Day 40- Final Day

This was our last day of the journey. We woke up around 8am and left the hotel at 9am. The ride to the airport was only 30mins away so the ride over was not too bad. Our flight was not leaving until 1:25 so we had plenty of time to kill. We checked our bags early and Ashley and I were able to get upgraded to the next class up for our long flight and we were so excited. We decided to just kill time at the mall inside the airport and hang out in McDonald's. The chairs there were really weird but it was a nice place to kill time. When it got closer to time we went to the gate and slept until we could board. The 2 hour ride was not too bad and then we were in London. We got to London and our gate was not given yet so we figured that we had a delay. We were right. We had a 1 hour delay but before we knew that we went to grab some dinner and turn in our tax free forms in too. Once we found out that our gate was determined we hustled over to the gate and waited for more information. We were correct, it was an hour wait and after we boarded it was another 30 min wait to take off but here's the nice part. There was something wrong with our upgraded ticket so Ashley and I got upgraded again into Club World section. This section is virtually first class. My chair turned into a bed and I had a huge personal TV and received a hot towel and noise canceling headphones as well. Also I got a newspaper to read while we waited to take off. I was living the life. The meal was actually real food and the drinks were unlimited. Life was good. I watched two movies along the way and time flew by. Before I knew it we landed and the journey was over. We landed and went through customs and were excited to see Mom and Dad on the other side. We drove home and unloaded all the gifts that we got and went to bed in our own beds. The trip was unbelievable and I probably will never forget it. This is the last post of the blog. I hope everyone enjoyed reading and being a part of this experience. Thank you

Day 39- Final Day in Barcelona

Today is our last day in Barcelona. We decided to sleep in and relax but I also had to meet up with our old bus driver Jose because I left something on the bus and he was coming to give a tour of the city for another group. We got the bag that I left and went to get breakfast and then went to sleep for a couple more hours. After that Ashley and I woke up and packed all our bags. It took a lot longer than we thought but it was beneficial because we were able to get ride of our duffel bag because we split up my backpack into two different parts. After packing the crew went into town to do some shopping and Ashley and I got tickets for Flamenco show that night. Ashley and I just walked around all day shopping and getting little souvenirs along the way. It was a great day. After shopping we went to see a Gauti designed building and walked along the nice part of the city. The building was amazing and the structural design was cool as well. After that we continued to walk around and Ashley and I split up. We went to go to Hard Rock for dinner but the wait was too long and we needed to catch our show so we just got a quick dinner and went on a quest to find this churro place that Tita talked about. It was literally behind this one building where we were the entire time. We found it and it was amazing. The taste was so good and then after we walked to our Flamenco show. We waited until our name was called. The wait was not too bad and we go inside and our seats were awesome. The show was breathtaking. The footwork was so intricate and precise it blew my mind away. The show was only 1.2 hours long but the entire show was full of excitement. We finished the show and met up with Chase and Josh and then all of us took the metro back and headed to the hotel because we had early get ups in the morning. We got back to the hotel and everyone was just hanging out in the lobby because it was our last night and it was quite sad. We all just talked about the good times and just relaxed. The journey was almost over. The only thing left was the flight home

Day 38- Barcelona

Today we woke up and went on a Panoramic tour of the city. We hopped on the bus and were off. It was really cool to see the different parts of the city. Our first stop was Park Guell. It was a park that was quite cool. It was designed by Gauti so it was full of wave designs and mosaics. The little town was full of color and life. I really liked it. We got some great pictures of mosaics and other building and sculptures. Ashley really liked it and we got a great tour of the town. The top level was made of sand because when it rained the rain would fall through the sand and they would catch the water in a tank. It was really neat. After we finished up in the Park we went back to the bus and headed to another part of town. At this point we were really tired but the scenery around the city was amazing. Our next stop was when we were by the port and at the highest point in the city. The view was really neat and Ashley and I were able to take some really neat shots. We ended the tour close to Las Ramblas and then it was free time for the end of the day. Ashley and I just walked around and did souvenir shopping and grabbed some tapas for lunch. The problem was that we were not able to pick our tapas at this place so we got some very weird ones. The price was right but still very weird. So we finished up lunch and continued to walk around the shops and buy little gifts. We did not stay out too long because we had our farewell dinner with the group that night at 8pm. We got back to the hotel and got dressed up for our farewell dinner for the group. We left the hotel about 7:15 so we could go outside and wait for the bus. When we got to the stop the bus was not there. So what did everyone do to pass the time? They took prom photos. All the girls lined up and took pictures then all the guys lined up and took pictures. After about an hour or so of pictures everyone was done with pictures but still no bus. I go talk to Jason and the first bus company thought that it was tomorrow not today so he called a second one and that was going to be about 45min until they come. So we continue to kill time and we see a huge bus pull up but nope was not for us. Now it is 9:30 and our dinner was for 8. Then we see another bus pull up and the bus was suppose to fit 50 people but it only had 24 seats... The bus company sent us the wrong bus. After talking to the bus company we decide to just pack as many people as we could in and than take cabs over to the restaurant for the rest of the people. We had to close the curtain on the bus to hide everyone. I was so cramped in bus over that I thought I was going to die. After the crazy bus ride we had an amazing going away dinner. We had a 3 course meal and it was very fun but sad as well because we knew that our trip was coming to an end. We had unlimited wine and the food was quite tasty as well. We had a nice discussion and we all decided that we would go out after dinner but it wasn't 12:30 am until we got to the hotel. Ashley decided to chicken out and not go out but Jenny myself and a couple of other people decided to go to this bar called the Dow Jones. The inside of the bar was just like a stock market and the whole bar was so cool. The prices of the drinks went up and down based off what people were buying and every hour the stock market crashes and all the drink prices go down. After that we were going to to a Disco but nobody wanted to pay the cover charge so we just went back to the hotel and got some sleep for a couple of hours before breakfast the next morning.

Day 37: Transfer to Barcelona

Today we had our 9 hour drive from Nice to Barcelona. Our bus driver Jose looked super tough but was a good driver. We headed out at 7 am and did not get to Barcelona until 5:30 pm! It was quite a long journey but it was worth it. Our hotel was in a perfect location, only 4 stops away from Las Ramblas which is one of the most famous streets in Barcelona. So we dropped off our stuff in the hotel and headed out into the city for a walking tour. We hopped on the metro and headed downtown. At this point Ashley and I were starving so we decided to peel off of the group with the normal crew and went to get dinner. We went into a tapas restaurant because we saw that it had a really good deal. We went upstairs to get seated and soon found out the special was only for the bar and our deal was different. We had a 15 Euro unlimited tapas deal and very large glasses of Sangria. Ashley and Michael, Erica and Chase got the unlimited tapas and Sangria. Josh, Jenny, Alyx, and I decided to get our own Paella dish and it was amazing. Also everyone got .5 L worth of Sangria and it was very tasty. It was my first time having it but it hit the spot. It had all sorts of fruit in it so it left a snack for after the drink was finished. I got the chicken Paella and it was so good. The tapas looked amazing as well. They kept getting plates and plates of food. Each time it had a different theme. My favorite dish that I tried was potatoes with a cheese sauce on top. They had an assortment of meats, cheeses and veggies. There were also some very weird dishes that nobody wanted to try because we had no idea what it was. I already loved Spain because the food was so good. The dinner was fabulous and after a great meal we decided just to head back on the metro and get some sleep because we had a long day planned for tomorrow. We were going on a panoramic tour of the city so we needed our sleep.

Day 36- Nice and Monaco

Today Ashley and I had a great deal of things to do. The entire group was going to go into the city this morning and spend the morning/day at the main beach. We got to the train station that was just up the road and we ended up getting our tickets but getting our wrong side of the track so we had to go underneath the track and get to the right side in time. Luckily we were able to get over to the other track in time and hopped on the train to Nice. The ride was only 15 minutes long and after that we walked up off the train station and walked up to the the beach. The beach was amazing but the beach was pebbled so it was not very comfy so Ashley,Joy, Alyx,Jenny and I decided to walk around and shop because later that day we were going to Monaco and Monte Carlo at night. So we all just walked around the shops and after that we went back to the beach and relaxed for a bit before we left back to the train station. We headed back to the hotel and had to get our nice clothes on because it was time for Monaco. We had a 4pm excursion on the palace and do a perfumery. So Ashley and I put on our best outfit and headed towards Monaco. Along the way we stopped in a perfumery on the way. I thought it was going to be really boring but it was actually quite interesting. We were able to do a smell test and got to see how they make everything as well. We ended up getting a lots of gifts for people because all the things in the store are limited to the factory so it was really cool. After the factory we drove up to Monaco and the view was amazing. It was at the top of the water and the view was amazing. We got off the bus and first explored the cathedral and the palace as well. After we spent about an hour taking photos and walking around we got back on the bus and headed to the other side were the Monte Carlo is.
We arrived to the Monte Carlo Casino and it was crazy. So many nice cars in front I thought I was gonna die. Even the sides of the building where amazing. I could definitely tell that this place was for the high rollers. Every other car was a Ferrari or Maserati. So Ashley, Joy, Alyx, and I decide to go inside and gamble a little. I wanted to play cards but the minimum chip change was 200 Euros. That was way to steep for me so Ashley and I just went to play cards on the slot machine. Ashley broke even and I lost 10 Euros. After that we went into the gift shop (which had nothing) and bought a shot class and a postcard. Then all of us went to a nice cafe and had an amazing dinner. I ordered my steak and I asked for medium thinking it would be like it is at home. I was really way wrong. I got a steak that was just sizzled on each side. It was no bueno so I had to send it back to get it cooked again. Other than that it was delicious and a great meal. After that we just walked around looking at all the cars and headed back home. The city was amazing and very expensive. The casino had many private rooms where I think James Bond likes to gamble in. The next day we left on our 9 hour bus right to Barcelona!

Day 35- TGV to Nice

After our last day in Paris we woke up early the next morning and headed off to Nice on the TGV. The TGV is the high speed train that travels up to speeds of 180mph. The only problem we had with the train was 2 things. First thing was that the train was 6 hours long. The second problem was that we only had about 3 minutes to get 49 people on the train and with luggage before it left. They were serious about leaving people because while we were loading the train the conductor whistled and we still had about 20 people left outside. Right after that happened, everyone just pushed everyone on and just started going into a crazy panic to get everyone on with their luggage. It was a mad house. Finally we were able to get everyone on train and we organized all the baggage and it appeared to be okay. Ashley and I sat across from each other while jenny sat next to her and I sat next to Phillip. The train was not too bad for Ashley and I but for some people the train was worse than the bus. We got off the train and walked outside to catch our bus because we were staying right outside the city for our hotel in Nice. After we checked into the hotel we walked around town to get food for dinner and the grocery store as well as pick up some food for lunch the following day. We bought a variety of foods like meats, cheeses,bread, juice, water, snacks and returned to the hotel to have a feast in the room while we relaxed. After dinner everyone just stayed in Ashley's room and talked and listened to music until bedtime. The next day was beach then a day excursion in Monaco and the Monte Carlo at night.

Day 34- Notre Dame

Well today we decided to go to mass at Notre Dame. Nick and I woke up dressed up and headed over to the 1130 mass. We got to skip the line to visit because we were actually attending the mass. The mass was really nice, hard to follow sometimes because it was 95% in French. There was also a chorus at the mass we chose which was also very pretty. At communion it was interesting to see how many people did not get up to take it because they were just coming to mass to see what it was like and not Catholic. After mass Nick and I wandered for a bit and found me a beautiful painting of the Eiffel Tower at night and then eventually made our way back to the hotel on foot. It was about a mile walk but we stopped in shops on the way. Most were closed though because it was Sunday. Once we got back to the hotel we found Jenny and decided to eat at Hard Rock. But once we got there they told us the wait was almost 2 hours... we said no way and ended up eating at a Fondue restaurant which was amazing. We had cheese fondue with bread and potatoes and then chocolate fondue for dessert with fresh fruit. After a filling dinner we walked back to our room, packed up and then just hung out until bed.

Day 33 Paris- Versailles

Today we started our day by having a driving tour of Paris. We got to drive by the Arch de Triumphe and then all around Paris and stopped again in front of the Eiffel Tower. About midway through the tour we stopped and had some coffee and then parted ways with half the group. Only about half the group opted to go to the Palace of Versailles. We took a 20 min ride out of the city to the palace where we had some free time. We began by going to the Gardens, they were soooo beautiful, probably one of my favorite places, I could spend the whole day wandering them and reading a book. There were some gardens with high hedges and other with short spiraling hedges that were surrounded by flowers. Nick and I took our typical pictures jumping and on his back. After about 40 min in the garden we meet in front of the palace to have our walking tour of the inside. The palace was huge and so ornate. There was gold everywhere. The tour guide rattled on sometimes but overall she was super informative. After we finished up at the palace we headed back on the bus for our hotel. Nick Joy and I decided to go on a walking adventure to do laundry. The guy at the hotel desk told us laundry was up the street so Nick and I drag our laundry to this sketchy little place and the man tells us 28 euros for both wash and dry... Nick and I debated it for a bit and the guy told us to debate it outside... 30 dollars for laundry no way. So thanks to google maps on my phone I found us another laundry place for only 6 euros to wash. After that we bought some wine and decided that we were going to have dinner than sit in front of the eiffel tower with some wine. Nick Alyx Joy and I went and had a nice little dinner at a French Cafe.. quite expensive thought for just appetizers we had. 10 euros for mozzarella sticks. We then took a tram to the Eiffel Tower and took some nice night pictures, I got to wear my new leather jacket :) And Joy and Alyx went home because Alyx was not feeling well but Nick Jenny and I decided to walk down to the tower. On the walk down I slipped hard on the marble ramp/stairs and road rashed the left side of my leg and it HURT. (Still hurts two days later). That kind of killed my desire to do anything else because my leg was throbbing so we took a few more pictures then took a cab back to the hotel to go to bed.

Day 32- Paris

We left the hostel in the morning and got to Paris around 2pm because the drive was only about 2 hours. Once we got to Paris we hit the ground running. We had just enough time to drop our stuff and then we headed off the the Louvre! We had about 2 hours in the museum but that was not enough time for me. Ashley, Jenny,Joy, Alyx and me walked around together and first went to the Mona Lisa. It was cool but I think it was definitely over-hyped. After we saw that we decided to hit up the Egyptian part but the museum is so hard to navigate. We probably got lost about 20 times. So we continued to walk around and then tried to go find code of hammerabi. But we didnt have time to find it and needed to catch up with the group outside. The problem was that we did not know where we were and we were leaving for the Eiffel tower in 20mins so we needed to get out of the building. We were practically running through the museum. We get back to ground level and met up with the group. Then the group decided to walk the the Louvre to the Eiffel tower. It was quite a walk but it was very pretty along the way. We took pictures probably every 5 steps getting close to the tower and then we after 45mins we got to the tower. We had a little bit of time so Ashley and I got some crepes and then we met up with the group to go up the elevator. We got in line then got into the elevator. It was quite small but we made it to the second floor. It had some shops and some other cool stuff as well. Then after we stayed for 5 mins we went up to the very top of the tower. The elevator felt that we were going up forever. My ears popped we got so high in the sky. We got off the the view was amazing. It was breezy up there but it did not matter. Ashley and I got some great pictures at the top then walked down to the inside part of the top and it had the distance to all the major capitals in the world. We were 6k km away from Washington DC. We then decided due to persuasion from Jenny to walk down the stairs to the ground it was over 360 stairs haha although it was a bit dizzy it was cool. Then we rushed over to the river at Ponte Nuefe. We were took a canal ride along the Seine river where we could see Paris lite up at night. It was amazing! This is tied for one of my favorite cities so far (Ashley) along with Florence. After taking some night pictures of the eiffel tower we finally went back to our hotel and crashed after a long day.

Day 31 - Bruges and Brussels

We left Amsterdam early in the morning and headed our way towards Brussels. On our way to Brussels we decided to stop off in another city in Belgium called Brugge. I really enjoyed the city and it had a huge ton of small shops and family run shops too. Once we got into the city we went on a walking tour of the city and had 2 hours to explore the city. The city was fairly small but it had a large squares and markets. After the 2 hour walking tour, Ashley and I and some friends decided that we needed to pick up some waffles. Huge Belgium waffles. It was amazing and I had one with powered sugar and Ashley had one with fresh strawberries. After our lunch we walked around in the market and then went into this square called the Burg. The funny thing about that is that I called Blacksburg the Burg so of course I took a picture there. We did not have much time left so Ashley and I decided that we should get some Belgium chocolates but it was definitely harder then you think. We were so overwhelmed with the selection that we just got chocolate covered raisins and some fudge to eat on the way back to the bus. We finished up in the shop and just walked back to the bus and then headed on to Brussels. Brussels the capital of the E.U. fyi. Once we got to Brussels we got to our hostel and it was quite an experience. It was our first hostel that we have stayed in and was very different from the hotels. The consisted one 2 bunks beds no sheets no towels and a bathroom. Luckily we had our own shower in our room. It was 6 Euros for a towel so shower was out of the question. So after we stayed for a little we went to go get sheets from downstairs because they forgot to put them in the room. Then all of us left for a walking tour of the city and then went to grab some city with the crew:Michael, Erica, Jenny, Joy, Alyx, Mandy, Golden. We ended up going to a nice restaurant where Ashley got the tortellini and I got chicken kabob. After that we went to the delirium cafe. The cafe is in the Guinness book of world record for the most beers sold. It had 27 on tap and sold beers from all over the world. At first we were just going to walk through the cafe but we saw some friends from the tour and decided to stay for one drink. Well Ashley went to go order us a couple of beers but the bartender misinterpreted Ashley and she ordered two 1 liters glass boots full of beers instead of just two glasses! She ended up putting down a 40 Euro deposit for both of the boots. I was dying laughing. After the fact we just sat down with everyone and Jenny grabbed a glass and split the beer with us since it was alot. Ashley got a mango beer and I got the house brew. We stayed played card games and just headed back to our hostel because we had Paris the next day.

Day 30 - Amsterdam

After that night we decided to sleep in a little and start our day with Van Gogh Museum and some other tourist attractions. We get into town about 1230 pm and wanted to go buy our tickets for this day excursion at 230 plus or museum tickets all at once. We arrived at the tour place and the 2:30 excursion was booked but there were opening at the 1pm one if we hustled. This means that we were not able to go see the museum and only were going to Holland’s countryside. We decided that windmills and cheese shops were more important than seeing the museum. The countryside was a must. We made it just in time to catch the bus to Holland and the other parts around Amsterdam. Our first stop was a little town that had a wooden shoe show and we were able to see how they make wooden shoes and the history behind them. I wanted to buy some but Dad kept saying no no no. After the show we walked through the small town and went to catch a ferry to a fisherman island that had a cool museum and a lot of other cool tourist things. Right before we get on the ferry I realize that I lost my ticket. I didn’t know what to do because I needed to get on this boat. Luckily, the tour lady was able to sweet talk me on the boat and all was well. Ashley and I got off the boat and walked around then found a nice place for lunch were Ashley got chicken nuggets with apple sauce and fries and I got a cheeseburger. It hit the spot. After that Ashley wanted to get some souvenirs for people and we did some shopping before meeting up with the group. We also decided to grab an ice cream cone because it was hot and then we headed over to the museum of Dutch clothing where we were able to see the different kind of Dutch outfits and when they used them. It was very funny but also informative. We didn’t stay long because the museum was small but our next stop was the cheese shop. I was very excited for this one because we were able to taste all the different kinds of cheeses that make there. They also gave us an amazing presentation on how they make the cheese too. We walked into the shop and it was like heaven. So many cheeses and so many flavors. Ashley and I tried every single one and decided that we needed a couple for our house because we love cheese. Also right before we left we saw a guy who had wooden shoes that looked just like sneakers. He painted them red and had laces and looked just like converses but were made of wood. It was so neat. We bought two but I will not tell you which ones because it is a surprise for when we break it out in our house. Our final stop was the windmill village and that was one of my favorite stops. Holland is famous for the windmills so it was really cool to see a town with so many and how they work as well. It was raining at the time but that did not stop us from taking pictures. We finished up the tour and decided to get some more souvenirs and then go to hard rock café for dinner. When we arrived we saw two friends Mandy and Golden who love hard rock and we decided to join them for dinner. I had an awesome chicken club sandwich and Ashley had the twisted mac n cheese. The meal was amazing and free refills was nice as well. After our huge meal and busy day we finally return to the hotel after being gone for 12 hours. We decided to just relax and get to bed because the next day was Brugge/Brussels.4

Day 29- Amsterdam

Today was our second day in Amsterdam and it was a free day for us. What we decided to go was go to the Flea Market during the morning and then head to where the soccer team was coming to meet in the center square of the city. Ashley, Joy, Alyx, Jenny and myself headed off the Flea market and started just walking around looking at the vendors and all the different shops. While we were walking along the strip we saw a mini pancake stand so all of us chipped in a bought 50 mini pancakes and they were amazing. After I got fresh squeezed OJ and that was quite good too and only 1 euro. Before all of this the city was covered in orange so we all of us got matching Holland shirts and decided to blend in a little and wear them around for the day. But anyways after the Flea market we saw a nice bagel place and everyone was craving bagels so it ended up working out perfectly. It had free wifi and I had an amazing omelet ham bagel. After our pit stop we decided to head over to the where the soccer team was meeting up and it was a crazy and we got there 2 hours early! The crowd was packed and beers were everywhere. It was the craziest gathering I have ever seen. There were musical performances and everyone knew the words but us of course. We waited and waited until the the team game and when they came everyone went crazy. It was so cool to be there and be a part of the moment in history. We only stayed for 30mins after the team got there because we wanted to head back because we decided that we were going to go on a pub crawl of Amsterdam and it started at 8:30 so we needed to get back and eat and change. What we didn’t know what that because of this ordeal the trams stopped running and were not going to start running until 7ish. And that was an estimate from the cop there. This was no bueno. We decided that we should just walk back to center square and try and get away from the crowd so we can get on the first tram. Instead of waiting we got the station and saw a taxi driver and agreed to drive all of us back to the hotel for a small rate. It was the only way back and we needed to get back. We changed showered and then headed out for the pub crawl. While walking to the tram we saw Michael and a few other girls that said they wanted to meet us at the bar. We head over to the pub crawl get our free shirts and had a pretty good time. It was awesome to saw that we pub crawled the red light district that truly glows red. It was very different to see the women in the windows just standing there, very similar to Hamburg except in Amsterdam it was triple the amount and the women had almost no clothing. I (Ashley ) did not even want to look them in the eye for the fear they might bite or something, some girls on the trip tried to take a picture which is a big no no, and the women came out and tried to take the camera and break it and started cussing. Its a job for them it is very weird. It wasn’t to wild it was a lot of fun because of the people we went with. None of them were crazy partyers so there was no issue. After that we took the night bus back and headed home.

Day 28 - transfer to Amsterdam

Today we left Heidelberg and started our journey to Amsterdam. We decided to leave early because it was a 7 hour drive and we were going to the Anne Frank house that night as well. The ride over was okay kind of bumpy but we made it with no problems. It was about 5pm when we arrived and it was alittle cloudy. We soon found out that it rains over 200 days a year in Amsterdam. We got to the hotel and it was very nice but the biggest problem was that it had no stairs only elevators. Well it had stairs but it could only me used in the state of emergency. We got down from unpacking and began our journey to Anne Frank’s house. The train ride was quite long but it was worth it because we were able to see so much of the city. We arrived to the House/ Museum and then as soon as we stand there it begin to pour down rain and I mean pour. It was cold and wet and rained the entire time we were in line. Everyone was soaking wet from the rain even though they were under umbrellas and had jackets on. I had my north face on so I was mostly dry on the top half but my legs were soaked. After the rain we got into the Museum and had to split up into two groups because we were so large. Ashley and I were in the first group but most of our friends were in the second group. We began walking through the old house and it was quite depressing. We were able to walk through every room that was used for the hiding and diary entries were displayed on the wall did not make it better. It was too real for me and hard to handle. As we continued through the museum we could see the progression of how the story ended. It was hard to hold back tears from reading some of the things that Anne would write about in her diary. We finished the museum and it ended okay because Otto Frank did so much to preserve what she was about and the fight that they went through. After that we decided that Ashley ,Joy , Alyx and Jenny would go get real food because we were hungry. We went into a Steak house that had good prices but Ashley and I were still on a budget so I ordered the chicken soup and Ashley ordered two sides so we could share everything. Well my chicken soup was broth and 4 pieces of chicken. I was not impressed at all. Ashley and I were still hungry so we were going to go to KFC and get mac n cheese and mashed potatoes but that fell through because the KFC didn’t have any sides besides coleslaw. After that we just got a coffee and headed back to the train to go home for the night. The next day the Netherlands soccer team was coming home and there was a huge party for them so we decided we would go to that.

** The Anna Frank museum was the most overwhelming place we have been yet, it was crazy to think that this was how they lived. There was quotes on the wall from her journal that corresponded with the rooms or some of her feelings and it was heartbreaking to read about her fear. When we left I was just kinda of quiet because I truly was at a lose of words.

Day 27- Heidlburg

Today was our only full day day in Heidelberg. It was sad to say that this would be my last day in Germany for this trip since we spent so much time here and it was probably my favorite country. As a group we went into the city with our German bus driver Victor and he had no idea how to get to the castle where we needed to be. We wandered the city of Heidelberg for 1.5 hours before figuring out the way up the mountain to the castle. So after that adventure we made it to the castle and the castle was pretty cool. The view from the top was my favorite part of the castle and the walls around the castle were interesting as well. The castle had a moat option to it which was really funny because they would just pour tons of water into the grass and surround the castle. After pictures outside we went into the castle part which we were allowed to see. The funniest rooom that we saw was one of the largest wine kegs in the world. The keg was so large that it had its own dancefloor on the top of it and it could fit over 100 people on the top. After that there was not much to the castle so we had free time for the rest of the time and were able to explore the city and do some small shopping. It was sunday when we were there and we soon found out that you cannot purchase things that were not made in germany on sundays. We found out the hard way. Some of the girls who we dont normally hang out with as well as the normal group went into a store and half the wall was shoes on sale. Everyone went crazy and wanted to buy like 3 pairs each but the owner said that he was unable to sell the shoes to everyone because it was sunday. People started to get very creative in order to get there shoes. One person Erin bought her shoes and had to pretend that she was wearing them the entire time. Also Alyx bought a giant duffle bag and put around 7 pairs of shoes in the bag so everyone could buy shoes. It was a giant mess and very funny to watch. After that mess we just continued to walk around and go into random shops and one of the stops was a gummy bear place and they had all sorts of fun things and samples too. Ashley and I asked for the most sour candy and bought some and it was the right choice. They tasted so amazing. Then we decided to relax and have a drink but then jenny came up and told ashley that they were selling birkenstocks for a good price in a store only 5 min walk but it was close to drive to leave so ashley went quick and bought a pair. She returned with about 10 mins left. She came back and it was the wrong size. Guess who had to run back to the store and switch sizes. I had to do it and make it back in time to check the bus at 4. I sprinted across the square and there was a line in the store. Luckily the sizes where on display so I was able to exchange the shoes very quickly. It was now 4:05 and ashley could not stall the group any longer and they began to walk to the bus. At this point I was running back to check up with everyone and get on the bus. Soaking wet ashley and I were one of the last two on the bus. The change was done and I was beat. I slept the whole bus ride back and when we returned to the hotel we decided to get mexican and watch the game. The food was okay for being where we were and we only stayed for half the game because there was no a/c at this bar/restaurant so we went back and watched the second half from the room. After that all of us just hung out in Joy's room and relaxed and watched the game and talked. The next day was Amsterdam and we had to get up by 6am so everyone decided to just got to bed early and call it a night.

Day 26 Transfer to Nuremburg

We woke up early in the morning and felt our hotel in Prague and were on our way to Germany we were going to make a pit stop in Nuremburg. We had about 2 hours of free time in the town and it was full of little shops and family owned shops. Ashley and I just ate something small and decided that we would get fruit from the market that was in the city. Of course ashley and I went a tad bit overboard and ended up buying bananas, blueberries, strawberries, two peaches and some grapes. The issue we had with all this fruit was how were we supposed to transport all this fruit to our next hotel and not get smushed. So while ashley and I were walking around we saw a supermarket. We went into the store and walked and looked around for tupperwear. Little did we know that Germans here do not believe in storing food. They prefer buying the food for the day each day. Ashley saw this giant tub that was full of wafers and icing and it was the biggest thing she saw that had a lid but we had all the wafers in them. So we decided to buy it and just tried to give away them away but nobody wanted them so I had to throw all of them out in the trashcan in town square. After that we went to go rinse out the bucket and then the funny part starts. Both of us went into starbucks and I ordered some cold drinks before we got back on the bus and ashley went to the starbucks bathroom with all our fruit and the tub. After about 5mins or so ashley comes back up with our plastic tub full of fruit all washed and everything. We drank our drinks and brought all the fruit back to the bus and headed to Heidelburg. After another 2 hours of driving we got to Hidelburg and the hotel was very modern looking. Michael and I split a huge room and it was very nice to have internet in the room as well. The only downside no A/C. We decided not to go out and went to a grocery store to pick up food for dinner as well as lunch and snacks. We walked with other people as well like joy alyx, jenny, michael and erica to the store but we had no idea where we were going so we just decided to pick a direction and walk. We ended up finding one only about 12 mins walk. We filled a cart with jelly, peanut better, bread, pretzels and drinks for the night because the 3rd place game was being played at the time. We all walked back and had a huge feast in Joy's room because she has a fan and then just watched the game. After I went up to bed and called it a night.

Day 25- Prague- Zoo

Today we started our morning early and went to the Prague Zoo. It is one of the top zoos. It was pretty neat how the whole zoo was set up very interactive and climbing into different exhibits. We got to see giraffes which I was super excited about and awesome tigers. After about 4 hours in the excruciating heat we left the zoo and headed into to town for our boat tour of Charles Bridge. We took a nice boat tour of the area around the bridge and were able to get some great shots of the bridge. Our tour included a Czech beer, needless to say I do not like Czech beer, I much prefer German beer. After our boat ride we relaxed and had some dinner and beers. After dinner we headed to our black light theater show of Alice in Wonderland. Boy! was the an experience.. It was like we should have been on some hallucinogenic drugs, it was all music with some black light and spinning of bright colors playing to the music of classical music. It was just sooo weird. So we left at intermission, it was a little bit of a let down, so we decided that we could not leave Prague on such a bad note. We ran into some friends from our group and decided to go to a dance club. The dance club was 5 floors,each floor was a different type of music. IT was a blast, there were some hilarious dancer, guys in Europe have no inhibition when it comes to dancing, they will stand there and just break it down all by themselves, it was very fun to watch. We danced for about 3 hours and then headed home super sweaty and got ready for our departure the next morning!

Day 24 - Prague

Today we went into Prague but instead of going on the 3 hour tour we went with Joy's friend Ales who lives in Prague and his wife and daughter came up and were able to show us around the city. I personally like the private tour and walking at our own pace better than the huge 49 people tour group. So we met Ales at the train station and began our walk up to the castle and here the President of Prague lives. It was very neat to be able to just walk into the place where the President lives and see all the guards. The architecure was like nothing I have ever seen. It was a mix between medieval and gothic. I really liked the buildings in Prague. So we got some stamps from the castle and then went into the church that was in the compound. The stain glass was beautiful and I was able to see the czech cardinals as well. After we left the compound we started walking down towards the old city where each of the buildings had red roofs because the king wanted all the roofs to be red. While we were walking down the street there were little shops with souvenirs shops and family owned restaurants. We continued to walk and reach Charles Bridge which is a very famous bridge in Prague. As soon as I saw the bridge I remember that the movie Triple X was filmed here. The bridge was full of painters and salemen and even had some good luck statues that I was able to rub. We finished up with the bridge and headed toward the national museum because there is where the history of Prague is told. Ales and his family had to leave so it was just Ashley, Joy and I walking around so we decided to get some cherries and raspberries and walk around town looking for gifts. At this point it was getting late and we decided to just relax and head back to the hotel but first we wanted to grab a bite to eat. We decided on TGIF fridays because it was american and we were in the mood for that kind of food. During dinner we decided what our plan for the next day and the main idea was the zoo! We returned back to the hotel on the tram and just relaxed because we knew we had another long day in front of us. We played phase 10 and just played on the computer and went to bed nice and early.

Day 23- Transfer Day Munich to Prague

Today we left the amazing city of Munich and headed towards Prague in the morning. We hopped on the bus after about 2 hours we crossed back into Germany and stop in Regensburg. The city was very interesting and fun but we only had 2 hours in the city. Also we lost someone on the walking tour so we had to spend time to find them too. After the short tour Ashley, Joy, Alyx and a couple other went to get food and got a huge Hawaiian pizza. I am very happy we decided to split the pizza. After food we got back on the bus and went on our way to prague. Around 7pm we arrived at Prague and the hotel was amazing. It had free wifi and even an absinth bar. We checked into the hotel and then went on a walking tour of the city. We started walking through the town and we got into this one part and it was a Hyundai fan park for the game. It was not as exciting as the German one but it was still a site to see. We all grabbed dinner in the city at a Czech restaurant and started to learn about the czech money system in the process. We finished dinner and hopped on the tram and went back because the next day we had a 3 hour walking tour of the city and then the rest was a free day

Day 22- The Castle and more Munich

So today we went to the castle about 2 hours south from Munich. The castle was so amazing. This castle is what Cinderellas' castle is based off of. When we got to the castle we parked all the way at the bottom of the hill and were not told that it was a thirty minute climb to the top of the mountain. Also right when we got there it began to pour down rain. It was like trying to climb up a slip and slide. So ashley, jenny and I began to climb up the mountain but Ashley was wearing flip flops so it was quite difficult for her go up because she was always slipping and falling out of her shoes. During a walk up the mountain we were lucky to find a nice hotel/restaurant too. Ashley got a potato soup and i got the brat with fries. After lunch we continued our journey up the mountain to meet up with the group for the walking tour of the castle. The view from some of the rooms were amazing. My favorite room was the King;s bedroom because the view from his window was wild. After the tour we went to this famous bridge were you can take amazing pictures. I was able to take some really cool on my phone and ashley got some good ones on the big camera. After pictures we decided to head back to the bus but take the bike trail instead. It ended up working out in our favor because the scenery was so pretty. There was even a waterfall running through the water of the path and hopped on the bus. We got back to the hotel and ashleys german friend Stephi's bf goes to university in Munich and was able to meet up with us and show us around. We met him at the city center by the giant cuckoo clock and began our journey. Our first stop was a very famous market in Munich were many events of Oktoberfest are held. We decided to sit down and enjoy and beer while we got to know each other. We saw his university and it was very different but I liked it. One cool place he showed us was the English Gardens because it was a giant open park with a river/stream running through it and at the top there is like a dip in the water making a constant wave. When we got there there was like 10 surfers taking turns and hitting the waves. I was able to take a pretty awesome video but then Stephi's bf went back to his dorm to study and Ashley and I went to another famous bar/house for dinner. We watched the game and have amazing apple strudel but we were so tired from all the walking that we just went back to the hotel and went straight to bed because we had a long trip to Prague the next day.

Day 21- Transfer to Munich

Today we left Venice and headed off to Munich! It was about a 4 or so hours in another lovely bus. Once we arrived in Munich the group headed out to the center of town where we saw the Glokenspiel and then we walked to the Hofbrauhaus. Nick and I both really liked Munich right off the back, the city was clean and safe and very pretty with amazing buildings with unique architecture. It was crazy. We ordered a stein of beer and dinner. Nick had the house original and I had the Wiess beer. But I tried a Radler which is light beer mixed with a sprite-ish soda, it was amazing I loved it! I had a huge typical pretzel with my beer and Nick ordered a German sausage. During dinner we got to enjoy the lovely traditional Bavarian music band playing in the traditional dress, it was great!
After having some dinner and beer we headed back to the hotel to rest up after a long day of traveling.

Day 20 Venice

Today was our tour of Venice. We started our morning bright and early at 700AM we had some delicious no flavor bread with nutella for breakfast then caught the bus to the port of Jeslo de Lido. We jumped on the water taxi which drove us over to the main city of Venice. Today was about 40 degrees Celsius. It was pretty much an inferno. The water taxi was actually really nice because the breeze of the water was refreshing but once we landed it got so hot. Venice was beautiful; we first took a walking tour where we learned about the 190 or so islands connected by 400 or so bridges. We then saw Saint Marco square and Basilica. (We did not end up going inside the church because the line was a 2 hour wait and in the middle of the sun). The end of our walking tour was a glass blowing demonstration. We got to see how they make Murano glass, the glass maker showed us a flower vase and then he made a glass horse right in front of us, it was amazing how he was able to form it in about 5 min from a blob of glass. Then we went inside the factory where we were able to see the larger pieces and the beautiful chandeliers. They also taught us how to tell if glass is factory made or true blown glass. Each glass has to have a certificate and a special decal. After our walking tour we got to take a gondola ride. Something I have been looking forward too since I can remember. The gondola seats for so it was, Nick and I, Joy and Alex and Jenny and Chase and of course our gondolier. Our Gondola was very pretty with plush red seats and black paint decorated with gold accents and our gondolier wore dark pants with the traditional striped blue and white shirt and a red scarf. We took a lovely boat ride along the canals of Venice, it was pretty cool how the boats are steered; it is all done with the gondolier’s weight and how he shifts it and paddles. At one point though there were quite of bit of gondolas and our gondola had to move to the side and water splashed in soaking Nick’s entire butt. We also got to go under the Rialto Bridge (which Nick and I also walked over too). Unfortunately it cost money to get the gondolier to sing, but lucky use the people very close to us in their gondola had an accordion player and their gondolier was singing so we got to still hear music for most of the ride. After our gondola ride Nick, Joy, Alex, Jenny and I went and did a tour of the Dodge’s Palace. It was one of the more ornate buildings I have seen. Each ceiling was fully painted with beautiful gold frames around it. We also got to see the prison which was attached to the palace. It was also nice to be out of the direct sun for a bit too. After the palace we walked around and checked out the little shops around Venice. Nick and I walked into a little mask shop and got to see the shop keeper making the beautiful masks. It took all my will power not to buy tons of masks. Some were so delicate they looked like lace but were really metal, and others were so intricate the prices ran all the way up to 200 euros in some of the stores we looked in. Then we walked and found a Hard Rock where I picked up a tshirt that says Hard Rock Venice and a shot glass. After the long day in Venice we took the water taxi back to our hotel. A storm is currently coming in so I am sitting in the dark because the whole town is out of electricity but a band marched the streets a few minutes ago playing “When the Saints go Marching In” for the 4th of July. It was awesome. We are now relaxing because we have a 7 hour drive to Munich tomorrow.

Day 18- Pisa

Today we went to the Pisa. I thought it was just the leaning tower but I was wrong. It was a whole small city. We took a bus to the city and we were given a tour of the city as well. The tour was nice and while were in the church they check the sound and acoustic and the sound was actually quite amazing. Soon after the sound check we went outside and took funny pictures with the tower. We even took a picture of us jumping and ashley on my back as well. We continued to walk around the city and grabbed lunch and soon after lunch we headed back to the bus to go home. We get back to the hotel around 3pm and immediately ashley and I went into town to go buy a leather jacket for ashley. We went into like 15 shops before we decided on the perfect jacket. We were able to get a deal and I also got a wallet as well. All that shopping made up starving so we went to another appetito and did laundry as well since the laundry mat was across the street. Clothes folded and dinner was complete and I was pooped. We back to the hotel and just relaxed because the next day we were going to Venice!

Day 19

So yesterday we woke up at the crack of dawn and started our trip to Venice. We had about a 4 hour bus ride to Venice where we slept almost the whole trip. So glad we brought a travel blanket with us, it’s perfect for bus rides. Once we finally got to the little town outside of Venice we changed into our bathing suits and jumped into the Adriatic Sea. It was so refreshing after a sticky bus ride and the hot heat of Italy. After swimming for a bit we got showered then went to dinner at a little Italian restaurant. Nick had chicken and potatoes and I had some Gnocchi in red sauce with white wine. It was my favorite dinner so far in Italy. Then we walked the beach and hung out on the balcony with some other kids on the trip enjoying the fresh air and beer people watching the night life around the city.

Day 17- Florence- The Duomo

Today was our first real day in Florence. We woke up early but it was hard to sleep in my room because my room was so small and has no a/c. Got to love that italian style of living. But we wake up in the morning and have a nice simple breakfast and got started with our walking tour of the city. The streets and city is not too hard to navigate but just sharing roads with bikes and cars is not always fun. There has been multiple times where I would almost get hit by a car/bus/scooter/bike. The group continues to walk to the Duomo which is an amazing church with a large dome on top. The view would be amazing from the top of the dome but it is 435 steps to the top.... I think we are going to try and do that on another day because it would be quite the workout. We met up with our tour guide and walked all around the city. She showed us all the major places in Florence. It was nice to hear about all the old history behind the city and so far it was my favorite city we have been too. We ended the tour at this amazing leather factory where we were able to see how the leather is made into the different things. After we strolled around the shop me,ashley, michael, jenny, alyx,erica and a few other and went around town and were going to do a little bit of shopping because we were going to pisa the next day and were saving the extra time to see the David as well as the Uffizi museum. Ashley of course wanted to see some art so we just happen to walk by the Uffizi after getting lunch because we wanted to make reservations for the museum after our trip to pisa. We walked into the museum and tried to my a reservation for the museum and they said that the state museums were going on strike the next day and were not taking reservations for tomorrow. We ended up scrambling for a time for today and still have time to see the David as well. Oh the ticket for the museum was also 14 Euros! It was ridiculous. The art inside the museum was amazing and had a great deal of religious history in it as well. After leaving the museum we had to run over to the second museum to see the David because it closes at 5 and it was almost 3pm when we left the Uffizi. All of us got in line and the line did not seem to move at all. It took us over an hour to get into the museum to see the David. Finally have 10 more Euros and 1.5 hour long wait we saw the David. It was like nothing we have ever seen. The detail was incredible. I was so happy that we were able to see all the museums but we were definitely beat after that. Also we were very lucky that Laura Brodner was studying abroad in Florence and we met up with her for dinner with her roommates. We went to an appetito and that is were you buy a drink and all the food is free. The place we went to had a very nice selection and changed the food out every 15 mins. After dinner Ashley and I went back to our hotel and met up with Laura and her friends again at her place because we were going to a bar where all of them like to go too. It was a lot of fun to just talk to another group of people. After an hour or so Josh and Chase(two guys from the trip) met up with us and we went to another bar and while I was sitting there I saw the VT logo carved into the table! It was so cool. I wish I had my camera. Then we all just walked back to the hotel and went to bed because pisa was the next day and we had an early get up.

Day 16- Florence

Well the day started off oky, we took a 3 hour bus ride out of Rome into the Tuscan region. We were able to drive along the river and see the beautiful olive trees and sunflower farms. Then we stopped right outside of Florence and went Wine Tasting. The wine was not bad it was nice to have Nick finally try wine and see that there is good wine out there. He really liked a red reserve. I luckily have an amazing brother who calmed me down on the bus ride to the hotel because someone on the bus could not handle the bus ride and their wine. We then finally arrived to our hotel to find out that the rooms are a sauna. So by the time we checked into the hotel everyone was on edge a bit. Nick and I then realized everyone was going to do laundry because we are short on clothes. But Nick and I are going to go see Laura Brodner and hang out with her tonight and then tomorrow do some laundry at her apartment. It will be really nice to finally see a familiar face  after a rocky start to Florence. Tomorrow we get to take a walking tour of Florence and then have free time.

Day 15-Coliseum

Today we went to the Coliseum and were given a walking tour with a guide. It was quite amazing. To see that this stadium was built to hold so many people and most of the levels still exist is crazy. Before we go into the Coliseum, there were men in trojan outfits so ashley and her girl friends decided to take a picture and after the picture the trojan wanted 5 euros for every person in the picture. It was a total ripoff. The photo looks good though but the price was not right. We finished up with pictures and began our walking tour of the Coliseum. The inside was so cool and the view from some of the balconies was beautiful. Once we finished the Coliseum, we explored the Roman Ruins and saw where Julius Caesar was buried too. It was very cool to but walking in the heart of ancient Rome. At this point it was very hot outside and ashley and I were getting tired. We finished tour and then continued to explore and shop around Rome. We hit all the major tourist places again and also grabbed a bite to eat for lunch in a little family run restaurant. It was nice and then we just took the train back to the hotel to get ready to see this area called Traverse. It was really nice at night and there were restaurants by the water and not a very touristy spot as well. We walked down to the water and were able to walk around and it was like a carnival down there. There were 7 of us who went and we decided to eat dinner by the water and then head into Campo de Fiori where everyone from our group was. Dinner was very good we just had pizza but we eat pizza almost everyday and then walked about 7 blocks to all the bars and other restaurants. We decided to get one drink and just people watch on this fountain. It was a very calm night and after relaxing after dinner we just caught a cab back home and went to bed for the night.