Spring Break Heaven

"I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within." – Lillian Smith

Hurray for Spring Break! I had an amazing time traveling around Europe over the last two weeks. I started off my adventure by doing a nine-day tour of Italy called “Italian Espresso,” and this summarized what the experience was: a strong, full, yet short taste of Italy. The tour kicked off in Rome where we got to skip the lines to see the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, and Vatican City. Other sites enjoyed were the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. Last year I took a course at WSU called Rome: Republic & Empire and it was really special getting to see all the historical sites that I had learned about in that class. 

Leaving Rome, we headed to the Tuscany region and spent three nights in its capital, Florence. I love this city! We watched a leather making demonstration, climbed to the top of the Duomo, saw Michelangelo’s David in the Galleria dell’Accademia, and explored the markets. One day was spent in Tuscany visiting the picturesque hill town of San Gimignano and a winery known for its production of the regional specialty, chianti. On our way to Venice we made two pit stops. The first was in Pisa, where we took all sorts of funny pictures of the Leaning Tower. Next we traveled to Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliet. We visited the house of Juliet and got to see the balcony and courtyard that were key settings in Shakespeare’s play. While we were here, of course, we had to write our letters to Juliet, just like in the movie!

At the end of our day on the road we arrived in Venice, another wonderful Italian city. There were guided tours of St. Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge, and the Venice markets. On one shopping trip I bought a beautiful carnival mask. We saw a glass-making demonstration at the famous Morano glass shop, took a gondola ride through the lovely canals, and celebrated a farewell dinner on our last night together on the Grand Canal. I have special memories of the wonderful people I met on my first trip to Italy, and I hope I can see them again someday.

After my Contiki tour was over, I took a train the next morning bound for the Cinque Terre. I had heard so many people rave about these five villages; I knew that I didn’t want to leave Italy without seeing them. Even though it was a solo trip, I am VERY happy I made that decision. I spent two nights in Vernazza, by far the most idyllic of the five towns, with its natural harbor and beautiful pastel houses. I spent my time hopping from one town to the next, visiting the other four villages of Monterosso al Mare, Riomaggiore, Manarola, and Corniglia. I am in love with the Cinque Terre and if I ever win the Lotto, I know where I am moving. Haha. Many times during my short stopover there, I felt like I needed to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, it was so beautiful. 

It was hard to leave such a tranquil, restful place like the Cinque Terre, but I was excited for my flight to England! With only a week until the royal wedding, London was buzzing. Tourists like me loved all of the Will & Kate memorabilia from the flags and mugs to the tea towels and stamps. However, the Londoners seemed less excited about it and were simply looking forward to using their four-day weekend to get out into the countryside, away from all the crowds. I signed up for an “England in One Day' tour. In just 12 short hours I traveled to Stonehenge, Bath, through the Cotswolds, and to Stratford-upon-Avon. It was a long, but amazing day. I got to see SO much of England and at one point the guide even said to us “If you look to the far right, over there you can see a bit of Wales!” One of the friends I met on my Contiki tour in Italy, Elise, lives in London. The next day I met up with her and she took me all over and showed me the highlights of the city. We saw the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels, the Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Parliament, the River Thames, St. James Park, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Kensington Palace, and Platform 9 ¾! I’m so glad I spent a few nights in London before my next tour. Being there the week before the royal wedding and experiencing all the hype was a unique experience.

Following three nights in London, it was time to depart for my next Contiki adventure, Easter in Amsterdam. Leaving London, we made our way to the White Cliffs of Dover where we caught a ferry to the French coast. From there we headed north to Amsterdam. Spending three nights in Amsterdam gave us the opportunity to see so much of the city and the surrounding area. We went on a boat cruise through the canals, toured the Red Light District, and visited the world famous Keukenhof gardens to see the beautiful tulips. There was a trip to Anne Frank’s house, the Van Gogh museum, and experiencing Amsterdam’s amazing nightlife. During this tour we also ventured outside of the city to Volendam, a town on the coast, and to Edam where we rode bikes by windmills and saw cheesemaking and clogmaking demonstrations. The Netherlands is a special place where I felt like I belonged. The happy, friendly, casual, liberal people reminded me a lot of the Pacific Northwest. Birkenstocks, boats, fishing.....It felt like home.

On Easter Monday it was time for me to return to Paris, but to delay the end to my epic journey, I decided to hop a few trains to Bruges, Belgium for the day. This city has been on a list of places I wanted to see before the end of the semester, and I am so happy that I was able to add this stop to my vacation. Bruges is an idyllic Belgian town with its canals, churches, and cute, picturesque houses. I made sure to indulge in the local specialties of waffles, chocolate, and beer; there is nothing like drinking a beer in Bruges that was made in Bruges! It was very relaxing to walk through this town. There are no huge, major sites that attract buses of tourists. I simply wandered through the city and took in the sights as they came. The boat tour through the canals was the highlight of the day, along with shopping for handmade lace. Getting from Bruges back to Paris was quick and easy, with only one transfer in Brussels, then taking the high speed Thalys train to Paris in a mere hour and fifteen minutes! I found train-hopping from one city to the next to be a wonderful experience. I definitely prefer trains to planes, because not only do you get to see more of the countryside and meet more people, but you also don’t have to go through security worrying about liquids or baggage restrictions. Whether traveling alone, or traveling with a group, I learned so much on this Spring Break, both about the world and about myself. It was an experience I will never forget. 

*    Too many pictures for one blog. See my Facebook for more.