Day 8: Austria take two

I wake up this morning sore. I never would have thought that white water rafting could do a number on my body. Scheduled today was a nice bike ride through the Austrian hills. Unfortunately I could not get myself to participate.

Later I met up with the rest of the group for a delicious barbecue. There, we had a nice salad, fresh sausage, and toasted potatoes. Everything was fresh, fresh, fresh. On this particular site the owners grow everything themselves.

The food isn't the only thing that's amazing here; the view is out of this world! All the little houses with adorning flowers, perfect mountains, bright blue sky, and vegetation is fabulous. It's remarkable just to see so much green. In the states there is a definite lacking in that area. I feel like I am in paradise in this particular moment. Even the air seems different; I feel like I am breathing the freshest air in the world.

The rest of the day we have off- a couple friends and I go to the local water park. For me, I was expecting a lot of plastic and lights. On the contrary though, it was actually a really nice park. There was a lake, a pool, tobogganing, topless women and men in Speedos! Clearly it was the average water park!!

That night we had the craziest party: Pimps & Hoes. Everyone grabbed their tackiest and sluttiest garments and came down to the bar for a night of laughing, dancing and heavy drinking. Never had I known there are so many different types of Schnapps out there.

All in all though, Austria definitely left it's mark for me as a fun, peaceful, and beautiful country.

Day 7: AUSTRIA, HERE I COME

So at this point in our travels we are leaving my beloved Italy to head to A U S T R I A. I don't know much about it but I do know we are going to be doing some crazy adventures. One in particular that I have been both stressing and anticipating is WHITE WATER RAFTING. I can't believe I am actually participating in this extreme sport. I am definitely known for staying away from anything that could hurt myself or is out of the norm.

>>Unfortunately I wasn't able to take many pictures of the action due to the water and extremeness.

After having an hour bus ride full of anxiety we finally arrive to our spot where we are welcomed by 7 burly men. They pass around a document confirming that we all know how to swim. Afterward they give us our ugly, unflattering, and smelly outfits. This intricate costume consists of a wet suit, helmet, wind breaker, life vest and water booties. We all truly look fabulous. We then separate into groups of 6-7 where we become educated on how to properly paddle. It's quite simple actually; forward, backwards (which is like a lean back dance) and down which simply consists of us dropping our paddle and sitting down.

After learning the basic procedures from our instructor, Howie, we are commanded to head to the river. My group and I hold our raft over our head to the water where we are then instructed to put it down and run into the water. The water is FREEZING but so refreshing. Our fun soon comes to an end and Howie calls us back to the raft. This is really happening, I am white water rafting.

We get into our raft and get going. Howie is immediately spitting out commands of forward, backwards, forward etc. etc. I am only half listening due to the amazing scenery around me. There is tall mountains, the bluest sky and a beautiful greenery. We even passed by the Paramount Pictures mountain!.

Before we head into tough waters Howie talks to us about some safety procedures. He creates a bunch of "what if " scenarios and shows us how to act in that particular situation. The whole time I am praying that none of this happens to me. To truly prepare us, Howie has all of us jump off the raft while he flips the raft over. Amazingly we all had no problems. On the contrary we showed a great sense of camaraderie. Another trick Howie has up his sleeve is the "pinwheel". This is an extreme trick where half the raft is up in the air while the other is motionless in the air. This scared the crap out of me.. I couldn't wait for the other side to come down because our paddles were facing us the whole entire time. At any second they could have gone right into our face. Howie decided to end the trip by doing a back flip off the raft. Howie truly is amazing.

When we got back onto land we were rewarded with a lethal shot of alcohol. Afterward we had a delicious hearty soup that hit the spot perfectly!

After the thrill of white water rafting we headed to our lodging in Hopfgarten. This was a cute spot in the woods that was very secluded and peaceful. After dinner we headed to a local bar that we clearly kept open that night. It was so funny to see how small this little town was. Evidently changed Hopfgarten for those couple days we were there.

Day 6 : Waters of Venice

Today we are going to one of the most amazing places in Europe: Venice. No where else in the world are the streets made of water! We take a ferry boat to the actual island. The view is spectacular from the boat; I can't wait to get there. When we finally arrive Venice is PACKED . And with all of the people there the heat is even more intense. Every street corner and walkway is looks like it is from a painting. It's amazing to think that some of the people here are not tourists; they actually live with these impeccable vistas and different lifestyles. We walk around admiring the colorful buildings, impressive churches and fancy Morano glass. We follow our guide and he shows us Plaza San Marco that is filled with 3 things: BIG buildings, and huge amounts of people and PIGEONS. No where else in the world can the pigeons actually be a burden due to their huge presence. All day I was worried I was going to get shit on-- however, the italians do always say that bird poop is good luck!

Later that day we had a good amount of time to ourselves to explore the city. I really loved getting lost in Venice because you'd always find your way to something beautiful. One trail in particular sticks in my mind-- my friends and I were starving and hot. We had been walking for 20 minutes just looking for a place to sit or even get a bite. At this point we are all getting flustered until we see what is before us-- a water passage where at that given moment 2 gondolas are passing by. All of a sudden we weren't agitated or hungry.

All of a sudden we remember that we too have an appointment for a romantic gondola ride in just a few. We rush to have a nice lunch and then go off to meet the rest of the group. We all break up into groups of 6 for a ride full of fantastic views, champagne, and romance. It was probably the best way to tour the city.

Later that night we went through the twisty curvy and narrow roads of Venice and found our way to dinner. Here we had approximately a 5 coarse meal that consisted of fish, antipasti, cold cuts, pasta, salad, and dessert.

Venice couldn't have been any better...

Day 5: FLOOOREEENNNCEEEEE

Today Florence is hot hot hot! It is probably 90 degrees and the amount of people outside is not helping with the temperature. This morning we were going on a tour of the wonderfully historic city of Florence. Unfortunately, not all of us were in it due to the temperature... However, we still learned a thing or two about the city. My favorite part of the tour was Michelangelo's The David. He really is the man of every girl's dreams. We continued on the tour passing by the Uffizzi Gallery, The Ponte Vecchio, The Duomo. Florence is really a photogenic city-- every corner, every side street had the best colors and the best composition.

After our tour we went to Lorenzo's, a famous Florentine leather carrier. There, we learned about the history and production of leather. It was all really interesting. After we went into the actual store to take a look at Lorenzo's leather goods.

Following, we had the rest of the day to ourselves to explore, shop and eat fine Italian food. Once again, doing these activities was difficult due to the intense heat wave. Florence really has the best shopping-- it was hard not to buy everything. Also, art is everywhere in Florence; churches, famous paintings and statues, and even in the streets. It was the center of the RENAISSANCE don't ya know?? The rest of the day I spent walking around and then eating a delicious pasta lunch.

That night we went to the best spot: Piazza Michelangelo. This piazza overlooks the whole entire city. The orange bricks, the River Arno, the different architecture; it's amazing. For dinner we went to a nice family restaurant that provided at 5 coarse meal, opera singing and dancing. It was probably the best meal of the trip. It had delicious lasanga and ziti. To end the night we went to a great discotheque called Space. There was dancing, great drinks and good music. We even got into the V.I.P room!

Florence was amazing -- tomorrow we were going to Venice for a romantic time!

BACI!

--dani

Day 4: Morning in Switzerland / Afternoon in Florence

We said good-bye to Switzerland this morning from the top of the Alps. All of us went bright and early to Mount Stanserhorn. There, we took a a train ride and then chair lift ride to the tippity top of the mountains. Traveling up we saw pure green, tall trees, and cute little houses. We get to the top and the view is spectacular. I felt like I was breathing the best air. Going down was better than going up; my stomach didn't drop.

The next 3 hours were dedicated to traveling to Florence. In our travels we even passed by Lake Como: AMAZINGGGG....
I am so excited to get in Florence. It is one of the most amazing cities that is filled with history, beautiful vistas, and kind people. Finally too, I could communicate with the locals! We try and tour around the city seeing popular sights such as the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, and the Uffizzi Gallery. Tomorrow we have the whole entire afternoon to ourselves -- WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?

That night we go to a little restaurant in the center of town. The food is relatively good. I enjoy the wine, the mortadella, and the pesto pasta. To end the night well we are given from the Contiki staff a local special: LIMONCELLO! It was sooo strong.

Later that night we all went to an Italian bar where we were introduced to the aggressiveness of Italian men.

--dani

Day 3: New Country, SWITZERLAND!!!

So we left wonderful Paris to go to our next destination Lucerne, Switzerland.

>>DID YOU KNOW that the SWITZ flag is the only flag that is square shaped rather than rectangle??

Switzerland is absolutely adorable. Our first stop is what Switzerland is known for: Switz Army Knives and of coarse Switz watches. I really wasn't interested in Switz Army Knife until I needed scissors. I must admit that it is a cool gadget. The Switz watches were out of this world. They are all shiny and eye-catching-- I would take one if I had the funds!

After doing touristy things, I walked around Switzerland exploring the quaint city. I loved the old style bridges that were aligned with mixed flowers. Lucerne looks like a nice place to grow up.

Later on me and a couple friends enjoyed a delicious beer. I don't even like beer but this one was actually tasty!


At night we went to a folklore restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious fondue. Along with good food and good beer, we all danced and had a terrific time. I even danced with an 80 year old man that was 19 a heart. After dinner we were free to explore the clubs and bars. Switzerland was so fun, I wish we had more time here!

--dani

Day 2 in Paris: Free Day

What does one do if they have the whole day in Paris? Answer: Everything thats humanly possible!!!

There were so many things I wanted to do and it was hard to pick which was better to do. I started out just walking and looking at the various sites. Everything looks so god damn picture perfect-- it was hard to take a bad picture.

Our first stop was the Notre Dame. There, we saw groups of people with their uncool tour guides. The Notre Dame was huge and also, impressive.I kept thinking of the Hunchback of Notre Dame; real life is so much better. The architecture of this church was absolutely amazing; the high ceilings, the symmetry, and sculpted gargoyles.

We continued our walk throughout Paris and next ended up at the infamous Louvre. This past semester I thankfully took Art History. Due to this selection, I was able to truly appreciate all of the fabulous art works throughout the museum. The Louvre architecture in itself is breathtaking. The mix of the old and new is amazing. I personally love the glass pyramid. At first step into the museum there seemed to be one thing on everyone's mind : The Mona Lisa. Of coarse she was the most popular piece of art. Lines started from a mile back; everyone wanted to see her. When I finally made it to the front she was SO SMALL and behind thick glass. Still though, it was amazing to see her. I heard from our tour guide that it would take weeks to go through the whole entire museum. Unfortunately, I was only able to see one wing of the Louvre. Still though I saw tons of paintings and sculptures I had studied last semester.

After leaving the unforgettable Louvre I continued on still seeing some of the most spectacular sights ever. We walked through the Jardins Du Carrousel that looked like it was out of a movie. There was a carousel, a little bakery, painters, beautiful assortments of flowers etc. etc.!

We continued the rest of the day just walking around. For lunch I had the most delicious crepe with Nutella and Bananas. It was DELICIOUS! Later I walked down the most glamorous street of Paris: Champs Elysées. Everything from a 5 -story Louis Vuitton to Chanel to other fabulous designer stores.

Our free day soon came to an end-- however we had a big night planned. We were going to see the most FANTASTIC show ever: MOULIN ROUGE! We all had about an hour to put on our best outfits and get on the road. The location of Moulin Rouge was actually quite comical-- I think we were in the Sex/ Erotic district.

Unfortunately, we were not able to bring pictures inside Moulin Rouge. Inside the stage and whole space was like a fantasy: There were cityscapes , glitter, bright lights -- it pretty much didn't leave much to the imagination. We had a wonderful meal with wine, nice steak, soup, and dessert. Later, there was time for dancing and then the show began! Beautiful blonde French women came out dancing and singing. They were phenomenal. The men too were very pretty; their chiseled bodies, leather get-ups and big white smiles. Throughout the show we saw ponies, big group dances, solos, acrobatics, more boobs, and pure entertainment.

The night was amazing. Unfortunately we were leaving Paris the next day and heading to Switzerland. Bye bye beautiful city!

--dani

British Airways----

I have been traveling for way too long. It took about 7 hours from Boston to London and I am still not at my final destination! I have not found any other Contiki travelers. My flight to Paris takes off in about 2 hours. For now, I will travel up and down the high end stores that I cannot afford!

Later that day.....

I am finally in PARIS!! I meet up with two other girls, Katie and Carly when we land. They both seem really nice. We wander around the airport to see some kind of Contiki rep. who will shuttle us to our hotel. We see a curly haired guy with the blue and yellow Contiki get-up. Then we walk a little further and meet up with 2 other people from the trip: Kevin & Janessa. I have the biggest suitcase of the bunch and even have an embarrassing orange sticker on it saying "HEAVY".

>>NOTE TO FUTURE TRAVELERS: do not bring 8 pairs of shoes , 3 pairs of jeans and 6 dresses. These garments do add up and make the suitcase heavier!

So.. we all scramble into a taxi where our taxi driver is AMAZED that us 4 girls were all able to fit plus our suitcases. Our taxi driver, Vincent, is amazing. He is blasting old school jams such as " It's Raining Men", "What a Feeling", and "Your Just Too Good to be True". It's quite comical; he truly gives us the best introduction to this fun city.

We arrive at Hotel Kyriad where all the other 39 travelers have been exploring the city while us 4 have been delayed at the airport. We immediately throw on clothes and jump into our coach. We meet our New Zealander tour guide, Ryan and bus driver, Andy. We travel around the city for about an hour learning about Napoleon and King Louis and see some of the most beautiful sites. We stop at a quick buffet dinner anxiously awaiting our scheduled visit to the Eiffel Tower.


We finally arrive at our desired spot and it is impressive. It looks so much bigger and grander in person. Tons and tons of people surround this tourist trap. I immediately think how are we ever going to get in? Of coarse our tour manager Ryan comes to the rescue handing us our tickets and leading the way to the elevator. I look back to see other tourists envious looks; I feel like a celebrity. All 43 of us pile into such a modern elevator that takes us up to the sky. My stomach begins to drop and I'm feeling woozy until the elevator doors open to the most amazing view in the world. I feel like I am on top of the world. I see the whole entire neat, grid-like city . Paris is absolute perfection. Everything seems perfectly placed to just look aesthetically pleasing. My group and I decide that this level is not extreme enough-- we decide to go up to the highest level. Now, the sun is setting and the view can't get any more gorgeous. I am speechless. Unfortunately, like Cinderella we have a curfew-- Ryan, our tour master gave us a specific time to meet down at the coach. We have 10 minutes to get down ; I look to the elevator-- jam packed. The stairs seem to be the only solution. Myself and 4 other team members scramble down over 25 flights of stairs.

>>NOTE TO FUTURE TRAVELERS: Don't wear platform heels when traveling to the Eiffel Tower.

I am miserable due to my shoe choice. However, we finally make it down the Tower to see it all lit up. It's like a Monet painting; the sky is a royal blue while the tower is a golden yellow. Amazing. Thinking this night couldn't get any better I climb into our coach and Ryan gets on the mic and says, " Ok ladies and gentlemen.. we have a surprise for you. Paris is known for many things and one of those things is the Moulin Rouge. Tickets normally go for about 150 Euro-- and you all are all going for free tomorrow night!"

U N B E L I E V E A B L E --- I LOVE PARIS!!!!!!!

--Dani

TODAY : Today is the day!

I am leaving in a couple hours and decided to sit down and write. I am feeling a whirlwind of emotions today: nervous, anxious, excited, sad. I can't believe in a couple hours I won't be babysitting, eating junk, hearing English and staying put in one spot.


Here are my expectations:

• 14 days of CULTURE CULTURE CULTURE!
• Learning new customs.
• Seeing beautiful vistas.
• B R O A D E N I N G my horizons.
• Meeting new people.
• Trying new foods.
• Being somewhere I don't know the language.
• Trying AMAZING chocolate.
• Taking a lot of amazing pictures.
• Learning what's "in" in the fashion world.
• Having MAJOR jet lag.
• Missing my family.
• Long plane rides and bus rides.
• ICEBREAKERS...

COUNTRY EXPECTATIONS

• FRANCE- good fashion, they may hate me?, art, Longchamp, Chanel, Eiffel Tower, R<3mance,>
• SWITZERLAND- Toblerone, Alps, ...
• ITALIA- gelato, family, great fashion [Gucci, Valentino, Armani, Versace] , very good food, gondola rides, vino, beautiful and familiar language..
• AUSTRIA- Sound of Music, really cute looking...
• GERMANY- gummies, clean, funny language, beer...
• CZECH REPUBLIC- fun, cheap, and hip...

Hopefully, my experiences will both live up and not live up to my expectations.

--Dani

The day before...

I can't believe it is tomorrow. Tomorrow I leave for the trip of a lifetime with Contiki Travel, a travel company for people from ages 18-25. For 2 weeks I will be traveling throughout Europe; Paris, (France), Lucerne, (Switzerland), Florence and Venice (Italy), Hopfgarten (Austria), Munich (Germany) and finally Prague (Czech Republic). There, I will be learning the culture, experiencing the different languages, meeting new people and trying new things. I keep looking at the itinerary and seeing some cool activities we are going to be doing; gondola ride, white water rafting, folklore show, ethnic dinners and much much more!

I think I am most excited to go to France. I've never been there before and learned so much about their culture. I am still nervous because I don't know the language and the French do have a history of not liking Americans. I am also really excited for Prague. Everyone has always told me that Prague is the newest and hottest place to party. Also, the shopping is really good since everything is on the cheaper side!! Lastly, granted I have already been there, I am so excited to go to Italy. I left my heart in Italy since I have family there, know the language and love the culture. I could go there day and day again and never get sick of it. Florence too is my favorite city so this should be amazing.

I can't wait to go.. hopefully these next couple hours go by fast.

--Dani