I am officially back in the United States! After roughly 75 days abroad, exploring the wonders of Rome, Venice, Berlin, Paris, and Barcelona, I am back just in time for the New Year.
I have had the most amazing time in Europe and I know that I will go back. I wish I had had more time for travelling, but beyond that, the trip was excellent.
I want to thank my family and friends for their help and support in this endeavor. I missed you all very much, so it is good to be back. I could never have lasted two and a half months without all of your help.
Grazie a tutti e Ciao,
Kyle
Friday, December 31, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Adventures in Barcelona
Today, I finished up a few days in Barcelona. On the plane, I met three Americans from California who were traveling to Barcelona before they caught the same plane as mine to Rome. After an extremely painful landing (my ears hurt bad and I got a pressure headache), I arrived on Sunday night and made my way to the hostel. My hostel was located in the western part of the city, but was right off of a metro stop.
On Monday, I walked around the Montjuïc Park which is the major area of the Olympic stadium and village from the 1992 Summer Olympics. The park is situated on a hill that overlooks the city to the north and turns into cliffs along the south that fall into the sea. After I took in the park, I made my way to Las Ramblas, the main drag in the city center. The street is a major shopping district and splits the old city into its major divisions.
Around dusk, I climbed back up the hill of the park to the Castell at the top. The Castell overlooks the sea and the park with the city in the background. It was a fortress and still has the cannons and artillery to prove. Either way, it afforded great views of the city at night!
Unfortunately, on Tuesday, I was sick...I stayed in bed at the hostel to avoid getting more sick.
This morning, I got up early to catch a 6:25AM flight to Rome. I cut it close, but I made the flight and the landing in Rome was much better than in Barcelona.
Ciao for now,
Kyle
On Monday, I walked around the Montjuïc Park which is the major area of the Olympic stadium and village from the 1992 Summer Olympics. The park is situated on a hill that overlooks the city to the north and turns into cliffs along the south that fall into the sea. After I took in the park, I made my way to Las Ramblas, the main drag in the city center. The street is a major shopping district and splits the old city into its major divisions.
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| View of Barcelona from the Park, the grey spikes in the back is Sagrada Familia, the Church of the Sacred Family. |
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| Castell Montjuïc (What my dad kept calling Hercules' Castle) |
This morning, I got up early to catch a 6:25AM flight to Rome. I cut it close, but I made the flight and the landing in Rome was much better than in Barcelona.
Ciao for now,
Kyle
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Christmas in the City of Lights
This Christmas I spent a few days in Paris, the city of Lights. My flight from Berlin was delayed, but when I got into Paris, I made my way to my hostel in the 15th district on the south west side of the City, close to the Eiffel Tower.
On Christmas Eve day, I planned on taking a walking tour of the city, by the same company from Berlin's tour, but the guides made a good point that their tour was probably one of the only open/running things to do on Christmas day. Instead, I saw Notre Dame, the Arc de Triumph, and another Christmas Market. On Christmas Eve night, I kept the night receptionist at the hostel company while he worked on Christmas Eve. The night ended up being a blast, Loïc (aka Lucky), the receptionist was a Frenchman who studied in Virginia, so his accent was almost non-existent. He played DJ and bartender all night and the hostel residents put together an impromptu dance party at the hostel bar.
On Christmas Day, I went on the tour with another hostel resident, Josh was from Seattle. The tour started at the Fountain of Saint Michel and took us to Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Tuilleries Gardens, the Champs-Elysees, the Arc du Triomphe, and other Paris monuments. That night, Josh and I attended a Noël Mass at the Church across the street from the hostel.
Today, I took walked to the Eiffel Tower then checked out the Arc du Triomphe close up before I caught a bus to the airport to catch my flight to Barcelona.
Ciao for now,
Kyle
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| The 3 Ducks Hostel in Paris. |
On Christmas Day, I went on the tour with another hostel resident, Josh was from Seattle. The tour started at the Fountain of Saint Michel and took us to Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Tuilleries Gardens, the Champs-Elysees, the Arc du Triomphe, and other Paris monuments. That night, Josh and I attended a Noël Mass at the Church across the street from the hostel.
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| Wearing the Eiffel Tour as a hat. |
Ciao for now,
Kyle
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
A few days in Berlin!
Tonight, I am finishing my stay in Berlin. On Monday, after a delayed flight from Venice, I arrived in Berlin and found my hostel...
The Generator Hostel in Berlin was HUGE. I later found out that the building is a former East German government building which had been heavily remodeled. Now, the interior is very "industrial chic" in blue and green.
On Tuesday morning, I went on a 3 hour walking tour of Berlin. The one of the tour guides picked up a large group of us at the hostel and we met the rest of the tour guides and participants at the Brandenburg Gate in Mitte.
The tour started at the Pariser Platz, the plaza behind the gate which is the location of the US and French Embassies as well as the Hotel Adlon, made famous as the location of the Michael Jackson baby-dangle...
From there, the tour took us under the gate and up the road to the Holocaust Memorial, formally named, The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.
After the memorial, the tour continued to a small section of the Berlin wall and Checkpoint Charlie before a short break for lunch. After the lunch break, we checked out Museum Island and the State Opera House, which was under construction.
Overall, the tour was amazing, especially for a free tour! Simon did great and I found out that the same company offers a Paris free tour...I'm totally there!
After the tour, a few of the other people from my Hostel and I went back to the Holocaust Memorial to tour the museum attached. The place was very different from any museum I have been to before. I couldnt take pictures, but I'm not sure I would have anyways, the place was very solemn.
After the museum, I grabbed some dinner with a few people I met on the tour at an Indonesian restaurant. The food was ok, but the German lessons were great!
On Wednesday, I checked out another, more prominent section of the Berlin Wall, known as the East Side Gallery. The section is roughly 1,000 yards long and is covered with art painted directly on the wall! Most of the pieces deal with peace and freedom in some way.
Tomorrow, I am due to catch a flight out at 9:00am, but with the freak snow in the west, we will see!
Auf Wiedersehen,
Kyle
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| Generator Hostel in Berlin as viewed from the S-Bahn station at Landsberger Allee |
On Tuesday morning, I went on a 3 hour walking tour of Berlin. The one of the tour guides picked up a large group of us at the hostel and we met the rest of the tour guides and participants at the Brandenburg Gate in Mitte.
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| My tour guide, Simon. A British student in Berlin with a witty attitude...he worked on tips only... and well I might add. |
The tour started at the Pariser Platz, the plaza behind the gate which is the location of the US and French Embassies as well as the Hotel Adlon, made famous as the location of the Michael Jackson baby-dangle...
From there, the tour took us under the gate and up the road to the Holocaust Memorial, formally named, The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.
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| The snow-covered blocks of the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. |
Overall, the tour was amazing, especially for a free tour! Simon did great and I found out that the same company offers a Paris free tour...I'm totally there!
After the tour, a few of the other people from my Hostel and I went back to the Holocaust Memorial to tour the museum attached. The place was very different from any museum I have been to before. I couldnt take pictures, but I'm not sure I would have anyways, the place was very solemn.
After the museum, I grabbed some dinner with a few people I met on the tour at an Indonesian restaurant. The food was ok, but the German lessons were great!
On Wednesday, I checked out another, more prominent section of the Berlin Wall, known as the East Side Gallery. The section is roughly 1,000 yards long and is covered with art painted directly on the wall! Most of the pieces deal with peace and freedom in some way.
Tomorrow, I am due to catch a flight out at 9:00am, but with the freak snow in the west, we will see!
Auf Wiedersehen,
Kyle
A weekend in the City on Water!
This weekend, I traveled with Annie and her mom to Venice for two nights.
We arrived around 8:30pm to a city covered in snow! It was very pretty until we got a bit lost finding our way to the hotel...
Walking around Venice was a bit tricky, but the vaporetti or water buses were great.
On Sunday, we took a ferry to the islands of Murano and Burano in the Venetian Lagoon. Murano is best known for its glass, of which Annie and her mother bought plenty...lol
Burano is known for two things, its handmade lace and its colorful buildings.
On Monday, Annie's mom treated us all to a gondola ride! It had been one of her dreams to take a gondola ride in Venice.
Overall, the Venetian adventure was great, now its off to Berlin!
Ciao for now,
Kyle
We arrived around 8:30pm to a city covered in snow! It was very pretty until we got a bit lost finding our way to the hotel...
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| View of the Church of St. Mary of Health and the Grand Canal |
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| A water bus or vaporetto on the Grand Canal |
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| Glassblowing demonstration on Murano |
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| The colorful buildings of Burano |
Overall, the Venetian adventure was great, now its off to Berlin!
Ciao for now,
Kyle
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