Back to Reality

Here we are... back in Texas, Central Time Zone, and with 1200 pictures. Our days in Europe offered a trip of a lifetime. We have been asked to say what was our favorite part of the trip. It is hard to compare the different experiences we had. They were extraordinary in each of their own ways. We went from walking the streets with building that were centuries old to a town as modern as New York City. We were wearing shorts and sweating in Rome and wearing jackets and freezing in Switzerland. We spent time with and got to know people from Tennesse, Louisiana, Minnesota, Canada, Virginia, California, and Australia. The pictures we took will not do justice the experiences we had, the food that we ate, and the relationships we formed. I found myself awake at 4:30 this morning and ready to eat lunch at 6:30. From Europe back to reality. Back to school and back to work. However, we will never forget. We hope you, one day, can also experience what Europe has to offer. If not, we hope you enjoyed reading and taking part in our experience.

So long Europe... thanks for the memories.

The Final Day

After packing our bags and checking out of our hotel, we rushed to make our way to the palace for changing of the guards. We heard the band playing from a distance and ran through a park to catch the beginning. The new guards were greeted by a band as they prepared themselves to switch places with the guards on duty. We followed them down the street as the arrived at the front gates of the palace. We squeezed our way up to the front and listened to the band play the James Bond theme song. The band, along with the old guards, left through the gate and the large crowd followed. We had just enough time to make our way over to the Tower Bridge to take a picture and eat a quick lunch before we rushed to make it to the performance of The Lion King.
We really enjoyed the show and were very impressed at how well it was played out. Once again boarding the underground, it was time for another picture that included Shakespeare's Globe Theater and then on to one last dinner in Europe. Back to the hotel in the cold and the wind, we grabbed our luggage and headed towards the airport. The next morning we found out they take airport security a lot more serious in London. We went through three different security checks and I did not realize one of the bottle openers I bought had a knife blade on the side (yeah the scanner picked that up real quick and it was donated to somebody that works at the airport). With 9 hours ahead of us, we were very glad to be offered 2 meals and a variety of movies and tv shows on our own personal screen. We arrived in Dallas to meet my mom and Crystal (with a welcome home sign made with crayons). Dallas and Ashlee ... back in Texas.

The Queen Finds Her Home

London, as seen from a bus, is not as glamorous as we had imagined. We were driven through the streets of London catching glimpses of buildings from the coach. Our first stop was at St. Paul's Cathedral. You might have seen this church before as this is where Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married (her and her 25 foot train). The church stands in honor of the people faught in the great wars of old. A stain glass window can been seen showing gratitude to America with symbols for each state. We then made our way to where two guards were stationed outside a closed gate leading up to houses of royalty. We were able to take a picture with them trying to be as serious as possible. At last we were able to see Buckingham Palace from a distance and snapped a few photos. For lunch, Ashlee and I grabbed a bite to eat in the back of a department store (Marks and Spencers) getting away with two bags full for only 8 pounds. After lunch, we boarded yet another bus and prepared for our tour of the Palace. We started off in the Royal Mews where the Queen's horses and carriages are kept. One horse drawn carriage had power windows and heating for the winter. The magnificant golden carriage (only used for coronations and also for the Queen's 50th anniversary of her reign back in 2002) was magnificantly gold and huge. It weighed a tremendous amount and can only be pulled at walking speeds (Ashlee was glad that Elizabeth took such good care of it for her). Later we made our way in the palace and Ashlee felt great to finally be at home. The place was a massive home and made for royalty. Leaving the palace and our group behind, we got on the underground (as we found ourselves doing that a lot the last two days) and made our way over to the London Eye (the largest ferris wheel in the world). It gave us a great view of the city and a relaxing 30 minute ride (30 minutes to go around one time). Later came Trafalger Square when we sat outside on the steps and watched the Olympics on a large screen. The evening came to a close with buying another suitcase (we were running out of room) and a few sad goodbyes. Unfortunately we were not able to say goodbye to everyone because we were on our own the majority of the time in London. We retired for the night ready for one last full day in Europe.

Ciao Eddy and Goodbye Vanda

So long Paris. Eddy loaded our bags one last time before we headed to the Paris train station. We would miss Eddy and his driving skills (and nunchuck skills, bow huntings skills, getting women to drool over him skills...you get the picture). We grabbed our bags and gave Eddy one last Ciao. He was very grateful for our handshakes and thank yous (mainly because our handshakes had his tip envelopes in them). Sitting in the train terminal gave us the chance to prepare ourselves before we boarded the NASCAR of trains. Little did we know when the train took off, it would be heading in the opposite direction of which we were facing. Yes, that's right. Through the countryside of Paris, under the English Channel, and entering England going backwards at 185 mph! We arrived in one piece and without anyone throwing up...which was a success in my book. We were weary getting on the bus in London considering Eddy was not behind the wheel and the driver was driving on the wrong side of the street. After being handed off to the Globus Headquarters in London's Hilton, it was a sad goodbye to Vanda as she was sad to see us go. The trip had a different feel about it as we were missing our two guides we had come to know (of course all we knew of Eddy was a 'Ciao' and a wink if you were lucky, and lots of Italian words we did not know). However, we were glad to be in an English speaking country with English TV channels. We come 180 degrees from Rome as the sun was hiding behind the clouds giving off a very cool climate (not to mention our elevators transformed from fitting 2 people to fitting 18). Quickly after arrival we met up with the Priestleys as Brice gave us a quick tour of London (he had been there since July 2 studying abroad). We strolled though Hyde Park and made our way to the original Hard Rock Cafe (it was by far the best meal we had up to this point). The store was an old bank building containing a vault that held Queen Elizabeth's money and Princess Diana's wedding dress. It now holds rock memorabilia and Ashlee and I got our picture with guitars from Red Hot Chili Peppers and Black Sabbath. The night came to an end with a stoll down Picadilly Street and a ride on the underground back to our hotel.

One Last Night in Paris

We have seen Paris from a bus, walking the streets, and from the Eiffel Tower. Now it was time to see the city from a boat. We took off on our cruise down the Seine River. It was relaxing to sit for a while. However, all the buildings were familiar and they are no more spectacular when seen from the water. The Eiffel Tower gave way to more pictures and the statue of liberty paved the way to the end of the cruise. We boarded our mercedes bus once more and drove past the tunnel of Princess Diana's death on our way to the artist's village. After making our way up to the tallest hill in Paris, we were able to see the large city from above. Greeting us at the top were many people sitting on the steps of a church listening to a musician with a backdrop of Paris. Sitting around the corner was a group of artists painting pictures of people willing to pay the price they asked (Ashlee was really disappointed we did not get one done because those crazy frenchmen were asked 80 euros for one picture...thats 120 US Dollars). The smell of food was in the air around another corner and Ashlee had a crepe filled with chocolate and I had a hot dog toasted with cheese. As the evening began to wind down, we made our way back to the hotel and sat with a few people from our group at the hotel bar. Two 7ups cost 12 euros but it was worth enjoying the two Australian women become louder as they drank their wine. One did not have any grandchildren but if she did, she hoped they would come out at the age of 18 so they could drive her to the pub (lets just say these women love a few drinks here and there). After a few laughs we retired for the evening anticipating what might be in store for us across the English Channel.

Bonjour Pepe le Pù

Leaving the beautiful scenery behind, we make our way (a long way) to Paris. It was ok to fall asleep because all there was to see were fields and forests. During the ride, Vanda found out the street I lived on is Southfork. She was delighted because apparently Dallas was a pretty big hit in England (I am a pretty big deal). The side of the city we arrived in was not as spectacular as we had hoped it would be. However, 'we be chillin at the Holiday Inn'. Our first night in Paris was a perfect opportunity for a date (aww how sweet). The weather is perfectly chilled and we jumped on the metro and made our way towards the Eiffel Tower. As we came up the stairs, Paris had done a complete transformation and we stood in a wide open park full of lovers in front of Invilades (the burial site of Napoleon). We strolled alongside the Siene River as the enormous tower came into view. We were greeted by lots of people waiting impatiently to get a ride to the top. We decided we would bypass the long lines and head straight for the snack bar (french fries and sausage under the Eiffel Tower... could it get any better than that?!). Finally we have caught back up to the events that have happend today (sorry for the wait).



After hot chocolate with our breakfast, we walked outside to find a sky full of clouds and a strong cool breeze. We boarded the bus for our drive around Paris. We were able to stop by the Arc de Triomph during our stroll down Champs-Elysees. We then found ourselves making our way up to the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower that offered beautiful panoramas of the city. We then met Vanda outside of the Louvre and made the trek to the Mona Lisa. It was very crowded as we shoved and squeezed our way to the front to see the small portrait. After lunch in the Louvre (I had a hamburger in the Louvre, how cool is that) we took pictures by the pyramid and made our way back on the metro.



After lots of typing, the time running out, and pulling my hair out trying to type on this backwards keyboard. (only the French!) It is time to make our way to the cruise on the Siene River and the artist village.

Beautiful Switzerland

With a long drive ahead of us, we were lucky to make a few stops along the way. Our first stop in Switzerland was a wonderful city by a sparkling lake. Lugano offered us Burger King (more money for Ashlee's ice cream), a stroll through the park (a chance for me to get my Quack on with the ducks), and then back on the bus. We are already amazed at the beauty this country has to offer us. There are mountains everywere covered in bright green grass and virtually no pollution (the Swiss are very clean and regimented). As we pass through William Tell country, the mountains multiply and the cows grew bells around their necks. Our driver Eddy (the Chuck Norris of Italy) offered a scenic view where no Mercedes charter bus has ventured before. A break 7000 ft up gave us a chilly wake up call and a perfect place to take more pictures (dont worry, every one of you will have a chance to look at all 987 of them). We finally arrive in the beautiful town of Lucerne and are offered the chance to have an evening off on our own. We walked through the streets, got our free Rolex spoon (yes I said ROLEX), and found a small fondue eating place. Luckily we were staying at the only hotel in Lucerne that had an air conditioner. The next morning gave us a journey up the 7000 ft Mount Pilatus. The gondola took us up the steep side and we arrived in a cloud with horn blowers running out of oxygen (Riiicccoooooolllaaaa). After taking pictures at the top, we sat and enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate (quite different than the experience in Rome just a few days before). After taking the cog rail train down the other side, we boarded our boat to cruise back across Lake Lucerne. That evening we enjoyed a dinner with the 4 Aussie women (yes, me and 5 women talking at dinner). They were very interested in everything from politics to the amount of fried foods we eat. I sounded very intelligent however I could have told them anything and they wouldn't have known a difference. (I also caught myself saying 'meself' instead of 'myself'). Good day Mates!

Streets of Water

We say goodbye to Florence and make our way to Venice. At this point we are both very tired and use the bus ride to take advantage of a few power naps (of course Vanda always chimes in with a Wakey Wakey when we arrive at each break stop). We arrive in Venice in the industrial part of the city. Lets just say it was not the greatest first image of such a beautiful city. We board a boat and begin our journey throughout the islands of Venice. We made our way to the island of Murano to watch the art of glass blowing. The demonstration room was very warm as the furnace reached temperatures of 2000 degrees. We watched a man make a horse in less than five minutes with a rolling technique and a pair of tweezers on steroids. After we viewed the showing room full of hundreds of glass sculptures, we boarded the boat back to St. Marks Square. We walked through the streets as it was one big outdoor shopping mall. We took pictures by the water and bought a few gifts and souveniers. After lunch at McDonalds (shame on us but it saved us money for gifts), we found out that getting money out of the ATM is like doing something illegal. We would constantly look over our shoulders, get it done as quickly as possible, and stuff the goods away as quickly as possible. Then to the bathroom so Ashlee could give the city of Venice one euro to use the bathroom (I just used the streets). Finally we boarded our Gondola (our guide was the biggest of them all) and took a ride throughout the streets while being serenaded by an accordian and the gondeleers talking on the cell phone. We left the beautiful city the same way we arrived and ended the day looking forward to Switzerland.

Hills of Tuscany

Our day began early this morning with a bus ride through the countryside of Italy's shin (as Vanda would say). We drove through hills and fields filled with sunflowers, vineyards, apple trees and olive trees. It was interesting to see the fields of sunflower seeds. The flowers were withering away as the farmers had already taken the seeds for cooking oil. Small towns remained built by the original inhabitants of Italy (Etruscans), even before the Roman rule. Arriving in Florence we could see that it would not be as majestic as Rome (and with as much as we saw in one day in Rome, it is hard to even compare the city of Florence). The outer city has become modernized as we can see from our hotel window that is a good ways from the center. The inner city still remained built on top of old ruins as we could see the exposed rock from the original construction. We walked the same streets people walked through in the Middle Ages. The buildings were close together and the passage was a good break from the sun. At one point we were sitting at a bench with a man feeding the pigeons. Luckily we got away without any pain or poop. Soon we met with our guide for the day Simon. We first started at the Galleria dell' accademia. Inside were many paintings but of course the main attention was focused on the work of Michelangelo. David stood seventeen feet tall on a platform about six feet tall (lets just say it is hard to avoid a naked man when he is twenty-three feet tall). Great detail was put into everything from his hair, eyes, and even the veins on his arm. He stood with a sling over his left shoulder and a stone in his right hand. We then walked to the Duomo of Florence (the dome that inspired the building of St. Peters in Rome). Finally we arrived in the Santa Croce square. Many shops lined the streets and we managed to buy myself a leather belt (custom fit), a purse for ashlee, a few pins to add to my hat collection (including Pinnochio, the childrens hero, and a button of David's face, I didn't want his naked body on my hat), and four paintings from the street sellers that were easy to talk down to very cheap. We found out that Brian Jones (the couple from Philadelphia) is the senior pastor at Christ Church of the Valley and was called from Columbus, Ohio to start the church in 2000 which now averages 13,000 people. He is also a writer and has books that can be found at Barnes and Nobles. Dinner was only three courses at the hotel and we also met a couple from Virginia. He is a music teacher/conductor and she is in med school at West Virginia. The decoration at the dinner table consisted of an eggplant in a bowl that looked as if it had been sitting there for quite some time and we found out it is hit and miss with showers with a tub or a drain (luckily the emergency cord in the bathroom is clearly labeled). We are packing our bags for another early start towards Venice. Tomorrow, don't drink the water in the streets!

Blogging on the T.V.

We have arrived in Florence and our hotel has just been renovated and is AWESOME! We are connected to the internet through the T.V. and out our window we see the hills of Tuscany. To continue on our journey in Rome...

We previously forgot to mention the Aggie we met inside the Sistine Chapel. He was class of '04 and recognized my A&M shirt the previous day. Also, as we were leaving the Colosseum, we saw an aTm scratched into one of the columns. We got a picture of Ashlee Gig 'Em with her ring.


We meet back with Cynthia and walk through the streets of Rome just as the Romans do. Thank goodness the majority of them are still at the beach. We first arrived at the Spanish Steps finding out they were given that name on accident because they are in the Spanish Square by the Spanish embassy. Surroundig the steps were stores hidden in the streets such as Gucci, Prada, Dior, and Lacoste. Don't worry, Ashlee didn't waste any money there. It is funny to see these stores in the streets of Italy because they look nothing like the stores back in America. These cities of Italy continue to be built on ancient ruins. They are not allowed to tear anything down, but only can be renovated. Just around the corner (hidden amongst the buildings just as all the other ancient sites are) we found the Trevi Fountain. The fountain was surrounded by lots of people. We were told to throw coins into the fountain with our backs facing it with our right hand over our left shoulder. One coin meant we would come back to Rome one day, two meant marriage, and three meant divorce...do I really need to tell you how many Ashlee threw in (I even caught her going back later on for a second go at it. Just Kidding...but seriously). After the fountain we found ourselves a little Italian cafe serving homeade Ice Cream. The chocolate and strawberry was absolutely delicious. I even had to wipe the Ice cream off of Ashlee's chin because she could n ot take a break from eating it to do it herself. Just down from the cafe, the street opened to see the magnificant Pantheon. It stood just as it did over 1800 years ago. The top of the dome is open and there are drains in the floor in case it rains too hard that the precipitation does not evaporate on the way down to the floor. After a few more sites and very tired legs, we met back with Vanda and made our way to dinner. Anther five course meal and an Opera show made us fall asleep at the table from a long and exhausting day. Sorry about the pictures, we cannot upload them on the TV so use your imagination.

Following the Sunflower (Day 2 in Rome)

The morning came very early as our bodies have continued to adjust to the new time. We woke up to enjoy breakfast and coffee before we began a day full of places to see. We met our guide for the day Cynthia (pronounced chin-sia). The lovely Italian woman began our tour with the smallest country in the world, the Vatican City. As we stood outside the walls, we were given headsets with a earpiece to hear her wherever we went. We were told to "Always follow the sunflower, and mama will take care of you." (the sunflower rested on top of an extended car antenna for easy sight). As we entered the museums we followed crowds of people through halls filled with statues and incredible tapestries that were hundreds of years old. After a long hall of maps painted on the walls so the pope would be able to view his territory, we came to the famous Sistine Chapel. We were not allowed to take any photographs or video but we snuck in a few anyway (when in Rome!). We went on to see the Basilica and stood in awe and amazement of the magnificant structure. The walls were filled with statues and paintings and the ceilings were 150 feet in the air. We also passed by the tomb of Peter and the place where the Pope holds mass for the Roman people at Christmas time. Meeting up with our busdriver, we were off to the original city of Rome and the Colosseum. It was very warm outside and we walked by many structures that were still standing after many years and generations. We ended our tour with a walk through the roman forum and a bus ride through the rest of the city. We went to lunch at a small cafe around the corner with a Married couple from Philadelphia. We have also met people from Tennessee, Canada, California, and Australia. We are having a blast and after 190 pictures, we are ready to begin the second half of our day. Ciao!

Our Arrival in Rome

Here we sit at an internet cafe just down the street from our hotel and St. Peters square. The flight from Chicago was long and miserable. We literally flew through the night as we sat through time zones and raced towards the sunrise. We were flying at 600 mph at 33,000 feet. The temperature right outside our window was -50. We arrived in Italy overlooking the farm land surrounding the airport. The Rome airport was hot (apparently air conditioning is not a common thing). As we drove to the hotel, we were quick to notice how crazy the drivers are. There was graffiti and trash everywhere. St. Peters cathedral is right down the street from our hotel. At night, the dome shines above the streets and the balcony is a very nice place to relax. Our first adventure on our own consisted of a trip to the square. It was sunday and there were not very many people out (the Pope was up in the mountains and saturday and sunday are days for the Italians to go to the beach). We went underneath and walked through the halls surrounding the burial grounds of past popes. The most recent pope to pass away rest underneath waiting to be preserved and placed in the Basillica. For dinner, we met with our group and the guide took us through the Roman streets. Vanda, a British woman, is our guide for the two weeks and is very keen and humorous. Our group went to an Italian restaraunt reserved just for the thirty of us. We enjoyed a five course meal and being serenaded by an Italian woman and an accordian player. Dallas enjoyed singing along with "thats amore" and "oh ma ma." The bathroom in the hotel consists of a shower with no tub (water goes everywhere and slowly finds its way into one drain in the middle of all the tile). Dallas, being his curious self, thought "Hey look, this string by the toilet is for air freshener. How cool is that!" However, after pulling on it four time, we soon found out the chord was for the front desk and they called saying there was an alarm in case of an emergency in the bathroom. Lets just say, even if there was an emergency in the bathroom, I would not have wanted any help from the man who came to the rescue. Ashlee, of course was in awe of my act of genius. Pictures will be uploaded later, but our first day came to an end full of excitement and exhaustion with what Rome had to offer us.