Barcelona! May 19!

Krakow Day 2 and Schindler's Factory

We were super lucky with the weather on our second day in Krakow. It was so beautiful!  We left the hotel at 9 am and headed on the bus into the city back to Old Town where we had been the night before.

Krakow, Poland! First night

We arrived in Krakow, the second largest city in Poland and one of the oldest. Our hotel was a bit further from the city centre so we were driven to the castle.

Barcelona!!! May 18...

I left sunny Liverpool on March 18th at 1:35 pm and flew to sunny Barcelona, Spain to meet with my buddy Jess to enjoy our two week adventure in Spain.

Whats in my bag?

Here's a lovely flattering shot of me packing for my trip.  All the important stuff going on here.  So what exactly went into my bag?

Let's find out.

The highlights of my Topdeck Tour

Hostel: Plus Berlin. The hostel was in a very large old building but the hostel was very well done. There was a very large internal courtyard and we had a great time playing ping pong.  On the third floor there was a very large hang out room but whenever I went in there it was quite empty and peaceful.

Country: Italy! I would have to say Italy because I spent the most time in it but it is truly beautiful with the Alps, lakes, canals, etc.

Moment: Bicycling through Amsterdam. Cruising the canals in Venice in a gondola. Enjoying the snow in Slovakia.

Books read: Harry Potter 1, 2 and 3. I was Doctor Mengel's Assistant.

Purchase: Tapir stuffed animal from the Prague Zoo. Never thought I would be able to have a stuffed Tapir.

Optional: The canal cruise in Amsterdam is tied with the canal cruise in Venice. The Amsterdam cruise was on a larger boat, had an open bar and allowed me to see a different side to Amsterdam then I would have if I had stayed on dry land. The cruise in Venice was just beautiful. Sliding through the water in our gondola amongst the buildings was something I won't forget.

Museum: Mucha Museum in Prague. I first discovered this artist in Powell River when I found a wall plaque in one of the stores with one of his works on it. I have been a fan of his art nouveau work ever since. It always makes me think of Stephanie.

Food: Before my trip it was the pizza I got from the bakery in Milan. On the trip I would have to say it was the stuffed cabbage rolls in Budapest. The seven different kinds of perogies in Krakow were also so so good.

Drink: Chili Hot Chocolate in Krakow, Poland.

Gelato flavour: Lemon! I always enjoy a good tart flavour. Second best was Lion bar flavour I had in Rome.

City that surprised me the most:  Budapest! I had no idea how much I would enjoy it. I knew nothing about it except that it was in Hungary and was formed by two cities Buda and Pest. I came away from it, wanting to return and it being a highlight of my trip. If you're reading this, put Budapest on your list of cities to check out.

City I would return to right away if I could: Amsterdam! I enjoyed all the cities we went to but I really felt I wanted more time in Amsterdam and was not ready to leave it. Hoping to get back ASAP.

Best zoo: Budapest won me by the closeness I got to the animals. I hate not being able to see the animals in exhibits or if the animal is too far away. I really enjoyed going in the early morning when it opened so it was not too crowded and gave me a lot of time to enjoy the animals. The only negative thing I had to say about the zoo was how the Tapir was hiding!

If you have any questions you would like answered. Let me know and I'll add them.

Venice

I've been to some new places.

It's been more than a month since I've left Canada and I am going to fill the gap of my blog and post one photo from every country I have visited since I left Canada.

“You don’t need to explain your dreams. They belong to you.”

-Paulo Coehlo

My first trip to Europe

It seems like ages ago and I guess in a way it was. The very first time I travelled to Europe was in my senior year of high school in 2008. It was supposed to be an Art and History trip. I just wanted to go to Europe but this trip only served as a small taste of Europe and of travel that left me wanting more.

This trip was the very first time I had been outside of Canada. We drove from Powell River, stayed the night in Vancouver before flying to London. It was all a very quick run around.