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