Ireland :)

Ireland was simply amazing.  It was everything and more than I thought it would be.  Although I was sad to leave the beautiful Prague, we arrived to Ireland Thursday evening and checked into our hostel Paddy’s Palace.  After coming from our hostel in Prague, Paddy’s “Palace” seemed like a joke.  We were in a room of ten in this creepy little basement.  It was the first time I stayed in a room with more people than just the ones I was traveling with and I wasn’t really a fan…but it was a good experience.  I was so paranoid the whole time that my 11 lbs of stuff was going to get stolen, especially because I was the one person that locked my backpack to the part of the bed that could easily be lifted up.  Go figure.  Thursday night though we just chilled and eagerly awaited our Paddy-Wagon Tour to begin Friday morning. 

Now our Paddy-Wagon Tour was probably the most touristy thing we could have done during our stay in Ireland.  We were traveling on this obnoxiously green bus, for three days, throughout southern Ireland.  Did I mention the bus had a leprechaun on the side?  Everywhere we went we were definitely pinpointed as the obnoxious tourists but, let’s be serious, people already think that everywhere we go because we’re American.  Sad but true.  Anyway the tour was possibly some of the best three days of my life.

Friday our tour began bright and early at 8 o’clock a.m. in the morning.  As mom always says, “we’re burning daylight,” which was pretty much the theme of our entire vacation.  I was more than happy to get up though if it meant being in Europe…not so much when it’s just for hiking on Saturday’s in Alabama.  Anyways Friday the tour began and we were pretty much pinned as the five American girls right off the bat.  There were so many awesome people on our tour and from all over.  There were other people from America, Canada, Holland, New Zealand, and Australia…and probably more, I just can’t remember.  We started our trip by driving south and stopping at a castle that was once owned by the Heineken family as a hunting lodge.  It was beautiful and the little town about 10 minutes away was adorable.  Also throughout our entire trip everything was always about 10 minutes away…seriously no matter where you were.  After spending about an hour there we continued our drive to a seaside town called Galway.

Galway was absolutely amazing.  It actually reminded me of seaside towns in the south of the United States.  It was right on the Atlantic Ocean and it was so charming and quaint.  Our hostel there was not bad and we stayed in a room of eight with other girls from our tour.  We met these two girls from Canada, Anne Michelle and Amanda, and we were pretty much best friends from the moment we started talking.  That night we all went out for dinner at this local pub called Monroe’s.  I actually tried actual Irish food and I loved it, easily the best meal I had the whole trip.  It was a steak sandwich…which I guess isn’t really Irish but it was really good.  We also drank Irish cider, which is maybe my favorite drink on the planet.  We tried explaining to the bartender that we had cider in the United States but it wasn’t necessarily alcoholic; to which he responded, “What’s the point?”  I have to say after trying that cider I slightly agree.  The rest of the night we spent listening to live bands at all the pubs…my favorite was when they sang “Galway Girl!”  I seriously thought life couldn’t get much better.

Saturday we left bright and early again and made our way towards the Cliff’s of Mower.  We totally lucked out on the weather and it was so clear and nice out; a little chilly but much better than the rain we had been having.  We stopped at a few castles along the way and also an old abbey.  The countryside in Ireland is more beautiful than words can describe, especially near the coast, the scenery is breathtaking.  After making a few stops along the shore we finally arrived at the Cliff’s of Mower.  I can honestly say I have never seen anything like them, it was so cool.  They are gigantic and apparently a lot of people commit suicide on the cliffs or get blown off by strong gusts of winds; so naturally they built a type of barricade around the edge.  They did a rather poor job, though, and most people just walk around the walls to get nearer to the cliffs.  It was somewhat scary, especially because it was muddy, but the view was amazing.  After spending about an hour there we were off yet again to our destination for the night. 

We stayed at a Paddy’s Palace in another town and it was considerably nicer than the one we stayed at in Dublin.  For dinner, because we were on a budget, we went to a local grocery store and bought food to make in our hostel.  It was so much fun cooking and eating with everyone, our tour group felt like a little family.  After dinner, as promised, we taught everyone American drinking games before heading out to a pub.  It was probably the strangest sight I have ever seen but we had people from all over the world playing flip cup and circle of death.  It was SO fun and it was definitely a bonding experience.  I loved every minute of it, especially because it reminded me of U of I which I miss from time to time.  We got to the bar eventually and we ended up having a blast.  The pub was actually kind of strange, though, because at first glance it was just a room full of old people, listening to a group of old guys in a band; but then if you went through a door into the back, it was seriously a dance club.  It was awesome and I am pretty sure at first our tour was practically the only people dancing, but eventually it got pretty crowded.  The night life in Ireland is seriously amazing because it can either be chill or insane and everyone in the town is out no matter age.            

Sunday we rounded off the tour with a trip to the castle with the Blarney Stone.  We all got a little crazy the night before so the whole group was a little slow to start in the morning.  We eventually made it to Killarney and were able to walk around the castle grounds for a good amount of time.  Amanda and I went exploring in the castle and it really is neat being able to be in a building that is so old.  There were all of these little passages and the stairs were incredibly steep, which made it a little frightening.  Once you get all the way to the top of the castle the Blarney Stone awaits you to be kissed.  Now I thought it was literally going to be a rock on a pedestal which you kissed as you walked by, but boy was I wrong.  You actually have to lie down on your back, hold two bars, to keep from falling to your death, and kiss this stone upside down.  Why people do this is beyond me, but being the good little tourist that I am, I sucked it up and kissed it.  Now what this accomplished, I have no idea but I can officially say I kissed the Blarney stone, which means I have technically kissed Winston Churchill.   Such a lucky girl I am...

The bus ride back to Dublin we watched P.S. I Love you, which just made me fall in love with Ireland that much more.  Our hostel Sunday night was surprisingly really nice and hip.  Being the last night of our amazing vacation we decided to go out with a bang.  Even though it was a Sunday, walking around the streets in the Temple Bar District one would have definitely thought it was a Friday.  All the bars around there are so expensive but also so fun.  I did have a whole glass of Guinness this night, which I am not really a fan of.  Maybe in small doses but other than that it is just way too heavy.  Temple Bar was so cool and all the bands are amazing.  It’s practically free concerts wherever you go which is just way to awesome.  Our night eventually came to a close, which was just too sad.  It all went by so fast and I will definitely miss my Canadian friends.  The saddest part of the trip was saying goodbye to them, but no need to worry because we are all planning a road trip to Montreal this summer :).  

Czech it! Prague

We arrived to Prague on Valentine’s Day, which is officially my favorite Valentine’s Day ever.  No need for boyfriends when you’ve got Europe :).  Getting from the airport to the hostel was a little tricky because it took a bus, train, and short walk.  It was also hard because in Prague they use a type of currency called Czech Crowns.  Seeing as we only had Euros and it was nighttime, this was quite the dilemma.  We eventually figured it out though thanks to the very nice lady from the currency exchange who obviously knew, by our dumbfounded looks, that we were completely lost.

Alas we arrived to the nicest hostel I have ever seen in my twenty-one years of existence.  It was the cheapest one we paid for during our entire break too, and it was so so nice.  After coming from the closet we stayed at in Amsterdam, this was seriously heaven.  It’s safe to say I was in love; it even had a bar/restaurant downstairs in the lobby!  Anyways enough about the hostel I suppose.

Our first night in Prague we just chilled and prepared for the lovely day we had planned for Tuesday.  We got up pretty early and walked to Old Town Square for a free walking tour.  We got there a little late but it was okay because they had one again at two in the afternoon.  We ate at this nice outdoor restaurant that had heaters and blankets everywhere, so it was cozy.  I was a little disappointed because the portions were so small and I was starving.  I literally had eight french fries on my plate. I had never wanted a supersize meal from McDonalds more in my life than in that moment when I ate everything on my plate in .5 seconds.  Anyway after we ate our filling meal, it was time for our free tour!

We met for the tour in the middle of old town square which literally looks like a scene from a fairytale.  There are these old building everywhere, with bakeries, and marionette shops, I felt as if I were in a Disney movie.  Also there are all these couples taking wedding photos and it is simply enchanting.  I can’t remember our tour guide’s name but he was from Ireland and he looked like a mix between Rob and Phil Hyma.

Our tour was perhaps the most interesting tour I have ever been on because before coming to Prague I knew absolutely nothing.  We learned all about their history including the fact that the Czech Republic was a communist nation all the way until 1989.  Perhaps just as interesting was that during World War II the city of Prague was considered the 3^rd Reich’s Paris and also the location in which Hitler wished to live after retiring from the Army.  Due to the 3^rd Reich’s love for Prague during World War II it was virtually untouched by the damage the war caused throughout Europe.  While the Jewish quarters of many cities throughout Europe were shattered during the war, Hitler actually preserved Prague’s in hope of one day opening it as a museum to an extinct race.  Thank god it never came to that but walking around the neighborhood and knowing the reason that it still existed, it was just so unreal.  It was truly moving; I was practically in tears during that part of the tour.  It’s strange to think such cruelty exists in the world. 

While it doesn’t sound like it, the tour was actually very funny as well and I would definitely recommend them to anyone visiting Europe.  They are always very interesting and definitely useful in getting to know any city you visit.   It seriously made me fall in love with Prague and I would highly suggest going to this city if you ever get a chance to travel in Europe, it is beyond remarkable.

Anyways that night we decided to hit up the famous five layer club in Prague.  Unfortunately only a couple of layers were open and quite frankly I was glad because the layers I visited made me feel like I was about to die.  There were strobe lights and smoke machines everywhere, along with actual people smoking.  Apparently in some places of Europe that is still okay to do.  Dislike.  There was also a ton of lasers and electronic music, which I like normally, but it was a little much there.  It did end up being fun though, we found the chilliest room we could and parked it there for the night.  We met a lot of fun people and it ended up being a blast :).           

The next morning was a Wednesday and we went on a free castle tour that day.  The tour the day before was on one side of the Charles Bridge, while this tour was on the other side.  It was bitterly cold but it was still worth it.  My favorite part was definitely seeing the John Lennon wall.  I didn’t know what to expect while we were walking there and I was actually really surprised when I finally saw it.  It was pretty much just an enormous wall with a ton of graffiti on it, which doesn’t sound too amazing, but it really was.  It was just too cool.    

Wednesday night, Torie and I opted to stay in and hang out in the lobby downstairs.  We seriously were just planning on having a chill night; we were even writing in our journals and drinking coke, I mean let’s be serious.  Although next thing you know we are talking to all these people and, while it’s a lot of fun getting to know people at the hostels, before I knew it I had my first shot of absinth.  Obviously it was disgusting and soon after I was ready for bed.  Clearly I’m a party animal.  Anyway Thursday morning we all woke up, composed ourselves and soon enough we were off on the last stretch of our journey, Dublin!  

"Hear a bell, run like hell!" Amsterdam

Knowing little about Amsterdam when we first arrived, I have to say I was a little apprehensive.  Ironically enough we were staying at a Christian hostel in the middle of the Red Light District.  Why we picked this hostel I’ll never know…possibly because it was cheap but it actually proved to be our safe haven in the middle of all the chaos that is Amsterdam.

I don’t even have words to describe Amsterdam but it was absolutely amazing and I was completely in love.  We arrived on a Friday night and checked into our hostel where we received a free dinner.  One thing I learned while traveling is always accept free food because ninety percent of the time you’re probably starving, seeing as dinner was a piece of bread and a few chips.  Anyway though Friday we mainly just hung around our hostel and ventured out only for a short while.  

Saturday morning we woke up and met our sorority sister Wendy and her friend Blake, both of whom are studying abroad in Holland, for a day of touring the city.  We began our day with a free walking tour of the city, which was just absolutely amazing.  Our tour guide was Joe from New Zealand, who was studying engineering in Amsterdam.  Amsterdam is a truly unique city and I learned so many interesting things about it.  For instance Amsterdam was essentially built on a marsh which is why when visiting Amsterdam one will notice how all the building slightly tip to the sides.  All the buildings also lean slightly forward because people used to haul their trading goods to the top of their houses to keep them safe from any floods.  Even today you can see the hooks that they used to haul the goods up.  Also, all the houses are very narrow because there used to be a tax on the width of one’s house, so to bypass this tax people made their houses tall instead.  Another interesting thing one will see while walking through the streets of Amsterdam is ALL the bikes.  As Joe said, “Hear a bell, run like hell,” because they will hit you if you do not move and nobody wants to be schwinned.  Joe also said some of the hooligans of the city like to play a game at night where they throw unlocked bikes into the canals…meaning that there are normally layers of bikes at the bottom of the canals. 

While Amsterdam is a very unique city in many aspects, possibly its greatest pull for tourists, is its leniency with marijuana.  Despite the fact that many people believe marijuana is legal in Amsterdam, it is actually just decriminalized.  The reason for this was because the people of Amsterdam felt it was a waste of time and resources for their police force to be arresting people who simply just seem to sit around and do nothing.  They never really caused any problems, so the citizens really felt no need to arrest them.  Joe said if you happen to partake in this pastime, while in the city and have a bad trip, “Do not, I repeat DO NOT call an ambulance because it will be the most expensive cup of orange juice you will ever pay for.”  Along with its lenient laws regarding herbs, another thing they are lenient about is professions that they deem suitable for women.  Now I don’t really feel the need to talk about this because I personally find it disgusting and degrading.  The women are actually considered entrepreneurs though and are self employed, being that pimps are illegal.  I guess they got one thing right.    

Anyways after our interesting tour we decided to pay a visit to the Heineken Factory, which was just too cool.  We learned all about the Heineken Company and also the way they make beer.  At the end we enjoyed complimentary glasses but like the college kids we are, we downed them in order to be on time for the pub crawl we were going on.  While at first glance the pub crawl looked promising, it was actually the biggest waste of money and biggest scam ever.  They did not live up to one thing they promised on the flyer.  Fortunately we are a group of fun girls, which in light of a bad situation, can make any time a good time.  It ended up being a rather entertaining night and because everyone we were with was upset with the company as well, we all became best friends.      

Sunday and Monday were much more relaxing then our jammed packed Saturday.  We visited both the Van Gough Museum and the Anne Frank House.  The Van Gough Museum was really remarkable and I really fell in love with his artwork and style.  The Anne Frank house was seriously so moving.  At first we weren’t even going to go but in the end I was so happy we did.  I didn’t really understand the importance of her in history until I went there and realized just how many suffering people she was a symbol for.  Being in her house and seeing where she hid for two years before her family was betrayed, was such a touching experience that really could bring anyone to tears.  I really find European history interesting and being able to see it first hand is a completely different experience from learning it through books in school.  It really is remarkable how much of an impact it makes.   For me no longer was Anne Frank an answer to a test or a girl I had to do a project on in sixth grade, she was a real and extraordinary person that affected so many people and still does today.

After the Anne Frank house on Monday we made sure to visit the famous Pancake Bakery for lunch.  I half wish I got pancakes but I was starving so I opted for the omelet that looked huge.  It was delicious but again I probably would have eaten anything.  After lunch we made our way to the airport for our next destination.  I was so sad to leave Amsterdam because it really is such an interesting city but I was fully excited to journey on to Prague :).