10 days, 5 countries, 1 backpack

I have never dreaded blogging so much in my life. I actually procrastinated this post by doing my homework. Not that I don't want to share about my travels- I've just done so much since the last time I blogged and the task just seemed so daunting. Brace yourself for a super long travel novella with a lot of pictures!

This past week was LDM's spring break. Since we don't have classes on fridays, that means we technically got a full 10 days free. March 19-29. Many other students chose long bus trips with travel companies and strict itineraries for each day. Instead, I decided to travel "on my own" with some other friends. I went to Lisbon, Portugal and Barcelona, Spain with Shelby, Madeline, Lexi, and Margaret and then Amsterdam, Netherlands with Margaret, Lexi, and Michelle. I think it was much more rewarding (granted, also more stressful) to be in charge of what we wanted to do each day. We planned the important things in advance- flights, lodging, etc.- but most everything else was up to us in the moment. 

Thursday night (March 19), we began our journey with a train from Florence to Rome! We spent the night in an okay but not great hostel and then woke up around 4 am the next morning to catch a bus to the airport! 

Lisbon, Portugal

Despite my worries about my bag size and Ryan Air (you are only allowed 1 carry-on measuring 55cm x 40cm x 20cm and one "personal item" measuring 35cm x 20cm x 20cm), we made it through security perfectly and were able to board our plane with no problems. The flight was about 2 hours, and I woke up just at the very end to see a beautiful aerial view of Lisbon. We landed, took an "aerobus" to the city center, then walked about 5 or so minutes to our accommodation- "Home Hostel." They allowed us to check in and leave our bags in a storage room, even though we were too early to get the keys to our room (it was still being cleaned). 

We walked around downtown some- it reminded me of a European version of Charleston, SC- and then got lunch at a place close to our hostel. I split a plate of Vegetable Paella with Shelby and also got fresh mango juice. 

Later we decided to go on a bus tour of Lisbon. It was cool to see more of the city than I would have otherwise (not enough time to walk all over) and from a different perspective, but after a while it got very windy and cold since we were sitting on the top of the bus. Afterwards we walked around some more; just enjoying the city and the weather (not super warm, but not cold!) before returning to the hostel. PS- best hostel ever. Everything was nice and clean and in a great location- but the best part was the staff and the atmosphere! Everyone was super welcoming and seemed to want to get to know us even though we were only staying 2 nights. One of the founders of the hostel made home cooked dinners every night that anyone was welcome to have for 10 euros (less than I would be able to find dinner anywhere else- especially for 3-4 courses!). Everyone called her Mamma and you had to register for dinner before 6 pm each day so she could go grocery shopping. 

Dinner Friday night consisted of: bread and olive oil for starters, pumpkin soup for a first course, pork with vegetables (okra, etc.), rice and salad for second course, almond delight for dessert along with another cake, and then a shot of dessert liquor!

Breakfasts were included with the room rate (a nice surprise to all of us), so Saturday morning we ate fairly early and then took the train to Sintra- about a 30 minute ride. 

This region of Portugal looked SO different from Lisbon- very tropical! In Sintra there are multiple castels, fortresses, and monuments. We had talked earlier with a lady from Home Hostel that gave us recommendations on which places to pay and enter and which to just view the exterior. Our first stop was her favorite- Quinta Da Regallira- and she definitely recommended going inside; plus we got a reduced student rate! It’s not just a castle either; it also included a large span of gardens, with towers to climb, waterfalls to see, and caves to walk through! Once we finally got to the interior of the gothic-style castle it seemed almost like a let down, but it was interesting too.

We ate a quick lunch at the cafe there and then stopped for ice cream on the way to the bus stop. Something must have happened with the bus, because we ended up having to wait for it for almost an hour. But we finally got on and went up the mountain (reminded me of driving around the NC mountains but on a much narrower road) and arrived at Castle Pena or as we called it- the rainbow castle which was beautiful itself and also offered spectacular views. 

Thankfully the bus arrived just as we were walking down from the castle, so we took it back to the train station and walked around the historic district for a short while before boarding the train back to Lisbon just in time for dinner! 

Saturday night's dinner was: bread and oil, sangria, vegetable soup with mint leaves, a traditional Portugese pasta and beef dish with salad on the side, chocolate mousse, and a small drink of Port wine (dessert liquor). The glasses strongly resemble our shot glasses at home, so every night at the toast Mamma would say "It's not a shot, just sip!" Before dinner came to a close that night, I bought a cookbook of Mamma's favorite recipes that I can (attempt to) re-create at home, and she signed it for me! :)

Sunday morning we took a taxi to the train station so that we could get on our train to Porto before 7 am. When we booked the flight from Portugal to Barcelona, someone got confused and did a different one- so Shelby and I had the day in Porto while Madeline, Lexi, and Margaret left around 1 pm. I was really happy for the extra time in Portugal and the opportunity to explore Porto- such a beautiful seaside town! Mostly, Shelby and I just explored at our leisure and then found a nice place with outdoor seating for lunch so we could enjoy the weather. I tried the codfish, which was very good and came with olives and an onion sauce.

We started to head to the airport, but realized we still had a lot of time so we also climbed the tower of Clerigos church to see an overview of Porto- probably one of my favorite cityscapes! 

Then we took the metro to the airport, boarded our flight after a lot of waiting around at the gate, and arrived in Barcelona around 9:40 where we met up with the others at the hostel- "The Generator."

Barcelona, Spain

This hostel also had breakfast available...not included in the rate we already paid, but also not too bad of a price and very convenient. Monday morning we ate breakfast and got ready for a walking tour of the city at 10 am. 

The tour was offered free of charge with the idea that at the end everyone tips (or doesn't tip) what they think it was worth. Our guide's name was Leon and he was excellent- very knowledgeable and funny. He walked really fast so we were able to see more in the limited time we had (3 hours). The main thing I learned from the tour- and our stay in Barcelona- was that Barcelona isn't really Spain, it's Catalan. They have been given "nationality" status, but are still trying to gain their independence fully. 

That afternoon, we walked around the harbor and got lunch at El Rey De La Gamba- where we split 2 of the fixed price "Menu Del Dia" (menu of the day) options that come with multiple courses. We had salad and fried (breaded) calamari for an appetizer, Seafood Paella and Seafood Fideua (a noodle-like dish) for the main course, and flan for dessert! After lunch, we walked around that area of Barcelona more- made it to the beach, but didn't stay long because it was super windy and not very warm. 

Porron wine pitcher!

Around 7, we took a Tapas tasting tour! Tapas are everywhere in Barcelona and originally started when a servant put meat over the king's wine to cover it from sand and called it a cover or a "tapa". Now they are more like small appetizers or starters and are very much a social tradition. On the tour, we went to 3 different places and tried all sorts of tapas. At the last stop, we also drank wine from a Porron- a traditional pitcher that the whole table shared. Our guide said they traditionally use red wine, but we used white so that when (not if) we spilled it on ourselves it wouldn't stain and ruin our limited number of clothes. At the end of the tour, our guide led us to a bar where she gave us a free drink that tasted like sweet coffee. We ended up staying there for a while and talking to some of the people we met on the tour, many of whom were from England. 

Tuesday was Lexi's birthday! That morning we had breakfast/coffee at Starbucks (!!) and then walked around the city some more in different areas than we had the day before. Primarily we were near the street/area of La Rambla. We had lunch at a small restaurant where I ordered shrimp ravioli with gorgonzola cheese. My meal was delicious but so small- I think I could have eaten 2 more plates- but I didn't want to pay for that! 

We got lost a lot on the way to a fish spa for pedicures but finally found one called Aquabliss. Fish pedicures are big in Europe, but illegal in America (probably because you can't sanitize fish the way you can nail clippers). Such an interesting experience! I'm glad I did it...not sure if I'd do it again. So ticklish!!

Afterwards, we wandered around more and did some shopping before returning to the hostel to relax some. For dinner that night, we went to a thai restaurant just down the street. Not sure if it was so good because I haven't had Pad Thai in so long or if it was really that good... but it was delicious! 

Wednesday we planned to hit the big places that Barcelona is known for so we woke up a little earlier than normal. We walked to Sagrada Familia, the church designed by Gaudi that is still under construction and not estimated to be complete until somewhere around 2026-2028! It was so neat to see what I've studied in person; the interior of the church is simply breathtaking.

We stopped at Costa Coffee for a caffine fix, and then took the metro to the stop closest to Park Guell. After multiple escalators (they should put these on all the hills!) and some stairs and hills we finally arrived at the top and were rewarded with amazing views of the entire city. We ventured further into the park and arrived at the infamous tile mosaic benches. Since they were demanding a pretty high fee to get in to see the monumental part of the park, we decided to look at them from outside the gates. Besides, there were a lot of other neat things in the park- for free! :)

That afternoon we were able to meet up with Nicolette (she interned in Barcelona last summer), who showed us some of her favorite places in the city and led us to the Arc De Triompe. Lexi, Margaret and I took the metro back to the hostel to quickly grab our bags and then we were off to the airport, headed for Amsterdam! Shelby and Madeline left very early the following morning to fly to Paris for the remainder of our break. 

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Our flight to Amsterdam arrived very late Wednesday night/very early Thursday morning and by the time we figured out the taxi and arrived at our apartment (through airbnb) it was around 1 am. Michelle was there to welcome us at the door, and we all finally fell asleep around 2 am- with the agreement that we would sleep in the next morning. 

So after everyone leisurely woke up and showered, we walked to a bagel shop called Bagels and Beans for breakfast... or maybe it was lunch. I had a chai tea latte and a wheat bagel with bananas, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Basically heaven on a brightly colored plate. 

The weather in Amsterdam wasn't ideal as it rained and was very cold the majority of the time we were there. But I think/hope we made the best of it, and I definitely want to return sometime when it is much warmer. It's an adorable town, and I would love to rent bikes and just ride around- maybe in the summer. They actually have a problem in Amsterdam with the number of bikes and where to store them as there are more bikes than people!

That afternoon we went to the Van Gough museum and purchased both our entrance tickets and a multimedia guide- which I was very happy we did. I don't think I would have fully appreciated the museum without the guide and it definitely had more information than was listed on the panels beside each painting. I believe we spent about 2-3 hours there!

We had a somewhat difficult time deciding where to go for dinner. Partly because we returned to our apartment to relax for a little and use wifi and then struggled with the notion of getting out of bed again. But we finally decided on a Lebanese/Middle Eastern restaurant called Da Bazar. I had meat couscous- which was beef, chicken, peppers, and onions on a skewer and then couscous, dried apples, apricots, dates, mushrooms, tomatoes, and more onions and peppers in a giant bowl. De-lish, and not too expensive.

Friday morning we made it out of bed at a more reasonable hour (not halfway through the day) and went back to Bagels and Beans for breakfast. This time I had a sesame bagel with goat cheese, walnuts, honey, and thyme! 

We were half planning on renting bikes to go to the city center (our apartment was located in the De Pijp area), but the rain and cold kind of dashed that idea. So we took the tram instead, and walked around the city for a while, stopping in multiple stores along the way to warm up.

 Later we went on a one hour canal cruise which was lovely in every way. I was so intrigued by all the house boats- I would totally live on a house boat. We continued our self guided walking around the city after leaving the boat. At one point, we even made it to the red-light district which was, um, a little intense but then we had stroopwaffles so everything worked out. I ordered mine with nutella, because...nutella. :)

Because so many people have immigrated and moved to Amsterdam over the years, they don't really have a traditional food. But one of the most popular types of restaurants are Argentine Steakhouses. Before we left the city center, we had dinner at a steakhouse called CAU where I had the best pumpkin risotto of my life. 

During the Canal Cruise, we sailed past the Anne Frank house and saw the super long line reaching all the way around the block. Hence, we decided to wake up really early Saturday morning to get in line and hopefully not wait as long. This worked pretty well- we arrived around 8:30 to stand behind the already 30 some people. At least it made me feel better to look behind me and see the line continue to grow astronomically. The museum opened at 9, and we were able to enter around 9:20. 

Very impactful. I'm not even sure what other words to describe my experience. I found it very interesting that the rooms are unfurnished and completely empty- as per request from Otto Frank- to signify the void left behind by the Nazi's. It only took about an hour to get through the entire museum. I kept remembering things I saw or read in the play, and I was also reminded of the scenes from The Fault in Our Stars. 

After exiting the museum, we went to Sara's Pancake House for brunch. I got 2 sunny-side up eggs (omg eggs for breakfast!!!), 2 pancakes, bacon, coffee, and orange juice. 

We took the tram back to the museum quarter, which was close-ish to our apartment and went to the Rijksmuseum- which is a huge museum of Dutch history from its beginnings until now. Michelle and I just ran up the 3rd floor to gaze at the De Stijl movement exhibit where we were able to see the original zig zag chair and many other pieces that we studied in our design history class. To complete our day of art and museums, we went to the Stedilijk museum of modern art. 

On our way back to the apartment, we stopped for Vietnamese french fries- very popular here and very good. They have a list of sauces you can choose from, but I thought they were good on their own! That night was more of a relaxing last night, since we had a full day of travel the next day. We played cards, went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner, and then packed all of our things back into our backpacks. 

Early Sunday morning around 2 or 3 am we lost an hour (greeeaaattt) because of DST. But we still made our 7:17 am train to Brussels, and we even got breakfast at Starbucks beforehand!

♥

Brussels, Belgium

We arrived in a very rainy and windy Brussels around 10 am. We had some time to explore the city before our flight left, but the weather was just so gross and it was so un-enjoyable to be outside. 

We did walk around some, and we got the famous Belgium waffles (I had strawberry and whipped cream!). But there's only so much walking you want to do when your feet are completely soaked and the rain is blowing sideways. :(

I got a late lunch/early dinner at the airport before boarding the flight to Rome around 4. 

Rome/Florence, Italy

Our plane arrived in Rome early (6:10), so we caught the first bus to the train station available which was good because we got stuck in traffic and only made it to the station around 8! Our train to florence departed at 8:20, and then we arrived back in Florence at 9:50. 

Compared to Amsterdam, the temperature in Florence felt almost like a tropical resort. I am so happy to be back in a place I know with a bed to call my own (for at least 7 more weeks, that is). Traveling is great, but 10 days is a long time! 

Now I have to make myself get back in the swing of things with homework and class...but I'm headed to the Amalfi Coast this weekend, so I guess it's not too bad. :)