Hi everyone!
We are currently in Paros, Greece waiting for our ferry to take us to the island of Mykonos. It is an EXTREMELY windy day, so hopefully we won't have any sea sickness on the ferry. Greece has been lovely so far! Much more relaxing than the last tour. The food has also been excellent and there is plenty of sun and water. We spent one full day in Athens. We were a bit worried that day for the rest of the trip because it was a scorching 40 degrees C, but fortunately there is so much wind on the islands it doesn't feel warmer than 80 degrees F. In Athens we toured some of the city, and then took naps. We will be back at the end of the trip, so we are planning an acropolis visit at that point. In the evening we had our first greek dinner with meatballs, sausage, spinach pie, chicken kebabs, and rice. Greek dancing and music also went on. It was very fun!
We arrived in Paros yesterday. Paros is a quaint, beautiful island that isn't super touristy yet. We stayed in a nice hotel that was a short walk from the beach. The first evening for dinner Andy had rabbit (poor bunny) and rice, and I had cuttlefish which is some sort of squid with rice. It was delicious, and the food seems quite healthy.
The next day we ventured to the southern end of the island by bus in search of windsurfing. We succeeded! Andy rented a windsurfing board for 35 euro for two hours. He had a blast and his windsurfing bug has definitely come alive. I'm not sure if I'll see him for the rest of the trip! I didn't windsurf because it seemed like all the beginners were able to do was swim next to their boards, but I read and stayed in the sun. It was too windy and wavy for me. It was a wonderful day and a gorgeous laid back beach. Definitely a spot to visit again the future!
Today we head on to Mykonos which is a bit more expensive, has more parties, and is more touristy, but still a lovely island in the mediterranean.
We miss our dogs and I miss my cats, but there are tons here wondering around waiting to be petted. I called to one and he immediately rolled over onto his bag and waited for some loving! It was also one of the fattest dogs I have ever seen, so he definitely knows how to work the tourists.
Ciao!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Greece
Sorry for the unoriginal title. I'll just add a few quick notes about our current activites. But first, I want to say that it's quite nice logging on and reading the posts from yall back home. It's comforting to know that life still moves on as we knew it, and it's nice to hear from some familiar faces. So thanks, we like hearing from you. Hopefully you all enjoying reading our blurb from time to time.
So, we're in Athens today, awaiting the start of a 10-day Greek island hopping trip. Tomorrow we go to Paros, followed by two other similiarly Greek named places. All quite beautiful and quite hot. I think Becca and I (and Angie and Krissy) will thoroughly enjoy the relaxation that has been promised during the next few days.
The days leading up to this, especially for me, have been rather hectic. We finished off our bus trip de Diablo from Berlin (where we had our last post), to Amsterdam to Calais to Dover to London over the past 6-7 days or so, but I had caught some kind of European plague, so I didn't get to enjoy these places much. They all, to me, looked quite similar--like the inside of hostel room. Needless to say, I'm happy to have left that segment of the trip behind. Becca might have some highlights to share, but she was a bit under-the-weather, too.
We both miss our dear La Crosse and beloved Mississippi, and folks and family and friends back home. Hope to see you all soon!
Cheers,
-Andy (and Bec)
So, we're in Athens today, awaiting the start of a 10-day Greek island hopping trip. Tomorrow we go to Paros, followed by two other similiarly Greek named places. All quite beautiful and quite hot. I think Becca and I (and Angie and Krissy) will thoroughly enjoy the relaxation that has been promised during the next few days.
The days leading up to this, especially for me, have been rather hectic. We finished off our bus trip de Diablo from Berlin (where we had our last post), to Amsterdam to Calais to Dover to London over the past 6-7 days or so, but I had caught some kind of European plague, so I didn't get to enjoy these places much. They all, to me, looked quite similar--like the inside of hostel room. Needless to say, I'm happy to have left that segment of the trip behind. Becca might have some highlights to share, but she was a bit under-the-weather, too.
We both miss our dear La Crosse and beloved Mississippi, and folks and family and friends back home. Hope to see you all soon!
Cheers,
-Andy (and Bec)
Saturday, July 19, 2008
continuing to Germany
Hi everyone!
This will be a quick one since we are leaving in ten minutes. We traveled to Budapest, Hungary a few days ago. It is again a beautiful city. The eastern European major cities are rather nice although not inexpensive.
We started off the first night by going to a traditional Hungary restaurant. We were allowed to order anything from the menu (possibly a bad idea), so a few boys of the group ordered the most expensive item they could find (74 of Hungary money). Of course Andy was one of these boys. When the entrees began to arrive, everyone gasped because they were gigantic! The 74 entree came out as a huge platter that we originally thought was four people's dinners combined, but as we found out it was for one person and did not fit properly on our table. It was hilarious! Then the next task was to make sure that everyone who had ordered the platter ate the entire thing. Andy of course fulfilled this task. There were definitely a lot of rumblings from not being able to sleep that night due to full bellies!! We returned to the restaurant the following night since it was such a hit. Uh oh I'm getting logged out in a minute.
We're heading to Dresden and Berlin today for a few days!! Hope all is well!
Becca (and Andy)
This will be a quick one since we are leaving in ten minutes. We traveled to Budapest, Hungary a few days ago. It is again a beautiful city. The eastern European major cities are rather nice although not inexpensive.
We started off the first night by going to a traditional Hungary restaurant. We were allowed to order anything from the menu (possibly a bad idea), so a few boys of the group ordered the most expensive item they could find (74 of Hungary money). Of course Andy was one of these boys. When the entrees began to arrive, everyone gasped because they were gigantic! The 74 entree came out as a huge platter that we originally thought was four people's dinners combined, but as we found out it was for one person and did not fit properly on our table. It was hilarious! Then the next task was to make sure that everyone who had ordered the platter ate the entire thing. Andy of course fulfilled this task. There were definitely a lot of rumblings from not being able to sleep that night due to full bellies!! We returned to the restaurant the following night since it was such a hit. Uh oh I'm getting logged out in a minute.
We're heading to Dresden and Berlin today for a few days!! Hope all is well!
Becca (and Andy)
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Austria
Hello everyone,
We are currently in Vienna, Austria. It is a lovely city! We arrived last night, and had a traditional dinner of wienerschnitzel (fried pork) and pomas fritas (french fries). This morning we headed into the city center and checked out a few of the sites. We visited the summer and winter home of the Hofberg family who was in power in Austria for many years. They had a large part in the start of WWI.
Angie and I shared some apfelstrudel (apple strudel) of which Vienna is also famous. Although I do not drink coffee, I did try some since this is another Vienna specialty which was brought into Vienna by the Turks many years ago. For someone who does not drink coffee, it was actually pretty good!
After visiting the main sites, we checked out the worlds oldest amusement park! I was not sure what to expect when we first came upon it, but it was really quite nice. They have some unique and scary rides, as well as plenty for the little ones. We rode the go karts (much faster than in the states), a spinning water ride (we got quite dizzy on that one!), an EXTREMELY high spinning swing set which you can see the entire city (I was definitely scared on that one), and finally a haunted train ride (this was the least dangerous but Andy was the most scared!)
After the amusement park, we wondered into the Vienna film festival where they had loads of excellent food. We were a bit tired of fried pork and brats, so we opted for the veggie Indian choice which was phenomenal.
Following that, we visited the Spanish riding school. There were not any shows going on with the Lipazzaners, but there were quite a few of many different colors pulling carriages through the streets. They are beautiful horses with happy personalities.
Vienna has been one of my favorite cities thus far. We were a bit disappointed we did not get to hear the Vienna boys choir or any other Vienna concerts, but we did get to listen to the various street performers who were quite good and free! It is a nice, clean city with plenty of entertainment.
Backing up a little bit, we met up with our travel group in Roma a few days ago. They are a wacky fun bunch mixed of Aussies, Koreans, Kiwis, Americans, Canadians, English, and Hispanics. They sure do not seem to need much sleep! They enjoyed initiating Team America as Krissy, Angie, Andy, and I are now called.
Our last full day in Rome we checked out the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum. The Sistine Chapel was beautiful (pretty amazing for someone who was forced into painting it!) We did not get into St. Peters Basilica as the line was probably a few hours, and we were not up for tolerating the intense sun for that long. From there we moved onto the Colosseum which as always is gigantic and impressive. On the bus ride to Venice we watched Gladiator to go along with the Colosseum theme.
We spent most of the entire next day bussing to Venice, and it was defintely well worth the travel. Venice is a gorgeous city on an island on the northeast coast of Italy. There are no cars in Venice, and the main mode of transportation is boating or walking. Since they are not so big on street signs, it is very easy to get lost while meandering through their walking areas. There are loads of street vendors selling beautiful paintings everywhere. We had to participate in the most famous activity of Venice, so Krissy, Angie, Andy, Stew, Tom, and I drank wine while riding through the canals in a gondola. Although there were four other people with us on the gondola, it was still romantic! Venice was a great city, and again one of my favorites. However, if I had to choose, I would visit Vienna again over Venice because there is more to see and enjoy in Vienna.
Well that about gets you up to speed with the travelers! Before we left Rome, we did buy a plane ticket back to the states from Greece, so we will be coming home after all. We are booked a flight into New York where we will stay for a few days, so I am still not sure of the exact date we will be home.
Tomorrow we head to Budapest, Hungary! I do not know much about Budapest, but I heard it is a great place to visit.
I will write more later!! Ciao!
We are currently in Vienna, Austria. It is a lovely city! We arrived last night, and had a traditional dinner of wienerschnitzel (fried pork) and pomas fritas (french fries). This morning we headed into the city center and checked out a few of the sites. We visited the summer and winter home of the Hofberg family who was in power in Austria for many years. They had a large part in the start of WWI.
Angie and I shared some apfelstrudel (apple strudel) of which Vienna is also famous. Although I do not drink coffee, I did try some since this is another Vienna specialty which was brought into Vienna by the Turks many years ago. For someone who does not drink coffee, it was actually pretty good!
After visiting the main sites, we checked out the worlds oldest amusement park! I was not sure what to expect when we first came upon it, but it was really quite nice. They have some unique and scary rides, as well as plenty for the little ones. We rode the go karts (much faster than in the states), a spinning water ride (we got quite dizzy on that one!), an EXTREMELY high spinning swing set which you can see the entire city (I was definitely scared on that one), and finally a haunted train ride (this was the least dangerous but Andy was the most scared!)
After the amusement park, we wondered into the Vienna film festival where they had loads of excellent food. We were a bit tired of fried pork and brats, so we opted for the veggie Indian choice which was phenomenal.
Following that, we visited the Spanish riding school. There were not any shows going on with the Lipazzaners, but there were quite a few of many different colors pulling carriages through the streets. They are beautiful horses with happy personalities.
Vienna has been one of my favorite cities thus far. We were a bit disappointed we did not get to hear the Vienna boys choir or any other Vienna concerts, but we did get to listen to the various street performers who were quite good and free! It is a nice, clean city with plenty of entertainment.
Backing up a little bit, we met up with our travel group in Roma a few days ago. They are a wacky fun bunch mixed of Aussies, Koreans, Kiwis, Americans, Canadians, English, and Hispanics. They sure do not seem to need much sleep! They enjoyed initiating Team America as Krissy, Angie, Andy, and I are now called.
Our last full day in Rome we checked out the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum. The Sistine Chapel was beautiful (pretty amazing for someone who was forced into painting it!) We did not get into St. Peters Basilica as the line was probably a few hours, and we were not up for tolerating the intense sun for that long. From there we moved onto the Colosseum which as always is gigantic and impressive. On the bus ride to Venice we watched Gladiator to go along with the Colosseum theme.
We spent most of the entire next day bussing to Venice, and it was defintely well worth the travel. Venice is a gorgeous city on an island on the northeast coast of Italy. There are no cars in Venice, and the main mode of transportation is boating or walking. Since they are not so big on street signs, it is very easy to get lost while meandering through their walking areas. There are loads of street vendors selling beautiful paintings everywhere. We had to participate in the most famous activity of Venice, so Krissy, Angie, Andy, Stew, Tom, and I drank wine while riding through the canals in a gondola. Although there were four other people with us on the gondola, it was still romantic! Venice was a great city, and again one of my favorites. However, if I had to choose, I would visit Vienna again over Venice because there is more to see and enjoy in Vienna.
Well that about gets you up to speed with the travelers! Before we left Rome, we did buy a plane ticket back to the states from Greece, so we will be coming home after all. We are booked a flight into New York where we will stay for a few days, so I am still not sure of the exact date we will be home.
Tomorrow we head to Budapest, Hungary! I do not know much about Budapest, but I heard it is a great place to visit.
I will write more later!! Ciao!
Monday, July 7, 2008
In Roma!
Hello again, everyone. I'm sorry we haven't been keeping up the blog as much as we had hoped, but honestly, I'm sure our only readers are our folks and relatives reading to make sure we're ok, and my roommates, hoping we have met an untimely end so that they get the house to themselves. So really, we're probably not letting many people down. But, today we have an earful, as we are currently sitting in the AC in an otherwise boiling Rome suburb. We'd like to see the sites, but there is a city-wide mass transit strike or something. More on that later. So, lucky you! Here is what we've been up to . . . hope you enjoy it! (Also, sorry if my typing seems less than perfect . . . their keys have some funky symbols on them here; or that's my excuse, anyhow.)
I think we left off somewhere in Germany, where we were lamenting the loss of the Germans to the Spanish in the EuroCup2008. The day after the game (I think it was a Monday, but when every day is Saturday, it's tough to keep track), we hopped a train for Konstance, Germany. Konstance is on the Bodensee, a large lake on the border of Germany and Switzerland fed by the Alps. It's a touristy place, but we quite liked it. After we arrived at the Konstanz station around 8pm, we each looked at each other and realized we had nowhere to stay. But we've been traveling for nearly three weeks in this same fashion, so we had become quite used to the feeling. We started wandering through the streets until a nice lady came to our aid while we were obviously quite confused, trying to decipher a map that was in some foreign language. I think it was German. Anyways, we finally found our way to a Youth Hostel she had mentioned, only to find it was booked up. So much for last minute plans . . . I guess reserving ahead has its benefits. However, because of my lack of planning, Becca and I are much more fit, as the nearest camping site, as the hostel receptionist told us, was a good mile or two away. Off we went, with our packs which seemed to get heavier by the step. As luck would have it, we found the simple, yet quite nice campingplatz and decided to stay two nights.
While we were there in Konstance, we took in as much of the lake as we could. It seems that most of our routes and destinations either took us to or at least alongside some body of water. What can we say . . . we're water folk. Sadly, we were not able to chat up conversation with any keelboat captains, but we WERE trusted with a plastic paddle boat for an hour. A glorious hour! Since Konstance is a city on the border of Switzerland and Germany, we were actually able to paddle across the border. Very exciting . . . especially with a line of thunderheads rolling along the Alps. And, with any good boat trip, we enjoyed some good, cheap wine. Possibly the best wine of the trip.
From Konstanz, we got a GREAT Swiss rail deal; we bought tickets that were good for traveling all day for 20 Euro. We got our money's worth. So, we took off for Lucern, also another Alpine lake city, another excellent city, but we didn't have time to explore, as we were planning on taking a boat (also public transit) from one end of the lake to the other . . . probably a 30 mile ride. Probably the coolest boat ride since the paddle boat. Seriously, it was breathtaking. And, we even saw some windsurfers near the boat's last stop, so ofcourse I needed to scope it out. If we had more time (and much more money), I would've stayed for sure. I think I might have been able to convince Bec to stay, too. Anyhow, from this little Swiss town, Fluelen, we headed across the Swiss Alps to Locarno (also a lake town, go figure). Another awesome ride! Again, we arrived in the town late and without any reservations, but started off in the direction of the nearest campsite. It was a nice spot, on the lake, but we had a slight misunderstanding of the price. When it came time to pay and leave, I was informed of the ridiculous rate they wanted me to pay for a tent site. Stubbornly, I finally struck a deal (after hearing the word Policia in the receptionist's native conversation with the manager), but I don't think I made any friends. Probably not going to visit there again.
We wanted to push on to get to Lago di Garda before we got to Rome since it was highly recommended, and also since it was pouring buckets and a dry train was quite welcoming. After buying our tickets to Brescia, we needed to spend our last CHF (swiss money), so we splurged on panini's, local beer, and Becca's signature frozen cocktails. I think she's on a mission to sample those moorish drinks from every city! Once we got to Brescia (bye, Switzerland!), we tried to figure out how to get to the North end of the lake (where the windsurfing is rockin!) but we could only, and barely, find our way to Desenzano, a large-ish town on the very South of the large lake.
**side note: English isn't nearly as common a language in Italy, so our Italian handbook, grunting and pointing, and oddly enough, my German came in quite handy. I actually used my basic German skills much more here than in Germany or Switzerland, because in those places, everyone knows English (and they don't have much patience for my broken German). In Italy, though, it was the only language we had even slightly in common. My german, however, is nothing that Herr Goff would be proud of, but it sure beats grunting and pointing. end of side note**
In Desenzano, we found ourselves at a bus stop near a quaint, yet hopping town center that was right on the lake. A beautiful spot, missing only a tourist information desk. Or signs for camping. Or hostels. Or anyone who spoke English, save for a couple out-of-towners who were there for a wedding and wanted us to take their picture. Again, though, this was nothing new, and we no longer felt the pangs of frustration or helplessness that we had earlier in our unplanned trip. So, as always, we started walking in the direction opposite of our intuition, for some stupid reason. And, we kept walking. Eventually, we got wind of a campsite some ways down, luckily, in the direction we were walking. The fellow who mentioned it (a guy at a hotel reception), said it was too far to walk, but then again, he didn't know us, we thought. If only we had listened . . . After walking a ridiculous distance with our enourmous bags on our backs, we started giving in to temptation, stopping at any hotel we could find. Finally, when one had vacancy, we cringed at the rate. But luckily, the guy there gave us hope by mentioning the campsite was not too far down. Not too far down to a guy in a nice suit who drives a Mercedes and works in Air conditioning means something different than not too far to a pair of dead tired backpackers, but our cheapness won out, and we eventually dragged our exhausted selves to the park. Again, my german came in handy as I asked if they had a vacancy and what the rate was, but we would have paid anything they asked at this point. Long story short-ish, it turned out to be a great place, and we ended up staying two nights to rest our tired selves. We didn't do much sight-seeing here, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves by relaxing in the lake and sharing plenty of wine at a lake-side hut watching the kite-boarders and reading The Da Vinci Code (I figure I should finish the book before we travel into Rome, as this might not be popular reading material in the center-city of Catholicism). Again, a great spot. Too bad we didn't have time to truck it to the North were the windsurfing is excellent, but we can save that for another trip. And, by the sounds of it, when we're employed, too.
On our third day at Desenzano, Italy, we left to spend the day in Verona before we caught a night train (the cheap one) in Rome. Verona was a neat city in which Shakespeare based Romeo and Juliet. We didn't hit any of the Romeo and Juliet tourist trap stuff, though, but instead toured a castle and walked through the city. I had not yet acclimated to the hot hot hot weather, so I was a bit tuckered out, but Bec seemed to be born for the heat. Hopefully I'll get used to it, as Rome and Athens are sure to be hotter. The night train was interesting, mainly for our lack of being able to communicate, and also because I had wrongly thought I would be able to get some sleep. At least it was cheap. Once in Rome, we easily made it to our Camping Village Roma, where we are staying currently. We had a very pleasant evening out on the town yesterday, but today has been somewhat of a forced lock-in, as the entire mass transit system has seemed to go on strike for the day. But, we have a great spot here with volleyball, a pool, internet, etc., and our tour, which starts tomorrow, will likely show us to all of the sites of interest in town.
That brings us to today . . . I hope I haven't put you all to sleep, though I'm sure you all are hoping that Becca updates the blog next time!! We'll write again, though we don't know when, as our 20 day bus tour starts tomorrow. I hope this finds you all well, and thanks for reading and for your comments! (Sorry we don't have pictures this time) Take care,-Andy and Becca
I think we left off somewhere in Germany, where we were lamenting the loss of the Germans to the Spanish in the EuroCup2008. The day after the game (I think it was a Monday, but when every day is Saturday, it's tough to keep track), we hopped a train for Konstance, Germany. Konstance is on the Bodensee, a large lake on the border of Germany and Switzerland fed by the Alps. It's a touristy place, but we quite liked it. After we arrived at the Konstanz station around 8pm, we each looked at each other and realized we had nowhere to stay. But we've been traveling for nearly three weeks in this same fashion, so we had become quite used to the feeling. We started wandering through the streets until a nice lady came to our aid while we were obviously quite confused, trying to decipher a map that was in some foreign language. I think it was German. Anyways, we finally found our way to a Youth Hostel she had mentioned, only to find it was booked up. So much for last minute plans . . . I guess reserving ahead has its benefits. However, because of my lack of planning, Becca and I are much more fit, as the nearest camping site, as the hostel receptionist told us, was a good mile or two away. Off we went, with our packs which seemed to get heavier by the step. As luck would have it, we found the simple, yet quite nice campingplatz and decided to stay two nights.
While we were there in Konstance, we took in as much of the lake as we could. It seems that most of our routes and destinations either took us to or at least alongside some body of water. What can we say . . . we're water folk. Sadly, we were not able to chat up conversation with any keelboat captains, but we WERE trusted with a plastic paddle boat for an hour. A glorious hour! Since Konstance is a city on the border of Switzerland and Germany, we were actually able to paddle across the border. Very exciting . . . especially with a line of thunderheads rolling along the Alps. And, with any good boat trip, we enjoyed some good, cheap wine. Possibly the best wine of the trip.
From Konstanz, we got a GREAT Swiss rail deal; we bought tickets that were good for traveling all day for 20 Euro. We got our money's worth. So, we took off for Lucern, also another Alpine lake city, another excellent city, but we didn't have time to explore, as we were planning on taking a boat (also public transit) from one end of the lake to the other . . . probably a 30 mile ride. Probably the coolest boat ride since the paddle boat. Seriously, it was breathtaking. And, we even saw some windsurfers near the boat's last stop, so ofcourse I needed to scope it out. If we had more time (and much more money), I would've stayed for sure. I think I might have been able to convince Bec to stay, too. Anyhow, from this little Swiss town, Fluelen, we headed across the Swiss Alps to Locarno (also a lake town, go figure). Another awesome ride! Again, we arrived in the town late and without any reservations, but started off in the direction of the nearest campsite. It was a nice spot, on the lake, but we had a slight misunderstanding of the price. When it came time to pay and leave, I was informed of the ridiculous rate they wanted me to pay for a tent site. Stubbornly, I finally struck a deal (after hearing the word Policia in the receptionist's native conversation with the manager), but I don't think I made any friends. Probably not going to visit there again.
We wanted to push on to get to Lago di Garda before we got to Rome since it was highly recommended, and also since it was pouring buckets and a dry train was quite welcoming. After buying our tickets to Brescia, we needed to spend our last CHF (swiss money), so we splurged on panini's, local beer, and Becca's signature frozen cocktails. I think she's on a mission to sample those moorish drinks from every city! Once we got to Brescia (bye, Switzerland!), we tried to figure out how to get to the North end of the lake (where the windsurfing is rockin!) but we could only, and barely, find our way to Desenzano, a large-ish town on the very South of the large lake.
**side note: English isn't nearly as common a language in Italy, so our Italian handbook, grunting and pointing, and oddly enough, my German came in quite handy. I actually used my basic German skills much more here than in Germany or Switzerland, because in those places, everyone knows English (and they don't have much patience for my broken German). In Italy, though, it was the only language we had even slightly in common. My german, however, is nothing that Herr Goff would be proud of, but it sure beats grunting and pointing. end of side note**
In Desenzano, we found ourselves at a bus stop near a quaint, yet hopping town center that was right on the lake. A beautiful spot, missing only a tourist information desk. Or signs for camping. Or hostels. Or anyone who spoke English, save for a couple out-of-towners who were there for a wedding and wanted us to take their picture. Again, though, this was nothing new, and we no longer felt the pangs of frustration or helplessness that we had earlier in our unplanned trip. So, as always, we started walking in the direction opposite of our intuition, for some stupid reason. And, we kept walking. Eventually, we got wind of a campsite some ways down, luckily, in the direction we were walking. The fellow who mentioned it (a guy at a hotel reception), said it was too far to walk, but then again, he didn't know us, we thought. If only we had listened . . . After walking a ridiculous distance with our enourmous bags on our backs, we started giving in to temptation, stopping at any hotel we could find. Finally, when one had vacancy, we cringed at the rate. But luckily, the guy there gave us hope by mentioning the campsite was not too far down. Not too far down to a guy in a nice suit who drives a Mercedes and works in Air conditioning means something different than not too far to a pair of dead tired backpackers, but our cheapness won out, and we eventually dragged our exhausted selves to the park. Again, my german came in handy as I asked if they had a vacancy and what the rate was, but we would have paid anything they asked at this point. Long story short-ish, it turned out to be a great place, and we ended up staying two nights to rest our tired selves. We didn't do much sight-seeing here, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves by relaxing in the lake and sharing plenty of wine at a lake-side hut watching the kite-boarders and reading The Da Vinci Code (I figure I should finish the book before we travel into Rome, as this might not be popular reading material in the center-city of Catholicism). Again, a great spot. Too bad we didn't have time to truck it to the North were the windsurfing is excellent, but we can save that for another trip. And, by the sounds of it, when we're employed, too.
On our third day at Desenzano, Italy, we left to spend the day in Verona before we caught a night train (the cheap one) in Rome. Verona was a neat city in which Shakespeare based Romeo and Juliet. We didn't hit any of the Romeo and Juliet tourist trap stuff, though, but instead toured a castle and walked through the city. I had not yet acclimated to the hot hot hot weather, so I was a bit tuckered out, but Bec seemed to be born for the heat. Hopefully I'll get used to it, as Rome and Athens are sure to be hotter. The night train was interesting, mainly for our lack of being able to communicate, and also because I had wrongly thought I would be able to get some sleep. At least it was cheap. Once in Rome, we easily made it to our Camping Village Roma, where we are staying currently. We had a very pleasant evening out on the town yesterday, but today has been somewhat of a forced lock-in, as the entire mass transit system has seemed to go on strike for the day. But, we have a great spot here with volleyball, a pool, internet, etc., and our tour, which starts tomorrow, will likely show us to all of the sites of interest in town.
That brings us to today . . . I hope I haven't put you all to sleep, though I'm sure you all are hoping that Becca updates the blog next time!! We'll write again, though we don't know when, as our 20 day bus tour starts tomorrow. I hope this finds you all well, and thanks for reading and for your comments! (Sorry we don't have pictures this time) Take care,-Andy and Becca
Friday, June 27, 2008
Day 17
We are in Cologne, Germany this morning and are heading to Koblenz, Germany by train in a bit. Once in Koblenz we are going to camp for a few nights, check out some castles, and do some hiking. We stayed in Cologne at Shannon's for three nights (although we were only supposed to stay for two). We're having too much fun in Cologne to leave, especially with the Eurocup this week! The weather has been beautiful here with just a touch of rain. I am being summoned to go. Have to catch up more later!!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Day 10
Hello everyone,
We are currently in Dublin, Ireland. We arrived yesterday and are staying near the city center. We hung out in a pub last night and had some excellent Bulmers cider with Ryan, Kalypso, Ali, and John. Today, Kalypso gave us a tour of some of the major sites in Dublin such as the Christchurch and Dublin National Museum. This has been a huge dose of history for us, and every bit of it has been great.
Best of all, it was a beautiful day!!! No rain even!
There were some excellent musicians playing on the walking streets. Definitely felt like we were in the movie Once (the best movie ever).
There won't be any pics downloaded because I forgot to bring the cord with. We almost lost all our pics because I left the camera at the B & B we stayed at outside of Limerick. Woops!
We took a detour from Cork to Limerick to Dublin to get the camera back. Mary Corcoran (the hostess from the B & B) was wonderful and dropped of the camera with us at the bus station. If ever near Limerick, I would definitely recommend their B & B. Very hospitable and interesting people.
Anyway, to recap we traveled to the Burren and then the Cliffs of Moher which are on the west coast of Ireland. The Cliffs are beautiful and are settings for a few movies although I am not sure which ones. We then checked out the Knappague (don't think I spelled that properly) Castle located between Enis and Shannon. It was fun castle with secret passages.
After returning our car at the Shannon airport on Tuesday (thank goodness Andy isn't driving like the Irish anymore-we may still live through this trip!) we bussed to Cork. Our day in Cork was spent walking through the rain for 10 miles to the city of Cobh (formerly known as Queenstown for Queen Victoria and before that Cove). Cobh (known as Queenstown then) was the last port of call for the Titanic. Also it was the destination of the Luisitania that was never reached. They had a nice museum with plenty of information about both of these fateful voyages.
We then spent a day picking up our camera (we haven't been having much like with those) and arrived in Dublin. We will stay in this area until Tuesday, and then will fly to Frankfurt.
Kalypso has been writing down Greek phrases for our future trip to Greece. We may even be able to see her when we are there toward the end of July.
Thank you for the nice messages everyone.
Ryan- you should see Andy's beard now!
Lissa- It's good to hear your day to day events and that you are doing well. Keep up the good luck at work.
Moms and Dads- we are going to try to call tomorrow (Saturday) with Ryan's phone.
Whoever I missed- It was good to hear from you!
We'll write more later!!
Becca (and Andy)
We are currently in Dublin, Ireland. We arrived yesterday and are staying near the city center. We hung out in a pub last night and had some excellent Bulmers cider with Ryan, Kalypso, Ali, and John. Today, Kalypso gave us a tour of some of the major sites in Dublin such as the Christchurch and Dublin National Museum. This has been a huge dose of history for us, and every bit of it has been great.
Best of all, it was a beautiful day!!! No rain even!
There were some excellent musicians playing on the walking streets. Definitely felt like we were in the movie Once (the best movie ever).
There won't be any pics downloaded because I forgot to bring the cord with. We almost lost all our pics because I left the camera at the B & B we stayed at outside of Limerick. Woops!
We took a detour from Cork to Limerick to Dublin to get the camera back. Mary Corcoran (the hostess from the B & B) was wonderful and dropped of the camera with us at the bus station. If ever near Limerick, I would definitely recommend their B & B. Very hospitable and interesting people.
Anyway, to recap we traveled to the Burren and then the Cliffs of Moher which are on the west coast of Ireland. The Cliffs are beautiful and are settings for a few movies although I am not sure which ones. We then checked out the Knappague (don't think I spelled that properly) Castle located between Enis and Shannon. It was fun castle with secret passages.
After returning our car at the Shannon airport on Tuesday (thank goodness Andy isn't driving like the Irish anymore-we may still live through this trip!) we bussed to Cork. Our day in Cork was spent walking through the rain for 10 miles to the city of Cobh (formerly known as Queenstown for Queen Victoria and before that Cove). Cobh (known as Queenstown then) was the last port of call for the Titanic. Also it was the destination of the Luisitania that was never reached. They had a nice museum with plenty of information about both of these fateful voyages.
We then spent a day picking up our camera (we haven't been having much like with those) and arrived in Dublin. We will stay in this area until Tuesday, and then will fly to Frankfurt.
Kalypso has been writing down Greek phrases for our future trip to Greece. We may even be able to see her when we are there toward the end of July.
Thank you for the nice messages everyone.
Ryan- you should see Andy's beard now!
Lissa- It's good to hear your day to day events and that you are doing well. Keep up the good luck at work.
Moms and Dads- we are going to try to call tomorrow (Saturday) with Ryan's phone.
Whoever I missed- It was good to hear from you!
We'll write more later!!
Becca (and Andy)
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Day 6 -- we've lasted a week
Well, we've lasted a week and we haven't asked either set of our folks for money yet. Except my dad for a direct deposit, I guess, but that's something different entirely.
We've cruised through Limerick, the Dingle Peninsula, Killarney, Clare Co. and up near Galway, where we are currently. I can't remember the name of the neat seaside village that we're in, but they have a castle (Dunguine or something), a small harbour with sailboats on moors, an internet cafe, and plenty of pubs filled with Irish music. What more could we need?? What's that, Bec? Oh, right, I suppose we should find a place for the night.
Today was, of course, the highlight of our trip thus far, as we watched many hours of a horse jumping competition. Quite entertaining, really. Especially the cheery old feller who took a wee tumble down from his mount. No broken bones, but the crowd cheered anyhow. Tomorrow we're off for the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher on the West coast of Ireland. And then, on Tuesday, we'll sadly have to part with our trusty Versa and start taking public transportation. I probably have already started to develop ulcers from this crazy driving that they practice over here, though it really doesn't resemble driving in the States much at all. Full size, breakneck-speed go-karting, really, and only slightly less contact. I'll be glad to hop on the trains and busses!
Happy Father's Day, fathers. Sorry about Gas Cycle 2, Trane guys (and thanks for the Euro's, Terry -- it took a while to find the first ATM!). And Brad and Curt, it's a shame about the house. I hope you got the dogs and the big screen out in time. Oh, and I hope you guys got out safe, too. I haven't heard from Curt in awhile, actually . . . I'm sure my folks will put you up. Just remind them about the direct deposit thing--the fresh oysters for dinner hit the charge card rather hard this evening.
Becca's cutting me off--I'm starting to ramble. Hope all is well. We'll write more soon. Er--Becca will atleast, so as to save our Euro's for food and shelter. Good thing I brought her along. We're still happily married, by the way. I think. Take care all,
Andy ( and Becca)
We've cruised through Limerick, the Dingle Peninsula, Killarney, Clare Co. and up near Galway, where we are currently. I can't remember the name of the neat seaside village that we're in, but they have a castle (Dunguine or something), a small harbour with sailboats on moors, an internet cafe, and plenty of pubs filled with Irish music. What more could we need?? What's that, Bec? Oh, right, I suppose we should find a place for the night.
Today was, of course, the highlight of our trip thus far, as we watched many hours of a horse jumping competition. Quite entertaining, really. Especially the cheery old feller who took a wee tumble down from his mount. No broken bones, but the crowd cheered anyhow. Tomorrow we're off for the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher on the West coast of Ireland. And then, on Tuesday, we'll sadly have to part with our trusty Versa and start taking public transportation. I probably have already started to develop ulcers from this crazy driving that they practice over here, though it really doesn't resemble driving in the States much at all. Full size, breakneck-speed go-karting, really, and only slightly less contact. I'll be glad to hop on the trains and busses!
Happy Father's Day, fathers. Sorry about Gas Cycle 2, Trane guys (and thanks for the Euro's, Terry -- it took a while to find the first ATM!). And Brad and Curt, it's a shame about the house. I hope you got the dogs and the big screen out in time. Oh, and I hope you guys got out safe, too. I haven't heard from Curt in awhile, actually . . . I'm sure my folks will put you up. Just remind them about the direct deposit thing--the fresh oysters for dinner hit the charge card rather hard this evening.
Becca's cutting me off--I'm starting to ramble. Hope all is well. We'll write more soon. Er--Becca will atleast, so as to save our Euro's for food and shelter. Good thing I brought her along. We're still happily married, by the way. I think. Take care all,
Andy ( and Becca)
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Limerick and Adare, Ireland
We arrived in Shannon, Ireland yesterday the 11th of June. We were very tired after a long flight, but excited to be in Ireland. It is chilly-around 50 degrees F-and rainy here. It is also very green and hilly.
We rented a car which Andy can drive wonderfully on the wrong side of the road. It's a bit scary, but we've done well so far!
We visited St. John's Castle dated from the 1200s and St. Mary's Church dated from the 800s yesterday (see pics below).
We then stayed in a B & B and fell asleep 7 pm Ireland time and slept till 8 am this morning. The dairy farm B&B was quaint with a tasty breakfast and comfy beds. Today we head South!!
We rented a car which Andy can drive wonderfully on the wrong side of the road. It's a bit scary, but we've done well so far!
We visited St. John's Castle dated from the 1200s and St. Mary's Church dated from the 800s yesterday (see pics below).
We then stayed in a B & B and fell asleep 7 pm Ireland time and slept till 8 am this morning. The dairy farm B&B was quaint with a tasty breakfast and comfy beds. Today we head South!!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Getting ready to Travel
Today is our one week anniversary!
The first week of marriage has flown by. We were busy with out-of-town guests until Tuesday of last week. We also celebrated my mom's birthday that day. Andy finished up his last day of work at Trane on Friday.
In our free time, we have been writing thankyous and packing for our European honeymoon. We leave Tuesday the 10th from Chicago and will arrive in Shannon, Ireland on Wednesday the 11th. We are staying in Ireland until the 23rd when we fly from Dublin to Frankfurt, Germany.
Take care!
The first week of marriage has flown by. We were busy with out-of-town guests until Tuesday of last week. We also celebrated my mom's birthday that day. Andy finished up his last day of work at Trane on Friday.
In our free time, we have been writing thankyous and packing for our European honeymoon. We leave Tuesday the 10th from Chicago and will arrive in Shannon, Ireland on Wednesday the 11th. We are staying in Ireland until the 23rd when we fly from Dublin to Frankfurt, Germany.
Take care!
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