Today while visiting my Grandparents and their adorable new puppy, they asked me why I never wrote a last post from my trip abroad. I've been meaning to and I've already been back in the states for over two weeks so I figure now is a good time.
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| Grandparent's new puppy, appropriately named Molly as she was born on St. Patrick's day |
In all honesty, I spent my last month in Europe quite anxious to come home. If Peter could have moved there and brought a soda fountain (its only requirements being diet coke and ice), I could have happily stayed a lot longer. But I was eager to see him and my friends and time started moving so slowly. I did go on a couple more awesome trips though. Our last group trip was to Kutna Hora, a medieval Czech town home to a chapel decorated completely with human bones that had been dug up from the graveyard in the middle ages. So that was eerie and cool.
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| Kutna Hora Bone Chapel |
The next weekend I was so happy to see my mom, sister, and aunt in Roma! My mom took my sister, who just graduated college (speaking of, you should follow her style and interiors blog,
Fashion House), on a trip of her choice and she chose Italy, so I was able to meet them in Rome for a few days! We wondered leisurely through the city, stopping often for wine and cappuccinos. It was a great break from my college budget. We stayed in a cute apartment hotel off of Piazza Navona, ate plenty of gelato, and people watched in our little alley every night. From the highest point in Rome during a talk with my aunt, I became aware that the thing I love most about this city is its colors. Every building is earth toned, and none are more prominent than the others. All blend in a brown, burnt orange, rust mix and it is simultaneously striking and calming. I was sad to leave Italy and my family but only had two more weeks to go!
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| Abby, Mom, and Me in Piazza Navona |
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| Overlooking Rome from the highest point |
I returned to Prague for my last week of classes then ventured to Oslo for my last trip. Getting there was a nightmare. I went with one friend and our plans to stay with friends studying in Oslo fell through so we booked a hotel half an hour before our bus left that morning. We had to take a bus to Berlin to catch a cheap Ryan Air flight, so we sat at the crappy Berlin airport for cheap airlines for 5 hours without free wifi and unable to afford expensive airport food. Mostly we passed the time by playing chess on our laptops. Upon landing in Oslo at midnight we discovered that we had to pay $20 to take an hour long bus ride into the city, where the metro lines were closed and our only option was to take a cab to our hotel 3 miles away. And that cab ride is where we learned the true meaning of being one of the most expensive cities in the world. Finally, we got to the hospital complex our hotel is supposedly in and after searching for 15 minutes we were able to settle in. We were staying in a hospital room turned hotel room complete with a handicap shower and toilet and an emergency call button by the bed. Anyway, Oslo redeemed itself the next day, proven first by the extensive (and free) breakfast buffet at the hotel. We spent our three days there walking around and exploring the cities parks, gardens, coasts, and museums, and as a result I can tell you that Oslo is a strange and beautiful place.
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| Me and the most famous sculpture in Oslo |
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Whats with the baby statues in Europe? This famous baby is one of three in front of the
Prague Contemporary Art museum |
On my last day in Prague, my friends and I went hiking outside of the city. It was steep climbing and a fitting goodbye. Hills seemed to reappear constantly throughout my trip and I've learned that it is always worth it to climb them.
