Tag: Europe

• Luxembourg City

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on May 9, 2019

  Most of my travels while living in Germany have been solo because I enjoy traveling alone, and because it can be hard to plan a trip with another person here. It isn’t a guarantee that all parties interested will get the time off approved, so it’s best to take advantage of time off when it happens. Often that means traveling solo.

  

  Solo travelers meet other solo travelers.

  Despite my solo preference, I requested some time off for a trip to Norway with one of the girls I arrived in Germany with. When we received our approvals, we realized our days were staggered and the overlap only gave us four days off together. We then realized four days in Norway is not enough time, so it was back to the drawing board.

  

  After throwing around a few other possible places to visit, we decided to play travel roulette and book a Lufthansa Surprise. The way this works is you first choose from a handful of categories consisting of: Go East, Arts & Sights, The Great Outdoors, Follow the Sun, Go With the Bro, Urban Adventures, Party On, For the Lovers, and Shoes and Shops.

  I’ll give you one guess which category I chose.

  

  Each category then has subcategories consisting of 7-9 countries that you could possibly go to, as well as a price attached to it. The price starts at a flat rate ranging from 69-99 euro for a round trip plane ticket, and the price goes up by 5 euro for each subcategory country that you deselect. The idea is that the more flexible you are for where they might send you, the cheaper your flight will be.

  The Lufthansa Surprise only works for travel to and from two airports – Munich and Frankfurt. 

  

  Once you’ve chosen your category, and deselected any subcategories that you reallllyy don’t want to visit – you book your ticket. The kicker is you don’t find out where you are being sent until after you pay – hence the surprise. We chose the category The Great Outdoors which consisted of: Copenhagen, Gdansk, Gothenburg, Larnaca, Luxembourg, Oslo, and Stockholm.

  We deselected Gdansk and Larnaka because she didn’t want to go to Poland, and I didn’t want to go to the beach.

  

  We would have been content with any of the other locations, but our last choice was Luxembourg. Luxembourg is a small country that is sandwiched between Germany, France, and Belgium. It’s not a big tourist destination, and I honestly knew nothing about it. After a snap, crackle, and pop the computer screen showed us we were being sent to……Luxembourg! HA.

  Initially I was indifferent about this destination, but after spending a couple days in Luxembourg City I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it is. It’s small, and you don’t need much more than two days there (we also spent some time in France, which will be my next post) but I am so glad that I was able to visit this city. I would have never gone to Luxembourg had it not been for the Lufthansa surprise.

  Most activities in the city are free, the bus system is fantastic (4 euro gets you a pass for all public transportation for the entire day), and the city was SO GREEN.

  

  

  

  

  The city is very walkable, and while there aren’t any huge tourist attractions I loved the parks that are smack dab in the middle of the city. The above four photos are from the central park area where they had layers of areas to walk, a playground area, and an outdoor exercise area. I didn’t realize how much I missed the idea of a simple park until visiting Luxembourg.

  We arrived our first day in the city around 3pm, and spent a good four hours just walking around and seeing all the beauty. The only “museum” thing we did in the city was walking the Casemates du Bock, which is basically a series of tunnel forts in a cliff wall dating back to 1443.

  

  View from the Bock, peeking towards another area of the Bock – window holes.

  

  We stayed at the Luxembourg City Hostel, which was great, and one of the guys at the front desk told us to ride up the Pfaffenthal Lift, which is a glass bottom elevator giving a lift from the bottom of the city to the upper part and provides a great view. The lift is free and worth every penny.

  I also spent some time inside the Norte Dame Cathedral, listening to a mass take place in French. The language in Luxembourg is predominately French which was surprising to me. I assumed because it was close to Germany that German would be their language, alas I was wrong.

  

  The rest of day one in the city was spent wandering and seeing the beautiful architecture. We were blessed with great weather, which wasn’t the case for the majority of our trip. Day two and half of day three were spent in France, but the second half of day three and day four were spent back in Luxembourg.

  

  

  Day four was dedicated to a trip just outside of the city, north in Luxembourg to a town called Vianden. Here I had my heart set on visiting the Vianden Castle aka Chateau de Vianden. This castle is considered one of the largest and most majestic feudal manors dating from Romanesque and Gothic periods in Europe.

  

  To get to the castle we took a train to Ettelbruck, and from Ettelbruck took a bus to Vianden – all for four euro (round trip!) thanks to Luxembourg’s cheap transportation system. We spent a few hours in Vianden, admiring the 10th century castle, walking along the river, and riding on a ski lift. The ski lift took us up to a wooded area where we then walked towards the castle.

  We ended our Vianden adventure at a fancy schmancy restaurant where I had a delicious salad, and an older gentleman next to me looked at my meal and said “bon appétit” and it was legit cause he spoke French.

  

  

  Luxembourg was indeed an outdoor lover’s destination and I felt I spent the perfect amount of time there. Overall I had about two days to explore the city center and Vianden. Don’t mark this tiny country off the list just yet, it has some hidden beauty not many tourists get to see! Up next is the other half of this trip, a day and a half spent in Metz, France.

  Q: Would you ever book a Lufthansa Surprise?

  

  | 22 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Castle, Europe, Luxembourg, Vianden Castle

• Salzburg, Austria – Pt. 1

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on April 17, 2019

  Last week I was lucky enough to snag another three day weekend. If it hasn’t become obvious to those of you who regularly read my blog, I have a bit of an addiction to traveling. Sometimes I need to take it down a notch and remember to appreciate the trip I just went on before trying to jump into another one. Living in Europe makes that difficult! I decided to go to Salzburg for a couple days because it’s only about a 3.5hr train ride away.

  

  I actually ended up deciding the day of that I wanted to go, and booked my train and hostel in a matter of minutes. I had looked up options a few days prior, but didn’t pull the trigger until an hour before I was to catch the train. Sometimes last minute decisions are the best. I arrived in Salzburg around 3pm, which gave me enough daylight to get acclimated to the city for a few hours.

  

  I dedicated my first afternoon to wandering the city, and the Hohensalzburg Fortress. The Fortress was built in 1077 and is the largest fully preserved castle in Central Europe. To access the fortress you can walk up a relatively large hill, or you can ride up in a Funicular. I’m always down for a walk, and I’m too cheap to pay for the easy way, so I walked up the hill and earned my view. The museum was closed when I visited, which I was more than ok with, so I only had to pay 4 euro to walk around the grounds.

  

  

  The fortress was huge, and I spent about an hour walking around and appreciating the views. I can’t help but wonder what it was like living in castles like this when they were actively used by European royalty. I also wonder what the view was like back then. The view now is amazing, and provides an arial shot of the Salzburg Cathedral. The view walking up to the fortress was great too, and each twist and turn provided a different angle of the city.

  

  

  

  

  Salzburg Cathedral dome and towers in the middle/right.

  After I pretended I was Salzburg royalty I walked around the city for a while before it got dark. Near the hill up to the fortress is a gate that leads into St. Peters Abbey and Cemetery. Never have I ever seen a more beautiful cemetery in my life. It was small, but the effort the families put into each burial spot was amazing. This cemetery was the inspiration for one of the scenes in the Sound of Music, when the Trapp family fled through the cemetery to hide before fleeing to Switzerland.

  More on the Sound of Music filming locations later. 

  

  Notice the dwelling in the wall of the cliff? Upper left.

  

  

  Salzburg Cathedral dome in the back.

  The dwellings in the cliff wall apparently served as both hermitages and burial sites. I didn’t discover the dwelling was accessible until after I left. There are stairs leading up to the dwelling, and the entrance is found at the foot of Mozarts sisters grave. Yea, the Mozart. Honestly I’m super bummed I didn’t know about the stairs leading up, looks like I’ll have to return!

  From the cemetery I found my way to the Dom zu Salzburg, aka the Salzburg Cathedral. The large onion dome and two smaller towers in front of it are seen in a few of the above photos. The cathedral was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times by fires, but you’d never know by walking through the isles. It was beautiful inside, as are all European cathedrals. There is a lot of history inside the cathedral, but the one that resonated most with me was that Mozart was baptized in this cathedral.

  

  Photo of a photo I was given for making a donation.

  

  

  The rest of my first day in Salzburg was spent preparing for the following morning. Day one was a mere four hours in the city, but it was already off to a great start. I stayed at the YoHo Int. Youth Hostel, and it was very close to both the train station and the city center. I stayed in a four female dorm, and my first night there were three Koreans in the room with me. Thankfully they were very quiet, as I needed a goodnights sleep for day two!

  ….to be continued!

  Q: Can you make last minute decisions for an adventure, or do you need everything planned prior?

  

  | 22 Comments Tagged Austria, Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, Salzburg, Travel, Travel Abroad

• Prague, Czech Republic

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on April 12, 2019

  I’ve been living in Germany for nearly three months now, and I have yet to take a trip where I had to actually request time off (those will come.) The beauty of proximity is that when I have three days off in a row thanks to the luck of the draw, I can go most anywhere within the surrounding countries for a last minute trip. This was the case for a visit to Prague at the beginning of last month, I had three days off and it just so happened my roommate and some friends were going to Prague.

  I booked my bus ticket a few nights before, snagged a spot in the hostel they were staying, and prepped myself for my first overnight bus ride. The best way to maximize travel time for trips like this is to take a night bus. We all worked our last shift before our extended weekends, and took a bus that evening. The bus left around 8pm, and arrived in Prague around 6am the next morning.

  

  

  Arriving at 6am allowed for two full days in the city, which was a great amount of time to explore the highlights. We dropped off our bags at our hostel (we stayed at the Czech Inn) and ventured towards the city center. Our first stop was somewhat unexpected, but we walked passed a shop selling a treat that Prague is famous for (although these treats are not only in Prague.) I try my damndest to avoid all things gluten, grain, sugar, carb heavy and dairy, but I wanted to partake.

  I definitely payed for it later, but when in Prague! #effyouAlfred

  The treat is called a trdelník, which is basically a sugared ball of dough that is cooked by rolling it over a flame, and then can be stuffed with a myriad of things. I chose ice cream, because I’m a sucker for pain. It was an amazing 5 minutes of my life consuming this treat with a shot of espresso. These trdelník treats were everywhere, some stuffed with savory things like mac and cheese and roasted duck.

  

  

  

  After a successful sugar rush, we walked around a farmers market of sorts on our way to the Astronomical Clock. This clock is the oldest working astronomical clock in Europe, and has been working for over 600 years. This was by far the coolest clock I’ve ever seen. So much detail went into the making of this medieval piece of history. Next to the clock is a beautiful cathedral called Church of Our Lady before Tyn. The church was built in the 14th century, and has two noticeably pointy towers.

  

  

  

  

  After watching the clock go off, we headed towards the Charles Bridge. The bridge is just around the river bend from the Old Town Square where the clock is located. Prague is a very walker friendly city, and I felt like a local after the first day. It is said that egg yolks were mixed into the mortar to strengthen the construction of the bridge, what an interesting choice. The bridge began construction in 1357, and was finished in the 15th century.

  On the bridge there are many religious and historical statues and plaques, some of which have significance if you touch them. Apparently the hand rubbed plaques bring good luck, and will ensure your return to Prague. I touched multiple plaques just because…when in Prague. The views from the bridge are beautiful, and there were performers along the way that warmed my soul. I love me a good street performance.

  The photos below are from the bridge on two different days, one with overcast and one with sun.

  

  

  

  

  

  Across the bridge leads to the Prague Castle, as well as our next destination. A trip to Prague would not be complete without a visit to the John Lennon Wall, a rainbow attraction of love and peace. After his murder on 8 December 1980, John Lennon became a pacifist hero for many young Czechs. 40 years after his death his memory continues to shine at this unique wall. I added my own contribution to the wall (which is apparently what people do) and wrote “love all beings” in an outline of a dog.

  My legacy of animal love will forever be in Prague. Unless someone paints over it. 

  

  

  The Fab Four.

  

  After getting our fix of love, we headed towards the castle. It turned out the castle was closed to the public this day, for a reason we never discovered. Thankfully we came back the next morning and were able to tour around the grounds. The castle itself, though HUGE, was underwhelming. What stole the show was surely St. Vitus Cathedral. Have I mentioned I LOVE the cathedrals in Europe!? The walk to the castle was lovely, and we stopped for a cuppa Joe, and a petta the puppa.

  

  

  

  We ended our first day in Prague with a Thai foot massage…aka tiny fish eating away at all the dead skin on our calves and feet. I’ll spare you the photos, but rest assured this was a bizarre and amazing experience. I don’t think I’ll ever need to do it again, but…when in Prague! Day two consisted of visiting the castle, wandering more around the city, and capping off our trip with a Vivaldi concert.

  I am loving my tradition of finding a classical concert to attend each new country I visit.

  

  

  

  This quick trip to Prague was a great way to see the city. Our bus back to Germany left around 11am the third morning, and we made it back home about 10 hours later. The bus rides aren’t quick, but they’re cheap. Usually the bus ride isn’t terrible, because there is so much to see along the way to or from. My only regret is not getting a second trdelník (I was in my head too much on this trip, something I’m always trying to learn from.)

  I withdrew around 1000 Czech Koruna, which was around 40 euro. Spending 100 koruna at a time was misleading, I often had to check my currency converter to see how much I was really spending. As with all my travels, I don’t seek out souvenirs unless they speak to me, and when wandering the farmers market area on day one I found my must have souvenir. The cost was 50 koruna, which was a little over $2. I’m really into art work from different countries, so this steam punk looking cat with the old town view in the background was everything I could have wanted out of a souvenir.

  

  And just like that, I’d marked my eighth European country off my list.

  Q: What’s a must for you when you visit a new country?

  

  | 16 Comments Tagged Charles Bridge, Czech Republic, Europe, Prague, Travel, Travel Abroad

• Venice, Italy – Pt. 2

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on February 25, 2019

  After a grand nights rest I was ready to take on day two in Venice. I started the day early per usual, and the first plan for day two was to island hop. There are water taxis that take people all over the inner canals of Venice, but there are also water taxis that take people to the surrounding islands. For 20 euro you can buy an all day pass for these taxis and ride them as many times as you’d like.

  

  The first island on the route is Murano island, which is a well known island for glass blowing. After a stop into the glass blowing room, a wander around the shops selling glass, and a quick walk around the island, it was time to head to island number two – Burano Island, which was my favorite of all the islands. Burano island is well known for all the colorful houses, and for its seafood.

  

  

  

  Burano Island is a fishing town, and according to the Google, the houses were painted bright colors to help the fisherman out at sea find their way home on foggy days. Whatever the reason, I loved the pops of color. I spent the longest time on Burano Island of all the islands I visited, and ended up eating lunch at a small outdoor place right by the water. I got a bowl of fried goodness consisting of potatoes, crawfish, squid, calamari, sardines, and anchovies.

  The freshness was unparalleled. 

  

  

  

  If you can only make it to one island on your visit to Venice, make it Burano. The colors, the quiet, the food, and the feeling of getting off the beaten path from the busy city center are well worth the taxi ride.

  

  

  

  From Burano I headed to Torcello, then to Mazzorbo, and lastly made a stop in Treporti. These were small and didn’t have much to see. Torcello had a beautiful cathedral, otherwise I’d skip these islands (unless you have a day pass, then it’s a “why not” situation.) I found two island cats on this day, but only one of them let me love on him. The grand total for the day was six islands if I included Venice, and 13 miles walked.

  

  Torcello

  

  Murano

  

  Torcello

  After island hopping for most of the day, it was time to head back to the main city center of Venice to prepare for the highlight of my trip. My first day in Venice while wandering I came across an old cathedral turned music hall called San Vidal, and it just so happened that a classical concerto would be playing both of the nights I was in Venice. I knew I had to go to one of the shows, so I planned to go my second night in the city.

  The performance was only 30 euro, for about an hour and a half of beautiful serenading. Every performer had their own chance leading the group, which was a beautiful way to recognize each musician. No one was the star, and everyone was a team. The music was beautiful, and I got goosebumps time and time again. I also had some nice eye candy with an Adrien Brody look alike, and as I said on my Instagram – I don’t want kids, but I’d have babies with that beautiful Italian man.

  Click the above link to my IG for a clip of their music. 

  

  Fourth from the left. Swoon.

  

  How I felt when they played.

  This was the perfect ending of my first trip to Venice, and the perfect birthday present to myself. I turned 30 the day after I returned to Germany, so I called this trip to Venice a birthday celebration. I knew I wanted to be in Europe for my dirty thirty, but I didn’t know where and I didn’t know how. It’s funny how the universe works when we manifest our desires. Nothing is impossible.

  I’ll never forget entering a new decade after my trip to Italy. My mom sent me some candles, and after all the splurging I did in EATaly, I shoved them into an apple and called it a day. I was a bit freaked out at the idea of leaving my 20’s behind, but I’m more ready to kick that decade to the curb. The second half of my 20’s were rough, so I’m ready to grab 30 by the horns.

  

  If my first month living in Germany is any kind of indicator of how my 30’s will begin, I’d say I have a great decade ahead.

  Q: Do you like classical music?

  

  | 23 Comments Tagged Birthday, Europe, Italy, Living Abroad, Travel Abroad, Venice

• Venice, Italy – Pt. 1

  Posted at 6:30 AM by Brittany, on February 18, 2019

  This past summer when I was working in Yellowstone, I often worked 10 hour days – five days a week. I did have consistent weekends, but never anything more than two days off at a time. My current job in Germany doesn’t give me consistent weekends, but I’m working FAR less hours (which is GREAT) and sometimes the cookie crumbles in my favor and I have MORE than two days off. Last week the cookie crumbled in all the right places and I had four days off…IN A ROW.

  

  Living in Europe means that even a two day weekend calls for a trip out of town, but a four day weekend calls for an even further trip out of town. After weighing my options I decided I wanted to go to Venice as a “get my feet wet traveling solo” trip. Venice is rated as a very safe city, so I pulled the plug and bought myself a round trip bus ticket for around $45.

  The bus to and from Venice from where I live was about 7 hrs, but the ride wasn’t bad at all. Aside from the Italian bus driver talking to me in Italian about a rattling noise he wanted me to check, the trip was smooth and I was able to take in the sights around me. I was lucky to find a direct bus both to and from Venice, which isn’t a common find.

  

  I arrived in Venice around 8pm my first of three nights there, so I made sure to book a hostel that was close to the bus stop. Venice might be rated as safe, but after dark a city is still a city. My hostel was literally around the corner from the bus, was eclectic and modern, and cost me a whopping $11. The only downside was that this room had EIGHT beds in it, and the girl underneath me was a snorer. But…$11.

  The following morning, I walked 2 minutes from my hostel to the train station, and took a train into the city center. I started my day around 7am because I wanted as much time in daylight as possible. I arrived in the city center around 7:30a and I watched the city come to life. The people I was walking around with were clearly locals, some probably on their way to work. Most of the shops were still closed, so I spent my first two hours wandering the alleys and allowing myself to get lost.

  

  

  The canals were like something out of a movie. The houses had laundry hanging out to dry, and garbage bags in their windows to be collected. There were flower plants on the side of buildings and uneven sidewalks with twists and turns allowing multiple options for exploration. Venice isn’t a huge city, so you can’t really get lost, but at the same time you want to get “lost” aimlessly wandering. Eventually you’ll find a familiar building, or stumble upon a well known sight, but the true experience is found without a map.

  

  I spent my day bouncing in and out of as many cathedrals as I could find, eating as much local food as I could stomach, and immersing myself in as much Italian culture as I could. I wandered the farmers market, I wandered the local neighborhoods, I wandered the outer streets and inner alleyways, and covered a total of 16 miles on my first day in the city. I spent 9 hours soaking up as much as I could, and I’m happy to say there was nothing I wanted to see or do that I didn’t on the first day.

  

  I sat at a restaurant on the Grand Canal for over an hour just watching the city come to life. I watched the Gondolas come and go, I watched the tourists window shop, I watched the locals rush off to work, I felt the sun on my cheeks and the espresso in my veins. Any fear of being alone in an area I’d never been washed away with each crashing wave that entered my auditory system.

  By mid day I made my way towards the Piazza San Marco, Venice’s most popular city square. The square is home to many beautiful buildings, including a gorgeous cathedral rich in history known as the Basilica di San Marco. The Basilica is free to enter (you can pay for additional exploration when inside) and was one of the most amazing interiors of gold and painted walls I’ve ever seen.

  

  

  

  From here I wandered more on the outer edges near the water to soak up the remaining hours of daylight. I had no set plans for this trip, other than to wander as much as possible and soak up as much culture as I could. I found buildings I’d only ever seen in photographs, dogs walking next to their owners without a leash, locals and tourists alike eating gelato and cannolis and seafood galore.

  Of all the cathedrals I found, my favorite was Santa Maria Della Salute. I saw the building from across the canal, and walked all the way around so that I could see it up close. What made this my favorite of the day was the inside beauty, paired with a right place/right time moment. As I arrived a live organist was playing music for a one hour time slot. I sat in the pews and listened to the music play for a good ten minutes wondering how this was my life.

  

  

  

  

  This trip was the perfect confidence boost for traveling alone. My only concern when traveling alone is getting lost, but I’ve managed to loophole my maps using wifi (I don’t have a cell phone plan here and no data) and asking as many people as needed to ensure I’m on the right train before it leaves. I made sure to find my hostel for the night first thing upon arriving in the city, just in case. My second hostel in Venice I was blessed with the room to myself. I paid $27 for this stay, and had a great nights sleep.

  My view from the room wasn’t shabby either.

  

  My first day in Venice was a dream, and it was just the beginning. Day two in Venice was spent island hopping, and listening to Italians serenade me with classical music. More on that later. My eats from day one consisted of two items Italy is known for: pizza and gelato. I sometimes splurge when I travel in order to soak up the culture regardless of the physical symptoms I might feel. I’d never had gelato before, and I admit I now know what the hype is all about.

  I wanted to eat seafood pasta, and cannolis, and chocolate too…but I have to be mindful and decided to save those other items for my next trip to EATaly. 

  

  

  The city center of Venice is a place you have to see for yourself to fully grasp the beauty. I accomplished a long time goal of drinking espresso in Italy and it was just as delicious as I anticipated. Up next is part two of my Italy adventure, full of colorful houses and beautiful music. Ciao!

  Q: Would you rather: pizza, gelato, cannoli, seafood pasta, seafood?

  

  | 37 Comments Tagged Europe, Italy, Living Abroad, Venice

• Innsbruck, Austria

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on February 4, 2019

  The town in Germany that I live is in the southern tip of the country just a hop, skip, and a jump away from both Austria and Switzerland. I’ve been in Germany for two weeks as of today, and I didn’t hesitate to start my travels. My first day off was last Wednesday, and I made plans with a few of the other newbies here to take the FlixBus to Innsbruck. The bus ticket was $14 round trip, and took about an hour each way.

  

  

  

  We arrived in Innsbruck around 930 am, and the only “plans” we had were to see the river with the colorful houses, and I really wanted to visit Ambras Castle. The rest of the day was free to roam and soak up as much of the city as we could. We started at the first cafe we could find for some espresso and a treat.

  This was the first of many encounters with locals that didn’t speak English, but we made it work eventually. 

  After our pick me up we wandered into the Old Town area. These medieval buildings are paired with contemporary architecture, all surrounded by the Alps. There was a City Tower we stumbled upon that provided a panoramic view of the city, and was well worth the 3 euro to climb the stairs. The Old Town is also home to the Golden Roof, which is the cities most famous symbol. The roof is made of copper tiles and was for Emperor Maximillian I to mark his wedding.

  I love history. 

  

  View of Golden Roof from the tower.

  

  City Tower, circa 1442-1450.

  

  

  

  After being awed by the view from City Tower, we wandered around Old Town a bit, and I ended up buying a souvenir. I never buy souvenirs because I don’t like to accumulate “things,” but this one spoke to me. My room in Germany is very empty, to the point where the housing manager thought I had moved out when he came to do a room inspection.

  What can I say, I’m tidy and I’m a minimalist. 

  

  You had me at the hiking boot.

  From the Old Town area, we migrated towards the river. When Googling Innsbruck the river houses were one of the first images that caught my eye. These colorful buildings are a must see, and a perfect spot for a tourist to take a photo. We walked the river for a while, wandered down random roads, stopped into open cathedrals, and then made our way outside of the city center towards Ambras Castle.

  

  

  Ambras Castle is about a 2 mile walk from the city center, and Google Maps was the real MVP on this trip. I just learned that I can download maps of any city to use offline, which will be such a life changer while I explore without data for my cell phone. We stopped in to use the toilet at a gas station along the way, which was stop number two where no one spoke English. We were beginning to stick out like sore thumbs, but everyone was kind.

  I’m a sucker for a good castle tour, so when I saw Ambras Castle pop up as one of the must see places in Innsbruck I knew it needed to be one of the main stops for the day. Archduke Ferdinand II rebuilt the castle using part of it to display his collections of armor, weapons, oddities, rarities, and precious items, making this the oldest museum in the world dating back to 1570.

  

  

  

  

  The exterior of the castle alone is enough to summon a visit, but my favorite room on the inside was The Spanish Hall. This room was used for balls and special occasions, and upon entry you can immediately see why. Some of the portraits that line the walls are comical, and I can’t help but wonder if the men actually posed the way they were portrayed.

  

  

  My favorite pose. What’s going on with that hand, and that hip pop is on point.

  The castle has a cafe where we ate lunch, and this was the third and most difficult encounter with a woman that didn’t speak English. She was sweet as candy, but my goodness did I wish I knew Google Translate allows language downloads to use offline before I visited this cafe. I learned this life hack as well as the Google Maps offline hack AFTER this trip. I tried to order a chicken salad, and I don’t know what she was saying, but I ended up guessing she was telling me they didn’t have anymore. Instead I ordered a tuna salad, which was delicious.

  We were all given coupons to get a free espresso, so I also ordered an espresso. When it came time to pay I presented my coupon, and she became confused. I had no idea what she was saying, but I kept presenting the coupon hoping something would happen. I’m still unsure, but I think perhaps she thought I was trying to use the coupon for my entire meal. Eventually she said “OHH Espresso” and it was taken care of.

  We all laughed, and did the best we could. 

  

  

  The castle grounds had three peacocks roaming around, which was random as hell, but also fun.  After we finished with the castle we took a bus back into the city, and my copilots stopped for a warm drink and some cake to kill time before our bus disembarked back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. We also stopped at a place called Mamma Mia where I ate the biggest slice of pizza I’ve ever seen.

  I payed for it later, but when in Austria.

  Our bus left Innsbruck at 735p, giving us ten hours in the city. I couldn’t have asked for a better day, my company was perfect (we all got along great and were happy to go with the flow) the sights were beautiful, and the food was delicious. We walked a total of 12 miles – a perfect first trip while living abroad.

  Q: What are your favorite things to do while traveling? For me I like to try new food, coffee, museums, and anything outdoors.

  

  | 31 Comments Tagged Ambras Castle, Austria, Castle, Europe, Innsbruck, Living Abroad

• Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on January 28, 2019

  I’m slowly settling into my new home in Germany, and I already love the local town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The town was once two separate towns, Garmisch and Partenkirchen, but they were brought together by Adolf Hitler in 1935 with the anticipation of the 1936 winter Olympic games. The town is quiet, with an older demographic making the way of life perfect for an old soul like myself.

  Most people that visit this area during the winter come here to ski or snowboard on the surrounding alps. I don’t do either, but will probably try skiing at least once while I am here. I used to snowboard when I was in high school, but I haven’t been in over 12 years. Fun fact: I broke my collarbone snowboarding when I was 13 and to this day during certain activities it gets sensitive.

  

  I am living on a United States Army Base about a 25 minute walk from the center of town, and no matter where you go the surrounding mountains tower over everything. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is at the foothills of the alps, near Germanys tallest mountain Zugspitze. The views from the resort I am working and living at are enough to keep me wondering if this kind of landscape is real life.

  

  Front of hotel.

  

  View from my room.

  

  Side of hotel.

  This past weekend I ventured into town for a cup of coffee and a German treat after a rough day. I was feeling a bit homesick and needed some self medication in the form of exploration, caffeine, and sugar. Drastically changing my environment always has a bit of a shock on my system until I adjust and my mindset isn’t always in the right place, but after a good chat with my close friends (and engaging with some of the locals) I’m feeling better.

  I was struggling to connect with the people I’ve met here, but I tend to get in my head too much when I’m in a new setting, automatically closing myself off because of my lack of self esteem. I throw myself into these situations because I know if I don’t continue to challenge myself I will never grow. Thankfully my roommates (I have two, and we live in a loft so I have the entire downstairs to myself) are wonderful, and my coworkers are nice too. However I’ll always be somewhat of a lone wolf, so this solo town day was needed.

  

  

  

  

  

  It can be a bit intimidating to live in a country where you don’t speak the language, but I am making it a goal to learn a little bit each week, even if just the basics. I went into two cafe’s on my walk into town, one for coffee and one for a treat, and both of the women inside the shops began speaking German at me faster than a cheetah chasing a wildebeest. After a brief deer in headlights look, I replied with “Sprechen sie Englisch?” to which they both replied “yes.”

  

  

  While I don’t plan to become fluent in German, I want to respect the local culture as much as possible even if I’m only able to say the above phrase (do you speak English) and “Ich spreche kein Deutsch” (I don’t speak German.) The above German treat was a shortbread like cookie sandwich filled with a nougat and it was divine. I’m usually an all things chocolate gal, but I took the suggestion of the employee at the cafe and was not disappointed.

  

  I plan to explore more of the town as time goes by, it will be something easy to do after work or on a day off when I don’t want to go far. Currently there is a lot of snow here, with more coming every few days. I don’t usually enjoy snow, but I haven’t been too bothered by it yet. The temps are cold, but with my jacket and boots I’m usually ok. On the days where the temps were in the teens (Fahrenheit) I was in pain, but thankfully the forecast is mid to high 30’s for the next week.

  I never thought I’d be excited for temps in the 30’s. 

  One of the things I love most about this small Bavarian city is the art on the buildings. On the hotel building alone there are at leave five different murals, and more along the way into town. One of my favorites is the one of a woman clearly in distress about forgetting the jam for her picnic, next to two male elk about to battle for a female elk (with one of the males bugling his little heart out), all while the jam-less woman’s husband is rock climbing instead of eating with his wife (probably because she forgot the jam.) My second favorite is the one of Dwight Schrute doing a German jig with the locals.

  

  

  All that to say I’m enjoying the culture in Germany thus far, and look forward to more not only in the local town, but throughout the country as well. As for my job, I came here without knowing what I would be doing other than some kind of hotel work. I was placed in the food and beverage department and am currently working at one of two restaurants in the hotel. This restaurant is buffet style, which means no serving required and I’m 100% OK with that.

  Serving in a restaurant when working in Yellowstone just about broke me. 

  Once I am trained in this restaurant, I will train in the cafe next door and ideally I will bounce between these two places. Serving Starbucks coffee (back to my roots) and the myriad of tasks in the restaurant. The other restaurant is an “order off the menu” style restaurant and while the money would be better, I don’t want that stress.

  

  What I have to say about unwanted stress.

  I’m working for the Department of Defense which makes me feel much more official than I actually am. I’m within walking distance to local German grocery stores, as well as the military base commissary and exchange for home goods and food. I am shopping mostly in the local stores because they’re cheaper, and I prefer the European food quality over the shipped in American food at the commissary. I have been eating a bit more freely than I normally do, and am trying not to obsess or stress about it.

  One of these days my disordered eating brain will be a thing of the past, and I’m hoping my time here helps me conquer my mental health struggles. 

  For now that’s all I have. I’m hoping to visit Austria this week on my day off. The bus ride into Innsbruck is just a little over an hour, making it a perfect day trip. Ideally I would like to travel to a different country once a month while here, but we shall see what happens in time! I’m also hoping that the guy living a floor below me stops singing love songs at 2am, but I won’t get too excited about that one.

  Q: Do you ski, snowboard, or partake in any other winter sports?

  

  | 25 Comments Tagged Coffee, Europe, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Travel Abroad

• Deutschland Hier Komme Ich

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on January 14, 2019

  Translation: Germany, here I come.

  

  After my trip to Scotland I had every intention of laying low for a few months before searching for my next job. I knew I wanted to do another seasonal position similar to what I had done in Yellowstone this past summer, but I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go next. I was home for about a week before I decided I needed to find a job, and I needed to find one STAT. I’m blessed to always have a fall back job watching my sister (I get paid by Washington State to provide care for her, she has autism,) but downtime and me do not mix. 

  Downtime for me equals more anxiety, more depression, and more binge eating episodes despite my seemingly endless list of food sensitivities. Yes, I eat the foods I know I’m sensitive to, which in turn causes the anxiety and depression. It’s an ugly cycle and I can only chalk it up to having nothing to fill my days, so I fill it with food. It’s not an every day occurrence, but the “episodes” are more frequent when I’m back home with too much free time. I loose myself too easily in my thoughts when I have down time, which I’m learning is quite common with us humans.

  “An idle mind is the devils workshop.”

  

  I’ll take a scoop of every flavor, thanks.

  Knowing my tendencies, I knew it was not a good idea for me to be home for too long without a plan. So I started to brain storm my next move. During my time working in Yellowstone, one of my coworkers had told me about a resort in Germany that hired Americans. At the time I thought nothing of it, saved the name in my phone, and went back to eating my lunch. When I decided I needed to do something after Scotland, the name popped into my head and I sent an email to the hiring department.

  I’ll spare you the details, because this plan to work in Germany has literally taken two months to come to fruition, but I leave this Sunday and I will be in Germany for a little over a year. I have no idea what my job will be, it’s a “place you where you’re needed kind of position” until you’ve been there for three months, after which you can apply for a different position if you’re unhappy with the one you’ve been given. It’s a hotel/resort so I could be doing anything hospitality based. I won’t make jack shit for money, and I’ll be living in an old Nazi hospital.

  Continuing to put my bachelors degree to good use eh?

  

  “Old hospital? Lingering spirits? Sppoookkyy.”

  The resort is a US military resort where American military families vacation, so I will be working with other Americans from all over the states. I’m trying to learn a bit of German for the days I go out into town, and so far I know how to say “please and thank you, goodbye, I am a woman, you are a man, they are children, and bread and water.” You know, the essentials. I will be living in south Germany, close to the Austrian border, and the photos I’ve seen of the town are adorable. I’ve read blogs written by previous employees, and they were able to travel to surrounding countries at least once a month.

  If I do my math correct, I have the opportunity to visit at least 15 countries during my time living in Germany, which is why I am going. I’m not going to make money, I’m not going to work my dream job, I’m going because when will I have another opportunity like this to live in Europe for over a year, for free? I anticipate the employee demographic and culture to be very similar to where I worked in Yellowstone, and have no doubt I’ll find a fellow travel lover to explore with.

  I assume that will be why most of us employees are there – to see Europe. 

  

  “Hey, you wanna explore with me?”

  I really don’t know much else, I was keeping this under wraps until everything was finalized. As I mentioned it took nearly two months, and was a pain in the ass at times because of all the government background checks and hoops to jump through, but we made it, they purchased my ticket, and I leave this Sunday. Technically I am a US government worker, and I will be paid in US currency.

  In 2017 I took a trip to Ireland that changed my life, I knew after that trip that seeing the world on my own terms was not only possible, but necessary. I immediately came home and researched what I needed to do to move to Ireland, but it proved to be difficult without a job. Fast forward to now, and I’m given the opportunity to live in Europe. I would have never guessed it would be Germany, but I’m enthralled nonetheless. If you would have asked me where my path would take me in 2019 I would never have thought it would be to Germany.

  This is a prime example that sometimes our paths are much different than we expected, while at the same time very similar to something we may have manifested years prior.

   

  

  I’ve spent the last two months visiting friends and family, trying not to drown too deep with all my free time, and prepping for my upcoming move. I visited California and Arizona last month, and am soaking up as much time with my family this week before I leave. I’d be lying if I said the last two months were smooth sailing, they’ve been quite destructive on my mental health, but I continue to try to learn from my actions and am confident I will find my balance. I refuse to quit trying to find what works for me.

  I will be living at the base of Germanys tallest peak, and I already have a goal to climb it at some point in 2019. My only other goals this year are to travel as much as I can, live in the moment as much as I can, and continue to heal my body physically and mentally as much as I can. I will have access to local German markets as well as the commissary to purchase and make my own meals, but you’d better believe I’m going to eat schnitzel and pretzels while wearing a dirndl.

  

  All about that local market life, even in Europe.

  I will be putting my cell phone number/plan on a hold while overseas, and as of right now have no plans to get a German phone number. I look forward to unplugging, but will be bringing my MacBook and my iPhone to use wifi for blogging, e-mail, and other social media. Friends and family that need to contact me can message me in one of those ways. I will be given a PO Box upon arrival, and charges will be all US based so please be my pen pal when I get that set up.

  I will be blogging my adventures as much as I can, so I hope you’ll follow along as I explore, eat, and maybe even drink my way through Germany. I hear Glühwein is a good way to warm up during the cold winter months. Auf Wiederhören.

  Q: Have you been to Germany?

  

  | 30 Comments Tagged Europe, Germany, Living Abroad, Seasonal Work

• 20 Hours in Amsterdam

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on December 10, 2018

  When I originally booked my flight to Scotland, I was scheduled to have a three hour layover in Amsterdam both flying into Scotland, as well as flying home to Seattle. Anything less than this would cause some anxiety for me, because I like to have plenty of time to get from one gate to the next without having to rush. Three hours was literally perfect, but unexpectedly a handful of months after my tickets were purchased I got an email advising me that my flight had changed.

  Oh great, what does that mean?

  My flight to Scotland had remained the same, but my flight home had a longer layover than I was expecting. 17 more hours to be exact. Initially I was peeved, what the hell am I going to do in Amsterdam for 20 hours. After realizing the opportunity this presented I became excited, I now had time to leave the airport and get a brief taste of the Netherlands.

  

  

  In an attempt to prevent overwhelm, something I struggle with, I decided on one activity I knew I needed to do. I needed to visit the Anne Frank House. Growing up the only period of history I had interest in was the Holocaust. I often tuned out when learning about most time periods, but when we talked about the Holocaust in school I was voracious in my studies.

  Tickets for the museum can only be purchased online, so two months prior to our trip I bought the tickets and our reservation was set. Upon arrival in the Netherlands we took a shuttle to our hotel, and then took a bus to the city center of Amsterdam. I was slightly uneasy upon arrival because English is not the native language here, but our bus driver spoke perfect English and was immensely helpful telling us where to go/how to get back after our day.

  We arrived in the Netherlands around 1pm, and our time slot for the museum was at 545pm. 

  

  

  Pictures are not allowed inside the museum, but this was everything I hoped for and more. To be able to walk through the secret annex where Anne Frank and her family hid was an emotional piece of history I could never fully put into words. Talk about an inspirational human being, I can’t even imagine living through what she lived through.

  After we had our cores shook to the bone, it was time for a pick me up. Right next door to the Anne Frank House is a traditional Dutch pancake house, and ya’ll better believe I needed some caffeine and sugar in my bloodstream. I was enthralled in Scotland when I discovered a churro and gelato shop, and finding a restaurant specific to pancakes (not like IHOP in the states) in Amsterdam was the perfect ending to my Eurotrip.

  

  

  I got the apple crumble pancake with vanilla ice cream and a doppio on the side. The pancakes in the Netherlands are more like crepes, so it’s quite easy to eat your entire pancake…plus the leftovers of your friends. This place was literally called Pancakes Amsterdam and I found this to be very fitting. It was here that I received my only souvenir of the entire trip, a small white wooden clog keychain with the words “Pancakes Amsterdam” on it.

  It was free, and I love free. 

  With a belly full of cakes and veins raging with caffeine it was necessary to walk around the city some more. After all, we had to make best use of our 20 hour layover. By the time we finished with pancakes it was around 8pm and we began to wander with no specific destination in mind. Amsterdam is extremely bike friendly, and even into the dark hours of the night there were so many people out biking. I have never seen so many bikers in my life. If I lived here I’d surely bike along the canals everyday.

  

  Before we arrived in Amsterdam, we would tell people about our layover and the reactions were all very similar. We’d get a laugh, followed by “it’s very different,” followed by an additional laugh. I knew Amsterdam was 420 friendly, but so is my home state so this didn’t phase me (granted it’s still illegal to smoke in public where I live.) One of our Scottish taxi drivers warned us about sex shops as well, but even this was something I could handle.

  What I ended up discovering was far more than I ever expected.

  I like to think I’m a cultured human being. I’ve done my fair share of youth fueled activities that would make my parents cringe (sorry mom and dad), but within the last decade of my life I’ve turned into a quiet homebody. I tell stories of my past and people are shocked, but I like to emphasize that I don’t in fact live under a rock. All this to say I HAD NO IDEA prostitution was actually a thing, and that it was so “out in the open” like it is in Amsterdam. While wandering the streets we decided to follow the crowds, and found ourselves SMACK in the middle of the Red Light District.

  

  Endless windows of women dancing in their underwear, peep shows, sex shows, sex shops, “coffee shops” aka bar like settings where people smoke weed and drink alcohol. I was emotionally dumbfounded and was so beyond the point of overwhelm. Despite being culturally out of place, it was like a car crash that you just couldn’t stop watching. The oddest part was that this is completely normal in their country, and after a short period of time it started to feel less taboo.

  People were everywhere and most everyone seemed unfazed, which was contagious.

  That’s not to say I wasn’t continuously shocked that this was normal, but it was interesting to see how starkly different one culture is to the next. In America this is so unbelievably illegal, yet in the Netherlands it’s not only legal, but almost felt like it was normal. Some people come to Amsterdam for the “coffee shops” and sex shows, but I’ll be going back for the waffle shops and bike canals. I can only handle so much, and my drug of choice will always be sugar.

  

  Around every corner there are shops with waffles covered in whatever your heart desires, and candies and cookies, and pizza. It makes sense with so many “coffee shops” that people get the munchies, but I had eaten myself silly with pancakes, ice cream, and endless samples of Tony’s Chocolonely that I couldn’t stomach anymore food despite my desire to continue binge eating sugar (yes it’s a problem, no I don’t want to talk about it.)

  My one regret is not buying a damn waffle to bring with me on the plane the following morning. 

  The busses run 24/7 in Amsterdam, and we arrived back at our hotel around midnight. Our flight was around 10am giving us plenty of time to digest what we had seen and what we ate on our quick adventure in the city. Although if I’m being honest, I’ve still not fully digested the Red Light District…it’s truly something you have to see for yourself to fully grasp. I’ve seen so many things I cannot unsee. **Disclaimer: I DID NOT see any live shows…I’m simply referring to the (barely) clothed women in the windows.

  

  Such a welcoming bright shop with so much sugar.

  I’ll definitely return to Amsterdam to explore more of the museums and cultural history, but I don’t anticipate needing more than three days here. Let’s be real though, I’m mainly going back to eat as many waffles as I can. What can I say, I’m a glutton for punishment, and I don’t know the meaning of portion control.

  And just like that, my second trip to Europe was complete. 

  

  PC: feedmetasy IG

  Q: Had you heard of the Red Light District? 

  

  | 25 Comments Tagged Amsterdam, Anne Frank House, Biking, Europe, Pancakes, Red Light District

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• BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalist "granola" striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long hikes, strong relationships, exploration, lots of broccoli, and laughing like it's my J.O.B. Currently living and working in Germany, join me on my adventures abroad!
• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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