In Luxembourg we got the priviledge to stay with a lovely family who belonged to a friend of Julie's. We arrived at 7:45am where we were picked up and taken home to have a lovely pastry breakfast. After eating and showering, we headed into the city to explore while Lizi (Julie's friend's sister) worked.
After seeing the sites of Luxembourg city, we proceeded to fall asleep outside the Modern Art Museum in some lounge chairs that had been turned into art. When I finally woke up, we headed into the Museum to see the sites and pick up Lizi to go for dinner. Then in true Apes n' Ju style- we went to bed early!
The next day we slept in and by the time we finally made it downstairs, Lizi's mom was cooking us a lovely lovely steak lunch. Post meal we borrowed their extra car and headed out to explore the rest of Luxembourg. 4 Hours later, we'd seen 2/3 of the country and even had the chance to visit France and Germany!
For dinner we were fed a true Luxembourg meal- green bean and potatoe soup AND.... pancakes! YUMMY! Then Lizi took us back into the city to meet some of her friends and have a drink. An interesting event to say the least considering 4 different languages were being spoken at any given time (Luxembourgish, French, Germany and of course, English).
A good night's sleep and then we were off to the Netherlands to visit Julie's mother's motherland!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Munich, Germany: July 15-17, 2009
For Munich day 1, we decided to make our way to Dachau and lucky for us, entrance to the camp is FREE! It was really interesting to take a look at the first concentration camp, but overall it was rather depressing..plus we weren't sure if we should smile in our photos or not- it kinda just seemed wrong to do so.
After seeing the grounds we made our way back into the city and ended up at the Hofbrauhaus- we are in the beer drinking capital of the world after all. We each grabbed a pint, met some nice German ladies and then headed back to the hostel to cook dinner.
Day 2 we decided that a free bike tour would be the best way to see the rest of the city...it's free after all and we're cheap! The tour guide was hilarious and even showed us how he downs a Mas (litre of beer) in 6 seconds. It's really strange. Trust.
We toured thru the English gardens, where they have a nudist meadow believe it or not. Lucky for us it was a little cold to be running around naked on this particular day! At 4pm we returned our bikes, did some wondering around and then ended up back at the Hofbrahaus for some dinner. In typical European style, we shared our table with a couple of American Accountants that were working in Germany- don't worry, they were more interesting than most accountants!
After a leisurely dinner, we headed to the train station to catch an overnight train to Luxembourg! Prost!
After seeing the grounds we made our way back into the city and ended up at the Hofbrauhaus- we are in the beer drinking capital of the world after all. We each grabbed a pint, met some nice German ladies and then headed back to the hostel to cook dinner.
Day 2 we decided that a free bike tour would be the best way to see the rest of the city...it's free after all and we're cheap! The tour guide was hilarious and even showed us how he downs a Mas (litre of beer) in 6 seconds. It's really strange. Trust.
We toured thru the English gardens, where they have a nudist meadow believe it or not. Lucky for us it was a little cold to be running around naked on this particular day! At 4pm we returned our bikes, did some wondering around and then ended up back at the Hofbrahaus for some dinner. In typical European style, we shared our table with a couple of American Accountants that were working in Germany- don't worry, they were more interesting than most accountants!
After a leisurely dinner, we headed to the train station to catch an overnight train to Luxembourg! Prost!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Zurich, Switzerland - July 13, 2009
So Zurich, what a disappointment you were.... not the city itself, but our situation. The guy that was supposed to host us suddenly backed out and we were left with no where to stay. Scheisse! (since we are no longer in France). Discovering that acccommodation is quite expensive in Zurich, and there wasn't too much to see, our stay in the Swiss financial capital was limited to an afternoon of sight seeing.
In that short time, we managed to see pretty much everything - a couple churches, the rivers, the lakes, the oh-so-glamourous flower clock, and so on. One of the best times of the day was enjoying a nice cup of coffee and chocolate croissant for only 2CHF. I guess not everything is ridiculously expensive in Switzerland!
After walking all day, we kind of got bored, did some people watching, ate a scrumptious dinner of sausage and bread and then we were off to Munich on a nice and relaxing German train.
Our arrival in Munich was a late one (around 12:30am), so we quickly hopped on a tram and made our way to "the Tent"where we would be staying.
Now, the Tent is not like any other hostel out there - it's literally a giant circus-like tent with 50 bunk beds and many lockers. Since we got in so late, we walked into a dark tent of snoring backpackers. Finding a bed for the two of us seemed to be a bit of a challenge - but we managed. I piled on 4 of the 6 blankets they gave us (April had a sleeping bag) and we dozed off. All I have to say is thank goodness for earplugs!
In that short time, we managed to see pretty much everything - a couple churches, the rivers, the lakes, the oh-so-glamourous flower clock, and so on. One of the best times of the day was enjoying a nice cup of coffee and chocolate croissant for only 2CHF. I guess not everything is ridiculously expensive in Switzerland!
After walking all day, we kind of got bored, did some people watching, ate a scrumptious dinner of sausage and bread and then we were off to Munich on a nice and relaxing German train.
Our arrival in Munich was a late one (around 12:30am), so we quickly hopped on a tram and made our way to "the Tent"where we would be staying.
Now, the Tent is not like any other hostel out there - it's literally a giant circus-like tent with 50 bunk beds and many lockers. Since we got in so late, we walked into a dark tent of snoring backpackers. Finding a bed for the two of us seemed to be a bit of a challenge - but we managed. I piled on 4 of the 6 blankets they gave us (April had a sleeping bag) and we dozed off. All I have to say is thank goodness for earplugs!
Interlaken, Switzerland - July 11-13, 2009
Luckily when we got to Interlaken at 11PM, there was a shuttle bus ready and waiting to take us to our hostel - Balmer's Herberge.
The hostel was just booming, reminding me of first year residence (yay Saugeen!) on a Saturday night. APril and I were too tired to join everyone for the festivities so we headed to our room and went to sleep (we're fun, I know).
The morning came quickly and as I woke, I was greeted by a stunning view of the Swiss Alps out the window - not too shabby I must say. The two of us got ready, ate breakfast, and were off to explore the town. It was 8:30 by the time we left the hostel on a Sunday morning, so all of the shops were closed and there was barely anyone in sight. It was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Nice. What wasn't a nice change was the temperature!!! After acclimating to constant 30 degree sunny weather, the 17 degrees in Interlaken just seemed extra cold to us. We had our sweaters though, so there was no need to worry... just complain I guess.
Interlaken is bordered by two lakes and the mountains, so we thought it would be nice to walk to on of the lakes to have a looksee. After walking a good distance, and passing by some cows and a dairy farm, we realized that maybe the lake was a little further than we initially thought.... so we turned around and headed back to town. On the way back, we met two lovely goats - one of which was so happened to be named Julie - obviously my new best friend.
The town of Interlaken is gorgeous... however, it's very small - something like 6,000 people. Therefore, the sites (other than the nature around) were quite limited. After spending the first few hours of the morning watching paraglider after paraglider gently sail down from the mountain, our minds were made up that we had to do it too! You can't go to Interlaken and not have an adventure!
Packed in a van with a handful of Koreans and Swiss pilots, we were headed up for our take off. The views were amazing, our outfits even better, and we were ready to go. A quick run and the wind was up my shirt and we were flying. I took a bunch of photos and videos, and Richi (my pilot) even let me drive for a little while. April had a pilot who had just gotten his tandem licence 2 weeks earlier - but she couldn't tell the difference. Needless to say, the experiene was well worth it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
With the adrenaline rush winding down, April and I grabbed lunch from the nearest Coop (grocery store), bought some madatory Swiss Army knives and just chilled out. We eventually made it out to one of the lakes (turns out the one we didn't walk to in the first place was closer). We then schooled a couple of boys from Houston in a game of pool where the boys definitely lost some man points.
We ate dinner and like the old ladies we are, went to sleep around 9:30..... need I mention, before the sun had event set. Embarrassing, yes.
Monday morning graced us with its presence and we packed our bags, at our breakfast, and made our way to the train station to catch the next train to Zurich.
The hostel was just booming, reminding me of first year residence (yay Saugeen!) on a Saturday night. APril and I were too tired to join everyone for the festivities so we headed to our room and went to sleep (we're fun, I know).
The morning came quickly and as I woke, I was greeted by a stunning view of the Swiss Alps out the window - not too shabby I must say. The two of us got ready, ate breakfast, and were off to explore the town. It was 8:30 by the time we left the hostel on a Sunday morning, so all of the shops were closed and there was barely anyone in sight. It was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Nice. What wasn't a nice change was the temperature!!! After acclimating to constant 30 degree sunny weather, the 17 degrees in Interlaken just seemed extra cold to us. We had our sweaters though, so there was no need to worry... just complain I guess.
Interlaken is bordered by two lakes and the mountains, so we thought it would be nice to walk to on of the lakes to have a looksee. After walking a good distance, and passing by some cows and a dairy farm, we realized that maybe the lake was a little further than we initially thought.... so we turned around and headed back to town. On the way back, we met two lovely goats - one of which was so happened to be named Julie - obviously my new best friend.
The town of Interlaken is gorgeous... however, it's very small - something like 6,000 people. Therefore, the sites (other than the nature around) were quite limited. After spending the first few hours of the morning watching paraglider after paraglider gently sail down from the mountain, our minds were made up that we had to do it too! You can't go to Interlaken and not have an adventure!
Packed in a van with a handful of Koreans and Swiss pilots, we were headed up for our take off. The views were amazing, our outfits even better, and we were ready to go. A quick run and the wind was up my shirt and we were flying. I took a bunch of photos and videos, and Richi (my pilot) even let me drive for a little while. April had a pilot who had just gotten his tandem licence 2 weeks earlier - but she couldn't tell the difference. Needless to say, the experiene was well worth it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
With the adrenaline rush winding down, April and I grabbed lunch from the nearest Coop (grocery store), bought some madatory Swiss Army knives and just chilled out. We eventually made it out to one of the lakes (turns out the one we didn't walk to in the first place was closer). We then schooled a couple of boys from Houston in a game of pool where the boys definitely lost some man points.
We ate dinner and like the old ladies we are, went to sleep around 9:30..... need I mention, before the sun had event set. Embarrassing, yes.
Monday morning graced us with its presence and we packed our bags, at our breakfast, and made our way to the train station to catch the next train to Zurich.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Passport? Who needs one?
on Friday, we set out on our six week European journey ready to tackle the land we'd been living in for the past nine months. With the trip planned, bags packed, and tickets in hand, we ventured forth by train toward Milan (to sleep in the train station of course). Two hours into our five our ride, April realized her purse was open - "Ohcrap, I can't find my passport!" "Merde!" Oh yes, merde indeed. After some deciphering, and texting, it was found in the backseat of Apes' employer's car... In Nice!! So we headed back to get the passport and replan our departure for Switzerland.
Day 2
We found a train to Interlaken departing at 10:32, yay. At 10:00 we finally reach the ticket window. At 10:01, we were informed that the train was sold out except for first class tickets. Looking for alternative routes it was realized that everything in France was the same deal... Oh and the Italian trains were on strike.
MERRRRDEEEE!!!!!!!!
Luckily (rare case) the lady helping us was amazing. 10:12 - she finds us a train to valence (first class) connected by a bus to Grenoble then a train to geneva - all covered by our eurail passes. WE'LL TAKE IT! We paid the 64€ each for the first class tickets, gave the woman a high five and proceeded onto the train.
A train, a bus, and a train later... We arrived in Geneva, got our obligatory Starbucks and hopped on the next train to Bern. At one of our stops along the way we were parked next to another train where a young boy waved to us. This proceeded to get ugly (literally) as we made faces at each other. His mother yelled at him then laughed when she realized we were laughing too.
We made it safely to Interlaken where we got a good night's sleep ready for the next six weeks.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
TRAVELS!
For those of you who like to stalk us (LT, I'm thinking about you!) here is an itinerary of where we will be and when on our 6 week Eurotour!
July 10-12: Interlaken, Switzerland
July 13-14: Zurich, Switzerland
July 15-17: Munich, Germany
July 18-19: Luxembourg
July 20-22: Amsterdam, Netherlands
July 23-24: Brussels, Belgium
July 25-26: Paris, France (and the end of the Tour de France...HEYO!)
July 27-28: Salzburg, Austria
July 29-30: Vienna, Austria
July 31- August 2: Budapest, Hungary
August 3-4: Krakow, Poland
August 5-6: Berlin, Germany
August 7-8: Stockholm, Sweden
August 9-10: Copenhagen, Denmark
August 11-13: Dublin, Ireland
August 14-15: Edinburgh/Glasgow, Scotland
August 16-19: Athens + Islands, Greece
August 20: Bari, Italy
August 21-23: Dubrovnik, Croatia
August 24: Pisa, Italy
August 25: Nice, France
August 26: CANADA!!!!!!
So there you have it! No comments about how busy we will be...we know! Don't expect us to be properly functioning until at least the 1st of September!
Life until Julie and April leave Nice!
So I've been accused of making these posts WAY too long. Maybe someone *cough* Jenny *cough*, should read our blog more often and then she wouldn't have that problem! Regardless, in her honor I'm going to make this brief (well, we'll pretend it's for her...in actuality Apes n' Ju are running out of time and if this post isn't quick, my luggage won't get packed!)
June was pretty relaxing. We were visited by Julie's friend Jenny (note not the same Jenny as above) from Luxembourg. It was lots of fun getting to know her, and Julie spent the weekend learning German swears. BAD Julie!
Julie, Jenny, and I at the Castle
The rest of our weekends were filled with packing and beaches, oh and a hike up to Eze from the Sea- WOW was that ever tiring! Then on June 30th we moved out of our apartment and into my employer's apartment. Why you ask? Well I was supposed to be done work on the 30th, but due to a lack of replacement, am staying for an extra 10 days. This means slumber party with a 4 year old...YEAH! In all seriousness tho, it's been a lot better than I expected and I'm going to be sad to leave these little monkeys.
In June we also won the pub quiz again, in part because of some "advice" from one of our staff member friends. That brings the total pub quiz earnings up to about 710 €, give or take a little.
On to July!
We started it off with a bang by having a BBQ (for the first time since moving away) to celebrate Canada day! The availability of a BBQ for the first and last time while in France was not wasted and we ended up with SO much food. Steak, baked potatoes, veggie kebabs, hamburgers...the works, and then in true Canadian fashion we finished it off with some cookies and cupcakes (altho not cooked on the BBQ).
Canadian Crewmckerliephotography.smugmug.com
incrediblememories.smugmug.com (please note the similarities in these two website are probably due to the fact that these twins do EVERYTHING alike...well except organize! LOL)
kookaburranice.com
This past weekend we had a LOVELY American style breakfast at Ryan's, complete with Bacon, Eggs, Fruit Salad, and French pastries (k, so not everything was American). All this to kick off Le Tour de France passing thru Nice. So, 3 Hour early, we headed out to the streets to watch the Caravan pass by and pick up some sweet swag. Then we waited, and waited and waited; and finally, for a brief 30 seconds we got to watch 180 bikers fly past us. What an experience!
Now we wait until the start of our 6 week long journey. It's fast approaching ladies and gents! FAST!
Apes n' Ju at Le Tour de France
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
