tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50097894282099303842024-03-19T13:05:33.650-07:00The Great Eurotrek of 2013Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-48921363333285467242013-06-06T14:52:00.001-07:002013-06-06T14:55:27.798-07:00Day 21: Dublin to Chicago<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Day 21. Upon arriving in Chicago, we have been given a
moment to relax, eat, and reflect upon what we have just finished. We feel
happy, relieved, sad that it’s over, fulfilled, and proud of achieving the
successful planning and enactment of what, to some, would be seen as a
logistical nightmare. We are so grateful for the opportunities we have been given,
the things we have seen, the people we have met, the stories we will always
have to share, and the fun we have had together. I hope that you have all had
some fun reading along and feel that you have seen the world with us. We have
taken a total of 1,955 pictures over the last three weeks, so if you ever have
a few hours and want “the whole story,” feel free to see us for what would
surely be more fun for us to tell than for you to hear. Thank you for your
interest, we will see you soon with stories in tow. As we have heard in the
last 21 days: Slan, Auf Wiedersehen, Arrivederci, Adio, Comiat, Adios, and
Goodbye until our next journey. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Brandon and Mary</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a bonus (and because we had some free time) we combined our two lists and came up with our top-ten favorite experiences:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Honorable Mentions:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Laying on the Beach in Barcelona</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Seeing the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Walking La Rambla/ Seeing La Boqueria</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Eating Local Cuisine everywhere we went</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">10. Panoramas- It seemed like everywhere we went in every city, there was some high up place from which to capture an amazing view of the city, as seen by the great panoramas that Brandon has been able to make. We couldn’t have asked for better sights to see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">9. Football at the Brandenburger Tor- This was one of those “Right place at the right time” things. Two german football teams were competing for the final championship title and they were broadcasting it live at the Brandenburger Tor. We stood there in the rain watching FC Bayern for the win.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">8. Strativarius- We weren’t exactly sure what we were getting into buying these tickets, but we were able to see a large collection of some of the best violins ever made played in concert. The imtimate atmosphere of the Berlin Philharmonic Auditorium was really cool too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">7. Tower of London- This is the longest running military tradition in the world. We planned way ahead to get these exclusive tickets and were able to watch the entire ceremony and hear the famous phrase, “Halt, who comes there?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">6. Hanging out in Rome- An all-encompassing phrase like this is necessary here because this city was just so amazing. We loved just sitting by the Trevi Fountain, enjoying the Piazza del Popolo, or riding Segways in the park. The city all around was really a great place to be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. The Phantom of the Opera- A spontaneous purchase just hours before the show, we are so glad we did it. The show was of course incredible, but we got to see it in the theatre where it premiered. How cool is that?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. Lycabettus Hill- For a short ride up a tunneled funicular, the view was well worth it. It was our first night in Athens and what a way to see it. We watched the sun set over the city and the acropolis, something we never thought we’d see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Il Papa- By a strange series of events, we were taken down very specific roads that led us right to the Pope. Yes, we spent the whole morning in the Vatican but where did we see the Pope? In the middle of the east side of Rome. It was unbelievable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Roman Ruins- There was a lot of explore here. All the history behind the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill was an entire morning of incredible sights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Bullfight- We saw a bullfight in Spain during the big festival of bullfights. This was truly an experience unlike any other. We got lucky with some great seats, got to see some great matadors and enjoyed another experience we’ll never forget.</span></div>
Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-83669982885838226502013-06-05T16:56:00.001-07:002013-06-05T16:56:42.452-07:00Day 20: Madrid to DublinSince our new flight today didn't leave until 8:35, we had an entire afternoon in Madrid to explore the things we didn't have time for yesterday. To start off the day, we had a breakfast in a little cafe which actually held us over for longer than we expected. Then we walked southeast and walked through the beautiful Botanical Gardens, which was something we wanted to do yesterday, but couldn't because we had to get to the bullfight. But we were so glad we found the time to do it today because the green oasis was a relaxing atmosphere in which to just mosey the day away. Next, we went to the Prado Museum which houses famous art from Raphael, Rembrandt, De Goya and Reubens. It is also free for students under the age of 25 (and a whole slew of other people in very specific other circumstances, so you might check that list if you ever find yourself in Madrid). That was a nice way to spend peak sun and most of the rest of our day in Madrid, until we finally got hungry for lunch. We again found a unique little cafe (with records for placemats and cassette tape cases for bill holders) where we "enjoyed" some unique food. The Menu del Dia included a choice of a first course, a second course, and a drink. Brandon chose a salad, steak bruschetta, and a coke, while I chose soup, ham and mushroom bruschetta, and a coke. However, the menu did not specify that the salad was drenched in a ice-cream-sweet dressing and that the soup was refrigerated (UPDATE: I just googled it and found out that is Gazpacho, a typical spanish soup. Glad we tried it!). Also my bruschetta was made of mostly garlic, so that was interesting, but it was a unique experience that we will never forget. Finally, around 5pm, we headed to the airport for our penultimate journey, the flight from Madrid to Dublin. We were there pretty early but eventually got checked in and sent on our way. Now we are writing from the Dublin Airport McDonalds, where we are hunkered down in a very secure fort-type table where we will endure the final night of our trip before flying tomorrow to Chicago at 11:25am local time, arriving in Chicago at 1:45pm local time. We will be sure to let you know we made it safely when we are back in the good ol' U S of A.<br />
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Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-9770135606668812012013-06-04T16:44:00.000-07:002013-06-04T16:44:02.002-07:00Day 19: Barcelona to MadridAn early morning again (7am!) found us finishing the last of our loquats and on our way out the door back to the airport. As per usual, we arrived and departed without delay. We arrived just after noon in Madrid.<br />
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First things first, we had to find our hostel. This has been the closest and nicest hostel so far-- we upgraded to a private bed room with private bathroom and it is so close to a major subway station. We are LOVING it. Our next order of business was to pick up the tickets to the bullfight. The office was closed until 4:30 however, so we made a little trip around the west side of the city. We saw a giant palace and a few plazas before stopping for lunch at a small little cafeteria and venturing out on some new foods, about which we had very little information. It turned out to be some delicious chicken, and sausages on a bun.We made our way back to the city center and picked up the tickets. Then, since the bull fight didn't start until 7, we explored the east side of the city, working our way south down a shady boulevard and then north through a green oasis of a park. By 6pm, we were ready to head to the bull fight park, so we took the metro up. Plaza del Toros was right outside the metro station and just the outside facade was a sight to see. We got inside and waited in the shade for the fight to start. Tickets are sold according to weather: Sun, Shade, and Sun/Shade. We bought the Sun tickets, since they were cheapest, but it turns out we were in the shade before the fights even started, which was awesome! Tonight they had 3 Matadors and 6 Bulls, and each one was a unique fight. Brandon took a ton of pictures and videos to try to capture the essence of the experience for all of you. We can't wait to show you because it was really one of the coolest things we've seen thus far.<br />
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After the fight--around 9pm-- we came back to the hostel and tried to check in on our flight for tomorrow, which we found out was cancelled without notification. Luckily, Brandon was able to find us a new flight which was A) cheaper and B) a later departure which meant more time in Madrid and less time in Dublin. Perfect! With that peace of mind, we went out for a late dinner at at Taqueria, a mexican food joint, which was delicious but a little overpriced. We each had 3 little mini tacos and a glass of Rum and Coke with a double shot of Havana Club. Now we are in for the night and will update you tomorrow from Dublin, our last stop!<br />
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Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-42643403788730020632013-06-03T14:52:00.000-07:002013-06-04T16:18:23.758-07:00Day 18: BarcelonaToday began with a metro ride to La Segrada Familia, a famous church by architect Gaudi. We arrived and found that the line was too long for us to wait in, so we took some pictures of the exterior and went on our way. After all, if we weren't going to wait to see St. Patricks in Dublin or Westminster Abbey in London, we sure didn't need to wait here. But we got some good pictures, and then found a little place for lunch-- yes, it was lunch time already since we didn't have to wake up until 10am today with little on the agenda besides RELAXING.<br />
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After lunch, we walked to the Arc de Triomf, which again was just a nice thing to see from the outside. The walked continued to the famous La Rambla, a street of vendors and cafes. There is also a market called La Bocqueria which sells fresh fruits, juices, baked goods and other delicious food items. Since we knew that the rest of the day would be spent on the beach, we bought some Loquats (Brandon's favorite Chinese fruit) and Cherries to enjoy in the hot sun. We finished walking La Rambla, which culminates with a statue of Christopher Columbus pointing towards the Americas (even though Brandon insists that he isn't really pointing in the right direction...).<br />
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After changing into our bathing suits, we got to the beach around 4pm. We lounged around for just over 2 hours, which left me quite sunburned-- but I did ask for it since I purposefully didn't apply sunscreen since I want to return home with a tan as evidence of vacation. But despite my eventual pain, the afternoon was incredibly beautiful. It was unreal to be swimming and laying on the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea, something we never thought we would be able to do. <br />
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Around 6, we went to dinner at an Irish Pub, even though we ordered Mexican food. It was pretty decent, but our ultimate quest for the evening was more sangria. So we walked back to the oldest street in Barcelona to get another liter of the stuff we had last night, but they were closed. We found that a lot of shops are closed on Sunday and Monday. Luckily, we knew of a place right on the beach that was selling a 1.5 liter pitcher for 9.99, so we walked back to that place, grabbing some gelato on the way. An evening of bliss has led us here, back to our empty hostel room, and our last night in Barcelona. Tomorrow, our last new destination and our only day in Madrid. We'll let you know how it goes!<br />
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Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-75453083627750230422013-06-03T14:05:00.000-07:002013-06-03T14:06:05.318-07:00Day 17: Athens to BarcelonaSorry this comes a day late, but we were super tired, so today you get a two-fer.<br />
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We woke up at 5am (what?!) to leave the hostel and hop the trains to the airport. We got there in plenty of time and had a fine flight. We arrived in Barcelona around 2pm and took the trains from the airport into the city. Our hostel is RIGHT on the beach in a little area called Barceloneta and even though our hostel wasn't exactly opened when we arrived, after a few minutes the owner showed up and checked us in and showed us to our 4 person (yay!, we paid for a 6-person) bedroom in which no one else is staying (yay!). We got lucky (again!) with a room to ourselves, which has been so nice. So after getting settled and ready for the city, we went out to Santa Maria del Mar, a church right by our hostel. It was made for the poor people by the poor people and it is a beautiful yet simple church. We were even taken up on the roof in a guided tour that literally took us up onto the roof of the church for a full 360 degree view of the city. I was really nervous being that high up on a peaked roof, but it was completely safe and secure.<br />
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Back on solid land, we walked back to the cable car station in Barceloneta and took the car over to Montjuic Hill, just across a little port. We got off on the hill and saw another nice view of the city. A little walking around showed us an old Olympic Complex and Museum of Art (though we didn't go into that one) and finally ended up at the Magic Fountain at the north end of the hill. At 9pm, the Magic Fountain started its show and we hung around for a bit to watch the show.<br />
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Finally, around 10, we were getting a little hungry, so we found a tiny little cafe on the oldest street in Barcelona and got some Tapas and Sangria. It was a really authentic meal that was a great end to our first evening in the city.<br />
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Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-78775037863686233562013-06-01T13:27:00.001-07:002013-06-01T13:27:41.221-07:00Day 16: AthensWow, titling this post has really brought to life how far along we are in this trip. 16 days of travel already, and just 5 days left. Sitting here eating fresh Greek Baklava in our hostel, we recognize that we have seen so much and continue to experience wonderful new adventures every day.<br />
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Today was our one full day in Athens, and of course the number one thing to do is see the ancient ruins. The forecast predicted 88 and sunny, so we knew that if we wanted to get up to the acropolis, we should do it early to 1) avoid the line and 2) do the hike in the coolest weather. So we got up at 7am and made it to the acropolis by 8am, right when it opened. This really was one of the best decisions we made. We pretty much had the parthenon to ourselves! So we walked around the area taking in both the ruins and the view of the city below, and then went back down to see the rest of the sites spread throughout the city. We saw the Hadrians' Arch, Temple of Zeus, the Marble Olympic Stadium, and both the Roman and Ancient Greek Agoras. It was really awesome to see all these sites-- especially to see the scale. These things are huge!<br />
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By 2:30, we had seen everything our ticket included, so we went back to hostel and changed into our swim suits, then took the tram over to the coast. We decided not to do the ferry to an island because we didn't want to spend $20 each to get to an island and only have a few hours there, plus we didn't know what time we would be done seeing the ruins. So we just got on the tram and we were planning on going to a beach at Voula or Glyfada, two highly recommended coast cities, but once the tram hit the coast (40 minutes into the ride), we decided to just hop off and get onto the beach. As everyone had been telling us, the beaches on the mainland weren't really anything to write home about. So we set up a towel and we each went to go feel the Aegean Sea. It was cold, so we didn't go in past toe depth, but at least we felt it! After an hour of drifting in and out of consciousness, enjoying our first time of relaxation in days, we became a little chilly and headed back towards the city center to find our final Greek meal. A brief google search showed that a little mom-and-pop called Paradisiako was the best place to get fresh calamari and good ol' Greek home cooking. We enjoyed the calamari, some roast chicken and wine and then searched the surrounding area for our Baklava. With dessert in hand, we retreated to our hostel for some R and R, and will be going to bed now before our extra early flight to Barcelona tomorrow.<br />
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<br />Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-47470727344936760932013-05-31T14:12:00.000-07:002013-05-31T14:12:02.594-07:00Day 15: Rome to AthensAnother day of travel. Our flight today was on easyJet, which we were a little concerned about but for now reason. Our total weigh in was only 23 kg, way under our limit! Though there was no food service on the flight, it was quick and safe and our luggage arrived without problem. We got to our hostel and found that we were in a four bed room with an ensuite bathroom, and the other two beds are empty! It will be nice to be alone for another night. Tonight we walked over to Lycabettus Hill and took the Funicular up the hill and found an incredible view of the entire city. We got up to the hill at 7:30 and just enjoyed the breathtaking view for an hour before the sun set over the acropolis. We enjoyed a Grecian dinner in the cafe on the hill-- a pork and lamb pitas and a greek salad. It was quite good! After dinner, we went back up to the viewing point and saw the city all lit up and then climbed down the hill on foot (a feat for me, with my poor choice of shoes!). We got back to the hostel and now we are trying to figure out what to do tomorrow. We are definitely going to see the Acropolis as soon as it opens (8am) and then hopefully we will be able to go to a beach somewhere for the afternoon/evening. Our hostel receptionist recommended Temple of Poseidon by bus, but the women at Lycabettus Hill recommended Aegina Island by ferry. Stay tuned tomorrow to see what we decided to do!<br />
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<br />Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-55787926944998087252013-05-30T16:09:00.003-07:002013-05-30T16:09:41.451-07:00Day 14: RomeFor our final day in Rome, we left the country. In a short lived rainstorm, we entered the tiny entity of the Vatican City through the museums. In the first of two huge coincidences today, we walked passed a huge line of people (thanks to Brandon's research on the pre-purchased ticket!), through security and into one of many lines for ticket will call, and who should be directly in front of us but a member of the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club! Here, half way around the world, we happen to be in the line of the same building of the same city at the same time with someone we see on a weekly basis. Crazy. Anyway, we went into the Vatican Museums and saw hundreds or thousands of statues and artwork by people like Michaelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci. Eventually the path led us to the Sistine Chapel, which was a truly incredible sight. Unfortunately, we weren't able to take pictures, but go <a href="http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html" target="_blank">here</a> to see it yourself with a 360 tour. Very cool.<br />
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We left the country for lunch and found a nice little cafe where we enjoyed some spaghetti, pizza, and tiramisu before picking back up the exploration on the other side of the Vatican. We entered this time through St. Peter's Square, looking straight at the beautiful St. Peter's Basilica. We thought our museum tickets would get us in there too, but unfortunately it didn't work that way, and since the line was wrapped almost entirely around the square (for a wait that may have been 4+ hours), we decided not to go in. We then walked along the wall to the Castel San Angelo, the old fortress and home of papal apartments, built around the year 100AD. Climbing up to the top gave us another incredible view of the city.<br />
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For the next few hours, we wandered around, walking up the river, crossing over into the Piazza del Popolo and visiting the Leonardo DaVinci Museum, a place that houses physical recreations of his sketches which can be manipulated and maneuvered. It was totally cool, and we would recommend it to anyone, even though its a little hard to find. We slowly made our way back to the Trevi Fountain, one of our favorite locations to just sit and relax (and also peoplewatch). We sat there for over an hour just talking and reminiscing and enjoying the day. Then fate struck again in our second huge coincidence.<br />
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Brandon suggested that we go check out the Colloseum at night to see it lit up. I didn't really want to walk that far, but didn't want to waste our last night in Rome, so we went. It really was pretty neat to see. We took a few pictures and looked at the map. One main road was the clear path back to our hostel so we went on our way. There was a TON of traffic backed up and lots of cops everywhere. We thought there had been an accident. At one specific crossroads, there happened to be an ambulance and several police vans and some people. Brandon said, "Do you think we should go check it out or just keep going towards home?" We both kinda shrugged and decided, "When in Rome..." so we mosied up to what we now saw was quite a large crowd. As we got closer, we could hear singing and see people in all white holding candles. We knew that it had to be something religious. Brandon asked the guard standing in front of the barricade in Italian what was going on. He replied quietly, "Il Papa". We got chills! Suddenly we knew the voice we were hearing in song was the Pope! We couldn't see him from where we were so we ran around to the other side of the building. Again, we couldn't see the stage he was on, but music began to play and the cardinals began to file out of the square right past us and onto two big tour buses. We thought the Pope had to be close behind! Brandon suggested that they probably took him into the church to wait for the square to clear of the onlookers and then they would escort him to the bus shortly. So we waited. Suddenly, we saw barricades put up at the left end of the street we were on. This has to be it! He's coming right through here! I thought. A cheer suddenly erupted from somewhere and ended just shortly after it began. Brandon looked to the right and shouted, "There!" We took off running but we were too late. The pope mobile, now occupado, was on its way. We literally missed the sight of him by a few feet in a few seconds, but it was still an incredible unexpected experience for our last night in Rome. To hear the Holy Father, you can see our video <a href="http://youtu.be/c9hteQ-tXE8" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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We are really still just in awe that we were that close to the Pope. It was so cool to hear him and be in the audience there. So as the high winds down, we are back at the hostel preparing for another day of travel. Tomorrow is Athens, with a 0% chance of rain and a high of 86. Can't wait to put our jeans and jackets away!<br />
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<br />Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-15837591447728646822013-05-29T15:02:00.000-07:002013-05-29T15:02:26.620-07:00Day 13: RomeHello everyone, Brandon reporting to you live from a chilly marble staircase in an old hostel building. Today was very cool, but left us very tired so forgive my brevity in comparison with Mary's posts. We first went to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum which are the main historic district of Rome. We bought passes a few months ago which allowed us to skip all of the lines which surely saved us up a couple of hours of standing in the rain. It rained in the morning but much to our (and the weather forecasters') surprise, it got very sunny for the remainder of the day after about 10am! We were very excited as this was our first day of really comfortable weather. The sights were amazing and we got several beautiful pictures (about 200 from today alone!). The first picture here was taken by a very nice German family which we met trying to take a photo of their family divided up, so we offered (in German of course) to take their picture together. After the photos had been exchanged, the young daughter asked in a tiny voice "Kommen sie aus Deutschland!?" Which means, "Are you from Germany?" I replied that "Nein, wir kommen aus Amerika!" We learned that they were from Stuttgart, and the mother interrupted the flow of our conversation to pose the question in English, "Why do you speak such good German?" We brimmed with smiles from ear to ear upon ending this conversation. This was truly one of the highest compliments that they could have paid us and we were happy to have had the interaction.<br />
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Our time in the ancient city ended sooner than we expected simply because we had seen everything and we were left with basically an entire day with little planned. We then zig-zagged across the city seeing many cool ancient sites, including the Pantheon, a very famous temple/museum which served many tourists (including us) as a resting point today. I saw many people nodding off in the pews and succumbing to the need for respite. We thought "when in Rome," and caught a few precious "Z's" ourselves. Ending up in the large park at the north end of the city, we rented segways for 10 Euro and cruised around the park. We both really enjoyed our first time on these neat machines in such unique surroundings. We returned to the hostel to put some things away and then walked back in to the main city after dark to see the famous Trevi Fountain by night. This is a very popular twilight destination and we were joined by many other tourists. But after some fountain gazing and people watching we headed back to a restaurant in our neighborhood for a late-night pizza and coke. It was a very cool day, and a very long one; but tomorrow we have the same sort of schedule before us so I will be going to bed now. Buonanotte i miei amici<br />
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. Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-50248883367435662272013-05-28T14:17:00.000-07:002013-05-28T14:17:02.509-07:00Day 12: Vienna to RomeBeginning this post makes me realize what a long day today has been. We started out at 9am, getting around in our Vienna hostel, making sure everything was ready for another day of travel. We found some brunch at the train station (a delicious chicken and bacon sandwich with some sort of cream cheese spread...yum!) and eventually caught all the right trains, arriving at the airport around 11:15am. As usual, check-in was a breeze and we were ready to board an hour later. The plane took off and we had no idea what awaited us.<br />
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At first glance out the window of the plane, the expanse of green and stiff, upstanding trees said Classic Italy. Already we were excited. But we weren't even in Rome yet. Also, we were held in the airport for much longer than we would have liked since the Rome airport has some serious problems with baggage return. They had 5 flights scheduled on the same baggage carousel and they were all spewing out at the same time essentially. My bag came out with the Warsaw bags, and many passengers on my flight--including Brandon--were left waiting for 45 minutes before there was any sign of their bags. It was scary for all of us but we waited through it together, and finally we found them all. Anyway, with all our luggage in tow, Brandon used his awesome new Italian skills (for the first of several times tonight) to get us two train tickets into the city. We rode through Trastevere, the small area across the river and south of the Vatican which we had planned to go see tonight, but realized it wasn't what we thought it would be. So we scrapped that plan. We got into the city and found our hostel--we are lucky we did with the tiny amount of signage they have! We got in and learned all the rules and by 5pm, we were ready for some Italian dinner! We found a nice little restaurant on the street and got a pizza and a half liter of wine, all for 16E (~$20). We ran back to the hostel to grab some laundry since we are halfway through our trip now; 7E for a wash and dry (and he folded it too!), and now we don't have to worry about stinking for the next half.<br />
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Then we began the real evening. We decided to just walk around and get lost in the city. Every road we looked down was a new, beautiful sight with old buildings and incredible history. We took a TON of pictures because every time we saw something new it was a great photo op. So we'll post a selection of them below. Though our wanderings, we ended up on the north side, seeing Augustus Cesars Memorial, Trevi Fountain, Piazza del Popolo, and many little plazas and churches. Both Brandon and I were speechless many times at the sights we are able to be seeing.<br />
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So now we are home for the night, ready to recharge for more awe-inspiring events tomorrow.<br />
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Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-68365874065639497052013-05-27T14:59:00.001-07:002013-05-28T14:21:20.887-07:00Day 11: ViennaToday was our one and only day in Vienna, Austria. We had a list of 4 specific things to do, and then after that it was pretty much just whatever came to mind.<br />
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Number ONE was to go to Schloss Schoenbruenn, the Palace of Franz Josef. This is also the palace where Mozart gave his first royal concert at the age of 6. It was a bit rainy still, so we didn't explore much of the grounds outside the Castle, but it was still beautiful. Since we got there right when it opened (8:30am) we still had a full day ahead of us. We stopped in a cafe in town to get some lunch, but were quickly told that lunch was not served at 10am and we disappointedly realized we would have to wait until 11 to find our schnitzel anywhere. So we continued on...<br />
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Number TWO was to go to the Central Cemetery, which is where many famous composers are buried. We took the train over to the Cemetery, which, despite its name, is not located very centrally at all. It is the second largest cemetery in the world and we certainly found that out the hard way. The train dropped us off at the opposite corner of the cemetery of the "infopoint", which we luckily found with other smaller infopoints along the way. After a trek through the entire cemetery, we found a very nice guidebook telling us that the composers we sought were right down the center aisle, so we turned around and found the plot including Strauss, Brahms and Beethoven. There is one more famous composer buried in Vienna, and he was next...<br />
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Number THREE was Mozart, buried at the St. Marx Cemetery closer to town. This one was much smaller and the map was much more readily available so we found Mozart quite easily. His grave marker stands alone in a large field, which Brandon and I were able to go right up to and touch. Appropriately, as Mozart was a bit of a prankster, there was sap on the gravestone, in the exact place where Brandon and I both placed our hands. That was fun.<br />
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Number FOUR was the Freud Museum. You may be thinking, "Didn't they already see the Freud Museum?" The answer to that is yes, however that was the one in London. There is one in London as well as Vienna. London has all of his cool stuff because that was his last home. But he lived the longest in Vienna, and it was also the home he loved and preferred so we decided to go there as well. It was awesome to see the room where patients waited and then were evaluated, and the rooms in which Freud spent so many hours. There were lots of cool pictures too.<br />
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So once we got those things done, we just wandered around looking for other things to do in the city. We saw Stephensplatz, a huge, beautiful church whose facade is well recognized as a symbol of Vienna. In that area we found a cute little restaurant called Hinterholz and finally got the Wienerschnitzel we craved! It was exactly what we were looking for. We tried to go see a Crime museum, but upon arriving, saw that they were closed on Mondays (which we would have known if we had read the map better... whoops) But we also got to see the Rathaus (like a city council) and Beethoven's house while just wandering around. Since we had accumulated some souvenirs, we stopped back at the hostel for a bit to drop things off and get ready for the evening, since we had tickets to the opera at 7pm. The Volksoper was playing "Wagners Ring Cycle an einem Abend", which was the whole Ring Cycle (4 different LONG operas) condensed into one night, with a narrator "filling in the blanks". Except everything was in German, so there were actually quite a lot of blanks left unfilled for us. Also, they didn't play the most famous song of all 4 operas, The Ride of the Valkyrie, so that was strange. But overall it was really nice and we always love a night at the opera.<br />
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Now we are back for our last night at the hostel in Vienna and tomorrow at 12:45 our flight leaves for ROME! Bis Morgen...<br />
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Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-57993212784291600862013-05-26T14:11:00.001-07:002013-05-26T14:11:19.406-07:00Day 10: Berlin to Vienna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First of all, an update from last night: We did indeed go out to the Brandenburger Tor to see the Fanmeile, where the soccer final was being livecast. Yes, it was raining, but boy was it a cool experience! We ate some street-vended bratwurst and watched as Bayern, our preferred team, won the championship with two minutes left in gameplay. It was so neat to be there among all these German fans in this iconic German location watching two German teams face off. Luckily we had some super warm ponchos from someone special so the weather wasn't even too bad.<br />
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Now today has been really a day unlike any other. We got up at 10am, as the hostel checkout time was 11. So we got ready and put our luggage away in the locker room and went out into the city for the last time. We walked around the Stadtmitte subway station looking for some lunch and finally settled on some breakfast type cakes. We continued on to Potsdamer Platz and walked around a mall there, even though everything was very closed (it's sunday...).<br />
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By 2pm, we were back by Checkpoint Charlie (our home territory) and found some street bratwursts for lunch. Grabbing our bags, we went to the airport and were all checked in by 3:30. The plane wasn't even boarding until 5:10. Needless to say, we had a lot of time to kill at the airport. One girl sitting across from me looked just like Jodi Arias, which was weird... finally the time came and we were in the air on our way to Wein. We got our tickets for transportation and got onto the train for the City Center, arriving about 8:15. Unfortunately, we took a wrong turn at Albuquerque and ended up walking from the train station in the complete opposite direction of our hostel. But, we found it eventually and the reception was warm--free beer and wine! The hostel building was around the corner from reception so by the time we actually got to the room and got things situated, it was already 9:30. So we walked around the immediate area to find some quick dinner rather than going into the city center. We found a little pizza shop (open til 3am AND accepts Discover! Score!) and decided that would do just fine. Tomorrow we look forward to some Wienerschnitzel! Probably for lunch and dinner. Since tomorrow is our only day in Vienna, we will be getting an early start.<br />
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<br />Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-32957771847598452122013-05-25T11:21:00.000-07:002013-05-25T11:23:58.682-07:00Day 9: BerlinToday was supposed to be our last full day in Berlin, as we thought we were going to be leaving for the airport around noon. Now we realize we don't have to leave until 2, so we actually have more time than we thought. But nonetheless, we tried to finish up our German agenda in today's activities.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPJaX1O0jj3hYqqSFoSLN7cFvFmwxMJXxTkFtEftn9OkcwiNV9-8-keZAsG-WWlHFdFxoMIwfZR4VpQJyoD3ZjjIvfIjOpT2v8gmfUKa7sWYQNAVXrtWPdq9Pr2Mj-gEpXwTRJYUuIy0/s1600/DSCN4135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPJaX1O0jj3hYqqSFoSLN7cFvFmwxMJXxTkFtEftn9OkcwiNV9-8-keZAsG-WWlHFdFxoMIwfZR4VpQJyoD3ZjjIvfIjOpT2v8gmfUKa7sWYQNAVXrtWPdq9Pr2Mj-gEpXwTRJYUuIy0/s200/DSCN4135.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBHae-1y3mEV721kYXmvxfFsUISNV02nWIoKRcAnQhbx5C5nvLoYmmlyXaBznOZ9WfjgEo9vqmAcc1y9CjIoFZHUEl2ovljJgTGhOeoUQc2kpHwrO0Uzfrx8DVaj7iCqBRsvCnwzVwvI/s1600/DSCN4132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBHae-1y3mEV721kYXmvxfFsUISNV02nWIoKRcAnQhbx5C5nvLoYmmlyXaBznOZ9WfjgEo9vqmAcc1y9CjIoFZHUEl2ovljJgTGhOeoUQc2kpHwrO0Uzfrx8DVaj7iCqBRsvCnwzVwvI/s200/DSCN4132.JPG" width="150" /></a>We woke up at 9 and headed for that Bavarian Restaurant to enjoy some Weisswurst (Brandon's favorite German food, a white sausage), however it was closed. So we found a little cafe nearby and instead ate a salami sandwich and a chocolate muffin. Nourished for the time being, we began our adventures to Museeninsel, or Museum Island. It was raining fervently but we stood in line to get our tickets. Luckily we chose the shortest line at the time when very few knew it existed, so we got pretty lucky on wait time. With annoying kids in front of us and a boogery old man behind us, we were pleased to get our tickets and make our way out of the line and into our own museum exploration. The Pergamon, which houses classical artifacts and middle eastern art was our first stop. Our pass also allowed us to continue to other museums, so next we chose the Neues (new) Museum, where we got to see the painted head sculpture of Nefertiti, an Egyptian woman idolized for beauty and poise. Feeling a little museum-ed out for the day, we found an alternative bavarian restuarant in the area and ordered a sausage plate, which included Brandon's weisswurst. It was quite tasty and nice to be full again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyg-nka_d_fK7vMqe1mRuCzvxjOKmi9Ifrpf-ttbKEjegB7H1dOnbB19_TvPavvhRLe7C4BlLE8yWCzgC_-5_fSNhaLQVoCdk41oFaBtF7N9bpCirjNcPeZJi8BRV76M2qj4MMzoQJOnY/s1600/DSCN4139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyg-nka_d_fK7vMqe1mRuCzvxjOKmi9Ifrpf-ttbKEjegB7H1dOnbB19_TvPavvhRLe7C4BlLE8yWCzgC_-5_fSNhaLQVoCdk41oFaBtF7N9bpCirjNcPeZJi8BRV76M2qj4MMzoQJOnY/s200/DSCN4139.JPG" width="200" /></a>As it continued to rain, we made our way to Potsdamer Platz for the concert in the Berlin Philharmonic auditorium. We picked up our pre-ordered tickets at 3, and thought about running back to the hostel to drop some things off since the concert didn't start until 4, but continuing rain, wet shoes, and heavy eyes made the decision for us to just hang around the building for a snooze in the hallway. The concert was "Family Oriented" so we felt a bit out of place at first being the only couple there without kids, but that quickly went away. The concert was indeed geared for families as the "moderator" took on the identity of Antonio Stradivarius and explained the process of Violin making. We would have liked to have heard more music, but the instrumentalists were superb and hearing them play on Stradivarius instruments was so impressive.<br />
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Not feeling my best, Brandon got us back to the hostel so I could take some medicine and rest. I am now feeling quite a bit better, and since Germany is playing in the Fussball Finale at 8:45, we are thinking about going out to see the live screening of it at the Brandenburger Tor. Hopefully the rain will let up a bit and we will be able to enjoy the festivities for our final night in Berlin.<br />
<br />Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-60497018841578077972013-05-25T11:04:00.000-07:002013-05-25T11:28:18.372-07:00Day 8: Berlin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5HSAJ5keNMlufgsuZlwnNv6gLSiGdiy_fQauIBt5nGxsZ-3M-56M9zNLojeGMdBau8DFrUtC-3P_EEtxle7z0NFNgziA88_HACwQ69LUJNacjAJVJQ09THlUL8hGGeh5A57h3ubY8NU/s1600/DSCN4044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5HSAJ5keNMlufgsuZlwnNv6gLSiGdiy_fQauIBt5nGxsZ-3M-56M9zNLojeGMdBau8DFrUtC-3P_EEtxle7z0NFNgziA88_HACwQ69LUJNacjAJVJQ09THlUL8hGGeh5A57h3ubY8NU/s200/DSCN4044.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuNwWZC8zPdoExND1PpWC9MbwSYKhEj4y7zfhlnNgBCU98m95cqYJRPWxaCakX8KGCbGRqX0iFuR5hyphenhyphenVLTQMRJmG7C50zPeWh6zhD6PKWcb5EY-bBnx2f42uhoS16VI4JSBpaEJteFN0/s1600/DSCN4043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuNwWZC8zPdoExND1PpWC9MbwSYKhEj4y7zfhlnNgBCU98m95cqYJRPWxaCakX8KGCbGRqX0iFuR5hyphenhyphenVLTQMRJmG7C50zPeWh6zhD6PKWcb5EY-bBnx2f42uhoS16VI4JSBpaEJteFN0/s200/DSCN4043.JPG" width="200" /></a>Today was our first day to sleep in! What a refreshing feeling to finally just wake up when our eyes open. That happened around 11am, so we got to our feet and took off for day 3. Our first stop was Schloss Charlottenburg. A huge, gorgeous castle from the 1700s, it was made for Prussia's first Queen, Sophie Charlotte. There are huge gardens in the back that were very innovative for her time and almost everything has been remodeled after damage in WW2 to make it appear as it did in Sophie's time. Walking through the gardens was really peaceful and Brandon got to use his sweet camera to take some artsy pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6L1D1Yvof9CppvewCzXztsIHj5qDcy8re3vVi4EQQ_u0lyGxZDNCEXvepvzUtbP6tP91UTXoWk0VIsp80_3XdjV_3mhHUXIa9Z_VAENitLPhGbH9xhSQsy_NOWQTcCcuzACBqGnEyEw/s1600/DSCN4086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6L1D1Yvof9CppvewCzXztsIHj5qDcy8re3vVi4EQQ_u0lyGxZDNCEXvepvzUtbP6tP91UTXoWk0VIsp80_3XdjV_3mhHUXIa9Z_VAENitLPhGbH9xhSQsy_NOWQTcCcuzACBqGnEyEw/s200/DSCN4086.JPG" width="200" /></a>After the Castle, which was pretty far southwest of town, we came back into the center and saw the Topograhie of Terror, the previous grounds of the Nazi Secret Police, happening to run right next to a remaining chunk of the Berlin Wall (an implement of the later Communist era). The juxtaposition of the two distinct--yet in many ways similar--dictatorships was striking. We were hard pressed to find something cheap and unique for dinner, but since we were starving, we ended up at a Pizza Hut. It was well advertised, so I guess that's what happens. It filled us for the rest of the day as we made our way to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. As you approach, you can see large gray stones that are set up in perfect lines, varying in size from ankle high at the entrance to more than 10 feet tall in the middle. The ground slopes in addition to an independent impression of slope from the height of the stones. As one walks between the stones, people on alternate paths flicker past your view, a reminder of the fleeting nature of life. There are many other significant aspects of this unique memorial which was a somber, humbling exhibit to experience.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JBHrf-PnxRVg3j1bSTdIktBfhOpuskQx179WfYptu1hkLroC3sfbNjS4fWa54jQrw1cVF8jy4-QQjR-ILbr_qw8Bj_J0ku724Ow9RzJDc-zsz_6NZi4mN9Cc0sP6eENsid1Oq61a9vM/s1600/DSCN4106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JBHrf-PnxRVg3j1bSTdIktBfhOpuskQx179WfYptu1hkLroC3sfbNjS4fWa54jQrw1cVF8jy4-QQjR-ILbr_qw8Bj_J0ku724Ow9RzJDc-zsz_6NZi4mN9Cc0sP6eENsid1Oq61a9vM/s320/DSCN4106.JPG" width="320" /></a>That was all we had on the schedule for the day, so we stopped by a Starbucks to see if the internet could give us more suggestions. (They also had Frappucino Happy Hour so we got some drinks for 50% off!) We saw that Beyonce was playing in Berlin, but decided we probably weren't fans enough to even bother checking on tickets. But we did make our way out to the east side of the city and saw o2 World, the venue where she was at, since it happened to be right across from the East Side Gallery, a long stretch of the Berlin Wall which remains standing. Original art and new citizen art adorns the wall, making it a sort of art museum and very cool to see. We even got to leave our mark.<br />
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Now pretty far East, we came back to the center and watched a bit of the large crowd around Brandenburger Tor, assembled for the Firmenlauf (Business Run) before returning back to the hostel around 9. We watched some Big Bang Theory to remind us of home and fell asleep.<br />
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<br />Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-7244376012405081222013-05-23T16:19:00.000-07:002013-05-23T16:19:00.537-07:00Day 7: BerlinWell, posting last night was a bit difficult as Brandon's overzealous use of the umlaut caused some formatting problems...such a negative first experience with the blog will put him on hiatus for a while, but maybe he'll be back blogging before the trip is over... he is pretty good at it ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjbY5c5KrAKnPBeEW4rUMANGwEFdtIXwVf9E1jzX8fNI43fcucvf8pAXsReP7y9Lctf_wzYhtwotkeTAHDRM6rmixP5qwOa7w_r3Kxv83k3Ba7h6l7Jd7rxXVbh4Lx5Y1HofEhGiVXuU/s1600/DSCN3796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjbY5c5KrAKnPBeEW4rUMANGwEFdtIXwVf9E1jzX8fNI43fcucvf8pAXsReP7y9Lctf_wzYhtwotkeTAHDRM6rmixP5qwOa7w_r3Kxv83k3Ba7h6l7Jd7rxXVbh4Lx5Y1HofEhGiVXuU/s200/DSCN3796.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWFqW6zQnALrVRDtCjWJ2jArcI766PjUNmoCBfKWIL0Pu1V3vYffjfkKy1NWzvnDlK7XHTJjRkuaZqsbz8WkEnd4X1ol885U2cXikayGhjll68mxZFNSxKA7ho__pHaKh9hX5GUiBDxI/s1600/DSCN3864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWFqW6zQnALrVRDtCjWJ2jArcI766PjUNmoCBfKWIL0Pu1V3vYffjfkKy1NWzvnDlK7XHTJjRkuaZqsbz8WkEnd4X1ol885U2cXikayGhjll68mxZFNSxKA7ho__pHaKh9hX5GUiBDxI/s200/DSCN3864.JPG" width="200" /></a>This morning started bright and early at 7am. With the sun shining through our window, we arose and prepared for our first full day of Berlin. We had tickets to see the Bundestag Dome at 8:15am, so departure was set for about 7:40. We arrive just on time and were very officially escorted to the top of the dome for a guided audio tour. Spectacular views and fascinating history, this stop was well worth the early wake up call. Still a little chilly, we stopped by briefly by the Brandenburger Tor, an icon of Berlin, before we headed back to the hostel to get some extra layers. However, it appears that Berlin, for us, will be der Stadt des Schlafes (the city of sleep). We ended up taking a nap to recharge before heading out and tomorrow will be our first day without setting an alarm-- I think we are both looking forward to that. After our nap, we left to see the Stasi Prison outside of town. The metro trip went faster than we expected so we got to walk around the little town of Hohenschoenhausen, finding a supermarket (with Havana Club!) and a little cafe where we enjoyed a 1/2 a grilled chicken and bread. It was really delicious! The English Tour of the Stasi Prison started at 2:30 so we walked over to catch that, and what an experience it was. The place is huge and completely fenced/walled in. They did a great job of really letting you feel what it was like in the prison with completely accessible doors, beds, lights, etc. and a tour guide who gave us tons of information about what the isolating experience was like for a prisoner. I can't imagine being held there for any length of time.<br />
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After that, around 4:15, we went back into the city and walked around a market, which we found out was an African Festival, reminding me much of my time in South Africa last summer with the Women's Glee Club. We also found a bar at the festival that was selling Havana Club Rum, Brandon's favorite Rum from his Cuban tour with the Men's Glee Club. So in the middle of Berlin, we found an intersection of my trip to Africa, his trip to Cuba, and our trip together. That, and the Rum and Coke was great.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CiZkTj69OdH7z1y7fDHAmOQqfKFr9Bn4tX6sKmpTt6JB6iM_2u0alPRfKSfegrMFi-711Gd7X2CgqDyEuPaPsBe2QhTJ0wOHIkfropDX-0llS1TM8G1q69cVHrw-Y2s7h_6yGlJiA-E/s1600/DSCN3919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CiZkTj69OdH7z1y7fDHAmOQqfKFr9Bn4tX6sKmpTt6JB6iM_2u0alPRfKSfegrMFi-711Gd7X2CgqDyEuPaPsBe2QhTJ0wOHIkfropDX-0llS1TM8G1q69cVHrw-Y2s7h_6yGlJiA-E/s200/DSCN3919.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EPa21FQuwMnB3GNvbL5J8aJAM8k7iH-D9be-1GoYWLXx5vAfU6cSbraFZvJ7S3IAhlT-HWXC1_72tPcQ9Fck7LqUYUoh_hwWioWp1hAookF5hQAYiFHHVGHlUIcN8r6wdzzTwmq5DPo/s1600/DSCN3906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EPa21FQuwMnB3GNvbL5J8aJAM8k7iH-D9be-1GoYWLXx5vAfU6cSbraFZvJ7S3IAhlT-HWXC1_72tPcQ9Fck7LqUYUoh_hwWioWp1hAookF5hQAYiFHHVGHlUIcN8r6wdzzTwmq5DPo/s200/DSCN3906.JPG" width="200" /></a>Then in a spur of the moment decision, we decided to ride the train out to the Olympic Stadium where Jesse Owens beat Hitler's best runners in the Olympics in the 1930s. So much history there to see. We rode the train back in to the middle of the city to what is supposedly the best Currywurst in Berlin, a turkish-german fusion dish found almost exclusively here in Berlin. As the sun set, we walked through the massive park which used to be the Kaiser's hunting grounds in the center of the city. It was incredibly beautiful; we got to see the sun set over the victory column and nightfall on the Brandenburger Tor. After walking for over 2 hours straight, we welcome our return to the hostel and even more so, our chance to sleep in tomorrow morning.<br />
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<br />Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-2187593411142989092013-05-22T15:35:00.001-07:002013-05-25T11:33:22.533-07:00Day 6: London to BerlinHerzlichen Gruessen aus Berlin meine Damen und Herren. Brandon here. I decided to try my pedantic hand at this whole blogging thing for tonight. How hard can it be, right? Feel free to vote for your favorite blogger at the end of the journey. The winner eats the majority of a giant Chocolate bar that we bought today at Schokowelt (Chocolate World). We had an early morning--as is so common on the Brandon Cory Trail of Tears Experience--and flew out of London's Heathrow Airport. We landed in a cold and rainy Berlin; this has luckily been our first day of bad weather. We got right on seeing the sights and went to explore Alexander Platz, which is a large area with a big beautiful church and a tall spire that overlooks the city. We then went to the DDR Museum which takes you through the life of the East Germans living behind the iron curtain. I sat in a Trabi and saw a lot of german nudity (evidently those pinkos loved to skinny dip). It was a very cool museum and we learned a lot. We were cold and a little wet, so we came back to the hostel for a few minutes and before we knew it, it was 9:30pm. This extra-hour time change snuck up on us. So we went and enjoyed a traditional Bavarian meal at Loewenbraeu. Schnitzel and Weissesbier Dunkel, I tell you, it does not get much better than that. With full stomachs and...heavy heads, we returned to our hostel for the night. Oh, one more thing, Mary said "gracias" to our waiter tonight. Seriously, she doesn't even speak Spanish! This was hilarious to me and got a great look in response from our waiter. We are having a blast, and I hope you are enjoying traveling along side us. I know Mary has been keeping you well informed. Now we must be going; tomorrow morning is another very early one. Guten Abend.<br />
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Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-42861254959772572152013-05-21T15:59:00.006-07:002013-05-21T15:59:49.294-07:00Day 5: LondonThis morning was very similar to yesterday-- breakfast at the hostel, then off into the city.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnpQuqDLbVk6Odg27Wks3C68yu8xTyvv73bKPwpBnPMfVBW0ibzOCAixmkGrWg2nf7M1T-uQKlfRgcON1102vYgNW8fdngYNlRXyNfq4qJAv4EDWLgP9CwK2SMDsq_ta4QRJpcy3wxBM/s1600/DSCN3586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnpQuqDLbVk6Odg27Wks3C68yu8xTyvv73bKPwpBnPMfVBW0ibzOCAixmkGrWg2nf7M1T-uQKlfRgcON1102vYgNW8fdngYNlRXyNfq4qJAv4EDWLgP9CwK2SMDsq_ta4QRJpcy3wxBM/s200/DSCN3586.JPG" width="200" /></a> Our first stop was Big Ben. We got out to the Tube station right at the base of the clock, which was so impressive. It really is massive! We strolled around that area for a bit, taking a ton of pictures and video. We also saw a few war memorials along the Thames, which were quite nice.<br />
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We then headed southwest to see the Changing of the Guard. Boy was that an experience! It was not at ALL what we expected. First of all, we thought it started at 10:30. It didn't. We asked a local, who said it actually started at 11:30. Well, at 11:15 a troop of guards marched in and just paced for 15 minutes. Then another troop came in with a band. They did some business at the other side gate, and then, much to our surprise, the band came out and played a medley. Not just any medley, 3 songs including Grease and the Olympics Theme (the third and final one we didn't recognize). It sure was strange to hear that at this ceremony which we thought was going to be serious and quick. Eventually they marched off and the first troop left and the second troop went into Buckingham. All in all, it took about an hour! So after that, we walked over to Westminster Abbey and just saw it from the outside since it was over $20 to get in. Next we stopped for lunch at a place called Frankie's and got some pretty good food for a decent price. That was right near the National Galleries, so we stopped by the National Portrait Gallery. 3 floors of just paintings of people! And we got to see the official portrait of HRH Catherine. :D<br />
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After that we went on to Churchill War Rooms, which is a make-shift bunker near Downing Street (the home of the Prime Minister). That was one of the coolest museums I've ever seen. Much of the furnishings and such remain today exactly as they were left all those years ago. The museum was creatively and interactively designed, making it a really enlightening and enjoyable experience.<br />
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Now today we were done with plans around 5:30, and seeing an advertisement for the musical "Book of Mormon", we decided to go check it out. We made it out to the theater and discovered there were no tickets left for tonight. We continued walking around the theater district (which felt a little like Time Square) and saw Her Majesty's Theater, which is where The Phantom of the Opera premiered over 11,000 shows ago. In a spur of the moment decision, we got tickets to tonights show. It was really great! The music was fantastic and it was so cool to see the show in the theater that it originated.<br />
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Again, we got back around 10:30 and are now just wrapping things up. Today was the last day here, so tomorrow we say goodbye to foggy London town and hello to Berlin! Can't wait to test out our German skills...or whatever. :) We'll let you know how it goes. Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-25196933444017845722013-05-21T15:42:00.001-07:002013-05-25T11:35:30.967-07:00Day 4: LondonSorry for the delay in posting! We had a late night last night so we went to bed. But I'll update you now!<br />
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We came downstairs for breakfast--a nice free meal of Coco Crispies and Toast-- and were on our way into the city by 9am. First stop: British Museum. We saw a bunch of cool stuff, including exhibits on "Coins and the Bible" and "Pompeii and Herculaneum". It was really big and cool and, best of all, free! We stuck around until 1pm then found a nice little cafe right by the museum and got 2 sandwiches for only 7 pounds ($10, essentially), which is quite cheap!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3xnGGK8UnVY8M7gHW1-fgoMomaS5ANJYWAufTG0N2NHJFcFkWvWDKyKvkGuJTVaM_YBu3sGCV1EyJnVEDilu6_8_XozpkupEbJHkjnUsOoyk5058Sfx4ChPEkJ9hHjaPBWbg-zt3TeQ/s1600/DSCN3504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3xnGGK8UnVY8M7gHW1-fgoMomaS5ANJYWAufTG0N2NHJFcFkWvWDKyKvkGuJTVaM_YBu3sGCV1EyJnVEDilu6_8_XozpkupEbJHkjnUsOoyk5058Sfx4ChPEkJ9hHjaPBWbg-zt3TeQ/s200/DSCN3504.JPG" width="150" /></a>We kept on trucking to Freemason Hall, and got there just in time for the 2pm tour. They showed us their grand lodge which was huge and beautiful. So cool to see. Then we went back to the Temple Church and actually got to look around inside. The Knights Templar built that church and it is beautiful inside. We also got to see a legal preceding in the Royal Courts of Justice... something about a bike and vehicle collision. It was confusing and sounded a little scripted at first, but it was neat to see- and yes, the lawyers still wear the gray wigs! Finally, we stopped by Samuel Johnson's house, the dictionary maker. Cool to see from the outside, but we didn't pay the money to go in. By this time it was only about 5pm. We stopped for a quick snack and to plan what to do until 9:30, since we had commitments at that time.<br />
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We decided to take the Tube west for Little Venice, a neighborhood surrounding the Royal Canal with longboats, thus resembling Venice. It was nice and quiet and fun to walk along the canal and just enjoy the peace for a bit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidw_ZUnX_pE_xddU9BK6bGMkyMFODoHwl1iE6K4D7e0of9mawXCpRiUrhjKGw6sKjqkRw6kUT8BIPyrFH1ackYr-zRVUsgyJBFQDX576gnmtqceza4Qh2wBdbTQ6mZaunlVv5DqeomTLM/s1600/DSCN3578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidw_ZUnX_pE_xddU9BK6bGMkyMFODoHwl1iE6K4D7e0of9mawXCpRiUrhjKGw6sKjqkRw6kUT8BIPyrFH1ackYr-zRVUsgyJBFQDX576gnmtqceza4Qh2wBdbTQ6mZaunlVv5DqeomTLM/s200/DSCN3578.JPG" width="200" /></a>Around 7:30 we went back into the city center to wait outside the Tower of London, as we were registered guests to observe the oldest continually running military tradition in the world: The Ceremony of the Keys. There were more people there than we expected, but it was still special; we got to see the real guard say, "Halt, who comes there?!" It was so awesome.<br />
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By the time that was over, it was 10pm so we went back home and got a pizza at our hostel. We wound down, tied up loose ends, and went to bed. Now for today's news!<br />
<br />Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-87328882762392617112013-05-19T13:33:00.001-07:002013-05-21T16:04:43.649-07:00Day 3: Dublin to London<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4G_JCkoK7njt8sb3NE92cleHny17avv7ckadrGwt4ekViw614MjbIz3pVdNo8gttaqZXHbuBXZsNwn89NNv1ctqfh8oyEBfoAYapiUiVKy9PaTSrGsvLubBiWIWNfvz0ZhfjdspqLTM/s1600/DSCN3371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4G_JCkoK7njt8sb3NE92cleHny17avv7ckadrGwt4ekViw614MjbIz3pVdNo8gttaqZXHbuBXZsNwn89NNv1ctqfh8oyEBfoAYapiUiVKy9PaTSrGsvLubBiWIWNfvz0ZhfjdspqLTM/s200/DSCN3371.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHxS8JOozF_MhM76Hq_Iq5sUpHIjgnH8w88lxznvQuA6qVUUKftwY0XswGGw2pbNXc7pV8mrFWZ7VNL7FGSwJBxEONFXh5YkrH-FjGHw_gbXZile-cwmo4PT9ItFB13gkxLy5iavyBRg/s1600/DSCN3379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHxS8JOozF_MhM76Hq_Iq5sUpHIjgnH8w88lxznvQuA6qVUUKftwY0XswGGw2pbNXc7pV8mrFWZ7VNL7FGSwJBxEONFXh5YkrH-FjGHw_gbXZile-cwmo4PT9ItFB13gkxLy5iavyBRg/s200/DSCN3379.JPG" width="200" /></a>Another early morning here in Euro-land. We got up at 5:45 to get the airport shuttle by 6:30. Check-in at the airport was absolutely line-free and security went much faster than expected so we were ready at 7:10 for a 9:40 flight. Whoops! Better to be early than late. We were served a surprise breakfast (pastrami on a croissant) and decided that American aviation companies are cheap. We got to London and purchased our day pass for the transportation and hopped on a bus. We underestimated how long it would take to get to our hostel but we finally arrive around 1:45pm. We settled in briefly and then hit the streets a<br />
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gain. We went straight out of town to the Freud Museum, the house where Sigmund Freud lived at the end of his life. Then on our way back into town we stopped at Abbey Road and took a few pictures. Drivers on the road were not pleased with the amount of tourists stopping in the street, but too bad. It's Abbey Road. Then we continued back in and stopped at Sherlock Holmes' House, 221b Baker St. That was neat to see, but we didn't spend money to go inside. Then we went to the "downtown" area, if you will, down by the Thames. We meandered around, trying to see the Temple Church, but became quite lost. The Temple Complex is expansive and we walked completely in circles until we finally found it--closed. So we will return tomorrow. We went further east to the Tower of London to check it out before we go in tomorrow. And then there are all the bridges. The most beautiful one was the Tower Bridge. Unfortunately, London Bridge was severely disappointing. Just a boring cement structure. Lame. Oh well. For dinner we stopped at a little Pizza place along the Thames, right next to Shakespeare's Globe Theater, which we later infiltrated. It was "locked" to public, but we were able to see inside a little bit due to poorly guarded doors. The ride home on the Tube was short and sweet and we made it back to the hostel around 9pm to settle in for the night. Now with drinks in our hands, we bid you goodnight.<br />
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Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-17796560473709726082013-05-18T14:41:00.001-07:002013-05-18T14:41:24.104-07:00Day 2: DublinWe got into Dublin just before 5am and met up with a nice couple from Ohio in the airport. They offered to give us a ride into the city with their rental car, which was so nice. They were very fun. Crazy to experience driving on the left side of the road!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnF2Jv1MdDLS2x8Fx0lS_rhiUrYlj0iwG9sIoBhlOsYCfRFg7xuqlSdj8fp9IIgX1oeMAQC_1Os-trjeBRmAgLwFkL7Z4gu7SNgRJTKcdcj_baBKYNRkSvMypkc51FaKdPDWtGG_mN5k/s1600/DSCN3340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnF2Jv1MdDLS2x8Fx0lS_rhiUrYlj0iwG9sIoBhlOsYCfRFg7xuqlSdj8fp9IIgX1oeMAQC_1Os-trjeBRmAgLwFkL7Z4gu7SNgRJTKcdcj_baBKYNRkSvMypkc51FaKdPDWtGG_mN5k/s200/DSCN3340.JPG" width="200" /></a>We got into the hostel to drop off our luggage, but we couldn't check in officially until after noon. So off we went onto the streets of Dublin at 7:30am. We meandered past all the monuments along the River Liffey and eventually made our way to the Guiness storehouse for our tour and free Pint. Brandon even got to "per-da-perfect-pynt"!<br />
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We explored a little more, stopped at a "chipper" for some Fish and Chips and then headed back to our hostel for some much needed sleep. It rained only a little while we were sleeping, and by the time we went back out to find some dinner, it had cleared up again. Lucky!<br />
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All in all, a good day. Now tomorrow, off to London! Miss everyone and love you so much!<br />
<br />Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-44272098770351910192013-05-17T22:00:00.001-07:002013-05-18T14:35:37.993-07:00Day 1: Chicago to Dublin: Good NewsThis morning we got up around 9 and had a leisurely preparation for our maiden voyage. Watched a little HLN, ate a little Papa Johns, then went on our way around noon to O'Hare. We got to the Aer Lingus desk just moments before it opened and got the number two spot in line. Check-in was hassle-free and security went just as smoothly, making some friends as we led a group to a empty, forgotten security line, shaving probably half an hour off our wait time. We got to our terminal and waited patiently. The flight could not have been better. We were seated quickly and easily, the stewardesses were pretty and friendly (and had great accents!), the meal was great (Sweet and Sour Pork or Cheese Manicotti with a decadent triple chocolate brownie), and there was free movies! We have to give a nice plus for Aer Lingus because they truly made our travel experience smooth and easy. Added Bonus: We saw the Northern Lights from the plane! Brandon shook me awake (from my not-really sleep) and showed me what he saw when he happened to look out the window. We had a beautiful display of pale green across the sky. It was truly amazing!<br />
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Arriving in Dublin, we got into the customs line and checked e-mail, and lo and behold, more good news! Brandon got an email from UCLA about his housing assignment, which turned out to be exactly what he wanted: a single apartment in Weyburn Complex, the closest place to campus! So excited to learn that news.<br />
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Now we are sitting in the airport, waiting for the bus to start running (6:30am) and then we'll be off exploring! I suppose this is sort of Day 2 stuff now, but whatever! Talk to you soon!<br />
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Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-8125023771079480192013-05-17T08:53:00.002-07:002013-05-17T08:53:23.683-07:00Day -1: Grand Rapids to Chicago: Good News and Bad NewsThe Bad News:<br />
- Our bus left half an hour late from Grand Rapids.<br />
- The subway ticket machine stole our money.<br />
- My watch stopped.<br />
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The Good News:<br />
- Our bus arrived in Chicago in a well-lit, safe area.<br />
- We made it to the metro station without much of a wait.<br />
- We got to the airport just in time for our hotel shuttle.<br />
- The cheap hotel is actually just fine.<br />
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So we arrived at the terminal at 7:45 pm at the bus stop in Grand Rapids. Unfortunately, our bus didn't get there until over an hour later. We departed around 9:15, just a half hour behind schedule. The bus ride to the Lincoln State was uneventful. We walked the short distance to the blue line clinton station and got our ticket. Unfortunately, we paid with a $10 expecting change for our 4.50 ticket... instead we got a $10 ticket. Whoops. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngN35EiWCleF3MqAvFNn9RplyGyNd3LliWXRUT5YvUKcOrFfAU_2yrNXloWTWAzHEIi9A2L64fA6Q77X4_FUxmn5r_LTrWek0aX-L_TLwHEabPSpZW7r2sxgywFVVs-c-Z22Jiy40aGM/s1600/DSCN3241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngN35EiWCleF3MqAvFNn9RplyGyNd3LliWXRUT5YvUKcOrFfAU_2yrNXloWTWAzHEIi9A2L64fA6Q77X4_FUxmn5r_LTrWek0aX-L_TLwHEabPSpZW7r2sxgywFVVs-c-Z22Jiy40aGM/s200/DSCN3241.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
Then we rode the metro to the end of the line and found our hotel shuttle. Again, uneventful. The hotel is clean and has relatively nice amenities (iron, safe, hairdryer, TV). We tried to order a pizza but everything was either closed or outrageously expensive. So we walked over to White Castle for some sliders. Not too bad. Some skittles for dessert wrapped up the night.Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-66883405726785576892013-05-15T20:06:00.001-07:002013-05-15T20:06:13.883-07:00Tomorrow's the Day!We leave Greenville tomorrow at 5pm. We will go into GR for dinner and then get on the bus for Chicago at 8:30pm. We'll be in a hotel by the airport for the night and then depart at 3:30 on the 17th. Everything is beginning to feel real! We'll try to keep you updated as much as possible. <div>
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Love,</div>
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Brandon and Mary</div>
Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5009789428209930384.post-46177961580336048522013-05-04T20:07:00.001-07:002013-05-04T20:07:07.020-07:00Getting Ready!We are looking over our plans for the trip which is coming up in just two weeks (!). Tonight we finalized some attraction tickets, so now we can look forward to the following:<br />
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- BULL FIGHT in Madrid.<br />
- GUINNESS TOUR in Dublin.<br />
- WAGNER CONCERT in Vienna.<br />
- VATICAN and COLOSSEUM TOUR in Rome.<br />
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Can't wait to actually be seeing all these things in person. Hopefully the weather is great since we just purchased all these outdoor events :/<br />
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Anyone want to drive us to the airport at 8am on May 17th? :)Mary Wilhelmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08167062274539456951noreply@blogger.com3