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