Sure I can tell y'all about my trip
. I'll keep it brief 'cuz so much happened in just two weeks.
My group and I met in London. We toured Europe together but mostly ventured off on our own. Aside from Buckingham Palace and guardsmen, I was able to visit the natural history museum(dinosaurs
!) and walk the Oxford Street strip. I was amazed at how much diversity exists in London
! The following day, we crossed the English Channel and saw the White Cliffs of Dover before entering France then Belgium in order to get to Amsterdam. Things got pretty wild in Amsterdam once the nightlife came around
. BTW, the Red Light District is still up and running alright
:. Not my idea of fun, but folks here at home had pestered me to find out if it exists
. The next morning, I went to the Anne Frank house. It felt very sad and haunting to actually be in her house. It hit me when we entered into the Secret Annex :cry2. Afterwords, I shopped around in Damrak Square before we left for the Rhine Valley in Germany. The scenery is so gorgeous, and the Rhine River is dotted with castles, vineyards and the rock of Loreley(near St. Goar). We stopped in St. Goar, where beersteins are made, and did some winetasting after dinner. A few of us then sat by the Rhine and watched the castles light up as the sun set. It was a nice break from city nightlife
. The following morning, we continued down the Rhine Valley before heading to Munich. I did a lot of shopping around at the fresh open markets and climbed the towers within the Glockenspiel. We then reunited in front of the Glockenspiel to see it chime and move at five in the evening. Afterwords, we went to a beerhall for dinner, and that was a nice treat. The next morning, we went to Austria and stopped on our way to our destination to do some whitewater rafting. I had never been whitewater rafting, and I had a blast participating in it :^.^:. We stayed in Hoftgarten, a small village, overnight before moving on to Venice. Venice, due to its architecture, felt so timeless. St. Mark's Square was absolutely lovely. I also saw the Bridge of Sighs, how Murano glass is made, the Columns of Justice, and many many pigeons
. The next morning, we left for Switzerland. We stopped in Lucerne and shopped for a couple of hours before arriving in a small valley containing a couple of tiny villages and many farms. We stayed there for two nights, and it was absolutely peaceful. Several waterfalls ran down the mountains, our chalet was right next to a river, and the valley constantly rang of cowbells. They sounded like windchimes, so it was not annoying B). We then left for our final destination, Paris. I was blown away at just how big the Eiffel Tower really is
. Since it was the first Sunday of a month, the museums were free but the shops were closed for the most part. I went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa, replicas of Napoleon III's apartments, and so much more. I then checked out a couple of Gothic-style churches before going to Notre Dame Cathedral. Ever since I saw the Disney film I had wanted to see it in real life, so it felt surreal to be standing in front of it, even more so inside ot it. I also saw the Opera Hall, Triumphe de Arc, Napoleon's headquarters, a French perfumery, many statues of significant historical figures, and even the very place where Princess Diana was killed. I also went down the Champs Elysees, a famous shopping strip in Paris. The next day, we went home.
I also had to try different foods in different countries, and all of it was very good. I also tried their beers
. Well, that is as briefly as I can describe my adventure. Hope I kept it simple enough
. I really had a blast in Europe
!
