I met my friends who had been studying in London, and we boarded our plane headed for Rome, Italy.
I thank God everytime I remember this trip, for my precious friend Kendall and his beyond amazing ability to plan the places we were going. We met as a group before we left and agreed on the destinations, but Kendall was the master mind behind the scheduling which included the dreaded Eurail Train System that is as difficult to figure out as rocket science. He was also thoughtful enough to send a mass-email to all of our parents to inform them as we arrived at our destinations and gave them an update on the group and how we were doing. Such an angel!
ROME, ITALY
Our first stop was Rome! WOW!! Absolutely amazing. As backpackers, obviously we walked everywhere, and trust me... Rome is a huge city! So much history! I could have spent months there! I absolutely loved it!
CORNIGLIA, ITALY
We nicknamed this sleepy little town off the coast of Italy, "The land that time forgot". It was beautiful, but we were the ONLY people there except for a handful, literally, of residents. I'm really not exaggerating when I say that. I don't have much to tell you about Corniglia, so enjoy the pictures!
INTERLAKEN, SWITZERLAND
Switzerland was probably the most interesting and laid back place we went. We stayed at Hotel Mattenhof, which served as a neutral hospital during WWII. We LOVED this hotel! By far the nicest, both the accommodations and people, of anywhere else we stayed while we were gone! We were there during the off season so we weren't able to go into the mountains but the views from the town were amazing! These pictures don't come close to doing it justice.
This is how safe we felt in our hotel room....
Our first stop was Rome! WOW!! Absolutely amazing. As backpackers, obviously we walked everywhere, and trust me... Rome is a huge city! So much history! I could have spent months there! I absolutely loved it!
All the girls on the trip, inside the colosseum.
CORNIGLIA, ITALY
We nicknamed this sleepy little town off the coast of Italy, "The land that time forgot". It was beautiful, but we were the ONLY people there except for a handful, literally, of residents. I'm really not exaggerating when I say that. I don't have much to tell you about Corniglia, so enjoy the pictures!
The train station.
A few of us wanted to take the train to the next
town and we were so bored waiting we decided
to document the moment and just how empty it was there.
Walking through town. You can see a man sitting on the
bench and one or two more people down the street.
These were the only people we saw the whole time, outside of
restaurant and hotel workers.
Beautiful view!
The marina.
Another beautiful view. It was so colorful!
PISA, ITALY
We left Corniglia on the train headed to Venice, and made a stop by Pisa to see the leaning tower.
That's me in front of The Leaning Tower of Pisa!
VENICE, ITALY
Venice is everything you expect it to be. I LOVE watching Samantha Brown on the Travel Channel, and her episode in Venice was the best preparation for my trip!
The most open space in Venice! I could breathe!!!
Be prepared to get attacked by pigeons in the plaza.
There's really no way to avoid it.
Two sweet friends met up with us in Venice! The blonde on the right is
my best friend and roommate from college and she was
traveling with her childhood best friend! :)
Our Gondola driver... or whatever he is called.
Be ready to spend some mulah for a gondola ride.
The boys!
View of the canal from inside the gondola.
The whole gondola group.
View from the water bus that took us from the train station
to our hotel. There is a large canal down the middle of the city,
equal to an interstate/highway, and smaller canals,
equal to streets once you get inside the city.
INTERLAKEN, SWITZERLAND
Switzerland was probably the most interesting and laid back place we went. We stayed at Hotel Mattenhof, which served as a neutral hospital during WWII. We LOVED this hotel! By far the nicest, both the accommodations and people, of anywhere else we stayed while we were gone! We were there during the off season so we weren't able to go into the mountains but the views from the town were amazing! These pictures don't come close to doing it justice.
The Hotel Mattenhof
The town of Interlaken.
View from our room.
Another view from our room! It was so gloomy that the pictures
make it look like it wasn't that great, but when you stood in the
park in the middle of town, you were surrounded by mountains!
It was exactly what I'd imagined.
PARIS, FRANCE
From Switzerland, we traveled to Paris. I have to admit I was super excited about Paris, and ended up being very disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it is a very awesome city with lots to do, but I have never felt more unsafe in my life. The city as a whole is very dirty and the people are a step below unfriendly. But the sites... WOW!! Take a look...
Notre Dame from the side.
View from the top.
Another view from the top.
Proof that when they tell you, you can go to the top, they mean the very top.
The Arc de Triomphe with the Louvre in the background.
The Lourve Museum where you can see the original
Mona Lisa painting.
NORMANDY, FRANCE
A few of us decided to take a day trip over to Normandy for a D-day tour. By far my most favorite day of the trip! So humbling to stand in the exact same spot where so many of our brave soldiers fought such a gruesome battle. It was a little overwhelming thinking about the events of that day, and being there made it so realistic. Very, very, very touching experience.
"The Beaches of Normandy"
Actual bomb craters.
Omaha Beach Memorial
I could share pictures that would take you days to look at, but I think these pretty much cover the important stuff. Such a memorable experience and so blessed to have been able to travel to so many places! It was truly the trip of a lifetime!
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