Tag: Europe

• Currently

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 11, 2020

  Life the past month has been interesting to say the least. The hotel I work at closed to the public at the end of March, and I have been on leave without pay (LWOP-by choice/they asked if I would be willing to do this) since 28 March. I could have flown back to the states in the middle of April, but that was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.

  I wanted to wait out the Coronavirus storm, although at this point I don’t think the storm will be passing anytime soon.

  Financially I am stable, which allowed me to accept LWOP without consequence, and aside from the initial lack of routine (I’ve since created a routine I enjoy) – being able to live in Germany (for free) without any responsibilities at the moment is amazing. The hotel continues to push the open date, and as of right now we are scheduled to open the beginning of June.

  

  Hike views.

  

  Bike views.

  Select shops in Bavaria have reopened, and life in the mountains has remained the same. Part of why I chose to stay in Germany on LWOP opposed to flying back to the states was because of the freedom I still have here. I am able to go outside and be active however I please (within social distance guidelines), and I wouldn’t have been able to do that back in Washington.

  I’ve been spending my free time doing a myriad of things, like walking, biking, hiking, reading, journaling/writing, watching movies, and reflecting. I can’t remember a time when I was forced to slow down like this, and at first it was a literal shock to my system. I went from 60 to 0 in a matter of days – from a life of non stop travel and work, to a life of stillness.

  

  Bike views.

  

  Hike views.

  In the beginning I had days where I feel like I was useless to society, but then I remind myself we are in the midst of a pandemic. Although I am not working I technically still have a job, but even if I didn’t have a job, that would be ok too. I worked hard for my money, and I shouldn’t feel guilty about temporarily living off my savings.

  Besides, if I were working right now, I would be doing deep cleaning tasks and I just don’t want to do that.

  I trust God, and I trust I will be ok regardless of what’s to come the next few months. I have extended my time here until September, but anything can happen between now and then. I am challenging myself to be alone with my thoughts more which has been amazingly therapeutic and helpful in my growth.

  

  Bike views.

  

  Hike views.

  I am consistently meeting with the local chaplain for counseling, and I am loving the progress I have made. Digging deep and working through suppressed trauma has been both essential and helpful. I have a long way to go, but this has been a nice jump start. I am trying to shift my perfectionist mindset from “you’re being lazy by not working” to “you are using this time to grow as a person.”

  Of all places to be stuck during a global pandemic, I consider myself immensely blessed to be “stuck” in Bavaria. 

  

  Bike views.

  I’m challenging myself to learn new things with my free time, and I recently overcame a fear I had with regard to my bike. My bike is officially one year old, and she was in need of some love, so I gave her a bath. In my bathtub/shower. It wasn’t perfect, but I worked with what I had. My chain needed love and lube, and she’s as good as new now. 

  In the past I had always taken my bike to the shop for a tune up, mostly because I was intimidated by the thought of doing anything myself. The bike shops here were closed at the time, so I decided to do it myself. The chain no longer squeaks of thirst, and riding her feels like it did when I first bought her. Little things like this remind me I am capable of more than I think.

  

  Instead of looking at this down time as a negative, I have shifted my perspective to view this as a positive. I will never again live in Germany like this for free with the opportunity to fully submerge myself in nature. I’m not feeling the guilt of wasting my time off, because my time off is endless right now and travel is not an option.

  I’m essentially playing tourist in my own city, visiting new and old places. I am thankful for this time to reflect, and to reinvent a part of who I am. 

  

  Hike views.

  

  Journaling views.

  I’ve been more in tune with my body the last month as well, listening to what she needs. I’m not perfect, and I still make choices that don’t make me feel my best, but I am having an easier time bouncing back. It helps being able to sleep in until 0700/0800 instead of 0530. Time away from the stressful hustle and bustle that is customer service always reminds me just how damaging it can be to my health.

  All of this to say I am doing ok. It took a bit of time for me to let go of my anxiety surrounding the uncertainty of life right now, but at the end of the day little to none of this is within my control. I take each day as it comes, and compassionately bring myself back to earth when I get overwhelmed by the thought of what’s next.

  So for now, I will continue with my small routines which include daily exploration of this place I currently call home. 

  

  Hike views.

  Q: How are you currently? 

  

  | 31 Comments Tagged Biking, Europe, Garmisch, Germany, Hiking

• Brașov, România – Pt. 2

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on May 4, 2020

  After a lovely introduction to the city of Brasov during our free walking tour, my roommate at I headed back to our Air B & B for a quick rest and refuel. My main objective in Brasov was to hike up to the Brasov sign for a better view of the city. I found the trail head the day before, and planned to hike to the sign in the afternoon after our walking tour.

  The Brasov sign is a replica of the Hollywood sign, and sits at a comfortable 955m.

  

  The hike itself is by no means difficult, however it did elevate my heart rate which was nice. If you’re not feeling up for the climb, there is also a cable car that will take visitors to the summit. My roommate chose to take the cable car up, and I chose to hike up and take the cable car down.

  The weather was perfect the entire time we were in Romania, and this day was no exception. The sun was out and it was relatively warm, allowing me to work up a sweat. Those who know me know I love sweating, I literally feel the toxins sliding down my skin. You’re welcome for that mental image.

  The trail was easy to follow, and I relished in the moments of quiet I had. It took me about 50 minutes to get to the top.

  

  

  Follow the triangles.

  I couldn’t help but look around and think to myself, “I am in the middle of the woods in Romania.” It was a surreal thought, and I remember becoming teary eyed. I felt such a wave of peace and gratitude for the ability to travel. Before I began traveling on a regular basis hiking alone (granted, this was in the middle of the city) in Romania would have given me anxiety, but now it’s liberating.

  I made it to the top and I walked towards the Brasov sign for a view of the city below. I then continued up towards a platform I thought would be more isolated. Not only was this location full of other humans, there were two platforms with couples sitting on them to enjoy the view. I waited for about ten minutes hoping one of the pairs would move, but no one moved.

  

  

  I wanted this tourist photo of me, sitting on the platform with the city down below to showcase my accomplishment of climbing the mountain, but instead these selfish people with their jackets, jeans, and purses (who clearly took the cable car up) hogged the location. Needless to say, I was a little bitter that I did the work of climbing and didn’t get to enjoy the platform…because I am five years old.

  My roommate had already been waiting long enough, so I called this a loss, put my big girl pants on to enjoy the view one last time, and headed towards the cable car for the ride down. The cable car down took all of five minutes, and was a worthy reward for doing the hard work of climbing up.

  

  After our adventures up Tampa Mountain, we wandered the city a bit more and I found a shop selling raw desserts. Despite the fact that certain ingredients within raw treats make me feel off, I am a sucker for vegan desserts. I by no means associate “vegan” with healthy, but it momentarily takes me back to a time in my life when eating food was…simple.

  Until it wasn’t. Alas, the treats were delicious.

  

  Raw tiramisu and raw brownie.

  The remainder of the day was spent solo wandering around the city, ending at a popular restaurant suggested to me twice for their Sarmale. A friend from the states had been to Brasov, and told me to eat dinner at La Ceaun. Then our tour guide Diana also suggested this place to eat for authentic Romanian food, so I decided to try it.

  I ordered Sarmale, a traditional Romanian cabbage dish stuffed with meat. I was disappointed to see how quickly the food reached my table after I ordered, leading me to believe the restaurant pre-makes the food and reheats when ordered. My food was lukewarm confirming this suspicion.

  My meal tasted good, but my experience was tainted by the lack of freshness. 

  

  I soaked up the calm energy of the evening, before heading back to the Air B & B to rest. The following morning we had a few hours to spare before heading back to the airport, and we decided to go back into town for breakfast. I found an adorable place called La Birou Bistro, where I enjoyed the most amazing avocado toast of my life.

  

  

  I mean look at those eggs. They glisten with perfection. Our waiter, along with everyone else we met in Romania, was unbelievably kind. With full bellies we finished packing our stuff to head back to Bucharest. I drove us to the airport in the small bus, which wasn’t as terrible as I anticipated. I literally feel like I can drive anywhere with anything after my time living in Europe.

  Except stick shift…aka the most important lesson I could have learned while living here. 

  

  Bistro on the left, we sat in the area where those two people are.

  Romania was such a pleasant surprise of a trip. Rich with history, culture, and beauty. I have officially been to Eastern Europe now, and I hope to visit more countries nearby when the world starts to breathe again. We arrived back in Germany just in time for shit to hit the fan in the world, and our timing couldn’t have been better.

  I am thankful my last trip was such a positive one, and I’m thankful I didn’t have to cancel it.

  

  

  Q: Am I being dramatic about the Tampa Mountain platform hogs?? LOL.

  

  | 12 Comments Tagged Brasov, Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, Hiking, Romania, Tampa Mountain, Travel Abroad

• Transylvania Tour

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on April 28, 2020

  After spending some time in Bucharest, my roommate and I went off on an adventure north to Transylvania. I, like most people, associate Romania with Transylvania – the mystical home of Dracula the legendary vampire, created by author Bram Stoker in his 1897 novel of the same name.

  Though Dracula is a purely fictional creation, Stoker named his infamous character after a real person who happened to have a taste for blood: Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia or as he is better known: Vlad the Impaler. The morbid nickname is a testament to the Wallachian prince’s favorite way of dispensing of his enemies.

  

  I would argue the real Dracula’s taste for blood was much worse than the fictional character. According to one of our tour-guides in Bucharest, Vlad would take a stake, coat it with pigs fat, and impale his victims between the buttocks. I will spare you the details, as they are quite gruesome, but if you are up for the cringe you can read more in this article.

  Dracula history aside, Bran Castle (in the town of Bran) is a must see. The castle sits atop a hill looking over the city below, and the inner courtyard is one of the loveliest I’ve seen. The town itself is quite small, and the castle is what brings in most people. We were lucky we visited Bran on the day we did, because the next day the castle closed due to the Coronavirus.

  Our walking tour in Bucharest also had to close the day after we partook. We were literally one day ahead of everything closing. 

  

  

  

  As a result of Corona starting to spread, there were little to no tourists in any of the cities we visited in Romania. Going in March likely helped as well, March is not a hugely popular travel month. Dracula’s castle was the only thing “I had to see” when I decided to visit Romania, and I am thankful I made it just in time.

  

  

  

  The path leading towards the castle takes you through a mini market of sorts, with vendors selling local products like cheese and meat, as well as handmade items. This was something I noticed driving into Transylvania, handfuls of vendors along the sides of the road selling items like honey, alcohol, and trinkets.

  I saw three cats and three dogs in Bran. The dogs were in a pack, and the cats were each on their own (naturally – which is why cats are my spirit animal.) My favorite cat was the below photographed scowling puss who was going in and out of the castle restaurant like he owned the place.

  

  

  Bran Castle was a bucket list visit for me, but arguably superior to Bran is Peleș Castle, a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia. Sinaia is technically about 31 miles from Transylvania – but it’s close enough to be included in this post. Peleș Castle was the summer home of King Carol I (whom I briefly mentioned in my previous post) and I have never, ever, seen ANYTHING like it.

  

  The town of Sinaia is a mountain town, and this town convinced me I needed to return to Romania someday for hiking. The castle is tucked into the mountainous woods, with an immaculate view of the surrounding landscapes. I regrettably didn’t go inside this castle, because we visited Peleș Castle before going to Bran, and I didn’t want to miss my opportunity to go inside Bran.

  In hindsight, we would have had time for both, but alles gut. 

  

  King Carol I

  

  I did spend more time wandering the exterior of Peleș than Bran, which felt endless. The grounds are also home to Pelisor Castle, a smaller version of Peleș with more of a German texture style if you ask me. Peleș also has a bit of German influence with the criss cross lines on the exterior. Only makes sense with a German king.

  

  Both castles were 10/10 visits, and the moment time travel is figured out I plan to go back to King Carol I times to visit his summer home with him. I did say he was a babe after all, and Peleș Castle is almost as beautiful as he was. 😉

  Q: What’s the most unique castle you’ve ever visited (or seen in photographs if you haven’t been to a castle?) Peleș Castle is officially the most unique castle I’ve seen thus far.

  

  | 17 Comments Tagged Bran Castle, Brittanys Life Abroad, Dracula, Europe, Peleș Castle, Romania, Transylvania

• București, România

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on April 25, 2020

  I was fortunate enough to squeeze in one final trip before the world started to shut down in the middle of March, and my last adventure was to Romania. I know I have said certain countries weren’t on my radar before, but really and truly I never imagined I would visit Romania. I can confidently say I will return, solely for the purpose of getting lost in the mountains, but today we will talk about Romania’s capital city, Bucharest.

  

  We’ll start at the beginning, when my roommate and I left our room at 0500 to catch a bus to the Munich airport. I didn’t sleep well the night before, and my body ended up having a bit of a Sjögren’s flare with all the travel. Thankfully our Air B & B in Romania (pictured above) was an amazing sight for tired eyes.

  But before we made it to the Air B & B, we had to get our rental car.

  This was a comical encounter – as we had asked for a small car and were given a van. A VAN. My roommate was the first driver on this trip, but navigating a somewhat busy city in a small bus was something that triggered anxiety in us both. Me as a passenger, her as a driver. Thankfully we found our Air B & B fairly easily and decided to spend the remainder of the day inside – sleeping.

  Pro tip: don’t just pick a cheap place to sleep, pick a place you actually want to be inside just incase you arrive and need to rest.

  

  We had one full day in Bucharest (after our arrival day), so our plan was to tag along with two free walking tours. One in the morning, and one in the afternoon. Walking tours are my favorite way to see a city when I have limited time. Bucharest is full of history, but one of the first things we noticed about this city was how run down it looked.

  In the early 20th century, Bucharest came to be known as the “Paris of the east” thanks to its Art Nouveau architecture and grand municipal buildings, often French-designed. This architecture is now mixed with utilitarian buildings left behind from decades of communist rule. 2019 marked 30 years since the Romanian Revolution in 1989, when Romanian leaders Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu were assassinated on Christmas Day. 

  

  I knew nothing about Romania before I arrived, and I left with more knowledge than I would have learned in any of my school classes. I’ll save the history lesson for the Google, and instead show you some of the highlights from the two walking tours. Our Air B & B was about a 30 minute walk from the city, and after asking a Romanian police woman where to go (she spoke no English, but was very kind) we found our way to the city.

  We passed by the Romanian Orthodox Church, which we later discovered is the bane of Bucharest’s existence. Bucharest has churches everywhere, and this project is costing the tax payers money they would rather be spending on hospitals, roads, schools, etc. Alas, the church continues to have construction costing more and more $$$.

  

  

  Our first walking tour covered the general history of Bucharest, but the majority of this tour took us to see some of the many churches throughout the city. During the communist times, churches were lifted by engineers and moved, often to places that were hidden. We saw one church that was squeezed between and slightly behind other buildings.

  

  How people can lift and move an entire building is beyond me, but they did this many times in Bucharest, specifically in order to make room for the Parliament building which is the second bane of Bucharest’s existence (and the second largest administrative building in the world.) The electricity cost to keep this building running, in rooms people don’t even use is astounding.

  Before his assassination, the Romanian leader wanted the Parliament building built to specific standards, which meant apartments and churches needed to be moved to make room. The apartments on the street leading up to the parliament were literally lifted and moved just slightly to make the path wider. Insert eye roll here, what a waste of funds.

  

  Parliament

  

  

  Of all the churches we saw, the most memorable was the Church of Saint Anthony. This church is the oldest in Bucharest, but what made this church so memorable was the story  behind what happens here on Tuesday’s. Saint Anthony is the finder of lost things, and the saint of small requests, so on Tuesday’s people line up outside of the building to ask Saint Anthony for lost items.

  On Tuesday EVENINGS, women line up to ask Saint Anthony for love. We happened to pass by on a Tuesday and were able to see the line out the door. I should have come back that evening to ask for an Irishman.

  

  After our first tour, we had a few hours to kill before our second tour. We headed towards Cărturești, aka one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. Walking into this bookstore felt like walking into a fairytale. I’ve never seen anything like it.

  

  

  

  I could have spent hours in there with a good book and a hot cup of coffee.

  As we made our way towards tour number two, we ran into a small friend. If there is anywhere in the world I belong the most it would be in Romania, simply for the amount of stray animals. The number of cats we saw was unimaginable, and all of them friendly.

  

  I tried to feed her some of my salmon, but she wasn’t having it. 

  Tour two covered more of the communist history of the city, and our adorable tour guide named Serban was a plethora of knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about this subject. Serban took us through neighborhoods with bullet holes in the tops of buildings, past buildings that were used as old decoys without anyone actually living inside, and gave us a history lesson about King Carol I, Romania’s first king.

  King Carol I was German, and he was a was a babe.

  

  King Carol I and his successors in the three right circular photos.

  

  Source

  

  Modern building built out of the shell of an old building on right.

  We weaved in and out of alleyways, saw “hidden” apartment buildings, and talked about the three United Principalities of Romania before Romania became…Romania. These were Transylvania, Moldavia and Wallachia (which became the basis for the Kingdom of Romania.) We also walked underneath buildings that were literally crumbling due to the fact the Romanian government has left all these buildings as they are.

  These dangerous alleyways had a unique beauty…as long as we walked quickly. 

  

  

  My first impression of Bucharest was not favorable, but after this day of history and exploration I saw the charm. However, one day here was enough for me and I’m glad we spent more time in our other cities. Next up: two times the castles, two times the fun.

  Q: Have you been to a city where you prematurely judged the book by its cover?

  

  | 13 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Bucharest, Europe, Romania, Walking Tour

• Linderhof Palace

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on April 13, 2020

  I’ve found myself with (a lot of) extra free time lately, and while some days I don’t leave my room, other days I go on extensive (to me) bike rides around Bavaria. The weather lately has been exceptional, dare I say hot even, making the choice to get outside that much easier.

  I’ve ridden my bike many places around where I live, but now I’m starting to go further.

  

  I decided last week to ride my bike to Linderhof Palace, the lesser known stepsister to the popular Neuschwanstein Castle. King Ludwig II of Bavaria never finished building Neuschwanstein before he mysteriously died, however Linderhof was completed, and it was in this palace where he actually lived.

  

  Ludwig was an extreme introvert, to the point of having his meals delivered using a pulley system from floors below just so he didn’t have to see anyone. I think he would have thrived during this time of social isolation, however at the time his escape from reality lifestyle cost him his sanity, and ultimately his life.

  Despite his unique progression (or lack there of) into power, his fantasy world brought to life these two amazing palaces which were said to be funded by the tax paying community. I can understand the disdain towards him from the town folks, but today hundreds of thousands of visitors come to admire these architectural masterpieces.

  

  Due to the current lockdown in Bavaria (and in many places all over the world), Linderhof is not open to the public. However, Bavaria (and Germany as a whole) has contained the Corona virus appropriately enough to allow those of us who live here the freedom to go outdoors for sports activities.

  So long as we’re alone, or with those we live with. For me bike rides are almost always solo activities. 

  I am finding that my love of outdoor sports is fluid. It changes as I change, and that’s ok. I once loved running outdoors, which then changed to a love for hiking, and has changed once again to a love for biking. This doesn’t mean I don’t still enjoy the aforementioned activities (although running and I really struggle to get along these days), but I much prefer biking. Especially when it’s warm outside. 

  

  Fortunately for me, King Ludwig II loved the mountains, and loved to be tucked into his own pocket of the alps. Linderhof is surrounded by amazing views, and I can see why he chose this location to isolate himself. With the current isolation going on, I’d choose a place like this to spend my time too.

  Linderhof is not in prime shape during the winter months, and although it was technically spring when I stopped by, it was still looking pretty rough. The outside of the actual palace is gorgeous, and I can only imagine what the inside looks like, but the outer grounds (known for the flowers and the garden) was less than stellar. 

  

  Source

  Renovations are being done to the grounds, which are larger than I expected them to be. The palace itself is apart of a park area with walking paths, tree canopies, and fountains to unwind next to. I’ve been told middle to late spring is the best time to visit because the gardens are in full bloom, but photos of the palace in the fall intrigue me more.

  

  Source (spring)

  

  Source (fall)

  The above photos are what Linderhof looks like in her prime, alas when I visited it was a complete 180. I didn’t go expecting to see elaborate landscapes though, I went to see the palace itself, and to enjoy a long beautiful bike ride. I rode 34 miles this day, and it was a wonderful adventure through parts of Bavaria I hadn’t been.

  

  I have said it once, and I will say it again – the freedom that a bicycle provides is unlike anything else. Sure, driving is great, but there is a kind of exhilaration that accompanies being on two wheels in a new to me location, with the wind in my hair. My travels have all been well worth the money, but this bike was the best investment I made last year. Second to my IRA of course. 😉

  Q: What does social isolation look like where you live? Are you able to go outside in nature?

  

  | 23 Comments Tagged Bavaria, Biking, Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, Linderhof Palace

• Colmar, France

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on April 8, 2020

  After a lovely day in Strasbourg, my pal and I had one more day in France for our weekend getaway, and we decided to drive the hour south to Colmar before heading back to Germany. Colmar is renowned for its superbly preserved old town, adorned with timber-framed wood houses that reflect an exceptional blend of Germanic and French architecture.

  Have I mentioned how much I love this style of housing?

  

  The weather on this day was a moody mix of wind and sprinkles, but neither of us were phased by this. When traveling, learning to roll with whatever is thrown your way makes things more enjoyable. Plus, most people aren’t traveling during the winter months so the trade off for poor weather is less humans.

  

  

  We had no plan for this afternoon of wandering, so we parked the car and set off for a few hours of exploration. Our first stop was to La Petite Venise, or Little Venice, to admire the houses on the canal. These houses sit on the Lauch river and are said to have been houses for fishermen and boaters once upon a time.

  Now, they are the perfect houses to add to a vision board. 

  

  

  A small walk along the pleasant Quai de la Poissonnerie leads to St Peter’s bridge where we had a beautiful view over “Little Venice.” From the bridge heading back down the cobblestone streets of Quai de la Poissonnerie we found a large brass colored building dating back to 1865. This building used to be a shopping hall, and is now a covered market known as Marché couvert.

  

  Path towards market.

  

  Market on the right.

  I wasn’t aware of this market until we passed by and I glanced inside the window. This indoor market (completely renovated in 2010), is home to many stalls selling local products, fruit and vegetables, and a bar with an amazing terrace (which seems to float on the Lauch River.) You can see the terrace surrounded by a red wall in the above photo.

  I can only imagine how popular the terrace is in the warmer months. 

  We hadn’t had breakfast yet, and this covered market was the perfect place to stop for a bite. Inside, the people were just waking up and it was apparent everyone wandering the stalls were locals and not tourists. Everyone knew what they wanted, and were having friendly chats with the stall owners. We made a full lap before finding the stalls we wanted to stop at.

  Breakfast goals were simple: bread, butter, jam, coffee.

  

  The stall owners spoke very little English, but they were all very kind. We sat at the stall where we ordered coffee and each ate our entire baguette (and more than half this circle of local butter!) Bread makes me very brain foggy, but when in France it’s worth it.

  I remember the exact feeling of calm I had sitting inside this market focusing on nothing more than my baguette and americano.

  After breakfast we wandered around the streets and shops for a couple more hours before starting the drive back to Germany. We spent just the first half of our day in Colmar, which was enough time for us. One day is enough for this town, and perhaps I will return someday in the nicer weather to enjoy a cup of coffee on the covered market terrace.

  

  When driving home, our GPS ended up taking us into Switzerland (I didn’t adjust the route option) which added an extra hour onto our drive back (whoops.) We had a good laugh about this detour, and thankfully the weather held up for the entirety of the drive.

  Strasbourg was enjoyable for its size and walkability, and Colmar was enjoyable for the same reasons, but in a different way. Comar is smaller, but far less touristy (even in the off season.) Both towns are beautiful, and have awe worthy architecture.

  

  France continues to surprise me. Aside from a designated trip to Paris and Normandy in January, my other visits have been sporadic one or two day pop ins. In the future I would love to dedicate a week or more to exploring more of the country. Until then, I will daydream of fresh baguettes and locally churned butter. Ohh to be French.

  Q: Baguettes with butter and jam, or croissants? 

  

  | 23 Comments Tagged Baguettes, Brittanys Life Abroad, Coffee, Colmar, Europe, France

• Strasbourg, France

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on April 1, 2020

  At the end of February, one of my pals and I took a weekend trip to Strasbourg, France. I have visited France three times since living in Germany, and I have to admit before moving to Europe, France was never a country high on my list of places to visit. While Paris wasn’t really my cup of tea (big cities usually aren’t), I was blown away by the French countryside, and the small town of Strasbourg was just what I hoped it would be and more.

  

  

  My friend and I both have February birthdays (hers is the day after mine!) and we hadn’t traveled together since last April, so we requested to have one of our weekends fall on the same two days. We rented a car, and I drove us the 3.5 hrs west. Strasbourg is right on the border of Germany, so the houses have a heavy German influence.

  I adore the German/Saxon style architecture, and perhaps this is why I loved this little town so much.

  

  

  We drove to Strasbourg after work on our Friday, and arrived just in time to get a good nights rest. We found an Air B & B within 30 minutes walking distance, and right next to the tram. This was a nice balance of options, and we ended up walking into town, and decided to take the tram back in the evening. We woke early the following morning and headed towards the city for a day of exploration.

  We started our day at a local boulangerie for coffee and breakfast, and as we sat inside eating we heard nothing but French as the locals hurried in for their baguettes and espresso. Of all the countries I have visited, France was the one I felt most nervous asking if they speak English. I’ve heard that the French don’t like American’s, but as I said before I have been three times now and never once did I feel like a bother.

  Even in Paris! Crushing stereotypes when traveling is one of my favorite things to do. 

  

  

  After savoring the local hustle and bustle of the boulangerie, we set off to wander the town by foot. We wandered inside the Strasbourg Cathedral, and then headed towards La Petite France, an adorable part of town on the canal. The morning weather was cool with an overcast, but by the early afternoon the clouds broke and the sun came out in full force.

  

  Cathedral before the sun.

  

  Cathedral after the sun.

  

  

  La Petite France

  

  La Petite France felt like a village straight out of Beauty and the Beast, and I expected a portly baker to come around the corner offering baguettes to passerby’s.

  After gawking at the adorable German style houses again, we wandered towards Parc de l’Orangerie. This is Strasbourg’s oldest park, with 24 hectares full of paths for jogging, walking, or bird watching. Yes bird watching. I thought I walked into an Alfred Hitchcock movie when I saw nest, after nest, after nest of stork homes.

  

  

  

  This was literally one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen, and as we kept walking through the park we eventually stumbled upon a small farm/zoo. This was even more bizarre. Part of the small farm is dedicated to the stork rehabilitation. The stork, threatened by extinction, was successfully reintroduced to the region’s natural environment.

  The rest of the zoo held random animals from all over the world. I couldn’t understand the signs, as they were all in French, but I believe these animals were endangered and the zoo was meant to be beneficial to the species. This is what I told myself at least, I don’t like the idea of a zoo unless there is no other option for the animals.

  After this bizarre experience, we headed back towards the city center for a cup of coffee and a moment of rest. 

  

  

  

  We sat outside a cafe in front of the cathedral listening to street performers and watching the tourists and locals pass by. I find myself finally slowing down more when I travel, and this has helped me to appreciate the places I visit. People watching and sitting amongst the locals is one of my favorite things to do in a new to me city.

  

  

  After coffee and people watching my pal and I split off for a few hours of solo exploration. I love traveling with people who also enjoy spending time alone, it makes for the perfect balance of social time and alone time. I spent my time weaving in and out of streets I hadn’t seen, and ended my time climbing to the top of the cathedral.

  The tower climb is 330 steps high, and has views all the way to the Black Forest in Germany.

  

  

  

  Despite the fact that I ate a small pizza and a pastry for breakfast (aka gluten and dairy city) I was on a roll of indulging in all the foods I’m allergic to and just kept the party train going for dinner. Strasbourg is in a region of France called Alsace, and this region is famous for something called Flammkuchen.

  Flammkuchen is a thinly rolled dough in an oval or rectangular shape similar to a flatbread, and is topped with fromage blanc or crème fraîche, thin-sliced onions and lardons. The toppings can vary slightly, but I kept mine mostly traditional with the addition of sauerkraut because…health.

  

  

  Although I ate the entire thing, this isn’t something I would order again. The crème fraîche had an odd bite and the combo of flavors wasn’t something I preferred. I’m glad I tried it though, and we went to a local college hangout for dinner with a happy hour on Flammkuchen (and beer) so I only paid 5 euros for this.

  After dinner we made our way back to the Air B & B, walking along the canal towards the tram. We spent about 8-9 hours slowly wandering around Strasbourg which was the perfect amount of time. These close by towns make for a perfect weekend getaway.

  

  Q: What’s a stereotype about another culture you crushed after experiencing the culture firsthand?

  

  | 10 Comments Tagged Bakery, Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, France, Strasbourg, Travel Abroad

• Roma, Italia – Pt. 3

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on October 28, 2019

  If you read my previous two posts about Rome, you’ll know that Rome wasn’t really the city for me. Ironically I will be returning next summer for a family cruise, and will spend some time visiting the sights I didn’t get to see. One sight I hope I get to visit again is the Colosseum. Of all the things I saw in Rome, this was by far my favorite.

  

  Sadly I only had two hours to split between the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, which meant I didn’t have nearly enough time to wander these two locations. These two locations alone made my trip to Rome worth it. The Colosseum is a large amphitheater that held between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators.

  

  It was used for gladiatorial contests, public spectacles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on classical mythology. The Colosseum stopped this type of entertainment use in the early medieval era, and it was later used for housing, workshops, religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a christian shrine.

  

  For fear of missing the last Hop on Hop off bus back to the Vatican City where I was staying, I quickly rushed through the Colosseum in 30 minutes. This was enough time to grasp the awe of this place, but not enough time to read the plaques and soak in the energy. I was hoping to see some stray cats, but no such luck.

  I hope to not only see some cats when I return next summer, but I also hope to spend more time inside the Colosseum.

  

  

  Right next to the Colosseum is the Roman Forum, an ancient city that is still partly intact. It served as a public area in which commercial, religious, economical, political, legal, and social activities occurred. This place is less busy than the Colosseum, but I found it to be much more fascinating.

  I spent a little bit more time here than I did at the Colosseum, but again it wasn’t nearly enough. 

  

  

  

  

  

  After I made my way back to the Vatican City, I stopped by the store to grab supplies for dinner. I was hooked and obsessed with fresh gnocchi, fresh pasta, and fresh pesto. I literally ate the same meal every night I was in Rome. Two of the three nights, I made the meal myself.

  

  

  This was a lovely way to spend our final day in Rome. Although we were sleeping in Rome for another two nights, the next day we took a day trip outside of Rome. I have slight PTSD about driving out of Rome, and then back INTO Rome, but I also think I am capable of absolutely anything now. Stay tuned for our day trip to Assisi, and how I managed to make it out of Rome alive.

  Q: Who else wants to watch Gladiator now? I’ve actually never seen it!

  

  | 17 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, Italy, Rome

• Roma, Italia – Pt. 2

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on October 25, 2019

  Day two in Rome was dedicated to visiting the Vatican Museums. Otherwise known as “the human cattle herd halls.” Before going into the Vatican Museums, I wasn’t fully aware what they were. After going into the Vatican Museums, I’m still not fully aware what they are.

  All I know, is that the Vatican Museums are endless, and most people (myself included) visit just to see the Sistine Chapel. 

  

  I’ll admit after finally making it into the Sistine Chapel, it was not what I expected. The famous painting of Adam touching fingers with God took up only a small portion of the ceiling, but all this time I thought it was the majority of the ceiling. I sneakily took the above photo despite the “no photos” rule. I’m glad I took the photo, because I felt so rushed and crammed into the building I could hardly appreciate the ceiling while inside.

  

  The walk to get to the chapel was packed wall to wall in each room we passed through. It was intense, it was hot, and it was a lot of things I didn’t care much to see. I’m not a museum person, so this was a bit of a struggle. Some of the art work was amazing and I don’t regret going into the museum, I just don’t think it would have been something I would have prioritized had I not been with my mom.

  Alas, even she agreed it was not a necessary visit.

  

  The line to get into the museums is long…really long…so I purchased our tickets online with a time slot months before we went. I can’t recommend this enough for anyone else interested in visiting Rome/Vatican Museums. If you don’t buy your tickets in advance prepare to wait a few hours to get in.

  We passed by St. Peter’s Basilica to get to the museum where I saw the most disturbing sight.

  A scruffy looking man who I’d presume might be homeless, was bent over a flock of pigeons eating what looked like a saltine cracker. I was curious what he was doing, so I looked his way and watched as he let crumbs fall from his mouth onto the ground. I thought to myself, “how nice, he is feeding the birds.” Just as this thought passed through my brain, the man reached out with the quickness of a cheetah and GRABBED one of the pigeons.

  

  Pigeon in hand the man walked off as if nothing happened. I can only imagine what he was going to do with the pigeon, and I tried to tell myself he was just hungry and needed to eat, but the process of what I saw freaked me out. I also don’t think pigeons are the cleanest of animals, but I suppose hunger has no limits and I now just feel sad for him.

  Rome has an intense homeless problem, and it was sad to see. I suppose this happens with bigger cities, but since living in Europe I haven’t really seen many homeless people until arriving in Rome. This was another thing about Rome that surprised me and shattered the “Romantic Rome” vision I had in my head. After dinner the previous night I had leftovers, and while walking the streets a man asked for my food. Without hesitation I handed my box to him.

  I digress.

  After the Vatican Museums we made our way to lunch at a local cafe, where no one inside spoke English except us. Our adorable waiter spoke great English, but apologized to us for not speaking more fluently in English. Are you joking!? HE apologized to ME for not speaking MY language in HIS country. It was love at first word. I ate a delicious salad before walking my mom back to our Air B & B.

  

  By this point, my mom had seen all she wanted to see, so I took off solo for a bit to explore more of the city. I headed towards the Colosseum and Roman Forum, where I had purchased tickets in advance as well. This is another place buying tickets ahead of time is highly recommended. Stay tuned for my next post about my visit to these two amazing historical locations.

  Q: What would you have thought/felt after seeing the man and the pigeon? I literally cannot look at pigeons the same way…

  

  | 8 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, Italy, Rome, Vatican

• Roma, Italia – Pt. 1

  Posted at 2:00 PM by Brittany, on October 21, 2019

  Roma, ohhhh Roma. Just the thought of you makes me think of romance, history, religion, and Lizzie McGuire. My mom (and sister) came to visit me in Europe last month, and when I asked her (my mom) where she wanted to go (other than Germany) she immediately said: “Rome.”

  My mom is a devout catholic, and Rome is to a catholic like Disneyland is to a small child. 

  

  Rome wasn’t high on my list of “must see’s,” but I was happy to oblige her desires, so I did all the dirty work to plan for our trip to Rome. Everything went smoothly…until it didn’t. My mom’s flight was canceled into Germany and she had to spend a night in Dublin, putting us behind half a day. Then when I picked up our rental car, I was given a boat instead of a compact.

  Did I mention I was driving to Rome? Where the streets are narrow and the drivers are intense?

  

  I drove my boat and myself to the Munich airport to pick up my mom the morning we were to drive to Rome (which is about 11 hours from Munich) and I waited an hour and a half to change the car. It was worth every minute’s wait, and I ended up getting an Audi A3 Limo style.

  I fell deeply in love with that car. Much better for an 11 hour drive.

  

  Driving to Rome was…interesting. The drive was surprisingly smoother than I anticipated, and my anxiety about the Autostrade tolls was unnecessary. The tolls were simple, you just get onto the Autostrade – get a ticket – and pay when you exit. I only paid once getting off in Rome. I felt like a local in no time.

  

  Arriving in Rome was another story. I hoped because we were arriving late (around 11pm) the roads would be less…populated. I was wrong. The streets at night are just as crazy as the streets in the day, and Italians are just as aggressive as they say when it comes to driving. Finding our Air B & B was an adventure.

  It took an hour to find, and I had to call the host at midnight. 

  

  We couldn’t find parking despite the Air B & B listing stating they had parking (which is why I booked it) so I parked on the street a bit away from the place, which was annoying. After all the hoops were jumped through, the car was parked, and we were inside our apartment, we went to bed to prepare for our first full day in Rome. We’d made it, we’d arrived, it was time to breathe.

  We arrived on a Saturday, which meant we were able to attend Sunday mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. 

  

  

  

  The weather was perfect, and arriving for mass at 9am allowed us to beat some of the crowds. On Sunday’s the Vatican Museums are closed, so the entire Vatican City is less chaotic. Did you know that the Vatican City is considered its own separate country? Although I had already been to Italy before this trip, I can still count this as a new country visited thanks to this fun fact.

  Mass was beautiful, as was the inside of the Basilica. My mom claimed this was the highlight of the trip for her (other than seeing me of course.) That alone made all the hoops jumped through worth it. Helping facilitate this visit for my mom was very rewarding.

  Mass is held multiple days a week at the Basilica, but I was happy we made it for Sunday mass.

  

  

  

  After mass we ventured off to get some lunch. We quickly learned that tourist traps are everywhere, and we ate at a restaurant that charged us $60 for a kitten sized portion of pasta, and a medium pizza. Prices aside the food tasted like cardboard and we didn’t make the same mistake twice.

  While sitting there eating, a man walked by playing music. After he finished he stuck his hat out expecting money from us, to which I declined. I am all for paying street artists if I feel inclined, but this is another example of how touristy this city is…locals expect and receive money from people who don’t know any better.

  After we ate, we took a tour of the city on the Hop on Hop off (HOHO) bus. 

  

  

  Rome is a large city, and a lot of the attractions are spaced far apart. It’s not a driving friendly city, so in order to get the full taste of everything it’s advisable to be in good walking shape. My poor mom hurt her knee pretty badly before she came, making her trip a bit difficult to enjoy at times. Rome is also not nearly as romantic as I originally assumed.

  Rome is dirty, it smells, there are tons of tourists, tourist traps, pushy street vendors, and despite it being September it was HOT. 

  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we went, but I don’t feel the need to go back anytime soon. Aside from all that, there were plenty of beautiful buildings and statues to gawk at. The HOHO bus took us towards a handful of attractions, but there were a few we skipped out on like the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. I guess I do need to go back after all.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  After a full first day, we decided to try again with dining out. We found a slightly touristy place, which was still moderately expensive, but the food was AMAZING. Worth it. I let my hair down and ordered pesto pasta, which set the tone for the rest of the trip.

  

  

  After dinner we walked back to our Air B & B in Vatican City to prepare for the following days adventure. Stay tuned for our visit to the Vatican Museums, and the traumatizing sight I saw with a homeless man and a pigeon.

  Q: Do you like big cities? 

  

  | 23 Comments Tagged Brittanys Life Abroad, Europe, Italy, Rome, Vatican

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