Last week I got back from our Fall Break; we had ten days to travel and I spent mine in Germany and the Czech Republic. My very best friend, Heather, has been backpacking through Europe so after spending some time in Italy together we packed our bags and headed to Munich. I boarded a bus to the Pisa airport at 3:30 in the morning, got on a flight to Memmingen, took a taxi to the Memmingen train station, and two trains to get to Munich, but I finally made it! Heather met me there after her overnight train to Munich because she has a EuRail Pass and I don't. We spent about a day and a half in Munich; exploring the city and the gorgeous English Gardens. We ate pretzel after pretzel, and even went to our very first beer garden. The hostel we stayed at was also quite fun. We shared our room with eight other Swiss students who were hilarious- we even went out to dinner with two of them and I got to practice my French (which is actually a lot better than I thought it would be)! The only downside was when they came back to the hostel at 5:30 in the morning after a night of drinking and clubbing, turned on the lights, and started throwing a tennis ball at one of the metal lockers in the room. I guess that's just the risk you take when staying at a hostel; and as our Swiss friends love to say, "No risk, no fun!"
The English Gardens
Then, we hopped on a train and headed to Stuttgart to stay with some family friends of Heather's. We had such a relaxing time being with a family, eating good food, and playing with some of the sweetest dogs! Although Stuttgart isn't the liveliest of towns, it was gorgeous. The leaves were all changing and we lucked out with wonderful weather; it finally felt like Fall! It was a much needed break from all the hustle and bustle of a city.
The gorgeous church right by the house we stayed at in Stuttgart
Then, we geared up after our relaxation time and made our way to Prague! Sidenote: always double check to make sure you've gotten on the right train- it doesn't hurt to ask. Heather and I were at the right platform for our train to Nurembug, where we would catch our bus to Prague. However, there were two trains at that platform and unless the sweet lady in our car hadn't asked me where we were trying to go, we would have ended up nowhere near where we were trying to go. But, luck, God, and sweet old ladies were on our side that day so we quickly exited the train and ran down to the right one and eventually made it to Prague! There, we were met by one of my roommates from Florence, Cat, and our very very close friend from home, Sarah! The four of us had such a wonderful time exploring the city, the Prague Castle, and enjoying some hot wine along the way. Even our hostel in Prague was amazing! It was clean, adorable, had the most amazing shower ever in the history of hostels I'm sure, and served delicious breakfast! But enough on the hostel, let's talk about the city. Prague is simply breathtaking; the architecture is beautiful. My favorite was the Castle. I fell in love with all of the gothic architecture in both Germany and Prague, but the Castle was by far the most magnificent. I can't even describe how incredible it was and although pictures don't even do it justice, I will just have to put some up so you can try and understand.
The four of us in front of the Castle
I loved the gargoyles!
Unfortunately our time in Prague had to come to and end so I boarded a bus and headed home to Florence. And, when I reached Florence 18 hours later, I could not have been more relieved. That's right, 18 hours on a bus with people who ONLY spoke Czech, not knowing where I was or when I would get to Florence. Oh, and to add to it the man in front of me had the worst B.O. ever and kept his seat pushed back the whole way. Let's just say that's the last time I buy a ticket anywhere that doesn't have an arrival time on it. It was quite the experience!
It is wonderful to be back in Italy; I still absolutely love it here and am already getting sad that I'll be leaving in a little less than a month! Life here is so much fun; I've even been singing at a pub here called The Lion's Fountain! There's a couple Americans that play there once a week together and I've had the opportunity to sing a bit with them, which has been a blast. Last time I even got to perform one of my own songs for the very first time, which was a dream come true. I will never forget that experience for as long as I live. And it was made even better by my wonderful friends who came out to support me and cheer me on!
The walls of the pub are covered with writing so my wonderful fans left their mark for me!
My lovely fans!
This weekend we head to Rome which I am definitely looking forward to. I've only been once and it was a very long time ago so it will be interesting to see how my view on the city has changed as I've gotten older. That city houses so much history, especially that which is such an important part of the Christian faith. I'm extremely excited to see it all again with my new eyes as a much more mature woman of faith.
I will definitely be posting again after the trip, but until then....Ciao!
"Roam where you want to, roam around the world." The B-52's
