We woke up early to pack the big backpacks and head to the Metro for our final leg of the journey. Julia had already made this trip so she lugged her little (GIANT) suitcase back into the subway and we were on our 2 trains to the airport. We checked in for the last time, killed a few sleepy hours at the airport and used the last of our euros to get sodas and snacks for the plane. It was a great flight home and we were met at the airport by our mom and dad, not only to drive us home but because our dad had a flight to Australia. We had a quick reunion at the airport and then Dad was off. We were met at home by a giant Thanksgiving dinner that mom whipped up - a true American feast and we were joined by the boyfriends to the feast. It was wonderful and Mom really outdid outdid herself.
We had the trip of a lifetime and enjoyed the adventure. It was amazing and we were blessed to have had the opportunity to travel as sisters, students and girls in their 20's.
Thank you to all who read our blog!!!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tinto de Verano, Tapas and Tempranillo
From our lovely Hotel Gran Velazquez we walked around the entire city of Madrid on our last day. Katie made a brilliant discovery - the Reina Sofia modern art museum was free for all after 2:30pm! So we walked around, saw the Palace and the major Plazas, and then bought lunch in a little grocery store. Once again fresh bread, cheese and jamon was our least expensive and most delicious find. We also enjoyed some of Julia's favorite - tinto de verano. Red wine in a plastic bottle for 2 euro actually tastes delicious, especially on a hot summer day. We ate lunch and fed the pigeons in the Parque Retiro and did a bit more strolling. We were exhausted.
We came back to the hotel and took unplanned siestas before getting ready for our last meal out on the town. We looked up recommended tapas restaurants and headed to the La Latina stop on the metro. We weren't sure how sketchy this place would be and had our guard up a bit in this neighborhood (remember, we were traveling with a local - Katie lived in Madrid for an entire summer!). We lucked out and loved the entire area. We walked by about 10 recommended little restaurants and each was more adorable than the next. We picked a fancy trendy place for sangria and croquettas (cod with raisins and spinach - who knew?) then a sleepier old place for bruschetta style tapas with friend eggs and veggies with wine. It was at a place called Tempranillo and it was delicious!
We went home full and happy after the perfect night out in Spain.
We came back to the hotel and took unplanned siestas before getting ready for our last meal out on the town. We looked up recommended tapas restaurants and headed to the La Latina stop on the metro. We weren't sure how sketchy this place would be and had our guard up a bit in this neighborhood (remember, we were traveling with a local - Katie lived in Madrid for an entire summer!). We lucked out and loved the entire area. We walked by about 10 recommended little restaurants and each was more adorable than the next. We picked a fancy trendy place for sangria and croquettas (cod with raisins and spinach - who knew?) then a sleepier old place for bruschetta style tapas with friend eggs and veggies with wine. It was at a place called Tempranillo and it was delicious!
We went home full and happy after the perfect night out in Spain.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Train to Spain Stays Mainly in the Plain
We bid farewell to Barcelona and hopped the Metro to the Sants train station to buy the anticipated $50 train ticket to Madrid.
They were about 8 times as much.
So... lacking an alternative...
We took a very, very, very fancy train to Madrid!
It was a high-speed rail that reached 280 km per hour, which was really neat. We were joined at a few stops by seat-mates. We witnessed a really, really funny old couple that couldn't find a place for their suitcases come aboard and proceed to stand on top of the little cafe table to get their luggage situated. The table nearly collapsed and was permanently destroyed - we all shared laughs as they lied to the conductors and seemed perplexed as to how they were seated at a broken table.
The ride was smooth and we were soon back in Atocha! We were 2 blocks away from the hotel the family stayed at when we spent time here with Katie in 2007. It was really nice to be back.
Once again we took a lovely walk through Parque Retiro and a few of Katie's other favorite places as memories flooded back for her. It was gorgeous!
We took a snack break at a pastry shop to ensure we'd last for a late-night European meal. Bad idea. Katie had a nice little croissant, while Julia and I ate giant creme-filled pastries that almost made us sick... we just couldn't stop... they were so good... so we continued to walk that off and made our way to El Imperfecto, a bar Katie visited while she was here studying. Famous for their mojitos with brown sugar. We sat outside in a plaza and enjoyed! Julia and I shared a lovely pitcher of sangria.
We walked by the place where our family had dinner four years ago and took photos there, then settled on a cute little restaurant for tapas. Our best find yet! We shared a funny cab ride home where the night air (and sangria) got me talking politics with our cab driver. Lots of laughs from all.
A great day in Madrid! Today is our last full day and we are hoping to take advantage of the weather and free museum days. We're off!
-The girls
They were about 8 times as much.
So... lacking an alternative...
We took a very, very, very fancy train to Madrid!
It was a high-speed rail that reached 280 km per hour, which was really neat. We were joined at a few stops by seat-mates. We witnessed a really, really funny old couple that couldn't find a place for their suitcases come aboard and proceed to stand on top of the little cafe table to get their luggage situated. The table nearly collapsed and was permanently destroyed - we all shared laughs as they lied to the conductors and seemed perplexed as to how they were seated at a broken table.
The ride was smooth and we were soon back in Atocha! We were 2 blocks away from the hotel the family stayed at when we spent time here with Katie in 2007. It was really nice to be back.
Once again we took a lovely walk through Parque Retiro and a few of Katie's other favorite places as memories flooded back for her. It was gorgeous!
We took a snack break at a pastry shop to ensure we'd last for a late-night European meal. Bad idea. Katie had a nice little croissant, while Julia and I ate giant creme-filled pastries that almost made us sick... we just couldn't stop... they were so good... so we continued to walk that off and made our way to El Imperfecto, a bar Katie visited while she was here studying. Famous for their mojitos with brown sugar. We sat outside in a plaza and enjoyed! Julia and I shared a lovely pitcher of sangria.
We walked by the place where our family had dinner four years ago and took photos there, then settled on a cute little restaurant for tapas. Our best find yet! We shared a funny cab ride home where the night air (and sangria) got me talking politics with our cab driver. Lots of laughs from all.
A great day in Madrid! Today is our last full day and we are hoping to take advantage of the weather and free museum days. We're off!
-The girls
Sagrada Familia, Chupitos and Dow Jones
To get the most out of our only full day in Barcelona we got up early and took the Metro to the Sagrada Familia stop to see Antoni Gaudis famous church. Julia had been here with her friends earlier in the summer, and while Katie and I didn't want her to re-trace any steps on this adventure, we were glad we did. It was a Bascilica unlike any other I could imagine.
We had to buy tickets for a later viewing time because of the crazy crowds, so we first went to Gaudi's famous Park Guell. He was a brilliant architect and the park was really neat to walk around and explore. Julia was a great tour guide and between the incredible heat and the time slot to see the Sagrada Familia, we did a brisk tour and were then on our way back to the city.
We then strolled downtown near Las Ramblas to see a market that came highly recommended (but with strong warnings against pick-pockets). It was beautiful and reminded us of the Vancouver and Seattle outdoor markets... but with a lot more garbage and rotting fish, which on a 95 degree day was pretty... interesting.
Taking a break to stop by our FAVORITE old hostel (we had to get proof that the place was actually through the door to a coin shop)
Then it was time for our big night out! Julia took us to her 2 favorite places - Chupitos to start, which is a bar that only sells shots. We 'tasted' quite a few items off the menu and had a good laugh with the bartender when a giant cockroach ran across the bar and Katie and I both yelled "LA CUCARACHA!" in warning. The bartender jumped like a little girl and chased it with a blowtorch. It was very funny and our signal to move on with the evening.
We went to Dow Jones, a stock-market themed bar where the prices rose as demand increased. We were a little to early to enjoy the scene in its entirety but we had a great time reading the ticker and watching the screens.
It was off to bed before the trip to Madrid!
We had to buy tickets for a later viewing time because of the crazy crowds, so we first went to Gaudi's famous Park Guell. He was a brilliant architect and the park was really neat to walk around and explore. Julia was a great tour guide and between the incredible heat and the time slot to see the Sagrada Familia, we did a brisk tour and were then on our way back to the city.
We then strolled downtown near Las Ramblas to see a market that came highly recommended (but with strong warnings against pick-pockets). It was beautiful and reminded us of the Vancouver and Seattle outdoor markets... but with a lot more garbage and rotting fish, which on a 95 degree day was pretty... interesting.
Taking a break to stop by our FAVORITE old hostel (we had to get proof that the place was actually through the door to a coin shop)
Then it was time for our big night out! Julia took us to her 2 favorite places - Chupitos to start, which is a bar that only sells shots. We 'tasted' quite a few items off the menu and had a good laugh with the bartender when a giant cockroach ran across the bar and Katie and I both yelled "LA CUCARACHA!" in warning. The bartender jumped like a little girl and chased it with a blowtorch. It was very funny and our signal to move on with the evening.
We went to Dow Jones, a stock-market themed bar where the prices rose as demand increased. We were a little to early to enjoy the scene in its entirety but we had a great time reading the ticker and watching the screens.
It was off to bed before the trip to Madrid!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Barcelona!
When Katie, Julia and I decided that our last leg of this big trip should include a flight to Barcelona and a train to Madrid, we immediately booked a hostel in Barcelona. We used the same methods for all other places we have stayed at: We got accommodations for three people at a relatively inexpensive place with good ratings for location and cleanliness.
After a looong day of travel and with our big packs on our back, we were glad to arrive upon the Sun & Moon Hostel in downtown Barcelona. The reception looked nice and was 24 hours - we checked. So, I paid for our 2 nights and we were handed a key....
Then they walked us across the street and unlocked a door inside a coin shop. Which looked like Spain's 'Check-into-Cash' type of store. We then walked up about 6 flights of stairs to an unmarked door... which lead us to another unmarked door... where our room was.
Sure, there were 2 beds. Does A/C matter if the windows don't seal? The room was a DIVE and each of us took in more details as the minutes passed - the mysterious gunk on the walls, the lack of a solid door to the room... Katie noted that you could see into other bathrooms from the unexposed stairway we walked up... in short, we had the heebie-jeebies. (In castelan its the 'heebie-jeebith')
So we put our backpacks back on and marched ourselves back down the nasty staircase, past the coin-shop man, and across the street to the '24hour reception desk' and demanded our money back. I was in a fury, but I believe I used the words 'disappointed' 'deceived' 'dangerous' and 'misleading' alongside 'immediate departure' and 'full refund'. We did the best we could on the financial side of it and high-tailed it outta there.
Which left us on the streets (it was on an alley, really) of Barcelona with a map and our backpacks. The adventure had begun! Katie and Julia were cool as cucumbers while my redhead fury continued to storm. We traced our steps back to a bar we had passed called 'Travel Bar'. It was perfect - a total ex-pat bar with free internet and tons of friendly Americans that recommended the hotels and websites they had found in the area. 2 orange sodas and 30 minutes later, we were booked and in a cab to our nice little hotel in a neighborhood a bit more removed from the very beaten path of La Rambla. We are safe, clean and happy!
After getting our spirits back up we took the suggestion of one of Julia's friends and took off for the Xampañeria, a cava bar from 1929. It was adorable and in our exhaustion we got tapas for dinner across the street. We didn't even make it back for a glass of cava but took a stroll for gelato before heading in for the night. It was relaxing and very fun. Tapas were just what we craved - croquettas, patates with fried eggs and sausage, fried camembert, artichokes, eggplant. Delicioso!
The other thing we've loved noticing about Barcelona is the language difference. I really expected to see Spanish and perhaps a touch of Catalan from the region, but things here are much more like French than Spanish, down to the exit signs and menus. It really is amazing.
I think we have been blessed to have traveled such border regions this entire time because to learn about a cultural through a literal progression is one of the clearest ways to see what makes us different and similar to our neighbors. Germany to Austria and then Austria and Northern Italy overlapped so incredibly, from the food to the architecture. To me, the same is true here in Barcelona - the food, language, architecture, street signs and landscaping look like a cross between Madrid and what I saw in Paris. These details are one of the reasons I love not just learning about language and culture but really travelling .
The other best part about travel, at least this trip, is the experience I'm having with my sisters. And with that, we're off for the evening! Julia has promised us a bar called 'Dow Jones' where the price of drinks change on an electronic screen as the popularity of said drink changes with the demand of the crowd. We'll consider it a study in economics.
Off to enjoy the last night in Barcelona!
After a looong day of travel and with our big packs on our back, we were glad to arrive upon the Sun & Moon Hostel in downtown Barcelona. The reception looked nice and was 24 hours - we checked. So, I paid for our 2 nights and we were handed a key....
Then they walked us across the street and unlocked a door inside a coin shop. Which looked like Spain's 'Check-into-Cash' type of store. We then walked up about 6 flights of stairs to an unmarked door... which lead us to another unmarked door... where our room was.
Sure, there were 2 beds. Does A/C matter if the windows don't seal? The room was a DIVE and each of us took in more details as the minutes passed - the mysterious gunk on the walls, the lack of a solid door to the room... Katie noted that you could see into other bathrooms from the unexposed stairway we walked up... in short, we had the heebie-jeebies. (In castelan its the 'heebie-jeebith')
So we put our backpacks back on and marched ourselves back down the nasty staircase, past the coin-shop man, and across the street to the '24hour reception desk' and demanded our money back. I was in a fury, but I believe I used the words 'disappointed' 'deceived' 'dangerous' and 'misleading' alongside 'immediate departure' and 'full refund'. We did the best we could on the financial side of it and high-tailed it outta there.
Which left us on the streets (it was on an alley, really) of Barcelona with a map and our backpacks. The adventure had begun! Katie and Julia were cool as cucumbers while my redhead fury continued to storm. We traced our steps back to a bar we had passed called 'Travel Bar'. It was perfect - a total ex-pat bar with free internet and tons of friendly Americans that recommended the hotels and websites they had found in the area. 2 orange sodas and 30 minutes later, we were booked and in a cab to our nice little hotel in a neighborhood a bit more removed from the very beaten path of La Rambla. We are safe, clean and happy!
After getting our spirits back up we took the suggestion of one of Julia's friends and took off for the Xampañeria, a cava bar from 1929. It was adorable and in our exhaustion we got tapas for dinner across the street. We didn't even make it back for a glass of cava but took a stroll for gelato before heading in for the night. It was relaxing and very fun. Tapas were just what we craved - croquettas, patates with fried eggs and sausage, fried camembert, artichokes, eggplant. Delicioso!
The other thing we've loved noticing about Barcelona is the language difference. I really expected to see Spanish and perhaps a touch of Catalan from the region, but things here are much more like French than Spanish, down to the exit signs and menus. It really is amazing.
I think we have been blessed to have traveled such border regions this entire time because to learn about a cultural through a literal progression is one of the clearest ways to see what makes us different and similar to our neighbors. Germany to Austria and then Austria and Northern Italy overlapped so incredibly, from the food to the architecture. To me, the same is true here in Barcelona - the food, language, architecture, street signs and landscaping look like a cross between Madrid and what I saw in Paris. These details are one of the reasons I love not just learning about language and culture but really travelling .
The other best part about travel, at least this trip, is the experience I'm having with my sisters. And with that, we're off for the evening! Julia has promised us a bar called 'Dow Jones' where the price of drinks change on an electronic screen as the popularity of said drink changes with the demand of the crowd. We'll consider it a study in economics.
Off to enjoy the last night in Barcelona!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Ciao, Italia!
[Just to be clear to our readers, we thought the long titles of our previous posts were funny - in fact, Julia was in tears each time. This blog is a duress-free production and no one is forced to write anything, we promise]
Tess here! Katie and Julia are still sleeping, and after you read about this travel day, you'll see why.
Our last night in Italy was just gorgeous. We dressed up after our nap and took a stroll though downtown Verona for a snack and a drink. We settled in at a lovely table overlooking the Piazza Bra' and the Arena di Verona and enjoyed a bottle of wine. (Julia was looking extra-pretty, so our waiter gave us 3 antipasta plates to enjoy on the house. He didn't realize we would consider this our dinner and cease to order any food!) We continued our stroll and went gelato shopping. Success all around!
Wednesday morning was a very early start by our standards. We were up at sunrise to pack, say goodby to the Franciscus Guesthouse (and the smelly cat that lived there that Julia was convinced was a street cat that we should just let out the front door) and walked with Hansel and Gretl (our backpacks) to the Verona train station. The 7:32am train to Milano was on time and quite fancy by the train standards we've developed. It was a quick hour-and-a-half to Milano. We loved the enormous old train station and proceeded immediately to the shuttle buses to the Malpensa airport.
An hour later we were on a coach bus-ride to the airport. I was convinced someone was going to steal our backpacks from the undercarriage of the bus, but we succeeded in watching like hawks and everything made it to the airport.
As the Italians seem to big very keen on one ticket window being open at a time, we could not check into our flight - thats right, the entire airline had one desk for all flights for the entire day. We did what we do best in Italy: read our books for two hours while enjoying $1 cappucinos! Just a lovely way to spend an afternoon, regardless of airport setting.
We had a smooth check-in and the flight to Barcelona was only an hour and a half. We hopped a very cute shuttle bus to downtown Barcelona and had no problems... until we got to the hostel! We got there around 5pm, and by 5:30 we had already checked out!! The situation is since resolved but we had a rocky afternoon worthy of its own post. All is well and we are at a new hotel - the whole story soon!
More from Spain later today!
Tess
Tess here! Katie and Julia are still sleeping, and after you read about this travel day, you'll see why.
Our last night in Italy was just gorgeous. We dressed up after our nap and took a stroll though downtown Verona for a snack and a drink. We settled in at a lovely table overlooking the Piazza Bra' and the Arena di Verona and enjoyed a bottle of wine. (Julia was looking extra-pretty, so our waiter gave us 3 antipasta plates to enjoy on the house. He didn't realize we would consider this our dinner and cease to order any food!) We continued our stroll and went gelato shopping. Success all around!
Wednesday morning was a very early start by our standards. We were up at sunrise to pack, say goodby to the Franciscus Guesthouse (and the smelly cat that lived there that Julia was convinced was a street cat that we should just let out the front door) and walked with Hansel and Gretl (our backpacks) to the Verona train station. The 7:32am train to Milano was on time and quite fancy by the train standards we've developed. It was a quick hour-and-a-half to Milano. We loved the enormous old train station and proceeded immediately to the shuttle buses to the Malpensa airport.
An hour later we were on a coach bus-ride to the airport. I was convinced someone was going to steal our backpacks from the undercarriage of the bus, but we succeeded in watching like hawks and everything made it to the airport.
As the Italians seem to big very keen on one ticket window being open at a time, we could not check into our flight - thats right, the entire airline had one desk for all flights for the entire day. We did what we do best in Italy: read our books for two hours while enjoying $1 cappucinos! Just a lovely way to spend an afternoon, regardless of airport setting.
We had a smooth check-in and the flight to Barcelona was only an hour and a half. We hopped a very cute shuttle bus to downtown Barcelona and had no problems... until we got to the hostel! We got there around 5pm, and by 5:30 we had already checked out!! The situation is since resolved but we had a rocky afternoon worthy of its own post. All is well and we are at a new hotel - the whole story soon!
More from Spain later today!
Tess
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
All 3 are Writing this Post b/c I Am Holding Katie and Julia's Shoes Hostage if They Refuse to Participate. Seriously. Their Shoes are In The Safe.
Hi its Katie!
I awoke finding that I still had songs from the Sound of Music stuck in my head. Julia's resentment of the alarm reminded me that we were no longer in the hills of Salzburg but in Verona! We haven't been hungry since we arrived in this fair city, but we had a big breakfast anyway. Cappucinos all around. We attempted booking the next (and final... and last minute... and still unknown) leg of our journey but the ancient computer had other ideas. After two rejected bookings and 30 minutes of wasted sunshine we gave up and got directions to an internet cafè. We found a FNAC (our local guide Julia pronounces it 'Fi-knack' - she said they had them in Alicante) and used their 'high speed' (read 'normal') internet to book flights to Barcelona and a hostel. Success!
Naturally we were famished after such an excursion. Computer time takes a lot out of us. So Katie bought a snack! Puff pastry with nutella. Check.
We scoured the streets for the next lunch option and found the restaurant Tess's boss recommended and then stumbled upon Juliet's Balcony! THE Juliet! Upon entry the walls are covered with international professions of love (Graffiti of hearts). The balcony was built in the 1920's and was very pretty. A short photo shoot later, moving on.
Julia here -- On to more important things! We continued our quest for lunch and dined at the spot recommended by the One and Only Ann and Joe, our most trusted sources for all things Italian. True to form, the restaurant Osteria Romeo e Giulietta was adorable, cozy and by far our best meal yet. It was a bargain and two courses each: K had 1) penne with saffron and zuchini and bacon and 2) polenta with gorgonzola and mushrooms. J had 1) tagliatelle with pesto and 2) salad de Giulietta. T had 1) pumpkin ravioli and 2) eggplant. IT WAS AMAZING! Thanks Ann and Joe!
Then we wandered the city and found the old theatre and a beautiful vista of the city. That meal (and the wine) and the 90+ degree heat rendered us absolutely usless for the rest of the afternoon, so we headed back to the guesthouse for siesta time.
Now we're off for the evening! Looking forward to a stroll and food, if we can find any room...
Ciao,
T, K & J
I awoke finding that I still had songs from the Sound of Music stuck in my head. Julia's resentment of the alarm reminded me that we were no longer in the hills of Salzburg but in Verona! We haven't been hungry since we arrived in this fair city, but we had a big breakfast anyway. Cappucinos all around. We attempted booking the next (and final... and last minute... and still unknown) leg of our journey but the ancient computer had other ideas. After two rejected bookings and 30 minutes of wasted sunshine we gave up and got directions to an internet cafè. We found a FNAC (our local guide Julia pronounces it 'Fi-knack' - she said they had them in Alicante) and used their 'high speed' (read 'normal') internet to book flights to Barcelona and a hostel. Success!
Naturally we were famished after such an excursion. Computer time takes a lot out of us. So Katie bought a snack! Puff pastry with nutella. Check.
We scoured the streets for the next lunch option and found the restaurant Tess's boss recommended and then stumbled upon Juliet's Balcony! THE Juliet! Upon entry the walls are covered with international professions of love (Graffiti of hearts). The balcony was built in the 1920's and was very pretty. A short photo shoot later, moving on.
Julia here -- On to more important things! We continued our quest for lunch and dined at the spot recommended by the One and Only Ann and Joe, our most trusted sources for all things Italian. True to form, the restaurant Osteria Romeo e Giulietta was adorable, cozy and by far our best meal yet. It was a bargain and two courses each: K had 1) penne with saffron and zuchini and bacon and 2) polenta with gorgonzola and mushrooms. J had 1) tagliatelle with pesto and 2) salad de Giulietta. T had 1) pumpkin ravioli and 2) eggplant. IT WAS AMAZING! Thanks Ann and Joe!
Then we wandered the city and found the old theatre and a beautiful vista of the city. That meal (and the wine) and the 90+ degree heat rendered us absolutely usless for the rest of the afternoon, so we headed back to the guesthouse for siesta time.
Now we're off for the evening! Looking forward to a stroll and food, if we can find any room...
Ciao,
T, K & J
Monday, August 1, 2011
Venezia
We are exhausted after a long day in Venice. It was our first day of real sunshine in a week and we have the freckles to show for it! Venice was amazing and only cost 6Euro to get there - still can't quite believe it. We got to town very, very early and enjoyed the quiet little streets before the tourists crammed in. We all agreed that the morning exploring the lesser known sites was our favorite part. And we saw it all - the Grand Canal, the gondolas, St. Mark's square. The weather was perfect and we had a lovely pizza break to get our energy back before finding the perfect place in Square Stefano for more pizza and calzones. Katie hit a home run and found a perfect bag for school this year and Julia and I rounded out the quest for Italian leather with wallets... which we hunted for in every shop and Julia ensured we got the best price. We also saw the bag our Mom got when she was here, so we knew it was a sign. The tiny little canals were my favorite part, and it was so crazy to figure out the map! We just soaked it all up and enjoyed walking aimlessly, peeking into shops and cooing over each balcony cuter than the next.
I really need to post pictures to show how great the day was, but I am literally typing on the oldest computer I have ever seen. It sounds like there is a car engine running next to me. We ended the day with some cannoli for the train. We are exhausted and back in Verona planning the next leg of our journey, which may be Barcelona before Madrid. Tomorrow we have to explore what we've not yet seen in Verona, including Giuliette's balcony and the restaurant Anne and Jo recommended! We still have to dine there- its a goal.
Happy, tired, and full of carbs,
T, K, J
I really need to post pictures to show how great the day was, but I am literally typing on the oldest computer I have ever seen. It sounds like there is a car engine running next to me. We ended the day with some cannoli for the train. We are exhausted and back in Verona planning the next leg of our journey, which may be Barcelona before Madrid. Tomorrow we have to explore what we've not yet seen in Verona, including Giuliette's balcony and the restaurant Anne and Jo recommended! We still have to dine there- its a goal.
Happy, tired, and full of carbs,
T, K, J
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Buona sera, Italia!
We made it to Italy! Our departure from Innsbruck was marked by a late train, but the gorgeous scenery on the way to Italy from Austria made us glad it was a long trip. The Alps unfolded into rolling hills covered in castles, vineyards and churches and the steep mountains faded into the background. It was a 2 hour ride and we really could tell when we were in Italy just by looking out the window - it was beautiful. We had our last schnitzel sandwiches on the train and rolled in to find the climate so much warmer than Austria. Finally, it felt like summer! We are staying in Verona and after a bit of a delay checking in we were settled and could finally stroll the streets.
The streets. I cannot describe how charming this town is. We toured the big Arena in town and will hopefully attend a summer opera there on Tuesday night. We also found the restaurant Anne and Joe recommended, but it was closed. Hopefully, it was just shuttered for Sunday and not summer. We will try again tomorrow.
In the morning, we are off to Venice bright and early. So far 6£ will get a girl a big bowl of tagliattelle with mushrooms or a train pass to Venice! Either way, we are living it up.
More details soon! This hotel computer could be in the museum next to the early edition of Romeo and Juliet...
Happy, having fun and still exploring!
T, K & J
The streets. I cannot describe how charming this town is. We toured the big Arena in town and will hopefully attend a summer opera there on Tuesday night. We also found the restaurant Anne and Joe recommended, but it was closed. Hopefully, it was just shuttered for Sunday and not summer. We will try again tomorrow.
In the morning, we are off to Venice bright and early. So far 6£ will get a girl a big bowl of tagliattelle with mushrooms or a train pass to Venice! Either way, we are living it up.
More details soon! This hotel computer could be in the museum next to the early edition of Romeo and Juliet...
Happy, having fun and still exploring!
T, K & J
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Pictures!
Afternoon in the Alps at the Swarowski factory and Museum
At the Sound of Music House
On the bridge in Salzburg
Sisters in München at the end of our Bike Tour
This Blog is Supposed to be Written by All Three of Us So I am Forcing Julia to Help Me Write this In the Laundromat. By Tess and Julia.
Julia and Tess are writing this post on a laudromat computer in Innsbruck while we wait for clean clothes and Katie to study. Last night we arrived in the Innsbruck train station and much to our surprise it was a liiiittle sketchy. Juuuust a little. We had our money belts and a really confusing map. The walk was really shady and we may have made a wrong turn through a dangerous (or just empty?) park. The three of us grew silent as we kept walking, and walking... and each silently praying that our hotel was not actually in the neighborhood we seemed to be in. (With Tess whispering 'okay girls, quickly quickly nice and quick!'). Finally there it was on the horizon - the big yellow hotel. We made it!
It is cute and quaint. Very cozy. Tess and Julia did awake to a giant spider in their bed, but since it was a mounatin spider it was also quaint. Julia just woke up yelling 'Shoe!! Shoe!!! Shoe!! and we got him. Anyway the hotel is adorable and wooden paneling lines everything. Tiny doorways, beds and bathrooms. Dinner last night - we tried walking there. We really tried. We attempted to save money but it was a total failure so we took a cab. We finally made it to Old Town (AltStadt) and had dinner right next to the famous 'Golden Roof'. Katie had beef goulash, Julia had 5 different kinds of meat with dumplings and Tess had lamb stew. It was delicious.
This morning we woke up to our all-inclusive breakfast. The dining room was wood panelling and hadn't been changed... maybe ever. It was adorable. We sat in a booth and had cappucinos and Julia had cereal with warm milk... mmmm. (on accident - they always serve both warm and cold milk, and of course she wasn't exactly awake yet). Then we were off to the Hauptbanhof for the bus to the Swarovski museum! It was..........interesting.....
This place was weird. LOTS of weird modern art. But we loved the jewelry at the end! There were pretty gardens to walk through before our bus ride home. Our lunch was another cheap but delicious find - chicken schnitzel sandwiches and Schweppes Bitter Lemon on the hotel veranda. Just delicious. For only the second time this trip we caved to our inner wishes and took naps. Julia prevailed.
After naps it was off to the Bubble Point! We're doing laundry after a looong week of cold weather. Hopefully when we head to Verona tomorrow we can pack up the long pants, scarves and sleeves and get some sun!!
Auf wiedershen,
T&J
It is cute and quaint. Very cozy. Tess and Julia did awake to a giant spider in their bed, but since it was a mounatin spider it was also quaint. Julia just woke up yelling 'Shoe!! Shoe!!! Shoe!! and we got him. Anyway the hotel is adorable and wooden paneling lines everything. Tiny doorways, beds and bathrooms. Dinner last night - we tried walking there. We really tried. We attempted to save money but it was a total failure so we took a cab. We finally made it to Old Town (AltStadt) and had dinner right next to the famous 'Golden Roof'. Katie had beef goulash, Julia had 5 different kinds of meat with dumplings and Tess had lamb stew. It was delicious.
This morning we woke up to our all-inclusive breakfast. The dining room was wood panelling and hadn't been changed... maybe ever. It was adorable. We sat in a booth and had cappucinos and Julia had cereal with warm milk... mmmm. (on accident - they always serve both warm and cold milk, and of course she wasn't exactly awake yet). Then we were off to the Hauptbanhof for the bus to the Swarovski museum! It was..........interesting.....
This place was weird. LOTS of weird modern art. But we loved the jewelry at the end! There were pretty gardens to walk through before our bus ride home. Our lunch was another cheap but delicious find - chicken schnitzel sandwiches and Schweppes Bitter Lemon on the hotel veranda. Just delicious. For only the second time this trip we caved to our inner wishes and took naps. Julia prevailed.
After naps it was off to the Bubble Point! We're doing laundry after a looong week of cold weather. Hopefully when we head to Verona tomorrow we can pack up the long pants, scarves and sleeves and get some sun!!
Auf wiedershen,
T&J
Friday, July 29, 2011
Auf Wiedersehen, Salzburg! Dankeschön!!
Our main goal in Salzburg, aside from the Sound of Music adventure, was to make it to the fortress in the center of downtown Salzburg. We walked the 400 feet up to the top and passed through so many fortified walls that it was easy to understand how such a structure survived unscathed since 1077. It was like the castle in Disney's Sleeping Beauty - lots of little windows, archways and winding staircases. The view from the very highest tower was absolutely beyond words - 360 of the city and river below to one side, lush farmland to the other, lage old estates scattered around and beyond them the foothills of the Alps with sun shining down upon them. Truly hard to believe.
We enjoyed our tour and the tram ride down the mountain and then got a bit of shopping done in the town square - we think we've got the perfect present for Grandpa Feldman already! Julia remembered that we forgot to see the Abbey where the movie was filmed so we wound through tiny alleys to get there, and it was also just charming and beautiful. It has been a nunnery for over 500 years non-stop. Just astounding.
We then strolled through parts of old town that we had missed and had a lovely lunch at a bakery cafe, sitting outside with our coffee and watching locals and tourists walk by. I still can't get over the amound of Daschunds in this city - more than I've ever seen and they're absolutely adorable. Julia has plans to kidnap one and bring it home and name it Portillo.
After lunch we grabbed our bags from the Jufa and cabbed it through the rain to the Hauptbanhof for our train to Innsbruck! We made it and it was an absolutely gorgeous 2 hour ride on a high speed train through the tiniest mountain towns one could picture. We made it safely and will report on this little town tomorrow! It has been cold and rainy for the last few days - hoping to get some sunshine again soon. Still loving every second of it.
xoxo friends and family - Thanks for reading!
The Girls
We enjoyed our tour and the tram ride down the mountain and then got a bit of shopping done in the town square - we think we've got the perfect present for Grandpa Feldman already! Julia remembered that we forgot to see the Abbey where the movie was filmed so we wound through tiny alleys to get there, and it was also just charming and beautiful. It has been a nunnery for over 500 years non-stop. Just astounding.
We then strolled through parts of old town that we had missed and had a lovely lunch at a bakery cafe, sitting outside with our coffee and watching locals and tourists walk by. I still can't get over the amound of Daschunds in this city - more than I've ever seen and they're absolutely adorable. Julia has plans to kidnap one and bring it home and name it Portillo.
After lunch we grabbed our bags from the Jufa and cabbed it through the rain to the Hauptbanhof for our train to Innsbruck! We made it and it was an absolutely gorgeous 2 hour ride on a high speed train through the tiniest mountain towns one could picture. We made it safely and will report on this little town tomorrow! It has been cold and rainy for the last few days - hoping to get some sunshine again soon. Still loving every second of it.
xoxo friends and family - Thanks for reading!
The Girls
And schnitzel with noodles...
We loved our 2 days at the Jufa Hostel. It felt like a college dorm from Ikea and was full of families and young people, yet clean and fun - not scruffy in the least. Our room was just perfect for 3 people and Katie had a drop-down bunk over the other beds with a view of the castle illuminated at night. We took the good advice of the girl at the front desk and after our Sound of Music adventure we walked to town for a local meal. The place was perfect - we knew that since everyone inside stared at us when we walked in, we had likely found a spot for 'real locals'. The späztle was amazing, Katie's bread dumplings were great and Julia had an Austrian chicken gyro - a real Euro gyro. Her Zipfer beer was great and Katie and I had local white wine which was very good. We took a long stroll after dark and stumbled upon a live orchestra broadcast in the town square. It was gorgeous and we ventured up the mountain towards the castle to check out a beer hall that made the guidebook. The Stiegl Keller had an amazing 5 level terrace that would have been perfect if the rain cleared. We sat outside under an awning and had beers and apple strüdel overlooking the entire city of Salyburg - big copper cathedral domes, ornate plaster-work on old palaces and more clock-towers than one could count. We went home to the Jufa full, sleepy and happy.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Raindrops on Roses
Even though we had our first day of gloomy weather, our second day in Austria was excellent! Katie and Julia were very sleepy this morning so we enjoyed the comforts of the hostel for the free breakfast for the morning. We headed out across town along the Salzach river, walking between the bright blue glacial water and the Alps themselves. We admired mansions and castles then crossed the river into town to admire shops and cafes. It was a very warm morning and after picking up a few trinkets and band-aids for some weary feet we stopped by a bakery for pretzel-bread sandwiches. For just over 6 euro we packed the lunch and strolled back to our hostel - we had to get back in time to catch our bus for the Sound of Music Tour!!
We took off in a big, touristy coach bus with a big, touristy guide named Bernie. We enjoyed the afternoon a great deal, but mixed in with the beautiful vistas of the Alps, Castles, the lake and gazebo from the movie were an awful lot of weird sing-alongs with Bernie in his Liederhösen and the uncomfortable foreign bus-riders. Katie and Julia and I sang along for quite a while and it was really funny, but after 5 hours and getting caught in the rain we were ready to get back to our hostel. It was worth the ride just to see as much of the surrounding city as we did. My favorite part, in addition to the funny pictures and gorgeous views, was the stop at Moon Lake town for a visit to the church where Maria gets married in the movie. It was absolutely beautiful and we lit a candle for our grandma Terry. She would have loved it. We also asked our tour guide about the tourist sites when our mom visited - we grew up hearing stories of how she snuck into all the good spots, and we were curious how she could have done that. Bernie may have called Marie's bluff! We think she may have been pulling our leg. Mom, we'll confirm in about 10 days :)
Tonight we're drying off and heading back into town for a cheap, local dinner of Austrian food and then heading to a bar built into the mountain 200 years ago. Having a blast and taking sooo many funny pictures. Laughing constantly, eating lots of European chocolate and gummies. We are 3 lucky girls!
We took off in a big, touristy coach bus with a big, touristy guide named Bernie. We enjoyed the afternoon a great deal, but mixed in with the beautiful vistas of the Alps, Castles, the lake and gazebo from the movie were an awful lot of weird sing-alongs with Bernie in his Liederhösen and the uncomfortable foreign bus-riders. Katie and Julia and I sang along for quite a while and it was really funny, but after 5 hours and getting caught in the rain we were ready to get back to our hostel. It was worth the ride just to see as much of the surrounding city as we did. My favorite part, in addition to the funny pictures and gorgeous views, was the stop at Moon Lake town for a visit to the church where Maria gets married in the movie. It was absolutely beautiful and we lit a candle for our grandma Terry. She would have loved it. We also asked our tour guide about the tourist sites when our mom visited - we grew up hearing stories of how she snuck into all the good spots, and we were curious how she could have done that. Bernie may have called Marie's bluff! We think she may have been pulling our leg. Mom, we'll confirm in about 10 days :)
Tonight we're drying off and heading back into town for a cheap, local dinner of Austrian food and then heading to a bar built into the mountain 200 years ago. Having a blast and taking sooo many funny pictures. Laughing constantly, eating lots of European chocolate and gummies. We are 3 lucky girls!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The Munchkins are in Munchenland!!!
Tess and katie had a smooth flight across the world and met Julia in the Madrid airport on Monday morning! We made great use of the benches in the airport and slept in shifts while waiting for our flight to Munich. We figured out the 'bahn' trains very quickly - they really do arrive on time! The three of us checked into our hotel and stepped out for a quick dinner in the neighborhood - meat, potatoes, meat, meat and potatoes! And beer, of course. It was delicious, bacon on everything. After our first night of real sleep in 36 hours we went on Mike's Bike Tour in downtown Munich. It was a great recommendation from a friend! We saw all the sights - cathedral, royal palace, opera house, interesting glimpses of the Resistance Movement, the Englisher garden and lunch at a huge beer garden! Rotissere chicken, potatoes, sausage and beer was the best break we could imagine from all that peddaling. After the bike tour we toured the market and had a snack of apple struedal for an appetizer :) Then it was a quick nap before going to the world famous Hofbräuhäus!! We had a few drinks with the oompah band in the background and were joined by two nerdz german dudes that we found HILARIOUS! (Picture the schprocket guy from SNL.) We closed the place down and fought severe urges to buy gelato on the way home.
Day 2 in Munich
We got up very early and breakfasted in the adorable hotel dining room before packing up and heading to the Dachau concentration camp. We were surprised to find out how close it was to the center of downtown Munich, so we talked about it and decided it would be really important to see and experience. We were on the train 20 minutes and took a short bus ride to the memorial site. It was moving to say the least. The three of us did an audio tour of the main building, the entrance, past the doors saying 'work will set you free' into the rows and rows and rows of barracks. There was a huge yard for roll call which was much, much larger than I had imagined. We were struck by what a neighborhood surrounded the site and the expanse of the space. Our general takeaway was that it was done respectfully and demurely but more scientifically than we expected. There was no emotion in any of the descriptions or explanations. At the very end of the rows of barracks were chapels built in the '60's and '70's by the Jewish community and the catholic church.It was very moving and we were glad to go and have the freedom to leave the town of Dachau at the end of the day.
We raced back to our Munich hotel and grabbed our bags for a run (literally) to the main train station for the train to Salzburg, Austria. The giant backpacks tried to hold us back but we ran with all our might to catch the 4:32pm on track 9 to Salzburg. It was an absolutely beautiful train ride through farmland and the mountains. We ate cured ham, baguette, fresh gouda and fresh peaches for our lunch on the train - just divine. As we approached the town we had a picturesque moment pulling into town and seeing the fortress on the hill that was featured in the Sound of Music.
The town of Salzburg seems small but is quite spread out, so we took a taxi to our hostel, and here I write! The hostel is comfortable and katie is sleeping in the drop-down bunkbed in our room. Its pretty cool! Katie and Julia just joined the group in the hostel lobby for the nightly viewing of the movie Sound of Music, so we'll know what to look for on our tour. We'll step out for a late night dinner and start to explore Salzburg when we get our second win. The grand tour continues!!
Day 2 in Munich
We got up very early and breakfasted in the adorable hotel dining room before packing up and heading to the Dachau concentration camp. We were surprised to find out how close it was to the center of downtown Munich, so we talked about it and decided it would be really important to see and experience. We were on the train 20 minutes and took a short bus ride to the memorial site. It was moving to say the least. The three of us did an audio tour of the main building, the entrance, past the doors saying 'work will set you free' into the rows and rows and rows of barracks. There was a huge yard for roll call which was much, much larger than I had imagined. We were struck by what a neighborhood surrounded the site and the expanse of the space. Our general takeaway was that it was done respectfully and demurely but more scientifically than we expected. There was no emotion in any of the descriptions or explanations. At the very end of the rows of barracks were chapels built in the '60's and '70's by the Jewish community and the catholic church.It was very moving and we were glad to go and have the freedom to leave the town of Dachau at the end of the day.
We raced back to our Munich hotel and grabbed our bags for a run (literally) to the main train station for the train to Salzburg, Austria. The giant backpacks tried to hold us back but we ran with all our might to catch the 4:32pm on track 9 to Salzburg. It was an absolutely beautiful train ride through farmland and the mountains. We ate cured ham, baguette, fresh gouda and fresh peaches for our lunch on the train - just divine. As we approached the town we had a picturesque moment pulling into town and seeing the fortress on the hill that was featured in the Sound of Music.
The town of Salzburg seems small but is quite spread out, so we took a taxi to our hostel, and here I write! The hostel is comfortable and katie is sleeping in the drop-down bunkbed in our room. Its pretty cool! Katie and Julia just joined the group in the hostel lobby for the nightly viewing of the movie Sound of Music, so we'll know what to look for on our tour. We'll step out for a late night dinner and start to explore Salzburg when we get our second win. The grand tour continues!!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Our Grand Tour
This is it - we're taking a trip around Europe! I like to think we're very Victorian in our aim to survey the cultural landscape of countries we've never been to. (Yeah, we're actually just backpacking and staying in hostels, but it sounds so much cooler to be taking such a tour...)
"The primary value of the Grand Tour, it was believed, lay in the exposure both to the cultural legacy of classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A grand tour could last from several months to several years." (NY Times, Thompson - The Making of the English Middle Class - 1991).
Well, our grand tour is going to be 2 weeks long - but it will no doubt impact us forever. I'm not sure we're part of the fashionably polite society, but this is the grand tour that the Feldman Sisters (heretofore denoted the FS) have dreamed about since their girlhood. Our mother regaled us with stories of her European adventure as a teenager - sneaking onto Ferries to cross the English channel, eating pastry for an entire summer, getting onto the wrong train car and being detached (literally) from the group... with those stories in mind, we set out for this adventure. It will be a tough challenge to come up with new antics of our own, but I have full faith in my sisters.
Here is the map of our anticipated journey:
View Larger Map
I am so blessed to be taking this adventure, to spend such quality time with my sisters, for the generosity of our parents to not only support but encourage such a trip, and to our boyfriends for allowing us to high-tail it out of town right as the midwest gets nice and sunny. We love you all.
Today, Katie and I head to Madrid. We will meet world-traveler-of-the-month Julia in the Madrid Airport and fly on to Munich together. Let the adventures begin!!
"The primary value of the Grand Tour, it was believed, lay in the exposure both to the cultural legacy of classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A grand tour could last from several months to several years." (NY Times, Thompson - The Making of the English Middle Class - 1991).
Well, our grand tour is going to be 2 weeks long - but it will no doubt impact us forever. I'm not sure we're part of the fashionably polite society, but this is the grand tour that the Feldman Sisters (heretofore denoted the FS) have dreamed about since their girlhood. Our mother regaled us with stories of her European adventure as a teenager - sneaking onto Ferries to cross the English channel, eating pastry for an entire summer, getting onto the wrong train car and being detached (literally) from the group... with those stories in mind, we set out for this adventure. It will be a tough challenge to come up with new antics of our own, but I have full faith in my sisters.
Here is the map of our anticipated journey:
View Larger Map
I am so blessed to be taking this adventure, to spend such quality time with my sisters, for the generosity of our parents to not only support but encourage such a trip, and to our boyfriends for allowing us to high-tail it out of town right as the midwest gets nice and sunny. We love you all.
Today, Katie and I head to Madrid. We will meet world-traveler-of-the-month Julia in the Madrid Airport and fly on to Munich together. Let the adventures begin!!
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