Amsterdam

I'm writing this from a pub in Brussels. I think an expected 3 hour train ride that turned into 7 hours in with a pint or two.

Amsterdam was absolutely amazing and nothing what I expected it to be. Everyone always plays up the red light district. Don't get me wrong... it was something to experience... but definitely not the heart of Amsterdam.

I arrived in the afternoon and visited the Van Gogh museum before the free hostel dinner. The museum was well worth the 15€ entrance fee. It housed many of his most famous works like Sunflowers and The Bedroom. However, my favorite part was the interaction you got with the art. I was able to see the layers of paint used and techniques for which Van Gogh is famous.

The next day I did a city tour and learned more about the city and its history. While Amsterdam and I have conflicting viewpoints on life and freedom, it was still very investing to explore and learn about.

If you do nothing else in the city, do these two things... Anne Frank house and Pepper Mangos Ice cream. The Frank house museum was one of the best ever. It keep you interested while appealing while keeping history alive. I have copies of her diary in my classroom so I made sure to grab extra copies of the informative and visual museum guide in English and Spanish for my students.

Lieden was a quaint town to visit while in the Netherlands. It really was a break from the city. I went to the oldest botanical gardens in the country. I also visited the beach where I was able to further my relaxation.

Now I'm in Brussels, trying to find my way to the hostel.

Until then,
Kristin

Münster

It was nice to have a bit of a break from the craziness of Berlin.

Munster was a beautiful town with an old feel to it (I say feel because the buildings are mostly new but constructed in the old style). My first day there my dad and I were able to walk around the town center a little bit, and since he'd been there a few days he could show me a bit of the area.

We visited the town hall where the treaty was signed to bring peace to Westphilia after the Thirty Years War. It wasn't very exciting to see the room, but it was cool to be in a location where a major piece of the country's history took place.

The Picasso museum in the city is quaint but nice. I was actually more interested in the photography exhibit more than the Picasso pieces.

Peter and Angelika were great hosts and took me out to a beer garden for my last night in Germany. We also ended up finding a polo game to watch. Surprisingly, it was really entertaining to watch.

After meeting up with a friend I met in Nice for breakfast, I was of to Amsterdam.

Until then,
Kristin

Berlin

I thought Munich was crazy... I was wrong. Berlin had proved to be the city that never sleeps (sorry New York).

My first evening in Berlin a high school acquaintance came in to spend the weekend in the city. We ended up just walking around town and venturing into some bars and clubs.

The next day I did the free walking tour around the city. Berlin has such a rich history, and most of it unfortunately isn't the best. Between WWII and the Cold War, the city is filed with monuments. We didn't get back to the hostel until nearly 6pm because of the tour and hanging out with a group afterwards. We ended the night with a pub crawl as a group and had amazing fun.

While the next day was rough, I was convinced not to sleep. We went to the top of the TV tower and for a beautiful view of the city. We also stumbled upon a famous little burger king and enjoyed the taste of home.

The Jewish Museum in Berlin might be the best museum I've ever been to in my life. It's interactive and keeps you interested as you journey through the course of history for Jews. From the crusades to the holocaust. From Jewish traditions to modernizations made by Jews. It's an interesting way to kill 4 hours.

The Red Berlin tour focused on the city during the Cold War. A lot of what I learned about the stazi made me want to incorporate this period of history into my 1984 unit. There was 1 secret police member for nearly every 6 Germans. People were literally overnight sprayed from loved ones and friends.

I was really excited about the Third Reich tour in Berlin because I did the one in Munich. Munich is where it all started and of course Berlin became headquarters. The tour did focus on some of the role Berlin played in Nazi Germany, but it was more about the memorials and leadership of the party (which I had already learned in Munich). So, I was a little disappointed, but at least I was able to learn more about the monuments and see how Berlin has chosen to remember this part of their history.

Today I am of to Munster to hang out with my dad for a few days.

Until then,
Kristin

Prague

Wow... I haven't been in Prague in almost a week. That just shows you how busy and fun Prague and Berlin are.

My first full day in the Czech Republic I did a free walking tour and met the people I worked hang out with four the rest of my time there (and some in other cities as well). After we walked around the city, which was beautiful, we went to lunch and the castle. I thought the astronomical clock was underwhelming, but that's only because I hadn't been to the castle yet. The view if the city was beautiful, so I guess that makes up for it. That night we did a pub crawl and found the smallest smokiest bars.

The next day I slept in and spent my afternoon in the Jewish quarters. That night we went to an absinthe bar and tried the varieties that are only allowed in a few countries. It was a great way to spend my last night.

Turns out some of the friends I made and I had the same reason to Berlin, and were even staying in the same hostel. So we joined together for the journey.

I've been in Berlin for a few days now. I'll post about those later tonight, but now first things first... breakfast!

Until then,
Kristin

Last day in Munich and Vienna

I had no set time for a reason to Vienna because of my rail pass so I decided to do a Third Reich tour around Munich. It was interesting to see the beginnings and locations of events leading up to the creation of the Nazi party. I'm really excited to do the same tour in Berlin and see examples and locations of Nazi Germany after 1933-ish.

I arrived in Vienna around 7 pm and headed to the hostel. The desk man told me about the film festival going on so I decided to go there to grab dinner. I ended up sharing a table with a group of people from Jordan but who were living in Austria. They gave me some inside scoop on the city. What to try and where to get it.

The next day I walked around the city (okay... I mostly took the metro) and expired all the tourist attractions. I spent about 3 or 4 hours at the museum quarters, the area where they keep all the museums. I also visited the castle. Because it was Sunday late afternoon I want able to go inside but I did enjoy walking around the gardens for a while.

My last morning I went to Hausswadter Haus. It was really cool to have such an artist building just outside of city center.

I got to Prague last night and ended up walking around the pedestrian streets. I had dinner from a street vendor. It wasn't my favorite, but I managed. It was potato dumplings with with pork and sauerkraut. The flavor was there, but the texture wasn't.

Today I start my exploration of the city. 

Until then,

Kristin

Munich > college

Want a good time and relive your college days? Munich is your city.

On my first full day in Munich I did a free tour of the city, which was at great way to learn a little and get my bearings. The tour started at the new town hall with the famous playing of the bells. The square was packed with people watching little figures move on the clock tower during the bells. We walked to the Michael Jackson memorial which had recently been expanded to also include a shrine for his monkey. We were able to see the area where Hitler famously gave speeches as well.

That night myself and people from my hostel all hung out at the bar in the hostel basement. We played card games and learned games from everyone's countries. At midnight, you could hear all the Americans cheers to Independence Day.

The next day I went to the Deutsches Museum in the morning. There was so much to see it was ridiculous. I could have spent all day there (or maybe even multiple days) but after only a few hours my head hurt so much from learning and seeing so many things I had to leave.
After lunch I walked around the city and ran into one of the people I was with the previous night. We decided to hop on the S-bahn and spend the afternoon at Olympic park. It was so peaceful to be away from the city.

That night we walked to the grounds where Oktoberfest is held each year. On the way back back I spotted a line of taxis and knew there had to be something big going on. We snuck in. It was a party for some event. There were DJs and dancing so we stayed for a bit before heading home just before the sun.

Needless to say, today I slept in. I spent my afternoon at Dachau. It took about 4 hours to see the entire memorial, and only about a quarter of the camp is open to the public. Being alone, it was a very sobering experience.

I spent my last evening at the English Gardens. Again, it was very relaxing and nice to get our of the city for a little bit. I wish I would have had more time there before dark, but I figure it'll give me a reason to come back.

I'm off to Vienna tomorrow.

Until then,
Kristin

Venice and my first night in Munich

Venice might be the most confusing city in the world. I'll start with my crazy adventure of finding my hostel. As everyone knows, Venice is a small island. Well, the tourist office also knows this, and refuses to acknowledge that anything might possibly exist on the mainland.

I show the address to the info desk at the train station, and they tell me to go to the bus station, and they tell me to go to a different info desk just for the mainland, and they tell me to take the bus to Marghera and to ask the driver what stop to take for my street, and the driver tells me he doesn't know that street. So now I'm on a bus with mostly locals going to a town I've never been to go to go a street that a bus driver has never heard of. Great.

I decide to exit the bus at a stop that at least 5 people get off at and with a cafe near the corner so I can ask someone who works there. Turns out I got off at exactly the right stop and my hostel was a short 5 minute walk away. Seriously too good to be true.

At my hostel there was another American girl and we decided to tour Venice together, in hopes of not getting lost. Maps are totally worthless there. Seriously, if you go, don't buy one. No, they're not free.

We follow the signs around and visit San Marco and walk around the canal. We ended up going to a local festival at St. Peter's Basilica. There was live music, good, and wine. We played a festival game where you pull screws out of wood and if there is a black bottom you win a plant. We didn't win, but they did give candy for trying.

As we were sitting on a pier listening to music, some locals came to join us. We tagged along with them in their boat to a bar not far away and hung out for the evening. They even paid for us to take the water taxi home at the end of the night.

The next day we visited the Jewish ghetto. The square was full of history and the bakeries in the area were cheap and delicious.

We also visited Peggy Guggenheim's home and her personal collection of art. She was truly a leader for art and especially for artists starting out. Her belief was to support artists who are alive and not those who's art has already been seen. My favorite pieces were Pollack's.

Garden at Guggenheim:

My last meal in Venice was while I was waiting for my train. I walked just outside of the tourist area and found a little bakery where I got a pizza bread, and I also went to the market and got a cup of fresh fruit. I had lunch with a view (and for under 3€)

The train ride to Munich took 7 hours. While this took all day, the views of the alps were so beautiful that it was with it.  I sat next to a woman who was born in Germany and moved to the Canada when she was young so she gave me a lot of advice about the country and what to do and see.

I wasn't in Munich for even an hour before I ventured to a beer garden with someone from my hostel. We spilt some sausage and kraut and had a few liters of beer. 

The food already half gone:

We hung out with the people at our table and ended up being the last ones to leave. They already locked the gate so we had to crawl under it to get out.

Empty garden:

I'm excited to see what else Munich has to offer.

Until then,

Kristin

Florence

I've been in Florence for a full day now. The city itself is a lot cleaner than Rome, but I can't really say the same for my hostel.

So far I've explored some of the cities museums and churches. All of the lines are pretty short except for the Cathedral di Santa Maria Fiore, Galleria dell'Accademia (where the statue of David is), and the Galleria degli Uffzi. My plan is to hit all of these hot spots tomorrow and spend my day standing in lines.

Today I visited Palazzo Vecchio and admired some art of Florence. There were a few other museums that had shorter lines that I went to, but they aren't really worth mentioning. I also took a free walking tour of the city and learned about the city's vast history.

Window shopping is a great way to pass the time as you walk from place to place. The streets are lined with designer stores like Gucci and Prada. The bridge Ponte Vecchio is also a great place to walk. It is one of the oldest bridges and is full of shops.

Sorry for no pictures, my phone was dead today. I did take some on my camera but I can't upload those until I get back to the States.

Until Venice,
Kristin

Vatican City

I'm not Catholic, but that didn't stop me from visiting Vatican City and attending mass lead by the Pope!

Yesterday I stood in line for an hour just to get a golden ticket to the Pope's weekly mass at Saint Peter's Basilica.

Ticket:

Maybe it's because I'm not Catholic, or maybe it's because I don't speak Italian, but it was as if people were worshipping him while he was performing the ceremonies. After every thing he said people cheered. As he was riding around before mass, people were handing him their babies to touch and kiss. Regardless of my uncomfort with this, it was still cool to see.

The Pope delivering mass:

While in Vatican City I also toured Saint Peter's Basilica. The church was beautiful, as most of the churches in Europe are. There is a dome at the top that you can visit. You can ride half way to the top in an elevator and enjoy the view from there or you can continue the climb through narrow stairwells to the very very top... Or...you can be crazy like me and climb all 551 stairs to the very very top of the dome. The view was breath taking, but they really should monitor the number of people who are allowed up at any given time. They might also consider a weight limit due to the extremely narrow passage ways.

Saint Peter's not during Popal Audience:

The Vatican museum houses hundreds of sculptures from throughout Roman times. My favorite was "Personification of Winter". I had never thought about personification through art and the beauty of this collection of personified seasons has inspired me to create a similar project during my poetry unit.

The statute:

At the end of the museum there is the Sistine Chapel. No photographs were allowed inside. One man tried to be sneaky and take a shot at the ceiling and a guard immediately took him away. The ceiling inside the chapel was definitely beautiful. I don't know why, but I didn't realize the famous painting of God and Adam was only a small piece of a much grander collection of art on the ceiling and walls. It was very interesting to see.

Tomorrow I catch a train to Florence.

Until then,

Kristin

When in Rome...

Do as the Romans do.

I'm not sure exactly what this means. Everyone I've met who is Italian is from another part of the country. However, they still know the go to areas for food, which are usually sketchy but totally delicious.

Yesterday and today I walked around the city and explored all that it has to offer. Of course I visited some iconic landmarks like the classic arch and coliseum.

There are so many museums and things to see here. Rome is also a very hot city during  the summer. I'm refusing to take public transportation or tour buses in order to save every Euro possible. I can also find a lot more interesting places on foot. But, this means that every place I see with shade and a place to sit I stop and take a break.

When I see all of the beautiful buildings it is hard to believe I'm actually in Italy. Sometimes I need to stop for a gelato or glass of wine just to soak it all in.

Tomorrow I am visiting the Roman baths. I enjoyed them so much in England that I decided to visit  them in Rome. I am also going to a park recommended by some Italians. Wednesday I am going to Vatican City and will hopefully see the Pope 's weekly prayer.

Until then,
Kristin

Winning big in Monte Carlo

I lied. We did not win big in Monte Carlo. In fact, I lost 10€. A girl in my hostel and I ventured over to Monaco for the day. The country is full of roads with twists and turns at every corner. The beautiful views of the sea and fancy cars made up for the inconvenient roads.

We visited the palace and were able to see the changing of the guards at noon. It took about 15 minutes and was interesting to see. From the outside there is not much to see, but I'm sure the inside is majestic.

The palace:

View from the top of Monaco near the palace:

Finally, we visited the casino. No pictures were allowed inside (they even took our cameras at the door) but I can say it was quite luxurious. Everything  was plated in gold or covered with crystals. I allotted myself 10€ to spend and lost it all. The girl I went with ended up winning 3€.

The casino:

After I returned to Nice, I spent my final evening having a bignet on the beach. I was sad to leave such a wonderful little town, but I am excited for Italy next.

Until Rome, 

Kristin

Nice is nice

Remember all those horrible things I said about France? Forget them. Nice totally makes up for the southern part of this country.

At the train station in Marseille I met a few other Americans so we kept each other company while our train was delayed and also on the train ride to Nice. 

On the first night here my hostel had a spaghetti and wine party for 2€. My roommates and in all went together. It was like being in a sorority again; I forgot how much fun it was to live with a group of girls (especially from all around  the world). After dinner we walked to the beach and hung out.

Us at the beach:

The next morning I went scuba diving in the Mediterranean Sea. It had been about 2 years since I've been diving, but I remembered all of the basic rules. A lifetime scuba certification comes in handy; who would have thought I'd have the opportunity to dive in the Mediterranean? While diving I saw many tropical fish and starfish and was even able to have a fish eat out of my hand.

Views from the dive boat:

While in Nice I also walked around the old part of town where there are tons of little shops. I also went to a Russian orthodox church that requires women to be in skirts and hair covered. Here is a photo of the outside; the inside did not allow pictures to be taken.

Cathédrale Orthodoxe Saint-Nicolas de Nice:

Tomorrow I will travel to Monaco for the day.

Until then,

Kristin

Adios Espana... Bonjour France

On my last night in Spain, some roommates and I ventured around the town of Barcelona in search of a party. We ended up having our own and enjoyed the conversation with each other. Note: Germans got the word "amazing" from us and some overuse it excessively.

As I waited for my train to France to board, I met some fun people. First, a group of Americans. One asked me for my blog because she was so impressed of my journey. This is when I realized... this is not a normal trip. I also met some peers who were also using the Eurail pass. It made me feel better knowing I was not the only one with a magic ticket.

My train had a 2 hour layover in Montpelier so I decided to tour the city. I came across a festival where Montpellier's twi showcased what they had to offer. Louisville was one of them; I went to their booth and the photos of the South really made me start to miss home. Fes, Morocco had a booth where you could have your name  written in Arabic.

I got "Kristin is on vacation" written:

I regret starting  my trip in Spain. It makes France seem so abysmal. The French do not like speaking  in English and judge people for not knowing their language. The Americans that vacation here think this is the best place on Earth and that everything is better here just because it's French.

Today I visited Château d'If which is an old fortress on an island near the Vieux Port in Marseille. If you've ever read The Count of Monte Cristo you would know this is the island in which the main character, Edmond Dantes, is imprisoned.

The fortress:

The view of Marseille from the top:

From this view, you can see the Notre Dame de la Garde on the highest point in the city. It has been known for people to end a pilgrimage here by crawling up the steps to the top. In the past few years, an elevator has been installed to make the cathedral easier to access. However, since I'm on my own sort of pilgrimage I decided to climb all the way up - praying the entire way. 

Notre Dame de la Garde:

The food in France is so expensive and not really all that great. There's a reason why America is full of Italian and Spanish restaurants but has very few French ones. Hopefully in Nice there will be a market near by so I can cook dinner (this will be cheaper and tastier than a lot of the places I ate at here in Marseille).

Until Nice tomorrow,

Kristin

Last day in Barcelona

Well, today is my last day in Barcelona. I ended up sleeping in until around 11. After my post last night I went to the beach and night-life area with a girl from my hostel. She is studying  at the university in Barcelona and we met up with some of her college friends. Although the beach was crowded, it was fun to hang out with a group of people who spoke fluent English. We tried to bar hop, but the steep drink prices and strict dress codes kept us from doing so.

I visited the Picasso museum today. It was interesting  to see and compare his early work to his late work (which he is more famous for). My favorite paintings were those of his early years. They were mostly landscapes on scraps of wood and cardboard.

I intended to end my day going to a restaurant that only served dessert; however, it was 35-50€ per plate. I settled for a tiramisu ice cream and watched people dance on the square.

I would have also included the decadent ice cream cone in the picture, but I ate it too quickly.

Until Marseille tomorrow,
Kristin

Mi encanta Barcelona

If I ever live overseas, it'll probably be in Barcelona. This city as so much to offer. No matter how many pictures I take, they could never do this city justice.

Yesterday I walked around the city and saw some of the tourist spots. I went to Casa de Batllo. However it was way too crowded and expensive to go inside. The museum houses the work of Gaudi. Luckily, I was able to see of his mosaics for free at Parc Guell. This park was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. It might top a few of the walks/views I had on the Wainwright coast-to-coast walk in England.

Here are some photos of his work:

It may be hard to tell, but these are mosaic pieces. The entire area was full mosaics and bit was absolutely beautiful. There are more photos on my camera. Unfortunately with no computer I cannot upload those until I get back to the States.

The Parc Guell also had many trails that provided some peace and quiet from the city's hustle and bustle. I was able to reach one of the highest points in Barcelona and get an amazing view.

Yesterday I also visited Temple de La Sagrada Familia. It began construction hundreds of years ago and is still being completed. I listened to some tours in English on the outside of the cathedral and learned that the original plans called for 18 towers and 12 sculptures I believe (one for each disciple).

Today I toured the Fundacio Dr Joan Miro. This was one of the cheaper museums and only cost 7 Euro with my student discount. The museum housed paintings and sculptures. My favorite was a fountain that contained mercury instead of water. Unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos inside of the museum.

I also walked around Placa de Espanyol. There I stumbled upon a mall and sight seeing.

Until tomorrow,
Kristin

The amazing race

If I were a contestant on the Amazing Race, I would have won today. I'm fairly certain I was made to travel. My flight from Kansas City was an hour delayed so I just had a beer and socialized with some fellow passengers. Because my flight from KC to Chicago was delayed, I literally had to run with my 50lb. backpack across the airport. Granted this is not my first time running  to catch a flight in Chicago, but it still got my adrenaline pumping so much that it was difficult to sleep on the way to London. There, my flight to Barcelona was delayed, which was fine by me because I am absolutely in love with the UK.

Finally I arrived in Spain. I was expecting most Spaniards to speak English, but I was wrong. Despite the language barrier I was able to exchange my currency and catch a bus to a stop near my hostel.

None of the streets are labeled here in Barcelona, and if they are it must be in tiny print distant from the street corners. I walked around  aimlessly for nearly 30 minutes and was finally able to communicate with a shop keeper in my broken Spanish. She helped me find my hostel (which wasn't exactly on the street... it was above some shops which made it difficult to see).

It looks like there are no SIM cards that will work for my phone so my only mode of communication will be internet. I figure if I found my first hostel without a phone ill be able to do the same elsewhere.

This evening I just walked along the main strip. I found a quaint seafood restaurant and ordered something to go. I'm not intentionally being vague... I literally didn't know what I was ordering. I brought the food and a bottle of wine back to my hostel where I am now eating, relaxing, writing this blog, and will soon be planning my itinerary for tomorrow-when I'm sure I'll update again.

Until tomorrow,
Kristin

I'm leavin' on an airplane...

Being the procrastinator that I am, I started packing this morning. Rushing around trying to find everything that I needed to bring for the next 7 weeks was a bit of an adrenaline rush. However, after 3 hours, I managed to fit the majority of my life into a single backpack.

This little beauty has 6 outfits, 2 pairs of shoes, some toiletries (seriously... someone needs to talk to TSA about their ridiculously low limit of liquids for part-time), and all of the electronics I'll need.

It's difficult to believe that I'll be in Spain in roughly 20 hours. I cannot wait to see what my travels have in store for me. If you also want to know, keep up with this blog. Traveling for 7 weeks over 10 countries, I have a feeling you'll be kept entertained reading this.

Prayers are appreciated as I start my journey today.

Until Barcelona,
Kristin

3 weeks!

There are roughly 3 weeks until my European adventure begins, and I could not be more thrilled or terrified!

There is still so much to do in the next 3 weeks:

• Finish planning agenda for each city I will visit
• Get cell phone ready for international calls
• Pay all bills in advance
• Find a good daily devotional for Kindle
• Pack!! 

As my first year of teaching comes to an end, I am excited to reward myself with this vacation. I am traveling for 7 weeks to 10 countries across Europe. I hope that this trip will give me time to reflect on my personal, professional, and spiritual life.

Check-in with me via this blog from June 11-July 31. I will be updating several times a week.