PHOTO UPDATE!

I know, I know. It‘s been a long time coming, but here it is – a photo update! I’ve probably taken over 1000 pictures. These are just a few from Cinque Terre, Pisa and Florence, Italy.

The Mediterranean sea – shot from Cinque Terre, Italy.

Cliffside Hikes – that’s amore!

Sorry about the disappearing act. The hostel in Cinque Terre had no wifi.

Cinque Terre reminds me a lot of the Azores. It’s essentially a national park amongst 5 coastal villages. There are a bunch of trails as well as a train system connecting all of the villages. I was hoping to hike the whole path in two days. It really only takes 5 hours; however, when I arrived in La Spezia, Italy to buy the passes, I found out that the last section of the hike (i.e. the most difficult) was closed due to a landslide. I was a little disappointed, but Stefanie, Jessie and I decided to hike as far as we could in one day and then relax on the beach on the second day before leaving.

Ciao!

The beach in Villefranche-Sur-Mer, France

It’s been a whirlwind in Europe. I guess I should start at Villefranche-sur-Mer, France.

The south of France (especially where I’m staying) is absolutely gorgeous! It’s very peaceful and relaxing. I actually made it to a beach, which is surprising considering the weather in Europe right now. The water was freezing, but the sun was blistering. My only comfort was sitting at the edge of the water and letting the small waves crash against my legs. I noticed a mom and her baby pointing at something in the water, so I got up to take a look. From afar, it looked like a piece of seaweed – but when I got closer, I saw that it was a jellyfish!! Small, but I’m sure the sting would hurt. I took a picture and ran back to show Stef and Jessie. I looked up and one of our couchsurfing hosts was swimming in the water towards us, so I ran back down to the beach to warn him BUT it was too late. He was stung – maybe not by the same one though. He played a tough guy – of course.

Death by credit card.

I booked my Eurail pass. Wait, let me rephrase…. I booked the MOST expensive Eurail pass.

The craziest thing is that my train pass cost more than my flight to Europe! I’ve spent over one third of my Europe budget and I haven’t even landed. Oh well, that’s traveling for you.

This week has been a roller coaster of sorts. Jessie had a freak out and almost canceled her flight. She was paranoid that we’d be abducted into the sex trafficking industry. I am not even joking. She was seriously freaked out. Don’t get me wrong, there are always dangers while traveling, especially for three young women …. BUT I think her paranoia stemmed from talking with people who have never traveled before and basing their assertions on Hollywood movies (Does anyone remember ‘Taken’?). Eventually, she calmed down and is feeling excited again.

My itinerary also changed. Now, I’m traveling to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, South of France, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, Venice, Interlaken, Grindlewald, Prague and Berlin! I’m sure this isn’t the final draft, and I sort of like that. Sometimes, it’s just about going with the flow. Viva Europe!

On a roll…

Wow. Life has been extremely busy for yours truly, but there is light at the end of the tunnel…

Despite my jam-packed schedule, I’ve managed to draw up a pretty decent itinerary. There’s a few kinks of course, but Stefanie, Jessie and I are getting together  this Thursday to get down to business. Our planning fiestas haven’t been so successful. We end up watching silly Youtube videos and making nachos. Last week, we managed to book two nights in Amsterdam. The fact that we’re staying in the marijuana capital of the world during the weekend forced us to book early. It was just the push we needed!

I’m ordering my Eurail train pass soon and fine tuning the itinerary some more. As of right now, I’m visiting Frankfurt – Amsterdam – Paris – Barcelona – South of France – Cinque Terre (Italy) – Florence – Rome – Venice ?????? That’s all I know until Jessie picks her number one destination. Will it be Switzerland? More Germany, France or Spain? Who knows, but I’m eager to find out. Traveling in a group of three and seeing everything on your personal list is hard. So, we agreed to start by each person choosing their number one destination and then go down the list from there. Mine was the South of France. I’ll admit, Stef and I did try to casually persuade Jessie into some places. We’ll see if it worked!

6 weeks to go!! I can’t wait!