The backpacking way of life...

For two weeks in the middle of my exchange, I traveled around mainland Europe and saw a lot in a short period of time. I purchased a Global Eurail Pass which made it possible for me to have unlimited train travel during my free time, and it turned out to be a great investment. I have now spent more time on trains than I care to count, but I can say I'm sorta a pro at public transportation now :). Together with my other 3 IFYE travel companions, we trekked across Europe with nothing but our backpacks and our (sometimes absent) wits. We saw so many things, and have many stories to share...some of which I will try to relay in words and pictures for you.

Food rations of nutella and peanut butter.

With all our belongings

Day 1: Monday September 3rd. Met Jamie and Becky in the Zurich train station to start our journey together. Caught a night train to Berlin.1st experience sleeping on a train in a room for 6, with bunk beds triple stacked! Day 1 also begins the staple diet of bread, nutella, peanut butter rations, and miniature cereal packets.

Becky on the 1st night train

Day 2: Upon arrival to Berlin in the morning, we navigated our way around the city, seeing Brandenburg gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and the Berlin Wall. (At Checkpoint Charlie I had an older gentleman slap me on the back and grunt "K-State!", haha, I was wearing a purple KSU t-shirt of course!). We took a bus tour around the city and also rode in a hot air balloon, allowing us a great view of Berlin! That night we hopped on a night train to Paris!

Brandenburg Gate

On the hot air balloon preparing for lift off!

With my hot air balloon ticket!

At the Berlin Wall

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Checkpoint Charlie

 
Day 3:  We arrived in Paris 2 hours later than scheduled, and didn't get to the city until 11am. Since our day was cut short, we were very rushed to see all that we could in a short period of time. The public transport was very hard for us to navigate, as English is not on signs and the people aren't as willing to help. We finally found the Eiffel Tower around 1pm, then got on a hop-on-hop-off boat tour on the river, taking us to the Notre Dame Cathedral (amazing!), and the Louvre art museum. I had a nutella filled crepe for lunch (yum!), maybe not very nutritious but oh well. We went in the cathedral, but did not have enough time for the Louvre, so we admired it from the outside. Before leaving the city of love, we were sure to purchase a croissant (exquisite!), and eat at a Native American themed restaurant that served Mexican food haha. That evening we got on our 3rd night train headed for Salzburg.

The Eiffel Tower, on a cloudy day

Notre Dame Cathedral

Outside the Louvre

Day 4: Once in Salzburg, we met up with our IFYE friend Franz and were happy to have him as our tour guide for the day! We saw the house Mozart was born in, the Salzburg Cathedral, Salzburg fortress, and listened to the Glockenspiel bells. We then took an hour long hike on the mountain, and ended up at the Augustiner Brau, a massive brewery with food vendors and fill-your-own-mug beer, which is the best I have ever tasted.  We stayed the night with Franz's family and were happy to have a shower and a bed that wasn't moving! That night I had my first taste of Wienerschnitzel and Sturm.

Franz & me in the Mirabell gardens

Me, Becky, & Jamie with the Salzburg fortress in the background

Glockenspiel

Taking the funicular up to the fortress

At the brewery with the best beer 

Dessert at Franz's

 
Day 5: In the morning we left for Prague, and after a day on various trains, we were there by late afternoon. We checked into a hostel and then went out for dinner where were enjoyed the cheap dinner and drinks, then got a good nights sleep in preparation for the next day.

Day 6:  We started our full day in Prague with a walking tour of the city, which was a great use of 3 hours. We saw most of the city then, including Charles' Bridge, Old Jewish Cemetery, and a cathedral with a mummified arm hanging from the ceiling (yikes!). After the tour we went to the castle, which is the largest in the world apparently, mainly because it is like a small city with many different buildings. We also visited the John Lennon Peace Wall, which we wrote on with my trusty Sharpie! We could see Prague's miniature Eiffel Tower in the distance, the same height as the real one, but only because it is sitting on a hill. That evening we got on a 4 hour train to Vienna, where we were picked up by one of the girl's former hosts, and we stayed with her that night.

Prague Castle

John Lennon Peace Wall

Overlooking Charles' Bridge

Day 7:  In the city of Vienna we visited the Hofburg Palace of the Hapsburg dynasty, and also St. Stephen's Cathedral. We also ate some yummy Manner chocolate wafer cookies. That night we got on our final night train that lasted 13 hours and took us to Rome! Our experience on the night train that evening was memorable but hopefully never to be repeated. We had seats instead of beds (the beds were sold out), and some interesting cabin company that made us guard our belongings like hawks! The cabin was also super warm, as the AC wasn't working.

During one of our train adventures

Day 8: Monday, September 10th. We've arrived in Rome! After navigating our way to the hostel we would call home for 3 days, we added an additional travel companion, Tiffany. In the afternoon we accomplished seeing the Colosseum, getting our laundry done, and learning our way around the city. We purchased a Roma Pass, which got us into 2 places free, free transport, and discounts. It was a terrific investment, as it got us straight into the Colosseum without standing in the long line. For dinner that night we ate at a bar (we were starving and couldn't find an actual restaurant), and had microwaved pasta and ice cream. It was a hilarious experience with great service, even if we were pretty much just sitting in a Quick-E-Mart at the only little table, eating microwaved pasta that burnt everyone's tongues :) 

Our dinner at an Italian bar. 

The two K-State girls outside the hostel

Laundry Day

  

The Colosseum, my favorite

4 USA IFYEs in Rome

The Colosseum

Outside the Colosseum

Day 9:  We crammed in as much of Rome as possible. The Pantheon, Mercati di Traiano, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Palantine Hill, Roman Forum, and the Vittorio Emanuele Monument. That took up about 9 hours of time, and by the end we were exhausted. That evening we found an actual restaurant, and I had a steak, bread with asparagus spread, and cheesy rice balls. It wasn't too bad!

Taking a break on Palantine Hill

 

The green stuff is asparagus on bread!

Can you see me?? This pretty much sums up our lives enduring public transportation! Never have I missed my Dodge Neon so much!

Piazza Navona

Tiffany and me outside the Pantheon!

In the Pantheon

Our coins for Trevi Fountain

On Palantine Hill

Palantine Hill

Roman Forum

Colosseum in the background

     
Day 10: Welcome to the Vatican! We got an early start and arrived there by 8am in order to beat the crowd. There was virtually no line to get into St. Peter's Basilica, so we started there first. It was breathtaking! From there we climbed 320 steps to the top of the dome and saw the city of Rome from above. We also wandered through the burial place of the previous Pope's while waiting for the living Pope to come and speak. It was a Wednesday, so normally he is driven to the courtyard to bless the crowd and speak, but unfortunately, he chose that day to address the people from inside a building, which required tickets we didn't have. So we got to see the Pope from big TV's outside with no audio :( We took advantage of the famous Vatican post, and purchased stamps and postcards to send home. After that, we went to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. There was so much art to see it was mind blowing! And the chapel was as great as they say. About 3pm we left to catch a train to Pompeii, but unfortunately we got the slowest train on the planet, and arrived in Naples (which connects to Pompeii) too late. So we traveled all the way back to Rome for our last night in the hostel, and on the way got some nasty cold pizza in Florence for dinner.

Inside St. Peter's Basilica

Our dinner in Florence. After cold, over-priced pizza, I found the golden arches and a McFlurry and fries!

About to go into the Basilica

 

At the top of the dome! 

Descending from the dome

As close as we got to his holiness the Pope

Overlooking Rome and Vatican City

Mailing my postcards via Vatican City

    

Day 11: We got an early start and caught another train to Naples with all our bags, and then somehow found our way to Pompeii. The trains weren't very accommodating, so we were happy to finally arrive in Pompeii. However, the weather wasn't so nice, as it rained all day (happy again to have my trusty rain jacket, which has saved me many times!). We toured the ruins of Pompeii for around 3 hours. When that was all done, we got back on the trains and made our way North to Pisa. It took us quite a while to get there, and we arrived in Pisa around 10pm. By then the B & B we had booked for the night was closed, so we wandered the streets of Pisa for 3 hours looking for alternative housing. Fortunately the people were nice and helpful, nevertheless we felt much more safe with the hotel we booked at 1:30am than on the streets!

On the streets of Pompeii

Backpacker's Dream!

  

Pompeii between rains

Pompeii

Day 12:  Since we hadn't time the night before, in the morning we went straight for the leaning tower. Many pictures later, we took the hour long walk (the bus drivers somehow went on strike in the hour and half we were at the tower, so they weren't running) back to the train station. Tired of wandering streets with our backpacks and heat, we boarded another train bound for Venice. We arrived there around 5pm and found our housing, outside the city in a campground. We were too exhausted from constantly getting lost and walking around with our bags, that we decided to just bunk it out for the night. So we really didn't see much of Venice but the river and boats as we traveled, but we decided being settled was worth it.

Safe and sound at McDonald's

The Leaning Tower

Travel Buds

They call me the bag lady, don't worry, they aren't all mine

  
Day 13:  We left Venice in the morning and made way for Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet. Jamie left for Finland early in the morning, so we were down to 3 for Verona. In the city we saw the house of Juliet, featuring the balcony that inspired Shakespeare and the statue of Juliet. We also went to the tomb of Juliet and museum, which actually did not contain Juliet's body, but just an open sarcophagus they claimed once held her remains. We found our hostel that night via metro (which we are now amazing navigators of), and ordered Chinese carry out. 

Juliet

Her house

Her "tomb". Where is she?

Day 14:  Early in the morning we checked out of the hostel and got on trains back to Switzerland. In Luzern we parted ways, ready to start the second half of our exchange! Our free time went by so fast, and I will be ecstatic never to spend anything over an hour on another train! And to travel with only a purse and no weight on my back!