Friday, July 24, 2009
Gimmewald!
Sorry these posts are long overdue...
We took the night train from Praha to Interlachen and we actually slept! It was pretty amazing actually. After 16 hours on the train we got on a cable car (gondola) and took that 3000 feet up to Gimmewald. We lugged our bags up a steep, looong flight of stairs and arrived at Walter's hotel. We were greated by a wonderful Englishman named Tim (who would turn out to be our savior of our stay) and shown to our room. The hotel only has about 10-12 rooms, is very old, and the stairs creaked just the right way. We settled in, enjoyed the beautiful (almost fake) view from our balcony, and then asked Tim (like we would every single day) what a good hike would be to go on.
That first day we decided on an "easy" hike that Tim helped us pick out of a book. We would hike up the mountain to the tree line, then across to a big waterfall that we could walk behind. Now when you see "easy" next to a hike you usually think relatively flat, easy hiking... this was no such hike. It was basically straight up. But it was totally worth the effort. We got to the waterfall, took our pictures, and decided to keep going up. We got up to the top and had a great view of the Schiltbaun (or something like that) and the Jungfrau. I wont attempt to describe what this all looked like because, well, you will not believe me. So you will just have to wait for the pictures.
That night we had dinner at Walter's hotel (soup, rice with mushroom\shrimp sauce, spinnach, ice cream) and met some really great people who were also staying at the Hotel. Went to bed early since we were tired from the train ride and hiking. The next day we woke up and couldn't see the tree outside our window, which kind of ruined our hiking plans. So we asked Tim what a good hike would be and we decided to stay low and hike along a river down in the valley up to an open meadow. This was probably our favorite hike. We went along the river and came to the most beautiful valley we had ever seen (again, just wait for the pictures). It was full of flowers and waterfalls, too many to count. Luckily it cleared up by this time and we were able to see Gimmewald on the side of the mountain where we came from. We spent some time sitting here for a while and then went back just before dinner to enjoy our view again. We had dinner at the Hotel again (spahgetti) and met some more great people.
The next day we were once again faced with questionable weather, and once again Tim came to our rescue. Another amazing hike with amazing views (we can't wait to show you our pictures!) and this time we got to see the town of Müren which is a 30 minute walk up the mountain from Gimmewald. That night we went down to the Hostel in Gimmewald to have dinner (pizza and chocolate fondue) and hit the sack early again.
I should say that Walter's hotel is owned by an 80 year old man named Walter. He is very cute and makes you believe that his english is not very good (but it is). He is the nicest old man and gets along with everyone and likes to tell jokes. We loved our stay here and would recomend it to anyone going to this area of Switzerland.
The next day we went down and stayed in Interlachen. We went for a boat ride on one of the lakes there and did laundry and made dinner. We also had a lot of rain that day... well most of out trip had been like that actually. A lot of rain. We have heard that it is really not normal and Europe has not had this much rain for a long time. Lucky us! We really enjoyed our time in Switzerland. It is beautiful, and very unique. If you come to Europe, you need to come here!
We took the night train from Praha to Interlachen and we actually slept! It was pretty amazing actually. After 16 hours on the train we got on a cable car (gondola) and took that 3000 feet up to Gimmewald. We lugged our bags up a steep, looong flight of stairs and arrived at Walter's hotel. We were greated by a wonderful Englishman named Tim (who would turn out to be our savior of our stay) and shown to our room. The hotel only has about 10-12 rooms, is very old, and the stairs creaked just the right way. We settled in, enjoyed the beautiful (almost fake) view from our balcony, and then asked Tim (like we would every single day) what a good hike would be to go on.
That first day we decided on an "easy" hike that Tim helped us pick out of a book. We would hike up the mountain to the tree line, then across to a big waterfall that we could walk behind. Now when you see "easy" next to a hike you usually think relatively flat, easy hiking... this was no such hike. It was basically straight up. But it was totally worth the effort. We got to the waterfall, took our pictures, and decided to keep going up. We got up to the top and had a great view of the Schiltbaun (or something like that) and the Jungfrau. I wont attempt to describe what this all looked like because, well, you will not believe me. So you will just have to wait for the pictures.
That night we had dinner at Walter's hotel (soup, rice with mushroom\shrimp sauce, spinnach, ice cream) and met some really great people who were also staying at the Hotel. Went to bed early since we were tired from the train ride and hiking. The next day we woke up and couldn't see the tree outside our window, which kind of ruined our hiking plans. So we asked Tim what a good hike would be and we decided to stay low and hike along a river down in the valley up to an open meadow. This was probably our favorite hike. We went along the river and came to the most beautiful valley we had ever seen (again, just wait for the pictures). It was full of flowers and waterfalls, too many to count. Luckily it cleared up by this time and we were able to see Gimmewald on the side of the mountain where we came from. We spent some time sitting here for a while and then went back just before dinner to enjoy our view again. We had dinner at the Hotel again (spahgetti) and met some more great people.
The next day we were once again faced with questionable weather, and once again Tim came to our rescue. Another amazing hike with amazing views (we can't wait to show you our pictures!) and this time we got to see the town of Müren which is a 30 minute walk up the mountain from Gimmewald. That night we went down to the Hostel in Gimmewald to have dinner (pizza and chocolate fondue) and hit the sack early again.
I should say that Walter's hotel is owned by an 80 year old man named Walter. He is very cute and makes you believe that his english is not very good (but it is). He is the nicest old man and gets along with everyone and likes to tell jokes. We loved our stay here and would recomend it to anyone going to this area of Switzerland.
The next day we went down and stayed in Interlachen. We went for a boat ride on one of the lakes there and did laundry and made dinner. We also had a lot of rain that day... well most of out trip had been like that actually. A lot of rain. We have heard that it is really not normal and Europe has not had this much rain for a long time. Lucky us! We really enjoyed our time in Switzerland. It is beautiful, and very unique. If you come to Europe, you need to come here!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Prague
We really loved Prague. It was our first taste of a little bit of Eastern Europe, and it was everything that we heard it would be. We had a great hostel that was in a wonderful location, about 5 minutes walking distance from the Old Town Square.
When we arrived, we struggled adjusting to the language. It was not even remotely close to anything that we had been speaking before. It was also hard to adjust to the money. They do not use the Euro, but the Crown. So we are walking around with thousands of "corona" and we felt like we were rich with all of this money...but no, not really. To give you an idea, 1000 Czech Crown is around $50 American dollars. We really had to think hard each time we made a purchase. A drink may have been around 25 crown, which was about $1.20. Really crazy.
The first night we arrived, our hostel told us to try this really great beer hall. It was one of the oldest in town, dating back to the 1400s. We did, and it was probably our best night in Prague. We walked into this small hall with long picnic table-looking things, and had the time of our lives. There was a small group of men playing the baritone and accordian. People would sing along with the Czech songs they would play, and then errupt into applause at the end. Men would walk around with trays of beer. Mark loved it..He said it was the best beer yet. Once they gave you a beer, they would just mark a tally on your "ticket". It was great fun. We really tried to eat as much Czech food as we could. Our meals included these great bread dumplings, duck, beef, sauerkraut, pork and all sorts of good stuff. It was so much fun.
For the rest of our time in Prague, we visted the Prague castle in the town, the Jewish quarter, the Old Town Square, St. Charles Bridge, and several other sites around town. One night, a Bohemian Jazz Festival was going on. The night didn't start out so hot. The first band was a Finnish group of about 5 guys wearing neon colored track suits...we admired their style...how bad could the music be? Bad, is the answer. They combined brass and some electric guitars, and played this music that made us want to gouge our eyes out. Yes, seriously. It was this hazy, creepy, completely non-metrical, whacked-out sound. They were good musicians, but seriously...really bad. The festival finished with several other really great bands. One girl from Sweden was my favorite. The festival finished with an American named Chris Potter Underground. The crowd loved him, and he and his band were awesome.
On one night, we met up with a friend Ellen, who goes to DU, and her mom for dinner and drinks. They live in Dresden, Germany and they drove to Prague for the evening. It was great fun, and really great to see some people that we knew!
Prague rocked. Go if you can. Until we talk to you again!! Thanks for reading!
When we arrived, we struggled adjusting to the language. It was not even remotely close to anything that we had been speaking before. It was also hard to adjust to the money. They do not use the Euro, but the Crown. So we are walking around with thousands of "corona" and we felt like we were rich with all of this money...but no, not really. To give you an idea, 1000 Czech Crown is around $50 American dollars. We really had to think hard each time we made a purchase. A drink may have been around 25 crown, which was about $1.20. Really crazy.
The first night we arrived, our hostel told us to try this really great beer hall. It was one of the oldest in town, dating back to the 1400s. We did, and it was probably our best night in Prague. We walked into this small hall with long picnic table-looking things, and had the time of our lives. There was a small group of men playing the baritone and accordian. People would sing along with the Czech songs they would play, and then errupt into applause at the end. Men would walk around with trays of beer. Mark loved it..He said it was the best beer yet. Once they gave you a beer, they would just mark a tally on your "ticket". It was great fun. We really tried to eat as much Czech food as we could. Our meals included these great bread dumplings, duck, beef, sauerkraut, pork and all sorts of good stuff. It was so much fun.
For the rest of our time in Prague, we visted the Prague castle in the town, the Jewish quarter, the Old Town Square, St. Charles Bridge, and several other sites around town. One night, a Bohemian Jazz Festival was going on. The night didn't start out so hot. The first band was a Finnish group of about 5 guys wearing neon colored track suits...we admired their style...how bad could the music be? Bad, is the answer. They combined brass and some electric guitars, and played this music that made us want to gouge our eyes out. Yes, seriously. It was this hazy, creepy, completely non-metrical, whacked-out sound. They were good musicians, but seriously...really bad. The festival finished with several other really great bands. One girl from Sweden was my favorite. The festival finished with an American named Chris Potter Underground. The crowd loved him, and he and his band were awesome.
On one night, we met up with a friend Ellen, who goes to DU, and her mom for dinner and drinks. They live in Dresden, Germany and they drove to Prague for the evening. It was great fun, and really great to see some people that we knew!
Prague rocked. Go if you can. Until we talk to you again!! Thanks for reading!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Vienna
We arrived in Vienna from the night train from Venice. While we didn't sleep much, we were excited to see the city. Vienna has the best little transit system. There are trams above ground that easily connect you to the many areas of town. We have been so impressed with all of the city transportation here.
We found our hostel, which was very close to the train station we arrived at. The first day, we took a tram tour of the town, giving a brief glance to all of the major sites. We then spent a little more time on apartment stuff, but while we were doing that, we got to spend a lot of time walking through some cool districts. That evening, we had dinner at this fun place called WeinerWald (pronounced "vener vald). The WeinerWald is the country side in Vienna, which we visited the following day.
We didn't have the much time in Vienna, but the time we did have, we very much enjoyed. We took a Rick Steves guided walk of the area near the Opera, as well as taking a guided tour of the Vienna Opera House. It was incredible. We were able to see the back stage, and the many different parts of one of the oldest Opera houses in the world. We went to one of the two palaces in Vienna - the Hofburg Palace, which was the palace of Franz Joseph, the Emporer from way back. We also went to a museum called the Haus der Musik. It was a very interesting look at sound, the brain, and several of the "big guy" composers from Vienna - Beethoven, Mozart, Hayden, Strauss. It was a bit overwhelming, but we really liked this museum.
On our last night in Vienna, we had one of our best nights so far. Every night during the summer, the city of Vienna puts on a festival of music and food. There are around 25 stands of all sorts of ethnic food and drink set up. We had some amazing Japanese and Australian food. Then, around dusk, they play a classical music concert on a jumbo tron. It is a way to expose people to good food, and music that they may not otherwise here. It was such a great night.
We left Vienna, wishing we had more time, but all in all, it was such a great city. We will return!
We found our hostel, which was very close to the train station we arrived at. The first day, we took a tram tour of the town, giving a brief glance to all of the major sites. We then spent a little more time on apartment stuff, but while we were doing that, we got to spend a lot of time walking through some cool districts. That evening, we had dinner at this fun place called WeinerWald (pronounced "vener vald). The WeinerWald is the country side in Vienna, which we visited the following day.
We didn't have the much time in Vienna, but the time we did have, we very much enjoyed. We took a Rick Steves guided walk of the area near the Opera, as well as taking a guided tour of the Vienna Opera House. It was incredible. We were able to see the back stage, and the many different parts of one of the oldest Opera houses in the world. We went to one of the two palaces in Vienna - the Hofburg Palace, which was the palace of Franz Joseph, the Emporer from way back. We also went to a museum called the Haus der Musik. It was a very interesting look at sound, the brain, and several of the "big guy" composers from Vienna - Beethoven, Mozart, Hayden, Strauss. It was a bit overwhelming, but we really liked this museum.
On our last night in Vienna, we had one of our best nights so far. Every night during the summer, the city of Vienna puts on a festival of music and food. There are around 25 stands of all sorts of ethnic food and drink set up. We had some amazing Japanese and Australian food. Then, around dusk, they play a classical music concert on a jumbo tron. It is a way to expose people to good food, and music that they may not otherwise here. It was such a great night.
We left Vienna, wishing we had more time, but all in all, it was such a great city. We will return!
Friday, July 10, 2009
The City of Masks...
Someone recently asked us what our favorite city has been so far. We had a difficult time answering that, because each new city has it's own charm and amazing points. Each new city is our favorite. This was also true about Venice. We took a fast train from the south of Italy, in Rome, to northern Italy in Venice. It took about 4 hours which is great time considering the distance that we covered.
It was so fun to see the classical "Venice" scene as we approached the train station...no cars, just water, St. Mark's Sqaure, gondeliers....the works!! The first thing we did was book our night train out of Venice to Vienna. We then bought our "vaparetto"- water bus- tickets, and made it over to St. Mark's square. Mark has been our amazing navigator this whole trip. He is the map master, I tell you!! I thought I had a sense of direction before this trip, but once we hit Europe turf, I was lost!! I decided that it was my turn to find our final destination, so I took off. I'd been to Venice before- all the way back in 2000, so it was fun to walk around, and see what I remembered. I led us all the way to our hotel, and I didn't even know where we were going. We just happened to get there!! I felt brilliant!
Our hotel was located a quick 2-3 minute walk from St. Mark's square. It was beautifully located on a small, back-street canal. We dropped off our bags, and decided to get lost somewhere. Venice is very difficult to navigate. It is so easy to get lost in the canal streets. We ended up finding our way to a pizza shop, and we sat by the canal, and had some coke and pizza. It was very yummy! It was such a perfect setting. We watched all of the gondeliers gracefully push their gondolas through the peaceful water. That night, we went to a Rick Steve's recommended place for dinner. It was located right on the canal. We very much enjoyed the setting...the food was okay, but we were paying for the location! Before dinner, we were walking around the Rialto bridge area, enjoying the scene. We walked by a chess store. The owner made all sorts of different sets that were very interesting to gaze at. Mark took a picture of one of the sets, and before you know it, the owner comes outside, screaming at us to pay her for the picture we had just taken!! "5 euros for that picture! 5 euros!" She was so angry!! We just walked away...she was so rediculous! She is in the wrong town if she doesn't like tourists.
The next day, we visited Frari church, browsed the streets and window shopped, enjoyed a local farmer's market, visited the Correr Museum, St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace. After a long day, we enjoyed yet another gelato, and enjoyed the dueling orchestra's in San Marco square.
The next day, we spent a good portion of the day relaxing, and working on some apartment stuff from back home. We did see another beautiful church called Salute. That night, we left on the night train for Vienna. Let's just say that we really do not enjoy night trains...You just don't sleep at all! But it saves you sightseeing time the next day!
We will post again from Vienna!
It was so fun to see the classical "Venice" scene as we approached the train station...no cars, just water, St. Mark's Sqaure, gondeliers....the works!! The first thing we did was book our night train out of Venice to Vienna. We then bought our "vaparetto"- water bus- tickets, and made it over to St. Mark's square. Mark has been our amazing navigator this whole trip. He is the map master, I tell you!! I thought I had a sense of direction before this trip, but once we hit Europe turf, I was lost!! I decided that it was my turn to find our final destination, so I took off. I'd been to Venice before- all the way back in 2000, so it was fun to walk around, and see what I remembered. I led us all the way to our hotel, and I didn't even know where we were going. We just happened to get there!! I felt brilliant!
Our hotel was located a quick 2-3 minute walk from St. Mark's square. It was beautifully located on a small, back-street canal. We dropped off our bags, and decided to get lost somewhere. Venice is very difficult to navigate. It is so easy to get lost in the canal streets. We ended up finding our way to a pizza shop, and we sat by the canal, and had some coke and pizza. It was very yummy! It was such a perfect setting. We watched all of the gondeliers gracefully push their gondolas through the peaceful water. That night, we went to a Rick Steve's recommended place for dinner. It was located right on the canal. We very much enjoyed the setting...the food was okay, but we were paying for the location! Before dinner, we were walking around the Rialto bridge area, enjoying the scene. We walked by a chess store. The owner made all sorts of different sets that were very interesting to gaze at. Mark took a picture of one of the sets, and before you know it, the owner comes outside, screaming at us to pay her for the picture we had just taken!! "5 euros for that picture! 5 euros!" She was so angry!! We just walked away...she was so rediculous! She is in the wrong town if she doesn't like tourists.
The next day, we visited Frari church, browsed the streets and window shopped, enjoyed a local farmer's market, visited the Correr Museum, St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace. After a long day, we enjoyed yet another gelato, and enjoyed the dueling orchestra's in San Marco square.
The next day, we spent a good portion of the day relaxing, and working on some apartment stuff from back home. We did see another beautiful church called Salute. That night, we left on the night train for Vienna. Let's just say that we really do not enjoy night trains...You just don't sleep at all! But it saves you sightseeing time the next day!
We will post again from Vienna!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
When in Rome....
Rome was our third stop on our Italian extravaganza, and we absolutely loved it. Firstly, the history, as you can imagine, is so incredible, it is mind blowing. The Colleseum, the ancient Forum, Vatican City..every new point in the city that we visited, we were astounded.
We arrived in Rome in a downpour. At first we were disapointed, but then realized the blessing that was the rain. The heat during the days was draining, and so the afternoon rain that blessed us for several of the days that we were there was wonderful. After the rain cleared that first night, we took a night walk around Rome. We saw the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, had an incredible dessert called ´Death by Chocolate´, and had a wonderful dinner in the Campo de Fiori area.
The next day, we did what Rick Steves calls the Ceaser Shuffle. We visited the Colleseum, which was one of our favorite landmarks, the Forum and the Pantheon. The heat was incredible, but we made it, and we were happy to see those amazing things. The room we were staying in wasnt very comfortable...the bed slanted and we were rolling towards each other. We asked the place if there was another room and we got bumped up to the best room they had...king size bed, air conditioning, and on a quiet street! It was perfect.
The next day we visited Vatican City. Wow is really all we can say in this short time that we have on the internet. It was astounding, beautiful, and overwhelming with the history we had a chance to be a part of. Learning from our first few weeks, we tried to take it a little more slowly here in Rome. We might have died if we were pulling 12 to 13 hour days. In the last day, we went and visited some Catacombs. They were incredible, and different from the other sights that we have seen, which was a nice change.
We had our fair share of lasagne and Italian food while we were in Rome, which we didnt mind at all. We have met so many nice people on our journey. We feel very blessed and excited with all of our new friends!!
Sorry this post is shorter. Internet seems to be expensive. We will update on Venice soon!! Much love and thanks for reading!
We arrived in Rome in a downpour. At first we were disapointed, but then realized the blessing that was the rain. The heat during the days was draining, and so the afternoon rain that blessed us for several of the days that we were there was wonderful. After the rain cleared that first night, we took a night walk around Rome. We saw the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, had an incredible dessert called ´Death by Chocolate´, and had a wonderful dinner in the Campo de Fiori area.
The next day, we did what Rick Steves calls the Ceaser Shuffle. We visited the Colleseum, which was one of our favorite landmarks, the Forum and the Pantheon. The heat was incredible, but we made it, and we were happy to see those amazing things. The room we were staying in wasnt very comfortable...the bed slanted and we were rolling towards each other. We asked the place if there was another room and we got bumped up to the best room they had...king size bed, air conditioning, and on a quiet street! It was perfect.
The next day we visited Vatican City. Wow is really all we can say in this short time that we have on the internet. It was astounding, beautiful, and overwhelming with the history we had a chance to be a part of. Learning from our first few weeks, we tried to take it a little more slowly here in Rome. We might have died if we were pulling 12 to 13 hour days. In the last day, we went and visited some Catacombs. They were incredible, and different from the other sights that we have seen, which was a nice change.
We had our fair share of lasagne and Italian food while we were in Rome, which we didnt mind at all. We have met so many nice people on our journey. We feel very blessed and excited with all of our new friends!!
Sorry this post is shorter. Internet seems to be expensive. We will update on Venice soon!! Much love and thanks for reading!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Sienna and the Palio
So instead of going to Florence like we had planned (we heard that it was not that great from multiple people), we decided that we would go to Sienna instead. We got to the train station and learned that the place we were staying at was only a 10 minute walk away. We decided to try it. What we did not know was that most of it was uphill. So we were sweating away, lost as can be, when we decided to turn around and get a taxi instead. When we checked in, the man helping us was the nicest, and sweetest old Italian man ever. He told us all about the area we were staying in, about Sienna, and about the Palio (more on that in a bit). After we settled in, we headed out for the town.
Ever since we got to Italia, we have noticed that it is very similar to Spain. The language is similar, the buildings are similar, the people are similar, and it has really been throwing us for a loop. Sienna is like a medium sized town jammed into a small town that is up on a hill. All the streets are very narrow and they all look the same so it is easy to get confused if you do not know where you are going. We wandered around the town for a bit and then went to Il de Campo, the main square of the city, which was set up for the horse race. After the square we went to dinner (recommended by our nice Italian host) where we had pasta and duck.
The next day we slept in and did some more sight-seeing around the city before deciding to go on a tour of the Brunello/Tuscany area. The ride was beautiful, but nausiating (gotta love tour buses). We went to see a vineyard in Brunello. The vineyard was hundreds of years old. A cute, old Italian man showed us around, and let us sample some of his family's wine. We met several wonderful couples on the way, and had a great time. After that, we went to see an Abbey in the middle of Tuscany. It was lovely. We also stopped in a town called Montalcino to see an old tower at the top of the city. We thought that the tour was well worth our time, as we wouldnt have seen Tuscany without it.
Now about the Palio (you should look this up on google as our knowledge of it only brushes the surface). Today (the 2nd) is the day of the Palio, which is a horse race that takes place in the square. They put bleachers around the outter edge of the square (which is more circular than square) and a railing farther in, and between the two they cover the pavement with sand for the horses to run on. It is how they have been doing it since the middle ages. We learned that the city is divided up into 16 districts/neighborhoods, but not all of the districts participate in the race every year. Only 10 horses are selected to race, and then districts draw lots to decide who gets to race that year. The horses are then assigned to the districts, not the other way around. Four days of trial runs take place before the big day. From what we could tell, the trial runs happen only to show off the horses. The riders do not really compete to see who can win, but we did notice that they run them flat out on the straight to show off their top speed. We only saw one trail run in the morning so it was not that busy, but we did see pictures from the day of previous races and the entire little square was packed with 50,000 people. Sardines. Again, we only learned a little about this amazing event, so do your own research to give it justice.
Sienna was fab! So glad we went. Until we talk to you again from Rome...Arrivederci!
Ever since we got to Italia, we have noticed that it is very similar to Spain. The language is similar, the buildings are similar, the people are similar, and it has really been throwing us for a loop. Sienna is like a medium sized town jammed into a small town that is up on a hill. All the streets are very narrow and they all look the same so it is easy to get confused if you do not know where you are going. We wandered around the town for a bit and then went to Il de Campo, the main square of the city, which was set up for the horse race. After the square we went to dinner (recommended by our nice Italian host) where we had pasta and duck.
The next day we slept in and did some more sight-seeing around the city before deciding to go on a tour of the Brunello/Tuscany area. The ride was beautiful, but nausiating (gotta love tour buses). We went to see a vineyard in Brunello. The vineyard was hundreds of years old. A cute, old Italian man showed us around, and let us sample some of his family's wine. We met several wonderful couples on the way, and had a great time. After that, we went to see an Abbey in the middle of Tuscany. It was lovely. We also stopped in a town called Montalcino to see an old tower at the top of the city. We thought that the tour was well worth our time, as we wouldnt have seen Tuscany without it.
Now about the Palio (you should look this up on google as our knowledge of it only brushes the surface). Today (the 2nd) is the day of the Palio, which is a horse race that takes place in the square. They put bleachers around the outter edge of the square (which is more circular than square) and a railing farther in, and between the two they cover the pavement with sand for the horses to run on. It is how they have been doing it since the middle ages. We learned that the city is divided up into 16 districts/neighborhoods, but not all of the districts participate in the race every year. Only 10 horses are selected to race, and then districts draw lots to decide who gets to race that year. The horses are then assigned to the districts, not the other way around. Four days of trial runs take place before the big day. From what we could tell, the trial runs happen only to show off the horses. The riders do not really compete to see who can win, but we did notice that they run them flat out on the straight to show off their top speed. We only saw one trail run in the morning so it was not that busy, but we did see pictures from the day of previous races and the entire little square was packed with 50,000 people. Sardines. Again, we only learned a little about this amazing event, so do your own research to give it justice.
Sienna was fab! So glad we went. Until we talk to you again from Rome...Arrivederci!
Cinque Terre
Holy cow! This trip just keeps getting better and better...or maybe the whole thing is just incredible. We are blown away by each new city that we spend time in. Each one is so unique and has so much to offer.
We are absolutely in love with these 5 little towns nestled in the coast of western Italy. They take a little bit to get into, as they are sort of remote, but we made it. We flew from Barcelona into Pisa, and then took multiple trains to reach our homebase of Vernazza. We stayed in a small, 4 bedroom residence of an Italian woman named Martina. Her place overlooks the main square in Vernazza. It was wonderful. Just the place to relax from our whirlwind trip that we have had so far.
The first night, we got in around 8 p.m. We were starving, so we headed out to our first Italian dinner. 'Our boy Rick Steves', a phrase that we have picked up after seeing all of the Rick Steves addicts over here, recommended a beautiful restraunt at the top of the town. It overlooked the ocean, and it was the perfect way to start our Cinque Terre vacation. We were craving pesto, since it originated in this area, so we had their homemade pesto lasagne and some pesto pasta...yes, it was amazing.
The next 3 days consisted of hiking through the 5 towns, relaxing on the beach, meeting new friends, crazy good Italian foccocia and limone gelato, and completely enjoying the beauty of this area. The total distance between the towns is about 7 miles. We broke the hiking up into 2 days. Though the hiking was pretty strenuous, the views throughout the hike made them worth it. We spent the remainder of our days lounging on the coast, while listening to a great book called 'America America' that Marks parents recommended to us.
One night during dinner, we met a couple from CA. Their names were Larry and Clara. We spent a lot of time with them during our trip. We hiked/survived the Vernazza-Monterosso hike together, and enjoyed some of the local white wine. We spent several nights enjoying the sunsets and getting to know each other. Larry, a photographer, taught Mark a ton of things about photography, which was a ton of fun!!
All in all, Cinque Terre was everything that we hoped it would be! We loved it, and can't wait to return!!
Ciao Ciao!
We are absolutely in love with these 5 little towns nestled in the coast of western Italy. They take a little bit to get into, as they are sort of remote, but we made it. We flew from Barcelona into Pisa, and then took multiple trains to reach our homebase of Vernazza. We stayed in a small, 4 bedroom residence of an Italian woman named Martina. Her place overlooks the main square in Vernazza. It was wonderful. Just the place to relax from our whirlwind trip that we have had so far.
The first night, we got in around 8 p.m. We were starving, so we headed out to our first Italian dinner. 'Our boy Rick Steves', a phrase that we have picked up after seeing all of the Rick Steves addicts over here, recommended a beautiful restraunt at the top of the town. It overlooked the ocean, and it was the perfect way to start our Cinque Terre vacation. We were craving pesto, since it originated in this area, so we had their homemade pesto lasagne and some pesto pasta...yes, it was amazing.
The next 3 days consisted of hiking through the 5 towns, relaxing on the beach, meeting new friends, crazy good Italian foccocia and limone gelato, and completely enjoying the beauty of this area. The total distance between the towns is about 7 miles. We broke the hiking up into 2 days. Though the hiking was pretty strenuous, the views throughout the hike made them worth it. We spent the remainder of our days lounging on the coast, while listening to a great book called 'America America' that Marks parents recommended to us.
One night during dinner, we met a couple from CA. Their names were Larry and Clara. We spent a lot of time with them during our trip. We hiked/survived the Vernazza-Monterosso hike together, and enjoyed some of the local white wine. We spent several nights enjoying the sunsets and getting to know each other. Larry, a photographer, taught Mark a ton of things about photography, which was a ton of fun!!
All in all, Cinque Terre was everything that we hoped it would be! We loved it, and can't wait to return!!
Ciao Ciao!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Barcelona
We love Barcelona. It is a great city. You must come here and visit. It has everything for everyone. The day we got here we went to our new hostel to check in and drop off our bags and then, since we didn't have anything planned, we headed off to the beach. Since it's close to the ocean, Barcelona feels a lot cooler than Madrid did. The beach was great and relaxing. The next day we went for a 'Ramblas Ramble' where we walked down the historic Ramblas Street.It is filled with flower vendors and animal vendors and people that dress up in crazy outfits and don't move all day or they'll put on a show if put some money in their bucket. When we had lunch, we sat at a square and watched an old man lure in some pidgeons with bread and whack them with his cane (yes, he was in the same spot the next day).
Since the beach is so relaxing, we went to lay out...and then headed out for a night on the town. We went for a walk through the gothic section of town and stopped at places full of sweets (suggested by Rick Steves). We had the best chocolate ever from the oldest chocolate shop in Barcelona. We also had churros that we dipped into a cup of hot chocolate that was really more like hot pudding!! We also tasted this sweet, refreshing drink that was made out of a 'chupa' nut. The drink was chupa nut, sugar and water...very good, though it may not sound appealing.
After the sweet walk, we had dinner and then headed to the beach with ALL OF BARCELONA!! It was the celebration of San Juan (?) and everyone -I mean perhaps a million or more people go to the beach and set off fireworks and celebrate. They are all out there until 6 a.m. or so...people camp out all night long. It was crazy fun!
Not knowing that it was going to be a national holiday, we had planned on going to a couple of musems today but they were all closed. So, we went on another historic walking tour of Barcelona (which was really interesting), did laundry, and went to Montjuic, which is where the Olympic stadium is. We got to go in and see where the games were held and just walk around the park and take it all in. We went up the hill a little farther and saw a castle that was built in the 18th century by the Spanish government to keep an eye on the city and watch out for revolts. The view from here was incredible, as it was atop a cliff.
Well, thats all so far from Barcelona. Tomorrow we leave for the Cinque Terre, and we couldn't be more excited!
Since the beach is so relaxing, we went to lay out...and then headed out for a night on the town. We went for a walk through the gothic section of town and stopped at places full of sweets (suggested by Rick Steves). We had the best chocolate ever from the oldest chocolate shop in Barcelona. We also had churros that we dipped into a cup of hot chocolate that was really more like hot pudding!! We also tasted this sweet, refreshing drink that was made out of a 'chupa' nut. The drink was chupa nut, sugar and water...very good, though it may not sound appealing.
After the sweet walk, we had dinner and then headed to the beach with ALL OF BARCELONA!! It was the celebration of San Juan (?) and everyone -I mean perhaps a million or more people go to the beach and set off fireworks and celebrate. They are all out there until 6 a.m. or so...people camp out all night long. It was crazy fun!
Not knowing that it was going to be a national holiday, we had planned on going to a couple of musems today but they were all closed. So, we went on another historic walking tour of Barcelona (which was really interesting), did laundry, and went to Montjuic, which is where the Olympic stadium is. We got to go in and see where the games were held and just walk around the park and take it all in. We went up the hill a little farther and saw a castle that was built in the 18th century by the Spanish government to keep an eye on the city and watch out for revolts. The view from here was incredible, as it was atop a cliff.
Well, thats all so far from Barcelona. Tomorrow we leave for the Cinque Terre, and we couldn't be more excited!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Madrid
Over the last 2 days, we´ve been exploring the great town of Madrid. The first thing that surprised us upon arrival into this city was the heat....not that we weren´t expecting it, but it is much more hot in Madrid than it was in Paris or London. Summer baby!
We are staying at a great hostel in the center of the city. We are about a 5 minute walk from the main square, Puerto del Sol. During our time here, we´ve seen a lot of the city. We visited the Prado Art museum, the Royal Palace, and had several a siesta in a great local park. Last night, we did a ¨tapas tango.¨ In Spain, they have these things called ´tapas´...they are little finger foods...a small appetizer. Around 8 p.m., all of Madrid comes out, and begins to hop from place to place to have drinks and tapas. They do this for about 2-3 hours and then proceed to have dinner around 10 or 11. The streets are packed! We had such a blast doing this. Madrid has the best tapas around, apparently. We enjoyed some chorizo, fried shrimp, and a few other local favorites.
Tonight, Mark and I experienced our first, and most likely last, bullfight. We thought, ¨Why not? We´re in Madrid.¨ It was quite the experience. We bought really cheap tickets...around $6 a piece. These got us seats at the top of the stadium with a grand view around the circular stadium. It is really this dramatic event. The matadors process out to a live band... they are all in their fighting get-up, and then it´s fightin´time. Oh man...it is rough to watch, that is all I´m going to say. Pretty brutal, but cultural. We stayed for one fight, which lasted about 20 minutes...hence the cheap tickets...we didn´t plan on staying long. We met a guy from CA who was giving us history on the bullfight...one was enough for us.
Tomorrow, we head to Barcelona. Everyone keeps telling us what a great city it is....we can´t wait. On the 25th, we´ll dive into Italy...until next time...much love!
We are staying at a great hostel in the center of the city. We are about a 5 minute walk from the main square, Puerto del Sol. During our time here, we´ve seen a lot of the city. We visited the Prado Art museum, the Royal Palace, and had several a siesta in a great local park. Last night, we did a ¨tapas tango.¨ In Spain, they have these things called ´tapas´...they are little finger foods...a small appetizer. Around 8 p.m., all of Madrid comes out, and begins to hop from place to place to have drinks and tapas. They do this for about 2-3 hours and then proceed to have dinner around 10 or 11. The streets are packed! We had such a blast doing this. Madrid has the best tapas around, apparently. We enjoyed some chorizo, fried shrimp, and a few other local favorites.
Tonight, Mark and I experienced our first, and most likely last, bullfight. We thought, ¨Why not? We´re in Madrid.¨ It was quite the experience. We bought really cheap tickets...around $6 a piece. These got us seats at the top of the stadium with a grand view around the circular stadium. It is really this dramatic event. The matadors process out to a live band... they are all in their fighting get-up, and then it´s fightin´time. Oh man...it is rough to watch, that is all I´m going to say. Pretty brutal, but cultural. We stayed for one fight, which lasted about 20 minutes...hence the cheap tickets...we didn´t plan on staying long. We met a guy from CA who was giving us history on the bullfight...one was enough for us.
Tomorrow, we head to Barcelona. Everyone keeps telling us what a great city it is....we can´t wait. On the 25th, we´ll dive into Italy...until next time...much love!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Paris was grand!
This will be a short post for now...we´ll try and update again soon! Paris truly was an amazing city. Among our many adventures, we had so much fun trying to converse in French. It was almost a daily occurance to sit by a major site (Eiffel Tower, etc.) and share a baguette and a bottle of cheap wine! We loved everything about the city. We did all of the typical ¨touristy¨stuff there was to do - climbed the Eiffel Tower, took and boat cruise down the Seine, saw Notre Dame, Saint Chappele, the Louvre, the Orsay, Sacre Couer Basilica, Napoleon´s tomb, and many other things. We stayed in our first hostel which, despite not much sleep, was very fun. We had several great roommates from all over the world - Scotland, Brazil and the States. We met up with some local Parisians who are co-workers with my uncle Paul. We had an apertif (appetizers) and wine with them, and enjoyed Paris with the great locals! What a trip we´ve had so far. We just arrived in Madrid- we took the overnight train from Paris. We are on our way out to go see the Prado and perhaps a bullfight! We love you all! Thanks for following us in our adventures.
Au Revoir!
Mark and Sarah
Au Revoir!
Mark and Sarah
Friday, June 12, 2009
LONDON! Wow what a city! Hustling, bustling, and full of energy. We've been having such a great time here. ON our first day here, we went up from our hotel in Victoria and walked to Buckingham Palace - (the TUBE (subway) workers were on stike so it was either take the bus and sit in traffic- so we walked). There was hardly anyone at Buckingham Palace so we just wondered around and went over to Green Park which is adjacent to the palace. I couldn't think of a better way to fight jet lag. We then ventured to our first pub and got a couple of pints and took in a Rugby game with the locals, which was a ton of fun to experience (they get quite into it).
The next day (thursday) we went on a hop-on-hop-off bus tour and saw the town. We drove by were J.K. Rowling lives when she's in town, as well as a host of other amazing places. We went to the British Museum and saw the Rosetta Stone (not the language learning software), along with a bunch of other world history, which was really cool. Then we took a boat tour on the Thymes over to the Tower of London (which we took a tour of on Friday). We then stopped by a grocery store and picked up stuff for a picnic and we then met up with some friends from Denver, who are also traveling over here, for some more pub action.
Today (Friday) was also a busy day. First we took a walking tour to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Taking the tour was WAY better than standing there waiting, by ourselves. If we hadn't of takent the tour, we would have only seen about 5 minutes of the action . On the tour, we saw so much more! Then we went over to the Tower of London for our tour. We had the FUNNIEST 'Beefeatter' tour guide in the world. To become a Tour guide at the tower you have to serve 22 years in the military. It is really a privledge and honor to do this job. He was great, yelling at other people to be quiet that were walking by our tour and just making it really fun and enjoyable. Then we went to Westminster Abbey for their Evensong service which was AMAZING (it's £15 each to take the tour of the Abbey but the service at 5 p.m. is free). We heard a great choir sing (which Sarah loved) and we saw where Issac Newton is burried.
It's been a great trip so far, we'll update again soon.
Cheers from London!
p.s. don't forget to mind the gap! (what they always say when getting on/off of the tube)
The next day (thursday) we went on a hop-on-hop-off bus tour and saw the town. We drove by were J.K. Rowling lives when she's in town, as well as a host of other amazing places. We went to the British Museum and saw the Rosetta Stone (not the language learning software), along with a bunch of other world history, which was really cool. Then we took a boat tour on the Thymes over to the Tower of London (which we took a tour of on Friday). We then stopped by a grocery store and picked up stuff for a picnic and we then met up with some friends from Denver, who are also traveling over here, for some more pub action.
Today (Friday) was also a busy day. First we took a walking tour to see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Taking the tour was WAY better than standing there waiting, by ourselves. If we hadn't of takent the tour, we would have only seen about 5 minutes of the action . On the tour, we saw so much more! Then we went over to the Tower of London for our tour. We had the FUNNIEST 'Beefeatter' tour guide in the world. To become a Tour guide at the tower you have to serve 22 years in the military. It is really a privledge and honor to do this job. He was great, yelling at other people to be quiet that were walking by our tour and just making it really fun and enjoyable. Then we went to Westminster Abbey for their Evensong service which was AMAZING (it's £15 each to take the tour of the Abbey but the service at 5 p.m. is free). We heard a great choir sing (which Sarah loved) and we saw where Issac Newton is burried.
It's been a great trip so far, we'll update again soon.
Cheers from London!
p.s. don't forget to mind the gap! (what they always say when getting on/off of the tube)
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Off we go!!!
Hey all!
On Tuesday, Mark and I will be heading off to our 6 week tour of Europe. We are excited beyond belief!! We've been doing a lot of planning and packing, and we are excited to see what Europe has in store for us!
We hope that you enjoy following us along our adventures.
Ciao!
The Finchies
On Tuesday, Mark and I will be heading off to our 6 week tour of Europe. We are excited beyond belief!! We've been doing a lot of planning and packing, and we are excited to see what Europe has in store for us!
We hope that you enjoy following us along our adventures.
Ciao!
The Finchies
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
