A Very European Spring Break

Ciao!
I am back in Florence after a cold and busy but perfect spring break. Bus2Alps has a trip called "The Northern Loop" that is 10 days exploring Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris. This was too great of a trip to pass up, so Julie, Laura, Christina, Trey, and I booked it and counted down the days till our ultimate European vacation. Thursday, March 21st, after a stressful week of midterms, we boarded the bus for a 12 hour drive to Prague. The bus ride was overnight, so we were able to sleep a little and be ready to go when we got there in the morning.

Day 1 (Prague):
We arrived in Prague in the morning and had time to check into the hostel and eat some breakfast before heading out on the walking tour. The hostel in Prague was new and clean. The downside was that we were in a room with 12 people, so it got messy very quickly.
The walking tour was three hours through the cold but beautiful and historical city. The architecture at Disney World is modeled after the architecture in Prague. Besides the incredible buildings, I really enjoyed hearing about the history of this eastern European country. Our tour guide told us that his girlfriend's grandmother has lived in the same neighborhood in Prague for her whole life and has lived in nine different countries. The regime of the Czech Republic has changed so many times throughout its volatile history.

When the tour ended we needed to get inside to defrost, so we went to a classic Czech restaurant that our tour guide suggested for some Czech beer and goulash. After satisfying our hunger and warming up a bit, we ventured outside to trek back to the hostel. This was our first time navigating the public transportation without a guide. Everything went smoothly, but keep reading...
We took our time getting ready for the night before meeting some more Bus2Alps people for a Prague Pub Crawl. The first pub was really fun; it had a live band and was decorated with Cold War propaganda posters. I walked around studying each poster like I was in a museum. The second pub was not what we were expecting. After realizing it was a long walk to the third pub and agreeing that we were tired and not willing to brave the cold, the five of us hopped in a cab to retire to the hostel. I know, we're lame; but, we really wanted to be able to experience each city fully without being tired the whole time. We can always go back and partake in the nightlife.

Day 2 (Prague):
We woke up and ate the typical hostel breakfast: yogurt, granola, bread, and meat. After breakfast we walked to the city center to go on a tour of the Prague castle. We stood outside for a long time while the tour guide droned on about a myriad of random things. About ten minutes into it, we decided we were cold and not too impressed with the tour guide, so we went off on our own. Before going into the castle, we stopped at an old monastery brewery that has been brewing beer for something like 800 years.

With Trey before the castle tour.

My attempt at staying warm. It helped a little bit.

After a break from the cold, we walked around the castle and took pictures with the guards.

Gorgeous views from the castle.

 Classic picture with the guard.

Once we had a good feel for the castle, we walked back into town to see the Charles Bridge and the Lennon Wall. The Charles Bridge is a famous pedestrian bridge built by King Charles IV in the 14th century that connects the castle with the town. The Lennon Wall is a wall that has been covered in mostly John Lennon-inspired graffiti since the 1980s. During the time of communism, young Czechs would share their grievances through graffiti on this wall. The group that owns this wall, the Knights of Malta, allow the graffiti to continue.

"I get by with a little help from my friends."

One of the best parts of Prague was Starbucks. We loved stopping in for some hot coffee and a taste of home! After taking a break and enjoying some American coffee, we went to a great dinner for our last night in Prague. Feeling very confident with our public transportation skills, we hopped on a tram back to the hostel. We didn't know the name of the stop to get off on but said "oh we'll just recognize it." We were wrong. About 30 minutes later we realized we were in the suburbs of Prague instead of our hostel. Everything worked out though; we got off and got on a tram going the other way. The second time around we got off at the right stop. Oh the adventures we encounter in foreign countries!

Day 3 (Berlin):
The bus to Berlin left Prague around nine in the morning, and we arrived in Berlin that afternoon. Once again we were in a crowded hostel room, but only for one night so it was okay. The five of us went down to the lobby bar to use wifi and make plans for the rest of the day; while we were sitting there, three of our friends (Hayley, Bailey, and Austin) who were also in Berlin showed up to the hostel. We sat in the hostel for a while and shared stories of our adventures thus far before heading over to Hofbrauhaus for dinner. Following dinner, we went to bed early to be ready for a long day of exploring Berlin.

Enjoying the beer hall

Day 4 (Berlin):

Day 4 was devoted to touring the city. It started early in the morning with a three hour walking tour around Berlin. We saw the Berlin Wall, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Checkpoint Charlie, the place where Hitler committed suicide, and much more. World War II history is my favorite subject to study, so I loved this tour. The Berlin Wall was not as tall or intimidating as I expected. The Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe is truly a work of art. It is a great memorial with a lot of meaning. I wish we were able to go into the Jewish Museum but it was closed. I was most excited to see Checkpoint Charlie and of course it was the biggest disappointment. The real checkpoint is no longer there, and our tour guide didn't take us to see the replica close up. I bought a postcard with a picture of the original Checkpoint Charlie on it, so that will just have to be good enough. The bunker where Hitler committed suicide is under an inconspicuous dirt parking lot. Berlin is very focused on diverting attention from the shameful past of the Nazi regime. The parking lot has a small sign but nothing more.

The Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe

The Berlin Wall

Checkpoint Charlie

The tour ended and we went to a restaurant suggested by our tour guide. I am pretty sure we all had the beginning stages of frost bite, so we speed walked to the heat. A long lunch was necessary to warm up before walking the 30 minutes back to the hostel.
That night a big group of Bus2Alps people went to dinner at a classic German restaurant before the buses left for the overnight trip to Amsterdam.
Berlin was my least favorite city we visited. I am very glad I went, but I would not be upset if I never return. It was modern and updated (because all of the buildings were flattened during WWII) and therefore lacked the German charm I was hoping for.

Day 5 (Amsterdam):
We arrived in Amsterdam around five in the morning and made a beeline to the room to take a nap. This was the best hostel, mostly because we had one room just for the five of us with our own bathroom.
We woke up later that morning for a walking tour of Amsterdam, and I fell in love with the city. The architecture lining the canals is beautiful. We went through the Red Light District, walked through some museums, and ended at the Anne Frank House. The Red Light District is fascinating, sad, and disturbing all at the same time. There is a lot of art in Amsterdam, so I enjoyed viewing some of it in the museums. We only stood outside the Anne Frank House before promising to return to the museum when the line was shorter.

The Anne Frank House

 I loved the canals.

Our tour guide took the five of us to a great restaurant for classic Dutch food. I don't remember what we ate, but it was delicious! After lunch we went to explore some of the places our tour guide suggested, including a great Belgian fries place on the street. We went to bed early in anticipation of a busy day ahead.

With Julie and Christina at lunch

Day 6 (Amsterdam):
We woke up rested and ready to take on the day. Our first stop was the Van Gogh museum. I have always enjoyed Van Gogh's works, so seeing them in person was incredible. This museum is in my top five museums I have visited.
After the Van Gogh museum, we walked over to the Heineken museum for the "Heineken Experience." The museum was very interactive and even included a 3D experience where they "brewed" us as if we were the beer. It helped us learn each step involved. After learning about how the beer is made, we entered into lounge areas with huge TVs playing Heineken commercials. An added bonus was the free beer. This is a definite must if you ever go to Amsterdam!

Typical tourist picture

The five of us had a great time together!

Laura, Trey, Me, Julie drinking our free beers.

Christina, Me, Laura, Julie watching Heineken commercials.

When we finished at the Heineken museum, we asked someone who works there where to go to lunch (always ask locals about their favorite spots). We ended up at a Spanish restaurant with delicious sandwiches. After a long lunch, we headed out to walk around and enjoy the sunshine.

Day 7 (Amsterdam-Florence):
The Bus2Alps group headed out early in the morning for the bus ride to Paris. I got to sleep in and shop some before going to the airport to catch a flight back to Florence to meet my family.

Family Time:
My family and I had a great time together. We spent most of our time shopping in Florence; I was impressed how good of a shopper my brother is! We went to Easter service at an Anglican church close to the apartment followed by brunch at a rooftop restaurant.

The Brown Family on Easter

Later that day we hiked up to Piazzale Michelangelo with Julie and Trey and enjoyed some wine and the views.

Will, Julie, Me, Trey at Piazzale Michelangelo

On Monday, we went to the nearby coastal area known as Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is made up of 5 towns along the western coast. Typically, people hike between each town, but my family was a little crippled (Will just had shoulder surgery and Dad had a stress fracture), so we had someone drive us to the different towns. It was really pretty, but I don't think we got the full effect because it was rainy most of the day. The day ended beautifully with a lunch on the water just as the sun came out. 

The Brown Family in Cinque Terre

 I love her!

Climbing up the rocks. 

With my little crippled Bubs.

I had been missing my family and needed that time with them. The four of us always have a great time together, and their time in Florence was no exception. I count my blessings every day that I have such a supportive, close family. I love you Momma, Daddy, and Bubs! Miss you and can't wait to see you in five weeks!

Spring break 2013 was certainly one for the books! I got to see three cities I had not been to before and was able to spend quality time with my family. I am still recovering and catching up on sleep, but it was worth it. 

I really am truly lucky to be living here for the semester, traveling around Europe, and learning to be more independent. I have had ups and downs and I am definitely missing Texas quite a bit, but I could not be more grateful for this opportunity. 

Love to all! Sorry this post was so delayed. 

Sarah