I love our house!

It is great to be home. I miss Europe though. I would love to be back sitting at a cafe, watching Dando drink coffee whilst the world passes by...Sigh... Nonetheless, I am here getting ready for school. Today was a marathon 7 hour shopping with the parents day. Kelsey, Flo and I spent our Saturday at Ikea and Wal Mart...what more could you ask for. Tomorrow is the first day back at work and the greatest day of my life...Nicole moves in!!!!!!!!!! (unfortunately not with me but she will be close and that will do) I am off to empty some more boxes. Goodnight world.

Last day :(

Wednesday August 25th, a day I never thought would come has arrived. I depart Madrid airport for Chicago tomorrow. :(

Last night we arrived on Spanish soil without a scratch. I never thought Spain, a country whose language I do not speak or culture I am not a part of, could ever feel so much like home. Never have I learned so much in such a short period of time. It was thought provoking and life changing all wrapped up in a fun vacation. And while I would never trade those 5 amazing days, I am sure happy to be back in a country where I am not afraid to drink the water or walk on wet streets. For anyone who thinks my visit to Morocco was a negative experience, I have led you astray. My last blog might have sounded more serious or heavy than most that I have written. That is only because this experience was like none other I have ever had. It was an enjoyable experience but so much different than our days spent on the beach or sitting atop a Tuscan hill. Morocco has made me realize how different my life is. I had a great time and I would recommend it to everyone.

On this, my last full day in Spain, we slept in till 11:30 and headed out for coffee and orange juice. A perfectly relaxing end to the trip. Our train leaves at 3 this afternoon and arrives in Madrid at midnight. Tomorrow morning it´s an early rise and shine to head to the airport where I leave Dando for the next year. Sitting at breakfast this morning, we recapped our favorite moments and decided that, indeed, this was a perfect trip. I could not have asked for a more perfect travel companion, more sun shiny weather, or a more beautiful experience. Chicago, I can´t wait to be home. See you tomorrow!

Today I sit in an internet cafe in a town in Morocco that I can't even spell. Now, more than ever, I am having a hard time convincing myself that this is actually happening to me. Yesterday we checked out of our 4 star, $15 a night, hotel and headed for the bus station. There was an experience! First, in this male dominated, French speaking society there is little I can do as far as getting directions and help. Thank God (yet again) for Daniel. I stood back, trapped in the whirl wind of Arab speaking pushy men forcing their help to Dan. I just followed and didn't ask any questions. Note to self: anyone who is very helpful is expecting money. Everyone is your friend until they realize they aren't getting money from you. It sounds shady...and it is...but for some reason it doesn't feel as underhanded as it could be. Learning to say no is essential. Somehow we ended up sitting on a bus, whose seats were rarely attached to the floor, surrounded by Muslin women covered from head to toe and roasting in the desert climate. We sat on this bus for 2 hours while we watched and wondered at this amazing, strange culture that is so foreign to us. For a reason I have yet to figure out, picking ones seat on this bus was a big deal. People often sat down and then relocated, reserving seats with anything from a purse to a piece of cardboard to a plastic detergent scoop. Fascinating to watch. The bus ride was long, tedious, and over a hundred degrees but it was beautiful. The experience was beautiful and the scenery outside our window was magnificent. I have to remind myself that I am not watching the Discovery channel...this is actually happening to me. On our second bus we sat in front of 5 fellow backpackers. 3 are from England and the other 2...well, I am not quite straight on their story. One guy(we will call his Jimmy Hendrix), I think, is from Rabat here in Morocco and the other..no clue. We watched the mountains go to sleep as we inched along the curvey mountain roads and finally reached Chefchoauen. What a breathtaking sight to see this white washed city nuzzled against the side of a mountain with just enough light left to give a foggy outline.

Upon arrival we decided to follow our new found friends to a hostel. Somehow (it's all a blur to me) we ended up in a hotel above a restaurant. Apparently our Jimmy Hendrix friend comes here often and knows the owner of this restaurant and hotel. For the grand total price of $4, we dropped our bags in the room and headed downstairs for some food. This is what I picture Morocco to be. Our tables sat in a little cove carved out by ornately decorated arches and pillars. Inside was a cozy table surrounded by pillow covered benches and candles. After eating and listening to loud "Mali" music, we had tea and relaxed. Then the music was turned off, the front door closed and several of the servers sat down in the middle of the restaurant and began to play Moroccan drums. Every once in awhile a friend would walk in, sit down, order tea, close their eyes and let their bodies by taken over by the beat of the music. Phenomenal.

It was a restless nights sleep in the heat, but hey, it's only $4. Now we are out to see what this city looks like in the light of day. I love this city thus far. It is a definite "must return."

Side note: It is very interesting to be here as a woman. The cafes (moreso in Fes) are only visited by men. To walk by and see no women is quite an astounding sight. Dan and I wanted to have some dinner the other night in Fes. What a strange feeling it was that we might not be able to go to certain places because of my sex. I was prepared, before we came here, to cover my head. But for the most part I have been completely comfortable dressing the way I always do. However, at the bus station yesterday it was a different story. We walked in and I was so caught up in trying to figure out where our bus was that I didn't notice anything. But once I stepped back I realized I was the only women in my sight that did not have her arms and head covered. I was not the only one to notice either. The looks were subtle but somewhat uncomfortable. This description of my experience of women in this society might lead you to believe they are quiet, shy creatures. I shall say not. The women can be loud and very straight forward. Twice I have seen women yell at people for standing too close to them on the bus. I have learned so much about gender role in this culture and I have learned only that I understand it less.

This has been an experience like none other and I have learned so much about myself and the world in only 3 days. Our spontaneous side trip to Africa has turned out to be the highlight of our European vacation. I will definitely be back!

Note to Kathryn:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHRYN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I read what you posted to Dans website and your prebirthday day sounds like it was so much fun. I hope your actual birthday is just as awesome. If you would be willing to spend the evening with me, I would love to take you out for a very belated birthday dinner once I land myself back in STL. Or maybe it will just be a girls night out. Anyway I will talk to you soon. Live it up... your 18 and a big bad senior! Does it get better than that.

WOW

See www.travelswithdando.blogspot.com for an update. I am far too overwhelmed to even attempt to record this lifechanging experience.

A side note

Just a little side note about my life. I have decided tonight to declare an English major with a Bio minor. And either before I graduate or immediately after I graduate I am taking a years excursion to travel the world. It is either this or I don´t come home in a week and start my travels now. I think I am sticking to option one. In place of my organic chem class I am taking French so Florence (our French exchange roommate) can teach me to speak French.. Yup I am pretty excited. The big concern in this all is what I am going to do after I travel for a year. If I am lucky, during my travels I will carve a life out for myself in one of these amazing countries. Until then, our new Australian friends have taught us that that is last on the list of worries. Do what makes you happy. There we go now. I am a traveling English major.

Where we´ll go, nobody knows!

SPAIN IS AWESOME! Monday was another day full of train rides. To tell you the truth, I am not sure how we did it, but somehow we ended up in Barcelona. I think we transferred 4 times but that is a rough estimate. It was all smooth sailing, though, so I can´t complain. While long travel days can be tedious, thus far they have proven to be good journaling and reading\relaxing time. I do remember arriving in Barcelona with our new found California friends. Somewhere along our trip we managed to pick up two very lost American boys. You think of a backpacking excursion to be a time to grow up and learn about the world...that is if you make it through. These boys are not going to make it to the end of their trip much less gain maturity. "Fabio", our Italian club owner wanna-be forgot that the 80s ended over 10 years ago. It was a good laugh though. His companion was a floppy haired surgeon wanna-be who could not fathom why their travel agent didn´t tell them they were going to need to use public transportation. Conclusion: these boys are going to end up drunk and in jail calling mommy and daddy for more money to come home...aaahhhh vacation. This live entertainment was a great pass time for out trip though.

Our Barcelona hostel = weirdness
The antisocial reception guy greeted us with not-so-open arms where we followed him to our close quarters 10 bed hostel room where the lights were kept on until 3 am. I slept well.

Tuesday we trampsed around Barcelona seeing all there is to see. Las Ramblas, the Gothic quarter, the water, the usual tourist stuff. Tuesday night, however, goes down as one of the best nights of my life. On our walk down Las Ramlas we stopped at the Flamenco bar Dan visited on his last trip to Barcelona. We booked dinner and tickets to Tuesday´s show. All day was pretty much just killing time until our Spanish dinner and Flamenco.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Arrival for dinner was at 830 where we were seated and surrounded by tuxedo dressed waiters ready to meet our every need. They served us a pitcher of sangria and directed us to the lavish buffet. Every dish was pure Spanish awesomeness. Seafood, stuffed avocados, paella, veal, rabbit, etc., etc., etc. Once we finished off several plates of that it was time for dessert. Creme caramel, fresh fruit, churros stuffed with bananas, etc. This dinner alone would have been enough for me to entitle this a top 20 greatest nights. OOO it was just beginning. From the dining room, our penguin waiters directed us to our seats in the tightly packed stage room. We sat in the second row (about an arms reach from the stage) directly in the center. Placement couldn´t have been better. With our glass of champagne, we were ready. This is a show that cannot be described or recorded. It is the total of the experience that is so moving. There were two guitarists, three men singing and clapping, 2 male dancers, and 5 female dancers. Dan has told me before that Flamenco, in his book, is the most passionate music in the world. After seeing this show, I cannot argue with that. Every move is synonymous with a clap or a stomp or just the right silence. The performers, as many times as they have seen their fellow dancer do the same steps, watch intently at every step, so intertwined with every beat. The music and the dance steps are so closely knit that they become one thing and every person becomes a passionate expression of the whole. If ever you are in Spain, if ever you are in trains reach of Spain, come experience this Spanish tradition. I guarantee it will move your spirit.


Wednesday: Yeah it was pretty much the beach all day. LIFE IS AWESOME!

There is one week left of this amazing experience. Tomorrow´s location is TBA. I am not ready to come home. If you feel compelled to send me enough money to stay the rest of the year, that would be great. :) LOVE YOU ALL!

Since my last blog we have been through Tuscany and Aix-en-Provence. I have to say that Tuscany is one of the most beautiful places we have been. We stayed with a women who was so kewl I could only hope be be like her one day. At every turn was a view that looked like a postcard. From Tuscany we headed out on a long journey up the coast of Italy into France. All I can say is: Never in America! Our train from Milan, Italy to Marseille, France was completely full so what else did we do but sit on the floor in the space between cars. At every turn half my body moved with one car while the other half turned with the adjoining car. And is it really Europe unless there are people smoking inside the train? Of course not. While this may sound terribly uncomfortable, once we were given the opportunity to move into a seat, we decided to stay and chat with the new Canadian friend we had made. Oh yeah, it was a 5 hour trip too. The end of this interesting journey was completed by some of the most spectacular views of southern France's indescribable, spectacular coast line. PS-this coast line is only a half hour from where Dan is living so if ever you needed motivation to visit him...this is it. Finally, we were reunited with our best French friend Bruno and it was time to experience Aix. All I can say is that Dan has picked an extraordinary place in this world to live for the next year and if by some miracle I spoke French, I would want to live here too. More on Aix later but the keyboard I am typing on is a fancy French version and all the letters are rearranged...I feel like I am just learning how to type: one finger style.

HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY MATT FULLER!!!! You rock my world. See all you crazy Chicago people in T-11 days.

Hi mom, Hi Dad.....no problems thus far. The weather is here, wish you were beautiful.

Hi Mrs. Hoffmann!!!!

Roma part II

Rise and Shine came early this morning at 7am. Perfect timing to see Rome in 1.5 days. After our breakfast served in our room, we headed straight to see Il Papa. Our timing, as usual, could not have been better for see St. Peters. We zipped straight through the short line and into "the most beautiful Cathedral in the world." Now I must admit, the pope has got quite a place. I am partial to the St. Louis Basilica for sentimental reason but St. Peters was stunning. As Rick Steves says, "to call it vast would be like calling God smart." It just doesn't quite say it right. The best part of this experience was Dan's suggestion to listen to Ave Maria on his IPOD while wondering. Call me corny, but it was a very moving, beautiful experience. Generally I am not a fan of religious art. It doesn't do much for me. However, I greatly appreciated Michelangelo's Pieta, which he sculpted at the age of 24; a sculpture of Mary holding her dead son. From the inside we journeyed to the top of the Dome for a fabulous bird's eye view of Rome.

The Colloseum was number 2 on our to do list of Rome. We joined a tour for the full history of the structure. While somewhat tedious, the info was very interesting. Very cool place. We sat in front of the Colloseum and had lunch. Wow. That is all there is to say. How many times can you sit across the street for a 1900 year old building and have lunch.

The highlight of the day was stop #3 which was the Keats and Shelley museum on the Spanish steps. Keats lived in this building for a brief period and also died here. We had the chance to see some original writings of Keats as well as Oscar Wild, Lord Byron, and Shelley.

It's siesta time again. I am preparing myself for a garlic filled Roman meal. MMMMMMMM. Tomorrow..Florence and to our Tuscany hide-a-way. "Heaven. I'm in heaven."

ROMA!

Here I sit, in Rome. I am surprised at how much I have enjoyed this city. Maybe after my Venice experience I was a little disappointed in Italian big city life. Venice, though, turns out to be an exception to the rule. However, our first Roman experience led me to believe this city was a dud also. Upon arrival in Rome, following a smooth uneventful train ride, we found graffiti covered walls, ceilings, and floors. I have never seen as much "free artistic expression" as this city has. After we got on the metro the first time, we tried to decipher whether the graffiti was part of the decoration or if every inch was just covered in it. Even the insides of the cars had their marks from floor to ceiling.

Once we got our bearings on the city layout, we made our way to our B&B following the "escape" and "forehead" road. No one was home so we attempted to feed our growling stomachs. Note to self: Nothing is open on Sunday in Roma. We finally stumbled upon a grocery store that closed 5 minutes after we left. Another stroke of luck for the Dando/Nicoletta party. We sat in the middle of a busy street, surrounded by what other than....graffiti. Despite our desolate surroundings, we had a very delicious lunch of fresh salami, an Italian baguette, and juicy fresh fruit. I am convinced that the fruit here is the best in the world. That or fruit in America stinks.

After our picnic lunch, we dropped our backpacks at the Casa Bianco and forged our way into Rome. With a full stomach and 50lbs lighter without my backpack, my Rome experience took a turn for the best. First stop: Spanish steps. For the first time on the trip, I was glad to see so many people in one spot. I was beginning to believe the people for Rome all left. We meandered around for a couple hours taking in the city. I cannot quite put my finger on what it is about Rome that I like so much. Nonetheless, I like it. Maybe it is knowing that so much has happened on the ground beneath me. Maybe it is turning any unsuspecting corner to see a 1000 year old ruin.

We joined the Italians in the Siesta late afternoon, showered, and headed out for dinner. I can't say dinner was all that impressive but dessert sure was. A glass of wine and a bowl of "fragoli" and gelato while watching the streets of Rome. ...SIGH... :)

Finally at the beach!

Friday morning (yesterday) we woke up and could not get ourselves to the beach fast enough. We decided to leave Venice a day earlier than planned and split the Venice-Rome trip in half by spending a day at the beach in between. Easier said than done. After some research and discussion we picked a place on the Eastern coast parallel with Rome. What started out as a quick side track to the beach turned out to be a 7 hour stressful train trip to end in a not so appealing city, Ancona. From Ancona we were to take the #94 bus to Portanuova, the beautiful beach we had read about. Once again, easier said than done. We waited 2 hours for the "novanta quattro" bus to arrive. Just as we were about to give up hope and head back to the train station, 94 pulled up. To make a long story short, we stayed in a fabulous, very beautiful beach hotel accompanied by, in my opinion, the best meal of the trip. Fresh seafood and a great bottle of wine. Did I mention that we could not read the menu so it was all a guessing game on the ordering. Turned out perfectly. Today was an all day nap in the sun. What we had found was a much loved Italian vacation spot. Another fabulous mistake gone right.

Austria to Venice

Leaving the comfy confines of Austria, Wednesday morning was spent traveling back to the Italy we all know and love. Upon our arrival in Venice, we were very surprised to finally find our arrangements for the night down an alley just slightly larger than the width of our backpacks and just light enough to see the door we were to stay behind. After some apprehension, we saw our room which was simple but clean. Clean being the key word. I can't ask for more than that. After we dropped our stuff off we ventured out to see the city we had heard so much about. For as many good things we had heard about Venice, we also heard that it was packed with tourist. You might say our vision of the city was slightly tainted. While this is undeniably a beautiful city, we both got the feeling that it was not a city with its own personality. It felt as though the air of the city was based on tourism. Something I have learned I do not like. 1.5 days in this city was just enough time. St. Marc's plaza is beautiful. Tourism cannot taint a sight such as this.

What we did in Venice:
*Tried to find a place for dinner, after some struggle we sat down at an Italian restaurant with no Italian employees...hhmm. Ended up ordering a whole bottle of wine on accident. And all I wanted on my pizza was garlic and some how that is the only thing that was not on my pizza.
*Awoke to the many church bells of Venice outside our window-beautiful!
*Saw St. Marc's Pliazza, the only Plaza in Venice granted the title "Piazza."
*Took the boat down the Grand Canal, stopping at my favorite sight in Venice, Santa Maria del Salute cathedral. We also stopped at the Rialto Bridge....WAY over crowded. Least favorite place in Venice.
*Tried to do laundry...Apparently no one sells detergent. Decided to wear dirty clothes. Why change a good thing.
*Bought a bottle of wine and some pizza rolls - ate our pizza and drank our wine in the allies of Venice.
*Paid a late night visit to Piazza San Marco to listen to the many bands and have very over priced drinks.

From our Germanic mountain home we decided to hop on another train to an unknown and unplanned destination. Where did we end up you may ask. Austria. WHAT?? From the train station in Bolzano we boarded the first train to Innsbruck Austria, a place neither of us knew anything about or how to speak the language. Once again, the train ride was well worth the trip. Once we arrived we knew we had made the right decision. The information office (our new best friends) booked us a room in a near by town called Igls that was about 25 mins outside the city. Once again our Information Office people pulled through in finding us an amazing room complete with down blankets and a view of the mountains. As we walked around the city we found streets lined with white building, wood shutters, and window sills overflowing with colorful flowers. It was a short trip to Austria but a beautiful and well worthwhile deviation from our plans. We couldn't help but look at each other and laugh - to think we were in Austria!

Italy or Germany?? Where are we?!?

The last I wrote I was headed for the opera. The Opera was fun. We did not stay for the entire thing, in fact, we left as soon as possible. lol. It was great to see an Italian opera in a real live Arena but our buts were numb and I believe opera is better enjoyed by just listening. Verona was great but we decided to move along in our journeys. Monday morning we woke up early and headed for the train station. From Verona we trained it to Bolzano which is a small town at the foot of the Alps in norther Italy. We stopped only long enough to grab some lunch and enjoy in incredible view. I forgot to mention that the train ride presented us with amazing views as we zipped through and in between the Dolomites. From Bolzano we hopped on a Bus to experience some real mountain towns. Some how...I am still not sure how...we ended up in a town called Sousa standing on a balcony overlooking breathtaking mountains and the valley below covered with mountain flowers and small Germanic huts. Did I mention that this balcony was outside the door of our room. We walked 30 mins. to find the friendliest woman in the world waiting for us at her front door. We walked back to town and took the funicular (we found out this is a ski lift sort of thing) to the top of the mountain that lie outside our window for an even more spectacular view. From there we stopped and had dinner in the charming town of Siusi. While this town in technically in Italy, if you didn't know any better you would think you were in Germany. German was the Prime language and Italian the second. Since neither of us speak German and little Italian, this was quite an experience. I will attest, though, that German speaking people may be the worlds friendliest people. What an amazing time!

oops!

Ok, I fixed my blog so that anyone can post a comment. Sorry everyone. Thanks Kathryn.

Why do Italians not like us?? Oh yeah, we smell.

AHHH the sweet sweet streets of Italia. I LOVE THIS COUNTRY. Could you please tell me why we live in America? Our well-lit couchette arrived ontime sometime very early this morning. As early as it was, it was the perfect timing to check into a beautiful hostel and watch the citta wake up. Then as I waiting for our laundry, I sat on the stairs in front of a beautiful aged "only in Italy" type building complete with wooden shutters and vine-covered walls. The city church bells rang and I closed my eyes to became lost in the moment. The longer I am here the more I realize traveling, for me, is not about seeing all the museums and tourist sights. For me, heaven falls somewhere between the Paris cafes packed with locals and the picturesque window and balcony I find as I stroll down a foot wide cobblestone Italian street while eating gelato.

Note to mom: if I am not in the airport on the 26th, fly to Italy, search the most hidden streets and gelato stands. I'll be there.

After our laundry finished and I pinched myself long enough to realize I am alive, we strolled down to the city center for some lunch. There are three plazas in a row that boast car free streets, as many gelato vendors as one can handle, trendy Italian shopping, and best of all..foood. We stopped in a local restaurant for a sandwich. Since we are most obviously American the unpleasant waitress spoke English to us immediately. It was easy to see she did not like us. Maybe it is because we don't speak Italian. Maybe it is just because we smell soooo bad. AAHHH I love this life!!!! (for real) I walk, I sweat, I see, I don't shower. It takes too much time.

I am still convinced that biking is the best way to see a city. We rented bikes this afternoon. We were not smelly enough and we needed to sweat some more. A quick tour of the city on wheels was the perfect way to expel our energy from the gelato(times 2). If you do not buy anything I have said about Europe, if you don't believe Europe rocks, you have NOT tasted the gelato. Once again, I have no words to describe this incredible delight. If you like ice cream (who doesn't), you have to come to Italy if only to taste gelato.

I guess the time has come to shower. Yes, I am beginning to smell myself and we are going to the opera tonight so I owe it to myself. Rumor has it that this opera is a 4 hour deal....not looking like we will be around for the whole thing. Advice from the locals about the opera: Bring a pillow to sit on, Bring lots of wine and snacks. I am excited!! :)

Ciao Amici.