Checking out the Czech Republic

We left for Prague on Thursday morning for the third and final leg of our second spring break. Upon arriving at our hostel, conveniently located in the center of the old town square, I was greeted with a pleasant surprise. Directly next to our hostel was a vegetarian restaurant! My visit to Prague was off to a great start. I made a visit there almost immediately upon arriving, as well as twice each of the remaining days on my trip. The food was incredible. My time in Eastern Europe made me appreciate the laws in the US prohibiting smoking in restaurants. Upon returning from dinner and a stop at a bar my clothes reeked of smoke.

On Friday we woke up early for a tour of the city. We stopped for breakfast at Bohemia Bagels as per the recommendation of our terrific house moms in Lugano. As we waited to start our tour, countless men on Segways tried to recruit us to take a tour on wheels. While I wasn't willing to shell out 1200 Czech Crowns, or 60 USD, I gladly took a test ride. I had never ridden a Segway before but very much enjoyed my first ride. I may have to invest in one when I return to the States.

Located within 30 seconds walking distance of our hostel, we learned that the Old Town Square is one of Europe's most popular wedding destinations. Prior to our tour, we saw three sets of brides and grooms taking photos in front of the Church of Our Lady before Tyn.

We enjoyed a wonderful tour from a guide who lived through communism in what is now the Czech Republic. She explained to us how frequently the country experienced change in the last hundred years alone. Her grandmother had lived in the same town her entire life, but was a citizen of five different countries in her lifetime because the country had experienced so much political unrest and conflict with other nations. We were introduced to the astronomical clock in the Old Town Square, enjoyed an authentic Czech lunch including a heavy soup in a bread bowl and a Czech beer. We also stopped in the Jewish district and saw the Prague Metronome. The gigantic metronome was put in the place of a large statue built as a tribute to former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The metronome represents time as it passes since the end of conflict in what is now the Czech Republic. We ended our tour near the Charles Bridge, and made our way to the John Lennon Wall.

The Lennon Wall was once a normal wall, that was covered in graffiti by students expressing their distaste towards communism. The wall itself was first painted with the face of the famous Beatle in the 1980's. It has since been painted over numerous times but still represents the ideals of peace. One of my favorite parts of Prague, much like Ireland, was the live music. Live music could be heard at almost any time of day in the Old Town Square and throughout the city.

I enjoyed a perfect dinner at the vegetarian restaurant, and converted a few other friends to vegetarianism, at least for the evening. The cost for the entire meal was under 3 USD. That evening, 24 of us went on a Prague pub crawl. I made friends with three lovely Californian girls at the first bar, and hung out with them the rest of the night. We were guided to three different bars and ended at one of the largest clubs in all of Europe. The club was five floors including an ice bar and different genres of music on each floor.

Saturday was our final full day in Prague. We spent most of the day on a tour of Prague Castle. The castle is one of the largest in the world. Inside the castle walls there were multiple churches, restaurants, homes, and museums.

The president of the Czech Republic has a residence within the castle, although our tour guide did not hesitate to show his disgust towards their leader. Here's one reason why:

We ended our trip with a visit at Prague's Beer Factory, a restaurant with four taps at each table. A large screen at the front of the restaurant displayed the total number of liters consumed at each table throughout the evening. While 24 college students would never think of taking part in a race involving mass consumption if beer, if we did, we would have given the table of Germans across the way a run for their money.

We spent the train ride Sunday morning reminiscing on the peaks and pits of our second spring break. Our break wasn't completely over, however. Before the start of our break, Nick noticed that our train home had a ninety minute layover in Munich, home of our favorite beers. As soon as our train arrived, Nick, Kyle, Trip, Taylor and I b-lined it to the city center for Augustiner Beer Hall. Within minutes we arrived and were seated enjoying pretzels and a final liter of what is arguably the world's greatest brew. We made it back to the train station just in time.

It's hard to believe another 10-day is in the books. We started our final class of the semester this week. I am headed to Rome for the three day weekend. Ciao!

Berlin runs on Dunkin

We arrived in Berlin around 9am on Monday. During our first thirty minutes of transport from the main train station to our hostel, we walked by at least three Dunkin Donuts. While the commercials remind us that "America Runs on Dunkin" it quickly became evident that Berlin does too. I can confidently say that I saw more Dunkin Donuts in my three days in Berlin than I ever have in the United States. The eleven of us had a nice lunch before making our way to the Brandenburg Gate for the start of our tour. As we waited for the start, we enjoyed the antics of street performers dressed as soldiers, and others making art with bubbles.

Our tour was highly informative, explaining the history of a city that was the heart of global conflict just decades ago. We started our tour at the Brandenburg Gate, which used to symbolize the division of the city but has become Berlin's symbol of unity since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The next stop was the Holocaust Memorial. The monument consists of 2,711 concrete slabs, all of which are the same shape, but vary in size, height and position. While it resembles a large cemetery, our tour guide noted that the monument is left open to interpretation. It serves as a memorial for those who died and a reminder that while we as humans are all different, we are fundamentally the same. 

We continued to the spot where Adolf Hitler committed suicide, which is now a parking lot. The bunker however still remains in tact beneath the lot. We continued to one of the longest remaining portions of the Berlin Wall followed by Checkpoint Charlie and ended our tour at museum island.

After our tour we made a brief stop at a bar recommended by our tour guide that housed over 100 varieties of beer. It was there that I tried a beer that tastes like bacon. Fear not, my vegetarianism lives on, as the beer was completely vegetarian and was simply smoked, giving it that delicious bacon flavor. That evening, we learned the hard way that bars and clubs are generally not open on Mondays in Berlin.

On Tuesday morning we made our way to Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin's largest palace. The palace once belonged to the Hohenzollern family. The palace was huge and the grounds were beautiful. Much like Versailles, I imagine Charlottenburg Palace is even more astonishing in the summer.

That afternoon I met up with my former babysitter and one of my favorite people in the world, Sepi! We spent the afternoon together, as she showed me all around the city. She took me to a park with one of the best panoramic views of the city imaginable. After a delightful stop for ice cream, we hopped on the metro to check out the East Side Gallery. This was the portion of the wall that was painted after the wall was torn down, as a form of self expression. As the sun began to drop we made our way for an early dinner. We enjoyed a divine Mexican meal, my first encounter with tacos since arriving in Europe in January.

After dinner, I met back up work the rest of the gang. We made our way to the Sony Center, as recommended by my close friend and German beer expert, Joe Brendler. The Sony Center is Sony's European Headquarters and played a large role in rejuvenating the city after World War II. At night the center is lit up and serves as home to several restaurants. It was there that I tried the "1 Meter Beer" a sampler of four different beers. I needed help from some friends, but we managed to finish it. Matrix, one of Berlin's most popular clubs, was our next stop. We spent the evening celebrating both Justine and Morgan's birthdays.

The monster they call the "1 Meter Beer"

The Sony Center

We woke up Wednesday and made our way back to the Berlin Wall's East Gallery. Sepi and I saw most of it, but the rest of the group didn't get a chance to see it, so I gladly made a return visit. We then returned to the city center to visit the Panoramapunkt, one of Berlin's tallest buildings, to get a view of the city from the sky. We took a trip to the top in Europe's fastest elevator. As the sun began to set, I made a trip to the Holocaust Memorial museum to gain a better understanding of the memorial itself, and learn more about the role Berlin played in the atrocities of World War II. The museum is a must for anyone visiting Berlin.

Nick and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to visit the Berlin Philharmonic while we could. We made it to the eight o'clock show just in time. We spent the next two hours enjoying the sounds of Bach's son's work in a wonderful venue. The unity of the orchestra was astounding. While Nick is far more musically talented than I am, we both played cello back in the day, and were able to enjoy the show wholeheartedly. My favorite part of the performance was the enthusiasm of the conductor, as his conducting style resembled that of Bugs Bunny.

After the show we met back up with the gang for our last night out. We made our way to one of the most exclusive clubs in Berlin, Watergate, only to find out first hand just how exclusive it was. We were told the club was too full for any other entrants, only to watch countless other people ushered in behind us. We headed back down the street to Matrix. To our surprise the interior of the club looked entirely different from the previous evening as new rooms were opened, and the bars and stages had be relocated. A good night was had by all, and we returned home for rest before an early morning train to our final destination, Prague.

I went into Berlin with very high expectations following my great experiences in Munich. Berlin was very different but still very enjoyable. Next stop, Prague!

Auf Wiedersehen, Berlin!

Budapest: A Tale of Two Cities

We started our second spring break in Budapest. We arrived in the late afternoon on Friday, hungry in Hungary after our overnight train from Lugano. We made our way to an authentic Hungarian restaurant suggested to us at our hostel. I tried Hungarian beer and potatoes with a thick garlic cream sauce. After a delicious and very filling lunch, we explored the city a bit. The currency in Hungary is heavily inflated. One US Dollar is the equivalent of 220 Hungarian forints. With that, we treated ourselves while in Budapest. During our explorations, we came across a Doctor Fish shop, and treated ourselves to fish pedicures. I was hesitant at first, the idea of fish eating at my feet was not my idea of a good time. After watching a few of the others try it however, I had to give it a go. It was surprisingly relaxing and my feet felt refreshingly smooth afterwards. It was a 3000 forints (13 USD) well spent. That evening we ate like kings at a fancy all you can eat and drink restaurant.

Buda on the left, Pest on the right.

Budapest is a city split in two, Buda and Pest. At first, I thought this was a joke. It's not, Buda is the residential side of the city and Pest is the city. On Saturday, Madison and I took a tour through the city. At the start of the tour, our guide wished us all a Happy Ladies Day. Before we left the guide asked us if we had any questions. I wasn't familiar with "Ladies Day" and made the mistake of asking what it was. Upon asking I immediately got glares from every girl on the tour. Madison and I were the only Americans on the tour, and apparently the only ones unaware of the holiday. I was under the impression the holiday was of Hungarian culture, but quickly learned that our guide was referring to International Women's Day. I was rather embarrassed, but somehow avoided harm from the mass of European women who put me on their hit list.

During the tour we explored Pest and made our way to Buda. The tour offered incredible insight into a city I knew very little about. We made stops at St. Stephen's Basilica, the Chain Bridge, Buda Castle, and the Fisherman's Bastion, among other important spots.

Hungarian Parliament Building

We learned of the influences Hungarians have made on the world, including but not limited to the rubik's cube, Shrek, and Yoda's dialect. We learned that Jedi Master Yoda's script was not originally considered alien-like, so the producers translated his script to Hungarian, and then back to English. We also made a stop at Buda Castle where Katy Perry filmed her music video Firework.

Buda Castle

Following our tour, Madison and I had a long list of Hungarian foods we wanted to try. First on our list was Langos, a pizza of sorts made on fried potato bread and topped with sour cream, cheese, and your choice of toppings. We stopped at the Central Market Hall, the largest and oldest indoor market in Budapest, where we had our first taste of this Hungarian delight. From what I experienced, Hungarian food was very heavy. I left each meal feeling as though I had  eaten Thanksgiving dinner. Frankly, I found it difficult to be hungry in Hungary. After the market, we met back up with the rest of the group, who had spent their day exploring the city on a beer bike. We ended the night at the ruin bar, Szimpla. The bar was huge, with several floors and was built around the ruins of Budapest.

One of the highlights of the trip to Budapest was our visit to the Széchenyi Hungarian Bath on Sunday. Upon arrival, I was surprised to see it looked like a glorified pool. A few of us, myself included, started to think we were scammed and had wasted our money. It wasn't until we got in the baths that we realized our money was well spent. Upon stepping foot in the water, there was immediate relief. The gigantic natural hot tubs were just what the doctor ordered. We spent several hours relaxing before catching our late night train to Berlin.

I have no clue when I'll return to Budapest. Hungary was the first country I have visited with no prior exposure to the language and was my first trip to Eastern Europe. While I would have loved to spend more time there, new adventures were ahead in Berlin. Viszlát, Hungary! 

Valentine's Day in Paris

London and Dublin exceeded expectations, and my long awaited return to Paris was sure to be a good one. I stayed with my long time friend Murphy on my first night in Paris. She is studying abroad in Paris through NYU. When walking to school with her Thursday morning, I realized that she lives about two blocks from the Eiffel Tower. It seemed to appear out of nowhere as we walked through the city.

I took a cab to my hostel. After wandering around a bit to find it, I realized I was dropped off in the completely wrong part of the city. I found a pastry shop and had a delicious breakfast, before getting another cab to the correct area. Ironically, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 was playing in the cab when I got in.

Nick, Melina, Jordan, Katherine, and I made our way toward the Eiffel Tower for lunch. We took a few photos, to take advantage of the blue sky, before grabbing a fantastic lunch. After a late lunch we visited the Musée d'Orsay. It was there that we saw paintings and other works of art from artistic geniuses including Monet and Van Gogh. I made my way down the Champs-Élysées after visiting the museum, where I peaked into a few shops, enjoyed a quiet dinner, and got a few pastries for dessert from Paul. I ventured to the Eiffel Tower to see it lit up, before meeting back up with the rest of the Hokies.

On Valentine's Day morning we went to the most grand palace in all the land, Versailles. Caroline, Megan, Kaitlyn, Nick, and I explored the palace. It was magnificently covered in gold, and far larger than I imagined. The gardens were endless, although not nearly as extravagant as they are in the summer. While the fountains were off and the flowers hadn't bloomed yet, the gardens were still a sight to see.

After spending several hours in Versailles, we made our way back to Paris to prepare for the Avici concert. Kaitlyn, Caroline, and I made a quick stop on the Champs-Élysées for some last minute preparations, and Valentine's Day pastries. I couldn't help but purchase a heart shaped baguette at Paul when passing by.

About thirty of us had tickets to the Avici concert and had dubbed Valentine's Day "Avici Day" weeks before, in preparation. Somehow, Ashley, Alex and I managed to have tickets that were not valid and were not actually able to get into the concert. We made the most of our evening however, by joining Courtney, Kelsey, Molly and Cat at the Eiffel Tower for crêpes. As the clock struck midnight, the already lit tower sparkled as additional lights flashed for five minutes. We all sang "Happy Birthday" to Cat as her 21st had just begun. Around 1:30am we made our way to a restaurant, which was surprisingly crowded for that time of night, and ordered crêpes. It was a great way to end the evening.

On Sunday morning, Nick and I ventured to the Louvre to continue use of the all access museum passes that my awesome friends back home got me for my birthday. With the pass we had free access to every museum in Paris and got to cut all the lines on our way in. Shout out to my friends back home (below) for making my trip even more enjoyable!

The Louvre is overwhelming. There is so much to see, I could spend a week there and not see half of it. I did my best however, and made sure to see the classics including the Mona Lisa. Nick and I also visited the Musée de l'Orangerie later in the day.

We met up with the a bunch of other Hokies after lunch to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. While waiting in line, someone bumped into me. We both turned, as if to apologize, and I realized it was my cousin Sam! He's studying in Rome and happened to be visiting Paris for the weekend as well! I still can't believe we ran into each other. Following a brief reunion, we climbed the steps all the way to the top of the tower. While I had been to the top before, it was great to do it again. We were there just before sunset, and were able to see the entire city from the top.

As we made our way to get dinner, we got stuck in a heavy hail storm only minutes after reaching the bottom of the tower. We sprinted to the nearest restaurant, and treated ourselves to crêpes before dinner as we waited out the storm.

A group of the Hokies were staying in an apartment they rented for the weekend. All thirty of us joined their apartment prior to going out for the night to celebrate Cat's birthday. Just as we were preparing to leave, we heard screaming from the kitchen. Trip's shirt had caught on fire! It turned out that while he was leaning on the stove, the gas was turned on. Luckily, Logan and Nick noticed and helped tear his shirt off and put the flames out, and Trip was unharmed. It was the start of a very interesting evening.

My friend and fellow McLean graduate Sam Nelson, is also studying in Lugano through SMU. He joined us for the weekend in Paris. Trip, Sam, and I made our way to the Frog & Princess Bar in Paris to meet up with Murphy before rejoining Cat and company for her birthday. It was great to spend more time with Murphy and meet some of her friends. If I had been told a month ago that I'd be spending a night in Paris with three friends from middle school, I would not have believed it.

At the Frog & Princess I tried a beer called the Darke de Triumph, in honor of the famous memorial at the end of the Champs-Élysées. My cousin Sam joined us at the bar and we all made our way to what we were told was the best club in Paris, Showcase. Showcase is located underneath the Alexander III bridge. Frankly, it reminded me of a club that would be recommended by SNL's Weekend Update correspondent, Stefon. The line was quite long, but we made our way in rather quickly as we were on the guest list. Once inside, we tried to find our friends, only to find out later that they never ended up going to the club. While the club was bizarre, I ended up having a great night. While there, I was informed that the two DJ's who were playing the music, none of which had any words I might add, were two of the most famous DJ's in the world. Whether or not that's true, I'll never know.

I had an incredible first spring break! Classes started back up on Monday, and we're hustling to cram a 15 week class into three weeks. I made my way to Italy this weekend to visit Genoa during the Pesto World Championships! Updates coming soon!

Au revoir Paris! Ciao Genoa!

Cliffs of Moher and More: Dublin, Ireland

The people of Ireland have hearts of gold. Of all the cities I have visited so far, I haven't met a group of people as friendly as the Irish. It seemed as though everyone I met had a smile on all of the time and it was contagious! We arrived in Ireland around noon on Monday. I started the trip with a traditional Irish meal, potatoes, cabbage, beer, and more potatoes. After lunch we visited the Guinness Factory. The museum within is shaped like a gigantic pint of Guinness. Inside we learned of the history of the brand and how to pour the perfect pint. I am proud to announce that I am an official graduate of the Guinness Academy. We explored the city more after our tour, and settled down for a nice dinner and live music.

Tuesday was my favorite part of my entire trip to Europe so far. Over thirty of us woke up for a 7am cross country bus ride to the Cliffs of Moher. I have never been somewhere more beautiful. The view from the top of the cliffs was astonishing. The cliffs overlook the Atlantic Ocean which was a crisp, clear blue. On our 3 hour trip to the cliffs, it rained and hailed for about 2 hours on and off. Upon arriving at the cliffs, the weather seemed to magically clear up. We suddenly had blue skies and winds strong enough to knock any of us off of our feet. Being blown off of the cliffs was a legitimate concern. Words and pictures give you an idea of the scenery but until you go there yourself, you haven't seen beauty.

On our way back we stopped a few times at other smaller cliffs and eventually made a stop at what was described as the party capital of Ireland, Gallway. Gallway is a small town with a great atmosphere. While we only spent about an hour there, I enjoyed every second. While there I learned of the history of the famous Claddagh Rings that originated in the small town. To make the trip home even better, our tour guide played U2 music the entire way home. It was indeed a beautiful day.We returned around 9pm and made our way to an Irish pub soon after. The live music in Ireland made the experience even more enjoyable.

Wednesday morning I explored Dublin on my own a bit before our plane to Paris that evening. My first stop was Trinity College, home of the Book of Kells. The campus was very enclosed and well designed. After a tour through the University's vast library, and the Book of Kells I made stops at Dublin Castle, St. Stephen's Green, and Christ Church Cathedral. Dublin Castle originally served a defensive role, it is now a major government complex. St. Stephen's Green is a public park in the city center, with over a dozen monuments dedicated to the lives lost during the famine. Christ Church Cathedral was established in the year 1030. Needless to say, it was incredible to be inside. I want to go back to Ireland as soon as possible.

Not only did I fall in love with Ireland, but I fell in love with an Irish girl for a few minutes as well. I made a stop into the Disney store, a territory of the Happiest Place on Earth, in order to double check my flight time. While there I was helped by a lovely employee, about my age, named Sinead (pronounced Sha-need). She was very pretty, her accent was adorable, and her kind nature instantly made my day. On my way back to my hostel, I passed by a florist. I stopped in, bought a bouquet of flowers and then made my way back to the Disney store and delivered the bouquet to Sinead. She was shocked and confused, with good reason, but was incredibly appreciative of what I told her was a random act of kindness. I then returned on my way to the hostel, knowing well that I likely won't ever see her again. Regardless, it felt nice to put a smile on someone's face, just as she had mine.

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare thanks to delays caused by rain. While a little later than anticipated, we took off for Paris around 9pm. Updates from Paris are on the way!

Dublin in a photo.

Beannacht!

Muggles in London

Twenty-four of us left Lugano on Thursday February 6th for the first leg of our spring break. After taking a train, a plane, and a bus, we arrived in London nine hours later. We ditched our original plan to sleep in the airport, and made our way to a hostel for the evening.

On Friday morning, we took a walking tour of Westminster and became acquainted with the royal side of London. We heard stories of the security flaws of Buckingham Palace, and how Big Ben is not actually the name of London's iconic clock tower. Nick, MaryKate, Kaitlyn, Molly Rose, Cat and I spent the remainder of the day exploring London. They tried fish & chips for lunch and we made our way to the National Gallery. There are four major statues outside the National Gallery, each representing different aspects of British military tradition and history. One of the statues is replaced each year by a new statue of significance. This year, the square is home to a giant blue rooster that stands out among the other large bronze statues. According to a British man we met on the double-decker bus, the statue is highly controversial.

After a lovely dinner at a small pub we made our way to Piccadilly Circus, a part of London reminiscent of Times Square with bright lights and people everywhere. We enjoyed a night out and reminisced upon the good times we had and the good times to come.

Buckingham Palace

On Saturday we woke up early to see the changing of the guard. We followed the soldiers as they moved from Prince Charles' estate to Buckingham Palace. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant called Nandos. Nick and MaryKate were literally jumping and screaming in excitement when they found it. The primarily chicken based Portuguese restaurant was surprisingly vegetarian friendly and allergen aware. The menu included three different veggie burger options. I enjoyed a unique chick pea, pumpkin seed and lentil burger with mango-lime salsa and mashed sweet potatoes. Our next stop was the British Museum, home of the Rosetta Stone. The museum seemed never ending as we made our way through exhibits featuring Ancient Rome, Egypt, and Japan. I also enjoyed a special exhibit on ancient Persian currency as well as the exhibit on Iran which featured remains found in Persepolis.

The changing of the guard

The Rosetta Stone

We eventually found the Rosetta Stone, and made our way back across the city to the London Eye, one of the largest Farris Wheels in the world. The structure, which was originally meant to only be up for a year, has now been a part of London's city skyline for about a decade. The view from the top that night was gorgeous. The sky cleared just in time as our hour long walk from the museum to the wheel drenched us to the bone. Umbrellas were no help to us, as the wind blew in every direction.

We met up with the other eighteen Hokies for dinner before splitting up as most restaurants couldn't handle twenty-four customers entering at once. Nick, MaryKate and I enjoyed Thai food before we all met up again to go to the pubs. We ended the night at Chocco Matte, one of the coolest restaurants I've ever been to. It was a cross between a Japanese steakhouse, a bar and a neon light show. I felt incredibly underdressed for this James Bond-esque restaurant.

The walls inside Chocco Matte.

Sunday morning we jumped on our broomsticks to King's Cross to catch the Hogwarts Express into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter through Platform 9 3/4.

Hufflepuff didn't make it through the platform. Typical.

After an entertaining photo shoot and a few Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, we went to Camden Market. The market was my favorite part of London. Thousands of people crowded around to bargain and shop for all sorts of knickknacks. Lunch there was incredible. I couldn't decide what to eat. Seemingly every nationality was represented at the market. My Vietnamese noodle dish alongside a chocolate filled churro was a bizarre but divine combination. Somewhere along the way Molly Rose, Kaitlyn, and I got separated from Nick and MaryKate. We looked for them but finding them without cell reception was virtually impossible. We're fairly confident Nick and MaryKate ditched us, but they claim otherwise.

Molly Rose, Kaitlyn and I ventured to Abbey Road to attempt to recreate the iconic Beatles album cover. This was a far more challenging task than expected, as Abbey Road is still a working street with cars speeding by in either direction. Dozens of people were lined up to try to get a picture and drivers didn't hesitate to slam their horn when coming through. Regardless, we didn't leave until we got the shot.

Click Here To Hear the First Song on Abbey Road

After dark Molly Rose, Ashley, Kaitlyn, Susan and I went to Westminster Abbey in hopes of getting a peak inside the cathedral. While we weren't able to go in, we went over to the Tower Bridge. It was lit up beautifully. We had a fantastic dinner at the Bridge House before calling it a night in preparation for our early flight to Dublin in the morning.

Updates from Dublin coming soon. Too-da-loo!