A little piece of heaven.....

Let me start by saying that I am sorry for the delay on these post however everywhere I have been so far in Italy has not had decent internet.  On one hand it was really nice to be able to completely disconnect....on the other hand it made planning and blogging quite difficult.  I am back in the world of technology now and will try and catch you up to speed with the travels in the next couple of posts.

Both Kelsey and I had been told by numerous people that we needed to get to Cinque Terre if at all possible so we decided to take the advice of our friends and traveled in to the lovely costal villages.  We booked a room in a town called Vernazza.  It is the 4th of the 5

Harbor in Vernazza

 villages.  Now these are remote little villages that have maintained the old world feel...that means no lifts and a ton of stairs.  I was just praying that I didn't have to carry my suitcase up or down hundreds of stairs to get to our place.  When we got out of the train we were still in a tunnel because only a couple of the train cars can fit at the station.  We rolled our suitcases to the stairs into town...score only about 25 and it's downhill!  Upon entering the town it was a bit like going back in time.  Skinny cobble streets where cars are not allowed, colorful buildings built into the side of hills, and tons of people milling about in the streets or sitting on the sidewalks eating gelato.  It was gorgeous yet so simple.  It was

View of Vernazza 

hard to believe that this town just one year ago had been through a tragic flood that destroyed quite a bit of it.  If you look it up you can see video of what happened.  They have all been working so hard to rebuild.  It felt good to be a part of the tourist economy they so greatly depend on to survive during the time they really need it.
Our time in Cinque Terre was so simple yet one of the most fulfilling spots.  Every morning we got up early and went on one of the hikes you can take between the villages.  The first day we hiked into Corniglia which is the smallest and most inland of the villages.  The hike was beautiful and gave us a view into the town we were staying in.  We also discovered our favorite restaurant tucked

Restaurant worth hiking too.

into the hillside at the end of the hike.  We had a couple of meals there.  It had such a gorgeous view and the people who owned it were so kind.  On our last night we even hiked in to eat there because the bruschetta was so amazing we had to have it one more time. Just so you know the restaurant photo was taken on our last night not after the hike....I promise we didn't follow our 3 hour hike with bottle of wine.
The second hike we did was into the town of Montorosso.  This town was the most touristy of the villages but still was quaint.  It had a lovely beach that we spent most of the day on.  The water was so clear and blue and felt just like a swimming pool.  When we finished with the day

Doesn't get much better then this.

of sun we would head back into town and either eat at a water front restaurant or just get some focaccia and wine from the local stores, sit on the rocks and enjoy the view.
I really can't explain the simplicity and beauty of this place.  It is some where you just have to go to truly grasp it.  I now understand all that those of you who have been were trying to tell me about this place.  Everyone was so friendly and you could really get the sense of the old style of local community.  All the shop keepers would stand outside and chat with each other.  As you walked you would see the guy who just sold you a bottle of wine eating a cone of gelato at the shop across the street.  They all know each other...even when we arrived we were supposed to phone the woman we were renting the room from but we couldn't get through so we popped into the shop next-door and they called her up for us.
I have fallen in love with this place and would come back in a heart beat.  We were so sad to leave this beautiful spot but grateful that we had the experience.  As we rolled our suitcases up the hill and on to the train we tried to prepare ourselves for

We will miss you Cinque Terre!

the next stop on our Italy tour which is Rome!!!

Beyond my Imagination...

I haven't had butterflies like this since I walked out and looked at Big Ben in London.  Seeing this tower in real life is beyond anything I could have prepared myself for.  So as you know we were headed to italy but we have kinda changed up or stops.  We decided to fly into Pisa since it was cheap and also thought I guess we can see the tower.  It was well worth the effort.  The photos don't even come close to capturing the magnitude of this tower and how much it really is leaning.  We arrived at the perfect time of day and got some gorgeous shots.  I am not going to write too much today but will attach a bunch of photos.  We will be heading off the grid for a few days up in the remote towns of Cinque Terre so if you can't get a hold of me it's because I am relaxing on a beach and don't have any internet....Talk to you all again in a week!  Enjoy the photos in the meantime.

Bunk beds, Beauty and Heat....

There is no green book in the photo today because I thought this quote from the John Lennon wall spoke clearly the message of this trip and all the words that are in that book support this statement.
So on with the story!  We arrived in Prague without issue, hopped on the public transport and headed to our hostel.  This place was going to be hostel life in it's truest form for us.  We did a hostel in Amsterdam but it was still a bit modern.  This was not going to be like that and we were excited.  We were staying in a place called Sir Tobys.  It was recommended to us by my friend Gracie who knows the owner Carrie.  Long story short Gracie and Carrie were friends in San Diego then Carrie got married to a german man and they

I Love Sir Toby's

opened a hostel together (super short version of the story).  As soon as we stepped inside I felt at home.  The guy, Max, behind the desk greeted us immediately and made us feel welcome.  His sarcastic humor made me feel at home too.  He asked us where we were from and Kels said New Hampshire and I said San diego of course.  He then proceeded to say...my college here is from San Diego.  I asked if her name was Carrie and next thing I know he is calling to the back room telling Carrie she needs to come out and say hello.  It was so cool to meet her.  She actually said she hasn't been working at all lately since they were moving homes and she just happened to stop in on that day.  Such a lucky coincidence.  If she didn't have a hostel there and if I wasn't friends with Gracie I probably would have never gone to Prague.  It's so funny how everything works out and how you end up in different

Bunk Beds!!!

locations.  Sir toby's was the true hostel experience.  We were in a mixed gender room with 8 other people (10 total with us).   Clearly we were on bunk beds as you can see from the photo.  Both of us got top bunks and let me tell you it was quite an experience.  The first night there were 7 guys and just 3 girls.  That is a lot of dude in one room....Especially after they all went on the pub crawl.  I have some stories that will be told upon my return.  For now just contemplate shaky metal bunk beds and drunk guys trying to get into the lower bunk.
This hostel was fantastic from the moment I stepped inside.  It felt like I was in my old apartment with all the eclectic vintage furniture.  Everyone that worked there was so kind and helpful.  The pub downstairs was great and there was a lovely back garden that we spent evenings in just hanging out and relaxing.  We made some good friends and had some good times....You should all take a trip and stay at sir Toby's.  We did also see the

Astronomical Clock 

city of Prague which is stunning.  There is so much history in this city it is tough to take it all in but we did the best we could.  One of the main things I wanted to see was the Astronomical clock.  On the hours the 12 apostles come out of the 2 windows and do a little dance then the rooster crows.  Everyone downplays these things and says they should be more exciting and do more things but come on....this clock was made hundreds of years ago.  Considering that I think the fact that they move and dance and make noise is pretty good.  It was really impressive to me and such a beautiful piece of architecture and mechanics.  We got to see this clock go off just before we joined our walking tour on our first day.  The same group that did the tour in Munich did a tour in Prague so we decided to take it.  I am pretty sure we got the most exciting and enthusiastic tour guide in the company.  He was from Prague which was cool because his heritage was wrapped up in all the history he was telling us about and that gave a very different perspective then if we would have had someone of another nationality.  He took us on a great tour of the city and we learned a ton and stopped at all sorts of beautiful spots along the way.   I can't even start to go into all

Buildings in Prague

 the details but I will try and give you an overview.   We walked through the old town square, the new town area where we learned a lot about the rise and fall of communism in the Czech Republic.  This is something both Kels and I had of course heard about in school and also on the news while it was happening so it was really interesting to be there and see the spots where major events took place and also go through the Museum of Communism that laid the whole thing out for us like a time line.  Both of us really want to go back and re look at the course of history and refresh our minds about these events now that we have been there. At the end of the tour we walked through the Jewish Quarter then down towards the water and the bridge that would lead us to the castle.

Prague Castle Cathedral

   The Prague castle is the largest medieval castle in europe and our main event for the day.  Now let me just tell you that we have chosen one of the hottest days of the year so far to head up to this castle that is set high up on the hill in Prague.  As we were leaving for the day Max said "don't walk around to much out side today"  Ya we didn't listen.  We headed into town and walked through a museum in the morning and then headed to the castle in the afternoon.  We thought we had waited long enough and it was cooler but we were wrong.  We were literally melting as we took all the steps up to the castle.  All that to say it was worth it when we got to the top.  The

View From Prague Castle

cathedral inside the castle walls was stunning.  The light was beautiful inside casting rainbows from the stain glass windows on to the columns.  I have had moments where I think ok...here we go into another cathedral or castle....how can it really be that different but there is always some part of each one that strikes me in a different way then that last.   There also was a stunning view of the city from the castle gardens.  The gardens also provided us with a surprise cool down.  We sat down on a bench to relax and just read for a bit and suddenly the sprinklers turned on and showered us.....we weren't complaining!

Lennon Wall

One other spot in Prague that is really quite moving to think about what it meant and still means is the John Lennon Wall.  This spot started out as a place of people to express themselves during the communism fight and has just continued on as a place for people to still express what they think or believe.  It changes daily as new stuff is added. There were so many wonderful quotes and pictures on this huge wall.  To many to share in one post but really a great moving place to just spend time and read and think about how many people have left their mark on this wall and how many more will still continue to do so over the years.

Love...throw away the key

Just outside of the Lennon wall was the Love Lock bridge.  No European city is complete with out it's love lock bridge.  For those of you who don't know this is where you and the one you love can come and lock a pad lock on the bridge then throw the key into the river to signify your undying love to each other.  Such a romantic gesture....however in Prague unfortunately the bridge is so small that the locks have to be cut off yearly.  It is really cool to see though.
All that to say Prague is an amazing city.  I am grateful that we spent a few days there instead of just passing through quickly.  We made some great friends at the hostel and just enjoyed our time.  Our last evening we just spent in the garden at Sir Toby's reading, planning our next bits of travel and chatting with Max.  It was the best way to end our time and prepare for the next part of our adventure.
Get Ready Italy....Here we come!


 

Just keep moving...Munich

As the title states....we just kept moving in Munich.  We literally figured out the living situation for Munich the night before we were set to arrive there.  In theory staying 3 nights in 3 different spots sounded fine.  In reality it was a bit tougher then we expected.  This could not put a damper on the beauty we discovered in this city.  We arrived at the train station and figured out the transpiration to our hotel with out too much trouble.  We even managed to book our next travel ticket while we were there...trying to plan ahead a bit and save a bit of money.  We are learning a lot a long the way for sure.  We checked into our hotel called B&B which is a great inexpensive hotel chain over here in Europe. We have stayed in a couple and  I

Just hanging out in Munich

recommend it highly!  We were starving after our long travel day so we caught the u-bhan (underground) back into town to find dinner.  I am super happy to be back in a city where there is great public transportation.  It is so easy and convenient once you get the hang of it.  It has been bit tricky at the start and each city is different so there is always a learning curve but all well worth the end result of not having to drive a car and being able to get just about anywhere.   When we stepped out of the underground station and started walking we were surprised by beautiful gems around every corner.  The buildings were gorgeous and I am not exaggerating when I say there was something new and beautiful on every block.  We had a bit of whiplash as we looked around and kept saying " hey look at this one...No wait look over there".  We had to wander a bit to find a reasonably priced cafe to eat at.  Munich is probably the most expensive city we have been in so far.  Our search was worth it because it lead us to the Marieplatz...one of the main centers of town and we had dinner under the Glockenspiel.  After dinner we did some window shopping where we found some pretty fantastic fashion.

German inspired fashion

 There were some amazing authentic German clothing and also tons of other gorgeous german brands I had never heard of.  I am a huge fan of the Dirndl and Lederhosen.  I will definitely be making my oun when I get home.....I see an Ocktoberfest in my near future.
The next morning we woke up to some unfortunate rainy weather.  We have been so lucky with the sun in Germany so far we weren't ready for this.  The worst part about it was that we had to move to our next living location that day which required walking from the hotel all the way to the underground stop.  I was definitely a sight carrying my suitcase (which by the way now has a broken wheel...I have the worst luck with suitcases) by shoulder bag and an umbrella.  It was not starting the day off well.  We locked our luggage up for the day at the train station and headed into the city to try and salvage the rest of the day.  We basically did a bit more wandering around the town, grabbed a bite to eat at a lovely garden cafe then had to head back to the station to get our luggage to head out of town a bit to our home for the night.  Tonights home is a perfect example of how all sorts of people come out of the woodwork to help you out when you are traveling.  Our host for the evening were the parents of a photographer (Michael Spengler) Kelsey and I got to  know during our time working at Infantino.  They graciously offered us a room for the night and it was so nice.  We had a lovely chat with them over dinner and got some much needed sleep....not to mention some great stories about Michael growing up.  They also were able to give us some good info for our

Haufbrau House

next day.
The next morning we got up a bit earlier then normal and went into the center of town for a free walking tour of the city.  This tour was much more then we expected but really great.  It was 3 hours of walking and really detailed history of the town.  We learned a lot about some of the buildings we had walked by the day before and also saw many new ones.  One highlight of the tour was seeing the Haufbrau house.  This is one of the oldest brew houses in Munich.  We learned that many famous people have held events in the event hall over the years including Hitler.  Another fun did bit is that original brew masters were women.  Kinda cool right ladies....maybe we should all look into that as our next career.

High ceilings and teardrops

We also stopped at church that had 2 large towers out front.  Like most things in Munich the majority of the church had been bombed and destroyed in the war.  The unique thing about this church is that the 2 large towers out front were left intact.  This was because during those days they used major land marks to determine where to bomb a city.  If those land marks were destroyed there would be no way for them to know where the city was.  It really is so unfortunate that nothing really in the majority of the German cities is original.  Some of the buildings that we looked at that are the historic buildings of the town are actually newer then some of the local cafes.  The great part is that all the buildings have been restored beautifully.  There has been a true labor of love by the city of Munich to take all measures needed to make sure everything is restored accurately.  Multiple photos were taken of all aspects of each building before the war and those have been used to restore everything.  So, even though it isn't original it is a completely accurate representation of the building.  In this particular building I was drawn in by the

Is it real or just a facade?

  intricate details on the incredibly high ceilings.  Also the tear drop shaped chandeliers were so unique.  I had never seen any quite like them.
Another little thing that the city of Munich does is when there is construction happening on a building they cover the outside of the building with a facade of what the building should look like.  We were cracking up when we first realized what was going on.  I must say that it really does do a lot for the eye appeal of the city.  Scaffolding can be so harsh and just make a city look dirty and rough.  I am assuming since they take so much time when they are restoring a building these facades are necessary otherwise a building would look pretty bad for quite some time.
Behind the facade building you see in this photo are some lovely courtyards and walking paths.  They are filled with flowers and fountains and lots of people out enjoying the lovely sunny days.  We strolled through them for a bit before we had to head back to the Spenglers home to get our luggage and move on to our next location.

Courtyard Garden

   Oh yes...moving again!  Our final stop was with Ulli, a friend of the family I had been living with in Palma de Mallorca.  He picked us up and we headed out to a beer garden inside the English Garden.  The spot was beautiful.  We sat and ate dinner right on the lake as the sun was setting.  Such a great last spot to be on our German tour.  After dinner we took a stroll around the lake then headed home for the night.
The next morning we were given a lovely send off with  bavarian pretzels and sausages.  I must say we have become slightly obsessed with them....the pretzels that is....they are nothing like our big soft pretzels.  They are crunchy on the outside like a pretzel should be then so soft on the inside.  As I leave Germany I am sure I will go through withdrawals over the pretzels and smoked beer. I am getting off topic though...so we were leaving...we were dropped off at the tram station and looking at our time we were cutting it really close to make our bus.  Also we weren't exactly sure where we were meeting the bus.  Let's just say there was a bit of panic happening.  We were literally running through the station with our suitcases behind us (don't forget I have a bum wheel on mine) After one wrong location and a detour to the information desk we made it to our bus with a few moments to spare.  I was quite impressed with our ability to run read signs and figure it out.
We boarded the bus and settled in for a 5hour bus ride that will lead us to Prague.....and the adventure continues!
 

Road Trip through Germany....

ROADTRIP....Germany style.  We all piled in the Jetta (which side note looks exactly like my old Jetta.  It must be her German cousin) and headed out on our first german road trip.  The plan was to hit 4 towns in 3 days.  Talk about fast and furious...here we go.  First stop was not to far outside of the village Allan lives in and was in the wine country.  The drive there was all on small back roads through villages.  The scenery was really nice.  We arrived in the parking area of the town near a huge wine barrel that also was a restaurant.  There were small village streets near it that we wandered through then we walked back into the vineyards.  It was pretty hot so we didn't spend to much time back there but it was fun to see and actually walk around through the rows of vines.  Since we walked

Wine Country

through the vines and saw the actual grapes that created the wine we felt it was only right for us to go and do a tasting at the winery.  We sat in a little quaint tasting room at a little table and were given tastings of all the different wines they had.  We enjoyed the wines so much we left with a couple of bottles.
On to the next stop on the trip....we drove about another 45 minutes or so to a little town called Heidelberg.  In this town our first stop was the castle.  It is way up on a hill above the town (as most good castles are) so we took the tram up and wandered the grounds.  The unfortunate thing about so many of the castles is that they have been destroyed quite a bit.  This one was pretty good but there was still a lot to be left to the imagination.

Heidelberg Castle

 Even though there were a lot of parts missing it was still very impressive.  The fact that most of its walls were still standing and the interior courtyard was pretty well maintained made it lovely to walk around and look at.  It is hard to really grasp the thought that this building was built to protect the town.  In it's prime it was probably bustling with people and events.  Even in it's slightly destroyed state events are still being help there.  There was actually a wedding happening while we were there.  The locations of these castles always provide a beautiful city view.  Once we had our fill of the castle we walked down into town to have dinner before continuing on our drive.

Nuremberg city view

Next stop was Nuremberg.  Our time in this town was definitely quick and full of tons of history and information.  My little brain was exhausted from taking it all in.  We started out with a walk up the steep hill through town up to the castle.  Along the way we stopped in the large square and viewed the cathedral and checked out the fruit and veggie stands.  Also in this square was a statue with a brass ring hanging off of it.  Apparently if you spin the ring and make a wish it will come true....I spun the ring so we shall see if it works.  Once we arrived at the castle the view of the city was really beautiful.  I love how all the buildings are relatively low in comparison to our modern sky scrapers.  All the buildings are so uniques too.  No two are ever alike.  Such character.

Stripes and flowers

Inside the castle there also were all these cute painted doors with old huge hinged locks and handles.  Each door was surrounded by greens and colored flowers.  Sometimes I do wonder if I am walking around in some sort of children's fable or fairytale.  In contrast to the fairytale feeling there was also so much horrible history that took place here.  Walking around this town now it is hard to think that Hitler also walked these streets and held his rallies here in these squares.  We went to the museum in Nuremberg that gave the full history of this time period.  It was quite overwhelming being in a location where it all happened.  The museum is actually in one of the buildings Hitler had built.  Just the thought that these building were made by stones that were cut in labor camps where innocent people were dying was almost too much to take in.  We left the museum feeling drained but I feel it is so important to really learn about what we have been through and experience all the emotion that goes with it.

Floating town hall in Bamberg

Waving farewell to Nuremberg we head down the road to Bamberg.  Allan was stationed here for a while and he loves the town so he was very excited about sharing it with us.  We arrived and booked a little hotel right in the heart of town.  It was an adorable B&B type place and the location was perfect to walk anywhere we wanted in town.  We basically just walked the streets a bit and the found a spot for dinner.  This meal was where I fell in love with the "smoked beer"  It is the best beer I have ever had in my life.  So smooth, so smokey and not bitter at all.  I also had my first schnitzel which is also a tasty treat.  That night also began my pre-birthday celebration.  It was a fun night.  I did have happy birthday sang to me in German...don't worry there is video!
The next day was filled with castles and cathedrals.  We also did a bit of shopping in the town.  The original plan was to head to a beer fest in another town but Kels and I loved Bamberg so much we

Happy Birthday to me!

decided to stay.  
I could not have asked for a better place to celebrate my birthday!
Smoked beer, good friends, and in Europe!
The next portion of Germany starts tomorrow in Munich.

The beginning of Germany.....

The Germany chapter has officially begun!  We arrived safely and with out any issues into Koln.  I have to say downsizing my suitcase has made a huge difference.  I can actually carry it upstairs with out feeling like I am going to fall over if I don't keep the exact right balance.  Kelseys friend, Allan, who was picking us up got stuck in some traffic and was going to be a bit late so we just locked up or luggage in theses crazy metal luggage transportation devices that we hopped would give us our luggage back when we wanted it, and walked outside and into the city.  Just as you step out and look to your left there is the tallest cathedral I have ever seen.  Apparently it actually is the second tallest in Europe but only by about a meter.  It was a breathtaking sight.  Looking up to see the top you literally felt as if you might fall over backwards.  We took a little wander around the

Koln Cathedral

outside.  There was so much detail on every inch of it.  Every tall spire had some sort of engraved design and all the gargoyles sticking off every corner were unique and different then the others.  It was quite an impressive sight.  I also was amazed to find out that when this city was boomed during the war the city was mostly destroyed however this building was not touched. It only suffered very minimum damage to the back side.  Not sure if that was strategic bombing of just sheer luck but whatever it was I am thankful I got to see it still standing in it's original spot and not the rebuilt version which seems to happen so much in these cities where the war was near or in.

Kelsey and Allan at Koln fest

 Just as we finished our little walk Allan arrived.  So, Allan is one of Kelsey's friends from back in high school.  He is stationed out here in Germany and has so graciously offered to be our tour guide and travel buddy for the first part of Germany.  He has been out here in different parts of Germany for the past few years and knows where to take us.  We are quite grateful for this since we are really just flying by the seat of our pants on this trip with very little planning.  After we said our hellos we headed over to a little fest that the town was having.  Along the way we alkyd through the winding streets of old town past all sorts of cute little buildings containing brew houses and shops.  Everything is so adorable.

Wine Country

We enjoyed our first beer in Germany in the gorgeous sunshine at the summer fest.  Apparently all summer towns have these little tests with rides, food and beer.  I suppose they are kinda like out star fairs but so much better.  They don't feel as cheesy and no one is trying to sell you the "As seen on TV" crap products.  After we had our fill of the fest Allan drove us through wine country where we stopped and had dinner at a local restaurant just below a fairy tale like castle.  Kels and I truly felt like it was a fairytale.  The sun was at that magical place in the sky where it is painting the hillsides with it's warm light.  The temperature was just perfect and we were sipping on a lowly local wine.  Sometimes I still have to remind myself that I am not dreaming and this really is still my life right now.

Lovely day...perfect light.

After dinner we made the drive back to Allan's little village and crashed out for the night is the most comfortable bed ever!  It was like sleeping on a cloud.  Heavenly after the last 5 nights on the final covered mattresses of the hostel bunk beds.  The next day Allan had to pull a 24 hour shift so we were on our own for eh most part.  He dropped us off in the neighboring town which happened to be Kaiserslautern.  Funny story about this town is it is where I spent over a month when I was 16.  Not a place I ever thought I would be back in but really happy to have made it back.  We had no map (remember they are for sissies) and just started walking.  We ended up in the old town area where there was plenty going on.  There were street performers, bands, and a bunch of theater people since there was a theater fest happening.  We decided to grab lunch so we slid into a street side table in a local brew house and ordered some sausages and beer.  Now I told you there was a theater fest going on right....well there were also quite a few funny little actor type characters roaming around doing little shows.  We kinda ended up in the middle of one......
The story of Kelsey and the lost beer..........

Bed Man rolling up

As we are drinking our beer a man rolls up in his bed.  He stops in from of our table and gets out of bed.  The next thing I know he is reaching for my beer...Uh I don't think so buddy....I snatch it away and am holding it death grip style to my chest.  He then goes for Kelsey's and they reach it at the same time.  There was a struggle but Kels eventually let's go thinking " He's not really going to do anything."
She was wrong.....

Bed Man Drinking Kelsey's beer

Bed Man chugged that beer and drank all she had left in it in one go! We were dying laughing.  Everyone around us was laughing and also kinda in shock.  I don't think any of us really thought he was going to drink it but alas he did.
Once he drank the beer he set it down then hopped back in his bed to move on.  While he was climbing back into bed the waiter brought Kels a fresh beer.  When the Bed Man noticed his eyes lit up and he opened up the covers next to him and patted the bed inviting Kels in.  She just snatched up her beer death grip style and shook her head.
PS I still had a death grip on mine too.

After that he rolled his little bed away and we just laughed and said yes....that really did just happen.

New Beer

We settleed in with our new beers and finished our lunch in peace.  No more Bed Men to deal with.

K-Town fountain

We finished our walk around K-town at a lovely fountain.  The fountain was also near som roman ruins which were being used partially as high school kids hang out and skate park.  Also near this fountain was lovely artistic display of colorful fish.  Apparently the fish is the symbol of the town.  Maybe the fish are good luck...

Are you my prince?

I have been told you gotta kiss a lot of frogs before you meet your prince.  Well I am giving the kissing a fish thing a try since the frogs aren't working......I'll keep you posted.





Today were are heading out for our road trip through Germany.  We will be stopping in Nuremberg, Bamberg and Munich.  Should be a good time of beer and German culture.  I will also be turing another year older along the way!

Parting is such sweet sorrow.....

Oh Amsterdam...even thinking about leaving here makes me sad.  At least we had some great stuff planned for the final day and a half.  We had breakfast in the cafeteria at the hostel...dorm style...then hopped the train to Central Station to by our train ticket to or first stop in Germany which is Koln.  Kelsey did her first foreign language ticket machine purchase successfully..which let me tell you is kinda nerve racking when you are doing it the first time but it's kind of a right of passage into international travel.  With our departure tickets in hand we set out on our last day of exploring this fantastic city.  First stop....shops!  We had seen quite a few fun little shops on our walks and just had not really had the time to stop so that was the morning plan.  Lots of fun and quirky design shops with dutch designed goods were where we ended up.  No major purchases were made but great

Front entrance to NEMO

inspiration.  

Second stop...NEMO!  Sorry guys I don't mean to burst your bubble but I did not go and see the cute little cartoon fish.  On the recommendation of Kelsey's friend who recently moved to Amsterdam we walked over to the NEMO museum. It is basically a children's science museum.  The building is beautiful, right on the water and is shaped like the front end of a boat.  If you walk up tons of really big stairs it takes you up to the rooftop of the building.  There on the rooftop they have created a little beach type atmosphere.  There were water fall type creations running through the center that kids could get in.  Up near the very top there were these kiddy pools with water just pouring out of all sorts of different pipes that the kids could control with wheels.  It was basically like a mini water park, minus the slides.  Lounge chairs that put you at just the right angle and height lined the edges of the waterfalls...this is where we sat and didn't move for quite a bit.  We were so lucky to have such a gorgeous day....I don't think I mentioned before that we had a ton of rain the first day we were here.  I'm 

Rain Rain Go Away......

not talking just a little shower I am talking marble size water drops pelting from the sky.  Luckily Kels had a rain coat I however had left all my rain gear in London to gather on my return home so I was without a jacket or umbrella.  After suffering through this rain all week and getting soaked we were very happy to get some lovely weather and sunshine for a bit.

Here comes the sun!

of course we celebrated the sun with a beer in a street side cafe.

Ok, back to NEMO.  We basically relaxed on the rooftop then headed back to the hostel.  We packed up our suitcases so we didn't have to make a bunch of noise and wake up our 4 other roommates in the morning then got ready for our evening event.

Boom Chicago!  (Yes I know my name is spelled wrong)

Kelsey's friend Marcy recently moved to Amsterdam to be a part of a comedy show here called Boom Chicago.  She was able to get us some discounted tickets so we could come to the show.  I was so excited about this event I could hardly contain myself.  I have really gotten into going to improv comedy shows over the last year thanks to my brother and sister-in-law taking me to Upright Citizens Brigade in LA (if you have never been go!  It is worth the drive to LA).  This show was right up my ally since it was based on branding in our society.  The show was beyond funny!  I love improv because you really feel like you are a part of the show.  We had to fill out papers before the show started for different parts of the act.  One of the papers was asking about any tattoos you have and you had to draw a picture and everything.....well....I did that and mine was chosen.  The skit was totally funny talking about how we brand our selves and why.  Kinda fun being a part of the show!  There is video of it to which can possibly be viewed upon request.  This was the best way we could have ended our time in Amsterdam.  I am very excited about he next part of the trip but really loved being here.  

I will leave you with the little motto that Kels and I lived by in Amsterdam and some photos to go along with it:

In Amsterdam, don't get hit by....

                                                         BIKES!

There are so many intense bike riders the entire city has it's own lanes for the bikes and I promise if you step in front of them they will hit you and not feel bad about it.

PIGEONS!

They are everywhere and have no fear.  They will dive bomb your head or take a sandwich right out of your hand.  I have seen it happen!  Look at this poor little kid in the purple shirt!

TRAMS!

As you can see Kelsey has left a sufficient amount of space between her and the tram.  Many waiting areas for the trams are tiny and will take out a purse off your arm if you are standing at an improper angle.  Also all forms of transportation (tram, busses, taxis and cars) seem to share the same area so you gotta really check before you cross.

CROOKED BUILDINGS!

I just swear one is going to fall over then the whole town will go down like dominos.

As I leave this town I refuse to say good bye and instead will say see you later because there is no way I could stay away from this place too long.  We will be hopping a train to Koln and starting our Germany adventure next.....stay tuned for the next part of this fast and furious month!