Valentine reunion round 2...Mom and Dad! I kept to my usual traveling agenda and spent the first day just wandering the streets. I made sure to hold off on all the big sights until they arrived. Obviously they were exhausted after 17 hours of travel but with a quick nap they were able to power through the evening. Why not dive in head first with some tapas and a flamenco opera? Antoni Gaudi is one of the most famous architects of his time. His unique style is well, unique. He has designed many famous buildings around Barcelona and people visit from across the world to see his masterpieces up close and personal (although they cost a fortune to visit!). Not only were we able to see the inside of his Palau de la Musica but we were able to experience some of the Spanish culture as well. What a lively culture it is. Not lively enough to keep Mom and Dad awake though. They might have dosed off a couple times during the show but who can blame them after basically pulling an all-nighter. The next morning we started the day with a trip to the Boqueria market off La Ramblas. Making our way through the crowds took some effort with the streets filled with book stalls, rose stands and a whole lot of tourists. It was St. Jordi day! It's a little like Valentine's Day, but the Spanish keep it simple: flowers for women, books for men. Seems like the men have it a little easier in this culture. After some fresh fruit juice, pastries and omelettes we set off to see the rest of Gaudi's works. Unfortunately nobody gave us the heads up on all the ticket reservations. Tickets for the park wouldn't be available for another 5 hours and wasting over an hour in line for Sagrada Familia...no thank you! So we made our way over to the Eixample district for some tapas. Since we didn't accomplish a whole lot in the morning we decided to check out another one of Barcelona's beloved artists: Pablo Picasso. I've got to say, Spain has produced some of the more interesting artists...Gaudi, Picasso, Dali…truly one of a kind. With Tanya in Barcelona I thought it was appropriate to continue one of my favorite Geneva traditions...Brunch Friday's! After enjoying a good breakfast on the terrace I think Mom and Dad understand why Friday was one of my favorite days. With a well thought out itinerary (we learned our lesson the day before), we set out for a day full of Gaudi...Casa Batllo, la Pedrada, Sagrada Familia and Park Güell. We didn't spend too much time at the first 2 since they cost €21 euros EACH to get in to (talk about ridiculous) but we made sure to get our money's worth at Sagrada Familia and Park Güell. Sagrada Familia is one of the most impressive churches I have ever seen, although to be honest, it didn't feel a whole lot like a church. There were elevators, educational placards, construction workers and more tourists than I knew how to handle. At least raising the funds to finish the church isn't a problem and when it’s finished it'll be the tallest church in the world.
After another long afternoon of walking the vote was unanimous...mojitos and sangria! Bull fighting is now illegal in Barcelona but instead of bulldozing the old stadium they just repurposed it. Now you can enjoy dinner or drinks up top with a fantastic view of the Placa d'España and National Gallery. To complete our very productive day we headed towards the steps of the National Gallery for an evening show of the magic fountains. Before setting sail on their cruise we squeezed in one last market breakfast and picked up some snacks for a picnic in the park. Even though Mom and Dad were gone, my fun in Barcelona continued. It was a full blown Geneva reunion at this point...Tanya, Meri and her husband Richard were all there. We weren't only celebrating all being together again but we were celebrating Tanya's birthday! It ended up working out pretty well actually. I was going to stay in Barcelona for the next 2 days anyway so I just convinced everyone to come down for they weekend. Although it wasn't really all that hard to convince them... Our original plan for Sunday was to relax on the beach in the sun drinking fresh coconut water and eating fruit from the market. I would say about half the plan worked out...fresh coconut water ✔️ fresh fruit ✔️ beach ✔️ sun...no ✔️. Unfortunately it was pretty cloudy but we still had a great last day in Barcelona before heading our separate ways the next morning. It was off to France for me! Time to meet Mom and Dad in Marseille.
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One of the best things about my post-season travel agenda this year is that at just about every stop I've got someone to travel and experience the city with. In Athens...I've got my sister! Time for an eagle reunion! I landed late Friday night while she landed early Saturday morning, so in order to save money and time I stayed at the airport overnight. Surprisingly enough I wasn't the only one with this idea. Although I'm sure most of the other people were there for layovers or early morning flights out (not because they're cheapasses). At least when Carly arrived we were both in similar sleep deprived states. Our first day consisted of wandering (surprise surprise) and trying to stay awake until a socially acceptable hour. With the help of some Greek coffee we made it till sundown. We didn't waste anytime the next day and decided to start with a hike up Mount Lykabettus for a view of the entire city. Since it was Easter and Sunday we knew that almost everything was going to be closed so we had another relatively relaxing day. Well relaxing for me, Carly wasn't super stoked on the amount of walking we did. I sort of got us lost trying to find a temple. After a long day we decided to reward ourselves with drinks atop one of the upscale hotels of Athens: The Grand Bretagne. Most of its appeal comes from its amazing rooftop views of the Parthenon, although the free champagne was a definite plus. On day 3 we were finally able to check out some of the historic sights of Athens: the Acropolis! We started out with the Parthenon, Erectheon and that gosh darn temple, before wandering over to a bustling strip for some lunch. With some daylight to kill we headed to the beach and spent the rest of the day meeting people from across the globe...a lady from Egypt, 2 older men from the Middle East, a young kid from Belgium traveling with his family, a skateboarder from Iran and a break dancer from South America. After a pretty awesome show in Syntagma Square (we managed to sit down right in front of a group of break dancers) we headed home to rest up for our last day in Athens. Our final day consisted of checking off the last of our historic sights: Temple of Zeus (the largest temple of its time), Panathenaic Stadium (stadium where they held the first official Olympics) and the Acropolis Museum (Greece's newest museum built over some of the ancient ruins). Since we had an early morning wake up call we grabbed some dinner and called it a night. The next morning we were off to Naxos! Although it's not as well known as Santorini or Mykonos (two of the most popular among tourists), Naxos is one of the Cyclades Islands. When most people think of Greek islands they probably picture white square buildings with blue doors built on hills along the seaside. Well, that's pretty much what it looked like, except without the hoards of tourists. We spent the first day wandering the tiny streets, relaxing by the seaside and gorging ourselves on amazing Greek food (well in Carly's case free wine...bonus to traveling with Alyssa: when the restaurants entice you with a free glass of wine you will actually get 2). The next day we set out to explore as much of the island as possible. We rented a quad bike and headed across the island. There were so many spectacular views, rolling green hills, tiny hidden villages and a whole lot of sunshine. After stopping in one of the villages for a coffee to warm up a bit (yes it was sunny but that breeze went straight through our jackets) we headed to the coast for some beach exploration. It was pretty awesome being able to take the quad right up to the beaches, many of which were completely deserted. It almost felt like we had the entire island to ourselves (one of the bonuses to traveling in the off-season). Island life was really quite the experience. People work in sweatpants for goodness sake. I'm sold! Not to mention their food was awesome and surprisingly cheap. Lets just say I loved it so much that after Carly and I headed back to Athens (6 hour ferry ride) and said our goodbyes, I made my way back to the islands. Nothing like a last minute trip to Crete! Crete is probably one of the better known islands. It's also the biggest so with 2 days I didn't get to see a whole lot. I tried to make the most of it though. First up, a bike ride! What I had in mind was a nice cruise along the seaside to one of the nearby beaches but somehow I ended up climbing the hills of Chania for 3 hours with the wind working against me. That's probably why I was asked if I was a good cycler before I left. Silly me for assuming it meant I know how to pedal and use the breaks. Let's just say I was beyond relieved when I saw the beach. Unfortunately that relief dissipated when I realized I had to ride back up the side of the mountain I just went down. I'll try and give you an idea of how steep it was...I spent 3 straight hours climbing and it took me a little over 2 minutes to descend. It was essentially a cliff. It was faster to just walk my bike up than to even attempt to pedal. So I began my hike. About the time I got to the first switchback a gentleman pulled up and offered me a ride up the mountain. Yes please! Turns out he's from Florida and is stationed nearby. By the time he dropped me off the rest of my ride home was pretty much all downhill.
By the time I made it to the port I was famished and ready for dinner. After over a week in Greece I learned that it's impossible to walk by a restaurant without someone telling you to take a look at their menu. Often times they even offer you a free glass of wine but this was the first time I couldn't talk my way out of it. The man literally took me to a table with a group of Australians and told me it wasn't acceptable for me to not have a drink in his restaurant. My plan was to stay for one and then sneak out when he wasn't paying attention. That went over real well. The man just kept bringing drinks. Even when we stopped ordering them, they kept coming. When they started coming before we even finished the one in front of us we decided it was time to leave. With very little sleep under my belt (my ferry was an overnight ferry) and having just done a killer bike ride, I headed back to my hostel for a good nights sleep. The next day I met up with my new Australian friends before heading back to the port to catch my ferry to Athens. Then it was off to Barcelona! Much of my first day consisted of aimless wandering (they typically do) and a whole lot of amazement in the amount of beauty and history this city has to offer. Within the past 15 years Budapest has become a more popular destination among tourists. In previous years the city had been occupied (first by the Nazi Germans and after by the Communist Soviets) and as a result of wars, uprisings and revolutions, much of the city had been destroyed. When the Hungarians regained their freedom, they started to rebuild and are now sharing their history and culture with the world.
After 4 full days in Budapest I can confidently say there was never a dull moment. There were so many different areas to explore, so many beautiful buildings to see and a lot of history to take in. My first 3 days were more centered around checking off the popular tourist sights (ie Chain Bridge, St. Stephan’s Cathedral, Heroes Square, Parliament, etc), experiencing life like a local (ie Easter markets, ruin pubs, etc.) and simply enjoying life (ie sitting in the parks soaking up the sunshine, watching the sunset along the Danube, etc). Since I'd spent so much of my time relaxing I figured it was time to put my brain to work. First with a walking tour of the city, centered around the communist past of Budapest, and then with a visit to the House of Terror museum. The building that houses the museum today once served as the headquarters for the Nazi government as well as the fascist Arrow Cross Party. It not only educates visitors about the double occupation, but also commemorates the victims of these atrocities. With the ousting of the communist regime being a part of Hungary's recent history, many of its residents still have a vivid memory of such times. The betrayal that took place between neighbors, friends and even family still haunts many Hungarians and is especially apparent between generations. My generation is the first to grow up in a liberated nation but unfortunately their government is still struggling to rid itself of corruption. I ended my trip with a stop at the famous baths of Budapest before continuing my relaxation in another history rich city. Time to go back in time...about 2000 years...Athens, Greece! The cheapest way to get from Kraków to Maribor (my next planned stop) was with a bus to Vienna, a bus to Graz and finally a car ride with an awesome friend who offered to pick me up in Graz. I don't want to get too ahead of myself though and potentially miss out on talking about one of my favorite countries, even if I was only there for 36 hours. The downside to taking the cheapest route...sleeping on an overnight bus from Kraków to Vienna. I got in at 5 am but luckily made a friend and decided to get some coffee in my blood stream before wandering the city. Turns out he actually studied abroad at CU for a semester when I was there! Once again, small world.
After starting my day like an Austrian, I met up with my fellow American traveler for some Vienna adventures. He and I met earlier in Geneva and both have different travel itineraries but they just so happen to overlap in 2 cities...Vienna and one of my later stops, Budapest. I sure won't say no to a good travel partner. We hit up most of the same sights I saw during Christmas but added in one I didn't have the chance to see: Schönbrunn Palace. We didn't have the time to go in (nor did we want to spend the money since once you've seen one palace, you've kind of seen them all) but we did wander the gardens and get a pretty spectacular free view of the city. Before I knew it, it was time to catch my second bus to Graz and meet up with ANOTHER American, my teammate from last season, Sarah! She's playing this season in Slovenia and with Graz only being a hop, skip and a jump away from Maribor we decided to meet up before heading across the border. I had already fallen in love with Austria but Graz solidified it for me. Gorgeous mountains, awesome architecture and best of all, sunshine! After about 2 weeks of cold, rainy weather a sunny day was definitely in order. We caught up over coffee and then enjoyed the sunshine from a mountain top view over the city. When we got to Maribor I got a good meal in me (aka giant bowl of veggies), did some laundry and crawled into bed for good nights sleep. Since Sarah is still in season she had practices and other team obligations but we were able to hang out between commitments. I even got to watch her team play (right now they're playing for the championship and going for their 3rd gold medal. Yep, my friend's a badass). Then we spent the entire Sunday (Easter!) just hanging out, drinking mimosas and eating fresh, home cooked meals. Good food, a beautiful city and some awesome company, I'd have to call this stop a success. And I can now tell you that I will be back to explore more of Slovenia (rail pass for Austria, Slovenia and Croatia next summer?). After recharging my batteries it was time to hit the road and head east....Budapest here I come! Lately I'm starting to realize how small this world is and while in Hamburg it got a little smaller. Coming home on Friday night (well Saturday morning), we got to talking with a guy on the metro--turns out he's from Poland (convenient)... more specifically he's from Kraków (super convenient) and is heading back there on Sunday (small world)...evening (getting smaller)...via easy jet (so small!). We were on the same flight! And that's how I got my tour guide for 2 days in Kraków :-D. After visiting Schindler's Factory for a history lesson (more like history overload), we met up for some lunch (zapikanka is probably my favorite polish food...bread baked with cheese and mushrooms topped with whatever you'd like) and a little tour around old town. Unfortunately the weather wasn't all that great (either raining or absolutely freezing the entire time I was there) but it was sure nice having a local take me around and share some facts about the city (legends about the dragon of Wawel and stories about what happened to the brother who built the taller tower on the church...spoiler alert, his other brother murdered him). He then offered to join me the following day on my trip to Auschwitz and boy was I glad to have the company. As I'm sure you can imagine it was quite an emotionally taxing experience.
Several of these camps remain across Europe as a memorial for those who fell victim as well as a reminder to future generations that history is not to repeat itself. Auschwitz was a merciless place of murder where hundreds of thousands of people were brought to die. No words can come close to explaining the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you see rooms filled with personal possessions (suitcases, combs, shoes, etc), walls lined with photos of victims and rows of barracks where people were once held prisoner under atrocious conditions. Seeing Dachau last year was definitely an eye opening experience but seeing Auschwitz with its size and well-known history was completely mind blowing. With it being so well know it obviously attracts far more tourists and in my opinion loses some of its impact. With tour group after tour group and a bookstore full of postcards, it feels a little less like a memorial and more like a tourist attraction. Auschwitz expanded during the war in order to accommodate the influx of deported Jews so you actually have to take a bus to see the entire camp. Unfortunately, the weather was still working against us. Shortly after arriving we booked it back to the bus stop only spending a maximum of 10 minutes on a site that should take at least an hour. Ideally I would have spent more time there paying proper respect, but the feeling in my feet had been gone for the past 2 hours and it was so windy I couldn't even look up. To lighten the mood I got together with another American I met during my earlier travels in Vienna over Christmas. We got some dinner, had a couple beers and shared travel stories and experiences abroad. The next day I checked off the rest of my Kraków to do list and enjoyed my last polish meal before heading off to Austria...next up Vienna round 2. I guess this is the trip of second round visits... |
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