I’ve hopped a couple countries since the last time we’ve talked. From Barcelona to Germany and on to the next. It’s easier to break it down for you guys:
Barcelona: My friends and I decided to go to Barcelona for one weekend to tour the city. We walked over 11 miles, then woke up the next morning, and did it again. The thing with time constraints is that you have to be very proactive in your travels, which didn’t exactly work out as we planned. When we first got there, we had an AirBnb that was in the center of everything, but the neighborhood seemed more like Italy rather than Spain. Everyone in Barcelona spoke another language, other than Spanish, and Gaudi definitely stole the scene. We saw La Segrada Familia, Gaudi’s House, Parque Guell, Arc de Triumf and much more. My favorite was definitely walking along the beach and Las Ramblas, as well as going on the Ferris Wheel to see the city from above. Of course, on the way back our flight got cancelled and we had to stay until Monday. We then took a flight to Bilbao and a bus to Oviedo, which apparently was the fastest way to come back early. Getting back into Oviedo has proven to be impossible these days…
Barcelona beach near Las Ramblas
With Arden in Barcelona: Can you feel the Gaudi in the back? Jaja
Prague: The following week we had some time off, so I decided to visit my cousins in Prague. Prague turned out to be my favorite of all the places I have visited so far, and I got to see the Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral, Powder Tower, Astronomical clock and many more. Of course, walking was a must but every minute was worth it because Prague is amazing to see. The food there was also tasteful, and everything seemed relatively cheap, including the hotel (The Three Crowns Hotel- highly recommend it). I finished the trip off with a dinner cruise across the river, under the Charles Bridge, at night. Prague definitely stole my heart!
Prague Center: Astronomical Clock
View of Prague from the Prague Castle
Garden in Prague Castle
Charles Bridge in Prague
Munich: Shortly after Prague, I met up with friends and made it to Octoberfest. We stayed in the center of Munich at an AirBnb, and it was definitely pricier. The food was great, and the Goulash like no other, but definitely more expensive than Prague. At first, we thought we had a train ticket from Prague to Munich coming there, but after a long, stressful trial of communication, we finally realized it was a bus. It worked out for the best because we got into Munich and settled in quickly. The next day we toured Marienplatz, and other things such as the Mayor’s house, the BMW car museum and the Audi car Museum. It was also another struggle making it to Ingolstadt by train, and then bus, to arrive at the Audi museum. We made it happen in the end, and by the end of the night I felt like I knew all of life, and the metro system in Munich. When visiting all these places, public transportation such as the metro is definitely a life savior (and kind people who help you when you look lost). There were many people in Munich who spoke English and even offered to help. To end the trip off, we went to the beautiful Octoberfest and realized that the tents were very packed, and some mostly full. There were pretzels and everyone was dressed up all around but everything closed relatively early. It was quite overrated, but in the end we found a tent which made our night better!
Advice: Definitely go visit Prague, it is cheap and you will not be bored. When going to Germany, use the metro and go out to eat in more casual places because food is expensive. Taxis are sort of expensive everywhere, so try to Uber, or use public transportation. If you are going to country hop when you are travelling, definitely use the train. It is fast and there are no layovers or delays. Sometimes flying doesn’t save you time these days…
Of course, in the end of our trip, the flight was delayed…. again. It seems that we spent more time at the airport, train stations, bus stations or missing flights and crying. In the end, my piece of advice is to take as many opportunities as you can, and not hold back the travel. Even when you only sleep 4 hours a night, and think that you are tired from travelling back and forth, put in the extra effort to go one extra mile. See another country, live a little more and experience as much as you can. You might not have the chance to do it later! The next month is coming up and I have many more travels planned to share!