A year of getting lost and found
"To understand yourself: is that a discovery or a creation?" ~Pascal Mercier
One last stop: back to Italy
Oh Berlin, I will miss you.
Quick trip to Hannover
Right after my sister left Berlin, jess and I took a quick trip to Hannover to stay with our friend and classmate Nicole.
We spent two days with the ultimate tour guide. Nicole showed us the ins and outs of Hannover, from the view over the city from the Rathaus (that has a slanted elevator), to a beer garden that looks like it's from a fairy tale.
We had such an incredible two days seeing Hannover, laughing and enjoying good company. Almost hilariously my sister was also in Hannover waiting for a train so we got to hang out with her and her boyfriend again before parting ways
We spent two days with the ultimate tour guide. Nicole showed us the ins and outs of Hannover, from the view over the city from the Rathaus (that has a slanted elevator), to a beer garden that looks like it's from a fairy tale.
We had such an incredible two days seeing Hannover, laughing and enjoying good company. Almost hilariously my sister was also in Hannover waiting for a train so we got to hang out with her and her boyfriend again before parting ways
The last month of school-cafes, friends, family and adventures
The last month from spring break until my last final was connected by many laughs, hours in cafes working on papers, and time spent interviewing for podcasts but it was strung together by unforgettable moments,
smiles, hours at crossfit, runs in the forest and weekend adventures with wonderful friends.
As the weather got warmer and school came to an end I fell more and more in love with the city of Berlin. Everyday I find new cafes, ponder across parks filled with families and friends gathering, and I am always impressed by the diversity and how vibrant this city is -it's a city with immense and dark history, but also a city where the nightlife has something for everyone and throughout the city there are hidden gems.
smiles, hours at crossfit, runs in the forest and weekend adventures with wonderful friends.
As the weather got warmer and school came to an end I fell more and more in love with the city of Berlin. Everyday I find new cafes, ponder across parks filled with families and friends gathering, and I am always impressed by the diversity and how vibrant this city is -it's a city with immense and dark history, but also a city where the nightlife has something for everyone and throughout the city there are hidden gems.
This month has been special, living abroad has a profound way of making you appreciate every moment you spend with your new friends, and cherishing the daily opportunities and way of life away from home. Although I am excited to go home in a short month I recently have noted all the small things I will miss of Berlin, and I am trying to soak it all in while I can.
This month some of my favorite moments have been nights out dancing, finding wonderful cafes, enjoying brunch and long days with best friends, and having conversations that always push me to think in new perspectives.
May has been exceptionally fast because every weekend I have had such great things to look forward to. The weekend of may 13th my cousin came to visit. It felt so good to see family and to show her the city I have grown to love. We adventured, ate some nice german food and then on Sunday Alice played mom for me, taking care of my stuff while I ran berlins half marathon.
The half marathon was incredible. It was so much fun to run with thousands of people, to work my way up and tour the city. Each corner had a band and the course snaked its way through some of berlins most famous sites. The half marathon finished in the Olympic stadium with one lap around the track. That was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had, and I was pretty excited with how I finished given that i don't run the quantity I once did.
May has been exceptionally fast because every weekend I have had such great things to look forward to. The weekend of may 13th my cousin came to visit. It felt so good to see family and to show her the city I have grown to love. We adventured, ate some nice german food and then on Sunday Alice played mom for me, taking care of my stuff while I ran berlins half marathon.
The half marathon was incredible. It was so much fun to run with thousands of people, to work my way up and tour the city. Each corner had a band and the course snaked its way through some of berlins most famous sites. The half marathon finished in the Olympic stadium with one lap around the track. That was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had, and I was pretty excited with how I finished given that i don't run the quantity I once did.
This last week I not only finished the last of graduate school classes and tests but also got to meet my sister in Copenhagen. It worked out perfectly as my flight was delayed by two hours and ended up aligning exactly when my sister Kittys flight and her boyfriend landed.
For four days we enjoyed Copenhagen. We enjoyed the city, the long hours of sunshine, and made our way to the beach. Copenhagen is so lovely and lively.
Now we are all in Berlin. I had a few papers to finish so I made Katherine and Brady a scavenger hunt to see the main sites. On Wednesday we enjoyed an Italian feast, live music and rooftop conversations.
Yesterday morning we ran from my house to Brandenburgertor because Obama and Angela Merkel gave a speech. We ended up getting front row in the standing area. They spoke about the importance of democracy, religious tolerance, investing in the youth and how they attempt to solve some of the world's biggest problems. Their speech was in alliance with the holy day in Germany and had a crowd of 70,000 people. The president of the United States may have changed but the legacies of the free world still remain as Obama and Merkel. It was such an honor to listen to them speak so eloquently, to see their relationship of respect and how although they both have and have the hardest jobs in the world they have an optimistic outlook and are part of the change for the better.
For four days we enjoyed Copenhagen. We enjoyed the city, the long hours of sunshine, and made our way to the beach. Copenhagen is so lovely and lively.
Now we are all in Berlin. I had a few papers to finish so I made Katherine and Brady a scavenger hunt to see the main sites. On Wednesday we enjoyed an Italian feast, live music and rooftop conversations.
Yesterday morning we ran from my house to Brandenburgertor because Obama and Angela Merkel gave a speech. We ended up getting front row in the standing area. They spoke about the importance of democracy, religious tolerance, investing in the youth and how they attempt to solve some of the world's biggest problems. Their speech was in alliance with the holy day in Germany and had a crowd of 70,000 people. The president of the United States may have changed but the legacies of the free world still remain as Obama and Merkel. It was such an honor to listen to them speak so eloquently, to see their relationship of respect and how although they both have and have the hardest jobs in the world they have an optimistic outlook and are part of the change for the better.
-Spring break in Sweden-
In the beginning we thought of going to Morocco for Spring break, and then tampered with the idea of heading to Spain, and then ultimately because of convenience and cheap flights we booked our tickets to Stockholm. For the past week we toured parts of southern Sweden, from the capital, to Nykoping, Uppsula and finished the trip in Sigtuna, the oldest village in Sweden.
Stockholm is an interesting city as it is set up across several islands, accessed by various bridges and boats. On our first day in Stockholm we toured the Vasa Museum, home to a ship that sunk nearly 350 years ago and stayed under water for 333 years. It was preserved incredibly well and is a magnificent sight. The ship was created in order to show the strength of Sweden at the time and was intended to maintain its strength in the Baltic Sea at the time, however due to architectural errors the ship sunk within 25 minutes of sailing. It only took six minutes to sink. The museum is incredible, insightful and entertaining. We went on a 25 minute tour and then wandered the museum and watched a film reenactment.
Stockholm is an interesting city as it is set up across several islands, accessed by various bridges and boats. On our first day in Stockholm we toured the Vasa Museum, home to a ship that sunk nearly 350 years ago and stayed under water for 333 years. It was preserved incredibly well and is a magnificent sight. The ship was created in order to show the strength of Sweden at the time and was intended to maintain its strength in the Baltic Sea at the time, however due to architectural errors the ship sunk within 25 minutes of sailing. It only took six minutes to sink. The museum is incredible, insightful and entertaining. We went on a 25 minute tour and then wandered the museum and watched a film reenactment.
After the Vasa Museum we continued to tour the city and stopped by the spot where the recent terrorist attack took place to give our respects and take a minute. The amount of flowers and people present was powerful. There were many messages on colorful sticky notes noting how love outweighs the power of hate and collectively people will not be scared because of these happenings but will continue to unite.
On Thursday evening we made a reservation at a restaurant a high school friend of mine recommended: Restuarang Kobber.
The food at Kobber was absolutely incredible and a real treat. Jess and I enjoyed fresh bread topped with whipped butter and velvety red wine as we first arrived. We were served a complimentary small taste of fresh lobster bisque from the chef and then for dinner Jess had a lobster linguine and I enjoyed a slow cooked beef in a red wine reduction. The meal was incredible, full of great talks and yummy bite after bite.
The following day in Stockholm we ran the ocean coast in the morning. Stockholm is full of a great network of trails, both paved biking paths that run parallel to the ocean, but also single track trails that cut into the cliffs. Once I found the single track trails I felt so at home. I felt as if I was winding down and climbing the trails next to Horsetooth resevoir in Fort Collins but instead I could taste the salty ocean air.
For brunch we made our way to the Stockholm Brunch Club. It is fantastic, vibrant and fun. They have community tables and wide open walls with fun slogans on them like, "I can multitask...I can eat breakfast while thinking about lunch," or "Pancakes are cookies we eat in the morning." Jess ordered avocado toast and an acaibowl, while I had an English muffin, with avocado spread and topped with poached eggs, chorizo and hollandaise sauce. We shared carrot, ginger juice during the main course. The Brunch Club is widely known for their decadent milkshakes and therefore to conclude our meal we had to share a nutella milkshake that was towered high with homemade whipped cream and the rim of the mason jar was lined with nutella and crushed hazlenuts.
The second afternoon in Stockholm we toured Stockholm's Old Town. It is a romantic area, where the streets are small and lined with many stores, cafes, the Dome, and restaurants.
In the afternoon we headed to Nykoping. In Nykoping we spent the next two days resting, cooking and playing with our newly adopted dog that came with my friends mother's house (a friend I had met when I was abroad in high school). Nykoping, although quite small, is home to great trails, forests and beautiful landscapes along the Baltic Sea. Due to the snow we enjoyed staying inside, reading, taking the dog out to play in the snow and eating meals with my friends younger brother and his girlfriend.
From Nykoping we went North to the student town of Uppsula. We stayed at an Airbnb with a big fat cat. On Sunday we toured the city, grabbed breakfast at a cafe on the corner by the river, went to the old castle that has been made into a museum that is currently home to exhibits on the aftermath of the Atomic bomb, the former Swedish UN Secretary General Dag Hammersjoeld, as well as a Women's Rights exhibit for International Women's Day.
After the museum we grabbed lunch and some beers down town followed by coffee and some tarts and then decided to spend the evening in having been done with the cold weather for the day. That evening Jess and I watched The Most Hated Woman in America, a new netflix original. It is a great film.
The landlord of our Airbnb recommended we visit Sigtuna, the oldest village in Sweden, for our last day in Sweden. This was the best way to end spring break. Sigtuna is a cute ocean-side town. Its main street is a row of colorful shops, and restaurants and cafes. It is also home to the oldest ruins of Sweden along with a Museum that explains the Vikings. We enjoyed the afternoon meeting a local and speaking about the world with him, enjoying warm drinks while it snowed outside, walking along the ocean side, I enjoyed a run along the ocean and then we finished our vacation at a very quaint restaurant that overlooked the ocean. We chatted and indulged in a couple glasses of wine. Jess is the perfect person to travel with, she is easy, yet on top of it, shes goofy yet always asks thought-provoking questions, and she is such a sweetheart. Sweden for spring break was nice, but the company was even better.
In the afternoon we headed to Nykoping. In Nykoping we spent the next two days resting, cooking and playing with our newly adopted dog that came with my friends mother's house (a friend I had met when I was abroad in high school). Nykoping, although quite small, is home to great trails, forests and beautiful landscapes along the Baltic Sea. Due to the snow we enjoyed staying inside, reading, taking the dog out to play in the snow and eating meals with my friends younger brother and his girlfriend.
From Nykoping we went North to the student town of Uppsula. We stayed at an Airbnb with a big fat cat. On Sunday we toured the city, grabbed breakfast at a cafe on the corner by the river, went to the old castle that has been made into a museum that is currently home to exhibits on the aftermath of the Atomic bomb, the former Swedish UN Secretary General Dag Hammersjoeld, as well as a Women's Rights exhibit for International Women's Day.
After the museum we grabbed lunch and some beers down town followed by coffee and some tarts and then decided to spend the evening in having been done with the cold weather for the day. That evening Jess and I watched The Most Hated Woman in America, a new netflix original. It is a great film.
The landlord of our Airbnb recommended we visit Sigtuna, the oldest village in Sweden, for our last day in Sweden. This was the best way to end spring break. Sigtuna is a cute ocean-side town. Its main street is a row of colorful shops, and restaurants and cafes. It is also home to the oldest ruins of Sweden along with a Museum that explains the Vikings. We enjoyed the afternoon meeting a local and speaking about the world with him, enjoying warm drinks while it snowed outside, walking along the ocean side, I enjoyed a run along the ocean and then we finished our vacation at a very quaint restaurant that overlooked the ocean. We chatted and indulged in a couple glasses of wine. Jess is the perfect person to travel with, she is easy, yet on top of it, shes goofy yet always asks thought-provoking questions, and she is such a sweetheart. Sweden for spring break was nice, but the company was even better.
Sweden for spring break: go somewhere colder so coming home is nicer #newfad
Remember when it used to seem to take forever to get to Winter Break as a kid, or long car rides were grueling and hard to get through? It is crazy that as a child the hours in a day and the weeks in a month have little meaning, rather they are marked merely by the next ice cream cone and play date or the next time you get to write Santa a letter, however the older you get the days seem long and filled with tasks but at the end of every week you don’t even know how time escaped you. The older I get the time between deadlines and big dates gets smaller and smaller and but the days get longer. For the past several weeks I have particularly noted how long days can be but how fast the weeks go.
For the past two weeks I have had mock peace treaties in classes, a series of interviews for the podcast we started, job interviews, crossfit-classes, beautiful runs alone and with friends, morning yoga sessions and many cups of coffee. At the end of each day I have been exhausted and looking forward to being horizontal, however the time in between the routine practices of each day have been incredible. Two weekends ago the sun finally started to come out in Berlin, a real game changer for happiness across the city. With the sun coming out we took advantage of touring the old 1936 Olympic Stadium where Jess Owens made history and Hitler’s heinous presence is still felt. We took advantage of picnics in Grünwald and pancakes on our rooftop, cappuccinos lakeside, and ice cream and park strolls. This past week has felt like a whole lifetime, with each day being filled with so much, but the week itself has simply open and closed like a a book you read beachside. Here are the highlights: Ocean Film Tour: Last Friday night I was given several tickets for the Ocean Film tour, a series of films featuring the ocean, those who love it, and also how we ruin it. Several of the shorts were eye-opening and sad where others were adventurous and intense, sharing the perspectives of professional surfers, waves-catches, and sailors. The film tour gives insight on how the ocean is a safe-haven, how it is powerful and deep but also forces watchers to think about how we interact with our climate, how we consume plastic goods and also how we dispose of them. The Ocean Film tour is a must see. The Berlin TV Tower is off-limits to many: On Sunday afternoon I was showing my friend Karel around town who came to visit from the Netherlands. We decided that for sunset we ought to try the famous Berlin T.V tower out and go check out the view and maybe grab a drink. We stood in line and in front of us was a women in a wheelchair. The security guard told her she was not allowed in and I told him I would help her and therefore it should not be a problem. As we started to enter Karel was also not allowed to enter because his backpack was too large, but he told me to go in anyways to assist the woman I had told I would help. As soon I was inside I began carrying her wheelchair up the first set of stairs to where the elevator was located only to be confronted by another security guard who told me wheelchairs were absolutely not allowed upstairs for safety reasons. I explained to the man in German that the woman, Maxime, needed it for her stability however she understood that if an emergency were to occur she would leave the wheelchair upstairs. He continued to say that it was a strict rule, as they do not allow any devices such as wheelchairs or strollers and absolutely not something that could change. Once I had explained to her that there was no possibility for her to go up the TV tower we got her money back and went outside defeated. We started to say our goodbyes and she thanked me for attempting to help her when I offered we try a bar I knew of that is located on top of one of Berlin’s hotels. The three of us went to the Monkey Bar, looked out on the setting sun and the skyline of Berlin and enjoyed a couple cocktails and deep conversation. I was reminded to always offer help, to listen to peoples stories because you never know how they can make you smile, make you learn and give you a new perspective. Although we didn’t get into the TV tower, I made a friend and gained insight into a woman’s life I would have never gotten to know otherwise. Later with my friends I was able to discuss we so often assume so much about the world around us and forget about each individuals emotions, often sorting people into categories solely based on appearance or one experience. Sunday night was a reminder to listen before any type of judgement is made, to meet a few new people everyday because that is how your horizons are broadened and to ask them the hard questions to help change your stereotypes. Maxime was kind enough to also be interviewed on our podcast which will be online in a couple weeks time. She talks about her life as an actress and what it means to deconstruct peoples perceptions, because although she uses a wheelchair, she is first a woman who enjoys listening independent music, is a producer and an actress, and enjoys going out with friends. United Kingdom Film: This movie is a must see. On Wednesday’s at our local 100-year-old theatre they play the original versions of movies. Seeing a film of historical importance in a place that has survived years is extra special. It speaks to colonial powers, how love has such extreme powers, and how the right thing does happen when people actively seek it out. Being in a distance relationship: Being in a long distance relationship is often hard but it is generally the hard things in life that give life meaning. When we chose to attempt to make it work over a year ago when I knew I was coming abroad for my graduate studies I was unsure, not because I didn’t love Jefferson but because I was 22 year old girl who wanted to travel the world and was not sure if not having an emotional connection within close proximity would shake my feelings, constrict my path, or even if I could handle the lack of personal connection. Frankly, I was scared and my emotions the end of last summer showed it, not always in the kindest manner, but going abroad is the best thing I think that could have ever happened to our relationship. I have been able to grow, to understand myself more and the role I want to play in the world, but also to be a better communicator and supporter in my relationship. Our time apart has answered every question I ever had and solidified every reason I already knew of why I love Jefferson. The past couple weeks have made me feel very grateful that I get to be in Jefferson’s life, a man who is talented, disciplined and intelligent. Last weekend everything Jefferson has worked for came to life because of his patience, commitment and diligence. He ran 13:37 in the 5k (click here for his post-race interview) and came in with the leading national time for the beginning of the outdoor season. Although I am thousands of miles away having a boyfriend who works hard, is a friend to many and always has a way of seeking greatness, makes being a girlfriend from afar pretty easy. Jefferson, I love you. You make me proud every single day and I am blessed to be part of your life. Charlottenburg Castle: Berlin is a funny city in the sense because it doesn't have the old, romantic and beautiful feel collectively throughout like many other cities around Europe because of its history. Instead, you will often walk the streets for quite some time and realize they aren’t very pretty, that it was a city entirely reconstructed because only 10% of it survived WWII, however randomly you will come across a beautiful cafe, or the Charlottenburg palace, or an old church that did sticks out because they are the pieces of beauty that survived One of the best things about Berlin is that every area of the city has a park. On weekdays you see so many people out enjoying themselves, or exercising and it always makes me so happy. For quite some time I had been planning on visiting the Charlottenburg Castle, but having a friend in town gave me the perfect reason to go. We ended up showing up too late for the castle to still be open but spent an hour touring the gardens and parks that are stretched out behind the palace. The park is open to the public and has bridges over small ponds, large green areas and long dirt paths that are lined with old oak trees and their spring buds coming to life. It was a misty afternoon, but the newly planted flowers and the small buds danced in the wind. Dinners with friends: Nearly every night I have dinner with a group of friends, at home, in one of our little restaurants in our Kiez, or at a friends home. This is always one of my favorite times of day because it is our little family over here and we all play a dynamic role. We talk about the day and laugh always.
You Mustn't sprint |
It used to be during my undergraduate studies that if I had to be somewhere at 9 a.m., whether it be nannying before class in the morning, or class, I would set my alarm for 8:40, make my coffee, eat my oatmeal in my car on the way and chug my coffee simultaneously.
Over the past weeks with getting into the grove of my class schedule, I have given special attention to the process of getting ready, to making sure my day is set up by giving myself time in the morning to run, to do yoga, to listen to NPR morning editions and my other favorite podcasts, like Hidden Brain, and Reveal on the NPR One app, and then enjoy a big cup of coffee and breakfast before taking the train to school.
It is crazy how much of a difference it makes, putting the extra hour in your day to set up your day. For me it leaves me happy throughout the day, knowing I was able to run in the forests by my house and listen to the birds wake up, to learn something new and understand the complexities of the political landscape in the U.S. and around the world, and that I get to actually taste my coffee.
You mustn't sprint. Rather, the process is beautiful and energizing and you gain much more out of a day if you give your time to do the things you need to do to be the best person to the rest of the world every single day.
Another part of my extended morning process has been being able to read a ton. I have a little over an hour commute to school with the S-bahn and the U-bahn which has allowed me to set a specific time to read my fun books. In just over two weeks I have finished three dense books. Having this time on the train is an extension of me time, and instead of feeling like I want to read my personal reading when I get home at the end of the day I actually can fully devote myself to class readings because I have already had my time to read my own book.
Classes this past week were at times boring but also exhilarating.
We learned about nation branding from a Swedish Ambassador who is also an opera singer, heard from the ICD's president Mark Donfried on how cultural diplomacy is happening today, and had heated discussions in our class on the Evolution of Cultural Diplomacy on many countries decisions to not allow the wearing of various types of head scarves, or if we should still value an artist for his artwork even if it was used by a regime.
As always, the personal connections, the after class events, and the conversations are the things that stood out. I found a great Mexican restaurant, a bar that looks like A Midsummer Night's Dream (really it is like a forest, laced with lights and little red birds perched on the branches) and a wine, jazz bar with my friend and classmate Jess. Laughed with Bianca. Drank the worst coffee (you aren't allowed to add anything as it should have distinct flavors, the bartenders are clad in overalls and are those people who roll their hats just to be different, and after 6 p.m. you can't use the bathroom) at one of those places that is trying way to hard to be hipster with my friend Nicoya. Found a great pizza place for good conversation. Made dinners with the roomies where we started this question game and had many hilarious conversations. Had long talks with Mat. Found some hangouts near school with my classmates and enjoyed good German beers and glasses of wine. And, went to the Vagina Monologues last night.
The Vagina Monologues is a much watch. It is funny. It is raw. It shares sad, awful stories, but then turns it around and shares hilarious stories. It brings up awareness, explains how vast violence against women is and makes you talk and think about it.
The process always makes me think of my boyfriend, the king of the process, of doing things a certain way, or having a routine.
For me, while the process is not always the same, it means taking the time for me, generally in the morning, to be better to myself, better to my classmates and a better person for tomorrow. And, I guess, the small daily tasks we devote time to, are part of the bigger process, of having a good week, a good month, a good semester: a good life. Those small things become habits, teach us how to love deeper, both ourselves and the ones who matter most.
Mat, my landlord, roommate and kind of father-like figure, given that he is the same age as my daddy, told me that sometimes you just know when you feel at home. Maybe it is the smell of the house, or the feeling of heaviness that is lifted off of you when you come in the door at the end of a long day, but when you know, you know what home is. That is what he told me when 24 hours after getting to the HomeStay I booked for just one month online I told him I wanted to stay until I was done with classes in May.
Mat's home is everything a home should be, and everything I needed after spending my fall semester in a hotel in Tuscany (sounds romantic-but it was everything but). Its open, yet cozy and it always smells of fresh lilies, because Mat routinely picks up flowers every week. It used to be his family's home, where he raised his four children, but as the children have moved out he has opened his home to many people from around the globe, for short homestays.
There are two other roommates also staying with Mat, Rocio from Honduras and Colm from Ireland. Together we have this small international family that constantly brings a lot of different, but great dynamics to the table. For instance Colm, a former physics researcher, always converses about the complexities of life and Rossio always jokes with him like a younger sister.
Over my initial first two weeks in Berlin getting settled has meant dinners, movies and talks together with the roommates, runs to the forest we live close to, and everyday finding something new in Berlin.
The best part of Berlin is that it is made up of various neighborhoods, each that has a very different sub-culture.
People say you come to Berlin to work or go to school but people stay because in this city you can be whoever you want. You can wear a choker and dark lipstick one day and get into a hacker, underground scene, or you can create your life a as a professional during the day and a hippy-vegan, flower wearing lover by night. In the rest of Europe many fashions are pretty standard for all of society but in Berlin, they just don't care, because no one can be a better version of you, than you!
Throughout my days in Berlin, I have taken trains to nowhere particular, gotten lost on purpose, just to force myself to learn the city. I spend my commuting time back to Zeuthen, the town I actually live in about 45 minutes outside the city, reading my book and people watching.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
This past Thursday we had our spring orientation. I am super excited to get back into a schedule and have school and the orientation got me even more excited (I think it was largely due to the fact that half way through the ICD's president brought in the foreign minister of Bosnia). Also, in a room with about 40 students we had something like 20 nationalities represented. In Siena we were largely constrained to our small group of 13 of us because although we were at an Italian Institute all of our classes were together. At the ICD all of our classes will be with a greater variety of people, and on top of our classes we have the opportunity to attend conferences with diplomats, politicians and ministers of nations.
This coming week we have an Introduction lecture to the Field of Cultural Diplomacy and then Thursday, Friday and Saturday us student will be participating in The Artistic Cultural Diplomacy Forum of 2017, "Building Cultural Bridges through Art, Film and Music."
My spring semester has a variety of courses from the "history and evolution of cultural diplomacy," to "cultural diplomacy in conflict zones," and professional developmental workshops along the way.
On top of school I have an interview to volunteer at one of the refugee churches and have promised myself to go to one museum a week and one new event. I'm excited.
Mat's home is everything a home should be, and everything I needed after spending my fall semester in a hotel in Tuscany (sounds romantic-but it was everything but). Its open, yet cozy and it always smells of fresh lilies, because Mat routinely picks up flowers every week. It used to be his family's home, where he raised his four children, but as the children have moved out he has opened his home to many people from around the globe, for short homestays.
There are two other roommates also staying with Mat, Rocio from Honduras and Colm from Ireland. Together we have this small international family that constantly brings a lot of different, but great dynamics to the table. For instance Colm, a former physics researcher, always converses about the complexities of life and Rossio always jokes with him like a younger sister.
Over my initial first two weeks in Berlin getting settled has meant dinners, movies and talks together with the roommates, runs to the forest we live close to, and everyday finding something new in Berlin.
The best part of Berlin is that it is made up of various neighborhoods, each that has a very different sub-culture.
People say you come to Berlin to work or go to school but people stay because in this city you can be whoever you want. You can wear a choker and dark lipstick one day and get into a hacker, underground scene, or you can create your life a as a professional during the day and a hippy-vegan, flower wearing lover by night. In the rest of Europe many fashions are pretty standard for all of society but in Berlin, they just don't care, because no one can be a better version of you, than you!
Throughout my days in Berlin, I have taken trains to nowhere particular, gotten lost on purpose, just to force myself to learn the city. I spend my commuting time back to Zeuthen, the town I actually live in about 45 minutes outside the city, reading my book and people watching.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
This past Thursday we had our spring orientation. I am super excited to get back into a schedule and have school and the orientation got me even more excited (I think it was largely due to the fact that half way through the ICD's president brought in the foreign minister of Bosnia). Also, in a room with about 40 students we had something like 20 nationalities represented. In Siena we were largely constrained to our small group of 13 of us because although we were at an Italian Institute all of our classes were together. At the ICD all of our classes will be with a greater variety of people, and on top of our classes we have the opportunity to attend conferences with diplomats, politicians and ministers of nations.
This coming week we have an Introduction lecture to the Field of Cultural Diplomacy and then Thursday, Friday and Saturday us student will be participating in The Artistic Cultural Diplomacy Forum of 2017, "Building Cultural Bridges through Art, Film and Music."
My spring semester has a variety of courses from the "history and evolution of cultural diplomacy," to "cultural diplomacy in conflict zones," and professional developmental workshops along the way.
On top of school I have an interview to volunteer at one of the refugee churches and have promised myself to go to one museum a week and one new event. I'm excited.
Lyon:
The only date we had planned for Goody's last week in Europe was to make it to Austria in time to see the men's night slalom race in Schladming so after Portugal we quickly headed back to north.
We pit-stopped in Lyon for a night and and a morning run. Upon arrival we enjoyed some razor clams and white wine at a restaurant called Hemingway's. I imagine Hemingway would have quite fancied the place as the ambiance itself was very poetic, French and philosophical (if you can imagine a place being philosophical).
The next morning we ran through their city park which is filled with various trails, lakes, the zoo, sports arenas and botanical gardens and then also ran up to the Norte Dame Basilica that overlooks the entire city of Lyon.
The interior of the basilica is fascinating. Generally in Europe you find two types of churches, those with gothic architecture where the outside has extremely intricate carvings but the inside has tall ceilings and stained glass is the primary decor inside the structure, or Roman architecture where the interior design is elaborate paintings along the walls and the ceiling. The basilica in Lyon stood out to me because it had both. It had turquoise paintings, gold trimming and decor, as well as high ceilings and beautiful windows to the heavens. The view from the overlook is also gorgeous as you can see their whole city, with the river cutting through it and the large ferris wheel in the city center.
From Lyon we headed to Lausanne Switzerland to break up our trip a bit. We hadn't been planning on stopping in Lausanne but my best friend from my time abroad in high school said her brother was living there and that we could stay with him. It worked out perfectly for a night to crash before heading to Salzburg. Throughout this trip it is crazy how many times we have been able to stay or meet up with friends of friends, siblings or just old friends. It has been a blessing to connect with so many people and have them share their little worlds with us for a short time.
Salzburg
In Salzburg we stayed with my old host family. We spent three days in Salzburg and on the second night went to the night slalom. Watching slalom made me want to race so badly again but the entire night was so much fun. The fact that 45,000 people were there cheering makes it an unbeatable atmosphere. We met up with my host sister and her friends and climbed the mountain for each race to watch, cheer, drink some Glühwein, wave our flags and sing Oia, Oia, oia over and over again.
Coming back to Salzburg is always such a happy time. I love being back in the place where I learned to speak German, met some of my lifelong friends and where my life drastically changed at 16. I know for a fact that if I had not gone abroad in high school my life would be very different now, I would have probably not had thought of going abroad for my MA and may have not ended up doing my BA at CSU in international studies and German.
München, Berlin and Heidelberg
With only a week left of Goody's time in Europe we decided to spend it in Germany.
In Munich after a late arrival we went on a short run and then had dinner at the famous Hofbrauhaus. There we enjoyed authentic German large beers, pretzels, brats and sauerkraut and kasespatzle. We sat at a large open Stammtisch and soon after sitting down two boys traveling from Korea joined us. We all shared stories of our travels and also went to a second bar with them.
The next morning we ran to the English gardens. It was a frigid, yet beautiful run through the park. Many people were running, playing with their pups and a few were ice skating on the large lakes.
That afternoon we hopped on a direct train to Berlin.
Although I will be living in Berlin in the spring I was super happy to go up there with Goodman to get a lay of the land and become oriented with the city I will call home starting this week.
For the first time in seven weeks we messed up transportation and stayed on a bus for fair too long while heading to our hostel. After finally reaching our hostel we changed and went out for some burgers from the famous Bürgermeister and to check out the downtown scene. With it being a Thursday not much was happening and we headed back to hang out in the hostel lobby and chat with other travelers.
On Friday we played tourist. We saw the Brandenburg gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Jewish memorial and museum and of course the wall. I fell in love with Berlin immediately walking around and I am so excited to spend a semester here.
At the wall I made a beginners mistake and fell victim to a trap of gambling an excessive amount of money away to a stupid street game. I generally avoid things of this kind at all cost but I won the first round and then got hooked like a young boy who had his first cig drag and played my money away. It's fair to say I was more than upset with myself the rest of the day and dreamed up many ways I could go get my ten meals of money back.... this is everyone else's warning: don't partake. It's just silly.
Anyways, Friday night while I did yoga in our hostel room, Goodman got acquainted with bath houses and then we met up with one of my classmates to go out.
I found a place that is decorated with lampshades made of magazines and hundreds of books to have a glass of wine and read while I waited for Goody to be ready. I don't know the name of this joint but it's located right next to the industrial hostel and I will be going here again!
We met my former classmate Josh at this hole in the wall bar called Downstairs. It is a cheap place to pregame as it is the downstairs area of an apartment complex. We met other kids who are graduating from the institution where I will be attending classes and a few of my classmates.
Afterwards Goody and I attempted to go to our best friends Karlee's favorite bar Wilde Renate but found out it was more of a summer place. We found a hip bar across the street and had some margs and talked about life before going back to meet up with the group we left. We finished the night at club back by our hostel. It was a fun scene however I'm not sure the German techno/punk scene is for me. It basically is a bunch of kids who chase their drinks with yet another cigarette and then nod their heads in sync with another song that sounds the exact same. But, I've been told Berlin has everyone's scene, so I guess I have some
months to find mine.
Yesterday we got into Heidelberg. We ran to the castle at night, grabbed doner kebabs, some groceries and watched tv shows in our bunk beds.
This morning we ran our last run together, back to the castle in daylight and then made brunch.
Saying goodbye today at the train station was odd and emotional.
I don't think I have ever spent so much time with anyone in my life. We spent seven straight weeks on the exact same schedule but to be completely honest I don't think I could have done it with anyone else. Goody has a rare capacity to be crazy on top of things like our train schedules and orientating where we are located in a city, but also to always take things in a light hearted way and always has fun. He's truly a grab life with the full Fäustling kind of guy. It was such a blessing being able to travel with a guy because of the constant sense of security but also the long lasting companionship.
It's a true rarity to have a friend like Goody. He's the type of person you can be entirely raw with. You can tell him anything, you can laugh endlessly and the level of comfort is actually hilarious. Goodman, I hope you read this long enough to get to this point (I know you might not because when I read books who watch full series on trains) but I just want you to know I am forever grateful for you. I'm grateful for all our stupid jokes, for you knowing the clouds in the distance are in fact clouds when I think they are ships, for your ability to laugh little anything off, for never freaking out and keeping a calm, collective demeanor and for grabbing the broccoli and Brussel sprouts for brunch time. Thanks for being on my wavelength, for sharing your time with me, for going into every coffee shop I thought was cool (along with the libraries and bookstores), for teasing me and putting up with my sarcasm and letting me make you super uncomfortable with all my questions. Buddy, you're a friend to many, but you'll always be one of my best. Love you.
The only date we had planned for Goody's last week in Europe was to make it to Austria in time to see the men's night slalom race in Schladming so after Portugal we quickly headed back to north.
We pit-stopped in Lyon for a night and and a morning run. Upon arrival we enjoyed some razor clams and white wine at a restaurant called Hemingway's. I imagine Hemingway would have quite fancied the place as the ambiance itself was very poetic, French and philosophical (if you can imagine a place being philosophical).
The next morning we ran through their city park which is filled with various trails, lakes, the zoo, sports arenas and botanical gardens and then also ran up to the Norte Dame Basilica that overlooks the entire city of Lyon.
The interior of the basilica is fascinating. Generally in Europe you find two types of churches, those with gothic architecture where the outside has extremely intricate carvings but the inside has tall ceilings and stained glass is the primary decor inside the structure, or Roman architecture where the interior design is elaborate paintings along the walls and the ceiling. The basilica in Lyon stood out to me because it had both. It had turquoise paintings, gold trimming and decor, as well as high ceilings and beautiful windows to the heavens. The view from the overlook is also gorgeous as you can see their whole city, with the river cutting through it and the large ferris wheel in the city center.
From Lyon we headed to Lausanne Switzerland to break up our trip a bit. We hadn't been planning on stopping in Lausanne but my best friend from my time abroad in high school said her brother was living there and that we could stay with him. It worked out perfectly for a night to crash before heading to Salzburg. Throughout this trip it is crazy how many times we have been able to stay or meet up with friends of friends, siblings or just old friends. It has been a blessing to connect with so many people and have them share their little worlds with us for a short time.
Salzburg
In Salzburg we stayed with my old host family. We spent three days in Salzburg and on the second night went to the night slalom. Watching slalom made me want to race so badly again but the entire night was so much fun. The fact that 45,000 people were there cheering makes it an unbeatable atmosphere. We met up with my host sister and her friends and climbed the mountain for each race to watch, cheer, drink some Glühwein, wave our flags and sing Oia, Oia, oia over and over again.
Coming back to Salzburg is always such a happy time. I love being back in the place where I learned to speak German, met some of my lifelong friends and where my life drastically changed at 16. I know for a fact that if I had not gone abroad in high school my life would be very different now, I would have probably not had thought of going abroad for my MA and may have not ended up doing my BA at CSU in international studies and German.
München, Berlin and Heidelberg
With only a week left of Goody's time in Europe we decided to spend it in Germany.
In Munich after a late arrival we went on a short run and then had dinner at the famous Hofbrauhaus. There we enjoyed authentic German large beers, pretzels, brats and sauerkraut and kasespatzle. We sat at a large open Stammtisch and soon after sitting down two boys traveling from Korea joined us. We all shared stories of our travels and also went to a second bar with them.
The next morning we ran to the English gardens. It was a frigid, yet beautiful run through the park. Many people were running, playing with their pups and a few were ice skating on the large lakes.
That afternoon we hopped on a direct train to Berlin.
Although I will be living in Berlin in the spring I was super happy to go up there with Goodman to get a lay of the land and become oriented with the city I will call home starting this week.
For the first time in seven weeks we messed up transportation and stayed on a bus for fair too long while heading to our hostel. After finally reaching our hostel we changed and went out for some burgers from the famous Bürgermeister and to check out the downtown scene. With it being a Thursday not much was happening and we headed back to hang out in the hostel lobby and chat with other travelers.
On Friday we played tourist. We saw the Brandenburg gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Jewish memorial and museum and of course the wall. I fell in love with Berlin immediately walking around and I am so excited to spend a semester here.
At the wall I made a beginners mistake and fell victim to a trap of gambling an excessive amount of money away to a stupid street game. I generally avoid things of this kind at all cost but I won the first round and then got hooked like a young boy who had his first cig drag and played my money away. It's fair to say I was more than upset with myself the rest of the day and dreamed up many ways I could go get my ten meals of money back.... this is everyone else's warning: don't partake. It's just silly.
Anyways, Friday night while I did yoga in our hostel room, Goodman got acquainted with bath houses and then we met up with one of my classmates to go out.
I found a place that is decorated with lampshades made of magazines and hundreds of books to have a glass of wine and read while I waited for Goody to be ready. I don't know the name of this joint but it's located right next to the industrial hostel and I will be going here again!
We met my former classmate Josh at this hole in the wall bar called Downstairs. It is a cheap place to pregame as it is the downstairs area of an apartment complex. We met other kids who are graduating from the institution where I will be attending classes and a few of my classmates.
Afterwards Goody and I attempted to go to our best friends Karlee's favorite bar Wilde Renate but found out it was more of a summer place. We found a hip bar across the street and had some margs and talked about life before going back to meet up with the group we left. We finished the night at club back by our hostel. It was a fun scene however I'm not sure the German techno/punk scene is for me. It basically is a bunch of kids who chase their drinks with yet another cigarette and then nod their heads in sync with another song that sounds the exact same. But, I've been told Berlin has everyone's scene, so I guess I have some
months to find mine.
Yesterday we got into Heidelberg. We ran to the castle at night, grabbed doner kebabs, some groceries and watched tv shows in our bunk beds.
This morning we ran our last run together, back to the castle in daylight and then made brunch.
Saying goodbye today at the train station was odd and emotional.
I don't think I have ever spent so much time with anyone in my life. We spent seven straight weeks on the exact same schedule but to be completely honest I don't think I could have done it with anyone else. Goody has a rare capacity to be crazy on top of things like our train schedules and orientating where we are located in a city, but also to always take things in a light hearted way and always has fun. He's truly a grab life with the full Fäustling kind of guy. It was such a blessing being able to travel with a guy because of the constant sense of security but also the long lasting companionship.
It's a true rarity to have a friend like Goody. He's the type of person you can be entirely raw with. You can tell him anything, you can laugh endlessly and the level of comfort is actually hilarious. Goodman, I hope you read this long enough to get to this point (I know you might not because when I read books who watch full series on trains) but I just want you to know I am forever grateful for you. I'm grateful for all our stupid jokes, for you knowing the clouds in the distance are in fact clouds when I think they are ships, for your ability to laugh little anything off, for never freaking out and keeping a calm, collective demeanor and for grabbing the broccoli and Brussel sprouts for brunch time. Thanks for being on my wavelength, for sharing your time with me, for going into every coffee shop I thought was cool (along with the libraries and bookstores), for teasing me and putting up with my sarcasm and letting me make you super uncomfortable with all my questions. Buddy, you're a friend to many, but you'll always be one of my best. Love you.
Portugal
Lisbon:
I'm fairly certain it's a Portuguese pride thing or lack of good relations between Spain and Portugal that keeps them from having good trains between the two countries. The night train to Lisbon was a hard one. I think we maybe slept two hours because of the lack of comfort and the only way in and out of Portugal is going through Madrid. It is next to impossible to go south and say get a train to Seville, you just get a bus to cross the border or go up through Madrid and then transfer. Although it takes a bit longer, Portugal is absolutely worth the stop. It is home to Fado street music, large, colorful palaces, beaches and lush greenery.
After arriving in Lisbon in the morning we grabbed breakfast from an adorable cafe that was run by ah elderly couple. They poured us big cups of coffee and had the biggest, flakiest, most buttery croissants I have ever had. Following breakfast we took a mid-morning nap to catch up on some sleep before we headed out to Sintra, where the Pena Palace is located.
Once we were in Sintra we found an excellent restaurant called "Incomum by Luis Santos" where we got a three course meal and a nice glass of red wine for 9.50 each. We both agreed it was the best meal we had in Europe thus far. For starters I got a mixed salad, that was super crisp and fresh and Goodman got a squash soup that was a perfect, warm bowl of happiness. For my main course I got cod with risotto and Goody got a salmon penne dish. Both of them were so fresh and flavorful. For desert we got one most chocolate cake that was paired with a papaya sorbet as well as a banana Creme brûlée made solely from bananas, cream and with a crusted and finished with a brown sugar glaze. If you are in Sintra it is an absolute must.
Once our bellies were full we headed out to the palace. We walked up the jungly mountainside, along the castle walls that are lined with long wines and even on winter bright flowers up to the Morse castle. The Morse castle is a series of towers that extend for quite some distance and were constructed originally by the arabs and then later by Christians. The towers are home to 360 degrees of views of the ocean in the distance, the very lush countryside along with the Pena Palace. The Pena Palace, located above the Morse castle is this vibrant castle contrasted out of textiles along with bright yellow walls and deep red walls. It is the brightest castle I think there is and it is so beautiful against a bluebird sky. The palace is located in the center of a huge park where the royal family also kept horses, bird pavilions, green houses, a series of lakes and plenty of land. We ran up to another high point to see the palace from a distance, toured the stables and ran down to The Valley of lakes before heading back into Sintra for tea! The teahouse right across the street from Incomun is also a must!
I'm the evening we watched love Fado music and has a great night sleep before heading to Porto.
Porto:
Porto is an absolutely stunning port city. It has the beach, the river, and a city on a hill that caters to the port.
We walked the river where locals sell jewelry and many people sit and enjoy coffees or Porto original wine in the late afternoon. We walked along the river and then further up to their cathedral above the city. The view from above is perfect at sunset as you can see the boats below, the bright buildings that line the river and you can vaguely make the ocean out in the distance.
For dinner we ate a locals favorite restaurant called Basao, where almost everyone orders the Portuguese sand which specialty the Francesca. It is basically a decked out grilled cheese that also has steak and ham in it and comes in a tomato-based sauce that is also infused with wine, beer and various spices. It's super yummy. We also had one of their famous starters which was a truffley pocket dumpling with meat and mushrooms on the inside. Very truffley, very delicious.
The next morning we went to a famous bookstore called Livraria Lello, which is rumored to be what J.K Rowling based the moving stairs in HP off of. It is a beautiful bookstore, with turquoise and gold ordained ceiling, winding stairs made of mahogany with maroon trim and hundreds of books lining the walls and shelves. I was in a little slice of heaven walking around the bookstore. Afterwards we ran to the beach, through their city park, enjoyed another meal and headed for the night train back to Madrid, the only way out of Portugal!
Lisbon:
I'm fairly certain it's a Portuguese pride thing or lack of good relations between Spain and Portugal that keeps them from having good trains between the two countries. The night train to Lisbon was a hard one. I think we maybe slept two hours because of the lack of comfort and the only way in and out of Portugal is going through Madrid. It is next to impossible to go south and say get a train to Seville, you just get a bus to cross the border or go up through Madrid and then transfer. Although it takes a bit longer, Portugal is absolutely worth the stop. It is home to Fado street music, large, colorful palaces, beaches and lush greenery.
After arriving in Lisbon in the morning we grabbed breakfast from an adorable cafe that was run by ah elderly couple. They poured us big cups of coffee and had the biggest, flakiest, most buttery croissants I have ever had. Following breakfast we took a mid-morning nap to catch up on some sleep before we headed out to Sintra, where the Pena Palace is located.
Once we were in Sintra we found an excellent restaurant called "Incomum by Luis Santos" where we got a three course meal and a nice glass of red wine for 9.50 each. We both agreed it was the best meal we had in Europe thus far. For starters I got a mixed salad, that was super crisp and fresh and Goodman got a squash soup that was a perfect, warm bowl of happiness. For my main course I got cod with risotto and Goody got a salmon penne dish. Both of them were so fresh and flavorful. For desert we got one most chocolate cake that was paired with a papaya sorbet as well as a banana Creme brûlée made solely from bananas, cream and with a crusted and finished with a brown sugar glaze. If you are in Sintra it is an absolute must.
Once our bellies were full we headed out to the palace. We walked up the jungly mountainside, along the castle walls that are lined with long wines and even on winter bright flowers up to the Morse castle. The Morse castle is a series of towers that extend for quite some distance and were constructed originally by the arabs and then later by Christians. The towers are home to 360 degrees of views of the ocean in the distance, the very lush countryside along with the Pena Palace. The Pena Palace, located above the Morse castle is this vibrant castle contrasted out of textiles along with bright yellow walls and deep red walls. It is the brightest castle I think there is and it is so beautiful against a bluebird sky. The palace is located in the center of a huge park where the royal family also kept horses, bird pavilions, green houses, a series of lakes and plenty of land. We ran up to another high point to see the palace from a distance, toured the stables and ran down to The Valley of lakes before heading back into Sintra for tea! The teahouse right across the street from Incomun is also a must!
I'm the evening we watched love Fado music and has a great night sleep before heading to Porto.
Porto:
Porto is an absolutely stunning port city. It has the beach, the river, and a city on a hill that caters to the port.
We walked the river where locals sell jewelry and many people sit and enjoy coffees or Porto original wine in the late afternoon. We walked along the river and then further up to their cathedral above the city. The view from above is perfect at sunset as you can see the boats below, the bright buildings that line the river and you can vaguely make the ocean out in the distance.
For dinner we ate a locals favorite restaurant called Basao, where almost everyone orders the Portuguese sand which specialty the Francesca. It is basically a decked out grilled cheese that also has steak and ham in it and comes in a tomato-based sauce that is also infused with wine, beer and various spices. It's super yummy. We also had one of their famous starters which was a truffley pocket dumpling with meat and mushrooms on the inside. Very truffley, very delicious.
The next morning we went to a famous bookstore called Livraria Lello, which is rumored to be what J.K Rowling based the moving stairs in HP off of. It is a beautiful bookstore, with turquoise and gold ordained ceiling, winding stairs made of mahogany with maroon trim and hundreds of books lining the walls and shelves. I was in a little slice of heaven walking around the bookstore. Afterwards we ran to the beach, through their city park, enjoyed another meal and headed for the night train back to Madrid, the only way out of Portugal!
Spain
Barcelona
The best part of traveling with another runner is that if you only have three hours between train connections but you want to see some of the city you can at least lace up and go on a run. In Barcelona we had a few hours before our connection to Madrid so we put our bags in the lockers at the train station and went on a run. We ran to the La Sagrada Basilica (more like I chased Goody there) and then ran through the city park, botanical gardens, along the port and towards the city center. We stopped in the city center for some tapas before we headed back towards the train station.
Barcelona was such a treat after being under grey clouds for the past week. It was nearly 60 degrees and everything was so bright and lively from the people to the streets and food vendors. The city park was full of fountains, old mosques, and gardens that flourish nearly yearlong.
With a few more minutes before we had to catch our train we ran into another fountain area that had two huge slides coming out of a dragon-like sculpture. We played on the slides for awhile.
Madrid
That evening we got into Madrid and met up with Goody's friend Laura who is teaching English in Madrid for the Spanish government. The Spanish government has made it a requirement for every school to have one native English speaker and pays a very livable wage for young adults to come teach English for some time.
Laura was the best tour guide to have in Madrid. She is so sweet and welcoming and knew all the great places to go.
On the first night we grabbed a yummy dinner, walked around and grabbed some churros and dipping chocolate for dessert.
The first full day in Madrid was full tourist mode. We walked through the huge Central Park of Madrid called El Retiro and with it being a Saturday it was absolutely packed with families walking, couples taking rowboats out, lots of people running and more friend groups merely gathering around the fountains and gardens. It is such a happy place.
( I was able to get a few runs in around the park throughout our stay as Laura lives only a block from the park. Each run was so different because the park offers so many different pathways. Each run I was so happy to be outside watching people enjoy themselves and people take time for their well being, whether it be exercising or merely walking with those they love. I also may have gotten a certain sense of jealousy because of the extreme Spanish PDA and all of the young couples making out on every bench, but that too in the end also made me smile.)
Before going home to Siesta on Saturday to get ready for the night we went to a rooftop bar.The view was absolutely incredible.
After our little siesta, runs and yoga time we went out. We started out at El Tigre, a bar where you pay 5 euros and get a drink along with various tapas they keep bringing out. It is a perfect way to start a night, eat some yummy food, grab a drink and socialize. We then headed to various bars in the gay area of town called Chueca. We ended up going into a drag-show before calling it a night.
On Sunday we found a great place for brunch and met up with another one of Goody's high school friends who is also teaching English in Madrid. We enjoyed a slow, truly Spanish day. In the evening we made dinner in and had one of my sisters friends from when she studied abroad in Madrid over for dinner. It was so cool to meet my sisters best Spanish friend, and although our communication wasn't exactly clear, Irene is such a sweetheart and I am so happy Katherine had her during her year over here in high school.
On Monday we also enjoyed another slow day, sitting at cafes in the sun, visiting the palace and the Egyptian temple before taking a night train to Lisbon, Portugal.
Barcelona
The best part of traveling with another runner is that if you only have three hours between train connections but you want to see some of the city you can at least lace up and go on a run. In Barcelona we had a few hours before our connection to Madrid so we put our bags in the lockers at the train station and went on a run. We ran to the La Sagrada Basilica (more like I chased Goody there) and then ran through the city park, botanical gardens, along the port and towards the city center. We stopped in the city center for some tapas before we headed back towards the train station.
Barcelona was such a treat after being under grey clouds for the past week. It was nearly 60 degrees and everything was so bright and lively from the people to the streets and food vendors. The city park was full of fountains, old mosques, and gardens that flourish nearly yearlong.
With a few more minutes before we had to catch our train we ran into another fountain area that had two huge slides coming out of a dragon-like sculpture. We played on the slides for awhile.
Madrid
That evening we got into Madrid and met up with Goody's friend Laura who is teaching English in Madrid for the Spanish government. The Spanish government has made it a requirement for every school to have one native English speaker and pays a very livable wage for young adults to come teach English for some time.
Laura was the best tour guide to have in Madrid. She is so sweet and welcoming and knew all the great places to go.
On the first night we grabbed a yummy dinner, walked around and grabbed some churros and dipping chocolate for dessert.
The first full day in Madrid was full tourist mode. We walked through the huge Central Park of Madrid called El Retiro and with it being a Saturday it was absolutely packed with families walking, couples taking rowboats out, lots of people running and more friend groups merely gathering around the fountains and gardens. It is such a happy place.
( I was able to get a few runs in around the park throughout our stay as Laura lives only a block from the park. Each run was so different because the park offers so many different pathways. Each run I was so happy to be outside watching people enjoy themselves and people take time for their well being, whether it be exercising or merely walking with those they love. I also may have gotten a certain sense of jealousy because of the extreme Spanish PDA and all of the young couples making out on every bench, but that too in the end also made me smile.)
Before going home to Siesta on Saturday to get ready for the night we went to a rooftop bar.The view was absolutely incredible.
After our little siesta, runs and yoga time we went out. We started out at El Tigre, a bar where you pay 5 euros and get a drink along with various tapas they keep bringing out. It is a perfect way to start a night, eat some yummy food, grab a drink and socialize. We then headed to various bars in the gay area of town called Chueca. We ended up going into a drag-show before calling it a night.
On Sunday we found a great place for brunch and met up with another one of Goody's high school friends who is also teaching English in Madrid. We enjoyed a slow, truly Spanish day. In the evening we made dinner in and had one of my sisters friends from when she studied abroad in Madrid over for dinner. It was so cool to meet my sisters best Spanish friend, and although our communication wasn't exactly clear, Irene is such a sweetheart and I am so happy Katherine had her during her year over here in high school.
On Monday we also enjoyed another slow day, sitting at cafes in the sun, visiting the palace and the Egyptian temple before taking a night train to Lisbon, Portugal.
Belgium and a bit of France
Our stay in Belgium was short and sweet. We stayed one evening in Brussels. Immediately after getting off the train we went to get Belgium waffles. We ended up running into a guy who owns a car shop in Fort Collins on drake and shields who was visiting Europe for a few weeks!
The next morning we did our usual runsplore and ran around Brussels before heading out to Leuven where Goody's friend Kelly lives and studies. She took us out for some good sandwiches, a pub call The Capital with over 2000 beers to choose from, and a great local chocolate place. Although it was only for a few short hours it is always so nice to have people who know the city show you around so you get a more inside feel of the place.
That evening we boarded a fast train to Paris, ate a lovely meal at a Parisian restaurant and took the night train towards Spain.
Our stay in Belgium was short and sweet. We stayed one evening in Brussels. Immediately after getting off the train we went to get Belgium waffles. We ended up running into a guy who owns a car shop in Fort Collins on drake and shields who was visiting Europe for a few weeks!
The next morning we did our usual runsplore and ran around Brussels before heading out to Leuven where Goody's friend Kelly lives and studies. She took us out for some good sandwiches, a pub call The Capital with over 2000 beers to choose from, and a great local chocolate place. Although it was only for a few short hours it is always so nice to have people who know the city show you around so you get a more inside feel of the place.
That evening we boarded a fast train to Paris, ate a lovely meal at a Parisian restaurant and took the night train towards Spain.
Alkmaar and Amsterdam, Netherlands
The boy, Karel, I met in Siena my very first week over here and went to the beach with lives in Alkmaar, Holland. It is a small town situated about thirty minutes north of Amsterdam and has all of Amsterdam's attractions in a smaller, more quaint and quiet venue. We stayed with Karel for four days and every minute of it was so refreshing, fun, and although it was upbeat it was also very relaxing. Being around Karel it's hard not to feel overwhelmed with just enjoying life. He is genuine without asking for anything, funny in the most simplistic manner and an immediate friend to many.
Upon arriving in Alkmaar we met Karel at his hair salon where him and his coworkers had begun redecorating. We met all of his coworkers, ate some french fries in mayo (a true delicacy in Holland, however I'm not sure if I'm convinced) and then headed back to his apartment.
The first evening we had some drinks and then headed towards Amsterdam to go out.
The second day in Alkmaar is one I will never forget. We picked up Karel's mother's bike after big cups of coffee from the best local cafe Roasted and biked out to the beach. It was about an hour away on cruiser bikes through beautiful neighborhoods and a coastal area that is full of cobblestone roads lined with birch trees.
We made it to the beach right as the sun was setting. There were families walking, dogs playing and groups eating in the beach restaurants. After walking the coastline we went and got some pea soup from one of the restaurants.
After biking home we all just watched the show "Just Like Me," and settled in for the evening.
The third day was also fairly laid back. We went to the gym, sat in the sauna, made a yummy dinner and watched Mean Girls.
On the morning of the fourth day we headed into Amsterdam for the Anne Frank House. We booked tickets for 10 a.m. The Anne Frank house was another great museum. It was interesting, especially with having visited Auschwitz several weeks before. It was more intimate and Anne Frank most definitely was a talented young girl. There was once again a lot of emotion but once again it was a necessary visit.
After the museum we toured the canals and walked to lunch in an old train station. We ran into Karel's brothers girlfriend who gave us some free coffees from her work!
The rest of the day we met up with Karel's coworker and friend lieke and walked though Amsterdam, stopping in the Public House of Art, the American Cafe, and several boutiques.
We had dinner at The Bird, voted the best Thai food in Holland, and then walked the red light district before meeting up with Karel's brother for some drinks.
Although I had formerly been to the red light district when I was 16, it was still just as interesting. There's an odd element of being curious and looking at all the girls in the windows but then it becomes very real when you see doors open and men come out. Sex is deeply commodified and it will always will be and I guess if they can keep the red light district going on a safe manner that's better than it is in many cases.
We met his brother at this great arcade bar where we played many arcade games and I found my new favorite arcade game that I one day want to gift to barcade in Fort Collins because it's that much fun. This game has two sides with about fifteen buttons in front of each player, the only objective is to hit the buttons as fast as you can when they light up in the allotted time. It's so fun.
Once we were back in Alkmaar Goody and Karel went out and I went to bed.
On the fifth morning with the boys sleeping in I got in a nice run and also grabbed everyone some coffee. We enjoyed one last breakfast with Karel, met up with some of his friends again and in the late afternoon we headed to Brussels.
The boy, Karel, I met in Siena my very first week over here and went to the beach with lives in Alkmaar, Holland. It is a small town situated about thirty minutes north of Amsterdam and has all of Amsterdam's attractions in a smaller, more quaint and quiet venue. We stayed with Karel for four days and every minute of it was so refreshing, fun, and although it was upbeat it was also very relaxing. Being around Karel it's hard not to feel overwhelmed with just enjoying life. He is genuine without asking for anything, funny in the most simplistic manner and an immediate friend to many.
Upon arriving in Alkmaar we met Karel at his hair salon where him and his coworkers had begun redecorating. We met all of his coworkers, ate some french fries in mayo (a true delicacy in Holland, however I'm not sure if I'm convinced) and then headed back to his apartment.
The first evening we had some drinks and then headed towards Amsterdam to go out.
The second day in Alkmaar is one I will never forget. We picked up Karel's mother's bike after big cups of coffee from the best local cafe Roasted and biked out to the beach. It was about an hour away on cruiser bikes through beautiful neighborhoods and a coastal area that is full of cobblestone roads lined with birch trees.
We made it to the beach right as the sun was setting. There were families walking, dogs playing and groups eating in the beach restaurants. After walking the coastline we went and got some pea soup from one of the restaurants.
After biking home we all just watched the show "Just Like Me," and settled in for the evening.
The third day was also fairly laid back. We went to the gym, sat in the sauna, made a yummy dinner and watched Mean Girls.
On the morning of the fourth day we headed into Amsterdam for the Anne Frank House. We booked tickets for 10 a.m. The Anne Frank house was another great museum. It was interesting, especially with having visited Auschwitz several weeks before. It was more intimate and Anne Frank most definitely was a talented young girl. There was once again a lot of emotion but once again it was a necessary visit.
After the museum we toured the canals and walked to lunch in an old train station. We ran into Karel's brothers girlfriend who gave us some free coffees from her work!
The rest of the day we met up with Karel's coworker and friend lieke and walked though Amsterdam, stopping in the Public House of Art, the American Cafe, and several boutiques.
We had dinner at The Bird, voted the best Thai food in Holland, and then walked the red light district before meeting up with Karel's brother for some drinks.
Although I had formerly been to the red light district when I was 16, it was still just as interesting. There's an odd element of being curious and looking at all the girls in the windows but then it becomes very real when you see doors open and men come out. Sex is deeply commodified and it will always will be and I guess if they can keep the red light district going on a safe manner that's better than it is in many cases.
We met his brother at this great arcade bar where we played many arcade games and I found my new favorite arcade game that I one day want to gift to barcade in Fort Collins because it's that much fun. This game has two sides with about fifteen buttons in front of each player, the only objective is to hit the buttons as fast as you can when they light up in the allotted time. It's so fun.
Once we were back in Alkmaar Goody and Karel went out and I went to bed.
On the fifth morning with the boys sleeping in I got in a nice run and also grabbed everyone some coffee. We enjoyed one last breakfast with Karel, met up with some of his friends again and in the late afternoon we headed to Brussels.
Interlaken, Switzerland
Oh my oh my oh my. This place is outrageous and so gorgeous, and how we came across it is hilarious.
Leaving Italy we had one vague plan of making to Switzerland and then up to Alkmaar, Netherlands where one of my friends lives but had no idea how. So, in the train station we start googling too places to go in Switzerland etc and typing in random searches and I found a hostel in Interlaken and then realized we could get on a train that was leaving in seven minutes to there. The best part was the entire time Goodman kept telling me his mom loved this one place called "Interlaken" but had thought it was in Germany and it ended up that we were going to one of his moms favorite places and I later found out it was where my daddy learned to ski.
The entire train ride to Interlaken is jaw dropping. There are mountain lakes pressed up against steep mountains, small chapels and a-framed houses.
Our hostel was super nice (the backpackers hostel) and overlooked the town center, the park, and offered many discounts on local activities as well as free access to the pool.
On our first night there we went to the pool, swam some laps, awkwardly did other workouts by the pool and then went to grab dinner. We ended up grabbing a chilibratwurst from the Christmas market and then done carbonara from the only restaurant open (we were still stuck on the southern life where dinner isn't even served until nine, so of course it was an Italian place that was open) and then grabbed a beer at pub that had a live Swiss band.
The next morning we woke up early so we could go up to the mountains. We took the train to lauderbrunnen, ran to the bottom of Schrillhorn (where the 007 is filmed), rode the gondola up and then hiked across the ridge. The villages we walked through are cut into the alps and known for their cheeses in the summer and extra hot Glühwein in the winter. The path we took follows a small train track that services the couple mountaintop towns. Every corner offers a new glance of snow covered mountains, of jagged cliffs, of snow-blanketed hillsides. I told myself right then as we were hiking that any time I am ever sad I will think of that; of hiking in the Swiss alps under bluebird skis and crisp winter air. That is happiness.
We took a second train to another mountain town Grimmelwald for lunch. We had soup and enjoyed warming up.
After arriving back in Interlaken we went to another hostel for dinner as they were offering 20 euros for all you can eat Raclette and fondue. We sat around a large table with three girls who were in their winter break from UVA. We all chatted and stuffed our faces with cheese, potatoes, pearl onions, bread and pickles until we headed to the hostels basement to dance. We danced loud and proud for a couple hours to some great oldies. All the locals got a good laugh at our silly American moves. It was a perfect way to end an eventful day, with new friends and good music.
Oh my oh my oh my. This place is outrageous and so gorgeous, and how we came across it is hilarious.
Leaving Italy we had one vague plan of making to Switzerland and then up to Alkmaar, Netherlands where one of my friends lives but had no idea how. So, in the train station we start googling too places to go in Switzerland etc and typing in random searches and I found a hostel in Interlaken and then realized we could get on a train that was leaving in seven minutes to there. The best part was the entire time Goodman kept telling me his mom loved this one place called "Interlaken" but had thought it was in Germany and it ended up that we were going to one of his moms favorite places and I later found out it was where my daddy learned to ski.
The entire train ride to Interlaken is jaw dropping. There are mountain lakes pressed up against steep mountains, small chapels and a-framed houses.
Our hostel was super nice (the backpackers hostel) and overlooked the town center, the park, and offered many discounts on local activities as well as free access to the pool.
On our first night there we went to the pool, swam some laps, awkwardly did other workouts by the pool and then went to grab dinner. We ended up grabbing a chilibratwurst from the Christmas market and then done carbonara from the only restaurant open (we were still stuck on the southern life where dinner isn't even served until nine, so of course it was an Italian place that was open) and then grabbed a beer at pub that had a live Swiss band.
The next morning we woke up early so we could go up to the mountains. We took the train to lauderbrunnen, ran to the bottom of Schrillhorn (where the 007 is filmed), rode the gondola up and then hiked across the ridge. The villages we walked through are cut into the alps and known for their cheeses in the summer and extra hot Glühwein in the winter. The path we took follows a small train track that services the couple mountaintop towns. Every corner offers a new glance of snow covered mountains, of jagged cliffs, of snow-blanketed hillsides. I told myself right then as we were hiking that any time I am ever sad I will think of that; of hiking in the Swiss alps under bluebird skis and crisp winter air. That is happiness.
We took a second train to another mountain town Grimmelwald for lunch. We had soup and enjoyed warming up.
After arriving back in Interlaken we went to another hostel for dinner as they were offering 20 euros for all you can eat Raclette and fondue. We sat around a large table with three girls who were in their winter break from UVA. We all chatted and stuffed our faces with cheese, potatoes, pearl onions, bread and pickles until we headed to the hostels basement to dance. We danced loud and proud for a couple hours to some great oldies. All the locals got a good laugh at our silly American moves. It was a perfect way to end an eventful day, with new friends and good music.
Busto arizo, Italy
Finding wifi becomes a serious game while you're traveling. You need it for maps, for your sanity sometimes and without a doubt for the connection. Getting into this small town around 1 am would not have been a problem if we had found wifi during one of our transfers but we had not but we also figured we'd be able to find something around the train station where Dan and Hillory were staying. We did find a kebab place with a 60 character password that wasn't possible to copy down but the worker and another lady did point us in the right direction. However, once we got to the apartment we weren't sure how we were to get in. After searching for wifi at other local establishments in a rather shutdown town we ended up buying wifi for 3 euros for the hour and getting the directions Dan had sent hours prior. They were well detailed directions of everything we should do to get to the place, how he had hidden the key, left a red broom in front of the correct door and a made up floor bed for us through the open door. If only we had wifi two hours earlier. Honestly, it wasn't too big of a problem but since then we have put all our directions into places immediately when we have wifi. Here are some travel hacks for spontaneous backpackers.
1. Maps on your phone will work once you press start even if you are going off the wifi, so always type in your end point at the last place you know you'll have connections. Also if you don't have an end point as soon as you get wifi in the general area and open maps it will update the town and you will have that which is awesome.
2. Bring a scarf that's like a blanket. My boyfriend gave me my favorite scarf last year but now it definitely is much more than a scarf, I use it as a blanket on every train, as a pillow on ferries and most days as a scarf.
3. Use Netflix's new download feature. Hours on the train will fly by.
4. If you have a eurail pass and need reservations but can't get them in time or a stations ticket office is closed you can almost always get them directly from the conductor.
5. Bring tubaware. Whenever we have a kitchen we cook stuff Togo and it's also great for cereal etc.
Anyways, after a good night sleep we had breakfast with Dan and Hillory and then they took us to this city park to run with them. It was a great park next to an old castle looking structure, with lots of trees and sunshine. We ran and they told us about their lives, and plans and it was easy conversation. I remember feeling very overwhelmed with happiness as Hillory told me about how her and Dan spend large quantities of time apart but have made their marriage be based on the awesome times they do spend together. Being in a long distance relationship hearing stories like this always make me very happy because you know that individuals have the capacity to grow individually and to succeed in their own fields but also have the ability to further build on a love that flourishes.
After our run we ate lunch and got the best hot chocolate. It was decadent hot chocolate, with a shot of Italian espresso and whipped cream piled higher than the alps.
For dinner we made broiled salmon and veggies, had some brown rice and salad and enjoyed conversation.
It was such a cool coincidence that Goody had seen they had been staying outside of Milan and contacted them making it a wonderful couple days with great company.
Finding wifi becomes a serious game while you're traveling. You need it for maps, for your sanity sometimes and without a doubt for the connection. Getting into this small town around 1 am would not have been a problem if we had found wifi during one of our transfers but we had not but we also figured we'd be able to find something around the train station where Dan and Hillory were staying. We did find a kebab place with a 60 character password that wasn't possible to copy down but the worker and another lady did point us in the right direction. However, once we got to the apartment we weren't sure how we were to get in. After searching for wifi at other local establishments in a rather shutdown town we ended up buying wifi for 3 euros for the hour and getting the directions Dan had sent hours prior. They were well detailed directions of everything we should do to get to the place, how he had hidden the key, left a red broom in front of the correct door and a made up floor bed for us through the open door. If only we had wifi two hours earlier. Honestly, it wasn't too big of a problem but since then we have put all our directions into places immediately when we have wifi. Here are some travel hacks for spontaneous backpackers.
1. Maps on your phone will work once you press start even if you are going off the wifi, so always type in your end point at the last place you know you'll have connections. Also if you don't have an end point as soon as you get wifi in the general area and open maps it will update the town and you will have that which is awesome.
2. Bring a scarf that's like a blanket. My boyfriend gave me my favorite scarf last year but now it definitely is much more than a scarf, I use it as a blanket on every train, as a pillow on ferries and most days as a scarf.
3. Use Netflix's new download feature. Hours on the train will fly by.
4. If you have a eurail pass and need reservations but can't get them in time or a stations ticket office is closed you can almost always get them directly from the conductor.
5. Bring tubaware. Whenever we have a kitchen we cook stuff Togo and it's also great for cereal etc.
Anyways, after a good night sleep we had breakfast with Dan and Hillory and then they took us to this city park to run with them. It was a great park next to an old castle looking structure, with lots of trees and sunshine. We ran and they told us about their lives, and plans and it was easy conversation. I remember feeling very overwhelmed with happiness as Hillory told me about how her and Dan spend large quantities of time apart but have made their marriage be based on the awesome times they do spend together. Being in a long distance relationship hearing stories like this always make me very happy because you know that individuals have the capacity to grow individually and to succeed in their own fields but also have the ability to further build on a love that flourishes.
After our run we ate lunch and got the best hot chocolate. It was decadent hot chocolate, with a shot of Italian espresso and whipped cream piled higher than the alps.
For dinner we made broiled salmon and veggies, had some brown rice and salad and enjoyed conversation.
It was such a cool coincidence that Goody had seen they had been staying outside of Milan and contacted them making it a wonderful couple days with great company.
❤️
Over the past three weeks there have been many times where I have wanted to quickly blog about the incredible places we traveled to, the kind people who we have encountered and the unforgettable memories that we have made. However, I also felt like each place deserved time and real thought put into it, therefore I will post a blog for each place along with the corresponding pictures. This one is for Greece.
Athens, Greece:
I think it's fair to say that we brought the Bulgarian winter with us down to Athens because the first day we were there was the first day it had snowed in Athens in years. Although it was cold, we walked through the colorful streets and meandered up to acropolis. Athens does an incredible job of contrasting old and new, ancient ruins against the modernity of street markets and the liveliness of today.
After touring acropolis in hopes of warming up we are at an enclosed rooftop bar that overlooks the city and looks out towards acropolis. We enjoyed Greek classic dishes and settled in for an early night as we figured the following evening being New Years we would go out.
On the morning of New Years we went on a run through Athens botanical garden, to the old Olympic stadium, ran behind acropolis to the hill to its west which is full of single track trails and old monuments, statues and theaters. Runs like these make seeing so much so accessible and so worth it when you stop at the top and can look over a city like Athens, which extends to the ocean, overlooks a sea of tightly organized streets and back at the buildings that mark the beginning of democracy as we know it today. We figured we ought to also see the more north Olympic stadiums and took a train out to them where we got to do a fun track workout that afternoon.
After our run we went out to find a grocery store and instead ran across Athens street market. For twenty euros we got fresh feta, Greek yogurt, olives from a very proud olive farmer, and a ton of veggies from a very nice woman, chicken and some mozzarella. We also bought dried apricots and dates and local honey. For dinner we made eggplant lasagna, along with a Greek salad and a bottle of wine.
The dinner was the most exciting thing on New Year's Eve as nothing opened until much later and I might have made the cliche New Years move to dance to too much Taylor Swift while also trying to "get ready" for the bars. The next morning we headed to Patras, Greece where all the ferries depart from.
In Patras we enjoyed another couple runs, a bit of beach time, watched the horror movie Hush (actually terrifying and a great Netflix find), had a coffee in the light house restaurant and boarded a 15 hour ferry to Bari, Italy.
The ferry was quite nice. We had dinner at the ferry restaurant and watched movies until falling asleep. Once we were in Bari we knew we just wanted to head north and then west so after a great Italian meal we took a 6 hour train to a small town outside of Milan. It just so happened that one of Goodys former teammates (a ram before my time was staying outside of Milan because he was racing in the area). We got to crash with them for a couple nights!
Athens, Greece:
I think it's fair to say that we brought the Bulgarian winter with us down to Athens because the first day we were there was the first day it had snowed in Athens in years. Although it was cold, we walked through the colorful streets and meandered up to acropolis. Athens does an incredible job of contrasting old and new, ancient ruins against the modernity of street markets and the liveliness of today.
After touring acropolis in hopes of warming up we are at an enclosed rooftop bar that overlooks the city and looks out towards acropolis. We enjoyed Greek classic dishes and settled in for an early night as we figured the following evening being New Years we would go out.
On the morning of New Years we went on a run through Athens botanical garden, to the old Olympic stadium, ran behind acropolis to the hill to its west which is full of single track trails and old monuments, statues and theaters. Runs like these make seeing so much so accessible and so worth it when you stop at the top and can look over a city like Athens, which extends to the ocean, overlooks a sea of tightly organized streets and back at the buildings that mark the beginning of democracy as we know it today. We figured we ought to also see the more north Olympic stadiums and took a train out to them where we got to do a fun track workout that afternoon.
After our run we went out to find a grocery store and instead ran across Athens street market. For twenty euros we got fresh feta, Greek yogurt, olives from a very proud olive farmer, and a ton of veggies from a very nice woman, chicken and some mozzarella. We also bought dried apricots and dates and local honey. For dinner we made eggplant lasagna, along with a Greek salad and a bottle of wine.
The dinner was the most exciting thing on New Year's Eve as nothing opened until much later and I might have made the cliche New Years move to dance to too much Taylor Swift while also trying to "get ready" for the bars. The next morning we headed to Patras, Greece where all the ferries depart from.
In Patras we enjoyed another couple runs, a bit of beach time, watched the horror movie Hush (actually terrifying and a great Netflix find), had a coffee in the light house restaurant and boarded a 15 hour ferry to Bari, Italy.
The ferry was quite nice. We had dinner at the ferry restaurant and watched movies until falling asleep. Once we were in Bari we knew we just wanted to head north and then west so after a great Italian meal we took a 6 hour train to a small town outside of Milan. It just so happened that one of Goodys former teammates (a ram before my time was staying outside of Milan because he was racing in the area). We got to crash with them for a couple nights!
❤️
❤️