Just living.

I realise that its been a while since I've actually explained what being an exchange kid is like so I'll let you know about another side of exchange that perhaps isn't heard very often. Don't get me wrong, for the most part, exchange is awesome and there are a good many opportunties that open up, but every now and then, home is the only place you want to be. 
So since I got home from eurotour a while back, I ended up with a cold that since turned into a nasty case of sinusitis and made life quite miserable - I watched a large number of movies and daytime TV, read and slept, but it was been the one time when I would do anything to be lying on the green sofa in front of the wood fire, while the winter rain pattered down on the roof in Verdun, and know that Mum and Dad are around, probably making another cup of tea or coffee - I believe this quote sums up the homesickness part of exchange, mind you, sinusitis doesn't really count as an adventure

“When you're safe at home you wish you were having an adventure; when you're having an adventure you wish you were safe at home”

You know, I seem to begin these pages with quotes that relate, and now I stumble accross many that have significant meaning so by Ralph Waldo Emerson ' Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail' - I remember using this in my Year 12 Valadictory speech and now, as I look over the past 6 months, I do question how I am making my own trail - perhaps no one will follow it, and perhaps that is a good thing - the way I live my life, the trail I  create will be unique to me, my exchange is completly different to anyone elses, you can't keep the variables constant and truly, I like it that way, I like my trail - this year especially, it has not been the easiest, but I've learnt, and am in the process of growing.

The second quote was by Robert Frost, learnt also in year 12, in a brilliant English class, with one fantastic Mrs. Chesterfield 'Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the diffirence' and exchange I do think is the road less traveled by. At times, I have wondered ' Why on earth have I taken myself out of everything familiar, out of an amazing family, splendid friends, a solid church and everything 'normal'' but even though I'm only half way in, this year will make all the difference, be it appreciating Australia and my family, looking forward to the joy of studying again, catching the travel bug and wanting to get on a plane and just fly some where, not being so stressed over not having a plan, and learning to enjoy the 'little things' - the road less traveled, sometimes scary and frustrating, has many joyous moments, that shape what will be a very experienced year

So, what has it been like since Eurotour? being on summer holidays and just living?

Goodbyes in the back yard

Well - lets see, my brother and my soon to be sister visited at the end of their trip to Switzerland - the plan was that I would fly down and meet them and we would spend some time together at L'Abri, a christian fellowship community in the Alps and do a bit of travelling and I would get to meet Andrew's own old host families - but alas, no go on that one so they came to Denmark for a couple of days.

Heidi and I

We went into town both days and walked along by the beach, and just mooched around all the shops and cafe's. They also got to meet my swell counsellor Sven and his wife Connie, and see the Tall ships doing a little flashy sail by with cannons going off as well. Seeing someone who knew me from home, and understood the ins and outs of exchange was so great, and their visit came at a time that I was unsure of everything, especially if I had made the right decision to come on exchange.

Andrew and I

 Just knowing that they supported me, and understood what Denmark is like really helped as well as them being christian, and of of course the familiar faces were swell!

Sven, Connie and I

And then, two weeks after their trip, Sophie and Lorinda, two Aussie friends came and visited at the start of their own eurotour! And again that familiarity was welcomed with open arms! We had a trip to Legoland which far exceeded my expectations - the rides were awesome -going through mini castles where all the sets were made of lego, and lakes with life size lego boats and sharks, lego meerkats that bobbed up and down - ah! not only does someone have a somewhat boring life to make all those sculptures, but they provided much entertainment. The mini lego land was really cool!
 You could see heaps of famous places made from lego, with moving cars and bridges and boats. Suddenly places like Amelianborg palace were in perspective, as was Amsterdam, Oslo etc. We attempted to get a nice picture of us on the rides but it would seem that those amusement park camera's dislike me and the only decent photo of me, was when Sophie and Lorinda got soaked on a pirate ride... I'll never win. But no, it was a great day, minus the queuing and the long time it took to get to Billund. 

Mini Amsterdam

The Dragon that shot steam from its nose

The life size lego boat

Life size Duplo

The next day we spent in Copenhagen, looking at all the shops, and buying amazing green tea with peach from the royal tea shop ( you cannot understand how good my room smells from the tea now) and going to the little mermaid statue and Amelianborg (got there just in time to catch the changing of the guards) We also went to the Icebar, found out that the guy serving us was an Aussie (first non exchange student Aussie that I've met here), got dressed in some fashionable winter cloak thingies (while Sophie and Lorinda rocked socks and thongs...not ;p ) and drank from ice glasses, touched ice chandeliers and posed with an ice car (or at least  the very front of one) 
We also went to Tivoli and saw all the games, and amusement rides, pretty little boutiques and restaurants and some ballet performance - a swell ending to the day. Seeing them made me realise that going home isn't so far away - only 5 months till I board the plane for the wonderful place that is Australia!! The train ride back to Fredericia (2 hours away) wasn't so great-due to recent flooding, all the train schedule's were out of wack so I didn't get home till 2 am and then had to cycle home, one of the moments where you think ' What on earth am I doing here?' - mind you, when I've cycled home at 3 am in mid winter listening to Mumford and Sons, I couldn't love this anymore. 

The one photo were Sophie wasn't pulling a face
was the one the Lorinda and I did

Icebar Copenhagen

The icy drink

Sophie and the car

I also spent a week in Amsterdam at a resort with my host family chilling out, reading books, playing cards, going to the aquatic centre, shopping at an outlet store and a day in Amsterdam - we went on a canal tour for about an hour, which was pretty nifty - we saw more than what I had seen on Eurotour, and went down the grand canal. Amsterdam seems pretty small but since London and Paris, my view on capital cities is a tad tainted. 
It was strange seeing all the little drug stuff in all the stores there and going past many a 'coffeeshop' - made me giggle a little - yes, I'm still that wee bit immature. The rest of my summer holidays have been spent reading, going to the gym (when I have enough motivation - although I've enjoyed the various yoga and pilates classes - bikefit sucks though- utter horridness) catching up with friends every now and then, going for walks and yeh, thats about it.

With friends at a class party!

 I think one problem going to a country where the summer holidays are backwards to your own country is that you have this 3 month block, where you can't get a job to fill the time, you don't have assignments to do, friends go abroad for holidays or have work, and you have to find a way to fill the time - which, I must admit, can be a bit of a bum. So, yet again, I am excited for the prospect of school... how lame. 

One thing that had helped when I've felt incredibly alone, is a book by Beth Redman called 'God knows my name' and a lot of it relates so well to that homesicky feeling and she made referance to many verses, one really good one being 

'O Lord you have searched me

and you know me

You know when I sit and when I rise

You percieve my thoughts from afar

You discern my going out and my lying down

you are familiar with all my ways

Before a word is on my tongue

You know it completely O Lord'

Psalm 139:1-4

Jut knowing that the Lord fully understands all my feelings and struggles, and even when I worry about what lies ahead, if I'll get a job? Where I'll live? etc., it is an amazing encouragement and support to know I'm not alone, even in times when I may be surrounded by people but in a pretty dark place in my own head! So, yet again scripture wins the point :) thankfully. 

So chappies, in a couple of days, this kid shall be changing host families for the first time- and yes, I'm nervous, but a bit excited for a new challenge, and they have a dog!! Obviously nothing can replace one crazy labrador called Sheena, but still, I'm looking forward to having a dog round the place. The small things make me happy. 
For now cheerio, have a good day/night/month/year/life and my fellow Aussies, see you in less than 5 months! Much love, xx

One of the beautiful flowers in the garden.

Eurotour part 2

So, back on with the show!

Following on from SanRemo, we headed over the Italian/French border, still continuing along the coast and entered into the Principality of Monaco and it was here that I realised something I probably should have a while back. The reigning monarch of Monaco is Prince Albert who recently got married and I was a tad confused as to why he wasn't a king, and it seems to have just clicked that it's because its a principality rather than a kingdom - for all my love of monarchy, I should have known that one.

Monaco -(I should let you know that my 'e' key is being very tempremental so some may be missing - mind you in the scheme of things my spelling is still terrible so it won't add much)

The royal palace is on top of that land mass in front of your
eyes - I would say mountain but it's not the right word..can't
think of it.

Getting down into the centre of the city was pretty hectic - narrow, windy roads in every direction and on top of everything, we arrived 2 or 3 days between the Grand Prix, so all the trucks carrying cars and whatnot for the stands were also blocking up the city.
We managed to somehow find a big enough park for the bus, and headed off in small groups and after a few coordination mishaps, myself and my American mate found ourselves in the heart of the grandprix area, where all the car fanatics wer busy preparing all the beasts for the race - by beasts, I refer to the Ferrari's, Lamborghini's and various other pretty cars. No doubt my brothers would be there drooling but I was on a mission to see the sights of Monaco and 2 hours goes very fast.

We continued around the harbour, which was filled with ginormous, very expensive yachts and other sea faring things, and made our way up to the Belle Epoch style Monte Carlo Casino, which I believe features in James Bond at some point, and various other movies.

Big pretty boats owned by people with too much money

I'll chuck in some facts about Monaco because to me at least, it's quite interesting.

• The small city state(second smallest following the Vatican in the world) is made up of ten wards (small divided areas)
• The official language is French but the traditional one, spoken by a minority, is Monegasque
• The house of Grimaldi have ruled since 1297
• It has the highest life expectancy and lowest unemployment rate in the world
• Citizens of Monaco are not allowed to gamble at any of the casinoes......What!?!?!?
• Monaco levies no income tax on citizens

Due to that last 'fun fact' - beats me if you actually find it fun, perhaps it becomes more interesting when you've actually been there... but yeh, onwards - Most of the citizens are very rich 'tax refugees' from European countries who are living out their life savings in an incredibly luxurious setting, buying from only the most exclusive shops - How splendid old chap. Or perhaps that is a saying better suited for the Brits.

And I don't know if I could live in that atmosphere for ever - maybe a bit to stifling, but for one day at least, walking around a crazy expensive shopping mall with stairways taken straight out of the Titanic and many a chandelier, in somewhat daggy clothes in comparison, and eating marvellous macaron's with a swell coffee, was most delightful- The temperature was pretty warm so we tended to look in all the air conditioned places, stay out of the sun, and after the mistake of hugging a bronze bear statue, steer clear of any type of metal - you'd think after 18 years of life, I would have learnt not to touch metal thats been chilling in the sun!

Titanic style shopping mall

Even though we didn't see any museums or palaces, seeing the Monte Carlo, and a few little markets, and two of the big harbours was enough so afterwards, we headed yet again, back to the sweet old bus (which in fact, no bus can ever be - I ramble a lot dont I ? - sorry...) We ended up spending more time waiting for one of the other exchange students who had strayed off and become lost - 50+ students, relativly tired from the heat, and no air conditioning was not very pleasant. Overall though, I quite enjoyed Monaco and would go back again.

the Monte-Carlo casino

Natalie(Minnesota) and I

Macaroons and coffee in Monaco!

The Parisian Opera House

France

Avignon

About an hour outside of Monaco center, we stopped alongside the riviera at a perfumery called Fragonard where we were taken on a tour of how they make perfume, and soap and various other beauty products - for us females at least, it was awesome. Actually seeing all the equipment for creating the essential oils, and smelling the pure oils was quite enjoyable- and the view overlooking the French Riviera was fantastic! And then of course, we had the opportunity to buy the essential perfumes (by essential oil, thats the most pure form without added alcohol so the smell (one drop) can last up to 24hours) and I managed to walk out of there having spent around 2 days allowance - totally worth it though
.

Feeling very French in one of the main streets

We hit the town of Avignon a former papal city around 8pm, after travelling through Nice, and had a pretty bland dinner where the cranky French lady kept telling us off for being too loud and spent the rest of the evening, chilling out, realising that many of the beds had broken slats and trying to ignore the ongoing alarm, which I think was set of by the tweeny French kids who couldn't speak english.

The next day we had free in the city so we went on a little bus tour within the walls, and around the church and then just going in and out of the little, typically French shops, filled with fresh olive oil, or lavender soap, or cute little tidbits. We managed to find a store selling sugared fruit which we bought (pineapple) but it had little taste, and felt like you were eating pure sugar - I ended up swallowing it, in the sweltering heat, with the help of a mint flavoured mineral water which took some getting used to - seemed like I was swallowing mouthwash straight.

Sugared nothingness

My minty mouthwash that they labelled
as a drink

But it was a very peaceful day, if not a bit warm and although we didn't spend the day running around trying to see everything (not that there was heaps) it was good, especially given it was southern France, to see all the little things - like little balcony's covered in flowers, and laced iron chairs, a dog lying in the window of a old book store and three men playing violins in the town square.

Paris ftw!!

Arc De Triomphe

We arrived in Paris at about 6pm after a pretty hectic drive through the center and a sort of bus/car scrape which we were given the night off to explore Paris!
During the two days there, I managed to fulfil many a dream.  I climbed the Eiffel Tower, right up to the 3rd storey - technically I took the lift to level two and then walked. The line took about an hour but seeing the hagglers scamper when the police were near provided enough entertainment as well as the couple in front who I think were on a first date - He wasn't such a great english speaker and I sort of got the vibe that she didn't want to be there, but he bought a big eiffel tower statue which he said to give to her mum - I love the funny stories. Being able to get a feel for Paris and it's layout was pretty helpful I must say, and eating the chocolate croissant on the top was a nice moment - but then again, anything with chocolate is bound to make a nice moment. Oh, and waking up Mum and also Chanelle, even though it was 2am in Adelaide made me happy :D

The glass pyramid of the Lóuvre

I also went to the Louvre and may I say, it is a massive gallery - has everything from famous paintings (especially ceiling size Jaques Louis David's and Delacroix) to sculptures, and Napoleans apartments, and of course, the somewhat pitiful Mona Lisa, which is very small and much less impressive that you would expect. I only had about 3 hours there, so with a lot of running and getting lost, I saw most of the stuff that I wanted - doing it alone was much better as well, I could go at my own pace, see what I want and babble to myself about the background of some of the paintings - not literally ...

David's 'Death of Marat'

I also went to Musee d'Orsay which had a lot of impressionist art like Monet and Renoir as well as Van Gogh - its all the art work that really appeals to me, that makes me feel relaxed and can transport me to another time and place, where my feet don't hurt after all the running around, or where I don't have to worry about getting in to the hotel by curfew. Seeing some of the Van Gogh work, and the exact brush strokes, of paintings that I have studied or that even featured in Dr Who, was swell indeed.

The hall of mirrors

Chateau Versailles

Without doubt, my highlight of France was Chateau Versailles!!! and was it amazing!! After having studied the French revolution - twice, being at the place where all this crazy history went down was phenomenal. We had to wake up early to be in time to get the train there (16km out of Paris) and by the time we got there (the palace not even open at this stage) the line was already about 500m - and after not reading the instructions right, by the time we were admitted, it turned out we had to have tickets , when in fact we didn't need them, being EU citizens- anyway, nice complicated mess led to us finally getting in after about an hour.
My goodness, passages filled with statues of king and queens, bedrooms lined in beautiful fabric, frescoes covering every bare inch, luxurious and often excessive ornaments and furniture, intricately detailed bedspreads - it was like an even more elaborate Schonnbrunn Palace. Walking through the Hall of Mirrors which looks out onto the amazing gardens, and seeing all the chandaliers reflect was very ..sparkly, which could not appeal to my feminine glitter and sparkle side any more. I also went for a jog round the gardens - to the Petit Trianon, where Marie Antoinette had her own little village built - sadly I was in bit of a mad rush so I didn't get to take in the beauty of the gardens but they seemed very grand, as did the mini village. Just being there, the former hub of Paris, where the aristocracy used to party down, and to an extent, uneffectively run France was mind boggling - a true pleasure and highlight.

One of the many intricately detailed bedchambers

Petit Trianon

On a bus tour, we also went down the Champs Elysees and up to the Arc De Triomphe in all its splendour, and past the Pompidou centre, and where the Bastille once stood and of course, past the magnificent Notre Dame - unfortunatly I didn't have to time to go there but it looked very beautiful. One night, following an Ikea style dinner, we headed up to Montmartre (the arty district) to Sacre Coeur (a famous church) which overlooked Paris. That was an excptionally good evening - after snooping through all the shops, listening to the yells of an American mother looking for her daughter who had run off after a dinner argument - the daughter being 21, we made our way to a glittering Eiffel tower to yet again take pictures and eat what was my 5th or 6th cheese crepe - they tasted so good! also nutella with banana/strawberry and cream made a good combo :p

From the Eiffel Tower looking towards the Trocadero

Paris was in all, amazing and took the place as the best European city, London not included. Catching the metro by myself and not getting mugged, getting around a very crazy city, not being squished by the drivers who follow no road rules- simply because I don't think they exist - ah I love the feeling of travelling, not knowing what will surprise you next, or who you might meet, the adventures you could have - it's such a freeing feeling, and I didn't feel it anymore strongly than in the city of love....or shall I just stick with Paris?     :D

Looking down the Champs de Mars

Tintin, Captain Haddock and Snowy being a little bit sneaky
in Belgium

Belgium
So, driving from such a big city into such a small one, was a bit of an odd feeling but not such a bad one - we arrived late afternoon and only had the evening there. It's a very small capital and by this stage, I at least, was feeling the tiredness of two weeks on the road, running around Europe flatout. So my friends and I spent the night seeing Manneken pis - a small stautue of a male...eating waffels and chocolate, and taking a break. The town center was under renovations so it wasn't such a spectacular sight but it was very busy!!
After Paris, this seems like a very short entry but I simply was not as impressed by it and I guess thats what happens when you just seen Paris - all the other places seem a tad more boring. But thats not to say I didn't enjoy the down time. 

Holland
We got into Amsterdam midday and the first thing I noticed were the houseboat - fully functioning houses, some double storey and very modern, only 10m wide, just bobbing along the large canals- anyway, we were taken in a boat tour, down some of the main canals and the little side ones, and also past Anne Franks house. It was strange to think that at one stage, Amsterdam had been one of the busiest European ports for trade and industry, especially with the East India companies, yet now I struggle to imagine all that business there. Saying that, it was a lovely city, very quaint and peaceful - I thought it was swell that the main transport is either bikes or boats - while we sat on the bank of some random canal blissfully letting our last eurotour moments drift by, a group of teenagers sailed their little boat right by, which for them is totally normal. I didn't really get into the heart of the city but seeing some of the souvenir shops and the various products they sold, showed how open the country really is to the drug culture, if it can be called that. 

The Canals of Amsterdam

We spent the night in a town called Arnheim, about an hour out of Amsterdam in the middle of a wooded area - the rain was lightly falling and on our last night, a couple of us went for a nice stroll down through a beautiful park and through a farm - unfortunatly one person had the mishap of rolling in dog doodoo which was of course, smelly, but hey, another memory for the box! It was a comfortable ending to a long 2 and a half weeks, a good dinner, nice hostel (shared with scotsfolk - just to add some more coolness) and relaxed atmosphere spent with my newly made friends!

Thats all for Eurotour folks.  I know it was a bit of an essay, with far too much rambling on my part but maybe, just maybe, you have a better feeling for Europe and all the adventures we lived, and dreams reached!
One thing that I did do was find a movie for each country so here they are

• Germany -  Caberet I felt like I understood the setting to the movie much better after getting a feel for the pre WWII culture 
• Prague - Dirty Dancing It was the song the played during the water light show and since then, every time that I've heard it, I'm instantly taken back to that night. Also Life is Beautiful is very fitting for the experience of Theresienstadt concentration camp - I will never fully comprehend life in those camps, but seeing one makes it that little bit more real.
• Vienna - Does the Sound of Music ring any bells, the hotel was taken right out of the film
• Italy - We have a couple here. The Italian Job shows a robbery in Venice at the start so its a given, as is Brideshead Revisted when they go to Venice, and also Casanova - the one with David Tennant.  Likewise the visit to Verona makes Baz Lurhmans Romeo and Juliet an obvious
• Monaco - Let's get Skase reminded me of Monaco, even though its set in Majorca - must have something to do with the whole tax thingy. Also 007's Casino Royale for what more than the Casino's, and Perfume: The story of a murderer. My main thoughts while being taught how to make the essential oils were that of Grenouille making 'perfume' - little bit creepy, don't get me wrong. 
• France - We have a few contenders here. Amalie - for all the Parisian quirkiness. Chocolat - for the time in Avignon. Je t'aime Paris - because I do! Phantom of the Opera - not only because it was set in Paris, but we went past the Opera house on all days. Marie Antoinette - as much as I disliked Kirsten Dunst's portrayal, the props and settings were perfectly matched to Versailles, and finally, Ratatouille for the escargot, foie gras and baguette that I didn't get to eat.
• Brussels and Amsterdam fail in movie thoughts - my brain had stopped functioning by then. Although any movie with reference to drugs will do for Amsterdam I guess! :p

I apologise for the essay length - I think, and I hope it will be my largest! Now I'm keen to get cracking on what exchange life is like, and getting through summer break with my sanity intact. Anywho, hope all is well wherever you live in this crazy world and vi ses chums! 

xx

From Paris to Berlin... EUROTOUR!!

Eurotour! How shall I begin?

 For starters, it was brilliant, exhausting, enlightning, thrilling and magical - a taste of Europe for next time I come back. We left on May 14th ('We' being just over 50 exchange students living in DK from America, Canada, Thailand, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand and Brazil)  in a coach, with a guide from the travel company, bus driver, and a younger old rotary exchange student ( a second one would join in Prague)

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St Augustine


 “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jewaharial Nehru

I must say, both these quotes are brilliantly true, especially that we live in a world full of adventure - gosh darn, Eurotour, the freedom of just travelling, and not knowing whats ahead, taking things a day at a time, seeing world famous sights - simply awesome! and while Verdun, Adelaide will always be home, I will seek adventure for the rest of my life, and read the whole book!

Brandenburger gate - at the end of Unter den Linden

Berlin
We headed to Berlin, and after a couple of stops along the side of the motorway, we made the city by late afternoon. I found the German countryside quite beautiful -the tall, dark green forests that stood out among fields reminded me of the driver between the Stirling and Crafers exit in the Adelaide Hills (just to be overly specific) Driving around Berlin was pretty amazing - many of the builidings are very ornate, but not over done and obviously there are many historical sculptures and monuments scattered around the place.

The Berlin Wall

As the sign implies - the change between east and
west Germany

Kathe Kollwitz's statue of 'Mother and Son'

We spent our time there looking at the wall between East and West Berlin - You can still see the difference, the west part feels more upper classy (having been the American, French and British sector) while the east is more basic and practical. It's sort of like the Function vs Feature idea - east goes for function, west for feature. We also went to Brandenburger Tor, walked down Unter den Linden, saw Humboldt University (where the burning of Jewish books occured during the holocaust - there is now a white, empty room underneath the courtyard that stands as a monument) and also a large room with black tiles and a statue of a mother holding her child - beneath the tiles was dirt taken from Auschwitz and the artist of the sculpter was Kathe Kollwitz, who I had studied in year 12, and lost her son to the war - quite a sobering moment.

The Holocaust monument

We also went through the holocaust monument , which are rectangles of concrete, of varying size, lined in rows and rows, representing all those killed - not only Jews, but all people. After learning about what went on in the world wars, and especially how it relates to Germany for so long doesn't really become real until you're standing in a city where so much history was made - perhaps on the very place your standing.



I thought Berlin was a beautiful city, and very liveable for a capital city - the people seemed very kind and willing to help, it wasn't an eyesore and it felt relativly relaxing!
When we left, we stopped in Dresden and even though we only saw the city top from a distant, it too looked beautiful and definitely a place to come back to!!

I'm thinking that this Maximilians restaurant
is better than the one I worked in :p

Only the most delicious street Wurste I've ever had!

Prague 

On our way to Prague, we stopped for a couple of hours at Theresienstadt Concentration Camp and  that was certainly a strange experience - we were given a tour of the camp, which unlike Auschwitz, was a work camp, rather than an extermination camp and is one of the smaller camps. Seeing all the small,rooms where hundreds of people were crammed into wooden beds, and execution spots - I couldn't even imagine it and that was only a work camp!
We continued onto Prague and spent that night at a water fountain light show in which scene's from Dirty Dancing and Save the last Dance were projected onto the water - that was a calm way to end the night and get settled in - checking into the hotel had been horrid - 70+ people crammed into a very small lobby, with old people who couldn't speak english trying to push through, a very small elevator and a somewhat incompetent check in man - getting our room was a relief almost unimaginable! But none the less - the next day brought a tour of the beautiful city starting at the castle that sits above the city line. The detail on  every building and especially the cathedral was to marvel at - gothic gargoyles, gold detailed mosiacs and frescos and intricate carvings of various people - t'was splendid indeed! We eventually winded our way down the small lanes, past far to many souvenir shops all saying they sold the only Czech crystal around, over the beautifully detailed Charles Bridge, filled with artists and street vendors, under the gunpoweder tower and into the hustling Prague streets - where we instantly held our bags much tighter!
So we spent the day, wandering round all the little streets, there was admittedly a very nice one, filled with Burberry, Chanel, Dior etc.... It was very nice!! and cute litle chocolate stores, ahh they were bliss - I've learnt that the best way to see a city, is to occasionally put away the map, and allow yourself to get lost among the hustle and bustle of ordinary life in the city - seeing all the crazy little shops, running into funny little street sellers, perhaps seeing more homeless people than you would like, and in all - trying to get a feel for how the city lives.
After dinner at the hotel with too many flights of stairs, we drove back into the center and spent more time wandering around, unnecessarily spending money and enjoying our last moments there.
 


Vienna

The beautiful alps!

We hit Vienna mid afternoon the next day and went straight to Schonnbrunn Palace, which for those who have watched any of Andre Rieu's concerts, was where he performed a spectacular performance. The Palace belonged to, or rather was lived in by the Hapsburg family, members of whom included Marie Aintoinette and her equally famous mother, Marie Theresa. And my goodness it is a magnificant place - every room has amazing decorations, walnut wood covered walls, hand embroidered curtains - every detail immaculate, fresco's lining walls an ceilings, Rocco style furniture in every room - totally excessive and opulant, but you cannot help to gasp in delight... until you arrive in Franz Joseph's (the last emperor) room - a plain iron bedstand and basic marble wash sink mark the unassuming and thrifty emperor's basic style. The gardens were simply another amazing feature - filled with mazes and monuments, the gardens are meticulously planned and almost assymetrical in layout and exactly opposite the palace, at the far end, lies the 'Gloriette' which is a 'triumphal arch like section' that has since becoming what is most likely, a very expensive cafe! I could go on for years about the beauty of the Palace but a) we still have Versailles Chataeu to discover and b) Its hard to understand when you havn't experienced it yourself... sorry

Schonnbrunn Palace

The next day was spent seeing a very cool artist's house called Friedensreich Hundertwasser - it would'nt be a hard stretch to say he was on drugs most of the time, but his art is very cool! very colorful and quirky, reminded me of Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory for some reason

The back of the palace with the Gloriette in the distance!

We also had the day just ambling around the town, seeing the Spanish riding school and all the beautiful architecture - Vienna is a very clean, calm and appealing city, not too crowded, but not boring. It actually reminded me a lot of Adelaide which I loved. We also had the expensive opportunity to hear a Viennese concert in one of the music halls and so, for about an hour, we sat and heard a small orchestra play classical songs, while two ballerina's danced, and two opera singers sang - the most entertaining of this performance however, was the double bass player, whose expression was priceless - he was so into the music, bopping his head, a grin from ear to ear, that you couldn't help but smile. By the time that was over, we had been in town for many an hour so we headed back up the mountain, to the spendid hotel, ate a dinner which included strips of pancake in a soup, and relaxed, finally!
Having only seen 3 cities, I couldn't say it was my favourite out of all, but by that time Vienna had taken the cake!!

The fields near the hotel

Pancake soup

Huntertwassers museum/house

My Mexican oldie and I, Mariana

Sitting in windows was a large part of the eurotour
hotels - its oddly serene, even when brushing teeth!

Italy

The next day, after driving through the indescribably beautiful Austrian alps for a couple of hours, which had been full of crystal clear blue brooks, winding roads, light rain, far too many tunnels and distant snow covered mountains, we hit Italy mid afternoon and made our way to Lido De Jesolo. This town was not really the Italy I had imagined, one of vineyard covered hills, with beautiful villas, where Italian women in 20's style white dresses would bring out amazing home cooked food, and rustic white bread to the table while the men who has been working in the vine's came in for lunch - a certain video on digestion played during year 11 biology painted a false picture of Italy.

One of the many canals

Anyway, this area was VERY touristy, many gelato shops and store's selling fake this and fake that. Admittedly my next trip to Italy will be into the more rural area's, to get a feel for how Italians actually live, and of course, Roma! but still, it was nice to be able to chill at the beach (which was - I kid not - filled with rows and rows of striped beach chairs - after seeing this beach, as nice as it was, Aussie beaches with clean miles of sand, and waves, not just a gentle lull, where at 50 m out, the water still reaches your thighs, still sing to my soul - I have become to patriotic for my own good
Our time spent here was sleeping on the beach chairs, walking for near 2 hours to find a laundromat, eating lots of gelati, turning the color of a lobster because you fell asleep in the sun for about 2 hours, with no suncream ( and having to live with a very sore back for the next week, as well as having a very moody temperature, no knowing if it were too hot or cold), forcing yourself to climb just one more step, up the 5 flights of stairs to the room as the elevator could hold max 5 people and took about 10 minutes to arrive, and eating pasta before every main meal (that was brilliant!) After what had already been a full on tour, just chilling for a full day was bliss!

Another touristy st.

And of course, you cannot go to Italy without seeing Venice!!  (Well, I mean, technically you can go to Italy without going to Venice, but seriously....that's a tad sad no? - just joshing y'all)
So, Venizia! We headed to the water taxi at about 10 am, and by then, the sun was in full steam - fortunately my burns hadn't quite come into full effect - yet. It took about 40 minutes to get there, and seeing the buildings  rise up out of the water (metaphorically of course) was incredible - just how I had imagined!

First glimpse of Venice

We headed off in small groups but stayed with one of the leaders, who led us over countless little canals, into St Marcus's Square, which many of you know, is in movies like The Italian Job and one of the 007 films and is usually filled with pigeons, yet this time, it was full of tourists, vendors selling masks, and many people sweltering under the heat. We ended up tootling through all the little alleys, filled with cafe's, pretty little boutiques, more souvenir stores with umpteen venetian masks before arriving at the Rialto Bridge - being in such a bustling, beautiful area, surrounded by water and gondola men all wearing red or black striped shirts was very very nifty! From here, we split up again, and myself, along with 5 others, headed down to go on our first gondola ride - admittedly, I was a bit hesitant - I always wanted to go on one at night with a singing driver, but after I built a bridge, we found ourselves a driver - what are they actually? a rower? a gondolie? I have no idea...a driver shall suffice

The Rialto Bridge

So, we headed very slowly onto the rickety beast, got settled in and headed out, with The Rialto Bridge in the background - the ride took around 20 minutes, for about 20 euro each. We went past Marco Paolo's house and Casanova's ;) and then down all the little canals, where people had their laundry hanging out over the water, where every random balcony was filled with flowers, where you could see the house supports becoming rotten, and wooden gates falling to pieces - It beats me how Venice has survived for so long! Our driver told us that residents can no longer live on the bottom floor - between the rising water, not only at high tide, and then the humidity - it's not the best of places. They (being whoever controls Venice) have begun builiding a barrier out in the sea to prevent such a dramatic high tide influence. So, yeh, beautiful Venice! as seen in a gondola - Myself and a girl from Minnesota bought pizza from a cafe - a plain Margherita, but my goodness! It was so good - the waiter was far too energetic but the pizza made up for his annoyingness.
I must say, after the cold Danish weather, being in Italy was a bit of a shock for my body so even though it was only about 23 degrees, we stuck to shade whenever possible and bought a ton of fruit, that was kept in fountains with a constant stream of icey water.

St Marcus Sq

It was also in Venice that I came across the 3 most beautiful (I use that adjective to often - I shall now use 'pulchritudinous'...if I can be bothered) stationery stores - I can't deny it, going stationery shopping is much more fun than clothes shopping will ever be - when Kikki K arrived in Adelaide, I was over the moon. At one of the stores ( and when I say that, I mean a small, wooden bookshelved, quaint little place) they had shelves full of leather bound journals - I came very close to blowing $80 in one shot, but wow! it was incredible! and at another, they had countless wax seals - the type that Kings would wear as signet rings, which would show that a letter or document had been approved personally by the King, and that require melted wax! So, of course not being as expensive as a leather journal, I did buy one :D and now any time I see in classic literature  that the (usually) female had carefully peeled off the waz seal and kept it, I understand

Juliet's Balcony

Venice had been a very full on day, of dehydration, hagglers, good pizza, funny dressed gondola men, hundreds of Ventian masks, Morano glass objects, nifty little canals, and a growing love of old cities - so I must say, getting back on the water taxi, finally getting up the stupid stairs and collapsing on the bed, as the sunburn fully hit - was a joy!
The next day, en route to San Remo, where we stayed the next night, we had about 20 minutes at Juliet's Balcony in Verona - honestly it was simply a stone balcony jutting out over a vine covered wall, with a bronze stautue of someone's imagination of Juliet, with of course, a souvenir shop selling all sorts of trinkets at crazy prices, and very few copies of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet unfortunatly.

Rural Italy

 Ladies and Gents, it's been too long since I've posted a blog so I figured this will suffice until I get back from Holland, finish the other half of eurotour and get cracking onto the rest of my exchange life! So for now, enjoy this essay and I'll be back, hopefully sooner - also don't worry about the spelling mistakes - You'll know that it is definitely me!

Farvel for now