Euro Tour

Europe Tour

Amsterdam

The month of April I was off adventuring around Europe! April forth I climbed on a bus with 60 other students. We first drove to Germany and spent the night there before making the drive to our first destination. After driving through the crazy city streets of Amsterdam, we did a quick walking tour and then were released for free time.

Following our free time we went as a group to Madame Tussaudes, the wax museum in the city. As cool as all the wax figures were, I didn't want to spend too much time there. I have been to lots of wax museums in lots of different cities, and even though the figures can be scary accurate, I wanted to see more of the city. After running through the museum,  (and getting some sick pics on the way!) we went to the main square and got some hot dogs and then got some (Dam) good coffee! 

 During free time I found the Red-Light District with a couple friends. The Red-Light District is a place where prostitution (and other related activity) is legal!? It was shocking to walk down the street and turn your head to see a woman standing in a window in her underwear. We did not spend very much time in the Red-Light District, but we thought it was an important thing to see while in Amsterdam. 

Our final activity of the day was a boat cruise around the canal! It was my favorite part of the day, we got to hear all about the unique houses lining the canal and we had sunshine while we listened. 

Brussels

The second day was spent in Brussels. After a short tour around the city we were set loose around the city, of course the first thing on my list was getting a waffle!!

After some exploring of the city streets, Olivia, Anja and I found a lace store with all handmade lace. We all bought gifts and admired the eccentric designs of the lace. The next treasure we found were Belgium French fries! I usually eat my fries with ketchup, but when in Belgium one must eat fries with mayonnaise! 

Paris

Once we finished snacking in Belgium our tour bus rolled on to Paris! We got a quick look at the city on a cruise along the Seine. The following morning we got up bright and early to head to the Eiffel Tower! I was surprised at the amount of security that we had to go through, it was more than at the airport! But it was worth it, the view of Paris from the top of the tower was amazing! 

The next stop in Paris was the Louvre. The walk there was very hot but lovely, there were vendors all along the Seine showcasing their art. Soon after, we got to see The Venus de Milo, The Winged Victory of Samothrace, The Mona Lisa, and so many other incredible pieces of art. 

On our way to the South of France we stopped at Versailles for a tour of the extravagant palace and a look at the immaculate gardens. 

The seventh day of the tour we arrived in Barcelona, first pulling into FC Barcelona to check out the museum and stadium. After a couple hours there we checked into our hotel and settled in before heading to a flamenco show in the evening. The show was not quite what I expected, there was a singer and then three pairs of dancers in long, colorful dresses. 

Though I feel very lucky to have gone to all these places, I think one of the things that made the trip so amazing was that I got to see all these incredible places with some of my favorite people from all over the world! 

In my next post I will share the rest of Euro tour! 

xoxo