of France! I woke up before nine, but let myself be lazy until around noon. I watched most of an episode of Dance Moms (guilty pleasure) and caught up with things on the internets. Fun times.
When I finally got dressed and headed out I went straight to the create your own salad place down the street for lunch and say for a good long time. It was great to have some fresh vegetables!
After lunch I walked down to the water and walked along the Promenade des Anglais which goes along the Mediterranean sea. The water looked unbelievable today! It was a beautiful light but vibrant blue with a very distinct line where it became a very deep blue out a ways. The sky was beautiful as well (which can be seen by my slight sunburn). I sat in the shade and read for a while just looking out at the ocean. It was very relaxing.
When I felt I had read enough (easily over 100 pages while sitting there) I decided to get on the hop on hop off bus to see the town. Nice is really quite a beautiful place. There's some really pretty Italian influences in the area. I just wish I had had a cover for my shoulders and some sunglasses (a screw fell out of mine in Hamburg and I have yet to find a small screwdriver to put the right temple back on).
After the tour I took a break to shower and what not since I felt kinda gross and sticky from my rooms humidity. The cold shower felt so so nice and made the heat so much more bearable.
I just got a sandwich for dinner and I'm about to head back to the hostel for the night. Day tripping tomorrow somewhere, will definitely include Monte Carlo. Glad to hear mom and Molly made it to NYC safely and can't wait to be there too soon!
When I finally got dressed and headed out I went straight to the create your own salad place down the street for lunch and say for a good long time. It was great to have some fresh vegetables!
After lunch I walked down to the water and walked along the Promenade des Anglais which goes along the Mediterranean sea. The water looked unbelievable today! It was a beautiful light but vibrant blue with a very distinct line where it became a very deep blue out a ways. The sky was beautiful as well (which can be seen by my slight sunburn). I sat in the shade and read for a while just looking out at the ocean. It was very relaxing.
When I felt I had read enough (easily over 100 pages while sitting there) I decided to get on the hop on hop off bus to see the town. Nice is really quite a beautiful place. There's some really pretty Italian influences in the area. I just wish I had had a cover for my shoulders and some sunglasses (a screw fell out of mine in Hamburg and I have yet to find a small screwdriver to put the right temple back on).
After the tour I took a break to shower and what not since I felt kinda gross and sticky from my rooms humidity. The cold shower felt so so nice and made the heat so much more bearable.
I just got a sandwich for dinner and I'm about to head back to the hostel for the night. Day tripping tomorrow somewhere, will definitely include Monte Carlo. Glad to hear mom and Molly made it to NYC safely and can't wait to be there too soon!
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| The beautiful beach |
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| Massena Square |
Monday, July 2, 2012
Gone South
This morning I packed up yet again and took the RER back into Paris to catch my train down south to Nice. I got to the station way to early, do I killed time by reading.
My train left Paris Gare de Lyon at 12:49 and I had just under a six hour ride. I took a nap, watched the movie Like Crazy, and did some more reading. All in all a nice ride. The south of France had some pretty scenery as well.
I arrived in Nice a bit later than scheduled, but I could have stayed on the train even longer. I was quite content to ride along today for some reason. I got off the train and was so hot. I should not have been wearing long sleeves, long pants, socks and running shoes whole carrying my backpack. I took the tram to my hostel and checked in. It was hot there too (though thankfully it has cooled down a bit now). I had a pretty chill evening, got a baguette and eat while walking towards the stony beach, where I read for a bit, then got a small gelato and walked back to the hostel. I'm just chilling here now, but it's 10:40 so I think I'll go to bed soon!
My train left Paris Gare de Lyon at 12:49 and I had just under a six hour ride. I took a nap, watched the movie Like Crazy, and did some more reading. All in all a nice ride. The south of France had some pretty scenery as well.
I arrived in Nice a bit later than scheduled, but I could have stayed on the train even longer. I was quite content to ride along today for some reason. I got off the train and was so hot. I should not have been wearing long sleeves, long pants, socks and running shoes whole carrying my backpack. I took the tram to my hostel and checked in. It was hot there too (though thankfully it has cooled down a bit now). I had a pretty chill evening, got a baguette and eat while walking towards the stony beach, where I read for a bit, then got a small gelato and walked back to the hostel. I'm just chilling here now, but it's 10:40 so I think I'll go to bed soon!
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| The pebble beaches in the evening |
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Bruges
Right after I dropped Kelly off at the airport I headed out to spend a few hours in Bruges. The town was quite charming. With beautiful buildings, cobblestone streets, pretty canals with swans, it really was the picturesque place I had been hoping to find.
Since I didn't have much time, I just walked around a bit, took a short canal tour, and grabbed some really fast lunch. Someday I would love to explore the town more, but I am at least happy I was able to see it!
I caught the train back to Brussels around two. When I got back I got my backpack from the hotel and went straight back to the train station to take a train to a different station in Brussels where I caught my first TGV train of the day. The train was really easy and quick to Lille Europe station, where I changed trains. As soon as I got off I saw the train I was on was going to Marnee la Vallée (where Disneyland Paris is) and immediately wished I had a reservation to continue on that train. I could have been to my hotel in another hour and a half or so, but instead I began a long long journey.
First I had to walk to Lille Flanders station, abort a half kilometer from Lille Europe. It was raining and I had nothing to cover with. Yuck. Then I had to wait for an hour at Lille Flanders for my train to Paris Nord. Then I took the train to Paris Nord (about another hour). When I got to Paris all the ticket machines for the RER train were broken except one so I waited for a half an hour to buy a ticket. My credit card wouldn't work in the machine (stupid European chips!). Then I had to search for another entrance to the RER. I walked down a long staircase. Ticket machines broken. Finally I found an entrance into the main section of Paris Nord and waited roughly another twenty minutes to get a ticket from a person where I could pay in paper ash. Then I had to get on the B, go one stop, and transfer to the A. The A was packed so I had to sit with my backpack in my lap most of the way. I finally arrived in Torcy around 9pm (my train had arrived in Paris two hours prior approximately). It then took me forever to find the hotel so I wandered the area it was meant to be in for a while, all while still wearing my heavy pack. Whew, that was tiring just to remember!
Anyways, my hotel is fine and I have a room to myself which is quite nice. I spent some time chatting with my mom and briefly with Molly and then got some sleep before Disneyland Paris day!
(this post courtesy of the 75 minute line for a ride that doesn't exist in the US so I couldn't miss it, ugh)
All of the pictures are from the canal tour I took.
Since I didn't have much time, I just walked around a bit, took a short canal tour, and grabbed some really fast lunch. Someday I would love to explore the town more, but I am at least happy I was able to see it!
I caught the train back to Brussels around two. When I got back I got my backpack from the hotel and went straight back to the train station to take a train to a different station in Brussels where I caught my first TGV train of the day. The train was really easy and quick to Lille Europe station, where I changed trains. As soon as I got off I saw the train I was on was going to Marnee la Vallée (where Disneyland Paris is) and immediately wished I had a reservation to continue on that train. I could have been to my hotel in another hour and a half or so, but instead I began a long long journey.
First I had to walk to Lille Flanders station, abort a half kilometer from Lille Europe. It was raining and I had nothing to cover with. Yuck. Then I had to wait for an hour at Lille Flanders for my train to Paris Nord. Then I took the train to Paris Nord (about another hour). When I got to Paris all the ticket machines for the RER train were broken except one so I waited for a half an hour to buy a ticket. My credit card wouldn't work in the machine (stupid European chips!). Then I had to search for another entrance to the RER. I walked down a long staircase. Ticket machines broken. Finally I found an entrance into the main section of Paris Nord and waited roughly another twenty minutes to get a ticket from a person where I could pay in paper ash. Then I had to get on the B, go one stop, and transfer to the A. The A was packed so I had to sit with my backpack in my lap most of the way. I finally arrived in Torcy around 9pm (my train had arrived in Paris two hours prior approximately). It then took me forever to find the hotel so I wandered the area it was meant to be in for a while, all while still wearing my heavy pack. Whew, that was tiring just to remember!
Anyways, my hotel is fine and I have a room to myself which is quite nice. I spent some time chatting with my mom and briefly with Molly and then got some sleep before Disneyland Paris day!
(this post courtesy of the 75 minute line for a ride that doesn't exist in the US so I couldn't miss it, ugh)
All of the pictures are from the canal tour I took.
Disneyland Paris
Today was the day I finally got to go to Disneyland Paris! I have been wanting to come here ever since I knew it existed, so probably about eight years. I am not 3/5 done with seeing the world's Disneyland's!! Only Tokyo and Hong Kong to go!
I took the RER three stop to the park this morning (that just tried to correct to Mormon, weird) and got there with about a half hour to spare. I already had purchased my ticket online to I headed straight into the Disneyland park! Since I didn't know exactly what the plan should be here I followed my general California plan and headed straight to Space Mountain 2!
The line was super short right at 10, do I got on really fast. The Space Mountain here is awesome! Still in the dark, but different effects, seems faster, and goes upside down and in corkscrews. Basically it's an awesome ride! I went back on as soon as I got off which took longer the second time but still wasn't awful. My wad felt like it got banged around a lot the second time and it started a really bad headache that got bad on every roller coaster I went on. Oh well.
After Space Mountain 2 x2 I grabbed a fast pass for Star Tours and then went on Buzz Lightgear Astro Blasters while I waited since it was only 25 minutes. I got 564,000 points on the Buzz ride today, woo! It was perfect timing after the ride with my fast pass so I went straight on Star Tours. It was exactly the same as the old one in California, so that was kind of cool since that one doesn't exist in CA anymore.
After Discoveryland (not Tomorrowlabd here) I headed over to Phantom Manlr, aka their haunted mansion. It was pretty cool, and creepier than the CA one. Next I tried to go on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, but it was closed for refurbishment, boo! Looks like it was a roller coaster, but could really see much. Instead I waded to Pirates of the Caribbean. It was also pretty good, and also a way longer line than in CA. That seems to be te general story here. Lines are really long. Maybe it's because there are less rides? Maybe there are more people (doubtful)? I think they are just way less efficient. I saw so many seats go unfilled on every ride, which rarely ever happens in CA at all.
After Pirates I went on Peter Pan's Flight, which is basically identical to the one in CA, and ten headed to Disney's Hollywood Studios. The lines there were nuts too, so I only went on a few rides which were Tower of Terror (exact same as CA, I think FL wins that ride), the Rockin Roller Coaster with Aerosmith, and Crush's Coaster. I almost didn't go on the last one because the line was 75 minutes lone (yes a full hour and fifteen ugh) but I sucked it up because that one doesn't exist in CA an it ended up being pretty sweet! It's a roller coaster in the dark but it kind of spins at the same time and you feel like you are literally ridig a water current. Pretty cool. After the coaster it was already 6 so I headed back to Disneyland.
Once back at the main park I quickly got a fast pass for Thunder Mountain Railroad for around 9:15pm and then took a mini rest because my legs, knee, and hip were killing.
After narrowly missing the Disneyland train I decided to walk over to Fantasy Land since I hadn't made it there yet. I went on It's a Small World, which has some cool different things, but is shorter, went on the storybook ride called Les Pays des Contes de Fées here, and of course, what trip to Disney would be compete without Dumbo the Flying Elephant!! All was fun as usual.
After Fantasy Land I went back to Discovery Land and rode Autopia for the first time in I don't even know how many years. I must have been less than eight the last time I did it. it was fun, but I won't be rushing to stand in the absurdly long line in CA anytime soon (the line here wasn't bad at all). I then went on Space Mountain 2 again (what was I thinking? Headache returned) and walked over the Thunder Mountain Railroad to use my fast pass.
Thunder Mountain was fun. It's kind of like an island here. You go under this lake at the beginning and then the whole ride is in the middle. It's really pretty to see! Since there is no splash mountain and no Matterhorn, Thunder Mountain is kind of THE thing!
Not to be redundant (this post has gotten very listy), but after that ride I went back to the train to ride it around back to Main Street USA. I spoke with one of the cast members for a bit and he was really nice. He told me about his trip to Disney World and we talked about going to different parks and comparing the new one to our home park. Anyways, the train was fairly uneventful. Not much to see other than a lot of trees, and it went through Pirates instead of Splash Mountain.
I got off at the Main Street USA (oo es ah) and walked through some of the shops. I grabbed dinner at the only place I could find really that had quick food, and all try served was hot dogs and fries. Luckily I like those things! I got my bag of food and headed to the castle for the end of the night show Disney Dreams and picnicked in front while waiting for it to begin. Greg (the cast member I was speaking to) told me I had to see the show because it was amazing, ad he was totally right! I wish I could let him know how much I loved it! It seriously rivals World of Color. Most of the show is a light show directly ON the castle which is so cool. There are also fireworks, water displays like World of Color but a bit smaller, pyrotechnics and it's just overall so awesome!! Great way to end my night for sure.
The show starts at closing time, so afterwards everyone just leaves the park all together. I went to the Disney Store in the Disney Village to get a shirt since I'm sick of wearing the same bed shirt every single night and in pretty sure the one I have with me is not its cleanest right now. I was hoping to find a V neck like my favorite bed shirt ever that I got a Disneyland, but I couldn't find anything. I did see an awesome shirt that I thought about buying for me and Molly, but I didn't think we would actually wear it, so I decided not to. I found a simple black shirt with a partial outline of Mickey and it says Disneyland Paris too. Cool stuff. I could have made many more purchases as usual, but having to carry everything I buy is a great deterrent.
After the quick shipping trip I caught the RER back to Torcy. I almost missed the train and had to wait another 15 minutes but I just made it as the train was signaling it was leaving. Now in back at my hotel and ready for sleep. One benefit of long lines and a short train ride is that my post got written throughout the day so I don't have to sit up writing! It's also why it's a bit listy and fragmented. Oh well, not reading it over!
In summary I had a great day! I am also now extremely exhausted. California still wins in my mind for best Disney, but that's not to say Paris and Florida aren't great too, I'll just always prefer the original and my "home park." The line times here are confusing (ie Space Mountain line fairly short and Pirates takes a long time). Basically I could list a million things that I observed, but those of you who've heard me speak about my issues with the Hunger Games movie know my lists are very detailed and boring to most and this post is already boring enough! If you want more details we will just have to chat!!
I took the RER three stop to the park this morning (that just tried to correct to Mormon, weird) and got there with about a half hour to spare. I already had purchased my ticket online to I headed straight into the Disneyland park! Since I didn't know exactly what the plan should be here I followed my general California plan and headed straight to Space Mountain 2!
The line was super short right at 10, do I got on really fast. The Space Mountain here is awesome! Still in the dark, but different effects, seems faster, and goes upside down and in corkscrews. Basically it's an awesome ride! I went back on as soon as I got off which took longer the second time but still wasn't awful. My wad felt like it got banged around a lot the second time and it started a really bad headache that got bad on every roller coaster I went on. Oh well.
After Space Mountain 2 x2 I grabbed a fast pass for Star Tours and then went on Buzz Lightgear Astro Blasters while I waited since it was only 25 minutes. I got 564,000 points on the Buzz ride today, woo! It was perfect timing after the ride with my fast pass so I went straight on Star Tours. It was exactly the same as the old one in California, so that was kind of cool since that one doesn't exist in CA anymore.
After Discoveryland (not Tomorrowlabd here) I headed over to Phantom Manlr, aka their haunted mansion. It was pretty cool, and creepier than the CA one. Next I tried to go on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, but it was closed for refurbishment, boo! Looks like it was a roller coaster, but could really see much. Instead I waded to Pirates of the Caribbean. It was also pretty good, and also a way longer line than in CA. That seems to be te general story here. Lines are really long. Maybe it's because there are less rides? Maybe there are more people (doubtful)? I think they are just way less efficient. I saw so many seats go unfilled on every ride, which rarely ever happens in CA at all.
After Pirates I went on Peter Pan's Flight, which is basically identical to the one in CA, and ten headed to Disney's Hollywood Studios. The lines there were nuts too, so I only went on a few rides which were Tower of Terror (exact same as CA, I think FL wins that ride), the Rockin Roller Coaster with Aerosmith, and Crush's Coaster. I almost didn't go on the last one because the line was 75 minutes lone (yes a full hour and fifteen ugh) but I sucked it up because that one doesn't exist in CA an it ended up being pretty sweet! It's a roller coaster in the dark but it kind of spins at the same time and you feel like you are literally ridig a water current. Pretty cool. After the coaster it was already 6 so I headed back to Disneyland.
Once back at the main park I quickly got a fast pass for Thunder Mountain Railroad for around 9:15pm and then took a mini rest because my legs, knee, and hip were killing.
After narrowly missing the Disneyland train I decided to walk over to Fantasy Land since I hadn't made it there yet. I went on It's a Small World, which has some cool different things, but is shorter, went on the storybook ride called Les Pays des Contes de Fées here, and of course, what trip to Disney would be compete without Dumbo the Flying Elephant!! All was fun as usual.
After Fantasy Land I went back to Discovery Land and rode Autopia for the first time in I don't even know how many years. I must have been less than eight the last time I did it. it was fun, but I won't be rushing to stand in the absurdly long line in CA anytime soon (the line here wasn't bad at all). I then went on Space Mountain 2 again (what was I thinking? Headache returned) and walked over the Thunder Mountain Railroad to use my fast pass.
Thunder Mountain was fun. It's kind of like an island here. You go under this lake at the beginning and then the whole ride is in the middle. It's really pretty to see! Since there is no splash mountain and no Matterhorn, Thunder Mountain is kind of THE thing!
Not to be redundant (this post has gotten very listy), but after that ride I went back to the train to ride it around back to Main Street USA. I spoke with one of the cast members for a bit and he was really nice. He told me about his trip to Disney World and we talked about going to different parks and comparing the new one to our home park. Anyways, the train was fairly uneventful. Not much to see other than a lot of trees, and it went through Pirates instead of Splash Mountain.
I got off at the Main Street USA (oo es ah) and walked through some of the shops. I grabbed dinner at the only place I could find really that had quick food, and all try served was hot dogs and fries. Luckily I like those things! I got my bag of food and headed to the castle for the end of the night show Disney Dreams and picnicked in front while waiting for it to begin. Greg (the cast member I was speaking to) told me I had to see the show because it was amazing, ad he was totally right! I wish I could let him know how much I loved it! It seriously rivals World of Color. Most of the show is a light show directly ON the castle which is so cool. There are also fireworks, water displays like World of Color but a bit smaller, pyrotechnics and it's just overall so awesome!! Great way to end my night for sure.
The show starts at closing time, so afterwards everyone just leaves the park all together. I went to the Disney Store in the Disney Village to get a shirt since I'm sick of wearing the same bed shirt every single night and in pretty sure the one I have with me is not its cleanest right now. I was hoping to find a V neck like my favorite bed shirt ever that I got a Disneyland, but I couldn't find anything. I did see an awesome shirt that I thought about buying for me and Molly, but I didn't think we would actually wear it, so I decided not to. I found a simple black shirt with a partial outline of Mickey and it says Disneyland Paris too. Cool stuff. I could have made many more purchases as usual, but having to carry everything I buy is a great deterrent.
After the quick shipping trip I caught the RER back to Torcy. I almost missed the train and had to wait another 15 minutes but I just made it as the train was signaling it was leaving. Now in back at my hotel and ready for sleep. One benefit of long lines and a short train ride is that my post got written throughout the day so I don't have to sit up writing! It's also why it's a bit listy and fragmented. Oh well, not reading it over!
In summary I had a great day! I am also now extremely exhausted. California still wins in my mind for best Disney, but that's not to say Paris and Florida aren't great too, I'll just always prefer the original and my "home park." The line times here are confusing (ie Space Mountain line fairly short and Pirates takes a long time). Basically I could list a million things that I observed, but those of you who've heard me speak about my issues with the Hunger Games movie know my lists are very detailed and boring to most and this post is already boring enough! If you want more details we will just have to chat!!
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| Welcome to Disneyland Paris!! |
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| Main Street USA in Paris! |
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| The beautiful castle |
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| Yay Disneyland! |
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| This castle is wonderful |
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| Part of the parade |
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| Going on Dumbo the Flying Elephant! |
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| The castle at night |
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| The castle during the amazing show! |
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