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My morning consisted of me running around the city looking for a place to stay for the night. I had only booked two nights instead of three and I needed one more. It was a Saturday night and everything was booked, literally everything. After a long search there was finally a cancellation and I had a bed for the evening. My whole day yesterday was taken up by the tour so I decided to explore the city today.

I walked around the city center and there was even a street market going on. I ate so much food today I basically ate for a family of four by myself. The market had such good looking food I had to try it all.

I started out with the potato and green pea curry which was delicious. It came with a little Greek yogurt which ended up tasting a little like sour cream.

Next I got a crepe. Mushrooms with garlic butter, green onions, cheese and pesto sauce. Wow. It was heaven. I got a second crepe but this was a Belgium crepe. A mix variety of chocolate, caramelized bananas and Baileys Irish cream.

I think I could have died a very happy person after all of that food. It was all just so good and worth it.

Of course I had to walk off all of the calories. I walked along the strand and toward the end where I was unable to walk anymore. I also walked around the area to see what else there was.

Later I went out with a couple of the girls I was rooming with. It was a fun night with great music and great company.

Another day another journey. My journey today was to Dublin, Ireland. I have been traveling by train and bus for the past few weeks and the idea of getting on a plane was weird. I thought the next time I would be getting on a plane would be my flight home to the US.
This flight from Glasgow to Dublin was less than an hour. We were only in the air for about 35 minutes, it was the shortest flight I have ever been on.

When I first arrived I had luggage trouble. The one time I check my bag it doesn’t end up on the conveyor belt. I was panicking on the inside like you would not believe. All the bags were gone and mine was nowhere. My whole life is in that bag. After a solid 20-30 minutes my bag finally showed up on a different belt for a different flight. I knew it had to have made it, I watched it get thrown into the plane.

Public transportation has not been friendly or I just am constantly struggling. The bus ride from the airport was about an hour. There were so many stops I probably could have walked faster.

With a good portion of the day ahead, I walked around the city. I saw the Temple Bar area and all of the shopping near it. Europe loves their shopping centers and stores. There will be 5 H&Ms in the same mall or shopping center, it is crazy.

I have been restrained to window shopping since I am on a budget. There are so many things I could buy and holding back is not easy. I want it all per usual. It’s also really hard when everyone around you is covered in shopping bags from so many different stores. The jealousy in me comes out a little. Wouldn’t it be nice to be loaded.

I got lunch at this lovely cafe called Queen of Tarts. Their food was delicious and their pastries were even better.

For dinner I went to this Burger restaurant that was amazing. The burgers here are so much better than home. The meat is so fresh and tastes so good that I almost crave it, no I do crave it. I don’t even recognize myself. I used to cringe at the thought of a burger but I was also being served frozen preserved meat.

A good day of travel and a good dinner which I will probably dream about in my sleep.

Today Seoniad and I took a day trip to Edinburgh. It was a cold and cloudy afternoon but thankfully it didn’t rain on us. We went to see the Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile.

The castle grounds were huge and there were many different buildings with different exhibits. One of the exhibits showed the queens chambers and held the Crown Jewels. There were only a few jewels but they were so amazing they almost looked like a prop.

The Royal Mile was filled with people, tourists and street artists. There were many kiosks/booths that were selling crafts and more. Cashmere was a very popular item on the mile. There were about a dozen different stores that were selling cashmere sweaters and other items. Unfortunately it was too expensive for my budget, the $300 cardigan was not going to be mine in to be in the near future.

While in Edinburgh, we also went to see the Scott Memorial. It was a very cool structure that had the shape and look of the exterior of a church.

We didn’t have a lot of time in the city since it was a two hour train ride and we had dinner reservations back in Glasgow. I was satisfied with what I was able to see, the city was beautiful and have a very unique look.

My last meal together with Clare and Seoniad was spent at a very nice restaurant. Steak and wine, a very luxurious meal for a Monday evening. The meal was delicious and the desert was even better. We had a nice evening and it was a good end to a good visit. 

Today Germany was playing Italy. The deciding game for who goes to the semi finals. The German pride was in the air. Around town everywhere hung the German flag.

After a late night we got a late start this morning. Our plan was to head to the Dom and walk around the city for a bit. We had fresh bread and pastries for breakfast which is most common. Germans usually have bread, meat and cheese for breakfast instead of the American usual eggs or cereal.

After a load of laundry we headed off to the Dom which is one of the most amazing cathedrals around. It is massive and can be seen from miles away. It is one of those buildings that make you think how in the world did they build this back in the day with the little technology they had. The church houses the bones of the three wise men which were a gift given by someone in the early days of the church. During World War II when the city of Cologne was being bombed, the church was only hit once or twice. By the end, it was one of the only buildings that stood in the city after the war.

Inside the church you were able to go to the top of the Dom. 533 steps later with a steep incline, we made it to the top. Unfortunately going in a lift was not an option. It was safe to say that I got my workout in for the day and the burn was real. Walking around a city is one thing but stairs are another story. The view at the top was amazing. It was one of the highest points in the city and you could see everything. After the Dom we headed to a family friend’s house to watch the game. They barbecued so much food. I think Olivia and I had tried about everything and kept eating. I think it was about 6 hours straight that we were eating and the food just kept coming. Needless to say I had eaten enough for an entire winter. Stuffed to the brim, we watched the game which was slow and very tedious. Although I am not German I was still rooting for them. The game went into overtime and then into penalty kicks. Penalty kicks are the worst thing to go to. With a nervous time in penalty kicks, the game went through 8 rounds before Germany finally won.

Today I was off early to venture to Cologne. I was so excited because I would be seeing my friend from home Natasha and her family. Traveling alone has been nice but familiar faces from home would be a good change and would give me a nice sense of home in this foreign country.

After a 6 hr train adventure, I finally made it to Cologne. It was an easy trip with only a slight delay. Once I arrived I was on the hunt for wifi since my German SIM card chooses to work when it wants. When I met Natasha it was as if I was no longer in Germany, I was in Manhattan Beach.

I lost most of my day on the train and it was later in the afternoon. We headed to their apartment and had a quick turn around before we headed to a relatives house to watch the soccer game. It was Wales vs. Belgium.
We were served the common German food, bratwurst or some sort of wurst and bread with other condiments. There was also this meat dish that consisted of raw meat which looked like hamburger meat on a plate that you put on bread and then add onions for flavor. Although it was a German favorite and I am all for trying new things, this was one I was not willing to test. I just started eating cooked meat again and I don’t think the raw meat would have gone over very well.

Before the game Natasha “showed me around the neighborhood” which translated to took me to the bars for a couple drinks. It’s funny how the culture is so different here. At age 16 you’re able to drink beer and wine and at age 18 you can drink hard liquor.

I was learning about the different beers and how each city has a specific beer that is brewed.  Within the city there are many different breweries that brew the same type of beer but each is different. The two different bars we went to had the same beer but each tasted different.  They had their own twist.

Wales ended up winning the game after Belgium was pronounced to be the favored for the game. Eurocup 2016 was a tournament that was shocking the world and making history. Smaller teams had made it farther than they ever had and they were/are surprising the whole European region.

Today I wanted to visit Leipzig. I really wanted to see the memorial which is why I stayed another day in Dresden. I read that a day trip was enough time to see the city and I really only wanted to see this one memorial.
The morning started out rough. I was tired after the late evening with everyone last night and I ended up getting lost on my way to the station. I eventually found my way but got set back a little. I boarded the train and managed to make it on the second train in time. Little did I know that my getting lost in the morning was a sign for how the rest of my day would play out.

I ended up staying on the second train too long. I didn’t recognize the name of the stop I needed so I thought I needed to stay longer. Once I realized I was too far, I got off at the next stop which was in the middle of nowhere, might I add. No ticket booths around to buy a ticket. I chased down the nearest person I saw to ask how I could get a ticket back to the city. Apparently when you’re in the middle of nowhere you have to buy it from the guy on the train. You learn something new everyday!

Once I finally get back to where I want to be I step out of the train station and it starts raining. I was just waiting for the next thing to go wrong today. So my day consisted of getting lost (multiple times); not being able to see the memorial; not being able to go to the zoo; and being trapped in the rain. Once the rain subsided I took a nice walk around the city with a currywurst and ice cream cone which made my day complete.

After walking so much for the past couple days, I woke up tired and my body was so sore. My legs were the worst part. I decided to take it easy today and have a rest day. I took my time getting ready and then headed off to the city. This city is filled with so many beautiful churches. After walking around for a bit I wound up in a mall.

After a scoop of ice cream and a little window shopping I headed back to the hostel. So far this has been the best hostel I have stayed at. The atmosphere was like no hostel I have stayed at yet. Everyone is so nice and the people that work here love their job. We were served free dinner which was delicious and I then sat around talking with some of the other travelers. All of us young and eager to meet people and hear about each others’ travels. We all ended up on the river front looking out at the amazingly beautifully lit up churches.

On the way back to the hostel, as the night life was still happening, we stopped to get what is called a donee. A doner is a type of dish of salad and other toppings on top of meat. It was huge and not at all what I was expecting. It was delicious though and a good end to the night.

Today I stayed in Berlin for the day again. I couldn’t get enough of the city and needed to see more. I had my reservation to go to the top of the Reichstag building. I was so excited I woke up early without my alarm. I was on a mission to get to that glass dome no matter what it took.

Since I woke up so early I had so much time before my reservation time for the dome. I headed to the Berlin Wall memorial. Even though the memorial is a reminder of a hard time in the world’s history, it was cool to see and to get a better understanding of what was happening. The history and the stories behind the wall were inscribed on plaques around the memorial.

Even after passing time at the memorial, I still managed to arrive to the Reichstag early. Once the group entered the building we were all squished into an elevator which looked bigger than it was. In order to be most efficient, we all had to fit in to make things go smoothly. I was overwhelmed with excitement as we arrived to the top. The glass dome was in sight!

From the rooftop of the building I could see the entire city of Berlin like I could yesterday on top of the church. We were all given audio guides and the moment I stepped into the glass dome, the guide started. As I walked up the ramp towards the top of the dome the commentary talked about certain points in the city as well as certain buildings and the history. The top of the dome was open to the outside allowing a clear view to the sky. When rain or snow occurs, it falls into an upside down cone shaped catcher. As I walked down the other side of the ramp the commentary began again. In just a short time I learned more about the city than I did in a whole day yesterday.

My last stop in the city of Berlin was the East Side Gallery. I was told I had to go here but I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Once I arrived there I knew exactly what I was going to see. The wall with all of the murals. A good portion of the wall was fenced off due to the cleaning off of the graffiti. The murals were all different and unique in their own way, each with a different kind of message to the public.

Today was another great day in Berlin. I got a late start on my travels to Dresden and I arrived around 11:30pm. It was worth it to stay an extra day to see more of the city.

Today I adventured through Berlin. I walked around the city for a bit to get my bearings straight. I ended up at the famous dome church. The outside was marvelous and I was waiting with anticipation for what the inside was going to be like. As not much of a surprise it was amazing, it was the most amazing cathedral I have ever been in so far. Everything was so elegant from the front of the church to the organ. In this church they had a krypt where they store the coffins of the important people. To my surprise, there were not only normal sized coffins but small ones also for the infants who passed away at a young age. 

The church also had a back stairway access to the outside of the top of the dome. The process of getting to the top included a good amount of stairs, but I was worth it when you got there. The view was unbelievable. You were able to see the entire city of Berlin as you walked around the entire outside of the dome.

Next I headed to the Reichstag building. This building was unique in that it had a glass dome in top in the center of the building. Unfortunately I was unable to go inside today since you need a reservation to go up. I made sure to make a reservation so I can go up tomorrow. 

In around the same area was the Brandenburg gate. The gate was surrounded by fences due to work or some sort of concert so I couldn’t get up close to it, but it was still great to see. In the street which was currently a courtyard because of the fences, there was a lot of people gathered around, children running around and to top it off, there was a man making bubbles. 

The atmosphere in this town was something else. Everyone was kind and the tourism was extreme. I couldn’t get enough so I decided to stay and tour for one more day.​

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Today I had the opportunity to go to Sanssoucci Park. This is simply a park filled with the most amazing palaces in the area. 

The architecture on the exterior and interior of these buildings was extraordinary with so much detail. The decor was so elegant and lavish with gold accent and silk wall coverings. I had been thrown back to the past as I walked through these palaces. Words cannot describe how amazing they were and the pictures don’t do them justice. This has been the best thing I have seen so far I was in awe at how magnificent it was. 

Today was the big day Germany played in the eurocup against Slovakia and everyone was hyped about it. Unfortunately I got caught up at the palaces and only caught a little of the game at the train station. 

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