Hola Madrid!

5/29

So, we arrived yesterday at 9:30 in Madrid, achy and smelly from the overnight train ride. We ended up spending about 2 hours in the train station trying to find wifi to get details on our hostel... When really no one spoke English and there were too many escalators to figure out where these people were pointing.

Grumpy and tired, we finally figured out where to get wifi, and where to get off on the metro.

Only to be lost on the streets of Madrid with large backpacks on our backs. We asked multiple people to point us in the direction of the street our hostel was on, only to get confused looks. We finally found it- thanks to a woman in a Jamaican cafe taking us to the door across the street.

Only to find out that there are TWO BUILDINGS that this hostel owns and we needed to check in at the other desk down the block and in some sketchy alleyway that only has one marked door in a mass of abandoned and graffitied doorways.

Anyway.

We got there.

Then we took our rightful siesta, and wandered around Puerta del Sol for some shopping, people watching, and tapas. We took a short break back at the hostel, and went out to find a place to meet people. We found this bar that looked like a cave inside, and the drink of the bar uses the "milk of the stalactites." Literally, this milk comes down from a stalactite in the ceiling and everyone cheers.

We left early and got French fries at a cafe near our hostel.

This morning we went to the Prado (at least Greta and I did while Ayla wandered around Parque del Beun Retiro). Students get into the Prado free! I love how museums do that. It's acknowledging that   students are poor, but still gives us opportunity to further our education, like going to museums! We enjoyed the Spanish art and sculptures, and a special exhibit exclusively with still life paintings of grapes and apples by Juan Fernandez. Fruity. Apparently these paintings of grapes are so lifelike, birds tried to peck at them.

We wandered to find the oldest restaurant in Madrid after the museum, (or something of the sort) and actually navigated ourselves to find it! But we didn't end up eating there. Too pricey. Instead we sat outside on a cobblestone street and enjoyed paella and toast. 

We walked around the streets after lunch and ran into creepy people in the square dressed in costumes, the creepiest being a man in a Puss in Boots costume who kept meowing at me. 

Once back at the hostel, we met our 40 year old roommate who spoke no English... Hola?

And we took off for the infamous bull fight at Plaza des Toros. We weren't really sure what to expect... We just knew that bull fights are a big part of Spanish culture. It wasn't until we were sitting in the arena and a small bull came out that we realized... He was going to be killed. 

There were some tears, but the Spaniards sitting around us were somewhat sympathetic and tried to explain when to be quiet during the fight, when to cheer, etc... (In Spanish, so we just smiled and nodded).

By the 3rd or 4th bull fight out of the 6 total, we were all more desensitized to the fights and could bear to watch it, and even be impressed at some of the matador's skills. 

In the end we decided that we were glad we went, but never again.

We ate a at a Lebanese cafe where we had major communication problems, differentiating between falafel and falafel wraps. Everyone ended up really confused and there was a lot of menu pointing, but we got our wraps, so no complaints.

To top the night off, Ayla and I went to Gabana, "Madrids hottest club" and met up with a few of the 36 University of  Cincinnati students studying abroad in Madrid at the moment. I knew one or two from GlobeMed, so it was nice I see some familiar faces... And to finally be in an atmosphere where we weren't the only ones who wanting to dance.

Highlight of the night was the light up transformer man who made sporadic appearances on the stage and the dance floor.

This morning, on to Seville, where the sun should be hotter and the hostel has a pool.

Adios :)

Cultural Observations about Paris

I don't mean to sound like I'm running off of stereotypes, though it may sound like it-

But seriously, about half of the people walking the streets in Paris are eating baguettes. I guess we know their snack of choice!

Also, the number of smokers is definitely higher than it was in Germany. Basically everywhere we went there would be some people smoking, and walking down the streets is like permanently secondhand smoking. 

I would really love to say that most people in France were friendly... But that really wasn't the case in my experience. Yes there were definitely people that were nice and helped us out when we needed help, but most people on the streets, the metro, and even in tourist areas were pushy, and acted like we were wasting their time. I did try to speak my limited French at times, and a few people I talked to played along. The rest just answered in English.

Paris is definitely an old and beautiful city with a lot of history, but in ways it reminded us of New York City. It was pretty dirty in some areas, people are pushy, and it's just a very large city with lots of tourists- we were pretty overwhelmed at times.

So, we saw what we needed to see and are moving on.

I did not have my France interview yet, I will do that in the south of France, but I had an interesting conversation with Carol, our roommate from Brazil who is living in London. I asked her about Nursing in Brazil, and she said it was very similar to what Germans had described to me- it is a low paying job for people that work very hard, there are long hours, and not a lot of appreciation for the Nurses.

But, Nursing in London was very similar to the US, where they aren't underpayed, and most nurses specialize. She actually told me that when you go to the hospital in London, you will see a nurse unless you specifically ask for a doctor. These nurses can prescribe medicine and are called GPs, or General Practice Nurses.

Just a little tidbit about Nursing in Brazil and England!

Last 2 Days in Paris

5/26

We made it to the all and mighty Versailles, wanting to know what all the buzz was about. 

Apparently, every other tourist thought the same.

Yes, the castle is amazing and has a lot of history. And I am very very glad that I went.

But we were packed like sardines in that monstrous castle- groups were everywhere, shoving and taking pictures. It didn't seem like anyone was sitting back and enjoying the beautifully gilded rooms.. 

We did out best but ended up only spending about an hour inside, and heading back to main Paris. 

Our next stop was Notre Dame. I was the only one that wanted to go inside, so I walked through. There was a lot of stained glass, which I love. Also, it's turning 850 soon, which was made very apparent once inside. Old.

We then fulfilled our need to shop in the Marais district (it's known as the Jewish and Gay district). We went into a hippie store, bead store, a few boutiques, and a lot of vintage stores. Vintage shopping in Paris is so much better than in the states- I honestly could have spent all my money there. But instead I only bought a military jacket. We'll see how that fits into my bag...

We got some falafel and sat in the square, then headed to the Eiffel Tower, where we had fun taking ridiculous pictures and watching the street entertainment. Today there were people doing rollerblading tricks, breakdancing, and some guys putting on a breakdancing and comedy type show.

We sat and enjoyed the scenery for a few hours, then Greta and I split off from Ayla and Carol (another traveler, she's from Brazil but is living in London for the year and traveling...obviously...) and went back to the hostel. 14 hour day... That was quite enough.

Bad news for the day is something weird happened to my camera and every time I turn it on it says hat my "lens is in the incorrect position, restart camera" and then I restart it, and it's a vicious circle...

Looks like I'll be buying a new one in Madrid.

This morning, Monday morning, I traveled to Giverny to see the famous Monet's gardens. This was the first time I've traveled alone really, let alone planned something out entirely myself. Its stressful! I got onto the metro and got myself to the correct train station, where I tried to use a machine to buy my ticket to Vernon. Time was running out and my credit card wasn't working (turns out I needed one with a chip in the back, who knew) and I heard a woman on the machine next to me yell out to her husband in line "to Vernon, right?" 

I got so excited, an English speaker going to the same place as I was.... I asked If they were going to Giverny and that my machine wasn't working. The husband bought my ticket for me because he was already in line, and we all sprinted to the train together. I can't remember their names, but it was a couple from Chicago who has been traveling around Europe for 6 weeks, and are heading home soon. I hope I'm like that when I'm older.

Once in Vernon I had to catch a shuttle to Giverny ( as did everyone else).

All that matters was that within the hour, I was standing in Monet's house. I literally had goosebumps. The entire house smelled of flowers, and was painted either light blue or yellow. I guess he was a fan of Asian paintings because he had a lot in each of his rooms. The kitchen was probably my favorite part- the walls were tiled with these great white and royal blue patterns, and his copper pots were still hanging over the stove. 

The gardens have no comparison to any garden I've ever seen. There were flowers literally everywhere, arranged in rows through the backyard. The flowers were planted in a way that was organized slightly, but not too much... As if they naturally grew in clusters of complimentary flowers and colors around them.

I wandered to the water lily pond, which was also very beautiful. 

Though there were many tourists there, (the vast majority over the age of 65), I was in a dazed happiness the whole time I was there- birds chirping, sun shining, flowers everywhere, standing in Monet's gardens. 

No complaints.

I took the shuttle and then the train back to Paris, and realized I still had time to kill before meeting back up with Ayla and Greta at 4, so I decided to take a few extra metros and go to Champs-Élysées, the main shopping street in Paris. It was very similar to New York, but greener and the buildings had an older style. I looked in some of the stores, but knew both my wallet and my backpack could not afford any more shopping,

I enjoyed a blueberry ice cream cone while addressing the massive stack of postcards I mailed out today, and headed back to the hostel.

On our way to he train station to catch our night train to Madrid, my metro pass decided to stop working. I tried it literally 5 times while angry Parisians waited behind me. Finally a girl just yells "jump!" 

So what's a girl to do?

My 35 pound backpack and I jumped over the turn dial.

It was a pulling and pushing effort, but I made it upright and in one piece.

And no one tried to stop me... Hmm.

The trains in Paris have been more monitored than the ones we experienced anywhere in German, so I thought this was strange.

Anyway, now I'm sitting on this 14 hour train ride, wondering what to do next. 

My aching feet.

5/25

Today was our first full day in Paris, and it was full. 

We woke up at 8 and were out the door by 8:45,on our way to the Louvre. We spent about 4 hours there, each of us wandering around by ourselves. I know why it's the most famous museum (pretty much) out there. The museum itself is art. Did you know that if someone were to spend only 10 seconds on each piece in the Louvre, they would be there for 4 days? 

I tried to prioritize my time to things I really wanted to see. I plugged into my iPod (tuning out the other people chattering in various languages) and explored ancient Islamic pieces from the 14th and 15th century first. It's honestly breathtaking what these people did so long ago- everything is extremely intricate and made of gold, jewels, and glass. There were mosaic pieces, large vases, decorated doors... Also there's the biggest collection of Egyptian artifacts other than actually in Egypt.

After I got tired of looking there, I went over to another wing which featured French painters from the 18th century. Usually, to me, these kinds of paintings bore me, because they all are some religious scene and are painted in the same style... But I found some beautiful landscapes, AND an unbelievable view of the Louvre and Jardin des Tuileries.

Not to mention my first peak at the Eiffel Tower.

Not bad, eh?

After I got tired of the old paintings I headed over to the Apartments of Napoleon, meaning pretty much anything from his estate reconfigured. It was absolutely ridiculous! Chandeliers everywhere, gorgeous paintings on every wall and ceiling... He certainly had one great interior designer. Among all of the expensive artifacts from Napoleon, they had some of his Crown Jewels. I almost fainted... Seriously. These jewels are so rich in history. Napoleon took the best jewels from different countries to create these pieces of jewelry and the crowns. I couldn't believe I was looking at them.

i decided to move to the Italian art and sculpture wing, because my time at the Louvre was coming to a close and I figured I should probably take a peak at the Mona Lisa before leaving. This wing was by far the most crowded. Throughout the old art were pieces made by Michaelangelo Pistoletto, a newer sculptor/ artist. His work was made with mirrors, figures of people, and t shirts. Look him up- his work was very modern and thought provoking.

W met up and left the Louvre to get some lunch. Most expensive salad I've ever paid for... €16. Oh well, that's Paris for you. There was also a "Festival de Diversite" going on next to the Louvre, where we wandered around the art stands and sausage stands (they had a lot!!)

We walked through Le Jardins des Tulieres, which is in the back of the Louvre, and enjoyed the only hour of sun for the day. Next was L'Orangerie, which has the largest collection of Monet's Lilly paintings in the world... So I had to go. 

Afterwards, we headed over to the Sienne to walk over to Le Centre Pompidou, enjoying ice cream (I got strawberry) and crepes on the way. Once in the Marais district, we ended up shopping around and looking at all of the adorable restaurants and cafes before going to le Centre. We decided more exploration was needed another day, when we had more time.

Though my feet felt like they were going to curl into one solid knot of cramps, I actually enjoyed Le Centre Pompidou. It was very interesting to see old art and sculptures and then modern art all in one day. The crazy thing about modern art is that it literally can mean anything. I saw one painting that was shaped like a triangle, pointed down. One side was painted red, and the other yellow. I checked out the blurb about the painting, and it turns out the artist wanted to ease the "struggle of internal hierarchy" by using these two colors evenly throughout this painting.

Huh, who knew.

Other creations included women made out of tin foil, stockings full of spices hung from the ceiling, and entire rooms painted with black and white stripes. 

We stopped in the supermarket to get more groceries and headed home.

Talked about going to the Eiffel Tower for the night light show... Did not happen. That's what being out on the town for 12 hours will do for ya.

For those of you curious about my URL...

I forgot to mention that my Osprey is my large backpacking backpack. 

AHH

5/24

This is the 5th time I have started writing a post and something goes wrong.

Here is the abbreviated version of what we have done since Tuesday.

Tuesday night- met hostelmates in lobby/bar area

Wednesday: visited Olympia Park with the Olympic Arena from 1972- looks like tents but made of glass and metal

Visited BMW museum and welt and pretended to drive fancy cars.

Wandered around the Rathaus and found a random art exhibition in one of the rooms, featuring a floating mannequin girl on top of a bearskin rug and random sculptures of mushrooms, I felt like Alice in Wonderland.

Want to Hunting and Fishing museum that featured Bavarian taxidermy, where animals have body parts of other animals attached to them- like a guinea pig with owl wings and a lizard tail. That's House of 1000 Corpses creepy.

Tried on traditional German clothing.

Went to potato museum (Das Kartoffelmuseum)

Took nap

Went to Haubrahaus, where working people wear traditional clothing, bands play German music, and everyone drinks (at least) a jug full of 1 liter of beer.

Went to an alternative-type dance club that played some Amy Winehouse and Mumford and Sons (I approve)

Thursday:

Woke up and went to Schloss Nymphenburg, which was very extravagant out of the castles we have seen thus far, but also was the its restored and had families living there through the early 1900s.

Ate lunch at an adorable restaurant that served exclusively soups.

Drove to Stuttgart to stay with Greta's friend Jannis and his family- they were delightful and cooked a delicious meal of turkey, salmon, corn on the cob, salad, zucchini, onions, peppers, and a roasted baguette. 

Had troubles blogging and went to bed

Friday:

Woke up at 5 to catch 6:55 train to Paris (we took the TGV and went up to 310 km/h)

Got here and went to get Indian food

Noticed that its ridiculous to pay €9 for one sandwich... Bonjour, Paris. 

Wandered up to the hostel in the rain and noticed that the Basillque du Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre was right up the hill- and the view was amazing from up there. I attempted to get another picture for you guys!

And here's the view of rainy Paris:

Yeah yeah, it's blurry.

I discovered that I can get pictures off of Facebook so ill be taking some from Greta and Ayla as they post with their smartphones :)

Afterwards we wandered the city around Montmartre, which is famous for its history with painters, including Dahli and Renoir. 

I bought some ice cream. Blueberry flavored, despite the chilling rain and wind.

We made it to a supermarket and cooked our first meal- corn, potatoes, sautéed onions, zucchini, carrots, and white asparagus, and we roasted pieces of baguette.

On a cultural note, we started talking to a man from Singapore while making dinner, and he asked what I was studying. When I told him I was studying nursing, he mentioned that it was a very noble job.

In contrast, while in Germany I was talking to a mechanical engineer who was working in Munich, and he mentioned that nursing was "down here" (puts his hand down by his knee) in Germany. He asked why I wasn't studying medicine, because that is admired. I had to explain that in America, nursing is more appreciated than that, and there are many specializations one can do after school. 

And he looked confused.

In Germany, Nurses don't go to school, they're trained directly in hospitals and actually get paid for their training. But it is not something to strive for.

Next I explained that I COULD HAVE done medicine, but chose Nursing due to it being more interactive with the patient. Turns out in Germany, nurses have less duties and less say in patient care... At least coming from a Mechanical Engineer. Who knows what that means.

Lastly, we compared salaries. I will be making the same as him.

That is all.

But these conversations really made me realize that the Nursing profession differs in literally every country. Cool stuff... That I should on wow before becoming a Travel Nurse.

The end. 

Here is a picture from the first castle we went to back in the day. The Plassenburg castle.

Ok bye :) time to enjoy the lovely Paris! 

Castles on castles

5/21

Hello! Just thought I'd throw out a quick(ish) update as to what we've been doing these past few days.

Monday started out with a market in Dresden. There are markets literally in every city here, and they're like the Cleveland Heights Farmer's markets on steroids... So much bigger! This specific market was in the same location as the Dresden Christmas market, so the stands are permanently in Christmas decor. Just walking around that market- all of the smells are overwhelming! Ayla and I split a pack of sugar-roasted "hasselnuss" and payed way too much to ride on a Christmas Ferris wheel in the square. 

We moved on to the Zwinger castle, which actually was meant to serve as a guard stand for the city, but the monarch who was building it died before it was completed.... Meaning someone else moved in and made it their castle! Ayla and I also went into the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, which had displays of Ottoman armor, weaponry, and treasures from the 14 and 1500s. There were some intense goblets made of shells, and embellished with gold people and animal figurines, diamonds, and other precious gems. We thought it would be quite fancy to have a goblet like that... But where do you grab onto it to take a drink? 

We ate a nice German lunch (i think my soup was pure salt) and bought out train reservations for Paris, then peaced out to good old Castle Road. 

The first castle we saw was in a quaint town called Kulmbach, and the castle was Plassenburg. We fell in love with the town- literally it was the German village you're probably picturing in your head right now. We also figured out why castles are always on hills; breathtaking visibility at the top, and no way an army can run up that thing without legs of steel. We all know P90x didn't even exist back then.

After exploring Plassenburg, we found our way to the middle of the town, where there was a fountain that MUST have been filled with bubble bath. We had fun throwing bubbles at each other. Which probably made the biggest mess in this entire town- it seems that every city or town in Germany is so clean! 

Even though it was past dark, we made it to the second castle on our list, Schloss Ehrenberg in Coberg, and moved through to Bamberg, where we stayed in a Backpackers hostel. It was very small and personal- definitely better than the bigger hostels out there, because we actually were able to get to know others staying there.

This morning we conquered yet another hilly castle, Neue Resdenz, which was first named in the 1100s... Old. The last person to live in this castle was a doctor in the 1800s, and now it is open for events and the public. 

The very last castle on our shortened castle road was Kaiserberg in Numberg- it was in the middle of the city, which was a first, but was too crowded and refurnished. We prefer the old and decrepit.

The rain greeted us in Munich, but we still were able to get over to Marienplatz and wander about a bit. Lots of fountains! We got to see St. Peter's church ( and we will get to go inside when it's open!) and it was literally breathtaking. Apparently there is a skeleton with jewels in its eyes on display inside, so we decided we definitely need to go back.

We found an Italian restaurant for dinner, where we experienced sharing a 5 person table with a couple we didn't know for the first time on our trip. 

Plans for tonight? Decided.

Plans for tomorrow? Olympic Arena, BMW Museum, Englischer Garten, Hofbrahaus, random fishing and hunting museum (it had some nice fish and warthog sculptures outside- we were enthralled)

Plans for Thursday? Nymphenburg Palace. 

Cultural Observations about Germany

5/20

So I'll just start off with my interview. 

Greta, 19 y.o. 

1. What do you like best about your country?

The old cities, because that is what I missed most while I was in New Zealand (when she was backpacking this past winter and spring for six months).

2. What do you feel is a unique part of your country?

The German history because it has not always been smooth but it is ours. We were in both world wars but now an industrial power after the wars in the 1950s-1970s (she mentioned being proud that Germany was able to rebuild itself).

3. How much time do you usually spend with family each day?

It depends on if I'm in school or not (Greta graduated last year from high school, and has been backpacking this year). When I'm in school, not a lot- maybe 2 hours in the evening. When I'm not in school, and I'm home (in Germany) most of my time is spent with family.

4. What do you do together?

Eat, watch TV, cook. I usually shop with my sister, and I like to go out and do things with my mom.

5. What is a typical meal in your country?

Sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and sausage. We eat this a lot; it's my favorite meal.

6. Do you play any sports, and if not, what do you do in terms of physical activity?

I play tennis and golf, but I bike the most, in terms of physical activity.

7. How often do you visit the doctor?

Before I was vegetarian, I would only go when I didn't want to go to school. Now, when I'm vegetarian, about two times a year.

8. Do you have a regular doctor that you visit every year? Is this common in your country?

Every time you're sick you go to the doctors. There are some doctors you need to visit every year, if you're a woman, and people go to get blood work drawn every year.

9. Do you smoke?

No.

10. Do you feel that your country is overall healthy?

Definitely. 

11. Does your country have national or private healthcare?

We have both, mainly national. Private health care is used for the wealthier, if you want it. Mainly doctors have this, and people who own their own business.

I would say that this is pretty similar to the US... But maybe not question 10!!

In terms of being sensitive to my dairy allergy, most people are at least as knowledgable as those in the states, when told that I can't eat "milch" or butter. I have also seen lots of signs for foods that are gluten free and lactose free. Also, something else that was interesting about dietary restrictions- vegan ism is growing in Germany. Greta's sister asked me if I was vegan, and if I had heard of that. I'm not sure what the numerical ratio is of vegans in both countries, but its popular enough in Germany that they have some things labeled in restaurants that are vegan, and some vegan restaurants. 

Germans also eat differently than Americans. Greta was explaining the idea of having one "hot meal" a day, usually mid day, but it depends when this works in with your schedule. For example, if someone works until 3, they may come home and eat their hot meal at 4.

So there is less of an idea of having 3 large meals a day- some of the meals are a roll and different spreads (oh, the huge breakfast spread... Jelly and cream cheese are just the limited American options). 

Germans also know a lot of English! Knowing German is not as common in the US.

Also, EVERYONE has a BMW, Audi, or VW. And most people have the hatchback or small car models of these brands. Can't say that I've seen a lot of Hummers. Or any. 

During my first day in Berlin, I kept doing double takes... Were people carrying around open bottles of beer? Wine? Vodka? Germans carry around bottles here and drink literally anywhere they please. And a surprising amount of people take advantage of this on trains.

Definitely different than in the states, where this is not accepted.

There is one thing that is the same: hipsters. 

Bye for now! I'm off to the Dresden market to listen to jazz in the square and maybe drink a coffee.

Hannover to Berlin to Dresden

5/19

Hallo from Germany! Holy cow, things have definitely been moving fast since Tuesday, leaving the US. Ayla and I basically traveled all night, "slept" on a jumbo Lufthansa plane ( the man I sat next to had the pleasant onion smell- just my luck), took a short flight out of Frankfurt to Hannover, and was greeted by Greta and her mother.
We spent the night in Hanover, and did a little sightseeing. in the heart of Hannover there is a church that was bombed in World War II, and was never rebuilt for the sake of remembering all that died in the war and in bombings in Germany. Apparently finding old World War II bombs is very common, and there are companies that go out tryng to find the unexploded bombs. parts of the city are shut down as this team dismantles the bomb... What a problem to have. I can't imagine being late for school because an old bomb needs to be taken care of. That night we ate a dinner of sauerkraut, potatoes, and sausage (which I tried... Meaty.) and we're quick to pass out for the night. The next morning went by fast, wandering the city, eating gelato, which has no comparison in the states, and we haven't even gotten to Italy yet. Greta was eager to get going, so we head off to Berlin on the German autobahn that afternoon.
The drive took longer than expected because of traffic, even though Greta was going 140 kilometers per hour most of the time... I tried not to look at the speedometer. Greta's Great Aunt and Uncle welcomed us into their home in the outskirts of Berlin in Muggelheim. Their house was very nice, and we got fresh German rolls with homemade rhubarb jam for breakfast on both Friday and Saturday. They didn't know very much English but were very welcoming and talked about their different travels.
Friday morning started with the Brohan Museum in the Charlottenberg area of Berlin. We took the train system, as most Europeans are used to doing, but Ayla and I were amazed- it was so much better than the public transportation in both Cleveland and Cincinnati. Anyway, the Brohan Museum is an Art Deco museum, and was filled with innovative tea sets, silverware, furniture, glassworks, etc from the 1900s. All of my design friends would probably have gone as crazy as Ayla did! After, we wandered around to find a place for lunch and headed to catch a sightseeing tour bus, where we spent time at the Reichstag, the Holocaust Memorial, and parts of Tiergarten ( a centrally located park). That night was spent out on the town with the young Berlin crowd. The city is built for night life, with trains running all night and fun things to do all night. Most people actually don't get to clubs or parties until 2 in the morning!
Saturday started out with rain, a travelers worst nightmare... We still got to an antique market in the early afternoon! They called it a Flea Market, but let me tell you, that was we highest class "Flea Market" I've ever seen. After a few hours there, we were on the hunt for an Internet cafe, because we no longer could stay with Greta's relatives that night and needed to find a hostel! Wifi is definitely harder to find in cities, if you're not in a hostel or hotel. Once found (a mall Starbucks, how sad) we planned out hostels and train tickets through to Madrid. That was a headache, and a money reality check. Four hours of planning and watching your bank account diminish on places to stay and how you're getting there... Let's just say I'll be more mindful from here on out-if I'm not getting an unbelievable experience out of this trip, then it is a complete and honest waste of money and time, so I gotta live it up!
We finally collected our belongings and got to the hostel at 11:45. Oy! No worries, we still had time to turn the day around. Our concierge at this teeny hostel, Amos, was from Zambia, and had plenty of suggestions of places to go in the area. We met lots of travelers last night and got to spend a good chunk of time at a disco- no complaints.
 This morning, we woke up and checked out, and head straight to The East Gallery. This is a beautiful piece of the Berlin Wall that was left standing for various artists to come and create a graffiti or murals on the wall. I got a picture with my iPad of one of the murals for you!

It was one of my favorites. There's more, but unfortunately some woman is photo bombing, so the photo needed to be adjusted a bit...

We spent a good two hours right by The East Gallery, on the bank of the Spree river, napping, sketching, and people watching ( and probably getting sun burned). We then took the train to every girls dream...The Barbie Dreamhouse Experience!!! Yes, a giant Barbie Dreamhouse was in the middle of Berlin, and kiddies from all corners of the city came to tour the house and have the "Barbie Experience," including Ayla, Greta, and I. It was very pink and sparkly. 

We'd decided that Berlin was somewhat conquered, so we hopped back on the autobahn and sped to Dresden, arriving this evening. We wandered into the city, I mean... The beautiful, cobblestone city known for its grand churches and history! Ayla and I were in awe of what is, I'm sure, the first of many beautiful churches and architecture. (Greta has already been!)

Because Germany is on "public holiday" tomorrow, there are a bunch of little festivals with live music and delicious German food kiosks set up in the cobblestone plazas of the city. Listening to a German rock band play "I Feel Good" and eating My blueberry gelato topped off a very pleasant day. Besides the storm that followed and walking 30 minutes in the cold rain with no jacket and no raincoat.

So, if anyone has actually made it this far... I have officially skimped over my German experience thus far. My cultural findings and Greta's interview will be found in a post that will be up within the next 24 hours. Hopefully. 

Gutn-tag! 

WHO | Noncommunicable diseases country profiles 2011

WHO | Noncommunicable diseases country profiles 2011

T-24 hours

5/13

Tomorrow I'm scheduled on 3 flights taking me to Hannover, Germany- just the beginning of my backpacking adventure across Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Greece, with my two gals Ayla and Greta. How does one wrap their head around this? It is yet to be determined.

Over these next 6 weeks, I will be experiencing these countries and also taking observations about the culture and lifestyle. I have done a lot of research over the past semester, taking notes on other people's observations on the culture, and what to expect. Also, more on the healthcare aspect of this experience, (it's impossible to turn off your inner nurse...) I have been looking at statistics over noncommunicable diseases in each of these countries, and preventative measures taken, if any. On this adventure, I plan to interview one person in each country (preferably a female between the ages of 16-25) to find out more in depth information about their perception on their culture and health. One link is attached at the bottom of this post, and the other is in the following post for those interested in reading about my pre-trip research!

My bag is packed with all sorts of goodies, like maps, a sink stopper, a padlock... all of the backpacking essentials, apparently. Doing research on how to pack was a whole different story than my school research- who knew that the heavier items in your bag should be at the top? Won't I fall over? And the money belt I'm supposed to wear under my clothing- that's definitely new. Hopefully it'll be so hard to  find that bad boy, it'll keep the pickpockets away. 

Despite all of the research on what to pack, my mom just asked if I want to pack toilet paper. Is there something she's not telling me?

On to the fun part of the trip- on our itinerary right now, we are planning to go to Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, and Hannover in Germany; next to Paris, France, and through to Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville in Spain; heading out back through France to Nice, Cannes, and the fancy Monaco; then to Italy in Verona (hello Romeo and Juliet), Venice, Florence, and Rome, hopefully being able to stop at Le Cinque-Terre; and lastly onto Greece- Athens and Santorini. We purposefully saved the best beaches for last, assuming that we'll be so tired we will just have to do nothing but lie on a beach. 

I've been waiting for this trip my whole life, and it's almost here.

So, Europe. Bring it!

 Cultural Research Here