back home..

It is really difficult to be home.
There are so many things that I miss about Europe.. here goes

• beauty everywhere
• never having a dull moment
• the Contiki family
• awkwardness
• wine and beer everywhere and always having something to celebrate
• learning and trying new things
• always having something to do
• the anticipation of a new country
• surprises

• experiencing a new culture

I hope someday YOU can go on a Contiki trip!

--dani

PrA HAAAAAAA aka Prague

I have bittersweet feelings about Prague: Sad because this is our last destination but happy because of the reputation Prague has. Prague is known as having a great night life and for having low prices in comparison to the rest of Europe. We went on a tour of the city seeing the Gothic churches and incredible views. Prague is definitely like a New York City- face- paced and city like. All in all, the shopping was really good, alcohol was everywhere, and there was always something to do.
One of my favorite spots was in the center of Prague where there was a set of clocks that were very unique. Our tour guide actually told us how the king had an artist do these clocks. To make sure there would be no other clocks like that in the world, the king poked the artist's eyes out. Tough life...
That night we had the night to ourself to do whatever we wanted. The options were endless. I myself wanted to simply explore the subway. It was nothing like the subways in the states- there is a huge drop to the bottom, goes so fast and finally, the map is soo confusing since the language is very different.

Our last day we had the whole day to ourselves to just spend time. I walked around Prague spending the Franks that I had. I was personally looking forward to our dinner- a real Czech dinner. When we first sat down it was comical to see all the alcohol in front of us : first a glass of wine, a glass of beers and a shot of something disgusting. Prague is definitely where you should go if you want to get crazy drunk. The food however at this restaurant was by far one of my favorites. We had delicious bread, nice meats and cabbage. It was all very tasty. The entertainment there was excellent as well. There was a little Czech band and czech dancing-- it was all very authentic. After dinner we had the option of going out and exploring the various night clubs. We all pretty much did even though we had early flights in the morning. It was hard because had all really become a family. No one wanted to say good-bye to each other or the wonderful times we had shared.

All in all though, my Contiki trip only brings the best of memories.

--dani

More Germaniaaaaaaaaaaaa

Later that day in Germany we stopped at a German rest stop where they have the infamous German candies HARIBOU! I ended up spending 6 euros on a huge bag of sweets. It was so heavy but all so worth it. Later that day we had the day to ourselves to explore Munich. Some friends and I had a hearty German meal filled with soft pretzels, meats and tons of greasy food. As bad as it was for me, I really loved it. Later that night we went to a beer hall where the beers were the size of my head. It was unreal. Even seeing the beer ladies carrying 5/6 beer mugs at a time was impressive. The entertainment too at the hall was fun. There was a lot of dancing, singing and laughing. Germany definitely knows how to have a good time.

--dani

TAH TAH Austria -- Guten Tag GERMANY!

We are leaving Austria today but not before we see some amazing Austrian crystals. Very close to our hotel is The Swarovski headquarters where both the inside and outside are phenomenal. From the outside the land is perfectly groomed has a huge waterfall and impressive sculptures. We all walk into the building seeing beautiful sparkling jewelery.
Being a woman who loves anything that sparkles, I have to say it was a difficult place to be. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, chandeliers, pens, ornaments- everything in beautiful crystal. There are so many options yet things are quite pricey. Yes, there are Swarovski stores in the states but there isn't as much of a selection and as good of things as here. I end up leaving with 3 pairs of earrings for friends and family and a cool ring for myself.



Going from happy, expensive and joyous times, our tour manager surprised us with our next destination. We were crossing the border into Germany where we would be going to Darsaw, a concentration camp. In all of my years in middle school, high school and in college I have learned about much about the terrible things that happened there. It was really difficult to go to a place where thousands of people were tortured and killed. There was definitely an eerie and morbid feeling there. There was so much silence there too. No one spoke everything just paid their respects. The whole camp is kept up pretty well. They still have some of the buildings and ovens there. All over there is information and history of what went on there. All in all it was an experience in itself to actual see a concentration camp. Our wonderful tour master too gave us a little incentive: all over the camp were tons and tons of little white rocks. Our tour master picked up 43 rocks for all of us. He gave us the rock so that whenever we are having a tough day we have something to remember where we were and what was endured at Darsaw.

--dani