Snowing in Brussels

One word for Brussels: cold and in cold I mean frigid!  Arriving after a sunny day in Barcelona, Cortney, Katelyn, Kirby and I almost hopped the bus back to Spain when we got off into the freezing air.  Thankfully we had wonderful friends who took us into their warm apartment for the few days we are staying here.  I can't even express how wonderful it is to be among friends, sheltered from the cold, drinking hot chocolate and snacking on Speculoos cookies in front of a movie.  Add the snow that has been drifting down all day and you get a perfect picture end to independent travel.

I will confess that we did spend one day in Brussels just chilling and watching Gilmore Girls, but then we made up for that relaxation with our Brussels day today! It began at the Belgian Chocolate Museum, where this sweet little chocolate maker gave us many many samples of chocolate, including fresh melted chocolate on a Speculoos cookie.  The whole building smelled of warm chocolate; it was like a mini Willie Wonka world of magic.

The next order of the day included more delicious Belgian treats.  We first ventured into the cold to marvel at the snow dusted Grand Place, which is like the center area of the city.  And right in the middle of the plaza stood a towering Christmas tree covered in sparkling blue lights.  Belgium's buildings are so beautifully constructed and quaint.  And in the midst of these buildings stands the modern glass windows of the the European Union.  But on to the rest of the day: Belgian Waffles! These delectable treats were warm, soft, sweet, and topped with a number of delicious toppings.  I went for some banana on top of mine, while the other girls went for some chocolate and speculoos (which is a Belgian cookie) on top of theirs.  We all savored the waffles and the warmth of being inside.

The final stretch of the day was our walk back home to the apartment through the snow and through the park.  There were many almost slips on the icy walkways, but we made it home safely!  Tomorrow we return to our beloved London, but Brussels has been such a treat (both with the company and the food)

En Route to Brussels- chilling in our second home, the airport

Chilling in the Grand Place

Demonstration of how to make famous Belgian Praline Chocolates

BELGIAN WAFFLES

In front of the Palace

Indie Travel

I am starting to feel a bit like I live in airport; they are like my home, and I think that I may be able to let you know your food options and perhaps nap options at each stop.  But that is quite a good price to pay for the chance to travel the world.  And that is what has been happening since I left London on the 19^th.  In the last few days I visited the ruins of beautiful Croatia teeming with cats, the mountains of Toulon, the ruins of Rome, the leaning Tower of Pisa, the city of flowers (Florence) and finally the architectural masterpiece of Barcelona.  Mixed in with all those adventures were gelato, Spanish paella, mousse de Catalan, Bruschetta, Pizza, and other delicious delicacies.  

Here are a few city highlights:

When in...

1) Venice: watch out for the flooded streets as the city is literally sinking more each year.  Go out in the evening and be surrounded by the glow of the city as you cross the bridge that is lined with sparkling colorful Venetian Masks.  I felt like I should be attending a fairy tale masquerade in this city.  Take a gondola ride along the Grand Canal, under the bridge, past the fish market, and finally along the tiny canals through the city.  Make sure that if you visit San Marco Square you walk on the platforms, for there are at least a couple inches of water filling the entire square at high tide in the morning.  Make sure that you indulge in some of the best pizza you will ever have, followed by some tasty gelato.

Mama Mia Pizza!

Fabio, our wonderful gondola driver

On the gondola

2) Croatia: Steer clear of the many cats prowling throughout the ruins.  Visit Diocletian’s Palace and take time to pose just like Diocletian in front of his statue at the Golden Gate.  Sit out by the palm tree lined dock and bask in the beauty of the ocean backed by the rolling hills of Split.  This is a small city, which you can probably walk in about 10 minutes, but its intricate passageways and mass of tunnels throughout the old palace is incredible.   

Roads of Croatia

Croatia from the Boat

Enjoying the ocean from a bench in Croatia

CROATIA

Diocletian and I look so much alike

3) Rome: This city is filled with sites to see, art to enjoy, and places to just bask in the immense history of such a great empire.  Start the day with a train ride via a Harry Potter train to the city center. Enter into another country, Aka the Vatican and stare at the circle of columns that encircles the Vatican itself.  Then head over to the museum and gaze in wonder at the intricately painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  The lower walls are painted with masses of draperies lined with gold and looking soft enough to reach out and touch.  Then as your eyes wander upward they finally rest on the center of the ceiling, where God reaches out to Adam at creation, their fingers frozen moments from touching.  The rest of the room is covered in painted columns, biblical characters, historical figures, and scenes from history, all so complex and intricately painted.  The mere beauty of the room is astounding.  Let’s just say that staring upward for extended periods of time combined with major sea legs is an interesting combination.  After spending tons of time just gazing, stumble out of the Sistine Chapel and begin to conquer the rest of the city.  First stop at the Spanish steps after passing Hadrian’s massive fort along the way.  Climb all 138 stairs that connect the Spanish and Italian quarters of the city; this is the longest and widest staircase in Europe.  At the top enjoy the incredible view of the surrounding city: houses with blossoming window boxes, the domes of the Vatican, the city extends in a panoramic picture.  Step back from the breathtaking view and wander through the paintings of street vendors before heading back down the stairs in the warm sunlight. The next stop should ensure both your return to Rome and your love life: the Trevi fountain.  Look at the pictures in my last post for insight into this amazing place.  Throw your coin (in my case an American Quarter) over your left shoulder to ensure that you will one day come back to Rome; how I hope this will prove true.  Supposedly to boost your love life you should throw a second coin, but unfortunately, I didn’t discover this until dinner that evening with our fellow cruise diners.  So I now can blame anything on the Trevi Fountain.  J  You can’t leave Rome without going to the enormous Colliseum.  This building is a circular mass of columns with beautiful architecture.  It is astounding to look at the looming four-story amphitheatre and imagine the gladiators entering with the crowd screaming its approval.  Avoid all the men in gladiator costumes who want to charge you an arm and a leg for their picture.  Stop into a small Italian pub and grab some delicious bruschetta that is after the waiter has already caressed your friend’s faces and winked at you.  Imagine crispy bread drizzled in olive oil, topped with fresh red tomatoes and herbs, surrounded by a bed of rocket.  It is a magical food, which my cooking sister Rebekah excels in creating.  Finish up the meal with some free “sexy limoncello” courtesy of our waiter...smell the glass and escape from the restaurant before having to consume that cleaner-smelling drink.  On your way back to the train, meander by the Forum, making sure to sing, “Something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone, a comedy tonight!”  Wave goodbye to the Vatican as it glows in the sun and its own personal rainstorm, followed by a rainbow (real life).  Rome in a day.

Coliseum 

In front of the Trevi Fountain

Pic after climbing up and down the Spanish Steps

in front of the Vatican

Train ride into Rome

4) Florence: in a few words...Tower of Pisa.  Take your picture holding it up of course!  Enjoy the day with your Italian tour guide, Luca, who you can have some fun with by trying to teach him how to say, “ya’ll.”  In exchange he will teach you how to say “Buon Giorno.”  After seeing the Duomo, with its many glittering mosaics, meet up with some other friends and share independent travel stories over some gelato.  The city of flowers is another beautiful Italian city, where you of course get a glimpse of the famous David.  Remember the day always by purchasing a painted sunflower and landscape memento from a street vendor, who you wish you could just grab coffee with and chat all day about her life.

Meeting up with Stephanie and Rachel in Florence

5) Toulon, France: Beware the windy city of France.  The mountains loom up behind the city, and after taking the bus to the top; enjoy the view of the ocean and mountains.  Walk through the city food market with its array of fresh fruits and veggies, but seriously don’t get blown away!

Atop the mountain in Toulon

Trying not to freeze in Toulon

6) Barcelona: The final stop on the maiden voyage; I am in love with this country and its language.  Remember that you are now telling people Hola rather than Bonjour or Buon Giorno.  Walk around the whole city in the glorious sunlight, beginning by getting a treat among the famous Mercat San Josep.  As you walk through the city streets, look at the swirling architecture of Guadi.  End your trek at the Parc Guell, where the entrance is framed by two buildings that look like candy houses out of Hansel and Gretel.  If you have seen the Cheetah Girls you may freak out a bit that this is one of the filming locations for their second movie.  But even if you are not a Disney fan you will just love the mosaic filled park and enjoy bargaining with the vendors.  The day ends with a flamenco show, paella and some mousse Catalan.  This city is probably one of my favorite places that I visited, and I have made it one of my life goals to become fluent in Spanish. 

At the Parc Guell, notice the amazing architecture behind me that is defined by its colorful mosaics, fantasy constructions and swirling architecture.

Mosaics

Parc Guell: now picture the Cheetah Girls prancing down these steps

Kirby and I enjoying our treats from the market

Independent travel continues into the frigid Brussels, the final stop before returning to the final days of London.  I love this place.

A very tiny taste of Rome

In front of the Colosseum 

Throwing in my coin...hopefully will return

Trevi Fountain- Throw in a coin and then you will ensure your return to Rome

When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie

Merry Christmas to me, Merry Christmas to me...If you are wondering why I am singing Christmas music before Thanksgiving it is because as of yesterday, when I turned in my over 100-page journal for school, my magical Christmas break began.  We saw our final production, The Glass Menagerie, as a class.  My official theatre total is 37 plays since August!  I can hardly even grasp how many amazing theatre experiences I have had.  Here are a few of my favorites: Romeo and Juliet, Tribes, Broken Glass, Plough and the Stars, Les Mis, and Jersey Boys. 

After a crazy amount of packing, we vacated hotel living and all dispersed for our own independent adventures.  Mine begins in Venice, and will soon transfer on to a cruise ship for the next week.  The cruise crew (as we fondly call ourselves) is made up of Katelyn, Cortney, Kirby-Annah and myself.  If the next twelve days are anything like the dream today was, I don’t know if I can even handle all the goodness to come.  So after a bus, flight, and water taxi, we arrived in our Venetian hotel.  On the way here, we drifted along the canal looking at the colored houses, Italian sculptures, and gondolas.  Since the evening comes so early here, the moon was actually out in the bright blue sky.  When we walked into our flat decorated with pictures of Venice, we almost cried at the wonderfulness of where we are living.  Venice is such a beautiful city, and every road is literally water.  The city is a maze of small streets lined with restaurants, gelato shops, glittering masks, leather purses, and pashminas, and each of these is connected by bridges over the lapping water.  Every single person we have met so far has been so kind and welcoming.

Here is literally the taste we got of the city tonight.  After looking throughout the streets for some very Italian pasta or pizza, we finally stopped at a restaurant and took an outside table.  The tables each were lit with glowing candles, and the entire outdoor complex was shadowed by umbrellas.  I felt a bit like the romantic dinner in Lady and the Tramp...  “This is the night, the most beautiful night...”  We all feasted on pizzas; mine was mozzarella, eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes.  Each pizza came steaming to the table, and we consumed them entirely!  And that wasn’t enough deliciousness for one evening, for what is Italy without gelato?  Rum Raisin and Yogurt for me; Tiramisu for Katelyn, Hazelnut/Chocolate for Cortney and Hazelnut/ Chocolate Chip for Kirby...Your mouth should be watering by now J

    

Good Morning with the Beetles, Good Afternoon with the Pharaohs

As the days swiftly pass by until I leave my beloved London for independent travel, each day is like running a marathon to finish off the London list that I composed about a week after I arrived here.  One of the things that has been on the list from the start was a visit to Abbey Road to of course take the infamous cross walk picture!  Today that dream became a reality.  The sun was shining and we began our trek, which in reality is only like a 35 minute walk.  The first thing I saw was the Abbey Road sign, and I'm not going to lie I almost walked right past the crosswalk...oops!  But it actually was pretty cool to stand in front of the Abbey Road recording studio and then literally follow their footsteps across the crosswalk.  There is also a wall outside that anyone can leave messages on and we left a little one in honor of the Gypsy Tour of 2010 and signed our names.  Also, Meesh I left a little message there in your honor :)  After waiting for many cars to pass and many people to not walk across the crosswalk (what were they thinking, messing up our picture?) we finally captured the perfect picture. I know you are all probably dying to see it, unfortunately it is on Katelyn's camera, but have no fear, it will be posted soon

Behind me is THE crosswalk

Meesh here is your indelible mark left at the famous Beetles sight!

Us all acting mature underneath our Gypsy signatures (but the pic makes the message above our heads a bit hard to see)

Then after this adventure, Kirby and Rachel and I tubed over to Oxford street and finally I ended up near my home sweet home at the British Museum.  Spent the afternoon exploring Egypt via tomb paintings, mummies, and other amazing artifacts.  It is so incredible how much we can discover simply by the ancient art of another culture.  These last days have been so magical...now the work begins :)

My Life as the Paparazzi

The front of the theatre where the actors all walked past us into to watch the premiere.
I have always wondered what it is like to watch yourself up on the screen...I wonder if they ever look at these intense pictures and just start to crack up

The Red Carpet unfurled

Hermione and Malfoy (his head is blocked by yet another of the crazed fans)

HARRY!  

Ron- my favorite

Expelliarmus! A day of Harry Potter Antics

I have never been to a movie premiere, that was until this afternoon.  As many of you may have been aware, the Harry Potter premiere took place today in Leicester Square, just a hop skip and a jump from my hotel.  We, as a group, have been counting down the days to this epic event, and what a day it was!  After spending the morning wondering why we have to have class when Daniel Radcliffe (aka Harry Potter) is soon to be gracing all of his screaming fans with his presence, we immediately headed over to the Square.

It was already filled with people, some who had even spent the night on the cold rainy pavement. Now, I'm a Potter fan and I love a good camping trip, but I do not combine the two... Therefore, I was perfectly content to arrive at 12:30 and take my place (fenced in!) along the red carpet path.  Here is the down-low of the day:

12:30 arrive in Leicester Square with Kirby Annah and Rachel.  Stake out a spot only two rows back                  from the red carpet.

1:00 begin to make friends with all of the other crazy people who will be standing around me for the next five hours.  And for the record, there are multiple people carrying their own wizard wands...I have photo documentation

2:00 break out the apple, pb sandwich, and Tolberone as sustenance for the long stand.

2:30 Downpour #1- attempt to take shelter under the 5 million umbrellas but end up completely soaked after using my head to block my camera from being rain ruined.

3:30 Umbrellas close

3:45 Meet Harry Potter's #1 fan, who proceeds to tell us about every club, trivia fact, and movie spoiler.  She supposedly attended the actual movie premiere last year for about 2000 pounds a ticket and sat next to Snape.  Also, she says that she flew from Norway to London just to see attend this evening's premiere (and by attend I mean stand next to me by the carpet as the stars pass).  We later come to think that she may just be a crazed fan who has created these events in her head...we will never know for sure

4:00 Downpour #2 shelter is futile...

4:30 Legs begin cramping and I wonder if I can make it until the stars come out, but I have lasted this long so I just push on through- plus I am spurred on by the fact that the movie trailer is now playing ont he huge screen setup in the square.

5:00 Posters have now emerged, the red carpet has unfurled, RON WESLEY is announced!  The square is an explosion of camera flashes, screaming fans, painted faces, interviews, film crews, and posters.

6:00 Begin to wonder why I have only heard the screaming fans and the stars announced but have not seen a single person except all the unknown people who happened to get tickets to the movie... surely the cast has to walk past me to get into the theatre?

6:30 First star sighting...The X Factor contestants, but I am here to see Ron, Harry, and Hermione.


7:00 ALL THE STARS WALK RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME TO THE THEATRE!  The fans are screaming, they are pretty much smashing me in an attempt to get an autograph.  And I simply smile and snap as many photos as I can before the crowd spits me out somewhere near the exit.  Kirby Annah and Rachel and I all reconvene, screaming excitedly about what has just happened.

7:30 We head out before the massive crowd all leaves and take much needed refuge in a booth in one of our favorite restaurants, Chiquito's.  Spend the next hour enjoying dinner, looking at pictures, and talking about how crazy the whole experience was.

Time Count: 6 hrs 45 mins
Rain Count: 2 downpours, 1 drizzle
Hair Count: Imagine a drowned rat and you have a fair picture of my hair; so glad that I abandoned my hair drier two months ago.
Star Count: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Malfoy and a number of others
Day Count: Amazing day #(insert how ever many days I have been here for)