The summer before coronavirus hit, my family and I had arranged for plans to explore the best of Europe in 14 days. We were a part of a travel guide company in which they took us through France, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. This was my first time traveling across the Atlantic and to say I was excited was an understatement.
Our first destination was Paris. On the plane, all I could think about was the movie Ratatouille and that was my only envisioning of Paris. It was however, a completely different experience. For one, Europeans act like air conditioning was never invented so each night was a sweat fest. That didn’t matter to me as much as my brother because I would sacrifice being uncomfortable for Paris any day of the week. The food, city, and people were amazing as we stayed a few nights in the art district. Our tour guide was able to take us to the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and many other art museums. Watching people live their daily lives immersed in a different culture was the greatest thing pulled from my trip.
My second destination was Switzerland. I was able to see the towns of Stechelberg, Wengen, Mürren, and Lauterbrunnen. The waterfalls were amazing. No, really, I’m serious. My family and I ventured inside a mountain that contained over 20 waterfalls flowing inside. We were also able to hike in the Swiss Alps and reach the Swiss Skyline, it was also where one of the James Bond movies was filmed. The only way to reach this 10,000 ft landmark was through cable car. The views were spectacular. The country of Switzerland was by far the prettiest of my whole trip.
Italy was the third stop of our tour and it, did not disappoint. Venice, Rome, Florence, and Tuscany were the cities I got to visit. Venice was by far my favorite as the whole city was its own island with no roads. We were able to ride the gondolas at night through the Grand Canal. Going inside St. Mark’s Basilica was another check off the bucket list and we were able to go all the way to the top. After Venice, we made our way to Rome where we were able to see the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, the Trevi Fountain, and ride Segway’s through the streets. Seeing the ancient ruins was like looking through an in-person history book. Once, leaving Rome we made our way to Florence. Florence was filled with pure art as we saw the Statue of David and the Florence Cathedral. Then to top off our tour of Italy, Tuscany was the last stop. Staying in the countryside, the local inn made our entire group a home cooked meal that was to die for. Tuscany was by far the most relaxing destination of the trip before we headed to the big city of Munich, Germany. As a group, Tuscany was a great way for all of us to slow down and appreciate everything we had seen as each day was filled with new sights.
Munich, Germany is one of the more westernized cities in Europe. Munich after WWII lost a lot of culture and historical monuments and traveling there today looks very similar to an American city. As a group, we headed to the Marienplatz on the first afternoon which is the central square of Munich. Shortly after we headed to the famous beer halls and had a traditional German dinner. The city was filled with loads of tourists as Munich is a hot destination spot because of Oktoberfest. Local shops and restaurants are lined all throughout the plaza for all to find souvenirs and tasty food. Munich was the last top to our journey of Europe before we headed home.
Traveling to each of these countries helped me discover a newfound respect for different cultures. Even diving into the different cultures of each country within Europe was refreshing in itself. In America, we take a lot of things for granted (like AC) and I had a blast emerging myself into a different world. Trying new foods, languages, and activities allowed me to live like a European for two weeks and journey outside my comfort zone.
