Mi piace l'Italia

Italy was probably the part of the trip I was most looking forward to. I was just excited for the food, Venice, everything. I was also going to see my good friend Craig who lives and works in Spoleto, Italy, which is just outside Rome.

We headed through the Swiss alps and into Milan. We spent the day checking out what Milan had to offer, honestly not much. Id take a pass if I went back. However close to Milan is Lake Como, which I think is a must visit. Amazing little Italian towns hanging over an the lake. You can take a day fairy for only a couple of bucks and visit each one of the towns.

The next day we made our way into Venice. Venice was perfect, I just loved that there were no cars, just boats. Lots of tourist, but even still we were able to nuzzle into a few empty streets. One day in Venice is plenty to see it all, so we took off the next morning for Florence, we made a pit stop  for lunch in Pisa, and to see the all famous leaning tower. Florence I loved, but I did fell it was a little over rated. After a day I was ready to head to Rome.

Rome on the other hand not overrated. So much to do, I'm glad we had three full days. Highlights were the Vatican and the treve fountain at night(no one there at night). We meet up with my buddy Craig in Rome and he took us out to some really good food and showed us a few of the local sites. We then said good bye to Kerry and Shannon and headed out to Spoleto to end of the trip.
Kerry and Shannon really were fun, couldn't have had better friends to travel with.

After a fun relaxing three days in Spoleto Me and Blake flew back into Barcelona for one last night out of fun, and flew out the next morning for the states.

Over all it was an awesome trip, we made some fun memories.
I wise I could tell all that happened, but I really don't have the push to write it all.
A must trip for every college student to do.

Tha Swisssss

When you first think of a classic European vacation, you think of nights strolling under the Eiffel tower in Paris, eating gelato on a hot day in Italy, or swimming off the coast of Spain in the clear blue Mediterranean Sea. All of this seams like the trip of a lifetime right? Of course, but where’s your sense of adventure?

There’s one place were you can take the road less traveled and please your inner adventurous side. Interlaken, Switzerland. A not so traditional Swedish town nuzzled between two majestic aqua blue lakes in the heart of the Swiss Alps.

 Although this small Swedish town has all your classic Swedish foods, narrow cobble stone streets, and amazing three hundred and sixty degree scenic views. Interlaken is far form the expected and predictable. It’s a place full of adventure that won’t let you leave without first indulging yourself in at least a few adrenalin pumping challenges.

Upon arriving into the city, we were swarmed in the train station with fliers and pamphlets for skydiving, canyoning, whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, and the list goes on.

As soon as we checked into the famous Balmers Hostel we were escorted by the friendly staff to a booth to sign up for activities.

Before we knew it we were in a raft screaming down a canyon river of the Swiss Alps, being tossed and turned in the class three and four rapids. After thirty minutes of dodging rocks and frigid water, we were sucked into one of the two warm lakes of Interlaken, and jumped in for a swim.

All our days were filled with adventure; hiking, swimming, and exploring all that Interlaken had to offer.

For the more mature traveler looking to get lost in the beauty of the Swiss Alps rather then the Alps themselves, there’s still plenty to be excited about. Take a scenic train to the top of Jungfrau Mountain.  Or ride the gondola from the city for a romantic dinner at the Harder Klum* restaurant that looks over all of Interlaken.

This city has it all for a get away from a get away.

First stop, London Town

So our first stop was in London, we flew in on Ryan air(only way to fly in Europe) and meet a good  local friend there, Luke Hector. We stayed in London a long time, about a week. We couldn't resist though, we had a house to stay in for free and a car. Driving in London was a fun challenge.

We headed out early and caught a train under the English channel and made our way into Paris. Paris, definitely a place I've been wanted to see my whole life.  We had a nice birthday dinner for Kerry in the Eiffel Tower thanks to her mom Jo. We meet up with our friend Natasha, her moms French so they live out there in the summer. She showed us a Paris that we would have otherwise never seen. Knowing a local is a huge plus.

Kerry and Shannon were becoming great to travel with .  Me and Blake has some lack of funds and they were always down to take the cheap route. Whether it was skipping a taxi and walking, or grabbing something from the grocery store and eating in a park, they were down. Recommendation at this point, a nice soft frame backpack is literally the only way to travel Europe. Going from train to train, hostel to hostel, it sure made life easier.

Next stop Swiss land...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spain

I had been in Barcelona two weeks and Blake finally made it out, and that's when the fun really started. We were out every night, I had to be at school Monday-Thursday at 8am, so the mornings were rough but I managed. Jamie and Cami came out the day before Blake. I had spent the first two weeks studying a lot of spanish and art but I still managed to plan some fun stuff for when they came in.

Soon as everyone arrived I had the adventure started, I took Jamie and Cami on a little bike tour of Barcelona on day one, checked out all the sites. Day two we checked out The Tour De France riding though Barc and later headed to my favorite spot eight hours north, San Sebastian. The next morning we hoped on some motos and took some crazy scary roads out to Biarritz France, about a two hr. drive north. Later that night me and Blake dropped of the girls off and took the motos to hang out with a few friends of mine from Barcelona that were in san seb for the weekend.  To end off the mini trip we made a sporadic dash out to Pamplona at three in morning, slept in a park, and woke up just in time to see the running of the bulls. It was definitely one of the most fun weeks of the trip.

We said bon voyage to Jamie and Cami as they left for Italy and soon after Kerry and Shannon flew in and spent four days in Barcelona with us then we would head out for the real adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trip of A life Time

2006-2008 I spent living in Spain, spending most of my time in Barcelona. After returning home to California I realized how much I enjoyed Spain and I returned to for a three week trip with my family that summer.

I moved up to Utah and spent the next year getting caught up in school at Utah Valley University. However my whole year back was mainly focused on getting back to Spain and saving up to explore the rest of Europe. Last minute I decided I would kill two birds with one stone and I enrolled to study at the University of Barcelona, followed by a month on the road to see the rest of what Europe had to offer.

First on the agenda was recruiting a travel partner. I went first thing to long time friend Blake Brown who I meet while living in Spain. It took some convincing, but in the end he committed to coming out.

As we started planning out our trip some friends had gotten word and wanted to join in. My friend Kerry Mullin, who I've know since we were kids, wanted to come visit in Spain for a week and head out with us on our trip throughout the rest of Europe. I was a little skeptic because she wanted to bring along a friend who I didn't know to well, Shannon Oconner, and anyone that has done some traveling knows to pick who you travel with wisely. But we eventually agreed on it, and now a group of two became four. Really I was excited, for me more the merrier.

The other two girls, Jamie Everson and Cami Clayton came out to travel throughout Spain with us for a week. I didn't know them very well before the trip but Jamie and I were just chatting one day and I told her my plans for the summer, and she said she want to come. Of course I said "yea sure" knowing most likely it wouldn't happen as usual, but two weeks later she called me up and said she had a flight. Like I said more the merrier right.

Blake was going to meet me in Spain two weeks into my semester, so initially I headed out alone.
I had a friend pick me up and I stayed at her place for the month. Through school I meet tons of cool exchange student, and I was just having a good time being back with old friends in BARC.
Just a few pick of the first couple weeks.

Hanging out with my Turkey classmates