Long time, no post!
It's funny because I always think about posting on my blog but I either are a. unable to get on my computer, b. busy in the city of Copenhagen, or c. on Eurotour!!!!
For those not familiar with Rotary Europe's special lingo (which is most people, including me), Eurotour is the three week journey around Europe that exchange students can take around Europe in the last part of their exchange. Okay, my Eurotour actually only lasted 18 days, but that's almost three weeks, right? Eurotour is purely optional, but sponsored by Rotary (which means Rotary chaperones and Rotary rules still apply.) One of the nice things about Eurotour is that it starts when our fellow students start læseferie at school, or the time when they have to study and take their important gymnasium exams. We drove on a bus, in a circle route around europe; starting in Berlin and moving on to Dresden, Prague, Vienna, Lido, Venice, San Moreno, Monaco, Avignon, Paris, Brussels, and finally Amsterdam. Because there were so many days/ places, I think it'd be best do go by city// country to get the highlights. (i.e. be prepared for a LONG post filled with lots of photos and stories :) )
It's funny because I always think about posting on my blog but I either are a. unable to get on my computer, b. busy in the city of Copenhagen, or c. on Eurotour!!!!
For those not familiar with Rotary Europe's special lingo (which is most people, including me), Eurotour is the three week journey around Europe that exchange students can take around Europe in the last part of their exchange. Okay, my Eurotour actually only lasted 18 days, but that's almost three weeks, right? Eurotour is purely optional, but sponsored by Rotary (which means Rotary chaperones and Rotary rules still apply.) One of the nice things about Eurotour is that it starts when our fellow students start læseferie at school, or the time when they have to study and take their important gymnasium exams. We drove on a bus, in a circle route around europe; starting in Berlin and moving on to Dresden, Prague, Vienna, Lido, Venice, San Moreno, Monaco, Avignon, Paris, Brussels, and finally Amsterdam. Because there were so many days/ places, I think it'd be best do go by city// country to get the highlights. (i.e. be prepared for a LONG post filled with lots of photos and stories :) )
Berlin, Germany
Berlin was a fantastic city to start off Eurotour with! We spent two nights in a hostel in the center of Berlin. I thought it had a good blend of rich history but also with a modern community. Of course one of the most well known sites in Berlin would be the Berlin Wall. After the fall of the Wall, the city actually hired artists to paint murals on the remaining parts of the wall. Isn't it awesome to think that now the wall is filled with and stands for artistic expressions when it used to stand for Communism? Another place that left an impression on me was a memorial for the victims of the holocaust. It was set up as a maze with blocks varying in sizes that one had to walk to to get to the end. You couldn't see behind corners or far ahead of you. It was to represents the people of the Jewish community's fear and uncertainty of what will happen to them next in the Holocaust. We also visited Checkpoint Charlie, which was actually was funny because the "American" soldiers there posing for photos were actually Germans who must just really like good photo opportunities.
The last thing worth mentioning about Berlin would be the price of goods compared to Denmark. In Denmark, every good is taxed at least 25%, making things very expensive. This means, when us Danish exchange students got to Berlin, some went a little overboard with buying stuff because we were so excited about how cheap things were. I didn't buy many things in Berlin, but was drawn to this amazing store called "Primark" which was basically a gigantic Forever21 with better selection and better prices. So in Berlin not only did we do a lot of sightseeing, but we also did some shopping.
The last thing worth mentioning about Berlin would be the price of goods compared to Denmark. In Denmark, every good is taxed at least 25%, making things very expensive. This means, when us Danish exchange students got to Berlin, some went a little overboard with buying stuff because we were so excited about how cheap things were. I didn't buy many things in Berlin, but was drawn to this amazing store called "Primark" which was basically a gigantic Forever21 with better selection and better prices. So in Berlin not only did we do a lot of sightseeing, but we also did some shopping.
Dresden, Germany
We actually only had a couple of hours in Dresden, but I wish we had more time. It was a historically rich town and very beautiful.
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague was definitely a beautiful city. Being the only city we visited that was considered "Eastern European" and was breathtaking and busy. We stayed two nights there, but in a hostel a couple of metro stops away from the center. The center of the city was beautiful, but it was also crowded with many people. We spent one whole day, though, at the historical part of the city where there was a church, the Bohemian Palace, and many other beautiful sites. We climbed the stairs in the church tower (287 one way) to the top and got a wonderful view of the city. One of my favorite parts of Prague would be the art around the city. There were street performers, from classical violinists on the corner of the opera, to the ukulele player sitting on the steps; there were many street artists, drawing these beautiful scenes of the city on the bridge or on a lookout from the city; and there were crafters, who sold bracelets and homemade flutes. It was a city filled to the brim with all kinds of art and that was something I missed when returning.
Vienna, Austria
Austria was a nice stop along Eurotour. We spent two nights at Vienna City Hostel, where we were able to go to the city and explore the music, the palaces, the churches, and the markets. There were also many cute cafes (ex. the cafe in the picture above) where one could just sit down and enjoy coffee. Mozart also influences this city, from the Mozart-themed concert we attended to the house of his that is now a museum and we were able to visit. We also went to the palace, where we decided that "graduation" type photos were a must due to the fact that we will soon "graduate" from rotary, and we also went on a ferris wheel, that gave a beautiful view of the city but also caused me to panic as it started making weird sounds at the top and shaking a lot. Again, I wish I had more time to visit this city, there's something new to explore around every street corner.
Venice/ Lido, Italy
When I told my host sister that I was going to Italy on Eurotour, the first thing she told me is "you'll LOVE the food, and you have to try the gelato!". Italy did not disappoint. Although there was more to Italy than food (i.e. the beaches, a rich history, and Venice), I definitely spent most of the time in Italy eating. We stayed in this cute beach town called Lido. The hotel we lived in forgot to reserve enough rooms for our group, so because my friends and I were the last to receive a room assignment, we got upgraded to a two room suite with a double balcony and a view of the ocean. (definitely my favorite place we stayed at!). Our first full day in Italy was spent in Venice. We boarded a boat to go to the city. Once the first houses came in sight of the boat, I understood why everybody loves Venice. It was so beautiful and so unique. Walking around, we found out that most people just owned boats instead of cars and loved their city very much.
The next day was our half way point for the trip. Our tour leader decided to make it our "rest day" so we had a day in Lido to do whatever we want. This included an obscene amount of time at the beach, walking along streets, and eating as much gelato as we could handle. Although we didn't go sightseeing, this was one of my favorite days of the trip, probably because of the simplicity and the fact that I could enjoy a sunshine-filled day with friends.
The next day was our half way point for the trip. Our tour leader decided to make it our "rest day" so we had a day in Lido to do whatever we want. This included an obscene amount of time at the beach, walking along streets, and eating as much gelato as we could handle. Although we didn't go sightseeing, this was one of my favorite days of the trip, probably because of the simplicity and the fact that I could enjoy a sunshine-filled day with friends.
Verona, Italy and Monte Carlo, Monaco
Verona and Monaco were places that we were only given a couple of hours in (although they both deserved more.) Verona was a very beautiful Italian city, complete with a river, Juliet's balcony, many churches, and an outdoor market in the center of the city. Monaco was nice as well, but we only got two hours in the city so it's hard to write a lot about it. We did visit the famous Monte Carlo Casino, but was then turned away because we forgot that one has to be 18 to enter a casino. We also were able to take beautiful pictures of the city on the mountain, with the sea right next to it.
Paris, France
Paris, the city of food, the city of bookstores and libraries, the city of history, the city of simple elegance, and the city that I love so so much. Paris did not disappoint me, but instead every time I visit, it makes me fall in love with the city even more. We were in Paris for 3 nights, where we stayed in a hostel that was a 20 minute walk from the Notre Dame. The first full day was spent in the Louvre, eating lunch in the famous Parisian cafe style, and finally at EuroDisney where I relived my childhood.The Louvre is undoubtedly one of my favorite spots in Paris. It is filled with history and art that spans centuries. Because we had an EU student ID (perks of being an exchange student!), we got into the Louvre for free! We were even there when they had an exhibition about Islamic art and the history behind it which was quite fascinating. Disneyland, although cheesy, was quite a fun place where we went on many rollercoasters. Our first rollercoaster/ ride was the Tower of Terror. Me, being a little nervous for the ride, started "word vomiting" (i.e. saying whatever is on my mind in hope to calm myself and others around me). This means, when the very solemn attendant ushered us into a haunted library, I yelled "ooooh, I LOVE libraries!" just loud enough so the German tourists behind us also heard and laughed at me. Molly and I did learn an important lesson though at Disneyland: it's a very bad idea to consume 0,7 liters of slushie and then decide to go on the teacups. I don't think we'll be even able to look at slushies for at least a couple of months!
My favorite place in Paris was a bookstore called "Shakespeare and Co.". It is a bookstore with a unique history that sells new, used, antique, and all kinds of books. I could have spent hours in there (although I only went twice and limited myself to an hour each time). There were cats also roaming the bookstore, and an antique piano on the second floor where anyone was welcome to play. In Paris, we also visited Notre Dame (which is gorgeous, especially with the sunlight streaming through the stain glass windows), the catacombs (which, were a morbid 3 km underground - I don't plan on visiting that again!), and a place called the Kilo Shop. The Kilo Shop is a vintage shop where as the name suggests, one can buy clothes by the kilo! The concept of the shop is cool, but the clothes inside were even cooler. The days of Paris were also spent eating crepes. There were multiple nights where we just called a couple of crepes our "dinner" and had about every type/combination/style imagined. It is no joke when I say that over those three weeks, I ate my way through Europe!
My favorite place in Paris was a bookstore called "Shakespeare and Co.". It is a bookstore with a unique history that sells new, used, antique, and all kinds of books. I could have spent hours in there (although I only went twice and limited myself to an hour each time). There were cats also roaming the bookstore, and an antique piano on the second floor where anyone was welcome to play. In Paris, we also visited Notre Dame (which is gorgeous, especially with the sunlight streaming through the stain glass windows), the catacombs (which, were a morbid 3 km underground - I don't plan on visiting that again!), and a place called the Kilo Shop. The Kilo Shop is a vintage shop where as the name suggests, one can buy clothes by the kilo! The concept of the shop is cool, but the clothes inside were even cooler. The days of Paris were also spent eating crepes. There were multiple nights where we just called a couple of crepes our "dinner" and had about every type/combination/style imagined. It is no joke when I say that over those three weeks, I ate my way through Europe!
Brussels, Belgium // Amsterdam, Netherlands
Our last two stops on Eurotour: Brussels and Amsterdam! We actually only had a few hours in Brussels, but it was a few hours well spent! At the time we were there, Brussels was going through some kind of heat wave - 35 degrees Celsius! (I picked a very bad day to wear long black jeans and a jacket). We mainly walked around Brussels, tried the famous Belgian waffle (I have never had a better waffle), and tried to buy chocolate only to find out that it melts within two minutes (because it was so warm outside!).
Our last big city on the trip was Amsterdam. We actually stayed quite a bit aways from the city though (i.e. 100 kilometers), because our chaperones had a fear of finding us suddenly at 1 am in the red light district or a "coffee shop". Amsterdam was quite a beautiful city, with tall colorful houses, many canals, and very many bicycles. We were free to choose what we wanted to do for the day, and I and a few others chose to see the Anne Frank House. The Anne Frank House had a two hour wait time, but was well worth it. It had a heartbreaking effect to see the setting of her diary and learn the history behind it. One could still feel her human spirit and strength long after her death, in the words that she wrote and the ideas she had.
Our last big city on the trip was Amsterdam. We actually stayed quite a bit aways from the city though (i.e. 100 kilometers), because our chaperones had a fear of finding us suddenly at 1 am in the red light district or a "coffee shop". Amsterdam was quite a beautiful city, with tall colorful houses, many canals, and very many bicycles. We were free to choose what we wanted to do for the day, and I and a few others chose to see the Anne Frank House. The Anne Frank House had a two hour wait time, but was well worth it. It had a heartbreaking effect to see the setting of her diary and learn the history behind it. One could still feel her human spirit and strength long after her death, in the words that she wrote and the ideas she had.
Eurotour was a very long, but at the same time, very short 18 days. I fell in love with cities and cafes we stumbled into, made new friends but also new memories with old friends, and learned a lot - about Europe, history, humanity, and what it's like to not sleep for 18 days. I'm sorry for such a long post, but with only 14 days left of my exchange, there won't be many more long posts! Hopefully I'll keep you updated!
Vil skrive snart,
Sophie
Vil skrive snart,
Sophie