Innsbruck is the Capital city of the federal state of Tyrol in Western Austria. A town of houses with faded primary and secondary colors located in the inn Valley by the Sill river and a background of cloudy mountainous alps. This quaint town of Innsbruck, decorated with history from the renaissances periods famous of its Goldenes Dachl also known as its Golden roofed building with the Alps in the background. This little bustling city was full of life with the sun shining down and the alps in the background. I hope to someday return to spend more time in the city which there is so much more to see than in the short five hours we had to visit.
Heidelberg, Germany was a quaint little storybook land of castles, cute bridges and breathtaking landscapes...we visited the outskirts of the Heidelberg castle that lay on top of a German mountain people from all over came to visit and to see the view of the delicate landscaped land. The view was incredible, a river flowed through the town was made up of a number of brick, stone buildings...when we reached town, it was little village of shops, restaurants and hotels...cobblestone grounds, outdoor dining with quaint umbrellas and traditional German pubs. The city was filled with culture and history, at dinnertime we dined at a traditional pub with spatzel and half chicken. In Munich, it was a city of tall brown buildings and full of culture, I took an evening stroll and photographed a number of spots and I also experienced the famous HofbrÀuhaus and its porknuckle and potato dumplings.
So there I was July 29th in the Newark airport, 6 hrs before my flight after 3 delays and 3 changed flights I was about to embark to Amsterdam on continental airlines, graduation gift to myself. I was off to explore the great Europe on my own through a tour company for people around my age group and have a sampling of seven of Europe’s delicious cities. Refreshed for a new experience I boarded my continental flight and sat beside a blond haired gorgeous couple from Holland...they spoke about an ounce of English maybe less and were dressed trendy and had the typical look of Europeans. The couple was so in love, stealing kisses from each other, smiling uncontrollably and fell asleep cuddling and holding hands. I exchanged short one word conversations about the movies offered on the TV's on the seats in front of us and pondered of my experience to come. Too excited to sleep I watched 3 movies till we arrive in Amsterdam, where I was to find my tour group……
First Stop: Amsterdam, Holland
travels to: Amsterdam
Amsterdam...
the canals...
I Amsterdam sign...
Windmills...
Cheese...
Holland's Marina
Welcome to the city of free love, smoking and drinking. We stayed off the train stop known as Ho-cun-nuts, rough and strongly pronounced while laid on the outskirts of the city. Most people from Holland had light hair and eyes, very attractive people might I add. Rough tongues and surrounded by canals in the city’s streets. Bike riding is the norm and water taxi's to spend a relaxing afternoon, by nightfall are plenty of ways to spend your time, "coffee-shops" where friends gather to have "brownies" and smoke joints. Or you can wonder the Red Light District, pleasure center of Amsterdam. Women in bikinis or less stand behind glass doors spotlighted in red lights trying to lure men in to make a profit. While sex shops and other related places adorned the street of the Red light district. It’s the city of anything goes, unique in its own way. Filled with a number of pubs, clubs and bars, Some of my favorite includes a club/bar called Smokey’s and Prime right next to each other in the heart of a club area. This is where I heard for the first time “Papa Americano” great upbeat, European song. Holland is home to the hidden life of Anne Frank during the Holocaust and homes of the narrowest fronts. The countryside was made up of delicate windmills, cheese factories and clog making places which was typical of Holland, by the water was a quaint little town of shops and eateries, alike to their shores, boats adorned the marinas, docks of quaint ice cream huts and snacks.
My first time to Europe was on my study abroad trip my junior year of college, to Italy. Italy was my first opportunity to travel across the sea to a far off land, miles and miles away from home.
It’s the beginning of January and my trip began in the northern part of Italy, Milan…the city of Italian fashion, I was under packed for the winter snow storm that was about to hit, but bundled up in what I brought, borrowing a sweatshirt which I had somehow forgotton to pack….i wrote one journal entry when I was there and would like to share it with you:
Buena Notte, So here I am in Milan, Italy strange language, similar to Spanish yet totally its own kind, the pizza was soo good, surprisingly and well the streets are all made of cobblestones. Long flights, snow and heavy luggage and yet finally I’m in the country of love. A month abroad, Euros and credit cards easily blown in this unexplored land of foreign tongues. The place where I am the minority speaking English where the streets are named Via and cars are twice and small as in the ones back home. I hope for many adventures along these next couple of weeks, some solutions and revelations of life along with happiness and joy. Before I lay my head upon these fluffy white feathered pillows at the Star Rosa hotel room 144. Xoxo snow in Frankfurt, flakes in Milan, happy 3 kings day for epiphany comes…
Throughout this trip, I traveled through Italy North to South…beginning in Milan, Lake Como, Venice, Siena, Florence, Rome, Sorrento, Napoli, Capri and ending back in Rome. This trip was only one month long but life changing, from getting food poisoning in Milan the 3rd day into my trip so bad I had to go to the hospital, to learning to be a stronger and better person, learning about balance and coping, learning to trust others and grow together… because my experience has made such an impact in my life, over the course of time, I’ll share excerpts from my trip but as for now here’s my beginnings… Italia will forever be in my heart…until I return again....
The Soundtrack to my trip which took place January 2009, many of those who shared my Italia memories with me will associate these songs with our trip: … I’d like to call this mix:
Grazie, Prego, Ciao Italia January 2009 <3
Addiction Ryan Leslie ft. Cassie & Fabulous
Beautiful Akon
Better in Time Leona Lewis
Circus Britney Spears
Crush David Archuleta
Energy Keri Hilson
I’m not missing you Staci Orrico
I’m so paid Akon, Lil Wayne & Young Jeezy
I’m Yours Jason Mraz
Keeps Getting Better Christina Aguliera
Krazy Pitbull
La La Land Demi Lovato
Misery Business Paramone
My Life Feat. Lil Wayne The game
Rehab Rihanna
Right Here Brandy
Right Now (Na Na Na) Akon feat. Kat Deluna
That’s Amore James Marsden
Below are some photos from Milan... more Italy photos will come over time....
Cruises…where to begin with them, well might I add cruise to me are much more than just a mini obsession of mine. Something about embarking off into the big blue sea on a huge ship the size of a city, glamorous nights of fine dining and club night dancing till the early morning hours. The view when you look off from the deck is breathtaking, your surrounded by water, so serene and blissful. I went on my first cruise when I was 14 years old, the best experience of my life. Vacations to me growing up were always like a mini adventure, you could be whoever you wanted to be and your opportunities are endless with possibilities. Prior to my first cruise, I had no expectations, I had no idea what it would be like. I had been on boats before but cruises are nothing like being on a small little sailboat, you don’t even realize your on a boat on a cruise because it is so vast. Cruises give you the opportunity to have a sampling of a number of destinations, while the comfort of not having to change hotels.
Here’s just some creative writing of beginnings of a cruise vacation….
…there I was at the terminal straight at the vast cruise ship in front of me, a shiver of excitement rushed through me as we waiting on lines at the cruise terminal to check in. As soon as we checked in I had received my sail and sign card: room key and credit card all in one…from this point forward on the ship paper money is no good, only my sail and sign card, as I walked up the metal ramps, i approached the my first photoshoot moment… welcome abroad, passport in hand, sail and sign inside and luggage in my other hand I posed confidently in front of the camera. “Welcome Abroad, Bon Voyage.” As I went over the last ramp onto the deck of the ship, I used my sail and sign card to check into the ship, “blingk” the machine checked me in and I smiled yet again to link my card to my identity and I’m in. As I roll my suitcase across the marble floors into the elegant atrium of glass elevators up to the top deck, lounging couches and an elegant bar…”Hello new home for the next 7 days”…I traveled up the elevator to the 7th deck down the long hallway of cabins to 7314, even side of the ship…wall art of light orange silhouettes of fashion poses till I finally reach my cabin. I slip my key into the door and find a small hallway of closet doors and the bathroom door into the room where a vanity sat to the left with a TV in the shelves a sofa and coffee table across it and further back two twins sizes beds on the right with individual mini night stands. On the farthest side of the cabin was the curtains and a door leading out to a mini balcony of the great outdoors…since we were still docked at the deck all you could see was the terminal and the people still boarding the ship but soon enough we’ll be out to sea and will only see blue clear waters…
Song to best describe my cruise experience: Enya Caribbean Blue… the bubbly serene feel of this song it what its like to glide across the Caribbean Sea on a glamorous cruise ship, whether your dressed up cute in your new bikini, coverup, matching bag and sunglasses to head out to the deck to bask in the sun and soak up the sweet Caribbean air or whether your off to dinner in your tightest little black dress every girl has for a special occasion, in your sexiest heels and your looking rather stunning to head off to elegant night on the ship…this song is the soundtrack of your vacation. A truly relaxing atmosphere, no cell phone or contact to the outside world, your worries really do melt away, as you escape to multiple islands.
Below I have photo montage of some photos from my cruise trips…
Cruise ships...of my trips throughout the years...