As Kate wrote yesterday (beautifully might I add), I have returned from my European adventure in one piece and am happy to be back on Canadian soil. Aside from the obvious dirt-encrusted backpack and tired footwear, I have returned with some great stories, a couple of oil paintings from memorable places, a few aches and bruises …and, most notably, 5,091 photographs.
At the beginning of the trip, every statue, every fountain and every meal seemed worthy of a snapshot, leaving me with countless photos from so many small moments that now seem quite insignificant in the big picture (no pun intended). At some point in the trip however, I began to stop myself from reaching for the camera to capture the sunset or snap a shot of a cat sleeping soundly. There comes a time when sitting back and taking it all in, without a concern for documentation or picture quality, becomes very important if you want to truly appreciate the moment.
As I now sift through the rubble that is my EuroTrip picture folder, I find the best sights and experiences are captured in my “in a nutshell” moments, because these were the times when I thought to myself, “the girls would want to see this” or “I can’t wait to share this gorgeous place with our readers”.
So, here are some snapshots from my journey, each with a little touch of home in the form of our logo. To see the rest of these pictures, like our Facebook page and let us know your favorite!
We all know that traveling is, of course, a privilege. It gives us the chance to learn about other cultures, to see the world´s beauty, to experience new things, and to meet people we otherwise wouldn´t. It is the ultimate learning opportunity, teaching us many more lessons than our textbooks or teachers, or even our parents can instill in us. And while the joie de vivre that comes over us on any given travel day is undoubtedly present, there is another side to traveling that can creep up when we least expect it.
It´s that ¨how rude was that desk clerk?¨… ¨I missed my train by 5 minutes and now have to wait 6 hours¨ … ¨what do you mean my credit card won´t work?¨… ¨how could a human being steal something so easily?¨ … moment. I can tell you that throughout the past two months or so, variations of these events have happened time and time again (as is expected). It´s the price you pay with traveling. As a foreigner in a new city you are left without a clue at times, with nothing but intelligence and hope that the person you´re about to ask for help, will kindly oblige.
In Romania, we were verbally attacked by a man at the train station, who, we later found out, did the same to many other tourists who passed him (in fact, he uttered the exact same threatening words to a guy staying at our nearby hostel). In Rome, we were left with no choice but to sit outside the train station watching TV on our laptop very early in the morning (due to interrupted train schedules and no hotels willing to take us), and we found ourselves in the middle of a police chase after two men stole our computer in what I´m sure you can imagine was a very aggressive scenerio (by the way, we ended up sending them to jail for 1 year and 10 months – but never got our laptop back).
The reason I´m writing about these experiences rather than those I have scrupulously photographed, and those that make me smile, is because they have taught me a great deal about traveling. Of course, there are the obvious lessons that come straight to everyone´s mind (hi mom), like 1) Always be aware of your surroundings, 2) Be cautious, 3) Avoid train stations relentlessly. And yes of course, each occasion was a quick wake up call for every one of our cautionary intuitions. But the aftermath of it all…the moment the situation has passed and you are left once more with new cities to explore, filled with strangers and different cultural tendencies, you can find yourself feeling more lost than ever, and wanting nothing but the neighborhood you call home.
The quality we´ve learnt to possess throughout our travels is to stay positive, to move forward, to keep it all together, and to find a place that feels friendly and comfortable (which is, of course, easier than this post portrays). A rude local or an overpriced tourist trap, and yes, even a stolen laptop, can ruin an afternoon if you let it, but the way to make it all okay, is to have the right attitude. And isn´t that just how life works? The person who revels in positivity will always prevail, not because of karma, or some higher being watching our every move, but because a day spent huffing and puffing is one less day spent relishing everything this life has to offer. In a nutshell :)
Stein €10, Pretzel €5, Hat €12 .. The Bavarian Experience? Priceless.
From Canada Day festivities in our nation’s capital, to Stanley and Grey Cup gatherings, us Canadians experience our fair share of public celebration. We are the unite-at-parliament-and-play-street-hockey-after-winning-the-gold-medal type of people. We love to come together in honor of the nation, a sport, or in pure, communal love of beer. And although we are less chauvinistic than our neighbours down south, no one can argue that we truly love to gather, drink and have a friendly chat with whoever finds a spot next to us. For this reason alone, Oktoberfest in Munich was one of the best parts of these Canadians’ EuroTrip.
Oktoberfest was like … actually, I can`t compare it to anything. It was larger than life, crowded with jolly people dressed in their best leiderhosen, tables and tables of old friends meeting new ones, live music with traditional German songs as well as American classics and not an empty beerstein in sight.
The Hippodrom! A rowdy Bavarian tent, and the first one on the lot (therefore our home for the entire first day)
We had been warned by other travelers that it was impossible to get a seat in a tent during the weekends, and it was compulsory to reserve, so we made sure to be there during the week to avoid any of that. We also arrived before noon to beat the rush and get a full day in before the tents closed at 11:30pm (we only made it that far one of two nights).
After doing a bit of research, we quickly learnt that Munich is an expensive city to visit, especially during Oktoberfest. Hostels were either fully booked (we met people who booked 4 months in advance) or ridiculously overpriced. Thankfully, we met some travelers in Salzburg who had just stayed at a place called The Tent, where visitors can pay 14 euros to sleep on the floor of ‘FloorTent’, 22 euros to sleep in a bed in ‘BedTent’, or 8 euros to pitch a tent in the grass among dozens more. The Tent is just a 15 minute tram away from the festivities, so it’s really a great solution for those looking to save their money for those 10 euro steins.
Aside from the outfits, the language and the immensity of it all, two things seperate Oktoberfest from any festival thrown in North America. 1) Entrance is free, so you can easily drink outside the event, enter the festival and walk around if you so please. 2) The beer is actually made STRONGER for Oktoberfest. Instead of 5 or 6%, the beer you’re buying is specially made at 8% or higher. I know, shocking and incredible all at the same time.
I can only attempt to express the Oktoberfest atmosphere in writing, but as I’ve said, it is truly like no other. The people are beyond welcoming, ready to include anyone in their traditions by repeating songs and sayings slowly and excitedly, enjoying every moment of watching visitors realize the absolute grandness that is Oktoberfest.
Of course, we met many travelers who could only grimace at the thought of a crowded, beer-filled day spent with strangers. So if that’s not your thing, I suppose I wouldn’t suggest it. But the great thing about this event is there’s something for everyone. Kids are entertained by hundreds of rides and games, the ferris wheel offers a great view of Munich, and the German delicacies offered are tasty and traditional. In a nutshell though, if you enjoy the taste of beer, I recommend you add this event to your bucket list immediately.
Oktoberfest is the world's largest fair, and attracts more than 5 million visitors every year.
Atop Untersburg Mountain: it called for a complex photo op.
Widely recognized as the setting for The Sound of Music and the birth of Mozart, Salzburg is a gorgeous Austrian city that offers plenty more than a few overpriced tours of Mozart’s first appartment and Fraulein Maria’s stomping grounds. Found at the northern boundary of the Alps, the city’s tall mountains, picturesque river and busy Old Town are ideal for a taste of Austria in all its splendour. Okay, I’ll admit…exploring the hilltop where The Von Trap’s escaped Austria at the end of the movie, and seeing the “I am Sixteen Going on Seventeen” gazebo was also thrilling.
We never planned (I use ‘planned’ loosely considering nothing on this trip was planned) on heading to Salzburg, until a brochure of the mountains jumped out at us in Vienna, and we couldn’t resist a short visit. I then insisted that our three hour train ride be complete with a screening of the Sound of Music, which consequently made us hum (and outright sing) Do, Re, Mi and The Hills are Alive the entire duration of our stay.
One great thing about Salzburg is its extensive bike paths; following the river, intersecting farm houses and small towns, as well as guiding visitors to its main attractions. Each of those guided tours that cost 30 euros or more by bus can so easily be duplicated by way of bike, in a much more interesting way. We camped just 5km outside the city, so a 3-day bike rental was a necessity and definitely made our stay in Salzburg that much more fun.
We happened to arrive at the time of St-Rupert’s Day, a celebration which lasts a week and from what we could imagine, was similar to a mini Oktoberfest (we soon found out that it was a very TINY version). Nevertheless, beer tents, rides, crowds and performances kept us entertained for some time.
Roaming the streets of Old Town, climbing to Hohensalzburg Fortress, getting lost in the city’s bike paths and reaching the top of a nearby mountain are all musts when visiting Salzburg, and if you ever find yourself in Vienna, you’re just a three hour train ride away from this gem of a city. Because Mozart was born and wrote most of his symphonies in Salzburg, the city shuts down for four weeks in the summer for one of the largest classical concert festivals in the world. This, and so much more, brings 8 to 10 million tourists to the city each year.
If you’ve visited Salzburg before, I’d love to hear of your experiences in the comments. Auf Wiedersehen!
Biking around Salzburg. Destination? That mountain.
Reached the top of that mountain! (by way of gondola) - it was chilly
Mozart was born in the appartment just above the writing.
When embarking on a backpacking journey in Europe, one is prepared to spend a fair amount of money on transport. After doing a lot of research and asking around, we decided to invest in a 3-month unlimited Eurail pass, which would allow us to travel within and between 22 European countries freely and easily. We booked our plane tickets very last minute and simply bought the cheapest ones we could find, which were one-way $280 tickets to Athens, Greece. We were ecstatic about the price, and Greece as a starting point wasn’t too shabby either.
We had seen online that due to Greece’s dire economic situation, its international trains were cancelled indefinitely. Since we spent so much money on the train tickets, this was very upsetting information, because it meant we either had to pay for a bus to Bulgaria or somehow walk across the border. After doing a bit of research, we found out that the latter (and more ridiculous) option was what people with Eurail passes were finding themselves doing.
What’s more, once we arrived in Greece, not many people had words of wisdom to help us deal with this unfortunate obstacle. We decided that grabbing a train to Greece’s most northern town, on the Bulgarian border would be the most cost-efficient and obvious step. After many change overs and a lot of waiting around, we reached the town of Strymonas (population 8,000) and asked around at its cubicle-sized train station for a taxi.
The silence was chilling.
In broken Greeklish, a man sitting playing Backgammon offered to drive us to Bulgaria for 20 euros. It seemed to be our only option, so we agreed. After a 15 minute drive in complete silence, we arrived at the border only to be let out 1km before the crossing (we had understood he would drive us to the nearest town in Bulgaria – oh well). We got out, forked over 20 euros, said the only word we know in Greek, thank you, and headed for the border.
Just a casual stroll on the Greek perimeter.
When we reached the border, we handed over our passports and waited a few minutes while they stamped them. We were then officially free to roam Bulgaria. Greece had finally set us free after several days of attempting to get out (although we loved it – proof here).
That's our cue.
What awaited us was an even smaller town, donkeys on every side street, no signs, no English, and a whole new set of problems. We were overjoyed when we discovered that the next train to Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, was a mere 5-hour wait (…not). Thank goodness our bags were stocked with 2 euro wine, ready to make the afternoon a little more mind-boggling.
That was ...easy.
For more information on my EuroTrip, head to our Travel page! If you have a great travel story, we’d love to hear about it in our comments.
As the fifth largest island in the Meditteranean, Crete is like a small country all its own, offering the sites, tastes and terrain of a singular culture. We fell in love with the mountainous island; its quaint seaside towns, its winding roads and the history it shares with its visitors. With such vastness, we decided to rent a car for a week, which proved to be one of our greatest decisions. While buses do run from coast to coast, the freedom to stop in tiny villages and make midday beach pitstops was priceless. Plus, riding in an old Fiat as it climbed up giant hillsides and winded through miniscule streets was hilarious and an adventure in itself.
If you’re ever headed to Greece, I suggest you make your way to its most southern island, which will not disappoint you in your travels. Crete is a special place, and here I’ll share with you our favorite parts of it. Please comment if you’ve made the trip before and have anything to add, a week is not nearly enough time to become an expert!
It is our second day in Athens and we’ve decided that’s just enough. While we planned to spend 3 nights here, we can’t help but make our way to the ocean and take advantage of the beautiful sun and heat that Greece offers. Although it is not my first time seeing the sights of Athens, they are just as spectacular and breath-taking now. The Parthenon and its surrounding structures are found atop the Acropolis, an immense elevation that is the centre of this vast city. What makes the city’s residents and each of its visitors ponder, is how its builders were able to create these structures without the help of machinery in 3,000 B.C. It is a mystery that adds such intrigue to an already grandiose landmark.
We’re off to the island of Crete tomorrow for beach camping, vespa riding and plenty of wading in the ocean. For now, here are some highlights from our time in Athens.
I am currently typing to you from the train that kicks off our trip, which will be taking us to Toronto to catch our flight to Athens. I have to say that despite the endless packing, shopping and planning, this trip still feels surreal. I can’t seem to wrap my head around a three month adventure. Despite this, I am obviously feeling curious, excited, nervous and so many other things when I think about what we’re about to do.
When I wrote Part 1 of this series, I had only gone so far as to purchase the real essentials, from backpacks to a tent and some water canisters. Following that, I felt relieved and basically all set for three months of camping, hiking, exploring and sightseeing. When I began compiling my packing list however, I quickly realized that the shopping was far from over.
My very long list included walking shoes, a day bag, things to keep me warm, pint-sized toiletries, a camera and everything in between. Nothing I owned seemed compact enough for a trip like this. When the shopping began, I was most mindful of versatility, comfort and as I’m sure you can guess, style was a factor as well.
In 21 days, I am embarking on the adventure of a lifetime: backpacking in Europe for 3 months. Just me, my boyfriend and two bulging backpacks. While the thought of escaping reality for such a long period of time is so dreamy, the daunting part of planning has officially set in at this point. We are trying to save up every penny we make while still being sure to enjoy the summer and live in the now. We are also working on slowly getting our stuff together, and you can only imagine how I feel about filling a backpack with clothing that I will then wear over and over again for Nine.Ty.Days. I think that process will have to wait for Part 2 (it will be a doozy).
We originally planned to not plan. In other words, we wanted to go where the day took us, meet travelers and ask them about their favorite city so far, we wanted to truly live the unplanned, backpacking life. And we still want that. But as the days grow nearer and nearer, all of our conversations are centered around this trip, making it difficult not to form some semblance of a route. Thus far, we are landing in Barcelona, heading to my aunt’s house in Spain, doing 3-day trips to Portugal and Madrid, then heading to Paris, doing the South coast, doing Italy’s Cinque Terre and Milan (hello, fashion week), meeting my parent’s in Rome for 1 week in the Amalfi Coast and then continuing on our way to climb Mount Etna, visit Sicily and head to Croatia and possibly Egypt if time, money and weather permits. That’s the plan so far, but who knows where things will take us, we invested in Eurail passes, so the 22 countries it connects are our oysters.
While we are obviously all about Canada, the nuts in this shell are also avid travelers. We love the idea of getting away and we’re always game when it comes to new experiences. The best thing to do when you’re planning a trip to a new destination is to ask your friends their advice on where to go and what to see. Since we’re all friends here, I’d like to share with you some highlights from my latest trip, to a place where anything goes…Las Vegas. Whether your next trip is months away (and no where near Vegas) or you’re headed to sin city soon, I hope you’ll enjoy a little look into my latest adventure!
1. Fountains of Bellagio
No extravagance is spared at the Bellagio, and the fountains are no exception. Every night at 8pm, the fountains begin their dance, timed to music and played all over the City Centre where the fountains can be seen. A few Bellagio restaurants offer great views from terraces, but the fountains are just as magical viewed from the street. These pictures are taken from one of Bellagio’s many delectable restaurants, Olives, which serves amazing food and offers a breathtaking view of the city.
The best thing to see in Vegas for free.
2. Paris
It’s pretty hard to resist the picturesque Eiffel Tower and L’Arc de Triomphe that the Paris offers. Designed just like you would imagine Paris is, this place is a little taste of France in a very American city. While we spent much of our time scouting new places to try, we fell in love with Paris’ Mon Ami Gabi Restaurant which serves up breakfast so delightfully…needless to say, we were there three of our six mornings. Paris definetely offer the sights and tastes of this famous European city, but a little bit of Vegas is also infused- see below my Eiffel Tower-shaped drink, a Vegas staple.
From left: The Mon Ami Gabi terrace, the largest Pina Colada known to man, L'Arc de Triomphe
3. Red Rock Canyon
Perhaps one of the coolest things about Vegas is that it’s in the middle of the desert. Past all the bright lights, the endless hotels and casinos and all the chaos, you’ll find grandiose mountains ideal for those who tire of the city. We rented a car one afternoon to visit Red Rock Canyon, just an easy 20-minute drive from the strip. While the Grand Canyon is the greatest place to get a taste for this type of terrain, we weren’t ready to commit to the 4-hour drive. If you’re in the same boat, I’d recommend exploring this nearby Canyon; be sure to bring water and sunnies as shaded areas are few and far between.
The true escape that Vegas offers.
4. The Strip
This one is pretty obvious. The main attraction of Vegas is its hotels and casinos, all located on Las Vegas Boulevard, otherwise known as The Strip. Here you’ll find places like New York, Venice, Monte Carlo, Paris, Egypt, and so many more themes that were born in Vegas. We spent our first two days exploring every hotel and casino, it’s safe to say that we saw more lobbies than we’ve ever visited in one single trip. Every hotel offers some sort of attraction; whether it’s the roller coaster at New York New York, the pyramid at the Luxor or the caged lions that live in the MGM Grand, you’re sure to be entertained for several days.
From left: Excalibur, Luxor, New York New York (all Hotels)
5. Nightlife
While the majority of our nightlife came in the form of day drinking, the club scene in Vegas is obviously happening. Girls can basically get in anywhere they want, often being offered free bottles if they show up with a group of all girls (nutshell contributors, unite!) All I can say is do your research, spend wisely and be safe. We saw Cirque du Soleil’s “O” and it was undoubtedly a highlight of the trip. The show is over-the-top and will have you gasping in your seat. Check out lasvegas.com for deals. Lastly, this is your chance to wear the glitziest dress and stilettos you own; you’re in Vegas, you should dress the part.
Random Tips
Walking shoes are key – the blocks in Vegas are not average, they are huge. If you explore the strip, plan to be walking all day.
Buckets of Money – Vegas is hugely extravagant, and if you’re spending all your money on travel and accommodation, you might have a hard time enjoying yourself. Plan ahead, spend more time in Old Vegas (where restaurants come cheap) and only gamble if you know what you’re doing (learnt that the hard way!).
Bring ID everywhere – this includes the pool, the casino and anywhere else you can think of. Throughout the trip, I saw grandparents getting carded, and I was told this is because it’s often the policy of certain places to card every person they serve alcohol to (even if they are clearly wrinkled and gray).
Trams – After you’ve spent hours walking, it’s nice to get back to your hotel quickly and easily. Make use of the trams. They’re free and fairly easy to find, just be sure you’re headed in the right direction!
Shopping – to be completely honest, unless you’re a millionaire, shopping in Vegas isn’t great. Stores like Fendi, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Chanel are more common than anything else, but you’ll find a gigantic (disco-ball clad) H&M in The Forum Shops at Ceasar’s Palace, along with an Anthropologie (one of my favorite stores). If you’re feeling adventurous, make a trip to an outlet mall on the outskirts.
Free Drinks – Whaa? Yes. It’s true. But only if you’re gambling. Just watching your friend gamble will get you free drinks. So if you’re willing to lose a bit to gain a little, there are casinos everywhere you look, just be sure to walk away when you’re up!
I’m definitely not an expert on Vegas, but I always appreciate hearing (/reading) an unbiased opinion on the place I’m headed to. Hopefully this is what I’ve given you here, let me know if you think I’ve left something out! Vivaaaa Las Vegas.
