Never Fly US Airways

So I can't remember a time that I have flown on US Airways that there hasn't been a problem: cancelation, flight time change, etc. Even this trip they canceled the flight dad and I had coming back from Spain forcing us to stay a day later and leaving our connecting flights in the US the day before. Chelsey too has always had trouble and so far this trip it had been going smooth (if you don't count the fact that the plane we flew on over here shouldn't be allowed to fly overseas; I have taken bigger planes to NYC and Chelsey and I barely fit in our seats). So as I said earlier, I never got to talk to Chelsey after I got to the airport. When I spoke with mom yesterday I asked her to call Chelsey and make sure she got home because I couldn't get her. Come to find out US Airways had NO flights to Charlotte which is what Chelsey was scheduled on and they had not sent me an e-mail saying she had any changes in her flight. She almost had to stay another night in Rome by herself, but ended up on a flight to Philly and then got home on Sunday instead of Saturday. Point of the story: Don't fly US Airways!

Athens

So no sleep and the overly friendly people in Italy (I am highly exaggerating, they were the worst people we met on the trip) made the Rome airport experience one I would like to forget. Unlike the rest of the normal world, the Rome airport has hundreds of check in areas throughout five terminals where you have to find your flight and then find that number to check in. And don’t think you can find where you airline departs if you are not in that terminal. No one will help you or answer your questions, they just snub you. I have to think that in the US we don’t treat people like this. So I get in the line where I am supposed to check in and Chelsey heads to another terminal for US Airways. At this point I am hoping she got on her plane and is on the 14 hour trip home. Cell phones aren’t easy to come by and once we got split up we didn’t see each other before we departed. We laughed about this trip and how a couple years ago we would have killed each other being together for 15 or so days. But back to the airport. I am in line but it is like 7:30 a.m. and I get in line only to find out that I can’t check in yet, but it isn’t this clear as they are telling me this. I get pushed around some more and then move over to the side. Putting no sleep with a flashback to our last experience in this airport six years ago where after more than six hours we almost didn’t make our flight, I just broke down. This sweet couple from American ask if I was alright and I just felt silly. I was so tired and really wanted food, but I couldn’t get through security because I couldn’t check in for another hour and a half.
As 9 neared, I got in line again to check in. Behind me this man asked me if I spoke English. His sister was flying to Athens on the same flight I was on, but had never flown before and didn’t speak English or Italian. He asked me if I would make sure she got to the gate. It was weird to met someone who in their late forties had never flown and had a language barrier too that made the journey hard. After checking in we got to the security area (more flashbacks to last time and how long it took). It was about 45 minutes and we got through the throngs of people to the security. It was funny because we couldn’t communicate, but she just did what I did with her stuff. Took off her coat, put her luggage on the conveyor belt. We got to the gate and I showed her where our flight would leave from and then wondered around for a while. I was flying Aegean Air, which had a great plane and amazing snacks! It ended up that the woman I met was sitting two seats over, so I showed her where to put her luggage above in the compartment and how to buckle the seat belt. Being on the clean plane, it took me about five seconds before I fell asleep. Arriving in Athens, we wondered to baggage claim and got our belongings. Before she met who was picking her up and shook my hand and thanked me. It was a great experience to meet someone who had just as much of a language barrier as I did. I got into a taxi and headed to the hotel to meet dad, who was waiting in the lobby. First off it was amazing to see him and be at a Marriott, where I wouldn’t feat the beds! From the pool at the hotel, you can see the Acropolis on the hill. It is such a neat city. My taxi driver was very informative and told me a lot about the sights as we rode in.

We are staying at a Marriott, which means great beds and sheets that have more than a two digit thread count (so of the hotels should have advertised exfoliating sheets because they were such rough sheets!). Today we went off to see the Acropolis and Agora, which were really neat buildings, but with lots of work being done to preserve them. It is really hot here are well, so I am pleased to say that I will have a head start to the summer tan by the time I get home.

Rome

Our final day of the trip was in Rome. After spending the morning driving we stopped at yet another nasty autogrill we made it into our first stop at the Vatican City. Since Chelsey and I had both spent time Rome and toured the Vatican City, we headed out on our own to explore the city. First up was the Pantheon and then one of my favorite places, the Trevi Fountain. Tossing some coins in to the fountain, we make a wish and are really tempted to go swimming in the sweltering heat. As we continued walking through the historic city, we ran into great buildings and monuments. From an overlook of the city, we got pictures with views of the Roman Forum and my favorite the Coliseum. The one thing I hadn’t done on the last trip to Rome was go into the Coliseum and that was my goal for this trip. It really was a quick 15 minutes and we were inside, but not after getting some pictures with the Gladiators outside. I don’t think that they are original, but their costumes look pretty good! The Coliseum is an amazing piece of architecture and it is unthinkable how they built such a structure that long ago. From the top levels you could see the mazes used for animals and how they flooded the building for boats to come in. The structure even had a cover to keep out rain and heat back in the day. With all this walking, we needed some pasta to keep up our energy. Later that afternoon we meet the group back at the hotel and got ready for our final evening together at the Roman Banquet. It was a great feast spent with some great people. Pasta, pizza and cake made it a final great evening, but Peppe and Diana had one last stop in mind. After dinner, we made a stop at the Trevi Fountain a little after midnight to see it lit up and get our last pictures with the group. The bus ride back to the hotel was fun but sad thinking that it had all come to an end.

Back to the hotel. It was the nasty place I have every stayed at in my life. Paint peeling, mold in the bathroom, random kitchen the closed behind cabinets, sleeper chairs and beds (if you can call them that) and many other undesirable features. Needless to say, none of us slept there but luckily the airport departure was early and we didn’t get back in until after 1, so it worked out okay to get out quickly.

Florence

With its amazing sculptures and structures, Florence houses some of the most beautiful works of art in the world. Arriving in Florence we meet our city tour guided and did a walking tour of the city followed by a tour of Academia, where Michelangelo’s statue of David is. The tour was interesting, but we stopped at this disgusting autogrill for lunch and didn’t eat much because it was nasty, so we were all really hungry by then end of the tour. Tonight was our Florence Pizza Party, so we headed to a local restaurant for the great thin crust Italian pizza. Our second day in Florence was a free day. We started our climbing the Duomo, all 493 steps to the top to see spectacular panoramic views of the city. After lunch we met up with some others from the group and headed to shop in the open market for leather and then we walked to the Petti Palace and explored the gardens and some museums. For our last free night, we found a great little restaurant and grabbed dinner, enjoying the atmosphere and outdoor sitting for a little more than three hours.

Venice - The Sinking City

This morning was one of the earliest and we got on the road at 7:30 a.m. headed to Venice, Italy. Of course we didn’t leave on time, but that isn’t anything new. The trip to Venice was a little more than seven hours from Zell am See. We made a stop for lunch at some sort of rest area which had the nastiest food I have experienced thus far on this trip. I ate Ritz Crackers and Chelsey at potato chips. Getting to Venice we parked the bus and hopped on a boat to the island. First up was a demonstration of Murano glass blowing and then a tour of the showroom. It was neat to see again, but it was so hot. Venice was the hottest place we had been so far, with temperatures exceeding 80 degrees, and when it has been in the 60s and 70s thus far, being in the 80s was a shock. The group got time to explore St. Mark’s Square and the amazing shops before going on out gondola ride through the canals. This trip was especially neat because we had musicians on one of the boats that sang with a guitarist. Our gondolier, who went by Marco Polo, was probably the best one of the group and before the trip was over let all six of us in the boat get a try at “driving,” which none of the other boats did. By the time our ride was over, it was cooling off and we broke off the grab some amazing pizza in a little restaurant. Tomorrow it is off to Florence for two days before finishing the tour in Rome.

Probably the coolest thing about our stay in Zell am See is that we really got to know some of the others on our trip. In the beginning we talk to people, but besides city tours, everyone went with the people they already knew for free time. With the white water rafting and long afternoons on the terraces, it gave everyone lots of time to chat and really get to know people. This has made the trip since then that much more enjoyable because it is like a group of old friends traveling together.

Zell am See

The most challenging excursion we have during the trip is the white water rafting here in Zell am See. It was supposed to be an afternoon trip, but because of expected thunderstorms, the trip got moved up to 10 a.m. The river we rafted down was a level three, which made for an exciting trip. Probably the worst part was how cold the river was. We were all outfitted with wet suites, shoes, life jackets and helmets before being briefed on safety and rafting commands. Our guide was Sascha and we had a boat of eight girls. I don’t think he knew what to think of us, but after a while we got him to loosen up. Shortly after getting on the river, we pulled over to the side and they made us practice swimming down the river. There was a pretty good current, but the hardest part was breathing in the water. It was so cold I felt like my lungs were unable to expand. The trip was amazing and past the coldness, it was one of the coolest experiences thus far on the trip.

Austria

It seems to be a trend. We are on the road again today headed through Salzburg, Austria to Zell am See for our well needed Alpine Retreat. Once in Salzburg, we meet up with Gabi for a walking city tour of the home of Mozart and the film that put the city on the map, The Sound of Music. The tour was interested, but we were all hungry and it was so hot, so our attention span was minuscule. One of the prettiest sites in the city is the Maribell Gardens, where the Von Trap kids ran through during Do, Ro, Me in the movie. The gardens are beautifully manicured with statues, seasonal flowers and fountains. For lunch, we found a restaurant that I ate at last time I was in the city. What I love about this restaurant is that it has chicken. Probably the hardest part about traveling for me is the food. Being the picky eater that I am, the traditional food from many of the places we are visiting isn’t something I like. If it weren’t for McDonald’s and Hard Rock, I may starve! Well, the chicken here is fried, but with an amazing breading with French fries. Yum.
We had a little more time to wander through the city and then we got back on the bus to head to Zell am See in the Austrian Alps. Our hotel here is spectacular. We were welcomed with Champaign on the porch while they took our luggage to our rooms, which are amazing. The balconies and terraces have views of the stream and mountains. Dinner was a delicious buffet and then we headed to the Crazy Daisy for our Alpine Show and dance party with a local dj. So we had no clue what to expect with the Alpine Show, but it actually was pretty entertaining. There were traditional instruments and some fun audience participation that got everyone ready for the dance party. Dancing the night away was fun, but it was so hot in the club that many people turned in.

Munich

After a long, drawn out bus ride, we finally made it to downtown Munich at 3:45 p.m. (we left at 8 a.m. for a four hour bus ride!). A group of us were planning to go on Mike’s Bike Tour of the city, which is the coolest way to get acquainted with the area, especially with just half a day to see it. We made stops at various monuments and buildings throughout the city and then a trip into the Englisher Beir Garten. I was volunteered to be the “butt babe” and brought up the rear of the group to make sure everyone made it from one stop to the next. For my hard work and dedication, I got my very own, non-purchasable “butt babe” Frisbee. One of the neatest things is a spot in the river where it has been damned so that it creates a wave perfect for surfing. Following the tour we visited the Hofbraufhaus to look around and then gathered back up with the rest of the group to head back to the hotel. Tomorrow is an early departure for Salzburg and then onto the Austria retreat.
My biggest complaint is that some of the kids on this trip are so immature. They have literately come over to Europe to be intoxicated and they are the reason that Americans, especially young Americans are looked down upon. The looks and comments are embarrassing that we get from locals because of the loudness and the behavior of the group. And the worst part is that they don’t get it. They have no clue that their actions are inappropriate. With that same note, we have never departed on time one morning, but we are always late leaving because someone didn’t get up or isn’t ready in time.

Rhine Valley and Heppenheim

Most of the day today was spent driving from Brussels to Germany, going through Holland and making a couple of stops along the way. To entertain us, we had a selection of movies to watch. First up was Madagascar II. I don’t think it was the first pick, but it was the first movie they could get to play in English. Our first stop was in Koln where we saw the biggest Gothic style cathedral in the world and grabbed some lunch. Might I add that McDonalds is amazing in any country! The stop was a little long, but we wondered around the town. They had neat shops, but it was a bank holiday, so everything was pretty much closed. After wrangling everyone together, it was of again on the bus to our next stop, to meet the boat for our Rhine River cruise. The hour and a half ride down the river was so peaceful and the weather was amazing. The river had many quaint towns and castles along its edge and it was cool to see the grapes planted on the side of the hills. We meet up with Pepe at the end of the cruise for our final two hours to get into the town where we would have our bratwurst dinner and stay the night. As some of the pictures show, we had more fun playing with our food than eating it. It was a lot of fun hanging out with the whole group. There isn’t much night life in the town, but the vending machines at the hotel offered beer, wine, liquor and champaign, so that gave the guys something to entertain them with. Currently I am searching through the TV channels trying to find something I can understand. In most of the cities so far, there has been at least one channel in English, but that isn’t proving to be the case here. Earlier there was Germany’s Next Top Model hosted by Heidi Klum and now it’s Family Guy in German. Tomorrow it is off to Munich, which I am so excited for since I spent so much time there last summer. We are planning to go on Mike’s Bike Tour again and climb the towers on one of the churches in Marianplatz.
Something that has been interesting is that a lot of things are deemed “American.” For instances our breakfast buffet in Brussels this morning was “American,” yet there was nothing there I wanted to eat. The milk is usually warm here, which is gross and Tony the Tiger would be distraught if he tasted those corn flakes! In our stop at Klon there was the New Yorker store that sold clothes I am pretty sure no one in the US would wear, but it was supposed to represent our style. Chelsey and I have discussed that the fashion over here is a little lacking. Especially France that is supposed to be the fashion capital of the world, they are sporting the styles of the ‘80s and ‘90s that were better left in the past. And let’s not forget the array of mullets and Mohawks that are unfortunately very common too.

Waffles, Chocolate & Frites Oh My!

Today we got off around 8ish to head into Belgium. Our group is really slow, so they were mostly late getting down to load the bus. After about a four hour drive, we arrived in Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the head of the European Union. On a more yummier note, they are known for their French fries and Belgium waffles. Lunch was a Belgium waffle, with ice cream and chocolate sauce. It was good, but the waffles weren’t as fluffy and soft as we are used to. Our first stop of the afternoon was a local chocolatier, where we learned how they made chocolates and tasted some of the amazing pieces they made. The afternoon gave us time to see the city and visit the Manneken-Pis, a statue of a young boy peeing. Interestingly enough, he has various costumes which are changed throughout the year. Today he was dressed for soccer. The French fries we snacked on were amazing and had more than 15 different sauces to choose from. Needing a little taste of something from home, we found a great tex-mex restaurant for some chips and salsa. We are turning in early tonight because we still haven’t caught up from London and Paris and tomorrow it is off to Germany.

Paris Day 2

Today was busy to say the least. We got up early for breakfast and were on the train by 8 to get to Versailles when it opened. That was a great move because when we left the line was hours long to get in. We journeyed through the palace and my favorite room, the Hall of Mirrors. After that it was a long hike through the gardens to Marie Antionette's own house and her Austrian farm house, which is the neatest part of the estate. After that it was off the Eiffel Tower. The line was so long we had decided we would climb to stairs and then all of a sudden another line opened up and we got to go up on the elevator in less than 20 minutes! We went to level two and then continued to the summit, or very top of the tower. It was a little scary but the view was amazing. Now it was time to find food. Lunch was at 5 p.m. and then off for more exploring. Notre Dame, the Pompadou Centre, the Lourve gardens (the museum itself is closed on Tuesdays), through the Tuelleries and lastly to the Arc de Triompe. We had planned to go to the top, but we had not desire to climb the more than 200 stairs after roaming the city for more than 12 hours. We drug back into the hotel exhausted and now we are packing to get on the road to Brussels in the morning. Paris was excited, but didn't feel as safe as London. Lost more homeless people and pickpockets everywhere!

Paris

So if you look up slow (and in some cases inept) you will see a group picture of the others we are traveling with. Well, they all aren’t that bad, but they are so slow. So slow in fact that we almost left two of them in London to catch the EuroStar in time because they were still sleeping! Today we got up to head to Paris. After the two and a half hour train ride, we meet Pepe, our bus driver for the remainder of our trip. Getting luggage on and off the train was sluggish, but we finally got on our bus and immediately started the city tour with Nicholas. Chelsey and I have deemed them “drive by and shot” because we just sort of drive past something important and take pictures out the bus. We did get to get out at a couple of spots to take pictures, but we are planning to head back to the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triompe tomorrow to have a little more time to explore after going to Versaille. Tonight we went to Moulin Rough. The show had some really brillant parts, most notably the can-can, and then there were other parts that left you speechless for the talentlessness of them. What is most enjoyable is the audience reaction because we have shows similar to this in Las Vegas, but people from other countries, espically the oriental countries, haven’t seen such glitz and glamour. Before the show we grabbed a bite to eat at Hippopatomous, a restaurant that I would compare to a T.G.I. Fridays, but it was a steak restaurant. It was really exciting to eat beef because it is often hard to find that you can identify with over here.
I haven’t quite figured out hotels over here. They can be four and five star, but they don’t compare to anything in the US. The lobbies can be beautiful and then you make you way to the room, for instance our hotel in Paris, and you find a lovely bathroom with orange tile, an orange countertop with and orange bathtub (ugly in its own right but even more so since I hate Clemson) that looks like the Brady Bunch did interior design on the side. Not to mention this motif doesn’t match the rest of the room which I have no words to explain. At least if you are willing to wander to the lobby, you can get free Internet, which is so hard to come by here.
One thing that has perplexed us through the trip is why they put your flag by the information in your language. I mean, if you can’t read it doesn’t that mean it’s not your language? I don’t see something in Chinese or French and go, “oh, is that English?”

Meet Marie

Introduction by Chelsey

Whenever a trip was planned for a European tour, Marie Antoinette insisted on accompanying us. Though she was not too thrilled when she heard we would be in London, having to share her royalty with Queen Elizabeth, she greatly anticipates our trip to Paris and Versailles where she can return to the home of her adulthood and queendom. Though Paris does not bring back the most pleasant memories for Marie (after all, she was beheaded there!), the city returns to her a feeling of nostalgia that is unmatched by no others. Indeed she did spend some time there when the bourgeoisie decided it was time to return the royal family to Paris and needless to say she did enjoy it. Considered to be a fashion icon of her time, Paris offered Marie a chance to keep up with the latest fashions. Returning to Versailles over 200 years later will definitely bring up some memories for her, both good and bad.

Versailles offered Marie a chance to become acquainted with French culture, but at the same time, she was forced to give up her Austrian heritage in an effort to become Frenchified. Marie always said that Versailles was an opportunity to learn what was important in life: food, fashion, and gambling. Though she soon became bored with the ways at Versailles, her Austrian house allowed her to escape from the stuffy French attitudes and relax in the gardens that reminded her of her home.
Marie is also greatly anticipating our stop in Austria, especially the resort where she insists on an hour shiatsu massage and a relaxing facial. It will definitely be an opportunity for her to share her country with us. She is looking forward to the Sound of Music tour where she intends on performing her own rendition of the “The Hills are Alive.”

Last Day in London

For the last day in London, we had the option of a group tour, but we skipped out on that because we didn’t want to sit on a bus and just ride around to see things we had already visited and not get to go in what we had not. So off we went on the Tube, which was again challenging because of the closures and we made our first stop to see The Globe Theatre. After a few pictures (it rained on our whole walk) it was off to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels and an exhibit that showed the armor of King Henry VIII. The jewels were as sparkly as ever and the armor showed that the king didn’t miss a meal through the years. The last site to see was Buckingham Palace and some guards before going to see The Lion King. The first time I saw The Lion King was also in London and this time did not disappoint. We had the really cool box seats on the side which lost a little view, but it was so worth it. During the opening number, one of the animals was in our box to start off the show. The costumes, sets and choreography of that show is amazing and it brings the characters from such a beloved movie to life. Right after the show we rushed to meet Juliette, who goes to school with me at USC and was on the Germany trip last year, and some of her friends from school in London. Dinner was at a traditional pub and after many laughs, most from discussing the Bon Qui Qui YouTube video (if you haven’t see it, search it on YouTube as King Burger or Bon Qui Qui). Our last thing on the itinerary was Tick, Tick…Boom. I had seen the show at a community theater in Columbia, but this cast and staging was brilliant. If you know the story of RENT and its creator Jonathan Larson, the takes you into his life and also sets up so much of what you see in RENT. It was a great finish to London.

Late start to a busy day

So the morning started off on a bad note. Our wake-up call never came and when Chelsey saw the clock at 9, we were already an hour late. Skipping baths we were packed and out of the hotel in 22 minutes and headed to the Tube to take our luggage to the hotel where we would be meeting our group. There is major construction going on with the Tube, so two of the main lines we needed weren’t open, making the trip a lot harder and longer than we anticipated. Then we get to the ending point of our Tube journey and have to start our search for the hotel. We got the luggage dropped off (thank goodness because luggage and cobble stone don’t mix) and we were now in a rush to get to the London Eye for an 11 a.m. ticket. Luckily they don’t really go by the times because we didn’t get there until after 11 by the time we got a Tube path to take us back down there. The London Eye had spectacular 360 degree views of London, including Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. Next it was off to see Spring Awakening and work on getting tickets for shows for Sunday. On a side note, London shows are dark on Sundays, not Mondays like Broadway. Luckily there are some shows that do play and so we had planned to see The Lion King and Jonathan Larson’s (RENT) Tick, Tick…Boom. But back to Spring Awakening. We have had our tickets since they went on sale and were really excited because they were the on stage seats. Since we have seen the show three other times, it was so cool to get the new perspective and really feel like you are in the show. The cast was amazing and it may be one of my favorite performances I have seen. I was sat next to an ensemble member during the show and Chelsey had various characters like Moritz throughout the show. Now it was time to meet the rest of our group we would be with for the next two weeks. We knew there would either be a group of cool kids or they would be really weird. Luckily we got what seems to be a cool group except for one really mouthy girl who puts her two-cents in on everything. It is a little weird getting throw in to meet 45 people on a trip when almost everyone came with their own friends. The group headed out to a few local pubs and we grabbed dinner before turning in for some shut eye before another busy day.

Baths, Stonehenge and Salisbury

For some reason, I have always wanted to see Stonehenge. Don’t ask me why, but we decided to take a tour that would travel down to the city of Baths then on to Stonehenge and finally Salisbury. I didn’t know what to expect in Baths, but we toured the Roman Baths, which were amazing. It was crazy to see the architecture and engineering that they had back then and how they built around hot water springs for a spectacular communal bathing area. Next we went to Stonehenge, which did not disappoint. It was hard to believe how people could have moved stones that were that big and set them up to deal with so many scientific things, like the moon cycles and the winter and summer solstice. It was really cold there, so we got our pictures and headed back to the bus where we would journey to our last stop, Salisbury to see the cathedral. By this point it was rainy and cold, like it is so much of the time here. Really, I couldn’t live in this gray weather all the time and the sky looking like it is going to rain all the time. The cathedral was magnificent with its souring buttresses and stained glass. Arriving back into the city we had about a half hour to jump on the Tube and head to the West End to catch Dirty Dancing The Musical. I knew I wanted to see this show because I had grown up loving the movie, but I wasn’t sure what to expect on stage. Surprisingly most of the show was great. The water lift scene was a little bizarre with a screen that showed water and them dancing behind it, but all in all it was fun. What was even more enjoyable was the audience. I have never been to a show where people got that into it. They knew all the songs, singing with the show and clapping along. What was really different from Broadway in NYC is that they were so strict in the theaters and would yell at people and call them down in a heartbeat. One girl stood up and was clapping and got in trouble and they threatened to throw her out! Also not like NYC, the cast didn’t sign autographs at the stage door. They also don’t have playbill, but their merchandise is really cheap compared to Broadways. All the shows get out at the same time, so the Tube was very busy. We decided to be adventurous and take the stairs. Bad decisions. Three stories worth of stairs later, we made it down. No wonder everyone was taking the elevator. This was another long day and it was nice when we finally got back to the hotel.
On another side note, the fashion here is interesting to say the least. Some of the people are the trendiest, stylish people you will ever see and some have Mohawks and black shoes with Piglet socks (and you know it’s true because you can’t make something like that up!

Arriving in London...

So our trip began in Myrtle Beach around 10 a.m. on Wednesday heading to Dulles-Washington Airport and then on to Philly to catch our flight to London Gatwick. We were flying US Airways, so we had already packed extra clothes to carry on because we don’t have a good history in flying with them. Our plane to London was way too small, three seats on each side, which didn’t make it very roomy. As usually, the food on the plane was mediocre at best and I lost most of my leg room to the emergency exit door. I spent most of the flight in fear that I would knock the door open and send us all plunging into the ocean. We arrived into Gatwick at 6:50 a.m. and finished our journey their through customs and baggage claim, where amazingly our bags actually made it! After a short train ride into the center of London, we arrived to the Tube just in time to meet morning rush hour. With luggage in tow, it took us six trains before we could get on in the throngs of people. I hadn’t remembered people in London being in such a hurry, but it is more fast pace than NYC and they will run you over if you don’t move. It is always weird getting used to the customs of another country, like they enter and walk up on the left and down on the right. Dropping off our luggage, we headed out to spend the day exploring the city. First off was Westminster Abbey and Big Ben, as well as Parliament. Chelsey is less picky than I am, but we just wanted some normal food, so we grabbed lunch at Pizza Hut. What was crazy was how nice it was, like most of their fast food restaurants. Their Pizza Hut was beautiful and so well designed, it was not like the nasty ones we have in the states. And of course what is a day without a little shopping. First up was a quick trip to Harrods so we could say we had been there and then to our favorite place, Tiffany and Co. To say the least, we needed a nap in the late evening before going on the Jack the Ripper tour.

The Next Big Adventure

It hardly feels like it has been a year since Germany! Now, after graduating from college and finishing a semester of graduate school, it is off to another great adventure in Europe. In total, I am traveling for 32 days. The first 15 days are part of the senior trip the alumni association puts together and Chelsey is traveling with me then. We are starting in London where we have added a few extra days to the beginning to make sure we have time to see the city. We are going to see Spring Awakening again, but this time we have seats on stage! The London Eye, a tour to Stonehenge, Dirty Dancing The Musical and a Jack the Ripper tour are also part of the London itinerary. Next we go to Paris where we see the city and Moulin Rouge. The trip continues through to Brussels, Germany, Austria and lastly into Italy where it ends in Rome. Sadly in Rome Chelsey will head home and I fly to Athens, Greece to meet my dad. We will travel for the remainder of the trip continuing on to Santorini, Barcelona, Seville and Madrid. Less than a week and we our in the air!

The map shows the journey through the first part ending in Rome.