Eurotrip

The much anticipated diary entries from Europe have arrived haha. My pics are on my myspace. If we're not friends then I guess you'll have to request me to see em'. There's WAYYY too many to post. Here's my entries, written at the time being.

July 26, 2008:

Tell me this isn't real. I am extremely overwhelmed at the moment. I cried when we landed in Barcelona. I choked up when we were riding through Barcelona. Then I cried when we were on the boat leaving Barcelona. It sounds silly to cry but if you were in this position you would totally understand. To be on the other side of the world is just mindblowing. This world is so beautiful and I've barely even started my journey. Here the language is different, the food is different, everything is different but yet we're all still human. Does that make sense? No matter where we grew up or what we speak we are all still the same. That's just truly unbelievable and beautiful to me. Shall we recap from the beginning?
We practically ran to catch our Philly flight, that was extremely frustrating! So then after surviving the long ass plane ride, we land in Germany. I KNEW that they would speak German, so don't think I'm an idiot, but seriously when you land, it all hits you that you're not in Kansas anymore haha. I mean, I've obviously grown up with English being the primary language but to be somewhere that English is now the secondary language is just a new sensation. I mean you are in THEIR territory. They don't cater to you, you either figure out what they're saying or you'll just have to stay confused. It's like, when we left America, they speak English then do Spanish commentary but then you get on the German flight and you have to wait through the German commentary THEN they do English. Gahh its just weird. You have automatically been put on the back burner. You learn real quick to get your money converted as well. First lesson we learned in Spain haha. Yeah, they don't just take your money, do the conversion in they're head and give you Euros as change. No that would be TOO convenient, like I said, they do not cater to Americans. You are in they're country, you should do as their country does. America could learn a few lessons from these Europeans :) So we went to downtown Barcelona and the architecture is MINDBLOWING. Wow. There are gargoyles and angels on the tops of the buildings, its just so beautiful. We saw the Christopher Columbus monument, it was cool. Its a huge monument of him and he's pointing towards Italy. I'll post pics of it. Then we came back to the ship. This ship is freaking crazy. Its literally a floating hotel. When we got back to the room, my grad gift from my aunt was sitting here. She bought me wine glasses with the Royal Carribbean logo on it and it comes with 2 mini bottles of champagne. She also got me a bouquet of mini pink roses, CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES, and a huge bottle of champagne!!!! I loved it all and was super surprised! We are staying in one of the suites and its REALLY nice. We have a nice big balcony and the room and bathroom is a good size. We went to the buffet for dinner, which was insane. Once you're on the boat, everything is free. So you can literally get whatever you want and how much of what you want. That's why people come home from these things fat haha. Well, I've fallen asleep 3 times since we've been here and I just finished eating my room service so I think its time for bed. I'll leave you with this, David Cook said [about the American Idol tour] that he considers waking up in a different city everyday romantic, well David, try waking up in a different country everyday. THIS is by far the most beautiful and romantic adventure thus far in my life. I'll write another update after Nice, France tomorrow :)

July 27, 2008:

I LOVE FRANCE!!!!! Reminder: return here, great place :) haha. Its so true though! We took a GORGEOUS tour today. It took us through the hills of Monaco, Monte Carlo, and Nice. I've never been speechless so many times in my life! I literally just sat on the bus and breathed it all in. We got to see the Prince of Monaco's palace, where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie own property [they're still here by the way, the twins were born a week ago] we drove on the same road Grace Kelly was killed on [she died EXACTLY a week before David Cook was born, if you care] and we saw Elton John's house wayyyyy up in the hills overlooking Nice. So why do I love this place more than words? We were told on the tour that the French cater to tourists. Or at least this part. Nice and Paris are the biggest cities in France and they are the most catering cities. But then again, Americans have covered the French asses on many occasions so the least they could do is make us feel welcome! Everything is written in English AND French. Most everyone speaks both languages. And THEY CATER TO TOURISTS, did I mention that haha!!! I mean really, this place is awesome, no wonder all the celebs come here. Speaking of celebs, when we woke up this morning, we were cruising past Cannes :) it made me smile real big!! The French people are so nice, I'd reccommend this place to anyone! Our bus driver didn't speak one lick of English but he was HILARIOUS. He made sound effects, and agravated the tour guide and the people on the bus. I loved him!! The people are still driving on the same side of the road as us which has me wondering because I thought they drove on the left side? Oh well, either way the cars are cute and they really do ride around on mopeds! Its just like the movies :) I want to ride on the back of one with some hot Frenchman haha. The people on our ship are awesome too. Everyone speaks English and everyone is from somewhere cool and has their own stories. We rode to the ship with a woman who's a cook and she's originally from Jamaica and works on the ship for 8 months. Our housekeeper, Martha, is from Nicaragua and lives on the ship for 6 months. She has an 18 year old daughter starting college and a 12 year old son. Our head waiter is from the Phillipenes and has a degree in Travel and Tourism and also in Hospitality. He wished me luck with following the same path! Our waiter's assistant is from Chile and he is such a sweetheart. The crew represents like 27 different countries, its so incredible to see the diversity. The people on the ship are the same. We've met Spanish, Italian, British, Irish, German and even an old lady and her grandchildren from Texas! How cool?! Tonight was formal night. I wore my prom dress and the dinner was just glamourous. I had a glass of wine with my food and I just felt so elegant?! They will do anything in their power to make you feel important, and so far, I'm feeling the love! We went to a Broadway show tonight. They sang a bunch of different Broadway songs from West Side Story, Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Oklahoma, Sound of Music, Dreamgirls etc. All the performances were really good :) I need to go to bed though, tomorrow brings an early tour to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I cannot believe I'll be waking up in ITALY!!! I've waitied my whole life for this, and here it comes...PS-would you believe we still haven't popped open our bottle of champagne yet? Sheesh, we'll be home before we drink it all! Cheers to Italy!

July 28, 2008:

Yeah...not so much :( I wasn't very impressed with the city of Pisa. My descriptions might make it sound otherwise, but really, I don't see myself returning here. This morning we took a bus tour up to the Leaning Tower. The view was awful. There's literally nothing but trees, training camps, and factories the entire drive. It did not do Italy any justice whatsoever. The area where the tower is however, is beautiful. There are typical Tuscan style homes and the ancient buildings are wonderous. There is a market leading up to the tower with all these souviners, which was really cool because they show their culture through the market. The tower is absolutely breathtaking. I just saw one of the 7 world wonders today. It's just so....incredible, seems to be the only word I can currently come up with. There are 2 churches in the famous square. The one that you see when first entering is St John the Baptist's church. While we were there a bunch of nuns and priests came walking out which I just thought was the coolest thing evar haha. On top of the building is a statue of St John holding a cross towards the sky. The second chapel is a legend. If you step foot on the property you have to take a picture of it because if you leave without it, you will have bad marital luck for the rest of your life!! I fer sure took a pic of that :) On the side of that church is a sliver of stone, only in one spot, called the Devil's Fingers. The stone appeared out of nowhere and ever since they noticed it, anytime someone tries to count something, or add something up, the totals come out different. They say if 2 people can come up with the same amount then those 2 people will have good luck for eternity! The tower itself was built on soft sand and since it was built it has sank something like 5 feet and when they reconstructed it, it raised it out of the ground so now its only 2 feet into the ground. The tower will forever lean because there's no way to fix it without completely tearing it down, then what's the use in visiting it? Hello. The second tour we did was a boat tour through Livorno. Out tour guide was HILARIOUS. Why do Italian men have moustaches? They want to look like their mother. Why don't people from Pisa play hide and seek? Because no one's looking for them. Pisa and Livorno have a HUGE rivalry. Kind of like OSU and Michigan, not to compare coutries to football LMAO. The canal we rode through is called "New Venice" because it was built to mock the actual Venice. It was gorgeous!! We walked through a fortification that was built in the Renasainnace era. We're talking 1515-1534 here, can you IMAGINE what has gone on behind those walls? I mean, if bricks could talk. It was very interesting. Most would find it boring, but the story behind those walls, if they could be told today, would be mindblowing. We ate dinner at Johnny Rockets on the ship. I was in the mood for some good old American burger and fries :) yumz. Then we went to a majic show. Those damn things always get me, I can NEVER figure em' out, and tonight was no exception! I was dumbfounded! Now that I've drank my Sangria and walked through the casino, I think its time to curl up in bed and watch Dan in Real Life. Here's to waking up in Rome tomorrow :) CANNOT FRIGGEN WAIT. My skin is crawling I am so ecstatic. Love and miss everyone [even though these won't be posted until afer I'm home haha]

July 29, 2008:

Today was mentally exhausting. Rome is spectacular, I'll definitely be returning here. We drove around town and saw all the ancient churches and original walls. The Collosseum was sensational. You always see it in pictures but never realize how truly extraordinary it is. Breathtaking. Then we went to Vatican City. It is actually on its own, it is NOT a part of Italy, does that make sense? Its IN Italy, but they do not govern or own it. Got it? :) So I'm walking right in front of the Vatican and an italian construction worker whistled at me hahahaha, I mean, I guess its better than nothing, but like RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE VATICAN? Was that the perfect place for flirting? :) We took pics of the church and it was truly touching. The store right outside the Vatican sells items that were all blessed by the Pope! I now own a cross necklace that Pope himself blessed. How moving is that? Wow. I took a picture of my foot on the ground in front of the Vatican. Sounds silly but I just always want to know that I stepped foot in the "Eternal City." Actually, to be honest, it didn't hit me until we were driving out of Rome. I sat there and truly thought about what just happened and I was enlightened. I cried, and surprisingly, no one noticed. Its just a once in a lifetime experience for anyone. Even people who are not Christian. Which since I am, it meant that much more to me. I'm going to come back so I can actually go into the Vatican since there was not enough time today. Tonight we are going to dinner in the huge dining room then we are going to go gambling in the casino!!! Woohoo :) after that brings a drink at the bar then on to the ice show and a love and marriage game show. They have a newlywed couple, a couple thats been married between 10-25 yrs and then a couple thats been married as they called it "too long" LMAO. Love you and miss you, cheers to waking up in Naples!

July 30, 2008:

The ice show last night was AWESOME, to think that not only are they ice skating on an incredibly small rink, they are ice skating on a MOVING boat. I was amazed! Then we went to the love and marrage game show and I was rolling. Some of the answers shouldn't be repeated, so it was a nice experience to know I'll always remember. Today was Naples and it is truly beautiful. I'd love to come back. However, besides shopping and laying by the ocean there's nothing else to do, WHICH is perfect for me because both of those activities thrill me! We ate true italian gellato at a cafe on top of the mountain. That was a sensational view and of course the gellato was amazing! Our waiter's assistant is too funny. He became a magician overnight. Last night he showed us 2 tricks and then he showed us 2 more tonight! I love him haha. He made me a bathing suit out of napkins, there's a picture of it :) I've blushed twice thus far. I blushed when that guy whistled at me yesterday and then tonight at dinner. Our waiter's assistant came by to tell us goodnight and he asked me if my name was pronounced Raquel or Rachel, and then he started singing to me. Oh wow, haha, all I could do was blush and giggle like a loser. It was really sweet though and people were looking so I definitely felt special :) Tonight's dinner was unbelivably yummy. True italian dishes! And oh my my my, I finally got my authentic Tiramisu!!!! OMG YAY!!! Tiramisu is good in the US but here its to-die-for! I could've eaten 4 pieces, but that wouldn't have made my appearance any more lean haha. So far Nice, Rome, and Naples have been my favorites. Tomorrow brings Sicily! I'm excited to go shopping and lay on the beach. Once again, automatic thrillers LOL. Did you know that the pizza originated in Naples? Oh and ofc I didn't get authentic Naples pizza, but I'll suck it up and get some tomorrow. I'm refusing to leave without it. My aunt might have to drag me on the ship otherwise. Speaking of that, her and I are on specific alcohol terms. Since its legal for me to drink at 18 in Europe, ofc I am haha naturally...butttttt if either one of us gets too drunk and falls on our ass, we promised we love eachother but we've vowed to walk away haha. Hopefully that won't happen. Knowing me instead of showing to our room 1658, I'd end up trying to get into 1568 haha. Wish me luck :) I'm only kidding. Drunk people are gross anyway :) haha. Oh before I forget to mention, our tour guide yesterday said that driving laws in Italy are only suggestions. That's so true because the people here drive like MANIACS. And the guide today said you just have to play chicken and get brave quickly or you'll never get anywhere. I'd have to opt for walking around here haha. The guide today was funny, actually, they alllll have been which makes the experience more enjoyable. He told us that Italian drivers don't get mad they just honk the horn a lot. He said when they get mad they say "Antonio do you like flowers?" "Well yes, I do, why?" Bang "because tomorrow you'll be getting a lot of them. LMAO, that's funny. Also he said that for his 25th anniversary he took his wife to China. When they got back his friend told him that was an awfully nice 25th present and he wanted to know what they were doing for their 50th and he said "I'm going to go back and pick her up" LMAO. Do you know what the people of Capri consider a tri-kini? A hat, sunglasses, and sandals :) true story. Ah, and wish me luck again because Sicily is well known for mafias. In fact, the most saught after mafia boss of all bosses IN THE WORLD, is from Sicily. Tomorrow shall be interesting. I think if I get whistled at tomorrow, I'll run for my life LMAO. Better safe than sorry? See you in sicily!

August 1, 2008:

Ah yes, lost track of time last night and didn't get to write. Yesterday was Sicily. Once again, another gorgeous place. I need a new word. I've used beautiful, gorgeous, and breathtaking wayyy too much. How about divine? Or well, glamorous would work. Sicily is VERY glamorous. There's shop after shop of expensive wear and jewelry. In fact, everyone dresses in style. Even the construction workers were wearing polo shirts and dockers...I swear! It was kind of entertaining in a way. Just goes to show you how people all over the world live differently. The couple that sat in front of me on the bus had me rolling. He was funnier than she was though. She dropped her camera and said "you dropped my camera!" and he was like "yes, everything is my fault. WWII was my fault, the sinking of the Titanic was my fault. I told the captain to go east and he went west. everything is my fault.
" She was laughing just as hard as I was and then she noticed I bought a purse on the beach just like she did and her husband was like "I wanted to shoot the guy when he started showing her purses, I told him vaminos and not to come back" hahahaha. We went to Mondello Beach and basked in the sun all day. I'll use that word, divine, now. The beach was DIVINE. The water...divine. Paradise at your feet. Boy it was hot hot hot though. The temp at 10am was 80 something and the humidity matched. However, yesterday was probably the 2nd coolest day of the trip. The coolest obviously being Rome. But yesterday I got to do 2 things that a lot of people can't say they've done. I got to sunbathe in Sicily...my feet touched Sicilian sand! Also, I got to swim in the Medditteranean Sea! What a perfect ending to a perfect trip eh? And then, so I guess there were 3 things haha, I watched the sun set on the Meditteranean. Once the sun hit the water it took EXACTLY [which is creepy] 2 mins and 30 seconds to set. I recorded the whole thing, how crazy is that? It was beautiful and very romantic. Dinner last night wasn't very impressive :( sorry to say. After dinner we went to a show called Music in Motion. The singers and dancers performed songs made famous by movies, for example, Time of my Life from Dirty Dancing, My Heart Will go on from Titanic [not the ideal song to sing, considering] Pink Panther and so on. It was really enjoyable. Tonight is the farewell show :( I'm just all around bummed today. Just like that its over. Why is it that it took FOREVER to get here and within a breath and a heartbeat its gone? Time confuses the hell out of me. The older I get, the harder it is to savor moments because they fly by. Oh but what a beautiful journey it has been. Within a week I've been to Barcelona, Nice, Pisa, Rome, Naples, and Sicily. IS THAT NOT INSANE? I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. The most beautiful and meanigful part of this trip however is the irony. My grandparents paid for my mom to travel Europe after her Senior year. They paid for me to travel to Europe after my Senior year. How incredible is that? That my mom and I experienced the same type of trip at the same age from the same people. Now her and I have stories to compare. She STILL references Europe to this day and that was years ago. My grandparents will NEVER EVER know how absolutely blessed and grateful I am to have not only enxperienced this trip on their behalf, but to in genreal have them as my grandparents. I would not trade my family for any other family in the world because my family has given me some of the most amazing opportunities that will last me a lifetime. I am so thankful for not only this trip, but for everything good that has happened in my life. God has truly handed me a sensational map of life. I do not in any way consider myself LUCKY. I don't believe in luck. I believe that you reap what you sew. Good things come to good people. You give away positive, you receive positive. So THANK YOU to everyone who made this trip possible. My parents for letting me go :) my grandparents for affording me to go, my aunt for booking everything and experiencing it all with me, and Royal Carribbean for an impressive job well done. I will treasure this trip for the rest-of-my-life. Thank you. See you in Ohio!