Spring Break in Europe

This past week and a half has been exhausting, long bus rides, going from hostel to hostel, waiting long hours in airports and taking long train rides.  During this time I had the opportunity to visit three different countries: Austria, Italy, and Croatia.   Even though it has been exhausting, it has also been amazing to visit all the places that I never thought I would have the chance to see.  I have had very interesting experiences in these trips and truly permanent memories with my friends.

The first stop was in Vienna.  It feels that I didn’t really do much there, except visit museums.  My favorite one was going through Empress Elisabeth’s museum.  She was a very interesting character from what I was able to learn; however, I didn’t really understand her.  She had a harsh life and she was not happy even if she had all the richness of her kingdom.  Even after all her long absences, her husband, Franz Joseph, still lover her will all her heart.  I wonder if this was true.  But, it did not matter because she did not love him.  She just wanted to be free of everything.  I would thing that when she was truly free and therefore happy was when she was a child.  Besides her life story, another thing I really liked was the ice cream.  It was one of the best gelatos I have ever enjoyed. 

In every different city I have visited in Europe, except Dresden, I have eaten a kebab.  Since I first tasted them, man they have been delicious no matter where I get them.  The kebab reminds me of a torta, which is one of the reasons why I like it so much.  I have made my goal to try a kebab in every place I go.  Accomplishing this mission will be delicious!

Venice is a beautiful maze.  The thing that I loved the most about it was its gelato and the view from the bridge.  I seriously had gelato every single day!  I feel that we walked for so long to get to the main square and it took a few times to be able to learn the way back to the hostel.  Venice is definitely a tourist city…in every space there was a shop, restaurant, café, or a souvenir stand.  I don’t think I could afford being there for a week…two days was enough for me. 

Rome is where the real spring break started.  I must say that the two days in Rome where the most intense and weird ones.  First we were either really smart, or extremely lucky to find our way from the train station to our hostel, which by the way it was long ways from the city center.  Our hostel, Tiber Camping, was very primitive.  It was like going camping I would say.  It just provided a room with two beds and a heater.  There were communal bathrooms and that’s the part I disliked the most.  We were only there for two days and it was more than enough for me.  I got to go into St. Peter’s Basilica and assist mass for the first time since I left home.  If I ever return to Rome one day, I will definitely remember that there is a dress code to enter the basilica.  Luckily I had a jacket to use as a skirt because my dress was not below my knees.  I seriously had forgotten about the dress code, but we had to do whatever in order to get into the basilica.  That was basically the only reason why I had gone to Rome.  With all the weird things that happened in Rome I was more than really to depart to Dubrovnik.

In Croatia I planned to do nothing related to being inside, except for a nothing to do day.  All I wanted was to relax in the beach, but the weather did not cooperate and it is not summer yet so the sea water was freezing.  Either way, I had to go in no matter how cold it was.  So I did, and twice!!  The water was cold, but then you got used to it because the body was numb.  I am glad I went in and now I will not fear cold water.  One day we went on a hike and I remembered how much I really love hiking more than other outside activities.  Going up the mountain was so peaceful and it was just perfect.  Our hotel had breakfast included and that was like heaven.  I spent more than two hours at breakfast.  I did get to have a real vacation this spring break.

Overall, I can say that I have become a master at figuring out the transportation systems of the cities we have visited.  I didn’t get lost!!

Not summer yet in Croatia

When in Rome

Streets of Venezia

The royal crown

Olomouc

A nice run in the country side :)

Prague

Four days in Prague were more than enough to see what I would consider the most worthwhile interesting places to visit in this beautiful city.  One feeling I got from this city during my stay there was a feeling of being enclosed from everything else.  Well, this city is mostly stone monuments, buildings, and stone roads.  There are not very many signs of nature in the streets, except for some pigeons near the main square cathedral.  There seemed to not be enough space or even open air areas.  Most likely there will always be a wall one your left and on your right.

If I had to pick my best moment in Prague or the place where I really loved to be was the very top of the mountain near the castle.  It was somewhere close to a monastery and the view of the city was majestic.  It was a warm evening and I just sat on a bench looking down on the red roof of Prague.  My skin needed some sunlight and my lungs some real nice fresh air.  It was a very relaxing moment.

My second favorite was the astronomical clock.  It is very photogenic by the way.  I took a really awesome picture of it.  Its history is also fascinating and the way it works as well.  I don’t really remember how it works, but it’s as if the lunar calendar and the solar calendar worked together as one.  I would have to study it in order to really be able to tell time with this clock.  In my eyes, this is what makes it beautiful, its complexity.

The third favorite thing is the cinnamon bread, of which I don’t remember the exact name, but it is a typical Czech food.  It is a cylindrical roll sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar all around.  It is needless to say that it is definitely delicious and I don’t just say this because I love cinnamon and bread, but I really consider it one of the great snacks in Prague. 

In fourth place is visiting the Jewish cemetery.  During my stay in the Czech Republic, I will learn many things about Jews and the Holocaust.  This time in Prague was a good learning experience because I learned some things about Judaism and about Jewish burial costumes.  It was also good to go over the history of the Jews in Prague.  It was also the first time I went inside a synagogue.  I didn’t really know what to expect and instead of having all my questions answered, new questions came to my mind.  The cemetery was not scary, but I think that most of the people that visit it don’t realize fully that they are walking above piles of buried bodies.  And it is hard to know what your feelings are or should be at that moment. I don’t even know what I should feel, but I guess the experience is different for every person.  The history of the Jews and the Holocaust is great and it takes more than just visiting places like this to understand it and fully appreciate its meaning.  I would like to learn more so by the time I leave this country I have come to a more genuine understanding of the historical events.

The fifth place I really liked was Dresden, Germany.  One of my connecting flights coming to the Czech Republic was in Munich, Germany.  There a noticed that the people were very quiet and calm.  The airport felt as if it was uninhabited.  The flight attendants were very polite and welcoming.  Going to Dresden, I found that it was not just people in the airport that were quiet and polite.  It was a very nice experience actually being in Germany and being around its people for a day.  I liked Dresden; it seems a bit more peaceful and spacious.  I would not mind going to see more of Germany.

The last but not least highlight of this four day trip was just walking around.  I got to see a lot of people in the street performing.  So I recorded a bit of all the people I saw either dancing or playing an instrument on the streets.  I will keep doing this for the rest of my stay in Europe and it should be fun to compile all of the videos of these street artists.  My favorite so far is the one about the Salsa dancers in the main square of Dresden.  It reminded me so much of Peru!