Day 24: Home at Last

This trip has been amazing. I'm so sad it's over, but I'm also so thankful to go back to a place with friends and family where I'm not alone. Now, I have officially landed at JFK! I'm staying at a friends tonight on Long Island, then taking a bus back to RPI tomorrow, and then Saturday I move to Vermont! What a crazy week. I'm so thankful for this experience, and so glad I took the opportunity!

Reflection:

After my trip there are several things I've reflected on. There are cultural differences, things I liked, things I didn't like, things I would have done differently, things I wouldn't change, new places I want to go, places I want to return, and things people asked me about traveling solo. But overall, I have no regrets. There could always be more time, there is always could-a would-a should-a; but life is too short to live like that. So I couldn't be happier with how my trip went.

Day 23: The Last Full Day

I can't even believe that today is my last full day in Europe. I spent it wandering around and exploring Budapest. But, at a much more relaxed pace than other cities. I started off down Andrassy Ave towards Hero Square. I picked up a coffee and crousiant on my way,  and headed out. Andrassy Ave is full of shops, museums, old buildings, etc. It's a very unique street. At the end, is Hero's Square. It wasn't the most impressive, but there was a castle. One of the most famous thermal baths is also there in the park. I would go there, but had my spa experience in Vienna already. Here, I basically wandered around for a few hours to see what I could see. Then, I took transit back into town.

I walked along the Danube river to see the Shoes on the Danube. This is a memorial to the murder of those shot by the Hungarian nazis. Just like Dachau near Munich and the Memorial for Murdered Jews in Berlin, it's awful to see.

Then, parliament was just up the river. It's an absolutely beautiful building. Not much to see, but amazing architecture. From there, I took transit further south towards the market and shopping streets.

Now, I was on the hunt for Birkenstocks! After much searching for the store, I finally found it. And now, I have myself a new pair of birks! I continued in my shopping mood, and also happened to buy some other souvenirs. After a few hours if meanding, seeing Vasa Utca, and the Great Market Hall, I headed back towards my hostel.

However, on the way back I heard some music. I expected to turn the corner and see a small group of women singing and fiddlers. But what I saw was a stage with live music and dancing! So I joined the crown watching. It turns out, there is a music/dance festival in Budapest for the summer, with events throughout the city. This happened to be one of them. The group I saw was from Athens, Greece and did an amazing traditional dance! From there I headed back to my hostel.

Exhausted, I'm taking a break now to update this. Then, I plan to go find some traditional Hungarian food and wine. Walk the town, and maybe find somewhere to go out tonight. Then tomorrow, I'm on my way back to the states!

Day 21: Therme Wien

After deciding last night to go to a spa today rather than Budapest, Lisa and I woke up early to get a good start to the day. We had a breakfast of cappuccino, cake, and fruit. Then we packed, and were ready for our day of relaxation.

At the spa we first went into a warm pool with jets as massage and relaxation. There were various spots of jets, as well as alternating types such as a sequence from back to calves to massage you from head to toe (almost.) Then, we headed to the water slide! There were two indoor water slides. One was for inner tubes, and the other for just people. We tried a double tube first, which I think was the most fun! We also did individual inner tubes, as well as the slide for just people. Then, after some fun we headed to the quiet pool. Here, it was like a cave with a waterfall, dark walls and ceiling, low lighting, and curved into the back. However, after three couples came in all cuddly looking for a more private area, we decided it was time to go. From there, we lounged pool side to relax and have some snacks.

After a break lounging by the pool, we headed to the sauna. Here, I truly got a European experience. Although I expected to see some naked people at the spa, I didn't expect to see all the naked people! (Well women then is, in this instance.) It's definitely culture shock, and an adjustment. We did a steam room which was 48°C. Afterwards, we were both dead. It's so relaxing. A little difficult at first for sure, to be in a room so hot. You almost have to force yourself to stay in. But afterwards, it's worth it. After passing out for about 30 min, we had a change of pace, and did an exercise class. Water aerobics are pretty awesome, a very clever way to work out I'd say.

After that, we went back to the sauna to experience an orange salt scrub. This was another experience to be in a room with 12 naked ladies. Something you'd never have in the U.S. After a bit more down time, and a full day, we headed home.

The spa truly makes you relaxed but tired, and after a full three weeks of travel, I could feel it. After eating some curry chicken, we watched a movie and headed to bed. I really enjoyed staying with Lisa and her family. Her parents are very hospitable, welcoming, and kind. I definitely feel like family. It's so nice to finally have met them too! Now tomorrow, I'm back on my own, and to my last destination; Budapest, Hungary.

Day 16: Off to Munich I Go!

This morning, Erik dropped me off at the train station, and I headed to Munich! It was about a two hour trip, so I arrived around 11:00. I had found a hostel the previous night, so called to confirm that they still had room, and headed that way. But, this hostel was different than anyone I had stayed at before. It was basically too good to be true. Even though it was sleeping on the floor like camping in s large tent; I paid for three nights, which was less than I had paid at any hostel thus far for one night! It also had a park, basketball court, table tennis, laundry, community kitchen, cafeteria with breakfast and dinner, piano bar, and bon fire! It's probably one of the coolest places I've stayed. The atmosphere was very laid back. With so many community areas, it also really enhanced being able to meet people. I've found as a solo traveler that this is especially important. Most people travel in pairs, if not groups. However, this makes it difficult for people like me to connect with others. Some are more home bodies too and like to stick together. But having a bon fire and dinner available to eat there made it really easy to meet people.

Anyways, once I made it there, and set up my bed, I had to figure out what to do for the rest of the day. I knew I'd have two and a half days in Munich, plus there were a couple of day trip activities close by. One of which, is Dachau. Dachau was the first concentration camp. Now, this isn't a place I wanted to go; but felt that I should, and I'll explain why later. Several people since going have asked me why I feel they should go. I'm not going to explain much about it, or post pictures. I hardly even took any pictures. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but one I'll never forget. The extent of inhumane acts was beyond my knowledge. It was disgusting, creepy, terrible, sad , and gave me chills. It honestly took me about three minutes to walk through the gate because I simply didn't want to go in. I can't comprehend how one human being can do that to another. No one is lesser, all are equal. Although it's not a fun or pleasant experience, I believe there are three reasons to go to places like that. 1) to remember what happened as to not repeat history. 2) to make it real and personal. Reading something in a book doesn't make it real, and part of your life of world, but seeing it does. 3) to remember and honor those who went through hell. At the very least to pay your respect to them.

After getting back from Dachau, I didn't want to do anything. If I could, I would have curled up in a corner alone and reflected. But at this point, that might have done more harm than good being alond. So I simply sat at the hostel, ate dinner, met a few people, sat around the bon fire, then went to bed.

Day 13: Up All Night

Today Erik and I explored Prague, and I love it. The city is beautiful, rich with culture, cheap (relatively), and on a river. I'll update later! Good night!!

Update:
I woke up around 8:30 this morning, and decided to take advantage of being the only one up in our dorm with the bathroom free to use the sink to do some wash. I did a few days of wash in the sink, set up my clothes line on the under side of the bunk above me using the criss cross wires to tie the line, and had my laundry drying all over the place.

Then, Erik and I started off our morning. We wanted to make the 1045 walking tour, but by the time we left the hostel, caught a tram, and got downtown, we missed it. So from there, we decided to find a place for breakfast. We found a cute little cafe tucked away in a garden. The food was different - more lunch and cake than breakfast - but good. Then, we set out to see the town.

As we walked through old town, it was filled with little artisan shops. Everything from paintings to laser cut wooden clocks to puppets were on display. One shop had beautiful paintings of various scenic view of Prague which was something I had been hoping to find in a city. Erik and I bargained, and got a deal for 6 various paintings.

From there, we were going to do a 2:00 tour of the city, however we decided to go up to the Prague Castle instead. So, over the Charles bridge we went. It was crammed with tourists, but the views of the city were gorgeous. Up the hill, the views got even better, and at the top, most of the city could be seen. We found the Prague Castle with church inside. Although Erik has seen multiple European churches, I had never seen one like this. It was enormous with Gothic style architecture. The inside had gorgeous paintings and stained glass. The ceilings were tall, and an ornate tomb became a center piece on one side. It was beautiful to see. The castle was cool to see too, however it was unfurnished, with a lack of character. We sort of rushed through this to get to a different tour at 3:00.

From there, we headed back down the hill into old town. Now, it was time to find something to eat. We found a donor (a Turkish gyro) to eat on the way to the tour. This tour wasn't a typically city tour though, it was the communist history tour of Prague. It was 2 hours and very interesting, however the ratio of walking to information was very poor. We saw more than enough of the city in just two hours. After that, we were both sick of walking. We found a local fruit stand, grabbed some fruit and water, and sat at a nearby waterfront park for a bit. Then, Erik headed back to the hostel and I went back into town. I wanted to get a better feel for the city before leaving, and everything so far had been rushed and more outside of the city center. I meandered around for about old town for a bit. As I headed back to the hostel, I found myself at the wrong tram stop, so I headed to a different one, which also turned out to be wrong, and finally the third time was a charm. I get so frustrated getting lost in a city though. I've managed to get lost in every city at least once. I think that comes with traveling alone. I don't have another person to ask which way to go or get lost with. After I finally got back to the hostel though around 8:00, Erik and I were starving so headed out to eat. We got some delicious Mexican food up the street. We tlatr while chatting with some cool people from all around the world at our hostel.

That night, our tour guide from earlier in the day had invited us out to meet up at a beer garden with some of his friends, so we did. We caught the very end of the Italy Spain futboll game from Berlin (I believe Spain won 2-1 with a goal in the last minute or so.. but I could also be very wrong.) From there, we headed into the park that the beer garden was in. We met various people from Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, and the U.S. there. Most were English teachers living in Prague. One if the coolest things I've found with traveling is hearing other people's stories. Because English is the international language too, it's easy for everyone to communicate - and I like that I can understand what's going on. It makes me less guilty as an American to only speak English because it's everyone else's second language. However, while at the park, the sprinklers came on so we got indirectly kicked out. Some people went home at this point, but there was a bar that Erik and I wanted to see. The Hanger is an airplane themed bar with a various mix of music. It was a very unique place! Definitely different than a typical bar or club, but in a good way. We were probably there until around 4:00 or 5:00 - I honestly don't know. We wound up at more of a club down the street where we danced until the sun came up; literally. When we left, the sun was up! We took a taxi back to the hostel and arrived around 6:00am. Thankfully, our hostel gave us wrist bands with their address and phone number to get back, just for this purpose. We arrived with just enough time to get some sleep before checkout time.

Day 12: Reunions in Prague!

This morning I checked out of my hostel t go explore the last bit of Berlin before leaving. I went back downtown to see the Museum for Murdered Jews. This wasn't the ideal way to start a day, but I wanted to make sure I saw it before leaving. The stories, history, and expansion of the concentration camps was crazy to see right before me. The most moving part of the whole thing, was reading a goodbye letter from a mother to her children. I could never imagine knowing something horrible was ahead, and I'd never see my family again. I cherish my family so much and am so grateful for the relations that we have, that would truly be a fear. It's hard to explain the feelings while seeing the museum, but it's something one can't forget.

After the museum, I also wanted to see another strip of the Berlin Wall. This area is completely covered in graffiti. Some are random, some emotionally connected to the wall, others symbolic. It took me longer to walk than I expected, but the art was amazing.

From here, I headed back to my host to get my luggage, then set out to the train station. I had about a four hour trip to Prague from there. Then, I got to see Erik! Ironically he was standing outside the hostel as I walked up.  I showered right away (carrying a 25lb backpack up hill in 70°+ weather gets gross!) Then, we were starving so went out for some traditional Czech grub! We got two steak meals and three beers for about $22 which is AWESOME!

That night, we went out with our hostel to a cool abandoned train station. Although the music was a bit redundant and had a lacking light show, not quite our party style, so we dipped after a few hours and headed back to the hostel for some sleep.

Day 11: History Come to Life in Berlin

Today I realized that traveling makes the world more personal. It takes events, people, and places that we read and heard about in history, and moves it into our own world.

With only a day and a half left, there was a lot I wanted to see and do here. I've heard about free walking tours in each city, but never really took advantage of them. However, I'd heard that Berlin's is one of the best in Europe, so didn't want to miss it. With limited time, I set out early to get some exploring in before the 11:00 tour. I walked the boardwalk while heading towards the TV tower and museum island. I basically scurried around all the museums taking pictures from the outside, took a selfie with the TV tower and took the train towards the square where the tours all began.

After being lost and unable to find the tours, I finally found a group about to head out. The 3 hours tour was definitely well worth the time and walk. The guide was extremely friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. We learned about history from Hitler to the Berlin Wall to present day buildings. If you go to Berlin, I strongly recommend this tour.

Afterwards, I decided to go back to a few places we had passed on the tour. Places such as Reischstage and Brandenburg Gate. However, this just also happened to be the location of Berlin hosting the 2015 European Futboll club championships. Who knew?! Not me. But that's okay because it was the perfect spot to get some lunch, sit, and watch some Futboll. The actual game was on Saturday, so I believe this was just causal events and games going on. For lunch I had currywurst which is basically sausage with curry sauce over it. Not too bad. A little hot out for such a spicy dish, but good German food to try.

After getting some lunch, I also wanted to see the musuem at the Memorial to The Murdered Jews. However, with a security clearance, and a pocket knife in my purse, I decided to wait. And no, I don't feel that I need it, Europe has been very safe so far. I use it to cut cheese and bread when I picnic.

From here, I decided to venture further away from the city to trivoli gardens. This park is absolutely huge. Definitely much larger than central park. It completely removes you from feeling like you're in a city which is a nice change of pace considering most of my trip has been to cities. I wondered around for most of it, enjoying the scenery. At the center is a large statue of an angel on a tower that can be climbed for views of the city. That was a great place to see the surrounding area.

Then, I headed even farther out of the city. Although on the way, I also think I saw a group of naked men sun tanning in the park... I didn't want to stare, but I definitely saw tan lines. Apparently Europeans are very open about this. Anyways, past the end of the park, there was A church that was bombed during the war. However, unlike most destroyed buildings, it wasn't repaired. After seeing the dome in Hiroshima, I thought this would also be similar to see. The windows were blow out, and chunks missing. The two sights are very similar, and across the world from each child other.

After seeing the church, I headed back to my hostel. I grabbed some groceries and dinner, talked to a few people in the common room, then headed to bed.
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Day 10: Off to Berlin, German!

Today I set off bright and early for Berlin! On the way, (I've been doing euro rail for transport) I took the train. But unbeknownst to me, we also had to take a ferry! All of a sudden, there was an announcement, that the train would be boarding this ferry. It was only about a 45min trip. Now, I've been on a ferry, and I've been on a train, but I've never been on a train on a ferry! So this was pretty cool.

Once in Berlin, I found a hostel relatively close to the train station and had a hot hike there in 70° weather. It was one of the first times I've truly seen the sun this trip! With it being early afternoon, and only a few days in Berlin, I wanted to get site seeing right away. Near my hostel happened to be the Berlin Wall Memorial and Museum. The Museum was closing by the time I got there but I was able to snag some maps.

It definitely took me longer to see this portion of the wall than I anticipated. But it was much more complicated than I ever knew. There were technically three walls. An inner, a touch sensitive one, and an outer. It started out as barbed wire, but that wasn't enough, so it expanded continuously over time until it came down. Also, it's amazing to see my perspective of history change over time. I always thought of the Berlin Wall being close to WWII times, but it didn't come down until 1989. However when you're like ten learning about this stuff, everything seems ancient just because it's before your time. But now that I have a better perspective and understanding of time and history, it's crazy to think about how recent this all is.

I definitely learned a lot, and this opened my eyes to the breadth of history that Berlin has to offer. After walking this section, I headed back towards my hostel as it was starting to get dark. I picked up some groceries on the way and started back.

That night, some people I had met at the hostel and I went out to a park to hang out and drink some beers. One girl was from australia, one from canada, and a guy who worked at the hostel. It was quite strange to drink in public; I felt like I should be getting arrested. But I also felt free, independent, and responsible to have the freedom to do so. The park was on the river next to a museum, and had music with couples dancing. It was a very European sight to see. We didn't stay out very late as everyone was tired, so headed back to the hostel.

Day 14: The Autobahn

After a late night and early morning, I woke up exhausted around 10am. With checkout of the hostel at 1030, I rushed around to pack and head out. Erik and I had a delicious eggs benedict breakfast before leaving Prague. I would have loved to stay longer, however I'd love to stay everywhere longer. With the original purpose of my trip to see Erik, I figured that I'd head to Germany with him to spend a little bit more time together. Prague is probably one of my favorite cities that I've visited so far though. It's very rich in culture, it's cheap (relatively), has lots of history, old buildings, is on a river, and the shops are unique with original goods and art rather than standard souvenir shops.

As we headed back to Germany, I got a true autobahn experience! Going 140mph is definitely something I've never experienced in a car before, and I'm not completely sure I'd want to again. Everything starts to shake, curves are hard to handle, and other cars are barely moving. But I'm glad I got to experience it! We also picked up a Czech women on the way whose motorcycle ran out of gas. Despite either of us speaking Czech and her only speaking Czech, we were able to understand the scenario with hand gestures and the situation. She hopped in the car with us, and we drove her to the next gas station. It was cool to do a random act of kindness while abroad!

After we arrived,  we were both exhausted, took a nap, made dinner, and called it a night.

Day 15: Medieval Rothenburg, Germany

Today came with a variety of options for what to do. After deciding to go back to Erika house in Ansbach, with not much down time this trip, rather than heading to Munich right away, I decided to take an easier day. However, I didn't want to 'lose' a day either, so I decided to explore nearby Rothenburg, Germany.

This medieval town from 1142 is an incredible German town to see. The outer wall still stands and was the first thing I walked. Views of the town were great from various points where most of the town could be overlooked. There also used to be a castle, but that fell in an earthquake around the 1300s.

The streets are small and cobblestone, lined with houses, inns, and shops. Various treasures could be found from pastries (such as schnooseballs), to Christmas decorations, to hand made jewelry. Most of the day I spent walking around, despite the rain. The shops are overpriced but adorable. I also saw the St. James Church which had beautiful stained glass and a large wooden carving of the last supper from the 1500s from a well known woodsmith. Afterwards, I found a spot for lunch with a goulash soup, salad, and bread. Then, I explored the old castle grounds that are now a garden.

I headed back early to Erik's to take a nap and determine the plans for the rest of my trip. I'm still quite exhausted, and haven't been the best in planning ahead of time. Seeing as I'm headed to Munich tomorrow, I should probably find a place to stay!

Day 8: A Familiar Face!

Today I checked out of my hostel in Copenhagen to stay with a friend who is studying in Copenhagen for the remainder of my time here. I began the day off with a coffee and pastry for breakfast, and started on my way! In the morning I saw Christiansburg Palace which is where parliament meets (I believe) and also houses balls and formal events. From there, I walked north and saw Nyvat which is a beautiful canal lined with boats and colorful buildings. Then, I met up with Erika to continue exploring. We found some lunch at an indoor market nearby - similar to Pike Place. She had some oatmeal as breakfast, and I had snakkerbrod as the traditional snorrebrod which is an open face sandwich for lunch.

After gettimg some food in our bellies, we headed north to see the fort and mermaid statue. Even though the mermaid statue is the most overrated attraction in Copenhagen, I felt it necessary to see while I am here. It's basically the icon of the city. Then we walked the boardwalk a bit before taking the bus to Christiana. On our way we stopped to see Our Saviors Church. The bell tower of this church houses a spiral staircase that can be walked up, through the bells, and to the very top. Here, the views of Copenhagen below were gorgeous. Traditional Danish homes, boats, windmills, and colorful buildings could all be seen in the city below. Christiana could also be seen which is a community within Copenhagen that considers itself it's own nation and not part of the EU. I'm not sure of the truth to this or the politics behind it, but it is truly a unique place. (I would recommend gooogle-ing it to see for yourself.) We had delicious donors here for dinner - basically a the Turkish version of a gyro. These are extremely popular all throughout Europe as a cheap meal to go.

After exploring most of Copenhagen, we grabbed my backpack from my hostel, and headed back towards Erika's. Tired from a full day, we headed to bed to get ready for another day full of site seeing!

Day 9: So Much to do, So Little Time

I forgot to post yesterday, and now I'm getting up in four hours to catch a train to Berlin, but I'll post some updates tomorrow! For now I spent the last two days in Copenhagen, met up with my friend Erika from RPI here, and wish I could stay longer!

Update:
Today was another full day exploring Copenhagen! I went off on my own as Erika wanted to see some other parts of Denmark. I started off getting lost on my way taking the bus to downtown. I got off at the wrong stop accidentally. Not speaking Danish, I thought the stop was correct, however it was announcing the end station (where I needed to go) with I mistake for the current stop. Then, I decided to go back to get a raincoat - an excellent idea might I add. The day turned out to be cold and blustery. After this little adventure, I finally made it into Copenhagen around 11. I went to the local outdoor market - similar to pike place - and got some pouradge for breakfast. This was absolutely delicious! Warm oatmeal, raspberry compote, almonds, and skyre (an Icelandic yogurt high that's  in protein.) Then I got a coffee to go, and headed in my way.

From here, I wanted to see the changing of the guard at Amielenborg Palace at noon, so I set in that direction. I must say, the whole endeavor was quite boring compared to Stockholm's. Not to mention it was also cold, windy, and raining. The soldiers marched into the square, took various posts to change places, then marched the square to change all gaurds, and that was it Stockholm had horses, trumpets, songs, marches etc. It's interesting to see the difference.

After seeing the changing of the gaurd, I saw the church next door, and headed to Rosenburg Palace. It was amazing to see artifacts and a palace from the 1100's. With nothing comparing to this in the U.S. it's truly special to see. The crown jewels and treasures were also in treasury! I honestly still can't even believe the crowns were real! The detail and sparkle were unbelievable.

Afterwards, I headed back towards the center of town. With it getting colder and raining harder, I figured it would be a good time to walk Strogget, the main shopping street. I picked up some souvenirs along the way as I dogged into shops, and saw the Lego store. From there I took the bus back to Erika's.

Now, I needed to do laundry. When I say need, I mean NEED. I have been traveling for 12 days now, and have only wash I've done has been in a sink. Backpacking with only 6 pairs of clothes, this doesn't always cut it. That was such a nice luxury to have soft clothes rather than crispy ones. 

After dinner, most of Erika's hall was going out to the local campus bar. It was fun to meet and talk to locals rather than tourists. Hostels are awesome because you meet so many people with various goals and experiences in traveling, but they're also all tourists just like you. This was a good change of pace to meet Danes.

After a few drinks and hours, I headed back to pack. I needed to leave around 6, and with only one train per day to Berlin, I didn't want to chance missing it.

Day 7: Heading South

Today wasn't the most exciting day of my trip so far. I finished exploring Oslo this morning, and decided to start my journey south to Copenhagen. I started by walking through a near by neighborhood of my hostel. There were some old wooden houses in the traditional Norwegian style with beautiful views of the town below. There was also a lot of graffiti which I've noticed is more common in Oslo; especially compared to Stockholm. From there, I headed to the train station. I wasnt ready to leave Norway though. It's definitely a place I want to return to in the future, especially to explore more of the country side. It's such a beautiful country, even just the train rides were remarkable.

Prior to leaving for this trip, my plan was to spend a day in Hamburg, Germany on the way from Copenhagen to Berlin. This would have been a nice way to split up the trip and have a more relaxed day part way through my trip. However, I had heard there wasn't much there, and someone suggested Gothenburg, Sweden which I thought would be a good way to break up the eight hour train ride from Oslo to Copenhagen instead. However, while on the train to Gothenburg from Oslo, I was realizing more and more that I didn't have enough time in Copenhagen if I split the trip up into two days. Erik and I had plans to meet in Prague on Friday, so stopping would have only given me a day and a half in Copenhagen which is far too short! Thus, I cancelled my hostel reservation, and continued on my way! So now, I have arrived, found a hostel on the fly, and am in Copenhagen to explore for two days!

Day 6: The Adventures Continue

Today was another jam packed day. I started out at 6am arriving back in the train station from the fjord trip. With no hostel or place to go, I freshened up in the train station for 10NOK - about $1.50 (and yes, here in Europe you must pay to potty.) Then I proceeded to find a place to stay for tonight. With it being a Saturday, there was only one available place, so I booked it straight away. Then, layered up to face the blustering  windy  rainy, and cold day that faced me. That wasn't going to stop me from having my one day to explore Oslo. I sat down in a Coffee House (what seems to be Scandanevia's Starbucks) had a tea and parfait, and mapped out my day.

I began walking the boardwalk - one of my favorite past times to do. I knew I'd come along a castle and City Hall. Upon entering this castle/fort, it happened to be the one weekend where a medieval festival was in town and instead of the grounds being free to explore, they were 200NOK (about $25) so my budget and I skipped that. Next, was trying to get even a glimpse of the castle, but apparently they built it well because the wall around it completely blocked it from sight! Anyways. I proceed to walk around, found city hall which was alright. Bought an overpriced troll doll as a souvenir, and walked around a bit more.

At this point, I could barely feel my hands. I think the high today was around 45° plus clouds, wind, and rain. So I decided it was time to find some Norwegian fish soup to warm me up. Let me tell you, it was delicious. It wasn't papa's clam chowder, but had a different unique creamy delicious taste to it. After, I began my journey across town to the sculpture park.

This place was unique. A ginormous park that was absolutely beautiful, filled with sculptures of naked men, women, and children. Alone, together, and in some of the strangest poses! I'm not sure what he was going for or the purpose, but I did like how he naturally captured humans. Not only physically,  but in the various poses depicting life together. I think it's something some artists try to do modestly, but he did it quite boldly.

After the sculpture park, I ventured my way back to the hostel. I was (and am) exhausted. I took a rest, met my hostel roommates, and did some wash. Thankfully, I have an all girls dorm, because my clothes are everywhere! I am beyond the point of needing to do laundry, so let's just hope everything dries by morning. 

Well, that was my day in a nutshell, so on that note, good night! Tomorrow is finishing exploring Oslo, then off to Gothenburg, Sweden as my midway point to Copenhagen, Denmark.

Day 5: Stunned by Beauty

God Morgen! It is now 7:30am here in Oslo, Norway, and man what a day I have had! (Well yesterday that is.) I just woke up from an "amazing" six hours if sleep on a train seat. However prior to that, I had the pleasure of waking up at 5:00am yesterday to start the amazing 24 hour journey that I just had. But that's all besides the point, because I just saw the most beautiful fjords in Norway.

I know I keep saying this, but I can totally tell that I'm from here. The people do like I do and live like I live. It reminds me of home and my family so much it's crazy. Canoes in back yards, sail boats, rain, evergreen trees, water, etc. It's a stunning place to visit.

Anyways, back to yesterday. I caught the 6:30am train from Oslo to Mydral, about a five hour trip. On the way, there were several stops. One of which was at 12,300+ meters - the highest train station in Norway. It was beautiful with small houses dotting the glacier field. From there, Mydral was simply a train stop to transfer to another train however there it was SNOWING. Not something I planned or packed for on this trip I'll tell you that. Then I took this scenic train down to the town of Flam on the water. We passed waterfall after waterfall. One of which was enormous. Then at Flam, a small town on the water, I bought some bread, cheese, and sausage there where I ate lunch with the most magnificent view. This stop then was departed by with a two and a half hour cruise through the fjords. It might have been windy and cold, but nothing was going to keep me from staying outside to enjoy the views. We passed huge cliffs jetting up from each side, waterfalls streaming down hundreds of feet, small villages a few houses big, and old churches - one dating back to 1157. This trip was definitely worth it, and was just what I was hoping to see in Norway.  After the cruise, buses picked us up in Gudvangen and brought us through the fjords, back to some civilization in Voss. Here, I enjoyed scenic views while waiting for the next train, to Bergen. Although I'd only have a few hours in Bergen, I wanted to make sure I could go. I wish I'd have more time, but the little I did spend there was great. There were buildings along the waterfront from the 1700s and probably earlier, and an old fort that used to protect the city. Everything about this trip was spectacular. From there, I took the night train back to Oslo, and here I am. Even if I didn't do anything else in Norway, I'd be happy with the time I spent here.

Now, time to freshen up in Oslos main station bathroom, and find somewhere to sleep tonight.

Day 4: Back to My Roots in Norway

It's a strange thing to think or say, but I can honestly tell that my family is from here. Not that I've had an instant connection with anyone, just that mannerisms, actions, looks, etc. all seem familiar. People walk in the rain with only a rain coat on un-bothered by it, some not even wearing a hood. They're also happy and outgoing in familiar settings or around those they know, but shy around those they don't. The lifestyle is also similar. Seeing the country side by train made me realize this. There are simple wooden houses in the middle of beautiful country side. 

Although I haven't spent that much time in Norway yet, and I would love for it to be warmer than 45°, I love it here. The trees are like home with mapel and Madronas, it rains, people are outside despite the cold spring, everything is lush and green, and all beautifully surrounded by water. Today I walked around the main parts of town exploring the royal palace, shopping center, and eating a traditional Norwegian dinner of lamb, some sludge stuff - that was delicious, and potatoe dumplings.  Tomorrow, I'm headed to Bergen to see the fjords and I can't wait! It'll definitely be a highlight of my trip.

Day 3: From Tourist to Local

Although I walk around lost, unable to speak to anyone, and snapping pictures all the time, I've still managed to make myself blend in. I've been asked directions by a tourist, and to support causes I can't understand by natives. It is nice though to know that I can make myself blend in, despite my Burnette features.

Today I wasn't as advantageous with only about 12 miles under my belt. I've been sick, and hoping it will pass soon so I'm not sick all three and a half weeks. I explored the east side of town where a beautiful park is, the boardwalk, and some smaller islands. The main feature of the day was the Vasa museum. Here, a 1600's war ship lay completely restored with over 98% being original. It's amazing to see an original piece of art and history right in front of you. The ship sank on her maiden voyage due to engineering challenges. It was supposed to be the kings warship, which he wanted to have two cannon decks with 16 cannons each! No wonder it sank. It was forgotten about until the 1950's, and was found and retrieved in the 1960's where underground tunnels were dug under the hull to pull her up in one piece. She's absolutely beautiful. From there, I took the subway back to discover Stockholm's underground art.

Day 2: Go Where Curiosity Leads You

That was the theme of my day. And with it, I saw the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace, old Swedish style cottages, beautiful churches towering into the sky, amazing views overlooking the city, and walked about 15 miles. My feet can vouch for that.

It's been amazing touring a new city by myself. Although I wish I had friends or family by my experiencing it with me, it's also incredible to go where you want, when you want. I feel completely free. Today I walked from my hostel down to Soldermalm and around the southern area of Stockholm then back.  I saw the central area and shopping street, Gamla Stan which is the old town, and Soldermalm with had beautiful parks and views overlooking Gamla Stan. 

Stockholm is also a beautiful city full of diverse people. There aren't as many blondes as I'd expected. Everyone is also kind and helpful, well at least every store clerk has greated me with a smile and listened to me say "jag talar inste Svenska. Tala du Engleska?" Then has responded kindly with English. 

But for now it's bedtime because I'm exhausted! I barley slept on the plane here (it was a red eye flight) then unbeknownst to me, the sun sets after 11pm and rises around 3:30am! Hence, I haven't gotten much sleep. My body woke up ready to go around 4 am today and my head was not on the same page. So for now, I have some sleep to catch up on!

Day 1: Touchdown in Stockholm, Sweden

Day one is complete! This will probably end up being on of the more difficult days, so I'm sort of relieved. I navigated my way through a foreign country to a new city all the way to my hostel! I've already met new people, ventured around for a few hours, and got local advice of where to go and what to see. Although everyone speaks English, it's amazing to meet new people from all over the world. The couple next to me on the plane gave me the greatest advice of where to go and what to see. I started a list, but decided to get a more local perspective of the city today for the few hours that I had. 

I set out and explored an island to the east if my hostel. I saw a more local side of town, beautiful parks, and some views of the city. Stockholm is an extremely clean and active city. Even on a Monday evening, there were people out and about everywhere. I've had an awesome impression so far, and can't wait to see more tomorrow!

I'm Packed!

After months of planning, I can't believe that this is finally it. I'm packed and ready to go! And this is ALL of it. Just me, my coat, purse, and backpack. Well I guess that means I'm ready?! Seeing as I've never done this before, I'm a little nervous I either over packed, didn't pack enough, or didn't pack the correct things; but I guess I'll find out!

Starting this trip is amazing, and I feel very blessed, fortunate, and lucky to be able to do this. I hope to learn about new cultures, meet new people, see old friends, eat different food, see amazing places, and learn more about myself.  So, here's to the start of a crazy month adventure! I leave tomorrow and my first stop is Stockholm, Sweden.