Okay, the much anticipated post about my TRIP!
#270829 - 06/24/06 02:16 PM
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So clearly it has been a very busy week since I am just now getting around to this and I was back last Sunday evening. But you won't be sorry that you waited 
So in 13 days we (my 18yr old brother Kent and I) visited 8 countries. In case you missed it, this was our graduation gift from our parents (him from high school and me from college). Overall it was a very good time, even though I was feeling quite awful for about 64% of the trip. But anyways, onto the pictures!
London - Big Ben (we did one good day of sightseeing in London after our plane got in that day)
Trafalgar Square
Windsor Castle the next day (this was a really good time)
3rd day Taking the ferry to cross the English Channel from Dover to Calais, France. The rest of the day was spent getting through Belgium and then to Amsterdam by the evening.
Holland - Amsterdam the next day
On a canal cruise in Amsterdam
Now by that same evening we're in Andernach, Germany in a cute hotel on the Rhine River.
More pics of the Rhine...it really was beautiful.
Then a cruise on the Rhine the next morning (we seemed to go on a LOT of boat rides)
The medieval town of Rothenburg (still Germany) then we went to Munich that night.
The next day we were off to Innsbruck, Austria in the alps.
Then the afternoon was spent getting through the Alps with a stop here in Cortina, Italy, before ending in Venice that night.
Now Venice the next day and the late afternoon we were off to Florence and got there in the early evening.
Florence the next day. I LOVE this place. I lived here for a summer 2 years ago when I studied abroad, so it was great to come back and bring my brother along to show him everything.
That view above is after we climbed to the top of THIS..the bell tower of the Duomo (famous cathedral)
And the view of the Duomo from up there too...I like to call this my mothership
Then the next day was onto Switzerland. I LOVED Switzerland. We passed Lake Como in Italy on the way which now I can see why George Clooney would own a house there. Then to Lake Lugano in Switzerland which I found to be equally as amazing...
Followed by a harrowing drive through the Alps (we had to take this pass since the original one was closed, and it took us WAY up the moutains where there was tons of snow and ice and waterfalls cutting through the snow with REALLY long drops over the edges of the road but SO amazing)...
Then we got to Lake Lucerne that night and the next day we explored the town
And took another boat ride...
Then we left there and were in Paris by the evening. The next day we were out and about
Made a little trip to the palace of Versailles for a couple of hours
And the famous Hall of Mirrors (Louis XIV was crazy)
Then back to Paris for a trip up the Eiffel Tower and a boat ride on the Seine.
I think that about sums it up. It was really exhausting, but so great to be able to go so many places. Back to the real world now, and applying for jobs and planning my move to DC. I'm starting to think I really enjoyed life as a student more 
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Great pics! Sounds like a fabulous trip. When I get back from Spain I'll have to ask you how to put the pics in the posts! Thanks for sharing!
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Flipada - IBS-C "It's a gas, gas, gas"
**Lauren**
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Wow, what an itinerary! Did you go on an organised tour or did you independent it the whole way? You have seen more of Europe than I have and I live here. Great way to explain your trip in photos too, it made it very real.
Where was your favourite place? You really took some lovely photos and you look like you enjoyed the trip a lot.
Thanks for the report (sorry for the pressure )
Good luck with the jobhunt and move.
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S.
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LOVED THEM....thanks for taking the time to post them....sorry if we were pressurising them...no need to apologise...You took some great ones brit...those will be great to look back on...so sorry you werent well for some of the trip....I take it you're okay now...what was wrong?? You'll have to email me a proper update sometime...but dont worry...only if you get a chance too...I still havent sent that email about my friends situation...and I keep saying I will. Anyways...soooo glad the trip went well apart from the illness and just so sad I couldnt meet you when you were here. What did you think of London then?? Looks like you had fab weather for that day...which slightly gives the wrong impression for this country as it makes a change! Lol!! Im soooooooo jealous you got to go to all those places....I'd love to do a tour like that some day.
Lotsa hugs...speak soon
(((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))
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Natalie
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Sinead
#270835 - 06/24/06 03:43 PM
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Thanks! I'm glad you liked them. Yeah we did an organized tour thing. It started out as a plan to do it on our own, but we saw how ambitious our plans were, and since my brother had never been, I didn't want to be solely responisible for making sure I didn't get us lost on trains and such. So it seemed like an easier way to enjoy it and let someone else worry about the little things. I don't know if I'd do the tour thing again, but for this purpose it worked out well.
As for my favorite place...that's tough. My heart belongs to Florence, but I would really love to spend some more time in Germany, I REALLY need to make it back to Austria for the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg, and I was surprised at how much I loved Switzerland. Paris was as great as last time and it's hard to not love it there but I really want to spend some time up in the Brittany coast area and stuff like that. So hard to choose...
Haha and don't worry, there was no pressure, it was nice to know you were all excited to hear about it!
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Thanks!
#270836 - 06/24/06 03:45 PM
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Thanks! Does it get you excited for your trip?? You'll have a great time I'm sure. I wish I'd gotten to make it to Spain but I'll have to save that for another time I guess.
I can't wait to hear about your trip too and I'll definitely tell you how to post the pictures, it is really easy. How long are you gone on your trip??
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Haha don't worry, no pressure was felt, I just am glad that you all cared so much and wanted to hear about it!
I think my sick issues stemmed from me not eating enough and have too much acid or something in my stomach which made me feel awful awful awful and I was having these really weird cramp/pain type things, and I was dizzy and lightheaded a lot and then feeling sick and then top all that off with a little travel anxiety from having to be on buses and boats and I was a mess. But somehow I made it through and didn't give into my urges to take the first flight home. So most of the trip I was like drugged out on tons of tylenol and stuff. Haha looking back at the photos I can see so many of those fake smiles where I was just dying for the picture to be taken so I could go sit down or something. I seriously thought I was like falling apart.
But on a lighter note, the weather everywhere we went was really really perfect. I enjoyed London, though I think I had a better picture of it in my head, but it was still neat. A lot like NYC in my opinion in much of it. I loved getting into the countryside more and going to Windsor Castle and stuff - much more England-y in my opinion
Well I will definitely get with the program and send you a real email soon. And you're right, I'm still waiting on some updates from you too!! I'm sure you'll be so busy with all those jobs too, I read that post the other day. Good luck with all of that. I'm sure it will be nice to have all that $$$ coming in.
We'll catch up soon, I promise!
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Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow”. Mary Anne Radmacher
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Re: Thanks!
#270840 - 06/24/06 05:10 PM
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Flipada
Reged: 03/02/06
Posts: 1026
Loc: West Michigan, USA
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Yes, I'm excited. Nervous, too.I leave on Friday and I'll be there for 3 1/2 weeks. I'm there studying at a university in the Basque Country (Bilbao). I'm also making a weekend journey to London to visit with a friend. I'd love to get to France, even for a day but I'd be going alone and I'm not really that adventurous. I do better with someone. But...I teach French as well as Spanish and I've never been. Gotta try to jump over the border!
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Flipada - IBS-C "It's a gas, gas, gas"
**Lauren**
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