The first time that I went abroad and lived and studied in Paris, for the most part we were only able to make weekend trips to different countries. I loved that every weekend we were traveling to a different country but I think that we only were able to make two trips for more than two or three days. After starting this trip I have seen how significantly different it feels to have visited and experienced a city for five or seven days versus two. For the past two weeks I have been on a series of two day trips and have been amazed at the amount of cities that I have been to in such a short period of time. Although, it is hard to truly get oriented with a city, switching from city to city is thrilling and exciting. I feel like I am constantly walking around with my head spinning around on my neck trying to see everything and anything I can in the time that I am given in a new place. After my birthday in Prague we went to Vienna for 2 days, back to Budapest for 3 days, I went to Interlaken, Switzerland for 2 days, Amsterdam for 2 days, Brussels/Gent in Belgium for a night to see the I love Techno festival, Bruges for 2 days, and finally now I am posted in Berlin for at least 5 days.
Vienna:
It was interesting going from Budapest --> Prague and then to Vienna because Vienna has a completely different feel than the first two cities. Vienna is pristine, crawling with classical music history, and a very pretty city. I have been blessed on my travels so far to have gotten that excited and exhilarating feeling just from setting foot in a new city in almost every single city that I have been to on this trip. I did not feel this same way in Vienna, although I believe it has a lot to offer. I think that it is a place that you need to really dedicate your time to experiencing the kind of music that was created there in the past in addition to the surface level sightseeing.
We spent our first day walking around The Ring which contains the main part of the city and most of the exciting things to see. Vienna has a lot of beautiful parks and one of the most amazing things about coming here was seeing the colors of Fall. There were so many rows and rows of trees lining the city streets forming arches of yellow, orange, and red leaves. At the end of this day we went to Grinzing which is 30 minutes outside of the city and contains streets full of wine taverns. We spent a few hours hopping from tavern to tavern trying their home-made wines. It was such a blast to just try different types of wines in cozy taverns with locals. Each tavern had a different feel to it and was wooden and homey inside.
Our second day in Vienna we went to the Schonbrunn palace. It was massive from the outside but somewhat understated with it's yellow coloring and green shutters but it blew me away when we walked through it. One of the best parts about this palace tour is that for the base student price you were able to get an audio guide with it. This was really helpful to bring life to all of the rooms and to make you feel like you were watching the history happen. It was really amazing when we came to one of the rooms that they held events and parties in because the audio guide explained that the six year old Mozart played his first performance in that very room. I remember getting the chills thinking about that occurring right where I was standing and what that moment meant for him at that point in history. The gardens and backyard of the palace were of course perfectly groomed and beautiful again with the fall colors lighting up the yard. The trees were so perfectly trimmed at the top that it looked as if they formed a wall, all of them so closely fit next to each other without a space in between them. We went to the zoo in the back of the palace grounds after the palace tour. It was so fun to see all of the animals and feel like a little kid again, running across the window chasing the jaguar trying to get a better look. I hadn't been to a zoo in a really long time and I was really happy that we decided to go because it was a spontaneous decision and the zoo is said to be the oldest zoo in the world. We spent several hours there and it was a really fun time.
Budapest...round 2!
After leaving Budapest the first time, all three of us felt unsatisfied and extremely sad to leave the hostel and the city. We were planning to go to Salzberg and then Berlin our first night in Vienna and then suddenly on our second day it came out that Laura and Presley were going to go back to Budapest instead. I did not know how I felt about returning to Budapest because I didn't want to have to cope with leaving everyone again and potentially getting sucked in again. I also had the thought that I am over here for another month and I want to see as many places as I can! I had decided that I was going to go to Salzberg. By the end of the evening I could not suppress the feeling that I had had all day about wanting to join my friends in returning to Budapest. I literally told Laura I would go with her to the train station and would decide once we got to the platform. We got to the train station and I didn't stop following her and as we were walking up the steps to the train to Budapest I said, "Welp, it looks like I'm going to Budapest!". I'm very very glad that we all ended up going back. We were welcomed with open arms into our old hostel and even though they had no open beds for us, they made room for us in the staff room. We fell right back into our Carpe routine and had a blast. We all left Budapest feeling much more satisfied and feeling so glad that we decided to go back and see our friends and favorite city. One of the days we hiked up to the Citadel which was a painfully long hike that we all thought would never end but had such an amazing view of Budapest. We made the hike while the sun was setting and made it to the top when it had just set and the city buildings were starting to light up. It was stunning, especially since it was in a city that we all felt such a connection to and comfort with. We have made several hikes up towers, and up hills to see stunning city views of almost every city we've been to. It was a different feeling looking out over a city that you have experienced so much in and have actually spent a significant amount of time in. The hike and beautiful panoramic sight took on such a different and reflective meaning.
Interlaken:
After three days in Budapest I decided that I wanted to take a trip to Interlaken because I have never been to Switzerland and heard the most amazing things from some of my best friends from San Diego about the Canyon jumping experience they had there while studying abroad two years ago. I've never truly traveled somewhere new 100% alone without either being with at least one other person or knowing that I would be meeting at least one other person at my final destination. I was both excited and nervous about this.
Interlaken was one of the most breathtaking places I have ever been. It was so serene and I felt like it was a town straight out of a movie. I would compare it to a tiny ski town like Banff in Canada would hold but to a much more fairy tale like degree. The hostel that I stayed at was like a cozy ski lodge, the town took about thirty minutes to walk through, and there were beautiful mountains surrounding me on every side. I tried to sign up to do the Canyon jumping which is what I came to Interlaken for but I was the only one to sign up and they needed at least 5 to go. I did paragliding instead which of course was unbelievable. I had the most hilarious pilot, Fabi, and was stunned by the outstanding views that I was able to see from the top of where we took off and were able to see while soaring through the air. I was shocked by how normal and easy it felt just hanging off of a parachute and having to perfectly fit through the gap in the fog hanging over the tiny town of Interlaken. It was such a cool experience and unlike anything I've ever done and it made me want to paraglide where ever I can in the future. They dropped me off by one of the lakes in Interlaken and I took a two hour walk along the lake and river leading into the city. It was a beautiful day and so peaceful strolling and enjoying the beauty around me with no agenda and no time constraints.
Switzerland was also the first place that I learned how hard traveling can be without a means of communication and without knowing a single person. On my train out of Interlaken to Basel, Switzerland my backpack got stolen from the baggage storage shelf directly to the right of my seat. For some reason I had a bad feeling about the train in general, partially because I was traveling alone, but I remember thinking to myself that I should just set my backpack at my feet or next to me. I reassured myself that it would be fine since both of my bags were just directly to my right across the aisle. At about our second or third stop, everyone started filtering out, people started filtering in, I looked up from my book and my backpack was just gone. I did a double take and stood up and searched around my seat. I looked out all of the windows but couldn't jump off of the train because we were about to continue on and my stop wasn't for another hour. I walked through about two or three cars over and did not find it anywhere. I was so upset that I was shaking and fighting back tears. I couldn't believe that it was just gone, right in front of me someone had taken it. When I reached my stop, naturally I decided that the only solution was to go get a glass of wine..or two. I wished so much that I could call someone, namely my mom, to vent about what had just happened. I don't know if I've ever been in a situation like that, completely alone, without any means to reach a loved one to just talk. However, I always try to look at the bright side of situations. Luckily I had been traveling with two bags, and therefore only lost half of my clothes. I had my passport, all of my credit cards/debit cards, forms of identification, eurail pass, the most essential and irreplaceable things. Most importantly Doug, my stuffed dog/pillow that I've been carrying around was safely seated by my side as well. It really sucked getting my backpack stolen especially since it was a graduation gift as well but I do feel fortunate to be safe and to still have at least half of my belongings.
Amsterdam:
After the tumultuous ride from Interlaken to Amsterdam, I was so ready to see my two lovely travel partners: Laura and Presley and to be in Amsterdam. I knew that seeing them would make me feel instantly better and that Amsterdam is such a lively and fun city, that it would be the perfect place to visit after something like that. I had been to Amsterdam for a weekend before while I was studying abroad in Paris two years ago. Both Laura and I had but we loved it so much the first time around that we both without question knew we wanted to go back. Amsterdam is such a beautiful city, with cobblestone streets everywhere, twisting and turning alley ways in every direction, and canals running through the city. There is so much happening all around in the city, and you see such a diverse group of people roaming the streets. We went to the Van Gogh museum and it was unbelievable. I already knew that I loved Van Gogh's work but I had never seen it so concentrated before. The museum was set up very well in that it thoroughly explained each room, what time period it was, what was going on in Van Gogh's life, and who/what was inspiring him. I liked that they placed the artwork of people that inspired him next to the artwork of Van Gogh himself. It was interesting to see the similarities and how those people affected Van Gogh's work. All throughout the museum were amazing quotes by Van Gogh expressing his desire to capture emotion in his art. I could see how strongly emotional he was as a person just through the brush strokes in each of his paintings. He painted some of the most simple things but could make the sky look sad for example. He was able to make paintings come to life, and could make you focus on the simplest of objects just from the coloring and emphasis of the brush strokes.
Another thing that we did in Amsterdam was the Heineken museum. It was much more that I had expected it to be. It was very elaborate with history, interactive videos and displays of how the beer is made. It was a really fun experience and as they called it, it truly was the full "Heineken Experience". It was fun being in an atmosphere where everyone that worked there was genuinely excited about their job and about the product.
Belgium: Brussels, Gent, and Bruges
In Prague Laura had heard from her friend, living about two hours north of Amsterdam, about a techno festival that was happening in Gent, Belgium. It was called I love Techno and had tons of different electronic bands/DJs. We had been researching different music festivals going on in Europe but hadn't found one that would work out with where we were going to be. We were supposed to be meeting up with Laura's friend around the date of when the festival was so we all three were up for going to this festival. We met her friends and drove up from Vlissengen in the Netherlands and went to Brussels where we enjoyed the beer and the company of Laura's friend's friends. The majority of the people we have met while traveling have been Australians and I have not met a single one that I have disliked. They are some of the nicest, most genuine, hilarious, and fun people I've met in my life. Specifically the ones that we drove up with to the festival and hung out with were so welcoming and fun to be around. We hadn't planned on going to Brussels so I was excited when I found out that we would be spending the afternoon there, staying the night there, and taking a tram to the festival in Gent. The festival was crazy. It was in a massive warehouse with about five or more different rooms of music being played by different people. Each was deemed a different color room, shining Green, Red, Yellow lights depending on while color room it was. It was a really fun experience and I'm glad we got to do something like that while traveling.
After the festival we had planned to go back to Vlissengen to where Laura's friend is living but Presley and I decided to go to Bruges since I had heard good things about this city as well. Also, my friend Zach was there and Bruges was only an hour train ride away from Brussels. Bruges was such a quaint little city. You could walk from corner to corner in about 20-30 minutes. The beer was delicious, the fries were equally delicious, shopping was great, and we heard "In Bruges" movie references all around us. Bruges was a mellow two days just leisurely walking around the city, hiking up the clock tower, and enjoying great company.
It was a whirlwind of two weeks but also a great two weeks and very exciting. I got to see so many fabulous and beautiful places and had a blast as well. It was sad on Tuesday because Presley had to leave us to go back home :( We feel really weird not having her around and miss her terribly already! I can't believe how quickly the time has gone, and that I will be home in less than a month now. I just booked my flight home to the US, and cannot even fathom what it will be like to leave this lifestyle. I have had the most amazing time so far, it has been the best decision I've ever made.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
Praha: all you need is beer and sausage!
Prague is a gorgeous, charming, and fun city. It is a combination of two of my favorite places. If Budapest and Florence had a baby I believe it would be something like Prague. Prague was one of the top cities that I wanted to visit during my travels so I was thrilled when we planned to come to Prague for my birthday!
It was really hard to leave Budapest and our Carpe family but Prague was probably the best place to go to after having such an amazing experience in a prior city. My wonderfully generous mother booked us the cutest and quaintest hotel in Prague for my birthday to give us a luxurious break from the hostel lifestyle. I had two packages waiting for me from my mom and grandma which made me feel a little better about missing all of my friends and family on my birthday.
I was lucky to have a Prague nightlife guide sent to me from my dear friend David who had studied abroad in Prague. So we knew right away that the place to be on Friday nights is Lucerna that has an 80s/90s music themed night. We danced away the night to some of our middle school favorites and celebrated at midnight with (of course) Jager shots.
On our first day in Prague we decided to try out one of the infamous beer gardens that is up on a hill and overlooks the city. We picked up our kiwi friend, Marc, who we met in Ios who happened to be in Prague for the weekend. We made the trek to the beer garden that turned out to be closed and under renovation for the winter season. We made the best of it and had a couple of beers and enjoyed the gorgeous view of Prague. That night we had the most delicious dinner at a Bar, lounge, and club that was so perfectly decorated and had the best environment we could have sat there all night. And of course we celebrated my birthday with at least 3 bottles of champagne that night at the 5 story club each floor having a different genre of music.
Prague was the perfect city to explore by just wandering around. It is a manageable size and therefore we were able to see several of the famous sites by just walking around for a day. It is a bustling city with tons of travelers and tourists who all want to see the beauty of Prague. The Lennon wall was one of the coolest things that I have ever seen. I love how a cluster of art on top of each other can still look so beautiful and how each part of it can be so impactful. This was one of my favorite parts of the wall that I saw. "Ideas are inspiring but inflexible. Fight for people, people change the world." It is a discrete and small portion of the wall but I think the message is memorable and important.
It was really hard to leave Budapest and our Carpe family but Prague was probably the best place to go to after having such an amazing experience in a prior city. My wonderfully generous mother booked us the cutest and quaintest hotel in Prague for my birthday to give us a luxurious break from the hostel lifestyle. I had two packages waiting for me from my mom and grandma which made me feel a little better about missing all of my friends and family on my birthday.
I was lucky to have a Prague nightlife guide sent to me from my dear friend David who had studied abroad in Prague. So we knew right away that the place to be on Friday nights is Lucerna that has an 80s/90s music themed night. We danced away the night to some of our middle school favorites and celebrated at midnight with (of course) Jager shots.
On our first day in Prague we decided to try out one of the infamous beer gardens that is up on a hill and overlooks the city. We picked up our kiwi friend, Marc, who we met in Ios who happened to be in Prague for the weekend. We made the trek to the beer garden that turned out to be closed and under renovation for the winter season. We made the best of it and had a couple of beers and enjoyed the gorgeous view of Prague. That night we had the most delicious dinner at a Bar, lounge, and club that was so perfectly decorated and had the best environment we could have sat there all night. And of course we celebrated my birthday with at least 3 bottles of champagne that night at the 5 story club each floor having a different genre of music.
Prague was the perfect city to explore by just wandering around. It is a manageable size and therefore we were able to see several of the famous sites by just walking around for a day. It is a bustling city with tons of travelers and tourists who all want to see the beauty of Prague. The Lennon wall was one of the coolest things that I have ever seen. I love how a cluster of art on top of each other can still look so beautiful and how each part of it can be so impactful. This was one of my favorite parts of the wall that I saw. "Ideas are inspiring but inflexible. Fight for people, people change the world." It is a discrete and small portion of the wall but I think the message is memorable and important.
Our hotel was right at one of the ends of the Charles Bridge and I was so happy about this because while the bridge is such a site to see during the day walking amongst a sea of people and seeing all of the vendors and performers it is even more beautiful late at night walking over it when there is not another person in site. Another stunning view of the city was from the castle. It was amazing walking around the castle grounds just imagining what it was like back in the day with royalty wandering around their home. We also spent a full day walking around the Jewish quarter of Prague which was very dense walking into synagogue after synagogue learning about the Jewish heritage and the oppression that the Jews have overcome. The cemetary was unbelievable with thousands of deceased buried one on top of another and tombstones in every direction that you look bent in every which direction. Leading up to the cemetary was a building with walls filled with all of the names of those buried in the cemetary. It was truly one of the most impactful things that I have seen while traveling.
My favorite thing that we did in Prague was our microbrewery tour. We found a list of four of the most highly recommended breweries to visit in Prague, marked them on our map and went from one to the other trying their signature beers and having goulash and sausage to accompagny. I tried plum, chocolate, and banana flavored beers. The banana flavored beer was my favorite and I could have drank it all day. All of these breweries were packed with people from the time of 3pm onward with locals and tourists. It was a blast experiencing this unique aspect of Prague.
I could have spent much more time in Prague and hope to get the chance to visit there again!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave"
I always knew that Budapest was on our agenda of places to go and I was completely indifferent on that decision. I didn't know anything about the city and hadn't really heard anything good or bad about it. So once again Budapest was a place that not only was I pleasantly surprised about but it has become one of my favorite places that I have gone to on this trip so far.
The quote at the top of this page is what is written above the doorway at the hostel that we stayed at, Carpe Noctem "Seize the night". We were recommended to stay here by some friends that we met in Rome who raved about it. This hostel is the most amazing place that I have ever stayed and ever been to before. The people that run the hostel and the people that I met here were some of the most amazing, unique, interesting, and fun people that I have ever met. The hostel was in a tall building and we had to hike up about 5 or 6 flights of stairs to get to the hostel which was a flat with 4 rooms - one room for 6 people, two for 8 people, and a staff room. Very intimate setting. Music was always playing in the common room, no one hibernated in their rooms, group dinners every night made by the staff, and planned nights out every night! The hostel fosters a family feel making us feel right at home and making friendships that I know will last. We planned to stay for 4 nights, then it was 5, and then we extended another 4 for a total of 9 nights in Budapest at this wonderful hostel. We left for one week and then decided to come back again. We currently are back in Budapest because we missed all of the people and this amazing city.
When we first got to Budapest I was thrilled because I knew that we would be meeting up with a friend from San Diego - Zach who I worked with at Sushi on the Rock. We have both been traveling for a month or so and have been trying to meet up somewhere but plans just weren't matching up. Budapest worked out accidentally for us to get together and we had the best time. Zach was one of the girls for the four days he was here. Walked around with us, dealt with our girl talk, and saw the Budapest sights with us as well. It was great to see a familiar face while being away from home.
On our second day in Budapest we decided to go caving which is crawling and squeezing through underground caves of Budapest. It was the most amazing experience. I normally don't like to do things that push my comfort zone and am somewhat of a scaredy cat, not even enjoying roller coasters and always being the one holding peoples shoes and belongings as they cliff jump at the Gorge in Washington. This wasn't a major risk taking activity but I was nervous to do it. We had the most hilarious Hungarian tour guide who constantly was motivating us and was trying to crack jokes in english that would not have been funny if he wasn't Hungarian. Our entire group bonded and laughed and had the best time the entire caving trip. We had to maneouver our bodies in the weirdest of ways to get through some of the tight spots and wore full on jump suites and helmets with headlights on them. I must admit I felt pretty cool in that getup.
Two of the other things that we did in Budapest were the Terror Museum and the World Press photo exhibition. Both of them were very moving and very memorable. The Terror Museum walked us through the history of Hungary under Nazi Germany occupation, suppression, internment, etc. It consisted of three floors of artistic, thorough, and thoughtful combinations of historical presentations of this period of time in Hungary. The basement of the museum consisted of the execution rooms and the types of torture tactics that they used back during that time period. It was very eerie and difficult to take in but also very moving. The muesum was good about having handouts explaining the succession of events and what each room was portraying. The combination of videos, artistic presentations of material, music, and informative handouts was perfectly executed. This made the museum interesting through and through. The world press exhibit was unbelieveable. This is the compilation of photos of the winners from the world press contest. The photos are equally beautiful and horrifying. Some of the pictures were hard to look at with how much pain and turmoil they captured but it was amazing to see photos from all over the world. It made me stop and think really hard about my life and how lucky I am. It also made me have perspective on the types of things that I sometimes forget happens in other countries. Some of the things in these photos were disease, natural disastor, wildlife, competition, war, crime, and many many more. I've never seen so much emotion portrayed through simply a picture. I feel very lucky that they happened to have this exhibition here in Budapest while we were here.
Budapest has been a place that it has just been enjoyable to walk around, shop around, and just take in the beautiful architecture surrounding you. The train station right by our hostel and one of the bridges were designed by the same man who designed the eiffel tower. We were able to see the beautiful sights along the Danube river at night on our booze cruise with our hostel. The buildings were all lite up and glowing and the boat sold bottles of champagne so everyone was popping bottles of champagne while enjoying the breathtaking views around us.
Our hostel truly made our experience here. The night life has been the most fun I have experienced in any city. We've had a booze cruise, a pub crawl of ruin bars that are abandon buildings that they decided to turn into bars, a reverse pub crawl of the same bars in reverse order, themed night when everyone dresses up in ridiculous costumes just because, open mic night (the best night), and Jager trains where you become a member of the club if you do 10 Jager bombs in an hour and a half. It doesn't matter what night of the week it is because the Carpe Noctem staff insists that every night is "an epic night" and you definitely cannot miss any night. One of the places we went to had tunnels leading you to different dance floor rooms with different music and one night we stumbled upon the room that was playing Hungarian music and everyone was huddled in groups chanting and jumping up and down. We knew none of the Hungarian words but we just acted like we did and tried our best to blend it yelling random words that we hoped sounded like what they were saying.
Our Carpe family tried their best to get us to stay for my birthday but since they wanted to celebrate with me they decided to have a Buda-birthday bash on our last night, the Thursday before my birthday. We went to the ballet at the Opera house which was such a beautiful ballet and I was amazed at the dancers and the story line and then danced the night away at a bar called Instant.
Budapest has become one of my favorite spots that I've been to on this trip and it is beyond my ability to put into words what is so special about this place. Part of it is the amazing hostel we stayed at and are staying at again for a few days but there is just something about Budapest - the people, the night life, the architecture, and so much more. All of the staff that work here came to Budapest at one point planning to stay for 5 days or so and some never left after setting foot in the hostel and some left and came back indefinitely. You get sucked in to Budapest in the best way possible. After Budapest we went to Prague, Vienna, and now we are back in Budapest for a few days. I think I will go off to Switzerland for 2 days and then to Amsterdam!
Stay tuned to hear about Prague and Vienna, it will be sooner than later :)
The quote at the top of this page is what is written above the doorway at the hostel that we stayed at, Carpe Noctem "Seize the night". We were recommended to stay here by some friends that we met in Rome who raved about it. This hostel is the most amazing place that I have ever stayed and ever been to before. The people that run the hostel and the people that I met here were some of the most amazing, unique, interesting, and fun people that I have ever met. The hostel was in a tall building and we had to hike up about 5 or 6 flights of stairs to get to the hostel which was a flat with 4 rooms - one room for 6 people, two for 8 people, and a staff room. Very intimate setting. Music was always playing in the common room, no one hibernated in their rooms, group dinners every night made by the staff, and planned nights out every night! The hostel fosters a family feel making us feel right at home and making friendships that I know will last. We planned to stay for 4 nights, then it was 5, and then we extended another 4 for a total of 9 nights in Budapest at this wonderful hostel. We left for one week and then decided to come back again. We currently are back in Budapest because we missed all of the people and this amazing city.
When we first got to Budapest I was thrilled because I knew that we would be meeting up with a friend from San Diego - Zach who I worked with at Sushi on the Rock. We have both been traveling for a month or so and have been trying to meet up somewhere but plans just weren't matching up. Budapest worked out accidentally for us to get together and we had the best time. Zach was one of the girls for the four days he was here. Walked around with us, dealt with our girl talk, and saw the Budapest sights with us as well. It was great to see a familiar face while being away from home.
On our second day in Budapest we decided to go caving which is crawling and squeezing through underground caves of Budapest. It was the most amazing experience. I normally don't like to do things that push my comfort zone and am somewhat of a scaredy cat, not even enjoying roller coasters and always being the one holding peoples shoes and belongings as they cliff jump at the Gorge in Washington. This wasn't a major risk taking activity but I was nervous to do it. We had the most hilarious Hungarian tour guide who constantly was motivating us and was trying to crack jokes in english that would not have been funny if he wasn't Hungarian. Our entire group bonded and laughed and had the best time the entire caving trip. We had to maneouver our bodies in the weirdest of ways to get through some of the tight spots and wore full on jump suites and helmets with headlights on them. I must admit I felt pretty cool in that getup.
Two of the other things that we did in Budapest were the Terror Museum and the World Press photo exhibition. Both of them were very moving and very memorable. The Terror Museum walked us through the history of Hungary under Nazi Germany occupation, suppression, internment, etc. It consisted of three floors of artistic, thorough, and thoughtful combinations of historical presentations of this period of time in Hungary. The basement of the museum consisted of the execution rooms and the types of torture tactics that they used back during that time period. It was very eerie and difficult to take in but also very moving. The muesum was good about having handouts explaining the succession of events and what each room was portraying. The combination of videos, artistic presentations of material, music, and informative handouts was perfectly executed. This made the museum interesting through and through. The world press exhibit was unbelieveable. This is the compilation of photos of the winners from the world press contest. The photos are equally beautiful and horrifying. Some of the pictures were hard to look at with how much pain and turmoil they captured but it was amazing to see photos from all over the world. It made me stop and think really hard about my life and how lucky I am. It also made me have perspective on the types of things that I sometimes forget happens in other countries. Some of the things in these photos were disease, natural disastor, wildlife, competition, war, crime, and many many more. I've never seen so much emotion portrayed through simply a picture. I feel very lucky that they happened to have this exhibition here in Budapest while we were here.
Budapest has been a place that it has just been enjoyable to walk around, shop around, and just take in the beautiful architecture surrounding you. The train station right by our hostel and one of the bridges were designed by the same man who designed the eiffel tower. We were able to see the beautiful sights along the Danube river at night on our booze cruise with our hostel. The buildings were all lite up and glowing and the boat sold bottles of champagne so everyone was popping bottles of champagne while enjoying the breathtaking views around us.
Our hostel truly made our experience here. The night life has been the most fun I have experienced in any city. We've had a booze cruise, a pub crawl of ruin bars that are abandon buildings that they decided to turn into bars, a reverse pub crawl of the same bars in reverse order, themed night when everyone dresses up in ridiculous costumes just because, open mic night (the best night), and Jager trains where you become a member of the club if you do 10 Jager bombs in an hour and a half. It doesn't matter what night of the week it is because the Carpe Noctem staff insists that every night is "an epic night" and you definitely cannot miss any night. One of the places we went to had tunnels leading you to different dance floor rooms with different music and one night we stumbled upon the room that was playing Hungarian music and everyone was huddled in groups chanting and jumping up and down. We knew none of the Hungarian words but we just acted like we did and tried our best to blend it yelling random words that we hoped sounded like what they were saying.
Our Carpe family tried their best to get us to stay for my birthday but since they wanted to celebrate with me they decided to have a Buda-birthday bash on our last night, the Thursday before my birthday. We went to the ballet at the Opera house which was such a beautiful ballet and I was amazed at the dancers and the story line and then danced the night away at a bar called Instant.
Budapest has become one of my favorite spots that I've been to on this trip and it is beyond my ability to put into words what is so special about this place. Part of it is the amazing hostel we stayed at and are staying at again for a few days but there is just something about Budapest - the people, the night life, the architecture, and so much more. All of the staff that work here came to Budapest at one point planning to stay for 5 days or so and some never left after setting foot in the hostel and some left and came back indefinitely. You get sucked in to Budapest in the best way possible. After Budapest we went to Prague, Vienna, and now we are back in Budapest for a few days. I think I will go off to Switzerland for 2 days and then to Amsterdam!
Stay tuned to hear about Prague and Vienna, it will be sooner than later :)
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Tasting my way through Italy..
While we enjoyed island hopping in Greece, we were very ready to leave the pouring rain that drenched us in Athens 10 days ago. We were trekking around Athens trying to figure out how to make it to Croatia. After about the third look of confusion about our plans to go to Croatia and after we were thoroughly soaked to the bone from the rain we decided a plan B was in order.
We took 10 minutes in the computer room, had our lovely reception man write us a note in Greek so we could communicate properly and efficiently and were off to make the long trip to Bari, Italy!
Naples: After one 3 hour bus ride, one 15 hour ferry, and one 3 hour train ride we had made it to Napoli! The pizza capital of the world. We met an Austrailian girl on our bus ride who we called the "Buddha" cause she saved our travel lives. We would have missed our ferry and had no place to stay in Naples if we hadnt decided to follow our Buddha straight from the bus all the way to our lovely hostel.
Naples was a pleasant surprise. Not only did we have phenomenal pizza but the city was equally as enjoyable. After check in at the hostel one of the men at the front desk decided we couldn't just come to Naples for pizza (who knew?) and created a walking tour for us. It was amazing exploring the city through a native's eyes. We visited a castle that provided the most stunning panoramic view of Naples. The weather was perfect and the view was outstanding with water, mountains, and beautiful castles and architecture. We spent the rest of the day walking around, eating pizza, and stopped at one of the authentic "hang out" spots called piazza Bellini for a drink. We enjoyed a "hostel made" dinner with the most delicious mozzarella cheese I have ever tasted - it melted in my mouth. If you ever get to go to Naples the best pizzeria is Gianni and Gennys. You can enjoy 3 decadent pizza pies and one large Peroni for just 20 euros ;) Naples is truly a beautiful city, with lots of history, and of course delicious Italian food.
Pompei: Before heading up north, we made a stop at Pompeii the destroyed city from an earthquake and volcanic eruption. It was amazing seeing this elaborately preserved city down to the structure that belonged to the baker, a couple of ampitheatres and bathing rooms, and remnants of frozen victims in a protective position desperately trying to resist the boiling air and debris. It was amazing being able to walk around such a unique piece of history. Of course after our day trip we had our final meal at Gianni and Gennys before leaving Naples.
Rome: The theme of Rome was of course - "When in Rome...". Accounting for our cappuccino followed by espresso addiction, chocolate croissants, and our elaborate 4 course carb loaded meal we had for lunch. Our waitress actually said to us when she was clearing our plates "wow, you girls really like pasta!". Walking around Rome felt surreal. I couldn't fathom the fact that I was standing in front of the Colosseum and was walking around Vatican city. The Vatican museum was the highlight of the sights in Rome. The artwork was unbelievable. The massiveness, elaborate detail, and quantity of artwork was amazing. Being inside the sistene chapel was a cool experience being jammed in the room with so many people all in silence looking up and around the chapel at the beautiful and famous artwork around us. The purity of silence and no photography made the experience memorable. Our day in Rome was very unorganised and we just spent the day walking around stumbling upon incredible and famous sites. We walked around for 8 hours and somehow managed to accidentally see everything we wanted to see. That is my favorite way to get to know a city and explore it. We found a street market along a beautiful river and I found a ring that I liked but couldnt decide if I should buy it until the woman brought out the Tibetan meaning: it is the mantra of Avalokiteshavara which is the bodhisattva of compassion. It contains six syllables of a symbolic representation of purification of the six realms of existence! Om: purifies pride ma: purifies jealousy and lust for entertainment ni: purifies passion and desire pad: purifies ignorance and prejudice me: purifies poverty and possessiveness hum: purifies aggression and hatred. So I decided since I would become one step closer to a Buddha that I had to have it. I love finding little souvenirs along the way that have a special meaning. Our day in Rome ended with Peronis on the Spanish Steps!
Florence: Firenze! Talk about a city stealing your heart - Florence has successfully done this two separate times. It is the most charming, beautiful, and fun city I have been to. I was taken by it although I had already been here just 2 years ago. We were able to stay with friends- our lovely gphi juniors who are studying abroad there. It was so comforting seeing familiar faces for the first time in a few weeks. They had a beautiful and big apartment just steps away from Santa Croce. They showed us a fantastic night on the town starting at a classic favorite Kikuya where they have the amazing and deadly Dragoon beers with a deceivingly large amount of alcohol in them. Thank you girls so much for letting us stay: Chlois Mayonnais, g-little, nat and Mary b, Morgan, and ali krak!! Love you all! I loved being with them and hated realizing how old I felt that I was in their position 2 years ago as they discussed their thanksgiving gphi reunion and grinding for midterms. We had some of the most amazing meals in Florence from pumpkin and ricotta penne, to endless amounts of caprese, to scoops after scoops of various gelato flavors, brie and turkey sandwiches, and a repeat order of meat and tomato truffle tortellini - loved it so much the first time had to have it a second time as my final Italian meal!! My favorite day in Florence was hiking up to Piazzle Michaelangelo and observing the breathtaking views of the city. It is one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. Florence is special because there is so much beauty to see there but you feel a sense of ease that makes you want to sit back and enjoy every moment of it instead of trekking around trying to do it all at once.
We just got to Budapest and I am thrilled to be in a new city that I know very little about. Our hostel was rated best hostel in the world a couple years back :) I will miss Italy. It is an amazing country with so much to see and so much to offer. I am so happy and feel so lucky to have spent a week there.
We took 10 minutes in the computer room, had our lovely reception man write us a note in Greek so we could communicate properly and efficiently and were off to make the long trip to Bari, Italy!
Naples: After one 3 hour bus ride, one 15 hour ferry, and one 3 hour train ride we had made it to Napoli! The pizza capital of the world. We met an Austrailian girl on our bus ride who we called the "Buddha" cause she saved our travel lives. We would have missed our ferry and had no place to stay in Naples if we hadnt decided to follow our Buddha straight from the bus all the way to our lovely hostel.
Naples was a pleasant surprise. Not only did we have phenomenal pizza but the city was equally as enjoyable. After check in at the hostel one of the men at the front desk decided we couldn't just come to Naples for pizza (who knew?) and created a walking tour for us. It was amazing exploring the city through a native's eyes. We visited a castle that provided the most stunning panoramic view of Naples. The weather was perfect and the view was outstanding with water, mountains, and beautiful castles and architecture. We spent the rest of the day walking around, eating pizza, and stopped at one of the authentic "hang out" spots called piazza Bellini for a drink. We enjoyed a "hostel made" dinner with the most delicious mozzarella cheese I have ever tasted - it melted in my mouth. If you ever get to go to Naples the best pizzeria is Gianni and Gennys. You can enjoy 3 decadent pizza pies and one large Peroni for just 20 euros ;) Naples is truly a beautiful city, with lots of history, and of course delicious Italian food.
Pompei: Before heading up north, we made a stop at Pompeii the destroyed city from an earthquake and volcanic eruption. It was amazing seeing this elaborately preserved city down to the structure that belonged to the baker, a couple of ampitheatres and bathing rooms, and remnants of frozen victims in a protective position desperately trying to resist the boiling air and debris. It was amazing being able to walk around such a unique piece of history. Of course after our day trip we had our final meal at Gianni and Gennys before leaving Naples.
Rome: The theme of Rome was of course - "When in Rome...". Accounting for our cappuccino followed by espresso addiction, chocolate croissants, and our elaborate 4 course carb loaded meal we had for lunch. Our waitress actually said to us when she was clearing our plates "wow, you girls really like pasta!". Walking around Rome felt surreal. I couldn't fathom the fact that I was standing in front of the Colosseum and was walking around Vatican city. The Vatican museum was the highlight of the sights in Rome. The artwork was unbelievable. The massiveness, elaborate detail, and quantity of artwork was amazing. Being inside the sistene chapel was a cool experience being jammed in the room with so many people all in silence looking up and around the chapel at the beautiful and famous artwork around us. The purity of silence and no photography made the experience memorable. Our day in Rome was very unorganised and we just spent the day walking around stumbling upon incredible and famous sites. We walked around for 8 hours and somehow managed to accidentally see everything we wanted to see. That is my favorite way to get to know a city and explore it. We found a street market along a beautiful river and I found a ring that I liked but couldnt decide if I should buy it until the woman brought out the Tibetan meaning: it is the mantra of Avalokiteshavara which is the bodhisattva of compassion. It contains six syllables of a symbolic representation of purification of the six realms of existence! Om: purifies pride ma: purifies jealousy and lust for entertainment ni: purifies passion and desire pad: purifies ignorance and prejudice me: purifies poverty and possessiveness hum: purifies aggression and hatred. So I decided since I would become one step closer to a Buddha that I had to have it. I love finding little souvenirs along the way that have a special meaning. Our day in Rome ended with Peronis on the Spanish Steps!
Florence: Firenze! Talk about a city stealing your heart - Florence has successfully done this two separate times. It is the most charming, beautiful, and fun city I have been to. I was taken by it although I had already been here just 2 years ago. We were able to stay with friends- our lovely gphi juniors who are studying abroad there. It was so comforting seeing familiar faces for the first time in a few weeks. They had a beautiful and big apartment just steps away from Santa Croce. They showed us a fantastic night on the town starting at a classic favorite Kikuya where they have the amazing and deadly Dragoon beers with a deceivingly large amount of alcohol in them. Thank you girls so much for letting us stay: Chlois Mayonnais, g-little, nat and Mary b, Morgan, and ali krak!! Love you all! I loved being with them and hated realizing how old I felt that I was in their position 2 years ago as they discussed their thanksgiving gphi reunion and grinding for midterms. We had some of the most amazing meals in Florence from pumpkin and ricotta penne, to endless amounts of caprese, to scoops after scoops of various gelato flavors, brie and turkey sandwiches, and a repeat order of meat and tomato truffle tortellini - loved it so much the first time had to have it a second time as my final Italian meal!! My favorite day in Florence was hiking up to Piazzle Michaelangelo and observing the breathtaking views of the city. It is one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. Florence is special because there is so much beauty to see there but you feel a sense of ease that makes you want to sit back and enjoy every moment of it instead of trekking around trying to do it all at once.
We just got to Budapest and I am thrilled to be in a new city that I know very little about. Our hostel was rated best hostel in the world a couple years back :) I will miss Italy. It is an amazing country with so much to see and so much to offer. I am so happy and feel so lucky to have spent a week there.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Greek Islands: Santorini and Ios
"Your life is an island separated from all other islands and continents. You yourself are an island separated by its own pains, secluded in its happiness."
Ahhh the Greek Islands. I think a common thought that we had while in the Greek Islands was "Wow, this is the life." Some words that I would use to describe the islands would be: charming, serene, and stunning. Overall all of the people we met whether locals or foreigners working on the islands exceeded my previous description of nice. They were so friendly, helpful, and they treated us like we were family. The islands were much more touristy than I had anticipated, however, it was pretty mellow and empty because we are just entering the off season of the islands. Both of the islands we visited were filled with breathtaking views, deep blue crystal clear water, perfect weather, and delicious food. Greek salad in all of its simplicity is truly scrumptious in Greece. The feta was tasty and the tomatoes were so fresh! Something else I really liked about this part of our trip was traveling by ferry. Although our last leg was pretty rocky and I felt a bit sick, I like the form of traveling by water. I find it soothing and I enjoy being able to walk around.
Santorini:
I have dreamed about coming to Santorini for as long as I can remember. I had set very high expectations for Santorini and therefore I was surprised by my experience there. I would not say that I was disappointed because the place is truly magical as are all of the Greek Islands in their own unique way but Santorini did not steal my heart away. It was very deserted and more spread out than I thought it would be. I was also surprised at how high up on the mountain the city was set. We decided to stay on the beach side of the island called Perissa to be able to catch some sunshine :) The beaches in Santorini have black sand which was a cool difference to see. It was beautiful to see the rich dark colors contrasted against each other of the sand and the water. I felt like I was being taken care of by family at the hotel that we stayed at. It was run by the cutest family. They had a little dog that trotted around after the man, following his every move. The owners would drive us into town and give us countless glasses of wine on the house. Our room was poolside with a patio and mini kitchen.
The main highlight from our trip to Santorini was the day that we rented ATVs. We rode into the main part of the island called Fira and had bloody marys at a bar called tropical that has the most gorgeous view that I saw while in Greece. We drove around some more parts of the island and watched the sunset at a famous view point called "The Lighthouse".
On our last day in Santorini we did a day tour where we took a boat around and hiked the volcano, swam in the hot springs, and road donkeys on a tiny island Thirissia. Santorini was so quaint with its cobblestone streets and narrow winding paths through all of the shops, bars, and restaurants. I love how on the islands there is one or two main roads and then no cars drive through the area where the stores and life of the city is. It was so fun to just wander around and get lost through those streets. This was a very romantic island and I saw love all around us. I hope to visit it again someday :)
Ios:
Everyone had said that Ios was going to be completely dead and that it would have little to offer. I have found that having low or no expectations is always when you turn out to be very pleasantly surprised. It was like night and day going from Santorini to Ios. Although Ios was definitely smaller and a bit less picturesque than Santorini it had a great feel. All three of us instantly had great vibes from the second we walked off of the ferry. One of the people we talked to said "You don't get hung over in Ios, it's just how it is here. It's magical" We were picked up by this hilarious British man named Allen who used the F bomb every other word and immediately informed us of the main activity in Ios: partying! We stayed at this awesome hotel/resort/village called Far Out which was recommended to us by Gabby :) and also by some girls we met in Istanbul. It was absolutely perfect. Both days we enjoyed great sunny weather by the pool and hung out with a group that was doing an organized Greek Islands trip and at night went to a couple of signature places that became our favorite spots after just one night. We met some of the craziest, most hilarious, and most interesting people in Ios. One of the people we became friends with actually left the group trip early and traveled with us to Athens. It was crazy to talk to some of the girls who come over to the islands just to work during the six month season. Their hours are from 11pm-6am and they do not get a single night off.
Our favorite bars were Fun Pub which we started at both nights and Slammer bar. Fun Pub was filled with hilarious signs all over the walls like: "AVOID HANGOVERS. STAY DRUNK" and a mechanical deer head that danced to the music. They also had a bunch of games so we played Jenga and darts. The Jenga was life sized and we managed to build it so tall it was up to Laura's shoulders before it fell! Of course I made it fall two out of three games. The drink of choice on the island seemed to be Jager bombs that were passed around like candy and they even had special glasses with built in shot glasses for the Jager. The Slammer bar looked Medieval inside with stone walls and arches between the different sections of the bar. The DJ played great music and the bartenders were really energetic and friendly. The bar gets its name from their famous shot which is a large shot that you take with a helmet on your head and then after you take the shot they whack you on the head with a hammer/large board. My head still hurts a bit from that...It was hilarious to watch one person after the other take these shots.
On our last night in Ios we enjoyed an amazing meal with some of the people that we met at the hotel and from the previous night. It was the cutest restaurant, with teal painted walls and so many decorations and nik naks all over the place that fit together so well and gave it such a great feel. It could have been a room in someones home it was so cozy.
Today we made our way back on the five hour ferry to Athens and are trying to figure out our travels to Croatia tomorrow. I am so happy that I got to get a little tour of the Greek Islands and would love to go back and island hop someday during the high season! Like I said each and every island seems to have something very special about it and it is definitely worth discovering.
<3
Ahhh the Greek Islands. I think a common thought that we had while in the Greek Islands was "Wow, this is the life." Some words that I would use to describe the islands would be: charming, serene, and stunning. Overall all of the people we met whether locals or foreigners working on the islands exceeded my previous description of nice. They were so friendly, helpful, and they treated us like we were family. The islands were much more touristy than I had anticipated, however, it was pretty mellow and empty because we are just entering the off season of the islands. Both of the islands we visited were filled with breathtaking views, deep blue crystal clear water, perfect weather, and delicious food. Greek salad in all of its simplicity is truly scrumptious in Greece. The feta was tasty and the tomatoes were so fresh! Something else I really liked about this part of our trip was traveling by ferry. Although our last leg was pretty rocky and I felt a bit sick, I like the form of traveling by water. I find it soothing and I enjoy being able to walk around.
Santorini:
I have dreamed about coming to Santorini for as long as I can remember. I had set very high expectations for Santorini and therefore I was surprised by my experience there. I would not say that I was disappointed because the place is truly magical as are all of the Greek Islands in their own unique way but Santorini did not steal my heart away. It was very deserted and more spread out than I thought it would be. I was also surprised at how high up on the mountain the city was set. We decided to stay on the beach side of the island called Perissa to be able to catch some sunshine :) The beaches in Santorini have black sand which was a cool difference to see. It was beautiful to see the rich dark colors contrasted against each other of the sand and the water. I felt like I was being taken care of by family at the hotel that we stayed at. It was run by the cutest family. They had a little dog that trotted around after the man, following his every move. The owners would drive us into town and give us countless glasses of wine on the house. Our room was poolside with a patio and mini kitchen.
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| Celebrating Laura's birthday :) |
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| Our little patio at our hotel in Santorini |
The main highlight from our trip to Santorini was the day that we rented ATVs. We rode into the main part of the island called Fira and had bloody marys at a bar called tropical that has the most gorgeous view that I saw while in Greece. We drove around some more parts of the island and watched the sunset at a famous view point called "The Lighthouse".
 |
| Hiking the volcano. |
 | ||||
| Donkey ride in Thirissia |
Everyone had said that Ios was going to be completely dead and that it would have little to offer. I have found that having low or no expectations is always when you turn out to be very pleasantly surprised. It was like night and day going from Santorini to Ios. Although Ios was definitely smaller and a bit less picturesque than Santorini it had a great feel. All three of us instantly had great vibes from the second we walked off of the ferry. One of the people we talked to said "You don't get hung over in Ios, it's just how it is here. It's magical" We were picked up by this hilarious British man named Allen who used the F bomb every other word and immediately informed us of the main activity in Ios: partying! We stayed at this awesome hotel/resort/village called Far Out which was recommended to us by Gabby :) and also by some girls we met in Istanbul. It was absolutely perfect. Both days we enjoyed great sunny weather by the pool and hung out with a group that was doing an organized Greek Islands trip and at night went to a couple of signature places that became our favorite spots after just one night. We met some of the craziest, most hilarious, and most interesting people in Ios. One of the people we became friends with actually left the group trip early and traveled with us to Athens. It was crazy to talk to some of the girls who come over to the islands just to work during the six month season. Their hours are from 11pm-6am and they do not get a single night off.
Today we made our way back on the five hour ferry to Athens and are trying to figure out our travels to Croatia tomorrow. I am so happy that I got to get a little tour of the Greek Islands and would love to go back and island hop someday during the high season! Like I said each and every island seems to have something very special about it and it is definitely worth discovering.
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| My personal travel companion: Doug, he's become a very special member of the trip to all three of us :) |
<3
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Istanbul! The Turkish delight
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| Outside of Topkapi Palace. |
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| Inside of Hagia Sophia - once a mosque, now a museum. |
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| Little kitty I fell in love with...this one wears the ACDC t-shirt |
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| Laura and I grabbing some Efes and apps on the Asian side of Istanbul! |
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| Beautiful view from the ferry back from the Asian side. |
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| Our last night in Istanbul with our friends who own the Hookah/tea lounge. |
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| They told Laura she looks Turkish they told me I look Korean. |
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| At the Acropolis in Athens! |
Some funny memories from this trip are: one of the hostel owners asking if Laura and I are "together", a shopkeeper that we passed everyday falling in love with Laura who at one point said about Laura as she walked by: "my favoriteeee eating a banana", Laura's expression when we entered the sauna room for our Turkish bath to about 30 practically naked women, and the many bumps and bruises we acquired through our various modes of transportation.
Both Laura and I were pleasantly surprised by how friendly and respectful all of the Turkish people were to us. We felt completely safe and comfortable in Istanbul. Something that was very cool and different from anywhere I've ever visited was the call to prayer that would bellow throughout the city 5 times a day from the mosques. It amazes me that this is the way that part of their religious ritual works and that the mosques speak to an entire city. We would wake up to the call to prayer and a rooster every morning. Another surprising thing was the abundance of cats roaming the streets of Istanbul. One of the locals said "the cats run this city". As a generalisation I have never known cats to be social but these cats would walk right up to us and curl up and sleep in our laps. I fell in love with a 4 week old kitten that isn't named yet and wears a mini ACDC Tshirt.
One of my favorite things that I saw in Istanbul was all of the mosques and famous historical buildings lit up at sunset. We were taking a ferry back from the Asian side around 7 or 8pm one night and were able to see an array of glowing mosques against an orange sky. It was stunning. This city was different from anywhere I have ever been and the historical aspects were also completely unique to anywhere I have visited. From ancient swords and guns much taller than me to sultan outfits to the most intricate detail, coloring, and lighting of the inside of the mosques.
The food was amazing and you couldn't walk a block without passing a kebab shop - yummy! All of our meals were accompanied with the signature beer of Turkey, Efes. they sold delicious pretzels with cheese on the side of the street that Laura and I indulged in several times. They also sold fresh pomegranates that were a deep fuchsia reddish color on the streets as well. I found it very interesting that our hostel breakfast consisted of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers as opposed to fresh fruit in the morning. I found fresh veggies to be equally as delicious in the morning.
On our last day we spent wandering around the Taksim area of Istabul. It became one of my favorite areas. It is bustling with people, markets, and has a lively nightlife. It's up on a hill which was a trek to find but provides gorgeous views of the city. We went to a cool bar one night on a pub crawl in Taksim that played great music and had walls decorated by graffiti from the customers. Only downfall was that it was 22 Turkish lira for a vodka soda!!
I cannot be happier to have started my trip in Istanbul. It is a friendly city with a great energy and has so much to offer. I would recommend this city to anyone who gets the opportunity to visit!
We just stopped off in Athens which truthfully was disappointing. However the Acropolis was amazing to see and walk around. I felt such an authenticity about the monuments observing how broken down all the structures were and could really feel the history that occurred there. Parts of it look as if it has been practically untouched. The views from the top were unbelievable. We also had a fantastic meal last night! I know I am going to love the Greek food too much. Besides the Acropolis we found Athens to be pretty dead and lacking character. We are en route to Santorini first and we have acquired another member of our pod, Lauras friend from Las Vegas. Welcome Presley :)
Today and tonight we will be celebrating Laura's 23rd birthday on the beautiful island of Santorini!!
<3
(pictures to follow soon!!)
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