Welcome back!
The video tour was too large to email, so we decided to upload them to the blog! I hope you enjoy seeing our new place!
This first video is of the living room, dining room, and balcony.
The next video is of the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.
Hope you liked it!
Harrison & Lauren
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Harrison's post-trip interview
H: Before I start, I would just like to say a few words to my fans. Thank you for all the letters and emotional support throughout my journey.
L: *Sigh* Oh, Jeez.
L: So let's get started. What was your favorite location on this trip?
H: *Prolonged thought followed my a drum roll on his chest*
L: Harrison, could you answer the question?
H: Yes, I would have to say London.
L: Good. What was your favorite event or place we attended?
H: It's a tie. The Guinness sky bar and the Louvre. And the Champs-D'Elysees.
L: What was your best experience you had with the 'locals'?
H: Locals in general are not nice.
L: Alright then...moving on.
L:What was your favorite food?
H: Well, it was quite devastating. There was no Mexican food. I guess the Elephant restaurant in Dublin, Ireland.
L:What surprised you most about the places we visited?
H: The amount of graffiti and that it's not even that good.
L:What things to you like better about Europe than the US?
H: I think the uniqueness of each location. Also, I like how the old and the new are intermixed. There is a lot of history here. All the people actually use the train system, too.
L: What things do you like better about the US than Europe?
H: Hospitality, courteousness, kindness...
L: Harrison, those are all the same thing.
H: Well, they all count. Air conditioning, free soap, free water with your meal, the toilet paper, and Mexican food.
H: I would like to continue. The toilet paper in France was absolutely horrible. It came out of a paper-towel like dispenser in little squares, ONE AT A TIME.
L: What place that we went to would you go back to in the future?
H: Rome
L: If you could go to one more place, where would it be?
H: Nice
*Editor's note: We were supposed to go to Nice, but there were travel complications*
L: What is one thing you wish you would have brought with you?
H: Khaki shorts
L: What is one thing you would thought you would need, but didn't?
H: My phone
L: What did you think of the hostels?
H: It varied greatly. Some of them were absolutely miserable, while some were nice. I was surprised at the inconsistency.
L: What is something you hated the idea of doing but it ended up being really great?
H: Going to see Les Miserables.
L: I will make a mental note not to listen to you when you gripe about going to shows with me. :)
L: What's one place you wouldn't go back to?
H: Florence
L: What things are you most looking forward to doing when you get back to the US?
H: Watching TV in the air conditioning while eating Mexican food for an entire week. And Chiefs games.
And this concludes this interview. I hope you all enjoyed hearing about our travels! See you soon!
L: *Sigh* Oh, Jeez.
L: So let's get started. What was your favorite location on this trip?
H: *Prolonged thought followed my a drum roll on his chest*
L: Harrison, could you answer the question?
H: Yes, I would have to say London.
L: Good. What was your favorite event or place we attended?
H: It's a tie. The Guinness sky bar and the Louvre. And the Champs-D'Elysees.
L: What was your best experience you had with the 'locals'?
H: Locals in general are not nice.
L: Alright then...moving on.
L:What was your favorite food?
H: Well, it was quite devastating. There was no Mexican food. I guess the Elephant restaurant in Dublin, Ireland.
L:What surprised you most about the places we visited?
H: The amount of graffiti and that it's not even that good.
L:What things to you like better about Europe than the US?
H: I think the uniqueness of each location. Also, I like how the old and the new are intermixed. There is a lot of history here. All the people actually use the train system, too.
L: What things do you like better about the US than Europe?
H: Hospitality, courteousness, kindness...
L: Harrison, those are all the same thing.
H: Well, they all count. Air conditioning, free soap, free water with your meal, the toilet paper, and Mexican food.
H: I would like to continue. The toilet paper in France was absolutely horrible. It came out of a paper-towel like dispenser in little squares, ONE AT A TIME.
L: What place that we went to would you go back to in the future?
H: Rome
L: If you could go to one more place, where would it be?
H: Nice
*Editor's note: We were supposed to go to Nice, but there were travel complications*
L: What is one thing you wish you would have brought with you?
H: Khaki shorts
L: What is one thing you would thought you would need, but didn't?
H: My phone
L: What did you think of the hostels?
H: It varied greatly. Some of them were absolutely miserable, while some were nice. I was surprised at the inconsistency.
L: What is something you hated the idea of doing but it ended up being really great?
H: Going to see Les Miserables.
L: I will make a mental note not to listen to you when you gripe about going to shows with me. :)
L: What's one place you wouldn't go back to?
H: Florence
L: What things are you most looking forward to doing when you get back to the US?
H: Watching TV in the air conditioning while eating Mexican food for an entire week. And Chiefs games.
And this concludes this interview. I hope you all enjoyed hearing about our travels! See you soon!
Post Trip Interview (Lauren)
The following is Lauren's Kaboose® Interview for our trip. I have trademarked the term, as you can see, so don't steal it!
H: Welcome back Lauren! How have you been?
L:Good.
H: Nice to hear. So, I think our audience would like to know, "Did you need all that sunscreen?"
L:Umm... I could have gone with two, instead of three.
H: So, what was your favorite part about hanging out with me?
L: I liked getting to explore new places with you.
H: No no no. I mean what was your favorite part about me? My charm? Good looks? Humor? What makes me so fun to be around?
L: You are kidding. Is this really a question?
H: Yes.
L: Ok. You are goofy and a good navigator.
H: Ok, not what I was hoping for, but we will move on.
H: What was your favorite location?
L: London.
H: What was your least favorite place?
L: Paris
H: What was your favorite event?
L: The Eiffel Tower at night
H: What was your least favorite event?
L: None.
H: Is there an item that you wish you had purchased, but didn't?
L: I would have liked to have bought more art. Or more clothing.
H: What is better in the EU than in the USA?
L: Designer stores everywhere. More bikes and Smart Cars, I like how Europe is much more eco-friendly
H: As opposed to actually friendly?
L: Stop. Anyway, I like how each place has its own unique culture.
H: What is better in the USA?
L: Free soap, antibacterial, water and restrooms. Nicer people, more A/C, elevators, and paper towels.
(Editor's note: We did have to pay to use the restroom several times)
H: What can you take away from this experience?
L: I have a better appreciation for all cultures, except France. I also feel a lot more comfortable traveling and want to explore more!
That concludes our post-trip interview for Lauren. I hope you all enjoyed reading!
Lauren & Harrison
H: Welcome back Lauren! How have you been?
L:Good.
H: Nice to hear. So, I think our audience would like to know, "Did you need all that sunscreen?"
L:Umm... I could have gone with two, instead of three.
H: So, what was your favorite part about hanging out with me?
L: I liked getting to explore new places with you.
H: No no no. I mean what was your favorite part about me? My charm? Good looks? Humor? What makes me so fun to be around?
L: You are kidding. Is this really a question?
H: Yes.
L: Ok. You are goofy and a good navigator.
H: Ok, not what I was hoping for, but we will move on.
H: What was your favorite location?
L: London.
H: What was your least favorite place?
L: Paris
H: What was your favorite event?
L: The Eiffel Tower at night
H: What was your least favorite event?
L: None.
H: Is there an item that you wish you had purchased, but didn't?
L: I would have liked to have bought more art. Or more clothing.
H: What is better in the EU than in the USA?
L: Designer stores everywhere. More bikes and Smart Cars, I like how Europe is much more eco-friendly
H: As opposed to actually friendly?
L: Stop. Anyway, I like how each place has its own unique culture.
H: What is better in the USA?
L: Free soap, antibacterial, water and restrooms. Nicer people, more A/C, elevators, and paper towels.
(Editor's note: We did have to pay to use the restroom several times)
H: What can you take away from this experience?
L: I have a better appreciation for all cultures, except France. I also feel a lot more comfortable traveling and want to explore more!
That concludes our post-trip interview for Lauren. I hope you all enjoyed reading!
Lauren & Harrison
Top of the Day to Ya Lads!
I feel much more comfortable now that we are back in Ireland where I speak fluent Irish.
Anyway, today we caught a train to Rome's airport and flew to Dublin. The plane ride is worth talking about because I have never been on a flight where everyone gave the pilot a standing ovation after a landing.
The flight was fine until our descent into Dublin. It was extremely shaky and I felt like I was on a roller coaster. However, as an experienced flight taker, this happens and while I was concerned, I always thought we would be fine. But then we were getting very close to the ground and we were still jerking up and down. The pilot was able to get the back two wheels down but had trouble getting the front wheel down. At this time, the wind blew again and knocked the front end of the plane to the side (to the right side, my side), so as we landed the nose of the plane was heading for the grass (now all wheels are down). I was staring out the window and saw this, but couldn't believe it. Then the pilot jerked the plane back to the left, so now I believed it and clutched my chair. It was at this point that I thought there was a decent chance we were going to crash. You would think it would be somewhat relieving that we were already on the ground, but it wasn't, not at all. I pictured the nose of the plane diving into the grass and flipping into the airport. Anyway, the pilot jerked the plane back and forth a few times all while slamming on the brakes until we finally stopped.
I also think there might have been something wrong with the plane. Lauren and I both noticed a funny noise coming from the right wing engine, and when we landed we had to get out on the runway and walk to the airport. Basically, when we finally came to a stop, the pilot pulled over and we got out. It was weird. BUT WE ARE SAFE!!!!
Just hanging out tonight, walking around Dublin a little.
We are excited to see our families tomorrow!
Lauren & Harrison
P.S.
Dad, I am hoping you know when to pick me up? I might try to catch an earlier flight so I will let you know.
Anyway, today we caught a train to Rome's airport and flew to Dublin. The plane ride is worth talking about because I have never been on a flight where everyone gave the pilot a standing ovation after a landing.
The flight was fine until our descent into Dublin. It was extremely shaky and I felt like I was on a roller coaster. However, as an experienced flight taker, this happens and while I was concerned, I always thought we would be fine. But then we were getting very close to the ground and we were still jerking up and down. The pilot was able to get the back two wheels down but had trouble getting the front wheel down. At this time, the wind blew again and knocked the front end of the plane to the side (to the right side, my side), so as we landed the nose of the plane was heading for the grass (now all wheels are down). I was staring out the window and saw this, but couldn't believe it. Then the pilot jerked the plane back to the left, so now I believed it and clutched my chair. It was at this point that I thought there was a decent chance we were going to crash. You would think it would be somewhat relieving that we were already on the ground, but it wasn't, not at all. I pictured the nose of the plane diving into the grass and flipping into the airport. Anyway, the pilot jerked the plane back and forth a few times all while slamming on the brakes until we finally stopped.
I also think there might have been something wrong with the plane. Lauren and I both noticed a funny noise coming from the right wing engine, and when we landed we had to get out on the runway and walk to the airport. Basically, when we finally came to a stop, the pilot pulled over and we got out. It was weird. BUT WE ARE SAFE!!!!
Just hanging out tonight, walking around Dublin a little.
We are excited to see our families tomorrow!
Lauren & Harrison
P.S.
Dad, I am hoping you know when to pick me up? I might try to catch an earlier flight so I will let you know.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Roma
Announcement: Lauren passed the last test of the CPA exams!!!
Hi everyone!
It's Lauren here. Harrison and I arrived in Rome yesterday after another train ride. This train had air conditioning, which helped us get through the 102 degree heat. Anyways, we arrived at our hostel around 3pm (not without a delay). After checking in, we embarked up the 3 flights of stairs that really feel like 50. Harrison and I have to strategically think through the order of the day in order to minimize the amount of times we have to go back up and down the stairs.
The heat has been an issue recently. I was pretty sure we would both be fried by the sun, so the other day I told Harrison he should put on sunscreen. As you may have found out in my pre-departure interview, I brought several different types of sunscreen (One of them is called bullfrog which is extremely hard to rub in, but it is sweat and water resistant). I gave Harrison two different types on sunscreen. After we left the hostel, he took about 2 steps into the sunlight. I shrieked and pulled him out of the public. Harrison had applied the bullfrog sunscreen to his face and neglected to use the mirror before he left. As I have mentioned, it is extremely hard to rub in fully. Harrison looked like he had applied white face paint to his face and forehead. I gave him a compact mirror and told him to look at himself. I shrieked too.
We got off to an early start yesterday. We took the Metro to our first destination around 8am. After riding on the metro in London, Paris, and Rome, we have come to realize how nice the Tube is. We have become more confident with the metro systems. I am sure Chicago's will seem like a breeze comparatively.
We started off the day by going to the Colosseum. We loved it. We took about 100 pictures while walking around and reading all about it's history.
This picture count is now over 2,000.
You have seen images already, so there isn't much of a point to talk about the Colosseum. We just walked around and took pictures. Then we went to the Roman Forums. Kind of cool, kind of boring. (It wasn't boring!) There were tons of old buildings, ruins, and columns, and it was on top of a hill so the scenery was really good. In other words, we just took a bunch of pictures. Later that day we went to the Spanish Steps (unimpressive), the Pantheon, and the Piazza Navona.
Today we are going to Vatican City. It's in the 90's here and I have to wear pants to get into this place. (No shorts and no bare shoulders). We are pretty excited though, its probably going to be the best site we see on this whole trip.
----At this point we saved the draft and left for the Vatican---
Vatican City was pretty cool, well guarded. As a matter of fact, everything around here is well guarded. We have noticed random Roma Army men with machine guns walking around the street/train station/buildings every so often. It's kind of creepy. Anyway, we walked through the museums and saw the Sistine Chapel. It was really neat to learn about all the stories behind each image on the ceiling. So it was a good experience to see it, but it was one heck of an adventure to get there. I have never seen so many people in one, or several, small corridors.
Tomorrow morning we leave for Dublin, then the next day we will be back in Chicago.
Other notes:
-I found out where all the Smart Cars are... they are in Rome.
-Also, it is amazing how bad some people smell here.
-As this trip winds down, Lauren says she now understands what strength my mom must have had to raise me.
Lauren & Harrison
Hi everyone!
It's Lauren here. Harrison and I arrived in Rome yesterday after another train ride. This train had air conditioning, which helped us get through the 102 degree heat. Anyways, we arrived at our hostel around 3pm (not without a delay). After checking in, we embarked up the 3 flights of stairs that really feel like 50. Harrison and I have to strategically think through the order of the day in order to minimize the amount of times we have to go back up and down the stairs.
The heat has been an issue recently. I was pretty sure we would both be fried by the sun, so the other day I told Harrison he should put on sunscreen. As you may have found out in my pre-departure interview, I brought several different types of sunscreen (One of them is called bullfrog which is extremely hard to rub in, but it is sweat and water resistant). I gave Harrison two different types on sunscreen. After we left the hostel, he took about 2 steps into the sunlight. I shrieked and pulled him out of the public. Harrison had applied the bullfrog sunscreen to his face and neglected to use the mirror before he left. As I have mentioned, it is extremely hard to rub in fully. Harrison looked like he had applied white face paint to his face and forehead. I gave him a compact mirror and told him to look at himself. I shrieked too.
We got off to an early start yesterday. We took the Metro to our first destination around 8am. After riding on the metro in London, Paris, and Rome, we have come to realize how nice the Tube is. We have become more confident with the metro systems. I am sure Chicago's will seem like a breeze comparatively.
We started off the day by going to the Colosseum. We loved it. We took about 100 pictures while walking around and reading all about it's history.
This picture count is now over 2,000.
You have seen images already, so there isn't much of a point to talk about the Colosseum. We just walked around and took pictures. Then we went to the Roman Forums. Kind of cool, kind of boring. (It wasn't boring!) There were tons of old buildings, ruins, and columns, and it was on top of a hill so the scenery was really good. In other words, we just took a bunch of pictures. Later that day we went to the Spanish Steps (unimpressive), the Pantheon, and the Piazza Navona.
Today we are going to Vatican City. It's in the 90's here and I have to wear pants to get into this place. (No shorts and no bare shoulders). We are pretty excited though, its probably going to be the best site we see on this whole trip.
----At this point we saved the draft and left for the Vatican---
Vatican City was pretty cool, well guarded. As a matter of fact, everything around here is well guarded. We have noticed random Roma Army men with machine guns walking around the street/train station/buildings every so often. It's kind of creepy. Anyway, we walked through the museums and saw the Sistine Chapel. It was really neat to learn about all the stories behind each image on the ceiling. So it was a good experience to see it, but it was one heck of an adventure to get there. I have never seen so many people in one, or several, small corridors.
Tomorrow morning we leave for Dublin, then the next day we will be back in Chicago.
Other notes:
-I found out where all the Smart Cars are... they are in Rome.
-Also, it is amazing how bad some people smell here.
-As this trip winds down, Lauren says she now understands what strength my mom must have had to raise me.
Lauren & Harrison
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The Fugitive!
A lot has happened since the last time we wrote... We have added to this blog over the past few days, but haven't been able to post it until now.
Here are some of the more memorable events that happened.
1. Change of Plans in Paris
The last day in Paris, we did not see Versailles. Instead, we went to the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Musee D'Orsay. We saw some great stuff. I liked the Musee D'Orsay better than the Louvre. They had a great Van Gogh collection. (and anyone else you could think of). I just feel like Musee D'Orsay had a much more impressive collection than the Louvre. They had full rooms of Claude Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Pissaro, and really neat exhibits.
2. Lauren is a Fugitive of Paris
Anyway, the most important story we have to tell you is how Lauren is now a fugitive of France. In case some of you aren't aware, Harrison exaggerates a little bit. We were getting on the Metro in Paris and she lost her ticket. So I said, "hang on one second, and I will go try to find a ticket booth inside". I put in my ticket and started through the revolving gates and out of nowhere comes Lauren from behind me trying to sneak in with me. I didn't realize this was the plan so I already let the gate up. However this did not deter our little Lauren. In a state of pure panic, she ran up behind me and jumped the gate to get into the Metro. That's right, she jumped the gate. I couldn't believe it either. Apparently she was terrified of the Metro and didn't want to be left alone. The next 2 hours consisted of me answering questions like, "What am I going to do? Are they going to arrest me? I didn't mean to, I was scared! We need to find somebody, I have to buy another ticket! I didn't want to stand there alone, I had no choice! Will they let me leave Paris? We have to find a worker to tell. Are they going to take me in for questioning? Did the camera's catch me? Should I buy a mask? Can we still get on our train? " That was a short summary of the next day of my life. We did look around for someone to tell or explain our situation to, but there was no one there (And as we later discovered, there was no ticket office in that Metro, so I would have been hanging out in the scary Metro station for a long time). So we just bought another ticket, got to our gate, and then left Paris. That is why Lauren is now a fugitive of France. (Later that night, buried in my purse, I found my Metro ticket...)
3. Europe Train System
The train system in Europe is widely acclaimed to be the best in the world. I disagree. I felt like I went through Chiefs training camp trying to get from Paris to Venice on three different trains. I wouldn't have been surprised if they had employees standing in the station handing out cups of Gatorade for sprinters running by, like the do in marathons. First, I would like to applaud Lauren. I remember looking over my shoulder and seeing her move through traffic like a running back. She was carrying a bag that weighed more than her, yet she was jumping over blockers and doing spin-moves around passerby's, never afraid to lay a shoulder into someone who wasn't ready(Ok...I did not lay a shoulder into anyone...I just ran around them). On our transfer from Nice to Milan, we literally threw our bags into the first car of the train and jumped in seconds before it started moving.. It reminded me of Marcus Allen jumping into the end zone. Besides that, the view along the southern coast of France was the best site I have seen, hands down. It was a beautiful train ride--mountains on our left, the waters and beaches on our right.
4. Venice
We left Paris and arrived in Venice the next day. Venice is the most picturesque city we have been to so far with the canal's, gondola's, and the Italian sunset.. It is quite amazing how you have to take a boat to get anywhere. We didn't see a single car. It's fun for a vacation, but I would never want to live there. We spent sometime walking around and navigating the maze of a city before finding an nice place to eat dinner along the Grande Canal. The next day we took a boat around the entire city to take pictures. Then we went to San Marco to walk around and look at all the shops. Did the same in the Rialto market. Lauren bought a painting that we are shipping back. It was a simple and nice visit.
5. Sunset Gondola Ride
Maybe just as funny as Lauren being a fugitive of Paris was Lauren getting seasick from a Gondola ride. Well, probably not as funny because there isn't anything more to the story, but it was noteworthy nonetheless. (And she wasn't "sick" sick, she just felt seasick for a while after we got off the boat).
6. Florence
We got to Florence on an train with no air-conditioning. Well, all the other cars had AC, but ours was broken. The temperature here is about 102 in the mid-afternoon, so luckily we traveled in the morning when it was only in the 90's. Anyway, besides the train ride, Florence is my favorite city simply because of the peoples hospitality. They are nice, caring, and don't try to scam you everywhere you go. We get free breakfast, pizza, and Internet. (And I am talking eggs and bacon breakfast, not the un-toasted "toast" we got in Dublin). Also, this is the only place I have seen that doesn't charge for water. Great city, and did I mention you can buy 3 bottles of wine for 10 €? They have so much wine here they practically give it away. Yesterday, we arrived and saw David by Michelangelo. I had seen tons of pictures so I didn't expect to be as blown away as I was. The statue was huge and truly amazing. I now realize that it can't be portrayed well at all in a picture. With other artwork, you can get the main idea by looking it up online, not this.
7. Today
We woke up ate breakfast and went on a walking tour of the City. After the tour was over we ate lunch and went to see the Duomo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral - Wikipedia. Tonight we are going to see the Uffizi. It's a very famous museum in Florence.
8. Pictures
Here are some pictures. The quality is poor but it's the best we could do with a phone camera. We also can't get pictures of us together with the camera phone, but we have plenty on the regular camera.
This is Lauren on a "dock" in Venice.
This is me in the same spot.
Lauren in front of the Eiffel Tower.
This is the name of the trashcan in Venice. Yay Lizzie!
Lauren going up on the London Eye. Big Ben in the background!!
Lauren & Harrison
Here are some of the more memorable events that happened.
1. Change of Plans in Paris
The last day in Paris, we did not see Versailles. Instead, we went to the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Musee D'Orsay. We saw some great stuff. I liked the Musee D'Orsay better than the Louvre. They had a great Van Gogh collection. (and anyone else you could think of). I just feel like Musee D'Orsay had a much more impressive collection than the Louvre. They had full rooms of Claude Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Pissaro, and really neat exhibits.
2. Lauren is a Fugitive of Paris
Anyway, the most important story we have to tell you is how Lauren is now a fugitive of France. In case some of you aren't aware, Harrison exaggerates a little bit. We were getting on the Metro in Paris and she lost her ticket. So I said, "hang on one second, and I will go try to find a ticket booth inside". I put in my ticket and started through the revolving gates and out of nowhere comes Lauren from behind me trying to sneak in with me. I didn't realize this was the plan so I already let the gate up. However this did not deter our little Lauren. In a state of pure panic, she ran up behind me and jumped the gate to get into the Metro. That's right, she jumped the gate. I couldn't believe it either. Apparently she was terrified of the Metro and didn't want to be left alone. The next 2 hours consisted of me answering questions like, "What am I going to do? Are they going to arrest me? I didn't mean to, I was scared! We need to find somebody, I have to buy another ticket! I didn't want to stand there alone, I had no choice! Will they let me leave Paris? We have to find a worker to tell. Are they going to take me in for questioning? Did the camera's catch me? Should I buy a mask? Can we still get on our train? " That was a short summary of the next day of my life. We did look around for someone to tell or explain our situation to, but there was no one there (And as we later discovered, there was no ticket office in that Metro, so I would have been hanging out in the scary Metro station for a long time). So we just bought another ticket, got to our gate, and then left Paris. That is why Lauren is now a fugitive of France. (Later that night, buried in my purse, I found my Metro ticket...)
3. Europe Train System
The train system in Europe is widely acclaimed to be the best in the world. I disagree. I felt like I went through Chiefs training camp trying to get from Paris to Venice on three different trains. I wouldn't have been surprised if they had employees standing in the station handing out cups of Gatorade for sprinters running by, like the do in marathons. First, I would like to applaud Lauren. I remember looking over my shoulder and seeing her move through traffic like a running back. She was carrying a bag that weighed more than her, yet she was jumping over blockers and doing spin-moves around passerby's, never afraid to lay a shoulder into someone who wasn't ready(Ok...I did not lay a shoulder into anyone...I just ran around them). On our transfer from Nice to Milan, we literally threw our bags into the first car of the train and jumped in seconds before it started moving.. It reminded me of Marcus Allen jumping into the end zone. Besides that, the view along the southern coast of France was the best site I have seen, hands down. It was a beautiful train ride--mountains on our left, the waters and beaches on our right.
4. Venice
We left Paris and arrived in Venice the next day. Venice is the most picturesque city we have been to so far with the canal's, gondola's, and the Italian sunset.. It is quite amazing how you have to take a boat to get anywhere. We didn't see a single car. It's fun for a vacation, but I would never want to live there. We spent sometime walking around and navigating the maze of a city before finding an nice place to eat dinner along the Grande Canal. The next day we took a boat around the entire city to take pictures. Then we went to San Marco to walk around and look at all the shops. Did the same in the Rialto market. Lauren bought a painting that we are shipping back. It was a simple and nice visit.
5. Sunset Gondola Ride
Maybe just as funny as Lauren being a fugitive of Paris was Lauren getting seasick from a Gondola ride. Well, probably not as funny because there isn't anything more to the story, but it was noteworthy nonetheless. (And she wasn't "sick" sick, she just felt seasick for a while after we got off the boat).
6. Florence
We got to Florence on an train with no air-conditioning. Well, all the other cars had AC, but ours was broken. The temperature here is about 102 in the mid-afternoon, so luckily we traveled in the morning when it was only in the 90's. Anyway, besides the train ride, Florence is my favorite city simply because of the peoples hospitality. They are nice, caring, and don't try to scam you everywhere you go. We get free breakfast, pizza, and Internet. (And I am talking eggs and bacon breakfast, not the un-toasted "toast" we got in Dublin). Also, this is the only place I have seen that doesn't charge for water. Great city, and did I mention you can buy 3 bottles of wine for 10 €? They have so much wine here they practically give it away. Yesterday, we arrived and saw David by Michelangelo. I had seen tons of pictures so I didn't expect to be as blown away as I was. The statue was huge and truly amazing. I now realize that it can't be portrayed well at all in a picture. With other artwork, you can get the main idea by looking it up online, not this.
7. Today
We woke up ate breakfast and went on a walking tour of the City. After the tour was over we ate lunch and went to see the Duomo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral - Wikipedia. Tonight we are going to see the Uffizi. It's a very famous museum in Florence.
8. Pictures
Here are some pictures. The quality is poor but it's the best we could do with a phone camera. We also can't get pictures of us together with the camera phone, but we have plenty on the regular camera.
This is Lauren on a "dock" in Venice.
This is me in the same spot.
Lauren in front of the Eiffel Tower.
This is the name of the trashcan in Venice. Yay Lizzie!
Lauren going up on the London Eye. Big Ben in the background!!
Lauren & Harrison
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Le dernier jour à Paris
Good Morning.
I forgot to add one thing to the last post with the bright orange hot dog. When our waiter gave us the change after our meal, he leaned in and grabbed the coins and said, "this tip for me? it is good to tip. thank you, have a nice day". I didn't say anything because it was less than I would have tipped him, but it was really weird. He literally just set the money down and then took the change before I even had a chance to grab the bills. Also, I have noticed that they have asked us what we want to eat while they hand us the menu. It makes no sense. I haven't even seen the menu!
Yesterday was a fun day. We really got back on track with the picture taking. We walked down the Champs d'Elysees to the Arc de Triumph. Then we took the metro to the Eiffel Tower. It was fun to see during the day, but it was a circus there. Good people watching... Anyway, we took a bunch of pictures and then walked to the Hotel de Invalids, which is just another site to take pictures of. It has a gold dome.
That night we went back to the Eiffel Tower to see the lights. It was pretty cool. We went up on the tower and had a great view of the city. Also, while we were up there they did the light display where the Eiffel Tower sparkles for a few minutes. I think that happens every night at 10, but I am not sure. Regardless, it was really cool and we took a video of it.
Anyway, that brings us to today. We have checked out of our hostel and are going to see the Chateau de Versailles. It's a very opulent castle, so it should be fun to see. Then we board the train for Venice!
Lauren & Harrison
I forgot to add one thing to the last post with the bright orange hot dog. When our waiter gave us the change after our meal, he leaned in and grabbed the coins and said, "this tip for me? it is good to tip. thank you, have a nice day". I didn't say anything because it was less than I would have tipped him, but it was really weird. He literally just set the money down and then took the change before I even had a chance to grab the bills. Also, I have noticed that they have asked us what we want to eat while they hand us the menu. It makes no sense. I haven't even seen the menu!
Yesterday was a fun day. We really got back on track with the picture taking. We walked down the Champs d'Elysees to the Arc de Triumph. Then we took the metro to the Eiffel Tower. It was fun to see during the day, but it was a circus there. Good people watching... Anyway, we took a bunch of pictures and then walked to the Hotel de Invalids, which is just another site to take pictures of. It has a gold dome.
That night we went back to the Eiffel Tower to see the lights. It was pretty cool. We went up on the tower and had a great view of the city. Also, while we were up there they did the light display where the Eiffel Tower sparkles for a few minutes. I think that happens every night at 10, but I am not sure. Regardless, it was really cool and we took a video of it.
Anyway, that brings us to today. We have checked out of our hostel and are going to see the Chateau de Versailles. It's a very opulent castle, so it should be fun to see. Then we board the train for Venice!
Lauren & Harrison
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