Paris, France

We arrived in Paris via the Paris Airport Station as it was the only train with seats available. Upon arrival, we had to figure out the subway system into town and, while waiting in line to buy tickets, were rushed to catch the last train into town (for free!). From the main Gare du Nord station, we routed our way to the hotel we reserved for the night. Like Prague, a small hotel room ended up being cheaper than a hostel for the first part of our stay in Paris. We arrived at the Andre Gill Hotel in Montemart and were shown to our room. We had to take turns riding up the elevator to our fifth floor abode as the small lift could only fit one person and a bag at a time.

We settled in for bed, which was quite comfy, and watched some TV until sleep time. The following day, we went out to breakfast as a small café just next to the famous Notre Dame cathedral. After eating, we walked to the meeting point for the afternoon free walking tour of Paris.

With the tour we passed by Notre Dame, the river, pont neuf, the Louvre, the Louvre gardens, the Egyptian sprire, passing famous palaces and hearing the history of Paris along the way before ending in view of the Eiffel Tower. Once the tour ended, we walked to a nearby market and headed to the Eiffel Tower for our own tour of the famous architectural facet.

We waited in line before taking the lift up to the very top. On our way up, we had to stand in the rain waiting for the next elevator but it (thankfully) died down before we summated. At the top, we took photos all around of the city below, pointing out the famous landmarks we’d visited that day, and enjoyed the sunset on Paris. Growing cold from the wind, we found a bench inside and sat to enjoy our French meal we had brought for the occasion: a baguette, some salami and a round of cheese. Full, and after taking another glance at the twinkling lights of the city, we descended and headed home for the night.

On our next day in Paris, we were faced with confusion about our hotel reservation. Our attempt to extend it at the same rate was denied so, after a little research, we moved to a nearby hostel just up the hill. We were greeted by a friendly staff and after dropping our bags we headed out for our second day in the city.

We took the train out to Versaille and spent the day moseying along the palace grounds. After a disappointing lunch from a local shop, we bought a full pass ticket which gave us access to the palace interior, the gardens (including the musical fountain), and Marie Antoinette’s chateau and separate gardens. We began in the palace itself, a humongous building full of both original furniture and décor as well as more museum like area to learn about the history. We spent a good two hours walking around with our audio guides, punching in the codes for each room and hearing the explanations. Finally, when we finished, it was just in time to catch the end of the musical fountain spectacle.

We exited the mansion and entered the gardens, lavish and manicured to a T. We found a good seat and waited for the musical fountain show to begin as we were told another started at 5pm. We sat on the main steps and counted down to our expected Bellagio-like experience. However, it turns out the show finishes at 5 and the music that had been playing (we thought it was just general background music) WAS the show. At 5pm, the music stopped and the fountains were turned off. Versaille apparently can’t afford to run their fountains all day.

Disappointed we were able to catch the last musical spectacle in another part of the garden, the Neptune Fountain. A much more dramatic show took place as the build up of the fountains matched the booming music this time. The show ended and we hurriedly made the 10 minute walk through the gardens down towards Marie Antoinette’s portion of the estate as it was 5:40 and the last entry into that area was at 6pm.

We arrived at the gate to Marie Antoinette’s house at 5:50pm ready to show our passes but there was no one to be found. The gates were closed and locked and, not being the only ones confused, we finally tracked down an employee who simply said it had already closed. Disappointed, not only to have missed that entire portion of the Versaille experience, but also that we had paid for the full pass and been given the wrong times for things, we angrily headed back to the main palace to have a word with the ticket lady in hopes of a partial refund. However, upon our return, there was absolutely no staff to be found besides the bathroom attendant. Apparently Versaille employees not only leave the premises, they leave early. We wondered about the security since the garden grounds were now opened to the public and joggers and bicyclists were passing through. We sat to watch the sunset before heading back to the train station to go back into Paris after our long day at the palace.

That night at the hostel, we were awoken around 2am by our Australian roommates who were apparently sneaking in a female friend as well. We pretended to just be asleep while they chatted and arranged their things before finally heading to bed. Thankful, we went back to sleep. But this was not the end of our Australian roommate shenanigans. At 7am, the sounds of kisses filled the air and as breathing quickened, we had our first experience as witnesses to a roommate’s happy ending morning wakeup. Shortly thereafter, our alarm went off and we began our last day in the city with much relief to be leaving our Aussie “friends.”

We began our self guided tour around the city at the Bastille.

Next we went to the Pantheon.

Another stop at the Notre Dame, this time going inside.

We stopped for lunch on a cute street of shops before heading to the Louvre. Happy not to have a line, we entered through the famous pyramids, bought tickets and got maps of the enormous museum. We made the rounds, seeing famous masterpieces all around, among them the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Royal Crown (which was adorned with cameos rather than the expected jewels). After three hours of walking and getting lost in the museum our feet were tired so we sat on a random bench to plan the rest of our evening. We finally mustered up the energy to exit the Louvre but not before passing by the famous inverted pyramid.

We caught the subway over to the Champs Ellysee to take in the sights of Paris’ most famous avenue. We browsed the huge Louis Vuitton store and a few others before arriving at the Arc de Triumph.

After a photo session, we again caught the train back towards our neighborhood of Montemart, stopping at the Sacre Coeur cathedral. We found a grocery store and bought another Parisian meal this time with the addition of a bottle of wine. We climbed the steps of the church and took photos of the city below. We watched the Eiffel tower light up and settled in on the steps for our meal as the setting sun commenced its descent.

After a while, and the bottle of wine, we were making conversation with the locals which included the beer salesmen. (These guys buy a 24 pack of Heineken, hike up to Sacre Coeur and sell them for 2euro a piece). After some chatting, they gave us a deal of 2 for 3euro. We soon found ourselves accompanied by two random Parisians and another round was had, then another. The four of us walked to Les Escaliers Allumes (the stairs of light) and admired the twinkling LEDs lining the steps. We sat and chatted for a bit before we decided enough was enough (we clearly had differing intentions than our accompaniment) and bid them adieu. We began our walk back to the hostel (a 10 minute journal that turned into 40 due to a not to scale map) and soon realized the Camille’s ipod touch had been lifted. The only plausible explanation is that our “friendly” chap had taken it. Sad to have such an unfortunate ending to a good last day in Paris, we finally found our hostel and settled into our new room for the night.

We were greeted by friendly roommates and spend the evening chatting, laughing and counting down to Camille’s birthday at midnight. Shortly thereafter we all retired to a good night’s sleep. In the morning, we packed our things and sat down to use the internet in hopes of some sort of plan. At this point we were either going to London or Spain, each of which depended on messages back from friends in those locations. After an hour of confusion and frustration, we finally decided to take the next train back to Geneva, our home away from home. Happy to have a plan, we set out towards Gare du Nord only to find out that trains to Geneva leave from a different station. With the hopes of catching the next train, we quickly jumped back on the subway and prayed to make it in time. Successful time-wise, we were disappointed to find out that the train was full and we would have to wait another hour for a train via Lyon. We sat for lunch at the train station restaurant where Corinne treated Camille to a birthday meal. Finally, we boarded the train and began our journey back to where we had started, Geneva.

Bruxelles (Brussels), Belgium

We spent the day on Friday in Brussels. We arrived from Amsterdam around 1pm and walked the train station in search of a map. After storing our things in a luggage locker, we continued our search for some sort of direction.

It was then that a friendly seeming janitor approached us asking us of our height and heritage. We discussed our plans for the day in what appeared to be general chit chat before he turned the conversation in a different direction. Steve, as he introduced himself, asked Camille if she would be interested in doing some Amazon work. Clearly not understanding what he meant, he clarified with an explanation on foot worship photography. She quickly declined any such offer and we tried our best to end the conversation quickly.

Once outside, our uneasy feeling continued as Brussels is not what we had imagined. We walked the messy streets to the nearest shop and inquired about a map. The storekeeper directed us back to the hotel district where we found a great map and a helpful receptionist to point us in the right direction.

After a few minutes of walking, the neighborhood began to change as we approached the Grand Place, the main square in old town Brussels. On the way, we passed our first destination: the Manneken Pis (the famous statue of the small boy pissing into the fountain below). Today, the Mannekin Pis was wearing a Yoda type robe. We found a small sign that lists the different outfits the Mannekin Pis wears including a Chinese get up, a solder uniform, among others. Slightly confused we took photos and continued on towards the Grand Place.

Approaching the square we stopped for a Belgium waffle, a delicious treat. We continued to the square and were impressed be the beauty and architecture around us and in much contrast to the surrounding area. We walked by the numerous shops before stopping for some French fries. Finally, after seeing what there was to see, we grabbed another waffle (this time with Chantilly cream) and made the journey back the train station. Our day in Brussels was over, or so we thought. The train we originally planned to take at 4:15 was full. As was the 5:15, the 6:15, and the 7:15. We were forced to sit in the waiting area, avoiding Steve, until after 8pm when finally we had seats to our next destination.

Observations Abroad

1. Europe has a graffiti problem. Like, really.

2. Kebabs

3. Geraniums are apparently the only flower that will grow in window boxes.

4. Cobblestone sidewalks and streets are not meant for walking for long periods of time. Furthermore, they do not support the use of rolling suitcases.

5. Pudding comes in a carton in Holland. It’s called Fla. It’s delicious.

6. Bikes

7. The appropriate outfit to wear out in Europe (if you are a girl) consists of the following: a long top (preferably with sequins), leggings, and boots. All day. Every day.

8. Drivers in Brussels will break for pedestrians.

9. Europe smells bad.

10. Europeans do not like Americans.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands/Holland

We arrived in Amsterdam on Wednesday evening and made the short walk from the train station to our hostel. We stored our things and headed out into the city to see what we could find. We had dinner, passed through the famous red light district before stopping in a local café. After some more perusing, we headed back to the hostel and crept into our full room of 18 sleepers.

The following morning, we set out in search of a grocery store for a cheap breakfast before another free walking tour. With a large group, we went from our starting point at the national monument in Dam Square through parts of the Red Light district, walking the canals, passed numerous historical buildings from all different time periods, and heard stories and fables from Amsterdam’s past. We ended the tour at Anne Franck’s house and heard the story of Amsterdammers being the first non-Jewish group to stand up to the Nazis.

After the tour ended, we made the walk down towards the Heineken brewing com

pany. We browsed an outdoor market before heading inside the brewery. There, we did The Heineken Experience, a tour that takes you through the brewing process complete with interactive exhibits and a total of 3 beers for tasting. Satisfied (it was more fun than the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin) we began our walk back towards our hostel. We walked the canals and shopping streets before stopping in one of Amsterdam’s most famous coffee shops to have a look around. After a while of people watching, we headed back home.

Once at the hostel, we used the free internet to make plans for our next stop. After hours of searching, we finally booked a hostel and headed to bed. We had another early train to catch.

Berlin, Germany

After another terrible experience on a night train in a full cabin of comers and goers all through the night, we arrived in Berlin around 8am. Confused as to where we supposed to go from the train station, we stopped in at the nearest mall to have breakfast. We asked where we could find the S-Bahn (the tram/bus system for Berlin) and were directed back to the train station. Once there, we made the short tram ride to our hostel’s neighborhood.

We were greeted at our New Zealand themed hostel by the overzealous owner who, noting our fatigue, showed us to our rooms. We quickly arranged our things and settled in for a much needed nap on some of the most comfortable beds we’ve had so far. When we finally woke after 3 hours, we chatted with a new roommate, Dylan, from New Zealand. We discussed plans to take the free walking tour of the city and Dylan expressed interest in joining us. After showers and getting ready, the three of us headed to the city center to find the tour.

Arriving slightly late, we were happy when we saw the group just ahead. We joined and enjoyed a day of history all around Berlin. We started at the Brandenburg gate and the Reichstag before walking to view the Berlin wall, the holocaust memorial, Hitler’s former bunker, numerous SS buildings and even more historical sites from the communist era so recently ended in Berlin. We finished on Museum Island with the sun setting behind the impressive architecture.

After the tour, we grabbed some beer from the local supermarket and headed back to our hostel to hang out. We sampled some local brews and prepared for a night out. We decided to pass on the pub crawl and instead ventured out with Dylan to a local bar and food on the way home. We returned at an early 11:30pm and headed to bed.

We got up on Sunday and again ventured out with Dylan. We started our day at the Turkish Market where the vendors had all kinds of foods and craft goods. We walked the paths trying our best to keep warm. While choosing what to buy for our lunch, we were caught in a sudden hail storm. We huddled under the awning until it passed and then hurried back to the subway station.

We took the tram to Alexanderplatz, famous for the huge TV tower in its center. We sat outside trying to dry and warm ourselves in the now bright sunshine. Seeing the guide for our tour that day, we packed up our things and headed over to join the small group. We did the Alternative Berlin free walking tour which gave us a view of the modern lifestyle of Berlin. With our small group of 6, we took the tram from neighborhood to neighborhood viewing different kinds of street art, artist studios, squat houses and converted recreational centers. It was an interesting view of the art life that flourishes in the streets of Berlin.

After the tour ended, the 5 tour-goers went together to the East-Side Gallery, the longest stretch of Berlin wall still standing. Local artists have been commissioned to paint the wall so we walked the length to view all the pieces, some still in creation. Finally, growing hungry and cold, the 5 of us headed to a kebab shop for a late hot lunch. Full and satisfied, we said our goodbye and headed back to our hostel.

Back at the hostel we used the internet to solidify our plans for the next leg of our European tour while sipping on hot drinks. Finally, after calls home, we packed our things and readied for bed. We had a train to catch the next day.

Oswiecim (Auschwitz), Poland

We arrived from Krakow to the Oswiecim train station and were immediately put into a less than jovial state of mind. The weather was dreary (our first day of rain) and the walk to the grounds was going to be longer than anticipated. We set out from the train station with directions to just keep walking straight. Finally after about 20 minutes, we saw the sign: Auschwitz Museum.

We entered the Auschwitz camp and bought tickets for a guided tour. (We regret doing so and recommend now to future visitors to do your own self guided tour. All of the buildings have explanations in English on them and it’s a more personal experience that way.) We toured the grounds, trying our best to avoid the rain, with a less than enthusiastic tour guide. Her lack of emotion made the experience seem more like an exhibit rather than a meaningful look back on what had occurred here.

We passed through many of the barracks, some still with bunks inside while others had been converted into exhibitions with belongings from the millions of Jews exterminated here. The most moving of which was an entire room full of women’s hair. We finished the Auschwitz main grounds and then loaded onto the free bus to Birkenau, the neighboring camp more known for its gas chamber exterminations and human fires.

At Birkenau, the impact was more intense as many of the barracks were either left or rebuilt to their original state. We saw the famous watchtower where the trains would enter the camp and stood on the platform where thousands of families were split apart. At the far end of the camp is a memorial to those who perished and, more importantly, a call to never let such events happen again.

We finished our tour and made the walk back to the Oswiecim train station to catch the next train back to Krakow. Once there, we went to the neighboring shopping center for dinner (which consisted of under par polish food) and perused the shops until it was time for our train.

Praha to Krakow

Once on the night train, we quickly made ourselves comfortable in the couchette we found empty. After making all the seats into a comfy bed and arranging all our things and even changing into our PJs the ticket lady finally made her way to our room. She checked our tickets and instructed us in broken English that this portion of the train was not headed to Krakow and that we would need to move up three cars. For those of you who don’t know, trains can apparently split into two and the front half can head to one destination while the back half goes somewhere completely different. Thankful for the information, we packed up our things and moved forward.

However, on our walk ahead, we found all the second class cabins to be reserved, one empty first class car before another locked door to the next second class car. We chose another couchette in the first class car and again settled in, making our beds and arranging our things.

Again, the ticket lady showed up and informed us that we had second class tickets and therefore couldn’t sit in this car (despite it being empty). We told her of the locked door and the reserved seats in either direction but she did not understand. After getting another official, they figured out what it was we were saying. They removed the reserved signs and instructed us to move back to second class. We did as told and were welcomed not by the cozy couchettes we had just been in but a small room with two small bench seats. We did our best to get comfortable despite the constant noise and stops where we had to hold on for dear life or else you’d fall to the dirty ground below.

At 3am, an angry looking ticket man (he may have just been German) woke us up and demanded to see our tickets. We complied and he left us with another 3 hours left for our journey. After a nearly sleepless night, we finally arrived in Krakow.

Praha (Prague), Czech Republic

We arrived in Prague in the evening and with no directions to our hotel, we went around in search of internet. After finding a McDonalds, a local boy there let us use his computer and helped us plan our walk to the hotel. (We chose to stay in a hotel for our time in Prague as it was even cheaper than the hostels around. At only 26 euro a night, we got our own room and bathroom in a nice hotel building not far from the city center). After walking for about 40 minutes, getting lost along the way, we finally made it to the Winston Churchill Hotel. We were greeted by the front desk man who would prove to be a great source for recommendations and information.

Hungry, we left our things in our room and went out in search of food. After walking the block or so around our hotel, we decided our best option was, believe it or not, Chinese takeout. We ordered the most familiar items and headed back to the hotel, curious to see how Czech Chinese food compared to our American style. (It was good. A little different but overall okay.) After eating, we watched some TV before heading to sleep.

The following morning, we had breakfast at the hotel before heading into the city center. We stopped off at the local mall (the Paladium) to use the internet there to send emails home and look up some things for our plans. From there, we headed to the main square (Old Town Square) and admired the architecture and historical buildings. Having some time to kill, we moseyed around and perused the shops.

At 2pm, we met for the free NewEurope walking tour. We were assigned to Isaac, an incredibly knowledgeable and hilarious guy from California. Here is a taste of our lessons for the day: (VIDEO TO COME)

After a day full of history and laughs, we ended our tour in a short rainstorm, huddled on the steps of symphony hall with another well told story from Isaac. Afterwards, we said our goodbyes and headed off on our own. We headed back to the hotel for showers and a change of clothes before our evening plans.

That night we decided to have a nice dinner out and experience some real Czech food. We went to the Louvre Café, a place where Einstein had dined as well as many others. Corinne had goulash and Camille had steak and dumplings before finishing off our meal with chocolate cake. Satisfied, we made the short walk into town to meet for the pub crawl that night.

When we arrived we were surprised to see Isaac running things for the pub crawl. It would later become clear that he in fact owns the pub crawl himself (among other endeavors). We made the walk to the first bar, paid and got our bracelets before heading in.

Included in the pubcrawl was unlimited beer, vodka shots, rum and coke, absinthe shots and hookah at the first bar which was a nice pub style joint. From there we walked to the second bar, an underground bar with a normal bar theme. Next up was a sports bar with a live band playing well known songs. We sang along and enjoyed our free shots (at every bar). Last was a dance club where we grooved to house music on the dancefloor. After a while of dancing, we were growing tired and decided to head home. Rather than finding the bus, we made the 40 or so minute walk back to our hotel. Relieved to have made it, we quickly readied for bed and passed out.

The next morning, Camille did not want to get up. Corinne went down for breakfast and we slowly prepared for the day. We finally made it out around noon and again stopped at the Palladium to use the internet. From there, we went to the Old Town square to check the times for free tours and get information on the local museums. We decided to go to the Jewish History Museum which ended up being not one building, but a self guided tour all around the Jewish quarter of Prague. We viewed the names of every Jew from Prague lost in the holocaust, saw drawings done by the children from concentration camps, saw exhibits in the former synagogues and walked through the grounds of the Old Jewish Cemetery. The cemetery was an intense experience. The small plot of land holds over 25,000 bodies of the Jews who died while trying to make it in the ghetto after being segregated from the general population. Being given only a small plot of land, it filled up quickly. However, after being denied more land, they were forced to bring in more dirt, raise the tombstones and start a new layer. This happened 11 times. The cemetery is now raised grounds covered in tombstones with no rhyme or reason to their position; a truly unique and intense experience.

After our tour of the Jewish quarter was up, we headed to the other side of the river. We walked across the Charles Bridge into the village like town. We asked around and finally found what we were looking for: the Lennon Wall. This wall of street art was started the day John Lennon died as the people of Prague, then under communism, saw him as a source of hope and freedom. The wall has since been layered and layered with art contributed by both professionals and just passersby. It is the only wall in Prague that it is legal (now) to write on. Camille added some words and we took photos of the wall in its entirety before moving on.

Growing hungry, we found a small Italian restaurant (we were in the Little Italy side of town) and settled in on the heated patio for a delicious dinner. Outside the restaurant was a small bridge whose gates were adorned with locks. Curious, we asked our waiter what was with all the locks. He replied, “Maybe you have a dream, and your lock is here.” Confused, we thanked him for his insights and continued with our meal. Afterwards, we crossed back to our side of the river and caught the bus home for the night.

Saturday morning, we rose early to eat breakfast before showering and packing our things. We left our luggage in the storage area downstairs and headed out for our last day in Prague. Again we stopped at the Paladium this time to peruse the shops and have lunch at the L.A. Café. Apparently the Czechs have a very skewed view of what us Californians eat.

After lunch, we headed to another free tour, the Castle tour. This time, our lady tour guide took us to the opposite side of the river, showing us sights along the way to our destination: the Prague Castle. We took tons of photos before heading back into town. We stopped off at the store to buy a few supplies (things are cheap in Prague) before returning to our hotel to grab out bags and head to the train station for our night train. We boarded and said goodbye to Praha.

Salzburg to Prague

Wednesday morning, we rose and dressed before having breakfast with Chris and packing up our things. We were all headed to the train station at a similar time so we took the bus there together. Once there, we exchanged emails for future run ins and said our goodbyes. We boarded our train to Prague…or so we thought.

Soon after boarding, the ticket man came around to check everyone’s tickets as usual. As he passed us, he mentioned something about a bus. Due to his broken English, we could only assume he was referring to our train and we thought nothing of it. But at the next stop, he came around again and instructed us all to get off the train and board the waiting bus. We did as told but were utterly confused.

Once aboard the bus we drove for about a half hour before arriving at an old train station. We laughed at the state of the old trains waiting on the sides. We laughed until we realized that was our train.

We boarded, scared as to what we might find inside. Our fears were validated as we came across an incredibly drunk man (who may or may not have worked for the train station itself) sprawled out on the floor between some seats. He nodded as best he could at us as we tried to pass by without disturbing him. The train began its journey and we sat in the old fashioned seats, every so often taking a peak at the drunken man.

We arrived at the station for our layover and checked the signs to see where our connection would be waiting. At this point, there was a group of about 15 people all heading to Prague. We all got to the empty platform, confused yet again. We asked around and were again told the dreaded word: bus.

We were herded out to the bus station and loaded onto a bus. Still a good four hours from Prague and on a crowded bus, we were not looking forward to the ride. However, after asking around, it appears they were doing construction on the tracks and were bussing us to the next station on our way. After another half hour drive we arrived at the next train station and continued our journey by train to Prague.

Salzburg, Austria

We arrived in Salzburg around 7pm, tired from our journey. We went to the bus station and spent a good 15 minutes trying to figure out what sort of ticket we needed to buy. Having little to no translations, we struggled to find the location of our hostel on the map. Luckily, an elderly gentleman who we think works for the station saw our struggle and came over to help. We showed him the directions we had and he helped us to buy the appropriate ticket and escorted us to the correct bus terminal. We thanked him and he left us to wait for the bus.

It arrived a few minutes later and we descended 7 stops after. With directions to turn at the next zebra, we were still confused as to where we were supposed to go. Luckily, two girls were passing by who were headed to the same hostel. They offered to lead us there for which we were very grateful. Once there, we waited to check in, taking in the amenities this hotel like hostel had to offer. We got our room key and descended to our ground floor room, being greeted by another just arriving couple. We conversed about plans and experiences while making our beds and arranging our things. We went upstairs to use the internet only to be disappointed by its disappearance. Apparently the hostel was experiencing tech difficulties that day. Frustrated (we need internet to make our reservations and travel plans as we are going day to day), we returned to our now full room.

We made introductions with the newcomers and talked about our places of origins, travel plans, and exchanged tips on things to do. The couple was from California, 1 guy from Chicago, 2 guys were from Australia, and 1 from Greece. After an hour or so of laughs and advice, we turned out the light and went to sleep.

The next morning, we rose at 9am and woke up our new friend Chris (from Sydney, Australia) as he had similar plans for the day. We went upstairs for our free breakfast, taking advantage of the food by packing a lunch for later as well. Afterwards, we dressed and prepared for our day out in Salzburg. With Chris, we walked to the Maribell Botanical Gardens, a collection of labyrinth flowers and fountains surrounding a former mansion home. We took photos of the grounds, thankful for the beautiful weather.

From Maribell, we walked back towards the Old Town of Salzburg, stopping in a few shops to look at postcards and souvenirs. We soon found ourselves at a local market which led us to a main square at the entrance of the main cathedral. Having already visited the cathedral, Chris left us to go find internet, citing that we would meet up later at the hostel.

We entered the church, the Dom de Salzburg, and were immediately impressed by its lavish artwork on the ceilings, huge organs, and immense size. We took photos and read about the history of the cathedral. We found an underground prayer area which was a mix of solemn beauty with a strange modern art exhibit in one room.

Satisfied, we exited the church back into the main square. We perused the booths and made our way up the winding road. We soon found ourselves in one of the most beautiful cemeteries either of us had ever seen. The combination of the ornate headstones and beautiful leafetry was in stark contrast to the grassy plain cemeteries we know from home.

We toured the grounds and soon found ourselves at the entrance to the ticket booth for the Hohensalzburg Fortress. We bought tickets and rode the tram up the steep mountain to the top. Once there, we took in the views of Salzburg before beginning our tour of the grounds.

We started in the main castle area which has since been converted into a series of museums. We walked through a museum on marionettes, one on WWI, one on medieval artifacts and another on the castle itself. Although the relics were impressive in their own right, it was difficult to understand what it was we were seeing a lot of the time due to most of the museum being in German. We finished the route and ended up in the courtyard of the fortress.

From the courtyard, we realized we had missed the entrance to our guided tour. We walked back around to the first side and entered the office to await the next tour. We were given headsets which led us around the castle and told of the purposes and history of each area. The tour took us through the salt stores, the torture chamber, the former castle wall and the town organ. The highlight was our ascent to the highest castle tower where we stood atop a platform and took in the entire Salzburg valley (photos galore). The headset informed us of different historical buildings in the area and pointed out some places where The Sound of Music was filmed. When we finally descended, we were thoroughly impressed with the beauty of the region.

We came upon a different tour group in the fortress main square and tagged along for a few bits of information. However, growing tired after 3 hours at the fortress, we decided to go down on the tram back into town. Once there, we ran a few errands before deciding to head back to the hostel.

Unfortunately for us, street names in Salzburg are written in a scriptic font and are therefore easily confused. After walking for almost 20 minutes, we found ourselves right back where we started at the main square in town. Frustrated, we tried again, this time succeeding in passing by Mozart’s childhood home, or so we thought. We took photos of the plaque outside the home and happily continued on our way, arriving back at the hostel about 20 minutes later.

Once there, we were greeted by Chris, always in a chipper mood, and the Greek fellow in our room. We discussed what we had done for the day and showed each other photos of our sights. It was then that we were informed by our Greek friend that the house we had seen was not Mozart’s home. In fact what the plaque actually inscribed was that in that house, both Mozart’s wife and sister had passed away. Slightly disheartened, we were able to find humor in our confusion.

After a while of sitting and chatting, we began to grow hungry. We decided to get some authentic Austrian food and where better to get that than at a street cart. We walked to the nearest food shack and after a few moments of debate (what kind of meat is that!?) and decisions, we ordered our food. We each ate a sandwich like creation full of chicken and spicy sauce and a beer a piece. In addition, not wanting to miss out on Austrian sausage, we shared a Kasekrainer (a delicious sausage with melted cheese inside). We returned to the hostel to eat in the lounge and get seats for our viewing of The Sound of Music. The food proved to be delicious (and cheap!) and the internet was repaired so we were quite happy.

We watched movie with other young people from the hostel including an annoying girl who would cite each scene with information she had learned on her Sound of Music tour she had done. Her constant commentary was irritating to a point but it was outweighed by the feeling of recognizing the places we had visited that day. At the end of the film, we utilized the internet to book our next stay and make calls home. Fatigued, we retired to our full room and quietly crept into bed.

Observations Abroad

NOTE: 4 New blog posts in addition to this one. Check em out! Comments welcome.

1. People, in general, smell good in Switzerland.

2. European men are incredibly forward. In Ireland, not five minutes pass between the first hello and his leaning in for a kiss. The Swiss, although not as ridiculous, still make their interest quite apparent. From our experiences thus far, we have a feeling we are going to be quite popular in Italy.

3. Ice-cream is an incredibly popular treat for the Swiss. And not the fresh creamy goodness as one would expect; but the prepackaged, chocolate dipped, candy coated, comes in plastic wrap kind.

4. Europe is sausage fest of primarily unfortunate sausages. In addition, these sausages are quite forward, much to our dismay. (Note to elder readers: a sausage is a man. A sausage fest, as referenced, implies that a majority of the population is male.)

5. Cheese.

6. In Germany, it is completely appropriate for anyone (age and gender disregarded) to have a facial piercing.

7. German drivers pay no attention to pedestrians. If a truck is headed your way, your first warning will be said truck running you over.

8. European dogs don’t care if you want to pet them.

9. Beer.

10. Europeans do not like Americans.

Füssen

We arrived in the small town of Füssen at about 9pm. Another pair of travelers was looking for a place to stay so they joined us in our walk to the hostel. We followed the directions and arrived at a converted three story house, being greeted by the attendant. Although he was a nice and well-meaning guy, he seemed incredibly overwhelmed and unorganized while going through the process of assigning us our beds. Unfortunately there were not two bunks in the same room so we spent our first night apart. We discussed our plans in the lounge before retiring to bed. We were spent after our full day in Munich. We said goodnight and retired to our respective rooms to comfy beds.

In the morning we met in the hall at our decided time of 8:45am. We dressed in our hiking garb before descending to the lounge for breakfast. We paid 2euro for 2 toasted rolls with butter and jam, a hardboiled egg, juice and coffee. Full, we donned our tennis shoes and left for the local bus stop. We took the first bus to the Neuschwanstein Castle area and quickly got a map to plan our ascent. The Royal Neuschwanstein Castle was made famous for being the inspiration for the Disney castle everyone knows and loves. We skipped on the guided tour and bus ride and took the nearest trail heading up.

Surrounded by green trees and running streams, we followed the winding path until reaching the main road near the top. Taking photos along the way, we soon reached the castle. It was well worth the hike as the towering walls and breathtaking views were awe inspiring. Having skipped on the guided tour, we were not allowed to enter the castle itself, instead we roamed the grounds within the courtyard, taking photos of the impressive architecture and reading the informational plaques.

We left the castle to continue the hike towards the Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge). Along the way, we passed a lookout over the second smaller castle also built by the Neuschwanstein owner, King Ludwig II. We took photos of the beautiful scenery, the castle being flanked by lakes. Upon reaching the Marienbrücke, a thin metal structure, we tentatively walked out onto the board planks which bent uncomfortably with each step. The views were worth it as we took many photos of the Neuschwanstein castle, the town in the distance, the waterfall below us and the mountain scenery around us. Satisfied with our free day of scenery we began our descent from the Castle grounds.

Opting to take a different path, we turned onto the first trail heading down the mountain. We turned off again, onto a smaller path that ended up taking us directly to the very bus stop we were headed towards. Unfortunately, said bus came and went without stopping, leaving us confused and frustrated. We decided to continue our day of activity and make the hour walk back to town. We played guessing games while passing fields of grass and cows, streams and lakes, and random civilization before making it back to Füssen. We walked through the pedestrian area before stopping for another questionable German lunch. We returned to our hostel to gather our bags and made the short walk to the train station just in time to catch our train.

Oktoberfest: München (Munich), Germany

On Sunday morning, we rose at an early 4:30am to eat breakfast before packing our belongings, saying goodbye to Lucette, and heading to the train station. Our 6am train to Munich (via Zurich) was a long journey but our once in a lifetime chance to attend Oktoberfest was waiting at the end.

Once in Munich, we had to solve the problem of what to do with our bags. Being just a day trip, we didn’t have a hostel to store them in but also didn’t want to drag suitcases around Munich and Oktoberfest. Unfortunately, the train station had received a bomb threat and had therefore closed off all the storage lockers from being used. However, they rounded up some outdoor dumpster sized crates and were doing their best to efficiently store bags for only 5 euro a piece. (They even let us tie our backpacks to our suitcases and charged them as one!)

Thankful, we made the walk to the Haufbraus Haus for lunch. We awkwardly walked the length of the restaurant before figuring out that it was a self seating establishment. Once seated, we tried desperately yet unsuccessfully to read the menus. Seeing our struggle, the waiter brought us the English translations for which we were quite grateful. (Had we not, Corinne would have ended up with a salted pig knuckle for lunch.) The house band of traditional German music filled the air along with the clinks of beer steins and conversation. We toasted our beers and took in the surroundings.

Our food arrived shortly after: Corinne had some sort of braised pork slab with a pair of interesting potato dumplings while Camille had sliced braised beef with also questionable pretzel dumpling slices. Needless to say, the beer was the best part of the meal. We finished, quite full, and began our walk to the Oktoberfest. Already feeling a slight buzz (we haven’t drank much on the trip besides a glass of wine with dinner here and there), we were all the more confused by the German signs. Finally, we asked a friendly looking old man for directions. He pointed us in the direction and implied (in German) to just keep going. After a few minutes, we could see the crowds. Soon enough, we were there: Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.

We entered at the carnival side of the festivity and took in the sights, sounds and smells. We were surrounded by carnival rides, some familiar and some not. The crowds were thick and joyous as we made our way through. Roasted Bavarian nuts, pretzels and heart shaped cookies were in abundance. We weaved through the men in lederhosen and women in other traditional garb before remembering why we were here. Beer.

We quickly searched for the nearest beer tent (large buildings interspersed throughout the grounds with differing themes and moods). Upon entrance, we were greeted with the scent of smoke, sweat and beer. A band was playing and the crowd was singing along loudly, waiving beer steins in the air. We took it all in before making rounds in attempt to find a seat (you must be seated in the drinking area in order to receive a beer). Having little luck finding space, we decided to tour the tents until we found seats.

We roamed from tent to tent, taking photos and soaking in the differing styles of each. Some were gauged more for the older crowds, playing traditional German music and had organized tables and benches, while others had standing areas with crowds of young people drunkenly enjoying the mix of traditional and new music. Regardless of where we went, the mood was cheery. Who could complain, it was Oktoberfest!

After roaming the grounds we were determined to get a beer. After all, you can’t go to Oktoberfest and not drink a beer stein! We made it into a standing area just as a beer maiden came by. Here’s a tip: if a beer maiden is coming your way, and you’re in the way, get out of the way. She will ram you with the beer steins to get through. Fortunately for us, she was serving the table next to us and had two extra beers. We paid, grabbed our steins and toasted to the day. Prost!

We walked around the tent with our steins, clinking with strangers and engaging in random conversation. We laughed at the drunken boys dancing, avoided some forward Italian men and swayed with the crowd when popular German folk songs were played. It was certainly an experience, a very welcome one. We soon finished our beers and said our goodbyes to Oktoberfest. We had a train to catch.

Once we left the grounds, it became glaringly obvious that we had no idea where the train station was. Not only had we not looked up the directions, any memory or instinct was fogged due to our beer intake. Luckily, it also had us in a cheery mood. We laughed at our attempts to say the German street names, you try saying Viktaulienmarkt after drinking a stein of beer. After asking for directions about 3 times, we made it to the train station. We quickly got our bags from the storage area and found our train platform. We boarded soon thereafter and began our 2 hour journey to the small town of Füssen, Germany.