The Hills are Alive!

From Venice, we headed to the Austrian Tyrol. When I saw on the itinerary that we were going to be spending two days in this place, I was a little confused. I had never heard of Tyrol before let alone the town we stayed in, Hopfgarten. But, nevertheless, I was excited to go to Austria because I am abnormally obsessed with The Sound of Music, which takes place in Austria. A little lame, I know. Don't judge me.

So, first order of business in Austria? White water rafting. We get off the coach, and are handed wetsuits, helmets, lifejackets, boots, and waterproof jackets. Quite the get-up. We slpit up into groups of 8 or so, and hop into the boats. Once in the boat, our 21 year old Scottish guide began giving us instructions for what to do to keep us from dying in the freezing cold water we were about to enter. He spoke so fast and in such a thick accent, I caught about the first 20 seconds of his 5 minute spiel, and then I was lost. So, when we picked up our boat and headed out to the waves, I was slightly nervous about what lay ahead.

After the first set of rapids, my fears subsided, and I began to have a lot of fun. The course they brought us on was not so difficult, and our guide gave us instructions along the way. After a few tricks on the boat and tipping the boat over at the end, I felt great. When we got out of the water, we were greeted with a tray full of shots. One for each of us. I like Austria. After peeling off our wetsuits and warming up in the sun, we were given a bowl of goulash. Delicious. I really like Austria.

That night, we went to a bar called the Silver Bullet in Hopfgarten. Hopfgarten is about the size of Fort Recovery, my home town. So, our group of 30 or so people basically took over the bar. They had a special that was 10 beers for 20 euro. Perfect. I split the ten beers with a friend, and spent the night getting to know my fellow travelers and our tour manager. 'Twas a wonderful night.

Mountain biking and trout fishing

On our second day in Hopfgarten, we got to go mountain biking in the Alps. Talk about the perfect cure for a hangover. The air is so fresh and clean. It's invigorating. We biked for 25 kilometers, half of which was up hill. Going up hill was a little rough at times, but the views made it oh so worth it. We stopped at one point to get water from a spring. It was the best water I have ever had. Hands down.


Once we got to the middle of the bike ride, we got lunch. Lunch consisted of sausages with honey mustard and a baked potato. SOOO GOOD! After lunch, the rest of the bike ride was down hill. It was so fun to just fly down the mountain especially after a hard ride up the mountain. On our way down, there was a cow just chillin' by the path, so we stopped for some photos.


After the biking, a few friends and I went to the trout farm, which is a place that enables you to not only catch a trout and kill it with a club, but also cooks the trout up for you on the spot. This was probably the funniest experience of my entire trip. I will tell you why, and illustrate it for you, but I guarantee it will not be nearly as funny as it was in person. Anywhoo, here goes.

We get to the trout farm, and just walk around like idiots for a solid 15 minutes trying to figure out where we get tickets/fishing poles and bait. After finally finding the ticket counter, I decided to just be a photographer for the day and not fish. The boys got their poles, some corn for bait, a bucket, and a wooden club. After baiting the hook, Kevin (having not fished since childhood) was a little confused about how to cast. I told him what to do, and the big fishing day was off.


After about 3 minutes of fishing, John caught his trout. He reeled it in, and having no idea how to go about killing the fish, held it up on the string and swung at it with his club like a pinata. Having very little luck with this method, he then attempted to lay the fish on a pedestal and hit it that way. But the fish kept jumping around. Then, out of no where came an old Austrian man to take care of business. The man held the fish down with a cloth in his hand, and whacked the fish with one fail swoop. Lo and behold, the fish was finally dead. After the killing, the old man was kind enough to put the dead fish back on the hook so John could take a picture with his catch. Too funny.

Next up is Kevin. After all the drama with the first catch, we had learned how to do things properly. Or so we thought. Kevin catches his fish. He puts it on the pedestal. As he goes to hold it down, the fish jumps, and Kevin jumps too...and screams...like a little girl. Giving up on holding the fish down
he just begins swinging. First he just knocks the air out of the poor fish. Then, one more hit. Yeah. It's dead. But wait! The old Austrian man couldn't let the Kevin have the final blow. He creeps in again to give the fish one last hit, sending blood flying and knocking the fish into the gravel on the ground. Now, he takes the bloody,
gravel covered fish and puts it back on the hook for a picture.

All of this happened in the span of about 15 minutes. It was a whirlwind of jumping, screaming, laughing, and fish beating. After all this commotion, we sat down for a beer while the fish got cooked. I tasted a little bit of it, and it was uncommonly good for cooked trout.

Gondolas and tourists

After a few short hours of sleep, we were up and on the coach, making our way to Venice. When we first got to the city, I was in a very bad mood. The lack of sleep mixed with incredible heat mixed with overly crowded pedestrian-only streets was just too much for me to handle. So, my first impressions of Venice were slightly jaded. I just could not handle the amount of tourists. Everywhere. I had to find something to do that involved as little contact with strangers as possible. So, two friends and I just walked around the streets of Venice all afternoon. We soon discovered that Venice is the perfect city to just walk around aimlessly in. It is very easy to get lost in all the tiny criss-crossed paths, but at the same time, it is never hard to find your way around.

After walking around for a while, my spirits were a little higher, after seeing all the brightly-colored artwork littered around the city and especially after running into a very intriguing looking police officer, who looked like he knew/cared very little about any sort of crime. In Italy, all the cops wear uniforms that are designed by Armani. I dare say that this character got into the police force simply for the fashion.When walking around, we realized that one person could walk around Venice for a life-time taking pictures, and they would all turn out beautiful. Venice has so many colors, bridges, and just beautiful looking buildings and store fronts. It is a photographers dream.

After our free day in the city, we met up with the group in San Marco's square and walked over to a dock to take gondola rides. Whenever I have seen gondolas on tv, or in pictures, they just look so romantic and fairy-tale like. So, I was pretty pumped to actually go on a gondola ride. Now, I don't want to offend anyone who has been on a gondola ride and really enjoyed it. But, I was not really a fan of the gondolas. Whenever I would look down, I would see all the cigarette butts and random trash floating by on top of the water. Whenever I would look ahead, I would see other gondolas that were full of tourists. Add on top of that the excruciating heat, and I couldn't help but feeling like I was on a ride at an amusement park.

After the gondola rides, we saw a glass-blowing demonstration, and then we went to dinner. Dinner was pretty good. It lasted a long time, and the wine was flowing, which I had gotten used to in my time in Italy. By the time dinner was over, I could not wait to get to bed. At this point, I was completely exhausted. After some walking, a boat ride, and a coach ride, we finally got to the hotel, and I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow. Sleep never felt so good.

Florence round 2

Getting out of bed on the second day in Florence was pretty rough. We had breakfast, and then headed into the city for a walking tour. In Florence, the only people who are allowed to give walking tours are Italians. And they have to have a graduate degree in Italian history. So, this lady who did our walking tour really knew her stuff. She explained all of the famous spots in Florence, like the statue of David, which was done by Michaelangelo, and many other famous landmarks.

After the walking tour, Caitlin and I split off from the group and spent the afternoon shopping. I spent alotttt of money because everything was on sale, and I can't resist a good sale. I got some Italian leather goods, which made me really happy.

That night, we all got dressed up for the real Italian feast. This dinner was basically like crashing an Italian wedding. There were a lot of people there from other Contiki tours, and we were all eating at the same time. There was an Opera singer for entertainment. I have never thought I was really into Opera, but this lady was amazing. The food was amazing as expected and of epic proportions. The wine, also delicious, and bottomless!

After dinner, we all took the coach to the biggest club in Florence called Space Electronica Disco tech, where we had a VIP room overlooking the rest of the club. I bounced around between the big dance floor and our private party, and took some time to get a very strong vodka and cranberry from Gi Gi, the bartender. I left with some other girls around 2:30, I think, and we were the ones who left early. The club doesn't close until 4 a.m.

Overall, I rank Florence very highly. The fashion and the shopping are terrific. The Tuscan food can't be beat. The wine, fantastic. And while there are a lot of creepy Italian men always trying to hit on you with the famous "Ciao, Bella" line, it is actually quite flattering.

Out in Florence

That night, after the dinner, alot of us went to The Red Garter, which is a karaoke bar. We got one free drink when we got there. I was already half buzzed from dinner, so I decided to keep the crazy train rolling and get a long island iced tea. Followed by many beers. The karaoke bar was fun. Some of the Contiki-ers sang a Spice Girls song which was entertaining. I met a couple locals who were....strange. Here is a picture of them. Notice the fanny pack...and the shirt.But whatever, they were pretty friendly....when they spoke English.

After the Red Garter, a lot of us went to another bar called Twice. We got a table to set down all our stuff at, and proceeded to dance the rest of the night away. The bar was playing pretty much top 40 songs, so they were easy to dance to. There were a few creepy Italian men who would try to dance with me and touch me, but I am an expert at strategically dancing away from these people, so it didn't bother me too much. One Italian guy wouldn't leave Caitlin alone, and he bought her a rose, which we had some fun with.After a fun night full of Italian debauchery, we decided to head back to hotel. While we walked aimlessly around the streets of Florence trying to find a cab, some Italian men stopped us and offered us a ride back to the hotel. They tried desperately to convince us in broken English that they were good guys and would get us home safe and sound. But we kindly refused to get into a car with strange Italian men, and somehow made our way back to the hotel on our own.

An entire entry about my feelings on Italian food. Enjoy.

After sitting in the clouds atop the Swiss Alps, we hopped on the coach to head for Florence, Italy. Our first thing to do once in Florence was to go to our first authentic Italian meal. If you haven't noticed yet, I love food, so this was great for me. We got to the restaurant and we all sat down at one huge table in the basement of the building. When we sat down there was already bottles of wine and plates of cold cut salamis and hams along with bread sitting on the table.

I like this place so far.

After that, the waiter brought out these little crouton type things with Marinara sauce on top. Next up was the pasta. The waiter brought out huge plates of spaghetti and a pasta in a pesto sauce, and we all ate pasta until our hearts were content. At this point, our bellies were full, and the wine was gone. I just assumed the meal was over.

But no!

Soon, the wine was replenished and a huge tray of hot meat (chicken, sausage, pork etc) was brought out.

Is this for real?

I ate a little of the meat, but I was already so full. It must be over now.

NOPE.

Now, they bring the salad. Odd, I thought. Ok, it's over now. It's got to be. All my silverware was gone.

NOPE.

More forks were brought out, and then the ice cream desert. Ok, ice cream just fills in the cracks, so I managed to eat all of that. To end this epic meal, our tour manager bought us all a shot of Lemon chello. (sp?) It was, by far, one of the best meals I have ever had, just do to sheer proportion of the thing. I was then told that tomorrow would be the real feast.

WHAT?!

Blue Balls Festival?

Before going to Lucerne, I didn't really have any idea what it was. I heard that it was beautiful and that's about it. But to say Lucerne is beautiful would be an understatement. The place looks like a postcard. There are swans just swimming around in the lake and all the buildings looks so quaint and perfect that you wonder if they are actually used or if they are just there to look at.

Anyhoo, once we got into Lucerne, we hit the ground running. The coach dropped us off at the Swiss Army knife store where we had a chance to get a fairly cheap yet useful souvenir for friends and family back home. The store even engraved the knives for free which was pretty cool. After that we had a little time to walk around and take pictures before heading to the hotel.

That night, we all went out to a folklore dinner. This was really cool. First of all, the food was amazing. We started dinner off with cheese fondue to dip our bread in and of course a big Swiss beer to wash it down with. The next course was veal in a mushroom sauce with fried potatoes. Ok, so maybe this is just the German in me, but this meal was perfection!

The entertainment was also pretty sweet. There was yodeling, which annoyed some people, but I thought was pretty cool. Also, they played about 500 different instruments. Everything from the broom, to the alpine horn, which is a traditional swiss instrument.



After the dinner, we all decided to go out on the town. Our tour manager's Swiss friend took us to a couple bars. The first place was pretty much empty when we got there. (Not a surprise since it was only about 9 o'clock) But we brought the party. I split a bottle of wine with some other girls and we all sat around drinking and getting to know everyone a little better. After that, the Swiss guy brought us to the Beach Club. This club was really cool because it was in a basement and the whole floor was covered in sand. We had to take off our shoes when we got there. This bar was a lot of fun! However, I was really sweaty and gross by the end of the night because dancing in sand is a work out.

The next morning, we had to get one last taste of Switzerland before heading off for Italy, so we went to the top of the Swiss Alps. We took a train halfway up the mountain, and then we had to take a lift the rest of the way up. Since it was pretty early in the morning, we had the top of the mountain to ourselves, and the views were absolutely breathtaking. I just can't get over how quaint everything in this city is. When we were going up the mountain, I noticed that the cows roaming around on the mountain actually had bells around their necks. I really didn't think that happened anymore.

Overall, We did more in Lucerne than I could have imagined possible in a less-than-24-hour span. But that was the beauty of this whole trip. Not an ounce of time is wasted, and sometimes the least expected places can be the ones that turn out to be the most fun.

Mimes, miniature ponies, topless ladies, and much much more!

On the second night of the trip, we all got dressed to the nines and headed out to see the Moulin Rouge! I really had no idea before I went to Paris what exactly the Moulin Rouge was, but I knew I was really excited to go. I mean if it has an entire movie based on it, it must be pretty good. But, now that I have been, I would say if I had to compare the Moulin Rouge to anything, it would be most like a Vegas show. But, I feel like the Moulin Rouge has more prestige. But maybe that's just because it's been around longer. Anyhoo, this night was probably one of my most memorable.

When we walked into the building, we had to give our cameras away, because no one is allowed to take pictures once inside. When we got inside, I was completely absorbed by the mood set by the lighting and set up of the place. It was very dimly lit with red lamps at every table, and there were performers on stage singing all through out our dinner. At dinner, we each got a half a bottle of wine with our meal, which was great. The food was also pretty good. Not really comparable to the food we had in Italy, but I'll talk about that later.

After dinner, the show began with a stage filled with people (boys and girls alike) dancing and singing in bright pink sequin-covered outfits. It was a sight. The show had many acts, but there were a few that stood out in my mind. There was one act where a man and a woman spent about two songs doing acrobatics. The things that these people could do blew my mind. The amount of balance and strength they must have is unbelievable. There was another act where this tank of water rose up from the floor, and it had snakes swimming around in it. Then, this lady jumped in and started swimming with them! Crazy. There were many more acts including everything from miniature ponies, topless clowns, and mimes, to ping pong ball magicians and of course the can can. Overall, the show was amazing. Oh! And there was one act where the girl sang "I will survive." At the point the wine and champagne was flowing through my body and for some reason, I found that to be very funny and entertaining.

The Moulin Rouge was a perfect way to end our time in Paris. It's not as cliche as the Eiffel Tower, and, if you ask me, it's way more interesting. At this point in my trip, I felt like we had done so many things already, and I felt like I had been gone for at least a week. But, believe it or not, Paris was actually pretty laid back and tame compared to what the rest of my Contiki...

CREPES!

On our second day in Europe, we had about 6 hours of free time to explore the city, and from what I saw the night before, 6 hours was not going to be nearly enough. Paris is huge! But our tour manager, Ryan gave us a lot of tips about what to see and how to get there, which helped out a lot. So, first we went back to the Eiffel Tower to get some key daytime pictures and see it one last time. It was a lengthy walk from where the coach dropped us, but it was a beautiful day, and walking in Paris is always eye-pleasing, so I didn't mind. Plus, it gave me some time to get to know some of the other people on the trip.

From the Eiffel tower, we walked to The Arc de Triumph. We got a little lost along the way, but we came upon a friendly French guy who sent us in the right direction. I have to admit, I was surprised to see a French person being helpful, because up to this point, I have had a pretty bad impression of the French. Anyhoo, we got to the Arc De Triumph safe and sound and took some pictures.

After that, we walked down the Champs Elysee, which is where a lot of the higher-end shopping is. Although all the stores were way out of my price range, it was if nothing else, a good place for people watching. From there we took the metro to Sacre Coure. Sacre Coure was extremely cool. It was quite the feat to get up the hill to the church, but once we were up there, it was worth it. Behind the church (what the name of the church is, I have no idea) there is a little area of cafes and lots and lots of artists. Many of them just stand around and wait to have a person sit for them. One artist in particular must have found me to be a good sitting model because he tried desperately to get me to pose for him. It was flattering yet somewhat creepy.

We got crepes for lunch. I feel that this deserves its own paragraph because the crepes were absolutely perfect. I got mine with ham, cheese and mushrooms, and I also got a coke. I can not put into words how good of a meal this was, and how perfectly it hit the spot. I could have walked around for hours eating my crepe and browsing through all the paintings and drawings being sold.

After getting back into the city, we had some time to kill before we had to be on the coach, so Caitlin and I sat down outside the Musea D'Orsay and had a cigarette. It just seemed so fitting to the city and to the moment. I had a great afternoon in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but the night to come had much in store for me...

Bonjour

Ok, first of all, my Contiki was amazing! So, I'll dive right in. My first day in Europe was spent in Parii. I spent the afternoon meeting new people, seeing the Notre Dame, walking around the latin quarter, getting lost, and making poor attempts to order food in french. Although I was extremely tired and jet lagged, it felt great to be in a city of such beauty. Everything in Paris is pleasing to the eye. The people, the food, the buildings. We would be walking and just run into a gorgeous fountain or a random statue. It is definitely a different world.

That night, we went to dinner in the city, and then we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. So, number 27 on my list of things to do before I die got scratched off on the very first night. Being at the top of the Eiffel Tower right in the midst of a beautiful sunset was absolutely amazing. I realized just how big Paris is at that moment, and I felt a little overwhelmed by all the things to do and see in what little time we had left in Paris. But I pushed that thought aside and soaked up the moment. And what a moment it was.

Overall, my first day in Paris was great. I was extremely jet lagged for most of the day, and felt slightly insecure as I usually do when alone in a group of strangers. But everyone was very cool and outgoing, and I went to bed that night feeling overly excited about what the next two weeks had in store for me.

Hello!

This is me. April. In one week I will be leaving for a Contiki Holiday in Europe. I just got a lot of information from the Contiki people today, and I have been leafing through it. To say I'm excited would be an understatement.

I have been abroad before. Last year I spent a semester at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. It was uh-mazing, and it gave me a travel itch that I can not help but scratch. Since then, I have been constantly looking for ways to get around the world on a teeny tiny budget. Luckily, I came upon an internship opportunity with Contiki Holidays. I will be working for them throughout the upcoming school year. For my training, I get to go with all the other interns on a holiday through France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany and Czech Republic. I lead a rough life. I know.

Although I am amped for my upcoming adventure, I tend to keep forgetting that it is coming up so soon. For one thing, I don't really know anyone else who will be going on the trip. I've met the other Ohio State interns once, but to say I "know" them would be wrong. I am "acquainted" with them. Since I don't have anyone in my social circle going with me, it rarely comes up in conversation, thus, keeping it pretty far off my mind. Also, compared to my lengthy stay in Australia, which involved a ton of paperwork between visas, university applications, and such, this trip has involved very little work on my part. I am definitely not complaining about that.

But the reality is that I leave in one week, at which time I will be on a plane to Paris, preparing myself for two full weeks of European debauchery. I CAN NOT WAIT!