Saturday June 4, 2011

We have definitely figured out that it is all about attitude! No matter what amazing thing is happening, if you are negative you are going to have a bad day.

We have also discovered that traveling stretches you. This sounds silly, but everyone only looks at smiling photos and exotic places. They don’t see how incredibly hot it is, how tired you are, the long line you had to wait in or how hungry you are.

Anyway...Slept great. Able to check email in the room, which is nice to not have to go down the street. Mom and I have been sending voice messages to my family members via an app on our phones called HeyTell. You just use the Internet, record a voice memo and it sends it for free. Amazing.

Went out to get some cereal and milk. Nom nom nom.

Me and my boyfriend

really cool statues in a park near our hotel.
The men are leaning forward symbolizing the progression of society and the people's sacrifice.

trams

harley

On the way out from the hotel we saw this crazy Harley Davidson parade just roll through the streets for a good ten minutes. The funniest thing is it sparked the only fight that mom and I got in the entire trip. AND we got it on camera! Once I get the pictures and videos off mom’s phone, I will post it. Its quite funny.

Our cool hotel. We have to drop off our key every time we leave
and get it back from the front desk upon return.

Went out to Charles Bridge. Worse than Las Ramblas as far as crowds. 

we love these covered walkways! Its so hot!

It was nicer because of all the street art. There seems to be art everywhere, which mom and I both love. We found the analogical clock, which was pretty cool.

marionette versions of Barcelona soccer players!

lots of weddings happening in the square

27 crosses. Spot where 27 people were beheaded by the church

Was there at the hour and they ring clock tower and trumpet every hour on the hour.

Mom's chicken and potatoes.

We talked to the T.I and got some information and then went to a really awesome place for lunch. It was like an underground cave thing with mood lighting.

My steak and potatoes in a apple cream sauce. Best meal thus far.

We got tickets for a black light theater @ 7 and went back to the hotel for what we thought would be two hours but by the time we got there we had about a half hour.

Went to the play, sort of like silent interpretive Alice in Wonderland. Black lights make everything glow.

We brought some apples to eat in the play and got this like sugar coated dough thing that kind of gave me a stomachache. We were tired throughout the play but we made due

Got out at 8:30 and it was still light out! Sun doesn’t go down till like 9:30 at night. 

Took the trolley back, which was so easy to use. Water is a little weird so we tried to get some normal water on the way home. Watched a depressing movie when we got back. Sleep. Taking a bike tour tomorrow.

Friday June 3, 2011

How you know you have spent too long in a train station

rise and shine!

the pastry was actually not that bad. 

te he he. weiner!

Woke up and the woman riding with us on the train told us that they made an announcement that if we were going to Prague, we should get off at the next stop. As asked a bunch of people and they said yes. Then after they kicked us off the bus they couldn’t find the train on the departures and left us. Ummm… ok. After talking to a bunch of ppl who we found our train it was stupid for us to get off then but whatever. The new train was hot too L. We were dying and feeling super crusty!

eating some carrots

home boy on the train with his huge dog.
He then proceeded to pull some beers out of his backpack.
classy guy

5 hours later we arrived in Prague.

A guy came and got us and brought us to our hotel. Very nice to not have to think about where to go. Very nice hotel but Prague is much hotter than we thought it would be. Not cool. Especially when mom really made me buy a pair of pants because “you are going to be so cold in Prague. Are you sure you have enough clothes. I don’t think you do”

We showered and changes to go find some food.

Beer

salmon stuff

Salmon and meat with dumplings and kraut+2 huge beers. Which are cheaper than water here.

Drinking a huge beer after being so delusional is not a good combo. 

I sent my boyfriend an email consisting of only “meow” over and over again.  Its wonderful. After meal we came back to hotel after getting some groceries. 

our rooftop terrace. eating some veggies and hanging with our friend!

Watching Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Its so nice to have some mindless entertainment. Its hard to go all the time without being able to let your mind rest. Oh they speak English here!

Thursday June 2, 2011 night

Slept extremely well and woke up refreshed! Its check out day so naturally I was ready 10 mins after waking up and mom took 2 hours. Literally. And the woman wears no make up, she showers, makes a salad does some stretching and shit. She put up with e the day before so she can do no wrong in my eyes.

our villa

did I mention we had three keys for our three doors?

door to the street

Check out. Maria, the owner of the hotel, always talks our ear off. In mostly Italian and terrible English. It is somewhat of a chore to try and decipher what she is saying but she is so sweet so we make due. Leave bags with her until we can come back around 5 to get them. We go to the Uffizi ( oo-feed-si). We figured out the reservations and lines flawlessly. We find ourselves behind a college baseball team from Pepperdime(?) I didn’t hate it. Venus de Milo was just as beautiful as it looked on the postcards. I was quite impressed with mom’s ability to flow through the museum and show some sort of control because she knows my tolerance level is much smaller than hers. I mean I am all for art but honestly how many paintings of “The Adoration of the Magi” can you have in one museum?

The answer is more than you thought possible.

We went out to the rooftop café of the museo where the view was nice and the view was quite pleasant.

 We stopped to have an espresso. Mom got an iced cappuccino. My first espresso and it was yummy. Over sweetened because mom thought it would taste like tar so might as well put a ton of sugar in there.

mom was struggling trying to get me in focus

pic of us in the reflection

cool bathroom

After the museum, it was time for food again. We crossed the big bridge into unknown territory and, as usual, looked to our boyfriend for a place to eat. 

at some castle

We went to a restaurant away from the main streets. Very cute place with a really charismatic waiter who knew and loved Rick Steve( our love). He recognized his book ( our bible) and had no attitude at all when I asked him to explain the entire menu.

salad with nuts and cheese and sun dried tomatoes. sooo good

honestly the best ravioli I have ever had in my life. Could have popped them all day like popcorn. 

Oh and the bread in Italy has no salt. So it may look delicious.
but its not!

this family had been traveling through Europe for 2 months with their little kids. They were so nice and adorable

We have met the coolest people traveling.

Got a belt and two bracelets for steph on the walk back to familiar territory. Wet to train station to check on the train. No info up yet because it was 5 hours before the time. Duh. Mom is a bit of a worrier so its fine. We hung out at the hotel main office for 2 hours or so sending emails and messages to home. Ive been emailing my now boyfriend, which has been really nice. We are like pen pals and its nice to have someone to talk to other than my mom  J

Went to dinner at Katti house restaurant again because it was close and reliable. We ate the same thing as the night before + penne with pesto.

Went to a diff grocery store and got food for breakfast and noming on the train.

the train. and our beds. lovely

Now on the sleeper train. 5 people in our 6 person couchette. 1 is a slovachian PhD student, man. 2 teachers with 18 year old kids on the train. One man and woman. Very nice. Its really hot on the train though. Poop.