My trip to Europe has changed my life forever. They way I look at people, the way I look at the world, the way I look at myself is all different now because of this trip I took. In two weeks, I was in Paris, Lucerne, Florence, Venice, Tyrol-Austria, Dachau, Munich, and Prague. I had pasta and pizza from Italy, Bratwurst and Beer from Germany, chocolote from Switzerland, chocolote croissants from France, soup in Prague, goulash and Shnapps in Austria, and gelatoo ice cream all over Italy. How lucky is it that that I got to try food from the countries that they came from? I got to meet people from these different countries, share in their traditions. I got to meet fellow travelers who I hope will stay friends of mine for years to come.
I got to go white water rafting in the mountains in Austria, mountain biking, sleeping in the Austrian grass, running down the Eiffel Tower as it was sparkling, overlooking what seemed like the world in the Swiss Alps, floating on a gondola ride in Venice. This trip was unforgettable. Beyond a doubt.
Let me know if you want any help in going on a trip like this yourself. Check out www.contiki.com. They give you freedom to explore and see what you want to see but they also let you know how to do it. They take you to the best clubs and restaurants, the best shows. They provide comfortable transportation, great hotels. I am definitely going with them again. Next time to Australia! Stay tuned.... Inna
I loved the time that we spent in Prague. Prague is one of those cities that is truly a treasure. It is beautiful and is full of so much history. The architecture is gorgeous and the people and traditions very unique. We spent two days in Prague.
The first day we were taken on a tour into the heart of the city with our lovely tour manager. He showed us the Castle and where the Velvet Revolution took place. We saw the solar clock, learned about the myth of the Charles bridge and had some time to explore on our own. I took this time to find the Jewish quarter and I did and I knew the next day I would visit it.
The Jewish Quarter used to be a ghetto for the Jews. It has one of the oldest cemeteries and oldest synagogues. The Nazis also made a museum for an extinct race there. Now this museum holds information of how the Jews survived.
For dinner that night, I decided to have falafel. It is funny that wherever I go, no matter what country I'm in I always manage to find it. Many people from our group spent the night going out to a bar and a five story club in Prague. They however got caught in the rain and somehow "lost" their wallets. I do kind of wish I would have went with them. But by that point, I had partied to the point where I was pretty low on cash and didn't know if I would be able to pay the taxi driver home.
The next day though I woke up early and set out to explore Prague with friends on our own. We walked into the city despite the fact that the metro transportation is great. The scenery was really beautiful. We shopped on the Charles bridge and went to see the Jewish quarter where we saw many shops as well. Then for lunch I had some more falafel.That night, I was really looking forward to our last big dinner as a group.
We spent our last night together in Prague. I really wanted my soup that I had heard from my cousin was incredible. I had two bowls of mushroom soup at dinner and let's just say it was everything I thought it would be. The desert of crepes and jam, appetizers, and the musical performance at this restaurant was also fantastic. We met the owner as she welcomed us. The wine at dinner was also excellent. After dinner we all went to a bar together. The bar was great as we all talked, danced, and enjoyed our last night of being together in this jewel of a city. Taking the metro back was fun as well. There was a pig on a diving board right in the middle of the city. Of course I had to take a picture with it.I definitely loved Prague. It was so much fun and so beautiful. Contiki really did take us to the best places.
On our way out of Austria we stopped by Swarowski Crystals. This is where the crystals for Katie Holmes' wedding dress were made. This is also the largest factory and showroom of Swarowski. Let's just say the ladies got a lot of crystal. Our Contiki Tour Manager then surprised us with the news that we were going to Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany. This was very special and meaningful to us and to me in particular. Most of my grandpa's family died in the Holocaust and I knew that this is one of those things that I had to do before I died. I was so grateful to Contiki for giving me that chance. The experience was life changing. At the entrance it said "Work Makes You Free." That was such a lie. I saw the memorials, the crematorium, the gas chamber, the barracks. It was a very emotional experience for me. There were many political prisoners of many religions in this camp as well. So many people had suffered and I will not forget.
After the Concentration Camp, we drove what seemed a simple 15 minute drive to Munich. It was crazy for me that a concentration camp had been so close to one of Germany's most popular cities yet people still claim that they knew nothing about what was going on. Munich was lively and full of people. Everyone was walking around. There was tons of shopping. H and M stores everywhere. We spent quite some time trying to find the perfect bratwurst sandwich which we did find eventually. There were people selling fruits and vegetables in the market outside and people were just sitting on benches and enjoying themselves. I saw the world famous Glockenspiel which was really nothing but a kookoo lock that was covered with construction. There was also a really interesting church in which it is believed is the devil's footprint. I put my foot in there and good thing it did not match up.
That evening, I had a very interesting experience. We went to a really famous beer hall where Hitler had given many of his speeches. On the ceilings you could see swastikas that were covered with flowers to hide them. I wondered how many people still felt like him. The night was full of lively entertainment and beer drinking in the beer hall. We had an all you can eat buffet with a lot of bratwurst, coleslaw, and potatoes. On one side of our table sat Romanians, on the other Russians and I was sitting in the middle with the Americans. This was a very odd experience for me since I am Moldovan (which is very similar to Romanian) and I had always thought that I was Russian (since Moldova was part of the Former Soviet Union for a long time), yet I was sitting with the Americans because I am American. And furthermore, I was sitting in a place where 65 years ago I would have not been allowed in and would have been killed for being Jewish. It was a very odd and puzzling experience. I felt like I was a part of so many worlds and the Russian and the Romanians didn't even notice me. The old men were too busy asking our blonds to dance. I don't think they had a clue that I had anything to do with them. During the evening though, I too danced some sort of a line dance and had a good time. Following the dinner, many went out to a street with 21 bars and clubs in it but I stayed in that night. It had been a very memorable day.
