The Journey Home

The feeling of travelling for a month feels like a blur. Being away from my family and friends made me miss them even more, but I had an epic time traveling throughout parts of Europe learning about different cultures, cuisines, and history. This journey has given me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, and the experience was priceless. As I head back across the pond I thought to myself where I wanted to go next on my big trip? I recommend taking the leap to travel to a place where you never gone before. I believe you will learn more about yourself and other people. Although I do not like to fly, if I let this fear conquer me I would never be able to discover the world. Therefore I challenge you to take the leap and discover the world because there is so much to see and learn. If you would like to see more photos or have any questions about my trip please leave a comment or reach me at my email at mcclendon_lee@yahoo.com. See you back in the homeland! Cheers, Lee IV

The Grand finale in Madrid

I cannot believe it has been a month since I started my journey across the pond. For our last stop we visited the massive city of Madrid, Spain. Compared to other cities Madrid is by far the largest city I visited. Being here for two days is not enough time to completely see what Madrid has to offer. Although our hostel was located in a prime location, there were places that were farther away. During our stay we were able to learn about the history of Madrid from the free walking tour company of Sandman’s. Knowing the history of a city gives me a better understanding of the culture and cuisine. Madrid is known for running of the bulls which starts in July, and they have the infamous stadium of the bull fights. Not to mention soccer (futbol) in Madrid is beyond popular, and they take their sport seriously. So if you’re a soccer fan, Spain is one the places I recommend to watch a soccer match in a pub or even on the street. Since I was not able to see everything here that means I must plan another trip to visit this massive city. On my last night in Madrid I enjoyed the night by hanging out with some people I met from Australia and England. They were friendly and since they knew I was short on cash they offered to pay for my drinks so I could enjoy the last night in Madrid. I must say the night out was worth it, although my flight was leaving early in the morning. Spain became my favorite country and is tied with Ireland as my top places to visit. Well mates it is time to pack up and head back to America, I shall catch you on the flight home! Cheers, Lee IV

Beach Day in Barcelona

The best way to enjoy a sunny hot day in Barcelona is going to the beach. After knowing Barcelona has sand on their beaches compared to the rocks on the beaches in Nice, France I was excited to relax on the warm soft sand. A lot of people were out enjoying the weather and the cool blue waters. Although I do not know how to swim, I still got in the water. The waves were refreshing which kept me cool from the hot sun. I had no worries in the world because being in Barcelona felt like paradise. After spending hours at the beach my friend Sophia and I headed off to a restaurant our tour guide recommended called El Rey de Gama. This restaurant is known for their famous paella (rice mixed with meats) menu filled either with seafood, chicken, vegetarian, or other various meats. Usually when people recommend a place to eat I always question if it worth the cost? After eating here I must say our tour guide knew the right places to eat where you get your money worth. We were very full after eating at this delicious restaurant. Shortly afterwards we walked around the city to enjoy our last day in the lovely city of Barcelona. I had so much fun here and I would love to come back again to see if this city could be my future home? Later that night we went back to our hostel to pack up for our next trip to Madrid, Spain. So stay tuned on our next adventure, catch you soon! Cheers, Lee IV

Hola Barcelona

Hola mates, if you are ever looking for a place that is filled with amazing tapas, delicious sangria, and unique culture then I recommend coming to Barcelona, Spain. As we arrived in Barcelona I was not sure what to expect, but within minutes walking from the train station to our hostel I quickly realized Spain is my new favorite country. The streets were lively, filled with unique art buildings, and had night life that I loved to see. Of course the one way I like to learn about a new city is by finding a walking tour. Our hostel Equity Point was located in the heart of Barcelona, and they even offered a free walking tour. Our tour guide was funny, down to earth, and he taught us the rich history of Barcelona. Throughout the tour we learned the people of Barcelona like to keep their historical buildings. Therefore the modern buildings are built above the old building or are preserving to show people the rich history of Barcelona. Walking around, I said to my friend Sophia that I could see myself living here in Spain. After the walking tour we got some lunch where our tour guide recommended. Surely enough, his pick was an excellent choice because the food was one of the best lunch meals I had thus far. Since this restaurant has culinary students learning how to become chefs the menu prices are cheap. For 10 Euros my meal included red wine, gazpacho (cold vegetable soup), turkey breast with vegetables, bread, and an elegant dessert. Now you can see why I believe this was the best lunch I had thus far, and the flavors were amazing. Afterwards we went on another walking tour about the famous architecture Gaudi. If you never heard of this person I recommend you look him up, and when you walk around the city you cannot miss his unique building structures. Once the tour was finished we decided to go on a pub crawl to check out the night life in Barcelona. Pub crawls are a great way to meet new people, check out the local fun, and try out the local drinks. We had a great time meeting people and experience the night life. Like always all good things must come to an end, but no worries because tomorrow we plan going to the beach. So get your swim gear ready because it is going to be a wonderful day at the beach.

Cheers,

Lee IV

Journey to Barcelona

Bonjour mates, welcome aboard to a journey to Barcelona, but before arriving I had a two day journey on the train. Since it took a long time to arrive in Barcelona, we booked a room at Kyraid Hotel in Nice, France as a layover to break up the long journey. From Rome, Italy to Nice, France we had to take three trains. To keep myself occupied throughout the journey I played different card games, ate a lot of junk food, and listened to music. The trip felt even longer because I was anxious to get off the train to stretch out and get some fresh air. As we arrived in Nice, we reserved our next train ticket to Barcelona. As a tip for the Eurorail pass ticket, many trains required a reservation ticket for your next destination to ensure a place on the train. There is an additional cost for reservation tickets. Once we found our hotel at Kyraid we quickly changed clothes to head off to the beach. We were super excited for the beach because we’ve been inland since our Dublin trip. Once we got to the beach we found out that it was filled with huge stone rocks and very hard to walk bare foot. We continued to walk to check out the water, but then we realized the water was super cold, although the weather was warm and beautiful. As I looked around I noticed people playing soccer on the beach. I quickly walked over to see if I could join in and play and the people said yeah. I was super excited because I have not played soccer for three weeks, and watching the soccer matches on television did not fix the urge to play the sport I love. Afterwards we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our second part of our train journey to Barcelona. In our next journey we will be exploring the lovely country of Spain. Catch you soon!

Cheers,

Lee IV

City of Rome

Welcome mates, if you are ever looking for an ancient city filled with numerous of historical ruins then Rome is the place to be. As I arrived in Rome I started to remember a lot of places when I was here two years ago. I was excited to come back because the last time I was here I was super jet lagged and I could barely stay awake, but this time I am refreshed to see things I missed out the last time I was here. On our first day in Rome we walked around the city to see what to do in the next couple of days, and there are a lot of unique places to see. We got the chance to tour the classic Colosseo, and this place is beyond amazing in person. During the tour we had the opportunity to learn the history of Rome from ancient times to present day society. The sites around the city are still reserved, although these ruins are dated back for centuries. After the tour my friend Sophia and I got some food for supper, and we were fortunate to find a great restaurant in Rome. Something about this city and country that every food we had tried everything tasted amazing, and I believe it’s because the food here is freshly made and locally grown. On our second day in Rome we took a walking tour of Vatican City. As a tip you have to make sure your knees and shoulders are cover to enter this place, otherwise you would not be able to enter. I recommend taking a walking tour of the Vatican to avoid long lines and to get a better understanding of the things inside of the Vatican. There are a lot of things to learn inside this unique city itself. After a five hour tour we learned a lot of unique facts and information of the Vatican becoming a country within a country. The most fascinating thing I saw was the artwork in the Sistine Chapel; I could not believe the amazing work Michael Angelo did during his lifetime. Afterwards we checked out this amazing sandwich shop our tour guide recommended, and he was right the sandwiches were the best I tried here and it was only 5 euros. Afterwards we tried out a gelato shop that has been voted number 1 in Rome, and surprising enough the ratings were true. With so many flavors to choose from I had time picking a flavor, so I decided to choose three flavors and it was only 1.50 euro and that was for a small. This place is also known to make their product within their shop, and you get your money worth here. So if you are ever in the Vatican City ask for the best gelato in the city and people will point you in the right direction. Some other places I recommend in Rome are the Pantheon, the shops, and the Trevi Fountain. As a tip when you visit the Trevi Fountain it is a ritual to throw a coin across your left shoulder, and the rumor is that you will find true love or you are most likely to come back to Rome; thus far it is true because this is my second visit to Rome. Overall I must recommend three or four days in Rome to see everything. In my next blog I will be heading off to Milan, Italy and Nice, France, it should be an interesting journey because it is eight hours from Rome to Nice on a train. So catch you soon on the next journey ahead. Cheers, Lee IV

Florence

Ciao Mates! My days in Florence have been exciting because this city is filled with beautiful artwork and of course amazing food. We stayed at Plus Hostel and it has been one of my top favorite hostels on this trip. They offer free Wi-Fi, tours around the city, prime location, and the hostel was clean. One of the best parts of this trip to Florence was we met some friends who were from Australia. They were super friendly and funny, they made our stay so much better. We exchanged Facebook information to keep in contact, and we hope to see them when we are in Spain. On our first day in Florence we walked around the city to check out places we wanted to visit and see. Florence is another city that is small enough to visit with two solid days. We found out to avoid long lines at the museums by reserving your tickets in advance, especially if the weather is hot. Throughout the city there are numerous churches to check out, although if you are female you must wear something to cover your knees and avoid wearing tank tops, otherwise you are not allowed to enter different churches. During our visit in Florence we went on a wine and cheese tour. On this tour we learned about local wine and food parings, and everything tasted amazing. This tour helped me to expand my knowledge in the culinary field, and I even purchased a bottle of wine as souvenir. Hopefully I can resist opening it until I get back home because the wine tasted great with an aged cheese. In Florence there are many markets that they sell various items from key chains, silk ties, and Italian leather; often at times you can bargain for a good price. My friend Sophia and I found a restaurant that was so good that we ate there twice. The workers there were friendly and funny as well and their food were out of this world. I got a first course of fresh made pasta with basil and garlic then for my second course I got slices of beef with olive oil and rosemary. The meat was so tender that it basically melted in my mouth, and of course we order wine and Italian beer. This restaurant was located down the street from our hostel, so when we came back the next day the people remembered us; this restaurant does get crowded with locals and tourists. On our last day in Florence we took a mini hike to Piazzale Michelangelo where you can get an amazing view of Florence. The walk can be a bit rough on the legs, but once you get to the top you won't regret it. Overall I was impressed with Florence, I will definitely come back to this beautiful city and you should too! Well now, I gotta get ready for my next trip to the city of Rome, see you soon! Cheers, Lee IV

Ciao de Italy

G'day mates, welcome to Italy! Italy is known for amazing cuisines, wonderful weather, and historical buildings dating back for many centuries. My stop in Italy was Venice, and this a city recommended because it is fairly small and pictures cannot explain the beauty in this city. My friend Sophia and I walked around the city eating a lot of pastries and drinking orange and lemon soda. Walking was great but we got hungry after two hours, then we decided to grab something to eat a local restaurant away from the tourist area. Prices can be cheaper based on the location of the city and the restaurant itself. I got spaghetti made with fresh basil, homemade sauce, and garlic. Something about eating in Italy makes everything taste amazing. One thing I must warn you is to be aware of hidden charges of bread, water, and service charges. These prices can add up quickly if you don't know or if the restaurant doesn’t say anything about the additional cost. As we finished our meal we walked around the city checking the museums and main attractions of historical paintings. We didn't stay long in Venice because we had to catch our train to Florence at the Venice main train station. Coming back to this city was worth it and a lot warmer compared to when I was here two years ago. In my next blog I will be heading into Florence, I wonder what lies ahead. Cheers, Lee IV

Prague Day 2

Welcome back mates to day two of Prague. My Sophie and I headed off to another tour of Terezin Concentration Camp. I have always been interested about World War II and this tour went into depth about the things happening with people throughout the war. Terezin is an hour train ride from Prague, and this was the former location for 18th century Austrian fortress. On this tour we learned how this city became a refugee center for Czechs fleeing Hitler's ruling, but months later it turned into a concentration camp for Jews and other people who did not fit into Hitler’s idea society. The tour started off with our guide showing us the trains that were used to bring people to this horrible location. We saw the Jewish prayer room, cemeteries of the Jews and troops who died from Russia, and a lot of historical sites. Walking through this town opened my eyes of how much people went through, and walking around I got a spooky feeling. The one thing I did not know that this city is populated with 3,000 people, but I wonder how people live where many killings occurred? To see Terezin in person is something I recommend people check out because you will understand and feel the emotions the people who went through during this horrible moment in life. After spending seven hours on the tour, it was time for us to come back. Once we got back into town we walked around the city and checked out Prague Castle. It is one of the castles that have been added on over the years, and at night the scenery is beautiful. I am still amazed how beautiful Prague is, and I plan on coming back here to explore more about this country. Once we finished walking around we headed back to our hostel to start packing for Venice and Florence. So as you can see tomorrow is going to be a busy day with three cities and two countries in one day. Therefore, it is time for to get some rest and I will see you on the voyage to Venice and Florence. Cheers, Lee IV

Prague Day 1

Ahoy Mates, Welcome to the beautiful city of Prague! As we was arrived in Prague I was super excited because some of my friends and other people told me this was a beautiful city, and it is fairly cheap here. After spending seven hours on the train from Germany and eating junk food I was looking forward to eat a quality meal in Prague. After checking in to Travellers Hostel my friend Sophia and I looked around the city to find food for a cheap price. During our walk we saw some unique shops and restaurants; we could barely decide what to eat because everything looked so good. After looking around for 30 minutes we found a place that fit our budget which was a Thai restaurant. I got spicy chicken mixed with lettuce and a side of white rice; it was delicious. This healthy meal fulfilled my stomach hunger, and my body felt well refresh to get ready for the next day in Prague. The following day we got breakfast from our hostel before heading out for our free walking tour of Prague. During our tour we discovered Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, Old Jewish Quarter, and the history of the country itself. I learned Prague has only been the capitol of Czech Republic for 19 years, so this shows this country has gone a long way since World War II from communism to the freedom of today. These free walking tours open my eyes to countries that I knew a little about, but I am willing to share my information to others. This journey thus far has taught me I have a lot. I recommend checking out this city, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Well mates this concludes my journey for today, but in my next blog I will talk about my journey tour of Terezin Concentration Camp. This is one you don't want to miss out on! Cheers, Lee IV

Hallo Germany

Hallo Mates! Welcome to Germany; my home away from home. After traveling for two weeks it is nice to visit my host family in Germany. I must mention traveling can be a lot of fun, but can also be a doozy on the body since I have been constantly on the go. My visit with my host family was a lot of fun especially since I did not have a schedule to be somewhere, and I was able to relax and feel like I was at home. During my visit my host made me home cooked meals, did my laundry, and we had some quality time as a family. I could not believe it has been a year already since I was in Germany with my host family, but they were happy I came back to visit them. It feels good to be part of a great family and not feeling like a tourist, and my German language is slowly getting better, but I have a lot to learn. Germany has been one of the countries that I am considering to live in the future because of the culture, cuisines, and the location is beautiful. Being in Germany prepared for my trips ahead since I got plenty of sleep, fresh clothes, and just doing things that were fun like playing Yahtzee, ping pong, and playing music. I plan on coming back to visit my German family because being across the pond is a bit hard, but I am glad we still keep in touch. On next adventure my next adventure I will be heading off to Prague. So hang on tight it is going to be a fun journey! Cheers, Lee IV

Welcome to Brussels

Welcome mates to the city of Brussels, Belgium. Although many people dislike this city because they consider it to be a dirty dated city, I found the beauty in this city based on their culture, history, and their food. My friend Sophia wanted to visit a museum, but I wanted to go on a walking tour so we decided to split up and meet up again in a couple of hours to divide and conquer the city. I really wanted to do the walking tour because I wanted to know more about Brussels. On my walking tour I discovered how Brussels was developed throughout the years, and how the building structures became important to show how the future of Brussels would form. I learned Brussels is where the first saxophone was created, and a lot of art can be found here. During my tour I learned how Godiva, the world’s famous chocolate is made, and some of the world’s top beers are made here, and the Belgium waffles are a must here. Although this city is small I learned a lot and the amount of food and beer are endless to say the least. After my tour I met up with Sophia to get dinner since we didn’t eat all day. Afterwards we made sure to try all the food that makes Brussels famous for. Once we finished eating we headed back to our hostel of Van Gogh, where he once stayed. We didn't stay long here because this was a layoff stop before we headed off to see our German family in Germany, but I am happy we stopped here to visit. Although I am on holiday it seems like we are always on the go, but this is why I am enjoying this trip because we are meeting people from all over, and learning new cuisine and cultures and blows my mind with unique facts. Well mates I am off to bed, and shall see you again once we arrive in Germany!

Cheers,

Lee IV

Paris round two

Welcome mates to day two in Paris! First off I must recommend when traveling to Paris to at least plan for five days because there are so many things to see and do here. Our day began with us going on a free walking tour in Paris from Sandman's Company. There were a lot of people attending this tour; there were so many people the company had to turn some people away, but luckily we got there early to get our tickets. In our tour we learned about the history and the historical sites around Paris. During our tour we visited numerous places like Notre Dame de Paris, Napoleon Tomb, Opera Garnier, and of course the infamous The Louvre. To see all these locations was remarkable, and I learned a lot how Paris became Paris. After our three hour walking tour we got a bite to eat at a local pub. I got turkey with salad, and french fries, and of course it went good along with a blonde beer. As we finished we met some people on our tour who were from California, and we decided to check out the Eiffel Tower before our next tour later in the day. Once we arrived at the Eiffel Tower I was astonished to see the beautiful building in person. After seeing the Eiffel Tower in films and famous painting I got the chance to see this historical site in person, and I took some remarkable photos. We had to quickly leave to make sure made it in time for our next tour. In our next tour we explored the Montmartre District which is in a unique part of the city in Paris. We discovered the house where Vincent Van Gogh lived, the location of Pablo Picasso, and the hill where we were able to see the whole city of Paris. Something about this city is people get inspired and become famous, it is like the American version of New York City. After our tour we got some ice cream to watch the light show of the Eiffel tour from the distance. At this moment after walking around the city and discovering new facts while watching the light show, I could see why Paris is called the city of love. The food and the historical sites give the city a unique experience, and just don't take my word go for yourself and you shall experience the city of love. Now mates after fun remarkable day and night it is time for some sleep, because tomorrow I am heading off to Brussels, Belgium.

Cheers,

Lee IV

Bonjour Paris

Bonjour Mates! Welcome to the city of love, Paris, France! All my life I wondered why Paris is called the city of Love. At the end of this blog you will know the answer to this question. Once we left the train station in Paris we took the metro train to our hostel destination. Everything was going smoothly until we couldn't find our hostel. After walking around for 30 minutes asking people where our hostel was located, it seemed like no one knew where exactly where we were staying at. People from the area kept sending back and forth around the neighborhood trying to help us, but we were still lost. What made it more difficult was we were carrying our backpacks which got heavier as we kept walking around the city. With a little more patience and asking questions we finally found our hostel. This was a huge relief because we were tired, sweaty, and hungry - a bad combination when traveling to a new city. Once we dropped our backpacks off at the hostel we went to look for some food. We found a local restaurant around the corner of our hostel, and the price seemed pretty good so we decided to eat there. I ordered a hamburger with french fries, and the food was delicious and very fulfilling. Afterwards we walked around the area to see what the local area was about, and we found some unique shops that sold bakery goodies. The aroma of the desserts and bread were amazing. Every corner we saw there was a shop that was filled with tasty treats that were out of this world. So when you come to Paris you gotta try these tasty treats at the various shops. Remember when you are on holiday don’t worry about your diet just try everything you see because it is worth it! Well after a long day I must head off to bed, we have another big day in Paris. Oh yeah don’t worry in my day two of Paris I will tell you why Paris is called the city of Love.

Cheers,

Lee IV