Europe

Feature

Although COVID-19 has put a stop to most traveling abroad, luckily, got to experience the beauty of Europe before this crisis. So keep in mind many of the experiences may not be available. Please check with local and state health protocols before planning to travel to this destination.

I grew up all around northern Colorado. This Colorado girl loves to experience new places and things, but my opportunity to do so has been limited because I have always been so busy with school, and sports. When my college soccer team had the opportunity to go to Europe in 2019, I simply could not pass it up. Unfortunately, right before we left… to play soccer… in Europe… I broke my tibia plateau. I questioned if I should even go considering I would be on crutches, and Europe is a lot of walking. But, I knew if I did not go I would regret it.

Europe was an important trip for me. I had committed to play soccer at the University of Colorado my freshman year of high school. This was a big decision, and I may not have realized it at the time. I struggled just to get up most mornings and get what I needed to get done, done. I went from being Colorado state player of the year, to somebody that was not seen as a person. It made me hate soccer, and honestly, I never wanted to play again. This trip took me away from all of that for a little bit.  We played some while we were over there, and even though I could not play it made me realize that I wanted to love soccer again. The people who played over there enjoyed it and had such a passion for it that I used to have. This was the first time I realized I wanted to transfer and find a different program that fit me better. It helped me realize that the game of soccer is supposed to be fun and not a job that I hate. The trip helped me to enjoy the people near me, and the beautiful places around me. Even though the Europe trip was hard for me because of the crutches, it is a trip I will never forget and will always hold a special place in my heart.

Sitting in my room in Windsor, Colorado, I had always imagined Paris as the romantic, city of light, the city of love. Upon arriving, I realized that Paris is like most cities. It is dirty and has a harsh smell. Of course, it is rich in history and has beautiful parts, but mostly, it is home to people in business suits, traffic, and the homeless. We experienced the Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa, and also went to many other historic places. The Eiffel Tower was certainly beautiful at night, but during the day it was all gated up around the bottom. It was also hard to enjoy it because so many people were coming up to you and asking you to buy things. The Mona Lisa was one of my favorite parts. Not only just that painting itself, but the Louvre Museum was fascinating. There was always something beautiful to look at. Most of the trip was a challenge for me on crutches, but when it came to the Mona Lisa, I got to use the handicap line which put me right next to the painting, and I got a perfect picture with it. This put me right next to the Mona Lisa, and I got a perfect picture with it. Another part of the museum was the food court. Now, this may not seem this exciting but most of the museums we went to did not have anything to eat or drink. Not only did they actually have a food court, but it was also so delicious. I had a hamburger and fries and it surprisingly tasted amazing. It almost gives you a small feeling of America.

Another fantastic place was the Palace of Versailles. The inside had so many details it was hard to pick which one to look at. There was also so much interesting history to learn. They gave us a small earpiece so they were able to explain each room in detail, and we could hear them loud and clear. There were so many rooms, and some of them even had secret doorways to different parts of the palace. This was such an educational part of my trip, and I highly recommend it. The outside was a lot like the inside. There were so many details in the greenery, and the different pathways to walk around the outside. The grass was laid out in a swirl motion throughout the whole outside, and then there was a beautiful fountain in the middle of it. There was also a bigger lake you could walk to that was further away.

The following day we went and saw all of the shops in Paris including Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Supreme. Unfortunately, we did not get to go into Gucci or Louis Vuitton because there was at least an hour wait to get into each of these. We also went to the Norte Dame. Unfortunately, this was right after the fire that destroyed a large section of the roof, so we could not go in. However, it was still one of the most beautiful buildings.

We scootered around Paris for the most part, and that was probably one of my favorite parts. Traffic is so different there compared to Colorado, I would compare it to New York. So, while scootering you were able to weave in and out of traffic and scooter in the road instead of on the side walk. There were times it got a little scary because we were so close to so many cars and big trucks. We also were there during the World Cup, so we went to a game at the Stade de la Mosson. This stadium was absolutely gorgeous, and was easy to get to. This game was also a good time because the United States was playing, which made it feel a little bit like being home. I also got to watch my team play three games. It was life changing to see my teammates, and the other team having so much fun playing the game we all love. We also went to Montpellier and stayed in a hotel right on the beach. Montpellier is beautiful and walking the streets there was like a dream. The beach was had the softest sand, and the water was so clear. We sat out here for hours and played games and had drinks. The little beach town we stayed at had cute shops and restaurants that were delicious. They also had stands everywhere for ice cream and churros. All of the buildings were a cream color, and they all matched in a sense. We ate at an Italian restaurant, and watched one of the World Cup games.

This shows the beautiful greenery at the Palace of Versailles
This photo is taken outside of the Palace of Versailles. This is the greenery and you can see the swirly motions that I mentioned above.
This is me standing with the Mona Lisa.
This is me with the Mona Lisa. You can see the great detail it has.
This is the Eiffel Tower at night.
The Eiffel Tower is beautiful at night. It has so many lights, and will sometimes even blink. You could see it from miles away.
This is the inside of the Palace of Versailles
This shows the great detail of the Palace of Versailles. This was just one of the rooms, but there were so many that had the same amount of detail.

For those of you wanting to travel to Europe, here are some tips that I wanted to share. First, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get a passport. Second, an adaptor for plug ins is also a must for traveling to Europe. Third, bring a water bottle, preferably one that collapses so it is easy to carry around. Fourth, bring comfortable shoes because you do a great amount of walking. Fifth, bring a portable charger is also a great thing to have. This will allow you to have your phone charged at all times. A cross body bag is an item you want to insure safety. This makes it harder for your personal items to be stollen right off of you. Sixth, and the biggest suggestion I have is to exchange American money for European euros before leaving. It is a lot easier to exchange them before you leave compared to when you get there.

Overall, this trip was life changing for me. I got to experience so many different places, and I found my love for soccer and life again here. I may forget the places, but I will never forget the eye-opening experiences I had to find my love for soccer and life again.

Multimedia

I decided to stick with my travelogue subject of my Amalfi Coast vacation.  Mostly due to the fact that I am horrible about taking photos when I visit cool places.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGi47kVAax6/?igshid=1ksn29gpbti1v

 

 

Travelogue

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.

Travelogue

In 2016, I spent two weeks in Europe with my club soccer team, traveling to many different countries, and experiencing different cultures and people, as well as the different ways of playing the game I love. I got another opportunity to do the same thing three years later in 2019.

In 2016 I went to Europe with my club team and got to visit many different cities and countries. My favorite city was Budapest because of all of the amazing views. The people were challenging there. The women did not like us and would make sure we knew that. They are not fond of American women we quickly learned. Now the men, were about the exact opposite. They were constantly trying to touch us (sometimes inappropriately). Besides the people, Budapest was educational, beautiful and simply eye opening to a whole other life style. Our hotel was right on the water, and you could see a magnificent castle right across the water. We were also fortunate enough to have many different adventures. My favorite adventure was having dinner on a beautiful boat. Budapest has a river that runs through it named Danube River, and it is surrounded by new and old buildings. The views were breathe taking. They served us with a drink as soon as we stepped food on the boat. They served us a buffet that had all types of noodles, sauces, and different kinds of meats including meatballs, chicken, and some sort of ground beef. Another one of my favorite places from this trip was Vienna. We stayed in a very old castle that had been transformed into a beautiful hotel. We also got to go into the town and see all of the beautiful white buildings. We also went on a 23 mile bike ride that led us to another castle. The bike ride was not easy by any means, but the views around were worth it. We stopped at multiple different points to simply look at all of the greenery around us. There were mostly just plants and a lot of different kinds of boulders because of us being on a path for the most part. Playing soccer in a different country is very different than playing soccer in America. Soccer is a way of life in Europe and is taken very seriously. But on the other side of it, they love to have fun while playing it. Before most games, we were offered shots and at half time and a beer after the game. The way they take care of their pitch was overwhelming. The grass was perfectly cut and was very green. We also went to Prague, which in ways like Budapest to me. We went on Segways to tour Prague, and that was the best part of the whole trip. We got to see all of the simple and beautiful places in Prague.

 

In the photo it shows the Danube River right off of an magnificent castle in Budapest.
In the photo it shows the Danube River right off of an magnificent castle in Budapest, 2016.
In the photo it shows the Danube River right off of an magnificent castle in Budapest. This was right outside of our hotel.
In the photo it shows the Danube River right off of an magnificent castle in Budapest. This was right outside of our hotel, 2016.
This is me holding a wine class while on a boat ride on the Danube river. This photo also shows the castle up close that I talked about on the last image.
This is me holding a wine class while on a boat ride on the Danube river. This photo also shows the castle up close that I talked about on the last image, 2016.

 

This is a photo of me in the boat on the Danube River.
This is a photo of me in the boat on the Danube River, 2016.
This photo shows an old castle that we stayed in while in Vienna. It has beautiful green landscaping in the front.
This photo shows an old castle that we stayed in while in Vienna. It has beautiful green landscaping in the front, 2016.
This photo was taken in Vienna and shows a beautiful white building. It has people in the photo as well as a taxi car.
This photo was taken in Vienna and shows a beautiful white building. It has people in the photo as well as a taxi car, 2016.
This photo shows the castle we biked 23 miles to in Vienna. It had beautiful detailing along the entrance and was a dark yellow color.
This photo shows the castle we biked 23 miles to in Vienna. It had beautiful detailing along the entrance and was a dark yellow color, 2016.
This photo shows one of the fields we played on while abroad. It has a very bright green field with a beautiful blue sky in the background.
This photo shows one of the fields we played on while abroad. It has a very bright green field with a beautiful blue sky in the background, 2016.

 

Three years later, in 2019, I went to Europe it was with my college soccer team. This time was a little bit different for me because I had just fractured my tibia plateau, so I was on crutches for this trip.We went to France. Paris had beautiful parts to it, but overall I was not the biggest fan of it. It was very dirty besides the museums, and it constantly had a harsh smell. We went to the Eiffel Tower, saw the Mona Lisa, and also went to other historic places. We went and saw all of the shops in Paris including Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Supreme. We also went to the Norte-Dame  right after the fire, so we could not go in it but we were still able to see the outside of it. We scootered around Paris for the most part, and that was probably one of my favorite parts. Traffic is so different there compared to Colorado, I would compare it to New York. So, while scootering you were able to weave in and out of traffic and scooter in the road instead of on the side walk. We went to the Palace of Versailles, which had the most beautiful pieces of art work, and had extraordinary attention to detail. They gave us a small ear piece, so that our tour guide would be able to explain every room and place we went to. We also were there during the World Cup, so we went to a game at the Stade de la Mosson. This game was so fun to go to because the United States was playing. We also went to Montpellier and stayed in a hotel right on the beach. Montpellier is beautiful and walking the streets there was like a dream.

This photo shows me in Paris the day I was allowed to switch to one crutch instead of two.
This photo shows me in Paris the day I was allowed to switch to one crutch instead of two, 2019.
This photo is of the Eiffel tower at night.
This photo is of the Eiffel tower at night, 2019.

 

This photo shows me with the Mona Lisa. This is the only time being on crutches was nice, because they had a handicap line, and they told me to go in it so I got to be super close to it. 
This photo shows me with the Mona Lisa. This is the only time being on crutches was nice, because they had a handicap line, and they told me to go in it so I got to be super close to it, 2019.

 

This photo shows skateboards in the Supreme store in Paris.
This photo shows skateboards in the Supreme store in Paris, 2019.
This photo shows the Notre Damn, and it is being rebuilt after the fire happened in 2019. 
This photo shows the Notre Damn, and it is being rebuilt after the fire happened in 2019, 2019.
This photo shows me and my friend scootering around Paris.
This photo shows me and my friend scootering around Paris, 2019.
This is a photo of inside the Palace of Versailles. The detail was amazing in here, everywhere you looked there was small details. 
This is a photo of inside the Palace of Versailles. The detail was amazing in here, everywhere you looked there was small details, 2019.
This was the garden behind the Palace of Versailles.  The greenery was  breath taking and the design of each piece of nature was so satisfying. 
This was the garden behind the Palace of Versailles.  The greenery was  breath taking and the design of each piece of nature was so satisfying, 2019.
This is me and one of my friends on the beach in Montpellier. 
This is me and one of my friends on the beach in Montpellier, 2019.

 

This is me and one of my friends in the streets on Montpellier. 
This is me and one of my friends in the streets on Montpellier, 2019.

 

Although both of these trips were life changing, my second trip was my favorite. Even though I was on crutches I still think I got to experience more and see more things that we hear so much about. It was also more recent so that also could have something to do with it. I remember so much more from my second trip than my first.