when in doubt, walk downhill...

Don't tell my mum, but I'm spending the night in the train station. In the company of my good friend Beth. We spent an extremely rainy afternoon relaxing at Beth's family's apartment. This following an extremely rainy morning in which I walked around with my pack on for three hours only to end up...back where I started. It's a long story and if you're looking for a good laugh you can ask me about it when I get home. I recently spent time in Cologne and Frankfurt and enjoyed both cities for very different reasons. Cologne has a spectacular Dom (cathedral) that somehow survived all bombings of the city during WWII. It also has a great chocolate museum that makes my stomach hurt just thinking about it. I went to Frankfurt the night before I flew to Norway and did absolutely nothing touristy, just lounged in the park in the 80+ degree heat and watched the world go by. Oslo was an interesting experience and slightly disappointing. I had heard great things about Norway and while the countryside surrounding it is beautiful, the city itself was quite uneventful. I did enjoy the National Gallery and the break from the warm weather of Europe. We are flying back to Frankfurt early tomorrow morning and from there making our way south to Interlaken, Switzerland where we are quite excited to paraglide! I have just two weeks remaining on the continent, and I must say I am more than excited about going home. Please continue to pray for safety as Beth and I travel together.

best of bohemia...

I absolutely loved Prague. A combination of the hostel I stayed at, the people I met, and the beauty of the city made it the highlight of my travels thus far. I stayed in a five star hostel, no kidding. It was nicer than nearly every hotel I've ever stayed in, and I could devote an entire blog to the amazing breakfast buffet they offered. I met up with about six other solo travellers who were so much fun to relax with and take in the Czech culture. I was simply floored by the eccentric beauty of the city, from its winding cobblestone streets to its towering castle, I loved to walk along the Charles Bridge and admire all of the fantastic artwork. Good think I'm travelling by backpack or I would have bought that bridge out.
After Prague I made my way to Amsterdam by way of Berlin. I wasn't extremely impressed with Amsterdam and don't really recommend you go there unless you enjoy the smell of urine and marijuana. I did find the Foam Photography Museum and the Anne Frank House to be cultural gems among the city's rubbish. I enjoyed my brief stay in Berlin and will be interested to learn more about the Cold War when I get home after seeing the Wall and checkpoints between the divided city.
I am in Brussels at the moment and just enjoyed my first true Belgian waffle. I am hooked. I plan on spending the rest of my Euro on waffles for an afternoon snack, for dinner, for dessert and as a midnight snack. They sell them in the streets and out of vending machines here. Between that and Belgium chocolate, I should have no problem gaining plenty of vacation weight.
I have just three weeks left in Europe and will be meeting back up with Beth in a few days. I am excited to have a travel companion again but am even more excited at the thought of sleeping in my own bed soon. Please pray I will enjoy the rest of my travels and will continue to be blessed with safety.

use your imagination...

I dedicate this blog to my Momma, on her 26th year of being the best mom in the world. She travelled in Europe for three months when she was my age. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I hope they are right, because I would like nothing more than to grow up and be like my Mom!
I have just spent an amazing day in Vienna. I think this is my favorite city as far as grandeur is concerned. From the soaring spire of Stephansdom to the impeccable gardens of Schonbrunn to the extensive Museumsquartier, this city has something for everyone. I really had no idea what to expect in coming here, and I was more than impressed with Vienna's history and transition into the 21st century. And it seems so clean compared to Paris and London! The weather was perfect all day, not even a cloud in the sky and I wandered from building to building, in and out of museums and was never overwhelmed by huge crowds of people. The slight blemish of the day was, in my excitement to capture all these amazing sites, I dropped my camera. Just a small drop, but the damage is done and the rest of my trip will be quite blurry for you photolovers! I am feeling amazingly better, thank you so much for your prayers throughout the past two months. Every need has been answered and my faith continues to grow with every passing day.

where have all the redheads gone...

I am overjoyed to be among trees and mountains again, although I miss the Irish nearly everyday. I spent a few days in Paris, and between getting food poisoning and frequent rainshowers, I managed to see quite a bit of the city. I was more than ready to move on to Annecy, a quaint town in southeastern France with an amazing lake. Everyone there was either training for a marathon, a millionaire or in whatever category I happen to fall in (read: bum). I spent my days hiking in the hills and along the lake. I also daytripped to Chamonix from there, roughly the Whistler equivalent of Europe for you nonskiiers. It...was...unreal. Imagine Jackson, Wyoming at the base of Mt. Rainier. Mont Blanc had some of the gnarliest glaciers I have seen! I am in Bern, Switzerland right now and absolutely love it. It is a cute town that has barely changed in the past hundred years, minus the addition of approximately 400 McDonalds, and is surrounded on three sides by the Aare River. It also has excellent views of the snowcovered Alps. I am going to Munich tomorrow and then on to Vienna and Prague from there. Please pray for HEALTH, as I have a head cold at the moment and would like nothing better than to curl up in bed and sleep for a few days.