I am currently in Germany and I must say I miss Switzerland. Interlaken was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life. This cute mountain town was a much-needed break in our journey; although there were tourists we didn’t see them. We stayed at the Alp Lodge hostel in Interlaken, which has been one of my favorites to date. Our stay included a free breakfast; every morning I would eat breakfast out on the balcony with one of the best views I have ever seen. I might sound repetitive, but honestly the views were unreal! On the first day we took a boat ride on Lake Thun; which happened to be free with our Eurorail pass. This two and a half hour cruise gave us spectacular views of not only the lake, but the gorgeous mountains around us. On the second day we took a 20 minute train ride to see the Trummelbach falls, which were located inside of a mountain. There was an admissions fee, but it was worth every penny. The falls were phenomenal! I can’t even describe the beauty of Switzerland and pictures don’t do it justice at all. On the third day, we took a very leisurely hike in Interlaken. Although our stay in Switzerland wasn’t filled with anything very glamorous, it was one of my favorite countries. I must say I fell in love with the quiet mountain life and the breathtaking views that were everywhere you looked.
Tag Archives: travel
Geneva, Switzerland
Unfortunately, since we were unable to get on our original train to Geneva, we only had a day and a half in this city. We arrived on a Sunday and everything was closed, so we took that opportunity to just relax by the lake. Lake Geneva is absolutely stunning, the water is crystal clear and contains several different shades of blues and greens. There was a beach/grassy area near the lake where we spent practically all day just relaxing and enjoying the warm weather. It was a much needed brake during our journey……after all there are only so many old buildings one can look at before they all start to blur together.
Rome, Italy
Rome, Italy was not what I expected. To be honest I was a little disappointed with the famous city. It was dirty and noisy to say the least. We stayed at Hostel Downtown near the train station, which wasn’t the nicest or the worst hostel. Seeing the sights like the Coliseum and the Trevi Fountain were great, but the large number of crowds and people trying to sell you stuff made me uncomfortable. I am glad we went, because now I can say I have been to these famous places, but I don’t have any desire to revisit Rome in the future. However the gelato was amazing!
Venice, Italy
Venice, Italy is by far the most beautiful city I have ever been to. I don’t know whether it was the winding alleyways or the narrow canals, or perhaps the food, but it is a stunning city. For the last two days we have just been exploring this wonderful city. We got lost, and that was the plan…..Well at first it was a little difficult to find our hostel, because gps apparently doesn’t work on this island, but that was part of the magic of this city. The map the hostel gave us wasn’t much help either, because the streets weren’t labeled, but I am glad they weren’t. We wondered all around the island and somehow always ended back up in the same spot. No matter how far we traveled we always seemed to find our way back to the main square without even meaning to. The food was fabulous as well. The gelato was probably the best I have ever had, I couldn’t tell you the name of the place, but the flavor I tried was Nutella, which is impossible to mess up by itself anyway. Despite it being rainy today, the streets were just as beautiful to explore non the less. I can honestly say that I am in love with this city and can’t wait to go back one day.
Vienna, Austria
After visiting the beautiful city of Prague we took an overnight train to Vienna, Austria. This was defiantly a change of pace for us. The train ride was not pleasant at all, none of us got very much sleep, but we arrived safely none the less. We arrived in Vienna very early in the morning. Since we were not able to check into our hostel until later that afternoon, we got to explore the city without any tourists around. This was an excellent chance to see the city in a different light, without any other tourists around, because they sure did show up that afternoon. During the first day we just wondered around touring the city as we went. On the second day we went to the Schonbrunn Palace, which was my favorite spot in Vienna. The gardens at the Palace were free so we spent several hours just exploring them and soaking up the sun shine. We were able to have an authentic Austrian meal as well that afternoon at a place our hostel recommended; it was delicious! I must say our adventures are becoming centered around food a little bit 😉
Wroclaw, Poland Day 2!
So I wana talk about food! Food here is so cheep. For lunch we shared 3 different dishes, two different types of Perogies and potato pancakes. It was delicious and the best part was that it only costed about $5 a person…so cheap. If only every city we are planning on visiting will be this cheap 😦
Backpacking Across Europe!
After months of planning my traveling companions and I departed at 4 am for a 26 day journey across Europe. I have never done anything like this in my life, but I am excited and ready to enjoy every second of it. Over the next 26 days we will be traveling to 8 different countries and visiting 11 different cities along the way. I will be trying my best to post in every city to keep you updated on where we are and what we are doing. A train pass, camera and a back pack is all I have to my name for the next month, but it will be a unique experience that I know I will never forget. Packing was hard, but I brought as little as possible. I have never done this before so I don’t know if I am doing it right, but thats part of the journey, the ups and the downs are all part of the experience and I am excited to get started. I am sure it will be exhausting and thrilling, but I also know I will love every second of it!
Scotland
Scotland was the destination for this weekend’s adventure! The first night we stayed in Edinburgh, Scotland right next to the castle! As you can see from my photo the hostel was in an ideal location, which made touring the castle a easy walk. Our weekend was filled with many adventures, even tasting the famous Irn Brew that is more popular in Scotland than Cola; one of my favorite adventures was a day trip to the Highlands and Loch Ness. I must say the views from the bus along our drive were some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen, but unfortunately pictures simply do not do it justice. We took a boat ride around the Loch Ness, and I have to admit that I am a believer in the Nessie the Loch Ness monster after hearing the stories that our boat driver told on our cruise around the Loch. On the final day of our weekend we climbed to the top of Arthur’s Seat which is a dormant volcano in Edinburgh. The top of this volcano gave absolutely incredible views all around us and was one of the highlights of my trip. It only took one weekend, but I fell in love with Scotland!
Warwick Castle
This weekend I visited Warwick Castle. Just two hours away from London this castle was originally built original built by William the Conqueror in 1068. The castle is located in the town of Warwickshire, England, on the River Avon. Although the castle is now somewhat of an amusement park it was still a beautiful building to visit. I was able to climb to the top of one of the towers and see a gorgeous view, dispute the many steps. We had good weather for most of the day, however a thunderstorm which brought hail came upon us during the afternoon during the birds of prey show. Although the birds didn’t seem to mind, the show was cut brief, but not before I was able to see two different types of owls, one of which is in the pictures above. Overall it was an excellent afternoon in Warwick Castle.
Transportation
So the transportation system in London is quite different. It was a little confusing at first, but honestly it has been quite easy and user friendly. I bought an oster card, which is a card that you pre load money onto it in order to use the public transportation. The red buses that London is so famous for are really nothing special once you rode on them, particulary at rush hour. The tube and busses are framed full of people at rush hour, but it is not too bad because you only have to wait about 2 minutes for the next ride. But after a the first few days I can navigate my way around the city with easy.
southerner2londoner 